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Saarloos was a very successful college and minor league pitcher, but it appears that the scouts were right to think that his stuff wouldn't translate to major league success. Baseball Prospectus 2003 said of Saarloos, "There’s a debate as to whether Saarloos can thrive with a fastball that’s a few ticks south of average. Put us down squarely on the side that believes his minor league dominance portends success in the majors." I would have agreed wholeheartedly. Saarloos isn't a bad pitcher, but he hasn't quite lived up to that prediction or his minor league resume. But his current pitching style, as seen through pitch-by-pitch data, would seem to reflect an approach based on a lack of stuff. This is in turn reflected in his walk and strikeout rates.
But at least Saarloos has that sinker. As a back-end starter, the Reds could do a lot worse than a grounder-inducing junkballer, particularly in a home run park.
I am always high on AL pitchers who have had even a moderate amount of success moving to the NL. I think Saarloos could be a "not-quite-as-good-but-still-pretty-good" version of Bronson. At least I hope.
ReplyDeleteWell, the Reds certainly are stocking up on those sorts of guys: Arroyo, Lohse, and now Saarloos. I'm the least optimistic about Saarloos of those three, but I can still see him being something close to adequate if he can rediscover his lower walk rate of 2005. If he continues to nibble, and hitters continue to lay off his sinker, his tenure with the team might be short-lived.
ReplyDeleteBut he might be one of those guys who will benefit early from the league change, since there will be lots of hitters who haven't "learned" how to deal with him yet. We'll see. If nothing else, I think he's worth a shot--and we didn't give up much to get him.
-j