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Post by cologneredsox on Nov 18, 2015 9:55:19 GMT -5
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Post by cologneredsox on Oct 8, 2015 4:34:13 GMT -5
Man, they did their homework. The background info damn near puts Speier to shame. Coming to you from the great Northwest Betts, whose full name is Markus Lynn Betts, is the son of Diana Benedict and Willie Betts, who intentionally gave him a name that reduces to the initials “MLB.” Wow, I love that
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Post by cologneredsox on Sept 29, 2015 4:35:37 GMT -5
He met scepticism again and again, but so far he allways had an answer. While I think it'd be okay to put him in AAA first, trading him could be something we'll regret. And honestly: I don't see the point of it. The return would've to be an ace-caliber pitcher (obviously Owens being part of a package) but even then I'm not sure we'll be on the loosing side for that trade in the long run. To have Rodriguez and Owens is really something!
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Post by cologneredsox on Sept 25, 2015 7:02:41 GMT -5
Just out of curiosity, how do people envision Bogaerts at his peak, say for three years? I wonder because, given the disparity in offensive environment, his age-22 season actually compares quite favorably to Derek Jeter's. Similar BA, Jeter with an advantage in OBP and a small one in HR (10 vs 7), similar SLG as Bogaerts has an advantage in 2b. Bogaerts has more than a 10-pt advantage in WRC. Bogaerts obviously is better defensively, Jeter was the better baserunner. I don't think it's a stretch to see a Bogaerts peak of .320/.380/.500, with 20-30 HR and 40+ doubles each year. It's another story if he can sustain it, but I do think his peak could be borderline MVP-caliber, particularly if his glove holds up or (fingers crossed) even improves some. I suspect that his future includes a big jump in power hitting. I think he was honing his hit tool this year and sacrificed power to do so, and in a way sacrificed taking his free passes. I think the next step is that Bogaerts applies his newly improved hit tool (ability to hit for average), and learns what pitches he can drive and also the patience required to force pitchers into those counts where they have to come in with a pitch. And when that happens I suspect we're looking at a .300 hitting, 35 home run, 75 walks kind of guy playing SS, and with the Sox having a legit shot at winning a division or pennant, I would think we're talking an MVP candidate and a guy that after the 2019 season (I nominate his 2018, 2019, and 2020 seasons as his absolute peak seasons), will be in line for a huge payday, one that will probably be too rich for the Red Sox unfortunately, and as a 27 year old free agent, I suspect he'll move on to either LA or NY. With those numbers he'll gain MVP-considerations no matter what...
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Post by cologneredsox on Sept 21, 2015 5:00:44 GMT -5
Why would you start the debate again? All arguments for and against it have been discussed. I'm fairly optimistic, given the cautious approach of the the red sox, which was shown by not letting him pitch more than for innings, they'll don't blow this. That doesn't mean they'll challenge him. If he dominates a-class batters, I think they should and they're going to promote him. While still monitoring the workload. It has been written: it doesn't really matter WHERE they're cautious about his arm, as long as they're are cautious.
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Post by cologneredsox on Sept 16, 2015 5:25:32 GMT -5
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Post by cologneredsox on Sept 15, 2015 4:38:35 GMT -5
I think Swihart has a lot more potential power growth than you're giving him credit for, it's not like he showed none in the minors, he had a .134 ISO in A, .130 in A+ and .187 in AA, he also walked more in the minors. I'd give him time before you say he can't improve offensively. Also baserunning certainly does narrow that bWAR gap significantly, and the fielding component you're talking about actually favors Vazquez (Swihart just has a larger positional bonus from more PT). To help the argument: Don't we forget that Swihart always improved after a longer adjustment period? To my recollection both offensively and defensively. As long as we can expect that to happen (and the scouts still seem to believe that can be expected), why would we rush and decide about an unfinished product? Plus the written doubts about Vasquez, which are a) he'll be the hitter Eric thinks he's going to be and b) he recovers from his injury and reaches the same defensive hights he has shown. Additionally: If both reach their ceiling: Are we really sure it would not be the best option to keep them both? Couldn't that be a win-win solution? I'm not saying we should hold on to them no matter what. Give me those pitchers mentioned in one of the previous posts. But I as well doubt they will be given to us. Point is: Both the expectations about either player aren't clear yet and (at least to me) the benefit of having both. As long as both aspects are so unclear, I'd be cautious to move to soon.
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Post by cologneredsox on Aug 27, 2015 7:28:30 GMT -5
Like jmei, bit I'd switch the Travisses
1. Moncada 2. Devers 3. Benintendi 4. Espinoza 5. Margot
6. Owens 7. Guerra 8. Johnson
9. Kopech 10. Travis 11. Chavis 12. Marrero 13. Shaw
14. Dubon 15. Longhi 16. Rijo 17. Light 18. Ball 19. Buttrey 20. X Basabe
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Post by cologneredsox on Aug 24, 2015 16:22:20 GMT -5
Not to nitpick, but I don't think you can say anyone's ceiling is Mike Trout. Trout might, at the end of the day, be one of the five best players in the history of the game. I would say it's more like .002% chance that Moncada or anyone is that good. It might be because my native language isn't english and I don't understand what 'ceiling' really means, but: to be one of the five best players ever my understanding is that the certain player has to reach his own best (in my understanding: his ceiling) or at least get very near it. For example: I think trout does a very good job in reaching his personal best performance, given his proven adjustments and no long drop in his performance. Is he perfect? No, but no one is. From my understanding, Trout does a better job in playing up to his possibilities then most of the other players. Which is one of the reasons, he is the best player in the game. So I don't understand how no one can have his ceiling? I think not many do but some should have abilities very much alike. Moncada could be one of them. That still doesn't mean he'll be Mike trout, when he's finished developing. Like I wrote: not many players are able to reach their best and never come near their best possible performance, which is what makes Mike Trout so special. That being said, 2 % likelihood of reaching trouts performance doesn't really seem like a reach from my perspective...
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Post by cologneredsox on Aug 20, 2015 6:57:10 GMT -5
Thx for the explanation. I knew it kind of matters, but Espinoza didn't look that small to me, especially for a 17 year old...
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Post by cologneredsox on Aug 20, 2015 5:23:07 GMT -5
Kiley McDaniel chat today: 12:34 Comment From Mike Have you seen Anderson Espinoza yet? If not, what have you heard about him? 12:36 Kiley McDaniel: Looking to track him down at some point this summer/fall. He’s into the high-90’s, flashes plus breaker, CH/CMD/delivery all good enough at this stage to keep starting. Aged like a 2016 draft prospect and there’s two (Groome/Pint) with similar stuff/command, but they’re both 6’5+, so for now Espinoza is probably a little behind them, but in that elite group if he was in the draft class I don't unterstand that. He's writing about similar stuff/command and additionally, Espinoza gave no doubt about the results so far. Why would he be behind then?
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Post by cologneredsox on Aug 17, 2015 17:39:53 GMT -5
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Post by cologneredsox on Aug 17, 2015 4:16:35 GMT -5
Re the Bogaerts homer: A no time this year have I doubted that he would again hit for power, and sooner than later. What I've seen this year is a guy who, every PA, is consciously working on hitting balls on the outer half to the opposite field, and hitting them hard. Which is to say, a guy learning, at the MLB level, at an age where most players are in AAA or even AA, how to do something important that he never needed to do to succeed in the minors. The key word in that paragraph is "conscious." It seemed to me that as long as there is still a conscious effort to go the other way with outside pitches, it has to be really difficult to turn on an inside pitch and drive it. The opposite field hitting has to become reflexive, reactive, part of "muscle memory," in order to be incorporated into an overall process of reflexive, reactive hitting. It's common wisdom that you can't think and hit at the same time, but I think we've watched Xander do precisely that all year. It meant that he was limited to hitting just one way, but he was still able to hit. Today may have marked the point at which the opposite field stroke has become fully incorporated into his approach, or it may just have marked a point where he's comfortable enough with it to set it aside when he's guessing inside pitch. IOW, we have no way of knowing whether he was just reacting to that pitch, or looking for it. If the former, the HRs are going to start coming in bunches, and even if it's the latter, you're going to see more. I'm thinking 6 HRs the rest of the way if the former, 3 or 4 if the latter. And 20 or more next year. And the more I think about this, and what he's done this year (including defensively), the more I think I want to reverse myself (I think for the fourth time) and declare him an even greater talent than Mookie. Heck of a dilemma to have! That's exactly what I'M thinking/hoping. I'm not seeing enough games, but I watch every Xander-highlight and I totally see what you are describing. If our assumption is right (that' still a big if, but I believe in it) you projection might be very realistic and will give us joy and who knows what more in the coming seasons. I actually see X and Mookie on one level. I'll lean back and watch the race between them and enjoy it. Sometimes I wonder how much these two are competing with each other, given they're born 6 days apart and capable of so much.
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Post by cologneredsox on Aug 14, 2015 15:42:06 GMT -5
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Post by cologneredsox on Aug 12, 2015 9:04:26 GMT -5
Nice to see Christopher Acosta doing better lately. Who knows, he with a high pedigree might be another pitcher who will let us dream about the coming years.
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Post by cologneredsox on Aug 7, 2015 4:48:35 GMT -5
While I love the topic, I thinks it's coming to soon. Let Owens and hopefully soon Johnson, too, make some starts and show, how they adjust to the league. I'd love to see at least one of them as a permanent rotation member next season along ERod, Buch, Porcello and Wright/Miley. But who knows, this could turn out to be wishful thinking in 4 weeks or even more manifest in certainty.
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Post by cologneredsox on Jul 30, 2015 8:22:59 GMT -5
What a sorry night for the Red Sox organization!! Other than Owens and Travis not much to get excited about. Add in the putrid play up in Boston, and you start inching towards the edge. I guess I better start working on those affirmations again. Hmm. Basabe and Pennington come to mind. Not to forget: Greenville (this years prospect-hunter dream) was off. Oh, Pat Light was good as well!
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Post by cologneredsox on Jul 25, 2015 4:51:09 GMT -5
Was surprised to see old friend reymond fuentes on the list, too!
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Post by cologneredsox on Jul 25, 2015 4:44:04 GMT -5
Hmm, two things: The article does not really differ between Fenway and road games. Aside from the gif at the angels much of the misplays are a result of the wall. I don't watch nearly enough games to judge, but wasn't he playing better recently and especially on the road?
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Post by cologneredsox on Jul 24, 2015 3:36:21 GMT -5
Back on the path to 90 plus losses, and playing the same .438 ball they played last year. They finally have reached 12 games under .500. It took awhile but I knew this team could do it. Now they need to catch the Rockies. If they'd just sell completely, put JBJ in RF and Owens and Johnson in the rotation (a la '89 Braves), and NOT trade anyone of value for Cole Hamels (ie not trade for him at all), they could evaluate their in-house talent, and maybe pick up the second overall pick. If they happen to play well because the kids succeed, they've built value for offseason trades. If they struggle, well, the kids took their lumps this year and not next...and they got the second overall pick. I'M totally on board with this plan. The only thing worrying me is that our younger players get to used to play non-competitive baseball. Then again, that didn't hurt the royals, the cubs or the Astros to much...
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Post by cologneredsox on Jul 24, 2015 3:25:21 GMT -5
Jose Zacarias (5IP H, 0ER, BB, 10K) and Darwinson Hernandez started today for the DSL. Did we always have so many impressive pitching performances in the DSL and GCL or is it legitimate to think there are some very impressive arms down there? Not counting Espinoza of course...
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Post by cologneredsox on Jul 19, 2015 4:17:48 GMT -5
I think Owens should definitely get his chance to show himself in the majors this year. His development in AAA seems to be finishing.
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Post by cologneredsox on Jul 17, 2015 7:52:25 GMT -5
Wow, the top 5 in the Greenville lineup can only be described as pp = prospect porn!
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Post by cologneredsox on Jul 17, 2015 7:44:03 GMT -5
Denyi Reyes did in fact pitch: 5IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 5K (48IP without a BB) Lorenzo Cedrola: 4-5, 3B, RBI, SB www.dominicansummerleague.com/www/phocadownload/NCAA-PITT-BOS2-JUL-16-15.txt-- As did Roniel Raudes: 5IP, 4H, 2ER, 0BB, 9K Hemerson Serven: 3-5, 2B, RBI, K Raudes gave up a HR to Nelson Gomez who already has 9(!) HR. Yankees may have their next big prospect with Gomez. BA on him: Dominican third baseman Nelson Gomez, the No. 6 international prospect for July 2, has signed with the Yankees for $2.25 million. Gomez, a 16-year-old righthanded hitter, generates some of the best raw power in the class from his strong 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame. He should start out at third base, though some scouts wonder whether he will end up at first base. Gomez trained with Victor Baez and played in the Dominican Prospect League, with an appearance at Wrigley Field last August to play in the Under Armour All-America game. Hmm, I see some Devers vs. Gomez discussions in the future...
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Post by cologneredsox on Jul 16, 2015 10:57:34 GMT -5
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