8/7, 8/8 Notable News

Placed on DL: Jed Lowrie, Dallas Braden, Joe Saunders, Carlos Zambrano
Call-Ups: Yorman Bazardo, Clayton Mortensen, Jose Arredondo, Aaron Cunningham, Rafael Perez, Junichi Tazawa, Tony Abreu, Pedro Borbon.

Have been away from the apartment from 7 this morning until about 1015 at night. Had 3 charts and a score at 7. Will be posting the other chart (featuring Bud Norris) and the score (featuring Wainwright vs. Morton) at some point tomorrow in addition to my chart and score from Sunday.

The Northern Yankees have now advanced to the finals to play Gabelsville and that series is slated to begin on Monday. Looks like I will be busy as hell again...

Chart Observations: 8/7 FLA @ PHI

1) Ricky Nolasco: 101 pitches. 11 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (3rd, 2 in 6th), 5 Sliders (2nd, 3rd, 3 in 6th), Curveball (4th), 2 Splitters (6th, 7th)

• Nolasco came from a high 3/4 release with a fastball with good run in on righties and some sink, a 12-6 curve with above average depth, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a splitter with good fade from lefties with a little diving action (I think it is more of a split-change then a splitter). He will throw 3-1 sliders.

1st: FB (89-93), SL (82-84), CB (75)

2nd: FB (89-94), SL (82-85), CB (74-76), Split (85)

3rd: FB (90-94), SL (82-85), CB (75-76), Split (84)

4th: FB (92-93), SL (85), CB (72-77), Split (85)

5th: FB (90-93), SL (81-83), CB (75), Split (83-84)

6th: FB (90-94), SL (83-84), CB (74-76), Split (85)

7th: FB (91-93), SL (83-85), CB (73-76), Split (83-86)

2) Joe Blanton: 112 pitches. 10 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (2nd, 2 in 7th), 4 Sliders (1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th), 3 Changeups (2nd, 3rd, 4th)

• Blanton came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties with some sink, a 12-6 curve with above average depth, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a change with good fade from lefties with good sink. He will throw 2-0 sliders, 2-1 changeups and will throw his change to righties.

1st: FB (88-91), SL (82-83), CU (83), CB (74)

2nd: FB (88-89), SL (82-84), CU (82-84), CB (74-75)

3rd: FB (88-91), SL (82-83), CU (83), CB (75)

4th: FB (86-92), SL (81-83), CU (83-84)

5th: FB (89-92), SL (79-83), CB (74)

6th: FB (87-92), SL (83-84), CU (83)

7th: FB (88-91), SL (81-83), CU (82), CB (75)

3) Chan Ho Park: 4 pitches. 0 strikes swinging

• Park came from a 3/4 release and showed a 2-7 slider with good bite and a fastball with above average run in on righties.

7th: FB (93-94), SL (87-88)

4) Renyel Pinto: 23 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Changeup.

• Pinto came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good sink and some late run in on lefties and a change with some fade from righties with sink. He will throw 3-2 changeups and will throw the pitch to lefties as an out pitch.

8th: FB (91-93), CU (82-86)

5) Ryan Madson: 16 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 4 Changeups (3 in 8th, 9th)

• Madson came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball and a change with above average fade form lefties with above average sink.

8th: FB (94-97), CU (83-85)

9th: FB (93-95), CU (82)

6) Scott Eyre: 16 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Slider.

• Eyre came from a high 3/4 release and showed a 11-5 slider with good bite and a fastball with some run in on lefties.

9th: FB (89-91), SL (74-82)

7) Tyler Walker: 4 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Walker came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties and a little sink and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

9th: FB (90-92), SL (83-84)

8) Leo Nunez: 5 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Nunez came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and some sink and a change with above average fade from lefties with good late sink that he will throw to righties.

9th: FB (94), CU (85-87)

Chart Observations: STL @ PIT

1) Chris Carpenter: 111 pitches. 12 strikes swinging. 6 on Fastballs (2 in 1st, 2 in 4th, 2 in 8th), 3 on Curveballs (2nd, 7th, 8th), 3 on Cutters (5th, 7th, 8th)

• Carpenter came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties with a little sink, a cutter with solid solid, a sharp 12-6 curve with above average depth and a change with some fade from lefties.

1st: FB (90-94), Cut (84-87), CB (74-75), CU (84)

2nd: FB (91-93), Cut (87), CB (74-76)

3rd: FB (92-94), Cut (84-87), CB (74-75), CU (84)

4th: FB (90-92), Cut (85-88), CB (76)

5th: FB (92-93), Cut (84-85), CB (73-74)

6th: FB (89-94), Cut (86-87), CB (75-76), CU (83)

7th: FB (92), Cut (86-89), CB (74)

8th: FB (93-94), Cut (87-89), CB (74)

2) Paul Maholm: 99 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (1st, 4th), 3 Curveballs (4th, 2 in 5th), Changeup (1st)

• Maholm came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties, a change with some fade from righties with sink, a 11-5 curve with solid depth and a 11-5 slider with good bite.

1st: FB (89-92), CB (76-77), CU (84-87)

2nd: FB (89-92), CB (76), CU (86)

3rd: FB (88-93), CB (75-78), CU (85-86), SL (81-85)

4th: FB (88-93), CB (74-77), CU (84)

5th: FB (91-92), CB (75-77), CU (86), SL (82)

6th: FB (90-92), CB (76-77), CU (83-86)

7th: FB (89-92)

3) Jose Ascanio: 30 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. Fastball, 2 Curveballs, Changeup (All in 8th)

• Ascanio came from a 3/4 release and showed an explosive fastball with some run in on righties, a change with good fade from lefties with good sink that he will throw to righties and a 1-7 curve with average depth that is sharp and can be a strikeout pitch. He will throw 2-1 changeups.

8th: FB (94-97), CU (84-85), CB (78-83)

9th: FB (92-96), CU (84-86)

4) Ryan Franklin: 14 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Curveballs.

• Franklin came from an over the top release and showed a cutter with good late cut, a fastball with a little run in on righties and a 12-6 curve with slightly above average depth that can be a strikeout pitch.

9th: FB (92-93), Cut (89-92), CB (78-80)

Chart Observations: 8/6 LAA @ CHW

1) John Danks: 109 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 2 Changeups (1st, 3rd), Cutter (5th), Fastball (6th)

• Danks came from a high 3/4 release with a fastball with some run in on lefties with sink, a cutter with 11-5 movement with solid cut, a 11-5 curve with solid depth and a change with good fade from righties with solid sink. Battled his command in this outing and missed too often in the middle-in portion of the plate.

1st: FB (90-93), Cut (86-88), CB (77), CU (82-83)

2nd: FB (87-91), Cut (85-86), CU (81-82)

3rd: FB (89-92), Cut (84), CB (74-75), CU (81-83)

4th: FB (88-91), CU (80-82)

5th: FB (89-92), Cut (84-87), CB (75-77), CU (80-82)

6th: FB (88-90), Cut (84-86), CU (80-85)

7th: FB (89-90), Cut (86), CU (81)

2) Ervin Santana: 108 pitches. 8 strikes swinging. 7 Sliders (3 in 2nd, 3 in 3rd, 6th), Fastball (3rd)

• Santana is a 6-2, 185 pound righty. The 26 year old has a medium frame that can add a lot more muscle. He came from a high 3/4 release with a fastball with some run in on righties with some sink, a straight change with some sink that he will throw to righties and a 2-7 slider with above average bite. He will throw 3-2 sliders. Santana's stuff has taken a big step back from last season, as his slider has flattened a little and his fastball velocity is down. As he is now, he is more of a # 4 or # 5 and whether he can regain his prior stuff will determine if he becomes a better pitcher.

1st: FB (87-94), CU (83), SL (85)

2nd: FB (90-93), CU (84-85), SL (79-83)

3rd: FB (88-94), SL (83-86)

4th: FB (88-95), CU (81), SL (76-82)

5th: FB (90-93), CU (84), SL (82)

6th: FB (87-91), CU (84), SL (75-84)

3) Octavio Dotel: 26 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Dotel came from a 3/4 release with a fastball with some run in on righties with sink, a sharp 2-8 curve with solid depth that can be a strikeout pitch and a 2-7 slider with average bite.

7th: FB (90-94), SL (81), CB (78)

4) Jason Bulger: 23 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Curveballs (both in 8th), Changeup (8th)

• Bulger came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a sharp 12-6 curve with average depth and a change with good fade from lefties with good sink that he will throw to righties.

7th: FB (91-95), CB (81-83), CU (85-86)

8th: FB (93-95), CB (79-83), CU (85-86)

5) Randy Williams: 23 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball (8th), Changeup (9th)

• Williams came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some tail in on righties, a change with some fade from righties and a cutter with some cut.

8th: FB (89-95), CU (79-82)

9th: FB (91-94), CU (78-79), Cut (86)

6) Jhonny Nunez: 6 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Nunez is a 6-3, 185 pound righty. The 23 year old has a medium frame that can get up to at least 205. He has a 3/4 release with a fastball with some run in on righties and a cutter with marginal cut and flashes sink. Didn't impress to much and looks to be a guy that will be bouncing around.

9th: FB (92), Cut (87-88)

7) Kevin Jepsen: 23 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Jepsen came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam that flashes a little run in on righties, a cutter with good cut flashes sink that is beginning to look like a 2-7 slider and a sharp 12-6 curve with average depth.

9th: FB (95-97), Cut (89-91), CB (82)

Notable News: 8/6

1. Jon Niese was placed on the 60 Day DL with a torn right hamstring and is likely done for the season. Elmer Dessens will take his roster spot.
2. Justin Upton was placed on the 15 Day DL and his roster spot has been taken by Trent Oeltjen. I saw Oeltjen 2 years ago while he played with Rochester, where I worked and thought he could be a solid 4th OF.
3. Nats traded Anderson Hernandez to the Mets for Greg Veloz. I saw Veloz last season working for the Catfish and he was trying to be a Jose Reyes clone, but just didn't have the bat control. Low risk, high reward for the Nats, as Hernandez isn't going to be helpful to them when they try to contend again, however long that may be.
4. The Yankees signed Russ Ortiz. Subtraction by addition and if he gets meaningful innings, there may be blood in New York.
5. Jarrod Parker, the D'Backs top pitching prospect and one of my favorites, has been placed on the 7-Day DL with tightness in his right elbow and it is likely that he will be shut down for the year.

Extra Reports: Orioles Focus

As the season continues and I begin to get more free time, I will be attempting to go back and watch tape of pitchers I haven't yet seen this season. Here are the reports on the 5 Orioles pitchers I haven't yet seen this year in the majors (minus Matusz and Tillman due to the fact they will likely be pitching until the end of the season)

1) Adam Eaton
4/12 Start. 100 pitches. 12 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (2 in 1st, 2nd), 7 Sliders (4 in 1st, 2 in 2nd, 3rd), Curveball (2nd), Cutter (3rd)

• Eaton is a 6-2, 215 pound righty. The 31 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out and may have some bad weight. He came from a 3/4 release. His fastball has a little run in on righties, but is very straight, especially when considering his arm slot. His curve is 1-7 with above average depth while his slider is a 2-7 with solid late bite. His cutter has marginal cut and sink. His change has some fade from lefties. For every good slider he throws, he throw 2 flat ones that just hang and can get hammered. He will throw 3-2 changeups and sliders. He has no out pitch and just tries to out pitch you. He could be a serviceable # 5 on a NL team with a forgiving park, such as San Diego, but he is AAA fodder now.

1st: FB (88-91), CB (72-75), SL (79-83), Cut (86)

2nd: FB (87-92), CB (73-76), SL (80-82), CU (79-81)

3rd: FB (89-92), CB (72-76), SL (80), Cut (86)

4th: FB (88-92), CB (76), SL (79-83), Cut (87)

2) Dennis Sarfate

4/15 Appearance. 23 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Curveball (8th)

• Sarfate is a 6-4, 225 pound righty. The 28 year old has a big frame that is maxed out. He has a muscular, athletic looking build. He comes from an over the top release with a delivery that puts a lot of pressure on his shoulder (and is currently out with a pinched nerve in his shoulder) and looks like he almost over finishes every pitch, causing his shoulder to rotate too far. His fastball is a straight 4-seam from a classic drop and drive delivery while his curve is a 12-6 with average depth. An injury prone righty who relies on a straight fastball is a terrible fit for the AL East and is likely a guy who is going to be riding the shuttle from Norfolk and back.

8th: FB (91-93), CB (76-80)

9th: FB (91-92), CB (76)

3) Alfredo Simon

4/9 Start. 89 pitches. 5 strike swinging. 3 Fastballs (2 in 3rd, 4th), 2 Splitters (1st, 4th)

• Simon is a 6-4, 230 pound righty. The 28 year old has a big frame that is maxed out. He came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some natural run in on righties due to his arm slot, a pretty straight split with marginal dive that flashes average dive, but can't control it and a 12-6 curve with average depth. He has inconsistent command of his stuff. His fastball is only real above average pitch and neither off-speed offering is too impressive without his lack of command factored in. Could be a solid reliever with his fastball though and that is where his future should lie when he returns from Tommy John.

1st: FB (93-94), Split (83-84), CB (76)

2nd: FB (93-94), Split (81-83), CB (74-76)

3rd: FB (92-95), Split (79-83), CB (72-76)

4th: FB (90-95), Split (78-80), CB (72-75)

5th: FB (92-93), Split (79-81), CB (74)

6th: FB (93-94), Split (80)

4) Bob McCrory

5/8 Appearance. 40 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider (7th)

• McCrory is a 6-1, 205 pound righty. The 27 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out with big thighs. He came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a 2-7 slider with a little bite but not much and a straight change. McCrory's fastball is plus and I love hard fastballs as much as the next guy, but neither off-speed pitch grades even as fringe and his slider doesn't have the tilt necessary to get hitters to even worry about it. If he can find an off-speed pitch (maybe a splitter?) then he can be successful.

7th: FB (96-98), SL (90-93), CU (87-90)

8th: FB (95-97), CU (87-88)

5) Kam Mickolio

7/17 Appearance. 38 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 6 Fastballs (2 in 7th, 4 in 8th)

• Mickolio is a 6-9, 255 pound righty. The 25 year old has a big frame that is fairly maxed out and may be able to add a touch more weight. He came from a high 3/4 release with a 2-7 slider with solid bite, a pretty straight 4-seamer and a straight change. Mechanics are similar to Bronson Arroyo after the break of his hands and almost throws across his body. He generates a great downhill plane for his pitches, getting some natural sink and looks like the ball really jumps at the hitter. A reliever I actually like, I think he can have an impact for the Orioles and looks to be a fairly solid pitcher.

7th: FB (94-97), SL (81-84)

8th: FB (93-97), SL (83-85), CU (86)

6) Radhames Liz

4/20 Appearance. 19 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Liz is a 6-2, 185 pound righty. The 25 year old has a medium frame that can get up to at least 205. He is real long and lanky. He came from a high 3/4 release in a delivery that featured a lot of moving parts and breaks his hands high and is a high effort delivery. His fastball is a straight 4-seam, though it flashes some run in on righties with sink. His change has some fade from lefties with a little sink that he will throw to righties and is his most utilized off-speed offering. His slider is a sharp 2-7 with above average bite that he has no idea where it will go. His command is putrid, as every fastball was a cockshot or 5 feet off the plate in some direction. He had better command of his change, but even that only graded out as below average, constantly missing armside or high. I used to like Liz (and he is still too young to give up on) but the forecast is fairly bleak unless a light switch flicks on revealing how to throw strikes.

7th: FB (90-95), CU (81-85), SL (80)

The Travails of Brad Bergesen

Watched 2 of Bergesen's starts (5/2 and 5/7) on my day off and here are those reports (tried to watch games where I hadn't seen the opposing pitcher, hence the reason they are back to back starts, which normally isn't ideal)

1) Brad Bergesen:
5/7: 88 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (1st, 5th), 2 Changeups (1st, 6th), Slider (6th)
5/2: 90 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Bergesen came from a low 3/4, almost side-arm release and showed a fastball with good late run in on righties with good sink, a change with some fade late fade from lefties with solid sink that moves just like his fastball but slower and a 2-7 slider that has inconsistent bite and can be flat. It can look like a cutter at times with just enough break for it to start on the outside corner and end up off the plate. What impressed me about him is the fact he keeps everything down, rarely making a mistake above thigh level. His ceiling is a # 4 starter, but I just don't think he will pitch well enough to be it. He pitched differently in both games, once being FB-CU and in the other being FB-SL. Think he is comparable to Andy Sonnanstine with more velocity on his fastball, but less overall command of his off-speed offerings.

5/7 first, then 5/2

1st: FB (87-91), CU (82-84) / FB (89-91), SL (86)

2nd: FB (88-91), CU (84) / FB (87-91), SL (82-86), CU (82-83)

3rd: FB (89-91), CU (84), SL (81) / FB (87-91), SL (82-84), CU (83)

4th: FB (87-92), CU (82), SL (84) / FB (88-91), SL (80-82)

5th: FB (89-91), CU (80-82) / FB (88-92), SL (80-85)

6th: FB (87-90), CU (81-82), SL (81) / FB (87-89), CU (80-81)

2) Glen Perkins (5/7 Opposing Starter): 101 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Slider (1st), Changeup (5th)

• Perkins is a 6-0, 200 pound 26 year old. The lefty has a small frame that is maxed out. He came from a high 3/4 release. His fastball has a little run in on lefties while his slider is a 11-5 with solid bite that flashes above average with above average late bite. His 3rd pitch is a change with good fade from righties with solid sink that he will throw in 2-1 and 1-0 counts. He will take something off his fastball to get strike one. Slider down and in to righties is his out pitch and he can be inconsistent with his command. Is a # 4 or # 5 starter to me, not much more then that.

1st: FB (86-92), SL (80-83)

2nd: FB (86-92), SL (82-83), CU (78-81)

3rd: FB (89-93), SL (81-84), CU (81-82)

4th: FB (88-91), CU (80)

5th: FB (88-92), SL (81-82), CU (80-81)

6th: FB (87-92), SL (82), CU (82)

3) Robert Ray: 90 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (2 in 5th, 6th), Cutter (5th)

• Ray is a 6-5, 195 pound righty. The 25 year old has a big frame that can add a lot more muscle, at least to 215. He came from a high 3/4 release and was similar to Daniel Bard a little after the release mechanics, but getting there is a little bizarre. He has a leg kick with his arms crunched up in with him and separates a little funny. His fastball is a 2-seam sinker with good sink and is an above average sinker. His cutter has some cut and he will also mix in an occasional straight 4-seam fastball. His change is a splitter grip that has above average dive, but is difficult for him to command due to the movement it gets. His slider is a 2-7 with solid bite that he can hang, but flashes the ability to be an out pitch. He looks to be a back of the rotation guy, though he is very similar to Roy Halladay with his pitches and hope this guy got as much info as he could from him.

1st: FB (89-92), Cut (89-90), SL (77)

2nd: FB (90-92), Cut (89), SL (79), CU (80)

3rd: FB (89-91), Cut (89-90), SL (81), CU (81)

4th: FB (89-92), Cut (88-90), SL (78-81), CU (80-81)

5th: FB (90-92), Cut (88-89), SL (81-82), CU (82)

6th: FB (91-92), Cut (90), SL (80-81)

4) Jamie Walker:

5/7: 2 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

5/2: 8 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Changeup.

• Wanted to watch the since released Walker as well and he happened to make appearances in both games. Walker is a 6-2, 195 pound 38 year old. The lefty has a medium frame that won't be getting any bigger. He came from a 3/4 release with a 10-4 slider with good bite, a fastball with a little run in on lefties, a big breaking 11-5 curve with above average depth and a change with good fade from righties with solid sink. The 5/7 outing he faced 1 lefty and on the 5/2 outing he faced one righty. Appears to be FB-SL to lefties and FB-CU-CB to righties. Tools were still there as of these outings, but he obviously lost something as evidenced by the fact he is unsigned.

5/2: 8th: FB (87), CU (77-79), CB (73-74)

5/7: 7th: FB (86), SL (76)

Flurry Of Transactions

Only 5 days into August, there has a been a lot of player movement:

DFA'd: Mike Gosling, Chris Shelton, Winston Abreu, Sidney Ponson, Robinson Cancel, Chris Woodward, Gil Velazquez, Jose Veras, Ryan Freel, Cody Ransom, John Bannister

• Reaction: No real surprises. Ponson should have been gone a long time ago. Veras is the only surprising one, in that the Indians have let him go when they are going nowhere and I do see some flashes from him.

Significant Call-Ups: Waldis Joaquin (Giants), Kyle Davies, Neftali Feliz, Brian Matusz, Tom Gorzelanny, Jess Todd

MIL @ LAD

1) Manny Parra: 102 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (2nd, 8th), 2 Changeups (both in 4th), Curveball (8th), Splitter (8th)

• Parra came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and solid sink, a 10-4 curve with solid depth, a splitter with solid dive and a change with some fade from righties with sink that he will throw in 2-0 counts. This is the best he has looked, as his fastball appeared to have more movement then it normally does and he was pounding the strike zone, constantly getting ahead.

1st: FB (91-95), CU (82-86), CB (78), Split (88)

2nd: FB (92-93), CU (83-84)

3rd: FB (92-94), CU (83), CB (76-78)

4th: FB (91-93), CU (83-85)

5th: FB (89-93), CB (76), Split (83-84)

6th: FB (90-94), CU (82-84), CB (76), Split (82)

7th: FB (90-93), CU (82), CB (75)

8th: FB (91-93), CB (74-76), Split (83)

9th: FB (91-92), CU (83)

2) Clayton Kershaw: 92 pitches. 9 strikes swinging. 9 Fastballs (1st, 2 in 2nd, 2 in 3rd, 3 in 4th, 5th)

• Kershaw came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties, a big breaking 11-5 curve with excellent depth, a change with some fade from righties with sink and a 11-5 slider with good bite. He can get out of control mechanically at times and can struggle to find his release point and make mechanical adjustments from pitch to pitch.

1st: FB (94-97), CB (71-72)

2nd: FB (93-96), CB (71-72), CU (82-83)

3rd: FB (93-95), CB (70-73), CU (84), SL (77)

4th: FB (93-95), CB (69-71), CU (81), SL (78)

5th: FB (93-94), CU (83), SL (79)

3) Jeff Weaver: 50 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 4 Sliders (5th, 2 in 6th, 7th), Fastball (6th)

• Weaver came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a 2-7 slider with some bite, a 1-7 curve with some depth and a change with some fade from lefties with sink. He will drop down and throw frisbee sliders to righties with 2 strikes.

5th: FB (89-92), SL (81-83)

6th: FB (90-93), SL (80-85), CB (77-79), CU (85-87)

7th: FB (90), SL (80-83)

4) James McDonald: 18 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball (9th)

• McDonald came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a 12-6 curve with above average depth and a change with some fade from lefties with some sink.

8th: FB (93-95), CB (73), CU (76)

9th: FB (92-95), CB (77-78), CU (76)

5) Trevor Hoffman: 15 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Changeup.

• Hoffman came from an over the top release and showed a change with above average fade from lefties with above average sink, a 12-6 curve with above average depth, a pretty straight 4-seam fastball and a 2-7 slider with some bite.

9th: FB (83-87), CU (72-74), SL (79-81), CB (72)

Chart Observations: BOS @ BAL

1) Clay Buchholz: 76 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 3 Changeups (1st, 2nd, 3rd), Curveball (4th)

• Clay came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a little sink, a change with above average sink and some fade from lefties and can be unpredictable and more like a slider at times, a sharp 12-6 curve with above average depth that can be a strikeout pitch and a 2-7 slider with some bite that can be flat.

1st: FB (91-94), CU (79-80), CB (79)

2nd: FB (93-95), CU (79-82)

3rd: FB (91-96), CU (78-82), CB (77)

4th: FB (92-94), CU (80), CB (78), SL (82)

5th: FB (92-95), CU (80-81), CB (75), SL (81)

2) Jason Berken: 53 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 3 Sliders (all in 2nd), Curveball (1st)

• Berken came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a 12-6 curve with average depth, a change with some fade from lefties and some sink that he will throw to righties in 2-0 or 2-1 counts and a 2-7 slider with some bite.

1st: FB (92-94), CU (83-85), CB (78-81)

2nd: FB (91-93), CU (84-85), CB (78), SL (83-85)

3) Brian Bass: 49 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball (2nd), Slider (2nd), Changeup (4th)

• Bass came from a 3/4 release and shwoed a fastball with some run in on righties and a little sink, a hard 2-7 slider with good bite, a change with some fade from lefties with sink and a sharp 1-7 curve with below average depth.

2nd: FB (92-94), SL (86)

3rd: FB (92-94), SL (86), CB (80)

4th: FB (92-94), SL (84-87), CB (78-83), CU (85)

4) Matt Albers: 27 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Curveballs.

• Albers came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a 9-4 curve with solid depth that is sharp enough to be a strikeout pitch.

4th: FB (93-95), CB (80-83)

5) Mark Hendrickson: 44 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball (6th)

• Hendrickson came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with a little run in on lefties, a 11-5 curve with average depth, a cutter with some cut and a change with good fade from righties with sink.

4th: FB (88), CB (74)

5th: FB (87-90), CB (72-76), Cut (86)

6th: FB (86-88), CB (73-74), Cut (85), CU (81-82)

6) Manny Delcarmen: 31 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Changeup (5th), Fastball (6th)

• Delcarmen came from an over the top release and a fastball has a little run in on righties and a little sink, a change with some fade from lefties with some sink that serves as his out pitch and he will throw it in on righties and in 2-1 counts and a 1-7 curve with average depth.

5th: FB (93-94), CU (80-85), CB (78)

6th: FB (92-95), CU (80-86), CB (77-79)

7) Ramon Ramirez: 36 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (both in 7th), Slider (7th), Changeup (6th)

• Ramirez came from an over the top release and shwoed a fastball with a little run in on righties and a touch of sink, a change with some dive and a 2-7 slider with okay bite.

6th: FB (93-95), CU (88-91)

7th: FB (92-94), CU (86-90), SL (86)

8) Cla Meredith: 28 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Sliders (both in 8th)

• Meredith came from a sidearm release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and solid sink and a 3-8 slider with okay bite.

7th: FB (86-87), SL (81)

8th: FB (85-87), SL (79-81)

9) Takashi Saito: 16 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball (9th).

• Saito came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties and a sharp 3-8 curve with okay depth.

8th: FB (90-91), CB (77)

9th: FB (89-91), CB (78)

10) Jim Johnson: 12 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Johnson came from an over the top release with a fastball with a little run in on righties, a change with some fade and a little sink and a 1-7 curve with solid depth.

9th: FB (92-95), CB (79), CU (86-87)

• Josh Reddick is a 6-2, 180 pound lefty hitter righty thrower. The 22 year old has a medium frame that can add a lot more muscle everywhere. He is long and lanky and is very skinny. He is straight-up with a straight on stance with hands held a little in front of his back shoulder with a little bat wiggle. His trigger is a double stride (stride in and then strides to hit) and a cocking of the bat. Looks like his swing can get long at times, but is effortless with good bat speed. He shows above average power to all fields now, which is a good sign as he continues to get stronger. Looks like an above average starting corner outfielder, though his swing does have some holes that will need to be corrected as scouting reports get out. Can get over aggressive at times.

Wait, A Strong Conclusion?

Well folks, there is a very interesting conclusion that has popped up (I am going through and re calculating all my conclusion tables to account for the injuries and this is the interesting one:

+/- Days of Rest yielded a 74 % regression rate for those pitchers that saw their scores go up 200 or more, which was followed by a 62 % regression rate for those between 100 and 199.

This is very interesting and that is a fairly sizable gap. Who are the pitchers prior to this season that qualified under this criteria? Check it out:

Doug Brocail: 5.87 ERA this season in 9 games, spent time on DL
Will Ohman: 60 day DL, 5.84 ERA this season.
Joe Smith: Spent time on DL, missing almost 2 months.

Looks like this high end of this criteria will continue to show regression even after this season. Now the question is, what did those pitchers that didn't regress in that time frame have to prevent it? Hopefully assigning a repetoire to each pitcher will help shine even more light on these criteria and that is the next step for me.

Chart Observations: SD @ MIL

1) Clayton Richard: 90 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball (4th)

• Richard came from a high 3/4 release and showed a 2-seam fastball with a little run in on lefties with a little sink, a change with good sink and good fade from righties that he will throw to lefties, a straight 4-seam fastball he liked to throw high with 2 strikes, a 10-4 slider with good bite and a cutter with some cut.

1st: FB (90-95), CU (85)

2nd: FB (91-94), CU (85)

3rd: FB (90-96), CU (84-85), SL (83)

4th: FB (89-95), CU (84-85), SL (80-85), Cut (89)

5th: FB (89-94), CU (81-85), SL (79-80)

6th: FB (89-91), CU (84), SL (76)

2) Mike Burns: 102 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (2nd, 6th), 2 Sliders (3rd, 6th), Curveball (2nd), Changeup (3rd)

• Burns came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties, a 12-6 curve with above average depth, a 2-7 slider with solid bite and a change with some fade from lefties with a little sink.

1st: FB (87-90), SL (79-81), CB (71)

2nd: FB (86-88), SL (79), CB (70), CU (81-82)

3rd: FB (87-89), CB (69-71)

4th: FB (86-89), SL (78-80), CB (69-70)

5th: FB (85-89), SL (80-81), CB (71), CU (78-82)

6th: FB (86-90), SL (78-80), CB (69-70)

3) Greg Burke: 11 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Burke came from an over the top release and showed a 2-7 slider with below average bite and a fastball with some run in on righties and sink.

6th: FB (91-94), SL (82-86)

4) Mitch Stetter: 12 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Stetter came from a sidearm release and showed a sweeping 9-4 slider with solid bite and a fastball with some run in on lefties.

6th: FB (84), SL (78-79)

7th: FB (84-87), SL (79)

5) Luke Gregerson: 12 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Gregerson came from a sidearm release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink, a 3-8 slider with above average bite and a change with some fade from lefties with good sink.

7th: FB (91-93), SL (82-84), CU (81)

6) Mark DiFelice: 13 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 3 Cutters.

• DiFelice came from a 3/4 release and showed a cutter with good cut and a 12-6 curve with below average depth.

7th: Cut (81-83), CB (76)

7) Claudio Vargas: 18 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Vargas came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a 2-7 slider with above average bite.

8th: FB (89-92), SL (79-82)

8) Mike Adams: 10 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Changeup.

• Adams came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties, a cutter with some cut and a change with plus fade from righties with above average sink.

8th: FB (93-95), Cut (90), CU (84)

9) Heath Bell: 14 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Curveball.

• Bell came from an over the top release and showed a 4-seam fastball with some natural run in on righties and some sink and a sharp 1-7 curve with above average depth that is a strikeout pitch.

9th: FB (91-95), CB (79-82)

Playoff Game cancelled, so I am going to be working on the relief pitcher study since I already traded my game away.

DET @ CLE

1) Rick Porcello: 91 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 4 on Fastballs (2 in 1st, 2 in 6th), Curveball (3rd), Changeup (4th)

• Porcello is a 6-5, 200 pound righty. The 20 year old has a big frame that can get up to at least 215 and can add a lot more muscle everywhere. He came from an over the top release that generates easy velocity, but does have a lot of limbs moving at once. His fastball has good run in on righties and above average sink. His change has good fade from lefties with above average sink. His curve is a 12-6 with average depth that is sharp enough to be a strikeout pitch. Porcello isn't usually my type of pitcher, but he shows great pitchability and has confidence in himself. I don't think he has the potential to be an ace, but he can be a strong # 2. If he brings back the plus slider he had when he was drafted, I may think differently, as he is missing a true out pitch right now.

1st: FB (90-95), CU (81-83)

2nd: FB (90-94)

3rd: FB (92-93), CU (81), CB (81)

4th: FB (90-94), CU (81-82), CB (82)

5th: FB (89-94), CU (83), CB (79-81)

6th: FB (87-93), CU (78-82), CB (80)

7th: FB (88-92), CB (80-82)

8th: FB (88-91), CU (78), CB (79-83)

2) Jeremy Sowers: 95 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (5th, 2 in 6th), 3 Changeups (2 in 5th, 6th)

• Sowers came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties with a little sink, a change with good fade from lefties with sink and a 10-5 slider with good bite.

1st: FB (85-87), SL (78), CU (78)

2nd: FB (85-91), SL (79), CU (80-81)

3rd: FB (86-90)

4th: FB (87-90), CU (80-81)

5th: FB (88-91), SL (81-82), CU (80-82)

6th: FB (87-92), SL (80), CU (79-81)

3) Justin Masterson: 46 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (8th, 9th), Slider (7th)

• Masterson came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

7th: FB (91-95), SL (87)

8th: FB (93-97), SL (86)

9th: FB (90-97), SL (84-88)

4) Fernando Rodney: 14 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Changeups.

• Rodney came from an over the top release and showed a change with above average fade from lefties with above average sink and a straight 4-seam fastball.

9th: FB (96-99), CU (83-85)

5) Ryan Perry: 12 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Perry came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball and a 2-7 slider with above average bite.

10th: FB (94-97), SL (84-85)

6) Kerry Wood: 13 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Wood came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball and a sharp power 12-6 curve with above average depth.

10th: FB (96-98), CB (80-82)

7) Joe Smith: 7 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Smith came from a sidearm release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink and a 3-8 slider with good bite.

11th: FB (89-91), SL (80-82)

8) Tony Sipp: 3 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Sipp came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little late run in on lefties and a 11-5 slider with good bite.

11th: FB (93), SL (83-84)

9) Bobby Seay: 14 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs, 3 Sliders.

• Seay came from a sidearm release and showed a fastball with good run in on lefties with solid sink and a 9-4 slider with good bite.

11th: FB (91-92), SL (80-82)

10) Jose Veras: 30 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs.

• Veras came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a big breaking 12-6 with solid depth and a split with some dive.

12th: FB (94-97), CB (78-81), Split (85-87)

11) Zach Miner: 21 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Miner came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with solid sink, a change with above average fade from lefties with above average sink and a 2-7 slider with solid bite.

12th: FB (90-95), CU (82)

DET @ CLE: CLE Pitchers

1) Fausto Carmona: 101 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. Fastball (1st), 4 Changeups (1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th)

• Carmon is a 6-4, 230 pound righty. The 25 year old has a big frame that is maxed out and this was his first start since his minor league hiatus. He came from a high 3/4 release. His fastball has above average run in on righties with some sink. His change has good fade from lefties with some sink that he will throw to righties and is his best offspeed offering. His slider is a 2-7 pitch with good bite. He will throw 3-1 changeups in special circumstances against good hitters, such as Miguel Cabrera. Carmona still struggles to command his stuff and his fastball movement can change from pitch to pitch. Has all the tools to be a middle of the rotation starter, but can he put it all together? I still like him.

1st: FB (93-97), CU (85-88)

2nd: FB (93-95), CU (87-88), SL (83-84)

3rd: FB (93-95), CU (86-89), SL (83-86)

4th: FB (93-96), CU (87-88), SL (84-86)

5th: FB (93-96), CU (87-89), SL (86-89)

2) Jose Veras: 10 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Curveball.

• Veras came from a 3/4 release and showed a curve with solid depth that is 12-6 and a fastball with good run in on righties.

6th: FB (95-97), CB (79-81)

3) Chris Perez: 22 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Perez came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink and a sharp 2-7 slider with above average bite.

7th: FB (94-95), SL (83-86)

4) Tony Sipp: 2 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Sipp came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run in on lefties.

8th: FB (90-91)

5) Joe Smith: 14 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Smith came from a sidearm release and showed a fastball with above average run in on righties with solid sink and a 3-8 slider with solid bite.

8th: FB (89-92), SL (82-85)

6) Kerry Wood: 27 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. Fastball (8th), 2 Curveball (both in 9th), Cutter (9th)

• Wood came from an over the top release and showed a cutter with solid cut, a straight 4-seam fastball and a sharp 12-6 curve with above average depth that can be a strikeout pitch.

8th: FB (95-97), Cut (91), CB (81)

9th: FB (95-96), Cut (88-90), CB (78-80)

7) Tomo Ohka: 49 pitches. 9 strikes swinging. 6 Fastballs (11th, 3 in 12th, 13th), 2 Cutters (both in 10th) and a Slider (11th)

• Ohka is a 6-1, 200 pound righty. The 33 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle. He came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties with solid sink, a 2-7 slider with good bite, a cutter with some cut and a little sink, a 12-6 curve with average depth and a change with some fade from lefties with sink.

10th: FB (88-90), SL (83-85), Cut (84), CB (76)

11th: FB (88-91), SL (82-85), Cut (86-88), CU (83)

12th: FB (88-90), SL (85)

13th: FB (86-89), Cut (88)

DET @ CLE: DET Pitchers

1) Edwin Jackson: 115 pitches. 13 strikes swinging. 6 on Fastballs (1st, 2 in 2nd, 3 in 4th), 7 on Sliders (2 in 1st, 3 in 2nd, 3rd, 4th)

• Jackson is a 6-3, 210 pound righty. The 25 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle. He came from an over the top release with a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a change with good fade and solid sink. He had solid command, but the break on his slider was inconsistent and he struggled to put hitters away, despite his gaudy swing and miss total. Last night was a bad night for him, but he still has frontline pitcher stuff.

1st: FB (93-98), SL (86-92), CU (86-87)

2nd: FB (94-99), SL (88-90), CU (87)

3rd: FB (95-99), SL (86-90), CU (86)

4th: FB (94-99), SL (84-92)

2) Zach Miner: 23 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Changeups, Slider.

• Miner came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and good sink, a change with good late fade from lefties with solid sink, a 12-6 curve with slightly above average depth and a 2-7 slider with good bite. His change is his out pitch and he will throw it to righties.

5th: FB (91-94), CU (80-82), SL (82-83), CB (76)

3) Fu Te Ni: 20 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Ni came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties, a sweeping 9-4 slider with solid bite and a change with some fade from righties and some sink.

6th: FB (89-91), SL (77-80), CU (81)

4) Ryan Perry: 15 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball (6th)

• Perry came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball and a big breaking 1-7 slider with above average bite that is more like a slurve.

6th: FB (96-98), SL (85-86)

7th: FB (94-96), SL (84-87)

5) Bobby Seay: 15 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Seay came from a sidearm release and showed a fastball with some late run in on lefties and a little sink and a 9-4 slider with good bite.

7th: FB (91-92), SL (81)

8th: FB (90-92), SL (81)

6) Fernando Rodney: 29 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. Fastball (8th), 3 Changeups (all in 9th)

• Rodney is a 5-11, 220 pound righty. The 32 year old has a small frame that is maxed out. He came from an over the top release and featured a change with above average fade from lefties with above average sink and a fastball with a little run in on righties. The change is his out pitch and he will throw it to righties. When his command is right, he is a talented closer and should make some money this year in free agency.

8th: FB (95-97), CU (83-84)

9th: FB (94-97), CU (81-86)

7) Brandon Lyon: 41 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. Fastball (11th), 4 Curveballs (3 in 11th, 12th)

• Lyon came from an over the top release with a big breaking 12-6 curve with above average depth, a fastball with some run in on righties and a cutter with solid cut and some sink.

10th: FB (93-94), CB (76-80), Cut (90-91)

11th: FB (92-93), CB (78-80), Cut (89-91)

12th: FB (93-94), CB (78), Cut (89-91)

8) Casey Fien: 7 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Fien is a 6-2, 195 pound righty. The 25 year old has a medium frame that can get up to at least 205. He came from an over the top release. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. His slider is a 2-7 with above average bite and he threw quite a few of them. He seemed to have good command of his slider and has all the tools to be a solid middle reliever.

13th: FB (93-94), SL (80-82)

7/31: TOR @ OAK

1) Dallas Braden: 106 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (1st, 3rd), Changeup (7th)

• Braden is a 6-1, 200 pound lefty. The 25 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle. He came from an over the top release. His fastball has some late run in on lefties with sink. His change has some fade from righties and above average sink. His cutter has some cut while his slider is a 11-5 with solid bite that can look like a change at times. He will throw his change to lefties. Solid back of the rotation guy, probably a # 4 for a contender.

1st: FB (87-91), CU (75), Cut (84-87)

2nd: FB (86-89), CU (71-73)

3rd: FB (86-90), CU (70-73), Cut (84-85), SL (74)

4th: FB (87-89), CU (71-73), Cut (83)

5th: FB (82-90), CU (72-74), Cut (82), SL (73-74)

6th: FB (87-91), CU (71-74), SL (73)

7th: FB (85-91), CU (63-75), Cut (84), SL (75)

2) Scott Richmond: 86 pitches. 7 strikes swinging. 4 on Fastballs (1st, 2 in 2nd, 3rd), Curveball (1st), 2 Changeups (both in 3rd)

• Richmond came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a 2-7 slider with some bite, a big breaking 12-6 curve with above average depth and a change with some fade from righties with good sink. He will throw 3-2 curves.

1st: FB (91-94), SL (84-86), CB (78-81)

2nd: FB (91-94), SL (82-85), CB (80), CU (85)

3rd: FB (91-94), SL (86), CB (77-79), CU (82-85)

4th: FB (90-92), CU (83)

3) Brian Tallet: 59 pitches. 8 strikes swinging. 3 on Fastballs (4th, 2 in 6th) and 5 Changeups (4 in 4th, 5th)

• Tallet came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties, a change with good fade from lefties with good sink that looks like a fastball out of his hand and a cutter with good cut. He will throw his change to lefties.

4th: FB (88-91), Cut (88), SL (81), CU (82-85)

5th: FB (88-90), Cut (86), CU (81-83)

6th: FB (87-90), Cut (88), CU (82-84)

4) Jesse Carlson: 16 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Carlson is a sidearming lefty who showed a fastball with good run in on lefties and a 3-8 slider with good bite.

7th: FB (88-89), SL (81-84)

5) Russ Springer: 7 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Cutter

• Springer came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a cutter with good cut and sink.

7th: FB (92-93), Cut (85)

6) Brad Ziegler: 15 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Ziegler came from a submarine release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and some sink and a 4-7 slider with some bite.

8th: FB (85-87), SL (73)

7) Shawn Camp: 15 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Camp came from a 3/4 release with a fastball with above average run in on righties and good sink and a change with above average fade from lefties with good sink.

8th: FB (87-90), CU (78-84)

8) Andrew Bailey: 13 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Cutter.

• Bailey came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a cutter with great cut and flashes sink and a big breaking 12-6 curve with above average depth.

9th: FB (95-96), Cut (87-91), CB (79)

7/31: WAS @ PIT

1) Ross Ohlendorf: 85 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. Fastball (2nd), 4 Sliders (2 in 4th, 2 in 7th)

• Ross is a 6-4, 235 pound righty who really doesn't look that big. The 26 year old has a big frame that is maxed out. He came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties with sink, a 2-7 slider with average bite and a change with good fade lefties with sink. Back of the rotation starter and may not even be able to be that much for a contending team.

1st: FB (91-94), SL (81)

2nd: FB (91-94), CU (84)

3rd: FB (90-93)

4th: FB (90-93), SL (79-82)

5th: FB (89-92), SL (81), CU (82)

6th: FB (89-93), SL (82), CU (82)

7th: FB (89-93), SL (78-82), CU (83)

2) John Lannan: 114 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Curveball (4th)

• Lannan came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties with sink, a 2-7 slider with some bite, a big breaking 11-5 curve with above average depth and a change with some fade from lefties with sink. He will throw any pitch in any count.

1st: FB (86-88), SL (81), CB (71)

2nd: FB (85-88), SL (81), CB (70), CU (83)

3rd: FB (85-87), SL (80-82), CB (71-73)

4th: FB (84-88), SL (81), CB (71-72), CU (79-81)

5th: FB (84-88), SL (79-81), CB (68-72)

6th: FB (85-88)

7th: FB (86-89), SL (78-80), CB (72-74), CU (83)

3) Jesse Chavez: 7 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider

• Chavez came from an over the top release and showed a pretty straight 4-seam, a change with some fade from righties with sink and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

7th: FB (92-93), SL (87-88), CU (81)

4) Jason Bergmann: 20 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Jason came from an over the top release with a power 1-7 curve with average depth, a fastball with good run in on righties and a sharp 2-7 slider with some bite.

8th: FB (89-92), SL (86-87), CB (76-79)

5) Joel Hanrahan: 14 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Hanrahan came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a change with some fade from righties with sink and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (93-95), SL (85), CU (87)

6) Evan Meek: 10 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Meek came from an over the top release and showed a 12-6 curve with good bite and a cutter with some cut in addition to a fastball with a little run in on righties.

8th: FB (95), Cut (90-93), CB (78-82)

7) Matt Capps: 18 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Capps came from an over the top release and showed a 2-7 slider with solid bite and a fastball with a little run in on righties.

9th: FB (93-96), SL (82-85)

Who Get's the PT?

Lost in all these trades is who will be replacing the guy traded away? Let's look:

Indians
Replacing Cliff Lee: Fausto Carmona.
Replacing Victor Martinez: C- Shoppach/Marson, 1B- Marte/LaPorta

Nationals
Replacing Nick Johnson: Adam Dunn, Kearns starts in OF (at least that is what I would do)

Athletics
Replacing Orlando Cabrera: Cliff Pennington

Pirates
Replacing Jack Wilson: Don't think the Pirates know the answer to that one, likely either Luis Cruz, Brian Bixler, Ramon Vazquez or Ronny Cedeno.
Replacing Freddy Sanchez: Delwyn Young

That I think sums up most of it, if you have a guy you want my opinion on replacing, let me know. Below is 1 under the radar signing that may have more impact on the race then some acquired in these deadline deals if he is ready.

Under the Radar Signing:
Rockies sign Mike Timlin

The Nick of Time

The Marlins acquired Nick Johnson from the Nationals for Aaron Thompson.

Marlins Side: Underwhelmed by the performances of Wes Helms, Emilio Bonifacio and Gaby Sanchez, the Marlins pick up a professional hitter who is an injury risk with no power. Johnson should be reinvigorated by a pennant race and is an on base machine, something the Marlins sorely lack. This also allows them to move Jorge Cantu over to 3rd and get Bonifacio to the bench.

Nationals Side: Thompson, a 6-3, 195 pound lefty who is 22 years old, was regarded as the Marlins # 13 prospect coming into the season. Currently at AA Jacksonville, Thompson has finally struggled, going 5-9, 4.11 with 75 strikeouts and 43 walks in 114 innings. Still a good bet to be a major league starter, his star has dimmed, but is a talented pitcher nonetheless.

Overall: Marlins got exactly what they needed and got to keep Stanton, Maybin and the like. Thompson may be good and Johnson may get hurt, but good risks taken by both teams. Give it to the Marlins just due to their track record in giving up pitchers (Anibal Sanchez, Jesus Delgado to name the 2 from the Hanley trade).

Minor Trades

Rockies Get: Joe Beimel
Nationals Get: Ryan Mattheus, Robinson Fabian.

Quick Analysis: Beimel fills another role in that Rockies pen, but isn't a very good fit in my opinion. Mattheus (# 19) has 27 K's in 26 innings at 3 levels this season while Fabian has a 6.24 ERA in 24 appearances (12 starts) at Low-A with 21 walks and 54 K's in 83 innings.

Win: Rockies. Mattheus projects to be a league average reliever while Fabian appears to be an organizational guy.

Braves Get: Adam LaRoche (again)
Red Sox Get: Casey Kotchman

Quick Analysis: Braves get the power bat back that they gave away. Meanwhile, the Red Sox add another lefty 1B to their team, and one whose defensive prowess may be helpful in late innings of playoff games if they move Youkilis to 3rd.

Win: Braves. LaRoche is the same player as Kotchman, but with more power.

Yankees Get: Jerry Hairston
Reds Get: Chase Weems

Quick Analysis: Hairston fills the bench role that the Yankees have struggled to fill while Weems is a Low-A catcher hitting .260-.317-.347 at the age of 20.

Win: Yankees. Weems wouldn't have been a factor for them anyways.

Brewers Get: Claudio Vargas
Dodgers Get: Vinny Rottino

Quick Analysis: Vargas is not an upgrade over Mike Burns and Rottino is a super utility insurance policy should anything happen.

Win: Nope. Doesn't really help either team.

Peavy to Chicago... Again

The Sox have acquired Jake Peavy from the Padres for 4 pitchers: Clayton Richard, Adam Russell, Aaron Poreda and Dexter Carter.

White Sox Side: The White Sox made the deal expecting Cy Young Peavy, but they are going to be getting 2009 Peavy. The righty has battled injuries this year and his stuff has regressed. This is a huge risk being taken by Kenny Williams (who likes to do things like that), acquiring a fly ball pitcher who pitched in a great park for him and moving him to a tougher league with a park that is FAR less forgiving. And, oh yea, he dealt one of his current starters, who is having a better year, for him.

Padres Side: 4 pitchers, a lot of upside.

Richard is the best of the bunch and immediately becomes the Padres best starting pitcher. The lefty has made me a believer and generates great velocity and has solid movement with his fastball and should be able to be a revelation in the NL.

Poreda is a guy I watched and was a little underwhelmed over. That being said, he needs to be sent to AAA and stretched back out so that he can compete for a rotation spot next season. High upside guy who at worst will be a back of the bullpen type lefty.

You would think those two would have been enough, but the Pads got 2 more pitchers.

Russell, 26, was the # 27 prospect in the Sox system prior to the season on the strength of his mid 90's fastball. I have always liked him, but he hasn't done too much at Charlotte this season, going 2-2 with a 3.20 ERA in 34 appearances with 51 strikeouts and 18 walks in 56 innings. I like him as a 1 inning guy, so hopefully the Padres add his power arm next to all of their sinkerballers in that pen.

Carter, 22, is the baby of the bunch. A 13th round pick in last season's draft after being a 12th round pick out of the same high school that produced Justin Upton, he has 2 plus pitches, a 92-93 mile per hour fastball and a hard curveball. Carter has also put up some eye popping numbers at Low-A Kannapolis, going 6-2, 3.13 in 19 starts, while compiling a massive 143 strikeouts against just 32 walks in 118 innings. Another good bet to reach the majors at least.

Overall: If this deal was for the Peavy of 2 years ago, I would have a tough time arguing against it. But, Kenny Williams has taken a huge risk without much of a reward in my opinion and gave up some of his better pitching prospects. Win, Padres.

Big Stick (Again) To Boston

The Red Sox have acquired Victor Martinez for Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Justin Price.

Indians Side: Indians have sold for this season. 3 young pitchers, all with talent.

Masterson should now move to the rotation and go through the typical growing pains these young guys usually face. He will need to refine his change and learn how to add and subtract velocity from his fastball to be successful.

Hagadone, 23, was regarded as the Sox # 3 prospect prior to the season despite having Tommy John Surgery last season. He returned to Low-A Greenville and is 0-2, 2.52 in 10 starts, walking 14 and striking out 32 in 25 innings. They were carefully monitoring him and I expect the Indians to do the same. Won't know what they have with him until the leash comes off next season.

Price, 22, was regarded as the Sox # 20 prospect prior to the season on the strength of his 6-4, 220 pound frame and 90-95 mile per hour sinking fastball. Price has pitched at 2 levels this season (and got hit around at High-A) and has gone 4-8, 4.67 in 19 starts, walking 31 and striking out 97 in 96 and 1/3 innings. He should make it at least as a reliever.

Red Sox Side: Another bat, but where you going to play him? Unless they have made a move to get rid of LaRoche or Lowell, this is a very expensive insurance policy. Can't exactly sit the captain (though they should, and maybe they will). Martinez is a vastly underrated hitter and has the capability to do what Jason Bay did last season.

Overall: Great move by the Red Sox. I am not sold on Masterson's ability as a starter and both pitching prospects have some serious questions. They can figure out where to play him later.

Rolen to Cinci

The Reds have acquired Scott Rolen from the Jays for Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart.

Reds Side: The Reds are obviously trying to compete and get Rolen for this year and next. Have to wonder about this, as the Reds did need a power hitting righty, but is Scott Rolen really going to keep hitting like this next season, when the Reds should have a solid chance of contending?

Blue Jays Side: 3 players, all near major league ready.

Encarnacion is the headliner, but he shouldn't be. He has teased with his tools for years and the Reds finally got sick of waiting for him to develop. Change of scenery will help. Facing better pitching won't.

Roenicke is a stud. Future closer. But, the Jays have enough relievers. Guess you shouldn't pass on him, but why not try and get some young hitters who may need longer to develop?

Stewart has pitched well out of the pen at 3 levels this season, going 4-1, 1.67 in 23 games, 14 starts with 79 K's against 26 walks in 91 innings. He has only appeared out of the pen at AAA.

Overall: Give it to the Reds. Rolen is a better bet to be a good hitter then Encarnacion and while Roenicke is great, Rolen should have had more value.

Get a Cab... To Minnesota

The Twins have acquired Orlando Cabrera for Low-A SS Tyler Ladendorf.

Twins Side: The Twins desperately need a middle infielder and now get a nice 2-month rental as they attempt to make a late push for the Central. Cabrera is a solid hitter who has turned it on of late and should be a solid addition to the lineup.

A's Side: Ladendorf, 21, is hitting .233-.292-.267 at Low-A after starting the season on fire at Elizabethtown (R) hitting .410-.500-.721 with 4 homers in 61 at bats. No idea what to think.

Overall: Easy win for the Twins. If Ladendorf was 18, I would feel better, but a 21 year old who is just now getting his first taste of full season ball (and getting it midseason) doesn't speak too highly of how the Twins thought of him.

Feeling Frenchy in Seattle

The Mariners trade Jarrod Washburn to the Tigers for Lucas French and Mauricio Robles.

Mariners Side: Selling high on a rental pitcher, the M's picked up French and Robles.

French is a 23 year old lefty who I haven't yet seen yet despite his big league time. In the majors this season, he is 1-2, 3.38 in 7 games, 5 starts with 11 walks and 19 strikeouts in 29 and 1/3 innings. He is 6-4, 220 and has a classic starter's build, so he should be a solid MLB pitcher in some role.

Robles is a 20 year old lefty out of Venezuela who was regarded as the Tigers 24th best prospect prior to the season. Robles has split the season at 2 levels (low and high A) and is 8-6, 4.24 with 111 strikeouts and 41 walks in 91 and 1/3 innings. The 5-10, 160 pounder relies on a heater anywhere from 88-94, a 82-83 curve and a change. He was noted as having well below average command, but has appeared to make huge strides this season.

Tigers Side: Washburn fills a huge need and provides a 3rd (or 4th if Porcello continues to start) starter that can eat innings and shouldn't drop off too much down the stretch. He also has playoff experience and should be a good mentor to some guys who will be getting their first cracks at it.

Overall: Good get for the Tigers, while the Mariners got all they could for a 2-month rental. Think it's a wash.

Grabowing a Lefty

The Cubs dealt Kevin Hart, Jose Ascanio and Josh Harrison to the Pirates for Tom Gorzelanny and John Grabow.

Pirates Side: The Pirates get back 2 pitchers and a middle infield prospect.

Hart is the best of the bunch, but is likely no better then a # 4 starter or middle reliever. There are reports on him as both a reliever and starter on prior blog entries.

Ascanio is a big armed righty, but is more of a reliever and he will likely be taking the spot of Grabow in the MLB bullpen.

Harrison, 22, is a 2B prospect who is has made his way to High-A this season, hitting .286-.351-.400 and is 10/11 on steals in 70 AB's. For the minor league season, he is .327-.372-.464 with 26 steals against 10 caught. Seems to be a good risk.

Cubs Side: Grabow fits what they need fairly well, a solid lefty reliever who can go multiple innings to team with Sean Marshall, Aaron Heilman and Carlos Marmol in the back of the pen. Gorzelanny is a good risk and if he can show the form he had shown as recently as 2 years ago, he is a steal.

Overall: The Cubs get the win, Grabow is solid and Gorzelanny is a good risk while who knows what these pitchers and Harrison will turn into?

Sherring Up the Pen

The O's dealt George Sherrill to the Dodgers for Josh Bell and Steve Johnson.

Orioles Side: The Orioles had no real use for Sherrill and dealt him at his near highest value.

Bell, 22, is a 3B, which is a huge position of need for Baltimore in the coming months. At AA, he has hit .296-.386-.497 with 11 HR's in 334 at bats, though the 70 strikeouts can be a bit distressing. Rated the # 8 prospect in the system prior to the season, he is a big guy (6-3, 235) and will need to stick at 3B to provide the highest value to the O's, though he is likely to be a solid hitter in the majors.

Johnson, 21, was regarded as the Dodgers 15th best prospect prior to the season on the strength of his pitchability with good stuff, as he is the son of former Orioles pitcher Dave. Johnson spent most of this year at High A, going 8-4, 3.82 with 102 K's and 42 walks in 96 innings. He has a high effort delivery and may be a better fit for the pen, especially with the caliber of pitchers coming up through the O's system.

Dodgers Side: Sherrill fills their biggest need and he is a huge upgrade over the Will Ohman's, Brent Leach's and others that have tried to fill that role. This was their main weakness and now have him and Kuo coming at lefties, a huge thing if they meet the Phillies in the playoffs.

Overall: Split. Dead heat. This acquisition helps LA more then the casual fan thinks, but it cost them 2 prospects who look like good bets to be contributors at the major league level.

A Win in Pitt?

The Giants traded former 1st round pick Tim Alderson to the Pirates for Freddy Sanchez.

Pirates Side: I love this deal for the Pirates. Alderson is a 6-7, 215 pound righty who was the 22nd overall pick in the 2007 draft. Alderson was another high school righty who pitched a level ahead of Bumgarner last year and is currently in AA at the age of (get ready for this) 20. Alderson was 6-1, 3.47 at AA Connecticut with 14 walks and 46 strikeouts in 72 innings. He is a great prospect and one who projects to add at least a little more velocity to his fastball. Word is he has lost some stuff on his pitches this season, but he is just 20 and in AA, so he should be fine to be at least a # 4 starter in the majors.

Giants Side: Black hole, filled. Sanchez is a perfect fit for those gaps at their home field and should be able to maintain his current level of production with his gap to gap line drive approach. He slips right into their # 2 hole in the order, though the Giants still need a power bat at one of their outfield corners.

Overall: Classic need vs. quality trade, I am going to side with the Pirates on this one, as I am about a big a fan of Alderson as you can be without seeing him pitch before.

The 5 for 2 Switcheroo

The Pirates dealt Ian Snell and Jack Wilson to the Mariners for Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno, Nathan Adcock, Brett Lorin and Aaron Pribanic.

Pirates Side: In a cost cutting move, the Pirates went for quantity vs. quality.

Clement is a catcher who can't catch. The 25, soon to be 26 year old is now a 1Bmen who hasn't set the world on fire at AAA this year, hitting .288-.366-.505 and has struggled each chance he has had at the big league level. This will be his last (and best chance) at being an everyday player and should beat out Steve Pearce for the 1B job soon after his recall (which should be soon) and will get a solid 2 month audition for next season.

Cedeno likely becomes the everyday 2B for the Pirates and they will also likely audition him to see if he can fulfill the promise he once showed.

Adcock, 21, is a 6-5, 190 pound righty who features an average 88-92 fastball. Regarded as the 24th best prospect in the system, he went 5-7, 5.29 in High A High Desert (hitter's league) and has 54 walks against 71 strikeouts in 102 innings.

Pribanic, 23, is a 6-4, 200 pound righty who was a 3rd round pick in last years draft. Regarded as the 27th best prospect in the system, he went 7-6, 3.21 at Low A Clinton with 26 walks against 54 strikeouts in 87 innings. Best pitch is a 91-94 mile per hour fastball.

Lorin, 22, is a 6-7, 245 pound righty who was a 5th round pick in last years draft. His best pitch is a hard breaking ball to go with his 88-92 mile per hour fastball. Regarded as the 28th best prospect in the system, he went 5-4, 2.44 at Low A Clinton with 25 walks and 87 strikeouts in 88 and 2/3 innings.

Mariners Side: The Mariners get a pitcher with more talent then any they gave up have (Snell) and a SS to fill their black hole. Snell should be a perfect fit for the ballpark and as long as he doesn't gripe with the M's front office like he did with the Pirates front office, he should be a solid # 3 starter.

Wilson is amongst the best defensive SS in the majors and fits well with Jack Z's defense first philosophy he appears to be implementing. Wilson is a good 1 and 1/2 year stop gap as they wait for Carlos Triunfel to be ready (Will, why does Triunfel only have 3 AA at bats, hurt?) and gives them the chance to trade high on Carlos Silva next season with the infield defense they should have.

Overall: The Pirates are trying to stock their system with quantity and hope something comes out. Each pitcher they got is projectable and somewhat young professionally, but are about the age of their levels. The Mariners get back a solid SS and a pitcher I really like and didn't give up anything great unless you really like Clement. Going with the M's with the win on this one.

A New Lee in Philly

The Phillies traded Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, Jason Knapp and Lou Marson for last year's Cy Young Winner, Cliff Lee.

Indians Side: Knowing their odds of competing next year were low, the Indians sold high on Lee. That being said, their haul is fairly disappointing.

Carrasco is the best of the bunch, a 23 year old righty with a good FB-CU combo and appears to be big league ready. He isn't going to get much better or throw much harder sadly and is likely no more then a # 3 starter, and may be a # 4 in the AL. Here is a link to a more detailed scouting report on him: http://tkbaseball.blogspot.com/2009/07/ironpigs-observations.html

Donald, 24, was highly regarded as recently as last year, but performance combined with injury has weakened his stock. Donald hit .236-.297-.332 at AAA Lehigh Valley and has never put up real eye popping #'s at any level. His finest season (last year at AA), he hit .307 with 14 HR's and 11 SB's. Good numbers, but nothing jumps out with that line. I think he eventually turns into a utility player, but that is based on just reading scouting reports.

Marson is another touted prospect that has had a rough go in AAA. Rated the # 3 prospect by BA prior to the season, the 23 year old Marson hit .294-.382-.370 with a homer at AAA Lehigh Valley. He will not hit for a ton of power (career high in a season is 7 in 2007) and is just average defensively. He should be a decent backup, but there a lot of catchers with Marson's qualifications in AAA due to not having one really good skill.

Knapp is the wild card. Just 18, the righty has put up some eye catching numbers this season at Low-A Lakewood, going 2-7 with a 4.01 ERA and a stunning 111 K's vs. 39 walks in just 85 innings. However, he was just put on the DL with "shoulder fatigue", which is usually a precursor to a more severe arm injury. He is also said to have a high octane delivery and will likely profile fairly well as a reliever with a high 90's fastball.

The Indians got the # 2, 3, 4 and 10 prospects from the Phillies system prior to the season, but most of seen their stock drop this season.

Phillies Side: Getting Cliff Lee without emptying your farm system. Genius. Excellent deal for Philly and they have to be amongst the favorites to win it all again.

Overall: The Phillies win this going away, as all the players they dealt will likely play in the majors, but none will have the impact of a Cliff Lee.

7/30: ATL @ FLA

1) Javier Vazquez: 110 pitches. 8 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (4th, 2 in 5th), 2 Curves (1st, 5th), 2 Changeups (4th, 6th), Slider (6th)

• Vazquez is a 6-2, 210 pound righty. The 33 year old has a medium frame that looks the same when he came up and isn't going to add any more muscle. He came from a 3/4 release, though he will drop down every once in awhile to lefties to throw FB's away. His fastball has some run in on righties. His change has above average fade from lefties with solid sink. His slider is a 2-7 with above average bite and he calls it a slider/cutter and it can move like a cutter on occasion with cut and a little sink at times. His curve is a 12-6 with above average depth that can be a strikeout pitch. He will add and subtract from all his pitches. Solid # 2 starter and he should have a ton more wins.

1st: FB (89-94), SL (84), CB (74-78), CU (82)

2nd: FB (91-93), SL (81-86), CB (68-74), CU (80)

3rd: FB (91-92), SL (84), CB (74-78), CU (82)

4th: FB (92), SL (80-84), CB (72), CU (77-80)

5th: FB (91-93), SL (81-85), CB (70-76)

6th: FB (91-92), SL (83-85), CB (76), CU (76-81)

7th: FB (91-93), SL (84), CB (70-75), CU (77-83)

8th: FB (90-93), SL (78-84), CB (73-74)

2) Rick VandenHurk: 95 pitches. 10 strikes swinging. 5 Fastballs (2 in 3rd, 2 in 4th, 6th), 4 Sliders (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th)

• Rick is a 6-5, 195 pound righty. The 24 year old has a big frame that can add a lot more muscle. He came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with some sink. His slider is a sharp 2-7 with average bite. His change has some fade from lefties and a little sink. He is a 2-trick pony and needs to further refine his change to be a starter. His control is good, but his command can be erratic and he can miss in the middle of the plate with all his pitches. As a starter, his upside is that of a # 3 and would likely settle in as a 4. As a reliever, he would be a classic sinker-slider and should be a solid middle guy.

1st: FB (91-93), SL (83-84), CU (85)

2nd: FB (90-93), SL (84), CU (86)

3rd: FB (90-94), SL (82-84), CU (84-86)

4th: FB (91-94), SL (82-86)

5th: FB (91-93), SL (81-86), CU (86)

6th: FB (90-95), SL (83-87)

3) Kiko Calero: 21 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Calero came from an over the top release and shwoed a change with good fade and above average sink, a fastball with some run in on righties and a 2-7 slider with above average bite.

7th: FB (87-89), SL (79-81), CU (81)

4) Dan Meyer: 11 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball, 2 Cutters.

• Meyer came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a cutter with solid cut.

8th: FB (89-91), Cut (86-88)

5) Mike Gonzalez: 24 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs, Slider.

• Gonzalez came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a 11-5 slider with good bite. He has both a get me over slider that can look like a curve and a sharp out pitch version.

8th: FB (88-93), SL (76-84)

6) Brendan Donnelly: 17 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs, 2 Sliders.

• Donnelly came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a little sink, a 2-7 slider with some bite and a change with solid dive.

9th: FB (89-92), SL (87-88), CU (81)

7) Peter Moylan: 14 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Slider.

• Moylan came from a sidearm release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and sink and a sweeping 3-8 slider with good bite.

9th: FB (86-90), SL (76-79)

8) Luis Ayala: 27 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Ayala is a 6-2, 190 pound righty. The 31 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle. He came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on rightesi and a 2-7 slider with some bite.

10th: FB (90-92), SL (82-87)

9) Rafael Soriano: 18 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Sliders.

• Soriano came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and sink, a cutter with good cut and a 2-7 slider with above average bite.

10th: FB (92-95), SL (82-84), Cut (89-91)

7/30: OAK @ BOS

1) Jon Lester: 104 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (4th, 6th), 3 Cutters (all in 6th)

• Lester came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a power 12-6 curve with good depth, a change with good fade from righties with a little sink and a cutter with good cut.

1st: FB (94-98), CB (80), CU (87)

2nd: FB (93-97), CB (78-79), Cut (90)

3rd: FB (92-96), CB (78-82), Cut (88-90)

4th: FB (93-97), CB (80), Cut (90-92)

5th: FB (94-97), CB (82), CU (88)

6th: FB (92-98), CB (79-83), CU (88), Cut (88-92)

2) Gio Gonzalez: 107 pitches. 9 strikes swinging. Fastball (2nd), 7 Curveballs (2 in 2nd, 2 in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th), Changeup (3rd)

• Gonzalez is a 5-11, 195 pound lefty. The 23 year old has a small frame that is maxed out. He came from a 3/4 release. His fastball has some run in on lefties. His curve is a sharp 10-4 with solid depth and is a strikeout pitch. His change has good fade and some sink. As a starter, he probably profiles as a # 3 or 4 due to some command issues (though he showed none in this game) and as a reliever profiles as a potential set-up man that can get out both lefties and righties.

1st: FB (91-94), CB (81-82)

2nd: FB (91-94), CB (78-82)

3rd: FB (91-95), CB (78-82), CU (85-87)

4th: FB (91-93), CB (80-82), CU (85)

5th: FB (90-93), CB (80-82), CU (85-87)

6th: FB (92-94), CB (78-83), CU (87)

3) Manny Delcarmen: 21 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball (6th), Changeup (7th)

• Delcarmen came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a change with some fade from lefties with sink and he will throw the change to righties.

6th: FB (93-96), CU (83)

7th: FB (95-97), CU (82-84)

4) Russ Springer: 8 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Springer came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a cutter with good cut.

6th: FB (94-96), Cut (86)

5) Michael Wuertz: 19 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Sliders.

• Wuertz came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little tail and a 2-7 slider that is sharp with above average bite.

7th: FB (90-92), SL (84-87)

6) Craig Breslow: 8 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Breslow came from a high 3/4 and showed a 11-5 curve with solid depth and a fastball with some run in on lefties.

7th: FB (89-92), CB (72)

7) Santiago Casilla: 14 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Casilla came from a 3/4 release and shwoed a fastball with some run in on righties, a change with some fade from lefties and a little sink and a 2-7 slider with solid bite.

8th: FB (95-98), SL (86-87), CU (87)

8) Daniel Bard: 8 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Bard came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties and a 2-7 slider with above average bite.

8th: FB (98-101), SL (84-86)

9) Jonathan Papelbon: 17 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Splitter

• Papelbon came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a split with good dive and a 2-7 slider with some bite.

9th: FB (98-99), SL (87-88), Split (94)

7/29: LAD @ STL (Dodgers Pitchers)

1) Clayton Kershaw: 112 pitches. 10 strikes swinging. 8 Fastballs (1st, 2 in 2nd, 2 in 3rd, 2 in 5th, 7th), Curveball (2nd), Slider (3rd)

• Kershaw came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a little sink, a 11-5 slider with some bite, a big breaking 11-5 curve with excellent depth that can be a strikeout pitch and a change with some fade from righties that he will throw 3-1.

1st: FB (93-95), CB (71-74), SL (79-80)

2nd: FB (94-97), CB (72-73)

3rd: FB (94-96), CB (73), SL (81-84)

4th: FB (95), CB (71-72), SL (77-79), CU (81)

5th: FB (93-96), CB (73)

6th: FB (94-96), CB (72-73), SL (77-80)

7th: FB (92-95), CB (71), SL (75-79)

8th: FB (95-96), CB (72), SL (82)

2) Jonathan Broxton: 16 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Broxton came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some tail and a hard, sharp 2-7 slider with above average bite.

9th: FB (97-100), SL (89-91)

3) Ramon Troncoso: 30 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball (11th).

• Troncoso came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink and a 1-7 curve with above average depth.

10th: FB (92-96), CB (79-80)

11th: FB (93-95), CB (80-81)

4) Hong-Chih Kuo: 6 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Kuo is a 6-1, 240 pound lefty, though he doesn't look to be that big. The 27 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out. He comes from a 3/4 release with a max effort delivery that has a lot of moving parts. His fastball has some run in on lefties while his slier is a sweeping 10-4 with good bite. Great reliever when healthy.

11th: FB (94-96), SL (86-87)

5) Guillermo Mota: 7 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs, Changeup.

• Mota came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a 2-7 slider with solid bite and a hard change with some fade from lefties that he will throw to righties.

12th: FB (94-95), SL (88), CU (86-88)

6) Jeff Weaver: 44 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball (15th), 2 Sliders (13th, 15th)

• Weaver came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a 3-8 slider with good bite and a change with some fade from lefties.

13th: FB (88-93), SL (82-84)

14th: FB (90-91), SL (81-83), CU (82-83)

15th: FB (89-94), SL (80-84)

7/29: LAD @ STL (Cardinals Pitchers)

1) Joel Pineiro: 112 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 6 Fastballs (2nd, 3rd, 2 in 5th, 7th, 8th)

• Pineiro is a 6-1, 200 pound righty. The 30 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out. He came from an over the top release. His fastball is a 2-seam with some run in on righties with solid sink. His curve is a 1-7 with slightly above average depth. His cutter has good cut and some sink. His change has some fade from lefties that he will throw to righties. Good # 4 starter.

1st: FB (89-91), Cut (87), CB (80)

2nd: FB (87-90), Cut (85), CB (78)

3rd: FB (90-92)

4th: FB (89-92), Cut (86), CB (80)

5th: FB (87-91), Cut (85-86), CU (83-85)

6th: FB (89-91), Cut (86-87), CB (77)

7th: FB (88-91)

8th: FB (90-92), CU (84)

2) Dennys Reyes: 9 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Reyes came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with above average run in on lefties and good sink, a change with good fade from righties with some sink and a 9-3 slider with solid bite.

9th: FB (90), CU (84-85), SL (83-85)

3) Kyle McClellan: 29 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Cutter (9th)

• McClellan came from a high 3/4 release and showed a cutter with good cut and sink, a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a 1-7 curve with above average depth and a change with good fade from lefties with good sink.

9th: Cut (86-88), FB (91-92)

10th: Cut (85-88), FB (90-92), CB (74-75), CU (84)

4) Trever Miller: 3 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Miller came from a low 3/4 and showed a 11-5 slider with good bite and a fastball with good run in on lefties.

10th: FB (86-88), SL (79)

5) Ryan Franklin: 16 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Cutter, 2 Curveballs.

• Franklin is a 6-3, 190 pound righty. The 36 year old righty has a medium frame that can add more muscle. He came from a high 3/4 release and showed a cutter with good cut, a split with above average dive, a 1-7 curve with average depth and a fastball with good run in on righties with some sink.

11th: FB (91-92), Cut (87-90), CB (77-78), Split (84)

6) Jason Motte: 22 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs, Splitter.

• Motte came from an over the top release and showed a 4-seam (94-98) with a little run in on righties, a 2-seam with some sink in addition to run (89-92) and a split with okay dive.

12th: FB (89-98), Split (78-81)

7) Blake Hawksworth: 47 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball (13th), 2 Changeups (both in 14th)

• Hawksworth is a 6-3, 195 pound righty. The 26 year old has a medium frame that can get up to at least 210. He came from a 3/4 release with a max effort delivery that appears to put extra pressure on his shoulder. His fastball has some late run in on righties with sink. His cutter has good cut. His change has some fade from lefties with sink and he will throw it to righties. I think he fits best as a reliever and may be able to hold up in 2 inning outings and be a bridge to your setup men as a middle reliever.

13th: FB (91-95), Cut (87-89)

14th: FB (91-95), Cut (88), CU (82-84)

15th: FB (91-94), Cut (85), CU (82-84)

7/29: CHW @ MIN

1) Jose Contreras: 112 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 3 Splitters (1st, 2nd, 4th), Fastball (1st), Slider (1st), Changeup (2nd)

• Contreras came anywhere from 3/4 to over the top and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties, a 2-7 slider with solid bite, a splitter with excellent dive and a change with some sink that he will throw to righties.

1st: FB (89-94), SL (83-86), Split (74-79)

2nd: FB (89-93), SL (79-85), Split (74-78), CU (85)

3rd: FB (89-93), SL (81-84)

4th: FB (90-91), SL (82), Split (76-77)

5th: FB (88-92), SL (84-85), Split (75-78)

6th: FB (89-92), SL (82-85)

2) Brian Duensing: 64 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. Fastball (2nd), Curve (2nd), Slider (3rd), Changeup (5th)

• Duensing is a 5-11, 195 pound lefty. The 26 year old has a small frame that is maxed out. He came from a high 3/4 release and looked just like he did 2 years ago for Rochester. His fastball has some run in on lefties. His curve is an 11-5 with solid depth. His slider is an 11-5 with good btie. His change has some fade from righties and some sink and will throw the pitch 3-1. You could do worse as a # 5 starter.

1st: FB (90-92), SL (82), CB (73), CU (83)

2nd: FB (90-93), SL (81-83), CB (70-72), CU (82-83)

3rd: FB (89-92), SL (80-81), CB (70), CU (83)

4th: FB (90-93), SL (79-83), CU (82-86)

5th: FB (89-92), SL (78-81), CB (72), CU (83-85)

3) Jesse Crain: 22 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Crain is a 6-1, 215 pound righty. The 28 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out. He came from an over the top release. His fastball has a little run in on righties, but is fairly straight. His curve is a 12-6 with excellent depth and is sharp enough to be a strikeout pitch. His slider is a 2-7 with solid bite. Solid middle reliever and I still think has the stuff to close in spots.

6th: FB (95-97), SL (87-89), CB (75)

7th: FB (94-95), CB (75)

4) Randy Williams: 10 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Williams is a 6-3, 190 pound lefty. The 33 year old has a big frame that can get up to 205, but likely won't and this was his first big league action since 2005. He came from a high 3/4 release and his fastball has a little tail in on righties and his cutter has solid cut. I think he can be a Matt Thornton type, but one with a above average fastball vs. a plus one and is a good 2nd lefty for a pen.

6th: FB (92-95)

7th: FB (93), Cut (84-87)

5) Tony Pena: 16 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 4 Sliders (8th)

• Pena came from an over the top release with a fastball with some run in on righties and a 2-7 slider with solid bite and a change with good fade from lefties with some sink.

7th: SL (85-88)

8th: FB (94-96), SL (88-89), CU (89-90)

6) Matt Guerrier: 14 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Guerrier came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a 2-7 slider with slightly above average bite and a 12-6 curve with above average depth.

8th: FB (90-93), SL (85-86), CB (77-79)

7) Joe Nathan: 20 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs, Slider.

• Nathan came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a 2-7 slider with above average bite.

9th: FB (91-94), SL (87-88)

7/29: NYY @ TB

1) Matt Garza: 110 pitches. 8 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (1st, 6th), 4 Sliders (2 in 2nd, 4th, 5th), Curveball (6th), Changeup (7th)

• Garza came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a 12-6 curve with above average depth, a 2-7 slider with above average bite and a change with good fade from righties and sink.

1st: FB (89-94), SL (85-88), CB (74)

2nd: FB (88-94), SL (86-87), CB (75)

3rd: FB (90-93), SL (84), CB (73), CU (84)

4th: FB (88-93), SL (86), CB (76), CU (82-83)

5th: FB (90-95), SL (84-89), CB (75-76)

6th: FB (89-94), SL (83-87), CB (74-76), CU (80-82)

7th: FB (90-94), SL (86), CB (77), CU (84)

2) Joba Chamberlain: 101 pitches. 10 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (2nd, 3rd, 5th), 6 on Sliders (3rd, 2 in 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th), Curveball (3rd)

• Joba came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties, a 2-7 slider with above average bite that he threw both 3-1 and 3-2, a big breaking 12-6 curve and a change with some fade from lefties.

1st: FB (90-95), SL (83)

2nd: FB (91-94), SL (83), CB (74)

3rd: FB (90-94), SL (83-85), CB (75-80)

4th: FB (91-94), CB (75-81)

5th: FB (90-95), SL (84-87), CB (75), CU (81)

6th: FB (91-94), SL (81-86), CB (75)

7th: FB (92-95), SL (83-85)

8th: FB (90-94), SL (83-85), CB (75)

3) Brian Shouse: 1 pitch. 0 strikes swinging.

• Shouse is a 5-10, 190 pound lefty. The 40 year old has a small frame that is nearly maxed out. I didn't get a good look at his fastball.

8th: FB (79)

4) Lance Cormier: 9 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Curveball.

• Cormier came from an over the top release and showed a 1-7 curve with average depth, a cutter with solid cut and a fastball with some run in on righties and a little sink.

8th: FB (89), CB (76-77), Cut (87-88)

5) Dan Wheeler: 14 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Wheeler came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a cutter with some cut.

9th: FB (87-89), Cut (83-84)

6) Brian Bruney: 15 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Bruney came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run and sink on righteis and a 2-7 slider with average bite.

9th: FB (90-94), SL (85-88)

7) Mariano Rivera: 14 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 3 Cutters.

• Rivera came from an over the top and showed a cutter with excellent cut.

9th: Cut (89-93)