Non Roster Invitee: Todd Wellemeyer – Giants

Cardinals pitcher Todd WellemeyerTodd Wellemeyer reports to Giants camp hoping to return to 2008 form. Thus far it’s been a success and while Madison Bumgarner, 20,  is currently listed as the teams fifth starter his stats this spring have done nothing to etch that into stone.

Two years ago Wellemeyer, 31, won 13 games for the St. Louis Cardinals with a 3.71 ERA. Wellemeyer stands to earn up to $1.5 million should he win the spot as the teams fifth starter.

Thus farn the right hander has allowed 2 runs and 10 hits over 9 innings of work. Not known for being a strike out artist he’s amassed just one K but has also allowed just one walk.

While spring numbers can be hard to read due to the sample size and the questionable talent of the opposition there’s another thing working in Wellemeyers favor this spring.

Team officials see Wellemeyer as a potential long reliever if he does not win a rotation spot, but he wants to start. He said his contract includes a clause that requires the Giants to tell him by a certain date toward the end of spring training what his role will be. If he does not like what he hears, he can opt out and sign with another team.

With that card in hand Wellemeyer almost certainly fits into the Giants plans for 2010 in some capacity. While it’s looking like it may be as the fifth starter I don’t know how much interest there would be in Wellemeyer by other clubs as an end of the rotation option should he opt out of his contract just before the season starts but it’s likely someone would pick him up should he keep up his current line.

Wellemeyer probably isn’t the be all end all solution for the Giants but we’re talking about the fifth starter here so he doesn’t have to be. He simply needs to go out every fifth day give the club five to six innings, not be a bullpen killer and hopefully he keeps them in the game.

In seven professional seasons he’s 29-29 with a 4.74 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP in 195 games including 64 starts.

Non-Roster Invitees
Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
53 Denny Bautista R/R 6-5 190 08/23/80
46 Santiago Casilla R/R 6-0 200 07/25/80
63 Craig Clark L/L 6-2 200 07/09/84
64 Rafael Cova R/R 6-2 175 03/05/82
65 Steve Edlefsen S/R 6-2 180 06/27/85
66 Eric Hacker S/R 6-1 210 03/26/83
56 Osiris Matos R/R 6-1 200 08/06/84
59 Guillermo Mota R/R 6-5 235 07/25/73
51 Tony Pena R/R 6-2 180 03/23/81
70 Felix Romero R/R 6-2 200 06/18/80
71 Clayton Tanner R/L 6-1 200 12/05/87
71 Daniel Turpen R/R 6-4 230 08/17/86
37 Todd Wellemeyer R/R 6-3 225 08/30/78
74 Craig Whitaker R/R 6-4 210 11/19/84
Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
32 Steve Holm R/R 6-0 205 10/21/79
76 Johnny Monell L/R 5-11 205 03/27/86
77 Hector Sanchez S/R 6-0 185 11/17/89
73 Jackson Williams R/R 5-11 200 05/14/86
Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB
78 Ehire Adrianza S/R 6-1 165 08/21/89
79 Brandon Crawford L/R 6-2 200 01/21/87
84 Jesus Guzman R/R 6-1 215 06/14/84
80 Nick Noonan L/R 6-0 180 05/04/89
Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB
81 Wendell Fairley L/R 6-2 195 03/17/88
82 Roger Kieschnick L/R 6-3 215 01/21/87
83 Thomas Neal R/R 6-1 225 08/17/87
John Boarman
John Boarmanhttp://www.tireball.com
Founder and Owner of Tireball Sports.

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