FanGraphs.com: O's "Spark Plugs"

by O's n Natty Bohs on Jun 30, 2009 1:33 PM EDT

Nice little blurb about the O's and their young prospects on FanGraphs.com (which I suggest checking out if you haven't done so already). Glad to see they think so highly of our Big 3, especially Chris Tillman.

Article Here

I'm starting to think that if Berken keeps struggling, they may send him down to Norfolk, keep Hernandez in the rotation and bring up Tillman, thus sending Koji to the bullpen. Who knows how long Koji will be on the DL, and who knows how long it will take the O's to send him to the bullpen?

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the only thing that will hold tillman back

is the fact that hes really not pitching much for AAA. i dont know the exact number but it seems like hes only getting about 5 or so innings per start. he needs to start going deep into the AAA games if he wants to pitch deep into the major league game. if he cant get deep into the game, then hes better off hangin in with the tides for now. no need to rush him or any of the other guys (patton, arrieta, matusz) for that matter.

by twistedlogic on Jun 30, 2009 1:44 PM EDT reply actions

That article doesn't mention Matusz

He’s still in Bowie (right), but is on the 40 man roster. I get the feeling that MacPhail is in absolutely no rush to bring these guys up. I bet if any of them pitch this year, they’ll still qualify as rookies next year. Perhaps TIllman will be the exception.

Berken wasn’t horrible last night. He has some pitches with decent movement. He baffled a few hitters (I am thinking of the Bay K). But he also had no consistency against a good team who made him pay. Those two guys he plunked were likely the result of being a bit timid about going inside. He may ultimately hang around in the bullpen. Bottom line is I don’t know if he or Hernandez will disappear first. Right now, I don’t think it does much harm to let him start a few more games.

by drj on Jun 30, 2009 3:55 PM EDT reply actions

I'm fine with not rushing them back

we’re not really in a contender year this year, and I wouldn’t want to rush their development for no good reason.

We are going to have roster questions though when we get Koji and Izzy back… I’d like to keep david hernandez up as well, but we’ll see….

by SidewinderX on Jun 30, 2009 5:04 PM EDT reply actions

i think koji could be trade bait

for somebody who needs a little relief pitching. hes pitched well enough that he could probs bring in a decent prospect

by twistedlogic on Jun 30, 2009 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Nice article

But I have to say that Tillman, IMO, is the least likely to succeed out of the Big 3. That said, Tillman is just as likely to end up as the best of the Big 3. His frame is rather frail, which makes me worry about injuries (although his wind-up is pretty clean). Then again, he has the best two-pitch combo (fastball and curve) out of any of our prospects. He does need more consistency with a change-up though, which seems to be a common theme with our younger pitchers.

Berken, Hill, and Koji are not long-term solutions. We just have to hope that they can hold up until the real talent is ready (which likely won’t be this year). I fully expect that the only person(s) currently in the rotation who will be there next year is Bergesen, and maybe just maybe Guts. I still see Hernandez as a solid long-reliever in the near future.

by sickuvitall on Jul 1, 2009 9:28 AM EDT up reply actions

i see hernandez

…..as the closer

by twistedlogic on Jul 1, 2009 9:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Not a bad idea

by sickuvitall on Jul 1, 2009 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions

Koji...

I dont see the O’s doing anything but keeping Koji as a starter as long as he wants it. He is our only Japanese player EVER — if we alienate him, we alienate other players in Japan who may have thought about coming here. That would be a disaster.

by brek on Jul 1, 2009 11:11 AM EDT reply actions

Excellent point

but you have to do what is best for the team at this very moment. Keeping Koji as a starter could prove even more disastrous if he continues his injury trend and we have to eat his contract with no production in return.

by sickuvitall on Jul 1, 2009 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions

guess it doesn't matter either way....

looks like he’ll be out 8 weeks

by brek on Jul 1, 2009 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions

So the whole

thing where Mr. Miagi (sp?) rubs his hands together and heals injuries instantly isn’t real??

by sickuvitall on Jul 1, 2009 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions

eh disaster is probably not the best word to describe it

it really dont think it matters much. if hes not getting the job done then he goes. considering hes our first japanese player EVER, it doesnt sound like much of a disaster to me.

by twistedlogic on Jul 1, 2009 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions

probably too strong a word

but the “disaster” is not about losing Koji, it’s about the O’s getting shut out by other Japanese players. We are already way behind the rest of the league in scouting for Japan (not to mention south and central america). Baseball is now a global sport, you don’t want to go upsetting your relations with a whole (largely untapped) region.

by brek on Jul 1, 2009 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions

maybe but i'm trying to think of really good japanese players

and so far, nobody comes to mind

by twistedlogic on Jul 1, 2009 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Ichiro, Dice-K, Matsui for players currently here.

Yu Darvish for players still over there.

" I'm happy to announce that we've made Adam Jones our 4th and 5th starting pitcher as well as bench coach and team chaplain" - peter_angelos 8:04 AM May 14th from digsby

"Matt Wieters Adopted Mark Texiera's Parents Because He Felt They Needed A Son To Be Proud Of."

by getxstoked on Jul 1, 2009 10:55 PM EDT up reply actions