Scott Kazmir hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2011, hasn’t pitched well in the majors since 2008, and spent last season posting a 5.34 ERA in an independent league for a team called the Sugar Land Skeeters.
He’s attempting a comeback this year, signing a minor-league contract with the Indians in December, and if manager Terry Francona is to be believed there’s actually reason for optimism with Kazmir.
“He’s looked so good it’s scary,” Francona said, via Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I wish we could bottle it right now for the season.”
Kazmir washing out of the majors can be traced directly to the decline of his raw stuff, as his average fastball velocity dropped from 93.7 miles per hour in 2004 to 90.5 miles per hour in 2010, so once someone gets a radar gun on his throwing sessions it’ll be pretty easy to determine if it’s worth buying a ticket for his bandwagon. It would be a helluva comeback story.
