Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - Jon Berti to the Rescue!

New Hampshire, and Lansing each won by a run. Dunedin's game was rained out, and Buffalo had an off day. Also the Jays made a couple interesting milb roster moves over the last 24 hours.

New Hampshire 4 – Bowie 3

The Fisher Cats were behind for most of the game, until they scored 4 runs in the 8th inning to take the lead. In the 8th inning Jon Berti had a 3 run HR, which was his 4th of the year.

PJ Walters gave up 3 earned over 6 innings. Dustin Antolin followed with 2 scoreless innings, and Randy Boone followed up with a scoreless 9th achieving his 7th save of the year.

Daytona – Dunedin (PPD – Rain)

Lansing 4 – Fort Wayne 3

The Lugnuts had 8 hits, with 4 doubles, coming from DJ Davis, Matt Dean, L.B. Dantzler, and Jason Leblebijian. Dickie Joe Thon was 2-3, while scoring 2 runs with a walk.

Chase De Jong was given the start for the Lugnuts, and had a decent outing that had a line of 4.2IP 7H 3R 2ER 0BB 5SO. Phil Kish pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, and was credited with the win improving his record to 4-2. Griffin Murphy closed out the game with a scoreless inning for his 10th save of the season.

Three Stars

1. Jon Berti

2. Chase De Jong

3. Dickie Joe Thon

News

-Aaron Sanchez was promoted to AAA Buffalo

-The Jays released 2010 2nd Round Pick Kellen Sweeney

Posted by tercet on Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 08:39 AM EDT.

Jon Berti to the Rescue! | 27 comments | Create New Account

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Richard S.S. - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 09:53 AM EDT (#288302) #

The Sanchez move to AAA Buffalo is interesting as it might be too soon. Of course, Trade Season is open and it's possible they need to find out what we have, on who goes.

tercet - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 09:56 AM EDT (#288303) #

I'm in the camp that it was way too soon. Someone with a BB.9 of 5.5 in AA is gonna struggle in AAA.

PeterG - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 10:05 AM EDT (#288304) #

after the outstanding ST he had and the trip to Montreal, NH might have seemed a downer and boring to Sanchez. In fact, some suggested that might be the case in advance. I see no harm in challenging him at Buffalo. It has worked for McGuire so far as I thought it would......would not be surprised to see Norris and Cole bumped up to NH sometime soon, probably after Dunedin clinches.

Gerry - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 10:07 AM EDT (#288305) #

The Jays might need pitching help in the second half of the season. They might not have the prospects or cash to add a big time pitcher. If Sanchez can pitch well in Buffalo it would allow the Jays to call him up. Or if he pitches well it could increase his trade value.

China fan - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 10:11 AM EDT (#288306) #

It's worth noting that Sanchez reduced his BB rate considerably in his past 2 starts. And as I mentioned in the earlier thread, Shi Davidi is quoting people saying that his stuff was "electric" in his last start on Sunday.

Mike Green - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 10:12 AM EDT (#288308) #

The D-Jays have a doubleheader today with Norris and Boyd pitching. Lakeland has a doubleheader as well. The D-Jays lead by 4 games and the elimination number is 2. Norris, Cole and Boyd could be heading to New Hampshire as early as tomorrow.

I don't have any problem with the Sanchez move. I would feel differently about it if the move was from A+ to AA, but the difference in quality between AA and AAA hitters is not huge and Sanchez' issue is control not missing bats or inducing weak contact.

John Northey - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 10:12 AM EDT (#288309) #

I'm curious with Sanchez if he really is that wild or if his pitches have so much movement that AA umps have trouble calling it. With pitch FX machines at each level (afaik) the Jays would know if his control is that bad or if it is nothing close getting called type situation.

For example, Juan Guzman in the minors before getting called up in 1991 had a 5.6 BB/9 rate that season, never lower than 4.6 at any level. In the majors for his first 3 seasons (all playoff teams in Toronto) he was below 4.6 each year. In 1996 when winning an ERA title he was down to 2.5 and in his ML career was at 4.0 BB/9. Clearly something changed - was it him suddenly learning the strike zone in the majors or did quality of umps make a difference as well? I'd bet on a combination. I wonder if roboumps would drastically change baseball from the lowest to the highest levels. It would be interesting to see how far off umps are in the minors.

MatO - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 10:21 AM EDT (#288310) #

The story with Guzman at the time was that the then pitching for the Jays (don't remember) just told the catcher to set up every pitch down the middle for Guzman and not try to set up on corners in the hope that the pitch would end up somewhere in the strike zone. It seemed to work.

China fan - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 11:46 AM EDT (#288311) #

Neil Wagner could be in trouble. After a visit to the famous Dr. Andrews, he's been told to rest for three weeks, and then begin a throwing program.

On the positive side: John Stilson is back from injury and pitching for Buffalo.

uglyone - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 11:54 AM EDT (#288313) #

I'll give the jays the benefit of the doubt, but obviously on the surface promoting sanchez after just two good starts, after almost two months of really poor performance, is really pretty iffy.

The one possibility that might make sense is that they were forcing him to pitch with a limited repertoire for most of the year to work on some pitches (changeup, maybe?), and only recently allowed him to use all his pitches, with instant results. If that's the case, and he's made legit progress with some other pitches, then this could be the right move.

Then again, i haven't heard anyone say anything about this so that's a longshot guess.

That being said, if he picks up in AAA where he left off in AA, then a month from now any hit he's taken to his prospect status this year would be completely erased.

uglyone - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 11:58 AM EDT (#288314) #

John, thanks for that guzman comp. Might be a very good one. Never thought of that one before.

hypobole - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 01:39 PM EDT (#288318) #

From today's KLawchat:

Keith, Aaron Sanchez was apparently promoted to AAA. That seems a bit premature, to me. Thoughts?
Klaw (1:10 PM)

I don't think his performance merited it, but I know the Jays have a ton of respect for their AAA pitching coach, Randy St. Claire, and his ability to work with young starters.

Richard S.S. - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 01:57 PM EDT (#288319) #

Juan Guzman had pitch movement that was amazing. Even more amazing as it was late movement and extreme movement. Every pitch had movement and Catchers had fun. He'd throw a pitch right at the glove and you could watch it move anywhere but in the glove.

Something happen after (or during) the 1993 World Series, because he wasn't the same pitcher ever again. He was still very good, but he wasn't the same.

Gerry - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 02:01 PM EDT (#288320) #

The Jays have acquired Adron Chambers as outfield depth for Buffalo. In exchange they traded pitcher Alejandro Solarte and infielder Will Dupont.

PeterG - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 02:28 PM EDT (#288322) #

Ugly, in the Baseball Prospectus scouting report on Sanchez published last week, the author said that he had seen Sanchez 3 times in April and around 10 May and that on two of those occasions he was limited to throwing only fastballs the first 3 innings.....to improve fastball command I assume......

I have also heard reports suggesting he has been better than the numbers suggest and that this past start, his stuff was absolutely electric.

Gerry - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 02:50 PM EDT (#288323) #

Sanchez fastball has so much movement he can get away with just throwing it. Its actually great for a pitcher to be able to get by on fastballs first time through the order. Now if you can't throw it for strikes and the hitters are just taking that is a different matter.

Gerry - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 02:52 PM EDT (#288324) #

Lots of moves by the Bisons today. Melky Mesa has been promoted. Adron Chambers has been added. Matt Tuiasosopo has been traded to the White Sox. Kenny Wilson has been demoted to NH as has Gregory Infante who has been on the DL.

uglyone - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 03:08 PM EDT (#288326) #

What's their roster looking like right now and going forward?

Something like this i think?

CF Gose
RF Pillar
LF Chambers
3B Goedert
SS Goins
2B Kawasaki
1B Johnson
DH Glenn
C Jimenez

UT Laroche
OF Mesa
IF Diaz
C Nickeas

SP Sanchez
SP Nolin
SP McGuire
SP Hendriks
SP Drabek
INJ Romero

RP Stilson
RP Rasmussen
RP Rogers
RP Ayala
RP Korecky
RP Valdez
RP Tepera
INJ Wagner

Gerry - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 04:07 PM EDT (#288328) #

Dunedin's magic number to make the playoffs is down to one. Lakeland won the first game of the doubleheader today but the second game was rained out. That rain out is like a loss because it takes away a chance for Lakeland to make up ground on Dunedin. Dunedin have Matt Boyd and Daniel Norris starting today needing one win to make the playoffs.

Lugnut Fan - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 04:17 PM EDT (#288329) #

I see Sanchez is slated to start for Buffalo on Saturday in Toledo. I am super busy, but I'm looking to sneak down to take a peak.

As far as Sanchez, it really isn't a question a stuff and it never has been. He can get wild and from seeing him in Lansing (which is why I'm anxious to lay eyes on him this weekend), he will miss not only on the corners, but he can miss up as well. He has three plus pitches, but as Gerry stated, his fastball is good enough to get through an order once by itself. Fastball command will obviously be key and I wouldn't complain too much if they told him to do nothing but work on locate his fastball while in Buffalo and scrap the rest of his repertoire. His number most likely wouldn't look pretty, but that doesn't matter. Locating the fastball will.

ogator - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 04:25 PM EDT (#288331) #

Baseball America just lit up with a whole slew of Blue Jay draft pick signings.

ogator - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 04:29 PM EDT (#288332) #

Baseball America is showing 24 of 40 draftees have signed. Too many to summarize.

Mike Green - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 04:50 PM EDT (#288333) #

Well, I'll try. They had already signed the picks from Rounds 2-5 and 8. They added the #9 (Metzler, 2B), #10 (Romano, RHP), #14 (Mallard, RHP), #15(McBroom, 1B), #18 (Dusty Isaacs, RHP), #19 (Brantley, OF), #20 (Attaway, SS). The remainder of the picks are from Rounds 21-40.

Brantley and Dusty Isaacs are of interest to me. Brantley is the son of Cliff Brantley who pitched for the Phillies in the early 90s. He's a 5'9" centerfielder who runs well and hits well.

Gerry - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 05:02 PM EDT (#288334) #

Most of the picks signed today were college guys who were ready to sign. The Jays are waiting on the upside high school players from round 11 up until they know how much money they have left over.

SK in NJ - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 05:42 PM EDT (#288337) #

I think the Jays are trying to accelerate Sanchez in order to fill a MLB hole later in the year. The 2015 payroll looks very bloated, and that's without a CF, LF, or closer (all free agents). I don't think Alex will be acquiring anyone whose salary goes beyond 2014, and that doesn't leave many (good) options. I could definitely see the Jays hoping Sanchez will be able to fill in at the big league level in July-September, especially with Morrow's health being uncertain and Hutchison's innings/velocity/effectiveness being monitored coming off surgery.

Gerry - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 07:17 PM EDT (#288341) #

Dunedin won game one and are in the playoffs.

uglyone - Thursday, June 12 2014 @ 07:37 PM EDT (#288342) #

Just had to note that in the 2nd half of that Dunedin doubleheader has D.Norris going up against N.Dorris.

It'll be interesting to see who they bump up to AA. All of Norris, Cole, Boyd, Pompey, Smith, Chung are candidates I think.

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