Seth Rosin was trying to concentrate on a literature final, but his dad kept calling. He was following December's Rule 5 draft via Twitter and was excited when he saw that his son had been picked up by the Dodgers, who traded for him from the New York Mets. The Mets had picked Rosin off the Philadelphia Phillies' roster in the Rule 5 draft.
"That," Rosin said, "was a good day."
Rosin finished his business and marketing degree at the University of Minnesota, fulfilling a promise to his mother, then traveled to Los Angeles for a clinic the Dodgers organized for some of their top pitching prospects. The scene shifted to Arizona a few weeks later and now Rosin, 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, is trying to live up to the promise of his powerful right arm. A former fourth-round draft pick, the 25-year old has never pitched above the Double-A level.
"I feel like I've gotten a lot better in the last month-and-a-half and I'm going to try my best to squeeze on this team, no matter what that role is," Rosin said.
It's not out of the question either. If Rosin doesn't make the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, they could lose him back to the Phillies or to another team via waivers. They're intrigued enough that they figure to give him a long look this spring as a bullpen possibility. Chuck Crim, the team's bullpen coach, has been working with Rosin on incorporating his lower half into his delivery.
"I've always had coaches tell me, 'If you can use that lower half, it's going to be something special,'" Rosin said. "I'm waking up with a sore back leg, so it must be doing something."