AF...you are always pushing Pivetta to the bullpen when its so obvious that he is a starter, has a starters mentality and has some of the best stuff on the staff. Plus, at least right now, he looks durable. And pray tell, why we would the Phils waste Pivetta as a 7th-8th inning guy [Neris has earned the closer role for now] when the team's biggest need isn't late inning bridges to the closer but starting pitching?
While I love Nola's stuff and year and realize right now he is the best hurler on the staff, I could easily be convinced that down the line Pivetta might become just as good.
Like I indicated before, I understand the thought process behind putting Velasquez in the bullpen [always injured, electric stuff, throws lots of pitches] but not Pivetta.
You always talk about how he has to learn this and he has to learn that...well, isn't that what baseball is all about, learning, improving, perfecting your craft? If every pitcher who had to continue to learn things needed to go to the bullpen till they learned them we would have no starters left. Even Nola talked this season about learning a new pitch.
Right now, I am counting on Pivetta even above Eickhoff going into the 2018 season. Experience has taught me that when a pitcher ends the season with an arm injury and all he needs is "rest", much of the time rest doesn't do the trick. Until I see Eickhoff back on the hill and as effective as he was in 2016 I will remain skeptical.
