Jess Todd is a reliever now. Who knew?
‘I think that he may have a quicker opportunity to be a reliever at the next level,” Redbirds pitching coach Blaise Ilsley said. ”Plus, having Otto here kind of gave us six starters so it made more sense to make that move at that point.”
I love this part of the article because it’s such blatant crap. They’ve had starters called up and, after being down a few pitchers, Jess Todd is . . . still in the flipping bullpen. I don’t know if the reporter got this quote before the season began or if Ilsley is just a few screws loose but it’s obviously hooey. If that’s the decision, fine. The logic being presented in the article is obviously fallacious.
Jess Todd is a reliever and the Cardinals have shown no inclination of moving him back. Maybe that’s what Todd wants (the article insiuates that though there’s no direct quote) but he’s not a starter and the Cardinals have even gone outside the organization to make sure it stays that way.
Tyler Norrick is a reliever now. Who knew?
“Am I a strikeout pitcher? I don’t know,” said Norrick, a sixth-round pick in 2006 out of Southern Illinois. “It looks like it right now.”
I don’t know either but his stuff sure seems to be playing up in the pen.
Matt Baker has more on Lance Lynn who, if you weren’t already reading the comments on this blog, has been promoted to Springfield. Elvis Hernandez heads to the DL with a strained oblique. Chuckie Fick gets the call from Palm Beach and Jonny Bravo heads to the QC as a result.
Memphis was postponed.
- Pete Kozma (I always think of Peter Keating when I type Kozma — he just wants everyone to appreciate him) went 1-for-4.
- Brett Wallace was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.
- Tyler Henley had the only other hit with a single in 3 ABs.
- Springfield mustered a pitiful 6 baserunners with 3 hits and 3 walks.
- Ryan Kulik went 5 innings with 5 hits, 2 walks and 1 strikeout. He allowed 2 ER.
- Eddie Degermen pitched the remaining 3 innings allowing 1 run on 2 hits, 1 BB and w Ks.
- Adron Chambers was 2-for-5 with a double.
- Colt Sedbrook was 1-for-4 with a walk.
- Francisco Rivera was 2-for-3.
- Brian Broderick tossed 6 solid inning with the only blemish being a 2-run HR to Michael Staunton, a rising outfield prospect. Broderick allowed 3 hits, 1 BB and 1 K.
- Sam Freeman allowed 1 hit and struck out 1 in 2 scoreless innings.
- Eduardo Sanchez took the blown save allowing his own 2 run HR after hitting a batter. He struck out 2 in the inning as his ERA rose to 1.80.
- Brett Lilley went 2-for-6.
- Niko Vasquez had a double and a walk in 6 PAs.
- Paul Cruz, playing the OF, went 2-for-4 with a walk.
- Osvaldo Morales went 2-for-3 with a HBP and a double.
- Chris Swauger took one two for the team going 0-for-2 with a walk and 2 HBP.
- Jon Edwards went yard.
- Kevin Thomas threw 5 perfect innings striking out 2.
- Hector Cardenas allowed the 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits in the remaining 4 innings of the game. He struck out 2 and walked 2.
Entries (RSS)
Todd is to Reliever as Me is to Paperweight.
It works but is a total mismanagement of resources.
i get where you’re coming from, but have you seen him pitch? once i saw him actually pitch, i immediately thought “there’s just no way this guy is a starter”.
And that’s what is so frustrating about all this. We know Luhnow and guys like Mejdal are smart enough to realize that starter > reliever. For whatever reason and I’m confident they have one, be it Todd himself or his mechanics, they think he’s better suited to relief. It’s frustrating to watch that after he had such a nice year as a starter but it is what it is. Ilsley’s quote was bizarre in any current context though.
My take is that the organization has made up its mind that Todd is going to replace Brad Thompson as a cheaper, younger equivalent. If they rate Garcia, Boggs, Mort and PJ Walters ahead of Todd as starting prospects (which it seems they do), then the decision must be driven by the realization that Todd has a much better shot at the bigs pitching from the bullpen. Add into the equation Lynn now in Springfield.
“so it made more sense to make the move at that point”. To me, the quote is not reffering to the number of starters at Memphis as a reason for shift itself, but a reason for the timing of the shift. I presumed that the decision to make him a reliever had already been made based on more Todd-specific factors, but if there weren’t enough arms available for AAA then perhaps the organization uses Todd as a starter for part or all of 2009 to fill the hole and to give him more innings of development. Obviously, moving him back and forth between starter and reliever as the AAA rotation evolves wouldn’t be ideal.
It sucks that Todd won’t be our next #3 starter, but from what I’ve read it’s just a matter of his mechanics having the potential to betray him later in games in the big leagues. The guy could be nails in the bullpen, and I don’t think the Cards should force the issue just because they already have a number of potential above-average RH relievers. Each player should, if possible, be put in the best chance to make the club and be productive. It’s not a vacuum and exceptions exist, but I think in this instance Don Tony and D Duncan see a potential late-season need or weakness in the late innings and Todd may be given a chance to work his way up to that role.
i’m ready for a samuel freeman promotion…he seems to have pretty much mastered high A
It’s only a handful of AB’s…but has anyone noticed what C Roberto Espinoza has done for Quad Cities? Just 2 K’s against 10 walks(!), and a batting average in Descalso territory.
Granted the kid has been young for his leagues until now (he turned 20 in March), but he has a very sub-Mendoza career average–always showed good plate patience, though.
Espinoza nabbed 33% last year in his limited MWL time last year, so the arm looks OK so far. If he’s really turned a corner with the bat, to go with his strikezone control & improved contact rate…well, look out.
Anybody seen the guy this year?
I think it’s a good move.
Everyone needs starters but a true closer is very hard to find, and they need their own development, if he shows the potential, why not. It saves a lot of unneccesary wear on the arm anyway, if they feel that this would be his best role.
I am sure that Duncan and TLR have plenty of input.
I think “blatant crap” is more than a bit harsh.
Like ‘visgc’, I read that as the coaches viewed Todd as a reliever long-term, so the timing happened to be right to move him to the bullpen back when they perceived depth in the Memphis rotation. I personally wish Todd was still starting to give him more innings, but I’m glad they didn’t move him back to the rotation once they found themselves down a couple starters. No sense in bouncing him between roles if the major league coaching staff has him in mind for a relief role down the stretch.
If they have him mind for a relief role then why say it’s like having 6 starters? I don’t disagree with the switch but what Ilsley said just flat out doesn’t make sense.