Who Am I?
Chris Devenski
RHP
Age: 26
Height: 6′ 3″
Weight: 210
Throws right, Bats right
How did I get here?
Originally drafted in the 25th round of the 2011 draft by the White Sox. Sent to Houston on August 3, 2012 as the player to be named later in addition to Matt Heidenreich and Blair Walters for Brett Myers.
Contract status: not eligible for arbitration until 2019
Why am I here?
Chris Devenski may single-handedly resurrect the role of the swingman. If that’s not too much pressure to put on a guy with one year of experience. He can give you multiple innings from the pen, he can give you a spot start when you need it, he can put out a late inning fire. By the end of 2017, Chris Devenski Facts may replace Chuck Norris Facts.
What are my strengths?
Devo has a wicked, wicked change up. In 2016, he threw 498 changeups total, allowing only 29 hits off it, and only a .240 SLG against the pitch. When he keeps hitters off balance – and that pitch allows him to – they rarely square up. His slider is an effective third pitch, especially when thrown low and away to right handed hitters late in the count.
What are my weaknesses?
His fastball is league-average at best. Even another tick or two on it would allow him to further separate from that change, or maintain his velocity enough to become an effective starter.
What is my future with the Astros?
Bullpen mainstay for years to come… UNLESS a rotation injury gives him a shot that he just doesn’t relinquish. I don’t see that happening; he doesn’t quite have the heat for that third trip through the lineup, and he gives so much value in the swingman role I don’t think AJ will give that up easily.
What is my projected 2017 performance?
| WINS | LOSSES | IP | H | HR | BB | SO | ERA | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 | 4 | 108.1 | 79 | 4 | 20 | 104 | 2.16 | 0.91 |
| PECOTA | 5 | 4 | 82 | 78 | 8 | 24 | 75 | 3.47 | 1.25 |
| ZIPS | 76.2 | 70 | 9 | 19 | 77 | 3.29 | 1.16 | ||
| MMWAG | 6 | 3 | 101 | 90 | 5 | 21 | 90 | 2.89 | 1.00 |
Who else would I remind you of?
How about Ramiro Mendoza on those late-90s Yankees teams? Not quite a starter, not quite a closer… but put him in that swingman spot?
Parting thoughts
Hypotheticals can be fun when they’re removed from reality:
- If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?
- Which of the Friends would you actually want a relationship with?
- Who would win a fight, Batman or Superman? (Wait… that was always a dumb question. And and even dumber movie.)
But the hypotheticals that are more “what if” in nature – what historians call “counterfactuals” – those typically have an element of pain:
- What if JFK had survived, and pulled the US out of Vietnam?
- What if the Rockets had accepted Portland’s trade offer of Clyde Drexler and the #2 overall pick for Ralph Sampson… thus putting Hakeem, Clyde, and Michael Jordan on the same team?
- What if the Astros had listened to their scouts and selected Derek Jeter instead of Phil Nevin?
Well, looking back on Devenski’s performance last year brought one more of the latter to mind, and I just can’t quite shake it:
What if the 2015 Astros had that version of Chris Devenski in the bullpen?