Yesterday the Cubs traded Matt Garza to the Rangers for a package of prospects that included Mike Olt, CJ Edwards, Justin Grimm and at least one, but maybe two players to be named later. We already wrote about Mike Olt last night. Earlier today we covered CJ Edwards and now it's Justin Grimm.
Grimm is a 6-3, 200 pound right handed starting pitcher. He was drafted out of the University of Georgia in the 5th round of the 2010 draft. He was the 109th ranked prospect just prior to the 2010 draft and signed over slot for a 5th round pick. He'll turn 25 years on August 16th. Despite being the Friday starter for the Bulldogs and having impressive stuff, the results results weren't there.
Grimm has many of the ingredients scouts look for in a college pitcher. He has a pitcher's body at 6-foot-4, 193 pounds; he's quick-armed and athletic; he has big-conference experience and was Georgia's Friday starter this season; and he touches 95 mph regularly with his fastball. The bad news: Grimm had a career 5.80 ERA over nearly 180 innings, and some scouts consider him much the same pitcher after three years at Georgia as he was in 2007, when he was a 13th-round pick of the Red Sox out of high school in Virginia. Grimm has above-average fastball velocity at 90-94 mph, but the pitch lacks life and command thanks to poor mechanics. He rushes through his delivery, leaving his pitches up in the strike zone. He's vulnerable to home runs because he finishes too upright and doesn't drive the ball downhill. Scouts do consider the flaws to be correctable. He has a sharp curveball that at times grades out as an above-average pitch, but he wasn't ahead of hitters enough to use it as a strikeout pitch this spring. Grimm's changeup remains his third-best pitch. He competed well this season despite Georgia's disappointing year, even pitching in midweek in relief to sew up a victory against Georgia State, then pitching a career-best eight innings in his final start, beating Kentucky. He's still expected to go in the first four rounds despite his career 6-12 record.
His fastball averages 91.4 mph this year, but he can still get it up there in the 93 to 96 range.
In the minor leagues, Grimm struckout 20.2% of the batters he faced over 280.1 innings. He walked only 6.9%. In 103 MLB innings, he's struckout 17.2% and walked 7.2%. Because of this, his ugly 6+ ERA is not exactly representative of the quality he's shown so far.
His FIP is a better 4.79, which is still 12% worse than league average. Over 13% of the fly balls he's allowed have left the yard. His xFIP is a 4.11, which is basically league average (102 xFIP-). SIERA tends to agree with the FIP/xFIP, but tERA does not.
Grimm keeps the ball on the ground, but has given up a lot of line drives in his young career.
His strikeout rate is more than acceptable and if his walk remains as good as it's been, Grimm is definitely a starting pitcher. He won't be a top of the rotation starter or anything, but he can provide real value to the Cubs.
He'll be in AAA for a bit, but we should see him in a Cubs uniform no later than when rosters expand on September 1st. He has the potential to be a mid-rotation starter, but if that doesn't work out, he should put together a decent career in the bullpen.
His strikeout and walk rates in the minor leagues are fairly similar to Travis Wood (22%, 9% vs 20%, 7%), but Grimm has more velocity.
Comments
glad the Cubs didn’t end up signing him
GWQuote Reply
…who is one of the best pitchers in baseball.
RynoQuote Reply
Rembember that Hayden Simpson, ya know? Ya know turns out he is gonna be in the Olympics now, ya know. Pretty crazy, isn’t it? Yeah, ya know he’s gonna be in the Special Olympics.
/stares at you
Norm MacDonaldQuote Reply
What’s the deal with Hayden Simpson?!
Jerry SeinfeldQuote Reply
@ Norm MacDonald:
Hayden Simson walks into the bar. The bartender says, “We have a drink named after you.” Hayden Simpson says, “You have a drink named ‘Secret Fag’?”
Gilbert GottfriedQuote Reply
Hayden Simson walks into the bar. He says to the bartender, “Give me an ass-hurt.” The bartender says, “How do you make an ass hurt?” Hayden Simpson says, “Well, dmick89 hands you a chocolate milk that he just made, and you wake up three hours later lying on your stomach.”
Gilbert GottfriedQuote Reply
Hayden Simpson hasn’t slept for 10 days, because that would be too long.
Mitch HedbergQuote Reply
I saw a story about Hayden Simpson on TV. He has chronic mono. He’s constantly tired and fatigued. That was sad. But then they said, “Hayden does not know the meaning of the word can’t.” And that was actually kind of worse, in a way. Not only is he always sick and tired, but he doesn’t understand simple contractions.
Mitch HedbergQuote Reply
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/07/23/report-yankees-alex-rodriguez-is-looking-to-make-a-deal-with-mlb/
GWQuote Reply
Hayden Simpson’s latest SnapChatQuote Reply
Hayden Simpson is the WORST white pitcher. The WORST WHITE PITCHER. Hayden Simpson is the WORST. WHITE. PITCHER. ON. THE. PLANET. ON THE PLANET. If Hayden Simpson was a rapper he’d be Kevin Federline.
Chris RockQuote Reply
Hayden Simpson used to suck. I mean, he sucks now, but he used to also.
Mitch HedbergQuote Reply
People used to find me funny in college, but I’m the lowest common denominator in “edgy” humor.
Also, Hayden Simpson sucks.
Daniel ToshQuote Reply
Hayden Simpson loves to walk batters. He told me that he had a walking batters addiction. So I took Hayden Simpson for a ride to a seedy part of town. I pointed out a crack addict and said “See, Hayden? He’s never had mono.”
Anthony JeselnikQuote Reply
Hayden Simpson owned a parakeet. That thing was annoying as hell, but the bird was cool.
Anthony JeselnikQuote Reply
“I got to see a pitcher with a four-pitch mix that I thought were at least plus-average pitches to plus pitches, and he had a very good feel for pitching,” Wilken said. “I think you can see that by his record, albeit in Division II school. I saw a pitcher that a very good feel for pitching, very athletic, and I saw someone I thought could be a starter in the major leagues eventually.
“This guy just made sense. They can say what they want to, the prognosticators. You say, ‘Hey, wait a minute, this is almost too good to be true.’ ”
Tim WilkenQuote Reply
Why won’t Hayden Simpson be enjoying cranberry sauce with his turkey this Thanksgiving? Because he’s going to be dead from mono.
Neil HamburgerQuote Reply
What’s the worst thing about buying toilets off of Craigslist? Going to Hayden Simpson’s house.
Neil HamburgerQuote Reply
I thought Marcum was on the DL? Is it allowed to release a guy when he’s injured?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Hayden Simpson had mono, huh? I heard one of the symptoms of mono is severe fatigue.
So I guess my cock has mono after every time I visit your mother’s house.
Bob SagetQuote Reply
@ Tim Wilken:
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
GBTSQuote Reply
Mike Olt went 33 picks after Hayden Simpson.
GBTSQuote Reply
Simpson threw just over 160 professional innings. I’m wondering how many 1st round draft picks who didn’t get injured played as little as this guy. The list can’t be long. This was a 1st round pick who found rookie league too challenging.
dmick89Quote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
You can.
dmick89Quote Reply
I am (dying laughing)
Not Stationary WaLiQuote Reply
@ GBTS:
(dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
Carrie Muskat @CarrieMuskat 44m
#Cubs Soriano says he talked to his agent re: rumors of possible deal. Not thinking yet about waiving no trade clause
dmick89Quote Reply
Who told him he had a no-trade clause?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
dempster
GWQuote Reply
Soriano declined at least one trade last year. Some reports had him declining two. He’s very specific and the Cubs front office should already know what he wants. They’ve had a year to talk to him. I’d expect it will be a bit smoother this year.
dmick89Quote Reply
New shit http://obstructedview.net/news-and-rumors/jeff-samardzija-seems-open-to-talking-long-term-contract-after-the-season.html
dmick89Quote Reply
I feel guilty about kinda wanting any Soriano trade to fall through. I didn’t like the signing when it happened, but he’s been such an joy to watch. He’s been positive and professional in a way thay so few professional athletes could have been in his circumstances. I enjoy him on two levels- where he’s still fun to watch hit and that he makes many of the Cubs fans I dislike miserable. It’s petty compared to looking to the future, but there you have it.
BottleasmokeQuote Reply