Jays Decide to Shut Down Brandon Morrow
by Tom Dakers on Aug 29, 2010 9:44 PM EDT
in Toronto Blue Jays News
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PrintThe Blue Jays announce today that Brandon Morrow's next start will be his last this season. The team has made it clear that he is healthy. They just want to keep him that way.
Brandon has thrown 143.2 innings this season. Last year, between the majors and minors, Brandon threw 114.2 124.2 innings. As he is only 25 and has just an amazing arm, the team wants to be careful with him. I like that.
The team will call up two minor league pitchers starters for September. They haven't announce who they will be yet but two of Shawn Hill, Scott Richmond and/or Brad Mills are the most likely choices.
Top prospects Kyle Drabek and Zach Stewart are not likely to be called on. Both are nearing their limits of innings pitched.
As much as I really enjoy watching Morrow pitch, I'm really happy that the team is doing what they can to protect the arms of their pitchers.
Brandon's first full season as a starter in the majors has been a huge success. He has struck out 10.9/9 innings and has only walked 2.76/9. He has allowed less than a hit an inning. He goes into his last start with a 10-6 record.
His future looks bright. I wouldn't mind getting the pay cheques that will be coming to him in a few years.
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Morrow threw 124.2 IP last year, not 114.2.
The interesting thing with this move is their essentially giving him a 20% premium over last year. Figure he goes 6-7 innings in his final start, and his final innings tally should hover around 150, which is 25 more innings than last year.
But, and here’s why I think this might be a little premature, last year, in his 69.2 innings in the bigs (including time as a reliever), Morrow had thrown 1254 pitches. He threw another 889 in AAA ball with Tacoma, for a total pitch count of 2,143. This year, Brandon has thrown a mere 2,452 pitches. He still doesn’t go as deep as we might like (strikeouts rack up pitch counts), but he has become mildly more efficient.
He may have thrown more innings, but he’s done far less work on the arm. Even the pitches themselves are lower stress: he’s dropped 1.4 MPH off his average fastball velocity*, 1.6 MPH from his curveball, 0.7 MPH off his change and he’s only added 0.1 MPH (a blip) to his change.
I’m not sure if Morrow should go ‘til the end. No one really knows that. But, from the information we have available as fans, one more start seems overly cautious to me. And Lord knows I would take a bullet for the man, so it’s not like I don’t want him protected.
*And it’s nice to see he can still, when he needs to, rear back and put a 97+ heater right past the best hitters in the world.
Pitch counts via StatCorner; average velocity via FanGraphs.
Typo on the number of innings....
I’m not against the team being overly careful. We aren’t winning this year. Next year he’ll be 26, if we are in it the team can extend him some.
I figured it was a typo, but if it wasn't pointed out...
No harm done.
Analysis aside, I kind of wanted to see him pitch in the home stand against the Mariners in September. It would have been sweet. Bittersweet.
as long as it's not Tallet that replaces him, haha
"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
If it were up to Cito, he’d be the ace and starting the home opener next season……….
Toronto Maple Leafs: Nowhere to go but up!
by LeafFan1989 on Aug 29, 2010 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions
All joking aside
When Sam and his ugly new Goatee interviewed AA on who would take the spot starts, Tallet’s name was one of them that came up.
by craig in calgary on Aug 29, 2010 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Ooops, I mean Shudders…
There She Gooooooes!
by Rugged Rock on Aug 30, 2010 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm conflicted
Intellectually, I completely understand and approve this move.
Emotionally, this sucks. I’m getting completely jazzed by the Jay’s top 4 starters and I’m feeling a little let down that the most electric guy has only one more start this year.
Intellectually, this is a great opportunity to see other potential starters in the system.
Emotionally, the ones we really want to see will be in minor league playoffs or shut down due to pitching limits
Extension?
would you take it year by year with him at this point in his development or try and lock him up?
I'd give it a half a season
Wait and see if an offseason of tapes and scouting will clue hitters into something about his delivery and approach. It his success continues after 2-3 months next season, I say lock him up. It seems that this is approach they used for Romero, and I think it will work well with Morrow as well.
There She Gooooooes!
by Rugged Rock on Aug 30, 2010 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
I’d want to see at least a season and a half out of a young player before I commit to a long term contract. Yes, it might cost you a bit more, but it could save a bunch if Morrow turns out to be a one-season wonder.
Romero is exactly the approach to take. He had a 1/2 season this year that improved on his breakout season last year, so last year wasn’t a fluke and the Jays felt safe in gambling to lock him up. It’s a positive message to the other pitchers. Pitch well and then prove that you are no one-season wonder, and the Jays will step up and reward you sooner than later.
Tom
He didn’t walk 2.76/9IP, he had a 2.76 K:BB ratio (he walked 4.0/9IP). if he walked 2.76 he could have been the best pitcher in the AL…
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