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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 3, 2024 10:27:37 GMT -5
Fwiw, there's a difference between needing to improve against breaking balls and "holy crap this guy is never going to hit breaking balls." I think we're more in the former with Meyer.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 3, 2024 9:35:49 GMT -5
I was thinking the same thing as I watched it. Why did not he just set his feet and make the throw properly. He had a ton of time. I’d rather see the good fundamentals there rather the Jeter homage. Not sure I agree he had time. Could he really have put enough extra mustard on it from properly setting his feet to make up for the extra second that would have taken? In the abstract, I agree it's not a super impressive defensive play in that it didn't demonstrate range or arm strength, but there is something to be said for securing the out with an accurate throw. For a guy without a cannon, there's value in being able to compensate with a quicker release. Yes, I believe that a legit MLB shortstop sets his feet and makes a strong, accurate throw that hits Kavadas in the chest, or at least gets to him in the air. For example, I think that's what Mayer or Ravelo or even Coffey does there. For a jump throw like that I'd expect that to come after like 4 or 5 steps to the guy's right. It looked like Meidroth took like 2 steps there and already had to resort to a jump throw. Again, not saying Meidroth is terrible or anything. Far from it. I just completely disagree with the characterization in the tweet that the play was an example of "flashing the leather" or showing a "strong arm." In the characterization of can he fill in at short here or there? Sure, useful example of what it would look like. But I don't, in that one-play sample, see a guy I want at short for an extended period at any point.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 22:38:43 GMT -5
It's a small sample so far, but you have to think he'll get bumped up a few spots in the next update. Plus maybe his ceiling will be boosted up to the 5.5-6 range? I'd like to see him cut the strikeout rate down significantly and produce outside of Asheville first. 72 hours ago he was hitting .196/.327/.348 with a K rate of 30.9%. Let's slow down here.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 19:08:15 GMT -5
Technically wasn't on the IL. Just wasn't playing.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 19:07:45 GMT -5
Pivetta's fastball averaging 95mph with monster IVB he's back baby Maybe he needs another rehab start, though? They said he hopefully only needs one.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 13:03:24 GMT -5
Not that it really changes anything at all but that's still kind of a bummer. I was hoping for a modest rise just off the fact of players ranked higher than them graduating. I don't have a BA subscription but I imagine a few players must have jumped them for them to stay where they were. Then again looking at the MLB.com top 100 list on their site, not that many of their top 15-20 guys graduated. So far I'm only counting Langford, Chourio and Merrill in the top 15. MLB.com and BA lists obviously aren't going to be the same but I'd imagine there is probably a fair amount of overlap in the top 20. Evan Carter was the only one ahead of them who graduated, and Jared Jones understandably passed them.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 12:39:21 GMT -5
Somehow I'd like to see Kavadas make our top 60 list. He only has a 1.089 OPS in AAA with 5 hr's. Dalbec has none. Defense about the same. He might sneak in. He's in the very back of my top 60 at the moment. FWIW, don't agree at all on that defensive comp given that Dalbec can play third base and, in theory, fake it in right. A TTO 1B-only with platoon splits is a tough profile.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 12:32:17 GMT -5
Am I wrong that it looks like he was shaded heavily into the hole on that one? I see the same thing. Did not range far, had time to set his feet and did not, made a weak but accurate throw. Not trying to bust him because he's having an impressive season and he's better defensively than his reputation, but that play isn't a highlight to me. Agreed across the board. I think what we need to learn is can he fake it at short if needed. Given that the underlying data so far looks like what I expected (excellent control of the zone and contact rate, meh exit velocities), his value goes up a lot of he can cover more of the infield. His usage so far (moving between 2B/SS/3B) squares with that
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 12:24:42 GMT -5
At least they are doing something. They are not sticking with Kiki for months after it was apparent he couldn't handle being an everyday shortstop in the bigs. Casis gets hurt and they bring in a replacement. No way they can be responsible for the replacement getting hurt too. Reyes and Hamilton aren't cutting it at short after Story gets hurt, and Rafaela gets a shot. Now this guy gets a shot to be his backup. It may not work, but at least they are trying something to fix obvious problems. Assume Hamilton will go down when the new guy arrives. This. Though I'd add CB2 quickly takes away Alex (Doc Rivers) Cora's player crushes when they don't perform on the field - which does the team and the coach a good service (see Pablo, Joly). I would not assume that you know who Cora's player crushes are. I will just say that I believe these assumptions are very wrong and leave it at that.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 12:21:32 GMT -5
Am I wrong that it looks like he was shaded heavily into the hole on that one?
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 12:20:06 GMT -5
It's only been 18 days on Romy. It doesn't sound like Walter is particularly close. I wonder if they'd be willing to pay him an MLB salary and have him accrue service time on the 60-day. 21 days for Romy, with a 4/11 retroactive date, so if I was thinking if he's not close as of last week, another 6 weeks sounds reasonable. Walter almost certainly seems like an easy one, I found that odd they didn't do that when they acquired Horn, and esp now that Joely is back Ah, good point. They'll probably wait on that one though.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 12:18:16 GMT -5
Off topic of the current discussion, but if Lugo continues to show that he has AA figured out offensively, isn't he due a promotion? He's 23 now - time to push him. I don't know that he's shown that. With rain-outs, he's basically been hitting for 2 weeks.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 11:47:14 GMT -5
I'd argue if you're relying too much on ballpark food in either locale you're probably doing it wrong. Two awesome places.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 11:27:50 GMT -5
Johanfran's bat looked so good that he'd still be a guy if he was already DH only. I am a little concerned that he has shown that he should not be squatting for 3 hours a night at his current level of fitness Well he hasn't shown that at all. He got hurt running the bases.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 11:07:47 GMT -5
Jordan is chasing at a 42% clip. That's higher than Rafaela last year.
87% contact rate in-zone is behind only Gasper and, unsurprisingly, Meidroth for minor leaguers with 40+ PA.
He's not the antithesis of Rafaela... he's kind of similar.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 2, 2024 9:14:25 GMT -5
With Garcia's body type I have a hard time seeing him anywhere other than catcher or first base.
He's got a cannon so I think he gets as much run as possible behind the plate, but he already got a decent number of reps at first last year to keep his bat in the lineup.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on May 1, 2024 13:11:45 GMT -5
Romy Gonzalez is out there somewhere. He could be an easy DFA. That or as others have said Walter goes to the 60 day. At this point, could prob just 60 day Romy, they said last week he wasn't close, we are already approaching 30 days. It's only been 18 days on Romy. It doesn't sound like Walter is particularly close. I wonder if they'd be willing to pay him an MLB salary and have him accrue service time on the 60-day.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 30, 2024 20:33:47 GMT -5
There won't be big jumps on the top 30. Why would we do that after like 20 games?
The guys in the lower half are closer together so maybe there's more movement there, but don't expect anything big this month.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 30, 2024 16:34:54 GMT -5
Yup, just got the Salem probables and figured out the same when it was indeed Duffy.
My guess at what they're doing is that they're having the "skip" guy do something on Monday on the off day. Some kind of pitching lab simulated start or some extra long bullpen session. Could be wrong though.
That said, I wonder how Greenville is going to work. Sandlin is piggybacking Rogers this week. I can't imagine that's the plan going forward.
Also, O'Donnell is officially a piggyback for Elmer. He's done that in all three appearances and that's the plan for tomorrow.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 30, 2024 16:00:57 GMT -5
Looking beyond today, and all things being equal including Masa not on the IL, the Sox have two solid backups in Ref and Reese. Take Dalbec, Hamilton, Romy, Valdez out of that equation, and they need IF help. Every position needs a valuable backup and preferably one hits RH and one hits LH. That eliminates Belt( my fave for LH 1B), even if the money were right, unless a RH Swiss-Army knife is found for the other three IF positions. Basically, I am hoping for a two- person find to replace Bobby and the MIF logjam of never-wozzers. Just to make sure, your point is that if you ignore four infielders, the team needs infielders?
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 30, 2024 15:33:14 GMT -5
Cooper Adams for Greenville tonight. Looks like they're going to keep a 7-man rotation with a piggybacker each week.
Penrod in Portland. Looks like a skip for Coffey.
Also, confirmed that the DSL starts June 3, not May 4.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 30, 2024 12:31:27 GMT -5
I mean, but what are we supposed to do? Ban some pitching mechanics, like that extreme sidearm delivery? I would be up for that! Simplest thing to do would be to expand pitching rosters and institute maximum pitch counts. More pitchers just means guys come on and air it out knowing they don't need to go deep. (I have a personal fondness for all sorts of funky deliveries and would prefer to get rid of the balk rule and let a thousand twitchy little flowers bloom) Disagree. Pitch limits do nothing for relievers who get hurt just as often. The problem is that the cause is almost certainly this pursuit of maximum velocity. I don't know how you get guys to stop trying to throw hard. Pitch clock, in theory, should do this by giving pitchers less time to recover between pitches, but clearly that's not how it's working.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 30, 2024 12:00:18 GMT -5
This is great! But it's a shame Alex didn't bring his "Down on the Farm" intro song. Don't worry, the SoxProspects Podcast edit isn't going anywhere.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 29, 2024 16:24:37 GMT -5
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 29, 2024 14:39:51 GMT -5
I'd probably go with "fine." Nothing is jumping off the page at me in either direction. "Jumping off the page" implies that you are thinking about it in terms of their future projection. And I agree. A few weeks of playing time shouldn't mean much outside of serious health issues popping up. But I think the question was more how best to describe the performances to date of the top of the farm system in which everybody outside of Mayer has an OPS in the 600s. And if these are the four choices: a) good b) fine c) disappointing d) bad then I don't see how the answer isn't somewhere in the c/d range. Imo, the first step towards good commentary is trying to as accurately as possible describe reality. I don't think good or even fine does a very good job here. For me, I can say it's been "disappointing" in the sense it's all been pretty nondescript. But it's not just in a development sense, I don't think - it's hard to get worked up when it's not even a full month's sample for most of these guys. Some starters have 3 starts! Being completely honest, I'm reserving judgment until I get eyes on things like exit velo and swing decisions in a few days. I couldn't care less about OPS over 50-70 PAs or whatever guys are at right now. Remember, it's been a short month for everyone but AAA. Roman Anthony was hitting .200/.363/.250 at the close of April last year. And to be clear, I wasn't just responding to you. Just generally to the conversation.
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