The Nationals spent five years hoping Garrett Mock would blossom into a front-line pitcher and gave the right-hander plenty of chances to realize his potential, both as a starter and a reliever.But Mock's results never matched his arsenal and left him toiling away in the minors this season. And now, he's no longer a member of the organization.
Mock has signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays, offering a new opportunity to resurrect his career.
The 28-year-old was first acquired by the Nationals, along with lefty Matt Chico, in the 2006 trade that sent Livan Hernandez to the Diamondbacks. The Nats touted him as a potential front-line starter, and he got his first chance to pitch in the majors in 2007 in both the rotation and bullpen with mixed results (1-3, 4.17 ERA in 26 games, three of them starts).
Mock got even more opportunity to pitch in 2008, making 15 starts and 28 overall appearances. But he finished an abysmal 3-10 with a 5.62 ERA.
Despite all that, Mock entered spring training in 2010 all but assured of a rotation spot. He did making the Opening Day roster, but after lasting only 3 1/3 innings in his season debut, he was optioned to Class AAA Syracuse. He later revealed he had a sore neck, an injury that ultimately required surgery.
Mock spent all of this season in the minors, going a combined 1-5 with a 6.39 ERA in 26 games at Syracuse, Harrisburg, Potomac and the Gulf Coast League.
23 comments:
Another player the Blue Jays grabbed up (Kimball). Looks like the FO that left the Nats the Jays covet what the Nats have.
Sorry to see him go on a personal level; but glad to see him go from a "Rizzo overvaluing one of his own guys and hanging on to him for far too long and clogging up the 40-man roster" perspective.
Is Dana Brown starting to show a Jim Bowden-esque obsession with his former team's players?
Bye, bye - don't let the door hit you in the........well , you know.
Good luck to him.
Our long Nationals nightmare is over. No longer are they Mocking us.
Now, how long until Slaten is history too?
Feel Wood - it's coming, I can feel it.
I thought Mock had a chance as a reinvented reliever. Rizzo should have done this 2 years ago. Good for both to turn the page.
The real loss was letting Shairon Martis walk for free as he was trade bait. Shairon may one day be a serviceable #4 or #5 starter for some team. He really started to turn his career around in 2011 with his new delivery.
I could not care any less what talent the O's may or may not have, why not talk about the Rays, Royals or the Twins. Just some other club in some some other league in some other town. Meh.
Mock has swing and miss stuff, but has never been able to get it together. Maybe he does in Toronto's organization, wish him well.
dfh21
Hope the change of scenery does him good. He has the talent, just couldn't figure it out here.
Echo your post MicheleS. Why people feel they have to knock someone, just for trying to pursue their dream is beyond me. Some players just play better in different surroundings, grow in their craft at a slower pace. Or as in Mock's situation, has fully recovered from an injury and will try his luck elsewhere. More power to him.
I also wish Mock well...just not against our Nats. I thought he had very good stuff and could never figure out why he got hit so hard so often.
90% of the game may be half-mental, but without raw talent for that other 10% the ceiling remains low. I wish Mock all the best in learning to harness his unquestioned talent, something that I would imagine must be hard for anyone to do.
Best of luck to Mock w/the TOR orginization.
Glad Rizzo is finally learning to let go of players he drafted that don't work out, as this kid was a leg iron on the 40-man since 2009, imo.
I'm glad he's landed somewhere outside of our organization. May the fresh start be good for him. Wishing him good luck!
i liked Mock and wish him the best, but man I couldn't understand why they kept him so long.
Good luck to Garrett, he and his wife are good people.
Wow, so both guys that Rizzo drafted while he was in Arizona, Mock and Chico, were busts, is this what he have to look forward to, when we no longer pick the obvious guys at the top of the draft!?
Harper_ROY_2012, something like 80% of all of the players drafted by MLB teams are "busts". This isn't the NFL or the NBA, where every draftee is expected to contribute to the big team in a year or two.
Every MLB team has 5-6 minor league teams to stock, and of those players, only a small percentage ever play in the majors, and even fewer become everyday players, and fewer still become stars.
All to say, bagging on Rizzo's drafting ability because Chico and Mock are "busts" is simply ridiculous.
Sunshine_Bobby, please speak to us. Are you okay? Did you pass out after too much "bourbon and Maalox, hold the Maalox"?
Harper_ROY_2012 said...
Wow, so both guys that Rizzo drafted while he was in Arizona, Mock and Chico, were busts, is this what he have to look forward to, when we no longer pick the obvious guys at the top of the draft!?
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Let's try to remember that Mock and Chico were evaluated by Arizona and found to have had a combined worth of one Livan Hernandez. That's why they were traded. Someone obviously thought there was no great loss in giving them to the Nationals.
Scooter said...
Sunshine_Bobby, please speak to us. Are you okay? Did you pass out after too much "bourbon and Maalox, hold the Maalox"?
Thanks for the concern, Scooter. I'm fine. Just resting up for the winter meetings. I've been too busy celebrating the release of Mock from our shores. Toronto is great; that's the club who also took Shawn Hill off our hands. How's that working out, guys?
Mock can still mow them down. He is somewhat Clemenesque and could fit very well in the American league.
Mock's stuff is filthy, he just needs good health and a change in scenary. The AL East is tough on all pitchers, but I think he'll have a bounce back year!!!! LETS GO MOCK!!!
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