FanPost

The Trading Block: Pitchers to watch

STARTING PITCHERS (2)

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LHP Jonathan Sanchez – With this absolute dominance and filthy stuff, Jonathan Sanchez has all the makings of a high-end no. 2 starting pitcher. With a no-hitter already in his resume, he is starting to make waves across the baseball world. His control issues may be somewhat of a concern, but as this article mentions, his ability to make batters whiff (swing and miss) "put him in elite territory". He may have high flyball tendencies, maybe, but his dominance more than makes up for it. And he will get better. And when he does get better, there's no telling what he's truly capable of. The Giants could afford to give up one SP to fill a position in need, with the robust stock of pitching talent already on the way.

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RHP Luke Hochevar – I know, I know. Roll eyes. But, for what he lacks in dominance, he makes up for it by inducing grounders. And he is showing signs of improvement. There are signs that his recent performance may be a fluke, but if you look too hard on past history, you could overlook the fact that he was largely the victim of a poor Royals’ defense in his career. For a small amount, I think it may be a risk worth considering. And, as this Fangraphs article points out, he added nearly 5 mph to his fastball in the offseason, topping off at 97 mph. I say give it a try.

RELIEF PITCHERS (4)

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RHP Luke Gregerson – I cannot begin to emphasize how much Gregerson could help the Mets’ bullpen! Listen to this, please. He’s dominant beyond belief (11 K/9), can get batters to ground out, and induces hitters to utter profanities under their breath. Hitters can’t seem to make contact off this guy! I mentioned him in a previous post; it is time to acknowledge this unknown for who he really is – a possible closer-in-waiting. Keep your eyes and ears open – Gregerson is sure to make waves before long.

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RHP Nick Masset – I’ve been following this guy for a very long time. And for good reason. When my fantasy league ran out of good closers last year, I went right to Nick Masset for relief pitching. Even though he hasn’t been great this year, that could serve to our benefit if we can stiff the Reds into giving him up. He has a 70-80% LOB rate, strikes out batters at close to a rate of 1 per inning, and has close to a 55% ground ball rate the last two years. He is an ideal setup reliever or situational reliever who can terrorize right-handed batters. He is also ideal for high-leverage situations. Because, if anybody can replace Sean Green in that bullpen, Nick Masset is that guy.

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RHP Kevin Jepsen – I’m not too crazy about this guy, but I say that if all else fails, Jepsen may be a good option. He’s got stuff and movement on his fastball, and while he may not strike out a ton of batters, he has excellent secondary pitches. Now, if he were to mix and match on batters and refine his stuff some more, he is a legit contender for a setup or 7th inning role.

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LHP Brian Duensing – Left handed relievers were hard to come by, but Brian Duensing best fit the attributes I was searching. Look at a report about him here, if you wish. He has the makings of a ground ball pitcher, and while he doesn’t strike out many batters, he has been exceptional versus lefties in that regard. If you must lobby for a LOOGY, lobby for Brian Duensing. He’ll get the job duen.

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