DRaysBay: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Sports blogs for fans, by fans.
Around SBN: SB Nation NFL Power Rankings for Week 11

Tampa Bay Rays Sign Jorge Julio, Release Chad Orvella

Some Triple-A bullpen news today. Chad Orvella has been released and Jorge Julio signed. For Orvella, he just hadn't pitched very well upon returning from surgery and he seemed to be filler more so than a legitimate option. Given his former ‘closer of the future' tag, I'm guessing he'll latch on somewhere, but there's a certain possibility that his last major league appearance has already been made.

As for Julio, he's bounced around a lot over the last three seasons. He's spent time with the Marlins, Rockies, Braves, Indians, and Brewers while compiling 109 innings, 65 walks, and 103 strikeouts. That means Julio has struck out 21% of the batters he's faced and has an unintentional walk percentage of 12.2%, that's not too bad. Unfortunately for Julio, this has been his career worst season. He's not quite as bad as the ERA suggests, mostly because of a 54.5% strand rate, but his time in Milwaukee was atrocious nonetheless.

Listed from 2006-2009:

K%: 30.8, 20, 25.8, 14.8

uBB%: 11.6, 10.4, 12.9, 17

If you were looking at his previous three seasons last off-season to determine whether he would be a worthwhile addition or not, you would be thinking this year was a ridiculous outlier to date. His FIP over those last three seasons were: 4.09, 4.76, 4.17, 6.40. ZiPS is projecting a 4.5 FIP from here onward, which is on par with what ZiPS expects from Joe Nelson and Jason Isringhausen.

Snide remarks made about this move are going to be full of misunderstanding.  Julio is free talent. A lively arm with a track record of success at little cost is a worthwhile and ultimately low risk maneuver. The absolute worst thing that can happen here is that he bombs in Durham and we never talk about him again. The best would be he works out whatever issues he had and go on a tear like 2006 or 2008. If not, no biggie.

0 recs  |  Comment 30 comments |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

99 Career Saves

Closer!

www.draysbay.com

by Tommy Rancel on Jun 9, 2009 4:26 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

can I call late on RJ :)

no but Julio is awful, if we were going to go out on a limb and pick someone up there had to have been better options.

by Dbullsfan on Jun 9, 2009 4:27 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Fastball/Slider pitcher

Grant Balfour lite. Could be another Friedman special or as R.J. a Durham bust and no big deal.

www.draysbay.com

by Tommy Rancel on Jun 9, 2009 4:28 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

No. Just....no.

"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."

by kericr on Jun 9, 2009 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Trying too hard

Take it down a notch

Rays Win!

by Sandy Kazmir on Jun 9, 2009 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

My favorite memory of Chad Orvella was how we as fans were supposed to be convinced that Orvella was a major contributor to this team last year by being on the disabled list

Not that he had a locker room presence, or that he was hurt; his contribution was being on the DL all season long. And that was a beneficial thing.

"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."

by kericr on Jun 9, 2009 5:09 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

His presence on the 60-day DL

was what allowed for Price’s “special exemption” during the post-season last year IIRC.

That plus he caught ceremonial first pitches almost every game too. That was a big plus.

by dobsdc on Jun 9, 2009 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'm so happy that he hustled so hard to be the best guy on the DL to allow Price to qualify for a special exemption that he could be. He's a real class act.

"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."

by kericr on Jun 9, 2009 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

He's talking about the post season roster, not the september callups.

"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."

by kericr on Jun 9, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Here's a link to the story

With bonus heater-esque material!

#
Andy from Tucson, AZ
Sep 2nd, 2008 3:18 am

Dale Thayer is pure AAAA material.

Aah, good times. Good times.

"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."

by kericr on Jun 9, 2009 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'm aware of that.

To be eligible for the postseason roster you have to be on the 25 man roster before September or there has to be an injury (K-Rod style). We called him up on August 31st, making him eligible for the postseason roster without having to play the injury game. Orvella on the 60 day DL had nothing to do with his eligibility.

Tools Whore

by Tyler on Jun 9, 2009 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Oh I see, yeah you're right.

"Where we all wait in earnest with pudding in hand for the Upton comet to sail through the roofed skies, so that we may meet Him."

by kericr on Jun 9, 2009 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Price was called up

after September 1 and was therefore not eligible without the special exemption (a la K-Rod rule)… I believe his actual call-up was 9/12 or 9/13. I went up to NY for that series, and he pitched the second game of the Saturday double-header after a rainout Friday night.

by dobsdc on Jun 10, 2009 9:17 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Founded in 2005. DRaysBay is home to "progressive statistical analysis and reasoned argument."
Start posting about the Rays »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

FanShots

Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.

Recent FanShots

Desmond Jennings Makes the Tops AA-All-Stars
ABC Coalition to Vote on Draft Report Today.
Fan page for Dick Bosman, Rays minor league pitching coordinator
Upton's Struggles vs Lefties
Evan Longoria wins the Silver Slugger Award
09 Minor Leaguers File for Free Agency
Longoria on the MLB 2k10 cover?
Thank you Tim Marchman.
Longo's Slugcon by Location
Longo wins Silver Slugger

+ New FanShot All FanShots >


VPs of Baseball Operations

Nando_small R.J. Anderson

Raysring1_small Tommy Rancel

Zorilla_small FreeZorilla

Price_small Erik Hahmann

Ticket Account Executive

Rays_small Steve Slowinski