Eric Milton Prospect Retrospective

Yesterday, John Sickels posted a prospect retrospective on Eric Milton. I haven't seen it posted elsewhere in RedsLand, so I thought I'd throw it out there with an excerpt:

Milton went 7-11 in '99 but he cut a full run off his ERA and his K/BB ratio improved sharply. He was a mainstay in the Twins rotation 2000 through 2002, until getting injured in '03. His fly ball and gopher ball tendencies became increasingly pronounced, and he's never quite lived up to expectations. . .certainly he hasn't been Viola or Pettitte. In his case, I don't think he suffered particularly in the long run for having skipped Triple-A. I think he's a guy who basically peaked at age 23-25, and my guess is that he'll remain at his current level of effectiveness for the remainder of his career.

Milton's been a guy who has puzzled me since we got him. Somehow, it always feels to me like he's just a bit away from finding his groove. Maybe I just want to keep believing that somehow he'll work out. I still think he could be a good bullpen lefty, a la Kent Mercker. But I'll be surprised if he lasts the whole year in the rotation.