Dunedin Week Two: Still Doesn't Count

Thursday, March 15 2007 @ 10:25 PM EDT

Contributed by: Magpie

Another bunch of meaningless games. Can we tease out some meaningful stuff?

Well, Sal Fasano hasn't done anything to take the backup catcher job away from Jason Phillips.

This means that the 2007 team is likely to have multiple Jasons, as Frasor and Phillips seem certain to be joined by Smith. As a Rule 5 pick, Smith would have to be offered back to the Cubs rather than sent to the minors. He's had himself an excellent spring so far, and seems set to become a super-utility man, playing both infield and outfield. When you carry twelve pitchers, you need one of these guys. So the bench looks to be Phillips, Smith, McDonald and Stairs.

To no one's surprise, Dustin McGowan has been optioned to Syracuse. McGowan needed to be outstanding this spring to have even a hope of going north with the team. He wasn't. Let us hope he spends the next four months in Syracuse working regularly and regaining his command. See you in September, Dusty.

The battle we're all watching is for the back end of the rotation. The three top contenders to date (numbers include Thursday's game against the Phillies!):

Player      W  L  ERA  G  IP   H  R ER HR HBP BB SO       
        
J Towers    1  0  1.80 3  9.0  6  2  2  1   0  1  9
T Ohka      0  1  4.00 3  9.0  8  4  4  1   1  1  2
J Thomson   0  1  7.27 3  8.2  9  7  7  3   0  4  4

That Josh Towers would show up in Dunedin determined to save his career... well, couldn't you see this coming a mile away? But face it, people... if Towers has truly recovered his 2005 form, he's not scuffling to be the fifth starter. He's challenging Burnett to be the number two guy. Has Burnett ever had a season as good as Towers did in 2005? He hasn't - Burnett's own 2005 comes close, but it's not quite as good.

And we're also watching the back end of the bullpen. We assume that Ryan, Frasor, and Downs are in for sure. If League is ready for Opening Day, that makes four. Fighting for the other three (or four) jobs, then:

Player          W  L   ERA   G   IP    H   R  ER  HR HBP  BB  SO       
J Accardo       0  0   0.00  4   4.1   3   1   0   0   0   1   5
R Houston       1  0   0.00  3   2.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   0
T Taubenheim    0  0   0.00  3   3.0   0   0   0   0   0   0   3
V Zambrano      1  0   1.59  3   5.2   7   1   1   0   0   3   5
C Janssen       1  0   1.80  3   5.0   6   2   1   0   0   0   5
P Walker        0  0   2.25  4   4.0   4   1   1   0   0   0   2
F Rosario       0  0   5.40  4   5.0   5   3   3   1   0   3   6
S Marcum        0  0   6.43  3   7.0   6   5   5   2   0   4   9
B Tallet        0  0  11.25  4   4.0   6   5   5   1   0   1   5

Looks to me like Accardo is sitting pretty. Rosario should also be in pretty good shape; he's still out of options, and all the damage done against him came tonight against the Phillies, and all in his second inning of work. I suspect the team would rather see Janssen, Marcum, and Taubenheim starting in Syracuse instead of pitching long relief in Toronto; I think they'd also prefer to see Zambrano continue recovering his strength and command at the minor league level. You would still expect at least one of that quartet to make the Opening Day roster anyway. But not necessarily. And Brian Tallet hasn't done himself any favours.

You know what this means?

There is an opening for Pete Walker!

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