More Wild Things pitching

In the post below about the Wild Things' roster, I mentioned the curious state of the starting rotation. More precisely, who are the candidates for the rotation? There seemed to be a lack of experienced starting pitchers on the roster last week, and the transactions of the last two days have thinned the ranks even more.

Washington added what appears to be one solid starting pitcher Monday, but also traded one starter and released two potential starters.

The Wild Things signed two pitchers, lefty Vidal Nuno and right-hander Justin Hall. Nuno was a starter for two seasons in the Cleveland Indians system, and had a 5-0 record in the New York-Penn League in 2009. You can probably pencil him into the rotation. Hall was a non-drafted player who spent one year in the Tampa Bay Rays' system. Who knows what role he'll be put in.

Three pitchers who won't be in the rotation are Steve MacFarland, Sean Keeler and Joe Rodriguez.

MacFarland, a former 9th-round draft pick of the Pirates who pitched well for Washington last year (3-2) -- when he was healthy -- was traded to the San Angelo Colts of the North American League. In exchange for MacFarland, the Wild Things will receive "future considerations." Translated, that usually means a player not good enough to make San Angelo's roster.

Rodriguez and Keeler have been released. Rodriguez made a few starts last year for Oakland County -- he was the starter in the game in Lovonia, Mich., when the mound crumbled causing a postponement -- and was taken by Washington in the dispersal draft of Cruisers players. I thought he might be a potential fifth starter. Keeler pitched in only eight games (11 2/3 innings) last year for the Wild Things after being signed out of Franklin Pierce College, where he had suffered an injury that sidetracked his career. I had considered Keller as having a chance at earning a rotation spot, though with his injury history that might have been a longshot.

So with spring training less than two weeks away, this is what we know about the Wild Things' starting pitching: Justin Edwards is injured; Jeff Sonnenberg and Zach Groh are listed on the roster but the Wild Things haven't announced that either guy has been re-signed; the rumor is Billy Muldowney won't be back; Nuno seems to have a spot as a starter and there's a bunch of guys who are either ticketed for the bullpen or have no experience as a starter beyond college.

Who knows, maybe the Wild Thing will be signed to pitch?