Chronicles of the Lads

WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA STOP THIS TRAIN ONE SECOND
The AP story I linked to about the Carrasco signing has been updated since I last read it. It now contains the following passage of doom:

The Angels finalized the agreement with Carrasco shortly after withdrawing their offer to retain free-agent right-hander Paul Byrd. Free-agent left-hander Jarrod Washburn, another starter, also won't return.

"We're dropping out of the Paul Byrd chase," Angels general manager Bill Stoneman said in a conference call.

...

"We envision Hector as having a shot at our rotation," Stoneman said. "All that will be determined in spring training. Our scouts had good reports on him and they suggested him, in particular as a starter."

Manager Mike Scioscia, also on the conference call, said: "We think Hector is a guy who can step up and helps us and be a candidate for our rotation. There's a little risk in anything you can do, but we're confident our rotation is going to be of championship quality."

I can't even ... like, my brain won't allow this information to exist inside of it. Carrasco has started six games in his entire frickin' life. Five of them were last year.

He actually pitched fairly well in those five starts, notching a 2.03 ERA in 27 2/3 innings, striking out 27 against 13 walks. But ... one of those starts was in Shea Stadium (in a great pitchers' park against a mediocre offensive team), one was at San Diego (a ridiculous pitchers' park), one was in Washington (another great pitchers' park) against a mediocre San Franciso team, and another was at Florida (guess what? pitchers' park). In the fifth start, he pitched poorly in Washington against the Phillies.

I don't know what the Angels see in this guy that makes them think he can be a reliable fifth starter. I mean ... I see how the market for Paul Byrd might be getting out of control, with offers of three-year deals and everything.

Apparently Carrasco added a cut fastball or something to his repertoire last year, and that may have accounted for the success he had. Though pitchers can make jumps when things like that happen, the idea that a 36-year-old who's been a mediocre reliever for 80% of his career is all-of-a-sudden gonna turn into a legit starter strikes me as crazy-talk. Why not put Scot Shields in the rotation and try to find another set-up man?

Anyway, I'll be shocked if this mediocrity gets more than a few starts. You'd have to think that Joe Saunders or even Jered Weaver will be able to beat him out for a job. I'm not sold on Saunders, and I don't think Weaver's ready (groundballs -- can you induce them?), but, jeez ... I just don't see how Hector Fricking Carrasco is the solution to any damned problem the Angels have.