For game #99, we’ll see if Ryne Nelson has problems, but a pitch ain’t one…
I think it’s quite interesting that, given the chance to reset their rotation at the All-Star break, the team opted to begin the second half by pitching young guns Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson out of the gate. Of course, you should not necessarily read too much into this kind of decision, but you do wonder whether that’s going to end up being the order at the start of next season too. Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen will potentially be gone. While Eduardo Rodriguez has the most service time, his performances – a 5.59 ERA over 26 starts since signing with the Diamondbacks – have hardly been at the level to get him the Opening Day nod.
However, the team will have a lot of money coming off the books this winter. As well as the two pitchers mentioned, there’s also the dead weight of Jordan Montgomery, plus Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor, as well as Shelby Miller and Jalen Beeks. All told, that’s $71 million not being spent next year. Gaps will have to be filled: even if Jordan Lawlar becomes the everyday third-baseman, I think we’ll need a first-basemen. Maybe Mike Hazen will try spending more on the bullpen, even though this has hardly gone well in the past. Might we see the team look to add another starting pitcher from free-agency? The problem is, next year’s class definitely looks a bit “meh”.
Before the season, informed opinion had Dylan Cease, Gallen and Framber Valdez as the class of the free-agent class, as it were. But like Gallen, Cease has not done anything to secure his stock, with a 4.64 ERA across 20 starts for the Padres. That leaves Valdez (2.75 ERA in 19 starts with Houston), as the likely #1 option – with a price-tag to match, I imagine. Though he turns 32 in November, so I would not personally be throwing money at him. The next tier had Michael King, Brandon Woodruff, Zach Eflin and Ranger Suárez. King and Suarez have sub-three ERAs, raising their stock; Woodruff just returned from surgery, and Eflin has been bad. But it’s definitely something to think about for next season.
Viewing note: today’s game is on FOX, hence the earlier than usual Saturday start time.