Former First Round Slated for the Bigs, But in the Bullpen
Another Brick hits the wall
Brick's dreams of being
a starter are over
Pollitt, a native of Vicksburg, Mississippi, was drafted 31st overall in 2046, with the club projecting him to be a back-of-the rotation starter. He progressed slowly through the minors, and the front office was exceedingly patient in hopes that the changeup would improve to the level of his other two pitches, a plus fastball and a nasty slider. He spent the last three seasons in AAA. In 2051 Pollitt started 24 games with decent results, including 4.24 ERA and a 1.9 WAR.
But 2052 saw Brick regress as a starter, so last season, still in AAA, he was finally cast a reliever. The results improved as he notched a 3.25 ERA in 72 innings, with his K/9 improving to 8.0. That sealed the deal for the front office. "Brick is ready for the bigs," said GM Mike Dunn. "And we are confident he will excel as a reliever."
The team has reportedly convinced Brick to drop the changeup entirely and focus on his better pitches, in hopes that his overall velocity will increase. This in turn will benefit his already excellent control.
With longtime closer Clarence Pritchard traded away last season, and with Nick Clark still recovering from elbow ligament reconstruction surgery, Pollitt will compete with Mike Baker for the closer's role.
