Nick Masset has incriminating photos of Kenny Williams and Ozzie Guillen in a compromising position. That has to be the explanation, right? Take a look at these numbers.
- More hits than innings pitched
- Poor strikeout rate
- More walks than strikeouts
What's there to like? Is it the 1.59 WHIP that he posted at AAA last year? Is it the career 1.735 WHIP in the Majors? or the 1.64 career WHIP above Dobule-A? These numbers sound awfully similar to those of Sean Tracey, who was exiled for his inability to hit a Texas Ranger -- Which is not easy. Chuck Norris is fast.
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Oh yeah, Brett Prinz and Ryan Bukvich our your call-ups. Congrats, guys. You hit the lottery. You found the right team willing to carry a host of AAAA players. Hell, if you want more playing time, tell them you can play outfield.
I thought the difference between my capsules and the ones provided in the press release was great.
Bukvich has spent a total of 46.2 innings at the major leagues, accumulating an ERA of 6.94 with the Royals and Rangers. Hey, he'd fit right in. He has posted some good strikeout numbers in Charlotte this season, but nothing compared to that of '06 Boone Logan or even '05 Jeff Bajenaru. I wouldn't count on him fixing anything.
Prinz pitched 41 effective innings for the 2001 Diamondbacks (championship experience, YES!), but has pitched in only 52 major league games since, posting a Masset-like line with a 6.61 ERA. His ERA in Charlotte is a microscopic 0.56, but 9 walks in 16 International League innings doesn't translate well to the majors.
Bukvich, 29, was 1-3 with nine saves, a 2.89 ERA (9 ER/28.0 IP), and 32 strikeouts in 23 appearances with Charlotte. A native of Naperville, Ill., the 6-foot-2, 250 pound Bukvich has pitched in 48 major-league games with Kansas City (2002-04) and Texas (2005), going 2-0 with a 6.94 ERA (36 ER/46.2 IP) and 39 strikeouts.
Prinz, who turns 30 on June 15, went 0-1 with a 0.56 ERA (1 ER/16.0 IP) and 16 strikeouts in 15 outings with the Knights. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound native of Chicago Heights, Ill. limited opponents to a .179 (10-56) average.
Best case scenario for either pitcher? Let's hope they can channel Agustin Montero, who provided some surprisingly adequate relief work last season.
