If you recall, a couple years ago it was Jason Marquis with the spring barking about what his role would be - starting or bullpen.
Remember?
When asked about moving to the bullpen, Marquis said something like, "Well, I can just take my services elsewhere."
And this year it's Carlos Silva.
Only he's just being cocky and not threatening.
This Silva quote is from ESPN a couple days ago: "Competition is great," Silva said Tuesday. "But I don't need to show them what I can do. I already showed them."
He might want to re-think that last part, because if he's talking about his amazing 8-0 start last year, he shouldn't forget he also "showed them" some health issues and went 2-6 the rest of the way.
Anyway, always interesting, the who's-gonna-make-the-rotation game of musical chairs, and although we've seen a little bit of what Mike Quade's like as a manager we're all about to venture into uncharted territory with him.
You hear that maybe he won't be so loyal to experience and contracts.
Still, look at the list of guys going for the bottom 2 rotation spots: Randy Wells, Braden Looper, Andrew Cashner, James Russell, Casey Coleman and the always dangerous Todd Wellemeyer.
Silva's gotta be in there, right?
Other than Randy Wells (who sounds pretty pee-oh'd about the media rumors concerning his after hours activities), it's nothin' but a bunch of wild cards.
Did Cashner really find another pitch? Was Coleman just lucky? Watching Russell, he really did look like a starter in the pen and I don't know how to explain that - his approach? His stuff? What about him?
But maybe one of these guys will, you know, pull a Colvin and bully his way in.
Maybe Quade just plain old decides youth is the way to go.
Maybe Wellemeyer turned into Cliff Lee.
That's why they have this Spring Training thing.
Go BASEBALL!
