MVN - Most Valuable Network

Haren’s Yield: Dana Eveland

In this, the third of six profiles of the players arriving in the Dan Haren trade, I’ll profile Dana Eveland. Soon to come: Aaron Cunningham, Chris Carter and Greg Smith. Already done: Carlos Gonzalez and Brett Anderson.

Though the 19-year-old Anderson, who may be the next Mulder, draws the most mound attention, it’s Eveland who will make the most immediate impact in Oakland. At 24, the left-hander has already spent parts of three seasons in the bigs and figures to be given at least a shot to compete for a SP slot in the A’s rotation come spring. He was drafted in the 16th round from the College of the Canyons in 2002. Trouble is, Eveland’s stuff never translated well to the National League.

• In 25 relief appearances with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2005, he managed an e.r.a. of 5.97 (K:BB ratio of 23:18 in 31.2 IP)
• In 9 games in 2006 with the Brew-Crew, it jumped to 8.13 (32:16 in 27.2 IP)
• In 5 games with the D-backs in 2007, his e.r.a. was 14.40 (3:5 in 5.0 IP)

So, why would Billy The Kid Beane give Eveland a shot at his starting rotation based on this, no matter how bare the cupboard?

Well, he would not. Billy the Kid is hoping the plump LHP shows the promise he did with his MiLB numbers. And like his fellow statisticians, only the most recent evidence is of the best barometer.

• Exhibit A: While pitching for Nashville (AAA) in 2006, Eveland recorded a 2.74 e.r.a. in 20 games [19 starts] with a 110:41 ratio in 105 IP (reaching the Brett Anderson stratosphere).
• Exhibit B: In 9 games [7 starts] split between Visalia (A) and Tucson (AAA), Eveland notched a 1.65 e.r.a. with a 24:12 ratio in 32.2 IP

But all that was before the young LHP returned to the big leagues and disappointed - again: Such is the reaction from national pundits.

Baseball America’s take:

Like David Wells before him, Eveland, 24, has trouble controlling his weight, which has adversely affected the quality of his stuff. At his best, the 6-foot-1, 240-pound Eveland sits 88-90 mph with his fastball and touches 94 with plus command. His slider can be a plus pitch, aided by his crossfire delivery, and his curveball shows good depth. He also throws a changeup. Eveland has the raw stuff to retire both lefties and righties, especially in a relief role…

ESPN’s Kieth Law furthers the repertoire description:

When healthy and relatively trim, Eveland has an average fastball and a plus slider, with a spiking curveball that fools minor-league hitters, something major-league hitters will probably lay off…

Sounding off the Colby-Lewis-alarm, most A’s fans might see these superlatives and aforementioned statistics and figure Eveland won’t turn his career around. But, again he’s just 24 years old, and he does in fact have the stuff to be a serviceable fourth starter.

He continues to show why in the Mexican Winter League: For the Aguilas de Mexicali, the lefty is 4-2 with a 2.51 era, supported by 69:15 in 61 IP.

Perhaps, the pitching instruction of Curt Young and Ron Romanick, the intensified A’s training regimen, or a pitcher’s ballpark will do him wonders. Like most pitchers looking to break through, the plump lefty must bridge the gap between Eveland the Minor and Eveland the Major. But Eveland is going to have to put this on himself; and as much as he would like to, not even Billy the Kid can make him great.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 18th, 2007 at 1:51 pm and is filed under Prospects, scouting report, Trades. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.