Unowned
Zach Pop, P
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Scouting report
Pop was part of the return package sent from Los Angeles to Baltimore in the Manny Machado deal but he ended up throwing only about 40 innings across parts of two seasons with Baltimore because he missed the back end of 2019 and all of 2020 due to Tommy John. The Marlins made him another of the several TJ rehab guys selected in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, and largely because they lack in-house relief options with premium arm strength, he seemed like a really good bet to make the club. Peak Pop looked much like a turbo sinker/slider, high-leverage low-slot reliever with a shot to be a set-up guy does, but he looks more like a very solid middle-inning option now. He was sitting anywhere between 93-98 during 2021 spring training and more commonly lives 94-96. It's not an in-zone swing-and-miss pitch and instead gets groundballs. Pop's slider has length, though what looks like early break to my eye provides an early in-flight tell, and hitters seem able to pick it up pretty well. Unless Pop develops feel for locating his sinker just below the knees with greater consistency, this well-located slider will need to act as his putaway pitch. He has fair command of both offerings, but I don't see a sufficiently nasty offering to slam dunk this guy in the eighth inning or later. (TJ Rehab)