Allen Webster

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2008
R:  1-1-1, 3.44 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 18.1 IP, 8.3 BB/9, 6.4 K/9

In his debut, Webster appeared in a dozen relief outings and struggled to throw strikes.

2009
R:  2-1-0, 2.08 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 47.2 IP, 2.6 BB/9, 10.6 K/9
R+:  2-0-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 21.0 IP, 1.7 BB/9, 9.0 K/9

The Dodgers sent Webster back to rookie ball, where he mostly started.  His walk and K rates improved dramatically, and he pitched very well in three starts after a promotion to the advanced rookie level before struggling in his last start.  After the season, Baseball America rated him LA’s tenth best prospect and the third best in the Arizona League.

2010
A:  12-9-0, 2.88 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 131.1 IP, 3.6 BB/9, 7.8 K/9

Webster spent the season in the Dodgers’ low A rotation and had a good year, although with less impressive walk and K rates.  BA ranked him as the team’s fifth best prospect after the season.

2011
A+:  5-2-0, 2.33 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 54.0 IP, 3.5 BB/9, 10.3 K/9
AA:  6-3-0, 5.04 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 91.0 IP, 3.6 BB/9, 7.6 K/9

Webster continued to impress in high A, putting up strong numbers, including a very high K rate, in the offense-crazy California League.  He had a lot more trouble in AA, though, over the last two-thirds of the season.  A lot of the trouble may simply have been fatigue, as he pitched reasonably well until opponents torched him for a 1.004 OPS and 9.47 ERA in the season’s final month.  BA rated him the Dodgers’ second best prospect and the 95th best in baseball.

2012
AA (LAD):  6-8-0, 3.55 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 121.2 IP, 4.2 BB/9, 8.7 K/9
AA (Bos):  0-1-0, 8.00 ERA, 1.89 WHIP, 9.0 IP, 4.0 BB/9, 12.0 K/9

Webster spent most of the season with LA’s AA affiliate and didn’t dominate there, walking too many hitters and showing a need to improve his command.  In late August, he went to the Red Sox in the massive salary-dump trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett to the Dodgers.  Webster struggled in two starts after the trade, but BA still ranked him as Boston’s fourth best prospect and the 49th best in baseball.  The Sox added him to their 40-man roster after the season.

2013
AAA:  8-4-0, 3.60 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 105.0 IP, 3.7 BB/9, 9.9 K/9
MLB:  1-2-0, 8.60 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 30.1 IP, 5.3 BB/9, 6.8 K/9

Webster spent the season shuttling back and forth between AAA and the majors.  He pitched fairly well, with a very high K rate, in the minors, but weak command caused him trouble in the majors.  Among other things, he allowed seven HRs in just 30.1 IP.  BA ranked him fourth with the Red Sox and 88th overall after the season.

2014
AAA:  4-4-1, 3.10 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 122.0 IP, 3.2 BB/9, 7.4 K/9
MLB:  5-3-0, 5.03 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 59.0 IP, 4.3 BB/9, 5.5 K/9

Webster spent the first three and a half months in AAA and pitched well there without dominating.  In late July, Boston called him up and he made 11 starts over the remainder of the season.  He didn’t pitch well, but he was much better than the previous year.  His fastball velocity in his time in the majors dropped from 94.4 the previous year to 92.2.  After the season, Boston sent him to Arizona in the trade for Wade Miley.

2015
AAA:  4-6-0, 8.18 ERA, 1.86 WHIP, 77.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 7.2 K/9
MLB:  1-1-0, 5.81 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 31.0 IP, 5.8 BB/9, 4.9 K/9

Webster shuttled back and forth between the majors and minors, making 15 starts in AAA, and five starts and four relief appearances for Arizona.  He had a rough time throughout, getting torched for 117 hits in just 77 innings in AAA and giving up a .968 OPS in the majors, with more walks than strikeouts.  His average fastball velocity dropped again to 91.5.  Arizona designated him for assignment after the season and sent him to the Pirates for cash.

The Pirates’ plans for Webster aren’t clear at this stage.  He has no options remaining and has little experience in relief.  It’s hard to imagine that they’d be prepared to go into 2016 with him as a starter after his disastrous 2015 season.  There’s also the matter of his velocity drop, although it’s possible he could regain it working in shorter stints.  Eno Sarris of Fangraphs has written that all three of Webster’s pitches show above-average movement and swing-and-miss trends.  He’ll be an extreme high-risk, high-reward project for pitching coach Ray Searage.