Mark Pawelek

[Superdude]

I guess we signed him? Where and when is he supposed to start this year? I'm kind of psyched about that pickup considering he was once a highly touted power lefty

[redsmetz]

There was a thread on ORG, although I'm not sure why it got posted there.

[Gallen5862]

When does he have to be protected from the Rule V draft? How many option years does he have left?

[Brutus]

When does he have to be protected from the Rule V draft? How many option years does he have left?

I am pretty sure he has a total of six years before he is put on the 40-man roster or exposed. Since I don't believe he's ever been on the 40-man roster, he should theoretically have three options still remaining.

[RED VAN HOT]

When does he have to be protected from the Rule V draft? How many option years does he have left?

I'd like to see this question answered as well. If I understand the rule, he would be eligible for Rule 5 after his 5th year in the minors because he was signed at age 18. He began in 2005, so his fifth year would be this year. It is not clear, however, if being released outright would affect his eligibility. It seems to me that it should. Otherwise, teams would be discouraged from picking up a released player that needed to be developed further before going on a 40 man roster. After all, Rule 5 is there to prevent stockpiling of talent in the minors, and not to preclude the signing of minor league free agents.

[dougdirt]

Lots of questions that likely don't need to be answered. He likely doesn't have a whole lot left or he wouldn't have been available at the end of May at a young age. I hope he breaks out and kills it for us, but I am not going to be holding my breath.

[Mario-Rijo]

Lots of questions that likely don't need to be answered. He likely doesn't have a whole lot left or he wouldn't have been available at the end of May at a young age. I hope he breaks out and kills it for us, but I am not going to be holding my breath.

From reading the article above sounds too me like we ought to be finding answers to those questions.

[lollipopcurve]

Lots of questions that likely don't need to be answered. He likely doesn't have a whole lot left or he wouldn't have been available at the end of May at a young age.

If his arm's healthy - and there's no reason to think it isn't -- his roster status is well worth keeping an eye on. He's a big, 22 year-old power lefty, not a veteran retread with marginal stuff.

[dougdirt]

If his arm's healthy - and there's no reason to think it isn't -- his roster status is well worth keeping an eye on. He's a big, 22 year-old power lefty, not a veteran retread with marginal stuff.

Maybe its just me.... but I can't imagine that a 22 year old lefty with a power arm and a first round pedigree would have been available in May for next to nothing. I really hope he proves me wrong, but I just can't see a guy that fits that profile being available Mid May for a contract.

[Brutus]

Maybe its just me.... but I can't imagine that a 22 year old lefty with a power arm and a first round pedigree would have been available in May for next to nothing. I really hope he proves me wrong, but I just can't see a guy that fits that profile being available Mid May for a contract.

Though the percentages would probably agree with you, clubs do funny things. Maybe it was an attitude issue. Maybe they simply grew impatient. There could be a variety of factors. Ultimately, I would also agree there may have been something more than mechanical (but rather physical) for them to give up on him already - but clubs sometimes do strange things.

[Mario-Rijo]

Maybe its just me.... but I can't imagine that a 22 year old lefty with a power arm and a first round pedigree would have been available in May for next to nothing. I really hope he proves me wrong, but I just can't see a guy that fits that profile being available Mid May for a contract.

I think this explains his situation pretty good unless of course this guy who wrote it just doesn't know what he's talking about, certainly possible.

Some insight on this kid from Cub Reporter:

The Cubs selected Mark Pawelek with their #1 pick (#20 overall) in the 2005 Rule 4 (June) draft. He was the 4th HS pitcher selected in the '05 draft, but he almost certainly would have gone higher if it wasn't for the fact that he had Scott Boras as an "advisor" (unofficial agent) and that he had signed a Natioal Letter of Intent to attend Arizona State. But the Cubs were able to sign him, and he reported initially to the AZL Cubs at Fitch Park.

I saw Mark Pawelek in his first pro season at AZL Mesa (2005), and I can tell you he was as good as advertised (94 MPH fastball, plus-curve, plus-slider, and plus-change). Then he went to the AZ Instructional League post-2005, and the Cubs coaches apparently started tinkering with his pitch selections, delivery, arm slot, release point, etc (probably with the intention of trying to prevent an arm injury), and he gradually just lost confidence.

The Pawelek Family is very unusual, in that the dad fancies himself a pitching coach, and is very involved in Mark's career. His dad pitches for a top senior team, and he really knows his stuff. But he's kind of like Mike Marshall, in that he has a somewhat different approach than do most minor league pitching coaches.

Mark and his older brother Dennis (who was drafted by the White Sox, but chose to play college football instead) had a special work-out regimen back home in Utah, where their dad had them throw every day, and where Mark and Dennis were taught a particular philosophy of pitch selection.

Unfortunately, the Cubs have only one way for everybody, and Mark was forced to conform to the Cubs Way (especially when it came to side sessions and pitch selection), and apparently it messed him up.

The Cubs claimed Pawelek came to Minor League Camp in 2006 "out of shape," but he wasn't overweight or anything, he was just "messed up" mentally and his mechanics were out of whack, to where his velocity was down into the mid-80's and he couldn't throw any of his "hard" pitches (fastball and slider) for strikes. And he kept hitting batters. How much of that stemmed from his work in the AZ Instructional League after the 2005 season, I don't know, but his confidence was clearly adversely affected and he couldn't get back to where he was at AZL Cubs in 2005.

There is nothing wrong with Mark Pawelek's arm. His problems have all been related to messed-up mechanics that caused his velocity to drop into the mid-80's and his command to go haywire (where he started hitting batters with regularity), and then (with the drop in velocity and loss of command) a confidence issue ensued.

I talked to a scout from another organization last year, and he said his club is just waiting for the Cubs to give up on Pawelek so that his club can get him and "pick up the pieces." (The Cubs minor league pitching coaches are not held in real high esteem by some of the other organizations, BTW).

From what I can see, Pawelek at least appears to be getting his confidence and enthusiasm back, and he's once again relying on his innate talent and just cutting the ball loose and then whatever happens, happens. While he might continue to struggle some with command (and what 21-year old hard-throwing left-hander doesn't?), if he's got his confidence and enthusiasm back, that's half the battle.

Looks like a combination of bad coaching and immaturity hopefully the Reds have better luck with him. We don't have a great track record when it comes to developing pitchers either.

[Dude Rock]

I think this explains his situation pretty good unless of course this guy who wrote it just doesn't know what he's talking about, certainly possible.

Good article. Good post.

Maybe a change of scenery and allowing him to get back to what made him successful will do him good.

[Gallen5862]

Where was Pawelek assigned to? When will he make his debut?

[RED VAN HOT]

Where was Pawelek assigned to? When will he make his debut?

I don't know the answer. I believe I can make an uneducated guess. The Golden West league is an amalgam of players with experience as high as the major leagues. It is generally considered about the level of A+. That said, Pawelek has never established that he can play there.

Given the nature and history of his problems, IMO the Reds will not want to put him into a situation that could further erode his confidence. Instead, they will want to work with him and see what they have. My guess is that he goes to the GCL for at least a month. If his progress is good, he could be reassigned to Billings or Dayton in late July. It does not sound to me as if he will be ready for Sarasota this season.

[lollipopcurve]

My guess is he starts in Billings. It's near his home state of Utah.