Who is Aaron Poreda — and How Will He Impact the AL Central in 2009?

Every year, it seems like one of the biggest stories at every Spring Training camp is who will be the #5 starter. Because of expansion, there are now 30 Major League clubs, which means 150 starting pitchers who break camp penciled into their respective team’s rotations. That’s a lot of starting slots to fill, so it makes sense why most teams struggle to find a consistent 5th starter.

The Chicago White Sox in 2009 are certainly no exception.

Heading into Spring Training, one of the up-and-coming candidates being promoted as a possibility to fill the #5 slot for the White Sox behind their healthy and durable triumverate of Mark Buehrle-Gavin Floyd-John Danks was Aaron Poreda.

Now that Poreda has made his first Spring Training appearance, let’s find out who this kid is and assess his chances to break Spring Training in the rotation with the White Sox.

Aaron Poreda Bio and Scouting Report

Aaron Poreda will be 22 years old on Opening Day 2009 and is a 6′6, 240 pound lefty from Walnut Creek, California. He was selected by the White Sox in the 1st round (25th pick) of the 2007 draft and signed by White Sox scout Adam Virchis. Since being drafted, Poreda has certainly made a name for himself and developed a reputation as a major piece of the White Sox future.

After a successful college career at the University San Francisco, during which Poreda posted a sub-3.00 ERA in each of his three seasons, Poreda pitched in 46.1 innings of rookie ball at the age of 20. In those 46.1 innings, Poreda went 4-0, had a 1.17 ERA, and a K/9 ratio of 9.3, while walking only 10 batters. His WHIP was a sterling 0.84.

Certainly a very auspicious beginning.

In 2008, Poreda’s first and only full season in the minor leagues, he shuffled between high-A ball and AA Birmingham. At Winston-Salem, Poreda pitched 73.1 innings and amassed a 3.31 ERA and a 5-5 record. His K rate dropped to only 5.6 per 9 innings and his WHIP rose to a still solid 1.16. In AA Birmingham, Poreda pitched 87.2 innings, had an ERA of 2.98, a K/9 rate of 7.4, and a WHIP of 1.17.

So for his brief minor league career thus far, Aaron Poreda is 12-9 with a 2.69 ERA in 207.1 innings, with a K/9 rate of 7.2 and a WHIP of 1.10. All very good numbers, and certainly predictors of future success.

Additionally, Poreda was rated the #1 prospect in the White Sox entire system in 2008 by Baseball America. In the 2009 Baseball America Top Prospects list, Poreda is third for the White Sox, behind 2008 #1 draft pick SS Gordon Beckham and Cuban signee 3B Dayan Viciedo, but is still listed as the #63 prospect overall.

According to MinorLeagueBaseball.com, Aaron Poreda has a plus-plus fastball that sits comfortably at 95-96 mph and sinks and runs, while still catching the plate for strikes. They list his slider and changeup as fair, but in need of plenty of work. (It looks like this report is from 2007, so perhaps his other pitches have improved since then to better complement his obviously wicked fastball).

In his first outing this spring, Poreda started off slowly by giving up a homerun and a single to the first two batters (Rafael Furcal and Orlando Hudson), but then recovered to retire the next six batters. Most importantly, he threw first pitch strikes to 7 out of the 8 batters he faced.

From a Mark Gonzalez report at the Tribune’s website about the first 2009 appearance by Aaron Poreda:

“I was able to force contact, and sometimes when you force contact you’ve got to tip your hat because [Furcal] hit the ball pretty far,” Poreda said. “After that I recuperated and kept throwing strikes.

“I could have thrown a few better sliders, a changeup, but all in all I was happy with the outing. I didn’t give in, stayed strong and ended on a positive note.”

Poreda’s fastball was clocked in the 91-93 m.p.h. range. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter, coming back from a 3-0 count to retire one hitter.

So apparently the slider and changeup are still a work in progress. The other interesting note in the 2007 scouting report mentioned above is that Poreda is “new to being good. Players who come out of nowhere like he has (with the jump in velocity, especially) have to get used to being dominant. Once he grows accustomed to that, his poise should improve by leaps and bounds.”

It will be interesting to watch how Poreda fares the rest of this spring. Based on his history and scouting report, it sounds like another year in the minor leagues could help Poreda develop his secondary pitches and confidence. I am sure that if the White Sox have their druthers, this is exactly what will happen.

But there is a reason that people have been talking about Poreda as a potential answer to the questions the White Sox have at the back end of their rotation. And the reason is that despite the improvements Poreda still needs to make, he is already a very good pitcher; and the White Sox need someone to fill Javier Vazquez’s slot in the rotation and someone else to fill in until Jose Contreras is ready to go.

So, will Aaron Poreda break camp in the White Sox rotation?

It does not appear likely — and the reasons why have nothing to do with Poreda not being capable, and much more to do with some great early news the White Sox have received about their other rotation options.

Chicago White Sox 2009 Pitching Rotation

First off there is Jose Contreras, who was originally expected back sometime around the All-Star break after surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles ended his 2008 season prematurely. Now there is talk that Contreras could be ready for Opening Day. He made a splash by reporting to camp lighter and in great shape, and Ozzie Guillen has already said that as soon as Contreras is healthy and ready go, he is taking the ball every fifth day.

Another major question mark heading into camp was veteran pitching behemoth Bartolo Colon, the 5′11, 245-pound former Cy Young winner (and former White Sox pitcher, in 2003) signed by the White Sox this offseason. Ozzie Guillen has already said that he feels confident defending the 2008 AL Central crown with Contreras and Colon manning the back end of the rotation. The question, of course, will be health and availability.

According to Chisox.com, both Colon and Contreras are scheduled to throw three days next week, with two additional side sessions scheduled for the week after. They are then both tentatively scheduled to pitch an inning in a game if all goes well. White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper knows what Colon can bring to the rotation:

“I’ll tell you what we are talking about,” Cooper said. “This is the second half of his career, and Bartolo is now trying to prove he can go from a pure power guy to a guy who still can pitch with real solid stuff.

“Remember, there’s nothing he can’t do with a baseball. He can cut it, slice it and dice it. He’s like Popeil’s pocket pitcher. He can do it all. He might be able to even core an apple.

“If he gets healthy, then you got a chance to win ballgames on that fourth or fifth day. He’s a proven guy, and we all know he knows how to pitch. He certainly has the heart and the [guts].”

Basically, if Contreras and Colon are ready to go on Opening Day, they will be in the rotation. If one of them is not ready, it appears that Clayton Richard could be one of the first in line for the open slot. Richard gained valuable experience filling in for Contreras last season, starting 8 games. He certainly did not set the world on fire, going 2-5 with a 6.04 ERA, but he is 25 and more experienced than the other options. Richard will assume a prominent spot in the White Sox bullpen as a long reliever whenever both Contreras and Colon are ready, so the Sox may be willing to give him the first crack at any open rotation slots.

And another name to keep an eye on is Jeff Marquez, acquired in the offseason from the Yankees in the Nick Swisher trade. Marquez is 24, and has over 100 innings more experience than Poreda in the minors. He has a sinker than has drawn comparisons to former White Sox pitcher Jon Garland, and his arsenal also includes a changeup, curve, and slider. So while he may not have the potential of Poreda, he could be more “Major League ready” right now.

In his first spring outing, Marquez pitched two hitless innings against the Cubs and impressed Ozzie Guillen, according to a report by Scott Merkin:

“He threw the ball pretty good, but I don’t think he was sharp enough for the first time,” said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen of Marquez. “But Marquez really impressed me. I was happy with what I saw.”

So in reality, it is quite possible that Aaron Poreda is currently 8th in line for starts with the White Sox in 2009. He is undoubtedly projected to be in the White Sox rotation in 2010, but for the purposes of this post we are just looking at 2009. My best guess is that Aaron Poreda begins the year in AAA, and the best case scenario for the White Sox is that he stays there all year because Contreras and Colon are healthy and effective.

But I have this funny feeling that Aaron Poreda is going to play an important role for the 2009 White Sox, perhaps not early on but maybe later in the year. Just like last season when Contreras went down, you can never predict injuries. And the truth is, the White Sox rotation has been one of the most durable rotations in baseball since 2005. Look at the numbers of total starts made by the top 5 White Sox pitchers each of the last four years:

• 2005: 154 out of 162
• 2006: 161 out of 162
• 2007: 152 out of 162
• 2008: 153 out of 162

Over four years, the pitchers in the White Sox rotation have missed only 28 starts. That is a phenomenal level of durability, and I remember hearing a stat somewhere that it was the best in baseball over that time period.

But will it continue in 2009? We know how durable Mark Buehrle has been, and there is no reason not to pencil him in for 30+ starts this season. John Danks started at least 21 games in each of his last three seasons in the minors and has been durable as a major leaguer. Gavin Floyd has also shown tremendous durability during his professional career. And last season was the only full season of Jose Contreras’ major league career that has has started less than 30 games.

So as usual, assuming Contreras is healthy and ready for the long haul, the White Sox top 4 of the rotation appears locked in stone for the entire season.

Bartolo Colon, however, is another story. He started 7 games last year, 18 in 2007, and 10 in 2006. Before that, he started at least 30 games for 8 straight seasons. But how many innings can Colon pitch this season, when the most he has pitched in any season since 2005 is 99 1/3? All White Sox fans are hoping that Bartolo Colon can regain his Cy Young form of 2005, but 150-160 innings out of Colon may be about the maximum we can realistically expect.

If that is the case, someone will have to pick up some of the slack. And with a few more months of seasoning, it very well could be Aaron Poreda that steps up to do it.

While Clayton Richard and Jeff Marquez have more experience, a more developed overall repertoire of pitches, and perhaps even more confidence and moxie on the mound, Poreda clearly has the best fastball and the most overall talent. If Poreda can add some consistency to his secondary pitches during Spring Training, and develop confidence with a few good months in AAA, he could provide a huge shot in the arm for the White Sox later in the season.

The way I look at it, whatever transpires as 2009 unfolds will be a positive for the White Sox. If Poreda stays in AAA all year, it means that Colon is getting the job done and staying healthy. If Colon falters, and Richard or Marquez can’t make the most of an opportunity, then Poreda will come up and pitch. And based on the velocity and movement of his fastball, plus his brief but successful track record, he should certainly be able to have success in his first time around the league — even if his other pitches or confidence are not quite yet up to par.

So the final conclusion is this: Aaron Poreda probably won’t break camp with the White Sox, but he could very well still play a huge role in their 2009 success. Regardless, White Sox fans can get excited that even if our current lefty ace actually does retire or move to St. Louis after the completion of his current contract, we have another potential lefty ace for the next decade waiting in the wings.

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Jeff Marquez photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Aaron Poreda second photo credit: Bill Mitchell/MLB.com

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Other Sox links:

Marquez makes fine debut, but look out for #2 — (Sox Machine)

Do White Sox have surprising starter depth? — (South Side Sox)

Sox like their young group of sluggers — (Phil Rogers, Tribune)

Lou Piniella won’t take Ozzie Guillen’s phone calls — (MLB FanHouse)

Contreras and Jenks in the headlines — (The White Sox Blog)

“The Cuban Pimp” Dayan Viciedo Shows up to White Sox Spring Training in Shape and in Style

Dayan Viciedo has yet to have an official at bat in a White Sox uniform, not in a regular season game nor a Spring Training game.  Yet, the 19-year old phenom from the Cuba, who is part of the White Sox Cuban Trifectors that will help dictate how far the team goes this season, is already causing quite a stir throughout White Sox camp in Glendale, Arizona.

And luckily for the White Sox and their fans, the stir has so far been all positive.

Viciedo, who was playing professionally in Cuba by the age of 15, is renowned for his prodigious power with the bat.  He is also renowned for his prodigious ability to pack on the pounds, ballooning up to 260 pounds according to reports after defecting from Cuba and settling for a short time in Miami.

The White Sox signed Viciedo to a 4-year, $10 million in the offseason convinced that the potential of his bat outweight that the potential of gut.

So far so good.

According to Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times:

Viciedo, 19, was off to a good start Wednesday, showing up a day early and — more important — in shape.

”It’s our policy that you don’t show up to spring training to get in shape,” Guillen said. ”Show up ready to go. He’s in great shape. A lot of people are going to be impressed with the way he’s going to swing the bat. I’m glad he showed up in good condition.”

It sounds like a lot of the White Sox players stayed pretty motivated during the offseason and reported to Glendale in good shape.  A few days ago, Ozzie Guillen answered questions regarding the weight of projected #4 starter Bartolo Colon.  While the delivering the hilarious line “He’s not a jockey,” Guillen explained that Colon will always be heavy but that even Big Bartolo was in good shape.  And the shape of Jose Contreras has been one of the stories of Spring Training so far.  Contreras showed up 30 pounds lighter as he rehabs from a ruptured achilles.

Back to Dayan Viciedo.

According to Ozzie, the White Sox still aren’t sure exactly what they have in the newcomer.  Everyone is hoping that he can have the same kind of impact as Alexei Ramirez last year, but Ramirez is seven years older.

Viciedo will be afforded an opportunity to compete with projected starter Josh Fields at 3B.  How he hits and fields during the Spring will dictate whether he breaks camp with the big league club.

One thing is for sure though: While we cannot be certain yet about the substance of his game, Dayan Viciedo is already playing the part of a seasoned vet, at least in style.

According to the same Sun-Times article by Cowley:

Maybe by the end of spring training, Viciedo also will get a different nickname from his manager, but for now — thanks in part to a tricked-out ”$150,000 car that looks like something [Jermaine Dye] would drive” — Guillen is calling Viciedo ”The Cuban Pimp.”

Let’s see…last season began with Ozzie Guillen giving a rookie Cuban defector a nickname that involved the word “Cuban” when he dubbed Alexei Ramirez the “Cuban Missile”.  Ramirez finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting and the White Sox won the AL Central.

This season, Ozzie Guillen has begun by giving a rookie Cuban defector a nickname that involves the word “Cuban” by dubbing Dayan Viciedo “The Cuban Pimp”.  Perhaps Viciedo can follow Ramirez’s lead and make a push for Rookie of the Year while the White Sox win the AL Central.

Ahh, the beauty of Spring Training.  When everyone is in shape, in a good mood, and hope springs eternal.  Now let’s hope that Dayan Viciedo can get off to a hot start with the bat.  The Cuban Pimp versus the Hot Corner Cowboy could be the most exciting battle of the Spring.

Other White Sox links:

Masset Theory in Practice – 2009 Edition — (South Side Sox)

FIELDS CAN SEE FOR MILES, BUT HOW ABOUT 60 FEET, 6 INCHES? — (Sox Machine)

No clear 1st for 2nd — (Sun-Times)

Breaking News: New White Sox Pitcher Bartolo Colon is Not a Model, Nor a Jockey

Welcome to your Chicago White Sox Spring Training update for February 17, 2009. I made my daily stop at ChiSox.com earlier this morning and was met with the always intriguing voice of manager Ozzie Guillen as the autoplay video started atop the sidebar. Guillen took some time yesterday to talk with reporters about the first workout of the White Sox Spring Traning in Glendale, Arizona.

As usual, Ozzie was his irreverent and comical self.

(Quick aside: I grew up with Bob Knight and obviously am a huge Ozzie Guillen fan. Has any other sports fan ever had the pleasure of following two funnier coaches than these two guys? Certainly there are few coaches who are looser cannons than these two. Either way, Knight and Guillen are endlessly interesting and always entertaining, both in good moods and in bad.)

You can view the video for yourself at ChiSox.com or at this link for when they move it off the homepage (I think — but you may have to install something from Microsoft, and as a newly reformed Mac user, I can absolutely not endorse installing anything from Microsoft; so do so at your own risk). Here is the exchange that particularly caught my ear:

Reporter: Is there anybody besides Colon and Conteras that are on a limited schedule?

Ozzie: We have a couple minor league kids. I don’t know their name – I never will. But no, everybody else is ready to go.

…

Reporter: Do you care about Colon’s weight, how big he is?

Ozzie: Colon was like 350 pounds when he won the Cy Young. I just worried about, you know what I mean – No. He’s not a model. When you’re a model you have to be –- he’s not a jockey, you know what I mean? Colon is like that, he’s always gonna be like that. It surprised me he showed up in better shape than what I thought. He’s in better shape than what I thought. Hopefully we get him ready to go, ready quick enough, and that’s another guy we got to put attention to.

Naturally, Ozzie’s hilarious line about Bartolo Colon not being jockey got me thinking about what it would be like if Bartolo Colon was a jockey. My first thought was: poor horse. My second thought was: this sounds like a job for Photoshop.

And here you go:

As expected, Bartolo’s horse looks like it’s about to buckle under the massive load it is carrying and fall over. And while it would be difficult to find a horse that could carry Bartolo’s tremendous weight, his ability to fire fastballs while riding, to injure the other horses, could help to subdue any down-the-stretch comebacks from competitors. My money’s on Ozzie in this one.

Anyway, now that we have that ridiculousness out of the way, some other interesting links for all of the White Sox fans out there (or for deathly scared fans of other AL Central teams who want to learn more about the 2008 and 2009 AL Central champs).

Ozzie Guillen calls for 1-year suspension for first-time PED offenders — (Chicago Tribune)

Bobby Jenks dismisses allegations in book — (Chicago Tribune)

White Sox invite President Obama to new Spring Training facility in Glendale — (Chicago Sun-Times)

New Spring Training facility leaves Sox players in awe — (Chicago Sun-Times)

Carlos Quentin works to harness frustration — (Chisox.com)

Economy hits White Sox sponsorships — (South Side Sox)

Sample of upcoming White Sox book — (Sox Machine)

White Sox Spring Training 09 Preview — (Spring Training 09 by Tremendous Upside Potential)

Chicago White Sox Projected Starters for 2009

This article will be meaningless in a couple months after spring training, injuries and other surprises but it is a quick preview as hype to the 2009 baseball season builds. At this point even Tampa Bay Rays fans…er that’s no longer a good analogy…Kansas City Royal fans think their team has a shot at the world series.

Projected Batting Order from Whitesox.com :

1. CF Jerry Owens:
.276 BA, .346 OBP, 30 SB at AAA Charlotte in 2008 (2007 MLB: 356 AB, .267 BA, .324 OBP, 32 SB, )
2. C A.J. Pierzynski:
.281 BA, 13 HR, 60 RBI in 2008
3. LF Carlos Quentin:
.288 BA, 36 HR, 100 RBI, .394 OBP, .571 SLG in 2008
4. DH Jim Thome:
.245 BA, 34 HR, 90 RBI, .362 OBP, .503 SLG in 2008
5. RF Jermaine Dye:
.292 BA, 34 HR, 96 RBI, 41 2B, .541 SLG in 2008
6. 1B Paul Konerko:
.240 BA, 22 HR, 62 RBI in 2008
7. SS Alexei Ramirez:
.290 BA, 21 HR, 77 RBI, 13 SB in 2008
8. 3B Josh Fields:
.246 BA, 10 HR, 35 RBI for Charlotte in 2008 (2007 MLB: 373 AB, .244 BA, 23 HR, 67 RBI, .958 FPCT)
9. 2B Chris Getz:
.302 BA, 11 HR, 52 RBI, 11 SB for Charlotte in 2008

There is nothing wrong with this projection. Center Field and Second Base are the only positions up in the air and will be decided by Ozzie during spring training. The only other CF options are veterans Brian Anderson with Dewayne Wise being the underdog and fan favorite. One of the two will make the team regardless.

At 2B the options are young or experienced. Besides Getz, Wilson Betemit will get a look as he came from the Yankees in the Swisher trade. In this Baseball-Reference.com link Betemit’s seven year career stats are compared to that of Joe Crede (he gone) who was missing from the lineup more than half of the games in 07 and 08. This also opened the door for Josh Fields getting a solid 100 of major league experience in 2007. But back to Betemit specifically, he could easily get a lot of time if the inexperienced Getz doesn’t impress Ozzie. Though there is a lot of confidence verbally from Ozzie already. Whoever has the better glove in spring training will start the season.

Projected rotation from WhiteSox.com :

1. Mark Buehrle, 15-12, 3.79 ERA in 2008
2. Gavin Floyd, 17-8, 3.84 ERA in 2008
3. John Danks, 12-9, 3.32 ERA in 2008
4. Bartolo Colon, 4-2, 3.92 ERA with Red Sox in 2008
5. Clayton Richard, 2-5, 6.04 ERA in 2008

The pitching staff is closer to being in order after the Bartolo Colon signing by GM Ken Williams. Mark Buerhle is still the number one and has been for some time. Gavin “Pretty Boy” Floyd and John Danks look to improve on stellar 2008 campaigns. Both youngsters were the main reasons “The Good Guys” even made the playoffs last year.

The fifth position with Clayton Richard could be good enough if the former Michigan quarterback can get more strikeouts and give up less base hits. If that doesn’t hold to be true in his first full season in the majors you might see Jose Contreras be the man if his ruptured achilles is healed by the All-Star break.

Aaron Poreda is one of the challengers if Richard doesn’t impress in spring training or catches the injury bug. Poreda is looked at as one of the best pitching prospects in the organization and also the biggest ( 6′6″ 240 lbs). He just turned 22 years old in October and has a dominant stat line after a short 2007 in rookie league and a 2008 season in single and double A: 2.69 ERA 1.09 WHIP 207.1 IP 166 K and only 7 home runs given up in that span.

Pitchers and catchers will report Sunday February 15th so the season is fast approaching. I would say I have the White Sox finishing in first place this year but that wouldn’t be different then any other year. GO GO WHITE SOX!

White Sox Sign Bartolo Colon to One-Year Deal – Ken Williams Still Rules

Quick hitter about my beloved Chicago White Sox in what has been a pretty quiet offseason.

It was announced last night that the White Sox signed hefty righty Bartolo Colon to a one-year deal. Colon pitched on the South Side back in 2003 and was an absolute horse. He pitched 242 innings and went 15-13 with a 3.87 ERA. After falling off the baseball map, Colon pitched 7 games last year for the Red Sox, going 4-2 with a 3.92 ERA.

My gut reaction: I like the move.

The top of the White Sox rotation is in order with Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd and John Danks. Two lefties and a righty with a disgusting curveball. I would stack the top of the White Sox rotation up against anyone in the AL and feel pretty good about my chances. The back end of the rotation, is far more questionable.

Clayton Richard showed some promise at the end of last year, and is in a mix with Jeff Marquez, Lance Broadway, and Aaron Poreda for the final two spots; at least, that’s how it looks heading into Spring Training. (And remember that heading into Spring Training last year, Greatest Baseball Player Ever Carlos Quentin was expected to be in the minors). Bartolo Colon will now be in the mix with these young pups for the final rotation spot.

Unless Colon comes to camp at 400 pounds or eats Ozzie Guillen, I feel pretty confident that he’ll man the 4th spot in the rotation. I am optimistic about the pitchers the White Sox have in the minors, but I am also optimistic that we have a team capable of winning the AL Central again. Bartolo Colon, if he is right, will be an innings-eater who will help keep the bullpen fresh. He keeps you in games and gives you a chance a win, even if he is not the same dominating pitcher he once was.

Plus, it is a one-year deal. While moronic franchises like the Yankees continue to not learn from their mistakes and dole out long-term deals to pitchers, Ken Williams has gone the more prudent route of finding a quality major league starter for a minimum amount of $$$ and risk. Would I like to have CC Sabathia? Sure, who wouldn’t? But for 6-7 years at $150-200 million? I don’t think any pitcher is worth that…and history has proven it.

How’s Barry Zito working out in S.F.?

So while this move won’t make a huge splash, and could very well be meaningless by April if Colon sucks or gets injured, I applaud it. Ken Williams has earned plenty of leeway with me and I will almost always give him the benefit of the doubt. I’m excited about this signing, and think it could give the White Sox one of the deepest top 4s of any pitching staff in baseball.