What I’m Reading
• Get ready for some comic mischief and summer-hijinks – and all of it outdoors! What I’m trying to say here is that the Twins are planning on using a closer-by-committee strategy in Joe Nathan’s absence.
• Erik Bedard, proud owner of the “I Pitch More Innings Playing Videogames While on the Disabled List than on the Mound” trophy, might actually be returning from injury sooner than originally thought. In two months from now.
• Continuing with the uplifting “returning from injury ahead of schedule” theme, Mike Aviles is, well, ahead of schedule. I feel positive about this.
• Everyone’s favorite perennial Cy Young runner-up, Roy Oswalt, got some good news after receiving a back injection – he’ll be toeing the rubber on Opening Day.
• Why do the Yankees always have the cool new toys first? “Switch-pitcher” Pat Venditte appeared in the split squad game against the Braves today. Yes, that means he tosses with both arms.
What I Think About It
Twins
• Number of pitchers that recorded a save on the 2003 Red Sox: 10
Fate of 2003 Red Sox: Walk off homer by Aaron Boone in ALCS after the Yankees tied it up because Pedro was left in too long because Boston did not have a closer.
In short, closer-by-committee does not work.
It still amazes me that teams even consider this anymore.
“Oh, we know it has never worked in the past, but we’ll give it a go, if it doesn’t work, it’s just another year of Joe Mauer’s prime we’re wasting. No big deal.”
If this were the glory days of baseball, let’s say the 1950s or so, do you think this would fly? Of course not.
A manager would walk up to a reliever; say “Hey, you’re our closer. Suck it up and deal with it and get outs.” And that would be the end of it.
And for some reason, no matter which scenario I play out in my head, Indians manager Lou Brown from the “Major League” movies is always delivering the message.
We’ll see how it plays out, but I expect the Twins to be on the lookout for potential deals involving at least semi-established closers to arise in the early going.
Bedard
• He’s still not expected to return to big-league game action until late-May at the earliest, but for Erik Bedard, 20 pitches in a side session is a step in the right direction.
And not only that, they were all strikes. For a guy whose K’s to BB’s ratio is generally sub-par, it’s a good sign. Even if he wasn’t facing live hitting and there was no pressure.
Bedard has been a major disappointment for Seattle thus far, being limited to just 30 starts because of injuries in his two seasons in the great Northwest.
When he does pitch, he can be lights out. He finished fifth in Cy Young voting for Baltimore the season before being dealt to Seattle.
He’s already over 30 years-old, so he’s unlikely to drastically improve, but stranger things have happened.
The ship has probably sailed for this Mariner and his high expectations, but a strong four months in Seattle’s rotation just might warrant him another major-league contract after this season.
The Mariners hold a team option for 2011 for $8M which they are unlikely to pick up, especially considering Bedard makes $1.5M this season.
Mike Aviles
• “I’m really impressed — regardless of how Mike’s situation goes — that he is where he is today,” manager Trey Hillman said, according to the Kansas City Star. “I’m shocked, quite frankly, that we’re even in a position to consider him for a roster spot. I really am. That’s a good thing.”
Definitely a good thing. Just in time to trick fantasy owners into thinking he’ll be an under-the-radar stud at shortstop again.
In other words, I still hold a grudge against Aviles for giving me nothing for the first month and a half of the season before injuring himself. It’s OK though, I forgive you, Mike.
To be cautious, though, I drafted Derek Jeter AND Jose Reyes.
Anyway, Aviles is ahead of schedule and is poised to be reclaiming his old spot from Yuniesky Betancourt or getting his reps in at second or third.
He likely won’t be starting on Opening Day, but if he returns to his 2008 form (also known as the form I thought I was getting in my fantasy draft around this time last year) it’s going to be tough for Hillman to keep him out of the lineup.
Oswalt
• Roy Oswalt. He’s deadly on the mound but can never seem to get over the hill to cement his status as an elite pitcher in the game. (Although I do feel he was darn close before last season’s 8-win dud.)
He’d definitely be the ace on most staffs, as he is in Houston, but there’s just something missing when I compare him to a guy like Roy Halladay.
Oswalt enters the 2010 season and, in some sense of it, the back end of his career, with 137 wins.
Halladay only has 11 more wins, but he’s unquestionably the guy most teams would rather have. I don’t see as much of a buzz surrounding Oswalt’s status around the trade deadline next season as we saw with Halladay.
Unless, of course, he brushes off last season’s mediocrity and returns to his 15+ win, sub 3.00 ERA standards that he’s been accustomed to.
He’ll start to write his way into the elite if he is able to do that, if not more, over the next few years of his career.
It all begins on Opening Day 2010, as he’ll be on the mound for the Astros as they embark on another adventurous season.
Pat Venditte
• Aside from playing for the Yankees, Pat Venditte is easily my new favorite player. The guy can pitch with both arms. Enough said.
Someone should explain this phenomenon to C.C. Sabathia, however, as he does not seem to understand it.
From Yahoo Sports:
When he came out of he game, Sabathia saw a left-handed pitcher coming in from the bullpen. Then he saw a right-handed pitcher on the mound.
"I was like, maybe that guy got hurt," said Sabathia.
Oh, Carsten Charles, how you amuse me.
While Venditte’s major league projections might not pan out totally favorable, he’s still fun to watch in the mean time.
His minor league numbers are surprisingly solid, but time will tell if the attraction of having an ambidextrous pitcher will be more productive fiscally for the Yankees, or whether he will actually help him win ball games.
Either way, I’m intrigued.
PD
Follow Pat DeCola on Twitter!
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments