Carlos Martinez said the conversation hadn’t taken place yet, but when it does he knows what role he prefers when he returns to the Cardinals, presumably sometime in May. Martinez, asked if he still wanted to be a starter, said Wednesday night, “Yep. 100 percent.”
Martinez, recovering from a shoulder strain, found that his shoulder wasn’t strong enough late last season to handle a starting role so he became a lights-out closer in September. If asked to go to the bullpen now, he said, “I’m just going to take that, too.
“But I’m preparing my body and my mind for starting. We haven’t talked yet about starting or relieving. We’ve talked about, ‘Do I feel good and do I feel like I’m ready to go?’”
The answers to both those questions was “yes” for Martinez, who will throw a bullpen session on Friday for the first time since the season began. When he has finished his rehab, which surely will include several minor league assignments, he said he thought the outcome of the eventual conversation between himself and management would entail, “Be ready for anything.”
Martinez, still only 27 and signed through at least 2021, was 8-6 with five saves and a 3.11 earned run average last season when he pitched only 118 2/3 innings. He was shut down early in spring camp this year when his shoulder proved to not be strong enough after Martinez had been told to work on strengthening it in the off-season.
2019 Pitching staff thread
- CardsofSTL
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Re: 2019 Pitching staff thread
- Jocephus
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Re: 2019 Pitching staff thread
Colin
How concerned are you with the Cardinals rotation? I see lots of room for improvement (Mikolas, Wacha) but I see Hudson and Wainwright as long term concerns, the latter's performance thus far notwithstanding.
Craig Edwards
It's the team's biggest weakness at this point. If MIkolas and Flaherty pitch like they did last year, they are an okay 1-2, but then you need three number threes to back them up. Wainwright has been the team's best starter so far and that isn't a good thing. They really need Carlos Martinez back or Reyes to get back to where he was last year before he got hurt.
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Re: 2019 Pitching staff thread
Flaherty and Mikolas will be fine. Not worried at all. I am very happy the team is 10-8 with the starters being a liability so far.
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Re: 2019 Pitching staff thread
Flaherty is fine, not worried there. Although I was expecting a breakout season from Weaver last season and that didn’t turn out. Never know with young pitchers. As for Mikolas, there’s fair reason to have a bit of skepticism. He was unlikely to repeat last season’s numbers and now teams have the scouting report. He throws a lot of strikes, which is great. But he doesn’t strike out many batters so there’s a lot of contact.dmarx114 wrote:Flaherty and Mikolas will be fine. Not worried at all. I am very happy the team is 10-8 with the starters being a liability so far.
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Re: 2019 Pitching staff thread
If it turns out Martinez and Reyes can't start by at least midseason, they need to make a move.
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Re: 2019 Pitching staff thread
doe_boy wrote:If it turns out Martinez and Reyes can't start by at least midseason, they need to make a move.
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Re: 2019 Pitching staff thread
Mikolas has looked progressively better with each start. Carlos needs to come back as a starter; move Hudson to the pen and get him another pitch in the offseason so that he can be more effective against left handed hitters next year out of the rotation.
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Re: 2019 Pitching staff thread
If Helsley or Hudson or both fail, while Reyes and Martinez are still out, they will be forced to get someone.
Btw, who is our next up and coming starter? Mo usually has lots of dudes ready to come up but there's no one after Helsley.
Woodford? I don't know that he's ready.
Btw, who is our next up and coming starter? Mo usually has lots of dudes ready to come up but there's no one after Helsley.
Woodford? I don't know that he's ready.
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Re: 2019 Pitching staff thread
Yes if half the staff fails Mo will have to get someone else. Right now you have Gomber, Poncedeleon, and Reyes in Memphis. Beyond them are question marks when it comes to big league talent.Big Amoco Sign wrote:If Helsley or Hudson or both fail, while Reyes and Martinez are still out, they will be forced to get someone.
Btw, who is our next up and coming starter? Mo usually has lots of dudes ready to come up but there's no one after Helsley.
Woodford? I don't know that he's ready.
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Re: 2019 Pitching staff thread
You wouldn't consider Gomber, Ponce de Leon and Reyes question marks?CardsofSTL wrote: Yes if half the staff fails Mo will have to get someone else. Right now you have Gomber, Poncedeleon, and Reyes in Memphis. Beyond them are question marks when it comes to big league talent.
Keuchel makes so much sense, but that's the case for several teams. Teams can never have enough pitching and it's probable the Cardinals will need to go to the market for pitching regardless.