Peter Gammons (via Will Flemming on Twitter) said on MLB Network that 10 teams were at Victory Field this weekend, looking at Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitching prospects Vic Black and Duke Welker.
ON MLB Network, Peter Gammons reporting that more than 10 teams were at Victory Field this weekend looking at Vic Black and @The5thWelker
— Will Flemming (@WillFlemming) May 14, 2013
Both Black and Welker are hard throwers, with their fastballs sitting in the upper 90s and touching 100 in the past. They also each have plus breaking balls, which lead to a lot of strikeouts for each pitcher.
I’m not sure what it means that teams were looking at both relievers. I wouldn’t be surprised if teams were interested in either player. I’ve heard opposing scouts praise Welker for a few years, even when he was walking a batter an inning a few years ago in low-A. That said, I’d rather see the Pirates go with the approach they’ve been taking with relievers. If they’re going to trade relievers, they should trade established relievers for prospects, then use guys like Black and Welker to replace the departed players. Trading guys like Black and Welker would allow other teams to build low cost, quality bullpens in the same approach that the Pirates have been taking.
