Drafted in the 23rd round (678th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1998.
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Not only did the Red Sox add Alan Embree from San Diego in June, but they also got more bullpen help by getting Shibilo in the deal. One of several Padres reclamation prospects from independent ball, Shibilo cuts an imposing figure on the mound at 6-foot-7. His velocity dipped slightly to 90-93 mph in 2002, yet he remained effective because his fastball has late sinking life. He gets inside on batters, breaking bats and generating ugly swings. His slider is solid average and gives him a second plus pitch at times. Shibilo further helps himself by being stingy with walks and homers. His biggest weakness is a slow delivery that makes him an easy target for stolen bases, but his funky motion also makes him hard to hit, so the Red Sox don't want to adjust it too much. He toys with a splitter and throws an occasional changeup, but for the most part he's a fastball/slider pitcher. Spring training will determine whether he begins 2003 in Triple-A or the majors.
The Padres have uncovered several relief prospects in independent leagues. Last year, David Lundquist reached the majors and J.J. Trujillo tied for the minor league lead with 66 appearances. San Diego also is excited about fall signee Matt Hampton. But the best of the crop is Shibilo, an Atlantic League refugee who previously spent two years in the Cardinals system. He was signed out of a tryout camp last March because he demonstrated considerable arm strength, and it never waned. Shibilo's fastball remained at 91-94 mph throughout 2001 and he topped out at 93-96 mph game in and game out. He also has a nasty slider with average to plus velocity and two-plane break, and if he masters the splitter he's working on he could be closer material. Shibilo led the California League in appearances and won its joint all-star game against the Carolina League. After earning a spot on the 40-man roster, he'll probably start 2002 in Double-A but could advance quickly.
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