Mandy Anderson
Joining me are Malcolm Wilkes, who covers the Frick Heartland Division for BBA Weekly …
Malcolm Wilkes: Hey, everybody.
Mandy Anderson: … Gayle Combs, an analyst extraordinaire for Baseball Zone …
Gayle Combs: Thanks, Mandy. It’s great to be here.
Mandy Anderson: … and our very own Cliff Martin, who joins us via remote from Sarasota, Florida, the Spring Training home of the Chicago Black Sox.
Cliff Martin: Hi, Mandy.
Mandy: So, Cliff, let’s start with you. Any surprises on who the Sox have in camp?
Cliff: Not really, although there are some new names and faces making their first appearances here. At the head of that list, of course, is David Bates, who some think may break camp with the club and join the rotation. Then there’s Spencer Hillson, who’s been one of the club’s top catching prospects since coming over in a trade with California way back in 2038. And finally, I’m interested in seeing how Juan Lozano, one of Chicago’s future hopes at shortstop, looks against BBA pitching.
Cliff Martin
Malcolm: And who would be crazy enough to do that?
Gayle (smiles, a bit peevishly, at Wilkes): … yes, well, some people pay attention to their evaluations …
Malcolm: Only them Kocherschmeltz fellas …
Mandy: Malcolm, let her finish.
Malcolm: OK, ok. Just speaking truth to power here …
Gayle (rolls her eyes): Thanks, Mandy. As I was saying, Bates still has a ways to go to fill out his potential – the scouts place his overall development at 45 out of 65, and I think Art Messer, the pitching coach, would like to see that and some of his other skill ratings fill in just a little more.
Gayle Combs: Baseball Zone
Malcolm: No doubt, no doubt. But the other thing at work here is their experience last season with SP Andresa Frederico. People forget, but he had a 1.80 ERA in 5 starts last spring, and there was talk then of him joining the rotation then … but Caleca … the former GM, Vic Caleca, lost his nerve and sent Frederico back to AA to “round out” his development. And that he done did: her hurt his shoulder on opening day and pretty much missed the season.
Mandy: Sooo …
Malcolm: Sooo, I think the Sox are aware that sometimes playing it safe can bite you in the ass worse than being a little aggressive.
Gayle: True, I think that may play into their decision with Bates … but speaking of Frederico, he’s back in camp. The scouts have kind of dinged his ratings after missing all that time (he tweaked an elbow, too, after coming back late in the year), but he’ll get another shot at joining the staff this year. Now he has pretty much filled in the skill ratings, so I do expect if he looks anything like he looked last Spring, he’ll break camp with the club.
Mandy: So, if that happens, what do the Sox do with their rotation?
Gayle: There are a few ways they can go: one, would be to start Frederico in the bullpen, in long relief, say, and then work him into the rotation somewhere down the line; or, they could move Manuel Peña into the bullpen and make Frederico the fourth or fifth starter; or, they could go with a six-man rotation.
Cliff: I’d like to jump in here, if I could. What I’ve been hearing from Messer is that they’re leaning towards kind of a modified 6-man rotation – Amayas Moelling, Pepe Jaramillo and Juan Nicto would start every fifth day. But the guys with some injury history, including Peña, Luis Gonzáles, and Frederico, would rotate those fourth and fifth spots to give them more rest between starts.
Malcolm: And they’re still saying the Joe Mills acquisition will help there?
Cliff: Yep – I think they’ll carry fewer position players than normal because Mills plays so many positions.
Malcolm: So, who loses out, then?
Malcolm Wilkes: BBA Weekly
Mandy: One interesting tidbit is Jim Lorenzen. The team announced last week they’re sending him for some training at the Pete Rose Hustle Academy – does that signal they’re looking at bringing him back?
Cliff: Well, maybe. It’s no secret they’d like to use him in center, but not if he’s going to hit in the .180s. Lorenzen isn’t known as the worker of the world, and I think they’re hoping they can instill a little work ethic in him and see if that makes a difference at the plate.
Malcolm (snorts): That would take a full-on Shroud of Turin level miracle. I have no idea what that academy teaches, but the Sox better hope it includes walking on water …
Mandy: Malcolm …
Malcolm: What? Just speaking truth to power!
Mandy: Whatever. One final thing here – Cliff mentioned a couple of prospects that Sox fans have been hearing about for years: Lozano and Hillson. What do we expect from them this Spring?
Cliff: They’ll get a little playing time, I’m sure, but I don’t see either of them making the club this season. Hillson certainly not until Hotha Popo leaves, one way or another; and Lozano, realistically, needs another year in the minors. But he’s getting there …
Mandy: OK, folks. My thanks to our panel, and we’re looking forward to watching a little spring baseball in the coming days.
Up next on Black Sox Tonight: The Kocherschmeltz Group: revolutionary baseball minds, or the sports equivalent of Amway? You be the judge!
Malcolm: Hey! What's wrong with Amway?
(Program cuts to commercial)