Nick Masset

[Jack Parkman]

I wonder whether KW will let him go. He has a really good arm but hasn't put it together yet and is out of options. He will be 26 in may, so is he an AAAA or does he have a chance to stay with the big club? He was one of the key pieces in the McCarthy trade and if he is gone then it looks like the trade is Danks for McCarthy straight up. I also wonder what he'll do with Aardsma. Any thoughts guys?

[Gene Honda Civic]

AAAA pitchers, by definition are good in AAA.

[Jack Parkman]

AAAA pitchers, by definition are good in AAA.

Wasn't he pretty good in AAA in the Rangers system? I'm sure he had issues with adjusting to being a starter again and confidence when he got sent down in July. I'm sure he had to pitch pretty well there if he got a shot with the Rangers.

 

[Chisoxfn]

You can bet your butt that if he isn't in the Sox plans that you will see Kenny include in him a trade (whether it is with Crede or just by himself for another guy).

[Gene Honda Civic]

Wasn't he pretty good in AAA in the Rangers system? I'm sure he had issues with adjusting to being a starter again and confidence when he got sent down in July. I'm sure he had to pitch pretty well there if he got a shot with the Rangers.

No. Masset's career WHIP in AAA is 1.49, which matches his 1.52 in AA, and predictably works out to a 1.85 in the majors.

[santo=dorf]

No. Masset's career WHIP in AAA is 1.49, which matches his 1.52 in AA, and predictably works out to a 1.85 in the majors.

Ah, they obviously must be the "things we don't know about Masset" KW talked about when he acquired him.

[Balta1701]

A lot depends on how things come out.

 

IMO, it's entirely possible Masset gets a job handed to him one more time, on these grounds.

 

1. Danks, Floyd, and Contreras appear to have rotation spots sewn up, for better or worse. All 3 struggled at times last season, and could prove to be less than innings-eaters.

 

2. We currently have 5 people in our bullpen by my count, 2 of whom struggled mightily last year, 2 of whom are specialist guys, and 1 of whom is a really good closer.

 

3. If nothing else, we need at least one more RHP in our bullpen simply to get to an 11 man pitching staff.

 

4. Given the worries expressed in #1, it makes an awful lot of sense to stick a long reliever in the bullpen and go with a 12 man pitching staff to start the year. Nick can fill that role. Maybe not well but he can at least pitch more than one inning.

[fathom]

I think Broadway is the leading candidate to be the long man out of the bullpen. I'll be surprised if Masset joins the big league squad again.

[Harry Chappas]

Aren't Masset and Floyd out of options? If so they would justabout guaranteed spots on the roster.

[Balta1701]

Aren't Masset and Floyd out of options? If so they would justabout guaranteed spots on the roster.

Yes, they are both out of options.

[Balta1701]

I think Broadway is the leading candidate to be the long man out of the bullpen. I'll be surprised if Masset joins the big league squad again.

That's an entirely plausible argument as well. I really don't know what will happen with those guys. With that rotation and the youth/specialists in our pen, I think we def. need the 12 man staff with a long man included, and I think Masset is going to get the first shot. At least my feeling is they might want to keep Lance as a starter at least for now, in case one of the other guys self-destructs or Contreras hits the DL again. But then again, Charlie probably fits somewhere into this discussion as well, and I really don't know where. We might have 3 nearly equal candidates, 1 of whom is out of options.

[BlackBetsy]

I think Broadway is the leading candidate to be the long man out of the bullpen. I'll be surprised if Masset joins the big league squad again.

I was just thinking I like Broadway for that role. Throws strikes (mostly), has decent enough stuff. If he develops into a back end of the rotation starter, it will come out of his long man experience in the bigs.

 

IMHO, the Sox don't give their prospects enough chances to succeed, such as by being a long man. Low pressure appearances to learn how to get guys out.

[hitlesswonder]

I was just thinking I like Broadway for that role. Throws strikes (mostly), has decent enough stuff.

Broadway had significant control problems in AAA last season (4.5 BB per 9 innings pitched). It's true he was working on a new pitch, but you can't cont on him to throw strikes right now.

[Balta1701]

Broadway had significant control problems in AAA last season (4.5 BB per 9 innings pitched). It's true he was working on a new pitch, but you can't cont on him to throw strikes right now.

Which is why I think they'll be giving him at least another start in AAA next year...that combined with the fact that Masset is out of options just keeps arguing that they'll try to turn around Nick one more time.

[YASNY]

I was just thinking I like Broadway for that role. Throws strikes (mostly), has decent enough stuff. If he develops into a back end of the rotation starter, it will come out of his long man experience in the bigs.

 

IMHO, the Sox don't give their prospects enough chances to succeed, such as by being a long man. Low pressure appearances to learn how to get guys out.

 

Very few on here want the Sox to give prospects a chance to succeed. They always suck and every other team's prospects are the s***. Well we've a few succeed here and some not so much. For example, Crede turned into a very solid ML 3B. Aaron Rowand is now a GG CF and a top notch FA 'get' this year. Jon Garland just got us a GG SS after being a very solid, not great but solid, starting pitcher the last few years. Mark Buehrle turned out okay too. It takes time for these youngsters to develope into quality major leaguers. Yet I distinctly rememeber that Crede sucked, Rowand would be nothing more than a 4th outfielder and someone was called Judy. Sometimes they pan out and sometimes they don't (see Borchard), but you have to put them out there and see if they can. Owens and Richar are being raked over the coals this offseason because they weren't great as rookies. Well, they may never be great, but dammit you have to play them and find out what they are.

 

End rant.

[greg775]

Not to mention Chris Young. He looks pretty good right now as well.

[Gene Honda Civic]

Broadway had significant control problems in AAA last season (4.5 BB per 9 innings pitched). It's true he was working on a new pitch, but you can't cont on him to throw strikes right now.

Including his 10 innings in the bigs last season, Broadway had some decent numbers (peripherals) after the break.

 

71.2 IP, 69H, 7 HR, 33BB, 70K but only a 5.05 ERA.

[RockRaines]

Not to mention Chris Young. He looks pretty good right now as well.

Josh fields put up extremely similar numbers, he looks good as well.

[klaus kinski]

Including his 10 innings in the bigs last season, Broadway had some decent numbers (peripherals) after the break.

 

71.2 IP, 69H, 7 HR, 33BB, 70K but only a 5.05 ERA.

 

Sometimes it just kicks in for a young pitcher. what a coup if it happens for both Floyd & Broadway

 

[BearSox]

Including his 10 innings in the bigs last season, Broadway had some decent numbers (peripherals) after the break.

 

71.2 IP, 69H, 7 HR, 33BB, 70K but only a 5.05 ERA.

 

The thing about those numbers is the K per inning, averaging almost a K for each inning. Now, if he could get his control in line...

[greg775]

I like Josh. Hope he keeps hitting as he did last year.

[beck72]

Broadway had significant control problems in AAA last season (4.5 BB per 9 innings pitched). It's true he was working on a new pitch, but you can't cont on him to throw strikes right now.

As Broadway was working on his new pitch [4 seamer?], his walks were bound to be up. If he makes the bullpen, he will likely only use 2 or at most different 3 pitches. Whereas Lance needed to throw 3 or more pitches as a SP. The ones he can't throw strikes on or get batters out will be scrapped. I'm sure Broadway will be given a shot to be the 5th starter. Yet it's likely he's headed to the pen or the AAA rotation.

[Pastime]

If he develops into a back end of the rotation starter, it will come out of his long man experience in the bigs.

 

It worked pretty well for Mark Buerhle by following that method.

[BearSox]

As Broadway was working on his new pitch [4 seamer?], his walks were bound to be up. If he makes the bullpen, he will likely only use 2 or at most different 3 pitches. Whereas Lance needed to throw 3 or more pitches as a SP. The ones he can't throw strikes on or get batters out will be scrapped. I'm sure Broadway will be given a shot to be the 5th starter. Yet it's likely he's headed to the pen or the AAA rotation.

I see Broadway making the team as the long man out of the pen (and spot starter) if he doesn't win the 5th spot in the rotation. I think Floyd will get a spot in the rotation no matter what unless he totally bombs in spring training, and Danks and Egbert will be the top two for the final spot in the rotation. However, I'd rather see Egbert stay at starter and go down to Charlotte if he doesn't win the job as opposed to Broadway.

 

It's just a shame Massett is out of options. I really like him, but he needs more time as a starter down at AAA, and we all saw he isn't a good relief pitcher. He will likely be traded as it would be stupid to let him go for nothing.

[beck72]

With SP at such a premium, a low budget team would likely take a flyer on Masset to be their 5th SP. Masset may have too many question marks for the sox to keep, with little time for Masset to answer them, as he is out of options. He didn't do that well in the relief role [which would likely be his spot on the sox], and has done better in his career as a SP. It might be better to trade him too early than too late.

 

As far as who might like him, I'd check teams he pitched against in AAA. He threw a few decent games vs Durham [TB], Toldeo, Buffalo and one vs. Ric [Richmond?].

 

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/st...&pid=434665