The Cardinals just replaced Garcia in the rotation. Maness? Kelly? Martinez? WACHA?
Nope
TYLER LYONS
So who is this guy?
I wouldn’t call him a forgotten prospect and his name HAS floated around the last few seasons but really this is unexpected. You won’t find him in the top 20 organizational prospect list and whats even more surprising are his numbers. He is 2-1 with a 4.47 ERA for the Redbirds. But obviously Mozeliak must like him. He is another lefty, and I can’t really criticize the move until we see him.
But what this tells me is that Wacha won’t be in the big leagues until there is a permanent spot for him up here. I’ve mentioned before that this is a business decision. Wacha isn’t even on the 40 man roster. However Mozeliak told FSM that this is about the long term development for Wacha. It’s about getting used to a 5 man rotation and limiting stressful inning on him. The Cardinals obviously feel comfortable throwing Lyons in the lion pit, but want to shield the prince Wacha. It’s funny how organizations handle their prospects.
We’ll get to see Lyons on Wednesday.