Seattle Sports Insider

Rotation Seedings - Official Program

Posted by

2/11/12

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=== Git Yer Programs, Only Eight Bucks ===

The official Mariners' pre-camp rotation handicap, going off this report and other MLB-approved buzzlines this winter:

1 Felix
2 Vargas
3 Iwakuma
5a Noesi
5a Millwood
5a Beavan
5b Furbush
5c Hultzen
5c Paxton
5c Ramirez

In any organization, there are good reasons for listing the depth chart with the kids at back. In Jack Zduriencik's organization, there are eight times as many good reasons. The man never met a pink backpack he didn't like. Oh well, whatever, nevermind...

=== Don't Flash Your Stud Card, Dude ===

Carl Willis sez, in Geoffy's report,

"It should be a very interesting competition for a couple of spots,'' Willis said.

Not to mention newcomers Danny Hultzen, James Paxton and Taijuan Walker, all minor leaguers who could crack the majors within the next two years. One or two could even make the big leagues this season, though they remain longshots to do so out of camp.

"Everybody's real excited about the young kids,'' Willis said. "And what I'm excited about is, if they come in here and earn it then let's go!''

Dr. D cordially invites all you lesser blogs to interpret "IF THEY COME IN HERE" as referring to someplace other than Arizona, such as Kowloon, gay Paree or, ummm, Cheney...

Last winter, also, Jack Zduriencik flatly stated that he expected James Paxton to come TO CAMP and "make a statement." Granted, you could emulsify that comment into meaning "a statement that he would prefer not to be in AA very long." However, we gentlemanly suggest that all pitchers make those statements, in every start that they make...

When Zduriencik signed Danny Hultzen, he also flatly stated that Hultzen would be given a fair chance to make the 2012 Seattle Mariners' rotation out of spring training.

Slightly-more-attended blogs smiled at that and figured, well, he has to say that. Slightly-more-alert blogs, those being SSI and the impending super-blog DetectoVision.Net, noticed that Zduriencik's comment came at the end of a long evening's worth of death-slash negotiation with Hultzen's agent.

Quick translation guide for you, homeys. If you're in the box with a power lawyer for 18 hours, and you come out looking hollow-eyed and emergency-transfused, and you wearily intone to 9,000 cameras "He'll have a shot at the rotation next spring," that translates as "He'll have a shot at the rotation next spring." The dialectic form is "We wanted this guy bad enough that we took him even though we might lose a year in 2012."

And good for them. If this guy is half of what Jay-Z thinks he is, he is Cole Hamels. Zduriencik didn't trade Michael Pineda because he thinks Blake Beavan has his back.

Comments

Hultzen's only a #4, so it doesn't really matter

Or so says the World Wide Leader of Scouting.
Hultzen is listed behind Cole (#10), Bundy (#11), Bradley (#19) and Bauer (#21) all from his draft class. Why?

Hultzen was the highest-probability college arm in the 2011 Rule 4 draft, and went second overall on that basis despite lacking the ceiling...
His best pitch is a changeup, usually above-average if not better, but the pitch wasn't working for him in the Arizona Fall League after a four-month layoff. His slider was fringy all spring but a little sharper in the fall...
He's probably a solid No. 3 in a good big league rotation, maybe slightly less than that, but with the advantage of needing very little time in the minors to continue to develop.

Glad we wasted a #2 overall pick on a #3-4 starter. *shakes head* It's funny how for some people "upside" = "velocity." Felix isn't throwing as hard as he used to, but he's a far better pitcher now. Moyer was a #2 for a good long time while throwing about 85 mph.
The fact that Hultzen DIDN'T have a great changeup or his killer slider and STILL demolished the AFL should say something. Apparently to Keith Law it said "eh starter, not nearly as sexy as Cole..."
I'm on record for being a fan of Bauer and thinking he was the best pitcher in this draft. But I am not a fan of Cole, and hearing Hultzen called a middle-of-the-rotation arm at best baffles me.
I think the IP limits we'll likely have on Paxton and Hultzen may limit some of the impact they can have with the big-league club this year...but I wouldn't count em out especially if they show like Pineda did at camp last year that more time in the minors was a waste.
Both of them will not break camp with the Ms, but I'd hope that they will push hard for one spot in the rotation. They're impact arms. We'll see if they have the control and stuff to dice major leaguers in March.
~G

As the old saying goes...

...every time Keith Law opens his mouth, an angel (and not the California type) loses its wings, falls from heaven, is run over by a mack truck, gets eaten as roadkill by a hillbilly from West Virginny and winds up in the Gulf of Mexico as raw sewage.
Keith Law wouldn't know a prospect - especially a pitcher - if he was staring at the born-again Satchel Paige.

50% of the great SP's right now lack 93 mph fastballs

Cliff Lee
Jered Weaver
Dan Haren
Halladay is 92.0 mph - Hultzen can probably do that
Cole Hamels
Jon Lester
Greinke is 92.5
Against those six, you have Felix, Sabathia, Kershaw, Verlander, Price and Lincecum.
If that's all there is to scouting, to call the next Justin Verlander or Michael Pineda, I think we could all be scouts. It takes a Billy Beane to call the next Dan Haren, and a Jack Zduriencik to call the next Danny Hultzen...

Oh man! Klat really needs

recs, or sPoints or something, because this comment would have 100 at least! :)

Hilarious and oh so true!