Courtesy of the Sons of Sam Horn Message Board, Curt Schilling, who goes by the handle of Gehrig38 there, gives his thoughts on the signing of Joel Piñeiro:
The only thing I know is that two years ago I thought this guy had as lively stuff as anyone I had seen in a long time.
He certainly did seem to tail off last year but during some of his games he showed the mid 90s electric stuff he had all the time a few years back.
I thought, from the first day I saw him, that he was built to be a reliever with an incredible arm on a Gordon sized body.
He’ll gain a decent amount of velocity heading to the pen, if he can make the mental transition this guys a serious power arm on the back end.
His curveball, when he’s fresh, is a strikeout pitch, his fastball certainly is as well, but it was his changeup that wow’d everyone. Tremendous arm action, ball died without looking like it was slowing down.
This, to me anyway, is a no lose signing. This kid gets in the right mix and environment and he ends up being that kid a few years from now people say “How the hell did we let him go?”
I know he tailed off the last two years but I see no downside to adding someone with this good of an arm and some experience under his belt.
I’m still pissed we didn’t sign Rollie Fingers….Oh wait, he’s not available. Market was sickeningly think for the top shelf stopper this winter, I think we’ll find someone to save 42 out of 52 chances this year. We do that and I like our chances.
Well Red Sox fans, it looks like we have a closer candidate or at least that’s what I am sensing from what Schilling wrote. Take this into consideration, a lot of guys were failed starters before becoming closers. Joe Nathan, Eric Gagne, heck even Mariano Rivera was a starter for 10 games in 1995 and most of his minor league career.
Do I like the move? Yes, I do like it. $4 million dollars in these times for baseball isn’t a lot of money to give someone a chance to close out ball games. I say we give him the chance. Papelbon wasn’t a closer until last season and we all saw how that worked out before his shoulder injury (dead arm).
Technorati: Boston Red Sox, Curt Schilling, Joel Piñeiro, Sons of Sam Horn
