Jason Hammel Impressive In Four Shutout Innings
by Tommy Rancel on Mar 1, 2009 10:13 PM EST
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PrintOver the first week (five games) we've seen some good and some bad and that's to be expected. With the WBC giving us an few days of ST, "the real spring" doesn't start until this week. However, when there is a good performance it shouldn't necessarily go unnoticed just because of the date on the calendar.
It's no secret that I am not a card carrying member of the Jason Hammel fan club. That doesn't mean I don't like the guy or want him to do well, I just don't think he's been that good and the numbers back that up. As of right now, I don't think he should be the fifth starter, but he can feel free to pitch lights out and prove me wrong. He took a step in that direction on Sunday.
I was pretty impressed with his outing yesterday. Without the benefit of TV, I had to go on what I heard on the radio and what the box score said. Hammel pitched four shutout innings; allowing three hits, one walk and striking out three. That is a pretty nice start and I especially am pleased with the one walk. In addition to limiting the base on balls, from what I heard on the radio, he got his fair share of swinging strikes which is even more encouraging.
Whether you like Hammel or not, we all want and need him to do well. If he does well and EARNS the fifth starter spot that means he pitched well enough to delay David Price and hold off Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, Carlos Hernandez and Mitch Talbot. Accomplishing that would take some pretty damn good pitching and I welcome good pitching by anybody. Even if he does well and doesn't earn the job, he will certainly be an attractive option for other teams, which again is good for the Rays. The worst case scenario for both parties would be for Hammel to bomb out, get DFA'd and be picked up for nothing. While the latter seems a more likely scenario than other options, it doesn't mean it will happen. Again, it's too early to put much stock in what Hammel did on March 1st, but if he continues to pitch like he did yesterday, then maybe, just maybe it will be remembered as the start of something good.
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I think Hammel will be our opening day #5 starter
I think 1/2 the teams in MLB would love to have a guy like him as there #5 and we are just spoiled with big prospect names. Hammel is solid and while not spectacular is perfectly capable of getting the job done for a few weeks while Price continues to work on his change up.
…… this being said, I would still approve of Price being in the rotation at the start of the year, I think however that Niemann should be relegated to the pen because if he is going to stay with the Rays that will be his role. I think he has a better ceiling as a bullpen guy than Hammel. Thus Hammel starts in the rotation (than traded) and Niemann in the pen.
Yeah if Hammy is going to be traded he will have to put in some Innings out of the rotation
otherwise no one is going to offer anything if they know he will be DFA’ed in the next couple of weeks. That scenario above isn’t bad for Niemann either as he won’t have to worry about going back and forth.
Why yes, I am this big of an asshole in person.
As always, context is key
And the big key is it’s week 1. Hitters aren’t on top with their timing, pitchers aren’t using all their pitches, etc. So hard to draw any inferences.
The key context variable is who you face. Hammel got Toronto’s minor leaguers by and large, Rolen excepted – as is usual playing at home early. The scrubs make the bus trips.
I too think Hammel gets dwarfed by the company he keeps in the Rays system, but he hasn’t been bad. If he isn’t going to be #5 or the long reliever, hopefully he performs well enough that a trade can be made. But teams know about the out of options guys, and can easily wait out the situation and just claim them on waivers. He could fit well in an org like the Padres – and it could be a good thing for his career. The big obstacle is claiming teams having open roster spots.
This could be a very active late March and early April for transactions.
Not trying to case a debate
but why is it inperative Price starts at AAA?
It can’t be his age (24 thyis summer), it can’t be his stuff, and it certainly can’t be his potential v the others mentioned
It's not imperative
but there is no way Price is making 35 starts and throwing over 200 innings. Would you rather have him make 30 starts from April-August or from May-September?
of course the latter
and i guess no matter who gets the #5 SP nod and does well in that role it is a good thing
What does that have to do with the #5 spot?
The number of innings that Price pitches between AAA and the majors in the first month or two of the season wouldn’t be that different. From what I recall the #5 spot doesn’t come up too often for us to start the year..
yeah i'm wondering the same thing...
it’s not like he’s going to AAA to rest, he’s going down there to pitch, probably more innings then he would in the majors.
If you send him to AAA you can monitor and regulate his workload without worrying about
losing important games at the ML level. If he was only going to throw 75 pitches would you want him burning out the ML pen or Durham’s?
Why yes, I am this big of an asshole in person.
by Sandy Kazmir on Mar 2, 2009 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
It is much easier to control a pitchers count/innings when you don't care about the results.
In Durham he could be on a strict pitch count and nobody cares if he only last 3 innings and we tax the Durham bullpen.
by Tommy Rancel on Mar 2, 2009 10:50 AM EST up reply actions
late
Why yes, I am this big of an asshole in person.
by Sandy Kazmir on Mar 2, 2009 10:50 AM EST up reply actions
She said it with a grin as she wiped off her chin
I was cool with it
Why yes, I am this big of an asshole in person.
by Sandy Kazmir on Mar 2, 2009 10:51 AM EST up reply actions
That seems counterintuitive though
If that’s your rationale, they should start him in the majors, where the #5 starter will only need to make 6 starts between now and the end of May. If he’s in Durham, he’d be starting every firth game.
Vogt early, Vogt often.
It's a good point, but wouldn't you still want him in the routine of going every 5th day
instead of having starts skipped?
Why yes, I am this big of an asshole in person.
by Sandy Kazmir on Mar 2, 2009 11:35 AM EST up reply actions
those were the days...
When we couldn’t find one or two legitimate pitchers for our rotation. Now, we have so many. what to do? Pitching is a luxury, we should be very careful about moving any of them. If that means Price starting in minors for insurance, so be it. You have to earn a job on this club now
you all make it sound like just b/c he's out of options, teams will wait??
only 1 team can have him, even if 30 teams claim him. teams trade for players b/c they probably are not in the best position to claim him. the only team that shouldn’t be trying to trade for him is the team with the 1st waiver claim, every other team after that risks losing out on him if they don’t make a trade.
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