Biagini could open 2017 as a starter in AAA

[Spanky99]

Why do you think it's unprecedented? This is a thing that happens all the time. Younger players commonly break into the league in relief, and it's also not exactly rare for older players with the right skillset to move to the rotation. Lots of arms also obviously bounce between roles at first.

 

I'll let you define good vs. great, who qualifies as a "reliever", and set the definition of "around his age" but:

 

Tanner Roark

Carlos Martinez

CJ Wilson

Marco Estrada (after 2011)

Drew Pomeranz

Chad Bettis

Danny Duffy

Jason Hammel (2008)

Carlos Carrasco

Junior Guerra

Lance Lynn (every other good Cardinal SP breaks in as a RP)

Justin Masterson

 

I'm sure there are many, many more notable examples if you go back more than a few years.\

 

Personally I think Tanner Roark and Biagini compare very well in terms of talent, stuff, ceiling.

 

RJF is dumn. Starters brought up early as relievers, can succeed as an SP if they have the repertoire, period. If it doesn't, so be it.

[reedjohnsonfan]

RJF is dumn. Starters brought up early as relievers, can succeed as an SP if they have the repertoire, period. If it doesn't, so be it.

 

lol

[reedjohnsonfan]

Why do you think it's unprecedented? This is a thing that happens all the time. Younger players commonly break into the league in relief, and it's also not exactly rare for older players with the right skillset to move to the rotation. Lots of arms also obviously bounce between roles at first.

 

I'll let you define good vs. great, who qualifies as a "reliever", and set the definition of "around his age" but:

 

Tanner Roark

Carlos Martinez

CJ Wilson

Marco Estrada (after 2011)

Drew Pomeranz

Chad Bettis

Danny Duffy

Jason Hammel (2008)

Carlos Carrasco

Junior Guerra

Lance Lynn (every other good Cardinal SP breaks in as a RP)

Justin Masterson

 

I'm sure there are many, many more notable examples if you go back more than a few years.\

 

Personally I think Tanner Roark and Biagini compare very well in terms of talent, stuff, ceiling.

 

Really I was more talking in terms of talent and ceiling. Obviously guys like Carlos Martinez or Carrasco (among others on the list) are a terrible comparison.

 

Tanner Roark makes sense. But how many similar failures have there been? I think the odds are pretty stacked against him. Maybe worth giving him a look, hopefully they don't roll with it if it seems like he can't actually start.

[Jimcanuck]

Maybe worth giving him a look, hopefully they don't roll with it if it seems like he can't actually start.

 

Ok, Capt'n Obvious.

[reedjohnsonfan]

Ok, Capt'n Obvious.

 

Why is it obvious? Teams make stupid decisions like this all the time especially if depth is short, which could happen if a few injuries occur. remember Chien-Ming Wang?

[Pendleton]

I wouldn't have been in favor of this before seeing the additions to the pen, but with a couple dependable arms added now, I think trying to maximize Biagini's value makes a lot of sense. Edited February 15, 2017 by Pendleton

[intentional wok]

I wouldn't have been in favor of this before seeing the additions to the pen, but with a couple dependable arms added no, I think trying to maximize Biagini's value makes a lot of sense.

 

Especially considering if it doesn't work out it's not like he just goes in the garbage. He can be a reliever again the very next day.

 

Very little downside here. He's hardly a lock to be lights-out in the pen anyway. It's not like subtracting Osuna from the back end.

[Terminator]

Especially considering if it doesn't work out it's not like he just goes in the garbage. He can be a reliever again the very next day.

 

Very little downside here. He's hardly a lock to be lights-out in the pen anyway. It's not like subtracting Osuna from the back end.

 

Yeah I agree and if he's stretched out in Spring Training and they have a ST injury which can happen he's ready to go right off the bat. Frees up a spot to give a guy like Sparkman a shot to stick or they could just fill it with Loup or someone else who probably isn't that much worse than Biagini anyway.

[KingKat]

He's hardly a lock to be lights-out in the pen anyway.

 

He's not penciled in for high leverage. Probably the 3rd right handed setup man behind Grilli and Smith. Now if Grilli starts looking old again (likely) or Smith doesn't bounce back as expected (also fairly probable) than you have a Biagini sized hole to fill at the back of the bullpen but that's not the ideal scenario. The ideal scenario is that the Jays the luxury of stretching out Biagini because he's otherwise just getting low leverage work anyways.

[JaysFan4Ever]

Stretch him out a bit in ST, and see how the pen works out. With the talk that the Jays almost have a deal for Latos, and are talking with Edwin Jackson, it seems like they're building some depth, so maybe Biagini doesn't have to be a starter this year, maybe next year. If they were to start him this year, he'll likely be down in AAA working on being a starter. Then he might be a starter next year,

 

Even if he's back in the pen, he was pretty dominate, save a couple months. But if he can use all 4 of those pitches as a starter, then it might not be so bad to send him down, stretch him out, in case he's needed.

[Jimcanuck]

Stretch him out a bit in ST, and see how the pen works out. With the talk that the Jays almost have a deal for Latos, and are talking with Edwin Jackson, it seems like they're building some depth, so maybe Biagini doesn't have to be a starter this year, maybe next year. If they were to start him this year, he'll likely be down in AAA working on being a starter. Then he might be a starter next year,

 

Even if he's back in the pen, he was pretty dominate, save a couple months. But if he can use all 4 of those pitches as a starter, then it might not be so bad to send him down, stretch him out, in case he's needed.

 

Sure. Also, this may be news to some folks, but Shatkins are making decisions based not only on 2017, but beyond. Happ and Estrada may not be back in 2018.

[wamco]

My money is on happ being here

[glory]

Happ is signed through 2018. Estrada and Liriano will be free agents after 2017. Biagini filling one of 2018 spots would be a big boost.

[Krylian]

I don't think Biagini will have success as a starter. Hope I'm wrong though.

[RealAccountant]

I don't think Biagini will have success as a starter. Hope I'm wrong though.

 

Yep, he succeeded as a reliever, and he was a damn good one. Relivers on the market are hard to find, some of them are getting paid better

 

There is no guarantee if you start him, and it doesn't work out, that he goes to being a good reliever again.

[RealAccountant]

If Osuna gets hurt, and Grilli finally acts his age, this is the worst bullpen in the Majors. You have Joe Smith Closing games and JP Howell setting them up.

[Qwerty]

Guys, I was just thinking - I am very optimistic about Osuna staying healthy and Grilli continuing to defy age. But even if that doesn't happen, we have Joe Smith to close and JP Howell as a setup guy. Sorry if this was posted elsewhere.