The San Francisco Giants' official Twitter feed reports that the club signed left-hander Dontrelle Willis to a minor-league contract with Triple-A Fresno on Wednesday. The Giants are Willis' third team this season, after he was designated for assignment by both the Tigers and Diamondbacks within the last two months. No matter where he has played in 2010, Willis' struggles have continued — he has a 5.62 ERA in 15 appearances (13 of them starts) and only an 0.84 K-BB ratio.
We had heard that the Brewers, Mets and Marlins all had some degree of interest in Willis when he was first DFA'ed by Detroit, though Willis' stated preference to play near the west coast may have been a factor in his signing with the Giants. Should Willis get promoted to the majors, he will be playing just outside his hometown of Oakland.
How rad would it be if he returned to his old form! haha
You are being absolutley crazy. This will never happen.
Hhaha i know i know.
as what? a ball boy?
yea they gotta replace that old ball boy they have haha
Interesting… Unless there are injuries though I don’t see him being called up.
How are there still teams that want this guy. He’s done. He will never be effective ever again. Now I know I will get some people replying to me that it’s a no lose situation and maybe he can get back to normal but you people need to be serious with yourselves. This is a complete waste of money even if it was for $10 buck. How long before he gets designated for assignment. HEY MLBTR STAFF, THE NEW POLL SHOULD BE HOW LONG HE STAYS IN THE GIANTS SYSTEM BEFORE HE GETS DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT. I give it about 2 weeks. haha what a waste, He is so useless.
A $10 buck?
Actually, they’re taking him as a reliever I think. He’s had some pretty wacky splits over the last few years, with very good results against lefties. Let’s look at the last few years, where he has been awful (in aggregate):
Year BB K K/BB BA
2007 11 33 3.00 .123
2008 6 9 1.50 .125
2009 8 8 1.00 .306
2010 8 30 3.75 .216
Admittedly, we’re talking small sample sizes- but those are some pretty good numbers except for 2009. For 3 out of his last 4 seasons, he has been pretty dominant against lefties. Admittedly, we’re talking about Dontrelle taking a role more like Mike Myers (the lefty specialist, not the Shrek guy) but that’s still got value to a club.
He should be converted into a long reliever.
More like mop-up duty…
mop up if you never want the inning to end, he can stall till someone else gets ready i guess
More like an outfielder.
best organization for him to succeed in, if he fixes his mechanics he would thrive in san fran. This also could lead to jonathan sanchez being dealt for a quality hitter
There is no way this leads to a Sanchez trade. Whenever your backup plan is Dontrelle Willis, I wouldn’t trade your bat boy
if the giants want a hitter, there most likely gonna half to trade a pitcher and that pitcher will be sanchez, why not pick up someone who has had success and try and fix his mechanics, not saying it will happen, but its worth the risk
Who hasnt tried to fix his mechanics. I’m pretty sure its safe to say he is permanently broken. He will never be fixed and I think he should accept that fact that pretty soon the best contract he gets is in Independent Ball
Yeah i dont agree with you at all. But, The Dodgers wouldnt mind to get Sanchez. He probably would rather be a Dodger in the first place! A woo hoo
Of course it is the best organization for him to be in. the giants lead the league in walks
Why deal away Jonathon Sanchez? He is an overall better player then Dontrelle Willis. When Dontrelle and Miguel Cabrera got shipped to Detroit, it only worked out for Miguel..On the other hand for Dontrelle, he lost everything. I think the Giants will soon fall out of the Race to do Lack of Offense. Overall a dissapointing move for the Giants. GO DODGERS (:
Why deal away Jonathon Sanchez? He is an overall better player then Dontrelle Willis. When Dontrelle and Miguel Cabrera got shipped to Detroit, it only worked out for Miguel..On the other hand for Dontrelle, he lost everything. I think the Giants will soon fall out of the Race to do Lack of Offense. Overall a dissapointing move for the Giants. GO DODGERS (:
he really needs to go to Cardinals…
That would be cool if you want the Cardinals to give up on their season and lose the division. If I wanted my team to lose, I would want to sign him.
If Duncan were to fix Willis, he’d have to be considered the greatest position coach in all sports history.
If Duncan were to fix Willis, he’d have to be considered the greatest position coach in all sports history.
I have a question about Dontrelle Willis. He has proven over the last few years that he is never going to be the same pitcher again and when he played in the NL he showed that he was a good hitting pitcher. Why doesn’t he pull a Rick Ankiel and go back into the minors, re-tool his game and become a hitter?
Same could be said for Micah Owings.
I guess it would come down to how well he could field whatever position they try to convert him to. He may not be able to play defense well enough to even consider converting him.
If he came back as a hitter his position in the field would probably be outfield, just like Ankiel, I can’t guarantee that but that is probably what would happen. And I can’t imagine he’d be any worse of a fielder than Manny Ramirez is, so in my opinion he should give it a shot whether he’s a great fielder or not unless this thing works out in San Fran which I seriously doubt will happen…but you never know.
If he came back as a hitter his position in the field would probably be outfield, just like Ankiel, I can’t guarantee that but that is probably what would happen. And I can’t imagine he’d be any worse of a fielder than Manny Ramirez is, so in my opinion he should give it a shot whether he’s a great fielder or not unless this thing works out in San Fran which I seriously doubt will happen…but you never know.
I guess it would come down to how well he could field whatever position they try to convert him to. He may not be able to play defense well enough to even consider converting him.
Sounds like insurance to me for Wellemeyer/Martinez if Sanchez ends up being traded.
Maybe a Wellemeyer DFA?? If and only IF he makes it back.
Willis needs to convert himself to a hitter/fielder, he can really swing a bat.
If he can hit so well, maybe this is the bat Sabean was looking for….
I like it. What have we got to lose?
Dontrelle’s back in the bay and back to his roots… I smell a comeback.
nah thats just the ganja you inhaled.
He just needs to stay away from Chavez Ravine. Two appearances there resulted in DFA’s after both games 😛
Dontrelle Willis has been THE worst pitcher in the major leagues in 2007 and 2008 and 2009, and 2010. He is easily the biggest mistake that Dave Dombrowski has made since he joined the Tigers. Not only should they not have traded for him, but he should never have been signed to an extension the winter after leading the NL in runs allowed, and every single player that was taken off the roster while Willis remained was yet another error by Tiger management. As likable a person as he is, he just does not have it as a pitcher.
I agree. As a Tiger fan, it was unbearable watching him pitch and walking every other batter on 4 straight balls. By far the worst extension and the biggest waste of money on one single player. DONTRELLE WILLIS IS DONE. I dont understand why teams still have interest in him. He will NEVER return to his Marlin days and just like the Tigers and Diamondbacks, he will be designated for assignment within a few weeks
Biggest waste of money on one single player? Obviously you’ve never heard of a guy named Oliver Perez.
Biggest waste of money on one single player? Obviously you’ve never heard of a player named Oliver Perez
Your nuts. Do you seriously think Oliver Perez is worse than Dontrelle Willis. Perez is a Cy Young compared to Willis
Of all the bad contracts that Dave Dombrowski has signed with the Tigers, and they’re now in the hundred millions, the extension to Willis was the worst. There have been many worse contracts, and I think that they ran a good article on here on worst contracts a while back. But for the Tigers, this was the worst. Bonderman, Robertson, Willis, Sheffield, Guillen, and a lot of extensions to guys that bombed out after they extended.
Of all the bad contracts that Dave Dombrowski has signed with the Tigers, and they’re now in the hundred millions, the extension to Willis was the worst. There have been many worse contracts, and I think that they ran a good article on here on worst contracts a while back. But for the Tigers, this was the worst. Bonderman, Robertson, Willis, Sheffield, Guillen, and a lot of extensions to guys that bombed out after they extended.
I would have never in a million years figured you for a Tigers fan.
sorry, i cant find the other comment to reply to, I’m new to this site, lol.
Of course people can follow more than one team, and no not only giants fans can comment on this. but it just seemed funny that this guy we are talking about use to be on the Tigers, and for someone who it seems didn’t like him at all, you are following him a lot. Just let us Giants fan have our optimism about this guy, no matter how ridiculous it sounds, lol.
Max- I honestly wish Dontrelle nothing but the best. The guy has given nothing short of a full effort every time out, but he just doesn’t have the mechanics down. He’d have to completely relearn how to pitch. His delivery was completely unsustainable as his body naturally filled out into his big frame. It was amazing that he could come with a delivery so discombobulated and throw strikes, but he’s deceptive as all hell, even still. He just can’t get that delivery to wind up with enough strikes.
Max- I honestly wish Dontrelle nothing but the best. The guy has given nothing short of a full effort every time out, but he just doesn’t have the mechanics down. He’d have to completely relearn how to pitch. His delivery was completely unsustainable as his body naturally filled out into his big frame. It was amazing that he could come with a delivery so discombobulated and throw strikes, but he’s deceptive as all hell, even still. He just can’t get that delivery to wind up with enough strikes.
you realize if they hadn’t traded for him they never would have gotten Cabrera right?
Willis was actually a throw in to the deal. If the Tigers were going to be giving up so many prospects they wanted another player to be thrown in and unfortunatley it happend to be Willis.
Not exactly, DT 24. See my next post in reply to jwsox. There are some real misconceptions about how the Cabrera deal went down. DD really wanted Willis, but he didn’t HAVE to take him. They would not have given up Maybin and Miller both if Willis wasn’t included.
thats just not true
It is positively true. If Florida wanted to be rid of Willis, they only had to release him. The Tigers did not HAVE to take Willis to get the deal done. The Tigers inquired about Willis BEFORE Cabrera ever became available. There were reports during the World Series to that effect. DD also stated after the trade that they did not want to give up both Miller and Maybin for just Cabrera. He also said that they had scouted Willis throughout September and they were convinced that he had sorted everything out. They gave him $ 29 million to back up their scouting report. All true. Positively true.
Not exactly, DT 24. See my next post in reply to jwsox. There are some real misconceptions about how the Cabrera deal went down. DD really wanted Willis, but he didn’t HAVE to take him. They would not have given up Maybin and Miller both if Willis wasn’t included.
That is absolutely and conclusively false!
The Tigers did not HAVE to take Willis to get Cabrera. That’s pure bunk.
If the Marlins wanted to get rid of Willis, all they had to do was non tender him, and he was gone. He was not under contract. And they certainly did not have to give Willis a $ 29 million extension. They actually scouted him and thought he’d be a good pitcher for them. Their scouts just flat blew it. Same with the scouting reports on Renteria’s defense the same year.
Go back to Rotoworld or MLBTR and trace the stories as they came out in December of 2007. The Tigers inquired on Willis during the World Series, long before Cabrera was made available. They refused to part with Miller and Maybin for Cabrera alone, but when Willis was included by Florida, they gave up both of them, plus four more players. They took the first offer that the Marlins made rather than counter offer because three different clubs had publicly criticized Beinfest for “moving the goal posts” on deals for Cabrera.
I’m just curious, if your a Tigers fan, why are you following this story? Why do you care where Dontrelle Willis is now? This will be the 2nd team who has had him since your team released him.
Guess this is Tim Lincecum insurance.
Your response just made me yawn.
They mentioned tying to fix his mechanics. A funky pitcher with a funky delivery in need of help with his mechanics. Chris Lincecum just packed his bags and is headed for Fresno.
We need Juan Marichal!
I like this move, I feel like he could have a similar impact as Brad Penny had last year (Sanchez will be traded..) Good move just dont blow it sabes by trading bumgarner.
I will bet you my house that Willis won’t go 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA in six starts for the Giants as Penny did.
I’ll bet you my house and my boat.
alright, I’ll bookmark and check back in October…
He needs to be Rick Ankiel’d
And get on the juice?
Maybe the plan is to trade Dontrelle Willis for a lock of Corey Hart’s hair.
Maybe Dontrelle Willis should go to the St. Louis Cardinals. I bet Dave Duncan would be able to fix him like he’s fixed every other pitcher thats come to that team. He could retract his name as D-Train even.
Dontrelle has a delivery that was unsustainable once his body naturally filled out into his large frame. His wind up actually resulted in his head being thrown way back behind his center of gravity, and he came forward with his delivery with his head trailing his body by quite a bit. Nowadays, he’s had to resort to more of a “corkscrew” type of motion, trying to keep his patented high leg kick, but he’s not able to find the plate. He’s still about the most deceptive pitcher you’ll see, but his velocity is down because he doesn’t get the same momentum, and his accuracy just doesn’t exist. Once a hitter figures him out, it’s tee time. If anyone can sort him out, Duncan could, but there have been experts upon experts trying everything from pitching from the stretch to eliminating the kick. All the kings horses and all the kings men couldn’t put the D train on track again.
I was hoping to see him back in the Marlins organization. That’s the last place he had any kind of success, and you would think they know him best. It’s a shame it turned out the way it has for Willis.
I was hoping to see him back in the Marlins organization. That’s the last place he had any kind of success, and you would think they know him best. It’s a shame it turned out the way it has for Willis.
So.. How many uniforms does Dontrelle Willis have in his closet?
Five. Marlins, Tigers, Diamondbacks, Toledo Mudhens, and one of Sabrina’s.
Even more. Remember when the Tigers sent him to rookie ball. hahah thats got to be embarassing
he should join eric byrnes’ softball league
Five. Marlins, Tigers, Diamondbacks, Toledo Mudhens, and one of Sabrina’s.
So.. How many uniforms does Dontrelle Willis have in his closet?
I was kinda baffled by the move..I hope they are not going to trade Baum…Maybe they are going to trade Sanchez for Hart ..Im not sure what the plan is
I was kinda baffled by the move..I hope they are not going to trade Baum…Maybe they are going to trade Sanchez for Hart ..Im not sure what the plan is
64 posts (so far) and not one person has mentioned his debilitating anxiety disorder. Who’s to say that hasn’t played a bigger role in his downfall than his unorthodox mechanics? I’m not optimistic, but I would love to see him overcome his demons.
Dontrelle denied, after the 2009 season, that he had any sort of “anxiety disorder” and you’d be hard pressed to find many Tiger fans that bought into that, either. He was asked to accept an assignment to the minor leagues to sort out his pitching issues, and he refused. (So did Nate Robertson). So they come up with an excuse to put him on the DL.
He’s undergone treatment for the anxiety disorders, although neither he nor Tigers’ management wanted to talk about the specific diagnosis or treatment (other than blood tests and “therapy”). I understand that Tigers fans found that to be a pretty poor excuse, but the Rick Ankiels, Khalil Greenes, Mackey Sassers and Chuck Knoblauchs of the game do exist. If somebody is physically healthy, why would he just “lose it?”
He’s undergone treatment for the anxiety disorders, although neither he nor Tigers’ management wanted to talk about the specific diagnosis or treatment (other than blood tests and “therapy”). I understand that Tigers fans found that to be a pretty poor excuse, but the Rick Ankiels, Khalil Greenes, Mackey Sassers and Chuck Knoblauchs of the game do exist. If somebody is physically healthy, why would he just “lose it?”
Dontrelle denied, after the 2009 season, that he had any sort of “anxiety disorder” and you’d be hard pressed to find many Tiger fans that bought into that, either. He was asked to accept an assignment to the minor leagues to sort out his pitching issues, and he refused. (So did Nate Robertson). So they come up with an excuse to put him on the DL.
64 posts (so far) and not one person has mentioned his debilitating anxiety disorder. Who’s to say that hasn’t played a bigger role in his downfall than his unorthodox mechanics? I’m not optimistic, but I would love to see him overcome his demons.
well he’ll bring fans to the game. minor league games that is. lol
I was surprised by this move..I hope that Willis is able to turn it around. I believe that he is in there some where. Wish the Marlins would have gotten him as this was the team he last had success with. As someone commented earlier, the FO knows him the best.
All these comments and nobody yet has mentioned that the plan is to use him out of the bullpen? Theyre hoping he can fill in for the injured Runzler.
This is a go move. The Giants manager Bruce Bochy did mention on the “Bruce Bochy Show” that the team was in need for a left handed pitcher. He is our man out of the bullpen. Since Runzler is injuried, this could work. Good move. The Giants are in need of an impact bat. A bat that can keep up with Huff’s bat. Power, a true cleanup type.
Good move. Typo. Go GIANTS!
I can’t see Willis being dependable out of the pen. I always expect to see him break in half with those atrocious mechanics.
I can’t see Willis being dependable out of the pen. I always expect to see him break in half with those atrocious mechanics.
we bury him because as a tiger he hit the umpire more often than he hit his catchers.. unless the catcher was in the dugout he didnt have a chance to catch him