I'm having no fun this year

[kbwsb]

<!--quoteo(post=38186:date=May 15 2009, 03:56 PM:name=FlyAtTheThigh)-->QUOTE (FlyAtTheThigh @ May 15 2009, 03:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=38182:date=May 15 2009, 04:51 PM:name=KBwsb)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KBwsb @ May 15 2009, 04:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=38179:date=May 15 2009, 03:34 PM:name=FlyAtTheThigh)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (FlyAtTheThigh @ May 15 2009, 03:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=38178:date=May 15 2009, 04:31 PM:name=rok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rok @ May 15 2009, 04:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=38176:date=May 15 2009, 03:26 PM:name=FlyAtTheThigh)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (FlyAtTheThigh @ May 15 2009, 03:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=38171:date=May 15 2009, 04:09 PM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ May 15 2009, 04:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=38150:date=May 15 2009, 01:53 PM:name=Butcher)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Butcher @ May 15 2009, 01:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I'd take Bedard in a heartbeat and start him in the playoffs over everyone on our roster -- unless Harden is throwing in the upper 90s at the time. Then I'd go Harden-Bedard-Z.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'd like to know what Bedard has done to make you think this? I wouldn't take him over any starter we have, except Marshall.
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3.74 ERA playing all of his career in the AL and most in the AL East, 754 K in 781 innings. Those numbers are better than Z's career numbers, certainly more solid than Dempster's one good year, and better on the whole than Lilly's.
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Well, he's also never completed a 200 inning season, and has some durability issues. Not saying he isn't talented, but the guy has serious flaws too.
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Oh, no doubt. There'd be risks involved with him being on the team. But that's not to say that the pitchers that I listed for us don't have flaws as well (Z's scary increase in walks + hamstring injury, Dempster essentially having one good year). It's hard to find a complete pitcher, <b>and the complete ones are generally not available.</b>
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Well, 2 of the very best pitchers in baseball have been "available" two off-seasons in a row now, Johan Santana and C.C. Sabathia.
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First off, there are some serious red flags to CC Sabathia and his workload.

Next, what other top tier pitchers are available? Halladay? Doubtful. Peavy? I dunno if I put him in the top tier. Lincecum? Nope. Cliff Lee? See Peavy. Felix Hernandez? Nope.

I think seeing guys the caliber of Sabathia and Johan moving isn't something that is going to be happen often. Before CC/Johan, when was the last time a true ace switched teams? Hudson to the Braves? And before that?
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Fly, I didn't mean to imply that I was disagreeing with you. The opposite: yes, it's VERY rare for a top-tier ace to become available, you're right.
I was implying that perhaps we should have at least tried for one of them, because "ace availability" is indeed so rare.

But it's spilt milk now, and besides, we have a pretty strong rotation. Sure, I wish we had Santana (and it turns out that we <i>could</i> have gotten him, considering how meager a a set of prospects the Mets gave up for him), but did the Cubs want to throw out another $135 M contract one year after Alf, and while the team was up for sale?
Probably not.

Anyway, we have a fine-enough playoff rotation, and Bedard would probably be like Lilly even if we landed him...the 4th starter in a playoff series.