Yesterday was a major day of disappointment, with the most frustrating outing coming from Daniel Norris who sported a line of 4.2 IP, 4 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks against the Rays. I was pretty high on him entering the year, hoping his added velocity from September last season was going to stick. In short, it hasn't and the results haven't be fun to watch: 15.8% soft contact, 38.6% hard contact, 5.18 SIERA, 4.88 xFIP, and 9 walks in 17 frames. That's all kinds of bad. I thought that after the Cleveland outing, he would take a step forward with the Rays...and he kinda did? Yeah, this far from a good outing, but 17 whiffs across this start is very impressive, getting five whiffs off his Slider as he bumped its usage a bit. I want to jump ship here completely, I really do, though there's a part of me that thinks he explodes for a good start this or next. If the waiver wire is barren, I think you hold here. If there are decent options out there, I'd cool with making a swap. Wasn't he your Call Boy too? Yes he was...Streamer Record 7.5-5-2.
Let’s see how every other SP did yesterday:
I’m not giving up on Davies just yet. I think he can figure it out.
Im with ya Henry, although Zack’s not giving us much to work with.
I was reading some tweets about Norris’ start and it seems the defense really let him down. Now I know that is part of the package, but from all accounts he probably should have had a better line
I watched this game in full. Iglesias, J-Up, V-Mart all out, hurting both offense and defense. Collins, in right field, blew it twice. Once for a 2 run 2 out triple that should have been a routine fly-out. Poor Norris was set up to fail in this game. He actually impressed me with what he did accomplish.
Nola did experience a drop in velocity according to CBS sports from 92 to 90. Any concern there?
It didn’t stand out to me as I watching and this is his MPH chart for the night:
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/cache/speed.php-pitchSel=605400&game=gid_2017_04_20_phimlb_nynmlb_1&batterX=0&innings=yyyyyyyyy&sp_type=1&s_type=3&league=mlb&pnf=&zlpo=&cache=1.gif
Not too shocking to me, often we see a small dip through starts and he also ramped up his pitch count early, which is atypical from a standard Nola outing. It’s noted and I’ll be monitoring moving forward, but this isn’t something that I would base any decision off of.
Nick I know your LOVE of Nola do I trade McCutchen for Nola and Longoria? I want to be on this Nola train.
I’d be all over that. Give me Nola + Longoria.
How do you feel about Joe Jimenez? I could drop Daniel Norris or Andrew Triggs for him. Need a hitter tho. Even tho I have two SS’s, do you like Taylor Motter? Or perhaps Jedd Gyorko/Starlin Castro. Or maybe Kepler! (I really need a catcher or RF tho not to mention there are all kinds of prospects on the waiver even tho I’m good on 3B so I don’t need Yoan. Really I’m just asking, do I get best guys available or position at need?). By the way I hate I dropped Mike Wacha for Norris :(.
Don’t regret that move so much!
Sure, one starts each isn’t looking great, but I still favor Norris long term for the season. That increased whiff rate isn’t something to ignore.
I wonder how long Joe will stay up this time, but it sounds like you need a hitter instead. Might as well roll with the hot hand of Castro in the mean time.
Not sure if you got to watch but Paxton got pretty unlucky in the 3rd inning last night. Didn’t get a strikeout on a 2-2 count checkswing to Decker to start he inning where even the Oakland announcers agreed that Decker went around and they missed the call. He singled on the next pitch.
Then after a Raji Davis single and runners on the corners Rosales singled. But Haniger’s throw to the infield just happened by chance to hit 2nd base and bounce back toward the outfield which allowed Rosales to advance to 2nd and Davis (who had been held up at third) to score. Next two guys then struck out which should have ended the inning. But Healy then singled and Rosales (who should have been on first base if not for that unfortunate bounce on the earlier throw) scored.
Without that prolonged inning due to the unfortunate string of events the result might have been much better. Sorry I’m just in love with Paxton and needed to vent.
Trying to find the silver lining in that dark cloud of a start for Paxton. Points league…he didnt get saddled with the loss, thanks to a Motter HR and he did K 8 in 4.1. Wasn’t vintage Paxton but WTH.
Came here to say exactly this. These things happen in baseball and Pax just had some things not go his way.
So much for the Power Quads….
Watched the Nola game, as I have a vested interest as well. I kind of got that feeling in the first when he got 2 strikes on Cespedes and couldn’t put him away, foul after foul after foul. Ces singled softly up the middle, no harm, no damage. I may be wrong but, I think he had 2 strikes on every batter who reached base (admittedly didnt see the Walker HR). You said it best Nicky…Nola couldn’t put the hitters away. On the bright side, a W is a W. He’s got the Fish at home up next. in what portends to be a good start- bad start Nola, and at home too. I think Im gonna bail on Nola next week for the 2 start Vargas.
What is happening with C-Mart? Even the announcers for StL commenting that he seems “disinterested” and “lacking any emotion”. Maybe the potential clubhouse hazing over his new hair extensions has him pouting on the mound…
While I understand that, just as Terence Mann didn’t tell Ray Kinsella not to play catch with his father, you didn’t tell me to trust these youngsters. However, on your recommendation, I did pick up and start Cotton, Musgrove, and Norris this week. I suppose that I write this seeking empathy.
Keep up the great work. Even when my lineup suffers from the vagaries of baseball, your columns keep me laughing.