Which pitchers have a chance in camp and who is there for the experience

[wildcard]

Starters that have a chance in camp

1. Means
2. Cobb
3. Wojo
4. Akins -
5. Bailey
6. Hess
7. Rucker
8. Stewart
9. Blach
10. Eshelman
11. LeBlanc
12. Rodgers
13. Shepherd

- means has innings at AAA but still has something to prove there.

Starters in camp for the experience

Kremer, Diplan, Lowther, Wells, Zimmerman

Relievers that have a chance in camp

1. Harvey
2. Bleier
3. Givens
4. Castro
5. Armstrong
6. Carroll
7. Fry
8. Lakins
9. Phillips
10. Scott
11. Sulser
12. Cervenka
13. Hanhold -
14. Zastryzny

Relievers in camp for the experience/have not proven themselves at AAA

Tate, Kline, Alvarado

Starters that don’t make the rotation still have a chance in the pen.

 

[sportsfan8703]

I heard on 105.7 yesterday, around 5pm, that Leblanc signed with us because we guaranteed him a rotation spot. 

Not the best source. It was Scott or Jeremy. Maybe Ken Weiman?  

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

I would say many pitchers fall into columns A and B with this collection of talent. 

[Chuck A]

I would love to see Akin have a real shot at making the rotation out of camp but I do not think that is the organizational plan for him.  My pre-ST expected OD rotation?

Means

Cobb

Wojo

LeBlanc

Bailey (more as an audition really, to see if he stays on the roster the full season)

 

I'm definitely not saying that will be the order as they will probably want to break up the righty-lefty aspect.

 

By September I fully expect Akin, Kremer, and possibly another of the promising lefty starter's having had a few starts.  I know others aren't very high on Wells because of his low velocity but damn can he pitch.  Reminds me of Scotty McGregor alot.

[wildcard]

1 hour ago, RZNJ said:

I am surprised Eshelman is still around. He looked so bad last year in terms of stuff that I don't really think he has a chance and he's not there for experience either. So, I don't get it.

I think Kline and Tate are extreme longshots but I don't think they are there for experience.  If either one is lights out this spring, they have a chance.

Elias has wanted to see players/pitchers prove themselves at AAA before  being promoted to the majors.    Neither Tate nor Kline has done that.   They got a cup of coffee in the majors last year out of necessity.  But with more pitchers in camp I don't think they have a good chance of making the team even if they pitch well in ST.

[oriole]

The first four seem to be locked in. It just depends on Cobb’s health and Wojo not completely crapping the bed in ST. The last spot is fun. I could see it going to a rule 5 guy but I suspect we’ll see one of them returned and one in the bullpen to start the year. I could see it going to Hess or another one of the underwhelming hold overs from last year. I’m hoping the old guy dark horse Valdez comes in and pitches lights out. That’d be exciting. I like an under dog redemption story. 

[Frobby]

39 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Elias has wanted to see players/pitchers prove themselves at AAA before  being promoted to the majors.    Neither Tate nor Kline has done that.   They got a cup of coffee in the majors last year out of necessity.  But with more pitchers in camp I don't think they have a good chance of making the team even if they pitch well in ST.

What distinguishes Hanhold from them for you?    He did poorly in his only cup of coffee in the majors, and he’s not on the 40-man.    

[Number5]

2 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

I heard on 105.7 yesterday, around 5pm, that Leblanc signed with us because we guaranteed him a rotation spot. 

Not the best source. It was Scott or Jeremy. Maybe Ken Weiman?  

Yeah, that doesn't make a lot of sense.  Guaranteed a shot at a rotation spot, maybe.

[wildcard]

9 minutes ago, Frobby said:

What distinguishes Hanhold from them for you?    He did poorly in his only cup of coffee in the majors, and he’s not on the 40-man.    

Hanhold has pitch 67 innings as a reliever at AAA.   He is somewhat like Akin in that he has the innings at AAA to earn a promotion but not the performance.    I think both begin the year at AAA.

[Mr. Chewbacca Jr.]

2 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

I heard on 105.7 yesterday, around 5pm, that Leblanc signed with us because we guaranteed him a rotation spot. 

Not the best source. It was Scott or Jeremy. Maybe Ken Weiman?  

Thanks for the heads up. I agree though, 105.7 isn't the best source. They misspeak a lot - and listening to Vinny Cerrato try to put together a coherent sentence about baseball is incredibly painful. I remember one time it took like ten minutes for him to understand that "on the bump" meant the mound.

[Moose Milligan]

IMO, @wildcard, Means, Cobb, Wojo have more than a chance - they're pretty much locks.  Same with Harvey, Bleier, Givens, Castro in the pen.  

As bad as our pitchers are, there are some locks.  I don't believe that the OD roster from a pitching perspective is as wide open as we'd like to think it is.  How that plays out for the entire season is a different beast, for sure.  

[TommyPickles]

I still like my boy Chandler Shepherd.  Hoping he cracks the 26-man as a bullpen piece. 

[wildcard]

1 minute ago, Moose Milligan said:

IMO, @wildcard, Means, Cobb, Wojo have more than a chance - they're pretty much locks.  Same with Harvey, Bleier, Givens, Castro in the pen.  

As bad as our pitchers are, there are some locks.  I don't believe that the OD roster from a pitching perspective is as wide open as we'd like to think it is.  How that plays out for the entire season is a different beast, for sure.  

I agree with the players you say will likely make the team.  They would have to play their way off the team. So that is 7 out of 13 pitchers on the team.

[Moose Milligan]

6 minutes ago, Mr. Chewbacca Jr. said:

Thanks for the heads up. I agree though, 105.7 isn't the best source. They misspeak a lot - and listening to Vinny Cerrato try to put together a coherent sentence about baseball is incredibly painful. I remember one time it took like ten minutes for him to understand that "on the bump" meant the mound.

Vinny Cerrato was such a bumbling doof as a GM for the Redskins, I can't imagine him trying to speak about other sports.

[Moose Milligan]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

I agree with the players you say will likely make the team.  They would have to play their way off the team. So that is 7 out of 13 pitchers on the team.

Maybe Wojo isn't a lock.  I dunno.  

But let's go with 7 out of the 13 spots.  So the conversation is really about who's fighting for those 6 spots.  2 in the rotation, 4 in the pen.

For me, when it comes to the rotation I think it's LeBlanc and Stewart.  Stewart is still young enough with some upside, I think Elias is going to want to get a real long look at him and give him every chance, unless he's a complete disaster.  LeBlanc has been a decent pitcher before.  Of course there's all of ST for these guys to pitch themselves out of rotation spots.