November 13, 2008

 

Throws: Left
Height/Weight: 6'5''/185
Birthday: 12/20/1989 (Age 18) 
Roster Status: Rule V Eligible after 2010 season; Minor League Free Agent after 2012

Background: Geuris Grullon was signed out of the Dominican Republic in the summer of 2006. In one of the Rangers' best Latin American signing period ever, Grullon was considered a key piece. Alongside 2006 right-handed signees Jorge Quintero, Wilfredo Boscan, Carlos Pimentel, and Wilmer Font, Grullon was considered among the elite of left-handed Latin American prospects. He was still only 16 at the time, but the Rangers, and especially A.J. Preller, dreamed of what his 6-foot 5-inch frame could bring with development time. The Rangers thought of Grullon as rather raw, but they really thought he could come on quick with some slight mechanical adjustments.

Pitches: Grullon has developed into a four-pitch pitcher since joining the Texas organization. He entered the organization with just two, so you can tell that he has his work cut out for him in developing his two newer pitches. Grullon's fastball is a four-seamer with extreme movement. It usually sits between 88 and 92, and the movement he gets on the ball has more to do with his delivery than his grip. He gets tons of ground balls with the pitch, despite not throwing a two-seamer. It's an above-average pitch, but unless his command of it improves, it won't help much in his development. The second pitch Grullon carried with him into the organization is a changeup. It usually sits in the low-80s and is most effective at 81 or 82. At this point, it's simply to keep right-handed hitters off-balance, and he doesn't command it too well. It could become an average pitch with time. The two new pitches Grullon is developing are a curveball and slider. Both sit in the mid-70s, though the slider is a bit quicker to the plate. The slider is the more advanced of the two so far, and it shows quite a bit of potential. I expect Grullon to trash the curveball within the next year or two if it doesn't start developing. Overall, Grullon's arsenal has potential, but his command needs to improve for him to be successful with his pitches.

Professional Experience: Because Grullon signed at age 16 in the summer of 2006, he wasn't eligible to play pro games until the 2007 season. The question the Rangers faced was whether to keep him back in the Dominican for the DSL season or bring him stateside. Unlike fellow signee Wilfredo Boscan, the Rangers decided to bring Grullon to pitch for the AZL Rangers beginning in June 2007. The adjustment to pro ball can be difficult enough, but bringing Grullon to the states with a limited knowledge of English was even more difficult. He struggled with his control all season, though he wasn't as bad as his final line indicated. He finished at 1-2 with a 8.14 ERA in 21 innings, shuttling between the starting rotation and the bullpen. He struck out 25 people, but the awful thing was his 16 walks, 17 wild pitches, and 5 hit batters. He also balked a pair of times. I think the Rangers understood how raw Grullon was, but his 2007 season was a great example of why some pitchers are more suited to debuting in the Dominican Summer League. Grullon's talent was very apparent in the 2007 season, but few knew what to expect entering 2008.

2008 Season: Grullon's 2008 season was a great relief to many of his supporters. He returned to the AZL, and excelled for most of the season out of the bullpen. In 23.2 innings, Grullon compiled a 2-0 record with a 2.66 ERA, almost five and half runs better than his previous campaign. His control continued to be an issue, as he walked 17 batters, threw 5 wild pitches, and hit another pair of batters. He also balked 3 times. However, he struck out 27 and held batters to a .216 average. He did not allow a home run for the second straight year, so he's gone over 40 pro innings without allowing a home run. Lefties struggled mightily against Grullon in 2008, hitting just .182 and only drawing a single walk. Overall, Grullon's 2008 was a huge step forward for his development.

Future Outlook: I am not one to argue this so early in a development career, but Grullon seems to be very well suited to becoming a lefty specialist. If you just look at his numbers against lefties in 2008 (written above), you see that his control improves against them, and most of his pitches are suited to shut down lefties. He hasn't really spent much time in a starting rotation so far, so moving him into the bullpen full-time won't hurt his development. 2009 will be a key year for Grullon as the Rangers decide what to do with him. Most rotations are already stuffed, and Grullon has to build up innings anyway before he start for a full-season league. There's a fairly decent chance he could end up in the bullpen at Hickory, and he could work on his control there for the entire season. There's also a chance that he moves up to Spokane in June, rather than skipping right over it. However, I would argue that Grullon should be in Hickory's bullpen, where he can develop his relief routine. He has the stuff to become an excellent lefty specialist, and he hasn't shown much success in other places. His sinking fastball profiles extremely well for the Ballpark, and he could move quickly with a bullpen transition. All that said, I think Grullon could end up in Arlington sometime in 2011 or 2012, depending on whether or not he's added to the 40-man roster. He's got a great arm, and I'd be shocked if the Rangers didn't challenge him in 2009.

Written by Andy Seiler

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