Not-Top-Twenty update: Nick Webber is finally moving back to the pen.

Here’s what I wrote about him back in February:

Consider this my one Fearless Prediction: Nick Webber is 2007’s Dennis Dove, only better. Ever since he moved to full season ball, after a dominant short season debut, Webber’s peripherals have been downright unpleasant. Not only is he not striking anybody out, but his K:BB ratio is approaching critically nasty mass.

That’s because Nick Webber is a relief pitcher. He did it in college, and he’s going to do it if he reaches the pros. He’s got a mid-90s fastball with incredible sink on it–even when he wasn’t striking anybody out he kept the ball in the park, and his groundball/flyball ratio has been high throughout his career. But that’s his only pitch. As Jason Marquis so adeptly proved, it’s really, really hard to be a starting pitcher when every batter knows what’s coming, even if what’s coming is a pitch that’s really hard to make solid contact against. Add a few miles an hour, forget about the alleged breaking balls, and just rear back and throw it.

It’s a good idea to keep your prospects starting as long as possible, but it’s become exceedingly obvious that Webber was never going to be one until he was moved back. Webber throws nearly as hard as Dove does, with movement. And he’s really been a reliever all this time. He’s already in AAA–after spending 2006 in Palm Beach–and he’s going to move really fast. If Dove doesn’t make the bigs out of Spring Training, Webber might beat him there. Also getting The Move is longtime sleeper prospect Mark Michael, who just couldn’t stay healthy in the rotation.