Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Curious Case of Rossy-D

Fact: Ross Detwiler is a 1st round draft pick.

Fact: Ross Detwiler is a 6' 5" Lefty.

Fact: Ross Detwiler has a 2.57 ERA this year.

Probable: Ross Detwiler will be sent down to Syracuse in the next two days.

Things around NatsTown have gotten really strange. Trade rumors involving another 1st round pick, Drew Storen, are reaching a fever pitch - while the organization is showing little faith in another 1st round pick - Ross Detwiler.

The 2007 pick has done everything the organization has asked and has improved while doing it. Suffering through injuries has definitely hampered the development of the Missouri native, but Detwiler seems to have put all of the hip issues behind him. Which brings me to my point.

It's time for the Nats to finally make a decision.

Ross Detwiler is a starting pitcher, who has either toiled away in the minors or been moved to the bullpen while pitchers like Yunesky Maya, Matt Chico, Garrett Mock, Collin Balester, Marco Estrada, and Daniel Cabrera have all gotten MLB starts for the Nats. In the past I can definitely see that some others might have had better numbers, but how will you know what he can do if you never give him a shot?

This season looked like it was going to be time to finally see Detwiler crack the big league rotation permanently, that is until Mike Rizzo made a trade for the underwhelming Tom Gorzelanny. Let's take a look, bullet point-style:
  • Immediately after that trade, Gorzelanny was handed a spot in the Opening Day rotation, despite putting up a 4.46 ERA in spring training to Detwiler's 2.57.
  • Even still, Detwiler was given no chance to crack the rotation, that was reserved for Chad Gaudin (he of the 6.48 spring training ERA, since DFA'd) who was given every vote of confidence by Riggleman as a potential 5th starter.
  • Once the season started it was straight to Syracuse for the lefty while Yunesky Maya was given the first opportunity at a spot start - and we all know how that worked out... 4 times.
  • When it was eventually time for Detwiler to make his first appearance of the year, he won the game with 5.1 IP of 4 hit, 2 run ball, he was pulled immediately after giving up a homer to Reed Johnson despite holding a 6-2 lead.
  • Next came bullpen.

That brings us to this week.

Tom Gorzelanny has finally pitched himself out of the rotation after giving up 11 ER in his last 11 IP, but Detwiler will once again be victim to the options game when Wang gets activated later this week.

How many more times are the Nats brass going to pass over the former 1st round pick?

Ross Detwiler is 25 years-old and it's time to make a decision on his future. The Nationals need to give him a spot in the rotation and let him sink or swim, or they need to trade him to someone else that will.

No comments:

Post a Comment