Robert Coello has a power arm but he’s still learning how to get big league hitters out. (Bryan Green)

Robert Coello may be the most anonymous man on the Toronto Blue Jays roster. Indeed, his journey to the majors is one of the most circuitous on the team. So who is he? Let’s take a look at Coello’s story and what he can bring to the Blue Jays bullpen.

PROFILE

The Kansas City Royals drafted Robert Coello in the 46^th round, 1353^rd overall, out of Lake Region High School in central Florida in the 2003 draft. As a catcher. A high school student with options, Coello chose not to sign and instead attended Northwest Florida State College (then known as Okaloosa-Walton Junior College) before re-entering the draft in 2004. This time, the Cincinnati Reds selected Coello in the 20^th round, 588^th overall and got him to sign on the dotted line.

He began 2005 in extended spring training but fractured a rib in June and missed the rest of the season. A lost year.

The next spring, before Coello ha’d ever played a game for them, the Reds released him. His pro career looked like it could be over before it started. But Coello stayed in shape through the summer and hooked on with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in September. With one catch – they wanted to convert him into a pitcher. At the time, Coello was clocked throwing 90+ mph to the bases. So he didn’t lack for arm strength.

He finally got on the field late in 2007 with the short-season, rookie-level Arizona League Angels. The competition was mostly teenagers – but Coello was only beginning his own development and acquitted himself well. Pitching out of the bullpen, he threw in 20 games and went 1-1, 1.37 in 26.1 innings with a 26/7 SO/BB ratio. But the Angels elected not to keep him and Coello was again a free agent.

But he persevered.

Coello journeyed to the independent leagues, and across the border, playing in Canada in the Golden Baseball League for the Calgary Vipers. He got off to a rocky start and found himself traded to the cross-province Edmonton Cracker-Cats by midseason. He struggled with his control in Edmonton but frequently pitched out of trouble against marginal competition and finished the season with a 3-1, 3.29 line in 41 innings and a 47/24 SO/BB ratio across 32 games. He had good raw stuff but the kind of command issues to be expected from a pitcher with 60-odd innings of professional experience. Still, his performance was enough to catch the attention of the Boston Red Sox who signed him in November. That didn’t stop him from playing winter ball, and working as a starter, for the Algodoneros de Guasave. After years of false starts, and a year in virtual baseball exile, Coello signed with Boston and was headed back into organized ball.

He started the year with the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox, making one appearance, before beginning his expected assignment with the high-A Salem Red Sox of the Carolina League. He showed nasty strikeout stuff on the way to an excellent season: 33 games, 5-3, 2.05 in 66 innings with an 82/34 SO/BB rate and a 1.09 WHIP. The strikeout rate (11.2/9) was exceptional but he fought his control to an unsustainable (4.6/9) walk rate. Once again the positives easily outweighed the negatives for a guy in first year of full-season ball, still learning how to pitch. Opponents hit only .167 off him and he didn’t give up a run in his last ten outings, covering 18.2 IP, including three appearances in the playoffs. Coello flashed potential but needed more minor league time to harness his stuff.

Boston agreed and to begin 2010 assigned Coello to the AA Portland Sea Dogs. He worked as a swingman in 14 games, going 4-1, 3.32 in 43.1 IP and an impressive 51/14 SO/BB ratio. His 3.64 SO/BB ratio was a career best and the improved command earned him a promotion to Pawtucket. The PawSox desperately needed him and worked Coello hard. He pitched in 18 games en route to a 3-5 record and 4.22 ERA across 64 innings. His command slipped a bit, leading to a 79/30 SO/BB line but he was still striking guys out (11.1/9), though his walk rate (4.2/9) was slipping fast. Batters again struggled to make consistent contact against him (.192 BAA) but drove the ball when they did (10 HR allowed). Still, between the two levels, he’d managed to lead all Red Sox farmhands with 130 strikeouts and again finished his season on a high note while pitching out of the PawSox bullpen. In 9 relief outings his ERA was 1.40 (3 ER/19.1 IP) with a 24/9 SO/BB line.

His changeup was lacklustre and his curveball registered as a fringe-level, show-me pitch. But Coello could bring the heat, often touching 95 mph, and looked like he might have a future in the pen. In a neat twist, the future came quickly. In September, Boston rewarded his impressive minor league numbers and allowed him to realize a dream. He made his major league debut at home, against Tampa Bay, and got into 6 total games going, 0-0, 4.76 with a 5/5 SO/BB rate, holding opponents scoreless in 5 of 6 appearances. It was a dream season. But that would soon gives way to a harsher reality. The following February, just days before pitchers and catchers were to report for spring training, Boston signed relievers Alfredo Aceves and Dennys Reyes to bolster their bullpen, designating Coello for assignment to accommodate them. Ultimately, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for minor league utility guy Tony Thomas. Like that, Coello was a Cub. He would have to prove himself to a new organization – one with little investment in him compared to the Red Sox.

He did begin 2011 on the Cubs’ 40-man roster,  assigned him to the AAA Iowa Cubs. He began the year as a starter but eventually became more of a swingman; sometimes starting games, sometimes finishing them. He piled up a 4-5 record and 6.52 ERA in the rotation – brutal numbers, even for the Pacific Coast League – but Chicago couldn’t afford to move him to the bullpen. They needed his innings. They were having the same problem in the majors and in May signed journeyman Rodrigo Lopez to bail out their limping rotation. Again, Coello found himself D’dFA to make room. This time, he cleared waivers and was outrighted to the AA Tennessee Smokies where he worked as a starter for 4 games, going 1-2, 3.00 in 21 innings with a 16/7 SO/BB ratio, fighting his way back to Iowa. He spent the balance of the season in AAA, pitching out of the bullpen full-time beginning in July. Like in 2010, the results were impressive – 19 appearances, a 1.01 ERA, a .149 BAA with 42 SO in 35.2 innings. Put together, he totalled 30 games, going 6-6, 4.45 in 95 innings with a 94/41 SO/BB ratio. By now, the book on Coello was out: Good stuff, real velocity, questionable command. He turned 27 during the offseason and, with the Cubs rebuilding, found himself a free agent again. His best shot at success was to catch on somewhere as a reliever and hope for an opportunity. He played winter ball in Venezuela and, in December, signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays.

Toronto seemed a decent fit for Coello. Though the team had a host of relief options in the majors, many in the organization were familiar with Coello’s resume (manager John Farrell was the Red Sox pitching coach in 2010 and first base coach Torey Luvullo managed the PawSox the same year) and keen to tap into his arsenal. Coello also helped his cause by pitching well in spring training before heading to AAA Las Vegas to work as a reliever and spot starter. By now, he’d abandoned his fringe curve in favour of a hard slider. His forkball, called “funky” this year by Farrell, can also be effective. He’s been one of the 51s’ most reliable arms so far, pitching to a 4-1, 3.00 line in 42 IP with just 31 hits allowed and a 43/18 SO/BB ratio in 19 games. In May, the Blue Jays’ bullpen needed bailing out and he was added to the 40-man roster.

OUTLOOK

Coello’s journey to the show has followed a winding road through unconventional outposts. At 27, he now has the best opportunity of his career to stick in the majors for an extended run. The early returns are encouraging: 0-1, 3.60 in 5 innings with 8 strikeouts and 2 walks. The Blue Jays will likely fight to fill innings the rest of the season and, if Coello can continue his early success, it would surely help the team bridge some big middle innings. His ability to throw multiple frames is a big asset. And it doesn’t hurt that John Farrell’s already a fan. It’s not impossible to think he could even start in a pinch before the season’s over.

Coello can reach back and find plus velocity on his fastball – 95 at times, sitting at 92-93 – and there might still be a bit of development in his forkball and slider. Because his arm strength is combined with a funky delivery he still projects best as a middle or possibly late-inning reliever. First he’ll have to prove that he can use his stuff to consistently get major league hitters out. With their rotation decimated, the Jays are in survival mode now. For Coello, that means not all of his opportunities will be ideal. Same goes for Jesse Chavez, Aaron Laffey and Evan Crawford. But it’s a shot. I expect Coello will battle consistency at times, piling up strikeouts in stretches but probably walks, too. Look for him to get heavy usage the rest of the way, finishing in the majors, and possibly finishing with a run of success like he’s experienced in the minors. A line of 2-4, 4.75, 45 IP, 40/25 SO/BB seems right.

STAT SHEET

Robert Coello, RP
11/23/84            Bats: R             Throws: R       HT: 6-5          WT: 250
Bayonne, New Jersey              College: Okaloosa-Walton College (Niceville, Florida)
Drafted by Cincinnati in the 20^th round, 588^th overall, of the 2004 MLB Amateur Draft.
Acquired: Signed as a free agent December 2011.
Contract Status: Not eligible for arbitration before 2016.
Salary: N/A
Service Time: 0.029

Rajai Davis returns for his second year with the Blue Jays in a new role as a reserve outfielder and pinch runner. Davis can be one of the most exciting players to watch in any game. But hitting limitations continue to hold him back. Interestingly, Davis hit well in his minor league career. Let’s look at his case to see what’s happened since – and whether there may still be more to his game than speed.

PROFILE

The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Rajai Davis in the 38^th round, 1134^th overall, of the 2001 amateur draft out of the University of Connecticut. At the time, he was an extremely athletic switch-hitting (!) second baseman (!!) but Pittsburgh profiled him as a centre fielder due to his great range and plus speed. It was a tough draft for the Pirates. They chose injury bust John Van Benschoten 8^th overall and also selected Jeremy Guthrie and Stephen Drew but couldn’t convince either to sign. Davis, however, signed quickly and got started with the short-season Williamsport Crosscutters before a reassignment to the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Pirates. He played in 32 games, hitting .240/.345/.250 with just one double and a problematic 30/15 SO/BB ratio. The walks looked good, but the whiffs were untenable and Davis showed zero power. He stole 11 bases in 15 tries. But speed was the only interesting part of his game.

Davis returned to the GCL in 2002 and ripped: .384/.436/.554 with 16 doubles, 5 triples, 4 home runs, an excellent 25/20 SO/BB line and 24 steals in 58 games. He was named the GCL’s Player of the Year and Pittsburgh granted him a late promotion to the South Atlantic League champion Hickory Crawdads. On the surface, the numbers looked great. He’d reached base in 61 of his 65 total games. But, at 21, Davis was old for these levels, and doing most of his damage against teenage competition. Still, he’d put himself on the organizational map and now had a shot at becoming more than low-level roster filler.

In 2003, Davis spent the whole season with Hickory and excelled. In 125 games, he hit .303/.383/.416 with 21 doubles, 7 triples and 6 HRs, a very strong 65/55 SO/BB and 40 steals in 53 tries. The extra-base hits were easily a career high and he led the Crawdads in several offensive categories. He also had an impressive 15 outfield assists – an indication that his great range surprised many baserunners – but also made 7 errors. He still wasn’t turning many heads. But it was a second straight campaign of good results. In the offseason, Davis decided to stop switch-hitting and dedicate himself to hitting right-handed going forward.

Unless you spent 2004 watching a lot of Lynchburg Hillcats games, you’d have been hard-pressed to notice. Pittsburgh promoted Davis to its high-A affiliate and he rewarded them with a virtual replica of his previous season: 127 games, .314/.388/.424 with 27 doubles, 7 triples, 5 HRs, and a terrific 60/59 SO/BB rate. He won the Carolina League batting title, made it All-Star team, and led the circuit in runs, hits and steals. It was quite incredible considering he’d done the whole thing right-handed. Better yet, his steals spiked as Davis nabbed 57 bases against just 15 times caught. He showed no obvious platoon split (hitting .325 vs. LHP, .312 vs. RHP) and finally attracted real interest as a burner prospect and potential major league leadoff man. He made 8 errors but clearly had all the tools to handle centre field. Pittsburgh added him to its 40-man roster in the offseason but he was still behind Nate McLouth and Chris Duffy on the Pirates’ prospect chart and was only now entering AA at 24.

Davis arrived in AA in 2005, playing 123 games with the Altoona Curve. His slash line dipped slightly (.281/.351/.369) but he produced similar counting stats (22 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR) and was again named a league All-Star. Unfortunately, his SO/BB rate declined to 76/43 against tougher competition. Playable, certainly, but worth monitoring. He also saw his contact, walk and slugging rates slip, costing him almost 100 points of OPS. But he continued to improve his base stealing, taking 45 of 54 attempts – an excellent 83% theft rate – and leading the league in steals. He might have been even more prolific but Davis was hit by a pitch and fractured his right hand in August, ending his season early and potentially costing him a late call-up. Hes again contributed 10 outfield assists but, curiously, also made 10 errors. Most were the result of bad reads on fly balls that he couldn’t rescue despite his speed. Davis appeared to be a useful pest but not a true leadoff threat. He could handle centre and provide a spark. But it looked like advanced pitchers would knock the bat out of his hands if his approach didn’t improve. He got healthy in time to play winter ball with Guasave in the Mexican winter league. Pittsburgh had been very methodical with Davis. But he was now on the verge of the majors and looked ready to help in the right role.

In 2006, the Pirates assigned Davis to the AAA Indianapolis Indians. He started slowly but ultimately hit .283/.335/.348 in 100 games with a stagnating 59/27 SO/BB ratio. He showed minimal power and had to overcome a fractured right middle finger but stole 45 bases, seemingly determined to swipe his way to the show. When McLouth sprained his ankle in August, Davis finally got his call-up after six years in the minors. But the Pirates buried him on their bench, never letting him start a game, mostly using him as a pinch-runner. He received just 17 plate appearances and was caught stealing 3 times in 4 tries. Teams were ready for his wheels. Pittsburgh was unsettled in centre entering the offseason. Both McLouth and Duffy had disappointed in their trials. And Duffy was reportedly clashing with manager Jim Tracy. Some guy named Jose Bautista even played 57 games in the midfield in 2006. Entering 2007, it looked like Davis might have a chance to make the team with a good spring.

He didn’t make the opening day roster but provided real spark in his return to Indianapolis. In 53 games, he hit .318/.384/.469 with 20 extra-base hits and a dramatically improved 25/21 SO/BB ratio with 27 steals in 36 tries. Davis seemed to have overhauled his approach, resulting in better discipline and power. He was no longer a grip-and-rip type in the box and didn’t appear overmatched. Pittsburgh liked the adjustments and recalled him up in June. He’s been in the majors ever since. Davis started slowly, but Pittsburgh stuck with him and, this time, gave him regular at bats. In 24 games, he hit a capable .271/.357/.354. He was now particularly effective against lefties, and with Nyjer Morgan rising from AAA, looked ready to assume part of a capable, and very fleet-flooted, platoon. But Pittsburgh judged McLouth a more complete package. So despite a 42-62 record that put them 14.5 games out of first, the Pirates made a buyer’s move at the trade deadline, sending Davis and a player to be named (Stephen McFarland) to San Francisco for veteran starter Matt Morris. Morris was 32, an innings eater, and, significantly, had nothing left. Zero. He’d make 16 starts for Pittsburgh, going 3-8 with a 7.04 ERA and a 62 ERA+. Terrible stuff.

Davis started fast with the Giants, hitting .364 in his first 18 games, and received more opportunities in a straight platoon with Dave Roberts. In total, he went .282/.363/.380 with a good 25/14 SO/BB ratio and 17 steals in 21 tries, covering all kinds of ground in centre next to 42-year old Barry Bonds who was in the midst of what would be the last season of his polarizing career. Davis looked to have a home at last. But that offseason, in search of a new post-Bonds identity, the rebuilding Giants signed scrappy Gold Glove winner Aaron Rowand to play centre, effectively eliminating Davis’ role.

In 2008, Davis still made the team out of spring training but rarely played and landed on waivers in April. Oakland had witnessed his raw from across the Bay. With plans to embrace more athleticism in their lineup, they snapped Davis up and played him often. He got into 101 games but hit just .260/.288/.372 with little pop and a miserable 34/7 SO/BB rate – though he did manage 25 steals in 31 tries. Trouble was, Davis couldn’t buy his way on base and hit only .223 when used as a leadoff hitter. Once again he seemed useful only as a defensive replacement and pinch runner. He was a fringe major leaguer saved by one excellent, exploitable skill.

Or so it seemed until 2009. Davis began the season as Oakland’s fourth outfielder. But saw few opportunities. On June 2, he had 41 at-bats and was hitting .146 with no extra base hits. But injuries began to deplete the A’s brittle Oakland lineup and Davis eventually got a chance to start. He didn’t look back. He hit .324 the rest of the way – fourth best in the league – for a final line of .305/.360/.423 with 27 doubles, 5 triples, and 3 home runs with 41 bases swiped in 125 games. He became the first Athletic since Rickey Henderson to steal 40 bases, nabbing three-quarters of them after the All-Star break. Indeed, his entire second half was excellent. He was still overly aggressive at the plate, with a 70/29 SO/BB rate, but he was finding gaps and utilizing his wheels. A .361 BABIP didn’t hurt, either. It seemed unlucky that Davis could sustain it – but, with his speed, figured to beat averages on balls in play. The overall approach was a more pressing concern. But he’d assembled an excellent 3.8 WAR season. Clearly, it wasn’t completely holding him back. Once old for his levels, Davis now seemed young at just 29. For the first time, he entered the offseason as a sure starter. The question was: could he repeat the performance, or would this prove to be Davis’ career peak?

Unfortunately, all signs now point to the latter. Davis’ luck ran out in 2010. He was healthy. Oakland committed to him. But he couldn’t sustain his breakout success. Davis hit a .284/.320/.377 slash. He even stole 50 bases, only getting caught 11 times – a great 82% success rate. Davis also set career highs in games played (143), runs (66), hits (149), doubles (28), home runs (5), and RBI (52). In many ways, his performance was identical. He simply was as fortunate. His BABIP (.322) normalized. He didn’t drive the ball as much (a -4.5% LD Rate) and his discipline completely eroded (78/26 SO/BB), resulting in just a 4.6% walk rate. He was pressing and it showed. Davis averaged just 3.40 pitches per plate appearance, the lowest of his career, and played to a poor 1.2 WAR. There were grumblings about mental errors both on the bases and in the outfield. Adding it all together, Oakland prepared to enter 2011 with Coco Crisp in centre and sent Davis to Toronto for relief prospects Danny Farquhar and Trystan Magnuson.

The 2011 Blue Jays started the year short on outfielders sans Vernon Wells. They were also short on speed. Davis was essentially gifted the role of Opening Day leadoff man and centre fielder. At worst, he seemed capable of hitting lefties. He was, as they say, an adventure. Exhibit A: He was the first Blue Jay to reach base in 2011. Got picked off dead-to-rights. Then scampered his way out of it. Behold:

Curious stuff like this became the norm with Davis and between bizarro baserunning and a bunch of bad breaks on fly balls, came questions about his baseball sense. Worse, he couldn’t get on base, going just .238/.273/.350 with 21 doubles, 6 triples and a single home run, his SO/BB rate (63/15) plummeting further. That’s a lot of strikeouts for 320 at bats. He flailed badly against righties (.221 AVG, .504 OPS) and played his way out of a job in June, hitting .163/.171/.000, with a 21/1 SO/BB. Despite his 34 stolen bases (and some electric moments on them) he gave John Farrell little choice but to platoon him. Corey Patterson, Mike McCoy, Dewayne Wise, Adam Loewen and even Travis Snider all saw time in centre field and, in July, the Blue Jays acquired Colby Rasmus from St. Louis, ending any real shot Davis had of winning the starting job back. The position was still messy. Davis’ season was a disaster. To cap it off, he tore his left hamstring in August (virtual death for a speed player) and didn’t return. He looked like a possible roster casualty in the offseason – particularly after the Jays added right-handed hitting Ben Francisco in a trade with Philadelphia – but Toronto retained Davis and he enters 2012 as a pinch runner and fifth outfielder.

OUTLOOK

Players like Rajai Davis inspired the old baseball line that you can’t steal first base. Once he’s there he can be a joy to watch – even when he causes grey hairs – and, when used correctly, can be a tremendous weapon. He cost the Jays virtually nothing (Farquhar and Magnuson are both back in the organization) while also providing defensive depth at all three outfield positions and a speed no other player on the roster possesses.

As a 38^th round draft pick, he’s had a great career. He seems like a great guy, liked by his teammates. And should contribute as a role player around the majors as long as his legs will let him. But it’s hard to see Davis lasting in Toronto beyond this season, even in a platoon capacity, with Eric Thames, Travis Snider and Anthony Gose jockeying for jobs.

Blue Jays fans should enjoy the ride while it lasts. Because, as one of Davis’ old platoon partners once proved, you never know what might happen…

STAT SHEET