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JOE WEILAND and the BULLPEN PROSPECTUS
Here come the fire-sale'd A's minus their Two Big Guns. Seeing that Monday is also a spray can into the flat tire, we're into bullpen questions before we even begin here.
The plumped for Weiland on Monday. He has got a lifetime FIP of 5.59 based on an unlikely combination of 90 MPH fastball, oodles of 75 MPH change curves, and the inclination to throw 3-1 fastballs that take plenty of the strike zone. Few walks but plenty of upper-tank shots to take their place.
But! Weiland is on the run of his life in AAA. Last start, he fanned 10 men (!) against 1 walk, and ... has done pretty much the same thing for five starts in a row. Why have him around if he's not going to get a shot at a start like this, right? Just 'cause a guy ain't going to win a hundred games in the big leagues, don't mean he can't pitch well at any given time.
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ARIEL MIRANDA
In this article, Dr. D opined that Miranda's static, arm-flinging motion is both his own best friend and his own worst enemy. In this followup article, he admired the sheer ballet of Miranda's unusual pitch mix:
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This delightful arsenal gave the Tigers 99 kinds of problems with their timing. Could honestly see a scenario in which Miranda performed at least as well in the big leagues as he did in AAA.
On that front, today's Hey Bill has material towards the question of, "What kind of AAA pitchers have the most problem with transition?" Answer, those who can induce dumb swings from minor leaguers. Miranda is exactly the opposite of that. His is a "major league style" pitch mix, one well suited to getting ahead in the count and staying there. One start in, Dr. D is probably as optimistic about Miranda as he ever was about Roenis Elias.
No guarantees, of course, but I'll take this kind of dice roll over an Antony Vazques kind of dice roll. Pitchers do come out of the woodwork to help in pennant drives; most surprise contenders have found a couple of surprise starting pitchers.
Hey, Billy Beane does it two or three times a year...
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SCRATCH THAT
Since Miranda pitched in the 15-inning game, it seems that the M's tweaked the order - Weiland tonight, Miranda on Monday, presumably. So, we'll be watching the game through slitted fingers, hoping that bloop curve stays down in the zone. ::: eeeeek :::
Miranda threw very well on August 4th, and threw one inning (only 17 pitches) three days ago, which could have been called his throw day. Quite unnecessary to scratch him tonight. We'll consider this a statement of enthusiasm for the hot roll that has enveloped Joe Weiland. OK, JeDi, keep fighting... help yer boyz out with this one ...
Fantasy Baseball Dept: maybe they like Zeus' chances to go on Monday? Nnnnahhhhh....
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ZUUMBALL, GUTI and the WRECKIN' CREW
Overall prospectus is --- > a hope that the M's will win two of three in 7-4 type slugfests. Here are the 14-day splits for the hitters. With the back of the rotation up this weekend, this club will prolly have to #KeepSlugging.
Early lineups give O'Malley in left, Gutierrez in right and Zuumball against the lefty Manea.
BABVA,
Dr D
Divish: Paxton said he felt some tightness in his elbow when he played catch yesterday. The next two days could determine when he would throw next. But he admitted he'll need a bullpen session. Seems like Weds or Thurs now.
Drayer mentioned that it wasn't just the one inning he threw - it was indeed his regular throw day so he'd thrown a full bullpen that morning, never expecting to be in the game. The combination of warm up, throw bullpen, ice down, sit all day, then warm up and throw game-stress pitches was the reasoning on pushing him back. It's not like he's a crafty, rubber-arm Moyer, or Wakefield with a no-arm-stress knuckler. They could get away with it. Randy, too. But he isn't those guys.