Note to Andy: Snatch this kid up now!

by Jacob Larsen on Feb 3, 2007 9:00 PM EST

I usually check out Sickels' Minor League Ball on a consistent basis and I caught myself clicking one diary in particular.

It contained this sentence:

Mariners designated RHP Yorman Bazardo for assignment.

I recognized the name, but I wasn't too familiar with his profile and stats.

Bazardo Cube Page
Bazardo Milb.com Page

Ok, I now know that Bill Bavasi must be one of the worst GMs in the history of baseball. He now has surpassed LaMar in idiocy.

How do you designate a 22 year pitcher who has a positive track record (had a 3.64 ERA in Double-A's Texas League last season) for assignment? Let alone one who had just pitched a successful outing yesterday(3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 5 Ks, 0 BB) against the Dominican Republic Winter League team in the Caribbean Winter League Championships?

I'm just dumbfounded right now....

Who replaced him on Seattle's 40 Man roster?

Get this, Michael "I should've chosen football because I'm not Nomar" Garciaparra...

So basically a prospect who has only slightly shown small improvements in play, yet has a successful bloodline, replaces a young arm who may not be a K machine in the minors(barely has a 5 K/9 average) who just turned 22 last year.

Andy, please tell me that you've already picked up the phone or something and contacted Yorman's agent.

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Comments

Re: Note to Andy: Snatch this kid up now!

Indeed...nice find Jacob.

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 3, 2007 9:04 PM EST reply actions

Bavasi:

Probably thinks Michael is actually Nomar.

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 3, 2007 9:28 PM EST reply actions

I now regret

not putting Bavasi last when espn.com had that GM ranking thingy up a couple of weeks ago. At least Sabean (who I ranked last) would have gotten somebody who was good five years ago.

by Not That Chuck on Feb 3, 2007 9:30 PM EST reply actions

In case people wanted evidence of the DFA

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/archives/111124.asp

by Jacob Larsen on Feb 3, 2007 9:34 PM EST up reply actions

Re: I now regret

NTC where would you put Friedman, I myself have him between 15 and 20.

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 3, 2007 9:36 PM EST up reply actions

About there

I think I actually had him 16. Figuring he had to be at least ahead of those GMs who were actively doing damage to their clubs, which is a pretty large number when you look at it.

by Not That Chuck on Feb 3, 2007 9:38 PM EST up reply actions

Re: About there

About the same for me, I had Colleti behind him for a few reasons. My top five:

Ryan
Beane
Stoneman
Jockety
Williams

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 3, 2007 9:42 PM EST up reply actions

Not a big Stoneman fan

I keep thinking they ought to be able to get more than they do, somehow.

I actually had to give Larry Beinfest props, to my surprise. Not that big an admirer before last offseason from up close here on the Wrong Coast, but being able to steal the talent he stole with a financial gun pointed to his head changed my mind about him. Of course he has not followed it up so well...but otherwise my top five is pretty similar.

by Not That Chuck on Feb 3, 2007 9:48 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Not a big Stoneman fan

Beinfest's case can def. be made, a big market team should go after him...'Cubs'

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 3, 2007 9:53 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Note to Andy: Snatch this kid up now!

BA says

13 Yorman Bazardo

Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi did a nice job at the 2005 trade deadline, spinning spare parts for useful pitching - Bazardo, Mike Flannery, Jesse Foppert and Nataneal Mateo - and journeyman catchers Miguel Ojeda and Yorvit Torrealba. Foppert was ane lite prospect before Tommy John surgery in 2003, while Bazard is the best of the three minor league righties acquired. Bazardo touched 98 mph in the Marlins system, but pitched at 91-92 and peaked at 94 following the trade. He made progress with his slider and curveball, and his changeup remains his best secondary pitch. His numbers never have matched the quality of his stuff because he lacks consistent command. Bazardo doesn't struggle to throw strikes but must realize the importance of locating his pitches within the strike zone. His velocity dipped at the end of 2004 as well, so he'll need to get stronger. Unless he can develop a couple of truly reliable pitches to go with his heat, Bazardo faces a future in the bullpen. He'll stay in the rotation for now, probably opening the season in Double-A.

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 3, 2007 9:50 PM EST reply actions

Re: Note to Andy: Snatch this kid up now!

Not a bat scouting report, IMO. For a guy with command problems, he's got nice GO/AO numbers and a low WHIP/HR per 9.

by Jacob Larsen on Feb 3, 2007 9:57 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Note to Andy: Snatch this kid up now!

Oh yeah, Bazardo was in the Ron Villone trade. Not one of Beinfest's finer hours...Bazardo's still worth a get, yes?

by Not That Chuck on Feb 3, 2007 9:57 PM EST up reply actions

Young Groundball pitchers

shouldn't go on the open market.

by Jacob Larsen on Feb 3, 2007 10:00 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Young Groundball pitchers

Agreed, if nothing else stick him in Durham with Thayer, Meek, and the other project relievers.

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 3, 2007 10:02 PM EST up reply actions

I completely agree

That Bazardo is worth picking up. He has good stuff, good numbers (low K rate, low walk rate). You cannot possibly convince me that Dan Miceli or Scott Dohmann should be kept on the 40 man roster in lieu of signing Bazardo.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on Feb 3, 2007 10:35 PM EST reply actions

Re: I completely agree

In all fairness..Miceli is leagues ahead of Dohmann...

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 3, 2007 10:47 PM EST up reply actions

My opinion on Dohmann

is the same that I had with Camp last year.

In retrospect, I was wrong about the pick-up of Camp being a waste of time and money.

We have no idea more than his career numbers and minor league stuff, so here's hoping that I'm wrong again and Hickey is as good as advertised when it comes to Pitching Coaches.

by Jacob Larsen on Feb 3, 2007 10:52 PM EST up reply actions

Except........

Camp had far better career numbers than Dohmann, and even though he wasn't a bad find, his numbers last year still weren't that great.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on Feb 4, 2007 12:41 AM EST up reply actions

Re: Except........

Finally some 'spect for the Antkiller / Groundskeeper.

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 4, 2007 12:52 AM EST up reply actions

You are confusing me with YAK.

I have never placed Camp in the category of "bum", because doing so is an assertion not supported by fact.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on Feb 4, 2007 1:06 AM EST up reply actions

Re: You are confusing me with YAK.

Truth was just spoken.

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 4, 2007 1:13 AM EST up reply actions

But D'oh!mann ain't going anywhere...

..cuz we just signed him. And I'm guessing the powers that be aren't willing to cut Miceli loose either (unless we can persuade Bavasi to take Miceli in the waiver deal...he does seem fond of older guys...)

by Not That Chuck on Feb 3, 2007 10:52 PM EST up reply actions

A Few Expendable 40-Man Pitchers

Marcos Carvajal
Chris Seddon
Jon Switzer

by Jacob Larsen on Feb 3, 2007 10:56 PM EST up reply actions

Hm

Not quite ready to give up on Switzer, though I can't really say why. The others, fine, let 'em go.

by Not That Chuck on Feb 3, 2007 10:58 PM EST up reply actions

Now that I think of it...

...probably because he's left-handed and breathing...

by Not That Chuck on Feb 3, 2007 11:01 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Now that I think of it...

Eh, Jeff Ridgway>>>>Switz Cheese

by Jacob Larsen on Feb 3, 2007 11:05 PM EST up reply actions

Why stop with one lefty?

We can use both.

by Not That Chuck on Feb 4, 2007 12:11 AM EST up reply actions

Re: Why stop with one lefty?

If La Russa becomes our manager then yes, but last year Maddon showed he wasn't the type to play matchups constantly by keeping Switz in against righties (and getting him blown up at a .321 rate, only .220 versus LHB) Ridgway is much better versus both.

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 4, 2007 12:15 AM EST up reply actions

Re: A Few Expendable 40-Man Pitchers

I don't agree with Carvajal...

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 3, 2007 10:58 PM EST up reply actions

The more I hear from people about Marcos

The more I think that this kid's head is messed up, not in the good way either.

by Jacob Larsen on Feb 3, 2007 11:06 PM EST up reply actions

Each of those are better than Dohmann/Miceli

by Patrick L. Kennedy on Feb 4, 2007 12:42 AM EST up reply actions

As a non-closing reliever

Miceli isn't half-bad, but he still has lapses of "being the same old launch-pad pitcher"

by Jacob Larsen on Feb 3, 2007 10:54 PM EST up reply actions

No, Miceli isn't half-bad

He is completely bad. His peripheral stats last year were horrible, and his ERA should have easily been three runs higher than it was. Had it not been for a small sample size, Miceli would have made Brian Meadows look like Dan Quisenberry.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on Feb 4, 2007 12:44 AM EST up reply actions

Re: Note to Andy: Snatch this kid up now!

Stokes may also be on the outs...

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 3, 2007 11:01 PM EST reply actions

Re: Note to Andy: Snatch this kid up now!

Very true, he's got no options left.

by Jacob Larsen on Feb 3, 2007 11:06 PM EST up reply actions

I prefer to give him a chance in ST though

I've heard good things about his fastball.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on Feb 4, 2007 12:44 AM EST up reply actions

Re: I prefer to give him a chance in ST though

I don't doubt that he could be in our pen to start the year...Stokes I mean.

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 4, 2007 12:50 AM EST up reply actions

One thing that concerns me about Bazardo...

He gets hit a lot, more than 1 H per IP in the minors...of course this is fine if he can cause DP or K after every hit...but that concerns me...of course in Bazardo world it's the exact opposite so who knows (the joke doesn't make sense in this post, but I've been dying to use it.)

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 4, 2007 12:03 AM EST reply actions