Transactions: Tony Sipp Called Up; Zach Jackson Optioned to Columbus
by afh4 on Apr 22, 2009 1:38 AM EDT
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PrintA mere three years after establishing himself as the relief jewel of the Indians' farm system, Tony Sipp is getting called up to Cleveland for the first time. In 2005 and 2006 the lefty Sipp struck out 210 batters in 177 innings between A, A+, and AA before succumbing to elbow injuries and going under the knife for Tommy John and disappearing for two years.
In 2008, Sipp was impressive again, striking out 46 and walking 11 in 33 innings of work and in his brief initial foray into AAA this year has not been terrible, though the sample is too small to really mean much anything.
Sipp's apperance in Cleveland doesn't have nearly as much to do with Sipp as it does with Rafael Perez. The Indians elected to break camp with only two lefthanded relievers, Perez and Jackson. Zachkson was only on the roster as a long man and he has reverse splits anyway. Perez eliminated the need for an additional lefty because there was no reason to have a LOOGY when you had Rafael Perez, who could just get everyone out.
Of course, now Perez has gone from one of the best relievers on the planet to one of the worst, sporting a 16.71 ERA and more walks than innings pitched. This total lack of a late inning lefthander has hamstrung Wedge to the point that tonight against the Royals the designated ROOGY, Joe Smith, actually gave up two critical hits to lefthanded batters. When your ROOGY is facing lefties in the 8th inning, it's time to make a move.
The only possible options in Columbus' bullpen were Sipp and Rich Rundles and the Indians have gone with the higher ceiling option. Wedge was classically robotic about Sipp's role but until Rafael Perez shows that he's righted the ship, we'll probably see Sipp get a chance to show his stuff against lefthanders in high leverage situations.
While it's never pleasant to be making moves this early in the season it's nice to be calling up a guy like Sipp as opposed to, I don't know, Rich Rundles. Sipp has always had monster stuff and numbers to go with it; hopefully it translates into immediate results at the big league level. On top of that, it's Sipp's time; he'll turn 26 in July. Congratulations, good luck, and godspeed, Tony.
Jackson is going down to Columbus because he's the most expendable member of the pitching staff as when you have no good relievers a long man is an unnecessary luxury. This is Jackson's final option year.
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I know this is a secondary issue, but what’s the plan with Zachkson? Is there any chance he could be stretched out to become a starter again?
The major hurdle there is the fact that he sucks. I think it’s specialty reliever time for Zach.
I don’t understand why he doesn’t throw harder. Maybe a full time move to the bullpen will let him uncork some more.
Problem is, he doesn’t really have a specialty.
The reverse-splits thing has been exaggerated, as it almost always is. Zach has faced 456 batters in the majors — that’s about as many as a good starter would face in 3.5 months.
He also faced 2,256 batters in the minors, and his K/BB against lefties (3.53) is about double his rate against righties (1.81). Does he perhaps need to work on an out-pitch against lefties? Sure, probably. But over the long haul, we’ll probably find that he’s somewhat better against lefties, as is typical.
He definitely hasn’t dominated lefties as some lefty relievers do, however. I see his value as a 4-5 starter, and I think the Indians should focus on developing him in that role. They can always move him back to the bullpen in a pinch.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
I know this is a tertiary issue, but why the heck has “Zachson” become an acceptable nickname? It makes me shudder.
I'm *always* in the driver's seat, cugino -- Chuck
by Turkmenbashi on Apr 22, 2009 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions
I still prefer Zaxxon, you know, like the awesome 80s video game.
Eric Wedge. The Adam LaRoche of managers.
I think the nickname analysis is spiraling out of control. Not you especially, Turk, but the site in general.
I mean, if somebody wants to call a player something, so be it, especially if it actually makes sense. If a group of people use it, all the better.
Zachson is popular because it’s shorter than Zach Jackson and obvious.
Says the guy who goes by “Brick”
I'm *always* in the driver's seat, cugino -- Chuck
by Turkmenbashi on Apr 22, 2009 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions
No I tend to agree with you, but usually it’s you guys leading the charge against excessive nicknaming (often rightfully so). I tend to be a very pro-nickname guy, I just don’t think Zachson is a particularly good one. I guess it’s better than Z-Jack, though, so I can’t complain.
I don’t really care though, I was mostly being cranky.
I'm *always* in the driver's seat, cugino -- Chuck
by Turkmenbashi on Apr 22, 2009 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Haha, yeah I can’t complain too much after beating that drum for so long
I'm *always* in the driver's seat, cugino -- Chuck
by Turkmenbashi on Apr 22, 2009 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Smith gave up a hit to a righty too. I hope the team hasn’t already written him off against lefties. Labeling him a ROOGY this early in his career is preposterous.
Anyway. pumped to see Tony Sipp, hopefully tonight!
Preposterous, even as a sidearmer? I’m not so sure.
Wedge did a smart thing, I think, giving him a chance against two lefties with a five-run lead. It went horribly, between Smith and Masa, but it was a sensible risk to take.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
It’s no earlier in Smith’s career than it is in Choo’s, and there were plenty of people around here ready to say he’s a platoon outfielder. I’m glad Wedge gave him a chance, and I hope he gets another one, but tonight, let’s see Sipp.
Actually, tonight I want a CG from Lee. Tomorrow afternoon, let’s see Sipp.
Were a lot of folks really calling for a Choo platoon? Or were they just having fun with puzzle pieces?
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
Just looking for a chance to get Gootz in the lineup, would be my guess.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Apr 22, 2009 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
no, my plan for getting Gutz in the lineup was to get rid of that sorry excuse for a ballplayer that is Ben Francisco.
Ben Francisco: An Outfielder only on baseball cards and roster sheets.
Yeah, but Gootz’s lefty numbers were a lot strong than his overall hitting line, which made him an easy complement to Choo for many people. Like Jay said, it was mostly puzzle pieces.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Apr 22, 2009 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Only relatively.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Apr 22, 2009 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions
But I do remember this being a justification for platooning Choo—possibly not here, but elsewhere.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Apr 22, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t recall people calling for a platoon, but I know that I was concerned that there could be a chance of Choo being ineffective against lefties so I was hoping for a little protection in case that happened. I think this was part of the rationale behind Garko to the outfield.
It seems the organization, and rightfully so, is going to give Choo the opportunity to show that he can hold his weight out there.
He walked the righty.
Actually, he was brought in to face two righties, but they pinch hit for Aviles. I’m an advocate of giving him more chances against lefties, but what you saw last night is the reason Wedge has been reluctant so far. It just wasn’t the hits…it was the fact that they were “right on” every pitch that they swung at. Eventually, they squared him up. He only threw one changeup, and it was a bad one. He needs to develop that into a pitch that he can throw it often against lefites. Otherwise, he will be a ROOGY.
What last night also showed is just how important Rafael Perez is to this team. That situation screamed for him, but it’s understandable why Wedge didn’t go to him. His control has been a concern, but if you’ve watched the games you’ve seen that he’s given up a lot of cheap hits. He’ll get it squared away, but in the meantime, I’m excited to see Sipp. If he can be good right away and Perez comes around, that would give Wedge two big hammers to use against lefties late.
You think he’ll be that much better than 07-08 JLew?
Ben Francisco: An Outfielder only on baseball cards and roster sheets.
i’m in this boat. his fastball looks straight as hell*
*hell is very straight – just one really long corridor
I like that he can disguise his release point pretty well. His arm isn’t revealed until close to his release point, making it more difficult for the batter to catch up. Sneaky fast is an appropriate way to describe his fastball. Similar to Hideki Okajima
I think it is important not to undervalue deception. That, coupled with control, made Rafael Betancourt a great reliever, and in 2007, a truly elite reliever.
i guess it’s the same as a guy with great stuff. as long as he’s able to throw strikes blah blah blah… get outs, and i’m happy whether it’s due to stuff, deception, or control i don’t much care.
Oh, I hope you guys are right ,and he is an elite guy. I just think that 07-08 Jensen Lewis would be just fine, and likely enough. My original comment was a jab at the guys who constantly complain about the Shap regime’s drafts.
What is concerning to me is that Lewis’ velocity never seems to have gotten back up to that 92-93 MPH range, reaching 95 MPH; I haven’t seen all the radar gun readings on him this season, but it seems he’s only hitting 89-91 regularly, occasionally hitting 92-93.
Lewis’ deception would work even better with his “old” velocity; in fact, that might be partly why Betancourt has been effective with deception – he regularly hits 92-93, occasionally touching 95. If Lewis could get back to that “old” velocity, perhaps he might be more dominating like he was when he first came up in 2007.
Just my 2 cents.
The "cream of the crop" doesn't always rise to the top.
Not counting Guthrie?
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
by Jay on Apr 22, 2009 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
We can do the old-timey thing if there’s a LHB/RHB/LHB combo coming up. Put Sipp in the field while Smith faces the righty.
That would be awesome. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tony LaRussa has tried something like that before.
I definitely saw that happen in some game within the past few years, with some LOOGY in who was sent out to play LF while they brought a righty in to face a batter or two, then brought the LOOGY back in to pitch. Hard to search the boxscores for such a thing, but I know I’ve seen it recently.
That would be really cool. Until it backfired when the pitcher misplays a ball in the outfield. The chance of that happening is pretty slim, of course, but the manager would get killed if it did. Managers usually play it safe and don’t do something out of the ordinary like that.
by Buckeye Brad on Apr 22, 2009 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Atlanta’s Chris Resop (although it was in reverse, as he’s a righty), in the 10th inning of a game against the Pirates. Faced Morgan (L), Rivas (R) and Bay (R), then moved to LF when LaRoche (L) came up. Brought back in to pitch to Nady (R). Didn’t work in the end, as Nady smacked a game winning-single, driving in Morgan.
I was at a Brewers/Blue Jays game eons ago (Brewers still in AL) and the RP went and played first base for a batter, then returned to the mound.
Eric Wedge. The Adam LaRoche of managers.
Good memory. The prevailing trend here seems to be that it doesn’t work, although the Brewers at least still won.
Didn’t Davey Johnson do that with Orosco in the World Series?
by JulioBernazard on Apr 22, 2009 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions
While it’s never pleasant to be making moves this early in the season it’s nice to be calling up a guy like Sipp as opposed to, I don’t know, Rich Rundles.
I’m delighted they moved quickly. Like you, I agree that in a perfect baseball world your 25 man would be stable for at least a chunk of the season but in my mind I always put a figurative asterik against the pen names. In the pen, I think you should be much faster to pull the trigger on moves all through the season.
They just reviewed a homerun off the bat of Kurt Suzuki, and upheld it. I just have gameday, no idea what really was going on. Anybody?
HR to left, wherein a jackass in a poncho grabbed the ball (with a glove, of course) while Matsui was leaping at the wall. Replays are hard to make out, but it looked like a clear HR that the OF never had a chance to catch. Also kind of looked like the fan reached past the wall.
I’m glad they didn’t overturn it after giving Posada his homer on Sunday, that would’ve been a joke.
I am happy they will be trying some new blood. My only request is that they quarantine him from the other relievers. We need to keep that contagion of bad pitching isolated. I thought Wood was immune, but he showed sings of infection last night.
by ShawnK on Apr 22, 2009 1:38 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Look, I hope Sipp is wildly successful, but what if he fails?
If Lewis comes back healthy, why can we slot him or Laffey in the bullpen? I know our team is reticent to do this, but it would seem like desperate times calls for desperate measures.
Laffey is our most consistent starter and I don’t see his stuff as bullpen material. Lewis is also a starter. Starters are more valuable than relievers. If we needed a long man, maybe, but not as a late inning guy.
If Sipp fails, we look for players on the waiver wire, cheap trades, look to Meloan, check the status of Adam Miller. We look at guys like Aquino, Herges, Rundles, Saarloos. Any of these options are more likely and make more sense than converting Lewis or Laffey to a one or two inning role.
we’d still have him if Wedge hadn’t refused to use him.
Ben Francisco: An Outfielder only on baseball cards and roster sheets.
Yeah, I will just never understand that. Particularly because Raffy P was struggling at the beginning ot last season as well. Guess Wedge thought Breslow was more important getting some dominoes PT with Marte.
"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter
by Denver Tribe Fan on Apr 22, 2009 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Well here’s the problem. Cliff Lee does not pitch well whenever I’m at the park. I think the best he’s ever done while I’m there was his second start of the year this season. I was at his 2/3 IP debacle against Detroit in 2004.
We’re still gonna win though.
Dude what are you doing this Sunday? I’m gonna be at the game.
I'm *always* in the driver's seat, cugino -- Chuck
by Turkmenbashi on Apr 22, 2009 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Bah. I’ll be back in DC.
I'm *always* in the driver's seat, cugino -- Chuck
by Turkmenbashi on Apr 22, 2009 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Why the quotation marks?
I'm *always* in the driver's seat, cugino -- Chuck
by Turkmenbashi on Apr 22, 2009 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Exactly…except I actually went with the batting practice jersey, not the official or replica team jersey. Cheaper, and I like it better. And the quotation marks are because, as the picture suggests, it says “Fausto” and not “Carmona”.
You could get his number and just “BIG LEAGUE” on the back.
Eric Wedge. The Adam LaRoche of managers.
it's just got to be ...
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
by Jay on Apr 22, 2009 9:06 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
That’s inspired.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Apr 22, 2009 5:48 PM EDT up reply actions
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