Orioles to Sign RHP Gregory Infante: Add another pitcher with high spin breaking ball(s).

[Luke-OH]

Minor League deal with spring training invite. 

Infante was a useful reliever for the White Sox in 2017.

His curveball and slider are both high spin pitches. The slider averaged 2730 RPM in 2017-18 which is 37th of 740 MLB pitchers who have thrown the pitch in that time period. The curveball average 2782 RPM in 2017-18 which is 50th of 597 MLB pitchers who have thrown the pitch in that time period. He touched 99mph with the fastball in 2017 and average 95-96, but his velocity as well as his preformance was down in 2018. He was dealing with a sore shoulder. 

Here is the slider.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/videos?video_id=1744475383

The curveball.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/videos?video_id=1450183583

And a fastball.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/videos?video_id=1393032983

 

[Legend_Of_Joey]

Classified as "shoulder inflammation," this could be a good, low cost pick up if he is healthy. An 8.00 ERA in April in 10 appearances (after missing the whole Spring due to the shoulder) doesn't speak highly of him. Hopefully the shoulder won't be an issue.

After watching the videos you provided, I'm not entirely sold. Granted, they are all 1 video of 1 pitch.

His slider dropped off the table really well.

His curveball didn't have much curve to it. It started outside and tailed off and down just a little. The batter chased a bad pitch.

The fastball didn't have any movement to it from the camera angle. It might have tailed in to the righty a bit at the end and was 97, but it looked like a "straight" 97.

Gonna try and find some more videos of him to watch though.

[Luke-OH]

9 minutes ago, Legend_Of_Joey said:

Classified as "shoulder inflammation," this could be a good, low cost pick up if he is healthy. An 8.00 ERA in April in 10 appearances (after missing the whole Spring due to the shoulder) doesn't speak highly of him. Hopefully the shoulder won't be an issue.

After watching the videos you provided, I'm not entirely sold. Granted, they are all 1 video of 1 pitch.

His slider dropped off the table really well.

His curveball didn't have much curve to it. It started outside and tailed off and down just a little. The batter chased a bad pitch.

The fastball didn't have any movement to it from the camera angle. It might have tailed in to the righty a bit at the end and was 97, but it looked like a "straight" 97.

Gonna try and find some more videos of him to watch though.

He was solid in 2017 when healthy. 

Yeah, the fastball is pretty straight and flat.

High spin breaking balls don't have that big loopy break, it's more a tight late break, the benefit being that it helps the fastball play up since it's not easily distinguishable from the curveball until it's too late. 

This is Elias taking guys with certain attributes (high spin breaking balls) that the Astros had success in optimizing performance in by changing pitch mix and strategy. I would expect more to be coming with the idea that if you can unlock performance in one pitcher, you automatically have an additional controllable asset. 

[Legend_Of_Joey]

6 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

He was solid in 2017 when healthy. 

Yeah, the fastball is pretty straight and flat.

High spin breaking balls don't have that big loopy break, it's more a tight late break, the benefit being that it helps the fastball play up since it's not easily distinguishable from the curveball until it's too late. 

This is Elias taking guys with certain attributes (high spin breaking balls) that the Astros had success in optimizing performance in by changing pitch mix and strategy. I would expect more to be coming with the idea that if you can unlock performance in one pitcher, you automatically have an additional controllable asset. 

Yeah, he was solid in 2017 when healthy, but was a dumpster fire in 2018 with the shoulder issue. Hopefully the shoulder is healed and he gets back to the 2017 self, but, especially after the Tillman debacle and my own shoulder issue, I take the cautious view with those injuries on pitchers.

Thanks for clearing up that part about "high spin breaking balls don't have that big loopy break." I really though those were the "12-6" style curves.

[Cumberbundy]

You’ll want the volume up.

 

[Cumberbundy]

Camden south rockin

 

 

[wildcard]

Infante likely begins the season  at Norfolk.  He is out of options so he will not be on the Norfolk Shuttle.     Could get a call up at some point during the  season.

[sportsfan8703]

Interesting signing. Reminds me of Strop a little. 

[Enjoy Terror]

My next question is: who are the remaining free agents with high spin rates?

[bobmc]

4 hours ago, Cy Bundy said:

You’ll want the volume up.

 

Me gusta este lanzador!  Numero dos y entonces el fin con el ponche!

[interloper]

I like it.

[Luke-OH]

1 hour ago, Enjoy Terror said:

My next question is: who are the remaining free agents with high spin rates?

There are a few, but they mostly have 6 years of service time. I imagine they’ll target types that they can grab cheap and then control multiple years if they work out like Brice and Infante. Do you know where I could find a good milb free agent list?

[weams]

Infante first reached the majors in 2010. He is 31 years of age. 

[weams]

2 minutes ago, clapdiddy said:

For Major League free agents:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019-mlb-free-agent-tracker/

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/minor-league-free-agents-2018/

This might help.

[clapdiddy]

17 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

There are a few, but they mostly have 6 years of service time. I imagine they’ll target types that they can grab cheap and then control multiple years if they work out like Brice and Infante. Do you know where I could find a good milb free agent list?

Here's a list, but I'm not sure which have signed already:

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/minor-league-free-agents-2018/