Not only is veteran Julio Teheran hitting as high as 94 mph on the radar gun, but he got three strikeouts on his slider in his most-recent outing, writes Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Said Teheran, “My slider is the best it’s been in a while. The last time I felt my slider was like this was my 2016 All-Star season. That’s the kind of confidence I have right now. I feel like I can throw my pitches anytime I want. My command is there. Just a different game when you have everything working.” The Tigers will owe Teheran $3MM at minimum if he makes the team, so there is a financial component to audition. Still, Detroit has an active payroll of only around $75MM, per Spotrac, and a projected luxury tax payroll of around $94MM. Fangraphs’ estimates for those payroll numbers to be closer to $81MM and $100MM, respectively. In either case, the Tigers shouldn’t need worry about an extra few million if Terehan proves worthy of a rotation spot. In other pitcher news…
- Mike Fiers suffered a setback and is now questionable for opening day. The Athletics’ right-hander will have an MRI done on his hip/back tomorrow, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). In a best case scenario, Fiers would be competing with A.J. Puk for the A’s fifth starter spot, though neither has appeared in a spring contest as of yet. Puk has the higher ceiling, but Fiers would seem to have the inside track on the role after posting a palatable 4.58 ERA/4.94 FIP across 59 innings last season. While he’s out, Daulton Jefferies, Grant Holmes, or James Kaprielian could receive a look out of the rotation. Puk remains a candidate, though they’re likely to be cautious with his usage.
- Hunter Harvey had been one of the few locks to start the season in the Orioles’ bullpen, but with his latest setback, opportunity knocks for another of Orioles’ hurler, per Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun. With so many roster spots still up for grabs, the Orioles could use Harvey’s spot to secure a job for another short-stint arm, like Cole Sulser, Dillon Tate, or Travis Lakins. But they could also take the opportunity to have yet another starter/piggyback arm on the roster. Even the Orioles’ likely rotation arms – John Means, Keegan Akin, and Dean Kremer – aren’t locks to pitch deep into games. Bruce Zimmermann seems a decent candidate to make the roster as a swingman – and a near lock to see time on the Major League roster at some point in 2021 – but he may need some help filling the middle innings. Tyler Wells would be one such candidate. A starter in the Twins’ system, Wells is a Rule 5 pick who needs to make the roster in order to stay in the organization.
Wells might get a chance good for him
I would love to see Fires pitch vs Houston, in Houston this year. Doubt BoMel will let that happen.
The irony of a fan base booing and jeering a man, who outed that team as a bunch of cheating scumbags, is quite intriguing, I agree. All I know is I hope Bregman and Correa wear a lot of pitches this year. Cheating facts aside, they just come off as completely unlikable to be honest.
Agree on Bergman & Correa. You cheated & got caught. No reason to be mad at fans. You made your bed, now sleep in it
Sure, let’s all laud Mr. Fiers. His newly found altruism just happened to coincide with him not benefitting from said cheating anymore. Turns out a new uni was the fix for that moral compass.
You’re the only one who lauded Fiers.
Sure would be nice if A’s pitching prospects can stay healthy, they’ve waited a couple years and the mlb team has still made the playoffs in spite of those delays. They probably have up to 6 SP prospects that will be in AAA and pending results could be ready to contribute by mid to late summer
I think Travis deserves a chance. He has pitched very well in Spring training
Travis Lakins has 2 IP, 7 BF, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K this spring, very nice two innings against average quality of opponents, per Baseball Reference, of 5.9 which is between High A and AA minor leaguers. Hopefully he will get more opportunities this spring against higher quality batters.
Why is Fiers competing? id have figured he was expected to start.
Fiers seems more like a back up option if Puk goes to the pen or if all of Jefferies, Holmes, or Kap aren’t ready for a starter’s amount of innings quite yet.
He’s not a very good pitcher, he doesn’t deserve a spot on name value alone because the A’s have about 10 higher ceiling guys ahead of him, but he is good for being healthy, so the A’s are hedging their bets here by keeping him around – there is a chance 6 of those 10 will get hurt. But in particular Puk, Holmes and Jefferies all have higher ceilings for sure.
also a lot is said about guys like Harvey, Sulser, and Valdez as the closer for BAL, but Lakins honestly seems like the best option in my mind.
Scott will be the closer
Scott should already be the closer.
in what way is he that much more qualified?
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/tanner-scott-656945
Lot of red on his rankings. Elite velo, elite spin rate, elite EV against, avoids hard contact, elite whiff rates. The only think holding him back is high BB%, but with all the other stuff, I can live with a few walks. Dude would be considered an elite reliever if he wasn’t on the Orioles.
Tate needs more of a look, let the kid pitch!
so now we cant even wish people in life threatening situations well. smh.
I did not see the comments but it would not shock me if someone made a nasty snarky comment about the car crash.
it would have had to have been within the first three minutes, because that’s when i tried to send a message.
It’s not like the guy is reading MLBTR comment sections so wishing him well is mostly just a chance for you to morally posture, isn’t it?
and that bothers you how?
@steviecornhusker Pot calling kettle black here on the moral posturing, oh heck include me too in a way I guess…
I never saw the 1962 Mets or a few other bad rotations throughout history, but the 2021 Orioles and even worse Pittsburgh Pirates on paper look as bad as any I have ever seen.
euh, some combination of Cahill, Anderson, Keller, Brault, and Kuhl isnt great, but not historically bad. Depth guys arent chopped liver either.
It’s not a MLB season until the A’s lose a starter from the rotation due to injury. Everything is back to “normal”. Phew.
Astros fans and really anyone who tries to get mad at fiers for ousting a cheating lying organization
Julio Teheran will be the best pickup DET has made in AA’s tenure.
Still not an optimal contract from the team standpoint if they intend on trading or keeping him. I can’t understand why team options are not included in any of these contracts. It’s fair. The team gives the player an opportunity to showcase, at his low point, therefore the team s/b compensated. A team option with a favorable number. After all, the player is or s/b looking to reinvigorate a career, not just pick up an extra years’ pay.
Where did all the Julio Teheran haters go? Now that he’s pitching above 90, y’all got quiet.
I don’t think anyone hated him, braves fans just got tired of all the nerve wracking outings and inconsistency.
I always root for him but 8 starts out of 10 it was 5 IP 3 or 4 Er with one dud and one gem mixed in. That went on for years. I hope we had a renaissance.
Yea you guys both right about that.