Rhiner Cruz to embolden the Houston Astros – MLB News
The Houston Astros might have lost Mark Melancon, but the general manager Jeff Luhnow said on Friday, December 16, Rhiner Cruz is a prospect that the team could rely on. Having had pitched up to the speed of 98 mph, this past Spring, the rookie is all set
to be part of the team.
Even though Cruz, who was picked up after Rule 5 Draft in the start of December, has had some difficulty in controlling his pitches, Jeff Luhnow believes that players mature when they get to a certain age.
The velocity and breaking pitch of Cruz are what actually make deep impression on Jeff Luhnow. Houston Astros’s bullpen seemed to have sustained a blow when Melancon was to move to the Boston Red Sox with the exchange of Jed Lowrie, but Jeff Luhnow thinks
Cruz can do the expected.
"He definitely has the stuff -- the velocity and breaking pitch -- to be an end-of-the-game pitcher," Luhnow said. "The question with him and will continue to be is his control. You can't be walking guys in the ninth inning.”
Were Luhnow to be asked what he thought of the difficulty the player had in controlling the pitch, he stated that the player had shown some promise in the area and it is only matter of time before he matures.
“He's shown some promise in that area, and there are players when they get to a certain age and start to mature, the command and control improves, and we're hoping he's one of those."
Having successfully walked 39 batters in just over 58 innings that Cruz had pitched, striking-out 51, Cruz has undeniably remained a talent in Double-A Binghamton of the Mets’ organisation, something that Luhnow can take heart from.
But there is also no denial of the fact that the team will certainly have to strategise and plan everything before the end given the unpredictability of bullpen due to the predominant presence of more youngsters than the experienced players.
How the Astros grapple with this apparently rising challenge is something that everyone shall see once the 2012 season kicks into action.
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