Andrew Carignan
| IP | 16 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.5 |
| WHIP | 1.75 |
| BB/9 | 6.75 |
| SO/9 | 7.313 |
- Full name Gary Andrew Carignan
- Born 07/23/1986 in New London, CT
- Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School North Carolina
- Debut 09/02/2011
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Drafted in the 5th round (180th overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2007 (signed for $126,900).
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Leads were typically safe for Carolina when Andrew Carignan came in as the team's closer. He has a 92-94 mph fastball, but it's quick as opposed to heavy velocity. At 5-foot-11, he has a tough time creating a downward plane on his pitches, and his fastball lacks movement, especially when it's up in the zone. But he does have some deception, and his fastball tends to get on hitters before they're expecting it, leading to swings and misses. He effectively pitches to both sides of the plate, and he shows aggressiveness and guts, challenging hitters and working ahead in counts. He throws a couple of varieties of breaking balls, neither of which shows much of a defined shape, and mixes in a cutter that comes in at 86-87 mph and has good running action away from righthanded hitters. His changeup is below-average, and he tends to tip it by slowing his arm speed. Clubs have seen plenty of Carignan, and he's been a consistent performer at the back of the bullpen for a prominent college program, factors that enhance his value. He could be taken as high as the fourth round.
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Carignan looked like he was on his way to establishing himself in the major league bullpen after he made four straight scoreless appearances following a May callup. But injuries have dogged him throughout his pro career, and his latest setback was his most serious as he tore an elbow ligament and needed Tommy John surgery. He previously had missed most of the 2009 season with forearm problems, followed by surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow. When healthy, Carignan features a lively 93-97 mph fastball and a hard, sharp slider. The A's have toyed with having him throw a curveball, but he prefers the slider. He also has a usable changeup but employs it sparingly. Carignan had made progress with calming the violence in his delivery, which improved the command of his pitches but didn't keep him healthy. He has the upside of a late-inning reliever, but the A's will have to see how well his stuff comes back. They outrighted him off the 40-man roster in November. Carignan should get back on the mound by mid-2013 if his rehab stays on schedule. -
Andrew Bailey was Carignan's set-up man at Double-A Midland in 2008. While Bailey has gone on to become an all-star closer in Oakland, Carignan's career got stuck in neutral. He missed most of 2009 due to soreness in his forearm, followed by surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow. He returned to the mound in 2010 but wasn't the same, then had to fight through a pulled oblique muscle early in 2011. After all of his time on the sidelines, he emerged last season as a more polished pitcher, and he rocketed from high Class A to the majors. Carignan has a 94-96 mph with late life at 94-96 mph. More of a thrower in the past, he now shows a much better understanding of using a gameplan and executing pitches. He also does a better job of staying on line in his delivery, maintaining a consistent release point and moving the ball around the zone. He complements his heater with a knockout slider at 84-86 mph and a decent changeup that he isn't afraid to mix in. After breaking through last season, Carignan will enter 2012 with a chance to make Oakland's bullpen. -
The closer for the North Carolina squads that made it to the College World Series in 2006 and 2007, Carignan looked like he was on the fast track to the big leagues when he reaching Double-A in his first full pro season. That fast track took a detour last season, when he came down with a sore forearm in spring training and never saw regular action, though he avoided surgery. He was back on the mound in the fall and should be fine going forward. Carignan's main pitch is a fastball that sits at 92-93 mph and peaks at 94. The A's switched him from a slider to a curveball, which comes in hard with 12-to-6 break. He also has a straight changeup. Oakland gives Carignan high marks for his toughness and swagger on the mound. He has a little deception in his delivery, though at 5-foot-11, he doesn't generate much downhill plane. Provided he stays healthy, Carignan should advance to Triple-A in 2010 and could get a big league look before the end of the season. -
An all-state baseball and soccer player as a Connecticut high schooler, Carignan was the closer on North Carolina teams that went to back-to-back College World Series finals in 2006 and 2007. His great-grandfather, Augustine "Lefty" Dugas, was a big league outfielder from 1930-34. Carignan is on his way to joining him as a major leaguer, reaching Double-A after just 23 pro innings and posting a 2.01 ERA in his first two years as a pro. His best pitch is a 91-96 mph fastball. He mostly works off his fastball and slider, though he mixed in a curveball last season to give batters another look. His delivery provides some deception, but his fastball doesn't have much movement and at 5-foot-11 he doesn't get much downward plane. He made some progress with his fastball command, but overall he showed below-average control in 2008, walking 6.3 batters per nine innings. Carignan finished the season without allowing a run in 11 of his 12 Arizona Fall League appearances and should begin 2009 in the Triple-A Sacramento bullpen. -
The A's were obviously focused on taking college arms that could move quickly in the 2007 draft, taking pitchers in three of the first five rounds. They nabbed Carignan in the fifth round for $126,900. Carignan's great-grandfather, Augustine "Lefty" Dugas, was an outfielder in the big leagues from 1930-34. Carignan racked up 33 saves in his last two seasons to help North Carolina reach back-to-back College World Series finals, using his 92-94 mph fastball, two slurvy breaking balls and changeup. Carignan gets good velocity on his fastball, but it lacks true natural life. But he's shown the ability to cut it, run it or elevate effectively in the zone at times. He commands the fastball to both sides of the plate and is seemingly always working ahead in counts. Carignan throws two different types of breaking balls, though neither one has much definition at this point. His changeup is below-average, and it's easy to pick up because of how much his arm speed decreases. He was effective in his pro debut but needs to develop a breaking ball to induce ground balls on a consistent basis. He'll likely move to high Class A for his first full season.
