Heath Hembree called up

mfried

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derekson

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I assume it's Brown over Hassan because of the limited number of ABs the guy in that spot is going to get. Between JBJ, Cespedes, Mookie, Nava, and Holt the OF is already pretty full. They wouldn't want to call up Hassan to just sit on the bench, whereas Brown has no real future in MLB so they don't mind doing so.
 

LeftyTG

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derekson said:
I assume it's Brown over Hassan because of the limited number of ABs the guy in that spot is going to get. Between JBJ, Cespedes, Mookie, Nava, and Holt the OF is already pretty full. They wouldn't want to call up Hassan to just sit on the bench, whereas Brown has no real future in MLB so they don't mind doing so.
I'm not sure Hassan is the kind of guy you worry about not developing due to not getting regular ABs.  He is 26, has been in Pawtucket since 2012, and has nearly 1,000 ABs in AAA.  He isn't some kind of prospect who needs regular ABs to continue development.
 

RetractableRoof

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It could be over the last x games that Brown is hotter. Or frankly it could be simply a matter of them rewarding a good soldier with some major league roster time/money.
 

Sprowl

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RetractableRoof said:
It could be over the last x games that Brown is hotter. Or frankly it could be simply a matter of them rewarding a good soldier with some major league roster time/money.
Or he can be DFA'd when necessary without any regrets.
 

mauidano

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RetractableRoof said:
It could be over the last x games that Brown is hotter. Or frankly it could be simply a matter of them rewarding a good soldier with some major league roster time/money.
 
Sprowl said:
Or he can be DFA'd when necessary without any regrets.
So basically...
 

mfried

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Al Zarilla said:
Anybody seen Hembree pitch? I haven't. He's always referred to as the hard throwing right hander.
98 mph keeps coming up in descriptions.
 

Tyrone Biggums

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This I'm excited about. I think with the way our roster is he has seen the last of AAA. Good numbers, he was hitting the mid 90s in his last appearance.
 

Drek717

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mfried said:
98 mph keeps coming up in descriptions.
He has supposedly toned it down to 95-96 range since 2013 to get better control.  He was a pretty fast mover when drafted out of college but has stalled at AAA since a mid-season 2012 move up to that level.  Was always considered the Giants closer of the future until that stall.  His performance there doesn't really suggest a reason for the stall though.  His K/9 has been over 10 each of the last two years.  His BB/9 hasn't been awesome but a 2.6 followed by a 3.0 isn't bad at all for a reliever.  His ERA is right around a 4.00, which is slightly better than average for the PCL.  He's been a little homer prone, but again it's the PCL and that is to be expected.
 
I'm really excited to see what he's got.  He looks like a hard throwing strikeout guy who got overlooked because he was left in the PCL for the last two years.
 

jscola85

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Any reliever with those kind of strikeout numbers should be given an extended opportunity in the Red Sox bullpen.  Hopefully this is more than a cup of coffee for him.
 
For what it is worth (not much), he had no trouble translating his stuff to the majors in his one brief call-up last year - 7.2 IP, 14.1 K/9, no runs allowed in 9 appearances.  Seems like he just got stuck behind a bunch of nasty arms in the Giants' bullpen.
 

tbrown_01923

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I believe that I read his movement increased with the tone down in velocity as well.  Seems like a solid bet to be the last man in the bullpen, and potential to deliver in the later innings.  He's at 41 innings after a career high 55 last year, 51 games remaining for the sox.  I would love to see him get 15 appearances, across a combination of multiple innings / back to back games / and being in the BP a week without pitching.  Lets see how he adjusts and handles a handful of scenarios.
 

mabrowndog

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As noted in the Workman thread, Alex Speier reports Hembree's been called up with Brandon being optioned. Hembree had been sent down on August 10, just 5 days after his initial recall for Boston and one day after his 4-inning, 62-pitch debut stint during the 19-inning game in Anaheim.
 
He's worked three times for the Pawtucket since then:
 
* 8/15 vs SWB - Pitched a scoreless t-9th with a double (11 pitches/10 strikes) in a 4-1 loss.
 
* 8/17 vs SWB - Came into the t-9th with 1 out to clean up Brayan Villareal's mess. A run was already in, cutting the PawSox lead to 5-2, with runners on 1st & 2nd. After getting a K looking for out #2, Hembree went single, passed ball, walk (loading the bases), walk (forcing in the tying run), single (scoring the go-ahead run). In addition to allowing both inherited runners to score, he was charged with 2 ER (2 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 26 pit, 14 str) and took the 6-5 loss.
 
* 8/20 vs LHV - The ultimate low-leverage outing, pitched a scoreless t-9th in a 9-0 win. Strikeout looking, walk, and two fly-outs on 12 pitches, 7 for strikes.
 
I'm sure the Sox never intended to send Hembree back down after his first call-up (certainly not that soon), nor did Farrell plan to have him throw 62 pitches in one game. But shit happens, and they needed a fresh arm after that. I think he'll be up the rest of the way, and hopefully will be used in a manner more befitting his history and skill set. They really need to see if he can be a solid set-up man for 2015, and he has to be in the front of Cherington's mind as a possible closer should Koji's recent issues turn out to be something worse than a few mistake pitches by a fatigued 39-year-old.