How Scoutable are Fall Instrux?

[craig]

How open are fall instrux to scouts? Is it all Cubs-only, with the complex closed and they are only scrimmaging against other Cubs? Or is this more like extended spring training, where Cubs prospects are playing against Giants and Angels prospects, and the whole joint is open to any scouts from any teams? In other words, if a guy starts flashing high velocities in instrux, can other scouts see that, and do their Rule 5 drafting accordingly?

 

I think it is open, right? So Arizona Phil can and does go and watch, if he wants?

 

This is a dumb question, but was prompted by the Robert Whitenack case. Toonster mentioned Whitenack in his ranking list, which got me wondering. During the season, Whitenack had a 6.0 ERA and a 1.9 WHIP at Daytona, and from what I've heard was mostly 87-88 at Daytona on a fast gun. Neither those results or velocities would seem to have made him a commanding Rule 5 candidate.

 

Yet the Cubs rostered Whitenack. Which would make a lot more sense if he was resting at 90-91 in instrux and touching 95 again, and if the improved velocity could have been seen by non-Cub scouts.

 

I seem to recall Dolis getting rostered a few winters back, after there was talk that he'd been hitting 99 in instrux. So I assume it's open and scoutable?

[Guest]

Yes, it is open. Arizona Phil is always able to give reports and has mentioned other teams' scouts in the past.

[craig]

Thanks. That would seem to fit with the hypothesis that Whitenack was flashing some serious velocity at times in instrux, and that's why the Cubs protected him. Because they knew other scouts had seen it too. And because with serious velocity coming back, he might become a good prospect again if both the good velocity became relatively normal rather than exceptional, and if command returns.

 

My understanding is that it's easier to do the surgery such that the strength/velocity come back, but it's much less routine for the fine "feel" to come back that is integral to big-league command. So it's maybe one thing to get nice velocity reports on Vizcaino or Whitenack or Rondon or Ryu, but it's another to see whether the touch ever comes back. For Ryu, that seems to have never happened.

[Guest]

Similarly, the Cubs protected Dolis once he blew up in Instructs with a 100 mph FB and other teams had seen it.