Early spring bullpen thoughts

[Aristotelian]

Baker, Krehbiel, Baumann, Vespi combined shutout with Gibson. 

[eddie83]

https://www.masnsports.com/blog/again-pondering-what-s-happening-with-the-orioles-pen
 

From Roch this morning. He seems to like Krehbiel’s chances. 

[Roll Tide]

Question …. Is Bautista expected to be ready. Not much of a build up to pitching 1 inning. Is ate throwing now. It would be nice to be at full strength or close as the season gets going.

[eddie83]

Just now, Roll Tide said:

Question …. Is Bautista expected to be ready. Not much of a build up to pitching 1 inning. Is ate throwing now. It would be nice to be at full strength or close as the season gets going.

Read Roch’s article. He goes today and later on this week.
 

I’m assuming he should get another appearance in later on. Hopefully he hits the ground running. Has looked good so far.  

[Sports Guy]

58 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

https://www.masnsports.com/blog/again-pondering-what-s-happening-with-the-orioles-pen
 

From Roch this morning. He seems to like Krehbiel’s chances. 

Why is it painful to send Politi back? He’s 27 (soon enough) and has a career minor league ERA over 4. Now exactly tearing it up at an advanced age for the levels he has been at.

[eddie83]

5 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Why is it painful to send Politi back? He’s 27 (soon enough) and has a career minor league ERA over 4. Now exactly tearing it up at an advanced age for the levels he has been at.

I guess he thinks the Orioles really, really, really like him. 
 

If they like him that much put him on the team. If it gets to a point it’s not working out then move on.  

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

I guess he thinks the Orioles really, really, really like him. 
 

If they like him that much put him on the team. If it gets to a point it’s not working out then move on.  

Yea but he’s on as a detriment to who? I would rather Baumann get the chance, for example.

[RZNJ]

Is Politi really any better than a guy like Bazardo who is bullpen depth at Norfolk?  I haven't seen or read anything to make me think he's a level above that.

[eddie83]

Politi gets a look today along with Hall and Felix.  

[eddie83]

30 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Yea but he’s on as a detriment to who? I would rather Baumann get the chance, for example.

I get that but I think Baumann will be up at some point. He looks real good. Entirely possible Mike could pitch in big spots at some point. 
 

I’m just saying. Early on they may think they can carry him for awhile and see how he looks. Key is you don’t want it to cost you games. With MLB keeping the extra innings rule odds against longer games. 

[sportsfan8703]

5 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

Politi gets a look today along with Hall and Felix.  

How does Bautista even fit on a bus?

[eddie83]

4 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

How does Bautista even fit on a bus?

He is on the roof. 

[btdart20]

On 3/17/2023 at 8:32 AM, eddie83 said:

Just saw this. https://theathletic.com/4317119/2023/03/17/sarris-spring-training-stuff-surgers/

 

 

In the link Eno Harris talks about pitchers this spring who’s stuff+ numbers are showing the biggest increase. Last year his Stuff+ was 106, this spring it’s 124. Last year basically Baumann was a one pitch guy. This year his Stuff+ numbers for slider are 118 and curve 112. Slider has 2 more inches of drop and 2 more inches vertically. 
 

Article also says Wells has lost some stuff this spring. 
 

 

It’s great that Baumann has at least presented himself as a legitimate option. 

Not directed at you Eddie83, just piggybacking on the topic...

Sunday Notes: David Ross Considers Managing a Blessing | FanGraphs Baseball

Sunday Notes from FG has a section on Luke Bard and Stuff+ that made me think about Baumann's 4seamer.  Stuff+ is just an indicator.

“For years, I knew I had a high spin rate and thought that was kind of a gift,” said Bard, who signed as a free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays in February. “Now I realize that it’s not very important at all. Now I just try to focus on the movement of my pitches and the vertical approach angle that goes with them.”

Armed with that knowledge, the veteran of 55 big-league games — 32 of them with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019 — is adding a second heater to his arsenal.

“I’m not just throwing one fastball and putting myself in a bubble,” Bard explained. “I also think the two-seam is actually my better pitch movement-wise. It comes kind of naturally and gives me some of that seam-shifted movement. With the four-seam, I’m not raising my arm slot to chase vertical carry. I may actually be lowering it, realizing that 15 inches of carry from a lower vertical approach is going to maybe play better than 18 or 19 from a higher slot. A hitter’s brain expects a pitch to come out a certain way, and your slot influences how it actually does, if that makes sense.”

[Sports Guy]

I wonder if you injected Elias with truth serum, who he thinks the absolute best 26 players are.

[RZNJ]

7 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

I wonder if you injected Elias with truth serum, who he thinks the absolute best 26 players are.

That and how he would rank our top 15 prospects.