NewsInbox: What's the status of Capuano?
Beat reporter Adam McCalvy answers fans' burning questions
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
05/28/09 2:34 PM ET
After too long a layoff, it's time to get back to your questions in a feature we've renamed the "Inbox." Thanks to those who posted their questions on the blog. I know there was some talk during Spring Training that Chris Capuano would be back on the mound around mid-May. Well, it's the end of May and I haven't heard any news. If he is ready to return in the next month, what are the chances he takes the starting position for the slumping Manny Parra?-- Justin, Eau Claire, Wis. I hadn't heard much about Capuano, either, so I gave him a call after the Brewers fell to the Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon. There's good news, and there's bad news. First, the bad news. Capuano, who is attempting the rare comeback from a second Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, had a relatively major setback just after the Brewers broke camp in early April when he tried to throw his first live batting practice. He was forced to shut down for 3 1/2 weeks, then started over again from playing catch on flat ground to rebuild arm strength. "When I turned up to game-speed level, I got really bad stiffness and pain in that elbow," he said. "Maybe I was trying to get back too quick. I had to step back and say, 'No more timetables.' Let that arm heal up." Frustration set in. One day last month, a discouraged Capuano called Dr. James Andrews, the orthopedist who performed both of Capuano's surgeries and countless others. Andrews, Capuano said, helped put things in perspective. Which brings him to the good news. Capuano is back to 105 feet in his throwing program, and if all goes well, he will step on a mound for the first time since his setback on June 5. He'll need at least three weeks of bullpens before trying once again to throw live BP to hitters. "I've stopped putting dates on when I'm coming back, but realistically, it will be five weeks before I can reasonably expect to get in a game," he said. "The good thing is it's night and day right now from how I felt at the end of Spring Training. I'm able to let it go right now with no inhibitions." He will remain in Phoenix to rehab with Brewers physical therapist Kenny Patterson. As for replacing Parra, giving up on him now makes no sense at all to me. He has logged 245 2/3 big league innings and is 13-15 with a 4.58 ERA. Tom Glavine was 9-21 with a 4.76 ERA at that same point in his career. Yes, Glavine was five years younger than Parra and pitching for lousy Braves teams, and no, I'm not saying that Parra will be the next Glavine. My point is that lefties often take a while to develop. With Rickie Weeks out and J.J. Hardy's balky back, when do you think we'll see Alcides Escobar up? His on-base-plus-slugging percentage seems a little lacking at Triple-A, but he has great defense, amazing speed, and should hit well enough to not be embarrassing.
-- From kitty8472, via the blog
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I think the idea was to consider Escobar after watching him at second base for a few weeks, but I believe it would take an injury to Hardy or Craig Counsell for the Brewers to seriously look at Escobar. He is much less polished than Mat Gamel at the plate, though Escobar is a fabulous defender. He strikes me much more as a guy who could benefit from a year in the Pacific Coast League.
Did the Brewers consider bringing back Geoff Jenkins before they signed Frank Catalanotto? Jenkins, also a left-handed corner outfielder, seems to play better defense and hit righties better than Catalanotto. Plus, Jenkins already has a solid fan base in Milwaukee.-- From coolsince1981, via the blog They did not consider Jenkins, mostly because his long swing is not conducive to the intermittent bench role. Catalanotto, on the other hand, is one of those "professional hitters" with a track record of success in pinch-hit situations. Rumor has it that we may be in the running for Jake Peavy. Two-part questions: A) Do think this is credible? B) If yes, what sort of asking price do you think the Friars will demand?
-- From enocelot, via the blog Every rumor is credible after Doug Melvin pulled off the CC Sabathia deal last season, but he says he's not talking to the Padres about Peavy. Here's why I believe him (for now): • The Padres want a haul of pitchers to make the deal, meaning Parra would have to be included, probably along with hard-throwing prospect Jeremy Jeffress, and that's just the start. Parra has been inconsistent and Jeffress was recently demoted after a bad start for Double-A Huntsville, but if you give up those two guys, you have just gutted the organization of pitching prospects. Would Melvin be willing to pay that price? • Then you have to pay Peavy, who will make $15 million in 2010, $16 million in 2011 and $17 million in 2012, plus a $22 million option for 2013 with a $4 million buyout. Yeah, he's one of the best pitchers in baseball, and yeah, Melvin and principal owner Mark Attanasio were willing to throw even more dough at Sabathia, but that is still a steep price that would have a serious impact on what Melvin would be able to do at other positions in the next three years. • The side question is how much more would Peavy give you than Parra over that time? If you think that Parra, who is 3-6 with a 5.57 ERA through 10 starts this season, is going to keep that ERA and finish 9-18, then I'd say pull the trigger. But if you think Parra can improve to his career averages, then you have to do some calculations. Would Peavy's contributions over Parra's .500 record and mid-4.00 ERA be worth further raiding the system of prospects, including your potential future No. 1-3 starter in Jeffress? There's room for legitimate debate there. As an aside, I have been told that certain Brewers players, while being careful to avoid breaking baseball's tampering rules, have, shall we say, extolled the virtues of playing in Milwaukee to Peavy. Trevor Hoffman obviously knows Peavy from their days together in San Diego, and Ryan Braun was with Peavy at the World Baseball Classic. How does Jorge Julio continue to hold a spot on the roster? Tim Dillard (6-2, 3.51 ERA in nine starts), Mike Burns (6-1, 2.57 in nine starts), Chris Smith (1.53 ERA in 18 appearances) and R.J. Swindle (0.49 ERA in 12 appearances) are all sitting in Nashville. What does one of them have to do to prove they deserve a shot?
-- From klsnowman, via the blog First of all, thanks to KLSnow and the guys and gals who do a great job on their own Brewers blog. I guess the answer goes something like this: Julio is making something like $950,000 this season, and you would have to "eat" what's left if you were to release him. Is that worth bringing somebody else up to pitch in the low-leverage role that Julio is filling at the moment? Especially if it means using a guy like Dillard, who has been so successful in his switch to starting and might legitimately have a future in that role? Even though Ken Macha privately winces every time Julio issues a walk, I don't think the Brewers have a problem with Julio. He throws 96 mph, he's made four consecutive scoreless appearances and he's not pitching in vitally important innings, so I don't think club officials are even thinking about a change. If they were, they would have kept Swindle in the big leagues when Catalanotto came up on Monday and let Julio go. Who is the most entertaining player/person in the clubhouse? Who gives you the best "off-the-record" stuff?
-- From tcyoung, via the blog Braun fills a notebook better than anybody, and I hope for the sake of sportswriting in Milwaukee that he never changes. He might be the most interesting, unpredictable and entertaining player I've covered this side of Curtis Leskanic. Ben Sheets was that way once, too. Off the record, the best guy for purely informational purposes is Jason Kendall. I chat with him often for a postgame scouting report on the pitcher and rarely quote him. I think a lot of fans look at his batting average and don't understand how important he is to this team's success in the last year and a half. Until next time.
Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
