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You think there's any chance he could start at the back of the rotation out of spring training and then move to the bullpen as the season goes on, allowing the Tribe to move Bauer up here?
Seems kind of far-fetched, I know, but it would make sense if they wanted to move Bauer up sooner rather than later. It would allow a guy with a lot of wear and tear more of an opportunity to rest and not pitch as many innings later in the year, add depth to the bullpen, and allow Bauer some more time to get some burn at AAA before coming back up to the big league level.
I don't think it's that far fetched at all.
Even if he makes the rotation, I think it would almost be a certainty there will be an innings cap involved. But I think the more likely scenario is that he doesn't show the same 90-94 throughout the season and winds up either getting DFAd or relegated to the bullpen.
Will be interesting to see if the club shows some foresight and just turns this guy into a bullpen guy from the jump. If he can't consistently keep his velo where it is, that move might save his career.