Odorizzi to Replace Price in Rays Roto

[A.E]

 
Losing David Price is a big blow to the Rays. But even though Price is an ace-caliber pitcher, losing him won't cripple the Rays by any stretch. The Rays' rotation is still very talented without him, and while no replacement options are quite up to his level, it's unbelievable how many quality choices they have. At the end of the day, the Rays decided to go with Jake Odorizzi to start in Price's spot on Monday in what will be his Rays debut (and third MLB start).

http://www.draysbay.com/2013/5/19/4345238/the-rays-tank-jake-odorizzi-gets-nod-to-replace-david-price?ref=yahoo
 
It was speculated Chris Archer would get the call but being hampered by a calf injury, the Rays turn to the solid pitching prospect they acquired as part of the deal for James Shields.  Odorizzi's fastball tops 93 mph but it's the range of the rest of his arsenal that makes him most effective. 
 

 
His low-90s fastball took the lead position in front of a low-70s curveball, a mid-80s changeup, and a handful of sliders in the same range...

Covering the low-end, he bottomed out with a 69-mph breaking ball. That type of velocity separation between pitches is comparable to Doug Fister, Jeremy Hellickson, and Kyle Lohse. Despite his youth and inexperience, he showed confidence in his secondary stuff in counts where fastballs are primarily used. As a staff, the Rays rank in the top-five of first-pitch changeups and curveballs thrown so do not be surprised if he follows suit.

 
The big concern for Odorizzi is the command with his fastball.  
 
 

 

[ArcAngels78]

I'm a Royals fan and I never thought of Odorizzi as anything more than a potential number 4 starter.

 

[Giantmetfan07]

I can see him as a #3, at best. Never really understood all this top 50 prospect hype the last 2 or 3 years regarding him. His command is still rough despite all the time he has spent in the minors. He can have success and getting a solid amount of time at the MLB level this season is going to be good for him. Every prospect needs to see these hitters for a solid stretch of games to make their own adjustments. He can be ok but I've always had my doubts. A lot of people questioned Harvey's command when he came up and look where he is now. This is actually a good time for him to get the call up -- he's seen some success recently at AAA (11-3 last year) so hopefully he has some confidence on the mound.  
 
My major worry is he seems to give up the long ball too often.