Gio on fire

by ufo on May 3, 2006 12:49 PM EDT

so he's doing great in the Eastern League as a 20 year old. is he better then we even thought, and should he be considered an elite pitcher? or am i going too far? at this rate, i'm thinking he could be in the rotation by september

Gio Gonzalez
AA Reading

2.45 ERA
29.1 IP
21 H
8 R
8 ER
2 HR
12 BB
34 K

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Yes

He's a top 5 pitching prospect in my book.
It's about time he gets the respect he deserves. The kid puts up numbers at every level and just turned 20.

Also, I doubt he gets in the rotation until next year although he should be better than half of the Phillies rotation in September.

Hamels, Gonzalez, Mathieson, Myers, Floyd - not bad at all

Rays in '08....

by youALREADYknow on May 3, 2006 1:18 PM EDT reply actions

Don't forget Randy Wolf...

he's coming back midseason and will no doubt resign.

by Havok1517 on May 3, 2006 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions

wolf is decent

but there is little reason to resign him. with hamels, gonzalez, haigwood, brito, and mathieson all in AA and AAA, the phillies really do not have any reason to keep him in 07. madson, floyd, lieber, and myers will also be under contract for 2007, so that would create an unecessary log jam.

assuming that myers and lieber will sign elsewhere as free agents after 2007, the phillies rotation would then look like this:

hamels
floyd
gonzalez
haigwood
mathieson/madson/brito

i actually expect two of those 7 starters to be traded to the a's for barry zito around the trading deadline.

by overlord on May 3, 2006 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Two of those?

I'll take Gonzalez and Madson (or Mathieson so Harden can have a Canadian buddy) as well as a hitter? What do the Phillies have on the hitting side?

(After pitcher tells GM he will pitch half of the games, complete them and they will all be QS)The GM has an orgasm and a heart attack at the same time.-Shamus

by ohad @ Minor League Ball on May 3, 2006 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Everytime

You really want Zito out. Or maybe you just want some more prospects. Someone will pay too much for him, so don't worry.

You bring the juice. I'll bring the ginick, Pam Minick!

by Shamus on May 3, 2006 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions

i don't want Zito out

I want him re-signed. But it's not gonna happen. He doesn't even want to stay IMO.

(After pitcher tells GM he will pitch half of the games, complete them and they will all be QS)The GM has an orgasm and a heart attack at the same time.-Shamus

by ohad @ Minor League Ball on May 3, 2006 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Not much

A bnch of mediocre guys with flaws.

by nms on May 3, 2006 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions

well

Rangey, toolsy, high-OBP-y OF Michael Bourn might be the best thing since Marlon Byrd if he can prove his last year was more fluke and his previous three were more fact... Never had a sub-400 OBP as a CF until last year... Once ran from 2nd to home on a routine sac fly...

by mroak89 on May 3, 2006 8:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Not so much toolsy

Well, sort of. He does have a solid tool set but its not overwhelmingly.
There is more to tools than speed. I like Bourn and he does seem like their top Oprospect (tho Ruiz is going apeshat) but his upside is limited since he lacks power(and not in the wont have a high SLG sense but in the might have the bat knocked out of his hands sense that also can drop his BB totals) and wont hit for a huge average though it might be a solid one.
His only true plus tool is his speed

"Never had a sub-400 OBP as a CF until last year"

Out of 2 years in full season ball. Pretty misleading statement and his other year was as a big college guy in the Sally league. Granted it was a damn fine year and hes a solid prospect but hes nothing special

by nms on May 6, 2006 3:55 AM EDT up reply actions

I doubt Zito gets dealt to Philly...

I'd bet Zito stays with Oak the entire season and then signs with either the Yankees or Mets. Lidle is gone after this season and I think he is more of a canidate to be traded than Zito is because I think Oakland has a better chance of contending that Philly does. Madson will be in the pen within the month, where he can be dominating, and will help the weak pen and provide a replacement if Gordon ever goes down.

2007 Rotation

Myers
Lieber
Wolf
Hamels
Floyd

2008 Rotation

Myers
Hamels
Wolf
Floyd
Gonzalez

by Havok1517 on May 3, 2006 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions

maybe

You know how these things go. If he absolutely tears it up then gets promoted to AAA midseason he will have already thrown 40 more IP than he ever has in his life. So, I wouldn't count on him getting a call-up so he can extend himself to 170+IP.

That is the one aspect I continually see people not looking at. I bet they are looking much closer at health/armstrength over performance. I would think his eta is late 07 over late 06.

Unless he can help for a title, why push him?

You bring the juice. I'll bring the ginick, Pam Minick!

by Shamus on May 3, 2006 1:59 PM EDT reply actions