Quote Originally Posted by State82 View Post
In the ideal situation, with the younger guys progressing as we hope, a Fitts/Lindgren combo would be replaced with a Fitts/Mitchell piggyback. But we probably won't get lucky enough to allow Ross back in the pen. We can hope, though.
We SHOULD. If Tatum or Sexton are going to start for us, we need to get it going sooner than later. It's as simple as Butch and Cohen saying Ross is moving to the pen and sticking with it, thus forcing someone to step up. Ross can throw long innings of relief, so even if one of those guys can do like Fitts and get through the order a time or 2, we will have Ross to mop up. That's why I wish Ross, Fitts, AND Laster would go to the pen as piggy backs on the 3 youngsters as starters at the beginning of the year. It will give them great experience, needed starts, and also the comfort in having veterans behind them with long inning experience in case we struggle early in games. Just a thought, but I feel like something has got to be done to break this cycle of piggy backs and us develop some true starters for down the road. This would be the "safe" way to develop them IMO. It will never happen, but I like to think it would be a great idea.