Shields and Kazmir - possible early shutdowns

[Danger]

Aug 18 The Devil Rays will closely monitor Shields' pitch counts over the last six weeks of the season, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

Recommendation: Shields pitched 187.1 innings in 2006 between the Rays and Triple-A Durham; he's already at 170.2 innings after his last outing in Boston on Monday. Rays manager Joe Maddon said that, as a general rule, the organization doesn't want young pitchers to exceed more than 20 percent of the pitches they threw the season before. That implies the Rays will try to shave an inning off Shields' outings here and there, and perhaps shut him down early if he gets to 215 innings or so before the last week of the season.

Aug 18 The Devil Rays will closely monitor Kazmir's pitch counts over the last six weeks of the season, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

Recommendation: Kazmir has averaged just 100.5 pitches over his last six starts, leaving four of those outings after throwing just 98 pitches or less. Kazmir had been averaging over 107 pitches per start prior to that. Kazmir missed most of the second half of 2006 due to arm troubles, so he's already thrown 351 more pitches this year than he threw all of last year. Expect the Rays to limit Kazmir to about six innings per start the rest of the way, and the Rays could shut Kazmir down a week or so early, or even sooner should should the slightest owie surface.

With absolutely nothing to play for I guess this was a bit expected from the Rays. No need to risk injury to their future aces but of course not good news for fantasy owners, especially me since I have both

[schmidty]

Well, I won't complain if they skip games @ Fenway and Yankee stadium. Unfortunately, I don't think it will work like that

[Smileyman9]

As a D-rays fan I'm happy to see them concerned with the future of two young arms that should help them have an +.500 season next year;

As a fantasy owner this hurts a bunch and makes you wonder at what point do they stop babying them? Shields is 25 (26 in the off-season) but in his first full MLB season. Kazmir is a tad younger *(23) and has had arm issues in the past. Is next year the season that they throw caution to the wind?

[damnitman]

Where is this news from? Also would one be inclined to try and deal him off now..say for someone like B Upton?

[Smileyman9]

Not sure of the trade value,; The information is from Yahoo's blurbs and notes;

[damnitman]

Any Devil Ray fans know anything bout this?

[Pedros Little Friend]

espn's news blurbs reported that the rays'll go to a 6 man rotation in order to limit both of their innings. this is certainly better for fantasy owners than a complete shutdown but still hurts their values.