2013 Trade Deadline Talk

[Todd]

Hi.

Damn it.

[Mainge]

I honestly have no clue. None at all.

I'm not sure 100 innings where he struck out ~15 fewer batters than expected should be enough to change someone's opinion on him all that much, especially without having seen him pitch.

So, if they thought he was in that ballpark and are impressed with his stuff, I don't see why they ranking him there now is a travesty.

Worth noting that his groundball percentage is down and his line drive percentage is up. It's not just that his strikeouts are way down.

I also don't see why it's a bad thing to want strikeouts. Generally speaking, guys with high K rates have a lower babip and hr/fb%. Guys that strike out other guys are usually good.

[Miamarlin21]

At the beginning of the year you gotta think that Pittsburgh (Cole, Tallion), Seattle (Walker, Hultzen), Arizona (Corbin, Bradley) New York (Wheeler, Harvey) were all ahead of us (Fernandez, Heaney.)

I wouldn't be mad if we acquired one or two more arms, but I do think 2B/3B should be more of a priority.

[Bobbob1313]

Worth noting that his groundball percentage is down and his line drive percentage is up. It's not just that his strikeouts are way down.

I also don't see why it's a bad thing to want strikeouts. Generally speaking, guys with high K rates have a lower babip and hr/fb%. Guys that strike out other guys are usually good.

I don't think I've implied that strikeouts aren't a good thing.

I'm just saying, his K rate is down, but the raw numbers aren't actually that big a deal due to the small sample size. If he had struck out 15 more batters, he's roughly in line with his career norms.

And the LD% and GB% rate are small enough changes that it could be random fluctuation. It could be meaningful, but it isn't necessarily the case.

So, if scouts think his stuff hasn't changed, I don't see much of a compelling reason to discount him based on this season.

[HUGG]

I'm most intrigued by Flynn simply because he's doing it at a higher level than the other guys.

8.92k/9 .241baa 3.14era 3.03fip .311babip (so no skewed luck going on) in AAA

big lefty who throws 92-94 and putting up those numbers

the report before the season was good fastball, needs to develop a change. no one writes anything about our prospects, so no idea if change development is what caused this leap, but would be the safest assumption

it's hard not to be excited about him
--------------------
Flynn's July: 5gs 34.2ip 23ha 12bb 31k .193/.267/.202 1.30era

he allowed 1 xbh (a double) the entire month

[Ralph]

Flynn is def really intriguing. And his size is awesome. Conley cool too. Sucks that Lowell still isn't pitching any word on his crap? Nice bunch of lefty prospects. Not to continue the Nicolino bashing but yea Flynn and Conley are cooler ATM.

[Miamarlin21]

We really could use another RH pitcher or two. We're stacked with "better" lefty prospects in the minors (Heaney, Flynn, Conley, Nicolino, Hand) compared to DeSclafani, Urena and Sanchez for righties. Granted, Conley, DeSclafani and Urena could go to the pen.

[Ralph]

Anyhows here's Brian Flynn pitching with cat sounds in background.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvUs88ghJuw[/ame]

[HUGG]

Flynn video on MILB.com

vs. Mike Olt, 6/29/13: http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.j...nt_id=28476515
vs. Donnie Murphy, 7/23/13: http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.j...nt_id=29090605
vs. Alex Castellanos, 7/28/13: http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.j...nt_id=29242889

[Todd]

I like that slider.

[Mainge]

I don't think I've implied that strikeouts aren't a good thing.

I'm just saying, his K rate is down, but the raw numbers aren't actually that big a deal due to the small sample size. If he had struck out 15 more batters, he's roughly in line with his career norms.

And the LD% and GB% rate are small enough changes that it could be random fluctuation. It could be meaningful, but it isn't necessarily the case.

So, if scouts think his stuff hasn't changed, I don't see much of a compelling reason to discount him based on this season.

He's always been described as a guy with average stuff though that hid the ball well and was more polished as far as pitchability goes. His numbers now seem to reflect that, now that he's in more advanced leagues.

[Bobbob1313]

They reflect that, but it could be a causality vs. correlation thing. It's probable too early to say. Which is why it is reasonable for his prospect rating to not have taken a hit.

[Mainge]

We're a month away from the season being over. If his numbers don't improve in that time, you're still okay with saying he hasn't taken a hit?

[Bobbob1313]

I would be more willing to say that then than I am now, sure. It would be more information.

But for now, I'm unconvinced. It's not even about saying yes or no. It's acknowledging that we're dealing with incomplete data.

[Mainge]

I don't see anyway his prospect status hasn't taken some kind of hit.