Estoban Loaiza a possible sleeper?

[Mustangs989]

He's a total waste of oxygen. Here, take a look at his career era by month:

April: 2.98
May: 5.23
June: 5.32
July: 5.00
Aug: 4.64
Sept: 4.84
Oct: 3.48 (3 starts)

Don't be fooled by a quick start, he does it every year. Also, spring training stats mean very, very, little.

I was just going to post something like this as I remembered reading about his quick starts last year. Even if he does start out hot I wouldn't expect it to continue

[Amazinz]

I agree with Madison, the ST stats don't mean anything. They really don't. The sample size is way too small and you also have non-MLB caliber players mixed in with everyone else. You don't have to be into stats to see this.

Managers and coaches don't care about stats in ST. For the younger guys who are on the cusp of making the club they are looking at plate presence, discipline, approach and how well they've adapted to corrections, etc. Even a veteran could be doing everything right and still have an unlucky stretch during ST or vice versa.

[Madison]

The only thing that Loaiza's spring training stats are good for is that he will have a starting job at the beginning of the year. Granted, that's better for him than being the Yankees mop up man, but doesn't mean he's worth owning.

[Mustangs989]

I think Madison is just pissed the Rangers didn't sign him

[Madison]

I think Madison is just pissed the Rangers didn't sign him

Why would I want my Rangers to sabatoge their season? Give me Old Man Rogers, Drese, or any of our kids, over Loaiza anyday. Heck, I'd probably take a gamble on Chan Ho Park over Loaiza.

[nuggets]

I've already picked him up as a sleeper for 2005. I know he's the guy everyone loves to hate, but take a look at the underlying numbers. In 2003, he won 21 games with an ERA under 3 and 200+ Ks. That doesn't just happen by accident. He owns the skills that gave him that monster year. Of course, skills alone are not enough.

In the case of Loaiza I think it was more of an accident.

Take a look at 2004. Everyone remembers the second-half disaster, but most people forget that Loaiza was pitching very well through June (6-3, 3.69 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 40 K in 70 IP). That's about as good as anyone not named Randy Johnson or Pedro Martinez can expect to post in the AL East.

Wasn't he pitching in the AL central at that time? And I strongly disagree that those stats are as "good anyone not named Randy Johnson or Pedro Martinez can expect to post in the AL East" which doesn't make sense because Unit has never pitched in the AL east and Pedro won't be.
One player I think of immidiately who would expect better stats than that is Halladay and what about Schilling! And believe me, Kevin Brown and Matt Clement expect better numbers than that too.


Loaiza might be a good spot stater in the begining of the year but as the NL sees more of him I'd stay away.

[ramble2]

Loaiza has already bounced back. Unfortunately it was from his 2003 numbers back to his previous form!

[so0perspam]

I think Madison is just pissed the Rangers didn't sign him

Why would I want my Rangers to sabatoge their season? Give me Old Man Rogers, Drese, or any of our kids, over Loaiza anyday. Heck, I'd probably take a gamble on Chan Ho Park over Loaiza.

I'd take Chan Ho any day.

[The Jury]

Unless he's added another pitcher this year, I wouldn't worry about him until later on in the draft

[Free Bagel]

There is no point in putting Loaiza on your roster this year. When a guy has a career ERA around 5 for NINE years and then randomly pulls out a sub-3.00 ERA when he's THIRTY TWO years old, it's pretty much the definition of a career year.

You'd have to be blind to have not seen Loaiza's bad season coming last year, and the chances of him having a good year aren't any better than any other undrafted pitcher that you can close your eyes and pick.