Ervin Santana Optioned To AAA
 

Rotoworld.com

Krivsky.. get this guy while his value is low!

Re: Ervin Santana Optioned To AAA
 

OMG, no,no,no,no.

Re: Ervin Santana Optioned To AAA
 

I'd trade Lohse for him

Re: Ervin Santana Optioned To AAA
 

Unless Santana is injured (try to remember Wayne, that's part of your job), I'd at least explore an offer here and see where it goes.

Rem

Re: Ervin Santana Optioned To AAA
 

I would trade Lohse for him. That's about it.

Makes you wonder if the Halos knew he was going to implode this year, given how hard they tried to shop him this offseason.

Re: Ervin Santana Optioned To AAA
 

I thought he was an up and coming stud...

What happened?

Re: Ervin Santana Optioned To AAA
 

Remember Dunn for Santana? lol

The sad thing is a lot of people think it would still be a fair trade.

Re: Ervin Santana Optioned To AAA
 

He is getting killed with poor location of his fastball. He still has electric stuff and is only twenty-three. I think it would be an excellent idea to try to acquire him while the Angels are down on him. I wouldn't give up Dunn straight up, and I don't believe for a second they want Lohse who has similar problems, is more expensive, and a soon to be Boros free agent. If Shields moves to the rotation, perhaps they'd take a package of relievers (Weathers and Coffey), but otherwise I doubt the Reds have the chips to gamble with.

Re: Ervin Santana Optioned To AAA
 

I would also do Weathers straight up.

Re: Ervin Santana Optioned To AAA
 

I'm just not high on the guy. He's a FB pitcher with marginal make 'em miss ability and suspect command. His ERA has largely outperformed his peripherals most likely due to environment (look at his home/road splits).

IMHO, basically his whole worth is derived from the fact that he has the potential to be a cheap innings eater during his control years.

He's been one arm that I think has been terribly overrated by the mainstream media.

Re: Ervin Santana Optioned To AAA
 

Agreed, but I'd still give 'em Lohse or Weathers for the guy.

Re: Ervin Santana Optioned To AAA
 

I don't know what the statistics show you, but he struck out 487 batters in 480.2 innings in the minors. He also gave up only 407 hits with a 1.22 WHIP. Like Oliver Perez, he was rushed to the majors because of his excellent arm speed and electric stuff.


I guess I don't understand this statement at all. I watched him for a couple of years in double A, and despite a deep Angels' system, he was the buzz from the professional baseball scouts before the mainstream media even had an inkling to his existence.

He is only twenty-three. I believe he has had too much stuff for his own good. When he was promoted to triple A shortly before joining the Angels, Santana had very poor mechanics with his change-up. His fastball was superior and his slider was very hard, but he didn't keep hitters off balance because everything was hard. In fact, when he got in trouble he tried to add because he hadn't developed confidence in his ability to subtract on a pitch. In other words, he was rushed.

He isn't a product of media hype. He has legitimate stuff, but he needs to be refined. I would love to see the Reds get this guy cheaply and let him finish the year in triple A or with the Reds in a non-pennant pressure situation where he can learn to pitch.

National League line-ups wouldn't hurt either.

Re: Ervin Santana Optioned To AAA
 

A classic case of "if you can't locate your fastball, not much else matters".

What's interesting with pitchers is that it's consistency that matters as much, if not more than raw skill. You can be a hall of fame pitcher by simply never screwing up. Ask Greg Maddux or Tom Glavine. Pitchers lose when they make mistakes. They win when they don't make mistakes. Often it's really that simple.

Sure, some guys can use their skill to to that much better, it's the difference between Maddux in his prime and Maddux now. But the best stuff in the world won't save you if leave a half dozen pitches a game thigh high over the plate. Ask Kyle Lohse... Ask Felix Hernandez.

With the right pitching coach, Santana could be a Cy Young contender. The Angels would be smart to let him work back in to form while not accruing service time.