Reds prospect Hunter Greene, the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft who wowed scouts with triple-digit velocity in addition to his potential as an infielder, will begin the season exclusively as a pitcher, Cincinnati director of player development Jeff Graupe tells Jon Morosi of MLB.com (Twitter link). However, while the ballyhooed 19-year-old won’t be hitting to begin the year, the organization is not “closing the door on developing him offensively,” Graupe adds. Virtually every scouting report heading into the draft suggested that Greene’s upside on the mound was higher anyhow, though there was nonetheless some thought to developing him as a two-way player at least in the early portion of his career. Greene made three starts in Rookie ball last season and appeared in seven games as a DH.
Here’s more from the division…
- The Cardinals announced that Adam Wainwright will be activated from the 10-day disabled list on Thursday and start the team’s game against the Diamondbacks. In a corresponding move, top prospect Jack Flaherty has been optioned to Triple-A Memphis. Wainwright opened the season on the shelf due to a strained left hamstring. He’ll be looking to bounce back from an uncharacteristic season in which he struggled to a 5.11 ERA in 123 2/3 innings.
- Cardinals general manager Mike Girsch spoke with Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM about the team’s late signing of closer Greg Holland (Twitter link, with audio). While the Cards were in touch with agent Scott Boras about Holland as far back as the GM Meetings, nothing between the two sides became serious until late in camp. “It really wasn’t until the last week or 10 days of Spring Training when it became more apparent that there might actually be a possibility of finding some common ground,” said Girsch. “…His expectations were changing, and our willingness to find someplace that we could make something happen made it so we could actually get something done.” Notably, Girsch said that Luke Gregerson’s injuries didn’t play much of a role in the decision to add Holland, as he’s not dealing with arm troubles and is only expected to be out for a few weeks. More important, it seems, was the length of the contract. Girsch notes that the Cards have some younger arms “who are future back-of-the-bullpen arms” that aren’t far from big league readiness.
- Tommy Pham chatted with MLB.com’s Bill Ladson about his rise to prominence and his ongoing battle with keratoconus — an eye disorder characterized by the progressive thinning of the cornea. Interestingly, Pham said he gives a huge amount of credit to current Astros GM Jeff Luhnow, who, during his days in the Cardinals front office, was the first to set up the initial test that diagnosed Pham with his condition. “He just always believed I was too good of an athlete to struggle in this game,” said Pham. “…I hit a lot of home runs, but I struck out a lot, and Jeff thought it was my vision rather than my actual swing. … sure enough, he was right.”
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel provides a host of updates on some injured Brewers (all links to Twitter). Veteran lefty Wade Miley, who signed a minor league deal last month, is playing catch but likely a month away from returning from the groin injury that sidelined him. Both Miley and lefty Boone Logan, who is dealing with a triceps injury, are hoping to begin throwing off a mound next week. Ace Jimmy Nelson, meanwhile, is hoping to throw from a mound by the end of the month. As for catcher Stephen Vogt, he hopes to throw by the end of the week after recently being cleared by doctors, but he’s still a few weeks from returning. When he does, the Brewers will have to make a call on what to do with Vogt and Jett Bandy, as both are out of minor league options and behind Manny Pina on the depth chart.
I think ohtani’s performance both on the mound and in the batter’s box this season will set the bar for teams to determine whether or not two way players can be developed in the minors
Milwaukee better find someone, their starting pitching is as awful as anticipated. But not for extreme fortune of winning two games down to their last strike, they’d be 2-4 and reeling.
Tbh …
I agree, starting pitching is horrendous.
I agree but it’s not like there’s much better out there. Chacin is risky, Suter was never projected to be good, Davies will likely regress. I think Anderson is here to stay, even though his last start was pretty bad. And Nelson is good but he’s hurt. We have a superb bullpen and a playoff caliber lineup but our rotation which was 9th last year is still worse by a lot this year.
Couldn’t agree more. I’m sure the argument could be made that the better offense and defense behind the pitcher should make the pitchers numbers look better. At least that was my hope once it looked clear that after the Cain and Yelich acquisitions that a pitching trade didn’t happen. One has to think Archer was the target. We’ll have to wait and see how Cobb and Arrieta do to see how getting one of those two would have turned out. It’s early yet, but the starting rotation looks to be in trouble.
Would love to see a NL team actually continue to develop a SPs hitting so the 9th spot in the order isn’t always a joke, MadBum notwithstanding.
Cardinals have always had good hitting pitchers. Waino being latest example.
Sending Flaherty down makes no sense. He is a far better option than Wainwright at this point in his career. At one point, the Cards were talking about him being a long man in the pen so Flaherty could stay in the rotation.
Cards never were on record for using waino in pen, that was fans idea only. Flaherty will get chance, no need to rush him.
The Cards are taking the Astros and Dodgers approach this year and keeping pitchers counts in the 70-85 range. Why not add Flaherty and have a 6 man rotation since we’re limiting all the pitchers? Especially the young guys…
Adams contract will start, you know that. Hopefully he can be decent on his way out.
Flaherty might replace mikolas at some point. Waino may not be the biggest liability in that rotation.
Cards can’t put a 19 million dollar player in the pen. They should but won’t. And Pham… dude just come out t and say you want to be traded to the Astros. It’s obvious he doesn’t want to be in STL and I’m all about shipping him out while his stock is high. Dude has one good season, throws the organization and his teammates under the bus, and thinks he’s the best play in the MLB. What a joke.
The Cardinals have so many pitchers right now, there is no place to put all of them (which is a good problem to have I guess).
Who goes down when Gregerson comes off the DL? When Holland joins the team? Send 102 mph Hicks down, who has practally been flawless? Leone? Maybe.
But I agree if your goal is to win games, then keep your best hurlers on the 25 man roster. If your goal is just to be loyal to who has been signed or been with the organization long term, then yeah, keep them on the 25 man.
Call me crazy, but I thought the goal for every team was to put your best players on the field every time a game is played.
Maybe Munoz and Bader
Or bader and Mayer’s
Send Kolten Wong down.
No he’s the starting 2B
that’s the problem
He sucks, can’t hit a ball out of the infield. We need a real second baseman. I bet Max Shrock can out hit Wonger. Shame I like Wong too, but he is basically an automatic out when he comes up.
Why because he doesn’t have enough RBIs? How about Carlos Martinez because his record is 1-1 and as ace it should be 2-0. Or hicks because he doesn’t have any saves? Eyes rolling….
I really hope hicks stays in the majors is is fun to watch
Bowman, Hicks, Mayers and Sheriff all have options. Sheriff replaced Brett Cecil so he may stay up as the 2nd lefty until Cecil returns.
I had no idea Tommy Pham has keratoconus. I’m 26 now. I was diagnosed 12 or 13 years ago. 7 or 8 eye surgeries in, including 2 full cornea transplants. I dont know how he is able to hit a baseball or even see in the OF. It effects your peripheral vision and depth perception especially. It may be the beginning stages though, and he could also be able to use the gas permeable hard contact lenses, which I couldn’t use. There are also new developments in potential treatments that didn’t exist when I initially had it. Usually, it’s a disease you would get in your 40s or 50s, and it’s supposed to be hereditary, although for me that doesn’t seem to.be the case. You can get it from rubbing your eyes too, so maybe that was an issue for him (seriously, don’t rub your eyes). Bascom Palmer is pretty much the number 1 eye institute in the world, so I have good care. He should probably look into them. I hope he continues to play as effectively as he has. I’m definitely rooting for him a little more from the outside now. This eye issue has taken from me as much as you could think it could. It would make me feel good to know it didn’t stop him from living his dream
wainwright looks washed up. no wait, he is washed up
Fire Matheny! Trade Wong, bring Jack back and Hicks needs to stay in the majors. Matheny is so boring its hurting this team. It’s trash baseball.