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Wassermann outrighted to AAA


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QUOTE (JPN366 @ Apr 6, 2009 -> 02:31 PM)
I didn't know that being 28 for a pitcher was the end of the road.

28 with as limited success in the major leagues as he has had, with an organization that values power arms, the writing is on the wall. KW would rather bring up a guy who throws hard and have him get torched than a guy like Wassermann. He's good AAA fodder, but that's it.

Edited by Dick Allen
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QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 6, 2009 -> 02:38 PM)
28 with as limited success in the major leagues as he has had, with an organization that values power arms, the writing is on the wall. KW would rather bring up a guy who throws hard and have him get torched than a guy like Wassermann. He's good AAA fodder, but that's it.

I think this says it - Wassermann isn't a great fit here, now. But I have to say I am surprised he made it through waivers, as I am still convinced (and am in the minority) that he can be effective in the bigs in the right role.

 

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QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 6, 2009 -> 02:38 PM)
28 with as limited success in the major leagues as he has had, with an organization that values power arms, the writing is on the wall. KW would rather bring up a guy who throws hard and have him get torched than a guy like Wassermann. He's good AAA fodder, but that's it.

 

No organization valued him enough to put them on their 40 man roster by claiming him off of waivers before he could be outrighted off of the Sox roster. That tells you it isn't just the Sox that don't see him as much.

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QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 6, 2009 -> 12:42 PM)
No organization valued him enough to put them on their 40 man roster by claiming him off of waivers before he could be outrighted off of the Sox roster. That tells you it isn't just the Sox that don't see him as much.

A ROOGY who has Righties put up a nearly .900 OPS against him isn't that useful (thats' what happened to him in 08).

 

In 07, righties put up a .430 OPS against him. Lefties put up a 1.350 OPS against him.

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Bottom line Wasserman isn't very good. He might pop up somewhere and have a good year or two but it will be on a bad team where he'll get every opportunity to get hot for a season or two. I wish him the best but he isn't a good fit here, especially with guys like Link, Long and Omogrosso who have such better stuff and project to be pretty good relievers as well as a guy like Derek Rodriguez who has a really nice arm.

 

In fact, keep an eye on a game named Jones down in the minors, plus plus curve and an interesting FB (clocked between 88 and 99MPH). Yes, I said 99MPH. This spring he was unhittable one game and pedestrian another (although his curve was filthy) and scouts were puzzled at the fact that he looked like an all world major leaguer and than a minor leaguer. Either way, Buddy Bell is aware of him and the Sox are watching to see if they can figure out a way to get him to consistently throw in the upper 90's. Location is another issue with him (his delivery is not what I'd call pretty nor did he have any consistency with it, hence the command issues).

 

In addition to the names above, there is Adam Russel, Jack Egbert (both with the ability to go a batter or 3 innings) and obviously Aaron Poreda (who I ultimately peg as a plus reliever as opposed to a good starting pitcher). I think Poreda could excel as a setup man in the bigs or closer where as a starter I don't see him being more than a 4th or 5th which is why I ultimately see him settling in the pen. Now if something changes in regards to his secondary stuff we might be talking about a guy that quickly moves up (plus good sinkerballers can end not needing too much in the way of additional pitches to actually excel as a major league starter).

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QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Apr 6, 2009 -> 02:54 PM)
Bottom line Wasserman isn't very good. He might pop up somewhere and have a good year or two but it will be on a bad team where he'll get every opportunity to get hot for a season or two. I wish him the best but he isn't a good fit here, especially with guys like Link, Long and Omogrosso who have such better stuff and project to be pretty good relievers as well as a guy like Derek Rodriguez who has a really nice arm.

 

In fact, keep an eye on a game named Jones down in the minors, plus plus curve and an interesting FB (clocked between 88 and 99MPH). Yes, I said 99MPH. This spring he was unhittable one game and pedestrian another (although his curve was filthy) and scouts were puzzled at the fact that he looked like an all world major leaguer and than a minor leaguer. Either way, Buddy Bell is aware of him and the Sox are watching to see if they can figure out a way to get him to consistently throw in the upper 90's. Location is another issue with him (his delivery is not what I'd call pretty nor did he have any consistency with it, hence the command issues).

 

In addition to the names above, there is Adam Russel, Jack Egbert (both with the ability to go a batter or 3 innings) and obviously Aaron Poreda (who I ultimately peg as a plus reliever as opposed to a good starting pitcher). I think Poreda could excel as a setup man in the bigs or closer where as a starter I don't see him being more than a 4th or 5th which is why I ultimately see him settling in the pen. Now if something changes in regards to his secondary stuff we might be talking about a guy that quickly moves up (plus good sinkerballers can end not needing too much in the way of additional pitches to actually excel as a major league starter).

 

What is his first name? Any idea where he is going to be assigned?

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I think it is Nathan Jones. I'd look it up but some sites are blocked at my new job. Heck, I probably won't be on much in general anymore, but today is a pretty introductory day. He's going to be repeating his level (I think it's either Bham or Winston Salem). I overheard the story between one scout and another as I watched Jones pitch last week, basically saying how the scouts called up Buddy Bell after seeing him whiff the side in two straight innings. The scouts basically said, who is this guy, and why exactly isn't he in the majors. Buddy responded with, check out his numbers and asked if he was throwing strikes, which the scout responded, well he is today. I also was reading something the other day and discovered that Baseball America ranked him as having the best curve in the org and after seeing it I would completely agree. The day I saw him his fastball was nothing special, but apparently he had pitched the day before and was consistently in the upper 90's, topping up at 99.

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QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Apr 6, 2009 -> 03:04 PM)
I think it is Nathan Jones. I'd look it up but some sites are blocked at my new job. Heck, I probably won't be on much in general anymore, but today is a pretty introductory day. He's going to be repeating his level (I think it's either Bham or Winston Salem). I overheard the story between one scout and another as I watched Jones pitch last week, basically saying how the scouts called up Buddy Bell after seeing him whiff the side in two straight innings. The scouts basically said, who is this guy, and why exactly isn't he in the majors. Buddy responded with, check out his numbers and asked if he was throwing strikes, which the scout responded, well he is today. I also was reading something the other day and discovered that Baseball America ranked him as having the best curve in the org and after seeing it I would completely agree. The day I saw him his fastball was nothing special, but apparently he had pitched the day before and was consistently in the upper 90's, topping up at 99.

 

I think he might be coming to B'ham.

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QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Apr 6, 2009 -> 03:04 PM)
I think it is Nathan Jones.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Yep

 

Here's an excerpt from a Baseball America article titled "Sox Boast Wild High Upside Arms". (The two pitchers they're referring to are Jones and Clevelan Santeliz.) Here's what they say about Jones...

 

While 2007 first-rounder Aaron Poreda is widely credited with having the best arm in the White Sox farm system, he does not have the most eye-popping combination of two pitches. That distinction belongs to 23-year-old righthander Nathan Jones, whose wildness has kept him off the radar in tracking the organization's best prospects.

 

Jones dazzles hitters and coaches alike with a 12-to-6 curveball that one Sox official compares to the one that carried Bert Blyleven to 287 big league victories. He combined it with a high-90s fastball, striking out 84 in 66 innings last season. But he finished 2-7, 6.14 at three levels in the low minors, mostly because his mechanical problems often leave him unable to "get it in the cage," according to a Sox official.

 

"I saw three of four guys fall down trying to get out of the way of (his curveball), and they were strikes," White Sox farm director Buddy Bell said. "We like this kid a lot. It is probably going to take a while, but there are kids who just get it together overnight. We'll have a top level pitcher if that happens here."

 

Jones, who stands 6-foot-5, has a great pitcher's body. He is a hard worker with a reputation for mental toughness. He over-processes at times, and the Sox would like to get him to slow down on the mound. He is penciled into the rotation at low Class A Kannapolis, with the plan to get him as many innings as possible in hopes he can develop a changeup and zero in on the strike zone.

Edited by scenario
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