The Oakland A's began the year with a rotation of Dallas Braden, Trevor Cahill, Dana Eveland, Brett Anderson, and Josh Outman. Those five came into the season with a total of 402 Major League innings and 63 Major League starts under their belt (pretty much all by Braden and Eveland), and Oakland took a lot of heat for leaning on so much inexperience.
The five have since gone on to be worth 61 runs above replacement by park-adjusted FIP, and 3.4 runs above average by tRA.
The rotation as a whole has been right around average, benefiting from the dropping of the seasoned Eveland and the giving of innings to the young and unproven Gio Gonzalez and Vin Mazzaro. If you take the six guys who've made the most starts, they've pitched at a pace that's only a win or two worse than that of New York's rotation despite earning about one-seventh what the Yankees are paying AJ Burnett. All despite having made a total of just 35 starts prior to 2009.
Don't ever worry about experience. Worry about ability.
0 recs | 4 comments
Don't ever worry about experience. Worry about ability.
I love that quote.
Fin - August 14, 2009
Curious fact and thought Jeff!!
What do you think Jeff and your peeps here(Matthew,Graham etc) about our rotation heading into next year?(after King Felix,i’m very skeptical about our rotation with us having a lot of #4’s and #5’s and not a TRUE #2 and #3) Thanks and keep them coming guts. SEE YA!!!!
The Kid 24 - August 14, 2009
Eh.
I’m not sure I believe in “true” 3s and 4s.
That’s a lazy man’s way of finding roles for players.
rtang - August 15, 2009
It seems like running out a rotation like this would hurt you towards the end of the year
when all the young starters started hitting their innings limits.
Manzanillos Cup - August 14, 2009
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