Connor Seabold may be the odd man out in a projected rotation
Can righty Connor Seabold become a lower-end rotation starter? The MLB slate is certainly disappointing in his starts. Seabold’s fastball, slider, and curve offered no mystery in his short stints, but the book is not closed on the 26-year-old acquired in a trade from Philadelphia. At Worcester, Seabold was a steady factor in the WooSox rotation, but MLB is far different.
By today’s standards, Seabold is not a hard thrower since his heater stays in the low 90s and his other offerings need refinement to compensate. Seabold is a work in progress and may be supplanted by Bryan Mata and possibly Brandon Walter, and Seabold’s future could be spot-starting and long relief.
When I saw Seabold take the hill last season, one name surfaced from my memories regarding pitching style and physical resemblance – Sonny Siebert. Seabold has a world of improvement ahead to measure up to Siebert, who won 57 games for the Red Sox over four full seasons.
In his first Boston season, Siebert did bullpen and started duty on his way to a 14-10 record. Two seasons later, Siebert became an All-Star and eventually was shipped to the Texas Rangers. With Seabold, the clock is running on age and performance.