Do you ever sit around wondering, what ever happened to (Insert Player Name)? Well, in this case we are going to be checking in on two players who have fallen off the map recently. One of them was in the playoffs last season, started the year in Japan, was miserable and is now back in the American Minor Leagues, and the other is a pitcher who simply never reached his full potential, but may have a shot to still.
Player A is Brad Penny.
Player B, Oliver Perez.
Both are currently on AAA rosters, and both will likely get another shot at the Major Leagues this season. With that, let's take a look at both, starting with Brad Penny.
Brad Penny has started 315 games in his Major League career, he is 119-99 with a 4.23 ERA over that career, and was a member of the 2003 World Series Champion Marlins. Twice he has won 16 games in his career. Yet at the end of 2011, after a miserable 11-11 season with a 5.30 ERA with the Tigers, Penny found himself at a crossroads.
Penny was unable to find Major League work and wound up agreeing to a deal with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan. The Hawks, eager for a recent MLB-caliber player rather than the traditional "AAAA" player snapped Penny up for $3 million USD.
Penny made one appearance in Japan's Major League, lasting 3.1 Innings, allowing 7 hits and 3 walks, he struck out one and allowed 6 runs (4 earned). After his release his Japanese manager stated, "Penny... It is unfortunate. But part of it is his feelings and then there is also his shoulder. It can not be helped."
But the San Francisco Giants didn't seem to mind, or notice, signing him to a minor league deal a week later, and proclaiming, "It just didn't work out. He wasn't happy where he was over there. He wanted to come back here. The shoulder or elbow, that's not an issue. He showed it today in the bullpen. We'll make sure he is healthy and make sure he will help us. It'll take a little time. When he thinks he's ready and he thinks he's ready, it'll be a mutual agreement, and we'll have him here to help us."
After three weeks in extended spring, Penny joined the AAA Fresno Grizzlies. His first appearance wasn't pretty, he got only one out, allowing 2 hits and 2 walks, and ultimately getting credited with 5 runs (3 earned). His second appearance, two days later was much cleaner, one quick inning, 11 pitches, 10 strikes. He hit 95 on the gun and had no issues sitting down the Salt Lake Bees in order. If Penny is indeed healthy and can sit around 93-95 consistently in short outings, I could see him being an attribute to the Giants bullpen down the stretch.
(H/T to YakyuBaku for the wonderful Japanese coverage and the Penny quotes)
___________________________________________________________________________
Oliver Perez is another interesting tale. Perez was released in 2010 by the New York Mets with $12 million remaining on his contract. He joined the Nationals on a minor league deal, and pitched in 16 games (15 starts) for the Harrisburg Senators (AA). He was effective, albeit without his best stuff, posting a 3.09 ERA over the 16 outings. But reports out of Harrisburg had his fastball in the mid-80s. Down from the low-to-mid 90's during his peak. He spent the winter in his native Mexico pitching in the Winter League and things began to turn around.
Re-inventing himself as a lefty-reliever Perez posted a 0.63 ERA in 14.1 innings in the Mexican League. The Seattle Mariners (although they have a ton of left-handed relievers) gave him an opportunity and he joined the team on a minor-league deal worth up to $1 million if he makes the MLB Roster eventually. On June 13th, I was able to see Perez in short-relief and sure enough the fastball was back. He sat at 93-95 through his inning of work and was pleasantly surprised to see Perez.
As for Perez, during an interview with the Mariners during Spring Training he was quoted as saying, "Sometimes I'd see the [radar] gun at the games and it would be 92-94 and that felt good, because the past three years I was 85-87," he said. "That made me really happy, because I worked really hard and all that is paying off."
Now then, as a lefty-reliever it'll be crucial that he can get left-handed hitters out with regularity. So far that is not quite true, with AAA Tacoma this season Perez has faced 60 lefties and allowed only 13 hits, but he has walked 8 of them, meaning that 21 of the 60 Plate Appearances have resulted in baserunners (.250 batting average, and .350 OBP). He has struck out 24 of those 60 batters though, and if he can begin to harness that stuff, he may be able to have a future as a lefty-reliever after all.
Showing posts with label AAA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AAA. Show all posts
Friday, June 15, 2012
AAA Sleeper: Steve Geltz
As the summer begins to pick-up, I am hoping my coverage will pick-up as well. In today's first post I'll be covering AAA Sleeper, Steve Geltz.
As you may have gotten from previous posts, or just knowing my style in general, I am not the kind of person interested in covering the players that all the major publications cover. Quite frankly it doesn't interest me as much as talking about the sleepers! So with that let's talk about Steve Geltz.
Steve Geltz is the absolute definition of sleeper. In 2008, he went undrafted out of the University of Buffalo (not exactly a baseball hotbed) but was signed by the LA Angels. Now Geltz has some definitive "issues" he is right-handed, and small (listed at 5'10 170). He also was suspended for a month last season for an unspecified disciplinary issue (H/T MonkeyWithAHalo, Angels Blog). But the fact of the matter is, Geltz produces.
I'm a big fan of underdogs, and I'm an even bigger fan of pitchers who can strike-out a ton of guys. That fits Geltz to a T.
In his first four seasons pro he has struck out 315 batters in only 226 innings. In other words a 12.56 K/9. He has also only issued 91 walks over that span, 3.63 BB/9. Meaning he is striking out 3.46 batters per walk. Those splits are incredibly favorable for any pitcher, of any size. And did I mention he has only allowed 164 hits during those 226 innings. Meaning his WHIP (for his CAREER) is 1.13. Impressive.
This season though, has been even more impressive. 26 outings, 31.1 IP, 14 HITS, 1 ER, 44 K's/8 BB's. In AA and AAA.
He'll be 24 for the entire season and Rule V eligible if not added to the 40-man this off-season for the second consecutive season, but this time I expect he might get some looks.
So what about his "stuff".
I watched his game on 6/14/12 and he hit 96 MPH out of the bullpen, but for the most part sat 91-93. I wasn't behind home for this game so I couldn't actually tell you what he was throwing breaking wise, but it came in at around the low 80's and was effective at keeping the Fresno hitters off balance. Hopefully later this month i'll catch him again from behind home and be able to update this.
Thus far this season he has faced 117 hitters, 44 have struck out. That's a 37.6% K Rate.
With the Angels bullpen needing reinforcement I could see Geltz making his way into the bullpen this season. Yes he is undersized, yes he had disciplinary issues (reportedly), and yes...he has dominated.
As you may have gotten from previous posts, or just knowing my style in general, I am not the kind of person interested in covering the players that all the major publications cover. Quite frankly it doesn't interest me as much as talking about the sleepers! So with that let's talk about Steve Geltz.
Steve Geltz is the absolute definition of sleeper. In 2008, he went undrafted out of the University of Buffalo (not exactly a baseball hotbed) but was signed by the LA Angels. Now Geltz has some definitive "issues" he is right-handed, and small (listed at 5'10 170). He also was suspended for a month last season for an unspecified disciplinary issue (H/T MonkeyWithAHalo, Angels Blog). But the fact of the matter is, Geltz produces.
I'm a big fan of underdogs, and I'm an even bigger fan of pitchers who can strike-out a ton of guys. That fits Geltz to a T.
In his first four seasons pro he has struck out 315 batters in only 226 innings. In other words a 12.56 K/9. He has also only issued 91 walks over that span, 3.63 BB/9. Meaning he is striking out 3.46 batters per walk. Those splits are incredibly favorable for any pitcher, of any size. And did I mention he has only allowed 164 hits during those 226 innings. Meaning his WHIP (for his CAREER) is 1.13. Impressive.
This season though, has been even more impressive. 26 outings, 31.1 IP, 14 HITS, 1 ER, 44 K's/8 BB's. In AA and AAA.
He'll be 24 for the entire season and Rule V eligible if not added to the 40-man this off-season for the second consecutive season, but this time I expect he might get some looks.
So what about his "stuff".
I watched his game on 6/14/12 and he hit 96 MPH out of the bullpen, but for the most part sat 91-93. I wasn't behind home for this game so I couldn't actually tell you what he was throwing breaking wise, but it came in at around the low 80's and was effective at keeping the Fresno hitters off balance. Hopefully later this month i'll catch him again from behind home and be able to update this.
Thus far this season he has faced 117 hitters, 44 have struck out. That's a 37.6% K Rate.
With the Angels bullpen needing reinforcement I could see Geltz making his way into the bullpen this season. Yes he is undersized, yes he had disciplinary issues (reportedly), and yes...he has dominated.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The Atlantic League vs. AAA
So the title might be a bit deceiving, but I am asking this question based on the fact that poor Mike Loree still hasn't been picked up by anyone. Before we get there though, let's see how three of the other recently featured players have been fairing since I covered them.
Brian Barden
Mere days after I wrote about him, he asked for his release from the Rangers organization so that he could sign with Hiroshima in the NPB. Since joining Hiroshima in Mid-July, Barden has appeared in 13 games for the big club and hit only .209/.292/.302 1 HR 1 2B and 7 1B... Not exactly pretty, but it is still early in his tenure there, and it does take some players awhile to get acclimated with the Japanese style of play.
Jose Constanza
A month after the article the Braves made a trade to acquire Michael Bourn and also decided that they would add Constanza to both the 40-Man Roster and the MLB Roster. Since joining the Braves, Constanza has been nothing but a big-time force. He and Bourn both have legitimate 80 Speed and make up, in my mind, the fastest OF in the MLB. Oh ya, he has continued to hit since joining the Braves as well. In his first 18 games he is hitting .385/.420/.523 with 2 HR and 5 SB. He has allowed the Braves to shuffle the lineups and allows the team to occasionally rest the slumping Jason Heyward. If Hayward can find his 2010 form, and Constanza can keep reaching base, the Braves will have a pretty prolific outfield for the next couple seasons.
Jimmy Swift
Not much to say here, the Rangers listened (haha), and moved Roof back to Hickory and promoted Swift to Myrtle Beach when Garcia went down with an injury. So far it hasn't gone well...but it's only been three games.
______________________________________________________________
Now the fun part, the Mike Loree conundrum.
Mike Loree turns 27 in a month (Oh and his age is confusing me PointStreak and Newsday both say 1984, MiLB and all other sources say 1986, but alas Villanova says 1984) , so yes that is a downside. He has no Major League experience, he has never pitched above Low-A in the minors, and he got rocked last year in his first season in the Atlantic League. Those are the negatives. But lets look at this from a future value perspective, with a month left in the season and the Angels AAA affiliate Salt Lake Bees pitching staff depleted, why not dip back into the Atlantic League and pick up Loree. Instead, the Bees tonight will send Matt Oye to the mound. Now, Matt Oye isn't bad, but he is 25 and spent the entire season in High-A. He just recently became a starter and his near 5 ERA in High-A isn't exactly inspiring. Now I realize the goal is to develop players, but why call-up Oye from High-A, where he has been average (5.32 ERA as a starter, 6 starts 23.2 IP) when Mike Loree is dominating in the Atlantic League. A league widely considered to have AAA-level hitting.
It is not like the Angels don't know the Atlantic League, in fact in June they signed both Jerome Williams and Matt Cusick. So now let's compare Matt Oye and for that matter another member of the Bees staff, Bear Bay, to one Mike Loree.
Loree this season for Long Island has gone 14-3 with a 1.79 ERA in 17 starts and 5 relief appearances. In 110.2 IP he has struck out 115 batters and walked only 27. For the that matter he has only allowed 92 hits, a 1.08 WHIP.
Matt Oye, pitching in the hitter-friendly California League, 4.87 ERA, 68.1 IP, 68 H, 25 BB, 54 K. Not exactly awe-inspiring. And as a starter, 5.32 ERA, 23.2 IP, 26 H, 7 BB, 19 K. Again not exactly pretty. And that was in High-A.
How about Bear Bay? Prior to getting a minor league deal with the Angels this offseason Bear Bay had spent the past three years in the Northern League (Low to High-A level Independent League) where he had an awful first season, but then two straight excellent seasons. Still his numbers, in a worse league, were never close to what Loree is putting up. Bear Bay in the indy's average 6.88 K/9 2.18 BB/9 and 1.27 WHIP. This season for the Bees, Bay has made 22 starts and 3 relief appearances, posting a 4.70 ERA in 143.2 IP. He has struck out only 86 and walked 32. Opponents are hitting .310 off of him. And he is starting every five days for the Bees.
So Mike Loree, pitching at a level that many consider comparable to AAA, is holding opponents to a .222 average, is averaging 9.35 K/9, and has been overmatching all of his opposition, and yet he is still on Long Island, pitching every fifth day for the Ducks, while Bear Bay and now Mike Oye make starts for the Salt Lake Bees in the AAA Pacific Coast League.
This is just one team out of 30 at the Triple-A level, I guarantee that there are others who could use a starter like Loree. You could get four maybe five starts out of him if you signed him now and get an accurate idea of if you'd want him back for next season. Meanwhile Matt Oye, who is still under control for three more minor league seasons could continue to build his arm strength in High-A with the hopes of him potentially becoming a valuable contributor down the road.
I'm never out to push one player being signed at the expense of another's career but I believe that many of the Atlantic League's players deserve more of a look than that get.
Comments?
Brian Barden
Mere days after I wrote about him, he asked for his release from the Rangers organization so that he could sign with Hiroshima in the NPB. Since joining Hiroshima in Mid-July, Barden has appeared in 13 games for the big club and hit only .209/.292/.302 1 HR 1 2B and 7 1B... Not exactly pretty, but it is still early in his tenure there, and it does take some players awhile to get acclimated with the Japanese style of play.
Jose Constanza
A month after the article the Braves made a trade to acquire Michael Bourn and also decided that they would add Constanza to both the 40-Man Roster and the MLB Roster. Since joining the Braves, Constanza has been nothing but a big-time force. He and Bourn both have legitimate 80 Speed and make up, in my mind, the fastest OF in the MLB. Oh ya, he has continued to hit since joining the Braves as well. In his first 18 games he is hitting .385/.420/.523 with 2 HR and 5 SB. He has allowed the Braves to shuffle the lineups and allows the team to occasionally rest the slumping Jason Heyward. If Hayward can find his 2010 form, and Constanza can keep reaching base, the Braves will have a pretty prolific outfield for the next couple seasons.
Jimmy Swift
Not much to say here, the Rangers listened (haha), and moved Roof back to Hickory and promoted Swift to Myrtle Beach when Garcia went down with an injury. So far it hasn't gone well...but it's only been three games.
______________________________________________________________
Now the fun part, the Mike Loree conundrum.
Mike Loree turns 27 in a month (Oh and his age is confusing me PointStreak and Newsday both say 1984, MiLB and all other sources say 1986, but alas Villanova says 1984) , so yes that is a downside. He has no Major League experience, he has never pitched above Low-A in the minors, and he got rocked last year in his first season in the Atlantic League. Those are the negatives. But lets look at this from a future value perspective, with a month left in the season and the Angels AAA affiliate Salt Lake Bees pitching staff depleted, why not dip back into the Atlantic League and pick up Loree. Instead, the Bees tonight will send Matt Oye to the mound. Now, Matt Oye isn't bad, but he is 25 and spent the entire season in High-A. He just recently became a starter and his near 5 ERA in High-A isn't exactly inspiring. Now I realize the goal is to develop players, but why call-up Oye from High-A, where he has been average (5.32 ERA as a starter, 6 starts 23.2 IP) when Mike Loree is dominating in the Atlantic League. A league widely considered to have AAA-level hitting.
It is not like the Angels don't know the Atlantic League, in fact in June they signed both Jerome Williams and Matt Cusick. So now let's compare Matt Oye and for that matter another member of the Bees staff, Bear Bay, to one Mike Loree.
Loree this season for Long Island has gone 14-3 with a 1.79 ERA in 17 starts and 5 relief appearances. In 110.2 IP he has struck out 115 batters and walked only 27. For the that matter he has only allowed 92 hits, a 1.08 WHIP.
Matt Oye, pitching in the hitter-friendly California League, 4.87 ERA, 68.1 IP, 68 H, 25 BB, 54 K. Not exactly awe-inspiring. And as a starter, 5.32 ERA, 23.2 IP, 26 H, 7 BB, 19 K. Again not exactly pretty. And that was in High-A.
How about Bear Bay? Prior to getting a minor league deal with the Angels this offseason Bear Bay had spent the past three years in the Northern League (Low to High-A level Independent League) where he had an awful first season, but then two straight excellent seasons. Still his numbers, in a worse league, were never close to what Loree is putting up. Bear Bay in the indy's average 6.88 K/9 2.18 BB/9 and 1.27 WHIP. This season for the Bees, Bay has made 22 starts and 3 relief appearances, posting a 4.70 ERA in 143.2 IP. He has struck out only 86 and walked 32. Opponents are hitting .310 off of him. And he is starting every five days for the Bees.
So Mike Loree, pitching at a level that many consider comparable to AAA, is holding opponents to a .222 average, is averaging 9.35 K/9, and has been overmatching all of his opposition, and yet he is still on Long Island, pitching every fifth day for the Ducks, while Bear Bay and now Mike Oye make starts for the Salt Lake Bees in the AAA Pacific Coast League.
This is just one team out of 30 at the Triple-A level, I guarantee that there are others who could use a starter like Loree. You could get four maybe five starts out of him if you signed him now and get an accurate idea of if you'd want him back for next season. Meanwhile Matt Oye, who is still under control for three more minor league seasons could continue to build his arm strength in High-A with the hopes of him potentially becoming a valuable contributor down the road.
I'm never out to push one player being signed at the expense of another's career but I believe that many of the Atlantic League's players deserve more of a look than that get.
Comments?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)