Hammer Time - How About Those Call-ups? 16 Sep

[Jess64]

Mid-September Evaluation and Further Call-Ups (Hebrew Hammers Headquarters, Jerusalem) The month is September is half-way over and Hammers still seem to be struggling to find their mojo. The management had called up 3 players and signed 3 Free Agent pitchers.

Their was also one other roster move as Rajko Lovre was moved up to AA Buenos Aires Brisas. The 8th selection of the 2051 draft has had 41 ABs getting 6 hits, with 1 triple, 1 Home Run, 2 RBIs, 7 walks and 6 SOs. He has struggled to find his A form with a stat line of .146/.286/.268 and a ZR of -0.1. The 20 year-old is starting his career at AA with GM Stollings expressed confidence that he would settle down with his new team.

Before getting to the other roster changes, the pitchers that were signed was more for next season, rather than trying to make things better with this one.

30 year-old Clyde Garrison signed a 2-year deal at $480K per year. Garrison brings a 3-pitch arsenal to the bullpen with a strong fastball and curveball. He is expected to bring some stability to a rocky pitching roster for the Hammers.

31 year-old Steve Callahan has a 4-pitch arsenal and strong control. He comes in on a minor league deal and will stay in AAA unless he is needed next season.

Another signing for next season is Juan Rivas is another pitcher with strong control and a 3-pitch arsenal. Rivas still needs to develop, but the potential is there, if he is willing to put in the work.

The middle of September also saw more callups for the Hammers, mostly of older players who are going to be given the chance to end their careers on a Major League roster.

32 year-old 3rd baseman Joe Diaz has been brought up to see if he can perform at the next level. Even though he is at the top end of the age window the Hammers have said they want the players to be at, his team-friendly contract could keep him on the team, if he is good enough.

29 year-old 2nd baseman Robert Allen can play 1st, 2nd, LF, or RF. His versatility increases the chance he can be on the roster next season as an all-around utility player. The only question is if his AAA success can be replicated with the Hammers.

33 year-old 1st basemanShinsaku Baba can also play LF. Him staying on the roster next season is a long shot, but it has been decided to give him that chance. He deserves an opportunity to show what he can do with the Hammers.

36 year-old 1st baseman Eduardo Diaz is at the end of his career. There has been a steady decline in his skills over the last few years. But he has earned the right to finish his career on a major-league roster.

So how has the early September Call-Ups been doing so far?

Paris Zerdakos has not been on the mound much, so it is difficult to evaluate him so far. He has only pitched 4 innings, but he has a 2.25 ERA, giving up 4 hits, 0 walks and 3 strike-outs.

29 year-old 1st baseman Shihei Endo has struggled after getting called up from AAA Johannesburg, yet to get on base in 13 plate appearances. The hope is he settles down and shows he can compete at this level.

Aidan Reijnen has hit the ground running and, unless there is a drastic drop in his production, has shown he is ready to join the Hammers. In 34 plate appearances he has gotten 12 hits with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, 4 walks and only 6 strike-outs. His stat line of .353/.421/.412 has shown he can hang in with the opponents of the Hammers and contribute to the resurgence of the team next season. There was a concern that the jump from AA would be too drastic, but he has shown he can handle the pressure.

The end of the season cant come soon enough for the struggling Hammers. But the end of the current season is a great time to evaluate the young up-and-coming talent in the Hebrew Hammers organization to change the trajectory of the team and get them back to being competitive.

[Jwalk100]

You have a good foundation and a plan. Good to see.

[CTBrewCrew]

Always a soft spot for my hammers - nice write up