Scouting Michael Kelly: The O's only MLB signing so far this offseason.

[Luke-OH]

Michael Kelly is the only player to sign a MLB contract with the O's so far this slow offseason.  Despite my relative lack of interest in him, I decided to watch some video and write a short report while waiting for something more interesting to happen.

Michael Kelly - RHP

Background: Kelly was drafted 48th overall in the supplemental 1st round by the Padres out of West Boca Raton HS (FL).

Physical: Kelly is 6'4" and listed at 185lb, but is probably at least 20-30lb over that number.  He is tall, slender but muscular, fairly athletic.  

Delivery/Windup: Kelly gets good extension out of a high 3/4 slot.  He has a moderately long but smooth arm action and works quickly on the mound.  It's a starters delivery and he maintains his velocity well through starts.

Stuff/Repertoire: Kelly has a basket full of fringe average pitches.  He throws what appears to be two fastballs, a 4 seamer that sits 92-94 but he doesn't throw much and a two seamer that sits 89-91 that he used a lot in the starts I watched.  He has two breaking balls, a curveball (74-76) with soft 12-6 break that flashes above average at times but is usually worse and a slider (83-85) that looks just like a tighter curveball, it doesn't have the sweeping motion most sliders have.  He also throws a change-up (80-82) that is average at times but is extremely inconsistent and all-in-all is a below average pitch. 

Control/Command: He has decent control, but he wastes pitches too much.  His fastball command can be above average at times and he does well when spotting it.  He doesn't command his change-up at all and his command of his breaking pitches is inconsistent.

Summary/Thoughts: Looks like AAA rotation depth, none of the stuff is inspiring.  He doesn't have anything to consistently miss bats at the MLB level and the stuff isn't sharp enough to live off of weak contact at the next level.  He does get good extension and some downward plane on his flat fastballs which allow them to survive on the plate sometimes.  He just has trouble putting guys away, which is going to be magnified in the majors.  I like him less than Cortes, Ynoa, Mesa Jr., Wright, Hess, Means, and Long.  

Grades

2S FB: 45

4S FB: 45

Curve: 45/50

SL: 45

Change: 40

Command/Control: 50

FV: 35  AAA Depth

 

[Frobby]

Is he a guy who might be coached up?    Sounds like lack of consistency is his biggest problem.   I’m not expecting this guy to be anything, but there have been plenty of times some apparently mediocre guy has come out of nowhere with some adjustment.

[Frobby]

2 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Yeah, like Parker Bridwell.

Ouch, the truth hurts!    But there are also rejects like Rodrigo Lopez, Jeremy Guthrie and Miguel Gonzalez who figured things out when they got to Baltimore.   Perhaps Kelly is one of those guys, though the odds are against it.

[oriole]

Anyone know if he can be reassigned to Norfolk if he clears waivers or can he elect free agency? This could be a deep depth move and just finding the right time to cut him from the 40 man roster. Otherwise with guys like Wright, Ynoa, Hess, Cortes...it doesn't make a lot of sense to have offered him a contract.

[Tx Oriole]

2 hours ago, oriole said:

Anyone know if he can be reassigned to Norfolk if he clears waivers or can he elect free agency? This could be a deep depth move and just finding the right time to cut him from the 40 man roster. Otherwise with guys like Wright, Ynoa, Hess, Cortes...it doesn't make a lot of sense to have offered him a contract.

Of course it doesn't make sense. That's DD for you. 

[Lucky_13]

Well that scouting report inspires a lot of hope....

[sportsfan8703]

Sounds better than Asher. 

[Mitch Connor]

4 hours ago, Frobby said:

Is he a guy who might be coached up?    Sounds like lack of consistency is his biggest problem.   I’m not expecting this guy to be anything, but there have been plenty of times some apparently mediocre guy has come out of nowhere with some adjustment.

With the Orioles track record, I wouldn't expect him getting coached up much.

[Luke-OH]

6 hours ago, Frobby said:

Is he a guy who might be coached up?    Sounds like lack of consistency is his biggest problem.   I’m not expecting this guy to be anything, but there have been plenty of times some apparently mediocre guy has come out of nowhere with some adjustment.

He gets good extension and maybe in a bullpen role he could get a couple of ticks of velocity and pick one of his breaking balls to work with. I don’t know, not particularly optimistic, just looks like a blah depth piece.

[Frobby]

1 minute ago, phillyOs119 said:

He gets good extension and maybe in a bullpen role he could get a couple of ticks of velocity and pick one of his breaking balls to work with. I don’t know, not particularly optimistic, just looks like a blah depth piece.

Yeah, I figured.    I don’t really see why they gave this guy a major league deal.   

[Luke-OH]

Just now, Frobby said:

Yeah, I figured.    I don’t really see why they gave this guy a major league deal.   

I mean I guess the Orioles coaches/scouts could see something they want to change in his delivery, just because I didn’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Yeah, I figured.    I don’t really see why they gave this guy a major league deal.   

Had to outbid the Samsung Lions.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, phillyOs119 said:

I mean I guess the Orioles coaches/scouts could see something they want to change in his delivery, just because I didn’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

But it still shoudln't have taken a ML deal to ink him.

 

[Luke-OH]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

But it still shoudln't have taken a ML deal to ink him.

 

Agreed.