Is Brian Shouse back with the Red Sox for 2010?

by wolf9309 on Jan 13, 2010 3:13 PM EST

Yes, I say "back with the Red Sox" because, though it's hard to remember that far back, Shouse appeared for 7 games with the Sox back in 1998 (of only 13 MLB games from his major league debut at age 25 with the Pirates in 1993 until 2002). I haven't seen anything announcing the 41-year-old reliever's return to the Sox but lo and behold,
there he is on the non-roster ST invitees and on the transaction log, so apparently he signed with the team on January 4- presumably to a minor league deal to compete for a spot in the bullpen in Spring Training.

If this is the case, he'll be joining a whole host of other players including Dustin Richardson, Scott Atchinson, Boof Bonser, Fabio Castro, Robert Manuel, the other Ramon Ramirez, and possibly Michael Bowden and Junichi Tazawa for what is probably only one spot on the 40-man roster. Seems to me like with that many chances, one of them ought to do decently, right?

So what particular skills can Shouse offer? Let's look

The short answer is not really a whole ton. Essentially he is a prime example of a career LOOGY (Lefty One Out GuY). He gets thrown in to face a lefty and then taken out nearly immediately. In fact, only once in his career (that 7 game stint with the Sox) has he averaged an inning or more per appearance (last year with the Rays, he pitche 28 innings in 45 appearances). Now why is that?

Over his career, the lefty sidearm thrower has actually been quite effective against lefties- holding them to a career line of .213/.262/.330. Lately, he's lived up to that, in 2009 posting a line against lefties of .224/.246/.373. While he's proved effective here, he has really been nothing short of terrible against right-handed batters: in 2009 righties facing him posted a startling line of .356/.442/.622, only striking out 3 in 52 plate appearances while walking 6.

One of the weaknesses that the 'pen has right now is a lack of lefties- Okajima is the only one at the moment and, while he may be devastating against left-handed batters, he is only one pitcher and can't be expected to be up there every game.

Since, of all the people trying out for the spot in the bullpen, only a few are lefties (Shouse, Richardson, and Castro), I can understand why the Sox would want to have some more options open, but frankly I'd say it looks like the chances of Shouse managing to crack the big league team are pretty minimal in 2010.

As an aside, if anyone wants to see some absolutely disgusting numbers against lefties (in a very small sample size), look up Fabio Castro's splits.

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Comments

How have I never heard of this Fabio guy?

He looks like a great pick up. He is young and will atleast be a great LOOGY. With some work from Ferrel on getting out righties, he could be dominant.

Why weren’t other teams jumping on him?

by drabidea on Jan 13, 2010 4:01 PM EST reply actions

He's a very nice pickup

Lots of upside there. Im sure lots of team were in on him

Dustin Richardson is equally intriguing to me.

Lets not forget Fernando Cabrera, either. He’s last year’s Fabio Castro.

by alskor on Jan 13, 2010 4:07 PM EST up reply actions

You want to pick up Fabio?

… Yeah, good luck with that…

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Jan 13, 2010 4:19 PM EST up reply actions

Who doesn't???

with those long flowing blonde locks

by drabidea on Jan 13, 2010 4:26 PM EST up reply actions

I'm pretty sure the Sox squelched this news out of shame.

Theo is ruing the day he allowed Tito’s contract to have the clause “The Red Sox shall always carry a LOOGY while Terry Francona is team manager.”

Seriously, Shouse is awful. Even if he were any good, he’d still be a good LOOGY, which is to say barely useful. I’d rather have a lefty who can get righties out as well (see Okajima, Hideki), or righties who are good against lefties, than another LOOGY. Have we learned nothing from Javier Lopez?

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Jan 13, 2010 4:23 PM EST reply actions

Agreed, plus

I really want to see Richardson get a shot with the big league club. I wouldn’t mind seeing Castro get the nod if he kills it in ST, but I really feel like Richardson would be a great choice.

by wolf9309 on Jan 13, 2010 4:29 PM EST up reply actions

He's a non roster Spring Training Invitee

That means nothing. He’s almost certainly not making the team. If he does really well he might be able to parlay this into a job at Pawtucket.

Here are the NRI’s from last year (non prospect edition):

Fernando Cabrera
Enrique Gonzalez
Marcus McBeth
Billy Traber
Angel Chavez
Nick Green (There you go)
Ivan Ochoa
Chip Ambres
Paul McAnulty
Carlos Maldonado
Brad Wilkerson

http://soxanddawgs.com/2009/02/08/boston-red-sox-non-roster-invitees-to-spring-training/

Guys who have been around the league are sometimes offered NRIs to showcase themselves, either for the team theyre training with or other teams. We need huge rosters in Spring, since the starters only play a couple innings, sometimes they do split squads, lots of little injuries, etc…

It means nothing. He’s not a huge part of our plans, I guarantee you. If he looks good we might put him at Pawtucket as emergency depth. That’s it.

by alskor on Jan 13, 2010 4:51 PM EST up reply actions

Huh??

Javier Lopez was great for us when we used him properly. Other then 2009 when Tito decided to give him more AB against RHB then LHB he was dominant.

I think a LOOGY is very important for us this year. We have alot of great RHP in the bullpen. Obviously it would be better to have a LHP that could get out RHB as well but those pitchers are going to be closers on every other team. We had Wagner, he is a great example of a great LHP reliever but he doesn’t want to play for us where he can’t close.

by drabidea on Jan 13, 2010 4:51 PM EST up reply actions

He sucks

then again, that is why it is a minor league deal. I watched this guy on many occasions last year. Even against lefties, I wouldn’t want him on the mound.

by FloridaownsFSU on Jan 13, 2010 5:11 PM EST reply actions

They even gave OTM credit for the find

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/01/red-sox-sign-brian-shouse.html

by drabidea on Jan 13, 2010 8:21 PM EST reply actions

Cool

Nice find, Wolf.

USG

by Ben Buchanan on Jan 13, 2010 8:22 PM EST up reply actions

can't take credit

That was South Coast Ghost that found it, I believe, in the thread earlier today. I just stole front page rights.

by wolf9309 on Jan 13, 2010 8:26 PM EST up reply actions

Thanks, but I also got it from some other observant fellow

Who apparently likes to go month-to-month through our Transactions page.

DFA Beckett

by South Coast Ghost on Jan 13, 2010 8:45 PM EST up reply actions

And note that since it's a minor league deal, the Rays get bubkes

DFA Beckett

by South Coast Ghost on Jan 13, 2010 8:23 PM EST up reply actions

very cool

that wasn’t what I got when i read the clause quickly. good to see.

by wolf9309 on Jan 13, 2010 8:25 PM EST up reply actions

Observative fellow

I tip my cap.

by FloridaownsFSU on Jan 13, 2010 8:24 PM EST up reply actions

Ha

Even funnier, as mlbtraderumors notes, we screw the Rays out of a pick. Shouse was a type B (so we wouldnt have lost a pick, but one would have been created for them). Since he signed a minor league deal they dont get anything. Nice.

by alskor on Jan 13, 2010 8:33 PM EST reply actions