BlueJays claim Preston Guilmet and Scott Barnes

[glory]

Am I the only one who thinks Drabek can be a good reliever? I mean, he was trash as a starter, but most good relievers are failed starters.

[LongTimeReader]

I think it depends on how we phrase upside. I define upside, for relievers, as the ability to post 1ish wins out of the pen

 

If by potential you mean the ability for Drabek and Delabar to be serviceable pen guys... well, I guess it's possible... but I certainly wouldn't bet on it...

 

Delabar looks like he's peeked already (never going to meet that potential again)

 

Drabek sure you could say he's still not far from his TJ, but the guys been bad for a long time

[GD]

If by potential you mean the ability for Drabek and Delabar to be serviceable pen guys... well, I guess it's possible... but I certainly wouldn't bet on it...

 

Delabar looks like he's peeked already (never going to meet that potential again)

 

Drabek sure you could say he's still not far from his TJ, but the guys been bad for a long time

 

Yes, potential. Not probable outcome. Very different things, lol

[RealAccountant]

People forget how many games jays blew early in the season last year thanks to Santos and not having a strong relief core.

[King]

People forget how many games jays blew early in the season last year thanks to Santos and not having a strong relief core.

 

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2014_04_17_tormlb_minmlb_2&mode=recap&c_id=min

[Stangstag]

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2014_04_17_tormlb_minmlb_2&mode=recap&c_id=min

 

Ugh that was disgusting. Why did you have to remind of that s***

[burlingtonbandit]

AA must have really loved my Breaking Blue article, first he acquires Travis now Guilmet. lol

 

http://www.breakingblue.ca/2013/11/22/the-expendables/

 

 

 

Next on his list Christian Binford. j/k

 

Lol funny seeing Yan Gomes catch Guilmet in that video.

[ElNik2013]

People forget how many games jays blew early in the season last year thanks to Santos and not having a strong relief core.

 

 

So going into last season, you thought the "relief core" was not strong?

 

 

If true, there must be a link.

[Boxcar]

Here's a scouting report:

 

Scouting Report: After starting 15 games for Mahoning Valley after he was drafted in 2009, the former Arizona Wildcat was shifted to a bullpen role. He became the closer for Lake County midway through the 2010 season, and filled that same role for Kinston in 2011 and Akron in 2012. He’s racked up 70 saves in the past three seasons, and has posted a 2.26 ERA since leaving the starting rotation. In addition to the solid ERA, he’s posted an extremely impressive WHIP of 0.938 as a reliever.

 

Guilmet throws from a unique arm angle, coming at hitters from straight over the top with a very high release point. He’s primarily a two-pitch pitcher, working off of his fastball/splitter combination. His fastball sits in the high 80’s, and tops out at around 91. He commands it extremely well within the zone, and does a nice job spotting the pitch to get ahead in the count. His out pitch is his splitter, a pitch that has excellent action down through the zone that is accentuated by his arm angle. The pitch generates most of Guilmet’s strikeouts, and when hitters do make contact with it a ground ball is generally the result. Every once in a while, he’ll slip up and the pitch will hang in the zone, and that’s when he can get hit hard. Guilmet also throws a slider to give him a pitch with some horizontal movement, but pitches mostly off the fastball/splitter combo.

 

Guilmet is one of those guys who’s results outpace his scouting reports. Looking solely at his raw numbers, you see a guy who looks like a dominant minor league closer. But when you see him pitch, you see a guy who succeeds based on fastball command and a deceptive delivery. He’s not unlike former Indians minor league reliever Cory Burns. Burns has put up even better numbers than Guilmet in his minor league career, but was roughed up pretty badly in his lone cup of coffee in The Show. Guilmet has already seen both his strikeout and groundball rates drop after his promotion to AA, and as he continues to climb the organizational ladder he will find it tougher and tougher to get by on command and deception alone. It’s tough to be an effective reliever without at least an above-average fastball, but the Indians are hoping Guilmet can continue to buck the trend at AAA Columbus this season.

 

Glass half-full: A solid backend reliever

Glass half-empty: Guilmet’s lack of velocity catches up to him, and he tops out at AAA

 

Sounds like another Josh Collmenter.