Look, I like Stutes and I think he has a chance to contribute this year. But the fact is that this...

Look, I like Stutes and I think he has a chance to contribute this year. But the fact is that this twitter discussion does a pretty good of illustrating the fundamental arbitrariness of who gets to become a fan favorite in this town and who doesn't.

5 months ago taco pal 9 comments 0 recs |

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by taco pal on Dec 14, 2011 6:53 AM EST reply actions

Hard to read (both literally and figuratively)

by Cormican on Dec 14, 2011 10:59 AM EST up reply actions

If there are two spots, I say Herndon and Stutes deserve them, and I think they’ll probably get them too.

If there are three spots, De Fratus will probably make it interesting in Spring Training, but I think Schwimer should get it. De Fratus will probably stick this year at some point, though.

Savery’s pretty much irrelevant now that we have D-Train. Aumont would only benefit from a bit more Triple-A time.

Some people don't think it be what it is, but it do.

by TheOrangeCone on Dec 14, 2011 9:30 AM EST reply actions

Eh, I know Stutes is overblown, but I do think it would be odd to not have him on the team. He’s a better all-around pitcher than Willis, right now, and has great potential.

by Rujasu on Dec 14, 2011 10:31 AM EST reply actions

Herndon should really be a lock as well, though I don’t know if he will be.

by Rujasu on Dec 14, 2011 10:32 AM EST up reply actions

First, I don’t think it would be terribly odd.

Second, that wasn’t my point anyway. The people in the twitter thread clearly have not even considered the possibility that Stutes wouldn’t make the team, and in fact, sound emotionally wounded by the mere suggestion that he might have to compete. Whether Stutes has the pole position on winning the competition (and I agree that he does and should) doesn’t contradict my point that those kinds of sentiments are ridiculous. The other guys in the competition are more than capable of beating him out.

Third, Willis is a specialist, so comparing him to Stutes is apples-and-oranges. Of course Stutes is going to be a better “all-around pitcher” than someone whose designated role is the polar opposite of being an all-around pitcher. That doesn’t mean that Stutes has to make the team.

by taco pal on Dec 14, 2011 9:25 PM EST up reply actions

Yes, I do get that Willis and Stutes have different roles, but I’m not convinced a team needs more than one lefty in its bullpen. Stutes is a young guy who did an average job in the majors last year, so I really see no reason he shouldn’t make the team, barring a really poor ST. (Of course, I don’t put much stock in ST stats so I think it would have to be a really awful camp, or a really good one by a couple of other guys.)

Now, I agree that he’s not a lock, and I agree that people are overhyping a guy who is merely a decent young reliever at this point, but still, I think you pencil him in as part of the Opening Day bullpen for 2012.

by Rujasu on Dec 15, 2011 1:07 PM EST up reply actions

My point is: how does this contradict what I said? You clearly wrote your original comment as if you were disagreeing with something I wrote, but what is it?

What I said above is that people are overhyping Stutes because they’re NOT just “penciling him in.” They’ve gone much further than that.

Your response is basically: “while people may be overhyping Stutes, I see no reason why he shouldn’t be penciled in.” Did I say he shouldn’t be? I did not. You’re mischaracterizing what I wrote.

by taco pal on Dec 15, 2011 2:02 PM EST up reply actions

Eh, I guess I took your post to mean that it was a toss-up between all of those guys as to who will/should make the team, that Stutes was no more likely to make the team than, say, Schwimmer or De Fratus. I probably inferred that since you’ve been kind of beating the “Stutes is overhyped” drum for a while, and you’re kind of right about that. But yeah, I may have just been reading too much into what you were saying.

My first post there wasn’t intended to really disagree with you, though. I was just saying that while I don’t think he’s a lock, I think he’s very likely to make the team. Wasn’t contradicting your point, really, just kind of jumping off of it.

by Rujasu on Dec 16, 2011 4:57 PM EST up reply actions