San Francisco Giants Mailbag: Vogelsong, Petit, Scutaro
Oct 25, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Yusmeiro Petit reacts after retiring the Kansas City Royals in the sixth inning during game four of the 2014 World Series at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
@MaggiePilloton any talk of Petit stepping into our rotation. Guy is lights out! & sadly we can't pitch #MadBum 4 out of every 5. #SFGiants
— Brandon Bauer (@NolePride927) January 14, 2015
I don’t see Petit stepping into the Giants’ starting rotation in 2015. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Petit fan. He is extremely valuable to this Giants team, but he’s more valuable as a long reliever than a starter.
Having a reliable long reliever on the roster is a valuable asset that every MLB team wants. Petit can make spot starts if he has to, and he can come into a game and give Bruce Bochy four to possibly six innings of relief. He stays calm in stressful situations, and he can get the Giants out of a jam, if necessary. That’s why he’s a strong long reliever.
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He’s had some great moments as a starter for the Giants, such as his near perfect game, but he’s had more success as a long reliever.
In 2014, Petit posted a 5.03 ERA as a starter in 12 starts and 68 innings last season. He posted a 1.132 WHIP and allowed opponents to hit .254 off of him as a starter.
In 2014, Petit posted a 1.84 ERA as a reliever in 27 games and 49 innings. He posted a 0.857 WHIP and allowed opponents to hit .177 off of him as a reliever.
As I said earlier, the Giants’ projected starting rotation for 2015 is: Bumgarner, Cain, Peavy, Hudson, and Lincecum. If the rotation stays that way, Petit can fill in when needed as a spot starter or in long relief. That’s the way the Giants are constructed, as of now, and that’s best for the Giants, as of now, too.
Bochy and the rest of the team highly value Petit’s contributions, and the long reliever role is significant. Therefore, Petit will stay play an important role in the Giants’ success next season, especially since Cain and Hudson are recovering from surgeries and Lincecum’s consistency is questionable.
Next: Marco Scutaro's Status