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Scout.com just put up a "spotlight" on Andrew Moore, who is not on the 40-man roster, but who WAS on Jerry Dipoto's list of 10 pitchers who could start in Safeco tomorrow. Naturally, that was eight Dipoto pitchers ago, so Moore's chances of a Day 4 start have dwindled.
Moore has a 176:33 control ratio in 202 minor league innings... as did John Halama, Ken Cloude and a bunch of guys. Still, there is something about the shorty Moore's profile that reminds Dr. D of Scott Bankhead ... no sooner had he made this connection, than he proceeded to listen to this ecstatic claim that Moore "just knows how to pitch." Exactly, EXACTLY what they said about Bankhead.
Some guys do. They've got the command and pitchability. Regarding Andrew Moore --- > SSI has no way of knowing. That's why we make the big bucks.
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Jeff Sullivan's Fangraphs chat had little to hold Dr. D's interest. This is rare. However, he and a reader did compare Felix Hernandez to Jamie Moyer (!?) which was info-taining. Problemo is, Felix' changeup isn't a changeup whereas Moyer's was. Still.
Felix can no longer work his way through the lineup of the Margarita Island Muchachos -- he put up an Ian Snell-like performance this week -- so Dr. D has downgraded him from "okay #2 starter" to the trendy "soft 3 hard 4" rotation slot. Well, Johns does point out that the last time Felix pitched over the winter, he came to camp razor-sharp. Went 19-5, 2.49 the year after he pitched in the WBC.
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Jason Churchill is doin' good work and he opines that the Mariners are four players away. A #1 pitcher, a #3-4 pitcher, a lockdown reliever, and an RBI bat at OF or 1B. The first part, that we're four players away, agreed. But the second part is key: four players away from what? From switching to the NFL and beating RGIII's head in?
No, seriously, Jason brings up some names, like Drew Smyly and Ian Kennedy. 's a good read.
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There will be some percentage of SSI readers who haven't yet seen Shohei Otani, who would apparently be worth a $689.1M contract if he were out there right now. (we're kidding, though it's not clear whether Fangraphs is or not.) Otani slugs .588, hits balls literally through domed roofs and happens to be the best pitcher in Japan. Here he is throwing a 102.5 MPH fastball.
Otani is shooting for a 2018 debut in MLB, but you don't need to wait until then to follow him. Dr. D has two favorite teams, the Mariners and Otani. When you want to kill a few minutes, these videos are the way to go. They warn that he "is not a character of animation" and call him the "strongest" baseball player. HEH
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Jose Bautista is open to a 1-year contract, but he wants it to have a high average annual value. That headline and post are great on SOOooooo many levels, ain't they? Here's where we really find out what a player is worth, one year, one hundred RBI's. I'll start the roto bidding at $40. I think that's the way Boras would phrase it, too. Forty.
BABVA,
Dr D