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Interested in Hagadone's rhythm this spring, more or less?  Probably more "More."

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Q.  What's the template?

A.  At 9+ strikeouts for his ML career, 4.5 walks is quite a few.  There aren't all that many managers who want to put out a fire by walking the next hitter, so it's problematic to LOOGY him against a lefty cleanup hitter with the bases loaded.

His pitch mix is an inverted Farquhar:  can hit mid-90's but is in love with a little 89 cutter.  Has a Zito-esque curve but for some reason F/X says he barely ever uses it.  You can safely presume what that "some reason" is, as you can with K-Pax.

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Q.  He goes into camp with a real shot?

A.  Hagadone is a "control his own fate" guy as opposed to a "depth chart, if the other guys don't deliver then I'm the layering" guy.  If everybody in camp had their best possible camp, Hagadone would be on the 25-man.

Going Opening Day.

well, y'know

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Q.  Like what?

A.  Here is a video of Hagadone striking out the side, conveniently enough using his 1, 2, and 3 pitches in order:

1  Overhand 95 fastball, quite pronounced downhill plane.  So why is Hagadone is an extreme flyball pitcher?  You tell me

2  Zito-class drop curve, no idea why this pitch is only an 8-percenter.  Ah!  Come to find out this is called a ... wait for it ... Lawn Dart Curve

3  High cutter, fortunately keeps it just enough away from a lefty (gives Dr D the Farquhar shudders)

Gives you a feel for the reality, that --- > his left hand stuff is plenty 'nuff for the major leagues, but his lifetime 4.72 ERA speaks to what happens when he hangs that breaking stuff.  Lifteime +3.00 run value on the cutters and sliders.

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Q.  Upside being?

A.  Hey, guys like Matt Thornton and Gil Meche can change org's and see results.  Maybe the M's can get Hagadone's curve rolling and junk his cutter, or something.  Actually it would be sweet to watch him start games, but he hasn't been able to hold up to 30 innings per year as it is.

This is neither here nor there, but you've got a whale of a lot of similarities between Hagadone and James Paxton.  Visually.  Which touches on the reason we've always swooned over K-Pax; put the two pitchers side by side and it's Before And After the Magic Sparkle Dust.  There are guys out there who are kinda like James Paxton, as there are guys out there who are kinda like Steph Curry.

Jerry Dipoto gives us his usual informative shtick on Hagadone here.  Dipoto thinks we may not have seen Hagadone's best; that would be 97 MPH with a "real lawn dart" curve.  HEH

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Q.  Leaving us where?

A.  So you've got an oft-injured local, super great attitude Always Wanted to be a Mariner, special talent even by major league standards, who gives a lotto ticket's chance at suddenly becoming Matt Thornton for a year or three.  Check Thornton's 2008-10.

Will be easy to tell if Hagadone hits the lotto and pulls it together.  He'll be the one at the epicenter of Cloverfield Park.  Won't have to strain to hear him comin'.

Enjoy,

jemanji