A Quick Guide to Pertinent 2011 Minor League Relievers
Posted on November 15th, 2010 by azruavatar in Minor LeaguesMinor league relievers are a dime a dozen. They often come out of nowhere (Dennis Dove, anyone?) and disappear into the annuls of MiLB just as quickly. This past year Pete Parise was a name many were touting and that was profiled here as well. After a 2010 injury, Parise has a more difficult road to trod with statistical doppleganger Chuckie Fick having a productive season and players like Eduardo Sanchez not slowing down at all. Another example of how tenuous a player’s grasp on the “next guy up” can be in relief.
What follows is a quick guide to minor league relievers whose name you’ll likely hear bandied about during Spring Training.
| Player | 2010 Level | Repertoire | Projects As | ETA | Comments |
| Adam Reifer | AA/AAA | Fastball/Slider | Setup | 2012 | Too hittable at times; mid-90s velocity |
| Blake King | AA | Fastball/Slider | Middle Relief | 2013 | Significant command issues; lots of movement on pitches |
| Chuckie Fick | AAA | Sinker/Slider | Fringy Relief | 2012 | High GB rates; Brad Thompson clone |
| Eduardo Sanchez | AA/AAA | Fastball/Slider | Setup/Closer | 2011 | Slight frame; upper-90s velocity; some sink to fastball |
| Fernando Salas | AAA/MLB | Fastball/Curveball/Changeup | Middle Relief | 2011 | Not overpowering; good control/command |
| Franscico Samuel | AA/AAA | Fastball/Slider | Middle Relief/Setup | 2012 | Electric stuff; upper-90s velocity; inconsistent mechanics |
| Ramon Delgado | A+/AA/AFL | Fastball/Slider/Changeup | Fringy Relief | 2013 | Erratic when fatigued; Not ideal for long relief |
Obviously Eduardo Sanchez is unlikely to walk on as a setup man or closer so that projection includes growth at the majors as well. ETA is a tricky guess at best, especially with Tony LaRussa’s bullpens.
Entries (RSS)
If Blake king deserves the “substantial command issue ” comment then Samuel should have been labeled just plane “wild”.
Buursma had statisitically as good a season as King but he gets no hype what so ever. Another no hype name to watch for is Frevert who had a 2.17 FIP at PB while K’ing almost 11 per 9 innings.
Norrick is another name that may get some attention if he throws half way decent. It will be attention by default though as he is currently the most advanced lefty in the system.
Too bad about Parise’s injury. I expressed concern over last Winter that he was throwing too many innings in Winter ball. I know some here thought he was a fluke but in his 2009 season his LD rate was a full 2 std deviations lower than the next best full time pitcher (starter or reliever) in all of the minors. That is not 2 std deviations below avg but 2 below the next closest pitcher. For those of you that truly understand statistics you’ll realize how completely insane and off the charts that is. But alas, his injury is a shoulder not an elbow so his comeback chances are extremely slim.
Buursma is a submariner. He’s going to have a hard time cracking the majors.
Frevert doesn’t really enter the near term picture having ended the year at A+.
AZ:
There are always a handful of submariners in the majors, sort of like knuckleballers and screwballers.
If they are good, they stick and some become very successful. If not, they fall by the wayside. I submit that if he keeps pitching like he has so far, he makes a good offbeat change of pace for the bullpen, probably in 2012.
norrick broke out a 10.71 BB/9 rate at AA, a 9.00 BB/9 rate at AAA and spent a chunk of time at palm beach this year. he is going to lose his 40-man spot and will be lucky to still be in the org come spring training.
Norrick is already off the 40 man (happened during the season). I agree, he probably wouldn’t even be here is he wasn’t LH. Some people who have seen him throw though say his ball moves a lot. I’d say he’s a long shot but he will probably get a shot just for being almost the only LH in the upper levels. Stranger things have happened.
I would love to see Freeman come back with an extra MPH or 2 on his FB as sometimes happens after TJ.
What’s the deal with Mulligan? He got destroyed in 18 innings at AA then demoted but was chewing up the lower minors. Will they push him back up to AA and see how it goes to start 2011? He’s 23. I think they need to throw him into AA again and leave him there. Either he sinks or swims. He’s got the best rain dance at any level of this organization and that has to count for something. I’m also praying to the baseball gods for the healthy return of Sam Freeman in 2011.
Mulligan got destroyed at AA? I know that is the perception but a closer look shows a 3.22 FIP and a .404 BABIP. Yes, his walks went up also but my guess is that tends to happen with a .404 BABIP – a natural tendancy. The other curve ball there is whether or not he was hurt. He left SPFLD to go on the DL Was an injury hampering his performance there? When he came back, he came back as strong as ever at PB. I’d love to see him get a ST invite (but doubt it happens).
Are you saying he got demoted from AA due to injury? I’d be happy to hear some sort of explanation for the demotion other than ineffectiveness because, although it currently looks like we have plenty of depth from the right side in the pen, it’s pretty speculative after Sanchez. I’m hoping Mulligan might be a player who emerges in 2011.
Mulligan has the best curveball in our system (at least QC to Memphis). Don’t know what is down below in Batavia or JC.
Buckriggs, where did you here that or is it observation? I’ve read that he lacks an out pitch – but it sounds like the curveball could be one. I’ve heard Salas has a pretty good curve as well.
I know he is coming off of TJ surgery, but I still would have included Sam Freeman on this list. One of the few lefties that has shown a bit of promise for an otherwise unimpressive crop on the farm for the Birds. He quickly moved up to AA and even received an early invite to Spring Training (along with Shelby Miller) last year, although I gathered it wasn’t an “official” Major League invite. Regardless, his quick ascension shows either the Cards are beyond putrid among lefty relief or he has some serious potential. Personally I think its probably both.