Kyle McClellan projected in late January as what he had always been in the major leagues: a versatile, well-conditioned righthanded reliever whose ability to deal effectively with lefthanded bats enhanced his value.
McClellan morphed by early March into the replacement for perennial Cy Young Award contender Adam Wainwright in a rotation reconstituted after Wainwright's elbow ligament replacement surgery.
Now that the non-waiver trade deadline looms, McClellan occupies pitching limbo as a starting pitcher whose role could change in a second if Cards general manager John Mozeliak adds a starter through trade.
McClellan prefers not to obsess about the possibility. But for a talent who waited three major-league seasons for a chance to start, the realities of a pennant race are writ large.
"You just can't let it affect you. That's the bottom line," he said.
Manager Tony La Russa is aware of the apprehension that the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline can bring to a roster and has attempted to address it with his fifth starter.
"I've heard some speculation that if we get a starter, McClellan goes to the bullpen," La Russa said moments after fielding questions on his Sunday call-in show. "That is inaccurate."
When McClellan takes the Citi Field mound Wednesday night for his first start of the second half, his task is to treat the outing like a typical start, not a midseason audition.
"It's easy to get caught up in things. 'Is it affecting me? Am I going someplace else?' All those things can become distractions," McClellan said. "It doesn't do you any benefit to let that get into your mind but can happen easily if you let it."
The Cardinals are interested in acquiring a starter only if he represents a demonstrable improvement to the current alignment, which ranks ninth among National League rotations in earned run average, sixth in opponents' on-base-plus-slugging percentage, fifth in walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) and fourth in innings pitched.
McClellan won his first five decisions this season; the Cardinals won nine of his first 10 starts.
A hip strain intervened May 30, forcing McClellan to the disabled list. He is 0-5 in his last six starts, five of which have come since he was activated June 15.
"We're going to pick the best five starters. So if you bring in a starter who is better than one of the five we already have, you still have to be one of the best five — and that includes McClellan," La Russa said. "He's done a good job. It is not accurate if it turns out we pick up a starter that McClellan goes to the bullpen."
Performance, not health, is the issue McClellan now confronts.
"I'm definitely not as effective as I was at the beginning of the season. But I don't feel like I've done a bad job." McClellan said. "There's definitely ways that I can get better. But for the most part, take away a couple innings, and I feel I've given us a chance to win, which is all I set out to do at the beginning of the year."
Despite his manager's assurances, McClellan is not immune to the rumors and speculation that swell at this time of year.
McClellan, 27, ranks 31st in WHIP (1.33) among 58 National League pitchers who have worked at least as many innings as their team has played games. His 4.24 ERA ranks 45th among those starters. Both figures compare favorably to veteran Jake Westbrook, whose 1.58 WHIP ranks last in the NL and 5.26 ERA stands 55th. However, McClellan offers huge value in relief as well after allowing opponents a .229 and .210 average the last two seasons. Last season he made 19 relief appearances of four outs or more, including 10 of at least two innings.
"I've waited a long time for the opportunity to start," McClellan said. "I feel like I could have a future as a starter. What that means this year, I don't know. I don't know depending on what moves they make what happens. If I felt I couldn't do this long term it would be different. But I do. Still, if they need a guy in the bullpen, they need a guy in the bullpen. It's nice to be considered versatile. It's probably a luxury many people don't carry in their back pocket. Bottom line: If they need a reliever and can't get one, and I can help us get to the playoffs, I'm willing to do that."
McClellan is comfortable working with men on base. He employs an aggressive approach heavily reliant on working ahead in counts. He is unafraid of early results and seems a good fit with pitching coach Dave Duncan's efficiency-driven philosophy. And the Florissant native is realistic enough to know his 5-0 start may have glossed over some imperfections in his game, just as his recent search for wins comes while receiving only four runs of offensive support with him on the mound in his last six starts.
More telling is McClellan's success and struggle with runners in scoring position. Opponents managed a microscopic .150 average and just two extra-base hits in such situations during McClellan's first 10 starts. In his last six starts opponents have reached McClellan for a .467 average and a .767 slugging percentage.
Hitters reached McClellan for only 12 RBIs in 60 at-bats with runners in scoring position compared to 22 RBIs in 30 at-bats in his six outings since May 24.
Questions of durability followed McClellan into April. He has never thrown more than 128 innings in any of nine previous professional seasons. (He crested in 2004 with Class A Peoria before 2006 elbow surgery led to a role change.)
Sixteen appearances and 97 2/3 innings into McClellan's new career, looking dejected isn't an option.
"I have to go until I can't go any more," he said. "I feel I can shoulder another half season. Yeah, it's certainly an unknown. But I can't go out there thinking, 'Is this the start I lose it?' I'm working hard to make my starts. Physically there is nothing to lead me to believe I can't repeat or improve upon what I did in the first half."
