Scott Kazmir, the once highly-touted first-round pick of the New York Mets in the 2002 amateur draft, might have pitched his last game for the Angels.
Last year was horrendous; 9-15, 5.94 ERA. He struggled with velocity (chalk that up to a variety of injuries), could not locate his fastball, and was not the pitcher he used to be.
This year was supposed to be a rebirth of sorts; a chance for the former gunslinger to regain his spot in the Angels rotation.
It doesn’t look like that will happen, in my estimation, and a spot in the bullpen is also improbable.
Today, Kazmir faced the Milwaukee Brewers and got lit up for eight earned runs while surrendering eight hits. I can’t really comment on what Kazmir and the club are expecting—except for the fact that things are not getting easier, they are getting worse.
After this unforgettable appearance, Kazmir still has confidence in his abilities. In an article from ESPN, he believes in his fastball, and still has hopes of earning that final spot in the rotation.
“I felt like I threw the ball well,” said Kazmir, who figures to be the Angels’ No. 5 starter again this season. “I felt like I was attacking the strike zone. A couple of things didn’t go my way and it snowballed. That’s baseball. You’ve got to have luck on your side. They were putting pretty good swings on.”
At the age of 27, the majority of athletes are hitting their prime, realizing their full potential. Kazmir, on the other hand, seems to be regressing.
As discouraging as a spring training ERA of 7.79 sounds, Kazmir can still get batters out—history shows that. Ultimately, the decision will lie with Mike Scioscia and the coaching staff. As for the staff, the final verdict may not be based on talent alone.
The possible No. 5 starter is in the final year of a three-year, $28.5 million contract. The question is: can he make it to Opening Day? Worst case scenario, is the Angels release him and have to live with shelling out $14.5 million.
Let him play and let him go out in a blaze of glory. He has at least earned that.
Devon is the founder of The GM’s Perspective
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