Brewers, Brewers, keep turnin' up the heat!

If you've got time, head on over to The Milwaukee Brewers blog on JSOnline. Tom Hadricourt and Anthony Witrado of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel post daily happenings and updates from spring training in Arizona, and I am in a bitter debate with several of the blog posters about the make up of the starting rotation. Check me out if you go on there - my name, of course, is Pookon. To be quite honest with you, I don't even know how I stand on this whole issue. Both sides make sense.

Side A - Sheets, Gallardo, Supan, Villanueva, Parra in the starting rotation. Bush, Capuano and Vargas - one is long relief in bullpen/spot starter, one is sent down to AAA, and one is traded.

Positives - The best rotation talent-wise. Sheets, Gallardo and Parra are strikeout power pitchers and Supan and Villanueva are contact pitchers. Supan and Sheets (when healthy) are solid and reliable, and the other 3 have tons of upside.

Negatives - Gallardo, Villanueva, and Parra have little Major League experience. If Sheets get injured, they're screwed if they traded away an established pitcher like Bush, Capuano or Vargas. The lack of playing time in the Major Leagues could be the team's biggest weakness come the stretch run in September and their arms could be tired. None of them has pitched over 150-180 innings in a year at any level. If one of these young guns gets injured, it could hurt their career long term.

Side B - Sheets, Gallardo, Supan, Capuano/Bush/Vargas/Villanueva (2 of the 4 in the starting 5). 1 of the last 4 is the long man in the bullpen and 1 is traded. Parra starts the season at AAA.

Positives - All of the starting 5 have Major League starting experience. If Capuano can return to form, he could be an 18 game winner again. Bush led the team in wins the last 2 years, but had a plus 5 ERA. Vargas, if he pitchers like he is in spring training, could go deeper into games and not tax the bullpen. All of them have been relatively injury free, which could give us a stable rotation.

Negatives - there's a lot of ifs with some of these guys, and not a lot of upside. I think we've seen everything that Capuano, Supan, Bush and Vargas have to offer, but the best years are still there waiting for Parra and Villanueva. Some might say that any innings pitched but Parra in AAA are a waste of his scheduled 150 innings this year, and they have a really good point - we need all of his good innings in the majors. Capuano also may need a change of scenery. A little change just may do him some good.

It's a tough call, one that I'm glad that I don't have to make. Either way, you're going to piss someone off. The fans are even split on this decision, just take a leisurely stroll down the JSOnline Brewers Blog message boards to see that in action. I have yet to make up my decision, going with the safe "I want the best 5 pitchers in the starting rotation at all times." If I stick to my guns, that would be Sheets, Gallardo, Supan, Villanueva and Parra. Next week? Who knows.

That's why they leave speculation to the fans and decisions to the management. We just need to all unite as one and sing out, "Go go go for a little bit more, that extra effort that shows in the score. A double play, a big home run, the Brewers are brewing up a barrel of fun. So give a cheer! Let them know that you're here! C'mon now, we're gonna rock this town. C'mon Brewers, Brewers, keep turnin' up the heat. Brewers, Brewers, keep turnin' up the heat! C'mon Brewers! Milwaukee Brewers yeah yeah..."

- pookon -

http://www.pookon.com/