Nick Blackburn is not very good. He wasn’t very good the year before that. He has never been any good. Even when he had an ERA around 4 back in the 2008-2009 season, it was fueled in part by good luck. His FIP were in the 4.5 range. This season, his ERA is 8.37, in the range of Francisco Liriano, and higher than Jason Marquis and Carl Pavano, who have all been criticized heavily this season for their performance.
Why has Blackburn got away with it? I don’t understand why the veterans like Marquis (who in the article I linked to yesterday, Souhan said should be cut) or Pavano, who is probably the best pitcher the Twins have had this season who was on the opening day roster. Why aren’t there calls to send Blackburn down? Why not send him to the bullpen?
There are two theories that I have heard. First, there is the thought that as a sinkerballer, he needs his arm to be tired, in order to get the ball to start to sink again. First, I have already established that I don’t think he was ever any good. Second, didn’t we try this strategy with Carlos Silva? And didn’t the Cubs and Mariners try this with Silva as well? It didn’t work.
The other theory floating around is that Blackburn gets away with it because of his contract. Seriously, if the Twins try to send him down to the minors with that contract, you think he would ever get claimed? No. What I am saying is, let’s stop giving Nick Blackburn a free pass. He sucks, and the team gains nothing by keeping him in the Major League rotation.
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