[ayaghmour2]

We added two and subtracted one in the Rule-5 draft, though I really wanted to add just one guy and I was rather shocked on the guy we lost. That would be Frank Sartori, who spent the past three seasons in the Blues rotation. He made a total of 69 starts, going 30-21 since we picked him off waivers form the Sailors. He never pitched in Chicago, but is coming off a strong season where he was 13-6 with a 3.09 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 53 walks, and 110 strikeouts. Sartori went first overall to the Wolves, who are in need of pitching, and since he's out of waivers anyways, the additional Rule-5 stipulation doesn't really effect him in the way it would a young player who has future options. Both guys we got have those, as we picked up lefty Buzz Turner from the Foresters, and righty Dizzy Danforth from the Cannons.

Turner, 23, spent his season in AA Youngstown, going 7-7 with a 3.65 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 45 walks, and 70 strikeouts. His 3.24 FIP (82 FIP-) was even better, and guess how many pitches he has? Five! Currently ranked 35th in our system and 393rd overall, Turner is a groundballer who Dixie Marsh thinks could end up in the back of a rotation. His sinker is solid, but his two best pitches are his change and forkball. He has decent control and locates his pitches well, so he should avoid the big innings. I like him as a starter, even if the big league club only has openings in the pen, and if we can stash him in the pen this year, we can work him back out as a starter next year.

Danforth, 26, ranks two spots lower in our rankings, checking in at 37th while 405th overall. A guy I've had my eye on for a while, Dizzy was a 7th Round pick of the Cannons back in 1942, but he then missed three seasons serving in the war. Since returning he's had a slow climb up, and was now stuck in AAA for two and a half seasons. His best work there came this year, where he was 14-7 with an average 3.51 ERA (100 ERA+) and 3.47 FIP (99 FIP-). Dizzy made 29 starts and threw 164.1 innings, walking 75 and striking out 88. Another groundballer, Danforth does it to more of an extreme, as he has a harder and tougher sinker. It's the best of his four pitches, though the change is decent. Him and Turner are somewhat opposites, Dizzy is more advanced with the lower ceiling, so if I have to pick between them it will be choosing ceiling versus upside. There's no guarantee either secures a pen spot, just two open spots, but both are intriguing young arms who should fit our park well.