Changing Course Early

Earlier today, I answered the first part of jasonkuo's question about whether or not he should keep his slow starting pitchers or toss them overboard. However, I didn't address the second part of his query.

is it too early to think about drastic changes like switching to all middle relievers or trading away some of my hitting (which is doing pretty well, and I have a pretty significant hitting/pitching split - $65 pitching staff) to shore up my rotation? Or should I trust that the averages will normalize eventually?

Regular readers know that I'm a huge fan of category optimization (dumping). It's a good way to take a mediocre squad and turn it into a contender.

In this case, though, I'd stick with my slow starting pitchers and hope for a turnaround.

Middle relievers should eventually help your ERA/WHIP. However, this will take a long time. You're better off waiting for your starting pitchers to bounce back. If they do, you'll be back in business a lot sooner than you will be if you shift to a middle relief oriented strategy.

Trading away hitting for pitching is likely to take a strength and turn it into a weakness...without necessarily guaranteeing that you're going to be creating a balance with your pitching. Unless you can grab an ace like Tim Lincecum or Roy Halladay, I'd avoid taking on more starting pitching, particularly at the expense of your hitting.

This doesn't mean that you should stand pat. If you see a good trade opportunity take it. Always look to improve your team.

But don't get too upset about what's happening in April. We're still less than 20 games in to the season. A lot will happen - and a lot will change - as we move into the next five months.