Forget the Japan series; the A's season really starts now. With a few moves yesterday, they, at long last, have finalized their 25-man roster. Here are some brief notes about the pitchers who will don the green and gold come April 1st.
Rotation
Joe Blanton, RHP
Pros: Blanton is as durable as they come, and is as safe a bet to pitch 200 innings this year as anyone. He has very good control and does not walk many batters. He has a big-breaking 12-to-6 curve that is a true plus-pitch when it's on.
Cons: Blanton is around the strike zone so much that he gives up a lot of contact, putting a ton of pressure on the defense to help him. While his fastball, curve, slider, and changeup are all rated average to plus, the combination of the pitches isn't enough to give Blanton a high strikeout rate.
My take: Blanton's no ace, and he really shouldn't be starting opening day for a team with contention hopes. Still, he is a valuable commodity because his durability provides stability in the rotation. Blanton's a perfect third starter, a good second, but a stretch as an ace.
Rich Harden, RHP
Pros: Harden probably has the best stuff of any righthander in the major leagues. He throws a four-seam fastball that goes from 93-102 mph, a two-seamer from 91-97 with great run and sink, a wicked slider, a splitter with knuckleball action (Harden calls it a "spluckle") that drops hard and late, and a changeup that gets even the best hitters way out in front.
His mechanics are clean and his control is sound. His stats tend to match his stuff pretty well, as he has struck out more than a batter an inning the last several seasons.
Cons: Harden simply cannot stay healthy. He's hurt his oblique, his right shoulder, his right elbow, his left shoulder, and a whole host of other things. He has only pitched one complete MLB season and has made only 13 starts the past two seasons combined.
My take: The A's desperately need Harden to be healthy because, as I said before, Blanton isn't really a number one starter. If Harden is healthy, the rotation (and the team as a whole) looks a lot better. Harden did look incredible for six innings in Japan against the Red Sox, notching the A's first win of the year, showing the incredible stuff he has, and most importantly, staying healthy.
Also, Harden and Blanton are trade candidates, especially if Harden demonstrates continued health. If trades are made for the two righties, a deep and talented farm system could get even deeper.
Chad Gaudin, RHP
Pros
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