Please welcome YOUR Pe - ORRR - ia Jav - a - LEEEN - as!

Spectator here:

Z sez: Arizona Fall League is like a AA all-star league.  So it's the perfect landing spot for:

The professional debut of The Talented Mr. Ackley

Z sez: all 3 OF spots and 1b (implied: no 2b project) -- "what we want him to get is at-bats."  Stephen Strasburg will be there, too, BTW.

The return from crutches of the once-and-future Carlos Triunfel

Z sez: "the big thing is playing time"  (he is listed as "infielder")

A brighter spotlight for Phillippe Aumont and Josh Fields

Z sez re Aumont: "He's in the bullpen because of what we think he's going to be. We even went back to when he was a junior in high school. We looked at this big, physical guy, and said that guy has the stuff to be a back-end of the game type of guy. When we made the decision, it was strictly because of what he is. He's a big, physical, strong guy. It takes longer to develop a guy as a starter. This guy could be there in a hurry. We think he has the mental capacity to eventually handle that role."

I don't know, but that's what they're saying.  Churchill claims Aumont has a hip problem that will keep him as a short relief guy, but Z didn't go there.

Aumont has had some spotty outings at AA for a 5.09 ERA, but 24 Ks in 17.2 IP. 

Z sez re Fields: "He would go anyway." Zduriencik said. "He's making up time for a lost year last year with a little bit of missed time this year. But, he would have been there anyhow this year simply because what you want to do is accelerate your top guys and put them against good competition. He's had a learning experience this year. He hasn't thrown a ton of innings; he's been a one or two-inning guy. He gets a chance to go down there and compete and it'll be a good gauge for him."

Fields put together a hot streak in early July but has been way ugly since, with 14 hits and 9 walks in his last 8 IP.  But he does have 36 K in 33.1 IP.

Z sez re the closer role: "Philosophically, when a guy gets to the big leagues, you don't put him in that closer role initially. You let him work his way. What we'd like for Aumont, or Fields, or any guys along those lines, is to be able to throw more than one inning. You'd love him to be able to throw three innings, we'd certainly like them to throw two. If they come up and have success, and Josh Fields is a seventh-inning pitcher, or Philippe Aumont, whoever it is, and they go out an have success, eventually they matriculate into a closer's role.

"But to stamp a guy and say this guy is a closer -- we might think that, but there's so much of a mental game that goes into that. Not only does he have to be physically ready, he has to be mentally ready, too. Sometimes that's just a matter of experience."

The guy on the "also going to the AFL" list to learn more about: 1st Lt. Nick Hill, West Point '07 (more here: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_military_athletes_021909/)

Good human interest, but then he runs off 90.2 IP in AA with 91 K/22 BB.  Maybe he's a lefty version of a Fister-sleeper type candidate, but at the minimum he can be a lefty in the pen with 90-ish stuff and "bulldog" attitude.  If so, he would be the first West Pointer to play in MLB.

Comments

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Like hearing Capt Jack emphasize the reality that the closing situation shakes itself out on the MLB team.   ... even if a guy is an established closer - Morrow or whoever -- he's still one bad week away from changing roles.
You really don't decide that a guy will close in AA, but you can target him for a short-relief spot...

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