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Well, since I had so much fun writing about the interesting case of recent perennial 40man roster protected but not major league playing Wilfredo Tovar, i'd figure I go ahead and write a little post about a pitcher in the Mets minors who has also been protected for about as long, Mr. Goeddel.
Erik was drafted by the Mets in the 24th round of the 2010 MLB June Amateur draft out of the University of California. Erik spent every year of his minor league career as a starting
pitcher, maxing out at 134 innings in 2013. Then, in 2014, the organization, as is the case many times with arms, they immediately transitioned Goeddel to the bullpen. His ERA has gone up every year of his minor league career, and the transition to full time bullpen in the dreaded hitter friendly PCL led to a career worst hits per 9 innings, as well as a career worst walks per 9 innings, touching almost 4 and a half per.
However, despite the 24th round status, and the increasing inflation of the numbers, the organization has protected Goeddel on the 40 man for the past 2 years (I believe). So consider me intrigued (especially since its still January and its a slow offseason). He's listed at 6ft 3, 190 lbs, so that's some good solid numbers there. He also went out there in Vegas and had a career best of K per 9 inning rate of his profession career, right at 9.0/9in. There have been some reports of this
maybe/basically/truly being the definition of having a 'LIVE arm'. He just turned 26 years old, which especially for a newly projected reliever is certainly not old.
He was given a cup of coffee in the show last September, but really no point in singling out a couple a bad innings, with a couple good innings to finish out the year. At this point I'm wondering what the plans are for the young man. We enter into the 2015 season with all kinds of arms in the system, from the parent club, all the way on down the line. We've already learned from Mack himself that the AAA and AA rosters are stacked as it is, and the team is probably heavily focused on decisions to make in regards to players like Syndergaard, Montero, Matz, and company. And the since the 2015 Mets and their farm system may have even less room then it had last year, what does it mean for a player like Goeddel.
It's obviously unfair, distasteful, and a little disrespectful to simply state Erik being the guy who can simply hold that 40 man spot until a Matt Reynolds or Plawecki type has to be protected later. And equally not acceptable to assume he's just waiting on some minor league contract veteran to fill a spot and take his place either.
So I instead simply wanted to bring up his name, inquire with my fellow Mack's Mets experts to inform us about this man's history, projections, high ceiling, low ceiling, and thoughts on his chances to live the dream, and be a major league pitcher.
14 comments:
I don't have much to say about Goeddel, except he is sinking in a sea of much better pitching. Can't expect to see him much around here. Can't see a future with the Mets. His WHIP the past 3 minor league years is above 1.5.
It's unfortunate to say this.....but I don't think Goeddel has a future with the Mets.
1st off.....he's right handed. There are a number of guys with higher ceilings in front of him including in AAA (Cory Mazzoni). He converted from a SP to a RP last year and while his velocity plays up better in the pen and the movement on his secondary pitches is good...his control did get worse with the increased velocity. Also his fastball is pretty flat. Call it Gonzalez Germen syndrome.
We do have a little over 100 pitches worth of Pitch F/X data from his cup of coffee in 2014.
FastBall: 94.5 mph, 3.0" hori movement, 0" vert mov.
Sinker: 93.6 mph, 5.9" hor mov.,3.3" vert mov.
Change: 85.8 mph, 5.0" hor mov., 7.4 ver mov.
Curve: 76.5 mph, 6.9" hor mov., 18.9" ver mov.
For comparisons sake here's Familia's fastball
FB: 97.8mph, 5.9" hor break, 1.1" vert break
Who knows, my friend......
Carlos Torres wasn't exactly dominating minor league hitters either, and he was older than Goeddel when he got his chance.....
Either way its January and I can't write about Wilmer Flores anymore. I just can't .
And here is Goeddel's usage
FB: 70.7%
SN: 1.0% (probably just a mistake fastball)
CH: 10.1%
CV: 18.2%
That CV is wicked though.....may be his only ticket to staying in the big leagues.
His minor league number make you wonder why they're protecting him and then losing a player like Logan Verrett. His numbers actually got worse with each promotion.
I too thought that Logan V. held as much or more promise as Goeddel (and maybe Mazzoni) but...
Anyway, seem to remember that signing Goeddel was a surprise and somewhat of a steal; that he had dropped precisely for the fact that he was deemed unsignable. Maybe that comes from the alternate universe I sometimes visit. Mack?
Ernest - He's a nice kid, but I don't see a future as a pitcher for the New York Mets
@Hobie and Reese
Don't get too caught up in losing Logan Verrett.
He was indeed a nice SP with a ceiling of a #4/#5 pitcher, but, that was also his downfall. He was a right handed pure starter and was not a fit in the bullpen. In this organization that kind of ceiling just isn't enough to get to the MLB with the young premium talent that was in front of him.
Him getting selected was good both for him and the Mets organization in terms of shortening the glut of SP's in AAA.
Goeddel was a big over slot signing and he was a pretty dominant reliever in college - the Mets moved him to starting to help him develop better arm strength and secondary pitches.
While he is no Famila, he has a pretty solid fastball and has always had a "live arm" label.
I think he gets a shot at the MLB pen this year and if he does well he sticks, if not he gets DFA'ed.
I wouldn't write him off just yet - if he was averaging 94.5 on his FB in September, he likely will have another tick or so in April, 95.5 is not too shabby.
I don't have high hopes, but I think he will be a useful MLB reliever somewhere
Granted, it was a limited window of observation, but when I saw him pitch for the 51s vs. the Chihuahuas he was adequate at best. Vic Black was something special and you could see the vast difference in performance level when they came in back-to-back in the game.
Speaking of which, does anybody have or have seen any recent medical/health updates on guys like Vic Black, Familia and Mejia ???
No Ernest -
Black says he's 100% (all over Twitter) but the Mets keep pretty quiet about aches and pains
@Ernest
To my knowledge....everyone is healed up and ready to go outside of Parnell.
I'm pretty sure Mejia and Familia are at the Barwis camp. Parnell to but he's doing more rehab work then intense training like everyone else.
Am I correct that Goeddel , in his first Major League appearance, was asked to intentionally walk the bases loaded with his FIRST MLB Batter????
Nothing like making your first appearance in a high leverage situation....and then being commanded to make it radioactive!!!
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