Sometimes, the best scouting reports come from a teammate.
Troy Patton, the left-hander who was part of the Miguel Tejada trade, says fans here will find out soon that the biggest "surprise" of the deal is reliever Dennis Sarfate.
"He has absolutely electric stuff," Patton said. "I saw him touch 101 [mph] in St. Louis, the hardest I've ever seen anyone throw in a game in person. He's a guy they're going to absolutely love. He's exciting to watch - a big, strong kid like [Kyle] Farnsworth. I think you all will really be impressed with him."
The knock on Sarfate has been poor command, but he walked one and struck out 14 in 8 1/3 innings with the Houston Astros this past season. If he throws strikes consistently, he could make this trade look even better - and it's already getting good reviews.
roch.kubatko@baltsun.com
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