Scott Downs anyone?
by drumzalicious on Feb 5, 2010 10:48 AM EST
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With the Blue Jays recent signing of Kevin Gregg the Blue Jays essentially have 3 closer type arms and therefore one could be expendable for the right price.
I know we already have Wagner and Saito but having Downs would give us an extra reliever that can close out games or pitch later innings leaving Bobby with some freedom as to when he wants to use Moylan for some Double Plays and not be worried about who's pitching the later innings.
This isnt something I believe we should do now, I think we should start the talks and just let them know that we will trade them an Outfielder and a Prospect for Downs if Heyward makes the team. Then I would give them their choice of Melky or Diaz + one of our pitching prospects.
The Bullpen would then stack up as:
Wagner (CL)
Saito (SU)
Downs (SU)
Moylan RHP
EoF LHP
Chavez/Dunn/Kimbrel/Hyde/Valdez
Left Medlen off just in case the team decides to have him in AAA as a starter.
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“Left Medlen off just in case the team decides to have him in AAA as a starter.”
Have you heard anyone suggest that? Interesting. I don’t know why you’d trade for Downs when you can just sign Calero.
Here are Pujols's stats: 1.000/1.000/4.000/5.000. That's right. He is batting a thousand, with a thousand OBP (naturally), and every hit has been a home run, and thus his OPS is a perfect 5.000.
agreed
calero is way better, esp. for his salary
Downs is in the last year of his deal, for $4m...
a bit pricey. Calero would be cheaper, but has the injury issue (or maybe a high salary demand) which has his still available this late in free agency. Downs is lefty, so that’s a plus. He has been in increasinly fewer games the last 3 years, and didn’t reach 50 innings last year, so injuries may be a concern for him. But the guy has been lights out the last few years (his career #s are bumped high because he struggled as a starter. As a reliever he’s been dominant with a 2.58 ERA in 262 games (and 262 innings) 1.183 whip 7.7 K/9 vs. less than 3.5 BB/9.
So while Calero is cheaper, if you take salary out of it, Downs is clearly the better reliever.
actually
there have been a few people who have said it just because of our lack of depth if a starter goes down. DoB and Bowman have both talked about it.
As far as Calero goes. I would love to have him but apparently the reason he isnt signed yet is because of health concerns
by drumzalicious on Feb 5, 2010 11:33 AM EST up reply actions
Have also seen that comment...
not prevalently, but the idea is if a starter goes down and Medlen is the one to fill the void (although we have Reyes, Redmond, Venters, and others in AA who could also be that “6th starter” guy), but if Medlen is the choice for that role, it makes sense to let him stretch his arm out and be used to pitching 6, 7, 8 innings at a time. You can’t do that in the bullpen, but can if he’s in Gwinnett and with someone else filling his reliever job like Dunn, Chavez, Hyde, Valdez, or any of the other approximately dozen guys on the 40 men who are competing for the last bullpen spots.
Couldn’t Medlen do that as a long reliever too?
I understand it is optimal for him to get as many starts as possible, but wouldn’t it be optimal for the team to have him in Atlanta, regardless of his role?
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Feb 5, 2010 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
Is that the most effective way to use him?...
we use someone in “long relief” maybe 3-4 times a month, or at least meaning relief appearances longer than 2 innings. Especially if our starters are healthy and pitching at the level they’re capable of, the long reliever doesn’t seem much of a need. At that point, you’re weighing the value of Medlen in such a role vs. his value in others and the ability of Jojo Reyes, Todd Redmond, Venters, Lyman, or several others on the 40 man that could fill the role.
Medlen is versatile though. He can serve as long relief, late innings, or even closer in a pinch. Plus, having him on the MLB club is easier to move him to a pinch start, as opposed to calling him up, finding someone to drop off the roster, etc.
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Feb 5, 2010 1:08 PM EST up reply actions
In the scenario of needing that "6th starter"...
this -“as opposed to calling him up, finding someone to drop off the roster”- isn’t much of a problem as you assume the roster spot opens up by the injured starting going onto the DL.
I am not talking about a DL stint – I am talking about Derek Lowe getting a blister, or Hudson’s groin feeling tight.
Obviously, a spot would clear is someone were to go on the DL.
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Feb 5, 2010 7:15 PM EST up reply actions
question about relief...
someone help me out here…
does it ever take away from the effectiveness of a closer to have the middle relievers pitch 95/96?
chavez, dunn, kimbrel all throw around 95 and valdez has closer stuff as well…
while it’s great to have other guys that can close games, and obviously its great to have such depth in the bullpen, but ultimately, will it make wagner’s job harder?
I do’nt know, I am just curious
I though about that before...
but I read a good article that basically said that it did not matter the speed of a pitcher so much as the change of speeds or deception of their secondary stuff. It does not matter if you throw 100mph. If you throw 3 100mph pitches in a row to most MLB players they will adjust and hit it hard.
What if Lowe and Hudson pitch back-to-back days, are hitters locked in on the sinker by day 2?
Here are Pujols's stats: 1.000/1.000/4.000/5.000. That's right. He is batting a thousand, with a thousand OBP (naturally), and every hit has been a home run, and thus his OPS is a perfect 5.000.
i think that's a good question...
do/should managers order their pitchers (rotation and bp) to keep hitters off balance in the same way an individual pitcher does in an individual game?
I don't think it necessarily matters if they do.
Yes, they both throw a sinker, but no two pitchers in baseball throw exactly the same pitch. Huddy’s and Lowe’s sinkers almost certainly behave differently, not to mention Huddy, while not a strikeout artist, has more of a tendency to get the K.
"Baseball is the only major sport that appears backwards in a mirror." ~George Carlin
by FineHamAbounds on Feb 9, 2010 1:50 AM EST up reply actions
would hate to see Diaz go in some kind of trade package for Downs. Last year Matt was an offensive bright spot & would like to see his bat contributing again in 2010. Prefer seeing Melky go if such a deal transpired.
Agreed. While I wouldn't mind having Downs...
The thought of sending away Diaz and a prospect for him makes me cringe.
"...Braves tie! ...Braves tie! ...Braves tie!"
by The Keith Lockhart Era on Feb 5, 2010 3:04 PM EST up reply actions
injuries or not….sign kiko cheap…
Pujols is NOT God.... sure he'll hit .350, hit 50 bombs, and drive in a 125....but then again...so will Heyward..
by lemke2blauser2bream on Feb 6, 2010 5:29 PM EST reply actions
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