Ryan Yarbrough will return to the Tampa Bay Rays rotation on Tuesday against the Nationals, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Yarbrough doesn’t have the name appeal of many of his rotation mates, but he’s developed into a solid rotation arm for the Rays. This season: 7 starts with a 3.65 ERA/4.55 FIP with 6.3 K/9 to 2.2 BB/9 over 37 innings. Over his first two seasons, the lanky Texan has been a 140-150 innings a year swingman who survives by limiting hard contact.
That undersells his impact, however. Throwing a four pitch mix (cutter, changeup, curveball, sinker), he’s one of the game’s softest-tossers to hold down a regular rotation spot. Thus far, he’s been more Dallas Keuchel or Hyun Jin Ryu than Tommy Milone or Wade LeBlanc: He was in the top 1% last season in opposing exit velocity (84.8 %) and hard hit percentage (26.2%) while posting a 2.7 fWAR season in 2019.
The Rays haven’t gotten tremendous length from their starters, but they’ve held their own with a 3.74 ERA that ranks 7th in the majors for starters. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have been within the realm of expectations. Charlie Morton just returned for a couple of 2-inning semi-rehab starts, looking especially sharp his last time out versus the Yankees. Josh Fleming, 24, has become the Rays’ annual out-of-nowhere contributor through three starts after Yonny Chirinos was lost for the year to Tommy John. Yarbrough will slot back into the fourth spot in the rotation on Tuesday.
I realize it’s a very small sample size, but why does Chaim Bloom get so much credit for the Tampa method of acquiring and developing pitching while also not getting much blame for the Red Sox currently historically bad pitching?
I would say that the Sox current pitching situation is what it is largely because of the previous GM. It’s also worth noting that Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez are both out for the year, for which no one can really be blamed
Are you serious? The man has been on the job less than a year and you expect him to build a respectable pitching staff with no starting talent in the minors?
Didn’t Chaim Bloom just arrive in Boston last season? So he now is getting the blame of how bad the Red Sox pitching has been? smh It’s a process. He had a excellent history in Tampa Bay at developing pitching that’s what you got to look out for now. Not the Boston situation today. He’ll get them back to respectability it’s just gonna take some time. Like a few years. Maybe 3. And without a doubt it hurt the RedSox not having Sale and Rodriguez this year for sure.
I think they’re targeting ‘22 if I had to guess but this offseason should give us a better idea
The prospect timelines on the guys they’ve added would seem to indicate that. Slot in Seabold and a couple previously in house guys to start the year, get most of the other guys a look late in the summer and then everyone ready to go the year after, though I think Jeter Downs could end up being a year later.
This cat is much better than he’s given credit for.
So we’re not sure exactly how much Bloom was responsible for the Rays’ enviable pipeline…he was in fact never the final decision maker. Given the make up of their current roster, I’d give more credit to Kevin Ibach, their pro scouting director (Yarborough, Glassnow, Wendle, Adames, Choi, Diaz, Arozarena etc., etc.,).
It’s certainly too early to judge his administration, save to say he seems a bit slow to react. But that may be a function of the decisions he has to make having significant impact in Boston, while they didn’t have much in Tampa; win, lose or draw, the Rays’ financial situation stays the same. And the odd circumstances of 2020.
And it’s not like he has to rebuild an entire infrastructure in Boston; they’ve done pretty well this century with the folks that are in place. Basically the issues in the draft were (a) some bad luck and (b) perhaps not paying enough attention to “soft” analytics. But those things have a way of evening out when there’s a willingness to spend, as Sox ownership definitely is.
It won’t be a matter of IF he brings them back; (it’s almost impossible for Bloom NOT to bring them back); .only a matter of HOW LONG it takes. That will be the metric.
Bloom was not the main decision maker, he was the second in line- at best. The main reason why he was available for the Red Sox was because he was not a GM, and being blocked by the Rays current GM.
Bloom is a fantastic but I would be surprised if Boston fan base will be patient enough to allow bloom to be creative.
Bloom is a good guy and I wish him the best in everything but baseball.
84.8% exit velocity? What does that even mean?
Great Update.
What’s the status of:
Cale Yarbourgh
and
LeeRoy Yarbourgh?
How long before they are back?
I’m really sad about that Archer debacle. Would love to see Yarbrough on the Pirates. Yarrrr!
I think the Rays can work a deal out. I should warn you, the going rate for a pitcher is a first round outfielder, first round pitcher, and a 5th rounder who throws a hundred.