Prospect Report:
The Mop Squad

David Cameron

Minor-league relief pitchers are the Rodney Dangerfield of prospects: they get no respect. In general, teams will use their best young arms in the rotation in order to get them consistent, scheduled work and a better chance to develop. If you're coming out of the bullpen before you reach the majors, odds are the organization doesn't think that highly of you, relative to most other pitching prospects.

While that is generally true, there are impact major-league pitchers who begin their careers as relievers. While they may not have the value of a starter, several of the pitchers below are going to be quality contributors to big-league teams.

Francisco Rodriguez needs no introduction to anyone who owned a TV during October. He made a rapid transformation from end-of-season call-up to the Angels' best pitcher in less than one month's time. A former starter, Rodriguez was moved to the bullpen to help his concentration, and the results have been spectacular. His slider is among the best in the majors and his fastball sets it up well. He's improved his command and has few flaws. Whether he's legitimately 20 years of age or not, he's still a terrific young arm who will be an integral part of the Angels' future.

The Tigers recently unveiled their closer of the future in Franklyn German, who was acquired from the A's in the Jeff Weaver trade. German is the prototypical closer; big, intimidating, and nearing triple digits with the fastball. He has rudimentary offspeed stuff, and his control can still come and go, but his heater is good enough to shut down a lot of hitters. He's drawn comparisons to Jose Mesa, though I'd imagine the Tigers are hoping German is a bit more stable. Either way, he should have little problems usurping former closer-of-the-future Matt Anderson and racking up a lot of saves for the next few years.

A lesser-known name whose potential is as high as you'll find, Rusty Tucker is alternately described as nasty, lethal, wicked, or brutal, depending on which thesaurus you're using. Coming from the left side, Tucker's fastball is legitimately in the high 90s and his breaking ball has made big strides. He's working on a changeup for the show, but his success will come from the development of his big two. His command is improving, though it still could use work. The Padres think he can move quickly, and he's got a shot to be pitching in San Diego in 2003.

One classic example of never giving up on a prospect is Aaron Taylor. Taylor had always intrigued scouts with his velocity and size, but he got off to a miserable start in 2001. He retired from baseball for six weeks, but returned to the diamond with a new focus and attitude. He's been untouchable since. He's mixed in a split-finger that dives like a meteor and gained control of his fastball while learning how to set up hitters.

Taylor had few problems in the Texas League and made his major-league debut with Seattle late in 2002. He's got an outside shot to make the Mariners out of spring training, but will likely begin the year in AAA. He's extremely tough on right-handers, so even if he never gains the closer label, he should be a useful reliever for years to come.

While the Orioles didn't have a lot of bright spots this year, they can point to the emergence of Rommie Lewis as a reason to be positive. Lewis overmatched the South Atlantic League out of the bullpen, and talk has it that he'll move to the rotation in 2003. Baltimore has had a hard time keeping their pitchers healthy, but Lewis hasn't shown any signs of wear yet. If his conversion to the rotation doesn't go well, he has a future as a solid reliever.

Mike Nicolas didn't start the year on the right foot, gaining two years in an "age adjustment." He quickly made up for it, though, leading the world with a ridiculous 13.69 strikeouts per nine innings, gaudy even for the California League. His slider is a major-league out pitch right now. The Padres don't need to rush him due to their depth of young pitching, but Nicolas is as close to the majors as any A-ball pitcher you'll find.

David Bush was projected as a first-round pick, but the Toronto Blue Jays snagged him in the second round and are quite pleased with the results. A dominating closer at Wake Forest, Bush mixes a 92-95 MPH fastball with good sink and a solid changeup. His control is excellent, and Bush is a very polished pitcher. He had little trouble adjusting to professional baseball, and the Jays could push him very quickly.

The ever-winding career of Brad Lidge saw him used in the starting rotation at the beginning of this year, then making his major-league debut in Houston out of the bullpen. After missing most of the past two years with injuries, Lidge was finally able to pitch something resembling a full season. He didn't dominate like he did previously, but he gained valuable experience. With his overwhelming stuff he could become a dynamite setup man, but he'll have to keep his arm in one piece. That might be easier said than done.

The Giants first got Erik Threets' name on the map when rumors began to circulate that he hit 103 MPH during instructional league last fall. Shortly thereafter, Bigfoot was spotted being abducted by aliens in the crop circles just beyond the outfield wall. Threets does throw hard, mostly in the 93-96 range, but has had problems staying healthy. He's a maximum effort guy, putting a lot of strain on his arm during delivery. If he stays healthy, he'll be effective.

The Braves' pipeline of arms doesn't end with starters. Blaine Boyer was one of the more impressive relievers I saw this year, mixing a 95 MPH fastball with a hammer curve that was unfair to South Atlantic League hitters. He reminded me a lot of Troy Percival, though he's a bit bigger and doesn't throw quite as hard. His command comes and goes, but he flashes dominance. The Braves will be aggressive with Boyer and he's got an outside shot at seeing Atlanta in late 2003.

about the author

David Cameron has to settle for a curvy hammer. Tell him that would explain all those bandages on his thumb at dac@strikethree.com.