Could Darwinzon Hernandez be a guy? (Edit: He's apparently in Japan suddenly)

[Billy F-Face3]

You know, this surprising news is another reason why I appreciate guys like Anthony Bemboom who have stayed loyal with the Organization and keep accepting their assignments when they obviously have the choice of free agency. We need players like Bemboom who can come up and help in a pinch. I admire player loyalty. Hopefully the font office does too.

Disappointed to hear Hernandez is gone.

[Moose Milligan]

Imagine thinking that Bemboom can help in a pinch, other than filling in for a backup catcher spot if Adley were to go down.  

[SteveA]

In the last two weeks, two different AAA pitchers for the Yankees were given their release to sign in Japan, too.

Is there some sort of timing thing related to the Japanese season (maybe the cap on non-native players goes up in July?) or related to guys having opt-outs or something?

Just seems odd now that there's 3 examples (that we know of) where a guy pitching in AAA is given his release in July to sign with an NPB team.

I actually saw that tweet about 3 days ago, but since I couldn't read the Kanji, and a web search didn't show up with any news on Hernandez at the time, I didn't post it.   All it was would have been the word of the Tweeter who is an Oriole fan account, saying he was gone.

[Billy F-Face3]

11 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Imagine thinking that Bemboom can help in a pinch, other than filling in for a backup catcher spot if Adley were to go down.  

Or MCann... That's precisely what I meant. He helped create the stability to win the game against the Rangers waaay back in early April when Bradish got line drived out of the game and (a new to the team) Coulombe + Wells had to come in and save the day for the win. Bemboom was the catcher during all that stress and helped to stabilize the game for those pitchers. He came through in a pinch. He's an adequate backstop. Just don't ask me to talk about his bat.

[RZNJ]

Hernandez control is the reason he’s not in MLB.  Apparently, he’s got ML stuff.  Maybe more stuff than Cionel with worse command.   He saw the writing on the wall and, obviously, he wasn’t in the O’s plans or they would have tried him by now.  

[MikeAD]

Japan has record population drop and just our luck our potential solid reliever moves to Japan.  SMH.  

[oriolediehard]

12 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

The Orioles are looking for impact relief pitching and there is a guy in the system who has major league experience and is pitching very well and that's Norfolk left-handed reliever Darwinson Hernandez.

Right now, he's throwing 96-97 and touching 98 with a high spin fastball that garners swings and misses. He's holding AAA batters to a .144/.325/.244/.569 line overall which is driven by his absolute dominance of left-handers hitters (.054/.239/.054/.293). 

Now, what are the current concerns? Well, he struggles to throw strikes at times, especially with his offspeed pitches and right-handers have put up a .208/.382/.377/.760 driven mostly by walks allowed to them.

I don't necessarily think he's an impact guy at the major league level unless he can throw consistent strikes, but over his last ten games he's held batters to a  .125/.282/.125/.407 line with 13 Ks and 5 walks in 9.2 IP.

The question is, would he just be another Cionel Perez at the major league level? Perhaps. Either way, he could be a guy who could come up and be a surprise injection for the bullpen but who would go?

Well they could jettison Irvin back to the minors because they Baumann and Fujinama who can provide some length if needed or they could finally decide that Perez is just not consistent enough and have him step in a Ubaldo pothole and give Hernandez a look.

 

How about him to replace Baker?

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

7 hours ago, MikeAD said:

Japan has record population drop and just our luck our potential solid reliever moves to Japan.  SMH.  

But now Darwinzon Hernandez is now big in Japan.

 

[e16bball]

9 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

Should re-name the thread the Darwinzon Hernandez Appreciation Thread. 

Darwin-san*

[Ohfan67]

3 hours ago, oriolediehard said:

How about him to replace Baker?

Did you read the rest of the thread? He gone. 

[Gurgi]

This must be about feeding his family.  The pay he is getting in AAA likely is not cutting the mustard.  Japan must be offering quite a bit more.  

And he can always resign with a MLB club next year.