Chad Harville

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Oakland Athletics #11 prospect in 2004
  A dominant Triple-A performance and promising outings in the majors last year have returned Harville to the A's bullpen mix for 2004. Because he's out of options, he'll either have to make the Oakland roster or risk being lost on waivers. With Chad Bradford the only established righthander in the A's relief corps, Harville has a good shot at earning a set-up job. When he first came to the A's, he was a young blazer with a fastball that hit 97 mph and a propensity to throw it thigh-high instead of at the knees. After seven years of experience, he has developed a sinker in the low 90s, and still occasionally busts a 95 mph four-seamer. He also has added a slow curve to mess with hitters' timing. Command has never been his strong suit, and he has had problems throwing strikes during his various stints with Oakland. Harville also has a history of injuries, including rotator-cuff tendinitis in 2001 and elbow inflammation in 2002.
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  Ranked Oakland Athletics #13 prospect in 2003
  Almost from the day he signed, the A's looked upon Harville as their closer of the future. But a series of injuries keeps pushing the future further away. He burst into the majors in 1999, but he couldn't stick in Oakland when his 98 mph fastball stayed too high in the strike zone. He went to spring training in 2001 expecting to land a bullpen job, then wound up on the 60-day disabled list with tendinitis in his rotator cuff. He could have made the A's bullpen last year, but Oakland's depth forced him back to Triple-A, where he went down with a sore arm at midseason. If Harville can manage to remain healthy, he still owns the talent to become a dominant big league reliever, but he's no longer a young phenom. He still hits 95 mph regularly, though he's relying more on his sinking two-seamer than on his four-seamer. He has added a slow curveball so hitters have more trouble reading the speed on his fastball. He'll try once again to make the Oakland bullpen this spring, with his health and command the keys to his success.
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  Ranked Oakland Athletics #3 prospect in 2002
  Harville tasted the majors barely two years after signing, then went through a bit of a lull. He came to spring training last year shooting for a job on the big league roster, only to land on the 60-day disabled list instead with a strained rotator cuff. He used the down time to develop a smoother delivery to reduce the strain on his shoulder. Harville threw 98 mph when he signed, but the injury and refined motion have dropped him to 95, albeit with better movement on his four-seam fastball. He also has a plus slider, giving him two hard pitches that could make him a major league closer. Last year he added both a low-90s two-seamer and a slow curveball, making it more difficult for hitters to sit on his hard stuff. He had a problem throwing his four-seam fastball at the knees, as it often would arrive thigh-high, but the difficulty was less pronounced after he expanded his repertoire. He's still learning to use all four pitches together. Oakland has been waiting three years for Harville to refine his skills and bring his heat to the majors on a full-time basis. He'll compete for a set-up job this spring.
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  Ranked Oakland Athletics #8 prospect in 2001
  Harville reached Oakland in 1999 but has been unable to stick in the big leagues. He earned all-Conference USA honors as both a reliever and a starter but has pitched primarily out of the bullpen since joining the A's. He has excelled in that role, leading Pacific Coast League relievers in strikeouts per nine innings (10.83) last season. Harville can launch his fastball at 98 mph, and he complements it with an above-average slider. He has the makeup and confidence needed to become a major league closer. Heat alone is not enough to dominate big league hitters, though, as Harville found out during his brief stint in Oakland. He fires too many of his fastballs up in the strike zone and is trying to master a sinking two-seamer to give him another weapon. He was slow to make either adjustment in 2000. His violent delivery concerns scouts, but he has remained healthy. Harville again will go to spring training competing for a job in the Oakland bullpen, though Jason Isringhausen is the unquestioned closer now. If Harville can make the necessary improvements, he will be a quality reliever.
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  Ranked Oakland Athletics #4 prospect in 1999
  Background: A two-time all-Conference USA selection at the University of Memphis, Harville struck out 136 in 102 innings his junior year. At Visalia last season, he worked both as a starter and reliever, then moved exclusively to the bullpen after a promotion to Huntsville. Strengths: Harville throws 98-mph gas and a hard, late-breaking slider in the high 80s. He has only two pitches, but both are considered plus by scouts. In addition, A's officials believe he has the makeup, confidence and control to be a closer. Weaknesses: Every scout has an intense fear of short righthanders, and Harville will have to spend his career defying these preconceptions. He must also develop better consistency with his slider, which tends to flatten out at times and become hittable. The Future: Harville is firmly established in the bullpen, and that is where the A's expect to keep him. He will have a shot at making the Triple-A team this spring.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Texas League #7 prospect in 1999
  Harville also left the league early, but he showcased his talent as the RockHounds' closer. His high-90s fastball alone makes him formidable. "He can throw the heck out of the ball," Maloney said. But Harville's slider, a high-80s pitch with a sharp break, is what differentiates him from many other hard throwers. Plenty of minor league closers rack up impressive statistics with less than impressive ability. TL managers believe Harville combines the ability and attitude to dominate the late innings at the big league level. "He has the makeup to be a quality major league closer," DeFrancesco said. "He's competitive and has the fastball and slider."

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #95 prospect in 1999

• December, 1998 Scouting Report
  Background: A two-time all-Conference USA selection at the University of Memphis, Harville struck out 136 in 102 innings his junior year. At Visalia last season, he worked both as a starter and reliever, then moved exclusively to the bullpen after a promotion to Huntsville. Strengths: Harville throws 98-mph gas and a hard, late-breaking slider in the high 80s. He has only two pitches, but both are considered plus by scouts. In addition, A's officials believe he has the makeup, confidence and control to be a closer. Weaknesses: Every scout has an intense fear of short righthanders, and Harville will have to spend his career defying these preconceptions. He must also develop better consistency with his slider, which tends to flatten out at times and become hittable. The Future: Harville is firmly established in the bullpen, and that is where the A's expect to keep him. He will have a shot at making the Triple-A team this spring.