How 'bout Millwood as our #5 starter?

by Randy Richardson on Jan 15, 2011 2:56 PM CST

We know what Kevin Millwood is - a solid innings eater - nothing that's going to get anyone excited, but a guy who could really help a team that has playoff aspirations. What a horse! He's started fewer than 29 games only twice (25GS in '04 and 21GS in '01) since his debut season in 1997. With Millwood as the fifth starter the Rangers could go with Lewis/Wilson/Hunter/Holland as the other four. Feliz is the closer, Feldman could be the long man and Harrison and his Speedy Gonzalez unrepeatable delivery could go wherever.

What would it take, $5 million plus incentives? Would ya?

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I hear he is in the best shape of his career.

Hi, my name is Josey Wales and I'm a douche. Prove me wrong.

by boomer1 on Jan 15, 2011 2:57 PM CST reply actions 5 recs

We should check up Justin Thompson, too.

He’s throwing off solid ground.

Don't listen to me. I'm a fucking moron.

by hornedfrogs45 on Jan 15, 2011 3:33 PM CST up reply actions

Really?

5 million plus incentives? Maybe an nri but anything else is crazy

The snozberries taste like snozberries!!

by Chrom on Jan 15, 2011 3:01 PM CST via mobile reply actions

I thought 5 million might

on the high side, but figured if Brad Penny could get $3 million than surely Millwood could get more than that.

by Randy Richardson on Jan 15, 2011 3:06 PM CST up reply actions

Way too high

His fip is high fours. I assume his era would go down in front of this defense but we have too many number fives to be throwing five million plus at millwood

The snozberries taste like snozberries!!

by Chrom on Jan 15, 2011 3:12 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

who are the number 5's?

Feldman, Harrison, and Kirkman?

by Randy Richardson on Jan 15, 2011 3:24 PM CST up reply actions

Webb, probably.

I would assume that going into camp, we’re looking at a Lewis/Wilson/Hunter/Holland top four…

…which leaves Webb, Feldman, Harrison, Kirkman, Omar Beltre, etc. fighting for the fifth spot.

by ftwdrummer on Jan 15, 2011 4:46 PM CST up reply actions

Webb isn't fighting with anyone other than himself

If hes healthy he’ll be in the rotation. if he isn’t then he starts on the DL and then goes in the rotation.

by bigsteve on Jan 15, 2011 4:50 PM CST up reply actions

yup

by Mike E on Jan 17, 2011 7:12 PM CST up reply actions

Scooter won't be ready to start the season.

Ceej/Colby/Hunter/Webb are your opening day top 4 starters, leaving the battle for number 5 to Holland/Harrison/Kirkman. I am not really liking Beltre’s chances, but I could be wrong.

Not likely to happen, but dreams are the foundation of baseball, so dream away. - JParks

by Eric Prince on Jan 15, 2011 10:33 PM CST up reply actions

He's not really any better than anyone we already have

So why garuntee him a spot in the rotation?

Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy.

by LSJ on Jan 15, 2011 3:26 PM CST reply actions

depth

and the proven ability to throw 160IP+. I’m not trying to get anyone excited about him, but certainly think he could be an important part of the ’11 rotation.

by Randy Richardson on Jan 15, 2011 3:30 PM CST up reply actions

I'm pretty certain we can get 160 innings of 4.8 FIP pitching from the guys we already have.

Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy.

by LSJ on Jan 15, 2011 3:43 PM CST up reply actions

How many guys will it take though?

it may take both Harrison and Kirkman combined to give you that

Bringing in Millwood lessens the expected load those guys have to shoulder

by bigsteve on Jan 15, 2011 3:50 PM CST up reply actions

Who cares how many it takes?

If it’s splitting up innings between Beltre, Kirkman, Harrison, and Feldman, I consider that a good thing. Ride the hotter hand and it gives the younger guys a chance to work on their starting routines. It would only make them better in the long run.

I always liked having the 5th spot of the rotation to be a spot where young kids or rehabbing pitchers get a chance to work on their stuff. The 5th starter shouldn’t make or break your season.

"I don't really like pitchers." - Nelson Cruz

by AceJC on Jan 16, 2011 12:24 AM CST up reply actions

If you have one guy there taking up those innings

Then it allows you to use those other guys elsewhere. Riding the hot hand for your 6th starter spot is much better than doing it for your 5th starter spot, a guy who has to be in the rotation all year.

Id rather roll with the hot hand when ever someone gets hurt and you need a spot start rather than having that rotation spot be a turnstyle with guys coming and going every couple weeks.

The 5th starter spot may not make or break a season but having one guy who you can depend on to eat innings and keep your team in games can be a real help to a bullpen

by bigsteve on Jan 16, 2011 11:06 AM CST up reply actions

Hell if you want them to go after Deadwood

Why not just go after Bartolo Colon?

Hi, my name is Josey Wales and I'm a douche. Prove me wrong.

by boomer1 on Jan 15, 2011 3:29 PM CST reply actions

Millwood vs. Colon

Those are two completely different types of signings.

Colon is more similar to Webb, More upside, but a good bit more potential downsize (that you get basically nothing out of him).

With Millwood, I’m pretty sure you are going to get 180 innings at an ERA of probably around 4.50 with this defense.

by Darrell McKown on Jan 15, 2011 5:30 PM CST up reply actions

I doubt it will happen

I don’t think Nolan or Maddux are huge fans. I wouldn’t mind increased depth, but he kind of sucked in Baltimore last year, and I wouldn’t give him 5 million.

I doubt his lazy ass ages real well.

"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington

by DJCahill on Jan 15, 2011 3:29 PM CST reply actions

Webb?

Unless Webb isn’t fully healthy and starts the season on the DL he is going to be in the rotation.

I wouldn’t be against Millwood for a reasonable price on a one year deal as a back of rotation guy. Wilson/Lewis/Webb/Hunter/Millwood with Holland as the first guy up from OKC

Feldman should be back mid may-June. Eric Hurley should be a viable option around midseason. Harrison and Kirkman as well down there.

by bigsteve on Jan 15, 2011 3:31 PM CST reply actions

oops,

totally forgot about Webb, but still think Millwood has value.

by Randy Richardson on Jan 15, 2011 3:32 PM CST up reply actions

As long as you are good with

Holland probably ending up in AAA. Most likely, barring injury Millwood and Webb would be locks for the rotation at the beginning of the year.

"I wanted to go out there and punch Julio" - Ron Washington

by DJCahill on Jan 15, 2011 3:55 PM CST up reply actions

I wouldn't be opposed

to Holland starting the season in AAA. I remember JD saying before the start of last year that good teams go into the season with 8+ solid SPs.

by Randy Richardson on Jan 15, 2011 4:02 PM CST up reply actions

For a team like the Rangers

We need to have 6 starters we are comfortable with going at least 10 starts each and then a nother 2 or 3 we are comfortable getting a couple starts apiece. i think we are there now so anyone we add will only add to that comfort level and depth

by bigsteve on Jan 15, 2011 4:10 PM CST up reply actions

Kickboxing

FTW

"There's really no way of knowing... Sometimes when I see their big eyes looking up from my lap I think, that's definitely a homeless guy in a fur coat." Betty White on SNL

by Pocket Ninja on Jan 15, 2011 3:31 PM CST reply actions

Tae Bo

/Billy Blanks

"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz

"Baseball's all that's real" - JB

by Ryin A on Jan 15, 2011 4:22 PM CST up reply actions

Milly VS Hunter

by SteveP on Jan 15, 2011 7:33 PM CST up reply actions

If the Rangers signed Millwood again...

and he took Holland’s spot in the rotation, I might lose it.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Jan 15, 2011 4:49 PM CST reply actions

I just threw up in my mouth a little.

Superman wears Josh Hamilton pajamas.

by crazy86er on Jan 16, 2011 7:48 AM CST up reply actions

Millwood

I don’t think he’s coming back here, but I think he’s a guy who would be valuable as an innings-eater at the bottom of the rotation.

He’s thrown 180+ innings 8 times in his career. Excluding guys who haven’t pitched in two years, the remainder of our likely starting rotation has done that exactly twice.

I wouldn’t have any problem with someone like Holland starting the year in AAA. We are going to need around 8 starting pitchers this year, so there’s nothing wrong with starting a guy like Holland with options in Round Rock to start the season. He’ll most likely be up by May in any event.

by Darrell McKown on Jan 15, 2011 5:28 PM CST reply actions