Chick: Quality arm, but a long way from helping Mariners

Travis Chick, the player the Mariners received from Cincinnati in the Eddie Guardado trade, is a long way from helping a major league team, according to scouts who have seen him play.

Chick, a 6-foot-3 right-hander, has a career minor league record of 19-19 with a 4.32 ERA.

"He's a good kid who has decent stuff," said a National League scout. "I've seen him hit 92 (mph) on the gun in starts but the past two seasons he's been 89-91 with his fastball. He probably won't be able to sustain the strikeout rates to that level, but he's a nice arm with a chance to be a No. 4 or 5 (starter)."

Chick also possesses a slider and a changeup, though neither grades as more than average.

"Like most pitchers, he's had to find a comfortable velocity where he can throw his fastball for strikes," said the scout. "He's had to back off a little bit and that always makes a pitch more hittable. There's not enough sink to it right now for him to become a true groundball pitcher -- which would explain his home run rates."

Chick has surrendered 12 home runs in 84 innings this season at Double-A Chattanooga, the Reds' Southern League affiliate, but has struck out 77 batters and allowed just 79 hits while posting a 4.61 ERA in 16 starts.

"He's probably going to be that type of pitcher," another NL scout said. "He'll pick up some strikeouts, probably in the league average range, but also give up the long ball some. His change could really help him out, though. But it's a work-in-progress and overall, Chick is a work-in-progress, too."

Being traded at midseason is nothing new to Chick, having been dealt in July for three consecutive seasons. In 2004 he was sent from the Marlins to San Diego for right-hander Ismael Valdes, and last summer the Reds traded third baseman Joe Randa for Chick and pitcher Justin Germano.

Now, after being shipped to Seattle, Chick will join his fourth organization in four years, but the fact that he hasn't remained with any of his first three clubs is not a sign that he's anything but a useful, wanted commodity.

"He's one of those tweener arms," said a scout from one of Chick's former teams. "He's not a premium starting pitching talent, so when teams ask about him, he's always expendable. But on the other hand, he's a quality arm that has a chance to help in the majors. Clubs are always looking to get those kinds of pitchers for little or nothing."

Chick's success depends on how much he can improve his secondary pitches, particularly his changeup, while sharpening his command and tightening the spin on his slider.

"If he can somehow turn that below-average change into a major league pitch, he'd have the ability to get through a lineup at least one full time," one scout said. "I've seen him cruise through four and then run into trouble time and time again. When batters aren't chasing his slider, he tends to struggle. ...

"The good thing is, he's just 22 and has that time. It would be surprising to not see him at least crack someone's bullpen in a few years. He's built like you want a pitcher to be built. Physically, he's what teams look for."

CHICK FILE

The Mariners obtained minor league pitcher Travis Chick from the Reds in the Eddie Guardado deal. Chick was rated the Reds' 10th-best prospect by Baseball America magazine.

AGE: 22; Born June 10, 1984

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-3, 220

SCHOOL: Whitehouse HS (Texas)

DRAFTED: By the Florida Marlins in 2002 (14th round)

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