DIAF;3947199 said:
1. All of the projections I am talking about with Harrison are the latest ones - the ones where he hit AA and AAA and turned into a #3-starter absolute ceiling player. Matt Harrison was drafted pretty high (2nd or 3rd round) and his "early" projections (the ones which you keep saying that I am citing) were actually for something greater than a back-of-the-rotation fodder starter.
2. Ogando is 27. He's finished maturing physically. He's been pitching professionally for 5 years now under the tutelage of Rangers personnel in the DR. This isn't some kid who still has tons of room for growth.
3. Ogando was pressed into starting because Brandon Webb, Tommy Hunter, and Scott Feldman were/are all hurt for lengthy periods of time. It's the only reason he's starting. It's not because the Rangers just up and decided he was going to be an ace on his way to the first of multiple cy youngs or anything.
4. I'm not discounting "latest" projections. Latest projections are what I am, in fact, citing. Keep on repeating the "initial projections" bs with me. Maybe someone will believe it eventually if you say it enough times.
Wow, it took you a week to mention the projections on Harrison are current projections. Of course, you've never produced them.
No need with Harrison though - I don't doubt that a current projection would top him out as a No. 3 starter. But I said this before, if you are going to hang your hat on projections, why in the world would you take a projection as a possible No. 3 starter to mean a guy is certain to implode? That simply makes no sense. Again, even if he were to fall short of his top and end up a No. 4 or 5 starter that is still a valuable member of a pitching staff.
As for Ogando, of course injuries gave him a chance to start, although we knew all along that it was very iffy that Webb would be ready, and I;m not sure Feldman would have stood in the way either, but that's how a lot of pitchers get their first shot to start in the major leagues. That's an absolutely common path.
I think what you fail to recognize with Ogando is that the bullpen started out as his role not because he was limited, it was because for a player with a big arm and limited experience that is the easiest role to learn and make an impact. Batters weren't going to get the chance to see him several times a game, and he didn't have to work up to throwing 200 innings, so in the bullpen the Rangers felt he could make an immediate impact, whereas developing as a starter would take more time. They wouldn't have made the move if they didn't think he could do it, they only made it quicker than they would have otherwise - and, of course, if he developed into a closer they may never have made the move. Again, not because of a lack of confidence that he could do it, but because of the impact he made in the role he started in.
You seem to have a problenm that someone saying they see a person as a reliever is not the same as a person saying I don't think he can do anything but relieve. It's simply not the same. The projection of Ogando as a reliever may have been due to a number of things, including where they felt he could make the most immediate impact given his limited pitching experience.
nyc;3947253 said:
I was watching the game last night and they had Nolan on. He said as of right now, there are absolutely no plans to remove Ogando from the starting rotation. They said thus far, nothing has warranted removing him. He is pitching great as a starter.
I saw the same thing and was going to mention it. He said Ogando was one of the stableizing forces in the pitching staff and indicated we will see even better things from him as the fingernail/blister problem that has cut short 3 starts heals. Even those 3 starts were outstanding. I like what I see.
