Esmailin Caridad (pronounced S-Male-In Care-I-Dad)
Born: 10/28/83
B/T: R/R
Ht: 5′11
Wt: 195 lbs
Hometown: Haini, Dominican Republic

Esmailin Caridad is a name that most Cubs’ fans don’t have on their radar as a top prospect or even as a future Cub helper. Yet the 25 year old recent signee was extremely impressive in High A and AA this season going 155 1/3 IP in 28G/27 GS had a 3.73 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a .234 BAA while striking out 88 and walking only 38 batters. Caridad’s past is quite complex and deserves some explaining, but Cubs’ fans should look out for his talented arm to help the Cubs sooner rather than later. For more on the enigmatic righty keep reading…

Last offseason the Cubs’ biggest foreign signing was Dominican-born Esmailin Caridad. Yet he wasn’t your typical teenager drafted for an insane bounty (see the A’s 2008 signing of 16 year old Michael Iona 4.25M), instead he was a 24 year old who came via the Japanese circuit. As a 18 year old, Esmailin signed on to play in Japan and worked his way through their academy system and industrial leagues (a comparable close mesh to low level minor leagues and independent baseball). In 2007, he even played briefly (2 G, 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB) in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), our MLB, with the Hiroshima Carp before a loophole allowed him to sign with a MLB club. It just so happens Hendry and VP of player personnel Fleita were in the Dominican at the time of Caridad’s return and had him pitch against Cubs’ players in the Dominican Instructional League. After that Caridad signed for 175K in December and started the 2008 season for High A Daytona.

While in Daytona, he started 13 of 14 games with a 6-4 record going 69 1/3 IP giving up 64 hits, 3 hr, 17 BB, 38 K for a 4.41 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, .252 BAA. In April, Esmailin was cold and slow to began the season and got into jams by walking too many batters (10 BB in 25 IP). He quickly settled in though and hammered the strikezone with his complete arsenal walking just two batters in the month of May while going 35 1/3 IP. He carried over his success into June and was promoted to AA after a couple of starts. When Caridad first got to Tennessee, he seemed to pick up right where he left in Daytona. Esmailin was very deceptive with his secondary pitches (curveball and change) which saw an increase in his strikeout rate and lower hits per 9 while stabilizing his walks per 9. Unfortunately, when Caridad did give up a basehit, it was usually extrabases as seen in his 15 longballs in 84 2/3 IP (after giving up just 3 in 69 1/3 IP in Daytona), he did get very lucky in that most were solo-shots. The longer the season went, the better Esmailin felt about his movement and control of his pitches. In August he was just plain filthy, in 37 IP, he gave up just 23 hits (7 hrs), 9 BB, and 26 K. His final line for the Smokies was an impressive 7-3 record in 14 GS going 84 2/3 IP giving up 67 hits, 29 ER, 15 hr, 21 BB, 50 K, 3.14 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, .218 BAA. Don’t let the peripherals fool you though, Esmailin was slightly unlucky in High A Daytona as seen by his 3.42 FIP as opposed to his 4.41 ERA but he had a stable .279 BABIP and 60.5% LOB rate while he was extremely lucky in AA Tennessee demonstrated by his 5.18 FIP., .221 BABIP, and 85.5% LOB rate while having a 3.14 ERA.

His strong second half stats indicate that he was “luck induced” or shows his pitching prowess, anway you slice it Caridad was rewarded and sent to the Arizona Fall League this winter. The righty threw out of the pen for the second place AFL finalist, the Mesa Solar Sox in a longman’s role. In 10 G, he went 16 IP giving up 13 hits, 7 ER, 2 hr, 5 BB, 17 K, 3.94 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, .217 BA. At times, Esmailin looked dominating by hitting the corners, mixing his speeds and his three plus pitches. Other times, he looked average at best giving up big innings and not locating his pitches.

Pitching: Caridad doesn’t have the ideal pitchers’ body as he’s small framed and diminutive but he sure does pack a punch in his small stature. Esmailin’s fastball is a plus pitch that has good lateral movement and mild drop action. Usually his range is between 88-91 mph but he’s been known to rear-back and fire getting it up to 95 mph. Most occasions, Caridad uses his fastball as a setup to his more superior secondary pitches, a good sharp breaking curveball and a late breaking changeup. Watching Caridad pitch, one can tell that he’s a different breed and has been coached in a manner outside of American baseball. Esmailan lives off of location and sweeping corners with his arsenal. His curveball is a 1-7 breaker with tight spin and is often mistaken for a slider as he throws it hard; it’s hard on righties. While his changeup mimics his fastball and vice versa, he has full confidence in it and will throw it at any point in the count especially when the hitter expects a fastball.

Durability: Commonly, someone with Esmailan’s size and throws as hard as he does with not an ideal delivery, has had injuries to their shoulder girdle at this point in their career or is a severe risk. Not Caridad though, and most scouts put that on being raised through the Japanese system. In Japan, more focus is placed on building arm strength, throwing more pitches, and setting up counts with their secondary rather than their fastball. While in the States, a big emphasis is placed on revamping youngster’s deliveries, fastball velocity, establishing the fastball and going for the strikeout rather than going deep into games, establishing secondary pitches, and locating pitches. Esmailin has what many scouts and analysts call a rubber arm, in fact he’s often more effective on shorter rest than long breaks. Caridad doesn’t concentrate on striking out the hitter but rather letting the hitter get himself out.

Strength: Caridad has three pitches that have the ability to become three plus MLB pitches. He’s not afraid to throw any of his pitches at any count, and feels he can spot them wherever he wants, and that makes him very dangerous. His versatile arm can allow for him to be a backend starter or a longarm that can go multiple days a week. His control is key to his success at the higher levels as he doesn’t have the god given ability to throw it by hitters based on velocity.

Weakness: If Esmailin doesn’t mix up his pitches, and lacks anything but solid control then he’s in trouble. Batters in AA sat and waited on his first or second pitch fastball as Caridad has a tendency of throwing strikes early trying to get ahead of hitters. When they guessed right, Caridad’s fastball offerings were often crushed. For Caridad to succeed in further levels, he needs to mix up his pitch selection and hit his corners.

MLB Comparison: Esteban Loaiza
Caridad has a frame of Pedro Astacio yet throws like the bigger yet softer tosser Loaiza. Throughout his career, Esteban has been known as a league average arm that will eat up innings, give up the long ball, walk few, and keeps his team in the game. Caridad shares many of those same attributes as he doesn’t try to overpower the hitter yet makes them get themselves out. Loaiza endured a late career surge due to his rediscover of the changeup, which he turned into an outpitch. Caridad has a chance to make his change a plus MLB pitch before he reaches the big show. Unlike Loaiza, Esmailin can crank up the heat when need be, but like Esteban, Caridad lives on spotting his pitches.

Bob’s Take: Look for Caridad to continue to rapidly climb up the organizational ladder. Esmailin really surprised the coaching staffs with his poise and demeanor on the mound as well as his confidence in locating all three of his pitches. With the Cubs’ shopping Sean Marshall, it isn’t out the realm of possibility that Caridad spends a good chunk of the 2009 season in Iowa and moves up to the top of Cubs’ minor league starting pitching depth. Most likely, Esmailin will start the season in AA Tennessee but shouldn’t stay long. That still depends on if he can continue to locate his pitches and keep his walks down. I don’t expect that he shouldn’t be needed or added to the 40 man roster this season but could push for a role with the club in 2010. Of course no one can plan out injuries and our current staff has a couple of injury question marks in Harden and Dempster.

Next up, Scouting Report on Cub’s Minor League Pitcher of the year Mitch Atkins.