Kason Gabbard #4, Luis Mendoza #5

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 23, 2008 7:44 PM CDT

T.R. Sullivan reports that Kason Gabbard will start the season in the majors as the Rangers #4 starter, and Luis Mendoza will begin the year in Oklahoma, getting called up on April 12, when the Rangers need a #5 starter for the first time.

I don't really have much to add beyond that. There was some thought that Mendoza might get the #4 spot, instead of Gabbard, but it seems like if you thought Gabbard was good enough to have the #5 spot nailed down to begin with, he's good enough to start the season in the majors instead of Mendoza. If Gabbard were having mechanical issues or other problems such that he could have used some time in the minors to get his act together, it would have made sense to flip-flop them, but at this point, this appears to be the right move.

And of course, I'm sure everyone is glad that the #5 starter is not Sidney Ponson...

Tweet Comment 15 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

hmmm....

I'm guessing Ponson will be in their pretty soon after Mendoza fails a few starts...

Its only a matter of time..

Milton Bradley for MVP

by miles on Mar 23, 2008 7:48 PM CDT reply actions

depends

is 5IP, 4R a failure?

New Troll Script for 2.0

by ab03 on Mar 23, 2008 7:50 PM CDT up reply actions

Why?

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 23, 2008 7:50 PM CDT up reply actions

Watching him

today didn't really impress me at all against a terrible offensive team. That has to be one of the worst offenses, Bengi Molina at clean up.

Looking semi average against crappy NL teams at the end of spring training doesn't tell me good things.

Milton Bradley for MVP

by miles on Mar 23, 2008 8:14 PM CDT up reply actions

Okay

So you're willing to predict failure for Mendoza based on what you saw from him today?

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 23, 2008 8:22 PM CDT up reply actions

Not a good way

to evaluate someone. "Didn't really impress me [today]" is pretty meaningless on 3/23. He wasn't dominant or anything, but I don't think you can predict failure based purely off today's performance.

by TexasTiger on Mar 23, 2008 8:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Then lets

hope he was having a bad day against a horrible rebuilding team.

But I doubt it.

Milton Bradley for MVP

by miles on Mar 23, 2008 8:32 PM CDT up reply actions

1 run

in his last 10 innings works for me

* "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." - Yogi Berra (looks like he might have been thinking about the Rangers)

by camartin44 on Mar 23, 2008 8:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Well

You predicting failure for him means he'll be this year's Ryan Drese, given your track record.

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 23, 2008 8:37 PM CDT up reply actions

In Miles's defense

I think myself Mendoza is the new Kam Loe. Great sinker, not so great secondary stuff - I don't think he'll stick long-term in the rotation, at least not once Hurley and Harrison arrive.

But, he has outpitched Kason Gabbard this spring - I'm not sure which is worse, him or Gabbard. At least Mendoza actually has an above-average pitch that he can be consistent with. Gabbard just hasn't seemed to have had anything this spring.

Based on the spring performance, I think I would give Mendoza the #4 slot in the rotation right now, becuase Gabbard still seems to have some stuff he's working on, and could probably use an extra tune-up in AAA before April 12th. But the seniority won out on this one - i just hope Gabbard pulls himself together by the time the season starts.

A Lonestar in California

by LSJ on Mar 23, 2008 8:59 PM CDT up reply actions

speakign of which

wasn't miles going to stop predicting :)

he's not supposed to be overpowering and even connor said he wasn't pitching as well as he could be. we'll see what's up when the season starts

New Troll Script for 2.0

by ab03 on Mar 23, 2008 9:15 PM CDT up reply actions

thats not much of a career to shoot for.

though id take it for this year.

by DShep on Mar 23, 2008 10:11 PM CDT up reply actions

i thought it was a weird comp to make as well

I'm assuming he's referring to the flash in the pan good Drese and not that "shut up Barajas...how am I out of baseball so fast" Drese

New Troll Script for 2.0

by ab03 on Mar 23, 2008 11:12 PM CDT up reply actions

I think

he was referring to the "I am a worthless piece of trash for a crappy NL team" Drese.

lol

Milton Bradley for MVP

by miles on Mar 23, 2008 11:16 PM CDT up reply actions

What

was the line on Mendoza's last game

* "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." - Yogi Berra (looks like he might have been thinking about the Rangers)

by camartin44 on Mar 23, 2008 8:32 PM CDT reply actions