Baseball Prospectus - Chat with Adam McInturff

Chat: Adam McInturff

Welcome to Baseball Prospectus' Tuesday April 19, 2016 12:00 PM ET chat session with Adam McInturff.

Adam is a Senior Writer on our prospect team.

Adam McInturff: Hey everybody. Thanks for reading and/or submitting questions. I'm going to get this started a little early, as there are a fair amount of questions to get to. Disclaimer: I am not a fantasy baseball guy. The majority of the questions I answer are scouting-related; focused mostly on minor league prospects and the June MLB Draft. Luckily, fantasy guru Mike Gianella will be hosting a chat tomorrow night at 7pm EST.

txbbfan (Fort Worth, TX): Where in the world did former 1st then 3rd rounder Matt Purke go? So much promise to be the next Strasburg-esque guy and hasn't panned out to much. Why do you think that is?

Adam McInturff: A little background for readers on Purke: he was drafted 14th overall in 2009, after an amateur career where he was a very 'known' prospect for a number of years leading up to his senior season at Klein HS (Klein, TX). He was taken by the hometown Rangers, who at the time were under financial constraints and were being at least monitored by MLB. As such, the Rangers and Purke's camp weren't able to agree on a bonus, and he went to TCU. He was a third-round pick by the Nationals three years later, spending the majority of his time in the rotation across a handful of levels in their system. He's with the White Sox now and not on the 40-man roster, pitching in Triple-A Charlotte as a 25 year old.

To actually answer the question: Yes--Purke did hold a lot of promise. In his heyday, he flashed plus velocity and a chance plus slider as a lefty, all from a deceptive lower arm-slot. The same arm-slot likely contributed to a myriad of injuries he has dealt with since that have significantly lessened his velocity and raw stuff. Similarly, the angle he creates now, at least, has the look of a left-handed reliever if anything. A source had him in the upper-80s to low-90s this past weekend in an outing for Charlotte. I think the injuries definitely played a role in Purke's attrition, but I also just think this is another lesson in 'prospects will break your heart.' We live in an era where prospects get more attention than ever, meaning that high draft picks accordingly are scrutinized and championed more than they ever were in eras previous. It's easy to be sucked up into the hype--especially as a fan of a team. It's always important to bear in mind the reality that there's a lot of failure when it comes to a young player matriculating into a big leaguer, even the highest picks. There are plenty of other Matt Purkes across time; there will be more, too. I wouldn't say this guy absolutely WON'T reach the big leagues--he is only 25--but if he does it will almost certainly be in a situational bullpen role.

Francisco (Atlanta): Hi Adam. Thanks for the chat. Di you see Zach Collins as a first rounder? Do you think He cab stay behind home plate as a pro ?

Adam McInturff: Good question here. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of some club buying into the left-handed power from a catcher enough to go in on him in the back half of the first round. If not, he could be a supplemental pick. Whoever takes him almost certainly believes he can make fringy defensive tools across the board stick behind the plate. You have to take chances to put offense of a certain quality at backstop in this day and age; there's a massive dearth of hitters at the position as the defensive requisites of catching are more--and more grueling--than ever before.

Collins--for those that don't know--is the catcher at Miami (FL). He's a physical 6-foot-3, 220-pounder with big power from the left-hand side of the plate. He's always demonstrated thump (11 HR as freshman; 15 as sophomore) and fairly enthusing BB:K ratios. He's only taken steps forward as a junior in those respects, which you want to see: he's slugging .710 with a 2:1 BB:K ratio right now.

From a scouting standpoint, I buy that the power is for real and will translate to the pro game. It's a fairly loose swing on a big frame; very impressive natural loft and leverage. If there are things that detract offensively, it's probably not leaking out against same-side pitching and being able to handle pro-caliber breaking stuff. Those attributes paired with the fact there are some scouts that see him moving to first base make the bat-first package a little less appealing. If it clicks and he stays at catcher, though, this could be a quality offensive guy at a position where that really doesn't exist. Even if the batting average is low, if he's passable behind the plate and is hitting with 15-20+ HR power, he will be a valuable regular.

Wyatt (NYC): Who would be Dansby Swanson running mate?

Adam McInturff: This likely is a piggyback to something I said in my last chat: I'm so disappointed in this presidential election that I still consider giving Dansby a write-in vote this November. While that's a joke, clearly, I think a great hypothetical running mate would be Brett Phillips. Lots of personality there.

Micah (Stockton, CA): Can Adalberto Mejia be considered as a good major league starting option in the near future? Will his body type be an issue?

Adam McInturff: I saw Mejia's last start against Altoona last Thursday, so I'm going off of that. Maintaining his body definitely will be a question moving forward, as will be controlling his emotions on the mound--though I do like that he's competitive and goes out there with a fire. That said, his body does look trimmer this year, and I thought that he did a good job staying clean and extended through his delivery such that he worked around the zone with a four-pitch mix. So...yes. I will say starter, albeit in the back-end variety. I put a #4 starter ceiling on him; the type of lefty who has value if he's able to eat innings--which he is physical enough to do--mixing four average pitches.

Jake (Long Beach, CA): Describe to me your thoughts when you saw that Matt Bush signed with Texas

Adam McInturff: I was very happy for him. He's certainly had bumps in the road and struggles with addiction, but I am always a proponent of addicts receiving another chance. I hope that people treat him with respect and dignity, looking ahead and not behind. He's got one hell of an arm; from a scouting standpoint, he's certainly an interesting conversion guy. There was talk about him falling back on pitching even leading up to him being drafted as a shortstop out of high school. He was before my time in terms of scouting him as an amateur--I believe I was doing things like wearing braces, listening to Nirvana (I still will do that from time to time) and going to middle school--but from what I recollect, it was his pure arm-strength from shortstop that was considered his best tool, even then.

It will be interesting to see if Bush--now 30--will be at all able to turn a mid-to-upper-90s fastball into a genuine middle relief mix.

Larry (NC): Is there a grade difference between ORG and emergency? It seems like sometimes ORG players will make it up to a team in case of emergency (bullpen killed in an extra inning game, only fresh arm is an ORG guy, or you need your 4th catcher are some examples). Two guys I think of is Cody Clark and Chris Leroux

Adam McInturff: Good question. The phrases 'ORG' and 'Emergency' get tossed around a lot, sometimes fairly interchangeably. I do grade them differently, though. I will put a Role 35 on players that are currently (or likely will be) contributors at Double-A or Triple-A, but ones I don't see having much viable big league utility. I will put role 40s on players that have chances to receive 'cups of coffee', though I know full well the majority of their games played/appearances will be at the high-minors level.

Some examples of role 40s that I see a lot when I'm doing pro coverage: the defensively-oriented middle-infielder/catcher who isn't even really a 40-grade hitter and would be a liability value-wise despite having average-to-above-average-to-plus defense at a premium position; the reliever throwing in the mid-90s with poor mechanics that lead to inconsistent control, command, and secondary stuff. You see a fair amount of both types of players at the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

Rocky (Laguna Beach): You tweeted recently about there being a difference between "real scouts" and "journo-scouts"/"evaluators", if I recall correctly. Could you expand on the differences and why the distinction may be important to me, The Reader?

Adam McInturff: I do stand by that, yes. However, I don't think this is the platform to dissect the issue. I encourage you to email me at AMcInturff@BaseballProspectus.com, where I will be happy to continue the conversation. Thanks!

Kristen (Canada): Any interesting under-the-radar prospects you see in the Rangers' loaded system this year? Was thinking Connor Sadzeck and his upper-90's gas could jump into consideration for a place on a mid-season prospect-ranking list or two if he can get his control under control.

Adam McInturff: Sadzek definitely has a big arm, no doubt. He brings a high-velocity fastball from an extra-large, big-league frame. However, health, control, and the development of secondary pitches have been hurdles for him throughout his professional career.

I'm not saying these guys I'll list are superstars in the making, but I would throw out names like Sam Wolff (RHP), Drew Robinson (numerous positions in the infield), Ryan Cordell (maybe not an 'under the radar' guy at this point--outfielder), and Josh Morgan (infield, possibly catcher?) into the 'under the radar' mix as well.

The Rangers are an elite scouting and player development group. This is a system with plenty of players that you could like as a scout that aren't particularly known to the public.

Donkey Man (DC Area): Who is this draft's donkey man?

Adam McInturff: Wouldn't be a good chat without a donkey reference. I see you...

I would go with Bobby Dalbec, Arizona's third-baseman and pitcher. He had as much raw power as anyone on the Cape this past summer, and hit 15 bombs as a sophomore last year. In classic donkey man form, however, there's tons of swing/miss and hit tool issues--ones that are being exposed this season. Unlike donkey men of old, Dalbec might actually ultimately wind up a pitcher, given his offensive struggles this season. He's 6-foot-4 and 220; prototype donkey size to be sure. Dalbec's fastball reaches the mid-90s at best.

Love to see another reader from the greater DC area, yes, all of it.

Lex Carwright (Grave): Whether or not we should allow the fairer sex to play our grand game is not the question, I daresay. Could you ever see a fair lady having the ability to play Major League Baseball, Sir Whippersnapper?

Adam McInturff: I completely agree; it is almost so ignorant and bigoted to state that girls (Little League) and young women (AAU, travel ball, etc) should not be able to play this great game that anyone holding those views is archaic--and that's probably putting it charitably.

However--and I'm confident this is more a statement of fact, and nothing that could be viewed in a negative light: there are undeniable physical differences between fully-grown men versus fully-grown women. Big leaguers are bigger, faster, and stronger than ever.

As such, I certainly wouldn't say it WON'T happen--but I do think the most realistic scenario for a woman in the big leagues would be a player type that doesn't necessarily get by on pure strength and power. I can see a second baseman (second base-woman? I wonder how we would denote that...) with speed and contact skills, perhaps. Most realistically, the first thing that came to mind was a left-handed specialist that creates lots of deception, throws tons of strikes, and induces contact outs.

I think this is a very good question, and a follow up to a great article written yesterday on BP. Continuing to promote the game to women--especially those young enough to still get involved--is vital to Rob Manfred's efforts to make baseball a sport with more unilateral appeal. Whether or not there becomes a significant pipeline of women in professional baseball and/or the major leagues is secondary. It's about fostering the spirit of the game and the connections and lessons it teaches--and those are things that hopefully can touch more and more young people from different backgrounds as time goes on.

Steve (Philly): I've asked others this, but I'll send the same to you: If you could give a 50 tool to any player or pitcher, which one improvement would cause the greatest leap in OFP for you? (Joey Gallo getting 50 hit is the consensus favorite according to BP staff so far)

Adam McInturff: That's a fun question. My mind immediately jumped to Gallo as well. I don't want to be boring, though, and just restate the same thing. Right off the top of my head: why not Ray Black with 50 control?

Well...I guess there still would be effort and health questions. If I were to cheat, I'll say Ray Black with a less violent delivery and 50 control.

DPettyBraves29 (Syracuse, NY): Phillies outfielders have put up a combined OPS+ of -3 this season. Is this the worst outfield ever assembled? And what does this mean for the timeline for Nick Williams and Roman Quinn?

Adam McInturff: It's not good, that's for sure. The Opening Day lineup was tough to get enthused about; you could make the argument this team has some Triple-A aspects. However, the Phillies have assembled a great group of both new-and-old-guard people to turn this ship around. They knew--everyone knew--this season was going to be tough; as such, I think some of the things that could be said about individual player performances aren't as valid.

Like I said, it's a quality group in that front office, and especially after watching a really impressive lineup at Double-A Reading over the weekend, this might come together a little quicker than some thought (still at least 3-4 years) on the strength of exciting young players.

The Phillies are 100% in rebuild mode right now, so I don't think any lack of production by the big club would be worth impacting the development of Williams, Quinn, Cozens, or any other player they have high hopes for. All three of those guys I mentioned need plenty more minor league reps, though there's no denying if it clicks for any one of them--if not more than one--it could be an extremely exciting outfield of the future.

I tweeted this over the weekend, speaking of Cozens: the guy has more raw power than any player I've seen so far during the minor league regular season. There's a ton of questions about his hit tool and ability to use the other field--and remember, raw power only goes so far--but gosh. The guy just hits the crap out of the baseball. I saw him hit an incredibly impressive bomb (ironically, the other way) that was a no-doubter onto the LF concourse on Saturday. His other game contact was explosive, too.

Scott (NJ): Would you rather be picking top 5 in the 2016 draft or the 2017 draft?

Adam McInturff: This is a great question. Here's the hard part: we don't really know what 2017 will truly be like. It's too far away. It's important to mention that the grass is always greener; 'next year' generally always has a better rap than 'this year' does. That's how it seems, anyway.

That said, I think what looked to be a very promising top of the draft to start the season has had some wrenches thrown into it. Alec Hansen had disastrous outings and was moved to the bullpen. AJ Puk had some up-and-down performances, and now is dealing with some tweaks in his back, I believe. Jason Groome--fair or not--is serving a suspension for not abiding by New Jersey transfer rules (and it's always dicey going with a prep arm first).

The consensus was that the 2015 Draft was 'a down year', and indeed, it may have been. However, if it was 'down' in any which way, I think it was more a lack of overall depth and/or elite pitching at the top of the draft, especially from the college ranks. However, a very clear-cut 1/2/3 did emerge in Swanson, Bregman, and Rodgers. Having three guys who have chances to remain shortstops with quality bats is an enthusing top of the draft; Bregman's hot start and the ceilings of Dansby and Rodgers all only further that assertion.

To wrap this question up: last year may not have been as 'deep' as I still believe this year to be, but I think it was a comfier year to have a very high pick. This year there is probably going to be more split camps on a handful of the top guys, and that's partially a byproduct of none of the biggest names entering the spring seemingly taking a step forward. This could bite me in the butt, but I'll throw caution to the wind and say I might like to draft, say, fourth overall next year than this one.

That said, I would rather draft 22nd this year than last (no slight at Beau Burrows here) given an increase in depth stemming from more viable pitching options. And would rather pick 22nd this year than even next year, because if we don't have enough information to pin down the TOP picks next year, how could be do so with picks in the later 1st round?

Great question. I encourage you to ask other scouting writers and perhaps team personnel, too. I think there would be a wide variance of opinions and subsequent rationales for them.

Steve (Philly): Biggest surprise player to open in Extended Spring Training for you? Except Alex Jackson, I guess.

Adam McInturff: I'll say Mike Nikroak, but I shouldn't have been so surprised. He's had a rough go since signing. I really liked him coming out of the draft, and especially as a northeast prep arm, I'm going to maintain that. I didn't see him in ST, so maybe if I had it would have explained more why he was held back in Extended (heard the CB is still a significant point of needed improvement/development), but I thought of him as more polished than he's shown thus far in his career when Colorado took him 27th overall last season. Swing and a miss, me. Happens...

Victor (Denver): What is a MLB team thought process as they pick from rounds 15-40? Are they taking guys they actually believe are ML? Or just throwing darts at a giant board?

Adam McInturff: Great question. This is another one that I think would have lots of interesting responses from team personnel. In my opinion, though, I think teams use these rounds for one of two things--and sometimes for both:

-Taking players with MLB tools/bodies without the polish to make the ceiling their raw physical attributes suggest is possible very likely.

-Using the increases in statistical regressions and player-trajectory prediction systems to select college players that may have been short on tools in some/most areas, but have performed well in certain outputs such that they're priority targets for a draft model.

Eric (LA): When a high pick/prospect fails (enter your favorite here) who gets the blame? The area guy for not doing enough research? The PD squad for failing on the kid? The player?

Adam McInturff: I'm running the risk of sounding like a broken record: great question, good to ask team personnel.

I don't think anything in this game operates in absolutes. As such, I wouldn't deem it likely that there's one unilateral party to blame for the attrition rate of prospects that any close prospect-follower knows is just a basic reality.

Quickly: in terms of the area guy, I think the crosschecker(s) and/or scouting director might be more 'to blame' in this hypothetical. Area scouts are vital components of a scouting department (and deserve far more credit than they receive), but in general, an area scout alone doesn't have much control over the highest picks.

Back to the question: I think it's some combination of overall organizational blame; scouting, PD, the player himself. At the end of the day, the entire organization has 'lost'--the team didn't receive expected big league production it paid a premium for early in the draft. Sometimes it is bad scouting, sure, though I don't think one failed top draft pick is indicative of a faulty department, as there is unavoidable attrition to doing this. Sometimes it is the coaches or limitations on the budget/development appropriated to the player(s) in question; and yes, certainly, on some level, players not being driven to reach their ceilings always plays a role. The longer one observes prospect development--and the closer to the pro game that one is--the more 'makeup' and the human component become a part of one's evaluations. Hope this was helpful.

Taylor (Brookings): Which of the following prospects will be in the majors by the start of 2017? (Bradley Zimmer, Andrew Benintendi, Francis Martes, Ramiel Tapia, Ian Happ, Jorge Mateo)

Adam McInturff: Tapia, Zimmer. Maybe Martes, depending on team need.

rookie319s (Saint Louis): How do you see Lewis Brinson? Ceiling? Thanks in advance... Glad "we" have you before a team scarfs you up...

Adam McInturff: First of all, I want to quickly say that Lewis has championship-caliber makeup and is a very grounded, hard working individual with a quiet confidence to his game. I've enjoyed my time around him personally, and I think one reason you're seeing an 'athlete' turn very loud tools into more production is due to the work ethic he possesses.

In terms of his ceiling, there's no doubt it's a big one. He's a genuine centerfielder with a power/speed toolset. The question was always going to be 'how much contact can he make to bring out his power?' The strikeouts and overall approach get incrementally better at each stop and as each year goes by.

I don't throw 'all star' around very often, but there's an all-star in here in the best-case scenario. Sure, he'll always strike out some. That said, guys with this type of leadership qualities, power from a premium-position, and ability to contribute on the bases as well are quite rare. If the hit tool and approach aren't fully ever remedied and he's forever a slump-prone guy who has his ups and downs at the plate, he's still a quality regular due to his defense and power potential up the middle.

No 'comp' is ever perfect, but let's say he's Mike Cameron-esque.

Silverback38 (VA): Retired from military, what would be first step(s) to getting into scouting culture/business?

Adam McInturff: Happy to help. Please email me at AMcInturff@BaseballProspectus.com to continue the discussion. Thanks.

Fishinrob (Key west): Has Alex Bregmans fantastic start in AA impressed you? Some of his home runs were bombs and I was expecting a good OBP hitter with 12 hr power. Kid looks legit!

Adam McInturff: It has absolutely impressed me, it's tough for it not to. For one, the guy just got drafted last year and he's already in Double-A. That's impressive enough, for one--let alone the success he's had. I'll be honest in saying I didn't peg him for this kind of power, either, and I would use the opportunity to see him personally if I could to try and pin down if there is any noticeable difference or change in his swing/approach that might indicate this power is here to stay. He's stolen the show to start the season, that's for sure.

Francisco (Atlanta): Besides Collins being LH what is the difference between him and former Hurricane Peter O'Brien?

Adam McInturff: They are fairly similar, in that they're both physical guys who played catcher for Miami and came with a blend of raw power/offensive upside with defensive questions. I think Collins has the better chance of the two to stay behind the plate, though that might not be saying a ton. I also think Collins probably has a looser, 'handsier' swing that allows scouts to project more on his pure contact and ability to adjust to off-speed pitches/velocity.

Friar Tim (San Diego): Oof, my Padres...how do you assess their farm system? Can we rebuild for the shorter term, or is a long-term sell-off in order? We do have some 1-2 year major league pieces that should bring prospects back..

Adam McInturff: The Padres have a top-flight scouting group there. Before they all joined forces in San Diego, the members of the decision-making group all demonstrated the ability to draft/sign/develop high-upside talent and turn that into big league production. Considering the backgrounds of the decision-making group and the numerous early draft picks, you could make the argument that long-term development and sustained success is the end-goal. With patience from the fanbase, I'm confident that the same successes that the group brought to their respective team(s) previous will be similarly brought to San Diego.

Brian (Atlanta): Who's the ideal pick for Atlanta at 3?

Adam McInturff: Ideal? Let's say they hold true to their statements that they're looking to add a bat to the system this year given the wealth of pitching and inverse lack of hitting down on the farm. So...college bats, essentially. I would say Nick Senzel, because he's a safer bet to hit for both average AND power--not just power--than Corey Ray or Kyle Lewis. The ceiling is lower than those two guys, however, in terms of raw tools/upside/overall value (and value with the glove in Ray's case, especially). When you don't have much of something, I'm of the belief that ensuring you get it (IE--safety in prospects) is paramount. That's my thinking for Senzel.

Alex (Georgia): With Corey Ray, are we talking about a .270/.350 guy with 20/20?

Adam McInturff: That's the best-case, for sure. If a team thinks they can keep bringing out the hit tool, there's an argument to be made that he's perhaps the best college hitter in the draft. He's cut down on his strikeouts quite a bit, while basically equaling his HR and SB totals from his sophomore season in a little over half the games played.

For now, I'll say that 20/20 is more to be expected than .270+ year in/year out, but I won't say that the high averages WON'T come about, either. These types of outstanding athletes make adjustments later and more continually than the average hitter's development path.

Frank (Jacksonville): Can you explain what I'm missing on Senzel? I see a guy who isn't athletic and is no better than an average defender if he can even stay at 3B. He hits for average, which is good, but there has been limited game power that shows up so far. I know everyone thinks it's coming, but there's risk there. That sounds like a guy who's a backend of the first round pick at best, not a potential top-three overall pick.

Adam McInturff: I can see why you feel that way, definitely. As I said in a previous question, both Lewis and Ray are significantly more 'upside' than Senzel in the best case. I think it's the 'safety' of the bat that carries most of the appeal; safety and an increasingly cloudy picture at the top of the draft this year.

Will (Gainesville): The University of Florida's ballclub is crazy good. How many of their guys can we expect to see go in the first five rounds of the draft this year?

Adam McInturff: I counted six or seven off the top of my head. That's insane. Almost certain at least five will. Add that with all the quality underclassmen and it is a very special mix from a scouting/Draft standpoint.

Jay (Ohio): Thoughts on Greg Allen? SSS so far this season but is his performance being aided by his age given the league he's in or would you consider his prospect stock to be rising?

Adam McInturff: I've been impressed in my three games viewing him, especially last night in Woodbridge (I happened to catch that). I think he's a 'stock rising' prospect in an Indians system that has a lot of quality guys like that--a testament to a great and forward-minded group in the front office and in the field there for the Indians. The tools might not play loud enough for a genuine everyday profile, but Allen knows his game and his strengths and plays to them well; someone throwing a bench/defensively-oriented glove/speed outfielder grade on him wouldn't raise my eyebrow.

Adam (North Carolina): I've been having trouble carving out the time to catch some of the prospects in my area, so I'm afraid I'm going to make a choice between seeing Dillon Tate or Anderson Espinoza pitch. Purely from an entertainment perspective, who would you rather go enjoy in person?

Adam McInturff: That's so tough! They're both the highest-upside minor league arms to see in North Carolina...

I'll say Tate, just because he won't be in the minors (or maybe even at Hickory) for as long as Espinoza given the difference in age and experience.

Eric (Cartersville): Where are you at on the under the radar GA outfielders like Brandon Marsh (Buford) and Taylor Trammell (Mt. Paran)? Also would love your thoughts on Will Benson...seems pretty divisive.

Adam McInturff: Love Marsh's size and athleticism but I don't have the same track record seeing him as I do with Trammell. I really have been a fan of Trammell despite ups and downs with the present hitting ability at times. I've seen Taylor since he was a rising sophomore in the East Cobb program, though I believe he has since changed scout teams. He's an unique blend of traditional high-upside athlete tools with a lot of polish and feel for the game.

I am a fan of body/athlete/power players like Benson. That said, the divisive opinions on his present ability to make contact are founded. The hit tool is coming around a little bit more than where it was in games when the season began, so I've been told, but it doesn't mean there isn't a fair amount contact-wise that needs to be improved upon. For a team with multiple picks or a lot of belief in the makeup/PD department, he could be the type of guy we look back and wonder how he fell where he did in the draft. I do think the stock might have slid a hair, though.

meswan (TX): Hi Adam, thank you for taking the time to answer my question. Mike Clevinger of Cleveland - he performed well in the Spring and I am hearing good things but do not know mich a out him. What type of floor/ceiling might he have. Thanks again for your time! Mike

Adam McInturff: Thanks Mike, appreciate you taking the time to tune in here, so to speak. I really liked Clevinger when I saw him in the Cactus League, and the reviews overall seem to be similarly positive. Health and consistency with a third pitch are the things he needs to demonstrate, but I don't see him as massively far away from having a chance to contribute. If his health and durability give him issue down the road logging a starter's innings, I can see the floor as a high-velocity higher-leverage reliever, or one that could pitch multiple innings. If it clicks--and the guy I saw in Arizona definitely had a 'starter look'--I wouldn't raise an eyebrow at someone saying he was a power-oriented middle-rotation starter in the making.

Adam McInturff: Thanks for the time today, everyone! I'm sorry I wasn't able to get to some questions. Please email me at AMcInturff@BaseballProspectus.com and/or on Twitter at @WAdam_McInturff to continue the conversation. I try to do my best to engage those kind souls that read my work--as we all should here at Prospectus. Thanks!