Q&A: Mike Pelfrey
Mike Pelfrey spent the winter on a cruise to the Bahamas, buying a new house in Wichita, Kansas, and gambling in Las Vegas. Now he’s ready to compete with Philip Humber, Chan Ho Park, Aaron Sele and Jason Vargas among others for a spot in the rotation.
Here’s a Q&A with Pelfrey from earlier today at the team’s Port St. Lucie complex:
Q: What’s your mindset coming into spring training?
A: I thought realistically last year I didn’t have a chance to make the team. There’s a spot open, so there’s opportunity now. I’m just going out to get better, do my best, compete and hopefully win a job.
Q: How did you progress as the year went on? You had trouble at times throwing the breaking ball, a curveball for strikes.
A: I thought I did get better. I went to the Fall League and developed a slider. I don’t think it’s anywhere close to where I want it to be, but I definitely made progress and definitely got more comfortable with it. I also worked on a changeup a lot out there. I thought that got better, too.
Q: So no more curveball?
A: Right. I started throwing the slider.
Q: You left the Arizona Fall League with back trouble. How’s that now?
A: I’m feeling good. I’m ready to go out and compete and do my best and see what happens. It was nothing serious. And my arm was tired. They just said, Hey, anything bothers you this late in the year, there’s no need to be playing. So they told me to go home and rest and get ready for spring training.
Q: And now you’re here a few days early.
A: I’m just trying to get back into it and get myself ready so I can compete and get ready to hopefully win the job.
Q: What do you think of your chances to make the rotation?
A: I don’t really know what’s going to happen. I’m just one of the seven guys who are going to compete. I’m just going to go out and do my best and whatever happens, happens.
Q: How did you do in Vegas?
A: I got tired of losing money. I think the second day all I did was shop.
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