The future of Jeremy Jeffress

[TooLiveBrew]

Not sure if he'll be starting anytime soon. He asked to go to the bullpen iirc, and imo he'll be with the Timber Rattlers for a while yet.

[YoungGeezy]

If I remember right Gordy said he'd stay in the bullpen the whole season because Jeffress (team also agreed with him it was best) if he be there to help him stay more focus on baseball with the possiblity of pitching on any given day. Which big tip of the cap for Jeremy showing that he wants to stay clean and work toward it. Much easier not to get high when you might have to pitch on any given day instad of pitch, sit around for 4 days then pitch again. Could be just me but that impressed me that it wasn't the team that thought it up but him going to them.

 

If he was to only move up to BC i hope it would be just one or two outings and then get him back into the prospect mix at AA. I have talked about it before with where I stand on how I feel it is important to get our top guys (Rivas, Rogers, and now Jeffress) in the best possible position for them to help the team out sooner than later. To me that means Jeffress needs to get in as much time as possible in at AA against real competition. Really he just kind of needs it before he goes to the AFL (I'd assume they will send him to get extra work). With good showings in both he could start out in AAA and maybe if he excels, contribute or get his feet wet sometime next season with the club. A prolonged stay with BC I think could set him back. With his arm out of the pullpen right now, if he can keep his command, look out. That is a tough 1 or 2 innings for an opposing team.

 

That may sound like high hopes and it is but I have always believed in him and will continue to wish him the best on his path.

[HiAndTight]

I just hope he's still pitching as if he's a starter.

 

In other words, I hope he's still working on his change, working on his 3rd and 4th pitch, and not just trying to dominate with an upper 90's fastball and then that nasty power curve he's got.

 

That would make his transition back to starter next year far more difficult than if he was at least trying to incorporate those this year.

 

Get him up to AA this year as a reliever where he will hopefully, and I think most likely continue to dominate as a reliever, and then next year when he's on the 40 man and back in the rotation, he has the confidence to know that he can get anyone out in AA, and hopefully pick up where he left off and couldj ust be a phone call away from Milwaukee.

[Invader3K]

Heard Jeff Isom was predicting Jeffress could be pitching at Miller Park before the end of the season. That might be a tad optimistic, but it's nice to hear some positive news on a Brewers pitching prospect for a change.

[bamberger]

As I understand it, he gets bounced on another drug violation while a minor leaguer. If on the 40-man, he's subject to MLB drug rules?

 

Is this correct?

 

If this is true, why risk such an investment and such talent on being the 40th man?

[uwisfan]

I'm guessing because if the Brewers are going to get any value out of him, he'll need to be clean anyways. Why give him a crutch after he worked the organization and himself into a bind?

[HiAndTight]

As I understand it, he gets bounced on another drug violation while a minor leaguer. If on the 40-man, he's subject to MLB drug rules?

 

Is this correct?

 

If this is true, why risk such an investment and such talent on being the 40th man?

I'm not sure what you're saying here.

 

Why risk such an investment and such a talent on being the 40th man? Are you saying why risk it by having him ON the 40th man? There really is no risk. You lose someone from the 40th man, likely Cruz, the SS who is actually looking pretty good, but that's about it.

 

He's subject to MLB testing, not MiLB testing, so no recreational drugs, ie, no career suspension for pot.

Ergo, you no longer are in danger of him seeing a career long suspension, and that cloud hanging over his head is now cleared from what I understand.

[HiAndTight]

Heard Jeff Isom was predicting Jeffress could be pitching at Miller Park before the end of the season. That might be a tad optimistic, but it's nice to hear some positive news on a Brewers pitching prospect for a change.

Well I suppose it depends on how they plan on using him. I had written that I hope they continue to force him to use his fastball, power curve AND his change even though he doesn't need to in order to get these guys out. If they're just going to let him rear back and pump in 99 MPH fastball after 99 MPH fastball mixing in that 85 MPH power curve here and there, then I see no reason he couldn't be a Brewer this year.

 

Of course I also think it's a pretty big blow to the organizations pitching prowess as opposed to him starting, but hell, it's better than what we were expecting to get out of him.

 

I just shudder to think of a bullpen of;

 

Zach Braddock

Jeremy Jeffress

John Axford

Mark Rogers

Todd Cofffey

Carlos Villanueva

Latroy Hawkins

Chris Narveson

 

That's a pen that just keeps bringing the heat over...and over...and over. Heck, Coffey would be considered a "soft tosser" in there, and that's one you could realistically see NEXT YEAR if they chose to.

 

Of course there is that TINY concern about the innings 1-6.

That's where Parra's continued improvement(and believe it or not, I think the HR he gave up to Bourn was a good sign), Rivas, Periard, Wolf and Yo come in.

 

That could be a solid staff within a year. I shudder to think of how much better it could be if you replace Rogers and Jeffress into that starting staff as they somehow figure out how to harness their electric stuff and command it and use that 3rd pitch, but that almost seems to be getting a bit greedy.

[djoctagone]

he may be on the 40-man roster, per tom haudricourt . . .

[homer]

June 29, 2010 7:00 p.m. |(17) Comments

 

*Note: Tom H. spoke with GM Doug Melvin about the decision to move right-hander Jeremy Jeffress onto the 40-man roster and Melvin said the move was strictly to reward Jeffress, who has been suspended before by MLB for failing multiple drug test, for his model behavior on and off the field. We'll have more on this in tomorrow's JS.

[Funketown]

Hopefully this motivates him. I know he's had his troubles, but he has an incredible arm and it would be a shame to see him get a lifetime ban. He has blown away Low-A hitters, so hopefully he can move up a level soon.

[twobrewers]

I wonder how Jeremy Jeffress celebrated?

[mls4]

June 29, 2010 7:00 p.m. |(17) Comments

 

*Note: Tom H. spoke with GM Doug Melvin about the decision to move right-hander Jeremy Jeffress onto the 40-man roster and Melvin said the move was strictly to reward Jeffress, who has been suspended before by MLB for failing multiple drug test, for his model behavior on and off the field. We'll have more on this in tomorrow's JS.

So is there absolutely no chance that they need that roster spot for someone else before the end of the year?

[danzig6767]

I just hope he's still pitching as if he's a starter.

 

In other words, I hope he's still working on his change, working on his 3rd and 4th pitch, and not just trying to dominate with an upper 90's fastball and then that nasty power curve he's got.

 

That would make his transition back to starter next year far more difficult than if he was at least trying to incorporate those this year.

Obviously it's easier for a starter to be really good by having 3 or 4 quality pitches, but a guy can be a good starter with largely just two pitches if they are very high quality. Hell, just look at the two best starters the franchise has turned out lately

 

Ben Sheets threw either a fastball or curve on about 99 percent of his pitches. He was very effective with that because both were high quality and Ben had great command of both.

 

Gallardo is also a fastball/curve starting pitcher like Sheets, but i'll grant he does throw changeups more than Ben did. That said, my guess is that Gallardo throws either a fastball or curve on about 95 percent of his pitches. Both are such plus pitches for Gallardo that i have no doubt he could still be very effective if he never threw anything except those two pitches.

 

Maybe Jeffress is just better off focusing on making his 4 seam fastball and curve special pitches that he can consistently command instead of pushing him to be able to throw 3-4 pitches well with command and then he might not ever learn to consistently command any of them? I'd rather he be able to throw two dominant pitches consistently then have erratic command of four pitches.

[MJLiverock]

I'd rather he be able to throw two dominant pitches consistently then have erratic command of four pitches.

I agree and thought of Manny Parra. Isn't this one of the issues that gets brought up with him? He can throw 4 pitches but doesn't command them all well. Part of his more recent success has been focusing on locating the fastball and maybe not trying to fool everyone with a wide assortment of pitches. I think this was one of the things that Sabathia talked with him about back when he was here as well. Make sure you can throw strikes and get ahead in the count before trying to fool guys with junk off the plate.

 

 

[homer]

I think his recent success is that he's a AA player dominating A ballers.

[brewmann04]

So do the brewers plan to keep him in the Pen for the Future? or ccould he be a starter in the future. I am looking foward to see him up in Milwaukee come Sept.

[sheethead]

Jeremy getting the bump to Brevard County.

 

Link

[Never Outhustled]

Jeremy getting the bump to Brevard County.

 

Link

 

This surprises me, I thought he'd go straight to Huntesville.

[Diggr14]

he'll be in Huntsville sometime this season.

 

 

He'll probably be in Milwaukee starting the year next season - at very latest June. He is gassing people right now. It will be nice to see what he can do against AA hitters. A+ for now.

 

I hope they keep him as a reliever. I dont see Axford or Braddock as a closer of the future. I think they will be a good seventh/eighth inning tandem. Jeffress just has more swing and miss potential, and flat out better stuff.

[paul253]

I hope they keep him as a reliever.

I don't understand this. This guy has more upside than any pitcher in the system. If he can throw strikes, which he seems to be doing fairly well so far, he could be absolutely dominating. I'm still a little irritated they won't move Braddock to the rotation. I'd be downright furious if they keep Jeffress in the the bullpen. Talk about a waste of talent. If anything the success of Axford and Lowe this season shows that finding reliable relievers in MUCH easier than finding reliable starters. No offense Diggr but I really hope you are wrong.

[Invader3K]

I agree with paul. Relievers aren't that hard to find. We need starters. I really hope they move Jeffress into a starting role next season. If he fails as a starter, it's not that tough to move him to the bullpen. Much harder to to the reverse.

[TooLiveBrew]

I'd be downright furious if they keep Jeffress in the the bullpen

 

Me too, Paul. Much like Parra at the big-league level, the Brewers need to find out if this guy can have success as a starter. I'm sure the long-term plan isn't to have Jeremy pitching from the bullpen. I sure hope, anyway.

[logan82]

Hopefully he can go up to AA and not walk people like the last few times there. Until he does that, he isn't really much of a consideration as either a starter or reliever. 9.4BB/9 career in AA. Maybe he needs to just stick with 2 pitches and be a reliever. It sucks but it isn't like he was having a lot of success as a starter. I would prefer they try him as a starter with 2 pitches and see if he can be successful though.

[TooLiveBrew]

That's from all of 12 starts in his age-20 & 21 seasons. Imo he's absolutely worth rolling the dice on as a SP at this point. Like Invader noted, it's really not hard to move someone to the bullpen if they fail as a SP.