Reliever question

[wildcard]

2 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

So how do you have Valdez in the rotation? I think he has maxed at 3 IP and probably won't go higher than that. Some clubs are using openers that only go a couple innings. 

Did you watch that game?  He was very effective in the game for 3 innings and went to the pen and kept throwing.  He has a rubber arm and can throw change ups for a long time.   Valdez is different from most pitchers.

[Just Regular]

Baseball is evolving towards SP and RP roles vanishing!    Akin would do well to have a good game on Tuesday.

His SP window may not be that big even if he is the medium version of himself, never mind the bad one.   Even before we maybe draft a 1-5 or bring in anyone from outside whenever Adley, etc. demand it with their play, from here I think he's an underdog to Means, Kremer, Baumann, Hall, Rodriguez for next year.   And this year the Zimmermann, Lowther, etc type guys are I think in the same talent ballpark as him.

I do hope he has the experience of starting most of a year to learn a lot about MLB hitters and how his stuff can play for when he takes a stab at the Tanner Scott nastiness things when the bus really gets on the road.    If he loses his SP gig next week, I think I might prefer bullpen to AAA.    If he and Valdez pitch 7 innings any given night, the 4/3 or 5/2 split any given day is small beer at the end of the year.

He might be the favorite today for the Joe Musgrove role if there's a fun July 2022 trade to be made, and the slow cooker stays on extra slow.

[Just Regular]

4 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Did you watch that game?  He was very effective in the game for 3 innings and went to the pen and kept throwing.  He has a rubber arm and can throw change ups for a long time.   Valdez is different from most pitchers.

I took special note of Hyde's "rubber arm" comment in his dugout interview, which occurred during one of Valdez's innings Tuesday.

I heard "rubber arm" as manager code for I like this RP.   I don't think rubber arm is something a manager would ever say about a genuine SP in their mind.

I think Valdez's performance demands the audition, but my guess is Hyde has him pigeonholed, and he's about as likely as Scott to pitch near the end of the game.

[wildcard]

5 minutes ago, OrioleDog said:

Baseball is evolving towards SP and RP roles vanishing!    Akin would do well to have a good game on Tuesday.

His SP window may not be that big even if he is the medium version of himself, never mind the bad one.   Even before we maybe draft a 1-5 or bring in anyone from outside whenever Adley, etc. demand it with their play, from here I think he's an underdog to Means, Kremer, Baumann, Hall, Rodriguez for next year.   And this year the Zimmermann, Lowther, etc type guys are I think in the same talent ballpark as him.

I do hope he has the experience of starting most of a year to learn a lot about MLB hitters and how his stuff can play for when he takes a stab at the Tanner Scott nastiness things when the bus really gets on the road.    If he loses his SP gig next week, I think I might prefer bullpen to AAA.    If he and Valdez pitch 7 innings any given night, the 4/3 or 5/2 split any given day is small beer at the end of the year.

He might be the favorite today for the Joe Musgrove role if there's a fun July 2022 trade to be made, and the slow cooker stays on extra slow.

ST ends on Monday.  There is not ST game on Tuesday or Wednesday.

[Aristotelian]

7 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Did you watch that game?  He was very effective in the game for 3 innings and went to the pen and kept throwing.  He has a rubber arm and can throw change ups for a long time.   Valdez is different from most pitchers.

Fair enough on Valdez. I still think he is more valuable in the bullpen where he has already shown to be effective.

Your system still has basically any pitcher not making the team if they happen to have a bad start. That is ridiculous to put that much stock in one spring start. We have been developing this guy for years, he already has MLB experience, and presumably we have a plan for him. Unless he is injured you don't change the plan after one start. 

[Just Regular]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

ST ends on Monday.  There is not ST game on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Ah, thanks for clarification.   For sure I've just been mapping X day, 5 days later, 10 days later with Game 1, 2, 3, etc.   So....whatever he does throwing hot next Tuesday would be a good day for the good him to show up.

[wildcard]

3 minutes ago, OrioleDog said:

I took special note of Hyde's "rubber arm" comment in his dugout interview, which occurred during one of Valdez's innings Tuesday.

I heard "rubber arm" as manager code for I like this RP.   I don't think rubber arm is something a manager would ever say about a genuine SP in their mind.

I think Valdez's performance demands the audition, but my guess is Hyde has him pigeonholed, and he's about as likely as Scott to pitch near the end of the game.

I see the logic in the rubber arm comment.  However I expect Akin and Lopez will have trouble giving 3 good innings and Valdez can give 5 good innings.  So Elias/Hyde/Holt will have to make a decision off of that.   I think Valdez gets the starts until Lowther is ready or Akin find a way to  convince them he can go 5 innings.

[wildcard]

8 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Fair enough on Valdez. I still think he is more valuable in the bullpen where he has already shown to be effective.

Your system still has basically any pitcher not making the team if they happen to have a bad start. That is ridiculous to put that much stock in one spring start. We have been developing this guy for years, he already has MLB experience, and presumably we have a plan for him. Unless he is injured you don't change the plan after one start. 

Where the heck do that come from.  I have cited how Akin did in 2019, 2020 and this spring.  That is not one game.

This  is about development for Akin.  He has to improve to be a good starter.  The alternate site is the best place for him to work on his problems.

[Aristotelian]

4 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Where the heck do that come from.  I have cited how Akin did in 2019, 2020 and this spring.  That is not one game.

This  is about development for Akin.  He has to improve to be a good starter.  The alternate site is the best place for him to work on his problems.

A few minutes ago you said 5 IP is the standard and if he can't get through 5 IP in spring how can he do it in MLB. 

[wildcard]

7 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

A few minutes ago you said 5 IP is the standard and if he can't get through 5 IP in spring how can he do it in MLB. 

Its pretty obvious that Hyde is trying to get all his starters to go 4 innings in ST so they can go 5 innings in the regular season.  Means, Harvey, Zimmermann and Kremer have accomplished that and should be in the rotation.   Akin has not completed more that 3 innings any time this spring.

 

[Sports Guy]

11 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Where the heck do that come from.  I have cited how Akin did in 2019, 2020 and this spring.  That is not one game.

This  is about development for Akin.  He has to improve to be a good starter.  The alternate site is the best place for him to work on his problems.

He has nothing left to prove in the minors.

He is 26 in a week and has had very good peripherals, in both the majors and minors, throughout his career.

The exception to that is the walk rate, although that was good last year.  (Of course, that was a SSS although that shouldn’t matter to you)

Sending him down is pointless.  He either will go deep enough into games as a starter or he won’t.  The minors isn’t going to teach him how to do that at this point.

You keep acting like Holt can turn a turd into a diamond, so why wouldn’t you want him here working with him?

[Sports Guy]

Just now, wildcard said:

Akin has not completed more that 3 innings any time this spring.

 

That you know of.

And again, it’s not the innings, it’s the amount of pitches.  

[wildcard]

2 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

That you know of.

And again, it’s not the innings, it’s the amount of pitches.  

Oh, its also the number of innings pitched in a game.

[interloper]

1 hour ago, DrinkinWithFermi said:

I'm in favor of keeping Lakins, he's still only 26 and has plenty of team control remaining, and he has been pretty solid for us over the last 2 years- 3.31 ERA/3.83 FIP and a 143 ERA+. Not really sure why he gets so much hate here.

I'd also like to keep at least one of the Rule 5 guys so that we didn't end up losing Zach Pop for absolutely nothing.

So I guess put me down for Lakins and Wells?

 

I'm with you. He reminds me of a Matt Albers type. Not a blazing fastball, but a lot of effective little breaking pitches and good command. 

[Aristotelian]

3 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Its pretty obvious that Hyde is trying to get all his starters to go 4 innings in ST so they can go 5 innings in the regular season.  Means, Harvey, Zimmermann and Kremer have accomplished that and should be in the rotation.   Akin has not completed more that 3 innings any time this spring.

 

Obviously you stretch guys out but is 5 IP the standard or isn't it? If Kremer had a bad start his last time out, he doesn't make the team? How about Zimmerman?