Yardbarker: Luis Vizcaino

Chips Ahoy

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:15:20 -0500

According to Sun-Times beat reporter, Gordon Wittenmeyer, with the signing of John Grabow to a 2/7.5 contract (backended as only Jim Hendry can do) and the trading of Aaron Heilman to the Snakes, the Cubs have supposedly made their final bullpen move of the offseason.

The deal appears to secure the final key piece to the Cubs' projected 2010 bullpen, coming one day after the team traded veteran Aaron Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

I'm pretty happy to see Heilman move out of town but replacing his with Grabow seems kind of blah. It's a Hendry thing to get a grizzled veteran for that 8th inning setup role and since Grabow is able to get lefty and righty hitters out (i.e. not a LOOGY), he's the heir apparent for the crusty veteran out of the bullpen for 2010.

List em. Since Jim Hendry was given the reins to the GM job in 2002, he's added through trade or free agency the following veteran bullpen lugnuts: Antonia Alfonseca, Mike Remlinger, Dave Veres, Mark Guthrie, Alan Benes, Phil Norton, Joe Borowoski, LaTroy Hawkins, Glendon Rusch,Cliff Bartosh, Scott Williamson, Chad Fox (twice), Wade Miller, Bob Howry, Scott Eyre, Neal Cotts, Chad Gaudin, Jon Lieber, Luis Vizcaino, Heilman and lastly Grabow. I'd say for the most part, that's the ugly underbelly of MLB pitching although I know the Cubs are far from being alone in accumulating pitchers like these. Hence, I'm hoping the 2010 Cubs get more out of their young pitching so we don't see Chad Fox (round three?) ever again. Esmalin Caridad, Jeff Stevens and Justin Berg, I'm talking to you. It would be really nice to see productive seasons out of the recent 40 man roster additions including John Gaub, Blake Parker and even longshot/hotshot Raphael Dolis.

Grabow's career has been fairly lackluster but we all know how magically important lefty's are in the bullpen. Guys like Will Ohman, Scott Eyre, Joe Beimel, Brian Shouse, Scott Schowenweis, Ron Mahay, Ron Villone, Eddie Guardado and Alan Embree keep hanging around when righty's of their ilk would be long retired.

Looking at fangraphs, including charts on lefty/righty splits on Grabow, we see his strength is a fairly low HR/9 (0.95/9) rate, a decent LOB% (around 75%) and his weakness is walks (4.15/9).He's gonna drive Lou crazy if that walk rate continues.

The kicker on Grabow though is that he's got a time bomb in his elbow. He has a history of left (pitching) elbow bone chips. Again from the sun-times piece:

As recently as 2007, Grabow pitched with pain and spent time on the disabled list for the problem, but he did not have surgery to remove the chips. He opted for a treatment and maintenance program that allowed him to make 149 appearances the last two seasons.

''If you look at a lot of pitchers, they're going to have something going on in their shoulder or in their elbow,'' Grabow said. ''Just throwing a baseball all these years, your arm's going to develop a lot of things that are just part of the wear and tear. It's something you learn to manage. I've got a routine every day to be able to pitch every day.

''Thank God it hasn't been an issue the last two years. Maybe it's something I've put in the past and can just pitch through.''

Grabow was on the DL from the beginning of the 2007 season, after being shut down in spring training on March 11th with "elbow inflammation" (essentially elbow loose bodies or chips). He returned on April 25th but only pitched 51 innings that year. The last two seasons he went 72 and 76 innings so the problem hasn't acted up lately.

Where do these loose bodies aka bone/cartilage chips in the elbow come from?

The elbow joint is a complex hinge joint made up from the distal humerus (arm bone) and the two forearm bones that rotate (supination/palm up and pronation/palm down) around each other, the radius (radial head at the elbow) and the ulna (olecranon at the elbow which is the main hinge).

Elbow mechanics in throwing a baseball with spin, create significant compressive and shear forces across the elbow which can lead to damaging the articular cartilage and subsequently break off little pieces of cartilage or even bigger pieces that have bone and cartilage. This is the equivalent of getting sand in your shoe. Smaller grit isn't as irritating as larger pebbles. The larger pieces float around and if they wind up in tighter parts of the joint can cause it to lock up or get stuck. Usually they will move around to make the locking temporary but if the symptoms get more recurrent it makes more sense to treat this problem more agressively.

Grabow mentioned that he has a rehab routine to manage his elbow condition but there is luck involved in how well this works. Hopefully the loose debris is small enough he can work through it. Other non-surgical options include the usual non-steroidal anti-inflammatory meds or possibly a cortisone injection. If the symptoms are enough of a problem there is elbow arthroscopy to look inside the joint and remove the loose pieces of cartilage. MRI imaging usually does a good job of seeing these small loose cartilage pieces. X-Rays don't image cartilage well but they are useful to see bony loose pieces and spurs.

Elbow arthroscopy / (image), like other joint arthroscopy is done under fluid to distend the joint. The elbow anatomy has many more important nerves passing nearby so the portals (or entry incisions) to the joint are very precise to minimize nerve damage risk. Because the elbow is a smaller joint some of the equipment like shavers and grasping tools are smaller as well. Loose bodies and debris are fairly straightforward to remove but for the same reason they developed in the first place they can recur.

Elbow bone chips aren't limited to pitchers. NL MVP, Albert Pujols just underwent removal of bone chips from his right elbow (his 2nd surgery as in 2008 he had ulnar nerve surgery). Kosuke Fukudome missed the end of his 2007 season in Japan to undergo an elbow scope to remove bone chips. I wrote on this last season at TCR when he was quoted about the impact of his elbow problem on his subsequent play.

Fukudome had elbow surgery late in the 2007 season, and the elbow started bothering him last season right about the time his decline began in May. By the end of the season, his hitting mechanics were a mess.

''I didn't feel the pain physically, but I must have been subconsciously feeling the pain of the elbow,'' said Fukudome, still reluctant to openly admit pain. But when asked if it was a factor last season, he said, ''Probably it was.''

Of course, the issues are different for a pitcher than a hitter. The repetition, particularly a reliever who has to warm up and might not get into a game makes them more likely to get into this kind of problem. Lets just hope that Grabow's subconscious remains as calm as his elbow for 2010.

Trade Analyzer: Jason Marquis for Luis Vizcaino

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:59:49 -0500

The day the Chicago Cubs sent pitcher Jason Marquis to the Colorado Rockies for reliever Luis Vizcaino, I wrote this. I’m sure both GMs feel like they won because of the contracts they unloaded. This one could really go lop-sided either way, or it could end up being helpful or inconsequential to both sides. Chances are we’ll know by mid-season if there was a winner. Here’s to hoping it’s the Rockies in a landslide. And landslide it is for Dan O’Dowd. Even Minnesota’s election officials and Supreme Court wouldn’t need eight months of hearings to reach that conclusion. Marquis acknowledges an appreciative and intelligent St. Louis Cardinal fanbase. For the purpose of complete and thorough analysis only, let’s take a look each player’s...

Trade Analyzer: Jason Marquis for Luis Vizcaino

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:59:49 -0500

Indians Release Luis Vizcaino

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:52:03 -0500

According to Anthony Castrovince at MLB.com, the Indians released reliever Luis Vizcaino today. The 34-year-old Vizcaino had been designated for assignment on June 23.Vizcaino put up a 4.11 ERA and 12/12 K/BB ratio in 15.1 innings between the Cubs and Indians this year. The Rangers were said to be in the mix for Vizcaino before the Indians, and with their decimated bullpen it looks to still be a possibility.

Grady's back, Vizcaino Out, Sipp Up, Crowe Down, Ba-ba-boosh!

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:57:00 -0500

So as you can see the Indians made a flurry of moves today as their start center fielder Grady Sizemore comes off the disabled list.

Activated: Grady Sizemore from 15 Day DL
Called-up: Tony Sipp from Columbus
Called-down: Trevor Crowe to Columbus
Designated: Luis Vizcaino for Assignment

So that opens up a 40-man roster spot, gets Tony Sipp back into the pen, and ends Trevor Crowe's second stint with the Tribe.

It's nice to have Grady back and I'm sort of glad he's not going on a rehab assignment. Either he's ready or he's not, there is no sense in going in a rehab assignment if he's ready to go.

Asdrubal Cabrera might be back soon and it's nice that him and both Aaron Laffey are starting tonight for the Aeros. Had I realized this sooner I would have made plans to go see them. Laffey makes another rehab start and Cabrera starts his rehab assignment that doesn't figure to last too long.

So I called for Eric Wedge's job on Sunday and I'm going to stick by it. I'm not saying now, I wouldn't pout if it did happen now, but at least when the season ends. They can't go through another year of this. It has to be a fresh face.

Paul Dolan has spoken out and said that there will be no moves of the such.

"In terms of individual performance, I won't comment on that," said Dolan, when asked to evaluate Wedge. "We have a process we go through. It hasn't begun. It starts with meeting with Mark."

"We are concerned about the direction of the team," said Dolan. "[But] we are not going to make any rash decisions.

"Periodically, we sit down and talk about the state of the team. Mark makes suggestions that we either accept or reject."

Dolan did say that Shapiro and Wedge are not a packaged deal.
"The fact that some people think they're a package deal, doesn't mean they're a package deal," said Dolan. "They're a general manager and manager ... just like they have on any other club."Now Bud Shaw has been the one guy who's been out there saying that firing Wedge doesn't do anything, in fact he's one of the people saying that he and Shapiro are a packaged deal.

I'm kind of with Shaw on this one as far as when you do it. He isn't saying don't fire him at the end of the season, what does it do now? I can buy that, but like I said, I certinaly wouldn't mind if it happened now.

I can also buy the fact that it's a treatment to the symptoms, not exactly the cure.

Shaw then went on to have another bit out today about Mike Hargrove..

Guys.. Hargrove isn't coming back to the Indians, and if he does, it won't be until the offseason. I don't even think Hargrove is coming back period, I think he likes his retirement and what he's doing now.

Then again that's my opinion, and I could be wrong... But it doesn't seem to me that Grover wants to come back being in the position he's in. OR maybe he does, who knows, maybe things were rocky in Seattle.

And going back for a second, don't get me wrong. I've taken the view Shaw has when he says, what good does firing him do? Does it fix the bullpen and cure the injuries? No, but you just never know what a move might make.

Bill Livingston on the other hand makes the argument that firing him now is sort of like that spark that you might be able to find. He also says that seven years is enough for him and that Wedge is what he is. He isn't awful, but he's not good enough to be a championship caliber manager.

Draft Pick Update: 13th Rounder Jeremy Johnson has signed and that makes 13 of the top 16 that have signed. The notables remaining are first rounder Alex White and second rounder Jason Kipnis. Now that both are done with the CWS, they are able to be negotiated with and it looks like they're ready to or have already started talks with Alex White.

Finally, yesterday CastroTurf mentioned the twitter feed for the Indians. Jeff Siebel and Bart Swain update it and their news is very on point and quick. Finally a twitter feed I'm actually going to keep a close eye on. They posted Eric Wedge's pre-game mp3 as well already. Here's the link.

Indians DFA Luis Vizcaino

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:26:22 -0500

The Indians designated Luis Vizcaino for assignment, according to the team's Twitter. Vizcaino was acquired by the Indians earlier in the year to help their struggling bullpen, but walked more than a batter per inning in his 11 games with the club. The Cubs DFA'd Vizcaino exactly two months ago, after he started the year off poorly in their 'pen.

Yanks Look to Make Up For Last Year's Draft

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:42:00 -0500

From Tyler Kepner:The Yankees get a do-over Tuesday, and not just because they will be back at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox swept them in April. The amateur draft starts at 6 p.m., and the Yankees will try to recover from the sting of last summer.Their top pick last June, pitcher Gerrit Cole, chose college without hearing an offer from the Yankees. They lost interest in their second-rounder, pitcher Scott Bittle, who failed his physical. If not for Luis Vizcaino, the draft might have been a...

Indians Blow 7-0 Lead to Rays; Are We Having Fun Yet?

Fri, 15 May 2009 23:27:57 -0500

Long about the top of the fourth inning of Friday night's game, just about the time Shin-soo Choo blasted his two-run homer giving the Tribe a 7-0 lead, I began to think - "I'm finally having fun."

The baseball season is just about six weeks old now, and not one of those weeks has brought any enjoyment to Tribe fans.

That started to change this week.

Going into Friday's game, the Tribe had won 3 of their last 4 games, put together their first winning streak (2 games) since mid-April (also 2 games) and had whittled their deficit in the A.L. Central to 4 1/2 games.

And for the first 3 1/2 innings Friday, they were blowing out Scott Kazmir and the Rays.

And then all the ugliness of the first five weeks returned.

The offense shut down completely, putting up just two hits in the final 5 2/3 innings.

Starting pitcher Anthony Reyes was unable to get out of the sixth.

The bullpen - which seemed to be getting itself together at least a bit recently - took a sharp turn back toward hideous.

Tony Sipp, brought in to get out one lefty, walked that lefty.

Jensen Lewis followed, getting smacked for 3 hits and a run over 1 inning and leaving a mess for Raffie Betancourt in the seventh.

Betancourt came in with one out and runners on second and third and the Tribe still clinging to a 7-6 lead. A strikeout, an intentional walk and a popout later and it looked like maybe things might be OK.

Until the eighth inning, when Betancourt gave up a dinger to the first batter of the inning - Ben Zobrist.

And then the ninth inning when Luis Vizcaino - making his Tribe debut - gave up a blast to B.J. Upton - the first batter Vizcaino faced as an Indian - and we were right back where we've been for the past five weeks.

There was a time when this game was fun. I swear it. Sometimes it feels like it will never be that way again.

Game #37: Winning Streak? Nah - Why Bother

Fri, 15 May 2009 23:23:03 -0500

Let’s all make sure to welcome Luis Vizcaino as the newest member of the 2009 Indians bullpen from Hell. Yes, the Indians newest off the street thrower for the Indians got a rude welcome from the AL Champion Rays Friday night, giving up the game-winning homer in the 9th in the Indians latest 8-7 [...]

Indians Sign Vizcaino

Fri, 08 May 2009 10:55:25 -0500

The Indians are preparing to sign reliever Luis Vizcaino, a source told Ken Rosenthal. Vizcaino, who was released by the Cubs, will only cost the Indians 400,000, with the Cubs picking up his 4 million dollar contract. The Indians own the second highest bullpen ERA (6.65 ERA), and they hope a fresh arm can keep their bullpen from falling apart.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

From the Wire...Vizcaino Officially Released

Tue, 05 May 2009 00:33:41 -0500

The Cubs officially released Luis Vizcaino on Monday according to a report from the Chicago Tribune. The Cubs designated Vizcaino for assignment on April 23. Vizcaino is owed $3.5 million for this season that includes a $500,000 buyout for 2010.

Marquis Gives Cubs the One-Run Salute - Cubs 2 Rockies 5

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:22:51 -0500

Game Eight - Cubs 2 Rockies 5 WP - Jason Marquis (2-0) LP - Rich Harden (0-1) Save - Jason Grilli (1) For one afternoon Jason Marquis reminded Lou Piniella and Jim Hendry how good he can be when he keeps the ball down...and focuses on the job at hand. Marquis stuck it to his former employer and allowed only one-run on five hits in seven innings with two walks and three strikeouts. Marquis even helped his own cause and drove in the first two runs of the game with a bloop single to cente...

The Life And Times Of Luis Vizcaino — As A Rockie

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:34:02 -0500

Today, I weep. I weep, not for Luis Vizcaino is no longer a part of the Colorado Rockies organization, but for Luis Vizcaino was ever a part of the Colorado Rockies organization in the first place. Earlier today he was officially shipped to that so-called baseball heaven, and part-time hockey rink, known as Wrigley Field.? In return, [...]

The Classic Freudian Slip

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:05:47 -0500

This morning while reporting about the Jason Marquis to the Rockies trade, I unwittingly had the Rockies trading Luis Castillo to the Cubs to get him. I'd love to say I committed the error in my rush to quickly write the blog and post it, but oddly enough I took my sweet ass time writing it, and I even proofread before I hit the little red button that says publish. The way I see it, there are only three possibilities as to what must have happened. 1. It's New Years Eve, and because I ...