MOISES ROBLES

4/17/84; NDFA '03 (New York Mets); Dominican Republic
R/R; 6-2, 170

Level
W-L-Sv
G
GS
IP
H
 HR
BB
K
 BB/9
K/9
WHIP
OAVG
ERA
2004 DSL (NYM)
1-1-8
15
1
24.1
17
 0
5
19
 1.9
7.0
0.90
.185
0.74
2005 DSL (NYM) 
4-3-3
19
4
39.2
53
 2
15
32
 3.4
7.3
1.71
.312
5.45
2006 DSL (NYM)
1-2-6
19
1
30.0
23
 0
6
28
 1.8
8.4
0.97
.215
0.60
2007 A-
4-9-0
13
13
64.2
74
 2
9
34
 1.3
4.7
1.28
.287
4.59
2008 AA
1-1-0
13
0
18.2
28
2
5
10
2.4
4.8
1.77
.359
6.27
2008 A+
1-1-6
18
0
21.1
31
3
3
8
1.3
3.4
1.59
.333
3.80
2008 A
1-1-6
19
0
27.0
23
2
1
19
0.3
6.3
0.89
.228
2.00
2009 AA
1-0-0
6
0
8.1
12
3
2
7
2.2
7.6
1.68
.333
6.48
2009 A+
0-2-0
28
0
42.2
48
4
7
26
1.5
5.5
1.29
.287
4.43

The Pirates picked Robles up from the Mets in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.   Along with Emilis Guerrero and Carlos Amaro, Robles was part of a practice of acquiring pitchers, usually from Latin America, to serve as lower level organizational pitchers rather than signing undrafted college seniors, which was the practice under the previous regime until 2007.  It could also simply indicate the increased role of Rene Gayo, the team's director of international scouting.  The bottom line is that the Pirates' poor drafting and unwillingness to compete for the better Latin American talent under Dave Littlefield left the lower levels of their system very thin, so they've had to turn to undrafted free agents and other systems' rejects to fill out the rosters.  Robles pitched very well in the DSL in 2006, but considering his age it doesn't mean much.  He had to have been under contract for several years prior to 2004 to have been eligible for the Rule 5 draft.  It's possible he missed a lot of time due to injury.  Robles spent 2007 in the State College rotation and wasn't very effective.  He walked few batters, had a very low K rate, and gave up a lot of hits.  He's a flyball pitcher, or at least he was at State College (0.92 GO/AO).  He throws his fastball 91-93.  He also throws a changeup, but he lacks a swing-and-miss pitch, as his very low K rates show.

Robles opened 2008 in the Hickory bullpen and ultimately filled in at both Lynchburg and Altoona.  He was effective at Hickory, not as much at Lynchburg, and overmatched at Altoona.  The basic pattern remained:  lots of hits and few walks or Ks.  He did keep the ball on the ground more, except at Altoona, and he didn't allow many hits while he was at Hickory.  In fact, it might have been best to leave him there.  The Pirates sent him to the Hawaii Winter League, so they may regard him as more than an organizational pitcher.  Robles was slated to head for Altoona in 2009, but opened the season injured.  Once he was healthy he pitched mainly at Lynchburg, with a couple of brief stints at Altoona.  He was pretty much the same pitcher, allowing a lot of hits and not walking or striking out many.  He shouldn't be a minor league free agent for another year, so he'll probably open 2009 at Altoona or Bradenton.

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