Matt Shoemaker starts on Tuesday vs. the Phillies

[RePLAY]

Shoemaker will go 0-3 with all bunt attempts....demote him!

[Stradling]

Shoemaker will go 0-3 with all bunt attempts....demote him!

If Shoemaker gets three bunt attempts then he will probably have a good game, or at least the offense will have a great game.

[stormngt]

I am glad to see Shoe getting the start.  He deserves it.  I thought he got a raw deal when he was sent down earlier this year.  I agree with the Lackey comparison on Santiago.  He can still develop into a mid rotation pitcher. 

[Chuck]

I'm not saying the Angels are going to shove Santiago back in the rotation regardless of how everyone performs. I'm saying I think the performances will dictate that they are better off with Santiago in the rotation and Shoemaker as the long man.

By the way, the game Saturday illustrated why you need a long man. The Blue Jays starter got knocked out in the 4th but then they brought in someone who pitched 3-4 innings and held it there and they had a chance to win and still had a fresh bullpen.

The Angels haven't had anyone who can go more than 2, until Santiago went back there. So once Shoemaker comes up, they'll at least have a choice of Santiago/Shoemaker, one as the 5 starter and one as the long man.

On another note....

I'm curious why so many Angels fans were crushed that Garrett Richards had the plug pulled on him as a starter, even though he had no track record of consistent big league success, but so many were so ready to yank Santiago, even though he's been a solid mid rotation starter for 35+ big league starts. Yes, I get that Richards raw stuff is better than Santiago's but they had a lot of the same issues. Poise on the mound, lack of command. Santiago has the stuff to be a major league starter. I know so because he's done it.

 

 

Jeff, the two Chicago White Sox fan friends both said the same thing to me about Santiago when we traded for him. 

 

To summarize: He's got great stuff, but he's a headcase on the mound and his command isn't consistent, not just from game to game, but inning to inning. That he'll tease you with some good starts and innings, but overall he taxes your bullpen because of his inability to go deep into games. 

 

I thought he looked great in ST and his command was crisp, but once the season started, we've seen this same behavior on the mound. He gets rattled ever so easily when something does not go his way (the Iannetta drop in Seattle). 

 

Can he mature mentally on the mound and improve his command? Sure, we've seen John Lackey struggle with this early on in his career. But we've also seen pitchers fall apart out of the rotation as they lose focus or mechanics during stretches of a game, and when things go wrong their command is the first to go, resulting in big innings. 

 

The one thing you can expect from Shoemaker is he has exceptional command. He's going to throw strikes. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

Because Richards had over 60 games started in the minors compared to Santiago's 20 something starts.

I'll take major league starts. Thanks.

As for Shoemaker, command and control are two different things. Not walking guys is control. Do you know who also didn't walk guys? Joe Blanton.

You can't simply ignore what Santiago did because it didn't happen in an Angels uniform. (Same goes for Albert Pujols, by the way.) Maybe this is where my perspective is different since I'm not an Angels fan.

As for the head case thing, Richards said himself that one of his problems last year was keeping under control on the mound emotionally. He said Iannetta helped him. I think Santiago can probably do the same thing. I'd rather have a guy with good stuff who needs some poise than vice versa.

I have no idea how Shoemaker will do. I think he's probably a major league pitcher in some capacity. But if I'm betting....

I'll take a guy with a 3-something ERA in 35 major league starts instead of a guy with a 4-something ERA in 50 minor league starts. (And don't tell me about the SLC ballpark because US Cellular is also a hitters park. With major league hitters.)

It's not rocket science.

[Tyler]

I'll take major league starts. Thanks.

 

I'll take the player that has had much more experience as a starter and who has had time to develop his secondary pitches over a flash in the pan bullpen guy whose spent 2 out of 7 professional seasons in the rotation. 

 

^ Richards leash vs. Santiago's leash.

 

I'm with you on Santiago > Shoemaker.

 

I may be an Angels fan, but I'm a baseball fan first.

Edited May 12, 2014 by Shane

[Brent Maguire]

Santiago has more value in the rotation, no doubt.

I have no issue with giving Santiago some time away as a starter so he can get him self together and try to find his command. Shoemaker can be a valuable swing man but I'm not a huge fan of what he can do in the rotation.

I'd expect him to make 5-10 starts with around a 4.5 ERA and lots of home runs. Nothing to sneeze at but also nothing more than a decent #5 guy.

I'll be curious to see what happens in the next few weeks between Shoemaker and Santiago.

[xboom28x]

If the Angels were 8-10 games above .500 with Santiago's struggles, his starts wouldn't be a huge deal and the Angels could afford to have him figure it out while still in the rotation. But, with a tight race as it is right now, the Angels can't afford to give up losses every 5th day.

 

It seems like Jeff thinks the majority on this board are either pro Santiago or pro Shoemaker. I think us Angels fans are pro Santiago AND Shoemaker. After all, we are fans of the Angels, not individual players. Unless your name is Joe Blanton.

[WallyWorld]

I I think us Angels fans are pro Santiago AND Shoemaker. 

 

This.  Thank you, Jebus, this.  

 

i want whoever is in the rotation to do well.  Right now it seems like Shoemaker probably has the better odds of performing well.  Long term though, I think Santiago is the pitcher with the higher ceiling and the Angels will be better off if he "figures it out" and returns to the rotation.

[markb]

We all need both Shoemaker and Santiago to succeed this year, because we have 3 young starters in the rotation who've never thrown 200 innings.  All those extra innings need to go somewhere, and hopefully Shoemaker and at some stage of this season, probably at least one more guy, can help make that happen.  

[Quinlanforthewin]

Doesn't Shoemaker have a 6.31 ERA in AAA this year? Not going to pretend I know much about him but based on what's he's done so far in AAA consider me skeptical.  

[xboom28x]

Anyone change their opinion of Shoemaker yet?