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Doug Davis, the Blue Jays Minor League Field Coordinator was in Toronto recently for the Webster Award presentation.  Batters Box managed to get some time from Doug to discuss the 2010 season.

BB: Next year when you will have teams in the GCL, Bluefield and Vancouver, is there a progression there or are two of those teams equal in level?

DD: No there is a progression there.  The GCL team would be lowest rookie level team, Bluefield would be next in line as a short season rookie club and then Vancouver is the short-season A club. The Vancouver club and the Lansing club would be more comparable I think, talent wise, it just happens that one is a short season team and one is full season. 

BB: You are back with Las Vegas for at least another two years.  Is there anything you can do to alter the run environment there?  Could you look at a humidor or doing something with the infield there?

DD: That's a possibility but I don't mind Las Vegas.  I played in that league, Las Vegas isn't the only place in that league that is a difficult place to pitch in.  But I think the field surface is something that needs to be addressed and that's not an easy fix because of the climate.  It's so hot and so dry that makes it very difficult to maintain thick grass, everything gets very hard and dry and dusty and it's hard to maintain the smoothness of it.  I think we can address that a little bit so that if the pitchers can keep the ball on the ground we can have a surface that is conducive to making a play that a normal infield would give us.  I think we need to spend time, they are willing out there to do something with us, so if we put our heads together we'll see what we can come up with.

BB: How do you evaluate a hitter in Las Vegas?

DD: I think you have to pay attention to different things.  The home runs can be skewed a little bit, you have to see them.  I don't think they were at all for JP, his power is legitimate.  Once the ball is in the air it doesn't tend to come down as quickly as it does in other places.  From an average standpoint, because of the infield, more balls tend to find their way through the infield than they do on a regular surface.  I think you have to evaluate the hitter himself, you have to evaluate bat speed and how the ball comes off the bat.  It's not the easiest thing in the world but it's do-able.

BB: This year the organization made a decision to slow down how fast they promoted prospects.  Are you happy with the policy or is there a place somewhere in between that will work?

DD: I think we worked toward the right level.  My biggest thing is that the player will tell you when he is ready to go and we shouldn't be the ones forcing the issue.  There are some guys you can push through, Travis Snider was one, but there are other guys who when they get to a level they struggle.  I want to avoid that, I want to keep players at a level where they are able to compete and they are able to excel. When it's time to move we will get them out of there.  I don't think there is a science to it, I don't think there is any perfect solution, I think it's a case of  really paying attention as a group of evaluators in the system.

BB: Brian Dopirak missed half the year with an injury, and he is a free agent.  Have you spoken with him about coming back?

DD: Yes we have, he is somebody we would love to bring back.  Everything worked out very well for him and us together, we were able to give him a second chance and he made the most of it.  He has done a tremendous job, he has worked hard and he has put up the numbers everywhere he has gone.  I think he was struggling with his knee this year, more than he wanted to let me know.  I glad he finally decided to get it fixed, but I think Brian fits in very well in this organization and we would love to have him back.

BB: Adam Loewen, in the middle of the year, looked set for a breakout but he struggled over the last month or six weeks.  Why did he struggle?

DD: There are not many players who have gone through what he has done.  I really believe two things happened to Adam this year.  I think he finally transitioned from being an pitcher to being a position player.  Then everything went according to plan but when he got to that 350-400 at-bat total the tank started to run a little bit dry.  It's a long season and I don't attribute it to anything other than that, I really think he got tired.

BB: Moises Sierra is not going to the AFL, is he going to play winter ball?

DD: I believe he will play winter ball.  The plan for Moises was to get him a little bit of playing time before the end of the season, which we were able to do in Dunedin.  It wasn't a terrific amount of time but at least we got him to the point where he feels like he can go ahead and play and I can do everything I need to do and not worry about re-injuring anything.  Now the game plan is to let him to through instructional league, he is going to play a lot in the games we have scheduled down there, and that will be a stepping stone to winter ball.  I hope he plays a lot down there and I expect that he will, and hopefully when he comes back to spring training he will be 100% ready.

BB: Travis D'Arnaud hurt his back.  Are you expecting him back 100% next year or is it going to be a chronic condition?

DD: That's a tough one for me.  I was a catcher and I had a few back issues during my playing career and I know it's not an ideal situation being a catcher and dealing with a back problem.  I think we have a good handle on it, I don't think it will be a chronic issue.  He knows he needs to spend time on his conditioning, his core program, and from our perspective we know not to run him out there six or seven days a week, to give him a rest here and there.  I fully believe he will play a full season next year.

BB: Is he in instructs?

DD: No he is not.  He is still rehabbing at home, we will bring him in for the last week to let him know we haven't forgot about him.

BB: Yan Gomes replaced D'Arnaud and did a nice job for you.  How are his catching abilities?

DD: This is Yan's first full season and he handled himself extremely well.  Yan swings the bat, he is an offensive guy, very good bat speed.  The catching part is certainly something we will continue to work with him on.  He is in instructional league as well and his focus will be catching.  He has arm strength, he has every attribute you want out of a catcher.  We just need to get him to where on a day in, day out basis he can go out there and be consistent.

BB: Is Asher Wojciechowski recovered enough to be in instructional league?

DD: No, not so much because of the injury he had, mainly because of the number of innings he pitched in college.  We saw him pitch in Auburn and his stuff was pretty good but the best thing we could do for him was to send him home, let him have a full off-season, let him come back and integrate him into our program in the spring.

BB: Eric Thames is here as a Webster Award winner.  What does Eric have to do to make it to the big leagues?

DD: The biggest thing for me with Eric is baseball experience, he hasn't played a lot.  This is his second full season but last season he was injured half the time.  The numbers themselves are tremendous, what he was able to accomplish this year but my biggest accomplishment for him was the fact that he went out and played every day.  I think he believes now he can do that and he doesn't have to worry about getting injured.  I think he is learning about baseball, about what he needs to do on a daily basis to be ready to play.  He has all the ability in the world, once he does that then it becomes a consistency issue.  Can he go out there every day and do what he did offensively while continuing to improve as an outfielder.

BB: Henderson Alvarez, didn't have as good a year in 2010 as he did last year.  What are you going to be looking for him to do in 2011 to get to AA?

DD: Henderson's biggest thing is maturity level.  We got him to a high baseball level at a young age.  We would just like him to progress and mature as a person and as a baseball player and then continue to do what he has been doing because when you grade out his tools he has major league stuff today.  He just needs to be able to walk out on that mound every fifth day and bring that to the game and maintain it for a six or seven inning period.  I think the maturity level will continue to get better as he grows and you will see a pretty good pitcher out there.

BB: There was a report in a paper here that Zach Stewart was told to be ready to pitch out of the bullpen next season.  Are you aware of that?

DD: No I am not, I am not ready for him to pitch in the bullpen next year.  People pay attention to what he has done over the last few years and we had him in the bullpen last year in Las Vegas.  That's also because of the power arm and his fastball and slider and he could go in the bullpen and be effective late in the game but he was tremendous this season from the viewpoint of stamina and durability and being able to maintain his pitches, his velocity.  Because of that I would love to see him stay in the rotation.

BB: I assume Joel Carreno has done enough to get a shot at AA next year.  Obviously you never know what the winter brings but has he progressed enough to pitch in AA next year?

DD: I think anybody that strikes out that many guys in the FSL deserves a chance to go to AA and Joel will get that opportunity.  He surprised a lot of people.  He was one of those guys that when you go into a season you have your key starters and then you are looking for other guys to fill in and Joel was one of those guys.  But he put himself on the map this season with the year that he had.  But the thing is Joel was very consistent with it, it wasn't a good game here and then a bad game there, every day he was going out and striking people out.  So he shows you he has the ability to do that with a very good breaking ball and to change his breaking ball so that sometimes it is like a curveball and sometimes a slider.  He manipulates it a little and he has great feel so I think he is ready to go to AA and see what he can do up there.

BB: How about Chuck Huggins, is he in the same category?

DD: Chuck has had good back to back seasons in the FSL and he is in the same boat.  Completely different pitcher, Chuck is a control pitcher, obviously left-handed, curve ball, change-up guy, but with the success he has had down there he deserves the opportunity to make that jump.

BB: Anthony Gose, did you change anything with him when he came over from Clearwater?

DD: Not really.  Because Clearwater and Dunedin play each other so much we knew Anthony.  I think the only thing we might consider changing is his offensive approach.  I think he has a lot more power potential than the Phillies saw in him, at least at the present time.  He was more of a slap guy and they tried to get him to hit the ball on the ground and let his speed take-over.  I agree he has tremendous speed but I also think he has tremendous power and the ability to drive the ball and I think that's what we would like him to do as he performs in our organization.

BB: You had a lot of high school kids come into the GCL this year.  Did any of them surprise you with their approach to the game?

DD: Aaron Sanchez, a pitcher from California, very advanced in terms of his stuff.  You look at him and he looks like he is fifteen years old but you watch him throw and you realize he is a very developed pitcher.  I was very impressed with what he had.  Noah Syndergaard, same way, very advanced from the standpoint of their deliveries and what was coming out of their arms.  Kellen Sweeney is a kid who impressed everyone, obviously he has the pedigree, I think he understand the major league game and knows that.  He has a tremendous personality and a great feel for what he is doing on the field, he impressed me quite a bit as well.

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Batters Box thanks Doug Davis for his time.

An Interview with Doug Davis - September 2010 | 37 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
jerjapan - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 07:56 AM EDT (#224035) #
Great stuff Gerry!  Over the last few years, the Box has allowed my understanding of our minor leagues system to grow to unprecedented levels of nerdiness.  The insight shared in the prospect rankings and end of year interviews really fleshes out the minor league stats in my mind, and I love the insight into the minor league parks, the recent draft picks and the minor league soldiers that I would otherwise have a limited understanding of.

As an example, I find it interesting that the Jays want Dopirack back, and feel like he might have been hiding the severity of his injury. 

I would have loved a question on Accardo's future, although I assume that might have been a controversial subject. 


bpoz - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 09:04 AM EDT (#224036) #
Wonderful work as always Gerry.
I was surprised to hear that Vancouver and Lansing were so close talent level wise.
Any idea how much more difficult the Dunedin level would be to Lansing?
Flex - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 09:36 AM EDT (#224039) #
Great stuff! Terrific interview, getting answers to all those nagging questions. I'd like him to be a bit more confident in his comments about D'Arnaud, but I guess you can't have everything. Well done!
Gerry - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 09:55 AM EDT (#224041) #

I didn't ask about Accardo with Davis or with Dane Johnson whose interview will be here tomorrow.  Accardo is engaged to the daughter of a senior Rogers officer so the politics of discussing Accardo are significant.  The coaches know that so they probably would be very careful with their answers.

Vancouver, and Auburn, generally have rosters filled with newly drafted players straight out of college.  Most of those players get bumped up to Lansing for the start of the next season.  In that regard the level of play is roughly comparable.  I think the jump to Dunedin is a significant one and the move to AA is considered the toughest move, outside of being promoted to the major leagues.

Pistol - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 10:07 AM EDT (#224042) #
I would have loved a question on Accardo's future

I think it's clear that Accardo is ready to move on to another organization.  And I can't imagine the Jays tendering a contract to a player who they had in the minors nearly the entire year.
ayjackson - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 10:42 AM EDT (#224043) #

Great work Gerry.  Excellent questions.  Loved the questions on Wojo and Stew.  I really get a sense that the Jays are a little concerned about the health of Wojo, even though they say it's all about rest.  There was some acknowledgement in his response that there was an injury.  How did you interpret that response from Doug?

Anybody know of any mainstream reporter or blogger that is planning on covering instructs at all?  I know Keith Law posted a column on them, but I believe they were just the Arizona Instructs (he just moved to Arizona).

John Northey - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 12:42 PM EDT (#224046) #
Gerry - very interesting bit there about Accardo being engaged to the daughter of a senior Rogers officer. Makes things a bit messy with him I'm sure. Ideally the Jays would let him go so there is no conflict of interest - of course, that didn't change things for Accardo this year (AAA virtually the whole year) so hopefully things like that won't be a factor.
Mike Green - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 01:46 PM EDT (#224053) #
Great work, Gerry.  Doug Davis' comment about evaluating bat speed and how fast the ball comes off the bat for LV hitters is a very good point.  Do the Jays have something like HitFx to actually measure it? One guesses that they do. 
cybercavalier - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 04:00 PM EDT (#224059) #
Great work, Gerry. I am illuminated by Doug Davis' comment about evaluating bat speed and how fast the ball comes off the bat for LV hitters and the statuses of Dopirak and Thames. Numerous but different reports on Thames have been around on the web: Baseball America, twitters er al. It is also nice to know how personnel(s) within the baseball organizations views prospects, especially those who were commented with entirely different views (for instance, just the power in hitting and few other skills for Dopirak)

Per Accardo, I think he can be packaged as part of deal(s) to other teams. In my opinion, a sign-and-trade of John Buck and Accardo to the Astros, or in a lesser chance, to the Brewers. Top prospect Jason Castro is struggling offensively and there are no clear No#1 catcher for the Brewers. After all, AA have many options on signing free agents catchers (VMart et al.); it is just prudent to have 2 catchers (or 1 catcher at MLB roster and another one at AAA, just like 2010 season with Jose Molina and Raul Chavez) to foster the development of JP Arencibia.
Chuck - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 04:54 PM EDT (#224060) #
a sign-and-trade of John Buck

These are not permitted in MLB. A player signed as a free agent cannot be traded until mid-season, I believe.
cybercavalier - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 04:55 PM EDT (#224061) #
Pardon for being off topic. If Buck leaves a free agent, will the Jays get a type B- pick?
Jdog - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 05:51 PM EDT (#224064) #
If they offer him arbitration and he declines then they will indeed get a sandwich 1st rounder when he signs elsewhere
Chuck - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 05:59 PM EDT (#224065) #
If Buck leaves a free agent, will the Jays get a type B- pick?

John Buck is a type B. The list of free agents.
pooks137 - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 06:11 PM EDT (#224066) #

These are not permitted in MLB. A player signed as a free agent cannot be traded until mid-season, I believe.

I thought the same thing too Chuck, until I found this article on MLB.com discussing the very issue.  Apparently, signed free agents cannot be traded until June 15th, but they can also choose to waive that right.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/print.jsp?ymd=20090218&content_id=3843216&affiliateId=CommentWidget

Regardless, it shouldn't apply to Buck since I see no advantage on Houston's part by signing and trading.

pooks137 - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 06:30 PM EDT (#224067) #
Just thought I'd note that Baseball Americ'a most recent minor league transactions shows that Dopirak has been granted free agency.
TheBunk - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 06:43 PM EDT (#224068) #
Accardo has zero trade value anyways
Mike Green - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 09:08 PM EDT (#224069) #
Thanks for posting the free agency rankings.  Some interesting names are type Bs:  Joaquin Benoit and Orlando Hudson.
Chuck - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 09:31 PM EDT (#224070) #

Orlando Hudson

You think Hill's seemingly inevitable move to 3B could be as soon as next year? Finding a new second baseman might be easier than finding a new third baseman (I'm assuming that Bautista stays in RF and that Encarnacion gets non-tendered).

Mike Green - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 09:38 PM EDT (#224071) #
Yep.  You'd think that Hudson would get about the same contract this year as last. 
Alex Obal - Tuesday, October 12 2010 @ 10:55 PM EDT (#224072) #
Benoit really is impressive. Maybe he'd be worth the market rate. You wouldn't be paying a saves premium, just a career-year premium, and nobody believes in reliever career years.

Camp, Stewart, Rzepczynski and Benoit for 2011's late-inning arson squad? Although clearly Stewart and probably Rzepczynski should be given every chance to start long-term, I figure they'd be a good solution to the bullpen void. Maybe a great one. Definitely a cheap one. I don't particularly want to see Stewart or Scrabble in Vegas, though Davis' take on that park is reassuring.

TamRa - Wednesday, October 13 2010 @ 04:44 AM EDT (#224078) #
Benoit is an intriguging name, and i'm pretty much just gonna default to Alex that he'll pluck the best choice (given his 2010 track record)

But i just don't see the pen being as empty as others do. Downs is a huge blow, there's no doubt. But between Purcey, Camp, Carlson, Janssen, Roenicke, Buchholz, and left over starters like Zep, Richmond, Mills, Ray, Hill, or Litsch (assuming) and whoever AA might bring in (on a major dal or a little noticed minor deal) i think there are plenty of good pitchers for the 2010 'pen.

Anyone can, of course, go off the rails as Tallet did this year, but there are reasons to believe in a lot of those guys. at least, believe enough to not throw stupid money at some Fuentes type.

That's what's intriguing about Benoit. Even with those stats he's kind of a low-profile target. there are a handful of those guys we could add for a reasonable price (all the more reason not to keep Gregg) and he might be at or near the top of the list. One or two such signings and then fill in with Camp, Janssen, Purcey et al - nothing wrong with a pen like that.


China fan - Wednesday, October 13 2010 @ 04:51 AM EDT (#224079) #
The Jays have been doing the smart thing by keeping Zep and Stewart  (and Brad Mills too) as starting pitchers, where their value is highest.  They're not in the same category as a David Purcey, who seems to be best-suited for the bullpen.  But with the looming surplus of starting pitchers next season, Anthopolous will have to bite the bullet soon on some of them: either convert them to the bullpen or trade them.  The latter might be the best option for someone like Zep or Mills, since they would have greater value to another team (as starters) than to the Jays as relievers.  As soon as you start converting them to the bullpen, you lose some of their trade value -- unless they are getting a bunch of spot starts as the long man in the bullpen, which might be an option for Zep.   Still, as long as the Jays need a 3B or 1B, they should consider packaging Zep in the deal.  A number of teams could be very interested in a young controllable starting pitcher who has already had a degree of success in the majors over the course of two seasons.
Alex Obal - Wednesday, October 13 2010 @ 05:57 AM EDT (#224080) #
A number of established young starters started out as high-leverage relievers because* their rotations were crowded. These were prospects whose teams saw them as SPs and knew they were ready for the show but had either no place to put them or few plausible relievers.

One year as a reliever doesn't consign a pitcher to the bullpen forever. It gets him experience pitching in high-leverage situations against big-league hitters, and keeps his innings count down. It doesn't kill the player's trade value - the Rangers traded John Danks for "Tall" Brandon McCarthy after he'd spent his full second year as a reliever. Aroldis Chapman is on this path, and so may be Drew Storen and Neftali Feliz. Rzepczynski, who misses bats, pitches away from contact, and seems to tire quickly, might be well-suited for a year in this program.

*Derek Lowe is old.

Mike Green - Wednesday, October 13 2010 @ 09:18 AM EDT (#224084) #
What Alex said.  The only thing I'd add is that it is probably desirable to have your putative 6th starter in a low leverage role in the bullpen, so that if the need arises in mid-season, he can be plugged into the rotation with little disruption to roles in the pen. 
Jonny German - Wednesday, October 13 2010 @ 10:44 AM EDT (#224087) #

If Gregg's options are declined, does he become a free agent with the same conditions as other free agents? i.e. will the Jays need to then decide to offer arbitration or not, and if they do will they be eligible for draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere? I'm guessing he'd be a Type A given the Saves totals.

Surprised that Jason Frasor is a Type A. I can't picture a team giving up a first round pick in order to sign him, which means it'll be a tough decision for the Jays on whether or not to offer arbitration... if they do there's a good chance he'll be back at something more than the $2.65M he made this year.

R Romero Vaughan - Wednesday, October 13 2010 @ 11:59 AM EDT (#224090) #

Gregg is a Type-B as per MLBTR

The point about the 1st round pick is frequently overblown. Only the top half of the league has to give up a 1st rounder for signing a type A.

As one of the lowest ranked Type As, teams signing multiple FAs will be giving up a 2nd, 3rd or even 4th round pick for Frasor.

Given the size of the sandwich round and the fact teams tend to pick up sandwich/other picks through their own FAs, I am confident that he will eb able to find a home if he wants to.

Frasor's consistency will mean he is a consolation prize for a team that doesn't pick up one of the top 3 or 4 relievers on the market.

bpoz - Wednesday, October 13 2010 @ 12:39 PM EDT (#224092) #
Good attendance in TB last night. About 42,000. I hope it helps TB's payroll budget for 2011.

NYY,TB,BOS all missed the playoffs once in the last 3 years. After missing the playoffs in 2008 the NYY loaded up with CC Sabathia,M Tex & AJ Burnett, then won the WS in 2009.
I wonder what BOS will do for 2011.

This July 2010 the NYY loaded up with expensive short term help, L Berkman & K Woods. I am not sure but I don't think they lost much prospect talent on these July deals, just lots of money to load up for the rest of this season. IMO this is their MO.
IMO in a tough race to make the playoffs the NYY will do this again. Will BOS do something like that? IMO TB,BALT,TOR cannot afford this strategy and it could cost them.
Thomas - Wednesday, October 13 2010 @ 01:02 PM EDT (#224094) #
Alex, your point about starters apprenticing as relievers is a good one. However, while I would have little problem with Stewart in that role, I have more concerns about Scrabble.

As you stated, right now one of his weaknesses is an apparent tendency to tire, as he seems to get hit harder and walk more batters as the game progresses. I'm not sure if that part of his game can be addressed if he is pitching out of bullpen, whether it is in low-leverage innings or as a middle reliever/setup man. I believe he's got a future as a major league starter and, to me, it seems as if putting him in the bullpen simply hides his weakness rather than attempting to address it.

Mike Green - Wednesday, October 13 2010 @ 01:52 PM EDT (#224096) #
If it ends up happening that Drabek wins the 5th starter job out of spring training (and the other 4 starters are healthy, knock on wood), Rzepczynski might assume the Tallet c. 2008-9 role which would likely involve 5-10 starts.  I don't see this as too damaging to his development. 
Alex Obal - Wednesday, October 13 2010 @ 02:23 PM EDT (#224097) #
I wouldn't mind putting Drabek in AA for a month or so. The problem is that if he looks good (and/or has good ERA) in the spring, it'll be tough to block him.

If Drabek breaks camp with the Jays, figure there's a good chance Rzep lands in the Shaun Marcum/Casey Janssen 2007 "whatever" role, with his performance and luck in the first two weeks dictating his position on the leverage ladder. I maintain there's a nonzero chance Rzepczynski takes the closer's role by force.

It would be nice to encourage Rzep to be more aggressive. Feeding him earthbound minor-league hitters should logically have that effect. Unfortunately, Vegas is Vegas. I think sending him there would on balance be counterproductive.

ayjackson - Wednesday, October 13 2010 @ 02:53 PM EDT (#224100) #

Offering Jason Frasor arbitration is a no-brainer.  I'd have no problem bringing him back at his arb-award if he chose to accept.

Gregg will be an interesting one though.  If we decline the options and offer arb, he could conceivably receive more from an arbitrator than his option would have paid him.  If we were confident that he wouldn't accept arb, I'd much rather throw that money at  the numerous reliever options available like Benoit, Rauch, Heilman, Balfour, etc, and take the comp pick for Gregg.

As for the bullpen, I think Rzep is a better fit than Stew in the bullpen because he's been stretched out to full season workload.  Stewart is being converted into a starter and should really complete that process before breaking into the majors as a reliever.

Mylegacy - Wednesday, October 13 2010 @ 09:59 PM EDT (#224113) #
I think there is a 51% to 49% chance that Stewart has a better spring than Drabek. I also think there is a 51% chance that the best spring performer between Hill and Scrabble will end up starting 2011 as the 5th starter regardless of what Stewart and Drabek do next spring.

In addition, I think there is only a .0006% chance that my well considered projections will end up having any bearing on reality as it actually unfolds.

Time for a wee dram.

VBF - Thursday, October 14 2010 @ 12:19 AM EDT (#224116) #
It gets him experience pitching in high-leverage situations against big-league hitters, and keeps his innings count down.

I'll also add that introducing a pitching prospect to he big leagues via the bullpen is an opportunity to receive more frequent feedback. Instead of having just over one outing per week, he might be able to pitch 3 times in a week, receive more feedback and make more frequent adjustments. This might be just what a young pitcher needs.
scottt - Thursday, October 14 2010 @ 07:20 AM EDT (#224121) #
On Gregg, would arbitration take into account his current 2.75 million salary? Isn't he likely to get more from free agency than arbitration?
TamRa - Thursday, October 14 2010 @ 01:54 PM EDT (#224133) #
arb does take into account the current salary history. Whether or not he'd make more in free agency has to do with the vaguries of the free agent market and all the moving pieces therein, but i don't think his arbitration salary would be much, if any, more than the $4.5 million we hold an option for, so the risk in not picking up the option and his accepting arbitration is minimal. in fact, give nthat they have already agreed to the $4.5 figure once, they probably would just go ahead and settle on that figure again (which is to say that not picking up the option is a matter of collecting the draft pick, not about thinking he's not worth the $4.5)


bpoz - Friday, October 15 2010 @ 10:30 AM EDT (#224152) #
I apologize for my impatience, I know the time is too early for discussing possible additions and subtractions to the 40 man roster.

I only ask to clarify some rules about the Rule 5 draft.

I know if left off the 40 man a guy like B Jeroloman can be claimed in the ML phase. Now is there not a AAA,AA...etc protection list also for those phases of the draft. So that if he is left off that minor league list then a AAA affiliate can claim him.
So 2006 HS draft picks can be had in the lower phases.
TamRa - Saturday, October 16 2010 @ 12:29 AM EDT (#224183) #
my guess is that Jeroloman will be listed in the AAA roster and thus can't be drafted by another AAA team.

You might look for someone like Reyes or Carreno (if he wasn't properly protected - assuming he needs to be) drafted in the manner you describe.

An Interview with Doug Davis - September 2010 | 37 comments | Create New Account
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