Dan Klein

[Shopay]

Just saw him pitch in College WS. He's got good stuff. Sits 92/93 with FB, very nice slider and curve and a change. Impressive young pitcher.

[Sports Guy]

Now let's see him do it for 6 or 7 innings.

Let's not.

I just talked about Lindblom in the Dodgers organization. When he was drafted, he was tabbed a reliever but it appears the Dodgers are trying him as a starter and its not working.

Now, I am not sure how similar these 2 guys are but we are talking about a likely project with Klein if you want him to start..which the Orioles appear like they want him to do.

[Sports Guy]

What project? The guy has control and throws 3 or 4 pitches, and already shows a really good changeup. Those are attributes that go along with a starting pitcher. The question is durability. He might be a project in that sense but I don't think that's what you mean. The guy has got a starter's repertoire. He may have wound up in the UCLA bullpen because of his injury and because of team need. He's not a project in the sense that you've got a pitcher with a great arm who needs to learn offspeed pitches and have his mechanics rewired. Of course, I know you have it in your head that he's a reliever and nothing will convince you otherwise.

How many innings is he going to be allowed to throw next year? And then the year after that?

He needs a minimum of 2 full years in the minors to see if he even has a chance to be a starter and really, it may be 3 or more.

[Shopay]

Inning 2 for Klein. He's got 4 nice pitches. At least he has some stuff.

[Shopay]

Don't know where he ultimately lands, but I like what he's got. Very impressive stuff. It will be interesting to see if he comes out for another inning.

[Sports Guy]

So? That's probably a normal progression for most college pitchers. Matusz made it in one full year from being drafted. Arrieta took 3 full years from being drafted. Was Arrieta a project?

Arrieta was a starter in college and threw about 100 IP the year he was drafted.

He had 2008 and 2009 in the minors...In 2009, he spent time away from the team due to the Olympics. He was in the minors this year, obviously, but he has been kept down more because of roster/service time issues.

Klein will have to stay down so that he can build arm strength and learn to start again.

In other words, its a big difference and the 2 situations aren't comparable.

He likely moves very quickly if he is a reliever.

He certainly appears to have nice stuff.

[Arthur_Bryant]

I understand why the O's would want to try him as a starter. He has at least three solid pitches. And the one that the ESPN guys are calling a change appears to be two different pitches, each with a distinctive movement. The one that runs in to righties is beastly.

He is not throwing the curve for strikes tonight, but if he does, I could see him being a very effective pitcher.

[Shopay]

Not to change the topic here, but does anybody recall whether Daniel Bard was a closer at UNC?

[Shopay]

Daniel Bard was a starting pitcher all three years at NC.

Thanks RZ.

[JackO]

AND. Klein just gave up the winning run int he CWS... though it looks like he was put in a tough spot. asked to go 4 innings. Yikes...

[Arthur_Bryant]

AND. Klein just gave up the winning run int he CWS... though it looks like he was put in a tough spot. asked to go 4 innings. Yikes...

He was gassed. I believe he was over 75 pitches.

[Shopay]

AND. Klein just gave up the winning run int he CWS... though it looks like he was put in a tough spot. asked to go 4 innings. Yikes...

I think it was close to 80 pitches. He did fine considering he typically only goes an inning or so.

[Stotle]

Arrieta was a starter in college and threw about 100 IP the year he was drafted.

He had 2008 and 2009 in the minors...In 2009, he spent time away from the team due to the Olympics. He was in the minors this year, obviously, but he has been kept down more because of roster/service time issues.

Klein will have to stay down so that he can build arm strength and learn to start again.

In other words, its a big difference and the 2 situations aren't comparable.

He likely moves very quickly if he is a reliever.

He certainly appears to have nice stuff.

I think you are probably right that Klein is a project as a starter in that it is an endeavor that will take some time to bear fruit. His arsenal is solid -- needs to be tightened, but solid. No one here or in the O's scouting/development knows with any certainty how that stuff plays over 80 pitches, 100 pitches, 115 pitches, every five days. College starters usually have a week off between starts and many take some time to adjust to shorter rest. Klein will be going shorter rest for longer stints. He has a starter's profile, but there are plenty of questions that will need to be answered, and certainly more questions than you would have of a college starter with his arsenal.

I thought he would be a legit target as a 2nd Rounder as a reliever, so obviously if his stuff plays through 6 IP on a regular basis than I think BAL ends-up with a steal here. It's a shot at mining an undervalued asset. We will all see if it pays off. If it does, very solid move. If it doesn't, you're looking at some wasted developmental time with him ultimately heading back to the pen.

One thing that should be made clear, Jordan isn't on an island in thinking Klein should be tried as a starter. The issue among evaluators (from what I have heard) has been the durability/injury history, not the fact that it will take him an extra year to stretch out.

One other question to pose -- with UCLA making it to the final series in the CWS and losing, and Klein only a sophomore this year (with an eye to start as a pro) is it now more likely he returns to UCLA to join Bauer and Cole in the weekend rotation next year to make another run?

[Arthur_Bryant]

One other question to pose -- with UCLA making it to the final series in the CWS and losing, and Klein only a sophomore this year (with an eye to start as a pro) is it now more likely he returns to UCLA to join Bauer and Cole in the weekend rotation next year to make another run?

I don't know, but I was rooting for UCLA to win, just so that he wouldn't feel that he had unfinished business.

Going into the rotation would be a risk with a nice payoff if he stays healthy and effective. Signing with the O's would eliminate some of that risk -- he'd bank the bonus before he makes the switch.

[QBsILLEST1]

Any pitcher is going to move more quickly as a reliever. That's not the point at all. Try and think along with Jordan here. He took a college reliever who isn't your typical college reliever.

Lets think about it real quick, the guy has 4 pitches, sounds like mostly average to above average(slider may be plus though I haven't seen him pitch yet). He has good command as well. If his fastball can sit in the low 90's, I could see him being a mid rotation starter. In paper he almost sounds like he could project like Deck McGuire...McGuire may have better stuff, but Klein definitely has better command and in the end, could have similar type stuff. Look at what type of $$ McGuire gets and then look at what type of $$ Klein gets.

I like this pick more and more every day, but it will take some work...