•RHP Eduardo Morlan: The Brewers think the 22-year-old, selected in the major league Rule 5 draft f...

•RHP Eduardo Morlan: The Brewers think the 22-year-old, selected in the major league Rule 5 draft from the Tampa Bay Rays, can jump from Class AA to the middle of their big-league bullpen. Originally a third-round pick by the Minnesota Twins, he was shipped to Tampa Bay in the Delmon Young trade last winter and struck out 45 in 47 innings at Class AA Montgomery (Ala.).

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10 months ago R.J. Anderson 35 comments 0 recs |

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Allowing Morlan to get away was a mistake

just about our only mistake all offseason

by RayOfLight on Jan 24, 2009 12:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

if he lost weight and gained velocity

then I will agree

Evan Longoria and David Price - the fight for my heart

by joeybw on Jan 24, 2009 2:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

whether or not he lost weight, we protected Ryu over him for whatever reason, and then DFA'd him

by walkoffwalk on Jan 24, 2009 5:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

We would have had to DFA Morlan

or someone else (Johnson?) to get the guys we acquired instead.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Jan 24, 2009 5:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

But we could have done that later

There was no reason to protect Ryu at the time and not Morlan. Hopefully he doesn’t make the major league roster and we get him back.

I could be wrong though

by staplemaniac on Jan 24, 2009 5:44 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

There's some strategy here though.

If the Brewers drop Morlan as a Rule 5 pick, we get a chance to get him back.

If the Rays DFA him later, and he’s claimed, we don’t get him offered back and he likely doesn’t make it to us through waivers.

by R.J. Anderson on Jan 24, 2009 6:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

great point, RJ

by Ben Tumbling on Jan 24, 2009 9:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

or maybe we just don't bother with Rodriguez if we kept Morlan

by RayOfLight on Jan 24, 2009 10:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Unless someone gets traded

Rodriguez has a zero percent chance of being kept. Probably two people need to get traded.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Jan 24, 2009 10:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Why can't he be our long man?

He used to start.

by R.J. Anderson on Jan 24, 2009 10:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sure, he could be

But there are still 14 pitchers with guaranteed contracts, and he’s not one of them. He faces extremely long odds of making the team for that reason alone.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Jan 25, 2009 5:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Given Morlan's current shape and velocity.

Is there any reason to believe that he’s a better bet than Rodriguez going forward?

by R.J. Anderson on Jan 24, 2009 10:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'd rather have Morlan in the minors than simply giving Rodriguez back

becasue that is probably what will happen, even though, no, i don’t have a crystal ball

by RayOfLight on Jan 24, 2009 10:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Rodriguez is better than Hammel, and the Rays are likely to carry a long man. Salas, Thayer, Childers, DePaula, and Day probably aren’t starting in the majors. That leaves Percy, Wheeler, Howell, Balfour, Nelson, Bradford, and then Hammel/Choate/Rodriguez/Niemann for the seventh spot. Then if/when Bradford gets dealt or if/when Percy starts on the DL, you’re talking two of those remaining three staying.

by R.J. Anderson on Jan 24, 2009 10:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And that assumes Niemann isn't our fifth starter to begin the year.

by R.J. Anderson on Jan 24, 2009 10:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

there's really nothing to base it on since spring training hasn't started

again it’s all just speculation at this point of the year

and don’t get me wrong, I like D-Rod, I just don’t see him sticking the whole season

by RayOfLight on Jan 24, 2009 10:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Even if Niemann is the #5 man to start the year

The bullpen is STILL too crowded for anyone who isn’t signed to a major league contract to earn a spot.

Percival – making big bucks
Howell- Lock
Balfour – Lock
Wheeler – making big bucks
Bradford – making big bucks
Nelson – Just signed as a free agent
Cormier – Just signed as a free agent

That’s already 7 in the pen (we only carried 6 much of last year, and never more than 7), and still isn’t accounting for Hammel or Niemann, both of whom are out of options. I agree it wouldn’t be a big deal to just release Hammel, but you know as well as I do that the FO will try to get something in return for him rather than releasing him outright. And even then, for everyone to fit, you either need Price to start the year in AAA or someone to get injured.

I stand by my original statement. Without a trade, possibly even two, guys like Rodriguez, Choate, Salas, Thayer, Talbot, etc. stand no chance of making this team.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Jan 25, 2009 5:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You're also forgetting about Cormier

They’re paying him $650k and he signed a major league contract; they’re not just going to waive him without him ever taking the mound.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Jan 25, 2009 5:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And Niemann is guaranteed a spot

Unless someone gets traded. No options left, no chance he’ll clear.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Jan 25, 2009 5:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Perhaps he's the long man.

Send the Sox Hammel in exchange for Rodriguez.

by R.J. Anderson on Jan 25, 2009 5:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That's still 8 relievers

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Jan 25, 2009 6:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I meant so we can send Rodriguez to the minors.

by R.J. Anderson on Jan 25, 2009 7:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Gotcha

It wouldn’t bother me. At least Rodriguez would have three options left.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Jan 25, 2009 8:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I just like having fungible high K, high GB types around.

by R.J. Anderson on Jan 25, 2009 8:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Id take Niemann or Hammel and still have Morlan in the minors over D Rodriguez

Actually Id take Niemann and Hammel at the end of the pen over Derek Rodriguez even if Eduardo Morlan wasnt in the picture.

Also, were we really afraid someone would take Elliot Johnson from us? Why not leave him unprotected? Even if he does get snagged what does he offer that we would miss?

The true crime in my eyes is looking at Percys name on that 40 man, when this front office has shown no reason for me to believe they wouldnt eat a contract if it benefited the team. Either they are misjudging Percys talent at this stage, or they are mistakenly and uncharacteristicly bashful towards eating Percys contract. I guess the reality is 4-5 mil is still a steep number to eat if you’re the owner of the Rays right now

by Rays4242 on Jan 25, 2009 10:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You would take Jason Hammel over Derek Rodriguez?

Why.

by R.J. Anderson on Jan 25, 2009 10:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Huh, it's not ERA based.

I bet this is going to involve something about Hammel’s great potential when you’ve never even seen Rodriguez pitch.

by R.J. Anderson on Jan 25, 2009 10:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

FWIW

Hammel was better in the minors than Rodriguez, and it’s not like he’s older than Rodriguez either. It’s not disputed that Hammel has better stuff, he just has trouble harnessing it, keeping the ball up in the zone way too much. I can see a pretty rational argument.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Jan 26, 2009 11:55 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And we've had 200 innings of Hammel where none of his minor league success is shining through.

by R.J. Anderson on Jan 26, 2009 12:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

True but

I’m not sure a likely mediocre pitcher with a little bit of upside is better than a known mediocre pitcher with a little bit of upside. It’s not like Rodriguez had ever been particularly good before last year, and he still walks quite a few guys. Ground ball ratio is nice, but the minor league strikeout rate probably doesn’t translate to more than about 6 per 9. He might be a decent situational reliever, a la Shawn Camp, but don’t expect the next Chad Bradford.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Jan 26, 2009 7:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs