The Jays seem to have decided that Brian Tallet will be a starter this year and the best reasoning for it, around here, seems to be that him starting would drive up his trade value. I do see the point, I thought he should be traded last year at the deadline, as he was pitching well and starters are valued by contenders, but a trade wasn't found. I'm not sure that, unless he pitches very well, he could have anymore trade value this year. In fact I'm not sure he wouldn't have more value as a lefty reliever, but that's a digress.
But with Robert Ray and Brad Mills, we have two pitchers that are pretty much on the bubble this year. Ray is 26 and Mills 25. There are handful of younger arms that are likely to pass them by in the next year, so if they are to make the majors, this is the year. I'd love to see one of these two make the team so that we could see what we have and/or we could build some trade value and maybe get something in return for them since they don't look to be part of the future of the team. If we they don't pick up any trade value this year I think they will likely become assets with little to no value and I think they are each too good to not get something out of them.
Not that I'm against Brett Cecil making the team, I think he'd do great and I think getting him a full year to get used to the majors would be good. We know that despite how good we've looked at the start of spring, this year isn't likely our year. We might as well get Cecil some experience. And, on the theory that our best coaching is at the major league level, we might as well have our best work with him.
If it is me, I use Morrow, Scrabble, Romero, Marcum and one of Mills, Ray or Cecil. I don't worry about the order of the rotation. I run them as a straight rotation and don't skip anyone for days off, I just push everyone a day back.That gives guys an extra day every now and then. I tell them to relax and pitch, I'm not taking anyone out of the rotation for at least the 10 times through the rotation.
Tallet I use as a long man, we have a bunch of young pitchers in the rotation, there will be lots of times we need a long guy, both he and Camp will have lots of work.
Yeah I know the guys they pay to make those decisions are smarter than me and know more about these things, but that's what I'd do. But I can't see the point in giving Tallet a starting job at 32 years on a team that's not planing to contend for a year or two. He's not going to complete a bunch of starts to give the bullpen a day off now and then, so what's the point?