Spring training thread

[G-Snarls]

[flafson]

Bah, another day with no broadcast, this is ridiculous, didn't they say they are going to show all/almost all games this spring?

Hutch is pitching today.

[jerb]

 

Jeff Blair

‏@GloBlair

Pete Walker had to cancel on us. Might have some breaking pitching news - of sorts - anyhow #blairshow

[Sammy225]

 

Jeff Blair

‏@GloBlair

Pete Walker had to cancel on us. Might have some breaking pitching news - of sorts - anyhow #blairshow

 

No he just didn't want to have to deal with f***ing Blair.

[The_DH]

More likely a pitchers arm flung off and he had to go look into it.

[awsomest]

Jeff Blair just said that morrow is on a short leash and hes currently the fifth starter and the Hutchinson could pitch the second game in Tampa.

http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand-3/Jeff-Blair-On-Brandon-Morrow-jb-20140314-Interview.mp3

 

either lol Jeff blair is an idiot or RIP AA's career

[KingKat]

Jeff Blair just said that morrow is on a short leash and hes currently the fifth starter and the Hutchinson could pitch the second game in Tampa.

http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand-3/Jeff-Blair-On-Brandon-Morrow-jb-20140314-Interview.mp3

 

either lol Jeff blair is an idiot or RIP AA's career

 

Unbelievable. What's the point in putting Morrown on a short leash when you don't have anyone who can replace him? Does this mean AA is on the cusp of massively overpaying for this year's R.A. Dickey?

[Sammy225]

Unbelievable. What's the point in putting Morrown on a short leash when you don't have anyone who can replace him? Does this mean AA is on the cusp of massively overpaying for this year's R.A. Dickey?

 

THEY HAVE NOBODY BETTER TO REPLACE HIM! If they honestly went into the season without him I would go ballistic and I am a patient man.

[KingKat]

Jeff Blair just said that morrow is on a short leash and hes currently the fifth starter and the Hutchinson could pitch the second game in Tampa.

http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand-3/Jeff-Blair-On-Brandon-Morrow-jb-20140314-Interview.mp3

 

either lol Jeff blair is an idiot or RIP AA's career

 

The most painful part of that show was Howarth and Blair pumping Sierra's tires. Blair: "The two weeks Sierra had last year are the kind that you can build a career on". On the one hand that's one of the dumbest SSS conclusions I've ever seen but on the other hand, he's kind of right. Sierra IS building a Major League career (probably a short one) on those two weeks.

[KingKat]

THEY HAVE NOBODY BETTER TO REPLACE HIM! If they honestly went into the season without him I would go ballistic and I am a patient man.

 

Imagine if they gave Romero his job back and not Morrow based only on spring training. Can you say s*** show?

[awsomest]

This organizations obsession with small sample sizes is terrifying

[Sammy225]

I want to say I'd be done with the team, but this forum would be amazing if that happened.

 

You would still have people defend it because R.R had the Better ERA this spring....

[John_Havok]

At least they are taking the Dickey effect into consideration and wanting guys with velocity behind Dickey.

 

Or, more likely, they're flipping a coin and it came up Hutchison.

[The_DH]

It's not a bad idea to work in rookies behind a knuckler.

[Angrioter]

This organizations obsession with small sample sizes is terrifying

 

Dickey...decent season and CY. Trade best catcher prospect and stud Synderlander for him.

[Angrioter]

Neil Wagner optioned to Triple-A Buffalo by Toronto Blue Jays

[Convo]

Neil Wagner optioned to Triple-A Buffalo by Toronto Blue Jays

 

Oh why.... I thought at 29 he learned how to pitch (last year)? In any case I enjoyed watching him. Who's our 8-man BP going to be then?

[Convo]

Janssen

Delabar

Santos

Cecil

Loup

Rogers

Redmond

McGowan

 

Wagner never stood a chance.

 

Makes sense... McGowan was originally to be groomed as a possible starter, what happened to that? Also I thought it possible that Redmond or Rogers would be the 5th (assuming Happ is out).

[ElNik2013]

Makes sense... McGowan was originally to be groomed as a possible starter, what happened to that? Also I thought it possible that Redmond or Rogers would be the 5th (assuming Happ is out).

 

 

 

McGowan was apparently sick for a week so that set him back on being stretched out, but he threw 2 innings in a recent game (yesterday?) so they're still going ahead with that from what I can see.

 

 

Redmond and Rogers just haven't pitched very well to this point, but all 3 should still be in the mix although it's Happ's job to lose at this point since Hutchison is just running away with one of the spots. All these guys need is a new release point and they'll lock it up.

[Convo]

McGowan was apparently sick for a week so that set him back on being stretched out, but he threw 2 innings in a recent game (yesterday?) so they're still going ahead with that from what I can see.

 

 

Redmond and Rogers just haven't pitched very well to this point, but all 3 should still be in the mix although it's Happ's job to lose at this point since Hutchison is just running away with one of the spots. All these guys need is a new release point and they'll lock it up.

 

It's a little ridiculous how much weight is being put on these ST outings, and at the same time all I'm hearing is ST stats don't matter and yet it totally f***ing does for these guys being considered for the rotation. Even Justin Verlander could have 9 bad innings. I think a smart organization would not be basing much off these performances... baseball is a very random game and small sample sizes are truly not enough to judge a player, let alone determine his position going into the season (they should be looking at past performance more so). And of course a smart organization would not even be in this situation in the first place.

[Convo]

The team should be basing almost nothing on ST. The only example I can really think of in which I get spring having a big impact is in the case of a guy like Hutchison, who's showing he's healthy and ready to pick up where he left off.

 

Doesn't "seem" that way at all... though I would of wanted Hutch in the rotation anyway based on what I saw from him in 2012 before he got injured.

[ElNik2013]

It's a little ridiculous how much weight is being put on these ST outings, and at the same time all I'm hearing is ST stats don't matter and yet it totally f***ing does for these guys being considered for the rotation. Even Justin Verlander could have 9 bad innings. I think a smart organization would not be basing much off these performances... baseball is a very random game and small sample sizes are truly not enough to judge a player, let alone determine his position going into the season (they should be looking at past performance more so). And of course a smart organization would not even be in this situation in the first place.

 

 

 

It is what it is, the team had Happ as its 4th SP going into ST so there was going to be competition for the final spot, now it looks like Hutchison is running away with 1 spot and Happ's spot could be up for grabs. I was hoping guys like Redmond and Rogers would pitch well and hopefully trade one of them to a team looking for SP depth.

 

Ideally, yes, every spot should be set, but there are other teams who have decisions to make as well during ST.

[ElNik2013]

So Jeff Blair writes in a column that the Blue Jays matched the Phillies' offer for Burnett and most posters say they don't believe him.

 

Then the same Jeff Blair claims he hears that Morrow's spot in the rotation is not secure and some posters assume it's true and go nuts over it.

 

 

Anyway, it's been a tough winter.

[Angrioter]

Janssen

Delabar

Santos

Cecil

Loup

Rogers

Redmond

McGowan

 

Wagner never stood a chance.

 

McGowan DL, Jeffreeesssss 8th

[jaysfan2014]

Mike McDade is back with the Jays, signing a minor-league contract.

 

http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140314&content_id=69358184&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_t422&sid=t422

[flafson]

[reedjohnsonfan]

The team should be basing almost nothing on ST. The only example I can really think of in which I get spring having a big impact is in the case of a guy like Hutchison, who's showing he's healthy and ready to pick up where he left off.

 

Ya I don't know why you think ST means nothing so that's a pretty bad comment IMO. It's about scouting, not what their numbers suggest. Evaluating what a player has accomplished since September is very important, why do you think it's worth nothing?

[reedjohnsonfan]

Following "that's a pretty bad comment IMO" with #scouting, is a pretty bad comment.

 

why? that's really what ST is all about. Seeing who's improved and who hasn't. The actual stats mean almost nothing. What are you talking about?

[reedjohnsonfan]

What players on this team, in your opinion, should have their status dictated by how they look in spring? The only guy I can think of is Hutchison, who is coming off of surgery and has options. Every other roster position should be decided by past results and options.

 

Potentially most players but I agree Hutchison is the main pitcher to look out for. You could say Drabek who's of course in a similar position. Romero who I am by no means defending is another interesting case. Morrow seems to look bigger and stronger, so that's a positive that you see in ST. I thought you were talking in more general terms.

[fireballW]

What players on this team, in your opinion, should have their status dictated by how they look in spring? The only guy I can think of is Hutchison, who is coming off of surgery and has options. Every other roster position should be decided by past results and options.

 

Drabek is in about the exact same position as Hutchison. With how good his control was, if he had come in throwing strikes each game in ST then it should have definitely had an influence. McGowan if he was healthy and had all his stuff working (mid-90's fastball + awesome off speed pitches) would have worked his way into the rotation. Even Romero, yeah if he all of a sudden looks like the old Romero (which AA hinted at his stuff all of a sudden looking better than it had in two years) then OF COURSE all of a sudden you need to start thinking about him over Happ.

 

It is called "position battles". It is not smart to lock up your rotation without even checking out the players in ST. The whole point to position battles is that it is already close between the players, whether it be injuries or results, so whoever looks better in ST should get them job. By better that doesn't mean results, but velocity, command, off speed stuff of course. And if a pitcher is showing that it usually follows that they'd be having good results in the spring.