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KING LEONYDAS
Has looked exactly like we thought he'd look. Really bad, and worse than that, beyond hope.
Ever golf with a guy who uses the 1-wood no matter how tight the trees or how distant the brook? Who slices it OB three times a round, and three times unleashes a string of displeasantries, exactly as though it's the first time that OB ever happened to him? Leonys could have 2 strikes on him with a man on 3rd, 1 out, for the pennant, and he would grab the 1-wood with a couple fingers off the handle.
Hand-eye coordination looks iffy from here, too. Swings way under high heat, tops 88 mph stuff at the knees. Considering the intersection of the talent deficit and the attitude deficit, we can see how the Rangers decided to show a 3-WAR player the clubhouse door.
It's mid-March as we speak. And Dr. D truly will not be surprised if Leonys is batting .350 on May 1. He just reports what his CF camera is telling him. Scroll on down, pardner.
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MIKE MONTGOMERY
They did a fair bit of shtick on the idea that Montgomer has never ever relieved before. Meaning, never warmed up super fast, never gone max effort to 4 hitters. He's never grabbed the ball and hucked it while unworried about his 3rd trip through the lineup. (I can respect that.)
In Saturday's game, it was a little surprising that Montgomery had nothing extra on the fastball. Most guys who are 92 in the rotation, can touch 95 in the 'pen. Not here. Not this one game, is all.
He DID extend very well on his 84 changeup and his 77 curve. Very nose-to-leather, nice snap, looked great. No idea why he got hit. Not worried about it, either. First returns, the lad is a go for the bullpen.
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VIDAL NUNO
This is a starting pitcher who is just fine with relieving, thank you very much. The pitches are NCAA quality, but it's strike after strike after strike. In 2015, he got into 25 games out of the pen and fanned 39 while walking only 9. For some reason, MLB hitters had a bit harder time with the "punishment home runs" on Bullpenner Nino. He gave up a measly .229/.272/.336.
If they made Dr. D a manager for a month, he too would get very, very interested in the concept of a reliever who doesn't walk anybody and who doesn't get behind in counts, either. Nuno is quite unappetizing to watch. But.
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EFREN NAVARRO
Got an 88 MPH fastball very low and very in, precisely where most left hand batters order their 88 MPH's at Starbucks. Dutifully hit a 350-foot fly ball over the fence. (Earlier in the game, Ketel Marte hit a 400-foot triple off a much more big-league pitch.)
Got nothin' against Navarro. Just have no idea what he's doing in these games. And we don't mean, He shouldn't be in them .we mean, we do not understand what his future could possibly be here, short of a major lightning storm that took out 6 to 8 current players on the 25-man.
Ah. Says here that he was a longtime Angel, that they cut after DiPoto left. Well, baseball is built on relationships. Still. When Dr. D goes to RAINIERS games, much less Mariners games, he watches for the dynamic players.
:: he stops short :: although now that you mention it, that was a game that could have been given to Dae-Ho Lee 'cause Pizzano was the DH and Pizzano coulda done the LF work for Navarro. Siiiighhhhhhh. Like we say, Navarro is richer handsomer and a lot better baseball player than I am.
Your friend,
Curmudgeonly Detecto
