Rydin' Ruff in the Buffalo....Rotation?

According to minor league Field Coordinator Terry Collins (via Adam Rubin), the Mets are considering converting Eddie Kunz to a starting pitcher.  This idea may seem a bit off the wall considering how badly Kunz has struggled in relief in Triple-A, but really, what does the organization (or Kunz for that matter) have to lose at this point?  He'll certainly get more reps in this way, and maybe he'll find a second or third pitch that works.  Despite his struggles, his GB% has always been excellent, at 60.8% in 2009 and 65.7% for his minor league career.  The problem is a lack of separation between his walk and strikeout totals, as he struck out just 38 while walking 31 in 62.3 innings last year.  The only major downside is that fans will get less DMX late in games at Coca-Cola Field in 2010.

The quote from Rubin's article:

Eddie Kunz received some interesting news from minor-league field coordinator Terry Collins on Tuesday. Kunz, who won a College World Series while closing at Oregon State, learned he may be used as a starting pitcher this season. The belief is it will force Kunz to become more developed as a pitcher. Kunz, the Mets’ top pick in the 2007 draft (42nd overall), hasn’t started since high school. He told Collins his only concern would be that he’s uncomfortable not getting regular work. Kunz cited a 17-inning scoreless streak he had with Double-A Binghamton in 2008 as an example of thriving with regular work. The compromise may be that Kunz faces a few hitters rather than having a standard between-starts bullpen.

Other notes from Rubin:  The Grapefruit league opener will either go to Hisanori Takahashi or Nelson Figueroa and Fernando Tatis will wear full on orthodontic braces this year.