This part of the St. Louis Cardinals Venezuelan Parallel League wrap-up will focus on the pitchers that were on the Aragua team.
Aragua finished with a 34-20 record, 3.65 ERA, and seven saves. They allowed 454 hits, 246 runs (189 earned), 23 home runs, 189 walks, and struck out 407 over 465.2 innings. Tigres were ranked third in the league in hits, second in strikeouts, and middle of the pack in all other stats.
Jose Calero (GCL) made 14 appearances (five starts) posting a 4-2 record and 3.25 ERA. The 18-year old right-hander allowed 50 hits, 24 runs (16 earned), two home runs, 15 walks, and struck out 32 over 44.1 innings. He had a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 41-44 and let five of his inherited runners score.
The second-year Cardinals affiliate began the winter season as a late innings reliever and moved into the rotation in late November. In the month of October Calero gave up only four runs over 11.2 innings. He had four appearances where he gave up no runs and two with no hits. Calero struck out three or more in six games. His best game came on November 19, starting and pitching five innings allowing two hits, no runs, two walks, and striking out a season-high four. As a starter Calero gave up 28 hits, 11 runs (eight earned), eight walks, and struck out 17 over 26.2 innings.
Calero will probably make a return to the Gulf Coast Cardinals in 2009 and look to bounce back from a struggling 2008 season. There's always a possibility of him moving into the rotation for the Redbirds and working in that direction after spending all (except two games) coming out of the bullpen.
Reynier Gonzalez (Johnson City) made 16 appearances (three starts) posting a 2-0 record, 1.09 ERA, and one save. The 20-year old right-hander allowed 24 hits, five runs (four earned), one home run, ten walks, and struck out 34 over 33 innings. He had a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 37-to-13 and let all three inherited runners score.
The third-year Cardinals pitcher made his first starts in the beginning of the season and was moved to the bullpen, pitching one to two innings here and there. Between October 26-November 27, he didn't give up a single run in 15 innings. Gonzalez didn't allow a run in 12 appearances and no hits in four games. As a starter he was 2-0, pitched 12.1 innings giving up six hits, four runs, one home run, five walks, and striking out 14. One of Gonzalez's best games, was a start, that came December 12 when he pitched 5.1 innings allowing one hit, one run, and striking out a season-high seven.
Gonzalez improved a lot this winter, even though he was used mostly out of the bullpen. His walks dropped significantly and his strikeouts stayed right were they need to be. Hopefully he can bring his new found control and placement into the next season and look to maybe crack the Quad Cities roster.
Pablo Ortiz (GCL) made 14 appearances posting a 4-0 record, 3.60 ERA, and three saves. The 20-year old right-hander allowed 21 hits, ten earned runs, one home run, 12 walks, and struck out 23 over 25 innings. He had a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 21-to-17 and let one of six inherited runners score.
The third-year Cardinals pitcher was used in the back half of the bullpen even picking up his first two saves in the beginning of the winter season. Ortiz didn't allowed a run in his first six games, spanning nine innings. He had eight games without a run and five without a hit. Ortiz struck out a season-high four on December 13 and had a total of six appearances with two or more strikeouts. His best outing came on November 8, when he pitched three innings giving up one hit, no runs, and striking out two. Only two of Ortiz's appearances he was roughed up for more than three runs or more.
I think Ortiz will get a big push in the 2009 season, he has already spent the last two seasons in the Gulf Coast League and has shown little improvement. He sits on a fine line in the upcoming season especially with various other prospects starting to build up behind him in the Caribbean leagues.
Omar Diaz (GCL) made nine appearances (three starts) posting an 0-3 record and 6.27 ERA. The 21-year old right-hander allowed 22 hits, 23 runs (13 earned), one home run, 15 walks, and struck out 19 over 18.2 innings. He had a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 17-to-11 and let three of five inherited runners score.
The third-year Cardinals affiliate began the season in the rotation and was bumped to the bullpen after his third start. As a starter, Diaz was 0-2 giving up 12 hits, 12 runs (seven earned), five walks, and striking out seven over 7.1 innings. Diaz was lit up in five outings allowing three or more runs over three or less innings in those games. He had four appearances where he did not give up a run and struck out three or more in four games.
Ortiz could possibly be tried again as a starter for the Gulf Goast Cardinals in 2009 and try to get rid of the butterflies he experienced last season.
Jorge Rondon (Quad Cities) made 12 relief appearances posting a 2-1 record, 3.75 ERA, and two saves. The 20-year old right-hander allowed 11 hits, six runs (five earned), ten walks, and struck out 16 over 12 innings. He had a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 14-to-4 and kept all six inherited runners on base.
The third-year Cardinals pitcher was slotted in the back end of the bullpen all season long and only pitched over one inning three times. He had a streak of six straight games (six innings) without a run. Rondon's November 28 appearance broken it up as he gave up five hits, six runs, and three walks in just 0.1 innings. After that he went another five straight outing without letting a runner cross the plate (5.2 innings). Rondon didn't give up a hit in seven games and struck out two or more in five appearances. He had his best game on December 9, when he pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless ball allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out a season-high five.
Rondon looks to be heading back to Single-A Quad Cities for the beginning of the 2009 season, possibly as a late inning reliever or set-up man.
Ruben Alvarado (VSL) made 11 relief appearances posting an 0-1 record and 2.61 ERA. The 17-year old left-hander allowed 11 hits, five runs (three earned), one home run, six walks, and struck out five over 10.1 innings. He had a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 14-to-10 and let two of four inherited runners score.
The first-year VSL participant started out the winter season a little rough and by November and December was pitching pretty good. Alvarado didn't give up a run in seven appearances and no hits in four. Between October 29-November 6 is when he gave up all his runs, five runs in 2.2 innings. Alvarado struck out a season-high two on November 4 pitched a season-high two innings on October 18.
Alvarado should spend the 2009 season back in the Venezuelan Summer League trying to work his way into a more stable role out of the bullpen for the club. With Miguel Lopez being released it opened a slot for him to slide into, but he could be competing with newly signed Jose Weffer for that time.
Deimer Bier (VSL) made eight relief appearances posting a 1-0 record and 3.12 ERA. The 18-year old right-hander allowed seven hits, three earned runs, one home run, five walks, and struck out 13 over 8.2 innings. He had a ground out-to-fly out ratio 5-to-3 and kept all four inherited runners on base.
The first-year VSL pitcher pitched sparingly and only went over one inning twice. Bier allowed no runs or hits in six appearances. He didn't give up a run or hit in his first five games, spanning 4.2 innings. His best outing came on November 29, pitching two innings and giving up no hits or runs and striking out a season-high three.
I pretty much expect Bier to turn up on the VSL squad back in the rotation for the club. He was one of the teams top starters in 2008 and look to see him pull it off again in 2009.
List of other St. Louis Cardinals listed on the preliminary roster for Aragua:
Javier Avendano (VSL)
David Brito (VSL)
Senger Peralta (Johnson City)
Hector Garcia (VSL)
Romulo Ruiz (GCL)
Kaiser Inojoza (VSL)
Cardinals Hitters Part One
Cardinals Hitters Part Two
Cardinals Hitters Part Three
Cardinals Starting Rotation
Cardinals Bullpen
Cardinals' Aragua Hitters
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