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Stephen Strasburg Is Human After All

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Already being in possession of the record $15.1 million for a draft pick, the story of the day was Stephen Strasburg's debut in spring training as the Washington Nationals took on the Detroit Tigers. Strasburg, the 2009 number one overall draft pick, spent some time in the Arizona Fall League last year and this was his first start facing major league batters.

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#1 draft picks always have a lot of baggage attached to them, pundits will endlessly try to predict whether you're looking at the next Adrian Gonzalez or the next Bryan Bullington, but Strasburg has an even higher profile than usual aside from the hefty price tag. You'd think he was the Second Coming if he didn't throw a baseball for a living. But in Florida we saw a more finished product although definitely a work in progress; after retiring the first five batters he faced in a mere 13 pitches, things got a little shaky as Strasburg gave up two hits before recording a strikeout for his final out of the day. Detroit won the game 9-4 although not too many were keeping score.

It was an impressive enough performance, even though it was only two innings long, and it will no doubt heighten the calls for the 21 year old to play in the big leagues this year especially if further outings are of a similar quality. However no club in it's right mind would make a top prospect like Strasburg eligible for arbitration and free agency a year early when adding him to their roster still doesn't put them in contention for a playoff spot in 2010. Then again, these are the Washington Nationals so you never know.
 
yeah I gotta think they wait until at least may or whatever the time line is, that allows them to start the arbitration clock one year later. maybe even may of 2011, I don't care how great your arm is you need SOME seasoning, and I think Strasburg has to build his arm up this year, without pitching a ton of "pressure pitches" since his inning counts have been so low the past few years due to not being a starter in college. we know that injury chances increase exponentially when young guys go more than 10-20% increase in their innings over the year before. and its much worse when you are making high pressure/pitches innings.

and I think for a pro rookie let alone a MLB pro rookie ALL the pitches are pressure pitches when you are trying to prove you are worth that price tag.
 
The Nats are the cheapest organization in baseball. They aren't bringing him up until June to postpone his "super 2" status. The actual date in June can fluctuate in a given season, but they aren't bringing him up until they are sure about his arbitration clock being delayed. The Braves did the same thing with Hanson last year. The Rays did it with Longoria.
 
Archie
yeah I gotta think they wait until at least may or whatever the time line is, that allows them to start the arbitration clock one year later.
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As I said above, the date can fluctuate. A player with less than 3 years MLB service time may become eligible for arbitration if they have all 3 of the following qualifications:

1. At least 2 years of service, but less than 3
2. at least 86 days of service in the previous year
3. rank in the top 17% of all two-year players in active service time

You can see the 3rd qualification is what makes this date variable. You want to make sure you bring him up late enough so that he won't rank in the top 17% of all two-year plus players in service time when arbitration rolls around 2 years later. You don't really know until the time comes how many players brought up before yours will rank ahead of yours in active service time. The cutoff typically falls between 2 years, 128 days and 2 years, 140 days of service.
 
Thanks Jello! Never knew the details on that either? The Phils were suspect on that on occasions also, don't think otherwise. Halladay, Lee, Hamels? No, Halladay, Hamels. 9 million would have done it. We win a WS so let's be nice and give a 46 year old guy who could loose it at any moment a 2 yr. contract. And he complains last year about going to the bullpen? You had the highest starting ERA in the NL pal? Only had a good record cause of run support.

I hope this fuk can't reach the plate with his pitches and they can eat his contract. Unappreciative old geezer! OK, I excited about baseball and went off subject. I love to go to a game and just start verbally abusing Moyer inning after inning but I would get physically abused in Philly!
 
Mr Monkey. the thought of Halladay, Lee at the top of Philly's rotation scared the crap out of me. To be honest though, I think Haap at this point is more worrisome to face than Hamel. There's an entire subset of baseball nerds who have baseball equations for everything. If you believe in that sort of stuff, prevailing wisdom is that Hamels had a higher than expected percentage of balls in play go for outs his first two seasons. Last year he was right in line with what he should have been. Plus he's lost a tick or two on that fastball from 2 years ago. Still a really good pitcher, but not a superstar.


Speaking of lefty superstars, anybody get a look at Aroldis Chapman yesterday? Holy shit!


http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news...t_id=8714614&vkey=news_cin&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin
 
Jello
Mr Monkey. the thought of Halladay, Lee at the top of Philly's rotation scared the crap out of me. To be honest though, I think Haap at this point is more worrisome to face than Hamel. There's an entire subset of baseball nerds who have baseball equations for everything. If you believe in that sort of stuff, prevailing wisdom is that Hamels had a higher than expected percentage of balls in play go for outs his first two seasons. Last year he was right in line with what he should have been. Plus he's lost a tick or two on that fastball from 2 years ago. Still a really good pitcher, but not a superstar.
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I do believe those nerdy stats and I never really bought into Hamels when he was winning. His stuff just isn't dominant. He was getting the opposite of tough luck losses all the time.
 
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