Going into spring training, the Oakland Athletics had a highly touted battle for the fifth rotation spot between Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez, and Vin Mazzaro. Truth be told, I'm not sure how many people ever considered it a three-man race.
Cahill had just completed a full year at the major league level, Gonzalez has shown he has nothing left to prove in Triple-A, and all Mazzaro has done at the big league level is hurl two great scoreless starts in 2009 and then fall back to Earth... and then some... to the tune of a 5.32 ERA in 91.1 big league innings.
Clearly, Mazzaro has a little more to work on than Gonzalez and Cahill, and the A's front office agreed on March 27, when Oakland optioned Mazzaro to Triple-A, leaving only Cahill and Gonzalez in line for the spot.
Gonzalez has done nothing but impress this spring. Sure he has allowed 11 hits and 10 walks in 19.1 innings, but he's managed significant damage control: a 2.79 ERA to go with his 18 strikeouts.
Damage control is the key thing for Gonzalez. His battle for composure on the mound is infamous, but if he's able to calm down and take control even a little bit, he's ready to be an everyday starter at the big league level.
It's been said, and I agree, that Gonzalez has nothing left to prove at the Triple-A level. He's not going to learn composure at that level when there's significantly less stress with every outing. Gonzalez can work on that only against the big bats of the big leagues.
I could've seen the A's keeping Gonzalez on as a long-relief pitcher, but now that the A's have both Jason Jennings AND freshly signed Chad Gaudin available to handle that role, it's best to let Gonzalez stay in the rotation.
Don't get me wrong, I love Cahill. He's done a good job of matching Gonzalez this spring. He's talented and quite mature for a 22-year-old, but Cahill has more to gain in Triple-A than Gonzalez. Cahill has a sinker that is one of the best in the big leagues, but as Jane Lee, MLB.com's reporter for the Oakland A's, points out , his other pitches are just average.
Cahill could benefit from some low-stress time at Triple-A, especially since he has yet to experience pitching at that level anyway. He can use that time to develop another plus pitch so he doesn't have to rely on that sinker so much. Another plus pitch also will reduce Cahill's home runs allowed. You give up fewer home runs when hitters aren't sitting on a very hittable fastball.
Start Cahill at Sacramento; the way he grew as a pitcher last year showed that it shouldn't take him long to make it back to the big leagues. For now, give Gonzalez a chance to shine. I don't think the A's will be disappointed.
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