Wahoo's on First » Kevin Slowey

Indians Desire Durability From The Starting Rotation

Steve Kinsella — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:34:29 +0000

Last July the Indians acknowledged their lack of proven quality starting pitching depth by trading top prospects Alex White, Drew Pomeranz, and Joe Gardner to the Colorado Rockies for Ubaldo Jimenez. The point of the move was not only to boost the rotation for a 2011 pennant run but to solidify the top of the rotation for the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

The starting rotation that left Goodyear Arizona in 2011 included Fausto Carmona, Carlos Carrasco, Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin, and Mitch Talbot and by the end of the season only Masterson and Carmona remained on the active roster. The Indians are hoping that Masterson and Jimenez will be the two pillars at the top of the rotation and that the remaining three starters will be able to take the ball every fifth day, remain healthy throughout the season, pitch into the sixth inning each time out, and exit the game having given the Indians a good chance to win. (more…)

Spring Training Preview: What to Look for from the Pitchers

Katie Hendershot — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:44:10 +0000

We can’t put too much stock in spring training numbers, and we can’t judge a player—or even the team as a whole—from what we see over the span of a few weeks in February and March. However, from the brief glimpses we get from a player in the preseason we can sometimes find indications of how he will perform in the coming season—whether he has put the pitfalls previous season behind him or, in other cases, if he can build on his successes of the past.

It seems that the Indians’ fate this season is based on what-if’s and if-only’s. In a perfect world, all of the players on the roster will play to their full potential, which would certainly give Indians fans something to cheer for. That’s not realistic, though. We can hope that each player has a career year, but we can’t use it as a predictor of what is to come.

With just three days left before they report to spring training, let’s take a look at the pitching staff and what we should watch for from some of Cleveland’s hurlers this spring. (more…)

Weekly Wroundtable: Who Should Replace Fausto Carmona?

Lewie Pollis — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:48:28 +0000

Last week’s revelation that Fausto Carmona is in fact 31-year-old Roberto Hernandez Heredia has massive implications for the Cleveland Indians. The most significant consequence for the Tribe is that the artist formerly known as Carmona probably won’t be with the team on Opening Day, as he is currently forbidden from leaving his native Dominican Republic.

In this week’s edition of the Weekly Wroundtable, we took on the biggest question on Tribe fans’ minds: Who should replace Fausto Carmona in the Indians’ rotation?

In addition to all five of us from Wahoo’s on First, we had the honor of being joined by TD from WaitingForNextYear, as well as The Cleveland Fan contributor and former Wahoo’s on First staff writer Ed Carroll. Here’s what we all had to say:

TD thinks Fausto Carmona has pitched his last game with the Indians. (Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE)

TD (WaitingForNextYear): First off, let me just say that I think the Carmona situation is sad. Saddest of all for him is that I don’t think he will ever pitch for the Indians again. That is pure speculation in my part. But from a baseball standpoint, are the Indians really going to be missing him that much? The guy lost 15 games, had an ERA over five and a WHIP of 1.40. That are far from awe-inspiring numbers, even from a fifth starter. His constant up and down, uneven performances were extremely frustrating for the Tribe brass. But, he was still an innings-eater who would take the ball every fifth day.

The Tribe has assembled a bevy of options to replace him. You’ve got the entire AAA rotation—Jeanmar Gomez, David Huff, Zach McAllister, Scott Barnes, and Corey Kluber—at your disposal. Then a day after the Carmona mess came to light, right-hander Kevin Slowey was acquired. There are even rumors that the Tribe is kicking the tires on Roy Oswalt (pipe dream).

In the end, it will be Slowey who gets the call out of Goodyear. He is a veteran of the AL Central (former Twin), who had won double-digit games the three years prior to his disastrous 2011 campaign. While he does have an option left, the fact that he has been a mainstay in the Twins rotation in the past gives him a leg up on Gomez, the best of the rest. I am a Gomez fan, and I’m sure we will see him at some point this season regardless. But if Slowey is healthy, he’s the best option.

Ed Carroll (The Cleveland Fan): There’s really no clear-cut choice to replace the pitcher Indians fans knew as Fausto Carmona in the starting rotation. Oh sure, the Tribe has options in-house, with as many as four realistic ones at the start of spring training. Not one of those four (Jeanmar Gomez, Kevin Slowey, Zach McAllister, or David Huff) inspires much confidence as all lack significant success at the major league level. (more…)