2022 Spring Training

[moonslav59]

BTV accepts Arroyo for Trivino.

 

And Duran +Arroyo for Manaea + Trivino

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

BTV accepts Arroyo for Trivino.

 

Never happen, because Billy has been reading how much we want Lou.

 

Well, actually, Billy hasn't been following the forum; he makes Jonah Hill do it.

[notin]

Never happen, because Billy has been reading how much we want Lou.

 

Well, actually, Billy hasn't been following the forum; he makes Jonah Hill do it.

 

 

No good.

 

Jonah Hill has moved on from the A’s to become the White House Chief of Staff…

[mvp 78]

No good.

 

Jonah Hill has moved on from the A’s to become the White House Chief of Staff…

 

I guess that's better than going into business with Jordan Belfort?

[iortiz]

Braiser confirms once again he's nothing but trash.

[moonslav59]

Braiser confirms once again he's nothing but trash.

 

Brutal

[mvp 78]

Brutal

 

You going to comment on your boy Seabold or no?

 

I thought he was great now?

[Old Red]

You going to comment on your boy Seabold or no?

 

I thought he was great now?

 

Seabold was even more brutal. If they are that bad after 1 ST game get rid of them both.

[vegasbob]

You going to comment on your boy Seabold or no?

 

I thought he was great now?

 

Seebold faced 5 hitters, 3 walked, 2 got hits and no one was retired. All 5 runners scored. He has an infinite ERA. But he'll come around to being an asset, just not right now.

[Bellhorn04]

Seabold was even more brutal. If they are that bad after 1 ST game get rid of them both.

 

You mean after 1 more bad game, or right now?

[Old Red]

You mean after 1 more bad game, or right now?

 

I think we’d better give them a few more games.

[Bellhorn04]

I think we’d better give them a few more games.

 

That seems reasonable.

[moonslav59]

You going to comment on your boy Seabold or no?

 

I thought he was great now?

 

"Great?"

 

One might argue, you and Old Red are one in the same posters.

 

(Yes, I was and still am high on Seabold. My comment made before was in response to you saying he was horrible in AAA, last year, when he seemed okay to good, to me.)

[moonslav59]

Brasier rates to be our 3rd to 5th best RP'er, on paper.

 

I don't think one bad ST'ing game changes that.

[Old Red]

Brasier rates to be our 3rd to 5th best RP'er, on paper.

 

I don't think one bad ST'ing game changes that.

 

I think the Red Sox are going to go through many pitchers this year, and I think more than normal will get their chances. All hands on deck.

[moonslav59]

Top OPS (9+ ABs)

1.644 Fitzgerald

1.302 Dalbec

1.151 Koss

1.067 Devers

1.000 Duran

.944 Cordero

.600 Arauz

.572 JBJ

.450 Refsnyder

.444 Downs

.444 JD

.222 Plawecki

 

Top OPS 5-8 ABs

1.583 Arroyo

1.225 Hamilton

1.167 T Reed

1.056 Y Sanchez

.800 Kike

.775 Bogey

,666 Cottam

.625 Rafaela

.500 Vaz

.334 Verdugo

.125 Potts (DFA'd)

.000 Rossario (DFA'd)

.000 T Shaw

 

Pitching by IP (ERA/WHIP)

7 Eovaldi 2.57/0.43

4 Schreiber 0.00/0.75

4 Danish 2.25/1.00

3 Cole 0.00/1.00

3 Davis 0.00/1.33

3 Feliz 0.00/0.67

3 Wacha 0.00/1.67

3 Pivetta 0.00/0.00

2.2 Houck 3.38/1.50

2.1 Hartlieb 7.71/0.86

2.0 Bracho 0.00/0.50

2.0 Feltman 4.50/0.50

2.0 Hill 0.00/1.50

2.0 Whitlock 0.00/2.50

2.0 Ort 0.00/1.50

 

 

[mvp 78]

You mean after 1 more bad game, or right now?

 

I think you hold onto him for the season no matter what. I just am not as sold on him being an MLB starter as I once was. The scouting reports on him from last year were not good, regardless of what the stats showed.

[mvp 78]

"Great?"

 

One might argue, you and Old Red are one in the same posters.

 

(Yes, I was and still am high on Seabold. My comment made before was in response to you saying he was horrible in AAA, last year, when he seemed okay to good, to me.)

 

Were you watching him live or just the scoreboard? The scouts disagree with your assertion on him being good.

[mvp 78]

Top OPS (9+ ABs)

1.644 Fitzgerald

1.302 Dalbec

1.151 Koss

1.067 Devers

1.000 Duran

.944 Cordero

.600 Arauz

.572 JBJ

.450 Refsnyder

.444 Downs

.444 JD

.222 Plawecki

 

Top OPS 5-8 ABs

1.583 Arroyo

1.225 Hamilton

1.167 T Reed

1.056 Y Sanchez

.800 Kike

.775 Bogey

,666 Cottam

.625 Rafaela

.500 Vaz

.334 Verdugo

.125 Potts (DFA'd)

.000 Rossario (DFA'd)

.000 T Shaw

 

Pitching by IP (ERA/WHIP)

7 Eovaldi 2.57/0.43

4 Schreiber 0.00/0.75

4 Danish 2.25/1.00

3 Cole 0.00/1.00

3 Davis 0.00/1.33

3 Feliz 0.00/0.67

3 Wacha 0.00/1.67

3 Pivetta 0.00/0.00

2.2 Houck 3.38/1.50

2.1 Hartlieb 7.71/0.86

2.0 Bracho 0.00/0.50

2.0 Feltman 4.50/0.50

2.0 Hill 0.00/1.50

2.0 Whitlock 0.00/2.50

2.0 Ort 0.00/1.50

 

 

 

Koss and Fitzgerald both have shots at getting cups of coffee in the next few years. I like Fitzgerald's skillset. He can play good defense all over the diamond and can hit a little. Could be the next Brock Holt type. Koss is a high floor/low ceiling guy. He's a MIF with some pop. We'll see what he can go at AA this year.

[moonslav59]

Were you watching him live or just the scoreboard? The scouts disagree with your assertion on him being good.

 

Do they agree he was "horrible" as you stated?

 

Did you watch him?

[S5Dewey]

Do they agree he was "horrible" as you stated?

 

Did you watch him?

 

I watched him and while I know that this is the proverbial SSS I thought that "horrible" was an understatement. When a pitcher faces five hitters, gets nobody out and all five scored it's had to find good things to say about him

[moonslav59]

I watched him and while I know that this is the proverbial SSS I thought that "horrible" was an understatement. When a pitcher faces five hitters, gets nobody out and all five scored it's had to find good things to say about him

 

We were talking about his performance in AAA in 2021.

 

Yes, he was horrible in this game.

[mvp 78]

Do they agree he was "horrible" as you stated?

 

Did you watch him?

 

I saw a few of his starts but am not a trained scout. Sometimes you have to rely on the opinion of others as they may have more understanding than you do.

[moonslav59]

I saw a few of his starts but am not a trained scout. Sometimes you have to rely on the opinion of others as they may have more understanding than you do.

 

I'm not arguing about my opinion on Seabold, last year being right or wrong.

 

I'm totally fine with changing my opinion based on his numbers not matching the scouts observations.

 

I'm talking about your opinion that he was horrible in AAA, last year. Did the scouts say or hint that he was "horrible?"

[mvp 78]

I'm not arguing about my opinion on Seabold, last year being right or wrong.

 

I'm totally fine with changing my opinion based on his numbers not matching the scouts observations.

 

I'm talking about your opinion that he was horrible in AAA, last year. Did the scouts say or hint that he was "horrible?"

 

I'm not arguing that scouts specifically said he was horrible. I'm arguing that they said he wasn't the pitcher they thought he was and weren't seeing him as an MLB starter until his "stuff" came back. I inferred the "horribleness." We had high hopes that he'd help the rotation last year. Now we aren't certain if he can help the rotation this year. He's already 26 and is running out of time.

[moonslav59]

I'm not arguing that scouts specifically said he was horrible. I'm arguing that they said he wasn't the pitcher they thought he was and weren't seeing him as an MLB starter until his "stuff" came back. I inferred the "horribleness." We had high hopes that he'd help the rotation last year. Now we aren't certain if he can help the rotation this year. He's already 26 and is running out of time.

 

I've certainly lost my higher hopes for him, after hearing all this and watching him try to get just one out, yesterday.

 

My point was he was probably not "horrible" in AAA last year, and he certainly was not as good as his numbers indicated- which had kept my hopes up for him, until recently.

 

I also was going off of some soxprospects reports:

 

5/5/21

 

Connor Seabold got the start in the last game of the series and was solid, throwing six shutout innings, striking out five, while allowing five hits, walking two. The Mets lineup featured several former major league players, so it was a good test for him and he passed easily, even though he lacked feel for his best pitch. Seabold came out throwing 93-95 mph in the first before settling in at 91-94 mph. His control was plus, but his command was a little off and he lost it at times, especially in the second inning. Whenever it went, however, he was able to pitch through it and work out of trouble. Seabold’s best secondary is his changeup, but he only threw it a few times of the course of the outing. It was clear he lacked feel for it until his sixth inning off work when he threw a few good ones—both parts of that statement confirmed by Seabold in his post-game press availability. With his changeup lacking, he instead relied on his slider, which flashed solid-average potential. It ranged from 81-86 mph and had short, 10-to-4 break. He showed confidence in the pitch, which is an encouraging development as our previous reports had it as a clear third pitch and more on the developmental side. If that pitch can get to average, along with his increased velocity and plus changeup, that gives him three at least average pitches in his arsenal. Seabold also showed a fourth pitch, a curveball, that he has used sparingly before. It came in 75-79 mph with longer, 11-to-5 shape. He did not consistently snap it off and it seemed like a fringe-average pitch at best. Overall, it was an encouraging look, as Seabold was able to control a veteran lineup without his best pitch.

 

10/27/21: Not so flattering, but not so dismal either.

 

Coming into the 2021 season, Connor Seabold (#SP60 no. 8) was seen as one of the top pitching prospects in the system and potential major league depth should the need arise. The need did arise, but unfortunately, Seabold missed the first two-and-a-half months of the minor league season with right-elbow inflammation and only threw 62 2/3 innings between the minors and one MLB start posting a 3.59 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 64 strikeouts and 24 walks. In April, prior to his injury, Seabold was sitting 91-95 mph at the Alternate Training Site. His slider looked better than it did last year, but he did not have feel for his changeup, which was his best pitch coming into the year. He also had added a curveball as a fourth pitch. After his injury, Seabold put up good numbers, but his stuff was inconsistent and his velocity did not return. He sat 89-92 mph and topped out at 93, a grade below what he was before. His feel for his changeup was still inconsistent, to the point where scouts saw his slider as having replaced it as his primary secondary. Scouts still have confidence in his feel and command, but the decreased velocity and regressing changeup create a wider range of outcomes. Seabold still has major league potential, but he looks more like a number five starter or swing-man type rather than the potential number four starter he looked like before. In the AFL, I will be closely watching reports on his stuff to see if his velocity and changeup come back. If they do, his projection could return to what it was heading into the season, but if not, it adds another data point and further questions about whether his pre-injury stuff will ever come back and lead to more questions heading into 2022.

 

Their summary evaluation:

 

Potential number 5 starter. Ceiling of a solid 3-to-4 starter. Lacks a plus pitch right now, but will show three at least-average offerings. Strong pitchability and advanced command and control profile allow his arsenal to play up. At his best, can generate whiffs with three pitches. Not the highest ceiling, but command/control and feel/pitchability, combined with proximity to MLB, give him a high floor. Needs velocity and feel for changeup to return to reach his ceiling. With diminished velocity projects more as a spot-starter or low-end number five type.

Edited March 24, 2022 by moonslav59

[mvp 78]

After his injury, Seabold put up good numbers, but his stuff was inconsistent and his velocity did not return. He sat 89-92 mph and topped out at 93, a grade below what he was before. His feel for his changeup was still inconsistent, to the point where scouts saw his slider as having replaced it as his primary secondary. Scouts still have confidence in his feel and command, but the decreased velocity and regressing changeup create a wider range of outcomes. Seabold still has major league potential, but he looks more like a number five starter or swing-man type rather than the potential number four starter he looked like before. In the AFL, I will be closely watching reports on his stuff to see if his velocity and changeup come back. If they do, his projection could return to what it was heading into the season, but if not, it adds another data point and further questions about whether his pre-injury stuff will ever come back and lead to more questions heading into 2022.

 

His stuff did not come back during the AFL.

 

His best pitch was his changeup, but now it's his third best pitch at best.

 

All the talk about "wider range of outcomes" means bullpen arm and spot starter ceiling unless his stuff comes back IMO.

 

From Fangraphs:

 

He’s shown the ability to pair his four-seamer with his plus changeup, which he throws with significantly less velocity (in the low-80s) and late fade, often wreaking havoc on hitters’ timing. But when the velocities of those pitches dip, as was the case in 2021 (perhaps a result of the elbow issue that sidelined him earlier in the season), advanced hitters have been able to square them up. As a result, the aforementioned havoc was not wreaked when Seabold was called upon to make his big league debut after Chris Sale tested positive for COVID. Seabold lasted three innings and allowed three hits, including a Leury García two-run no-doubter on an 80 mph changeup he left over the heart of the plate. He also walked two and failed to issue a strikeout – a far cry from the 25.3% strikeout rate and 1.06 WHIP he’d posted at Triple-A. He was sent back down once the COVID cloud lifted and made three more starts in 2021, including one that saw him leave the game after just 2.1 innings and another during which he didn’t strike anyone out.

[moonslav59]

After his injury, Seabold put up good numbers, but his stuff was inconsistent and his velocity did not return. He sat 89-92 mph and topped out at 93, a grade below what he was before. His feel for his changeup was still inconsistent, to the point where scouts saw his slider as having replaced it as his primary secondary. Scouts still have confidence in his feel and command, but the decreased velocity and regressing changeup create a wider range of outcomes. Seabold still has major league potential, but he looks more like a number five starter or swing-man type rather than the potential number four starter he looked like before. In the AFL, I will be closely watching reports on his stuff to see if his velocity and changeup come back. If they do, his projection could return to what it was heading into the season, but if not, it adds another data point and further questions about whether his pre-injury stuff will ever come back and lead to more questions heading into 2022.

 

His stuff did not come back during the AFL.

 

His best pitch was his changeup, but now it's his third best pitch at best.

 

All the talk about "wider range of outcomes" means bullpen arm and spot starter ceiling unless his stuff comes back IMO.

 

From Fangraphs:

 

He’s shown the ability to pair his four-seamer with his plus changeup, which he throws with significantly less velocity (in the low-80s) and late fade, often wreaking havoc on hitters’ timing. But when the velocities of those pitches dip, as was the case in 2021 (perhaps a result of the elbow issue that sidelined him earlier in the season), advanced hitters have been able to square them up. As a result, the aforementioned havoc was not wreaked when Seabold was called upon to make his big league debut after Chris Sale tested positive for COVID. Seabold lasted three innings and allowed three hits, including a Leury García two-run no-doubter on an 80 mph changeup he left over the heart of the plate. He also walked two and failed to issue a strikeout – a far cry from the 25.3% strikeout rate and 1.06 WHIP he’d posted at Triple-A. He was sent back down once the COVID cloud lifted and made three more starts in 2021, including one that saw him leave the game after just 2.1 innings and another during which he didn’t strike anyone out.

 

Leyt's hope his velocity returns. Without it, the change-up has little affect.

[mvp 78]

Leyt's hope his velocity returns. Without it, the change-up has little affect.

 

Yes, he needs his pre-injury stuff to come back.

[Larry Cook]

If Fitzgerald gets an elevated pitch, he is going to hammer it!