I think Saarloos is going to get lit up like a christmas tree for the Reds. But for 1.2 million I guess its a decent gamble. But trust me, this did nothing to improve the 2007, 2008, 2009 Cincinnati Reds.
I think Saarloos is going to get lit up like a christmas tree for the Reds. But for 1.2 million I guess its a decent gamble. But trust me, this did nothing to improve the 2007, 2008, 2009 Cincinnati Reds.
"I came here to kick ass and chew bubble gum... and I'm all out of bubble gum."
- - Rowdy Roddy Piper
"It takes a big man to admit when he is wrong. I am not a big man"
- - Fletch
Giving up Shafer doesn't bother but the only thing to like about Saarloos is his extreme GB tendencies. WIth that he still is a bit HR happy. Maybe with that sinker and slurve the transition to the NL will be to his liking. Not a lot of upside but it is a low risk/low value kind of a trade, which is an Ok deal, especially since the Reds have a dearth of starting pitching candidates heading into the season.
"I prefer books and movies where the conflict isn't of the extreme cannibal apocalypse variety I guess." Redsfaithful
Don't forget the fact that that 13.7 percent of Saarloos' career fly balls have left the yard. Last season alone that mark was 17.2 percent. That's far worse than any season Milton's pitched, including 2004 and 2005. Oh, and most of Saarloos' home games thus far have been in Oakland with a HR index of 0.95, and we know how GABP is on the long ball. He does keep the ball out of the air at a nice rate, but the balls that do go in the air tend to go a long way. That's not uncommon for a pitcher who doesn't miss bats, and Saarloos definitely can't miss many bats.
If Saarloos can be as effective in 2007 as he was in 2005 - the only season he posted a sub 10 percent HR/FB% at 8.6 percent - he can help out a bit. If that doesn't happen, then he's just going to get shelled.
The Lost Decade Average Season: 74-88
2014-22 Average Season: 71-91
Reading comprehension is not just an ability, it's a choice
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
Shafer appears to need to make a transition to pitching longer stints. He did well as a late inning guy at AA, pitching one inning at a time. Later in the season they tried him in middle relief (where he is likely to pitch eventually) and he didn't do quite as well in longer outings.
Based on my reading about him, I would guess that he will have a big league career in middle relief. But he needs to build up his innings to be valuable.
While the various prospect rankings may say differently, the reliever from that group (Shafer, Medlock, etc.) who may have the most upside is Coutlangus, the lefty. I'm intrigued by him because he converted to pitching late but has had steady success ever since. I'm glad the Reds have held onto him so far.
Possibly, but I want to know how the effectiveness of his sinker has shifted each season.
If his sinker loses effectiveness, then he'll just go down the Danny Graves road. When Graves' sinker was working in his prime, his HR/FB% was around 10 percent. When Graves' sinker went down the toilet, his HR/FB% jumped up beyond 15 percent, and that's when everything blew up.
The Lost Decade Average Season: 74-88
2014-22 Average Season: 71-91
Saarloos can help in the BP if nothing else.
“And when finally they sense that some position cannot be sustained, they do not re-examine their ideas. Instead, they simply change the subject.” Jamie Galbraith
True. That's a total 180 from the previous regimes. The past groups were very reluctant to let a player stay at a level and dominate it to build up their trade value. It seemed as though as soon as a player showed even an inkling of succeeding in one league, he was pushed to another to see if he could handle that. Not a very good idea if you're trying to establish some value in those players along the way.
'When I'm not longer rapping, I want to open up an ice cream parlor and call myself Scoop Dogg.'
-Snoop on his retirement
Your Mom is happy.
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