Link Roundup: Tanner Scheppers Returns

by Charlie on May 3, 2009 6:48 PM EDT Comment 22 comments

-P- It's already been mentioned in one FanPost here, but I'll add a link: Tanner Scheppers, the injured Fresno State pitcher who the Bucs drafted in the second round last year but didn't sign, is apparently relatively healthy and looking so good that the Mariners could draft him with the second overall pick. We don't know exactly what Scheppers' bonus demands were, but if the Pirates didn't sign him because he wanted a million bucks or so, it looks like they might have screwed up. His fastball has been clocked at 97-98 MPH (which, as with all velocity reports, could mean anything), and according to Baseball America's Allan Simpson, scouts claim Scheppers' breaking stuff has been as good as Stephen Strasburg's. Scheppers still has much to prove because of his health, but it looks like not signing him could be a decision the Bucs end up regretting.

-P- Speaking of Strasburg, Neal Huntington says the Pirates will draft him if he's available. Which he won't be--the Washington Nationals will probably take him with the first overall pick. The same article reports that the Pirates are "among the favorites" to sign Miguel Angel Sano, a 15-year-old Dominican shortstop who's among the best amateurs available there. You can read more about Sano here.

-P- Jenifer Langosch has a ton of pictures from the Dominican on her blog.

-P- Two Pirates pitching prospects had dominant starts today: for Altoona, Brad Lincoln racked up eight strikeouts in five strikeout innings against Erie (although the Curve lost after the bullpen gave up seven runs following Lincoln's departure). And for Lynchburg, Ronald Uviedo struck out five Kinston Indians while walking just one and allowing two runs, one earned. Pedro Alvarez, by the way, went 0-for-3 with a walk, dropping his average to .212.

-P- The Mets may send Oliver Perez, who has knee problems and a 9.97 ERA, to the minors or the DL.

0 recs | Comment 22 comments | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Alvarez

Pedro’s numbers aren’t that bad against right-handers. But his stats against southpaws are atrocious: 179/.220/.282, witha a 19/2 k-to-bb ratio in 39 at-bats. Those pre-draft concerns about his college strikeouts may have been too readily dismissed.

As for Tanner Scheppers, it appears to be Pirates luck rather than a screw-up on Huntington’s part. Given what was known at the time, it seemed a reasonable decision. Perhaps Scheppers worked harder in the offseason than he would have if he had a million dollars in his bank account. On the other hand, maybe he would be blowing away hitters in Lynchburg right now. We just don’t know.

by bolton on May 3, 2009 8:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

FWIW

I tend to agree re: Scheppers.

Perhaps Scheppers worked harder in the offseason than he would have if he had a million dollars in his bank account.

Perhaps he thought he was going to get the $$ – didn’t he want above-slot money, IIRC?

And seeing that he wasn’t going to get it, worked his arse off to get back into the 1st round…

I'd rather be dead than singing "Satisfaction" at forty-five. -- M. Jagger

by cocktailsfor2 on May 3, 2009 9:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He supposedly wanted something like $2M

Which is mid-first money – what he would’ve gotten if he hadn’t hurt the shoulder.

I don’t blame him for wanting it, and I don’t blame the team for not giving it to him, based on the way he looked at the point when they had to fish or cut bait.

by Vlad on May 4, 2009 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

opportunity cost

if they signed scheppers, they probably wouldn’t have had the extra cash to go above slot and sign a few guys away from college scholarships like robbie grossman and quinton miller.

we’re looking at this from the wrong perspective. it’s not scheppers vs. nothing, it’s scheppers vs. a few other players who didn’t come with injury questions.

by johnnycuff on May 4, 2009 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

This is a worthwhile point.

It’s also worth remembering that we got a replacement 2nd in this year’s draft because Scheppers didn’t sign, and that player will also presumably have some value.

by Vlad on May 4, 2009 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

oh right

make that comparison scheppers vs. two players, say grossman and miller, plus whoever we get with the comp pick.

by johnnycuff on May 4, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah.

We honestly don’t know what would have happened if he signed with the Pirates. It’s like beating myself up over dumping all those girls that have since gotten married. There’s no way to know if they would have gotten married to me if I didn’t break up with them.

by IAPiratesFan on May 3, 2009 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t know if the Pirates screwed up with Scheppers. By all accounts, he didn’t look like someone worth paying a couple million dollars to months ago. It’s great for him that he’s gotten his career back on track, but this is a hindsight is 20/20 thing.

by wickethewok on May 3, 2009 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Would you have wanted to marry them?! Sorry, off-topic.

by Charlie on May 3, 2009 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No.

I suppose that wasn’t the best example. But I have heard a lot about that lately because about five ex’s got married in the last year. Some people (my mom) said I was being too picky, but my feeling is that if I’m not too picky then instead of breaking up, I’ll get divorced and that’s expensive. Where as, breaking up is just me going to her place, dropping off the stuff she left at my place and me getting the stuff from her place and deleting her phone number from my cell phone.

by IAPiratesFan on May 4, 2009 7:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

A team like the Pirates has to be smart with money. Obviously it’s brutal if he becomes a stud but if he looked bad I suppose you can’t be too mad at them for not giving him million(s)

McLouth is The Trouth

by GTrain on May 3, 2009 11:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Bad luck

That’s the kind of luck you seem to get when you’re a Pirate. Will Scheppers turn into a star? Maybe, maybe not. The way the Pirates’ luck is going right now, he’ll be the next Lincecum in a couple years.

by thelumberco. on May 4, 2009 12:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Scheppers

I can’t find fault with not breaking the bank for him last year. Odds are probably much better that he ends up in Dr. Andrews’ office than in a major league rotation.

Should be interesting to see if someone ahead of us drafts him and allows a more interesting player to drop our way than what we thought we’d get.

by Dignan on May 4, 2009 8:59 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What if he's sitting there at 4

Do the Pirates take him again?

by mocasdad on May 4, 2009 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Depends...

…on how the rest of the season goes, and who else is available in the slot.

by Vlad on May 4, 2009 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If he’s back to his old form like he seems to be, then yes!

by thelumberco. on May 4, 2009 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Under the old regime...

we frequently blasted DL for signing pitchers with bum arms. Scheppers also had a bad arm at the time too. Granted it was a rotator cuff issue and not due to over work. Time will tell on whether this will work for or against the Bucs.

by Ketcham Bruce on May 4, 2009 11:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I’m sure Coonelly and Huntington will do their due diligence, and if everything is good and Scheppers is still there at #4, they will take him again. Assuming they don’t have anyone else higher on their draft board and Scheppers doesn’t go #2 or 3.

by jeffbwi on May 4, 2009 3:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

They liked him enough to consider it a coup to get him in R2. The injury coupled with above slot $ were the deal breakers last year. The new regime has been adamant that draftees will not be selected solely on signability. If they like him for R1 price they should select him again, unless the earlier injury remains a red flag.

After so many disappointments, dare I say pitching is again a ‘need’?

by chicos_pants on May 4, 2009 4:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Assuming he’s there, don’t the Pirates have to get his consent? I vaguely recall reading that if a player is selected and is not signed, the same team cannot draft him absent consent.

by CptnAwesome on May 4, 2009 5:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This is correct.

He’s said that there are no residual hard feelings from last year, though, and that he understands why things didn’t come together with the state of his rehab at the time they had to decide. So he’d probably be willing to grant permission. I mean, why not? There’s no downside for him.

by Vlad on May 4, 2009 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs