Peavy

[justBLAZE]

That line made me smile.

 

Yes sir, I really want Sale to be the closer this season and jump into the rotation in place of Mark/Edwin next year.

[LVSoxFan]

That line made me smile.

 

Me too! I was reading this on the bus coming to work and man if that isn't the biggest compliment ever...

[Steve9347]

There is nothing that would please me more than for Jake Peavy to show up and look like the dominant pitcher he once was.

[sin city sox fan]

"IF" and I know it a big if considering his history ( at least with the Sox ) Peavy can come back strong by mid-may or early June can't we use Harrell as the fifth starter till then ? Usually the way schedule is set up early plus with cold or rain outs early how many starts does the number five guy get in the first two months? I say this because Sale is going to be needed in the bullpen. Our bullpen seems very thin and he would help very much there. Perhaps even as the closer leaving Thornton where we know he can succeed.

 

What about resigning Freddy and making him a long reliever once Peavy returns? I know Freddy's not used to working out of the pen...but it could be a way to make sure his arm lasts a year (and gives us a good backup option in case any other starters end up on the DL)

[southsider2k5]

You ready to go 2/$12 on it?

 

I might end up being totally wrong on this, but no way that Freddy gets anything like that.

[Chisoxfn]

I might end up being totally wrong on this, but no way that Freddy gets anything like that.

You aren't. I'd be blown away if he got that.

[Steve9347]

You aren't. I'd be blown away if he got that.

I predict $5m/1

[southsider2k5]

I predict $5m/1

 

I was thinking a year at 3 or 4 million, but yeah, same idea. I can't see anyone giving Freddy multiple years, without it being a team option.

[ptatc]

What about resigning Freddy and making him a long reliever once Peavy returns? I know Freddy's not used to working out of the pen...but it could be a way to make sure his arm lasts a year (and gives us a good backup option in case any other starters end up on the DL)

 

It takes Freddy too long to get warmed up and going. He does alot more than most at this stage of his career. Plus we know he's "big game Freddy." There is no way he would be effective in a long relief/mop up role.

 

Peavy will be healthy and ready for the early in the season if not the beginning of the season. Whether or not he can be effective again without the altered mechanics is anyone's guess.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Yes sir, I really want Sale to be the closer this season and jump into the rotation in place of Mark/Edwin next year.

 

I do too. He's young enough where using him in the bullpen for a year shouldn't really hurt him. And if we're "all-in" for this year, having him at the back end of the bullpen gives us the best chance to win.

[Balta1701]

I do too. He's young enough where using him in the bullpen for a year shouldn't really hurt him. And if we're "all-in" for this year, having him at the back end of the bullpen gives us the best chance to win.

Actually, it certainly can hurt some guys. He's been adapted to working 150+ innings (albiet in college) the last couple years. Dropping back to 60 could mean that it takes several more years to build his arm back up to starter level, or could also mean that he comes out as a starter the next year and something really goes wrong.

 

However...frankly, it's a crapshoot. I worry most about the 150-60-175 innings path, because that's gotta be crazy on the arm, but some guys can take it and some guys can't, and I have no idea how you'd predict in advance.

[Chisoxfn]

I love Peavy's attitude. The guy has "it" when it comes to being a leader and just being that firey competitor. I don't think I've ever pulled so hard for a guy to make a full return. Of course the last player I really pulled for to make it with one of my teams was Rex Grossman (who I just felt was a complete class act).

 

Come on Peavy, return to form and have a strong 2 years with the Sox and fit yourself with a World Series ring as a member of the Sox!!!!

[Chisoxfn]

It certainly seems like a potential best case sceanario might be the Sox opening the season with Sale in the rotation. When Peavy comes back, Sale might have had 5-10 major league starters under his belt and hopefully a decent number of innings. The Sox can than drop him into the bullpen when Peavy is there and the pen is a way for him to throw fewer innings and control his major league innings.

 

If/When a Sox pitcher gets hurt or struggles, you have the option to potentially go back to Sale. You obviously don't want to get in the habit of bouncing him all over the place but at this young age of his development, the major league experience outweighs the changes to the rotation/pen.

 

Long term the Sox will have to decide on him but I think they have another year to evaluate him at the major league level (as long as he's getting guys out at a decent rate and is healthy).

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Actually, it certainly can hurt some guys. He's been adapted to working 150+ innings (albiet in college) the last couple years. Dropping back to 60 could mean that it takes several more years to build his arm back up to starter level, or could also mean that he comes out as a starter the next year and something really goes wrong.

 

However...frankly, it's a crapshoot. I worry most about the 150-60-175 innings path, because that's gotta be crazy on the arm, but some guys can take it and some guys can't, and I have no idea how you'd predict in advance.

 

That's actually a really good point. I guess I'm just comfortable doing this with him this year because I can legitimately see us as an actual WS threat right now.

[quickman]

I was thinking a year at 3 or 4 million, but yeah, same idea. I can't see anyone giving Freddy multiple years, without it being a team option.

 

 

one year 1.5 million

[quickman]

It takes Freddy too long to get warmed up and going. He does alot more than most at this stage of his career. Plus we know he's "big game Freddy." There is no way he would be effective in a long relief/mop up role.

 

Peavy will be healthy and ready for the early in the season if not the beginning of the season. Whether or not he can be effective again without the altered mechanics is anyone's guess.

 

 

PTAC, these are very encouraging comments about Jake. That said, you mentioned his mechanics. He will most likely have the same mechanics, can we tie his current injury to those mechanics or was this a freak thing? My second question is he basically had most of last year off because of the injury, if mechanics were not responsible for the lat issue then my hope is the extra rest on his shoulder would be an extra benefit and maybe buy us a couple more years of bad mechanics.

 

Is this voodoo logic on my part?

Edited December 9, 2010 by quickman

[ptatc]

PTAC, these are very encouraging comments about Jake. That said, you mentioned his mechanics. He will most likely have the same mechanics, can we tie his current injury to those mechanics or was this a freak thing? My second question is he basically had most of last year off because of the injury, if mechanics were not responsible for the lat issue then my hope is the extra rest on his shoulder would be an extra benefit and maybe buy us a couple more years of bad mechanics.

 

Is this voodoo logic on my part?

 

This is a unique injury for a pitcher. From observation of his pitching and the pitch on which he injured his shoulder, I think it was caused by throwing sidearm on that pitch. He pitches like Contreras where he like to move his arm angle. The Sox told him not to do this early in the season and he wasn't effective. Once he started doing it again he was effective but we started hearing the " his arm is sore" stuff. The problem is with the way he drops down. He doesn't bend to the side to change the angle like most pitchers do, he stands straight up and throws with his arm to the side. This is what he did when the injury occurred. He can prevent the problems by not pitching this way but I don't know if he can be effective because he obviously wasn't comfortable pitching that way. This may be one problem with the "I'll do whatever I have to to win" attitude he has.

 

The tendon reattachment went well and is a basic procedure, although not for a pitcher. He will need time to rebuild the strength pf the Latissimus Dorsi becuase his been immobilized but there shouldn't be a problem. The key will be is if he can pitch effectively without that angle change or can he and Cooper come up with an angle that still changes the plane of movement but isn't as hard on his shoulder.

 

[quickman]

This is a unique injury for a pitcher. From observation of his pitching and the pitch on which he injured his shoulder, I think it was caused by throwing sidearm on that pitch. He pitches like Contreras where he like to move his arm angle. The Sox told him not to do this early in the season and he wasn't effective. Once he started doing it again he was effective but we started hearing the " his arm is sore" stuff. The problem is with the way he drops down. He doesn't bend to the side to change the angle like most pitchers do, he stands straight up and throws with his arm to the side. This is what he did when the injury occurred. He can prevent the problems by not pitching this way but I don't know if he can be effective because he obviously wasn't comfortable pitching that way. This may be one problem with the "I'll do whatever I have to to win" attitude he has.

 

The tendon reattachment went well and is a basic procedure, although not for a pitcher. He will need time to rebuild the strength pf the Latissimus Dorsi becuase his been immobilized but there shouldn't be a problem. The key will be is if he can pitch effectively without that angle change or can he and Cooper come up with an angle that still changes the plane of movement but isn't as hard on his shoulder.

 

 

thanks very much for the insight. I suppose my real question is can we get away with Peavy throwing the old effective way for the next two years without injury. He has two years on his contract and really I don't care what happens after that. Sounds crass but we are paying him 15 million to be an ace.

[ptatc]

thanks very much for the insight. I suppose my real question is can we get away with Peavy throwing the old effective way for the next two years without injury. He has two years on his contract and really I don't care what happens after that. Sounds crass but we are paying him 15 million to be an ace.

 

There isn't an answer to that question. Some pitchers can throw with awful mechanics without problems. My guess is that he cannot do this because the Sox were trying to change his approach. This tells me he was having problems and that's why he they were attempting to change it.

Unless they can find a middle ground, he will need to find something different to be effective.

 

[southsider2k5]

one year 1.5 million

 

Any chance at it being with us?

[shago]

one year 1.5 million

Case of beer and a family size bucket of KFC

[Capn12]

I want one Edwin Jackson on this team for a few years to come, he came over and whatever they saw that was wrong in his delivery, it was fixed fast. He was a huge bright spot last year. Now with that being said, I know he won't be here long term unfortunately, something about his agent, money demands....

[NorthSideSox72]

one year 1.5 million

If Freddy can be had for that, then go get him right now, and use an existing SP to free up money for the pen and possibly RF if TCQ is traded.

 

[Balta1701]

I want one Edwin Jackson on this team for a few years to come, he came over and whatever they saw that was wrong in his delivery, it was fixed fast. He was a huge bright spot last year. Now with that being said, I know he won't be here long term unfortunately, something about his agent, money demands....

It's worth checking his splits, btw. Edwin Jackson was fantastic in the month of August, as we all saw. But everyone sorta turned the TV off in September, and so did he. His month of September looked a whole lot, statistically, like his first half in fact; 4.93 ERA, 1.38 WHIP.

[witesoxfan]

It's worth checking his splits, btw. Edwin Jackson was fantastic in the month of August, as we all saw. But everyone sorta turned the TV off in September, and so did he. His month of September looked a whole lot, statistically, like his first half in fact; 4.93 ERA, 1.38 WHIP.

 

And looking at arbitrary separation points can lead to inflated values. Edwin Jackson had what I would classify as 1 bad start with the White Sox. On September 11th, Jackson put up a line of 5 IP, 13 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Excluding that start, Jackson put up:

 

2.70 ERA

1.10 WHIP

2.2 BB/9

9.5 K/9

1 HR/9

 

His September stats, excluding that number, are

 

4.05 ERA

1.17 WHIP

2.4 BB/9

7.8 K/9

1.35 HR/9

 

If he goes all of next year and only has 1 bad start out of every 11 like he did, he's going to be in contention for the Cy Young.