Motte Effective with Secondary Pitches

As everyone has read already, Jason Motte was using effective secondary pitches. This will help him land in the big league bullpen sooner than some thought.

Motte's story is interesting. He was a late round pick as a catcher. While his arm was good, he couldn't hit. So the Cardinals moved him to the mound. He can hit the high 90s with his fastball. The knock has been his other pitches - or lack there of. He can get by in the minors with only 1 pitch, but big league hitters will be harder to get out when they know a fastball is coming.

He was working with Chris Carpenter last year and made some strides in Memphis. His cup of coffee with the Cards was impressive last September.

It's too soon to annoint him closer, which Tony is quick to point out. I don't think he's a better option than Chris Perez in the long run, but having options doesn't hurt anything.