A's Extras (Plus a M and some Pads)

1) Kevin Cameron: Cut, SL, FB
5/25: 34 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 4 Sliders.

• Cameron is a 6-1, 190 pound righty. The 29 year old has a medium frame that can add a ton more muscle. He is a lanky, skinny guy. He can add a lot more muscle to his lower half. He came from a high 3/4 release with clean mechanics. His cutter has some cut. His slider is a 2-7 with a little bite. He does not have enough to be a major league reliever.

7th: Cut (85-89), SL (76)

8th: Cut (86-89), SL (77-79)

9th: Cut (87-88), SL (74-81) - 4 SL

2) Dan Giese: FB, SL, CU
5/6: 93 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs, 4 Sliders.

• Giese is a 6-2, 200 pound righty. The 32 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle. He can add a lot more muscle to his lower half, as he has a very thin lower half. He came from a high 3/4 release with some cocking action and works from the stretch only. His fastball has a little run in on righties. His slider is a 2-7 offering with average bite. Classic tweener who just doesn't have the stuff to be a starter or the strong out pitch to be a reliever.

1st: FB (86-88), SL (77-79) - FB

2nd: FB (86-87), SL (74-79) - SL

3rd: FB (86-88), SL (76-79) - SL

4th: FB (87-88), SL (76-78) - FB

5th: FB (87-88), SL (77-79) - SL

6th: FB (86-88), SL (76-79) - SL

3) Clayton Mortensen: FB, SL, CU

9/4: 100 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 4 Sliders, Fastball.

• Mortensen is a 6-4, 180 pound righty. The 24 year old has a big frame that can add a lot more muscle. He can add a ton of muscle to both his lower and upper half and has a lot of projection left. He came from a high 3/4 release with fairly clean mechanics, though he lands hard on his front leg and appears to over rotate his throwing shoulder. His fastball has good run in on righties and good sink. His slider is a power pitch that is a 1-7 offering with above average downward action. His change has some fade from lefties and some sink that he will throw to righties. I don't think he can be a starter and he could have a spot as a middle reliever in a bullpen.

1st: FB (91-93), SL (87-88)

2nd: FB (90-93), SL (85-86), CU (83-86)

3rd: FB (89-90), SL (85-86), CU (85) - 2 SL

4th: FB (90), SL (82-85), CU (81-82) - 2 SL

5th: FB (89-91), SL (83-85)

6th: FB (88-91), SL (84-85), CU (82)

7th: FB (88-90), SL (82-85), CU (82-84) - FB

4) Josh Outman: FB, CB, CU, SL
6/19: 25 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Outman is a 6-1, 185 pound lefty. The 24 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle, but he does have a thick lower half. He has a drop and drive release with cocking action and came from a high 3/4 release. His fastball has some run in on lefties and some sink. His change is pretty straight with some sink. His curve is a 11-5 with above average depth. I like him and think he can be a 3, but he needs to recover full strength from TJS.

1st: FB (86-90), CB (71), CU (80) - 2 FB

2nd: FB (88-92), CB (71), CU (80)

5) Denny Stark: FB, CU, SL

5/25: 20 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Stark is a 6-2, 210 pound righty. The 34 year old has a medium frame that is an athletic build and a very thin lower half where he could add more muscle. He came from a high 3/4 release with fairly clean mechanics, though he is pretty scrunched up until break. His fastball has good run in on righties and solid sink. His change has some fade from lefties and some sink. He is a 4-A guy who should be able to be a cog in a pen, but just doesn't have the necessary command.

4th: FB (92-93)

5th: FB (92-96), CU (86-88)

6) Wade Leblanc: FB, CU, CB

6/19: 63 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 4 Changeups.

• Leblanc is a 6-3, 200 pound lefty. The 25 year old has a medium frame that can add a lot more muscle. He has a very thin, athletic build that can add a lot more muscle to his lower half. He came from a classic drop and drive delivery with pretty clean mechanics. He has a high 3/4 release. His fastball has some run in on lefties and some sink. His curve is a 11-5 with average depth that serves as his out pitch, but it doesn't have great movement or has good command of it. His change is pretty straight with good sink. He is an average pitcher, one whose stuff will play up because of his stadium and the league, but his best seasons will be ERA's of 4.50.

1st: FB (84-88), CU (80), CB (72-74)

2nd: FB (86), CU (81-82), CB (72)

3rd: FB (84-86), CU (77-79), CB (69-72) - 3 CU

4th: FB (84-86), CU (77-79), CB (71-75) - CU

7) Josh Banks: Everything

6/19: 46 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Curveball.

• Banks is a 6-3, 210 pound righty. The 27 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle to his upper body. He has an athletic build with a strong lower body. He has a classic drop and drive delivery and comes from a high 3/4, almost over the top release. His fastball has some run in on righties and some sink. His cutter has some cut and a little sink. His split has some diving action. His curve is a big breaking 12-6 with above average depth. His knuckle ball has some movement. An extra arm, organizational guy.

4th: FB (86-89), Cut (85-87), Split (80)

5th: FB (84-89), Cut (85)

6th: FB (87-92), Cut (86), Split (77-80), CB (67-72), KNU (72) - FB, CB

8) Michael Ekstrom: FB, SL, CU

6/19: 7 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Ekstrom is a 5-11, 190 pound righty. The 26 year old has a small frame that can add a little more muscle, mostly to the lower body. Athletic build with athletic lower half. He came from an over the top release with a weird cocking action that has his elbow move almost in a mini circle as he is ready to pitch, this puts a lot of extra pressure on his elbow. His fastball has some run in on righties and a little sink. His slider is a 2-7 with modest bite. He looks like he could be a middle reliever, but won't ever be anything more.

9th: FB (90-93), SL (83-85), - SL

Chart Observations: OAK @ TB

• James Shields started for the Rays and had exquisite command of his stuff. Shields featured a fastball at 88-92, a changeup at 80-84, a cutter at 83-86 and a curveball at 74-78. Shields attacks hitters from an over the top release and, as with many who come from that release, shows an above average curveball. His change is a plus-plus pitch that I didn't think he threw enough in this game (but still fired 8.1 shutout innings) and his cutter is just average. His fastball is above average due to his command. He is a # 2 for a contender.
• Josh Outman opposed him and featured a fastball at 91-94, a slider at 80-83, a changeup at 79-86, a soft curveball at 72-75 and a hard curveball at 76-81 from a high 3/4 release that is almost over the top. Outman liked to use the soft curve early in counts to try and get a cheap strike and would use the hard curve as more of a strikeout pitch. Outman has shown himself very well the 2 times I have seen him, but has left early in both outings due to a high pitch count. Outman has good control, but struggles to command his stuff within the strike zone, causing him to pitch behind and rack up big pitch counts. Potential to be a # 2 starter with a big bump in command, but probably settles in as a middle of the rotation starter.
• Michael Wuertz was 89-90 with his fastball and 82-86 with his slider from an over the top release. Wuertz's slider is a plus pitch due to it's sharp, late breaking action making it difficult for hitters to square or recognize quickly.
• Andrew Bailey was 91-95 with his fastball, 88-92 with his cutter and 75-77 with his curveball from an over the top release. The curveball is an above average offering. This is the 1st time I have seen him where he has thrown more curves then cutters.
• Santiago Casilla was 92-95 with his fastball, 83-86 with his slider and threw a change at 86 from a 3/4 release. Casilla has a max-effort delivery and relies on his strong legs to generate velocity. His slider is an above average pitch that has flashed plus due to it's sharp late break, but he has had some issues commanding it. His change is more of a show-me pitch then anything that can get hitters out and is a below average offering. Casilla's fastball is above average and features a little tailing action as well. Solid middle reliever who, if he can refine his command, could be a set-up guy.
• Russ Springer was 89-91 with his fastball, 84 with the 2 cutters he threw and a curveball at 79 from a high 3/4 release. Solid middle reliever.
• J.P. Howell was at 85-88 with his fastball, 79-81 with his curveball and threw a changeup at 80 from an over the top release. Howell is unique in that his fastball is just average, but he could be a set-up guy due to his plus-plus curveball and above average change. He also has plus command of all his pitches and looks ready to continue building on his breakout year last year. Solid set-up guy. Only worry is that when he doesn't have great command of his off-speed stuff, he is very hittable, as his deception can only help so much.
• Dan Wheeler faced 2 hitters and was 87-88 with his fastball, 80 with his slider and 75 with his curveball. The slider and curve are above average offerings and he is another Tampa Bay reliever who gets by more on command then stuff. Don't know how long he can keep this up as he is another whose fastball will get pounded if there is any regression to the off speed stuff.
• Joe Nelson featured a fastball at 85-87 and a vulcan changeup at 75-78. He is another one of those command and control guys and his change didn't have the same break as it usually does. He also struggled to get ahead of hitters and his deception did not help him when hitters know an 85-87 mile per hour fastball is coming. Solid middle reliever, but I think he is a little over extended as a guy that comes in to hold a lead.
• Aaron Cunningham is a 5-11 205 pound 23 year old outfielder. He is a right handed hitter and has a fairly prototypical stance with a slight crouch and is a little open. He also has a little bat wiggle and for a trigger, he strides and moves his hands back. Very conventional hitter. He has a medium frame that is maxed out. He is not plus on any tool, but is no worse then average on any tool. He has average power potential, he shows an ability to be able to put the ball in play. He is an above average runner. If this sounds like the profile to a 4th OF, it is. He doesn't have the speed to play CF consistenly or the power to play a corner.

Chart Observations: TOR @ OAK

• Scott Richmond was very impressive, firing a complete game despite losing 5-2. He had a rough 2nd inning (allowing all 5 runs) but baffled the A's through the rest of the game with his ability to use all his offerings. He attacks hitters with a low 90's fastball, a mid 80's slider, a curveball at 75-80 and a changeup at 83-86. He has plus command of all his pitches, allowing him to be greater then the sum of his parts (as only the change and slider could be considered above average pitches). Richmond is young enough to add some more velocity and begin to pitch consistenly at 93-94. If that happens, he can be a solid # 2 starter. However, the more likely ceiling is that of a solid # 3 starter or a really good # 4 starter for a contender.
• Josh Outman was one of the hyped prospects the A's received last season. He impressed me with his stuff, flashing a low 90's fastball (that touched 95), a low 80's slider (used primarily against lefties), a changeup at 81-84 and a high 70's curveball. His command was off, forcing him to be taken out after 4 and 1/3. His changeup is a plus pitch with his ability to command it. He is a middle of the rotation starter down the road with the chance to be a special # 2. My only concern is that his mechanics are still a little messy and I am not too fond of his arm action. Injury risk is a worry for me.
• Got to watch many of the A's bullpen arms again. Michael Wuertz was the 1st one in and attacked with a slider at 84-86, a low 90's fastball and a curveball at 78-80. The curveball appears to be something new and it looked very good against the Blue Jays. This guy has a chance to be a strong middle relief option with this pitch, as this can mess up left handers timing. May have judged him too quickly. Russ Springer keeps getting the mileage out of his fastball at 89-91 and his mid 80's cutter. You have to wonder how much longer he will have the command necessary to get by with this stuff. Andrew Bailey looked much sharper this outing with his fastball sitting at 92-94, his cutter at 89-92 and a high 70's curveball. Bailey is a set-up man, as when he is commanding his cutter, he is near impossible to square up. Another reliever I judged a little too harshly.