SoxProspects News
|
|
|
|
Legal
Forum Ground Rules
The views expressed by the members of this Forum do not necessarily reflect the views of SoxProspects, LLC.
© 2003-2024 SoxProspects, LLC
|
|
|
|
|
Forum Home | Search | My Profile | Messages | Members | Help |
Welcome Guest. Please Login or Register.
|
Post by pkelly491 on Apr 24, 2013 22:26:14 GMT -5
It's not like we have a former 1st round pick manning 3B every day for Portland...
Oh wait...
Haha. Obviously Cecchini will trump Vitek at Portland. I expect him to be there mid-season. He's probably ready now.
|
|
|
Post by gatortough on Apr 25, 2013 7:44:39 GMT -5
The only question is what do you do with Almanzar. Guy is raking right now. Full time 1B?
|
|
|
Post by rjp313jr on Apr 25, 2013 8:33:51 GMT -5
If he continues to hit thru June, I certainly hope they move him up to Portland by the 4th of July. I'm sure people want to see more power (home runs), but as long as he's contributing in all phases of the game, and driving the ball to the gaps then I don't care about the HRs. They'll either come with physical maturity or they won't. Nothing wrong with a 15 hr hitter who bats over .300, gets on same and hits a bunch of doubles. I'm very anxious to see him vs legit competition in AA. Until then, we really only know what we already know: he's very good against young unpolished pitching.
|
|
|
Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 25, 2013 8:57:49 GMT -5
The only question is what do you do with Almanzar. Guy is raking right now. Full time 1B? Could easily do the 1B-3B-DH rotation that we thought they were going to do w/ Shaw-TDH-Vitek for half a season. That said, Cecchini needs the reps at 3B and that might keep him in Salem a bit longer.
|
|
|
Post by rjp313jr on Apr 25, 2013 13:06:02 GMT -5
The only question is what do you do with Almanzar. Guy is raking right now. Full time 1B? Could easily do the 1B-3B-DH rotation that we thought they were going to do w/ Shaw-TDH-Vitek for half a season. That said, Cecchini needs the reps at 3B and that might keep him in Salem a bit longer. I hope 3b reps doesn't hold him back. The development of his bat, is more important. Even if it weren't there's little reason they can't find plenty of field time for him in AA even with Shaw and Almanzar there. Those two can rotate between 1b/Dh... you can give Almanzar 1 of every 5 games at 3b... Besides that one of those two could be ready for AAA at that point. There is no way I'd slow Cecchini's development in any way shape or form due to "roster" concerns. If you felt Shaw needed another month or two in AA prior to moving him to AAA then you can do the 1b/dh rotation no problem for that period.
|
|
|
Post by Matt Huegel on Apr 25, 2013 15:16:16 GMT -5
If he continues to hit thru June, I certainly hope they move him up to Portland by the 4th of July. I'm sure people want to see more power (home runs), but as long as he's contributing in all phases of the game, and driving the ball to the gaps then I don't care about the HRs. They'll either come with physical maturity or they won't. Nothing wrong with a 15 hr hitter who bats over .300, gets on same and hits a bunch of doubles. I'm very anxious to see him vs legit competition in AA. Until then, we really only know what we already know: he's very good against young unpolished pitching. Right, of course. That's what you hope he grows into, with a ceiling of a 20 HR guy. The thing is, he hit four last year. I'm not saying it won't develop, or even that our scouts don't project it to, but there's still a big gap between four and 15, and he needs to prove the power is developing to that point before we can even assume he'll hit that many.
|
|
radiohix
Veteran
'At the end of the day, we bang. We bang. We're going to swing.' Alex Verdugo
Posts: 6,261
|
Post by radiohix on Apr 25, 2013 15:21:18 GMT -5
Could easily do the 1B-3B-DH rotation that we thought they were going to do w/ Shaw-TDH-Vitek for half a season. That said, Cecchini needs the reps at 3B and that might keep him in Salem a bit longer. I hope 3b reps doesn't hold him back. The development of his bat, is more important. Even if it weren't there's little reason they can't find plenty of field time for him in AA even with Shaw and Almanzar there. Those two can rotate between 1b/Dh... you can give Almanzar 1 of every 5 games at 3b... Besides that one of those two could be ready for AAA at that point. There is no way I'd slow Cecchini's development in any way shape or form due to "roster" concerns. If you felt Shaw needed another month or two in AA prior to moving him to AAA then you can do the 1b/dh rotation no problem for that period. I think you're forgeting Vitek who plays exclusively 3 Base.
|
|
|
Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 25, 2013 15:24:54 GMT -5
I hope 3b reps doesn't hold him back. The development of his bat, is more important. Even if it weren't there's little reason they can't find plenty of field time for him in AA even with Shaw and Almanzar there. Those two can rotate between 1b/Dh... you can give Almanzar 1 of every 5 games at 3b... Besides that one of those two could be ready for AAA at that point. There is no way I'd slow Cecchini's development in any way shape or form due to "roster" concerns. If you felt Shaw needed another month or two in AA prior to moving him to AAA then you can do the 1b/dh rotation no problem for that period. I think you're forgeting Vitek No, I'm not. He's pretty clearly a bench player in Double-A right now. Has only played three of last 10 games for Portland, and I'm not hearing that he's hurt at all.
|
|
|
Post by elguapo on Apr 25, 2013 15:37:14 GMT -5
That's what you hope he grows into, with a ceiling of a 20 HR guy. The thing is, he hit four last year. I'm not saying it won't develop, or even that our scouts don't project it to, but there's still a big gap between four and 15, and he needs to prove the power is developing to that point before we can even assume he'll hit that many. He has already his two this year and added muscle in the offseason. But really, he had 46 xbh last year (good) and already has 8 this year (better), and that's a larger sample showing he's driving the ball with authority. How many ultimately clear the fence in the majors assuming things continue on trajectory ... kind of a crap shoot.
|
|
|
Post by Matt Huegel on Apr 25, 2013 15:44:03 GMT -5
He has already his two this year and added muscle in the offseason. But really, he had 46 xbh last year (good) and already has 8 this year (better), and that's a larger sample showing he's driving the ball with authority. How many ultimately clear the fence in the majors assuming things continue on trajectory ... kind of a crap shoot. Yeah, I get that and am optimistic myself. My only point was that 15 home runs is a pretty nice projection for him, and that that is not his floor in terms of power.
|
|
|
Post by chavopepe2 on Apr 25, 2013 16:54:09 GMT -5
Alex Gordon is the guy that keeps popping into my head. Both bat left/throw right. Decent power/speed combo, but not spectacular in either. Excellent contact and on base skills.
|
|
|
Post by jdb on Apr 25, 2013 17:23:22 GMT -5
Agree on the Gordon comp. Also lets not forget he was coming off wrist surgery last year and it more than likely effected his power.
|
|
|
Post by bentossaurus on Apr 25, 2013 20:54:55 GMT -5
I'm still hanging on my Chase Headley pre-2012 power outburst comp. Would most definitely prefer the Gordon comp to come through though.
|
|
|
Post by gregblossersbelly on Apr 25, 2013 21:00:19 GMT -5
Alex Gordon is the guy that keeps popping into my head. Both bat left/throw right. Decent power/speed combo, but not spectacular in either. Excellent contact and on base skills. Could he also move to LF like Gordon. Have to think WMB straightens himself out. Don't really have a corner OF bat if Xander stays at SS. Not a big fan of Brentz.
|
|
|
Post by rjp313jr on Apr 30, 2013 8:01:24 GMT -5
Congrats to Garin on his player of the week award. First of his decorated minor league career.
Per Craig Forde
On the year he has a league high .373 batting average and 4 triples. Of Cecchini’s 28 hits, 12 have been for extra bases and he has stolen 8 bags.
More impressively, he has walked (13) more times than he has struck out (12) and he maintains a .466 on-base percentage to go with his 1.106 OPS, which is topped only by teammate Sean Coyle who has a league high 1.159 OPS.
Cecchini was the Red Sox's 2012 Minor League Base Runner of the Year after swiping 51 bases in 2012 and has been named a New York-Penn (2011) and South Atlantic League (2012) All-Stars in his first two professional seasons. This is his first Player of the Week honor.
|
|
|
Post by adiospaydro2005 on Apr 30, 2013 11:54:23 GMT -5
I am not concerned about Cecchini's lack of HRs to date. As others have pointed out he has had some injuries, including a torn ACL when he was drafted in 2010, as well as the broken wrist while playing with Lowell in 2011. Power is generally one of the last skills to develop. There is a lot to like about Cecchini, including his OBP, he is starting to hit LHPs, slugging .640, including 6 doubles and 4 triples, etc. I recall from the few times that I saw Cecchini back in 2011 that he showed some opposite field power which would suit him well once he reaches Fenway. Remember, the Red Sox had another 3rd baseman who exhibited very little power in the minors and then the power started to show once he reached the majors (although some might suggest that he may have used PEDs). I am not suggesting that Cecchini is the next Bagwell (or that he should use PEDs), but he is playing like the breakout prospect for 2013 and I hope he keeps it up. www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=bagwel001jef
|
|
|
Post by dewey1972 on May 4, 2013 6:45:36 GMT -5
If he continues to hit thru June, I certainly hope they move him up to Portland by the 4th of July. I'm sure people want to see more power (home runs), but as long as he's contributing in all phases of the game, and driving the ball to the gaps then I don't care about the HRs. They'll either come with physical maturity or they won't. Nothing wrong with a 15 hr hitter who bats over .300, gets on same and hits a bunch of doubles. I'm very anxious to see him vs legit competition in AA. Until then, we really only know what we already know: he's very good against young unpolished pitching.I'm curious what other people with more prospect knowledge than me think of this last sentence. That idea has occurred to me, and I just don't have a sense of how much we should discount his numbers given his age relative to his competition.
|
|
|
Post by dewey1972 on May 4, 2013 6:47:47 GMT -5
Also, it seems to me that defense should be in this conversation, no? While I've read that his defense improved a bit last year, his defense is still a relatively big weakness, right? Any thoughts on how that affects his promotion schedule?
|
|
jimoh
Veteran
Posts: 3,966
|
Post by jimoh on May 4, 2013 8:51:23 GMT -5
I am not concerned about Cecchini's lack of HRs to date. .. Remember, the Red Sox had another 3rd baseman who exhibited very little power in the minors and then the power started to show once he reached the majors (although some might suggest that he may have used PEDs). I am not suggesting that Cecchini is the next Bagwell (or that he should use PEDs), but he is playing like the breakout prospect for 2013 and I hope he keeps it up. www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=bagwel001jefWhenever people talk about Bagwell in the minors, and speculate about steroids, you have to remember what the old New Britain park was like: www.spikesnstars.com/forums/index.php?topic=113767.0;imode"Bagwell played at Double-A New Britain (Conn.). While he did indeed hit .333 (second in the league) and lead the league with 34 doubles, he also hit just four home runs. This factoid has been cited as evidence that Bagwell must have turned himself into a slugger who mashed 449 career home runs with the help of steroids. After all, a year after hitting four home runs in Double-A, he hit 15 home runs for the Astros and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award. He would end up topping 30 home runs nine seasons in the major leagues. You know how many home runs the 1990 New Britain Red Sox hit? Thirty-one. Bagwell was second on the team; Eric Wedge hit five. The team featured eight position players who would reach the majors, including future Red Sox shortstop John Valentin. He hit .218 with two home runs in 351 plate appearances. New Britain was an impossible place to hit. [...] The year before, New Britain had hit 42 home runs (Mo Vaughn hit just eight). They hit 34 in 1988."
|
|
|
Post by redsox04071318champs on May 4, 2013 10:59:05 GMT -5
Also, it seems to me that defense should be in this conversation, no? While I've read that his defense improved a bit last year, his defense is still a relatively big weakness, right? Any thoughts on how that affects his promotion schedule? Even if Cecchini is weak defensively at 3b, I don't see this being a major issue. If Cecchini's power continues to show and he gets on base at a great clip, he'll keep knocking on the door. An .850ish OPS will play at 1b or LF just as easily as it would at 3b, and the Sox do have depth at 3b with WMB, and eventually Bogaerts (especially if Iglesias can rise to mediocrity at the plate).
|
|
|
Post by jdb on Jul 15, 2013 17:11:03 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by gregblossersbelly on Jul 15, 2013 17:41:19 GMT -5
Cecchini seems about the perfect Red Sox prospect. Lefty hitter, can go the other way. Power will come as he gets his man muscles. Can slap the ball the other way for easy doubles off of the wall. Not saying he becomes another Wade Boggs. But, he looks like a high avg and high obp guy when all is said and done.
|
|
|
Post by Guidas on Jul 15, 2013 18:00:42 GMT -5
This guy and Bogaerts are my only untouchables in the system at this point. I've seen him enough live to believe he could help the team this year. The plate discipline and bat control are exceptional.
|
|
|
Post by godot on Jul 15, 2013 18:16:40 GMT -5
Funny, I was thinking of Cecchini the other day, and the carer of Bagwell came to mind. ( I go back some way. He was hitting about 330 in the Eastern League with a cart load of doubles. The Eastern League those years were pitcher's parks. The Sox traded him that year for a rental reliever, Larry Anderson, as they traded away Lee Smith earlier, and the rest is history. I said oh, oh at the time. Why do I fear history will repeat itself?
|
|
|
Post by thelavarnwayguy on Jul 15, 2013 19:54:37 GMT -5
Cechinni just looks like a major league guy. Smooth swing. High contact rate and solid approach. Walks/K ratio. The guy just looks for real. To be honest, he looks like he should be giving Bogaerts a run for his money at #1. I agree with Guidas. I think he could possibly even help us this year. Crazy huh but he seems to just have "it".
Of course we just went through this with JBJ also. Who sure looked like he had "it" also. I would strongly consider moving him to the OF though in the next year or at least giving him some time there. Why not RF? He has some speed and his arm shouldn't be that bad. We should find ways to start incorporating him into being at least injury depth for us next year.
To me, we can look to trade some players or not resign some guys next year. For example Gomes and Victorino ( maybe ) and Napoli. Keep Carp, JBJ instead and use Nava and guys like Bogaerts and Cechinni as depth next year.
|
|
|