Good News from AFL

[winninguglyin83]

both Neal Cotts and Mitch Wylie pitched well in the Arizona Fall League yesterday

 

Cotts worked five innings, allowing four hits and one earned run. Struck out four.

 

But most importantly, he didn't walk ANYBODY.

 

Wylie pitched 1 1/3 in relief. Struck out two, allowed a hit.

 

Wylie is another guy not far from arm surgery. He could be in the mix for middle relief next year. I believe the higher-ups have always liked his arm.

[Guest JimH]

Yes, they've always liked Wylie's arm and his makeup ... he's quite the competitor as I understand.

 

He'll be 27 in January, so hopefully he'll start putting it together.

[Chisoxfn]

I remember hearing about Wylie being a potential closer prospect a few years ago and then he just had all this bouts with injuries and such. He's definately got a chance if he can get healthy.

[aboz56]

Nice to see Neal throwing well.

 

Let's just hope he isn't overworked from throwing a lot of innings this season and then more innings in the AFL.

 

I definitely see him in the 5th starter spot next season, but he's got to be able to throw strikes consistently and trust his stuff. This nibbling around the plate stuff is simply not going to cut it.

[elrockinMT]

Nice to see Neal throwing well.

 

 

I definitely see him in the 5th starter spot next season, but he's got to be able to throw strikes consistently and trust his stuff.  This nibbling around the plate stuff is simply not going to cut it.

This seems to be the problem a number of our young pitchers have isn't it?

[witesoxfan]

Let me say this....if Neal Cotts is our 5th starter next year, I would not like our chances. Not because Neal Cotts isn't a good pitcher who could become a great pitcher, but because we'd be going with a rookie that got hit hard last year in his few starts up here and did throw a lot of innings. Even if he only were to make 25 starts, he could still experience some dead arm at times.

 

If we want to make a push next year, Jeremy Reed, Neal Cotts, and a few others are all in AAA next year and we have veterans who are pretty good in their spots. We need to fill out the bullpen with good veteran pitchers(and no, Rick White does not count as a good veteran pitcher....only a s***ty veteran pitcher). We'll get another veteran OFer, assuming Maggs is traded, and we get a good veteran 5th starter.....or 3rd or 4th, depending on what happens to Colon and who is available at what price. If we resign Colon and can get Ponson for $4 mill a year....Garland is the #5 starter/swingman. In fact, an idea I think would be interesting to use would be to use 2 #5 starters and have a bigger bullpen. For example, say we sign Jeff D'Amico and Jeff Suppan....we would then have a set 4-man rotation in Colon, Buehrle, Loaiza, and Garland, assuming Colon is resigned for this example, and we then use D'Amico and Suppan out of the pen, and whoever is throwing best at the time will get the start when the 5th starter's spot comes up, and the other is used as a swingman for that game.

[aboz56]

Let me say this....if Neal Cotts is our 5th starter next year, I would not like our chances.  Not because Neal Cotts isn't a good pitcher who could become a great pitcher, but because we'd be going with a rookie that got hit hard last year in his few starts up here and did throw a lot of innings. Even if he only were to make 25 starts, he could still experience some dead arm at times. 

 

If we want to make a push next year, Jeremy Reed, Neal Cotts, and a few others are all in AAA next year and we have veterans who are pretty good in their spots.  We need to fill out the bullpen with good veteran pitchers(and no, Rick White does not count as a good veteran pitcher....only a s***ty veteran pitcher).  We'll get another veteran OFer, assuming Maggs is traded, and we get a good veteran 5th starter.....or 3rd or 4th, depending on what happens to Colon and who is available at what price.  If we resign Colon and can get Ponson for $4 mill a year....Garland is the #5 starter/swingman.  In fact, an idea I think would be interesting to use would be to use 2 #5 starters and have a bigger bullpen.  For example, say we sign Jeff D'Amico and Jeff Suppan....we would then have a set 4-man rotation in Colon, Buehrle, Loaiza, and Garland, assuming Colon is resigned for this example, and we then use D'Amico and Suppan out of the pen, and whoever is throwing best at the time will get the start when the 5th starter's spot comes up, and the other is used as a swingman for that game.

While your ideas are good in theory, the chances of Cotts being the 5th starter next season are pretty good.

 

The way I see the rotation next season is this:

 

#1 - Buehrle

#2 - Loaiza

#3 - Garland

#4 - FA Signing (it won't be Ponson, more likely a Brian Anderson, Suppan type)

#5 - Neal Cotts, Jon Rauch, whoever impresses in ST.

 

I think a lot of fans are going to be disappointed when the Sox don't get all of these guys that are discussed everyday on these boards like Hawkins, Castillo, Ponson, etc. Personally, I don't see any of them coming our way. In our economic situation, we aren't going to be flexible to make any moves that will add 2 or 3 impact type players or pitchers. Don't get your hopes up.

[whitesox61382]

"the chances of Cotts being the 5th starter next season are pretty good"

 

I disagree entirely. He BETTER NOT be in the majors to start next year. I am sorry, but showing decent control in a small sample at the AFL is not enough. He NEEDS to show AT LEAST 1/2 season of good control in the upper minors before management EVEN THINKS about calling him up. I don't care if his ERA is below 1.00, if he is walking more then 4 guys per 9 innings he isn't ready for the majors, and he showed us that in his call up in 2003. I guarantee thats how management views Cotts as well. Mark my words, Cotts WILL NOT start the 2004 season in the majors. Schoey probably has the inside track on the 5th starters spot, and I think thats one of the reasons he was brought over here. His average season as a starter isn't great 8-10 5.20 ERA, but it is a SIGNIFICANT improvement over the 3-11 6.75 ERA combined that the Sox got from the 5th spot last year. Rauch and Diaz are probably next in line after Schoey, and either/both could make the team out of ST.

[DBAHO]

Let me say this....if Neal Cotts is our 5th starter next year, I would not like our chances.  Not because Neal Cotts isn't a good pitcher who could become a great pitcher, but because we'd be going with a rookie that got hit hard last year in his few starts up here and did throw a lot of innings. Even if he only were to make 25 starts, he could still experience some dead arm at times. 

 

If we want to make a push next year, Jeremy Reed, Neal Cotts, and a few others are all in AAA next year and we have veterans who are pretty good in their spots.  We need to fill out the bullpen with good veteran pitchers(and no, Rick White does not count as a good veteran pitcher....only a s***ty veteran pitcher).  We'll get another veteran OFer, assuming Maggs is traded, and we get a good veteran 5th starter.....or 3rd or 4th, depending on what happens to Colon and who is available at what price.  If we resign Colon and can get Ponson for $4 mill a year....Garland is the #5 starter/swingman.  In fact, an idea I think would be interesting to use would be to use 2 #5 starters and have a bigger bullpen.  For example, say we sign Jeff D'Amico and Jeff Suppan....we would then have a set 4-man rotation in Colon, Buehrle, Loaiza, and Garland, assuming Colon is resigned for this example, and we then use D'Amico and Suppan out of the pen, and whoever is throwing best at the time will get the start when the 5th starter's spot comes up, and the other is used as a swingman for that game.

While your ideas are good in theory, the chances of Cotts being the 5th starter next season are pretty good.

 

The way I see the rotation next season is this:

 

#1 - Buehrle

#2 - Loaiza

#3 - Garland

#4 - FA Signing (it won't be Ponson, more likely a Brian Anderson, Suppan type)

#5 - Neal Cotts, Jon Rauch, whoever impresses in ST.

 

I think a lot of fans are going to be disappointed when the Sox don't get all of these guys that are discussed everyday on these boards like Hawkins, Castillo, Ponson, etc. Personally, I don't see any of them coming our way. In our economic situation, we aren't going to be flexible to make any moves that will add 2 or 3 impact type players or pitchers. Don't get your hopes up.

Remember the only teams that r goin to add payroll r probs Baltimore and San Diego, so Free Agents likely won't be seeing huge Mike Hampton type contracts coming their way this off season.

[winninguglyin83]

The Sox are going to have to get at least one big-name free agent to get any ink because the Cubs Media Fest is going to roar all winter long.

 

Sox will be lucky to get a paragraph in the papers and TV won't mention them til spring training.

[Chisoxfn]

The  Sox are going to have to get at least one big-name free agent to get any ink because the Cubs Media Fest is going to roar all winter long.

 

Sox will be lucky to get a paragraph in the papers and TV won't mention them til spring training.

Good be exactly what JR wants. Just think about it, no media bashing him for slashing payroll.

 

In seriousness though, I'd love to see a big free agent signing and I hope JR steps up.

[Rex Hudler]

Not because Neal Cotts isn't a good pitcher who could become a great pitcher, but because we'd be going with a rookie that got hit hard last year in his few starts up here and did throw a lot of innings.

 

Cotts did not throw a lot of innings this year. He threw 121.1, which is not a lot by any standards. He also did not get hit hard in his few starts for the Sox.

[YASNY]

Cotts did not throw a lot of innings this year.  He threw 121.1, which is not a lot by any standards.  He also did not get hit hard in his few starts for the Sox.

Right. Cotts needs just one thing to be ready .... command. That can kick in at any time. If he can master it now, then he should get every opportunity in Spring Training, along with Rauch and whoever.

 

Just because a kid struggled his first time up, you don't bury him if he continues to progress.