by Bill Moriarity / A’s Farm Editor
September 1, 2020
Rick Rodriguez has served as the pitching coach for the A’s Triple-A affiliates in Sacramento, Nashville and Las Vegas, where he’s had a hand in developing a number of the A’s most talented pitchers over the past many years.
The California native was expecting to spend this season back in Las Vegas, mentoring some of the A’s top pitching prospects like James Kaprielian, Daulton Jefferies and Grant Holmes. But instead, he’s been spending this summer overseeing the organization’s young pitchers at the team’s alternate camp in San Jose.
We took the opportunity to talk with Rodriguez this week about those pitchers as well as a number of the other intriguing arms he’s been overseeing this summer…
AF: Just how different has this whole year, this whole experience, been for you – having the pitchers down there in camp rather than actually being out at the ballpark playing games every day?
RR: It has been different. I guess you would call it like a very, very long spring training in that you’re scheduling the pitchers to throw on certain days, trying to get the relievers in there. Minor league spring training is probably only like three weeks, but we have to do this for two, two-and-a-half months. So, it’s been a challenge. I think it’s more of a mental challenge to these guys, just because you are playing intrasquad games. You know, you’re throwing against the same guys every couple, three days, or whatever, and it’s a little different.
AF: How are you actually managing the workload for the pitchers and getting guys innings? Are the starters throwing in intrasquad games every fifth day? How are you working the relievers into the mix? Are guys throwing side sessions in between? How’s that all working out there?
RR: When I first got here, I had probably four guys that were deemed starters, and the other guys were relievers. And getting together with Emo [A’s pitching coach Scott Emerson], he wanted the starters to go maybe four innings/60 pitches just in case something happened and they needed one of the starters to go up. So, they’ve been basically on that type of regimen going every fifth day. The relievers…kind of work them in, you know, a couple innings, a couple days off, maybe an inning back-to-back type thing to try and recreate what they would do during the season, but not to overtax them – again, just in case they needed a reliever to come up in an emergency-type situation. So, the starters aren’t being stretched out five, six, seven innings. They’re basically going four innings/60 pitches. The relievers are going two innings/35 pitches, and that’s about it really. So, we’re trying to schedule as many innings per day as we can with the limited number of pitchers. I think last week, we had a seven-inning game. So, that was the longest of the season, which was kind of nice. The hitters kind of liked it because they can get at-bats. So, that’s kind of what we’re doing. Sides with the starters…you start one day, day off, you would do a side, and then a couple days later have a start. We’re trying to get days off once every six, seven, eight days to give these guys a little bit of a break.
AF: Who were the guys who have been designated as starters down there at this point?
RR: Right now, we have Grant Holmes, Parker Dunshee, Brian Howard, and Tyler Baum is a starter. And then Lucas Luetge, Ben Bracewell, Jaime Schultz, they’ve been going a couple innings, some back-to-backs, an occasional three-inning outing. Wandisson Charles, Miguel Romero – those guys are the relievers. And again, they’re just going a couple of innings/30-35 pitches.
AF: And what about James Kaprielian and Daulton Jefferies? What’s their workload been like down there?
RR: Jefferies kind of was still on like a rehab-type of thing. He was basically going like an inning on Tuesday, two innings on Friday. He just recently was going to go back into a starting rotation. So, he’s going to be going to three and then four innings. And I think that was it…Kaprielian’s back on the taxi squad. He’s up with the big league team right now. So, he’s doing sides up there.
AF: So, he’s back down there with you in San Jose when the A’s are in Oakland, and then he’s with the A’s when they’re on the road.
RR: Yeah, and then when he comes back, I get together with Emo and he just kind of gives me a little guidance on what he’s been doing up in Oakland and then kind of get on a schedule with him. And he’s basically in a relieving situation right now. So it might be an inning, a day off, another inning, couple days off, then two innings, something like that.
AF: Well, speaking of Kaprielian, when the A’s needed an arm this year in their bullpen, he was the first one that got the call from down there to come up and join the bullpen. What were you seeing out of Kaprielian in camp that you think made him the go-to guy when the A’s needed an extra arm at the major league level at that point?
RR: Well, he improved since I saw him last year. His velocity – he’s throwing 94-96 [mph], came up with a two-seam fastball that has really good late movement, his slider was improving. His work ethic was incredible. He was just very intense out there and just attacking the hitters, and all the reports going up to Oakland were good. So, I think that, coupled with his velocity coming back, I think that prompted Oakland to take him.
AF: Well, I’m sure he was eager and happy to just be back out there on the mound. He was probably happy to work as hard as he had to just to be back in action.
RR: Yeah, he was very, very happy.
AF: We all know everything he went through – all the injuries, all the time he missed. How satisfying was it, just for you as a coach, to see him get that opportunity to go to the major leagues after everything he’s been through?
RR: Oh, it’s a great feeling as a coach, especially when you get to tell the guy for the very first time that he’s going to the big leagues. It’s a great opportunity, and we were all watching the game when he came in. We’re all rooting for him. So, that was a big thrill for us.
AF: Another guy you mentioned was Daulton Jefferies. As we know, he had a little arm injury in spring training, so having that time off probably actually did him some good. But like you said, he was still being brought along slowly once you got camp going there again. Can you talk about what you’ve seen out of him when he’s had a chance to be out there on the mound and where you feel he’s at?
RR: Daulton’s been great. I think he’s ready to go to the major leagues right now. He’s been our most consistent pitcher in terms of locating every pitch. The action on his pitches has been very good. His velocity – he’s anywhere from 92 to 95 [mph], good moving fastball. He’s got a very good cutter. Working on his changeup, which has been a very good swing-and-miss pitch for him. He’s working on a little bit of a slider. But he’s been going out there, like I said, for an inning, few days off, and two innings. But he’s throwing strikes, getting guys out on a consistent basis. So, I’m liking him, and I’m hoping that at some point he’ll be helping Oakland out.
AF: I’m guessing his command is still as sharp as ever.
RR: Oh, it’s great to watch him pitch. Yeah, he can hit both sides of the plate and everything. It’s fun to watch.
AF: If you had been in Las Vegas as planned this year, both those guys, James Kaprielian and Daulton Jefferies, probably would have been pitching out of your starting rotation there. And another guy you probably would have had in your Triple-A rotation this year is Grant Holmes. So, I’m curious to know what you’ve seen out of Grant Holmes down there this summer and what kind of progress you think he’s been making.
RR: Yeah, Grant has improved since I saw him a couple of times in Vegas last year. His velocity is up there. He’s throwing anywhere 92-94 [mph]. His curveball has improved. He’s kind of changed some grips and got one he’s very comfortable with, and he’s getting really good action on it. His cutter and changeup are fantastic. But he’s another guy that’s been going out there and having good results, hitting both sides of the plate, changing speeds. Side work has been very good, and he’s really fun to work with.
AF: I was really looking forward to seeing Kaprielian and Jefferies and Holmes in that Triple-A rotation this year and seeing what they could do there in Vegas. I’m sure you were probably looking forward to seeing them there too.
RR: Yeah, I was going to say I was very excited to see those guys too!
AF: A couple of other interesting guys you’ve got there are a couple of guys who’ve performed very well at Double-A, but both had some struggles last year when they got a look at Triple-A – and that’s Parker Dunshee and Brian Howard. Can you tell me a little bit about what you’ve been seeing out of them and where you feel they’re at?
RR: With Brian Howard, we actually kind of lowered his arm slot a little bit, and he’s kind of more of a three-quarter guy instead of over the top – and it seems to be a more natural position for him. A lot of the hitters are saying that they can’t really pick up the ball too well once he lowered his arm slot a little bit. And that’s kind of helped the movement on his two-seamer. And his cutter has been very, very good. He’s getting used to that arm slot, and he’s working a curveball in there, but he kind of likes it. So, I’m just happy that he’s going with it and is confident with it. Parker, he’s picked up a couple miles per hour on his velocity, which is good. He’s still trying to command all of his pitches. His cutter’s been good, his curveball has been very, very good, and his changeup’s actually improved. So, those guys are just getting out there every five days and getting their four innings/60-65 pitches, trying to stay sharp.
AF: One other guy you mentioned briefly was the A’s second-round draft pick last year, Tyler Baum. He didn’t get a chance to pitch above Vermont, but you’ve got him throwing down there. Can you tell us a little bit about him?
RR: Yeah, actually, this is my first time seeing Tyler. And working with the bullpens, he’s got a pretty live fastball, I must admit. In the games, he’s 92 to 94 [mph]. He’s working on a slider – he just kind of learned that last year. So, we’re just trying to get a grip that’s comfortable and trying to get him used to throwing it. His curveball has been very good, and I like his changeup – it’s got good late sink to it. But I think his first game here was just one inning, and he struck out all three guys. And his next outing was two innings, and he struck out four guys there. So, I was very, very impressed.
AF: I guess he was ticketed for Stockton this year. It would have been great to see him get going in the California League, but I guess we’ll have to wait another year. A couple of relievers you’ve got down there I wanted to ask you about, a couple of big strong guys who can throw hard – that’s Wandisson Charles and Miguel Romero. Now I know you had Miguel Romero in your bullpen at Vegas last year, so you’ve had plenty of looks at him. But Wandisson Charles really showed something at Stockton and Midland last year. Can you tell us a little bit about what you’ve seen out of those guys down there?
RR: Yeah, Charles, he’s a big physical specimen, throws the ball very hard. The first few outings that he was here, I think he was just feeling the zone and his command wasn’t right there. His timing was off. But he was working hard in some sides and some drills and, all of a sudden, things are starting to kick in. And he’s trusting his delivery and just attacking the hitters with a good 96 mph fastball. And once he gets consistent with that slider at a higher level, it’s a pretty darn good pitch – I mean, it disappears – and he’s got a changeup. But the last couple outings, he’s been very, very good. And Miguel Romero, he has come up with a changeup that has split-type action – it dives right on top of the plate. Trying to get him to throw it a little bit more, because he’s got such a great fastball that moves. I think a lot of hitters were just kind of sitting on the heater. But he throws that changeup, and it looks just like a fastball, then it disappears. But he’s been doing very, very well. So, especially with Charles, being around the older players, as well as Baum being around the older players, and seeing what they do on a day-in-and-day-out basis to keep sharp, I think is really going to help them.
AF: Yeah, I spoke to [A’s farm director] Ed Sprague recently, and he said something similar about all the young guys you’ve got there in camp having the opportunity to be around these older, more experienced players on a day-to-day basis, and he felt it was rubbing off on some of the young guys in a really positive way.
RR: Yeah, and not just the pitchers, but position players too. And this is the first year I’ve ever worked with anybody born in the 2000s, so I might be dating myself.
AF: I think all of us find that a little strange! So, one other guy I wanted to ask you about, who’s not a pitcher, is the A’s top draft pick this year, catcher Tyler Soderstrom. He’s a very young guy, a teenager still, but everybody I’ve spoken to talks about how mature he is and how advanced he is for his age. Can you talk a little bit about what you’ve seen out of him and how he’s able to interact with pitchers at this young age?
RR: Yeah, I think he’s only 18. And he was a little bit quiet at first and trying to figure things out, especially getting to know the pitchers. Some of these guys have pretty good stuff and they’re not easy to catch, like Romero. But he’s shown pretty good poise behind the plate. It can be difficult. Especially with these guys that throw hard and have really late-breaking sliders, he’s getting used to the action on their pitches and learning how to frame them and catch them. So, he’s come along good. And he’s benefiting from catching these older Triple-A/big league guys.
AF: I’m sure a lot of these guys he’s catching there in camp probably look a little different from some of the high school pitchers he was used to catching!
RR: Yeah, yeah!
AF: So, you’re playing intrasquad games every day there, which is great. But it’s not like a real game on a real field with an opposing team. I mean, how do you feel about the intensity level? Do you feel like guys are fully amped up? Are they throwing as hard as they would normally throw in a real game situation? Can you talk a little bit about that?
RR: Yeah, I think it’s a little bit tough throwing against the same guys day in and day out. A lot of times, you really don’t want to throw the ball inside because you don’t want to hit your own teammates…but most of the guys have been doing pretty well. I’ve tried to get these guys to maybe experiment a little, maybe think outside the box a little bit, maybe sequence some things different than what you normally do. Let’s say you’re not used to throwing breaking balls early in the count, maybe try it and see how it works. Or if we’re working on changeups, maybe throw more changeups than you’re used to. Or if you’re a righty to a lefty, if you’re trying to backdoor a breaking ball, let’s work on it here. This is a great time to do it, because you do want to have success but you do want to work on stuff. And it’s a great way to work on things when you actually are throwing against live hitting. The hitters will let you know if it’s working or not. Some of these guys are trying different things, which I think is good because it can help them during the year when you’re pitching against a different team.
AF: Yeah, that’s a good point. It really is a great environment for a little experimentation and trying to develop some new things. I know a lot of times, during the course of the minor league season, you’re trying to get guys to work on things. Maybe they’re not too confident in their changeup, but you’re telling them they’ve got to get used to throwing it out there, but they’re a little reluctant because they don’t want to get lit up in a game and have it bring down their stats and damage their chances for promotion. But in the environment you’re in there, it seems like it would naturally be a much safer environment for that kind of experimentation.
RR: Yeah, exactly. And if you give up a few hits on something you’re working on, it’s not a big deal. You’re there to improve yourself, to get ready for the big leagues. So, like I said, it’s a great opportunity to do this and to hone your skills and try something. I think it’s been working out. It’s tough, but it’s good.
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