I have it on good authority that having too much starting pitching is "a good problem to have," but if a team can't act quickly and effectively to turn such length into players who can contribute elsewhere, it's a problem still. On the whole the Rockies are a much less dysfunctional organization than they were five years ago, but some troubles linger. Management's handling of the four-candidates-for-one-starting-spot problem this spring is a good example. Dan O'Dowd has apparently decided, possibly by lot, that Byung-Hyun Kim is the guy who has to go. That's all very well and good, and from a talent standpoint, I would certainly sooner deal for Kim than the roundly below-average Josh Fogg or the still recovering Brian Lawrence and Taylor Buchholz. The trouble is that O'Dowd in his reasonable exertions to obtain maximum return in trade for Kim is trying to market the righthander as both a reliever and a starter. A lot of teams can use a righty who can strike righthanded hitters out, which has never been in question with Kim.

However, the Rockies organization themselves have spent the last year and change, virtually as long as they've held the rights to Byung-Hyun Kim, loudly announcing to anyone who might listen that Kim is done as a reliever. All last year, whenever Kim would get pounded in the fourth or fifth inning of a start after pitching effectively his first time through the lineup, Hurdle or O'Dowd would grab anyone who would listen and explain that BK just didn't have the mental makeup, or whatever, to pitch out of the bullpen. I don't know whether this was supposed to motivate Kim, or confuse the opposition, or they're just mean guys, or what the deal is. But in any case, now no one is biting on Byung-Hyun. That shouldn't come as too much of a surprise since the Phillies have taken longer than expected in moving Jon Lieber (and will take even longer now that Freddy Garcia is injured), and it is Lieber and surely not Kim who will "set the market" for spring training starter trades.

That said, the Rockies could really use another relief arm. In fact, they could really use a righty who can strike guys out. Kind of like Byung-Hyun Kim. But we certainly wouldn't want to question Dan O'Dowd's unerring sixth sense for "mental makeup." The man did sign Denny Neagle.

I owe you folks another Hastily Assembled Preview, but I just rolled the Pirates. Not so much. I think instead of a HAP I will take a nap.