Aumont Will be a Starter

by dajafi on Jan 13, 2010 12:12 PM EST

Good news on our new top pitching prospect: the Phillies have decided that Phillippe Aumont will work as a starter in 2010 and hopefully beyond.

"We discussed it with the kid and he’s excited about it," assistant general manager Benny Looper said Tuesday.

...

Aumont’s best pitch is a hard, sinking fastball. Phillies scouts clocked it up to 97 mph during the Arizona Fall League. Using Aumont as a starter will allow him to more fully utilize his complete repertoire of pitches, which includes a slider and changeup. Aumont had begun throwing a splitter last season, but the Phillies have asked him to discontinue using the pitch because it can increase the chance of arm injury.

"There are a lot of pluses to him starting," Looper said. "One of them is it will make him work on his secondary pitches which he’d need in the bullpen, as well."

The Mariners had shifted Aumont to relief work, from some combination of concern about hip soreness and a wish to get him to the majors as quickly as possible. He still might wind up there, if his durability proves a question or his secondary pitches don't develop, but he can physically handle it, using him as a starter is all to the good. Historically, even most elite closers (Mariano Rivera, Eric Gagne, Billy Wagner et al) honed their craft in minor league rotations, logging more innings and boosting their experience.

James at PhuturePhillies endorses the decision as well:

...I think giving him a season to start and see what they have makes a lot of sense. If his fastball can sit 93-94 with heavy sink and he can refine his curve and changeup enough to be average pitches, he can certainly be a middle of the rotation starter. And that has more value than a 7th/8th inning reliever. Aumont turned 21 a few days ago, he’ll likely spend 2010 at AA, where he will be young for the league.

While Aumont is not a likely option for the big-league rotation next season, as former top prospect Kyle Drabek might have been, the team has a number of plausible back-end starters in the high minors. Depending on how some spring training battles play out, Kyle Kendrick, Antonio Bastardo, Andrew Carpenter, Yohan Flande, Vance Worley, Mike Cisco and others could be in the mix should the Phils need in-season rotation reinforcements.

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possible minor league rotations

AAA: Carpenter, Flande, Cisco, Savery, Stutes
AA: Worley, Naylor, Way?
A+: Aumont, Ramirez, Sanchez, May, De Fratus?
A: Shreve?, Cosart?, Pettibone?, Colvin?

This could actually get pretty exciting.

by taco pal on Jan 13, 2010 12:24 PM EST reply actions

I wouldn't be surprised to see Aumont move up to AA fairly quickly

He might start out at A+ to see how he adjusts to being a starter again, but I think that unless something drastic appears, they’ll move him to AA for the rest of this season, and possibly move him to AAA in the middle of next season. Of course, that’s projecting way ahead for a minor-league pitcher.

"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"

by The Dark on Jan 13, 2010 12:50 PM EST up reply actions

That would be nice. They can afford to take it slow with him though. He just turned 21 last week.

by taco pal on Jan 13, 2010 2:17 PM EST up reply actions

agree

though the really interesting guys are way down there. I guess that’s usually how it goes. Still, pretty good “inventory” at the top two levels, and maybe one or two of them is solid until Aumont and/or Ramirez and/or May shows up in 2012 or so.

by dajafi on Jan 13, 2010 10:25 PM EST up reply actions

glad to hear this

I’m actually struggling to think of anyone who was a “career reliever” who went on to sustained success. I think I recall Huston Street being drafted as a reliever… what about F-Rod?

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by WholeCamels on Jan 13, 2010 12:50 PM EST reply actions

Gregg Olson was a college closer. But that was a long time ago.

Oh, also Wayne Gomes!

by taco pal on Jan 13, 2010 12:55 PM EST up reply actions

Up until a few years ago, a lot of colleges didn't have assigned relievers

Even last year, my alma mater only had 2 designated starters (who had 32 starts in 57 games), and only 3 pitchers threw relief in more than 10 games without starting a game. Even the team’s designated “closer” started 4 games. The bullpen mismanagement called the closer hasn’t trickled down to the smaller schools long enough ago for their players to have made it through the minors – the one guy I went to college with who’s in the majors now played his first game two years ago. The other three draftees from the year I graduated are still in the minors.

And heck, a lot of the guys who would be relievers in college get drafted out of high school.

"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"

by The Dark on Jan 13, 2010 1:46 PM EST up reply actions

KRud was a starter in the minors, I’m pretty sure.

Chad Cordero was a college closer, like a few others drafted recently. Gomes, too, though oddly the Phils used him as a starter in the minors IIRC.

by dajafi on Jan 13, 2010 2:40 PM EST up reply actions

I thought read somewhere that his hip actually wouldnt be a problem. Of course I cant find that article anymore, but Im pretty sure thats what I heard.

by philiafan14364 on Jan 13, 2010 4:21 PM EST reply actions

The problem with using Aumont as a starter is that he hasn’t pitched more than 60 innings in a season yet in the minors, so it will take sometime to get his endurance up and that’s excluding an injuries that may or may not pop up.

"I remember being three and I wanted to be a baseball player, that's all I ever really wanted to be. That and Spider Man." -Raul Ibanez

by Jose and the Contrarians on Jan 25, 2010 10:51 PM EST reply actions

The kid is 21 and about 2-3 years from making his debut behind the current Phillies starters. It was a bit short-sighted of the Mariners front office to even relegate him to the bullpen that early. With the current contracts/arbitration eligible Phillies starters (Halladay-Hamels-Blanton-Happ) in tact for the next 3 years, Aumont has the time to develop.

by Phils 2036 World CH on Jan 26, 2010 9:57 AM EST up reply actions