Aaron Harang and Brandon Claussen each threw two scoreless innings yesterday. That’s a good thing, especially since they are among five pitchers vying for the last two spots in the rotation (the other three are going to be Paul Wilson, Eric Milton, and Ramon Ortiz).
John Fay breaks down the competition here.
I can’t imagine that Harang won’t make the rotation. At times, he was very good last year, so he has to do something pretty bad to get eliminated from the rotation to start the season, in my opinion. That leaves Claussen fighting with Luke Hudson, Josh Hancock, and Jeriome Robertson for the fifth spot.
First, someone needs to explain why Robertson is even in camp, much less competing for a spot in the rotation. Hudson and Hancock are intriguing, especially Hudson with that fastball, but you’ve got to think Claussen has the inside track. He’s the one that was tagged long ago with the “prospect” label, and you’d think they’re going to give him every chance to stick.
Out of that group, Harang and Claussen are probably the best choices. We’ll see if the Reds agree.