Diamondbacks Bullpen

stu · Everyday Player Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 560

Here is a piece (through Primer) on some interesting Non-Tenders

There is a Jason Bulger sighting. Can we get him back? Should we?

I have always liked both Werth and Clausen. I wouldn't mind having them for the right price. What will these guys go for?

levski · Veteran Presence Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 1763

shoewizard · Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:13 pm Post subject:

I'd give Bulger or Werth a shot for cheap, but Claussen has never had a GB% over 37%, and he can't strike out enough guys to make up for it. He didn't give up all those homers just because of the ballpark. You would get whiplash Stu, snapping you head around as it flew over you into Fridays front frow grill.

levski · Veteran Presence Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 1763

i still insist that claussen is worth a shot. and maybe more.

werth... not worth it. he's superfluous in arizona

shoewizard · Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:26 pm Post subject:

Well if you insist...... Rolling Eyes

stu · Everyday Player Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 560

Claussen will be 28 next year. I thought he was younger. Still he has over a k/ip in the minors and a k/w of 2.76 (not remarkable but decent). He is listed at 6'2" 175. I am skeptical of Baseball Cube's measurements as they had Enrique Gonzales at 6'2" and Edgar at 6', but basbell reference has the same measurements. This is not a bad size

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/C/Brandon-Claussen.shtml

Young, Peavy, Schmidt and Cain all had GB% of under 38% last year. Claussen had a nice 2005. If he still has a live arm, I'd take a chance.

I looked back to see what we said about Vargas (Claussen at this stage is a poor man's Vargas). You can't get the whole post just the first few words. I said that at least Vargas has a live arm. I never thought Vargas was a good fit in our park, but he logged some innings and was useful in a trade. Claussen could be the same.

stu · Everyday Player Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 560

werth... not worth it. he's superfluous in arizona

Did you forget we are trading Byrnes. Shoe snuck into his office and put it on his day timer.

TO DO: TRADE ERIC BYRNES

FREE SCOTT HAIRSTON!!!!

levski · Veteran Presence Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 1763

claussen actually was a very good pitching prospect until he ended up in a tough ballpark in front of an atrocious defense. he actually was pretty good in 2005, and wasn't that much worse in 2006 before injuries wiped out his season.

i'd rather take a flier on claussen than mulder, given what they'd cost us

TAP · Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 11:04 pm Post subject:

shoewizard · Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 4:25 pm Post subject:

levski · Veteran Presence Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 1763

shoewizard · Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 4:57 pm Post subject:

stu · Everyday Player Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 560

The point was that one can be a successful pitcher without having a great gb%. Claussen had a good k rate in the minors. Obvioulsy he has warts. If he has great stats he would not have been non-tendered.

It is no great trick to find problems with guys other teams have cut. The have cut him for a reason. The trick is to find players who have an upside and try to exploit it.

Sure the odds are against Claussen, but if the risk is low (especially if you don't have to use a roster spot) you gamble on some of these guys. I'd rather have Eveland too. That is why the Dbacks traded for him. He was not free however. Claussen essentially is. That is a big difference.

Dangerfield · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:15 am Post subject:

Dylan · MLB Rookie Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 235

So would you prefer Claussen over Jerome Williams (who was also non tendered), Stu? I think it's pretty minimal, but I'd take Williams.

Lower K/9, but not as much of a FB pitcher or a HR or BB allower. I think the right pitching coach can get him strait, teach him a thrid pitch and he'd have a good career.

Dangerfield · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:33 am Post subject:

Did williams ever get TJ surgery? What was his story?
_________________
My wife is always trying to get rid of me. The other day she told me to put the garbage out. I said to her I already did. She told me to go and keep an eye on it

stu · Everyday Player Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 560

I saw Williams pitch a couple of time his rookie year and in ST and was impressed. Looking at his stats now I'm not sure why.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/W/Jerome-Williams.shtml

I'd have to defer to scouting on this one as to who is better at this stage, but Claussen's minor league record looks better to me. IIRC Williams has a weight problem. Plus Claussen could be a lefty in the pen.

I agree he is not a good fit for Chase. The pitchers I listed all played in anti-HR parks, but if his arm is sound and the price is right, I don't see the harm (roster spot excepted) especially with pitchers going the way are.

As to Byrnes, I have always thought he had an upside. He had what I thought were correctable weaknesses and some real ability to hit the ball. His weakness against rh could be helped by platooning him against some pitchers. I had thought he could have a good year for us.

However, he is now another year older and, after watching him almost every day for a year, I don't see him correcting his problems. He is now playing lf, not cf. Melvin does not seem to realize that a lh might be a good idea as a replacement for Byrnes on a regular basis. I think he will beat the ZIPS, but I don't see him improving much on last year.

Dangerfield · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 2:31 pm Post subject:

More on Byrnes: proverbial late bloomer. He cheats/anticipates then pop-ups. He slows things down a notch, and not cheat so much, the 300/30's a reality. He's a powerfully built guy. That's why the 30+ hr's. He has the same ability as Soriano.
_________________
My wife is always trying to get rid of me. The other day she told me to put the garbage out. I said to her I already did. She told me to go and keep an eye on it

levski · Veteran Presence Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 1763

Dangerfield · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 3:04 pm Post subject:

shoewizard · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 4:08 pm Post subject:

levski · Veteran Presence Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 1763

stu · Everyday Player Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 560

I think he has the same ability as Ted Williams.

Ted has a very small strike zone now.

shoewizard · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:06 pm Post subject:

stu · Everyday Player Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 560

Not to quibble, but what the heck, the off season has been boring, it would the 40 man that is an issue now. You see how he is throwing in the spring and decide on the 25. I don't believe in making decisions based on ST, but this may be an exception.

I think you would certainly need to review the scouting reports carefully. If they are favorable, I would try to get him to sign a minor league deal for a greater than the major league minimum. I konw a 100k, a 100k there, but this might be a spot to spring for the extar 100k. Heck, I'd rather have a pitcher than the new sound system.