5/5/12 Sox vs Cats 3:05 CT, LET'S GO Options

[fathom]

Hector has decent secondary pitches but by and large hasn't located them out of the bullpen. That one outing they were for s*** in the zone and it was clear that he was trying to ease them over the plate, giving them away. This is the type of thing lifetime starters deal with when going to the bullpen - short warmup, no mulligan first inning to "find" all your pitches, etc.

Yep, he has no confidence in his secondary stuff now. Seems especially obvious after Cespedes crushed his screwball. Earlier in the year, he threw some nice curveballs to lefties.

[YASNY]

Yep, he has no confidence in his secondary stuff now. Seems especially obvious after Cespedes crushed his screwball. Earlier in the year, he threw some nice curveballs to lefties.

He's not getting the as much movement from his scroogie as he did in the minors. He says that baseballs are different. This is more of a mental hurdle he has to overcome more than anything. That said, I think he should be starting in AAA right now.

[flavum]

He's not getting the as much movement from his scroogie as he did in the minors. He says that baseballs are different. This is more of a mental hurdle he has to overcome more than anything. That said, I think he should be starting in AAA right now.

What I would like to see is hopefully Axelrod and Stults giving some good starts tomorrow and Monday, and then after Stults' start, they send Santiago down to be a starting pitcher in Charlotte. Then re-shuffle the rotation when they can to get it to: Peavy, Danks, Floyd, Humber, and then go Axelrod or Stults depending on the matchup. That is, if both guys are pitching well. If one is really standing out, obviously you have to go with the hot hand. But they need more long relief options now that Sale is out of there. And let's face facts, Santiago has lost whatever he had going in spring training. He's not ready.

[knightni]

Yep, he has no confidence in his secondary stuff now. Seems especially obvious after Cespedes crushed his screwball. Earlier in the year, he threw some nice curveballs to lefties.

Almost all of his pitches in the 9th today were high in the zone. Some nicked the strike zone or got fouled off, but most were destined to be "balls" instead of strikes.

[caulfield12]

http://www.scoutingbook.com/players/p2876

I love this report on Hector Santiago, "a polished and well-rounded blah blah blah" and stopped reading. God, so much of the stuff out there on the internet is horrible. A pitcher who's been struggling his whole career in our minor league system and then rockets from Winston-Salem to the majors on the strength of his Winter League tinkering is, well, the opposite of what they're describing.

Like the comparison with the Kimbrell/Venters combination (with Reed closing), although he probably should be in AA (would prefer the bigger park to help him regain his confidence a bit) or Charlotte starting, working on both his command in the strike zone but specifically on getting a feel back for his breaking stuff.

Seems very few of the people writing these reports have seen any of the players involved, but just go off stats.

[2nd_city_saint78...]

Sale and Reed could be the anchors for the best bullpen in baseball for years.

The ALs Venters and Kimbrel, I've always wondered how awesome it would be to watch 2 guys like that at the back end of the bullpen and I'll kinda get my wish.

Anyone think Youk might be made be made available when he returns from the DL?? Maybe if their top prospect Middlebrooks performs theyd let him go for Floyd, Thornton, and somethin else.....Wishful thinking and just a thought with Bobby V talkin smack about him.

[Balta1701]

The ALs Venters and Kimbrel, I've always wondered how awesome it would be to watch 2 guys like that at the back end of the bullpen and I'll kinda get my wish.

Anyone think Youk might be made be made available when he returns from the DL?? Maybe if their top prospect Middlebrooks performs theyd let him go for Floyd, Thornton, and somethin else.....Wishful thinking and just a thought with Bobby V talkin smack about him.

If you're willing to take on the extra $6 million that he'd be owed if you took him on towards the end of July, you might be able to pull that off...but what exactly is the point? He's a free agent at the end of this year unless you pick up a $13 million option, he doesn't belong at 3b anyway, and he had a down year last year probably partially because of health/being at 3b instead of 1b.

[2nd_city_saint78...]

If you're willing to take on the extra $6 million that he'd be owed if you took him on towards the end of July, you might be able to pull that off...but what exactly is the point? He's a free agent at the end of this year unless you pick up a $13 million option, he doesn't belong at 3b anyway, and he had a down year last year probably partially because of health/being at 3b instead of 1b.

Touche, One too many cervasas for this guy

[caulfield12]

Touche, One too many cervasas for this guy

Cervezas...it's Cinco de Mayo, remember?