Reading the game recap tonight, here’s another reason why I’m not fond of moving Rondon to the bullpen:

We just signed RHP Blaine Neal and about to sign RHP Luis Vizcaino, both of whom will probably get chances in the Indians’ bullpen, certainly before Rondon will. Now, granted, I’m not expecting Neal and Vizcaino to magically solve the Indians’ bullpen woes (though you’d think luck would turn to our side and one or both would somehow work out, what with the losses of Hafner and Miller, along with some poor luck and results in 2009), but the main point is, these two guys, being ML veterans, will get the opportunity first, and probably an opportunity that will last a few weeks to a month, minimum.

While I can understand you need “back-up” options, what if by chance one of the two works out, and in the meantime, Perez, Lewis, Betancourt, Sipp, and Wood find themselves and make themselves into the consistent unit that we think they can become? Over that amount of time and based on their track records (outside of Sipp, who is a rookie, but a promising one with good stuff), then what? Do we shift Rondon back to the rotation?

I suppose that might not be difficult to do, but I’m just leery of this switching back and forth, especially during the season and especially with one of our most prized arms. After losing Miller (through no particular fault of Indians’ management, as far as we can tell), I’d hate for anything to happen to Rondon or Huff (if he would get shifted to the bullpen, which doesn’t seem to be the case right now) just because we’re trying to salvage a season in where the bullpen is not the only concern, and where one or two new pitchers are not likely to straighten out all of the problems in the bullpen.

Even if Rondon takes to the bullpen, what if the rest of the bullpen doesn’t find themselves and the bullpen is still weak? I think most, if not all of you would agree, that we’d like to see Rondon in the rotation long-term, rather than the bullpen, correct? That is where his greatest value is projected to be, not to mention we do have several reliever prospects (prospects that have actually been relieving for a while now, unlike Rondon – Wagner, Wright, Meloan, Pestano, Rundles, even Newsom, who isn’t much of a prospect, granted, but has more bullpen experience and would be worth a call-up, at least,) coming up through the Minors – they just are a bit too far away and too uncertain to consider bringing them up right now, which is why this sudden shift to the bullpen for Rondon.

As someone else mentioned, this move smells sort of desperation; as I wasn’t fond of Wedge using Sipp in back-to-back games where he reportedly wasn’t supposed to, the Indians seem to be pulling at straws in an attempt to fix the bullpen by converting one of their top starting pitching prospects into a reliever in an attempt to get him to come up to the Majors quicker in a role and routine that he is unfamiliar with. One guy alone will not likely straighten out the bullpen, and as mentioned, the offense (and especially Grady, who is too pull-happy and pulling off the ball way too much) and the rotation (Sowers and Reyes) are contributing as much to our 12-22 record. To me, it just seems a bit too risky when we have other options, particularly Jon Meloan, who is not lighting the world on fire at Columbus, granted, but who has the stuff to dominate as well if the Indians could get him to throw consistent strikes like he did before the Dodgers turned him into a starter. I’m not sure we’re at that point to turn Rondon into a reliever, even in this disappointing season, being that Rondon making a successful transition to the bullpen is not at all guaranteed to fix all that ails the Indians in 2009.

Just my 2 cents.

I liked Gomez more than Rouse. Rouse at least always looked constipated and/or gassy.