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Friday’s commerce that noticed Pablo López and a pair of prospects go from Miami to Minnesota in alternate for Luis Arraez made sense for each groups. The Twins, who my colleague Ben Clemens wrote obtained the higher of the deal, acquired a high quality pitcher who will slot into their beginning rotation, plus the promising-but-raw minor-leaguers. The Marlins obtained a 25-year-old infielder who simply received a batting title and is a .314/.374/.410 hitter over 1,569 big-league plate appearances.
Miami’s high prospect is an enormous motive why parting with a pitcher of López’s high quality is completely defensible. Whereas recently-signed Johnny Cueto will take Lopez’s rotation spot within the close to time period, it’s Eury Pérez who guarantees to make an already-good rotation even higher. Arguably the perfect right-handed pitching prospect within the recreation — Baltimore’s Grayson Rodriguez and Philadelphia’s Andrew Painter are additionally on the short-list — Pérez has a Sandy Alcántara-ish ceiling. The 6-foot-8 native of Santiago, Dominican Republic excelled in Double-A this previous 12 months as a teen, and there’s a actual likelihood that he’ll attain the large leagues at age 20.
“This child simply has an unimaginable presence about him,” mentioned Miami GM Kim Ng. “His fastball is 96-99 [mph] with journey, and he’s obtained a extremely good breaking ball. And once more, the presence, in addition to the poise, is unbelievable. He’s not proficient past creativeness, however it’s shut.”
Requested who the teen comps to, Ng initially demurred. As she identified, not many pitching prospects are Pérez’s measurement. When she did finally provide a reputation, it was a notable one.
“I’ve heard considered one of our scouts speak about Félix Hernández,” mentioned Ng, who proceeded so as to add a caveat. ”Not a lot of our scouts, however one scout.”
Hernández, who went on to make six All-Star appearances and win a Cy Young award, debuted within the massive leagues as a 19-year-old. Ng wouldn’t predict when Pérez will make his personal debut, however she did permit that he “is on the quick observe.”
When Skip Schumaker met with the media through the Winter Conferences, I requested Miami’s new supervisor a two-part query: What makes Eury Pérez pretty much as good as he’s, and what are your ideas on fast-tracking proficient younger pitchers?
“I imply, he’s obtained an arm that you could’t train,” mentioned Schumaker, whom the Marlins introduced on board after final season. “That’s primary. He’s an enormous child. I’d say his supply is as repeatable as you need — it’s so simple as you need — so I feel it’s going to play.
“I feel a man like him, you may fast-track,” continued Schumaker “You take a look at plenty of various things: well being, the variety of innings they’ve had the last few years, and may he assist us win? Does he assist us win within the bullpen? Does he assist us win within the rotation? What does that appear like transferring ahead? You may’t simply rush him, however we’re actually enthusiastic about the place he’s at.”
The Marlins have motive to be enthusiastic about their pitching, which Ng referred to as the group’s energy, in addition to what Miami is constructing round. A rotation of Alcántara, Cueto, Edward Cabrera, Jesús Luzardo, and Trevor Rogers, with Pérez quickly to hitch the combination, is rock strong. Furthermore, if Sixto Sánchez and Max Meyer ever get totally wholesome and pitch to their potential, it is going to be downright formidable.
As for the probability that the Marlins will proceed to deal from their energy to make additional offensive upgrades — and additional upgrades are clearly wanted — Ng advised that received’t be occurring. Requested in regards to the risk following the López-Arraez swap. she mentioned that “it might be robust for us to make that that sort of deal.” For now, followers in Miami must accept the addition of a line-drive machine who simply received a batting title… this whereas ready for an elite pitching prospect to hitch the beginning rotation at a younger age. Eury Pérez initiatives to be very, excellent.
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Dwight Evans went 14 for 28 towards Jerry Koosman.
Dick Allen went 14 for 31 towards Mickey Lolich.
Lou Whitaker went 14 for 31 towards Dave Righetti.
Bobby Grich went 13 for 30 towards Jim Kaat.
Dale Murphy went 13 for 26 towards Bob Ojeda.
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Which pitcher you’ve confronted this 12 months most had you strolling away from the dish pondering, “Man, that dude is nasty”? I’ve requested that query to plenty of notable minor-league hitters, most lately Zac Veen through the Arizona Fall League.
“I’d say Ricky Tiedemann,“ the Colorado Rockies outfield prospect advised me. “He’s positively a tricky at-bat for lefty to go towards. It’s going to be thrilling to face that man for for a very long time. Any time you’re dealing with a lefty with a two-seam at 96 [mph] it’s all the time going to be a tricky at-bat. And he’s positively discovered how you can pitch. I feel he’s as near a big-leaguer because it will get.”
Broadly thought to be the highest prospect within the Toronto Blue Jays group, the 20-year-old Tiedemann allowed 39 hits and fanned 117 batters in 78-and-two-thirds innings final 12 months throughout three ranges. He completed his first skilled season in Double-A.
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Who was higher, Bert Blyleven or Nolan Ryan? I requested that query in a Twitter ballot just a few days in the past, and to no shock, the latter received in a landslide. He shouldn’t have.
Ryan, who garnered 79.5% of the votes solid, completed his profession with a 112 ERA+, 83.6 bWAR, and 106.7 fWAR. Blyleven, who acquired simply 21.5% of assist, completed with a 118 ERA+, 96.1 bWAR, and 102.9 fWAR.
Ryan is clearly MLB’s all-time chief in strikeouts, and he allowed a mere 6.6 hits per 9 innings. An plain legend, he was probably the most overpowering beginning pitcher the sport has seen. However was he really “higher” than Blyleven? That’s debatable.
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A quiz:
Not one of the high three leaders in profession pitching appearances — left-handers Jesse Orosco, Mike Stanton, and John Franco — are within the Corridor of Fame. The following three on the record — right-handers Mariano Rivera, Dennis Eckersley, and Hoyt Wilhelm — are all within the Corridor of Fame. Who’re the non Corridor-of-Famers who rank seventh and eighth on the all-time-appearances record?
The reply might be discovered beneath.
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NEWS NOTES
The Arizona Diamondbacks have employed Veronica “Ronnie” Gajownik to handle their Excessive-A affiliate, the Hillsboro Hops. Gajownik joined the D-Backs group in November 2021 and would be the first girl to handle on the Excessive-A stage.
Shawn Murnin has been named the brand new radio play-by-play voice of the Texas League’s Northwest Arkansas Naturals. An August 2021 guest on FanGraphs Audio, Murnin spent the final 4 years with the Excessive-A Bowling Inexperienced Sizzling Rods. In associated information, Riley Edwards will take over because the Naturals’ lead broadcaster after spending this previous 12 months working alongside Emma Tiedemann with the Portland Sea Canines.
Travis Leonardi has been employed because the media and broadcast assistant for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas. The Western Michigan College grad will share a sales space with Tim Hagerty, a guest on FanGraphs Audio this previous August.
Ted Savage, an outfielder who performed for eight groups over components of 9 seasons, died final weekend at age 85. Initially with the Philadelphia Phillies, Savage had by far his greatest season with the Milwaukee Brewers, logging a 144 wRC+ in 1970.
Frank Thomas, an outfielder whose profession spanned the 1951-1966 season, died earlier this week at age 93. A 3-time All-Star who spent eight of his 16 seasons in Pittsburgh, Thomas went deep 35 instances for the Pirates in 1958, and 34 instances for the first-year New York Mets in 1962.
One other former participant who died this week was 80-year-old Bill Davis, a 6-foot-7 first baseman — his nickname was “The Jolly Inexperienced Big” — who noticed motion with Cleveland in 1965 and 1966, and with San Diego in 1969. Davis’s lone big-league residence run got here on September 9, 1966 when he pinch-hit for shortstop Larry Brown with two outs within the tenth inning and took California’s Jack Sanford deep with Max Alvis on base to provide Cleveland a 7-6 win.
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The reply to the quiz is left-hander Dan Plesac at No. 7, and right-hander Mike Timlin at No. 8.
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The Phillies chosen Matt Vierling within the fifth spherical of the 2018 draft, two picks after the Tigers tabbed College of Louisville southpaw Adam Wolf. I lately requested the outfielder if there was an opportunity he’d have begun his skilled profession within the Detroit group, and never in Philadelphia’s.
“I feel I met with the Tigers, however I by no means heard from them in that spherical,” mentioned Vierling, a College of Notre Dame product whom Detroit acquired by way of commerce earlier this month. “My agent had talked in regards to the Phillies all all through the fourth and fifth rounds, so I knew I had an opportunity to go to them, however I didn’t hear something from the Tigers round that point.”
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Alex Ramirez and Randy Bass had been voted into the Japanese Baseball Corridor of Fame earlier this month. A Lawton, Oklahoma native who performed in MLB from 1977-1982, Bass batted .337 with the Hanshin Tigers from 1983-1988 and had back-to-back seasons with 54 and 47 residence runs. Ramirez, a local of Venezuela who performed in MLB from 1998-2000, batted .301 and hit 380 residence runs — most of them with the Yakult Swallows — from 2001-2013.
Freddy Fermín was named MVP of the Venezuelan Winter League after hitting .404 with a 1.048 OPS for Leones del Caracas. The 27-year-old, Puerto Ordaz-born catcher has been within the Kansas Metropolis Royals group since 2016 and has three MLB video games on his resume.
Quincy Latimore is slashing .285/.338/.455 for the Australian Baseball League’s Adelaide Giants. The 33-year-old outfielder, who performed affiliated ball with six completely different organizations from 2007-2017, spent final season with the unbiased Atlantic League’s Excessive Level Rockers.
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Donnie Ecker was the featured visitor on Friday’s episode of FanGraphs Audio, and should you’re a hitting nerd, the dialog was proper up your alley. Ditto should you’re a Rangers fan. Ecker is the membership’s bench coach/offensive coordinator, and among the many topics he addressed had been hitters within the Texas lineup. Notable amongst them had been Marcus Semien and Josh Jung.
“Bodily, he operates off of a number of the highest vibrancy of really feel,” Ecker mentioned of Semien. “Kinesthetically, he actually must really feel sure issues to be at his greatest… so, bodily he’s excessive on the texture spectrum. Mentally he’s one of many extra superior guys by way of what he needs to search for, probabilistic pondering with pitch counts.”
Jung was featured in our Talks Hitting collection a 12 months in the past this month, so I knew prematurely what Ecker’s response can be after I requested if the younger infielder is a hitting nerd. His reply didn’t disappoint.
“Josh drives that bus,” mentioned Ecker. “You’ll bore him should you simply stick to straightforward stuff. Josh, proper now, is definitely in Baton Rouge on the Marucci lab, attempting to do some take a look at to see the place he’s at, right here in the midst of January. All people that meets him form of is aware of this, however he’s actually a throwback. He form of jogs my memory of how individuals speak about Peyton Manning, and a few of these quarterbacks which are simply… they’re in it, man. They adore it.
“Each morning Josh wakes up, and in his Slack channel is a major-league pitcher that has a recreation plan connected to it. It’s a bit of little bit of an train that we do with him. He’s recreating what it looks like to organize that day, all the best way from, ‘How would I prepare; what feels do I would like?’ If we’re dealing with [Framber] Valdez, or dealing with [Gerrit] Cole, what angles do I wish to arrange? The place are my eyes? What’s the self-discipline in my eyes that day? After which, what are these in-game changes for me? That’s one thing he’s like enthusiastically attacking. When guys need that sort of preparation, you’re going to guess on [them] each single time.”
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
The Los Angeles Angels, who’ve a Mexican-American proprietor, are the one MLB group in Southern California with out full-time Spanish-language broadcasts. Sam Blum has the story at The Athletic (subscription required).
At Sports activities Illustrated, Jack Sommers wrote about how the proportion of innings pitched by starters isn’t a current-era phenomenon, however fairly a century-old development.
AZSnakepit’s Jim McLennan wrote about the unimportance of productive outs.
Christina Whitlock, who will work at Excessive-A Peoria, would be the first uniformed feminine coach in St. Louis Cardinals organizational historical past. Daniel Guerrero has the story at The St. Louis Submit-Dispatch.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Corridor of Fame shortstop Rabbit Maranville had 585 extra-base hits and was charged with 631 errors.
Cleveland’s Amed Rosario hit 9 triples final 12 months, probably the most within the majors. In 1912, Detroit Tigers outfielders Sam Crawford (21) and Ty Cobb (23) mixed to hit 44 triples.
Wes Ferrell hit 9 residence runs in 1931, probably the most for a pitcher in a single season. On the mound, the Cleveland right-hander surrendered 9 residence runs in 276-and-two-thirds innings whereas going 22-12 with a 3.75 ERA.
Rogers Hornsby led the Nationwide League in batting common, on-base proportion, and slugging proportion in 1920… and once more in 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, and 1925. His slash line over that six-season stretch was .397/.467/.666. Hornsby additionally led the league in every of the triple-slash classes in 1928.
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Sixto Lezcano to a free-agent contract on right this moment’s date in 1985. An underrated slugger who logged a 125 wRC+ over components of 12 big-league seasons — his greatest years got here with the Milwaukee Brewers — Lezcano limped into the sundown with a career-ending 72 video games within the Metal Metropolis.
The New York Mets signed Juan Berenguer as an novice free agent on right this moment’s date in 1975. The precise-hander from Aguadulce, Panama made his MLB debut three years later and went on to seem in 490 video games whereas pitching for seven groups from 1978-1992. Berenguer received World Collection rings with the Detroit Tigers in 1984 and the Minnesota Twins in 1987.
Gamers born on right this moment’s date embody Diomedes Olivo, a Dominican baseball legend whose MLB profession comprised 85 pitching appearances, all however 19 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, from 1960-1963. The southpaw was 41 when he threw his first big-league pitch; solely Satchel Paige debuted at an older age.
Additionally born on right this moment’s date was Timber Mead, a right-handed pitcher who performed within the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds organizations from 1985-1991. Timber Arden Mead was born and raised in Oregon.
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