Lugo Demoted

by R.J. Anderson on May 6, 2007 6:02 PM EDT

Ruddy Lugo had went four straight innings without allowing a run this week, and yet that hasn't stopped the Rays from demoting the 26 year old, whom in 2006 posted a 3.81 ERA. Thus far in 10 innings he had posted a 10.24 ERA, the logical choice for promotion would be Chad Orvella.

Update [2007-5-7 14:29:40 by R.J. Anderson]: Judging from nothing except the team's roster page it appears Orvella is the man.

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Re: Lugo Demoted

I'm sure its a work thing. They gotta get him throwing some innings regularly again. He's pitched well of late, but its best to get him more appearences down in AAA and give Orvella a shot.

by JWallace on May 6, 2007 9:42 PM EDT reply actions

It may be a performance thing

Players who walk more batters than they throw innings tend not to last in the major leagues too long.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on May 6, 2007 10:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Lugo Demoted

I don't think he has pitched well. He has continued to walk batters at an alarming rate. He just didn't give up a run in the last few games, which can be attributed to luck I suppose.

His peripheral numbers last season were much poorer than his ERA. He was never that good to begin with.

by RayFanNY on May 8, 2007 1:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Hopefully Gary Glover is on the way out too.......

Orvella and Corcoran should each be here.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on May 6, 2007 10:02 PM EDT reply actions

Re: Lugo Demoted

I wonder why nobody seems to want Andrade up. I say that without knowing anything about him except his record, this year and for his career, and his age (29). Based on that, he seems the sort of pitcher who often proves to be an effective reliever. In the minors, his H/9, BB/9, K/9 and home run rates have generally been very good. Although in his 4.2 innings last year for KC he gave up 5 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks, he also struck out 5. This year, he has 1 walk and 24 Ks in 16.1 innings with a 1.10 era. In his last 9 outings, covering 14 innings, he has allowed no runs. Is there a reason he is not considered a candidate to be promoted?

by bobr on May 6, 2007 10:37 PM EDT reply actions

I want to see Andrade up

However I'd rather see Corcoran and Orvella up first, both are younger and have had major league success with comparable success in Durham this year.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on May 6, 2007 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: I want to see Andrade up

Agreed with Patrick.

Please somebody just step up and be at least a mildly effective stopper to bridge the gaping hole between Shields/Kazmir/occasional other and Reyes.

by RATW on May 7, 2007 12:12 AM EDT up reply actions

With the hopefully prompt call-up of Orvella

Hopefully he gets a chance in the late innings along with Juan Salas to prove he can perform in that role.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on May 7, 2007 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Re: I want to see Andrade up

I am not stuck on recalling Andrade rather than Corcoran or Orvella, but he is doing much better than either this year, and their major league experience is unimpressive.

Corcoran and Andrade are the same age. (Corcoran is 2 months younger). And while his era+ in 2006 was 106 (at 4.38 after a 5.96 in 2005), he also gave up 48 walks and 10 home runs with just 59 Ks in 90.3 innings. Those are not promising peripherals, especially for a reliever. Andrade's numbers this year are also far better, and his minor league record and peripherals are similarly superior.

I like Orvella very much. At a "baseball feed" at Tropicana the other day, Rays' officials asserted that they were working on restoring his power change-up and on getting him to be effective on consecutive days before recalling him. Further, they are adamant about not yoyoing players back and forth. Once here, they expect to keep him here. I assume they will only promote him when they are satisfied with his progress in those areas and the likely chance he is here to stay. Last year he completely lost the plate, and while he has been better this year, his walk rate is still higher than it was earlier in his minor league career.

by bobr on May 7, 2007 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions

What tells you Andrade will do better?

Again, I'd like to see him up too, but currently he has to be third in line among Durham pitchers. What tells you that Andrade will do better? He has virtually no major league experience at age 29, and the major league experience he did have was awful, in terms of his performance.

I'm not convinced Corcoran is that great either, but he does have far more major league experience, decent major league experience at that, and offers more of a guarantee of reliability than Andrade.

Orvella means more to this ballclub's future than either of those relief pitchers, and while he can't match Andrade's peripheral stats, he is more highly-regarded, has had major league success, is far younger, has more of a stake in the team's future, and generally is more well-regarded. He takes priority over both of them.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on May 7, 2007 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Re: What tells you Andrade will do better?

Actually, I think the primary reason Andrade was not recalled is that he would have to be placed on the 40 man roster at someone's expense. I do not think the other arguments are particularly convincing. His major league experience is pretty much irrelevant (4.2 innings), relief pitchers are often discovered late in life and Corcoran's major league "success" is dubious at best. As for reliability or confidence that Andrade would do better, I do not have any such confidence (either for Andrade or Corcoran), but the Rays are in a position where they need to be more interested in upside than in bare competence.

by bobr on May 9, 2007 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Please

When the likes of Chris Seddon occupy a 40 man roster spot, that isn't an excuse. There is a reason that Andrade has only 4.2 innings of major league relief experience thus far. And while I believe that he certainly should deserve a chance if he continues on his current tract, he has been in Durham just one month and struggled in AAA last year with Omaha. Corcoran should have been in the bullpen in the first place, Andrade stands on no such merit and Corcoran's success is merely just an affirmation of his numbers last season.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on May 9, 2007 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Please

We are discussing a genuinely minor point, and not really disagreeing at that. But in the interests of accuracy, two considerations. One, Corcoran's numbers last year were decidedly mediocre, and there is little in his history to suggest he can ever be anything more. In 90.3 major league innings he walked 48, gave up 10 home runs and struck out just 59. Those are not the kind of peripherals that can sustain good performance from a reliever. And the year before, his numbers in the majors were awful, albeit in too few innings to tell much. Overall, his minor league performance has been rather ordinary.

Andrade did have some problems at Omaha last year in his 23.1IP, although he still struck out 22. On the other hand, despite uncharacteristic wildness at Portland to start the year, he was much better there in his 44.1IP. His era there was 2.44 and he struck out 45, giving up just 1 home run. Looking at their minor league numbers over quite a few years it seems to me that Andrade has greater possibilities than Corcoran does.

In any case, I really am not arguing that Andrade should have been promoted first. I only raise the question as to why the Rays selected Corcoran instead. Your reasoning makes sense, but I do not think it is conclusive. I do think, unless there is something the numbers are not conveying, that Andrade shows greater promise as a reliever and that the Rays need to be mining its system for relievers with greater upside rather than simply accepting known ordinariness.

by bobr on May 9, 2007 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Sorry but its Offtopic but i did not want to start

diary.

Anyone know what channel Rays tv is in the Sarasota Area. I am sick of not catching the road games on the TV since I go to all the home ones.

by Flabull on May 7, 2007 1:15 AM EDT reply actions

Is it WXPX?

Try the local PAX affiliate. Near as I can recall they carry nearly every Rays TV affiliate in the state, you could still be getting the Tampa Bay area WXPX affiliate down there, depending where you are in the area.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on May 7, 2007 1:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Re: Lugo Demoted

please, you're upset this guy is demoted? talk to anyone, pitching is the rays biggest problem, nobody should be guaranteeda spot in the bullpen. Look at friday's game, fossum throws 6 innings and it takes 4 pitchers to go the final 3? i'm for trying anything out....i really think others in the locker room lost confidence in Lugo...and why not? he's as solid as mayonnaise.

A.K.A. The Mal-Man!!!

by RaysFan66 on May 7, 2007 10:15 AM EDT reply actions

It's Orvella

Chad has been added to the active roster on the official site.

by Tyler on May 7, 2007 11:59 AM EDT reply actions

Re: Lugo Demoted

There's no reason to ship Lugo to Siberia... Sure he's struggled in the early going, but the kid can still make this squad. Once he's down in Durham with regular work and re-establishes his fastball command (according to Maddon, not me) he should bounce back.

Every move these guys are making have to be towards building cheap reliable relievers for next year. With more work can they turn Lugo, Orvella, Salas, and Corcoran into even league-average replacement players so we don't have to pool G-Lovers, Camps, Micelli and Tyler Walkers.

by JWallace on May 7, 2007 12:47 PM EDT reply actions

Re: Lugo Demoted

Well then let them pitch now. No I am not a lugo fan but he is 26, and yes he is bad. But it is better than using Glover who has no upside. Lugo should have gotten more innings in the bigs because he will be more valuable to the rays long term.

by Elgrandeplatano on May 7, 2007 3:03 PM EDT reply actions

Lugo might be salvaged

Remember, he wasn't great last year, but he also skipped right from the Double A level to the major leagues and put up a sub-4 ERA in the majors last year. Regardless of peripherals, that's pretty good. I don't know whether the major league team will ever see Lugo again, that depends on his performance in Durham, but I wouldn't rule it out. I think he can still be salvaged, but this was really the best move for everyone at the present time.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on May 7, 2007 8:24 PM EDT reply actions