Clement

by thewizard3 on Mar 25, 2008 4:37 PM EDT Comment 12 comments

According to Matthew Leach's blog Clement did not really impress anybody with his two inning appearance in the AA/AAA game today. Says he was topping out at 84-85 most of the time, while hitting 86 twice. Good movement, poor command and velocity. Once again, who examined him this winter.

This angers me, am I overreacting? You expect a velocity drop, but seriously... Anytime we are dealing with any injury I just have no hope. Maybe they can prove me wrong, but I doubt it.

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As a rule the cardinals seem to think Vet pitchers can always recover prior form regardless of the severity of injury or decline.

See: Mulder, Clement, Ponson, Pinero, Weaver

On the other hand if a rookie doesn't immediatly dominate in the majors he should immediatly be traded or demoted.

See: Haren, Reyes, Thompson

by DriverZn on Mar 25, 2008 5:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

couldn't agree more. So frustrated with the way management treats pitchers

by stlagg on Mar 25, 2008 5:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Just the facts

Ponson & Weaver are long gone. Thompson appears to have made the starting rotation. Reyes hasn't been traded yet.

Save your anger for what is, not what might be.

by O'Fallon Park on Mar 25, 2008 6:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

meh

$1.5 million is chump change (relatively speaking). if he flames out, it's still a reasonable gamble.

by moboiler on Mar 25, 2008 6:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree

Would've rather had Prior, but yeah, chump change is exactly what it is.

On with the (good) youth movement!

by aet15 on Mar 25, 2008 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree on Prior....

....but the way I understand his signing is that he wanted to be in San Diego. It didnt matter if we offered him 1.5 or 3.5 he was signing with the Padres. So Mo took what he considered the next best option. Correct?

by 85CardsforLife on Mar 26, 2008 9:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think this is entirely predictable

You know you are taking a gamble when you sign a pitcher coming off shoulder surgery who hasn't pitched in over a year. I think at the price they signed him, it was a reasonable risk to take. Until the guy gets out there and throws a few times, no one really knows where he is at or how fast he can be expected to progress. Prior is apparently throwing 75-80mph with the Padres right now, by the way.

The problem as I see it is that, even knowing what a gamble it was, they seemed to have Clement penciled into the starting rotation before spring training. That makes essentially no sense when you know it is entirely possible a guy may not pitch effectively, if at all. Signing a guy like this is like buying a lottery ticket. If you win, great. But you can't make it your retirement plan.

by chris13 on Mar 26, 2008 6:36 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yep, so far Clement is fire-baller compared to Prior.

Someday it could be like a scene from a Zucker movie with Priors entire arm in the catchers mitt, still holding the ball.

"Son, we'd like to keep you around for the season but we're gonna try to win the pennant." Old Casey

by cardschinmusic on Mar 26, 2008 6:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Great image.

Couldn't agree with chris13 more about how they penciled in Clement as their #2 starter to open the season.

by vinniefromjersey on Mar 26, 2008 8:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If they really believed Clement

would be in the rotation on opening day when they signed him, doesn't that imply that someone from the Cardinals had, you know, actually SEEN him pitch for 5 minutes before signing the contract? Does this mean that they merely took the word of the player or his agent that he was back in form? Sheesh.

by MdRedbirdFreak on Mar 26, 2008 9:10 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

MrRedbirdFreak: Does this mean that they merely took the word of the player or his agent that he was back in form? Sheesh.

Do you actually believe this is what happened?

I'd rather my sister be a prostitute than my brother a Cub fan.

by _pistol_ on Mar 26, 2008 9:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

thewizard3

I don't know that anger is a good emotion for the Clement signing. Shoulder injuries are really tricky, from what I've seen. Some guys come back fine (see Carpenter), and some guys never regain their form (see Matty Mo). For 1.5M, it was worth the gamble. If it doesn't pay off, think of all the great arguments over Reyes/Wellemeyer/Thompson it has provided us.

by etp_stl on Mar 26, 2008 11:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs