The Cleveland Indians are in a period of learning. Manny Acta and the front office are trying to find out who can play at the big league level and who can’t.
Here is a clue for the Tribe brass…Justin Masterson is not a starting pitcher.
This is not based on last night’s performance against the woeful Baltimore Orioles, who have been playing better under new manager Buck Showalter. No, this is based on Masterson’s body of work this season.
In the 21 starts the big right-hander has made against teams other than the Boston Red Sox this season, he is 2-11 with an ERA of 6.05. Hitters are batting .292 against him for the season. Left-handed hitters are batting .313 against Masterson with an OPS of 863.
That means every left-handed hitter that faces Masterson turns into Shin-Soo Choo.
This is not to say Masterson is a lost cause. He has a tremendous ground ball to fly ball ratio and he throws in the mid 90’s. He’s just not a starting pitcher. He’s more suited to being a set up man or down the road, maybe even a closer.
After last night’s game, Acta protected his starter by saying the defense failed him. Luis Valbuena booted a ball at third base to key a four run fourth for the Birds, and in the fifth, Acta felt 2B Jason Donald should have turned a double play which would have got Masterson out of the inning.
However, there is no defense for the hurler giving up several hits after the miscues. Sometimes, the pitcher has to pick up the guys behind him. Also, the skipper didn’t mention the incredible play SS Asdrubal Cabrera made on a ball hit off Masterson’s leg in the fourth. The Indians had no business getting an out on that play.
Acta said he sees in Masterson a pitcher with swing and miss capabilities. That’s true. The big righty leads the staff in strikeouts, and he and perhaps Fausto Carmona are the team’s only starters who have what you would call power arms. However, unlike Carmona, Masterson gives up more hits than innings pitched (158 in 133.1 IP), and if you walk four guys per nine innings, that’s a problem.
Mitch Talbot will likely return to the rotation this weekend against Seattle, and probably will replace David Huff in the rotation. Perhaps he should take Masterson’s spot so Acta can give Huff a few more looks. Or send Huff back to Columbus and put Masterson in the bullpen so Carlos Carrasco can get some starts at the big league level.
It’s not as though Masterson has earned his continued presence in the rotation. In fact, since coming over to Cleveland at the trade deadline last year, he is 5-18 with an ERA over five.
This is not meant to bury the pitcher acquired from Boston for Victor Martinez. However, it is time to give him a new role on the team. He’s made a year’s worth of starts (33) since coming to the Tribe, and you can count the times he’s pitched real well on both hands.
He simply doesn’t have the consistency to be a quality starter right now. And his success in Boston came mostly out of the bullpen.
Justin Masterson has the power arm this organization needs, but right now that arm would best serve the team in a relief role.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 