Comments on: Liriano Optioned to Fort Myers, Rotation Set

By: Twins 2008 Starting Rotation Set | Between Innings

Twins 2008 Starting Rotation Set | Between Innings — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:05:32 +0000

[…] on Friday and Scott Baker’s minor league start on Sunday. Ron Gardenhire announced Francisco Liriano was optioned to the Twins Class A Fort Myers to start the season. Francisco pitched well on Friday throwing 73 […]

By: T

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:53:20 +0000

Though he had a pretty good spring training I still am scared to death to see him in a meaningful game…

Meaningful as in playoff/division, or meaningful as in regular season? Because I think this is the best time for a young rotation. There’s not going to be a whole lot of pressure on them this season except any pressure they put on themselves to prove they’re ready.

Next season though and especially once the stadium opens, there will be far more pressure to perform. But they’ll have already taken their lumps as a young team this season and be ready to go.

By: T

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:50:48 +0000

He has far more innings under his belt than Baker or Blackburn.

Except that all of those innings were more than a year ago before he had major surgery.

By: dwood627

dwood627 — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:29:30 +0000

Liriano just threw 75 pitches! Gardenhire himself has been saying all spring that after each start the starter should be able to throw 15 more pitches the next time out, until he reaches 100. You cant tell me that 90 pitches isnt enough for the big leagues. It is a joke!

By: B Dubz

B Dubz — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:01:15 +0000

I would suggest that not only are the Liriano minor league stints in his best interests, but his MLB teammates. If you have a guy who can only go 75 pitches for 2-3 more starts, that’s possibly 4-6 innings. Getting someone in there who can potentially go 9 takes POSSIBLE stress off the bullpen.

Liriano is a K pitcher, and they often have slightly higher pitch counts.

It makes sense, the Twins will be fine and gives us a chance to see Blackburn, which should be cool to watch.

By: Sane

Sane — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 15:55:10 +0000

Possible upside to the Liriano Delay:

Blackburn gets evaluated in two regular season MLB games after an excellent ST.

Compared to Livan, Boof, Slowey and Baker, Blackburn could be a top of the rotation guy.
Even if Blackburn was tearing up AAA in April instead of pitching MLB, the Twins would never promote him until a SP either got injured or failed miserably over and over and over and over. (ala Ponson and Ortiz in 2007)