The Cavalli Has Arrived (delayed until 2025) - Cade Cavalli

[Slateman]

My question is, at this point do we use him as a starter or as a reliever? In a perfect world, he is a starter. I think Parker might need a reset in the minors for a bit, move Lord back over to the rotation, and bring up Seth Shuman. Eventually I think Soroka goes back to the pen and Cavalli steps in. If that doesn't work, bring Parker back up after his reset and put Cavalli in the pen.

Personally, I think he has until July to show he can be a starter. This is year three of what should be his starter career. If he can't stay healthy, it's time to move him to the pen

[IanRubbish]

Personally, I think he has until July to show he can be a starter. This is year three of what should be his starter career. If he can't stay healthy, it's time to move him to the pen

I don't know how he starts anywhere with the short outings and complaints of fatigue.  I'd let him work through things in the pen in Rochester for now.  Maybe he gets Brzycky's spot in DC in the most optimistic scenario.

[imref]

Solid last night: 4IP, 6H, 1ER, 1BB, 8Ks, 73-49

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Solid last night: 4IP, 6H, 1ER, 1BB, 8Ks, 73-49

that'll do. Let's see if he can repeat the results and go longer in 5 days and then 5 days later.

[Slateman]

That is some progress

[JCA-CrystalCity]

If he can get to 90 pitches regularly over a month of starts, then he's ready and we'd be

If this team can get an effective Cavalli, Rutledge, and Henry healthy and useful for the second half and going forward, it flips the narrative on the "Rizzo's wasted drafts" narrative. You get a return on the hyped guys, then you add in the lower round / undrafted types like Irvin, Parker, Lord, Brzykcy, Ferrer, maybe a Grissom, and all of a sudden that's a terrific story for the draft and development team. That's 9 MLBers. It's a long-shot still, but it's not in the 99:1 range anymore like it looked a year ago.

[IanRubbish]

That's 9 MLBers.

Most of whom are mediocre at best.  Cavalli coming back does not change the story about how miserable the drafting and development has been.  Winning and more breakout stars would do that.

[IanRubbish]

Pitching today in Rochester.

[Slateman]

5 innings, 4 hits, 1 walks, 5 strikeouts, and 1 run. 71 pitches, 43 strikes. 94-95 to his last two batters

[zimm_da_kid]

Gotta think williams will move to the pen soon. Paves the way for cavalli to step in and we roll with gore, cavalli, irvin, parker, soroka. If parker keeps struggling or soroka turns back into a pumpkin, then they switch with lord in the pen.

[Slateman]

Think the earliest is mid June. No reason to rush this. He's taken like two years to get back

[imref]

5 innings, 4 hits, 1 walks, 5 strikeouts, and 1 run. 71 pitches, 43 strikes. 94-95 to his last two batters

[GataNats]

94 doesn’t play in the big leagues.   Every single one of our pitchers have lost velocity this year.  Even the young ones

[Mattionals]

94 doesn’t play in the big leagues.   Every single one of our pitchers have lost velocity this year.  Even the young ones

That was at the end of his start. He is still budding back that strength, but he sits 96-98 in the beginning of his start.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Think the earliest is mid June. No reason to rush this. He's taken like two years to get back

interesting. There's some clamoring for a Williams / Lord swap, but I don't know if they want to jerk around Lord back and forth. If they really do anticipate Cavalli being ready soon, then it probably means more patience with Williams. OTOH, if they figure they will be dealing Soroka, then Lord to the rotation now, Williams to the pen could happen, with Cavalli (or Shuman) for Soroka when he's dealt.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I wonder if he's on a pitch and innings limit in the minors to save some innings and starts for after a call up.

94 doesn’t play in the big leagues.   Every single one of our pitchers have lost velocity this year.  Even the young ones

I get what you are saying, but if his K/BB is still 3+/1, there's a path.

[Slateman]

interesting. There's some clamoring for a Williams / Lord swap, but I don't know if they want to jerk around Lord back and forth. If they really do anticipate Cavalli being ready soon, then it probably means more patience with Williams. OTOH, if they figure they will be dealing Soroka, then Lord to the rotation now, Williams to the pen could happen, with Cavalli (or Shuman) for Soroka when he's dealt.

Williams has no business in a MLB rotation. ERA over 6. Barely gets through 5 innings. Doesn't strike anyone out.

Sound familiar? One again, we have one of the worst starters in MLB on our staff.

[Slateman]

I wonder if he's on a pitch and innings limit in the minors to save some innings and starts for after a call up.
I get what you are saying, but if his K/BB is still 3+/1, there's a path.

Also, he should still be building up. This is, essentially, his ST

[nobleisthyname]

Williams has no business in a MLB rotation. ERA over 6. Barely gets through 5 innings. Doesn't strike anyone out.

Sound familiar? One again, we have one of the worst starters in MLB on our staff.

This was brought up on Nats Chat after his last start. Even with Corbin gone the Nats still have one of the worst pitchers in baseball in their rotation. Just can't escape it.

[IanRubbish]

This was brought up on Nats Chat after his last start. Even with Corbin gone the Nats still have one of the worst pitchers in baseball in their rotation. Just can't escape it.

Williams fastball velo keeps dropping every year.  Down to a very low average of 87 mph.  He's also been a little unlucky, but like Corbin they're going to play the contract.  He's not tradeable now but maybe they move him to the pen next year to get something for him at the deadline. 

If they want "to escape it" they need to stop with the play-the-contract nonsense, but when choosing between already spent Lernerbucks and winning, we know which way they usually go.

[imref]

This was brought up on Nats Chat after his last start. Even with Corbin gone the Nats still have one of the worst pitchers in baseball in their rotation. Just can't escape it.

26th in era last I saw. And that’s with an actual stud this year.

[KV]

Maybe we should have re-signed Corbin. He’s sporting a 3.5 ERA in 8 games for Texas.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Maybe we should have re-signed Corbin. He’s sporting a 3.5 ERA in 8 games for Texas.

curious if he's changed anything specific, like his pitch mix, or whether he's refined a pitch. 2 run drop in era with actually a higher fip and worse k/bb. Much improved lob% with a lower than average babip after a very high one last year. Lot more flies, too. Maybe he's helped by infield defense?

[imref]

curious if he's changed anything specific, like his pitch mix, or whether he's refined a pitch. 2 run drop in era with actually a higher fip and worse k/bb. Much improved lob% with a lower than average babip after a very high one last year. Lot more flies, too. Maybe he's helped by infield defense?

saw the other day babip against is historically low.  Better defense but likely to regress

[Slateman]

curious if he's changed anything specific, like his pitch mix, or whether he's refined a pitch. 2 run drop in era with actually a higher fip and worse k/bb. Much improved lob% with a lower than average babip after a very high one last year. Lot more flies, too. Maybe he's helped by infield defense?

Throwing his four seamer less.

Looks like he's benefiting from luck and good defense