The list of starting rotation locks for the 2013 Twins is not long. In fact, it is incredibly short. In fact, is there even one pitcher that is a lock right now?
Well, that depends on how you feel about Scott Diamond at this point.
On the plus side, he has allowed three earned runs or fewer and thrown at least six innings in 11 of his 16 outings -- the definition of a quality start. He has pitched at least 7 innings in half of his starts, including Wednesday's wasted effort against the White Sox. He mixes his pitches, he changes speeds, he hits his spots, he doesn't walk people and -- when he does those things -- he looks like a solid middle-of-the-rotation contributor.
But it is just 16 starts. He pitched OK in a few of his seven starts last season, but overall he was 1-5 with an ERA over 5 with the Twins. He was 4-14 with a 5.56 ERA at Rochester last season before rebounding to pitch well there at the start of the year and earn a promotion to the desperate Twins. His earlier numbers pre-2011 were dazzling at lower levels but evened out as he rose up.
The question is: Are you sold long-term, or at least for 2013, on Diamond -- not just because the Twins need him, but because you really think he is a viable MLB starter?
