Why not DiFelice?

[PrimeTime955]

I'm just not quite sure why, when every other name under the sun is thrown out there to start ball games for the Milwaukee Brewers that this guy isn't thrown out there. I do realize that he's not stretched out, and I also realize his value to the bullpen.

 

He wasn't quite as dominant in June as he was earlier in the season but the guy is a good pitcher and has been a solid starter in his career. He's got a 28/5 K/BB, and can pitch some quality innings. Last year starting in Nashville in 13 games he was 5-1 with a 3.22 era and a 65/8 K/BB.

 

Thoughts?

[Baldkin]

He's a 1-pitch pitcher who gets owned by lefthanded hitters. I think guys catch on if he pitches more than once through the order.

[Tailgat0r76]

I've been preaching on DiFelice's side for a while now. He can't be worse than some of our current options... Last year he had a 3.22 ERA in AAA as a starter.

[Oldcity]

If not starter, then at least move him back into the high-leverage role he was in before he got injured. Why Coffey has moved ahead of him in the pecking order is beyond me.

[Diskono]

He's had pretty good success vs lefties in the minors:

 

http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?pl=442707

 

Doesn't necessarily mean a whole lot, but he's only faced 60 or so lefties in his major league career, so he might not be that bad.

[TooLiveBrew]

I know one concern others have expressed in this discussion in the past is DiFelice's elbow and durability if asked to log SP innings.

[ClubLevel]

I can think of one good reason :p

[nate82]

Because he has one pitch and one pitch only that is very good everything else he throws is very hittable. Once he would go through the batting order once he would be ineffective.

[Brawndo the Thirst Mutilat]

For those that think DiFelice has only one effective pitch, did you know that Tim Wakefield's fastball, clocking in at a mighty 72 mph, is the 5th most effective fastball in the majors this season?

[Oldcity]

Why not DiFelice? Because his cutter is so tricky that it fools the umpire.

[monty57]

I've heard Melvin in interviews saying that DiFelice can't get lefties out. Whether it's true or not is moot. If the GM thinks it, DeFelice won't be a starter.

[Postseason2006]

The GM also had a crush on Gerut, Mench, and Nix.

[Oldcity]

Gerut is still a good player. A handful of bats here don't tell us anything.

[Hofbraunhaus]

I am a big DiFelice fan but I am not a fan of the idea of moving him to the rotation. I think the problem with taking a successful reliever and moving him to the rotation is that you may fix one problem, but you start to create a new one in the bullpen. I have been pretty satisfied with the bullpen this year so I would prefer to just leave it alone and look elsewhere for a starter.