St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle McClellan is one player potentially impacted by the uncertain plans for ace Chris Carpenter. Manager Tony La Russa’s recent comments about the potential of starter Carpenter to perhaps close instead if it is better for the pitcher’s health could also help determine McClellan’s role in 2009.
A starting pitcher in the minors, including when he was injured for much of the time between 2005 and 2007, McClellan came into 2008 Cardinals spring camp as a unheralded starter with almost no shot to make the team. As he impressed in each successive outing, he was formally converted to relief and pitched his way onto the club.
After a fast start, McClellan cemented his role in the Cardinals pen and remained in the major leagues the entire season. He tied Chicago’s Carlos Marmol for tops in the National League with 30 holds. This despite the fact he had accrued just 30 innings of experience at Double-A and no Triple-A time prior.
For 2009, McClellan will likely reprise his bullpen role, but with an appealing four-pitch repertoire and his versatility, the club might be tempted to move him back to starting. This could be dependent upon at least four factors:
- Carpenter’s ability to recover from an ongoing nerve problem as noted above.
- The team’s success in acquiring another veteran starter via trade or free agency.
- Whether Mitchell Boggs, with six starts last season, can step up and claim a rotation spot.
- Whether or not another reliever can move up and assume McClellan’s current role.
Depending on who you ask, the relative importance of those four factors vary.
Over the weekend, McClellan made an appearance at a sports memorabilia show at John A. Logan College in Carterville, IL. There he addressed the question openly, closing with the expected “team-first” remark, while also honestly expressing his personal preference.
“I would like to start, but really, it doesn’t matter to me whether I start or relieve. Whatever helps the club the most,” McClellan told The Southern Illinoisan.
Cards pitching coach Dave Duncan, perhaps McClellan’s strongest supporter, seems to agree. The Post-Dispatch’s Jeff Gordon says Duncan is leaning toward moving the second-year pitcher back to starting if Carpenter isn’t 100 percent this spring.
Duncan made this observation during a recent radio appearance on KFNS about the 24-year-old:
“He has four pitches and three are above-average pitches. That’s what you look for in a starting pitcher. I’m of the belief Kyle McClellan has the attributes to become a starting pitcher, and a good one, at the major league level.”
In remarks on another radio show on 1380 AM last Friday, La Russa said his clear preference is to not shift McClellan and acquire another starter instead.
“I think it is just going to come down to maybe literally the first day of spring training and you look at who you signed. I think Kyle could move into the rotation competition in spring training and have an excellent chance to be a good pitcher.
“But if we’re identifying the end of the game as our number one priority and if you are taking a guy out of the bullpen who was a major weapon for us, that doesn’t seem to add up to me.
“We’ve got other starters so yeah, if we don’t do anything else for the starter and you do something for a reliever, then you’d consider Kyle that way. But if you don’t do anything for the bullpen – if you have the same guys there as you do now – I would hesitate to take a guy like Kyle McClellan, who is such an effective reliever, and in 2009 make him a starter when we’re looking for help at the end of the game.”
The following is the scenario I prefer, but it would require a perfect storm to actually occur. If Carpenter AND the new starter are proven to be ready to go AND the Cards acquire a ninth-inning man, as are on their shopping list AND everyone is healthy, it would probably take much of the month of March to play out. So here is what I would do.
Proclaim McClellan to be a starter, now and for the forseeable future. After all, it seems his greatest value to the organization is in that role. Have him start the season in Memphis to re-familiarize himself with the routine of starting and to increase his endurance. He would be of more value if he could get into the final three innings of the game, an unlikely occurrence out of the gate. After all, McClellan has pitched over 76 innings in a season as a professional only once, way back in 2004.
This way, McClellan would get stretched out and probably become more at ease with starting at the upper levels of the game. He should then be more ready for the call if/when Carpenter or another starter goes down during the season.
Bottom line, no matter how good McClellan is, I would consider having just one month of spring training to execute a successful shift to a major league starter to be taking an unnecessary risk, both for the player and the club.
Like so many other parts of the yet-to-be-fully-assembled 2009 Cardinals, McClellan will need to remain flexible and be prepared to play any role come spring. There is no reason to believe he won’t be up to the task, especially if handled properly.
The Cardinals may need to be flexible with the rotation and bullpen and McClellan fits in nicely with that flexibility.
I view Carpenter’s availability to start (or relieve) may be intermittent more so than not available at all. In other words there will be times when Carpenter will be on the roaster (I suspect as a starter). During those times someone may need to move from the rotation to the pen or move from the pen to Memphis. And if there are times Carpenter is not on the active roster, then someone will need to fill-in either in the rotation or in the pen. McClellan can fill those options.
McClellan may even be an option at closer. No matter which roll he is put in, McClellan will be a major player on the 2009 Cardinals (baring injury).
In my haste to make the original post this morning, I truncated the part about what I would personally like to see, but it is added now.
Oquendo, my experience is that most pitchers want to get comfortable in a role, whether starting or relieving. Even Waino made that statement as recently as last summer where there was intrigue about his role upon returning from the finger injury.
I like the idea of McClellan starting – in Memphis. He should not be depended upon to be a member of the five-man MLB rotation coming out of camp. Better for him to get ready to be an effective MLB starter in Triple-A and let Thompson or Pineiro be the long man in St. Louis. If Kyle proves he is ready in Memphis, he can be quickly called up when a starter is needed.
The one thing I have never heard is the idea of making McClellan the closer. TLR did say on Friday that he thinks Duncan can be “creative” with the closer role if need be. I don’t think he meant McClellan, though.
While Kyle has almost one more year of MLB experience than Motte and about a half-season more than Perez, he has never done the job, even in the minors. If TLR and Dunc are uncomfortable with two “rookie” closers, I don’t see how adding a third would be acceptable, either.
McClellan has not started a game above low A ball. When he was a starter circa 2004, he threw in the high 80s. After a couple of years for surgeries, rehab, and growth, he found higher velocity for short stints, while then in the role of reliever. Until he tries starting again, however, it would be unknown how long he can maintain velocity within a game. The idea of McClellan starting is one that has crept into the St. Louis media, so questions get asked. Its not a very likely idea, since there are alternatives.
McClellan tired during the course of the 2008 season and his performance diminished. For the time being, Kyle seems best served to continue to develop as a reliever.
While your comments are most logical, Jumbo, Duncan’s remarks were quite strong about a return to starting. La Russa’s were probably more realistic – that McClellan is a reliever at least until they prove they don’t need him in the pen.
My understanding of pitcher endurance is that if one trains out of the gate in the Spring to be a starter that there is little benefit in going to the minors to be “stretched out”.
If the true hang up to McClellen starting is lack of someone to replace him in the pen then it makes more sense to go get a releiver than to get a starter. it will be cheaper and if Carpenter is healthy it will give us more flexability.
Joe Nelson would have been a great pick up but he signed relatively cheaply with Tampa. Springer is still out there htough.
The Cards have many right-handed relief pitchers: Ryan Franklin, Kyle McClellan, Josh Kinney, Chris Perez, Baby Face Thompson, Jason Motte. If we add a right-handed closer, this would add up to 7 right-handers for 5 roster slots. Why add Springer or Joe Nelson, to make 8?
Beau, you are correct about the numbers. The pen competition will be crowded, both right and left. However, if you look at the RHP, the only proven vets are Franklin and Brad. Not all that comforting.
By the way. Nelson signed with the Tampa Bay Rays last week.
CC, the point on McClellan is that he is almost certainly NOT going to camp as a starter. Likely all the starting pitchers, even Carp, will be “healthy” at that point. If they wait until late March to decide to put McClellan on a starter’s program, it may be too late to start the season there.
Signing a closer might give them enough confidence to move McClellan from the start or maybe not. Would re-signing Springer be enough? I kind of doubt it. TLR was VERY careful in how he used Springer and was dead set against pitching him in late-game situations. Springer is now a year older.
Josh Kinney may qualify as a rookie, but delivered in the clutch in 06 and looked good last September. Kinney may have an inside track.
Brad Thompson did not pitch all that well or much in 08. I was surprised he got offered arbitration.
Motte may begin the season at Memphis.
“The Cards have many right-handed relief pitchers: Ryan Franklin, Kyle McClellan, Josh Kinney, Chris Perez, Baby Face Thompson, Jason Motte. If we add a right-handed closer, this would add up to 7 right-handers for 5 roster slots. Why add Springer or Joe Nelson, to make 8?”
Beau, it is TLR’s thoughts that we don’t have enough relievers to make McClellen a starter. I’m just trying to find a way to overcome *his* objections.
To keep things in perspective, Duncan nominated Tyler Johnson as a starter for 2007. In due course, Tyler not only did not start one game, but now has been let go.
The deep utterances of a great man like Dave Duncan are vulnerable to over-interpretation by eager fans. Duncan has paid McClellan a compliment by saying why he could even be a starting pitcher, he has such nice pitches. However, in reality, McClellan is pretty far down the depth chart when it comes to starting candidates. If Kyle is starting, we are not in a good way.
Jumbo, it seems most arbitrary to brush off quotes in a derisive manner when they do not support your view. I have spoken with Duncan on a number of occasions, including several times about McClellan specifically. My view is that Duncan is about as far from being a BSer as anyone could be. He really, really likes McClellan.
Having said that, he doesn’t make the major decisions. Based on Duncan’s recommendation alone, I’d like to see them try McClellan as a starter in Memphis. He could always go back to relieving if the experiment fails.
Duncan is one of the more candid people around. I said his utterances are vulnerable to over-interpretation; I was not brushing off Dave’s quote, rather cautioning against over-interpretation.
Dave thinks McClellan has the pitches to be a starter. Duncan should say it if he means it and he means it. Its still a long way to becoming a ML starter and Kyle’s velocity when last a starter was ho-hum. I’d like to see McClellan become a better reliever, on a first things first basis. You and I seem in general agreement; if McClellan auditions for the role of starter, Memphis provides a suitable stage.
As a reliever in 08, pre-all-star break McClellan had an excellent ERA of 3, post-all-star break he slumped, with an ERA over 6. He seemed worn down by the long season. Given this decline, he would seem well served for now to focus on re-establishing himself as a reliever.
In the wake of the 2006 victory, Duncan expressed admiration for Tyler Johnson’s pitches and his potential to become a starter in 2007. Duncan soon altered this nomination to Braden Looper, perhaps because starting would have asked a lot of Johnson, who like McClellan, last started at A ball. Duncan’s remarkable track-record for converting pitchers means his comments should not be taken lightly. But it would be hard to persuade many GMs or managers to hand a starting job to a young guy who has not started at AA and AAA.