Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says the team is considering promoting one of baseball’s top prospects, lefty Julio Urias, to join its bullpen, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group tweets. “We’re looking through options and (Julio) Urias is definitely at the top of the list,” Hoornstra says. The team could also promote Jharel Cotton or Jose De Leon instead, however, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles times notes (also on Twitter).
Urias has been dominant in the rotation at Triple-A Oklahoma City this season even though he’s still just 19. The lefty has pitched 24 innings so far, posting a 1.88 ERA while whiffing 29 and walking just three. Via MLB.com, Urias rates as the second-best prospect in baseball. Heading into the season, Baseball America rated Urias fourth, while ESPN’s Keith Law rated him fifth. MLB.com notes that Urias throws in the 91-94 MPH range, can throw as hard as 97 MPH, has good secondary pitches, and could eventually become an ace.
Urias joined the Dodgers organization in 2012 and has rocketed through the minors since then, making stunningly quick work of the lower levels and reaching Triple-A in his age-18 season. He has a career 2.81 ERA, 10.7 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 and has spent almost his entire minor-league career as a starter, the role he figures to occupy in the big leagues over the long term.
Of course, the reason the Dodgers are considering promoting Urias right now is because they need help in their bullpen, as the team has struggled to find trustworthy relief help beyond closer Kenley Jansen. Promoting Urias to help in relief would allow him to limit his innings for the season and ease his transition to the big leagues. If they were to promote him and he were to stick, he would likely become eligible for arbitration after the 2018 season and for free agency after 2022.
Why waste a talent like that in the pen? Urias is still working on developing his stamina, and he hasn’t been lasting more than 5 innings in starts this year. Makes no sense to put a prodigy like him in the pen instead of letting him to work on lasting longer in games.
They’re limiting his innings. He’s pitching 5 because they don’t want him to rack up a ton of innings. That’s why bringing him to the pen makes sense. It allows them to control the number of innings he’s throwing, but they are getting value to the MLB club from them
The ChiSox used Chris Sale as a closer for a full year before bringing him to the rotation. He went from 70is IP to nearly 200 the following year. One way to build stamina is to throw in the pen nearly every day and 60 games in a season.
The Rays did it with David price and the same with the sox for Chris sale, it’s not a bad idea at all
He fits a need and he will get MLB innings. It worked ok for Sale, think it is pretty optimal for a 19 y/o stud high K-rate guy like Urias.
I’d plug him into the rotation now and put Alex Wood in the bullpen then move Urias to the bullpen later in the season like what the Blue Jays are doing for Aaron Sanchez
His highest ever inning total is not even 90. He can’t start for very long if they want to control the innings.
The Dodgers could also give De Leon another month or so and he should be ready to go. With his month missed due to the ankle he could just about pitch all year in the rotation if they limit him to 6 IP per start De Leon made his first start last week and K’d 8 in 5 IP if memory serves correctly.
Trust me, you don’t want Alex Wood out of the ‘pen. You wouldn’t know what pitcher you’re getting with the game on the line. He’s still having issues replicating his mechanics.
I like the idea, Dodgers are going to get a lot of help back in the next months with starting pitching, Ryu, Anderson, and some depth in Bating with Entire so let the kid show his stuff and hopefully help the dodgers be above 500 come the all star break.
The A’s brought up Sonny Gray to pitch out of the pen in the 2013 season then moved him in to the rotation. It’s been done before and has worked out well.
Bullpen wasting too many good outings and with its current make-up will be shot by the end of June. Bring him up.
I hope the time, is in fact now. I have little doubt he isnt one of our top 25
Yeah im sure he could use some more development and all that jazz. But hes already good enough, hes proven he can handle AA and AAA. Hed be on a ton of other teams’ 25 man roster
Urias’ career ERA is actually 2.81
Friedman was not fooling anyone into thinking this version of LA’s pen was anything worthwhile. Friedman’s had a few years to fix the pen and failed so it’s about time something gets done.
given his age, i think that actually would be a good idea to ease him in
I agree. He’s been in the organization for almost 3 years now, i think hes more than ready to contribute at the big league level!