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I like taking no risk fliers on players like this.
Worst-case scenario hes AAA depth. A guy you can call on when someone goes down.
POTD Jesus Colome
If you're a rotogeek, Jesus Colome has probably been on your roster several times. He was an upper-90's relief prospect for the D-Rays in more than one "shaky-closer" season.
Plenty of K's, plenty of potential, so far doodly in terms of helping his clubs win. Will he be this year's Aardsma? Very possible.
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Q. What's the basic idea, bringing in Colome, other than the vague spaghetti-against-the-wall cliche?
A. Spaghetti-against-the-wall explains some things, but doesn't explain others. I mean, you don't bring in Dave Fleming or Dr. D for spring training. Each player brought in gets a locker, takes up valuable airtime in March.
Shannon Drayer on 710-AM asked Tony Blengino this question on Hot Stove recently, with the implication, is there something special about Colome?
Blengino's reply was interesting. The main reason: to push the frontrunners and create legitimate competition. To reinforce the idea that if you don't win a job, you won't be here (my words, not his).
"Every team brings in guys to push the incumbents, and if Colome doesn't work out, he gives you depth at AAA and last year, we used several of those guys in Safeco," as he put it, paraphrased.
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Q. Could Jesus Colome push the frontrunners?
A. Blengino emphasized an anti-sabermetric, but valid, principle: Colome has an arm you cannot teach -- a "Big Arm" as Blengino put it.
He pointed out, with guys like "Colome, sometimes all it takes is a certain tweak" from a pitching coach. Or a great defense behind him, to create a comfort zone, a confidence to throw strikes, "and the light comes on."
Fishing for plateau leaps is an art, not a science. The M's judgment told them that Colome is a more worthwhile fishing expedition than most guys are.
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Q. Any reason to believe that Colome could be close?
A. Blengino stated that he thought Colome has shown better command lately, which could be the harbinger of a bustout.
Hm. ... Colome threw all of 35 innings last year -- yes, at much lower BB rates.
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Q. Template?
A. Colome is not dissimilar to David Aardsma:
- Averaged a full 94.7 mph on the fastball in 2009, exactly the same as Papelbon, +0.7mph over Aardsma and -0.7 mph behind Brandon League
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- Threw the FB a mortal ton, 82% of the time, which would have been 7th in baseball
- Increased use of FB associated with much better control
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- Has had a journeyman yo-yo ride between majors and minors
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- Colome in minors: 8.1k, 3.8bb, 0.6 homers. Aardsma 8.4k, 4.1bb, 0.6 homers.
- Colome in majors: 6.9k, 4.7bb, 1.1 homers. Aardsma 9.1k, 5.2bb, 0.9 homers.
I would say that the biggest difference between the two pitchers is that Colome has a well-balanced, drop-and-drive delivery and that Aardsma's funky delivery hides the ball better. I think it was Dave Allen or somebody who pointed out that Aardsma's FB, due to location and release point, adds +2 mph or something.
David Aardsma came into Safeco and pelted batters with letter-high FB's all year long, "surprisingly" finding a 2.4 control ratio in the friendly confines.
Not hard at all to imagine Jesus Colome have a few balls hit at slick-gloved fielders, have a few fly balls caught on the warning track, and "surprisingly" emerging as a legit short reliever in the AL.
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Q. Dr's Diagnosis?
A. Again, it's nice to have non-roster invitees coming in with bad intentions. The political days of Roberto Petagine invites and in-house civil wars seem a long way off.
You're going to throw spaghetti, nice to get the Olive Garden cilantro'ed marinara rather than the Chef-Boy-ar-Dee can to the noggin.
Cheers,
Dr D
Comments
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that there's a legitimate upside scenario there, as with Colome.
In the Bavasi/Hargrove era there was obviously real tension between the two, bringing in players to legitimately challenge the incumbents. Exemplified by Petagine.
As far as I could tell, Hargrove believed that MLB(TM) vets who had paid their dues had the right not to be challenged in March.
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I see there is a mystery team interested in Wang. Could that be the Ms? Also, any truth to the rumor of a trade for Harang?? There will be a trade or two during ST. With the glut of quality players on the roster. That has to be a given, don't you think?
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...Heard on the radio an anecdote about one of Holmgren's early Seahawks pre-seasons... Addressing the team, he points to Walter Jones, and says, 'Everyone but that guy has to earn a spot on this team' LOL ! OR somesuch.
A bit different in baseball where contracts are guranteed. But man, in real life, complacency is soooo easy to drift in to. The relentlessness of this front office in pushing THEMSELVES to put together the best roster, the best development system, the best talent evaluation system, will translate in to relentless effort on the field. This is getting to be some kind of fun.
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Everybody knows that Franklin Gutierrez is the starter in CF. But everywhere that competition can reasonably occur, it does... with Hargrove, everywhere a vet had paid his dues, competition didn't occur.
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and he's been linked to the M's amigo. If the M's get it done on Harang, everybody will find out at the same time. :- )
We could surmise that with Felix signed, and the M's planning to offer Lee close to $20m a year, the payroll space for Harang would be pretty tough...