96 replies to this topic

[Foulkey Reese]

Delcarmen and cash traded to Rockies for RHP Chris Balcum-Miller. He's been assigned to Greenville. #redsox

http://twitter.com/AmalieBenjamin

Edited by Foulkey Reese, 31 August 2010 - 02:50 PM.

[TheYellowDart5]

Good riddance. As crap as this bullpen was, getting rid of someone who couldn't be trusted in any remotely close or tight situation can only count as addition by subtraction. The Rockies can see if they have any luck getting Delcarmen to turn his tremendous talent into actual value. Odds are against it, though.

And man, the thought of Manny Delcarmen's changeup in Coors Field is frightening.

[RingoOSU]

Looks like Colorado replaced Manuel Corpas with Manny Corpse.

[Shelterdog]

What's the furthest anyone's ever hit a home run? That record is now in danger.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Just an infuriating pitcher at times, although he certainly was pretty good in 2007 and 2008. But the last two years haven't been kind, and the perception will always remain that he can't be trusted in tight games.

Nice kid from most accounts and he is a local boy who got to play in nearly 300 games for his local team and get a WS ring along the way. I'm not sorry to see him go, but I wouldn't mind seeing him stick around The Show for a while. If he wants to do that he's got to get his K/BB ratio straightened out though as it's on a 3 year decline.

[E5 Yaz]

This is a sad day, like the day one of the guys from Milli Vanilli died

Edited by E5 Yaz, 31 August 2010 - 02:56 PM.

[Rudy Pemberton]

Wasn't going to be tendered a contract, and hasn't been good, so worth a look at this guy. Sox ever have a hyphenated-name make it to the bigs before?

Oki next?

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

E5 Yaz, on 31 August 2010 - 02:55 PM, said:

This is a sad day, like the day one of the guys from Milli Vanilli died

A 6.1 K/BB ratio? Holy smokes. Is he old for his league or something?

[Rustjive]

Foulkey Reese, on 31 August 2010 - 02:49 PM, said:

Delcarmen and cash traded to Rockies for RHP Chris Balcum-Miller. He's been assigned to Greenville. #redsox

http://twitter.com/AmalieBenjamin

Chris Balcom-Miller. 6'2", ~200 lb., 21 year old, extreme GB pitcher, FB topping out at 92. 3.31 ERA pitching at Asheville (Low A), 9.7 K/9, 6.15 K/BB ratio.

http://web.minorleag..._pbp&pid=542905

[Rudy's Curve]

Smiling Joe Hesketh, on 31 August 2010 - 02:57 PM, said:

A 6.1 K/BB ratio? Holy smokes. Is he old for his league or something?

He's a tad old for A-ball at 21 (but not egregiously so), and he's also hit 13 guys which takes a little bit of the luster off the K/BB rate, but this is still a best-case return for MDC, who had almost no chance of being with the Sox next year.

Edited by Rudy's Curve, 31 August 2010 - 03:00 PM.

[Blacken]

Smiling Joe Hesketh, on 31 August 2010 - 02:57 PM, said:

A 6.1 K/BB ratio? Holy smokes. Is he old for his league or something?

He's 21. Was drafted by KC in 2008 and refused, drafted by the Rockies in 2009.

[P'tucket, rhymes with...]

Corsi Combover, on 31 August 2010 - 02:59 PM, said:

Bad enough you beat us with the data. No need to mock me for something I edited the second it went up (didn't look like that in preview).

[C4CRVT]

Foulkey Reese, on 31 August 2010 - 02:49 PM, said:

Delcarmen and cash traded to Rockies for RHP Chris Balcum-Miller. He's been assigned to Greenville. #redsox

http://twitter.com/AmalieBenjamin

I had a millisecond when I read this and thought it was MDC and Cash (Kevin). I nearly died of excitement for a nanosecond, then realized that it was cash money.

I wish him well in Colorado. I always thought he was right around the corner from figuring it out but it just wasn't happening here.

[Andrew]

Rudy Pemberton, on 31 August 2010 - 02:55 PM, said:

Wasn't going to be tendered a contract, and hasn't been good, so worth a look at this guy. Sox ever have a hyphenated-name make it to the bigs before?

Oki next?

No, and not only that by Ryan Rowland-Smith is the only player with a hyphenated last name to ever play in the majors.

Thanks to an influx of Koreans there has been a few players with hyphenated first names, such as Hong-Chi Kuo, Shin-Soo Choo, Hee-Seop Choi, plus the infamous Chien-Ming Wang.

I guess Jo-Jo Reyes counts too.

Edit: Wang isn't Korean, I know.

Edited by Andrew, 31 August 2010 - 03:07 PM.

[Sprowl]

Seller, for a decent price.

So long, Little Manny. He had some good moments in 2007 and fewer later on. Foiling Aybar's squeeze bunt by busting him high and in with a fastball got the Red Sox into the 2008ALCS. There were some roller-coaster moments in later years, but it was basically downhill from there.

Theo has now unloaded two underperforming veteran relievers, leaving us with Doubardelbon and the scrubs. September callups will get plenty of chances. We'll see lots of Bowden and Richardson, I suppose, which means the back end of the bullpen will continue to drag the team down.

[phrenile]

Rudy Pemberton, on 31 August 2010 - 02:55 PM, said:

Sox ever have a hyphenated-name make it to the bigs before?

Ryan Rowland-Smith became the first major league player with a hyphenated-name, with any team, in 2007. So no.

[Rudy Pemberton]

Quote

I had a millisecond when I read this and thought it was MDC and Cash (Kevin). I nearly died of excitement for a nanosecond, then realized that it was cash money.

It's pretty unfortunate that Penny never pitched to Cash. Would have been a worthless battery.

[Toe Nash]

Corsi Combover, on 31 August 2010 - 02:55 PM, said:

Chris Balcom-Miller
21 years old
Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 35th round of the 2008 MLB June Amateur Draft and the Colorado Rockies in the 6th round of the 2009 MLB June Amateur Draft.

Single A Asheville

19 GS
108.2 IP
86 H
117 SO
19 BB
0.966 WHIP
3.31 ERA

Not too shabby. He's only given up 3 HR all season, as well.

http://www.baseball-...id=balcom001chr

Asheville is one of the smallest parks in the minors (373 to CF, 320 to right-center, 297 down the RF line, though there is a Monster-esque wall), so if he's only given up 3 HR that is indeed very impressive, no matter his age.

[Al Zarilla]

Watch him f*cking shine with the Rockies, like Javier Lopez with the Giants, hell, even Ramon Ramirez with the Giants.

[OttoC]

I figured he was gone after the season, just non-tendered, so that fact that they got something for him is nice; that the something appears to be more than just a warm body is really nice.

[Diamond Don Aase]

Mike Newman of Scouting the Sally had a recent write-up on CBM:

Game Report - Chris Balcolm-Miller

Quote

With a relatively high floor, but without more than average fastball velocity, Balcolm-Miller is an excellent candidate to settle in as a back of the rotation innings eater with the Rockies. He’s certainly not flashy, but it’s pitchers like him whom organizations simply can not have enough of. If the Rockies were buying at the deadline, I suspect “CBM” would be high on many a wish list.

[sibpin]

Looks like Michael Bowden. Per Scouting the Sally:

[Adirondack jack]

There goes the greatest (low-leverage, middle relief) pitcher to ever live.




KLaw says "nice pickup" and Callis says the deal makes sense for both clubs

[someoneanywhere]

I saw Balcom-Miller the other night pitching for the Tourists against the Drive. Eventually the Tourists took a 13-1 beatdown in that one, but not because of him.

He's a decently sized kid with a funky delivery, dropping his pitching hand low behind his back, a la Rick Sutcliffe, before letting it go. He throws hard enough, I think, but he is not overpowering. (It's hard to tell with the Greenville scoreboard gun. Most nights it's 3 mph fast; some nights it's 2-3 mph slow.) I would guess without looking him up that he's around 91-92. He locates that well. His best pitch (which may explain the hit batsmen) is a hammer that he hides well -- you would think with that delivery he telegraphs it, but the opposite is true -- and has plus potential. He can make it sweep as well as drop; poor Christian Vazquez, the Greenville catcher who would eventually break the game open with rocket double to center off a Tourist bullpen arm, looked hopeless all night against B-M and that breaking ball. As did Vitek and Hazelbaker, in case you're wondering about how the bigger prospects fared.

He's a bullpen arm if he makes the show, I think.

Edited by someoneanywhere, 31 August 2010 - 03:25 PM.

[TomRicardo]

I can't believe what they hauled in for MDC. That said, I hope to God the Red Sox don't try to change this kid's delivery. Everything I read says it is deceptive and allows for great pitch movement though it is a bit jerky. It sounds exactly like the thing the Red Sox always try to "correct" and end up scuttling a pitcher.

[curly2]

So it's MDC for CBM. I'm glad Delcarmen is going. I wish him well in Colorado and hope he does well, but it's great that the Sox have moved on.

It also can put to rest once and for all the ridiculous notion that came up on this board that the Red Sox drafted, called up and would never trade Delcarmen because he was local. He was very good in 2007 and 2008, hurt in 2009, and when he couldn't find any consistency this year, they traded him.

He will always be one of the 2007 "25."

[mikeford]

Pete Abe speculating on twitter that Okajima is next on the trading block.

[Rustjive]

alexspeier
Robert Manuel getting called up from Pawtucket. Lots more soon... #redsox

[Pumpsie]

Al Zarilla, on 31 August 2010 - 03:12 PM, said:

Watch him f*cking shine with the Rockies, like Javier Lopez with the Giants, hell, even Ramon Ramirez with the Giants.

Easier league for pitchers. There are some pitchers who just can't pitch in the AL but who'll do very well in the NL. MDC may well be one of them.

[Scoops Bolling]

Balcom-Miller Breakdown.

Statistics: CBM has the exact combination of peripherals you like to see in a minor league pitcher. Excellent control that he's maintained all year (every month his BB% has been between 4 and 5%), high K-rate with a moderate upward trend over the course of the season, and an extremely high GB rate. That said, Asheville is a Southern Atlantic League team, which means that individual pitching statistics aren't as impressive as they'd be anywhere else (the SAL is a huge pitchers league). Asheville itself is one of the better hitting parks in the league, and CBM's H/R splits show this (3.72 ERA at home, 2.98 away), however, as CBM's peripherals are extremely similar that's really nothing to worry about.

Stuff: Balcom-Miller has shown a four pitch repertoire this season, with a sinker, cutter, slider, and changeup. Of those two pitches, his sinker and slider appear to be his primary pitches, which no doubt explains his high groundball totals. While CBM does not have huge velocity (he operates in the 88-92 range), he combines strong command with good movement. While I've come across conflicting reports on the movement of his pitch, I think that's due to people failing to differentiate his cutter and his sinker (some reports say his fastball shows plus horizontal movement with a little drop, others seem to indicate more of a pure sinker), but in any event almost all reports seem pretty positive about the pitch. It'd be nice if he could up the velocity, and given his frame (6-2, 190) I think that's still possible. Regarding his other pitches, nothing I've read indicates the changeup to be anything more than a work in progress, but reports on the slider are pretty positive. Comes in the low 80s with good movement, and importantly he throws it out of the same slot as his fastball which adds to the deception of the pitch.

Mechanics: A wee bit jerky, and there's a break in his motion that I'd like to see somewhat smoothed out if possible. CBM was an outstanding two-sport athlete in high school, which is something I really like to see in a pitcher (mainly as it suggests they may have the coordination to maintain a consistent delivery). Overall, I'm not a pitching mechanics expert, but from the video I've been looking at it looks like he's got a little deception in his release, and his arm action is smooth. One thing that did stand out was the inconsistency in his leg kick, as on some pitches he's got a really high leg kick going, while on others its a much more subdued motion. Definitely not a huge issue, but something that might merit a little work.

Overall: A nice pick up. I like the fastball/slider combo, I like the command, and there doesn't seem to be any huge negatives with the kid. Sure the fastball could stand to pick up a little bit of velocity, but movement and the ability to locate can make even a slower fastball into a plus pitch. Obviously the big challenge will come in the next year or two as he advances into AA, as that will really determine how much he's gotten by on pitchability, how much he can develop his changeup, and whether or not his raw stuff will be good enough to take him to the MLB. Worst case scenario, he could always be put in relief in the hopes that that gives his fastball a little bit more juice, and allows him to survive with just a fastball/slider combo.

[bd11]

Rustjive, on 31 August 2010 - 03:37 PM, said:

alexspeier
Robert Manuel getting called up from Pawtucket. Lots more soon... #redsox

Man they must be down on Bowden unless that rule is in play here where he has to stay down a certain amount of time like 10 days.

[mt8thsw9th]

mikeford, on 31 August 2010 - 03:33 PM, said:

Pete Abe speculating on twitter that Okajima is next on the trading block.

Speaking of the Globe; for those looking to _not_ lodge a pencil in their frontal lobe, do yourself a favor and don't read the comments on Finn's write up. People complaining they shouldn't have traded him before Okajima, people saying he should stay because he's from the area, people saying that trading an awful reliever is a sign that they're completely punting (yes - I get that they could very well be, but subtracting a bad player is not a sign), et cetera. I'm just glad the comments don't automatically load so I don't ever have to read any of that stuff again.

[Pumpsie]

mikeford, on 31 August 2010 - 03:33 PM, said:

Pete Abe speculating on twitter that Okajima is next on the trading block.

Good. Glad to hear that ...and what took so long?

Not sad to see MDC go. Some pitchers are just not quite good enough for the AL but will do quite nicely in the NL. MDC gave me one too many cases of agita.

[Noah]

I believe Delcarmen (drafted in 2000) was the third longest tenured member of the organization, behind Varitek and Wakefield. Have there been any minor leaguers that have been kicking around in the minors for more than 10 years?

So I think Varitek, Wakefield, and Youkilis are now the only guys left from the Duquette administration.

[joyofsox]

Amalie Benjamin:

Quote

Also, that's cash as in money, not Kevin Cash.
2 minutes ago via TweetDeck

[judyb]

bd11, on 31 August 2010 - 03:42 PM, said:

Man they must be down on Bowden unless that rule is in play here where he has to stay down a certain amount of time like 10 days.

It is, unless someone goes on the DL or his team's season ends first.

[sittingstill]

bd11, on 31 August 2010 - 03:42 PM, said:

Man they must be down on Bowden unless that rule is in play here where he has to stay down a certain amount of time like 10 days.

It's in play.

Quote

The Triple-A season ends Sept. 6, and the expectation is that Bowden would be brought back up then. Rosters expand Sept. 1, but all players optioned down are required to spend a minimum of 10 days in the minors unless they are recalled to replace an injured player.

"Hopefully I'll be back in 10 days," Bowden said.

[The Gray Eagle]

So what's the bullpen totem pole look like now?

Papelbon
Bard
Doubront
Okajima
Atchison
Manuel
Wakefield?

A few more arms will probably come up tomorrow as well.

[Sprowl]

sibpin, on 31 August 2010 - 03:18 PM, said:

Looks like Michael Bowden. Per Scouting the Sally:

someoneanywhere, on 31 August 2010 - 03:25 PM, said:

I saw Balcom-Miller the other night pitching for the Tourists against the Drive. Eventually the Tourists took a 13-1 beatdown in that one, but not because of him.

He's a decently sized kid with a funky delivery, dropping his pitching hand low behind his back, a la Rick Sutcliffe, before letting it go. He throws hard enough, I think, but he is not overpowering. (It's hard to tell with the Greenville scoreboard gun. Most nights it's 3 mph fast; some nights it's 2-3 mph slow.) I would guess without looking him up that he's around 91-92. He locates that well. His best pitch (which may explain the hit batsmen) is a hammer that he hides well -- you would think with that delivery he telegraphs it, but the opposite is true -- and has plus potential. He can make it sweep as well as drop; poor Christian Vazquez, the Greenville catcher who would eventually break the game open with rocket double to center off a Tourist bullpen arm, looked hopeless all night against B-M and that breaking ball. As did Vitek and Hazelbaker, in case you're wondering about how the bigger prospects fared.

He's a bullpen arm if he makes the show, I think.

Scoops Bolling, on 31 August 2010 - 03:42 PM, said:

Balcom-Miller Breakdown.
Stuff: Balcom-Miller has shown a four pitch repertoire this season, with a sinker, cutter, slider, and changeup. Of those two pitches, his sinker and slider appear to be his primary pitches, which no doubt explains his high groundball totals. While CBM does not have huge velocity (he operates in the 88-92 range), he combines strong command with good movement. While I've come across conflicting reports on the movement of his pitch, I think that's due to people failing to differentiate his cutter and his sinker (some reports say his fastball shows plus horizontal movement with a little drop, others seem to indicate more of a pure sinker), but in any event almost all reports seem pretty positive about the pitch. It'd be nice if he could up the velocity, and given his frame (6-2, 190) I think that's still possible. Regarding his other pitches, nothing I've read indicates the changeup to be anything more than a work in progress, but reports on the slider are pretty positive. Comes in the low 80s with good movement, and importantly he throws it out of the same slot as his fastball which adds to the deception of the pitch.

Great stuff guys, thanks. CBM's mechanics are indeed a bit funky: he seems to have not one but two hitches in his delivery, but still generates a lot of arm speed.

A sinker-slider pitcher who also throws a cutter can usually get away with lower velocity than a pitcher who depends on the 4-seam fastball -- a 92 mph sinker isn't bad.

[Al Zarilla]

He reminds me of Joe Blanton, a little.

[hittery]

Little Manny's departure reminds me of Dorothy Parker's response to the news that Calvin Coolidge had died: How can they tell? That being said, I sure hope he doesn't rediscover his old self up there in them mountains.

[CaptainLaddie]

Noah, on 31 August 2010 - 03:48 PM, said:

I believe Delcarmen (drafted in 2000) was the third longest tenured member of the organization, behind Varitek and Wakefield. Have there been any minor leaguers that have been kicking around in the minors for more than 10 years?

So I think Varitek, Wakefield, and Youkilis are now the only guys left from the Duquette administration.

Lester as well.

[mt8thsw9th]

CaptainLaddie, on 31 August 2010 - 04:16 PM, said:

Lester as well.

Mike Port was the GM when Lester was drafted.

[judyb]

Noah, on 31 August 2010 - 03:48 PM, said:

I believe Delcarmen (drafted in 2000) was the third longest tenured member of the organization, behind Varitek and Wakefield. Have there been any minor leaguers that have been kicking around in the minors for more than 10 years?

So I think Varitek, Wakefield, and Youkilis are now the only guys left from the Duquette administration.

I think Dusty Brown was drafted in 2000 also.

[Al Zarilla]

hittery, on 31 August 2010 - 04:11 PM, said:

Quote

Little Manny's departure reminds me of Dorothy Parker's response to the news that Calvin Coolidge had died: How can they tell?

Never heard that one but it's hilarious.

Quote

That being said, I sure hope he doesn't rediscover his old self up there in them mountains.

He will as sure as John Elway finally got his super bowl rings.

[CaptainLaddie]

mt8thsw9th, on 31 August 2010 - 04:17 PM, said:

Mike Port was the GM when Lester was drafted.

You are correct.