SB Nation User Blog: JWallace

Could Sexson be the new Gomes?

JWallace — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:54:11 -0000

I'm not sure I'd advocate this, but if we wanted to upgrade from Jonny Gomes for cheap, the newly released Richie Sexson may be an option. (?)

Now before everyone flames me for it, look at his numbers versus lefthanded pitching.

Avg. .344/OBP.423/ SLG.623.

Gomes meanwhile:

.194/.289/.432

I'd rather turn to a Xavier Nady or similar more dependable option, but Sexson, for as bad as he's been is better against lefties than Gomes this year.

Poll

What should we do about a lefty masher?

David Price.....drool...now 3-0 in AA

JWallace — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:26:23 -0000

Wow....David Price is getting no challenge in AA. His third start on Sunday: 7 IP, 4 hits, 1 BB, 6 Ks.

Combined on the two levels, he is 7-0, with a 1.68 ERA and a .210 batting average against. And god bless the lefties who dare step in the box. They are sporting a .136 against him in AA. Ouch.

Could he jump another level this quickly? Or could he be in the Rays' pen by season's end?

Our weaknesses revealed: Gomes, Glover

JWallace — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:53:35 -0000

Okay, I think the Yanks helped Stu and the boys prioritize their needs heading to the trade deadline.

1. Lefties are killing us. Pettitte showed that deficiency last night. For whatever reason, Pena, Crawford and Aki are well below their numbers against lefties last year. Upton, Longoria and Navarro are the only one's really hitting lefties well. When Gomes can't reach base against lefties we basically have three Cliff Floyds (Gross, Cliff, Jonny). So as much as I'm waiting for Gomes to come around, it may be time to just go get right fielder like Nady to replace him.

2. G-Love. He clearly hasn't been effective this year. Maybe Reyes takes his spot after the break. But regardless we need a more trustworthy extra arm. I'm not sold it has to be Fuentes, but clearly we need another guy to work those game where we are down a run or two. Not sure Hammel or Glover should be on this team.

3. This may not be a weakness, but I don't know what Willie Aybar is about. I think he has value....but probably for a team that has a secondbase and thirdbase issues. Obviously he made a lot more sense before Longoria came up and before Hinske made the club. We now have four guys that can back up third base (Hinkse, Aki, Willie, Zobrist).

Now, all of this may be nit picky given we are in first. But I now believe this team could be world champions. I want a full roster for when we are in extra innings against the Angels or White Sox. We have a very good pen....lets make it great. We have the minor league talent to offer up to get that done.

Performance over Prospect = Sonnanstine

JWallace — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:49:03 -0000

We all do it. We look at the farm system and see they five tool guys hitting .230 and drool over the "potential." Then, there is the guy that just performs at every level and somehow never makes Baseball America's top list or gets a bobblehead in their first year in the bigs.

Then there are 13th round draft picks from Kent State hailing from the baseball mecca of Barberton, Ohio.

When I watch Andy Sonnanstine, I think of guys like Jamie Moyer and David Eckstein. Players the get over looked because of the "raw talents" of Corey Patterson, Mark Prior or Dewon Brazelton (groan here). Marc Topkin of the St Pete Times nails what Andy is all about today. He just wins. Though his fastball barely gets over 90 mph a couple of times a game, Andy controls what he has and thinks his way through games. Topkins drills this home with this graph:

"He was in the minors, compiling a 40-18 record. And after a couple-of-months adjustment period after his June 2007 promotion from Triple A, he has been in the majors, going 15-5 in 27 starts since Aug. 15."

Yet, he's the first guy we all seemingly look at as being in jeopardy as David Price crawls to the Trop. I know I have. But maybe its time we look up and marvel at the idea that we might have the ultimate bulldog pitcher on the mound every 5 days.

And David Price wins again!

JWallace — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:35:46 -0000

David Price continues to roll. He picked up his second win tonight, first in his new home stadium up there. The Montgomery newspaper has on their blog that Price let up five hits over six innings, walked two and struck out five.

Not lights out...but still Price continues his march to 2009. What you have to like about this guy is that he just wins at every level. He's like Longoria who just seems to win where ever he went from college up the ladder.

I've seen the future of CF and his name is Jennings

JWallace — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:20:52 -0000

Poor relay throws, lousy baserunning, misjudged fly balls, ugly instincts....

That pretty much described last night's Vero Rays vs. Reds game. It was sad watching most of the action....

Then came Desmond.

There was a shot heading for the gap in right-center field and the moment it left the bat, Jennings was on the move in the right direction (very un BJ like). And honestly, it didn't look like he was running that hard....but all of a sudden he was Andruw Jones, circa 1999, tracking the ball down. It was just beautiful. All of a sudden BJ's refusal to sign long term seems less troubling.

Though he had only one hit, each swing was really solid. Even his outs were hard outs. Anyhow, everything he did justified him being our best outfield prospect in the system.

Now for the ugly (and there was plenty):

-If that is the way Rocco Baldelli now has to run...Yikes. I mean there's a beatable infield hit and he is in a deliberate trot. I believe David Ortiz could have beaten him to the bag. Now, maybe he had just given up on the play as he came out of the box, given it is an A ball game. But boy, if that's how Rocco is going to play for now on, he's of no value. Will he be able to get to second on a shot in the gap?

- Evan Longoria shouldn't be worried at all about Cesar Suarez replacing him at third ever. Ranging two steps right or left is clearly asking too much for Suarez who made this silly dive to his left in which I swear if he just made two steps over he'd have had it. All night it seemed like he was in concrete shoes.

-Neil Walton gets lots of praise as having a great infield arm. And he sure does. He took a relay through from right field and launched a throw to the back stop on a rope. It was 10 feet higher than the catcher. I wondered if his eyes were open when he threw the ball.

-And LF Garrett Groce did his best BJ Upton. At the crack of the bat he started going back on the ball, which then dropped in front of him for a run scoring singled...sheesh. And at bat, he looked back at the ump on several called strikes.

Anyhow with David Price and Jeremy Hellickson gone, it appears Jennings is a man among boys in High-A ball.

Jake McGee issues

JWallace — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:12:29 -0000

Cruising BaseballAmerica.com, I came accross this nugget filed over the weekend by Ben Badler. Badler does a very nice job analyzing McGee's problems pitching beyond the fouth inning. Makes me wonder of McGee is really a starter prospect long term. Could his future be the bullpen....anyhow, here's what Badler wrote:

"For McGee, the problems have usually come after the fourth inning. In innings one through four, McGee has a 2.41 ERA and a 54-20 K-BB mark in 56 innings. In innings five through seven, McGee’s ERA is 8.07 in 21 2/3 innings. Part of that could be due to the bullpen allowing an above-average number of its inherited runners from McGee to score, but McGee’s K-BB in those innings of 11-17 indicates that’s probably not the main source of his problems. That’s a small sample size but still noteworthy for a player who scouts believe could excel as a power reliever if his secondary stuff and control don’t develop.

Checking last year’s numbers with Vero Beach, McGee’s ERA took a hit after the fourth inning, but his strikeouts and walks remained similar. In innings one through four, McGee had a 1.85 ERA, 106 strikeouts and 31 walks in 82 2/3 innings. In innings five through seven, McGee’s ERA ballooned to 5.56 in 34 innings, though his 39-8 K-BB mark remained solid."

Price Jumping to Biscuits?

JWallace — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:54:35 -0000

In both the Tampa Tribune and Vero newspapers they suggest David Price may have made his last dominating start in Single A. Which is unfortunately only in that his next start was likely going to be in Sarasota next week. Still, the numbers look gaudy.....28 1/3 innings.....23 hits.....4 ER....5 walks....

That double A rotation is just sick....

Wade Davis, Jake McGee, Richard De los Santos , James Houser (2.08 ERA in 13 starts) and Price(?)

Hellickson is killing Single A hitters ( .99 WHIP), yet there clearly is no open spot in the AA rotation to promote him without moving maybe Houser to Durham.

But this does raise an odd question I've never had to worry about in 10 years....how do we manage the logjam of quality pitching prospects effectively when we really don't have an opening in the major league rotation?

I hope the Rays management is preparing to work some deals to turn our surplus of projectable arms into position player prospects. With Garza, Kaz and Shields, we clearly don't have room for everyone coming through....Granted it gives Price time to develop, but Price might be pounding on the AAA door already by seasons end.

On Aug. 1 2007 the Rays had 40 wins

JWallace — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:04:57 -0000

Comparing this club to last year never gets old. According to my media guide, the Devil Rays entered Aug. 1 against Toronto with 40 wins. A total I think we all agree will be eclipsed by the end of this weekend.

At the All-Star break (still a month away at this point), they had only 34. Amazing turnaround.

Credit? I'm giving a lot to the front office for bringing in guys like Floyd and Percy...guys who clearly have no stomach for losing.

Time to Give Navi Some Love

JWallace — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:59:36 -0000

Night after night, Dioner Navarro is proving he is really that same guy who everyone in baseball wanted in 2004 after Baseball America named him the Yankees top prospect.

Not only is he hitting the baseball well, but let's not forget it was Navarro behind the plate in the last four games with Kaz, Shields, Jackson and Garza throwing gems. He caught all 13 innings in Toronto and just caught two 1-hit performances from the starters. Pitchers look comfortable throwing to him.

Navarro still hasn't made an error. Has no passed balls. Has thrown out four runners already for a 25 percent eraser rate (major league avg. last year was 22 percent).

Need more? How about .350 average with runners in scoring position. Since last August he is hitting over .300 overall.

AND he signed a baseball for my kids.