According to the Quad City Times article, Bloom was much improved during the second half of last season with the Pirate's AA Altoona team, after correcting a hitch in his delivery with the help of Altoona pitching coach Brad Holman. He then dominated in the six-week long Hawaiian Winter League, with the following stat line:
30 innings, 15 hits, 11 walks, 32 Ks, .144 BAA or OBA, whichever you prefer, and made the league's all star team.
Bloom's got a curve, fastball (92 MPH tops in Hawaii), and change-up in his arsenal. The curve's reportedly got good movement.
You probably already know that under the Rule 5 Draft, if Bloom does not remain on the 25-man roster the entire season, he'll have to be offered back to the Pirates. Dombrowski said that "If he throws the way he threw for Egan (Tigers scout), I think he'll be interesting and have a chance to make our ballclub."
So, Bloom could be another bullpen puzzle piece.
On a slightly related note, I'm hoping James Skelton, the catcher we lost to the Diamondbacks in the Rule 5 Draft, gets offered back to us. As with Santiago, higher ups are hung up on "durability" issues. Yes, my right thigh probably outweighs Skelton, but I think he's got a lot of upside.
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