Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
He was a 40 man acquisition. Tui was out of options, we had a 40 man crunch and Elledge was still a year away from needing to be added to be protected from the Rule 5 when the deal was made. It cleared both a 25 man and 40 man spot for the upcoming offseason.
I felt at the time like the Mariners had unnecessarily slow-played him and he was ready for a jump in competition. Then he was super mediocre in AA and kinda made me look dumb.
I've sorta felt like he can be another Maness/Thompson sort of 7th inning bridge reliever. My guess is, like those guys, he'll get in trouble if he elevates at all. Typical sinker/slider reliever who can get outs if he can keep hitters from being able to spit on his slider (which they'll be able to do if he's elevating his sinker; location will telegraph the pitch).
Every team has a few guys like this and they'll pitch for 5 years, give you two completely confusing really good ones (think Mitchell Boggs in 2012), then one day they'll have a bad outing...then another...then another and that'll be that.
Fine guy to have - they'll probably get some mileage out of him and if he, Gallegos and Hicks can give you 3 years of steady back end relief, you're probably in pretty damn good shape. Especially with guys like Fernandez and the inevitable Alex Reyes: wild-ass reliever carnival ride.
I prefer Woodford as a long-term asset who's as likely as not to end up in the 'pen and Kodi Whitley as a true jam reliever.
thanks man. He looked so good but it was one damn inning. Reyes looked good too but we know he can go off the rails pretty easily. I figured there was no way Mo pulled off a lopsided trade in our favor. It’s been a long time since he did that.
I guess we are going to get more out of him than Tu. [Reply]
Why is Weiters catching almost every day? I get Yadi is out but Kitzner looks better and we need to get some young guys ready to go for the future. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Marcellus:
Why is Weiters catching almost every day? I get Yadi is out but Kitzner looks better and we need to get some young guys ready to go for the future.
They’ve been split pretty evenly, each taking a game in double headers.
Carlson needs a day off. He’s pressing hard. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Jewish Rabbi:
They’ve been split pretty evenly, each taking a game in double headers.
Carlson needs a day off. He’s pressing hard.
Even to my layman eyes he doesn't look over matched at all in the slighest. He belongs at this level. But, I agree he's definitely pressing. Those bases loaded AB's made it obvious. First pitch swinging on a pitchers pitch? He can fix that. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
Even to my layman eyes he doesn't look over matched at all in the slighest. He belongs at this level. But, I agree he's definitely pressing. Those bases loaded AB's made it obvious. First pitch swinging on a pitchers pitch? He can fix that.
That first pitch slider w/ the bases loaded had him looking real green.
I'm betting Carlson never once saw a guy walk the bases loaded in the minors and then throw a first pitch slider at the knees. That was a clear eye-opener for him because he wasn't pressing, he was guessing.
He was sitting heat and that slider dove right under the barrel and ate him alive.
I'm not sure there's anything else for him to learn in AAA, but there are still plenty of rough edges for the guy. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
That first pitch slider w/ the bases loaded had him looking real green.
I'm betting Carlson never once saw a guy walk the bases loaded in the minors and then throw a first pitch slider at the knees. That was a clear eye-opener for him because he wasn't pressing, he was guessing.
He was sitting heat and that slider dove right under the barrel and ate him alive.
I'm not sure there's anything else for him to learn in AAA, but there are still plenty of rough edges for the guy.
Perfect year for his on the job training and learning the hard way at this level. [Reply]
ST. LOUIS -- When Johan Oviedo went back to his home in Havana, Cuba, during baseball’s shutdown, he wasn’t sure how long he’d be there or if he’d be able to return to the United States because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Oviedo did know he had to stay ready. Using training equipment on the roof of his home, he was able to stay in shape and continue to throw -- thanks to some creativity. Oviedo’s father, Lazaro, helped hang a blanket with a square in the middle to use as a strike zone, and the size of the roof allowed the right-hander to stand about 60 feet, 6 inches away from the blanket. Lazaro used a wooden beam to keep the blanket taut so that Oviedo’s pitches wouldn’t damage the wall behind it. Taking a staircase up to the roof each day, Oviedo threw bullpens and worked on his pitches, specifically his slider to lefties that got away from him when he was promoted to Double-A Springfield last year.
The impression Oviedo made in the spring helped him get to Busch Stadium this summer. The improvements he made on his roof in Cuba could help him stay.
“I knew this is going to be a big year for me,” Oviedo said. “You always expect something more than what you can do in the field sometimes. I was getting ready for this opportunity. In my mind it was always make my debut this year. I don’t know if it will happen, I just want to be ready if they give me the chance.” [Reply]