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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Oct 25, 2018 11:33:03 GMT -5
Until last year I read every box score (and often the game logs) above the DSL. I've read zero in 2017-2018. So I know almost nothing about this quartet of possible 2019 internal bullpen additions except their current scouting reports, and I'm not sure how up-to-date those are.
So, here's the question: Rank those four guys along with Barnes, Brasier, Hembree, and Workman, in terms of their projected quality next September and October. And for each of the four newcomers, give an ETA month. Optional: brief comments about role and usefulness; tossing in Maddox, Poyner, Scott, etc..
(Note that I think a Kelly re-signing is likely, but I don't think it's necessary to put him in the ranking -- as if we could! -- in order to get a sense of how useful the newcomers will be. And Carson Smith? Don't even talk. He only made $850K, so whether he's non-tendered probably depends on health info we don't have.)
I think that getting a forum consensus on how good each one of these guys can be expected to be, and when each will arrive, is a desirable first step to discussing possible bullpen additions. Plus, I really want to know!
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Post by jiant2520 on Oct 25, 2018 14:00:19 GMT -5
I agree with this, and want to know too... been wondering myself, also that Kelly is likely resigned.
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Post by huskies15 on Oct 25, 2018 14:35:47 GMT -5
Barnes Kelly Feltman (August) Hernandez (unsure, depends on when/if he becomes full time bullpen) Brasier Hembree Lakins (June? Probably one of the first call-ups w/ injuries) Shawaryn
The last three are a toss up to me for their September/October roles/effectiveness. I'm drinking some Kelly kool-aid at the moment, and am bullish on Feltman's stuff out of the pen. Hernandez was a gut call based on the AFL and lack of lefties in the bullpen right now.
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Post by James Dunne on Oct 25, 2018 15:03:26 GMT -5
I like it. Instead of projected "quality" next September, though, I'm going with projected utility for 2019 instead. I think Hernandez is, at worst, the third-most talented pitcher on this list, but I don't know that he'll quite be there and I think there is good reason to be patient.
1. Barnes - I just think the stuff, when it's on, is the best of this group. His control is inconsistent, but in a "that's why he's a reliever" sort of way more than as someone who I don't feel you could depend on. The leap forward in his strikeout rate makes me think he could take the 9th inning role if you needed him to.
2. Brasier - "Get in the effing box." That alone should make him #1, right? So relievers are weird, because you can go from being a journeyman to a stud by figuring out one pitch. Brasier's command has seemed a little shakier lately, so I'm worried that he's an aberration. But... everyone here agrees his fastball/slider combo is legit, right?
3. Lakins - I was a bit surprised that he didn't get the call, he looked ready when I saw him in August and the stats seemed to back that up. He was very good after switching to a traditional short-relief role. I consider him for a job out of spring training--I probably don't bring him if everyone is healthy, because there are so many guys without options, and I don't think he's so good on April 1, that it's worth cutting out depth for. But I'd be happy to be wrong there. ETA: 5/1
4. Hembree - Provided arm-slot and health (and the interaction between the two) are back to normal.
5. Feltman - Disclaimer: I haven't actually seen Feltman in person - this comes totally from his reports and watching him on video and listening to Chris and Ian on the podcast an the like. It sounds like the stuff is real. His delivery is violent, and he'll probably get hurt, but the upside of a late-inning reliever is there. I probably start him in Portland. And, if he dominates like I hope he will, promote him to Pawtucket and consider him for the majors around, I dunno, middle of May to early June? I always want to throw a Chad Cordero comp on him. He's also the type of pitcher who Dombrowski has typically been very aggressive in promoting throughout his career, particularly the Detroit years. ETA 6/1
6. Workman - I can only see them keeping two out of Hembree, Workman, Smith, and Thornburg. I think their chances of being kept are, roughly, in that order I just listed them. Obviously I don't have a ton of insight on the health of Smith and Thornburg, though. Workman is just too hittable for a high leverage role. He's just... he doesn't feel like the type of player who lasts a full season on the roster of a 100-win team, right?
7. Hernandez - Maybe I am being stubborn (obviously I am being stubborn, what would I be if not stubborn?) but I am holding out hope for him to stick as a starter. I don't see any reason to convert him yet. If he pitches well, I think he makes for a really interesting decision next September as a possible impact arm. If he's struggling going deep into games as a starter with Portland, it may actually speed up his timeline, because there will be less reason to patient. So in a weird way, the better he pitches in the first half, the less I think his chances are of making an impact. He also seems to have some helium right now, so I wouldn't be shocked to see him go in a trade. ETA: 9/1
8. Shawaryn - He's a multi-inning swingman right now. Does he go to a full time bullpen role, or does he continue to get used as a starter? He's behind Johnson and Velazquez as the swingman type, he won't be on the 40-man, and I just don't see the stuff right now playing up so well that he forces the issue. He is a solid arm and a very decent prospect, and can absolutely be an MLB contributor, so I'm not slagging off on him. The delivery looks like it would be rough on righties, but that hasn't really played out so far. ETA: 2020
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Post by pedrofanforever45 on Oct 25, 2018 15:59:16 GMT -5
Workman gets traded early in the offseason for me. He's just not good.
Fulmer and Lakins makes things exciting in the 2019 bullpen. Power right handed arms in a AL East filled with right handed power bats.
Velazquez probably makes Sharwaryn a non factor in 2020 like James said, unless there's a ton of injuries.
I think Kelly would take a reasonable offer, maybe even less to stay here. He loves it here.
The closer role seems shaky heading into 2019, you won't have the best closer in the league most likely, and a slight step down from Kimbrel the past 2 years, but you can probably survive it. Maybe Fulmer or Lakins takes over the role by the end of the year.
Brasier seems to be tiring out after being so good for a long while. I think he'll bounce back next year.
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Post by iakovos11 on Oct 25, 2018 16:36:58 GMT -5
I like it. Instead of projected "quality" next September, though, I'm going with projected utility for 2019 instead. I think Hernandez is, at worst, the third-most talented pitcher on this list, but I don't know that he'll quite be there and I think there is good reason to be patient. 1. Barnes - I just think the stuff, when it's on, is the best of this group. His control is inconsistent, but in a "that's why he's a reliever" sort of way more than as someone who I don't feel you could depend on. The leap forward in his strikeout rate makes me think he could take the 9th inning role if you needed him to. 2. Brasier - "Get in the effing box." That alone should make him #1, right? So relievers are weird, because you can go from being a journeyman to a stud by figuring out one pitch. Brasier's command has seemed a little shakier lately, so I'm worried that he's an aberration. But... everyone here agrees his fastball/slider combo is legit, right? 3. Lakins - I was a bit surprised that he didn't get the call, he looked ready when I saw him in August and the stats seemed to back that up. He was very good after switching to a traditional short-relief role. I consider him for a job out of spring training--I probably don't bring him if everyone is healthy, because there are so many guys without options, and I don't think he's so good on April 1, that it's worth cutting out depth for. But I'd be happy to be wrong there. ETA: 5/1 4. Hembree - Provided arm-slot and health (and the interaction between the two) are back to normal. 5. Feltman - Disclaimer: I haven't actually seen Feltman in person - this comes totally from his reports and watching him on video and listening to Chris and Ian on the podcast an the like. It sounds like the stuff is real. His delivery is violent, and he'll probably get hurt, but the upside of a late-inning reliever is there. I probably start him in Portland. And, if he dominates like I hope he will, promote him to Pawtucket and consider him for the majors around, I dunno, middle of May to early June? I always want to throw a Chad Cordero comp on him. He's also the type of pitcher who Dombrowski has typically been very aggressive in promoting throughout his career, particularly the Detroit years. ETA 6/1 6. Workman - I can only see them keeping two out of Hembree, Workman, Smith, and Thornburg. I think their chances of being kept are, roughly, in that order I just listed them. Obviously I don't have a ton of insight on the health of Smith and Thornburg, though. Workman is just too hittable for a high leverage role. He's just... he doesn't feel like the type of player who lasts a full season on the roster of a 100-win team, right? 7. Hernandez - Maybe I am being stubborn (obviously I am being stubborn, what would I be if not stubborn?) but I am holding out hope for him to stick as a starter. I don't see any reason to convert him yet. If he pitches well, I think he makes for a really interesting decision next September as a possible impact arm. If he's struggling going deep into games as a starter with Portland, it may actually speed up his timeline, because there will be less reason to patient. So in a weird way, the better he pitches in the first half, the less I think his chances are of making an impact. He also seems to have some helium right now, so I wouldn't be shocked to see him go in a trade. ETA: 9/1 8. Shawaryn - He's a multi-inning swingman right now. Does he go to a full time bullpen role, or does he continue to get used as a starter? He's behind Johnson and Velazquez as the swingman type, he won't be on the 40-man, and I just don't see the stuff right now playing up so well that he forces the issue. He is a solid arm and a very decent prospect, and can absolutely be an MLB contributor, so I'm not slagging off on him. The delivery looks like it would be rough on righties, but that hasn't really played out so far. ETA: 2020 Agree to a large extent on the Evolution. I hope he can ultimately be a solid starter. I think he'll be developed that way next year, and almost regardless of results (unless he turns into a pumpkin) I could see him as an August add to the bullpen if it needs a jolt. And they could still develop him as a starter for 2020/2021, though. Just like lots of failed starters become quality bullpen guys, many quality starters get moved to the pen for a year or two as they break their way in. I do hope he's not traded though. Unless he's bringing back a haul. They don't have much in terms of quality talent close to MLB, so it would be nice to hang on to him. But I can see the concern.
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Post by iakovos11 on Oct 25, 2018 16:37:26 GMT -5
Workman gets traded early in the offseason for me. He's just not good. Fulmer and Lakins makes things exciting in the 2019 bullpen. Power right handed arms in a AL East filled with right handed power bats. Velazquez probably makes Sharwaryn a non factor in 2020 like James said, unless there's a ton of injuries. I think Kelly would take a reasonable offer, maybe even less to stay here. He loves it here. The closer role seems shaky heading into 2019, you won't have the best closer in the league most likely, and a slight step down from Kimbrel the past 2 years, but you can probably survive it. Maybe Fulmer or Lakins takes over the role by the end of the year. Brasier seems to be tiring out after being so good for a long while. I think he'll bounce back next year. Fulmer? Do you mean Feltman?
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Post by pedrofanforever45 on Oct 25, 2018 16:39:47 GMT -5
Workman gets traded early in the offseason for me. He's just not good. Fulmer and Lakins makes things exciting in the 2019 bullpen. Power right handed arms in a AL East filled with right handed power bats. Velazquez probably makes Sharwaryn a non factor in 2020 like James said, unless there's a ton of injuries. I think Kelly would take a reasonable offer, maybe even less to stay here. He loves it here. The closer role seems shaky heading into 2019, you won't have the best closer in the league most likely, and a slight step down from Kimbrel the past 2 years, but you can probably survive it. Maybe Fulmer or Lakins takes over the role by the end of the year. Brasier seems to be tiring out after being so good for a long while. I think he'll bounce back next year. Fulmer? Do you mean Feltman? Yeap Feltman, not Fulmer. Getting my names and drafts mixed up again. Lol
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Post by ramireja on Oct 25, 2018 17:22:56 GMT -5
Good stuff, honestly most of these guys are on a similar tier for me, so ranking is tough…I don’t see a huge difference between my #3 and my #7. I also want to put a plug in for Mark Montgomery as a guy to watch if he’s healthy. That could be really a nice project for Bannister and Levangie to work with…there’s considerable upside there. James with great detail earlier so for the sake of avoiding redundancy, I'll try not to repeat too much of what he already said.
1.) Barnes – Possesses the best swing-and-miss stuff. Control and consistency keeping him from elite reliever tier but probably a fine option to handle late inning duties, ideally as the second best (and not the best) option for a contender.
2.) Brazier – I’m buying in but cautiously acknowledging there’s a chance his peak performance is now. I'll still bet on his FB/SL combo, control, and demeanor/makeup.
3.) Feltman – Projected ETA: September 2019 – I think Feltman could and maybe should spend the majority of the year in the minors next year. I can see a AA placement out of spring with a stop in AAA before determining his value for the stretch run next year. If he’s viewed as a mostly finished product and can help the club, there could be 7th/8th inning upside as soon as next year w/ closer (or however you want to label top-tier reliever) potential beyond.
4.) Hernandez – Projected ETA: 2020 – Darwinzon is probably the most volatile of the group here with shaky control at times. That said, his upside is tremendous and I’ll rank him here averaging out the volatility & upside. I agree he should be given a chance to start in 2019 BUT if there is a need, I think his performance in the AFL in short stints is opening eyes and suggesting he could be a weapon out of the pen as early as next year (again, probably only if there is a need).
5.) Lakins – Projected ETA: June, 2019 – I love the pitch mix. I’m hoping that the FB, despite his nice velocity, isn’t too hittable and/or that he can keep guys off the FB with a heavy dose of offspeed. I can see him settling in as the 3rd or 4th best option in a pen with him being close to that potential as early as next fall.
6.) Hembree – Not much to say here; he’s a very solid middle relief guy on a contending team. Honestly, the sox prospects homer in me might have him too low to show love for Feltman/Hernandez/Lakins, but I think we have a good idea of who Hembree is and I'm cautiously optimistic that the guys above can provide more in time.
7.) Shawaryn – Projected ETA: 2020 – Like Hernandez, I think he stays in a starter’s role for now and unless there are a disastrous series of events, I can’t really see him getting the call to the Red Sox bullpen in 2019. That said, let me point something out that makes me think his upside is underestimated by most. Among all Pawtucket pitchers w/ 10 innings (I know that bar is hideously low, but I want to include rehabbers and Lakins who pitched 16 innings): Mike Shawaryn led the team with a 16.8% SwStrike rate! That’s pretty remarkable when you consider he did that in a starting role. It’s also remarkable when you consider that means his SwStrike rate was higher than Brasier (#2, w/ 15.4%), Lakins (13.5%), Beeks (12.8%), Buttrey (13.2%), Jerez (14.0%), Workman (12.3%), Thornburg (9.6%), Poyner (9.8%), and Robby Scott (13.1%). I think Shawaryn can be death on righties, and if he can neutralize lefties, I actually see late innings potential but I don’t see it happening next year so I’ll rank him down here for now. Long-term though, I'd put him in the same tier as the three prospects above.
8.) Workman – The curveball can be a thing of a beauty, but sorry someone had to be last. A trade candidate in the offseason.
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gerry
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Post by gerry on Oct 25, 2018 18:59:36 GMT -5
I agree with most of the above but want to take a different look at BP 2019, putting it in context of recent SP and RP trends.
Context includes the 2019 Rotation, the best version of which would feature healthy and confident Sale, Price, Porcello, Eovaldi, Rodriguez; and includes THREE above average #5’s, Wright, Johnson and Velasquez, who are actually the Sox Bullpen’s #6, 7 and 8. These first five starters now live in a new world in which 4-6 inning starts, extra days rest, and “openers” are becoming norms. Bullpen construction must acknowledge and plan for these recent developments.
I think the Sox have already been ahead of the curve. At the front end of the Bullpen, each of Wright, Johnson and Velasquez are also #5, 6 and 7 in this unique Pen, and perfect as the middle inning longmen and spot starters required by recent trends. They are also solid gold in extra innings, and might also be gold in 2-3IP “opener” situations. Not many bullpens have this type of versatility, at least not yet. Keeping Shawaryn and D. Hernandez stretched out in mL Rotations provides depth for the roles of starter and longman/spot starter when they start knocking on Fenway’s front door in mid 2019-2020.
At the other end of the 2019 Bullpen, if the “closer” role is to be defined and filled when ST camp breaks, my first choice is Kimbrel, but not if he requires a mega contract. I like Britton, Herrera et al, but prefer Kimbrel keep helping us get to postseasons for years to come, and wear a Sox hat in the HOF. Otherwise I suspect a powerful trio of backend arms from Barnes, Brasier and Kelly could successfully navigate innings 7,8 and 9, especially as help is clearly on the way.
This help comes in two waves, both internal, and both potentially even stronger than Barnes, Brasier and Kelly. The first to arrive is Thornburg and C. Smith, both well removed from their surgeries. Both were signed to be 8th and 9th inning beasts. IMO they can not and will not be ignored during roster construction as, if healthy, they would make this Pen scary good. Smith, at least, needs innings at Pawtucket to back to game form, but could arrive early season.
The second wave is, of course, Lakins and Feltman, and both should arrive in 2019. Without Kimbrel (a bold move) I anticipate a healthy Thornburg would start the season along with Barnes, Brasier, Kelly, Wright, Johnson and Velasquez. If Thornburg isn’t healthy, then Lakins might well get the call ahead of Workman or Hembree who, with their experience and salary would be good trade candidates. That’s a really strong and versatile Pen that will, combined, cost less than Kimbrel or Britton or Herrera alone, adding needed $$$ to the “extend the kids” pot. This doesn’t even account for a Pom-rebound as SP or RP or Wright/Johnson/Velasquez cohort as he rebuilds his value.
Summary: First, sorry for the ramble. Second, this wealth and diversity of above average to excellent RP’s, largely cost controlled, can give the Sox a Bullpen edge for several years, especially in reponse to current SP/RP norms. A. It is one thing to pull SP’s early, for whatever reasons, and another to be able to have good longmen to get from the 5th to the 8th without burning out the Pen’s power arms with repeated use. The Sox have 3 of them, now, with maybe Shawaryn, Hernandez, Houck, even Pom able to fill those roles in the near future. B. These same 3 longmen are also proven spot starters, (with Shawaryn, Hernandez, etc. still being developed as starters), giving the Sox a serious edge in resting SP or covering for injured ones on a regular basis. C. In the same vein, these 3 would also be valuable as “openers”, even able to go through the entire opposing lineup once before handing the ball to Cora. What a weapon in today’s game. D. At the back end of the Pen, even without Kimbrel or Herrera, the Sox currently have three powerful potential closers lined up in Barnes, Brasier and Kelly, with Thornburg, Smith, Lakins and Feltman already interviewing for the job. And we haven’t really considered the role of Eovaldi as closer/fireman going forward.
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Post by dmaineah on Oct 25, 2018 20:55:57 GMT -5
What about Austin Maddox?
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gerry
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Post by gerry on Oct 25, 2018 21:27:01 GMT -5
What about Austin Maddox? he is injured
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Post by tnyankee556 on Oct 25, 2018 21:32:03 GMT -5
What about Austin Maddox? he is injured
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Post by tnyankee556 on Oct 25, 2018 21:33:20 GMT -5
I read he just had surgery in September. He might be out the whole year next year.
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Post by rivenp on Oct 25, 2018 21:55:02 GMT -5
dd has always been about the big name stars...i expect him to re-sign kimbrel unless the bidding really gets out of hand...how many teams can even afford a $15M+ per year closer that don't already have one? a team first needs to at least be considered a contender to even consider it, so off the top of my head i can only think of indians, angels, and nationals.
i expect lakins to be the first to arrive early in the season whenever a need presents itself, but expect feltman to arrive later in the year and be better. if lakins/feltman produce, no reason to push hernandez to the pen
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Post by gregblossersbelly on Oct 25, 2018 23:33:43 GMT -5
dd has always been about the big name stars How did that work out for us? Best team in Sox history and 3 straight division titles😀 There’s no way a team as good as the Sox should go with as raw/unproven/inexperienced pen as some of you want. Sign Britton. Let Kimbrel walk. Pick up an extra 1st. Carson Smith talked his way out of town. Non-tender. Thornburg isn’t gonna be healthy either. Let him go too. Britton’s deal will be less than Kimbrel. Use savings on a FA or deal.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Oct 26, 2018 5:53:34 GMT -5
We should also keep in mind Smith ( Carson) and Thornburg. Plus there's a chance we could have 6 good starters (Sale, Price, Porcello, ERod, Eovaldi, Wright) which means 1 will be in the pen.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Oct 26, 2018 6:57:19 GMT -5
Until last year I read every box score (and often the game logs) above the DSL. I've read zero in 2017-2018. So I know almost nothing about this quartet of possible 2019 internal bullpen additions except their current scouting reports, and I'm not sure how up-to-date those are.Point of information: www.soxprospects.com/scouting.htmGreat thread. May chime in this weekend or something. The one point I'll make is that I only think Darwinzon pitches in MLB as a RP next year if they absolutely need him desperately. Break glass in case of emergency, etc. There's still a chance there's a starter in there in a way I'm not as confident about, say, Shawaryn, and they should give him a chance in that role. I could see him not even coming up to Pawtucket until late in the year.
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Post by adiospaydro2005 on Oct 26, 2018 13:01:33 GMT -5
Why are people presuming that the Red Sox will re-sign Eovaldi? He likely is going to command something like 4 years, $80 million, plus an option year or two. Unless the Red Sox plan to trade Porcello, I don't see how Eovaldi will fit in the 2019 payroll budget.
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Post by ematz1423 on Oct 26, 2018 13:09:04 GMT -5
Why are people presuming that the Red Sox will re-sign Eovaldi? He likely is going to command something like 4 years, $80 million, plus an option year or two. Unless the Red Sox plan to trade Porcello, I don't see how Eovaldi will fit in the 2019 payroll budget. There will be some raises for some of the young guys but take the contracts from guys like Pomeranz and Hanley off of the books and I don't see why they couldn't fit Eovaldi into the payroll for 2019. To me it would be 2020-2022 seasons of that contract that they would really have to think long and hard about.
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Post by James Dunne on Oct 26, 2018 13:14:57 GMT -5
I mean, at $80M there wouldn't be room for him. But $80M for Eovaldi would be outlandishly insane.
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Post by juanpena on Oct 26, 2018 13:17:10 GMT -5
One of the ways they could fit Eovaldi is to let Kimbrel go and go cheap at closer. That would get them part of the savings, in addition to Ramirez and Pomeranz, as is mentioned above.
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Post by jiant2520 on Oct 26, 2018 13:45:44 GMT -5
I have not heard anyone presume Eovaldi will be back, only that many would like him back on the right kind of deal.
As for the pen, like with most here, I think Lakins will be the first of the subject mentioned names to appear in the Sox pen.
I would love Kimbrel on a 4/54, but I keep seeing posts about 5/90.... that is way too much for me.
I'd like to see Kelly back.
For me:
CP Kimbrel RP Barnes RP Braiser RP Kelly RP Hembree RP Lakins RP Wright
If Kimbrel is gone, I'd like to see a cheaper vet like Robertson, Familia, Britton or a trade (Swihart).
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Post by jiant2520 on Oct 26, 2018 13:48:58 GMT -5
I should mention that Lakins most likely does not break camp with the big club and Johnson or Velasquez is there instead, but I like Lakins as the mainstay for most of the year with those other two spot starting and moving up and down with Pawtucket...
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Oct 26, 2018 18:18:04 GMT -5
Good stuff, honestly most of these guys are on a similar tier for me, so ranking is tough…I don’t see a huge difference between my #3 and my #7. I also want to put a plug in for Mark Montgomery as a guy to watch if he’s healthy. That could be really a nice project for Bannister and Levangie to work with…there’s considerable upside there. James with great detail earlier so for the sake of avoiding redundancy, I'll try not to repeat too much of what he already said. 1.) Barnes – Possesses the best swing-and-miss stuff. Control and consistency keeping him from elite reliever tier but probably a fine option to handle late inning duties, ideally as the second best (and not the best) option for a contender. 2.) Brazier – I’m buying in but cautiously acknowledging there’s a chance his peak performance is now. I'll still bet on his FB/SL combo, control, and demeanor/makeup. 3.) Feltman – Projected ETA: September 2019 – I think Feltman could and maybe should spend the majority of the year in the minors next year. I can see a AA placement out of spring with a stop in AAA before determining his value for the stretch run next year. If he’s viewed as a mostly finished product and can help the club, there could be 7th/8th inning upside as soon as next year w/ closer (or however you want to label top-tier reliever) potential beyond. 4.) Hernandez – Projected ETA: 2020 – Darwinzon is probably the most volatile of the group here with shaky control at times. That said, his upside is tremendous and I’ll rank him here averaging out the volatility & upside. I agree he should be given a chance to start in 2019 BUT if there is a need, I think his performance in the AFL in short stints is opening eyes and suggesting he could be a weapon out of the pen as early as next year (again, probably only if there is a need). 5.) Lakins – Projected ETA: June, 2019 – I love the pitch mix. I’m hoping that the FB, despite his nice velocity, isn’t too hittable and/or that he can keep guys off the FB with a heavy dose of offspeed. I can see him settling in as the 3rd or 4th best option in a pen with him being close to that potential as early as next fall. 6.) Hembree – Not much to say here; he’s a very solid middle relief guy on a contending team. Honestly, the sox prospects homer in me might have him too low to show love for Feltman/Hernandez/Lakins, but I think we have a good idea of who Hembree is and I'm cautiously optimistic that the guys above can provide more in time. 7.) Shawaryn – Projected ETA: 2020 – Like Hernandez, I think he stays in a starter’s role for now and unless there are a disastrous series of events, I can’t really see him getting the call to the Red Sox bullpen in 2019. That said, let me point something out that makes me think his upside is underestimated by most. Among all Pawtucket pitchers w/ 10 innings (I know that bar is hideously low, but I want to include rehabbers and Lakins who pitched 16 innings): Mike Shawaryn led the team with a 16.8% SwStrike rate! That’s pretty remarkable when you consider he did that in a starting role. It’s also remarkable when you consider that means his SwStrike rate was higher than Brasier (#2, w/ 15.4%), Lakins (13.5%), Beeks (12.8%), Buttrey (13.2%), Jerez (14.0%), Workman (12.3%), Thornburg (9.6%), Poyner (9.8%), and Robby Scott (13.1%). I think Shawaryn can be death on righties, and if he can neutralize lefties, I actually see late innings potential but I don’t see it happening next year so I’ll rank him down here for now. Long-term though, I'd put him in the same tier as the three prospects above. 8.) Workman – The curveball can be a thing of a beauty, but sorry someone had to be last. A trade candidate in the offseason. Shawaryn seems like the most underrated player in the system. The he's got to be a reliever so he's limited, yet his numbers have been comparable to a guy like Barnes. He's actually had much more success as a starter than Barnes did. He might not have that monster fastball, but hus results have been very good. So I totally agree I see a very good bullpen arm if he can't stay a starter. With all the Hernandez love his very good Arizona fall league has been overlooked. Maybe they don't use him next year, but he's basically major league ready right now if were talking about him being a reliever.
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