Jump to content

Your Rule V Orioles: RHP Andrew Politi (Red Sox)


Explosivo

Recommended Posts

5 hours ago, Jim'sKid26 said:

I like both of those guys but I think Lopez may be more ready than Enright. I could see Lopez being productive out of the pen in 2023.

Enright has great numbers and reached AAA in 2022. Minor league career #s are rather good, 200 K and 35 W in 141.2 IP. 

Lopez gets the nod for me as he is LH. 

Enrights gone

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

From MLB pipeline 2021,

Scouting Grades/Report (20-80 grading scale)

  • FASTBALL
    55
  • CURVEBALL
    50
  • SLIDER
    55
  • CHANGEUP
    45
  • CONTROL
    45
  • OVERALL
    40

Though Politi redshirted in his first season at Seton Hall and posted a 5.04 ERA while battling the strike zone over his next three, the Red Sox liked his pitch data enough to take a 15th-round flier on him in 2018. Signed for $25,000, he fared well as a multi-inning reliever in high Class A during his first full year as a pro and posted a 1.27 ERA in five late-season starts. Boston began wondering if he might be a starter, and a strong performance during instructional league last fall added more support for that idea. 

Politi has picked up 2-3 mph in velocity since turning pro and now operates at 92-95 mph and touches 97 with a four-seamer that has some of the best fastball spin rates in the system, creating carry and armside run that's tough on right-handers. His mid-80s slider gives him a sharp second pitch at times and he can turn it into an upper-80s cutter as well. He'll also mix in a curveball with some power and depth and a nascent changeup as a starter. 

Politi has a herky-jerky delivery with effort that adds deception but also is difficult to repeat, which takes a toll on his control and command. The Red Sox probably will give him the opportunity to show what he can do with a full season of starts in 2021, but he's most likely to become a multi-inning reliever. If he takes the bullpen route, he may not need much more time in the Minors. 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

From Fangraphs pre-2022 season:

“The Red Sox stretched Politi out and moved him into the rotation toward the end of his 2019 season at High-A. He performed well in that capacity, putting to effective use a mid-90s fastball/high-80s slider combo that is greatly aided by his deceptive delivery, while working to develop a lower-80s curveball and changeup. As he mixed those other two pitches in more frequently during his first full year as a starter, Politi saw the continuation of a years-long decrease in K-rate, while his walks remained at an uncomfortably high 11%. He also gave up 77 hits in his 75 Double-A innings, 11 of which left the park. As such, by the end of the season, he’d transitioned back into a full-time bullpen role, which he continued in the Fall League. He projects as an up/down relief type.”

Since then, Politi posted an 83/22 K/BB this year in 69 IP.

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • Posts

    • He had a good ERA.  I think his FIP was 3.66 the one year and 4.66 the other.   
    • I don’t understand why Basallo is untouchable. Don’t we have Adley. Trade Basallo for a #2 if possible asap.
    • Difference in trading vets from a team still in rebuild mode versus trading vets from a team with World Series aspirations.  We've not seen him trade vets since the rebuild ended.
    • Understood. But here's the thing (given the current economic structure of the game) there are three ways to handle payroll for a winning team (as I see them). One is the Rays/Brewers/Guardians way. Where you have maybe one long term substantive contract (mostly done while player is young and before he has made real money or achieved real fame) and most of the time the contract is an exploitive type deal with a kid from another country who comes from a context of poverty (not judging it is what it is). These teams continuously are reloading/retooling/ and have constant roster reshaping and turnover. The goal is to make the postseason and hopeful every once in a blue moon the stars align while you are there and you may be able to go all the way! While these teams are often good, they are rarely great. And are even less willing to do what it takes to get them over the top IMO. The proof is in the fact that this model has never led to championship success (unless you want to use the Marlins of over 20 years ago from 03'). Another model is the "big spenders model", who spend seriously and have World Series aspirations. Some spend all on FA (like the Padres/Mets) and are super aggressive with trades hoping to augment their talent as they chase championships, but rarely does this work because the foundation of the team is usually built so poorly. They may be good for a season or shorter term but struggle to sustain. Then there are teams like the Phillies/Dodgers who do a combo of developing and spending (let's call that the best of both worlds). Obviously this is the most preferable because you get the short and long term rewards. But it may not be realistic to think that the O's could ever do/have what it takes to fully do both. Then there is the Braves and Astros model. Still a higher payroll but minimizing of risks through extending younger players (Braves) or avoiding most long term contracts (Astros) but paying higher salaries on shorter deals. Obviously both franchises have been successful (won WS). Having said all this the reality exists that if/when you do longer term contracts (extensions or FA deals) for franchise/cornerstone/superstar type players, you most likely won't get the best value on the back end (think Paul Goldschmidt this year). That's just the economics of the game. But the thing is, the owners (especially our new group) have the money and then some to write off those things and keep rolling as "the cost of doing business".  When examining all winners of the World Series in the last decade a pattern is pretty apparent (with exception of the Astros first championship in 17') you have to spend in order to win. 
    • An alternative... also from the Rangers:  Nathan Eovaldi.  FA after this season but has a $20m vesting option for 2025 if he throws 300 innings combined between '23 & '24.  It'll be close.  Between Scherzer (40 this month) and Eovaldi (34) who would you prefer? 
  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...