Cesar Valdez as a starter

[wildcard]

Jon Meoli writes that Valdez has been dominant in the Dominican playoffs as a starter.   He suggest that he may be good competition for Hernandez or LeBlanc this spring as a starter.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-cesar-valdez-20210209-knolhf5w7zeo7pcliydibwlyqe-story.html 

[Sports Guy]

Sounds like an awful idea and if that is Meoli’s definition of dominant, I would love to know what word he uses for Johnson and Pedro in their primes.

 

[jabba72]

He'll be 36 when the season starts. Wouldnt expect much upside starting here. 

[Moose Milligan]

Ah, wildcard.  You're a funny one!

[murph]

I don't think we see him as a starter, but Valdez is a nice and interesting story and I do hope he is decent out of the bullpen next year.

[BohKnowsBmore]

39 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Sounds like an awful idea and if that is Meoli’s definition of dominant, I would love to know what word he uses for Johnson and Pedro in their primes.

 

What were his numbers in the Dominican Winter League?

[DrungoHazewood]

6 minutes ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

What were his numbers in the Dominican Winter League?

According to bb-ref he started one game, went six innings allowing two hits, no walks, no runs, while striking out six.

Extrapolating that out to a full season of 36 starts he would be 36-0, 0.00 ERA, with 216 innings, 216 strikeouts, just 72 hits allowed and no walks at all.  Works out to a WHIP of 0.333.

Even if he's only 80-90% that good he's a Cy Young shoo-in, so let's give it a shot!

[HowAboutThat]

What is their goal for the season? It SHOULD be trading temporary assets and auditioning guys. Giving Valdez some exposure is hardly going to make guys eager to trade for a 36-year-old reliever, and making him a starter it’s just gonna take away innings.

I am very sympathetic for the sports writers who aren’t very good writers(Which is most of them, no offense) who run out of stuff to talk about in those last few days before spring training starts.

[HowAboutThat]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

Jon Meoli writes that Valdez has been dominant in the Dominican playoffs as a starter.   He suggest that he may be good competition for Hernandez or LeBlanc this spring as a starter.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-cesar-valdez-20210209-knolhf5w7zeo7pcliydibwlyqe-story.html 

On the other hand, the same can be said for Lablanc, and if we have to choose one over the other, I have no problem with Valdez instead.

[wildcard]

33 minutes ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

What were his numbers in the Dominican Winter League?

Meoli does not give him overall numbers.  He does talk  the games he pitched.

Quote

 

His first start for Gigantes was in the second game of the semifinal against Estrellas Orientales, and Valdez allowed four hits and a walk with three strikeouts in five shutout innings.

They gave him the ball in the first game of the championship series against Águilas Cibaeñas, and Valdez pitched five strong innings. He allowed a run on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts. But he wasn’t able to take the mound again

Valdez got the start for the Dominican Republic team in their second game of the tournament against Mexico and dominated. He struck out six in six innings of two-hit, shutout ball and needed just 79 pitches to do it.

 

 

[BohKnowsBmore]

3 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Meoli does not give him overall numbers.  He does talk  the games he pitched.

 

That's what I read as well, didn't see any full season numbers. Cursory search reveals that Dominican league stats are tough to come by. Really was just trying to discern what "that" referred to in the statement, "and if that is Meoli’s definition of dominant."

[LTO's]

I don't see how this idea is any worse than giving a spot to Wade LeBlanc or King Felix. 

[HowAboutThat]

49 minutes ago, LTO's said:

I don't see how this idea is any worse than giving a spot to Wade LeBlanc or King Felix. 

Yes, if the choice is between the three of them I would much rather have Valdez. However given a wider choice I would much rather have Zimmerman, Lowther, Baumann etc etc

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, LTO's said:

I don't see how this idea is any worse than giving a spot to Wade LeBlanc or King Felix. 

I have zero problem letting Valdez compete for a spot.   He threw 188 innings in 2019, and 238 in 2015.   So he’s shown he can carry the workload.    It’s just a matter of whether his stuff would play over 5-6 innings instead of in small doses.    And when LeBlanc and the shell of King Felix are getting opportunities, I see no reason not to let Valdez compete with them.   

[Aristotelian]

39 minutes ago, Philip said:

Yes, if the choice is between the three of them I would much rather have Valdez. However given a wider choice I would much rather have Zimmerman, Lowther, Baumann etc etc

Those guys will get their chance. In the meantime, see what Valdez can do.

Anyone skeptical of his age did not watch him pitch last year. He has figured out something with that changeup. He uses it almost like a knuckleball. Admittedly it was a small sample last year but I don't think dominant is an understatement. I think he could be the next Bleier, and I thought there was a very good argument for making Bleier a starter/opener type. I am very high on Valdez.