Before Spring Training began it was a long shot for Scott Kazmir, who hasn’t started in a big league game since 2011, to make the Tribe starting rotation. A few weeks into camp, Kazmir is turning heads and quickly becoming a contender for the fifth spot in the rotation.
Over the offseason, the Indians rolled the dice on Kazmir, signing the 29-year old to a minor league contract with an invite to spring camp. Kazmir isn’t the only reclamation project the Indians are willing to take a gamble on as the Tribe signed hurler Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Scott Kazmir is competing for a spot in the Tribe’s rotation this spring.
Believe it or not, Kazmir was once one of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays. Between 2005-2008, Kazmir was 45-34 with a 3.51 ERA and was sixth in baseball with 742 strikeouts. The lefty averaged over 9 K’s per nine innings and in 2007 he lead the American League with 239 strikeouts. Kazmir was an All-Star in 2006 and 2008.
Since then, it has been all down hill for Kazmir, having dealt with mechanical problems, injuries and a sharp decrease in velocity. Kazmir went from throwing in the mid 90’s to the mid 80’s seemingly overnight and he doesn’t know why. He never suffered any major injuries, but Kazmir says it may have stemmed from a triceps injury he suffered in 2008.
After the All-Star Break in 2008, Kazmir struggled, posting a 4.55 ERA. That carried over into 2009, where he put up an ERA of 5.92 before being shipped off to the Angels in August.
He had sporadic success with the Angels after the trade, but then completely fell apart over the next two years. In 2011, Kazmir made one big league start. His average fastball was clocked at 86 MPH and he was sent down to Triple-A where he posted a 17.02 ERA and his velocity dropped to 82 MPH.
Kazmir turned down a Triple-A opportunity with the St. Louis Cardinals last year to go somewhere where he knew he could get consistent starts and an organization wouldn’t “tinker” with him. He signed with the independent Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League.
Things weren’t perfect for Kazmir in Texas either, going 3-6 with a 5.34 ERA in 14 starts. However, Scott was making progress and he knew it. In November, he traveled to Puerto Rico to play winter ball and put up a 4.37 ERA and his velocity started to come back, hitting 94-95 MPH.
Since coming to camp in Cleveland, Kazmir has appeared twice, throwing a total of four innings and giving up two hits with four strikeouts.
The lefty has impressed Tribe manager Terry Francona as well. Francona told media late last month that “He has looked so good it’s scary. I wish we could bottle it right now for the season.” Francona knows it is early, but knows anything is possible, especially with a rotation that was one of the worst in baseball last year.
Kazmir is competing with Daisuke Matsuzaka, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco and David Huff for the final spot in the rotation.
If Kazmir continues to play this well, the spot in the rotation may be his to lose. And if he gets anywhere close to his prime form, the Tribe will have the sign of the year.
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