Fuck Joel Piniero I'm sick of this bitch.

Piniero sucks balls and it seems that there is nothing that he can do to get pulled from the rotation. His ERA has been higher every month this season

April 4.97
May 5.26
Jun 5.97
Jul 6.37
Aug 13.50

Yet all the anouncers say as he walks off the mound tonight is "His next start is Sunday."  It feels like the Mariners are unprecendently reluctant to pulls starters from the rotation.

Piniero
K/9 4.31
BB/9 3.47
GB/FB 1.61
HR/9 1.24
Innings 137.2

These are the numbers of a pitcher that is DONE.  I think Piniero will be out of baseball within a couple of years if not sooner, he doesn't seem to be hurt and he can barely strikeout as many batters as he walks, that's not going to cut it with his HR rate.  To me it is total incompetance to let a guy with these kind of numbers go out there every fifth day when you have a guy like this in AAA

Francisco Cruceta
K/9 10.45
BB/9 4.44
HR/9 1.16
Innings 131.2

The walks are high and HRs could be a problem for him, that is reportedly why Cleveland let him go, but he has the potential to be a MOR starter.  I think his upside is something like Ted Lilly, and he would be cheap for the next couple of years.  His comps in PECOTA before this year were Seung Song, Roger Erickson, Tomo Ohka.  Ohka's not a bad guy to have at the back of your rotation, but Cruceta seems to be a different pitcher this year, his career K/9 coming into '06 was 7.51, so I don't know if those comps are relevent any more.  His downside could not possibly be as bad as Piniero so there is no risk, and we are more than longshots for the playoffs anyway.  The rest of this season will be a lot more fun if we get to see 7-8 starts from Cruceta, give him a shot Bill.