Bobby Cassevah

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #24 prospect in 2011
  The Angels had a total of six relievers selected in the 2008 through 2010 major league Rule 5 drafts. Darren O'Day (Rangers by way of Mets) and David Herndon (Phillies) stuck with their drafting teams, while Bobby Mosebach (Phillies) and Cassevah (Athletics) ultimately returned to Los Angeles. The Rangers and Yankees have until April to decide what to do with 2010 picks Mason Tobin and Robert Fish. Cassevah may be the most extreme groundball pitcher in the minors. From a three-quarters arm slot, Cassevah throws strikes with a plus 90-91 mph sinker and a mid-80s slider. However, he doesn't miss many bats and got hit harder than ever before in a full-season league last year. The Angels believe the remedy could be his splitter, which has swing-and-miss potential, but he hasn't mastered his arm speed on the pitch. Cassevah joined several rookie relievers in the Los Angeles bullpen after the all-star break last year and proved useful in a limited role, holding righthanders to six hits in 39 at-bats (.154). Lefties tagged him for a .386 average, so he'll need to master his splitter to be more than a situational option.
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  Ranked Oakland Athletics #26 prospect in 2010
  Coming off a season in which he was one of the Texas League's best relievers, the Angels expected they might lose Cassevah when they left him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft last December. Sure enough, the A's popped him. Now they have to keep him on their big league roster throughout 2010, and if they can't then they'll have to place him on waivers and offer him back to Los Angeles for half his $50,000 draft price. Cassevah's primary weapon is a heavy 92-94 mph sinker. He can pepper the bottom of the zone with the sinker, as evidenced by his 4.0 groundout/airout ratio in Double-A last year. He also features a splitter and a slider, both of which are average offerings. The splitter gives him a strikeout pitch, but he has a tendency to fall too much in love with his slider. He struggles somewhat against lefthanders, who hit .295 against him last year compared to .199 for righties. His biggest obstacle to finding a niche in Oakland is his control, as he gets himself in trouble with walks. He could be a serviceable middle reliever as a rookie if he throws enough strikes.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #28 prospect in 2005
  Knowing first-round pick Jered Weaver would be a chore to sign, scouting director Eddie Bane took a number of calculated risks on highly regarded but highly unsignable players late in the 2004 draft. Corner infielder Mark Trumbo (18th round, $1.425 million) and righthander Nick Adenhart (14th round, $710,000) were the most prominent members of that group, which also included Cassevah. He projected as a third-rounder before spraining his elbow as a quarterback during spring football practice in high school in 2003. He had Tommy John surgery in October 2003, and though he didn't pitch as a senior, Louisiana State offered him a scholarship. Undeterred, the Angels took Cassevah in the 34th round and after Bane and area scout/minor league manager Tom Kotchman saw that he had regained enough velocity and feel, they signed him for $175,000. Cassevah continued his rehab in instructional league, where he struck out two of the first three batters he faced. Pitching at about 80 percent, he was up to 87 mph and showed a breaking ball with threequarter tilt. He also threw a changeup. Most significant, his control and savvy were similar to what he showed prior to surgery. Cassevah was aggressive in his rehab, an indication of his competitive makeup and work ethic. He's slated to begin the season in extended spring training before making his pro debut at Provo.