It is much easier for prospects to lose trade value than gain it at the mlb level.

After reading this, I am sure the umps wouldn’t have allowed Niemann to continue.

JP Howell: 13 ip, 3 er, 2.08 era

Rays new bullpen ERA:

2.92!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I forgot Badenhop gave up 4 ER in 1 ip the day before yesterday. Without that appearance, he was 17 ip, 2.64 ERA.

Even still: Rays current bullpen ERA: 3.06

Without Peralta’s first 3 outings, and that bullpen ERA is miniscule. But keep floating week old articles about week old stats about guys no longer in the MLB.

Lynn 6-1 1.81 ERA 44 Ks .90 WHIP
Niemann 2-3 3.75 ERA 30Ks 1.18 WHIP

Your statement is that Niemann “was without question the best #5 in either league” is what I was debating.

Wade Davis is below average as a major league starter. Ramos being productive last year is questionable also. Peralta has had 2 solid seasons in a row but was pretty bad the 5 seasons before that. He started out poorly and has now given up runs in 3 of his last 4 games.

Unless he doesn’t count because……well, I don’t know why. He was productive last year. He is even more productive this year.

And technically, you are correct. But your link to a week old article, 5 weeks into the season is pretty foolish. The Rays pen is fine…..great.

I was shooting fom the hip, and forgot how bad Peralta started. I hope he still counts as a decent reliever though.

Peralta:
April 6- April 13: 1.2 innings: 7 earned runs
April 14 to now: 13 innings :3 earned runs

But simply glancing at MLB.com’s stats do show how good of an analyst you are! Please give me more of your insight. Lance Lynn is the best pitcher in baseball right?

Thanks for the insight.

You can also not blame his subsequent failures on that injury, a more likely culprit would be the injury sustained while shooting the MASN commercial.

They also have the right to notifiy the trainer and manager if they believe a player is human and make sure they get checked on and recieve treatment, if needed.

Of course, that couldn’t have happned either. Doing something like that would make the umpires not be evil, stupid, and incompetent. As this is the HBT comments section, we know that couldn’t be the case. Maybe in another world, but not here.

I’m sure the umpires must have been checking out some blonde in the stands, or discussing where to have a beer after the game, or starting a pool to see which player they could kick out of the game for no reason.

But there is no way it was becasue they were concerned a player might be injured. Nope, not here.

What six relievers have ERAs under 2.5? I count 4. Rodney, McGee, Howell and Davis. Are you counting Ramos who has pitched in 2 games? If so then I will give you 5.

The Rays had one of the worst bullpen ERAs in the league as of a week ago. I doubt it changed that much since then. http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/08/orioles-rangers-have-best-bullpen-eras-so-far/

It was really weird seeing an umpires meeting on the mound, while Nieman threw his last warmup pitch.

Crappy news for my Rays. Upton on the 15 day DL. Longoria on the 15 day DL. Niemann on the 15 day DL. Fuld on the 60 day DL {his haters should be wise to know the Rays have a .238 fly ball batting average with him, compared to a .288 without him)}

Everyone’s pick is Davis to replace him I don’t see it. Davis is an average MLB starter. He is an exceptional reliever! His MPH are up 3 to 97, and he is 1 of the 6 relievers the Rays have whose ERA’s are under 2.5. I don’t see the Rays messing with this (and his trade value) when Alex Cobb is ready to go too.

This hurts us. Niemann was without question the best #5 in either league. However, the only way the Rays could make this terrible is to move Davis back into the rotation. Welcome Alex Cobb back to the MLB.

Hope he bounces back and is ok.

He had a following similar to Joe Orsulak from back in the day.