Seattle Mariners: Should they Trade for Anthony DeSclafani?
By Paul Taylor
As the Seattle Mariners attempt to strengthen their starting rotation, does Reds’ pitcher Anthony DeSclafani offer a viable solution?
As recently reported by Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, the Seattle Mariners have been reaching out to various teams, in an attempt to find a starting pitcher. This includes contacting the Cincinnati Reds.
From the Reds’ perspective, the two pitchers they are apparently most likely to consider offers for, are Anthony DeSclafani and Dan Straily. Having already analyzed Straily, let’s also consider what DeSclafani could offer to the Mariners.
The 26-year old was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He went on to become part of the blockbuster 2012 trade which saw him join the Miami Marlins, in exchange for the likes of Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson and José Reyes.
Of all the tools at DeSclafani’s disposal, what intrigues scouts most is his slider, which he throws extremely hard. With less than expected depth, it generates more groundballs compared to other pitchers’ sliders.
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The Freehold Borough, New Jersey native finally got a chance to show what he could in the Majors during the 2014 season, when he played in 13 games, including a 2-2 record in five starts. Overall, his results were mixed, but there was no getting away from his poor ERA of 6.27.
Before DeSclafani had the opportunity to improve his situation, he was on the move again, this time being traded to Cincinnati. However, he took full advantage of the situation, by becoming a regular part of the Reds rotation for the 2015 season.
The former University of Florida player started 31 games, with results again being mixed. He produced an uninspiring 9-13 record, although he did see his ERA improve to 4.05.
Trending in the right direction, DeSclafani was more motivated than ever heading towards the 2016 season. Unfortunately, an oblique strain suffered near the end of spring training, meant he didn’t get his first start until June.
However, once the righty got going, he had his best season to date in the Majors, as he went 9-5 in 20 starts. By the end of the campaign, he had set career-bests for ERA (3.28), WHIP (1.216) and strikeouts per nine innings (7.7).
Breaking down DeSclafani’s production further in 2016, he understandably still relied heavily on his slider (88 mph), but also featured his sinker and fourseam fastball (both 94 mph). He mixed in a curver (82 mph), while rarely throwing a change (89 mph).
As a final note, DeSclafani is arbitration-eligible after the 2017 season and will become a free agent in 2021. Overall, he is definitely worth pursuing to help the Mariners rotation, albeit likely not as a front-end starter.
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What’s your opinion on DeSclafani? Would you like to see the Mariners trade for him or would you prefer they look elsewhere, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments section.