David Wells is going to be activated soon, possibly Monday. I wish I could say it feels like we're picking up a veteran pitcher at the trade deadline, but it doesn't. I'm just not that confident he's going to be able to make it through the rest of the season without another ankle-turn, knee-tweak, back strain, hamstring pull or thigh bruise.
We need a plan B.
It's not like Wells was setting the world on fire when felled by that fateful line drive. He pitched in two games. Two. This season he's thrown about 130 pitches. In 8.1 innings of work he's struck out one batter. (One more than I've struck out this year.) He also sports an 8.64 ERA. I think it's safe to assume he won't be reaching any of those contract incentives this year.
On the bright side, though, Wells is a crafty veteran. He's pitched in big spots and in big games, which is far more than Kyle Snyder, Kason Gabbard or John Lester can say. And the fact that this is his "last hurrah" has to carry some motivational weight, too. He's battling hard to get back in there quickly, and that's nice to see. He knows it's his last chance to win another ring.
We've definitely been put over a barrel with the injuries to the pitching staff (and with the Yankees coming on). But is it worth scraping the bottom of the trade barrel this year? Is Cory Lidle that much of an improvement over Kyle Snyder? I don't know. My gut says no. But what are the other options?
What's your plan B?