Results tagged ‘ James Shields ’
Paying the Price
When David Price left his start on Wednesday night due to tight triceps, the season probably flashed before the eyes of the Rays organization and their fans. Luckily, an MRI has already come back as “nothing serious”, but swelling from the initial injury could have prevented a clear interpretation of the results. The club will hope that an injury to the triceps won’t work its way into the need for Tommy John surgery.
Maybe the issue was that he couldn’t get loose last night because things never seemed right from the start. The final line: 2.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 57 pitches (37 strikes), , but should we wonder if Price has been pitching through an injury all season?
The season has been full of ups and downs, as Price is battling Jeremy Hellickson for the title of most inconsistent of the Rays pitchers, as both have ERAs over 5.00. In fact, Price has five quality starts in nine tries this season (55 percent) after having 26 quality starts in 31 tries in his 2012 Cy Young season (84 percent), including 12 straight from June 19 through August 21. He hasn’t been the Price of old.
After throwing 117 pitches in his start on May 9, you could wonder if it was related to pitch counts, but Price has routinely thrown 115-plus pitches in starts in his career, averaging 107 pitches per start in 2012. Could be pitch type, as Price has basically eliminated a slider from his repertoire, while throwing his curveball more frequently this season (14.3 percent) than last season (11.2 percent)?
A slider tends to be harder on the elbow because it is thrown at near fastball velocity while producing torque on the ball and force around the ball. While all pitches are thrown with the same arm velocity to keep hitters guessing, the force around the ball (breaking pitches) and through the ball (fastball) determines the pitch speed and the forces on the arm, elbow, and shoulder. In other words, Price’s arm shouldn’t have been affected by pitch counts or pitch type, but more likely is the fact that throwing overhand and throwing so hard is not a normal action for the body.
Regardless of whatever the issue is, can the Rays survive without their primary workhorse?
As mentioned, Jeremy Hellickson has struggled this season, but the Rays have had excellent starts from Matt Moore and Alex Cobb. Roberto Hernandez has been a bit inconsistent in the No.5 starter role, but his performance, to this point, would qualify as his best season since he won 19 games in 2007 for the Cleveland Indians.
Waiting in Triple-A are Jake Odorizzi (acquired from the Kansas City Royals with Wil Myers in the James Shields trade) and Chris Archer. The two have posted stellar numbers for Durham:
Odorizzi:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | W | L | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 23 | Durham | AAA | 4 | 0 | 3.83 | 8 | 44.2 | 34 | 19 | 19 | 7 | 15 | 47 | 1.097 | 6.9 | 9.5 | 3.13 |
Archer:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | W | L | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 24 | Durham | AAA | 4 | 2 | 3.97 | 7 | 34.0 | 36 | 17 | 15 | 3 | 15 | 39 | 1.500 | 9.5 | 10.3 | 2.60 |
Odorizzi hasn’t been as hittable as Archer, but he has allowed more home runs than Archer. Archer was battling with Jeff Niemann and Roberto Hernandez for the No.5 starter role early in spring training, so you would think that he would be considered the more “ready” prospect by the Rays organization. Both are quality, future contributors to the cost conscious Tampa club and both will likely receive a handful of starts during the 2013 season.
Because David Price is an outstanding pitcher, the Rays and baseball fans alike should be holding out hope that this is nothing more than tightness and an inability to get loose. An arm injury and surgery would be devastating for Price and the Rays, but it would be bad for the game, as well. Baseball needs to keep stars like Price, who is a very outgoing and friendly guy with the fans via Twitter and stadium interactions, as the face of the league.
Related articles
- Rays lose Price to injury as Red Sox roll, 9-2 (TBO.com)
- David Price Leaves Game With Triceps Injury (theprocessreport.wordpress.com)
- Odorizzi tosses seven no-hit innings as part of combined no-hitter for Class AAA Durham (bnd.com)
- Price exits in third inning with left triceps tightness (mlb.mlb.com)
- Rays’ Price hurts triceps, exits in 3rd inning (espn.go.com)
- David Price leaves start with strained left triceps (hardballtalk.nbcsports.com)
Are the Royals Good Enough to “Go for It”?
Kansas City Royals GM Dayton Moore apparently thinks that his team is good enough to win within the next two years. That has to be the case after Moore traded one of the best prospects in baseball, Wil Myers, with RHP Jake Odorizzi, LHP Mike Montgomery, and 3B Patrick Leonard to the Tampa Bay Rays for two years of RHP James Shields and RHP Wade Davis.
For whatever reason, the Royals looked like they were going to go with Jeff Francoeur in right field in 2013, despite Myers ripping 37 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A in 2012. Was Myers expendable at the cost of playing Francoeur, who, after posting a .665 OPS in 2012, is in the final year of his contract in 2013?
While Kansas City has Wade Davis under contract through 2017, one has to wonder if he is really a starting pitcher. Davis posted a 2.43 ERA over 54 appearances and 70.1 innings, posting an 87:29 K:BB pitching only out of the bullpen in 2012. Prior to last season, Davis was 25-22 with a 4.22 ERA in 64 career starts, posting a 254:138 K:BB in 388.1 innings for the Rays.
While James Shields has a 31-22 record and a 3.15 ERA over the last two seasons, posting a 448:123 K:BB in 477 innings, Davis will be the wildcard in this deal, especially considering the amount of young controllable talent the Royals gave up in the deal.
Beyond the trade is the makeup of the current Royals roster. Is it championship caliber? Can the Royals compete with the Tigers, who have reloaded the pitching staff by re-signing Anibal Sanchez, teaming him with Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, and Max Scherzer to form one of the top pitching staffs in baseball, while still packing the Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera punch?
The Royals will need more than a couple of dynamic seasons out of Shields and Davis to make it work. Moore acquired Ervin Santana from the Los Angeles Angels, while committing $25 million over three years to journeyman Jeremy Guthrie. Can Shields, Davis, Santana, Guthrie, and Will Smith, Luke Hochevar, or Bruce Chen be enough to become a contender?
The answer will lie in the bats of the young stars on the Royals roster. Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon, and Eric Hosmer have shown glimpses of superstardom, while mixing in a lot of inconsistencies. Shortstop Alcides Escobar looks like he is heading towards becoming a star, while catcher Salvador Perez looks to be on the same track. Designated Hitter Billy Butler is the leader of the team and all he does is hit. If the team gets a little consistency out of Moustakas, Gordon, and Hosmer, while hoping that Lorenzo Cain stays healthy in center and Francoeur looks like a baseball player again (like he did in 2011 when he posted an .805 OPS), the Royals may have enough to compete.
However, the Royals are a small-market team. If the team is able to create extreme revenue with a new TV contract, then this type of trade makes sense, but it is unlikely that the team will have the cash to re-sign Shields after the 2014 season, if he is even worth re-signing at that point. Is that worth the seven years of Myers, Odorizzi, and Montgomery?
The Royals have positioned themselves well by acquiring a lot of veteran arms to upgrade their rotation; however, Davis, Guthrie, and Santana aren’t models of consistency. If each of their starters reach their peak levels of performance, they could very well become a true force in a weak AL Central. They will need a lot of help from their young position players, though.
The Royals will be good enough to compete with the Detroit Tigers if Mike Moustakas hits like he did in the minors, if Eric Hosmer hits like he did in his rookie year, if Alcides Escobar and Salvador Perez continue hitting like they did in 2012, if Lorenzo Cain and Jeff Francoeur do anything, and if Billy Butler keeps hitting like the All-Star that he is.
Those are a lot of if’s.
Because of all of those if’s, the Royals are going to regret the trade of Myers, Odorizzi, and Montgomery. While we’ve seen many Brandon Wood, Brandon Larson, and Corey Patterson-types get hyped and fail, we’ve also seen the Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Miguel Cabrera-types get hyped and exceed expectations. For a team who can’t land the top free agents, dealing away all of that potential for two years of a reliable arm and five years of a wildcard is and will be a huge mistake.
Some teams just need to remember who and what they are. With so many teams banking on revenue streams increasing, MLB could have parity like the NFL in coming years…but they could also have owners who are shy to spend due to the market limitations. Kansas City has been shy to spend for so many years that they can’t be counted on to start anytime soon. They weren’t close enough to a championship to make a deal like the one that they did with the Rays.
That will be Dayton Moore’s legacy…unfortunately.
GM for the Day: Tampa Bay Rays
Losing the greatest player in their brief history, Carl Crawford (arguably), was supposed to lead the Rays back to the basement in 2011. Instead, they swiped the Wild Card from the floundering Red Sox on the last day of the season and lost in the ALDS to the AL pennant-winning Rangers, finishing 91-71 for their 4th straight winning season. The Rays managed to keep their General Manager, Andrew Friedman, who has developed an incredible system of winning from within. With graduates from the system like Matt Moore and Desmond Jennings joining the squad for a full season in 2012, it’s easy to see why the Rays are a team that is built to win now and in the future. Here is a look at their current roster:
2 Catchers: Jose Molina and Jose Lobaton
1B: Carlos Pena
2B: Ben Zobrist
3B: Evan Longoria
SS: Sean Rodriguez
LF: Desmond Jennings
CF: B.J. Upton
RF: Matt Joyce
DH: Luke Scott
Bench: Sam Fuld (OF), Reid Brignac (2B/SS), Jeff Keppinger (INF)
Starting Pitchers: David Price, James Shields, Matt Moore, Jeremy Hellickson, and Jeff Niemann
Relief Pitchers: Kyle Farnsworth, Joel Peralta, J.P. Howell, Jake McGee, Juan Cruz, Andy Sonnanstine, and Fernando Rodney
In an effort to save payroll, the Rays have been shopping B.J. Upton for what feels like forever. They should hold tight on him for 2012, as they don’t have any other prospects coming up to push him, as Jennings can man left for another season before taking over center if Upton leaves via Free Agency in 2013. If they feel that it is necessary to move him, they could move Jennings to center, Zobrist to right, Joyce to left, and make Keppinger their everyday second baseman, which isn’t very pretty. They could also move Rodriguez to second and start Brignac at short, hoping he isn’t as awful as he was in 2011. They DO, however, need to do something about their catching situation. Molina isn’t the answer there. They let Kelly Shoppach go and they have some questions as backups.
Rumors have been all over about the Reds dealing catching depth to the Rays, but after letting Ramon Hernandez walk and dealing prospect Yasmani Grandal to San Diego, they aren’t as deep there as they once were. For the Reds sake, though, (and especially their fans), they could deal Ryan Hanigan to Tampa, along with a solid arm or outfielder (like Daniel Corcino or Yorman Rodriguez) for Wade Davis or Jeff Niemann, preferably Niemann as Davis is locked up to a nice deal. It would help both teams and the Reds could let Devin Mesoraco play catcher for about 120 games to see what they have there, which is apparently something special, while grabbing a veteran to handle the 1-2 games per week he would need off. The Rays have enough pitching depth, as Alex Cobb and Davis look like they’ll either be long relief guys or Triple-A depth as it stands now, while they’d get stronger offensively at catcher by grabbing Hanigan. At this point, making trades is about all that they are going to get value out of, as remaining Free Agents are not looking pretty. Outside of catcher, the Rays look set. Mikie Mahtook may need until mid-2013 before taking over in left, and the Rays have Moore, Alex Torres, Alex Colome, Chris Archer, and Taylor Guerrieri as top-level pitching prospects, so they aren’t going away anytime soon.
After dealing for Ryan Hanigan, this would be their 25-man roster:
2 Catchers: Ryan Hanigan and Jose Molina
1B: Carlos Pena
2B: Ben Zobrist
3B: Evan Longoria
SS: Sean Rodriguez
LF: Desmond Jennings
CF: B.J. Upton
RF: Matt Joyce
DH: Luke Scott
Bench: Sam Fuld (OF), Reid Brignac (2B/SS), Jeff Keppinger (INF)
Starting Pitchers: David Price, James Shields, Matt Moore, Jeremy Hellickson, and Wade Davis
Relief Pitchers: Kyle Farnsworth, Joel Peralta, J.P. Howell, Jake McGee, Juan Cruz, Andy Sonnanstine, and Fernando Rodney
The Perfect Trade
James Shields could be moved this offseason due to the $7 million 2012 price tag and the Tampa Rays financial restraints. Andrew Friedman, GM and VP of Baseball Operations for the Rays, could get another affordable piece for a team that could continue to win in a tough situation for years to come. He could deal Shields to the Florida Marlins for Logan Morrison.
The trade would do three things:
1) Open up a rotation spot for Matt Moore, who combined to go 13-3 with a 1.97 ERA in 164 1/3 IP and a 225/49 K/BB between the Minors and Majors this season.
2) Get a cornerstone first baseman who is just 24 and won’t be a Free Agent until 2017. He also has 25 HR, 45 2B, a .351 OBP and an .811 OPS in just 185 games, showing solid on-base skills and power. He has fallen out of favor in the Marlins organization, even getting demoted for unannounced reasons earlier this season.
3) It will give the Marlins a staff ace heading into a new stadium. At 30, Shields will be a nice fit with Josh Johnson (if he can stay healthy), Anibal Sanchez, and Ricky Nolasco in the Marlins rotation for the next few seasons. His contract is reasonable, escalating to $7 million in 2012, $9 million in 2013, and $12 million in 2014. After posting a 2.82 ERA, a league leading 11 complete games and career highs in innings pitched (249 1/3) and strikeouts (225), Shields will be coveted by many teams as the Rays look for new ways to pinch pennies.
The Hot Stove League will start after the World Series and provide numerous rumors and exciting deals for the next few months. As the Packers roll to another Super Bowl Championship, why not focus on a league with more equality in their teams, MLB.
