When he is not pitching he can play anywhere. He is really invaluable to this team not only is he the No. 1 pitcher he is just a utility player that can play anywhere else.

I would like him to play. Mike would be an asset to the team no doubt. He really came into his hitting last year and it would be nice to have him at the 3, 4, or 5 hole.

His presence was invaluable, not just for the team, but for baseball itself.

Pitching is so important. You don't get anywhere without pitching. The better we pitch, the better we are going to be.

You try not to play different, but there's something subconsciously as a team when you know somebody is back there like we had in Buffalo with Hasek. You're going to make mistakes and a goalie like Nik can cover them up.

The consistency I've had, I think, is the most important thing. When I'm pitching, I feel our team is going to have an opportunity to win the game. I like that the best of everything I've accomplished this year.