According to this report from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Justin Verlander will start the back end of the double header on July 4th. Unfortunately the game isn’t slated to be televised in the Detroit market. (ESPN is picking up the first game).
As for the pros and cons of this move, check out the previous post and comments where we hash it all out.
The interesting thing is the Tigers have had a mentality making moves to win now. I’m not sure that Verlander gives them a better shot at winning than Wil Ledezma or Matt Ginter would. Was the decision to give Verlander the start based on the Tigers being swept by the White Sox? Is the selling about to commence? Is this the Tigers last week to prove something to Dave Dombrowski?
Verlander will be pitching on a couple of extra days rest, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The speculation has been the Tigers would shut him down at around 150 innings. That would imply that he only has 7-9 starts left this season anyways, so stretching those out will help prolong his season. Now not all innings are created equal. His innings dominating A ball probably require a little less effort than major league innings. As for how this will impact his total workload will be up to Bob Cluck.
Not to rehash all the arguments in the past post, but I really don’t like this decision. It’s a no-win situation for the Tigers. If he does well, then they’re under tremendous pressure to keep him in the bigs, which he’s not really ready for yet (see VanHekken after his performance vs. the Yankees); if not, then you risk shattering his confidence and stunting his development. Again, I really don’t like this decision.
Pressure and obligation are two different things, and I dont see where the Tigers would be under any obligation to keep Verlander on the ML roster past July 5, no matter how he fares. As for pressure, I dont know that Dombrowski even knows what that is.
We have to remember that this is a front office that has never shown fear with young pitchers at the ML level, especially the ones who have excelled in the minors (both low and high). Granted, this is by no means a necessary move as the Tigers could use any number of pitchers in this spot. But Verlander has been hands down the premiere pitcher on the Detroit farm this season, so why not? Its July 4, its a doubleheader, its *cleveland*, it would help the ML rotation stay on schedule, and all it does is push Verlander’s start back a few days. Lets not read too much into this.
And I dont mean to pick on ya Keith, but there is no comparing Verlander to Andy Van Hekken; at risk of sounding hyperbolic, Verlander is a bullet-throwing monster of a pitcher next to A. Van Hekken. And what in his profile would indicate this guy would be shattered and stunted by a bad start?
Verlander isn’t just the premier pitcher from the Detroit minor leagues. I think there is a good argument he is the premier pitcher in all of the minor leagues.