Q. Is he the real deal? Will he survive the AL transition?
A. He is absolutely the real deal, yes. The league transition will be zero issue for him.
Comps: Start with George Sherrill, or even more to the point, Sid Fernandez -- but you have to move on from there.
Fuentes has the same 90+ fastball, razor-sharp lefty slider whipsaw as those two, and he has the deceptive delivery also.
Difference with Fuentes, vs. Sherrill, is that he does not have to "short-arm" the ball to achieve his deception. He can extend his elbow on the backstroke more than Sherrill, and of course that means he gets more velocity.
So, think GS52, plus 2-3 mph on the fastball, and plus a closer's swagger. Would you have any problem with George Sherrill closing, if he threw even harder than he does, and if he had J.J. Putz' makeup?
Brian Fuentes can get three guys out when you want him to.
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