Could Ramon Or Russ Ortiz Actually Make The Rotation?

Ramon Ortiz has been lights out this spring, posting nine scoreless innings while striking out 11 and walking just two. Russ Ortiz has been just as good, putting up five scoreless frames while striking out four and walking none. Both entered camp as extreme long shots to make the team, but that seems to be changing rapidly.

"He was pretty good, wasn't he?" said manager Joe Torre, back on the bench. "Especially against his old team. Usually, when you get emotional in that situation you don't have your command the way he did."

He may not even be the most impressive Ortiz in camp. Russ, also a non-roster right-hander, also has yet to allow a run in two starts and five innings, and gets his next audition on Wednesday, against the White Sox.

Sigh. I suppose we have to take the growing momentum and positive comments with a grain of salt, but it has to be worrying if you're a Dodger fan. I don't want to say it's in the best interest of the team if they fail, but the harsh reality is that it probably is.

Everybody who has spring success has their story about how they revamped their mechanics, developed new pitches, or are showing a new maturity. That's great, but the fact is, a lot of that is simply fluff and rhetoric. You don't think every old guy who wants to revitalize his career has done the same thing? What makes a dozen innings or less in Spring Training override the evaluations of them as terrible pitchers over the last half decade of fail? I don't get it.

Both Ramon and Russ haven't been acceptable rotation members since 2004. From 2005-2007, Ramon posted an ERA of 5.47 with an ERA+ of 78. In 2008, Ramon pitched in Japan and got absolutely lit to the tune of a 5.82 ERA before spending all of 2009 in the minors. Russ hasn't fared all that much better. From 2005-2007 and 2009, he has posted an ERA of 6.56 for an ERA+ of 67. He spent all of 2008 out with injury.

It's inevitable, of course, that Chan Ho Park and Jeff Weaver comparisons begin, but neither of those guys were given permanent rotation spots, and both of them revitalized their career by coming out of the pen. So sure, it's fine to hope they both compete with Weaver for the swingman role in 2010, but the rotation? I'll pass.