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OOTPRealTime · 12-31-2013, 02:24 PM

We continued our meetings to discuss the pitching staff at Double-A Springfield today…

For argument’s sake, we’re assuming that Nick Greenwood will begin the season in Springfield. One glaring problem, as brought up by Shildt is that we don’t have five capable starting pitchers currently. That gives DK and Vuch a good reason to go out and make an offer to some guys they like currently looking for one last shot. Shildt says that we need to look at totally rebuilding the starting rotation. We will go through them all but he suggests getting some fresh faces in here as the guys they have are just nothing. Campbell tasks DK, Vuch and the scouting staff to find three new starting pitchers to make minor-league offers to. Those players are:

Dellin Betances, a former Yankees farmhand, who has great stuff but just hasn’t been able to reign it in. He’s 25 and has a career minor league ERA of 4.87. His last two seasons at AAA-Scranton/WB, he’s posted a 6.39 (16 starts) and a 7.36 (29 starts). He has high WHIP numbers too but when you watch him pitch - it makes you salivate - for some reason. So, we’ll see if our organizational pitching philosophy can turn his career around.

Daniel Bibona is a guy that we used to have in the organization but took 2013 off for personal reasons. DK still really likes him and we extend an offer for him to come back and give it another try. He has just ten professional starts and has a 2.70 ERA, 1.86 WHIP. We’ll see if he wants another shot.

Jonathan (J.C.) Casey played collegiately at nearby Missouri State (Springfield, MO) and had a great college career. He was signed by the White Sox and played one season for their rookie ball affiliate - posted OK numbers and then missed the 2013 season with an arm injury. Also, 25 years old, the White Sox declined to extend a contract. We’ll see if he wants another shot with us. DK still loves his upside and he may even get an uptick in velo after surgery.

So, for this exercise, we’ll assume we get these three players. That spells the end for a few also:

RH SP Kevin Thomas - 27 years old
A 27-year old ODP with lackluster numbers in the lower minors. He made 17 starts at Palm Beach (7.92/1.89) and just doesn’t really do anything well. He will be cut after the first player listed above signs on.

RH SP Scott Gorgen - 26 years old
Gorgen made eight starts in AAA-Memphis in 2012 but was relegated to Springfield last year where he was not good. He went 7-10 with a 7.48 ERA, 1.88 WHIP and allowed 17 homers in 25 starts. Shildt didnt have too many flattering things to say about him either. He will be cut when the second player signs.

RH SP Scott McGregor - 27 years old
Posted identical 6.86 ERA’s the past two seasons in Springfield and now at 27 years old. He’s just not cutting it. So, we’ll be cutting him after the third pitcher signs.

The lone player in our organization right now that we anticipate being in the Springfield rotation is…

LH SP Kyle Hald - 24 years old
Posted a solid 4-4 record with a 4.47 ERA in 49 relief appearances (nine starts). DK says he is a starter and J-Rod agrees. And, with our current situation, he’ll have to be in Springfield. Had an unlucky 3.40 oppBABIP. He was the 18th round pick in 2011 out of Old Dominion.

We’ll likely have to find one more starter to get to five if we do in fact release all three of Thomas/Gorgen/McGregor. However, we may just hold on to McGregor as an ODP to eat innings for one more year.

On to the bullpen…
Shildt did say that they don’t have a shut down closer, especially if Keith Butler heads to Memphis. DK said he’d love an excuse to get Jhan Marinez’s ridiculous arm in our system and see if we can fix him. The guy has incredible stuff, but at 25 years old he has failed at every level. Campbell grants the wish and they call to offer Marinez.

Here is the outlook for the rest of the bullpen...

RH RP Jorge Rondon - 25 years old
A 2006 signing and in six professional seasons, he just hasn’t been able to quite turn that corner. A career 5.15 minor-league ERA and a questionable work ethic have buried him. He still has a live arm with good movement enough to keep him around. He’ll likely set up Marinez (hopefully). DK believes in him and thinks he could make strides this year. Randy Niemann has been tasked this this. He sarcastically responds with “thanks”.

RH RP Joseph Scanio - 23 years old
18th round pick out of a small college in Louisana in 2012 - he has turned some heads with good numbers in the lower minors. He went 3-2 with a 2.96/1.13 and 32 K in 27.1 IP last year at LoA. The plan is to get him up to Springfield right now to see how he responds. DK isn’t impressed with his profile and doesn’t really know how he’s done so well so far. He has just a fastball and curve. Throws four-seamer 90-92 with good movement. Has a ways to go with the curve but it can improve. Another Niemann project. We’ll be tracking him closely this year.

RH RP Jordan Swagerty - 24 years old
The organization was hoping “Swag” would be a bit further along at this point, but he just hasn’t done enough to warrant it. He missed the 2012 season due to TJS. Came back last year with a 1-4, 4.81, 1.63 WHIP year at Springfield. Shildt likes him, as does Niemann but he just looked a bit tentative. He’s still on our radar and we’ll also be looking at his progression in an important year for him.

LH RP Kevin Siegrist - 24 years old
Due to a lack of organizational depth for starting pitching (as referenced above) he was forced into being a starting pitcher - which we all agree he is not. We’ll put him where he belongs in the bullpen this year. The former 41st round pick is already a success story to make it to this point - but we don’t think we’ll ever see him in St. Louis.

LH RP Dean Kiekhefer - 24 years old
Earned the closer’s role in Palm Beach after a 2012 season that saw him post a 2.24 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and nail down 14 saves. He stayed in that role in 2013 and his ERA ballooned to a 5.18 - cutting short any chance of a promotion. He did save 19 games and was victimized by a .355 OppBABIP. He’ll get the chance to move up to Springfield this year and gives Shildt another left-handed option out of the bullpen.

RH RP Casey Mulligan - 26 years old
Live arm but struggles with consistency. He pitched in 35 games for Springfield last year, strick out more than one an inning (54 in 48 ⅓ IP), but walked 25 and couldn’t get the key outs. He made a brief appearance at Memphis and did well in 7 ⅓ innings. He’ll be around this year and a candidate to fill a void if one appears in Memphis and DK actually put up a rather spirited argument that Mulligan should be the first guy promoted if he performs well and a spot opens up. He likes his make-up. Shildt agrees that he was one of his better options - and more so than just the 96-98 MPH fastball.

RH RP Christopher Corrigan - 26 years old
Spent all of last season in Palm Beach and J-Rod used him a lot. He went 4-1 with a 5.12/1.40 with 60 K’s in 58 innings pitched. He is a decent pitcher who is more of an ODP guy but both J-Rod, Vuch and DK agree he deserves a shot at Double-A before pulling the plug.

LH RP Justin Wright - 24 years old
Spent last year at Palm Beach and went 7-3 with three saves to go with a 5.32 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. He did strikeout 85 in 71 IP, which is exciting. J-Rod mentioned he has great stuff and just needs to harness it. Being left-handed is a bonus. He’ll get a shot in the Springfield bullpen this year. He dominates left-handed hitters and could be a specialist in time.

Shildt did an awesome job last year rallying the troops after a sub-par regular season but snuck into the playoffs and actually took home the Texas League crown after an exciting 7-game series with the San Antonio Missions. The goal is the same this year. Here is a look at some of the specific goals for the 2014 season in Springfield:

*Win the Texas League North division in both halves of the season.
*Make the Texas League playoffs
*Repeat as Texas League Champions
*Lower the starters’ ERA from 5.69 to under 5.50
*Raise the overall team batting average to over .265 (.260 last year)
*Develop young players and help resurrect the careers of the new signings.

Another great meeting and room for optimism in Springfield. We will meet with Johnny Rodriguez and the HiA-Palm Beach staff after the holiday. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! One of my New Year’s resolutions will be to keep this going and make it the best dynasty report it can be!

12-31-2013, 02:24 PM	#98
OOTPRealTime Minors (Double A) Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 147	Continued meetings (Double-A Springfield) We continued our meetings to discuss the pitching staff at Double-A Springfield today… For argument’s sake, we’re assuming that Nick Greenwood will begin the season in Springfield. One glaring problem, as brought up by Shildt is that we don’t have five capable starting pitchers currently. That gives DK and Vuch a good reason to go out and make an offer to some guys they like currently looking for one last shot. Shildt says that we need to look at totally rebuilding the starting rotation. We will go through them all but he suggests getting some fresh faces in here as the guys they have are just nothing. Campbell tasks DK, Vuch and the scouting staff to find three new starting pitchers to make minor-league offers to. Those players are: Dellin Betances, a former Yankees farmhand, who has great stuff but just hasn’t been able to reign it in. He’s 25 and has a career minor league ERA of 4.87. His last two seasons at AAA-Scranton/WB, he’s posted a 6.39 (16 starts) and a 7.36 (29 starts). He has high WHIP numbers too but when you watch him pitch - it makes you salivate - for some reason. So, we’ll see if our organizational pitching philosophy can turn his career around. Daniel Bibona is a guy that we used to have in the organization but took 2013 off for personal reasons. DK still really likes him and we extend an offer for him to come back and give it another try. He has just ten professional starts and has a 2.70 ERA, 1.86 WHIP. We’ll see if he wants another shot. Jonathan (J.C.) Casey played collegiately at nearby Missouri State (Springfield, MO) and had a great college career. He was signed by the White Sox and played one season for their rookie ball affiliate - posted OK numbers and then missed the 2013 season with an arm injury. Also, 25 years old, the White Sox declined to extend a contract. We’ll see if he wants another shot with us. DK still loves his upside and he may even get an uptick in velo after surgery. So, for this exercise, we’ll assume we get these three players. That spells the end for a few also: RH SP Kevin Thomas - 27 years old A 27-year old ODP with lackluster numbers in the lower minors. He made 17 starts at Palm Beach (7.92/1.89) and just doesn’t really do anything well. He will be cut after the first player listed above signs on. RH SP Scott Gorgen - 26 years old Gorgen made eight starts in AAA-Memphis in 2012 but was relegated to Springfield last year where he was not good. He went 7-10 with a 7.48 ERA, 1.88 WHIP and allowed 17 homers in 25 starts. Shildt didnt have too many flattering things to say about him either. He will be cut when the second player signs. RH SP Scott McGregor - 27 years old Posted identical 6.86 ERA’s the past two seasons in Springfield and now at 27 years old. He’s just not cutting it. So, we’ll be cutting him after the third pitcher signs. The lone player in our organization right now that we anticipate being in the Springfield rotation is… LH SP Kyle Hald - 24 years old Posted a solid 4-4 record with a 4.47 ERA in 49 relief appearances (nine starts). DK says he is a starter and J-Rod agrees. And, with our current situation, he’ll have to be in Springfield. Had an unlucky 3.40 oppBABIP. He was the 18th round pick in 2011 out of Old Dominion. We’ll likely have to find one more starter to get to five if we do in fact release all three of Thomas/Gorgen/McGregor. However, we may just hold on to McGregor as an ODP to eat innings for one more year. On to the bullpen… Shildt did say that they don’t have a shut down closer, especially if Keith Butler heads to Memphis. DK said he’d love an excuse to get Jhan Marinez’s ridiculous arm in our system and see if we can fix him. The guy has incredible stuff, but at 25 years old he has failed at every level. Campbell grants the wish and they call to offer Marinez. Here is the outlook for the rest of the bullpen... RH RP Jorge Rondon - 25 years old A 2006 signing and in six professional seasons, he just hasn’t been able to quite turn that corner. A career 5.15 minor-league ERA and a questionable work ethic have buried him. He still has a live arm with good movement enough to keep him around. He’ll likely set up Marinez (hopefully). DK believes in him and thinks he could make strides this year. Randy Niemann has been tasked this this. He sarcastically responds with “thanks”. RH RP Joseph Scanio - 23 years old 18th round pick out of a small college in Louisana in 2012 - he has turned some heads with good numbers in the lower minors. He went 3-2 with a 2.96/1.13 and 32 K in 27.1 IP last year at LoA. The plan is to get him up to Springfield right now to see how he responds. DK isn’t impressed with his profile and doesn’t really know how he’s done so well so far. He has just a fastball and curve. Throws four-seamer 90-92 with good movement. Has a ways to go with the curve but it can improve. Another Niemann project. We’ll be tracking him closely this year. RH RP Jordan Swagerty - 24 years old The organization was hoping “Swag” would be a bit further along at this point, but he just hasn’t done enough to warrant it. He missed the 2012 season due to TJS. Came back last year with a 1-4, 4.81, 1.63 WHIP year at Springfield. Shildt likes him, as does Niemann but he just looked a bit tentative. He’s still on our radar and we’ll also be looking at his progression in an important year for him. LH RP Kevin Siegrist - 24 years old Due to a lack of organizational depth for starting pitching (as referenced above) he was forced into being a starting pitcher - which we all agree he is not. We’ll put him where he belongs in the bullpen this year. The former 41st round pick is already a success story to make it to this point - but we don’t think we’ll ever see him in St. Louis. LH RP Dean Kiekhefer - 24 years old Earned the closer’s role in Palm Beach after a 2012 season that saw him post a 2.24 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and nail down 14 saves. He stayed in that role in 2013 and his ERA ballooned to a 5.18 - cutting short any chance of a promotion. He did save 19 games and was victimized by a .355 OppBABIP. He’ll get the chance to move up to Springfield this year and gives Shildt another left-handed option out of the bullpen. RH RP Casey Mulligan - 26 years old Live arm but struggles with consistency. He pitched in 35 games for Springfield last year, strick out more than one an inning (54 in 48 ⅓ IP), but walked 25 and couldn’t get the key outs. He made a brief appearance at Memphis and did well in 7 ⅓ innings. He’ll be around this year and a candidate to fill a void if one appears in Memphis and DK actually put up a rather spirited argument that Mulligan should be the first guy promoted if he performs well and a spot opens up. He likes his make-up. Shildt agrees that he was one of his better options - and more so than just the 96-98 MPH fastball. RH RP Christopher Corrigan - 26 years old Spent all of last season in Palm Beach and J-Rod used him a lot. He went 4-1 with a 5.12/1.40 with 60 K’s in 58 innings pitched. He is a decent pitcher who is more of an ODP guy but both J-Rod, Vuch and DK agree he deserves a shot at Double-A before pulling the plug. LH RP Justin Wright - 24 years old Spent last year at Palm Beach and went 7-3 with three saves to go with a 5.32 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. He did strikeout 85 in 71 IP, which is exciting. J-Rod mentioned he has great stuff and just needs to harness it. Being left-handed is a bonus. He’ll get a shot in the Springfield bullpen this year. He dominates left-handed hitters and could be a specialist in time. Shildt did an awesome job last year rallying the troops after a sub-par regular season but snuck into the playoffs and actually took home the Texas League crown after an exciting 7-game series with the San Antonio Missions. The goal is the same this year. Here is a look at some of the specific goals for the 2014 season in Springfield: Win the Texas League North division in both halves of the season. Make the Texas League playoffs Repeat as Texas League Champions Lower the starters’ ERA from 5.69 to under 5.50 Raise the overall team batting average to over .265 (.260 last year) Develop young players and help resurrect the careers of the new signings. Another great meeting and room for optimism in Springfield. We will meet with Johnny Rodriguez and the HiA-Palm Beach staff after the holiday. Happy New Year! Happy New Year! One of my New Year’s resolutions will be to keep this going and make it the best dynasty report it can be! Last edited by OOTPRealTime; 12-31-2013 at 02:25 PM.