Open Thread: Jose Veras
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(Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The last two Open Threads have focused on bullpen arms, and tonight we’re going to make it three in a row. First came scrap heap pickup Brian Bruney, then came big money free agent signing Mike Stanton, and now we’re diving back into the scrap heap for Jose Veras. The Yankees signed Veras to a minor league deal on this date in 2005, about two months after the Rangers released him.
Veras, 25 at the time, was the prototypical bullpen flier. He threw very hard but struggled with his command, so he’d never gotten a chance in the big leagues. After pitching very well as Triple-A Columbus’ closer early in 2006 (2.41 ERA with 10.3 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 59.2 IP), the Yankees called him up for his first taste of the show that August. He got into a dozen games, striking out six and walking five in 11 forgettable innings. Veras did pretty much the same thing the next year, but he got his big break in 2008.
After starting the year with Triple-A Scranton, the Yankees called him up for good in early-May. Veras was striking out a ton of batters and keeping the walks in check, allowing him to climb up Joe Girardi‘s bullpen pecking order. By the end of the season he was getting regular seventh and eighth inning work thanks to his 9.8 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 57.2 IP. Part of the Opening Day roster in 2009, Veras allowed runs in eight of his first 13 appearances. He’s lost his late-inning job and was working mop-up duty when the team finally designated him for assignment in mid- June.
Veras always had crazy nasty stuff, doing things like this in between his bouts of wildness. His overall body of work in New York wasn’t anything special — 4.43 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 in 103.2 IP — and the Indians snatched him up after the Yankees cut him loose. He’s since moved on to the Marlins and Pirates, having an okay season in Florida in 2010 (3.75 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 48 IP) and a kinda sorta breakout year in Pittsburgh in 2011 (3.80 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9). Now 31 years old, Veras had that one nice year for the Yankees, which is pretty much all you can ask for from these scrap heap types.
Update: How about that, Veras was traded to the Brewers for Casey McGehee tonight. Now the guy has two reasons to celebrate December 12th.
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Here is tonight’s open thread. The Rams and Seahawks are your incredibly yucky Monday Night Football game (8:30pm ET on ESPN), and the Devils are playing. That’s pretty much it, but talk about anything you like here.
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The Tyler Austin Watch
I really hated that asshole.
Tom Gorzelanny for second lefty!
Twins released Jose Mijares. Any chance the Yankees have interest?
Non-tender wishlist:
Joe Thatcher (.218/.281/.356 career line against lefties)
Rich Hill (Larry Rothschild is familiar with him during their Cubs)
Tom Gorzelanny (see Rich Hill)
Jeff Keppinger (Cashman been wanting him for years).
I forgot to add this about Joe Thatcher: considering 2011 is his lost year, if he could regain his 2009/10 form (2.80,1.29 ERA respectively), he could be a weapon out of the pen for Girardi.
I’d be interested in Thatcher. But not the other guys. Keppinger has always sucked, and we have Nunez for now.
Hill has always sucked, too. Gorzelanny isn’t any better than Logan.
Chances are, they stick with Logan unless Feliciano can come back healthy (which he probably won’t).
I would be intersted in Keppinger if Nunez gets traded, and/or Nakajima signing doesn’t work out.
It wouldn’t be a bad signing. But I don’t think they’re going to make Nunez avaiable unless they sign Nakajima.
Did Thatcher really get non-tendered???
not yet.
Is there reason to believe that he will?
he was rumor to be early this morning on MLBTR.
Dude I hope he is.
Didn’t Rich Hill have TJ surgery in the middle of the season while with the Red Sox last year?
last june
I’d say Jose Veras is Betances’ floor.
I’d go lower and say Daniel Cabrera is his floor.
The weird thing is, that Daniel Cabrera could both represent Betances’ ceiling and floor. Just different versions of the same Daniel Cabrera.
If Betances ever works out his command/control issues he’ll be the Daniel Cabrera that could have been.
If he doesn’t then he’ll be the current Daniel Cabrera, throws hard, has electric stuff but doesn’t know where the ball is going.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
From now on, athletes will use the “Ralph Wiggum excuse”.
Is Doug Slaten worth a look?
And Veras just got traded… Open Thread Curse or Open Thread Jinx?
Whoa. That’s just weird.
Quick, John Danks open thread tomorrow!
hahaha, I like it.
How about a Felix open thread?
How dare you use that fucking word on this site.
/howpeoplereactwhentheyseeFelix’d
yeah he got traded for Casey McGehee. WHAT!!!!
I guess they figured its better than non-tendering him. But I’d rather have McGehee at arb value than Ramirez.
José Mijares as a LOOGY?
v. LHB .212/.276/.331
sure why not. Cashman has a fever and the only prescription is more LOOGY.
Oakland already traded for Cowgill last week. Damn! If only the DBacks had more Cowgills.
that… or Joe Thatcher & Hong-Chih Kuo (just got nontendered, Russell Martin should give the Yanks a heads up)!
Yea, Kuo is the man now.
Kuo was non-tendered? That’s a surprise.
I think he tops my list, now.
Yanks have 2 former Dodgers (Wade & Martin), which should give them a leg up.. Wade & Martin better be texting Cashman this very moment.
only if it’s a minor league deal w/ invite to spring training.
Same here. Kuo was AWESOME a couple seasons ago.
5 elbow operations. And the yips. He’s 30 and wants to open a restaurant in Taiwan. Sounds like a real bargain.
Nakajima, Yu and now Kuo? Asian is the new flavor of the month here at RAB!
Oh, and Kuroda too…
Norichika Aoki for 4th outfielder!
Buddies!
/Kay
Was Micah Owings hurt last year or something? In limited action in 2011 (63ip) his numbers look decent.
Nope, he was called up after being DFAed by the Reds.
There was a period, during the Farnsworth-Veras-Bruney-Edwar Ramirez-Vizcaino era where I was positive the Yankees active sought out relievers that walked the ballpark.
I was not a fan of the Jose Veras run.
Kuo got non-tendered. He’s on my Christmas list.
Sox just signed Albers. That bullpen is going to be interesting. With Bard closing does that mean Jenksy has the closer role? He just had back surgery today.
I think the Bard-to-the-rotation experiment will just wind up with Bard being the closer.
Lester
Beckett
Buchholz
Aceves
And….?