All Questions Answered Thread

Well I saw all four of them over the weekend.

It would depend on what my team needed I suppose. I don’t see any of them as so tremendously superior as to outshine the others. If I needed a guy who could play center you have to go with Schafer. If I didn’t care as much about that but was looking for more of a bat for platoon work, Gindl.

What I saw of Green over the weekend wasn’t really that impressive. He just looked like a guy to me, nice swing but didn’t stand out. If it wasn’t for his stats and reputation, I don’t know that I would have thought a lot about him.

Gamel is the only one of the group who profiles as a solid starter.

 I see Schafer and Gindl as bench players, and Green as a starter on a non competeing team.

I’m trying to reevaluate how I grade relievers. I think I tend to grade them too high in the past.

Tolleson would likely be a B- right now. I see him as a solid setup man at worst, although if he maintains these kinds of ratios in AAA and the majors he could close if he gets the opportunity.

I don’t see him as a number one top of the rotation guy. But he has legit stuff according to my Cal League sources, not just polish. I’d say a number three starter

Hmmm….Grossman took a big step forward this year and he has a lot more patience and is a year younger. Marte’s tools are superior. Pre-season I would have said Marte but now I’m not so sure. I would have to think about this one, it would be close.

I don’t know if she will, but Turner has a better-than-even chance to do so.

How’s that 0/16 BB/K in 13 games in Triple-A look to you?

I remain skeptical that Beckham will be more than a bench asset, but we will see.

Well you point out the problem right there…he’s a college guy in the Appy League. Lots of guys do well there then fizzle at higher levels. We just have to wait and see.

Well he’s jumping from the DSL to the Sally League at age 19. I don’t know much about him other than the numbers, which are mediocre. I’ll see what I can find out.

but his improvement in his BB/K ratio seems to mirror his ability to get base hits this season. This is significant considering the first three months of this year he was sitting at 23 BB’s v. 79 K’s while hitting poorly. Last two months - well over .300 with a 26 BB v. 40 K ratio. Consequently, a more discerning eye seems to dictate 2nd half as their is real improvement. Would now like to see him increase the # of XBH.

one thing I note is a sharp reduction in his strikeout rate in the second half. This isn’t really an either/or question…both halves of the season count, but it looks to me like he’s making real progress.

Best Case: Number three starter

Worst Case: Hits the wall in Triple-A

On pure ceiling…close but probably Ovando. Will be easier to compare once we have ful-season data for both of them next year.

I see him as a mid rotation guy or a very good reliever.

I’m not sure. He’s making contact, great BB/K ratio, but just not showing much power, can’t hit on the road, oddly enough can’t hit lefties, has strong reverse platoon split. I haven’t heard anything recent from Texas League people about him so I would need to ask around.

Possible #2 starter I’d say. I’m thinking a strong Grade B+.

Kinda vague…do you mean pitchers or hitters? Both?

Usual suspects….Cole, Bauer, Starling, Rendon, Josh Bell, Archie Bradley, Bundy…mix ’em up however you like, they all have the potential to be Grade A guys if all goes well.

As mentioned above, I’m re-evaluating how I grade relievers. Sometimes I have been too aggressive, sometimes I have not been aggressive enough. I’m still looking for the balance there.

Reed is at least a Grade B and probably a B+.

I tend to think pitchers should be promoted conservatively, especially guys coming out of high school. I like the way the Rays do things.

In this case, as TdD points out, Syndergaard and Nicolino weren’t being challenged at all. You have to find the right balance for each player and I don’t have a real issue with any of these promotions, except for Sanchez which seems aggressive to me. I MIGHT have left Hutchison at Dunedin to finish the year, but the Jays know a lot more about how ready he is than I do.

well he is still young enough to figure it out, but I can’t say I’m superduper optimistic. I hope to see him play next week.

Very disappointing this year in AA. I doubt he will start 2012 in the majors. Probably heads to AAA but might end up back in AA if he doesn’t show more in the spring.

I’d have to think about it, but yeah, seems pretty slim. The glove guys don’t hit, the guys who hit have questionable gloves…i can’t think of anyone obvious that you haven’t mentioned but I haven’t thought about it very long, lol. Good question for a larger piece.

No.

If he was showing that power in AA, then yeah, plausable. But given his BB/K, and his sharp home/road power split, I want to see more at higher levels before I completely buy into him. He’s promising, yes, but he’s got issues to work on.

He’s the same guy. Great glove, blah bat. Neutral.

We sent them at almost the exact same time. His wasn’t there when I started typing this.

Different question: rank the following pitchers in terms of potential ceiling and probability of having a successful major league career: Taijuan Walker, Keyvius Sampson, Daniel Corcino.

Let’s see how he does behind a better defense. The FIP/ERA split drewfull points out is very interesting. Scouting reports seem pretty positive from what i’ve heard

It is an OK season,not great, not terrible either. The Pirates will SAY they are happy either way, and I think the ERA is a bit inflated compared to what the components should lead to. Fangraphs isn’t loading for me right now so I don’t know what his FIP is. Scouting reports remain positive.

I think it is mostly real and this is a guy who will continue to exceed his scouting reports.

He’s always had some solid tools, but beware the horrible BB/K ratio…he’s very much a free swinger and I expect major league pitchers would find those holes. I see him as a role player.

I’ve heard (can’t remember where I heard it) that Bauer, Skaggs, and Parker are all awesome. The jury is still out on Bradley apparently.

I would rank them Bauer, Bradley, Skaggs, Parker at this point.

Xander “The Eliminator” Bogaerts….well, you said it right there, pretty impressive power and he’s only 18 and in a full-season league. Needs to work on his overall approach/discipline, but has the time to do it. Strong arm, needs more reliability (normal for his age), may not retain the range for SS in the long run. Gradewise…B-?

He’s had some better starts lately but he hasn’t totally turned the corner…he walked eight guys on July 31st and 7 more on August 16th. He’s not a lost cause but I would not say he’s totally back on track yet.

42% of his hits have gone for extra bases. He’s still young. Let those doubles turn into HRs as he gets stronger.

17 year old RHH outfielder from the Dominican signed last summer. Raw power, overall athleticism and youth are best attributes. Hitting over .300 in ARL last I looked but with poor strike zone judgment. Could turn into anything….could be a star, could fizzle in A-ball, impossible to predict at this point. I have seen so many of these guys get praise at the lower levels and then turn into nothing that I tend to be cautious and skeptical until they actually do something against better competition.

I was big on him pre-season but he has stagnated offensively and even his defense hasn’t been as good as last year. I don’t know about the fatigue factor. He hit great in April, poorly in May and June, hit great in July, then has sucked again in August. The Lansing commentators are much closer to the situation so perhaps their theory is valid. He is only 20 so it is too soon to give up, but I had hoped for much more.

He has a legit 6 pitches. 4 seemer, 2 seemer, slider, slooooow curve, change, cutter. I think he profiles better as a starter than out of the pen. The obvious knock is the extreme lack of velo, but this kid could truly be the living fit for the over used Jamie Moyer comp

Well I don’t know what they WILL do with him. If I were running things, I would leave him in the bullpen for awhile. Remember, this guy had a mysterious arm injury in 2010 so even if you want him to start long-term, it seems wise to get as far past that as possible.

If he continues to dominate as a reliever next year, then I would be open to seeing about a switch in roles in 2013. But I’m not the Padres.

I dont’ think he has a lot left to learn against minor league pitching. For most teams he would be given a legitimate trial in 2012. For the Red Sox, who knows? But on his own terms, Lavarnway deserves a trial

I think many scouts would say “no” and project him as a utility player. But I have been a fan of Dozier since he was in college and I think he’s the kind of guy who “plays above his tools.” It would not surprise me at all to see him spend some time as a regular…not a star, but a solid contributor.

If it doesn’t happen next year I think he’ll have to find another team. I think he is capable of holding a regular job if given the opportunity.

I don’t know…the numbers in the GCL are not that attractive and I haven’t heard/read a recent report. He JUST turned 17 this month so the fact that he’s in pro ball at all and not getting killed is a positive marker. I will have a better idea about this as I move forward on book research for 2012 and talk to more people.

Hard to say…they are really close in my mind but I think I like Brickhouse a little better.

Well it would be a problem if he was pushed into major league action immediately…I doubt his batting average would hold up. I think he needs more time in Triple-A to work on that. However, he’s shown the ability to make adjustments before, and if he is handled properly I expect he WILL be a productive player even with the current issue.

Of course that means the Cubs have to handle him properly.

I’m interested to hear what John has to say on this as well… what I’ve heard is that the people in the Giants’ org were disappointed with his stuff and are saying that it isn’t as advertised. If true, that’s pretty disappointing since they gave the guy a good chunk of money.

He’s in the majors now…and given what happens to some pitchers at Vegas I understand this. I think he’s a solid Grade B prospect

He still needs some command work but if everything pans out he could be a number two starter.

I think I have to go with the Diamondbacks here.

Hultzen to Bauer
Walker to Skaggs
Paxton to Parker
Campos to Bradley

That’s not perfect but in a way I think you give a little on side and take a little on another side and overall those sets of 4 come close. Bradley is going to be ranked higher than Campos obviously but at least Campos has some pro numbers. Most people are going to rank Bauer above Hultzen but lets just see what happens next year. Walker is above Skaggs. Paxton and Parker are going to be ranked very close to each other, I think in some lists Paxton will be top 20.

As an M’s fan I’m biased. But I think objectively, its close. The best part about it is that in the beginning of the year we graduated our only true starting pitching prospect that was ranked and then now we have 3 or 4 with a few more potentially coming.

Gut feeling without thinking about it, reliever.

Ceiling….20/20 player with a solid batting average and OBP, multi-skilled guy with an occasional All-Star quality yet.

Don’t know if he’ll REACH that ceiling, but that is what he is capable of.

.266/.338/.397

need to research that one.

Yes he can get back on track and I think he will. I don’t think his medium and long-term stock suffers much at all. He just needs more time than people thought.

I thought he was an underrated guy heading into the draft….he’s got speed, some power, patience, but he’s short and stocky. So far he’s hitting great but as a college guy in the NY-P, the burden is on him to carry that forward. I would give him a C+ at this point with higher potential.

Saw them all against Cleveland this weekend and it’s a nice core of bats. I may hold onto those arms for a wee bit longer to see what you truly have but I was mighty impresses especially with Seager. Kid can rake.

um….hell i wouldn’t want to trade any of these guys, lol.

I wouldn’t trade Pineda at all so it would be either Paxton or Walker. Walker is furthest away so if I am in a “win now” thing I would pick him. But I think he’s a better long-term prospect than Paxton.

I never even heard of that guy.

There is hope. Stuff is still there, but he’s got to get the walks down. I would definitely give him a full year of AAA if I were Detroit.

Not many. I don’t know an exact number, but he would be in the top 50 and maybe top 20 already.

Plausable if he duplicates this in AA/AAA. His strikeout rate is low enough to be of concern.

Close, I’d rate both as Grade B prospects. I don’t know where they would fit, both would be candidates in the 30-50 range of Top 50 pitches. I don’t do mid-season lists.

I doubt they think in terms of “replacing” Minor for a trade…I think it is just they like Gilmartin.

I like him a lot myself and I think he was a fine choice and will turn out to be better than some guys drafted ahead of him. I don’t like putting “odds” on things because it is misleading, but I’d rate him a Grade B I think.

They had very similar pluses and minuses coming out of the draft. Minor’s velocity ticked up in pro ball, and I don’t think we should expect the same from Gilmartin. I see him ultimately as a guy with:

-Athleticism
-Below-average fastball
-Plus change
-Above-average breaking ball
-Plus command

He should move quickly, fitting in at the back of a rotation.

well unfortunately we can’t exclude the strikeouts.

IIRC his defense was not especially well-regarded pre-season.

Well it isn’t impossible but I think they would look at other guys first. He’s already 25 and will probably have to show something in AAA first.

I don’t know specifically….instructional league seems logical, but he would be an interesting guy to jump to the Arizona Fall League if the Orioles end up with a middle infield slot to fill.

There is some chance he could end up at the back end of the Top 50 hitters for me.

Today is his birthday. Age 24.

He still has time to figure things out. He has star-level tools, and his level of polish has improved from “horrible” to “substantially below average”. There is still hope…if he can get his approach anywhere close to just average, he could do a lot of damage.

is it a good bet? Most players like him don’t make it. But enough do that it is too soon to give up.

I like him a lot. Given what he’s done this year, he could begin 2012 as high as the Florida State League, and he could finish the year in Double-A. If i had to make a projection I would say “future mid-rotation starter.”

I don’t know why, but some people think calling a pitching prospect a “future mid-rotation starter” is some sort of insult. It isn’t. Even calling someone a possible fourth or fifth starter is STILL A COMPLEMENT….given the number of pitchers who don’t make it at all.

I think a 4. But see my comment on Nicolino….a guy who is a useful fourth starter is still damn valuable.

I’m still somewhat skeptical about the bat…check out that BB/K in Triple-A even with his other good numbers. But he has made progress, and even a mediocre bat will get him substantial playing time for someone given his glove.

This is the kind of guy who will likely have more value for a major league team than for a fantasy one.

Solid in the Texas League this year. It is all those things…weird short/stocky body, fastball sometimes isn’t very fast (although he can get up to 93-94 at times). But the numbers are good, he throws strikes, and is deceptive. I think he can be a number four/five starter.

Seems to be a theme the last few questions, lol….number four type I would say, but i like him.

If Lyles stays healthy, he will figure things out. I will stick with the Radke comp as Lyles’ ceiling, and Radke was very good.

The strikeout rate is high enough to concern me, concern one step short of worry.

My guess is he’ll maintain his power but we’ll see his batting average and OBP drop off somewhat. Still a very promising prospect….although I am undecided if I will go with a Grade B or a B+

Honestly I don’t think i really want to trade any of my core prospects if I’m the Royals. I can’t see how they get a top-line starter from another team without trading strong pitching prospects in return. The stock of their top guys is down a bit due to injuries and command problems (Lamb, Montgomery, Dwyer, etc.) and I try not to “sell low.” I wouldn’t trade Myers either.

If I’m the Royals I hold.

I’m surprised Galvez doesn’t get more attention…I know it is the Cal League, but he’s just 20 and he had a very fine year.

He seems better at 2B than SS but still needs some polish and experience. But he looks like a pretty solid guy to me.

If both him and Spangenburg hit as expected, one of them will end up in the OF.

His numbers are similar enough to last year that it could be random variation. HIs walks are down a little, strikeout rate the same, power the same…he just lost 20 points of batting average, which could just be an issue of luck.

His main advantage last year was age-relative-to-league. He showed no growth this year, but the difference isn’t very much and he is still just 20.

He’ll cool off to some extent but I think he will be a solid power source going forward, 20-25 homers a year with walks…not quite a star bat for a first baseman/DH, but enough to play.

when he hits them out he hits them OUT. I’d like to think that with someone with so much power would be able to make enough solid contact to have a min of 30 HR’s for at least several seasons.

The park will help, obviously.

1. starter ceiling but there is nothing wrong with that.

I don’t know….I would give him a chance, but I’m not close enough to the situation in Atlanta to know what their plans are.

Like chewbalka said Ike plays a stacked position so he isn’t that valuable. But since Espinosa will be you’re second baseman you won’t need Altuve. I would go with Davis and Espinosa.

Hmmm….I like Ike, but both Espinosa and Altuve have more positional value, although as Nnamdi points out, they play the same position.

Dump Ike, then trade one of the others? It also depens on format as chewbalka points out.

Much better K/BB this year, rebuilding his mechanics in rookie ball and Low-A. I don’t have a specific recent report on his velocity, but K/BB, K/IP, and GO/AO look promising. He’s back from the dead at least.

No.

.271/.332/.429 in 309 at-bats.

but Professor Parks put out an updated OFP on #TheLegend

Kind of reminds me of Tyler Flowers last year…huge drop in BA but other skills seem intact.

I have been pro-Norris but you have to wonder now. “Young Catcher Stagnation Syndrome” is just the idea that catchers frequently don’t develop as well offensively as peers at other positions with similar hitting skills since the position wears them down. It is something I have observed and believed for a long time, but one of the things I want to do someday but never have time to do is quantify it, if possible, to see if it is a big effect, a small one, or just a figment of my imagination.

I haven’t heard anything about swing tinkering, and it is possible he’s just being more aggressive after the trade, trying to impress his new organization or to just let things rip in the friendlier California League. I wouldn’t make a big deal out of it just yet.

I don’t think he’ll be a starter for a playoff contender. It is still plausable he could be a useful utility guy.

And thus more noticeable. Please help out.

these are great

In a neutral or friendly park, could hit 30 at his peak.

In KC, probably 20-25

Just go with Trout. I’m not going to give reasons, its just the simple fact.

Nobody cares about your fantasy team (directed toward everyone, not you specifically, Mike).

Sorry about that. My internet was spotty all morning, stuff not loading, then it crapped out completely for most of the afternoon. It seems fine now but I got kids crawling all over me