Tyler Olson and David Rollins
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Q. Where was David Rollins when last sighted, and did the March 15th game change anything?
A. Rollins pounds a wicked overhand heater and has little to go with it. You can organize your thinking if you go "the young Matt Thornton with a skosh less stuff and miles better polish."
Rollins' fastball is special. That would only make sense, 'cause you have Rule 5'ed a guy who has nothing BUT a fastball. As compared to (say) Roenis' Elias' fastball, you've got:
- A good bit more length (and that's saying plenty)
- An "easier" velocity
- More strikes and command
- A nasty cutting action (in on righties)
- A more downhill plane
Yep, David Rollins' fastball is worth the price of admission. B'lee DAT.
On the other hand, Rollins calls his slider and change "works in progress." He's right. There are many, many AA pitchers who throw better ones.
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March 15th did nothing that Dr. D knows of, to kick the soccer ball down the field. You can safely assume that 2015, if Rollins is here all season, will be a Young-Matt-Thornton type season.
The house would be burning a big chunk of its roster flexibility in order to rake an Elias-type asset back off the pot. ... Not that the 2015 Rollins won't be able to get outs with a 95 MPH downhill left hand fastball. Rollins next to Joe Beimel? :: gah ::
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Q. Where was Tyler Olson when we last saw him?
A. Olson would be what SSI modestly calls a "best bet," do not capitalize the B's do not stick this in the James Paxton category. Olson's chance at a big league career is VERY high, in my book. Like 80%, 90% if he doesn't hurt himself.
Olson is a best bet why? --- > he needs absolutely zero improvement or adjustment in order to have a nice major league career. That's rare. He don' need to add a pitch. He don' need to learn the league. He don' need to adjust back after the scouting comes in on him.
All in the world Tyler Olson needs to do, is to execute the pitches he has been executing. There is no refutation against what he is doing. You realize: in sports, a certain portion of it consists of "hope your opponent misses." If Philip Rivers is going to throw a dime between two defenders 15 different times in the 115-degree weather, you're going to lose. If a left hand reliever is going to hit the black with a crossfire fastball, you're not going to do a lot with it.
We don't say that Olson will execute like this. But it looks good.
His last outing did little to diminish the jaw-drop factor. The kid enjoys doing his thang. If he is capable of continuing to do it, he will be effective. That's all.
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And here they were always tellin' us to point the toe down. C'mon David ...
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Q. Predictions?
A. Ask any major league player and they'll say "We want to see the second half of March. We've seen it happen a million times - a guy looks good first half of March, and then actual games on March 20th and 22nd overthrow your evaluation."
Actually they say It's Got To Play Out. But y'know.
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You can ride that horse too hard, to where it becomes a cliche, more a knee-jerk reaction than actual thought. You don't say that about Seth Smith, do you?
It's pretty clear to SSI who Tyler Olson is. It's absolutely clear who David Rollins is -- Rollins is triangulated probably more than James Paxton or Austin Jackson are. It's more certain what Rollins will do.
There is a mild-to-moderate sense of wonder as to whether Olson can sustain this level of sharpness. ... Not a lot of wonder. If it takes you six weeks to get Andrew Luck figgered, that's on you. Some guys let you know real quick.
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Q. Deal Rollins back to Houston? Or deal an Erasmo-type to defuse the Rule 5 clause (whereupon any demotion of Rollins sends him back to Houston)?
A. That would be sweet, but I'm guessing Houston is peeved and not eager to deal. Somebody else (G, Spec, or chime in amigo) tell us how frequently org's work win-win, amicable deals on "sexy" prospects who have been Rule Fived. I'll guess gingerly, it's real tough. Could be wrong.
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Q. Do you trade off the short-term (Olson) to gain the org asset? Do YOU?
A. :- /
There's a crunchy differential between their personalities, too. Rollins is, by all accounts, the chemist type, quiet, studious, and even-keeled. Tyler Olson exudes swagger. It's a whale of a smackdown.
... Probably the responsible thing to do is to hang on to your asset. The difference between the two is not great, and neither one of them is in a position to make a big fat hurkin' difference this year. It ain't going to kill you to hang on to Rollins for two months and then re-assess. You send him back then, you haven't lost anything.
I know which one is more fun to watch pitch, though. Dr. D is big on swagger. If you aren't excited about your own shtick, how do you expect me to be?
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Q. Prediction?
A. Lucas Leutge, of course. Just can't shake the conditioning of the Hargrove Era, I guess.
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Enjoy,
Dr D