What's Better than one of our Pitchers having Elbow Surgery?

by gondeee on Aug 22, 2008 11:17 PM EDT in News Comment 10 comments

The Answer: Signing a pitcher who's already had elbow surgery.

I am loathed to admit the depths to which our season has sunk, but jeez... Rodrigo F-ing Lopez? He sucked a big fat one before he got injured:

After watching him complete a bullpen session on Friday, the Braves opted to take a gamble on Rodrigo Lopez and his surgically repaired right elbow.

The Braves signed Lopez to a Minor League contract with an option for the 2009 season. The former 15-game winner will be invited to Spring Training next year and potentially be given a chance to win a starting rotation spot.

Great! Now we not only get to suffer through whatever he does this year, but we have to worry about him being the second coming of Mark Redman next spring. Again, this pitcher is NOT good. Yes, he has a winning record (of 61-and-60) in 161 career starts (and a 4.92 ERA) and he somehow achieved that by being terrible on a terrible Baltimore team.

I've calmed down enough to realize that he's not going to pitch in the majors this year, not that he could do any worse than what's going on right now, but this is the malevolent equivalent of "pay it forward." We will have to suffer through his mediocroty in spring training only to see him likely make the team because he's a big-V, and everyone knows how much Coxer likes his veterans.

Here's a link to his stats, see the suck for yourself.

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it could be worse.

i mean, we could have signed livan hernandez.

Following the Braves...one long hard drink at a time.

by bigjoe on Aug 22, 2008 11:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i like Livan, no matter how bad he’s been this year. He’d probably suck for us, but I still like him… always have, even when he was shutting us out in the playoffs.

by gondeee on Aug 22, 2008 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I take part of that back… Livan’s lost so much velocity in the last few years that one has to wonder if he will find employment next year.

by gondeee on Aug 22, 2008 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Raise Your Hand If You Like Overreacting!

As bad as he can be, he’s shown prolonged flashes in the past. He started well enough last year – in Colorado no less – before the injury. He was also rock solid in 2002 and 2004, so it’s not as though his career has been a complete wasteland. Besides, it’s a low risk, high reward deal. I know this year has been frustrating, but this sort of post is an overreaction.

Here we go again: http://thefulldeck.blogspot.com/

by ejruiz on Aug 22, 2008 11:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

They did the same thing with Ryan Drese last year, signing him and sending him to Myrtle Beach. He came out in spring training, pitched terribly (got to see one game firsthad) and got cut. Being a vet didn’t help him. I think you’re right, Lopez has been terrible for a while and isn’t likely to recover his form from his one good season, but it’s something worth trying. They’ll sign two or three other guys to minor league deals with the same situation. It’s just what spring training is about, catching lighting in a bottle.

by cbwilk on Aug 23, 2008 12:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Final Lopez Thoughts.

2002 (3.57 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 6.22 K/9 in 196.2 IP including 28 GS) was great, 2004 (3.59 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 6.38 K/9 in 170.2 IP including 23 GS) was very good and 2007 (4.42 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 4.88 K/9 in 79.1 IP including 14 GS) was decent, especially when you consider the environment. 2003 and 2006 were abject disasters, but 2005 was just bad. He’s ready to pitch now, so he could round in to form to at least provide additional depth and maybe some of that “bottled lightning” in the majors you speak of. He’s had decent stuff and even put it all together at times. It’s not even low risk, it’s no risk; and yeah, maybe the reward is marginal at best, but pitching is at a premium in baseball today,

Here we go again: http://thefulldeck.blogspot.com/

by ejruiz on Aug 23, 2008 12:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

So.....

If this is one of the front line free agent starters Frank Wren and the AJC have been talking about the Braves going after in the offseason, then – well – oh my. So I guess our top of the line free agent leftfielder will be…..Willie Bloomquist?

by secondbass on Aug 23, 2008 8:06 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs