A key in determining whether Duaner Sanchez will make the Opening Day roster is his ability to work consecutive games. He won’t today, but I asked him if he were physically able to and he said yes.
Sanchez is the keystone for the bullpen. If he’s anything like he was in the first half of 2006, the deepens the pen tremendously. To have an eighth-inning set-up bridge to Billy Wagner leaves Aaron Heilman and Pedro Feliciano for match-ups in the seventh.
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Impressive. Now, if he can only do it in real games. Even if it’s not back to back, if he can just pitch with only 1 day’s rest that would be progress.
I’d even take him good enough for the seventh with Heilman and Feliciano still splitting the set-up according to matchups and so on.
He doesn’t need to be healthy enough to jump straight into being the eighth-inning guy, if he’s healthy enough to be the seventh inning guy four games in a six game stretch, he’s already really useful.
why not let Duaner prove his effectiveness before putting him in the 8th inning role? Heilman is vastly underrated and is very solid in the 8th inning role. Heilman’s numbers don’t lie and I never understand how more people don’t realize this. Once he leaves to be a starting pitcher somewhere else everyone will be forced to take notice his strong contributions.
Sanchez is critical to the bull pen. We have to have a few guys that can shut it down until you get to Wagner. Sanchez being healthy and effective will make Heilman better.
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Absolutely agree, Joe, Heilman is quite underrated as a set-up man.
The flip-side, of course, is that its much his fault because its hard to see him as the above-average setup man that he is when all he does off-the-field is whine and whine and whine that he wants to be a terrible starting pitcher instead of a quite good middle reliever because he’d make more money as a terrible starter.
So… you’re right but there are extenuating circumstances.
when Carlos Silva gets a 4/$48M deal, you can understand why Heilman wants to start. He makes less than $1M. Also, Heilman, from what I’ve read and heard from camp this year, isn’t saying anything about his starting desires. Main point – Heilman should be the 8th inning bridge
I agree, Heilman is under-rated. He is also controlled. His salary is the result of no leverage. He takes what is offered to a controlled player.
Maybe Sanchez starts in AAA to get regular work without the pressure until he is ready? Our bullpen seems strong enough to do that.