Quick Recap: Spring Game 6, Jays and Astros
by Tom Dakers on Mar 8, 2010 4:07 PM EST
in Toronto Blue Jays Game Recaps
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PrintJust like a regular season Jays game, we left a ton of players on base. 14 hits, 5 walks but we only scored 4 runs. We left 14 on base. We didn't use many of the regulars today.
Pitching:
- Ricky Romero was great, 4 hits, no walks, 2 strikeouts and no runs in 3 innings.
- Dana Eveland was even better. 3 innings, 2 hit, no walks or runs and 2 K. Have to think that he's at least given himself a chance to make the rotation.
- Chad Jenkins pitched 2 innings and looked good too. Gave up a hit and a walk, with a flubbed throw (not ruled an error) on the single a run scored on him.
- Zach Stewart pitched the 9th, got the save. 1 hit and 1 strikeout in the inning. Hard to know if the Jay pitching was so good or the Astros bats so lousy, but we things went well.
Batters of note:
- J.P. Arencibia hit a first inning home run. 1 for 3. Crushed it, 420 feet apparently. That's his 3rd of the spring. I'd like to think the eye and hip surgery has something to do with his quick start, but let's wait till we see more of him.
- Joey Gathright was 0 for 2 with a walk and a CS.
- Lyle Overbay went 2 for 2 with a walk. He's hitting .571 this spring.
- Brian Dopirak was 2 for 2 as well. Hitting .385
- Brad Emaus 1 for 3, hitting .400.
- Brett Wallace went 0 for 3. He is hitting .200.
- Travis Snider was 0 for 2 with a walk. He's at .154.
- John McDonald went 2 for 3. Batting .333 this spring.
- Chris Lubanski was 0 for 1 with a walk. .200 thus far.
- Jarrett Hoffpauir went 1 for 3. He is hitting .333
Looks like the Jay have no game tomorrow. Wednesday they have a game against the Phillies and a B game. Morrow, Scrabble and Roenicke are to pitch in the B game. In the A game we'll have Broadway, Drabek, Purcey, Frasor, Gregg, Downs and Jackson scheduled to pitch.
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Cool, lets keep the AAAA player at AAA
That’s totally going to do much good.
Frasor
Hopefully Frasor has a good outing, ESPN reporting Cubs have contacted the Jays about him after losing Angel Guzman due to injury.
Jason is originally from Chicago, isn't he?
I’d be willing to move him, but it’d have to be for a solid return. I think he could have a good season as our closer and net a nice return as a Type A.
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
What about
Jeff Baker and a 2nd level prospect. Or is that not enough. Baker could push EE and back up Hill
Yes, he’s from Chicago.
Of course, you could argue (for the sake of arguing) that trading Downs, Frasor or Gregg would get the others more save ops and potentially increase their value, while at the same time opening up a roster spot we probably need. He and Downs in particular will probably really want to secure multi-year deals this offseason given their ages (33 and 34 respectively come the end of the season) and should easily reject arb. Overall I agree that you need to get something back, but there’s some other benefits to moving one of them (basically, whichever one you can get the most for b/c I doubt any are here for the long haul) sooner rather than later.
right, but my problem is
I just don’t trust Gregg on the market as a Type A to get us someone’s first round pick the way I do Frasor.
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
Agreed, and he wouldn’t get you anything in a trade either. That’s the point, to maximize the return we get from Gregg, Downs and Frasor as a trio (assuming all are gone after this season) it’s probably best to move one now and hope the others perform. And you move whoever you can get the best deal for. That’s likely not Gregg (duh?). The worst thing that could happen is keeping them all and having none really step up as “the closer”, which could limit their market value at the end of the season.
And frankly, I’m as confidence in Downs at closer as I am in Frasor. I think either could step up and be a type A that people would WANT to sign if they are given the closer job and stay healthy. But if they split time, it could diminish both of their market values.
I don't disagree and am comfortable with either Downs or Frasor
but I think Downs has a ton of value independent of closing, since he has a pretty stellar track record as a lefty-type specialist and setup/guy closer. I am certainly not opposed to moving Frasor, but I do think the return has to be something solid.
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
Downs is more than a "Lefty Specialist" type guy.
We could let Frasor go – I like Hak-Ju Lee born 11/04/90 a SS from S. Korea 6’2" 170 (could grow into some power) his 09 line in low ball was 330/399/420/820 – apparently he’s a great SS.
As to Gregg – yuck(ish) – with Downs, Janssen, Accardo, Stewart and Roenicke all of whom could be closers – I think we can afford to let Wee Mr Frasor go for the right player.
right
I like Downs as a bullpen “ace” – the guy you turn to when you critically need a shut-down job, no matter whether it is the 6th inning or the 9th. Find the highest-leverage spot. Frasor is no slouch either. The others have potential but question marks remain.
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
yeah, well I would agree with you on this but 99% of managers won’t ever treat it that way. They have a 9th inning guy, and then the rest of the pen. The only reason I suggested giving Downs the closer job was to get saves which could help his FA rating. Alternatively you could swap him and Gregg, hope Gregg has one of those years where he saves a bunch of games without actually being good (it happens) and give Downs the important innings, as long as you can get something for one or both of them in the winter I’m happy.
Downs is already an A
and likely to stay that way, no? Frasor is a B but will likely become an A with a good season, so he’s arguably the one who needs the saves. Gregg, I don’t see anyone surrendering their first rounder for him, but maybe a team with a protected pick or a team who has already signed a higher-ranked player could sign him – that’d be a nice return for him.
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
On JP
New eyes, new kidney – we have the technology we can make the 6 million dollar man!
Before our heads explode thinking of his power – in today’s game when he struck out the announcer said he was swinging, “way below the pitch.” Lets not put a crown on the kid yet. BUT – it is very nice to think about.
I really wonder about that....
they call the game from above…there was no tv….they could tell he was below the ball? 80% of the time they didn’t seem to be following the game at all. Even if he did strike out bad…he hit the ball a mile the other time…not a bad trade off. I won’t get too excited about the homers yet but I’d also not worry too too much about the k yet.
as I mentioned in the other thread, this is what scares me … THIS is Arencibia according to the scouting reports. Scouting reports suggest just this, he swings at EVERYTHING (bad) but when he makes contact he has scary power. And like most swing happy power hitters, he was pretty streaky last year, to the tune of 2 different months where he failed to hit a home run and 2 other months where he hit 8 a piece. Obviously it’s fantastic to see him get off to a great spring, but if people at the game are suggesting he’s swinging at bad pitches that’s in line with what scouting reports suggest.
Yes, but with even more power, less contact (ugh) and while he’s good defensively Barajas is really, really good. While he’s apparently made strides and is a good athlete, he threw out 23% of runners last year. He’s sort of a cross between Barajas and Buck … he’s likely in between them defensively (worse than Rod, better than Buck), has Buck’s power (>Barajas) and contact problems (high K’s) but Barajas’ non-existent walk totals.
his walk rates are crazy low, yes
but the problem hasn’t so much been his agressiveness at the plate as it has been poor pitch recognition. apparently he has serious issues recognizing and dealing with breaking balls and so it’s not just a matter of being more “patient”. At the same time, maybe part of his problem with pitch recognition was his eyesight, and that’s what makes me think he could have a better year.
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
I’ve rarely seen a player have extremely low walks AND very high strikeout rates that isn’t swinging away very, very often. Scouting reports suggest he is a very aggressive hitter as well.
The eyesight thing I don’t buy into TOO much b/c he had this problem before last season, when he would have been playing more during the day, and he has said it was a night issue.
Maybe it is that he’s not picking up the ball well enough. But this has been his M.O. for a while … plus power, swings away too much, and so far in his career the results have backed that up.
I agree
I have been extremely down on Arencibia. It just seems like his pitch recognition and approach aren’t suited to hit major-league pitching. But with his health issues having been revealed, I am cautiously optimistic that we may see some progress this season. His walk rate did tick up last season.
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
Increasing walk-rate coupled with increased strikeout-rate
could be indicative of him deliberately taking more pitches, in order to respond to criticisms of his patience. different approaches work for different hitters and I wouldn’t be surprised if — in Arencibia’s case — coaching him to “be more patient” wouldn’t lead to just as much harm as it would good (particularly if he’s already having trouble seeing the ball).
"Look at me! I'm Tomokazu Ohka of the Montreal Expos!"
I agree
I think what fans think of as patience often has a lot more to do with approach at the plate and pitch recognition. It’s not “impatient,” per se, to swing at a pitch that ends up in the dirt if you thought it was going to be out over the plate.
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
Nice article on Romero
Nice article on Romero and his transformation last year over at MLB.com.
He seems to have a lot of doubters here in terms of his upside, but I feel he has a chance to really establish himself as our number one or two pitcher in the rotation for some years.
Question
they had video highlights of the Jays (vs Astros) on Sportsnet tonight, why was the game not on MLB TV?
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