Meet the NRIs: Pitchers

by Ryan on Feb 16, 2009 10:55 PM EST in Analysis

A cursory look at the Indians' depth chart will tell you that the Indians probably won't be bringing a Non-Roster Invitee with them when they break camp. Even the seventh reliever spot should be a battle between pitchers on the 40-man roster.

But that doesn't mean that they should be ignored. Many of these players have some major-league experience, and will remain with the organization as useful depth, ready to fill a spot in a pinch. Some are prospects getting a taste of a Major-League camp, and could see action later this season.

Pitcher	Throws	Age	2008 Level	Organization	IP	ERA	H	SO	BB
Greg Aquino	RHP	31	MLB	BAL	9.1	12.54	17	9	9
		31	AAA	BAL	25.2	2.45	23	29	6
Jack Cassel	RHP	28	MLB	HOU	30.1	5.64	38	14	8
		28	AAA	HOU	107.1	3.69	113	72	30
Vinnie Chulk	RHP	30	MLB	SF	31.2	4.83	33	16	8
		30	AAA	SF	24.2	3.65	25	21	13
Ryan Edell	LHP	25	AA	CLE	144.1	3.80	146	99	21
Matt Herges	RHP	39	MLB	COL	64.1	4.60	79	46	24
David Huff	LHP	24	AAA	CLE	80.2	3.01	68	81	15
		24	AA	CLE	65.2	1.92	44	62	14
Tomo Ohka	RHP	32	AAA	CHW	135.2	4.18	146	112	35
Kirk Saarloos	RHP	30	MLB	OAK	26.1	4.05	37	12	4
		30	AAA	OAK	140.2	4.22	150	79	36

Starters:

The Indians have seven healthy major-league starters on their 40-man roster, so these guys are fighting for the opportunity to snag a starting job with the Columbus Clippers.

Tomo Ohka and Kirk Saarloos could be useful if the Indians need an emergency starter, but both are very marginal options at this point in their careers. Jack Cassel (yes, he's the brother of Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel) made appearances for the Padres and Astros in the past two seasons after mediocre seasons for their respective AAA affiliates. Cassel's fastball tops out at 90 mph, and he complements it with a slider and a chageup. I doubt all three stay with the organization after Spring Training, especially with starting depth already present in the high minors.

David Huff is the Indians' best pitching prospect, and if he doesn't make the rotation out of Spring Training, and in my opinion should be the first starter to be called up. Ryan Edell will be fighting for a AAA rotation spot after a solid season with the Aeros in 2008.

Relievers:

With the Indians acquiring Kerry Wood and Joe Smith during the winter, the bullpen looks just about set if you assume that Adam Miller is making the club. That's with John Meloan, Rich Rundles, and Edward Mujica, all on the roster, as worthy reserves. So with no bullpen spots up for grabs, the Indians weren't an attractive club for marginal relievers to sign with this winter, and it shows.

In fact, I'd argue that the Indians need to have a long man in their bullpen this season, as they'll be featuring several younger pitchers not accustomed to going deep into games. So if one of their projected bullpen regulars go down, a starter like Zach Jackson would make more sense than one of the following retreads.

Greg Aquino had some initial success with Diamondbacks in 2004, but has been either ineffective or injured since. Vinnie Chulk is the most interesting of the NRI relievers; he had a couple decent seasons with Toronto, and is effective against right-handers. Unfortunately for him, the Indians already have their righty specialist in Joe Smith. Matt Herges was terrible with the Rockies last season, and it wasn't just because of Coors; he gave up 36 hits in 29.2 road innings. He's never pitched in the American League, but I don't think pitchers have that much of an advantage any more in changing leagues.

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Comments

Thanks, Ryan.

I like Herges as a guy to stash at Columbus. He’s had his share of effective major league seasons… he’s old, but it’s not out of the question that last year was just reliever variability. He’s still behind Meloan, Rundles, and Sipp on my list for call-ups, but I can see scenarios where he becomes a viable sixth-inning type.

by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 16, 2009 11:09 PM EST reply actions

Yeah, relievers can look terrible one season and awesome the next (hopefully Betancourt is one of those guys), but a guy with eroding stuff moving to the American League just doesn’t seem viable even in a low-leverage role.

by Ryan on Feb 16, 2009 11:37 PM EST up reply actions

A minor league deal is definitely where you want to try to bring a guy back from a down year. It just seems impossible for a reliever to try to “figure it out” in the majors.

by Jay on Feb 16, 2009 11:45 PM EST up reply actions

you know

two years ago, Herges debated taking a broadcasting gig, but decided to tough out it out in the Rockies minor league system. Had his best year, went with the Rockies to the world series.

had a lot of pressure on him last season, his first multi million dollar contract, and a big stadium wanting him to throw nothing but strikes. I think he could be a valuable addition to any team that comes looking for him.

There's nothing wrong with this team that more pitching, more fielding and more hitting couldn't help......"--Bill Buckner

by laidbackliam on Feb 17, 2009 4:00 AM EST up reply actions

That would be pretty sweet if we got anything at all for Herges. It just seems doubtful as I don’t think he’ll be anywhere near the mound in an even semi-important situation for the Indians.

by Chief Wahoo on Feb 17, 2009 12:48 PM EST up reply actions

Drop the subject lines, mi amigo.

by afh4 on Feb 17, 2009 5:36 PM EST up reply actions

What are your thoughts on having 6 righties and 1 lefty in the pen versus 5 and 2?

by Roger Dorn on Feb 16, 2009 11:57 PM EST reply actions

Having two left-handers shouldn’t be a priority, especially if that means Adam Miller is left out. If the sixth-best right-hander is better than the second-best left-hander, you take the right-hander. Wedge doesn’t seem to be from the LaRussa school of bullpen strategy, so I don’t think Perez is going to get misused or overworked.

by Ryan on Feb 17, 2009 12:11 AM EST up reply actions

You realize we’re talking about Rich Rundles, right?

THE Rich Rundles?

by afh4 on Feb 17, 2009 12:12 AM EST up reply actions

The proudly-sponsored-on-B-Ref-by-Let’s-Go-Tribe Rich Rundles?

Yep.

by Ryan on Feb 17, 2009 12:29 AM EST up reply actions

Yea, I think my biggest concern is that Eric looks at the matchups and ends up overusing Perez. I can’t think of anything specifically that I should be concerned about with Wedge’s bullpen management, I just can’t remember specifically a time where we only carried one lefty and how he used that guy

by Roger Dorn on Feb 17, 2009 12:20 AM EST up reply actions

I recall David Riske being the “lefty” fo awhile in the depth of the rebuild

by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 17, 2009 8:07 AM EST up reply actions

Hmmm lets see — Which name on that list doesn’t fit with the rest?

Travis Hafner is overrated. Clarity is underrated. David Dellucci is David Dellucci.

by westbrook on Feb 17, 2009 12:17 AM EST reply actions

Saaaaaaaarloos?

by Jay on Feb 17, 2009 12:53 AM EST up reply actions

Let me rephrase the question: Which guy’s talent level doesn’t fit with the rest?

Travis Hafner is overrated. Clarity is underrated. David Dellucci is David Dellucci.

by westbrook on Feb 17, 2009 2:27 AM EST up reply actions

Saaaarloos?

by Ryan on Feb 17, 2009 9:02 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

David Huff is the Indians’ best pitching prospect, and if he doesn’t make the rotation out of Spring Training, should be considered the first starter to be called up.

Where are we getting that latter statement from? I’ve seen it elsewhere. Is it just based on the idea that he’s the best of the bunch? I’m probably reading too much into it.

by dgcambridge on Feb 17, 2009 12:17 PM EST reply actions

That’s my opinion.

by Ryan on Feb 17, 2009 12:23 PM EST up reply actions

Mine, too. Is his situation similar to Longoria’s, where a couple weeks in the minors to start the year helps us immensely?

(Of course, TB made that all moot when they gave him that genius extension.)

Travis Hafner is overrated. Clarity is underrated. David Dellucci is David Dellucci.

by westbrook on Feb 17, 2009 12:28 PM EST up reply actions

Huff clearly is in a position in terms of his development where he enters the season as the sixth starter, as Carmona did in 2006 and 2007. The only difference is his non-roster status, which complicates things a little bit. All it means, though, is that Jackson and Sowers have a chance to do something really impressive and earn a short look, essentially jumping the line.

I like Zach, but he has a 4.90 ERA in 400+ innings in Triple-A, and nothing better in his brief time in the majors. He never really dominated at any lower levels, either, and he was only 23 starts into his pro career when Toronto pushed him to Triple-A, and he’s been traded twice since then and shuttled back-and-forth between bullpen and rotation as well. This suggests to me that a good, long year at Columbus, working on … something … is what he probably needs at this point.

Lewis has 24 innings above Double-A. His 40-man status might get him a spot start over Huff but probably not a prolonged opportunity.

Sowers is the one guy (assuming Laffey is the incumbent) likely to get a shot before Huff, but he’s had some shots already, and he’ll be on a short leash.

by Jay on Feb 17, 2009 12:48 PM EST up reply actions

I agree with all these points. I think the other factor with Huff is that while they would like him to get a full season of starts in (26-30), I bet want at least 1/3 of them to be in the lower stress environment of AAA.

by APV on Feb 17, 2009 2:19 PM EST up reply actions

Could be. I don’t know if the issue so much is stress as it is limiting innings. You can put a guy on a pitch count in Columbus, not so much in Cleveland. The interest would be in limiting his innings in the minors, early in the season, so that if/when he ends up in Cleveland in the second half, they can afford to have him on less of a short leash. Bottom line, we need him to be ready to start Game 3 of the World Series, and Game 7 if necessary.

by Jay on Feb 17, 2009 6:45 PM EST up reply actions

Bottom line, we need him to be ready to start Game 3 of the World Series, and Game 7 if necessary.

Adam Miller will make sure it’s not.

by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Feb 18, 2009 9:20 PM EST up reply actions

Speaking of Greg Aquino, any interest in game-threading Alex’s press conference this afternoon?

by NickFantana on Feb 17, 2009 12:51 PM EST reply actions

Not me in particular, but if you want to do it, make a FanPost.

I want to see some good 75 words, though.

by Jay on Feb 17, 2009 12:55 PM EST up reply actions

I haven’t gone into the FanPost forest in an awful long time. It’s dark and scary in there.

by NickFantana on Feb 17, 2009 12:56 PM EST up reply actions

Jay, I understand you don’t necessarily want to see a FanPost on the subject but to take the site down for a half hour to avoid it is really some inside baseball, so to speak.

/sarc

by NickFantana on Feb 17, 2009 2:16 PM EST up reply actions

The site mods work in mysterious ways.

by Jay on Feb 17, 2009 6:43 PM EST up reply actions

Have I been wrong to take it for granted that Betancourt has a place in the ’09 bullpen secured?

Is it conceivable that one of the NRIs pushes him off the roster based on ST performance?

by jhon on Feb 17, 2009 7:38 PM EST reply actions

no.

by Brick. on Feb 17, 2009 7:42 PM EST up reply actions

I think he’d really have to look bad and/or injured. The second half of the season his ERA was under 4 and his OPS against was hovering around .700. Not great, but not so bad to immediately forget how good he was in 2007.

by APV on Feb 17, 2009 7:47 PM EST up reply actions

2.66 ERA over the last seven weeks and 22 appearances. Although, oddly, his peripherals over that stretch were significantly worse than in the rest of the season.

by Jay on Feb 17, 2009 8:25 PM EST up reply actions

There’s no way Betancourt can lose his job this spring.

by Ryan on Feb 17, 2009 10:34 PM EST up reply actions

Betancourt can’t even be optioned to Columbus without his consent (and clearing revocable waivers), although he does have an option left.

by Jay on Feb 18, 2009 1:16 AM EST up reply actions

right when I think I have the options thing down, you throw this at me. Is it because of his contract?

by Ryan Kelsey on Feb 18, 2009 10:27 AM EST up reply actions

Two things. First, the revocable waivers. Once a player is a certain amount of time away from his major league debut, he can’t be sent down without clearing revocable waivers. The exact rule is very complicated and not worth getting into, but the waivers are basically the same type that players go on in August — you can pull the guy back if he’s claimed. You’ll note that nobody claimed Cliff Lee in mid-2007, and that’s pretty typical. Teams aren’t really looking to pick up players this way, especially if they’ve been injured recently. Second, the consent. Players with five-plus years of major league service time can’t be optioned without their consent, period, regardless of the contract status.

by Jay on Feb 18, 2009 12:24 PM EST up reply actions

Cool. I had a vauge idea of the first thing, but I didn’t know about the second thing. Thanks.

by Ryan Kelsey on Feb 18, 2009 12:39 PM EST up reply actions

You know how I know all of these things already? OOTP Baseball. Not kidding. V’s got my back on that.

So your two options are:

a) study hard and pay attention for many years

b) play video games.

by NickFantana on Feb 18, 2009 1:29 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Rec for truth.

"Less of an Indians fan" - Jay

by Voltaire on Feb 18, 2009 3:24 PM EST up reply actions

Nice. I almost joined the LGT-centric league a couple years ago… not sure why I didn’t. I considered the new Japanese league, but didn’t think I could devote enough time for my liking right now.

by Ryan Kelsey on Feb 19, 2009 10:29 AM EST up reply actions