Asheville has a park factor of 124 for runs, easily the SAL’s highest. For home runs, it’s 125.
Greensboro is pretty odd. It wildly inflates HRs, but only overall offense a little. It’s PF for HRs is 159, which is one of the highest in the minors. For runs it’s 106.
Some great posts in this thread. I'm wondering, was Mlod given a choice: move to the bullpen where we think your future lies or go to AAA and continue to work on being a starter....
I just liked every post in this thread that said that Mlod should be a reliever. It’s just so damn obvious: he’s effective there and the Pirates have a crying need for another effective reliever.
This is truly one of the most baffling things this regime has done.
Using Mlod as a starter, if he can manage a second time through the order, is a win-win for everyone. Pirates get a starter that they can trade at the deadline.
Question is how many more times do you send him out there to get smoked after 3. You could sail an aircraft carrier through his 1st time/2nd time OPS and given this team’s historically flaccid offense, Mlodzinski starts are a guaranteed L at this point.
Then again, the season is shot to pieces so maybe who GAF. I’d still worry about this experience affecting his confidence, though.
I don't think anyone has ever given me the back-and-forth feeling as a prospect as Carmen Mlodzinski. I have been torn on him since I first saw him in Greensboro.
Even now, on one hand, I see some stuff I like as a starter, and in a lot of cases I wouldn't mind having patience with him. But with names like Chandler, Ashcraft, Burrows behind him, I would much rather see them.
That's why I've kind of settled in the middle of 'give him a month in the minors as a starter, if there is zero progress, scrap it'
Makes sense, I totally get that. If I have any pushback to the idea at all, it's only from my belief that relievers can be as valuable as the type of starter he may become.
Top-quality, back-end relievers are more valuable than 5th starters, and the market reflects this. 10 million for 1 season of Chapman. 5 million for one season of Heaney / Quintana.
Big Burrows believer, I think if his fastball ever gets to the shape he had pre surgery he’ll be good #3. Even if it doesn’t we should see a good 4-5 starter.
Murph might know, but for example, Keller FB was shit, dead zone FB, not sure if he change its shape or just adding a 2 seamer and sweeper made that FB play up…
Not to rain on the angst of the tin foil hat brigade, but it was pretty predictable that at some point this season, they would need to manage Mlod's innings, Just a guess, but I might expect they would try and keep him to no more than 120 innings or so. It is a lot easier to do this and keep him at a starter's workload if he is at AAA., Same really for Burrows. Would not be surprised to see them switch back and forth, barring injury to one or the other.
Mlod is worth a lot more as a successful starter than as a reliever. You don't throw away assets. You have decided he belongs in the pen, but you don't really have any reason why that is so. This season is gone, Find out what you have.
Not when the probability of him actually becoming a successful starter is a tail outcome. For all intents and purposes, he was already a successful reliever.
Backend relievers are a lot more expensive (and valuable) than 5th starter types. I have no idea why the Pirates are being so stubborn on this, but that is Cherington's way.
The issue with lefties is not new, he was a starter coming up and was made a reliever for the same reasons that he’s struggling now. So for him to now miraculously fix them is unlikely, but it won’t be the first time.
Late to the party but this is the essence of my concern. He clearly had a desire to start and I think it was clear some of the struggles / shortcomings that were preventing him (and why he was moved to the bullpen in MiLB). There have been a few off seasons / pre -seasons where he could have worked on those pitches and I am sure they would have approved that. Here we are several years later. Having invested MLB starter innings I am not opposed to having him try to improve in AAA but it just seems inevitable or at this point his opportunity missed in prior off seasons to make the needed additions to his arsenal.
I have a better plan for managing Mlod's innings - put him in the bullpen where he belongs! Sure, Jones and Oviedo being hurt didn't help but there were other options like Burrows even if they were to limit his innings. But then that's what happens when the priority is not on winning but on "the process" and placating players rather than managing them.
So much hitting seems to be developing at Bradenton and Greensboro. For some reason, they can’t find anyone to hit above that level
Good time to remind everyone that if there is one park that has a bigger hitters park rep, it’s where Greensboro is playing this week in Asheville.
So, let’s not get too excited over some of these results we see this week.
Just wait till the end of the year when the numbers are all blended in lol
Asheville has a park factor of 124 for runs, easily the SAL’s highest. For home runs, it’s 125.
Greensboro is pretty odd. It wildly inflates HRs, but only overall offense a little. It’s PF for HRs is 159, which is one of the highest in the minors. For runs it’s 106.
How I love ballpark effects on offense and defense. One of the million things that makes this game so wonderful.
3-HR game for Keiner Delgado.
What’s his trajectory looking like?
Some great posts in this thread. I'm wondering, was Mlod given a choice: move to the bullpen where we think your future lies or go to AAA and continue to work on being a starter....
I just liked every post in this thread that said that Mlod should be a reliever. It’s just so damn obvious: he’s effective there and the Pirates have a crying need for another effective reliever.
This is truly one of the most baffling things this regime has done.
Using Mlod as a starter, if he can manage a second time through the order, is a win-win for everyone. Pirates get a starter that they can trade at the deadline.
Question is how many more times do you send him out there to get smoked after 3. You could sail an aircraft carrier through his 1st time/2nd time OPS and given this team’s historically flaccid offense, Mlodzinski starts are a guaranteed L at this point.
Then again, the season is shot to pieces so maybe who GAF. I’d still worry about this experience affecting his confidence, though.
was with you up until "at the deadline"
time to move Keller and Heaney is now, pronto, ahora
im not so sure - we´re dealing with some depth issues
in the pen, i agree.
In the rotation
Who goes after Bubba?
Luis Ortiz … shit
Mlod is the best starter after Bubba
Barco is not coming up this year
Harrington is no better than Priester
Oviedo and Jones are out for the rest of the year
Ashcraft is squandering his limelight
Trading Mitch Keller and Andrew Heaney is the most important thing to do in the next few weeks
For this to be possible Bubba and Mlod will need to be in the rotation with Skenes, Falter and Burrows
Nothing will compete with the Cole Tucker in RF move.
Crazy that Col and LAA did the same with Tucker.
Hank Davis says hold my beer as he runs to the outfield.
Burrows has his innings limited too, no?
Maybe I'm too out of the loop or don't have time to look often but this injury report is great for informational purposes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de699K_mSPM
I don't mind Tomczak. I think he has a really tough job.
Backing up Neil O’Donnell had to be hard
Ha! Tomczyk - Tomczak was certainly a more familiar name to Steel Town!
Stoked to see Burrows' stuff come back and get a shot.
But, Mlod, FFS...
I don't think anyone has ever given me the back-and-forth feeling as a prospect as Carmen Mlodzinski. I have been torn on him since I first saw him in Greensboro.
Even now, on one hand, I see some stuff I like as a starter, and in a lot of cases I wouldn't mind having patience with him. But with names like Chandler, Ashcraft, Burrows behind him, I would much rather see them.
That's why I've kind of settled in the middle of 'give him a month in the minors as a starter, if there is zero progress, scrap it'
Makes sense, I totally get that. If I have any pushback to the idea at all, it's only from my belief that relievers can be as valuable as the type of starter he may become.
Top-quality, back-end relievers are more valuable than 5th starters, and the market reflects this. 10 million for 1 season of Chapman. 5 million for one season of Heaney / Quintana.
Big Burrows believer, I think if his fastball ever gets to the shape he had pre surgery he’ll be good #3. Even if it doesn’t we should see a good 4-5 starter.
General question here that’s probably a topic for somewhere else: how difficult is it to change fastball shape?
Murph might know, but for example, Keller FB was shit, dead zone FB, not sure if he change its shape or just adding a 2 seamer and sweeper made that FB play up…
This year's club is tied for the 3rd most blown saves in baseball.
If we're stuck watching Holderman while the 4th through 9th best arms in the org sit in AAA so help me god...
Not to rain on the angst of the tin foil hat brigade, but it was pretty predictable that at some point this season, they would need to manage Mlod's innings, Just a guess, but I might expect they would try and keep him to no more than 120 innings or so. It is a lot easier to do this and keep him at a starter's workload if he is at AAA., Same really for Burrows. Would not be surprised to see them switch back and forth, barring injury to one or the other.
Why continue to pound a round peg into a square hole when there are better arms who are actually SP’s available?
Move Mlod to pen where he belongs and Pirates have a need. It’s indicative of how BC refuses to adjust a plan even if it proves to be a bad one.
Mlod is worth a lot more as a successful starter than as a reliever. You don't throw away assets. You have decided he belongs in the pen, but you don't really have any reason why that is so. This season is gone, Find out what you have.
Not when the probability of him actually becoming a successful starter is a tail outcome. For all intents and purposes, he was already a successful reliever.
Reason #1: He’s bad versus lefties
Reason #2: Second time through the lineup he gets his doors blown off
Reason #3: Those issues are longstanding and haven’t really improved
Reason #4: This team desperately needs any number of effective relievers
Heaney- $5 million per season
Chapman - $10 million
Backend relievers are a lot more expensive (and valuable) than 5th starter types. I have no idea why the Pirates are being so stubborn on this, but that is Cherington's way.
Regarding Mlod, let me tell you a couple of three things:
A) There are better candidates available as starters.
B) His issues with lefties aren’t new and he hasn’t really shown any improvement.
C) He’s had some success in the bullpen and that’s also a troublesome spot for the team.
The issue with lefties is not new, he was a starter coming up and was made a reliever for the same reasons that he’s struggling now. So for him to now miraculously fix them is unlikely, but it won’t be the first time.
Late to the party but this is the essence of my concern. He clearly had a desire to start and I think it was clear some of the struggles / shortcomings that were preventing him (and why he was moved to the bullpen in MiLB). There have been a few off seasons / pre -seasons where he could have worked on those pitches and I am sure they would have approved that. Here we are several years later. Having invested MLB starter innings I am not opposed to having him try to improve in AAA but it just seems inevitable or at this point his opportunity missed in prior off seasons to make the needed additions to his arsenal.
I have a better plan for managing Mlod's innings - put him in the bullpen where he belongs! Sure, Jones and Oviedo being hurt didn't help but there were other options like Burrows even if they were to limit his innings. But then that's what happens when the priority is not on winning but on "the process" and placating players rather than managing them.
"placating players rather than managing them."
I think this has a lot to do with the problems in the organization from top to bottom.