Ryan did ok with this singing, but there are other issues, namely the fact that it increases the already horrid logjam of starting pitchers in the 3 higher levels of the organization by another body.
If Ryan had not re-signed the likes of PJ Walters, Sairon Martis and Luis Perdomo and singed the likes of Kevin Correia, Scott Elarton, Jason Lane and Virgil Vasquez (add Nick Blackburn, Sam Deduno and Cole De Vries and now you have AAA-level pitchers to fill 2 teams' rotations), I would have loved the signing of Mike Pelfrey.
I am probably more optimistic for Mike Pelfrey than most in the Twinsland; on the other hand, due to location, I have been able to follow Mike's career for a few years, unlike most in the Twinsland. And there are more this to Pelfrey that his numbers:
Pelfrey was drafted by the Mets as the 9th overall pick of the 2005 draft (the one the Twins drafted Matt Garza). With the addition of Pelfrey to Jeff Clement, who was the 5th overall pick of that draft, the Twins now have 2 of the top 10 picks of the 2005 draft. He will turn 29 the coming January 14th and just entering his prime.
Pelfrey is 6'7" and came out of college with a plus plus fastball that topped at 97 mph with a lot of movement, an above average change up and a borderline average-above average curveball with hard movement but command issues. Pelfrey in typical Mets' fashion was rushed in his first professional season (2006) and moved from high A all the way to the majors with short stops in AA and AAA. He started 4 games in the majors in 2006. In the 2006 post-season he was ranked the #38th best prospect in Baseball by Baseball America. In 2007 he spent part of the season in AA and AAA before moving up to the Mets for good as a 23 year old with less than a year of professional baseball and only one good (actually great) pitch under his belt.
At next spring training Rick Peterson asked him to stop using the curveball and start learning a slider. 2 spring trainings later, Mets' next pitching coach, Dan Warthen, made him junk the slider, rethrow the curve and learn a splitter. So there has been a lot of trial and error in the quest for a secondary offering. I suspect that Bobby Cuellar will do wonders working with his change up.
A couple of encouraging numbers: His career FIP is 4.20 (and relatively dropping each season), his BABIP is >.300 and his %K has been increasing every season. All that with one (and a half pitch). I think that with a bit of coaching and the development of at least another plus pitch, he will be a solid middle of the rotation starter, unlike Kevin Correia.
A few interesting tidbits about Mike:
If Ryan had not re-signed the likes of PJ Walters, Sairon Martis and Luis Perdomo and singed the likes of Kevin Correia, Scott Elarton, Jason Lane and Virgil Vasquez (add Nick Blackburn, Sam Deduno and Cole De Vries and now you have AAA-level pitchers to fill 2 teams' rotations), I would have loved the signing of Mike Pelfrey.
I am probably more optimistic for Mike Pelfrey than most in the Twinsland; on the other hand, due to location, I have been able to follow Mike's career for a few years, unlike most in the Twinsland. And there are more this to Pelfrey that his numbers:
Pelfrey was drafted by the Mets as the 9th overall pick of the 2005 draft (the one the Twins drafted Matt Garza). With the addition of Pelfrey to Jeff Clement, who was the 5th overall pick of that draft, the Twins now have 2 of the top 10 picks of the 2005 draft. He will turn 29 the coming January 14th and just entering his prime.
Pelfrey is 6'7" and came out of college with a plus plus fastball that topped at 97 mph with a lot of movement, an above average change up and a borderline average-above average curveball with hard movement but command issues. Pelfrey in typical Mets' fashion was rushed in his first professional season (2006) and moved from high A all the way to the majors with short stops in AA and AAA. He started 4 games in the majors in 2006. In the 2006 post-season he was ranked the #38th best prospect in Baseball by Baseball America. In 2007 he spent part of the season in AA and AAA before moving up to the Mets for good as a 23 year old with less than a year of professional baseball and only one good (actually great) pitch under his belt.
At next spring training Rick Peterson asked him to stop using the curveball and start learning a slider. 2 spring trainings later, Mets' next pitching coach, Dan Warthen, made him junk the slider, rethrow the curve and learn a splitter. So there has been a lot of trial and error in the quest for a secondary offering. I suspect that Bobby Cuellar will do wonders working with his change up.
A couple of encouraging numbers: His career FIP is 4.20 (and relatively dropping each season), his BABIP is >.300 and his %K has been increasing every season. All that with one (and a half pitch). I think that with a bit of coaching and the development of at least another plus pitch, he will be a solid middle of the rotation starter, unlike Kevin Correia.
A few interesting tidbits about Mike:
- He has been wearing number 34; this is no longer an option with the Twins
- He was part of the players who were involved with unethical brokers in the banking scandal and lost about $9 million in it.
- He has a tendency to lick his hands during the game. The Wall Street Journal reported that he did it 89 times in a game they were counting
2 comments:
I also think he was he the Twins wanted instead of Humber in the Santana trade, but he had more years left (Humber was in his last year on the 49-man). Twins should've held out.
Good signing.
A couple of the minor league free agents will be injured. A couple will be mid-relief. You can pretty much cut any of them, or trade them....like do something with Blackburnout. Yes, you can never have too many arms, as you have to see where everyone falls into place in spring training...but not one of the minor free agents is guaranteed a job, especially if you have Swarzak & Duensing as long guys in the majors, and DeVries and Hendriks in the prospect wing. Gibson can still start in long relief and push away a MLFR. You might keep one other in reserve in New Britain. But MLFA are come and go...just like the abundance of outfielders set for Rochester - Dinkelman, Thomas, Bigley, Ramirez, Boggs...not to mention Benson, Hicks, Arcia..........
Thanks Thry.
I too am cautiously optimistic about Pelfrey. A better signing than Correia. Your analysis is helpful.
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