What to do with this AAA pitcher? Topic

moethedog
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BuzzAndrews

He's clearly ready for the call up.  25 years old.  Nice numbers.  Overall rating of 75 right now...projects to 83.  (Projections include Control-91, Splits- 67/70, with 100 & 75 on his best two pitches). Mke-up, patience, health, durability are all good...temper is 32, could be a bit better.  But he's MLB ready.

However,

My MLB starting rotation is rocking so I'm not sure where Andrews fits in right now..but I think he might get more growth throwing less innings in the majors than more in AAA.  I could certainly use an extra arm in my bullpen.  Would getting 80 more innings out of Andrews this year as a Long Relief A or Set-Up A hurt his development more than the nearly 200 more innings he'll throw in AAA as a starter?

I could move Andrews up and put him in the rotation and replace one of these two guys, O'Rourke or Shinjo and put  them in the pen.  But both of those guys are dang productive.  O'Rourke is basically a 200 inning guy, year after year...and his ERA and WHIP has dropped basically 4 years in a row.  Shinjo brings two pitches in the 85-87 range and over 113 career starts has a 1.27 WHIP and 3.57 ERA.  He's 3-1 this year...2.25.  O'Rourke is in the last year of his contract...at 32, I might let him go because Andrews is waiting..but he is stuch a workhorse it's hard to let him walk.  Shinjo is 29 and maxed out with development.  $4M per for the next two.  He wouldn't be hurt moving  to the pen...but he's a dang nice starter. I'm leaning towards moving him to the pen.

So, do you move Andrews up and bullpen him?  Start him and bump one of the other guys?  Or leave Andrews down?

moe

7/28/2010 12:02 PM
mhulshult
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The short answer (IMO) is to play him where he's going to get the most playing time.  He's shown this year that his ratings are improving in AAA, so if you don't need him in the ML, leave him down.  You can bring him up when Shinjo goes on the DL.
7/28/2010 12:28 PM
soxfan121
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1. He's ready but could still tack on a few more points if he has it in him, the coaching in AAA is good enough and he gets enough innings. 

2. The real issue is whether you need him. With 3 years of service, you'd be starting the clock "early". But he's 25, so you've got his most productive years under cheap control regardless. And it's always good to question whether you can get what your ML team needs out of another, less important to the future, AAA pitcher or trade market pickup, as opposed to the "stud" prospect.

So the question is - what do you need in the bullpen? Because to put Andrews or Shinjo in the pen means giving them innings - probably more innings than a traditional setup man. Both would be excellent "enter in the 5th, stay on until they hit 50 pitches" guys; 10-12 wins, 6-8 saves, 130IP (full season). But that might also lead to a a couple of "gas on a fire" appearances, too. Do you want Shinjo/Andrews to pitch more innings than your Closer or incumbent SuAs? (FWIW, I'm ignoring LRA because there's certainly a better option than wasting Shinjo/Andrews on those "every 4 -8 games, get 3 innings once the SP has already been bombed" situations)

Also, I'd see what I could get in trade for O'Rourke. He's a likely Type B, at least, so maybe someone makes an offer you can't refuse. Andrews comes up to replace him. 
7/28/2010 6:20 PM
What to do with this AAA pitcher? Topic
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