What would you do?

jerrycapo · 09-11-2007, 07:58 PM

I have my top prospect at AA with a 10-1 record with a 1.75 ERA and 1.03 WHIP through the first two months of the season. My team currently has a 3.5 game lead in the division and I would like to start to see if he can help the team now. My dilemma is who to send down. For clarification I keep current ratings hidden and use stats and potential ratings only.

Candidate #1 is a 29 year old starting pitcher. He currently has a 5-4 record with a 5.22 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. He has a career record of 81-68 with an ERA of 4.21 and 1.26 WHIP. He also has a potential rating of 54. He seems like the top candidate to go, except for one thing. He is currently in his 8th season with the team. He was the best pitching prospect when I took over a team that finished with the third worst record. In my second year he established himself of the ace of the staff and led the team on a late push to claim the wild card. The third season he led the team to a late push for the division title. He pitched for us in game six of the World Series last year and forced a game seven which we eventually lost. So from a sentimental perspective, I am having a hard time letting him go.

Candidate #2 is a 28 year old starting pitcher. He currently has a 5-2 record with a 4.37 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. He missed half of last season due to a ruptured biceps tendon. He has no other history of injury problems. Prior to the injury he was my most dominate pitcher going 9-3 with a 2.11 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. He has been with the team 3 seasons after spending 2 with Texas. He was the pickup in a period where we needed to shed some salary and sent our All-Star CF and #2 starter for this young and promising pitcher. His potential is 64 but at 28, if he has not reached his potential he is not likely to.

Of course I could leave my top prospect to get more seasoning in the minors too. But I feel he is ready for the show.

So what would you do?

battists · 09-11-2007, 08:21 PM

Keep candidate #2 up and send the prospect for AAA.

My 2 cents.

koohead · 09-11-2007, 08:31 PM

Well the real question is what would Brian Boitano do...but not sure we can reach him so let me toss my opinion in there.

Its still early in the season, and I don't like players, especially pitchers, to skip levels. I would keep your two guys up and send the stud to Triple-A. If he dominates, then re-evaluate your rotation. Maybe you'll get "lucky" and someone goes on the DL. I'd say give the kid at least 5 starts in Triple-A before stamping him "show ready"

Long_Long_Name · 09-11-2007, 09:14 PM

A few remarks:

1. Good call on hidden ratings!

2. I'd stick him in AAA. There's a reason he wasn't there to begin with, and from his stats, he looks like he'd be as good as candidate #2.

3. Your team must be loaded if you're considering sending one of these guys down!

jerrycapo · 09-11-2007, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Long_Long_Name

A few remarks:

1. Good call on hidden ratings!

2. I'd stick him in AAA. There's a reason he wasn't there to begin with, and from his stats, he looks like he'd be as good as candidate #2.

3. Your team must be loaded if you're considering sending one of these guys down!

I would not say loaded, but well balanced. Pitching wise I do have the best bullpen in the majors. This is pretty easy to do in this version of the game because relievers are severely undervalued. Even with limits on how many relievers I can sign per draft and limits on drafting relievers in the first 10 rounds and limits prohibiting me from including any relievers in trades, it has been very easy to amass a very good bullpen. I have not had as much luck developing an ace with the starters. I have yet to have a 20 game winner, an ERA leader, a strikeout leader, or a VORP leader. Up to this year my pitchers have all been good not great. Currently though I do have two young pitchers who look like they may finally pay off. After spending the last three years in AAA and failing to make the team out of ST and putting up mediocre numbers at AAA, they look like they have turned the corner. Both have an ERA under 3.00 and a WHIP under 1.20. One is 25 one is 26 and they are both low 70's in potential having the highest ceiling on my staff. I did call the older one up last year after the injury to candidate number 2, but he did nothing special. The two candidates above have been pretty steady innings eaters and pitch well enough to keep the game close for the bullpen.

The kid I want to bring up was drafted out of Southern Mississippi last year in the first round and had a nice rating increase in his potential during the offseason. I started him at low-A last year where he went 7-5 with a 1.34 WHIP in 18 starts. Since he had the bump in potential and is 22 years old I decided to see if he was up to the challenge at AA and he has responded fantastically. Normally I promote my players through the minors one level at a time, but I have a good feeling about this kid.

christian troy · 09-14-2007, 11:49 AM

I agree with the other posters that the best plan at this point would be to send the kid to triple A for a month of so. This serves many purposes:
- it protects both you and him because if he doesnt do well there, then he surely wouldnt have done well in teh majors yet. This prevents him from being set back by a bad major league experience, and it saves you money as well as service time
- it gives you another month of season time to figure out what to do with your rotation. One pitcher might pitch himself out of the rotation, or one of your pitchers might get injured and create a space for the kid that way.

Thinking outside the box a little: would you consider using a 6 man rotation for a while? In the past I have done this mid season if i had a good prospect to bring up. It allows you to maintain your depth at SP in case of injuries down the road, and it gives your starters a little extra rest to keep them fresh during the stretch drive and playoffs. It also protects you because if the kid comes up and gets hammered at least you can send him back down and still have your regular starting five pitching.

jerrycapo · 09-14-2007, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christian troy

Thinking outside the box a little: would you consider using a 6 man rotation for a while? In the past I have done this mid season if i had a good prospect to bring up. It allows you to maintain your depth at SP in case of injuries down the road, and it gives your starters a little extra rest to keep them fresh during the stretch drive and playoffs. It also protects you because if the kid comes up and gets hammered at least you can send him back down and still have your regular starting five pitching.

This is a great idea. I have decided I will send him to AAA for a few starts. In the meantime, I'll wait and see if an injury happens and give him a trial run with the big league club. Over the years with the team I have always had a good team, but have never had the best and the one thing I have been missing the most is a true ace SP. With the bump in ratings and the way he is tearing it up through the minors, I look forward to seeing what he can do.

09-11-2007, 08:31 PM	#3
koohead Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 3,233	Well the real question is what would Brian Boitano do...but not sure we can reach him so let me toss my opinion in there. Its still early in the season, and I don't like players, especially pitchers, to skip levels. I would keep your two guys up and send the stud to Triple-A. If he dominates, then re-evaluate your rotation. Maybe you'll get "lucky" and someone goes on the DL. I'd say give the kid at least 5 starts in Triple-A before stamping him "show ready" __________________ GM - New Jersey Bears of the NPBL;

09-11-2007, 09:14 PM	#4
Long_Long_Name Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Montréal Posts: 7,065	A few remarks: 1. Good call on hidden ratings! 2. I'd stick him in AAA. There's a reason he wasn't there to begin with, and from his stats, he looks like he'd be as good as candidate #2. 3. Your team must be loaded if you're considering sending one of these guys down! __________________ Beta Baseball. Join it!

09-11-2007, 07:58 PM	#1
jerrycapo Major Leagues Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 411	What would you do? I have my top prospect at AA with a 10-1 record with a 1.75 ERA and 1.03 WHIP through the first two months of the season. My team currently has a 3.5 game lead in the division and I would like to start to see if he can help the team now. My dilemma is who to send down. For clarification I keep current ratings hidden and use stats and potential ratings only. Candidate #1 is a 29 year old starting pitcher. He currently has a 5-4 record with a 5.22 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. He has a career record of 81-68 with an ERA of 4.21 and 1.26 WHIP. He also has a potential rating of 54. He seems like the top candidate to go, except for one thing. He is currently in his 8th season with the team. He was the best pitching prospect when I took over a team that finished with the third worst record. In my second year he established himself of the ace of the staff and led the team on a late push to claim the wild card. The third season he led the team to a late push for the division title. He pitched for us in game six of the World Series last year and forced a game seven which we eventually lost. So from a sentimental perspective, I am having a hard time letting him go. Candidate #2 is a 28 year old starting pitcher. He currently has a 5-2 record with a 4.37 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. He missed half of last season due to a ruptured biceps tendon. He has no other history of injury problems. Prior to the injury he was my most dominate pitcher going 9-3 with a 2.11 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. He has been with the team 3 seasons after spending 2 with Texas. He was the pickup in a period where we needed to shed some salary and sent our All-Star CF and #2 starter for this young and promising pitcher. His potential is 64 but at 28, if he has not reached his potential he is not likely to. Of course I could leave my top prospect to get more seasoning in the minors too. But I feel he is ready for the show. So what would you do? __________________ All the best, Jerry

09-11-2007, 08:21 PM	#2
battists Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 18,506	Keep candidate #2 up and send the prospect for AAA. My 2 cents.

09-14-2007, 11:49 AM	#6
christian troy Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 32	I agree with the other posters that the best plan at this point would be to send the kid to triple A for a month of so. This serves many purposes: - it protects both you and him because if he doesnt do well there, then he surely wouldnt have done well in teh majors yet. This prevents him from being set back by a bad major league experience, and it saves you money as well as service time - it gives you another month of season time to figure out what to do with your rotation. One pitcher might pitch himself out of the rotation, or one of your pitchers might get injured and create a space for the kid that way. Thinking outside the box a little: would you consider using a 6 man rotation for a while? In the past I have done this mid season if i had a good prospect to bring up. It allows you to maintain your depth at SP in case of injuries down the road, and it gives your starters a little extra rest to keep them fresh during the stretch drive and playoffs. It also protects you because if the kid comes up and gets hammered at least you can send him back down and still have your regular starting five pitching.