Should Scott Diamond be a reliever?

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

He actually looks pretty good tonight...changing speeds well and keeping the ball down. But since it seems like he almost always implodes in the middle innings, I looked up his stats once he gets past pitch 45. I knew they would be bad, but I couldn't have imagined how bad. Batters are averaging .445 off of him with an OPS of 1.375! And he has given up 5 HRs in the 70 at bats he has had against him once he gets to that part of the game. Since he has been reasonably effective when his pitch count is lower, you wonder how long Gardy is going to continue to run him out there as a starter, when it looks like he would be much more effective as a reliever. I suspect Gardy is leaving him in the rotation because he has no other left handed alternatives, but this is getting ridiculous.

Diamond is still young and has had some success in the bigs, so I'm not giving up on him. But it gets to be a mental thing if a pitcher always get pounded in the middle innings. As I said, he is looking good tonight...only gave up one run in the 5th. But if he continues to struggle in the middle innings, the Twins need to give him a break from starting so he can build his confidence up again. Diamond still has potential to be an effective starter if he can figure out what is happening to him mid-game, but the Twins could destroy him if they keep running him out there.

I don't have any suggestions for his replacement, but we can certainly find someone who can beat that OPS of 1.375 after 45 pitches.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I can't stand Diamond this year. This shit is ridiculous. I knew the numbers would be bad but damn.

[Wallof Sleep [enjin:6687465]]

He has to keep the ball down and change speeds because he really doesn't have any pitch hitters are scared of. I'm sorry, but i think he belongs in the bullpen. If Duensing gets traded, that would be the role for him to have.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Speaking of Duensing, I thought he was brilliant last night.

[Wallof Sleep [enjin:6687465]]

Yes, i did as well. I do think he will get traded though.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I started this thread during Diamond's only good start in a long time. Today he reverted into the type of pitcher I think he really is, and it's not very good. I said before that the Twins want to have at least one lefty in the rotation, and there weren't any viable other options now. I forgot about Andrew Albers at Rochester. He had yet another outstanding game last night and now leads the league in K's to go along with 11-5 record and 2.85 ERA. That's surprising to me, because although I haven't seen him pitch, he apparently seldom even touches the upper 80's with his fastball...and yet a lot of K's. Apparently a deceptive soft tossing lefty, who at least knows how to get AAA hitters out.

With Butera thankfully gone, there is room for someone else on the 40 man roster. Time to put Diamond, and us fans, out of our collective misery and give this Albers guy a shot.

[Jester1534]

Split against lefty hitters are batting .333 avg off of him. So if you want him to be the lefty specialist I don't think it would work.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

No, he's not effective against lefties, and neither is Duensing (.322 BAA). I see Diamond right now as an alternative to Swarzak, you know...kind of a 2-4 inning reliever, since he is more effective up to 45 pitches. Even better, though, might be to ship him to Rochester to figure out what happens to him at pitch 45. He's still a young lefty and he's had some success in the bigs, but right now he isn't showing the makeup to be an effective starter like he was last year.

[sota41if3 [enjin:6770819]]

He's a #5.

[Wallof Sleep [enjin:6687465]]

He's not good enough to be a 5