Poll Results, Week 2: "The Brain" = Odd Man Out

Here are the poll results for Week 2 of the feature on the full-time version of this blog:

Who will be the odd man out in the starting rotation?

Brian ("The Brain") Bannister: 8 (47%)
("Cool Hand") Luke Hochevar: 2 (11%)
Horacio ("HoRam") Ramirez: 7 (41%)
Other: 0 (0%)

The club has made it increasingly apparent that Sidney Ponson is a viable candidate for one of the two final open spots. Luke Hochevar appears a near-lock to make the club. However, the club may start him in AAA, considering his relative injury history and the fact that arbitration could be delayed by yet another year. Horacio Ramirez appears to have effectively pitched his way out of the rotation with a (predictably) putrid Spring, but with this rigidly dogmatic at times front office, who really knows?

I still feel the rotation needs to consist of the following:

Meche
Greinke
Davies
Hochevar
Bannister

The five pitchers with (by far) the most upside of any candidate. Bannister has gotten lit up this spring, so I might read arguments for either Ponson or HoRam to occupy his slot (while he begins the year in Omaha - he is not out of options, you know). However, it will appear especially frustrating to see a) Trey Hillman slowly realize what 90% of the rational blogosphere already knows - that Ponson and HoRam are both terrible options as starting pitcher, and b) a damnation that certain dogma (lefties MUST be in the starting rotation!!!11) still permeate this front office.

We'll see. I hope the right decision is made.