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CSN Baltimore: Ubaldo, the Untradeable 2015 Hero?

weams

By weams
in Orioles Talk

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Ven6 Major Leaguer Cup of Coffee

Ven6

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Well it can't get much worse, can it? I mean I get why they're doing this, there's no sense in trying to trade Ubaldo when his trade value has hit rock bottom. This kinda reminds me of what the Dodgers did with Kemp last year. Hope he bounces back and then ship him out of town for a decent prospect when you can.

If Ubaldo bounces back in 2015, we need him for 2016 with 2 starters probably gone to free agency.

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BradyBunch All-Star

BradyBunch

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From mlb.com he was 6-9 last year with 7 no decisions. He started 22 games and appeared in 25.

My faulty memory seems to remember that with better run support he could have won at least 2 of the no decisions.

But I was also drinking back then ;-)

There were a couple of games when Ubaldo gave O's a chance to win games. May 13th against Detroit, May 29th against Houston. In those two games combined he went 13ip, 1 ER, 5 BB and 15Ks.

Then in June there were 3 more games he left the O's a chance to win games. June 3rd against Texas, June 13 against TOR, and June 20th against Yankees. Those 3 games he pitched 17.1ip, 4ER 11BB 13Ks. While the BB weren't impressive, he limited their damage to pitch a 2.11 era during that period.

So 5 games in which Ubaldo gave up at most 2 runs in a game during that period. Ubaldo was very unlucky when it came to Run support. 13 of his starts ended up with less then 3 runs in support. Breaking it down even further, 4 games with 0 run support, 3 with 1 run support, 2 with 2 run support and 4 games with 3 runs support.

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Nevermore All-Star

Nevermore

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"As I learned in talking to Mickey (Callaway, Cleveland pitching coach), who had him last year, there is a way of approaching this guy. If he thinks he's making the adjustment, then that is fine. He probably did a lot of it himself."

As I've noted before regarding Jimenez, he's been reticent to make any changes to a wind up he's used since becoming a professional pitcher. It's a good sign that whatever way it happened he's realized an adjustment needed to be made.

Which is why, as I've said before: demoting him to the pen was the best thing that could have happened for him and his future, also for the Os future. It was a sort of "tough love," making him realize that something was seriously wrong. So that he was open to making some adjustments to his wind-up. From Malevsky's article:
[Wallace said] "I think he was a little bit flustered when he came out of the rotation," Wallace said. "I think that might have been the first time for him and to Buck (Showalter's) credit, that is not easy to do, a guy of that stature. I think he was upset a bit and that's OK and he got through that.

"Then he probably got serious and he noticed some things and we talked about it a little bit and he took it into some games. Maybe something as simple as not coming up quite as far over his head and keeping his eyes focused on home plate a little longer. Nothing major.

And as I've also said before: Buck doesn't seem to give a whit about "baseball politics' or "stature." He will do whatever is necessary to help his players be able to contribute to a winning team. As for Ubaldo being "flustered," that's understandable. But he didn't get flustered or complain in public. Instead, he got to work to improve his pitching. So when Buck needed a spot starter for what turned out to be the division clinching game, Ubaldo got the call.

I noticed Ubaldo's work during the division clinching game (which I attended). The first two innings, Ubaldo apparently had lapsed back into his old, bad habits. He gave up hits and walks and two runs. I remember McFarland getting up in the pen during the 2nd inning. However, apparently Ubaldo remembered what he had worked on with Wallace and Chiti during his bullpen sessions. He straighted out his pitching and got Blue Jay batters out. He pitched scoreless innings in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings and got the win.

Again, from Malewski's article:

"No, I don't think by any means we've turned the corner," Wallace said. "I think we've got to be evidenced by what we see in spring training. But at least we have a reference point right now and can get after it a little more aggressively than we have."
So, during the beginning of the 2015 season, Ubaldo may need some more work from the pen, or else he might be ready to assume a more prominent starting role. With Wallace's help and with the work ethic he has shown, I believe that Ubaldo will eventually be the starting pitcher he was supposed to be when DD signed him back in 2014.
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Nevermore All-Star

Nevermore

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Well it can't get much worse, can it? I mean I get why they're doing this, there's no sense in trying to trade Ubaldo when his trade value has hit rock bottom. This kinda reminds me of what the Dodgers did with Kemp last year. Hope he bounces back and then ship him out of town for a decent prospect when you can.
If Ubaldo bounces back, the Os should keep him, not ship him out.
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