Prospect Update Thread

[Dojji]

Because not only is he 26 years old' date=' but his "decent" sample size consists of 61 games.[/quote']

 

I asked "at what point."

 

This is not an answer to a question I asked.

 

A player should be penalized only so much for getting a late start to his pro career. Where do you draw that line?

[Dipre]

I asked "at what point."

 

This is not an answer to a question I asked.

 

A player should be penalized only so much for getting a late start to his pro career. Where do you draw that line?

 

When the sample size reaches at least what would be the equivalent of a season.

 

I'm not saying he can't be good, i'm saying that sample size shouldn't even be mentioned.

 

Give him 100 more games, then hype him.

[jacksonianmarch]

when they are 26 and havent made it to AAA yet. There are some players who get converted from position player to pitcher and vice versa who have an excuse. But when a player doesnt dominate until he is older than the league, you typically see the makings of a AAAA player

[Dojji]

And a Gabe Kapler type is exactly what this sox team needs.

 

Going into 2011 we're going to need a really respectable 4th OF. Cameron will be a 39 year old CF, plenty of injury potential there, and we'll have Drew in the last year of his deal -- if he plays 130 games I'll be very pleasantly surprised.

 

I've got projections right now on Fangraphs that put Nava as a better candidate to be that 4th OF than either Reddick or Kalish.

 

Realistically, both Reddick and Kalish need to be groomed as potential starters anyway and not get jerked around between levels any more than the team can help. Nava, on the other hand, has that combination of talent and expendability that makes him a better candidate for a bench role than a guy who should be getting a full season of reps in AAA at this point.

 

I'm not saying he should break camp with the team in 2010, that would be ridiculous. What I AM saying is that Nava is an indy ball signing, not a college draftee, and he needs to be treated a little different from a guy who starts his pro career 3-7 years younger than he did.

 

Even if the standards are higher because of the volatility of indy ball prospects, there needs to be a point beyond which he's taken seriously as a prospect -- a standard that he can meet that would clear a path to the big leagues for him even though he DID start his pro career at age 24. And consistently producing at a .900 OPS level or greater as you advance rapidly through the system needs to be somewhere near that freaking point.

[Dojji]

when they are 26 and havent made it to AAA yet. There are some players who get converted from position player to pitcher and vice versa who have an excuse. But when a player doesnt dominate until he is older than the league' date=' you typically see the makings of a AAAA player[/quote']

 

... unless he had his professional debut in independent baseball at age 24 and signed with his team at age 25.

 

He got a late start, but that's not entirely his fault, and he's moving about as fast as you could possibly expect.

[Dojji]

When the sample size reaches at least what would be the equivalent of a season.

 

I'm not saying he can't be good, i'm saying that sample size shouldn't even be mentioned.

 

Give him 100 more games, then hype him.

 

I hear that argument. The problem there is that with a guy like Nava, if you want to take advantage of his prime years you have to promote him fairly aggressively. The other problem is that the minor league season is onlt 130 games or so so if you make a guy wait 100 games you might as well hold him at that level for the whole season. . I think there's a decent chance that Nava's in AAA by game 50 and contending for a big league job. All he's got in his way is Bubba Bell after all, that's not much of an obstacle.

[jacksonianmarch]

Going into 2011 we're going to need a really respectable 4th OF. Cameron will be a 39 year old CF, plenty of injury potential there, and we'll have Drew in the last year of his deal -- if he plays 130 games I'll be very pleasantly surprised.

 

I've got projections right now on Fangraphs that put Nava as a better candidate to be that 4th OF than either Reddick or Kalish.

 

Realistically, both Reddick and Kalish need to be groomed as potential starters anyway and not get jerked around between levels any more than the team can help. Nava, on the other hand, has that combination of talent and expendability that makes him a better candidate for a bench role than a guy who should be getting a full season of reps in AAA at this point.

 

I'm not saying he should break camp with the team in 2010, that would be ridiculous. What I AM saying is that Nava is an indy ball signing, not a college draftee, and he needs to be treated a little different from a guy who starts his pro career 3-7 years younger than he did.

 

Even if the standards are higher because of the volatility of indy ball prospects, there needs to be a point beyond which he's taken seriously as a prospect -- a standard that he can meet that would clear a path to the big leagues for him even though he DID start his pro career at age 24. And consistently producing at a .900 OPS level or greater as you advance rapidly through the system needs to be somewhere near that freaking point.

 

We have an indy ball signing too, his name is Jorge Vazquez. He was dynamite in his first yr, damn near the best hitter in AA until he broke his wrist. He's 27. I expect nothing out of him other than a big league cup of coffee.

[Dojji]

We have an indy ball signing too' date=' his name is Jorge Vazquez. He was dynamite in his first yr, damn near the best hitter in AA until he broke his wrist. He's 27. I expect nothing out of him other than a big league cup of coffee.[/quote']

 

Because an injured, 27 year old fat, slow Mexican first baseman who can't take a walk is exactly the same thing as a healthy switch hitting 25 year old 3 position American UDFA outfielder with a career minor league OBP of .450.

[jacksonianmarch]

BUT HE PUT UP A .900OPS AND HE'S AN INDY BALL SIGNEE!!!

[jacksonianmarch]

Oh, and Nava was 26 yrs old and will play the entirety of 2010 as a 27 yr old. Nice try lowering the age for the sake of argument

[Dojji]

Oh' date=' and Nava was 26 yrs old and will play the entirety of 2010 as a 27 yr old. Nice try lowering the age for the sake of argument[/quote']

 

I'm talking about when they were signed, my excitable friend.

 

And it's just a fact that when you're a 3 position OF with good defense, the standards for offense are a little lower -- so hitting at the same level as a slightly older first baseman is actually a point in Nava's favor.

 

Besides, however you wriggle and dodge the facts, Nava is still a year younger than Vazquez. And given Vazquez' IsoD is like .015, and Nava's is like 5 times that, I'll take Nava's plate approach as the one that's more likely to translate well to the bigs.

 

The fact is that all Vazquez is ever likely to be, especially on the Yankees, is a backup 1B behind a healthy Mark Teixeira. Nava on the other hand can back up 3 positions and switch hit, and his defense is by all accounts solid -- so he's much more likely to get himself playing time if he continues to hit well. Especially because 2 of the positions he backs up will be filled by J. D. Drew and a 38 year old center fielder.

 

Besides, you as much as admitted that there are limiting circumstances that apply to Vazquez that don't apply to Nava -- namely, the wrist injury.

[jacksonianmarch]

And Nava played 62 games last yr. Dude, can you step back for a second and think before you post about prospects? This guy is way older than the league and is being held back for a reason. Maybe, just maybe, they dont think he's any good? There are a lot of older players who can mash at the lower levels. For a guy who claims to know something about prospects, you really dont know all that much.

[italstallianion]

And Nava played 62 games last yr. Dude' date=' can you step back for a second and think before you post about prospects? This guy is way older than the league and is being held back for a reason. Maybe, just maybe, they dont think he's any good? There are a lot of older players who can mash at the lower levels. For a guy who claims to know something about prospects, you really dont know all that much.[/[/b']QUOTE]

 

 

 

 

Is there a lolcats or failblogs image of a cat/dog yelling at itself in the mirror that could elucidate the poignancy of this post?

[Dipre]

And Nava played 62 games last yr. Dude' date=' can you step back for a second and think before you post about prospects? This guy is way older than the league and is being held back for a reason. Maybe, just maybe, they dont think he's any good? There are a lot of older players who can mash at the lower levels. For a guy who claims to know something about prospects, you really dont know all that much.[/[/b']QUOTE]

 

 

 

 

Is there a lolcats or failblogs image of a cat/dog yelling at itself in the mirror that could elucidate the poignancy of this post?

 

Early nomination for Post of the Year.

[Rdsxmbnt]

Nava is somewhat intriguing. Dojj is right in the fact that he isn't exactly your prototypical 26/27 yr old minor leaguer given his past. Obviously he's not anywhere near a definite but if he keeps posting a .900+ OPS in AA and then into AAA then he'll definitely get a chance eventually.

[VA Sox Fan]

Minor-league roster updates

 

Posted by Peter Abraham, Globe Staff April 5, 2010 05:29 PM

 

Received the rosters for the four affiliates just now. Before I post them in their entirety, a few updates on some notables:

 

Portland will have Casey Kelly, Jose Iglesias, Luis Exposito, Ryan Kalish, Felix Doubront, Lars Anderson, Yamaico Navarro, Kyle Weiland, Stephen Fife and Che-Hsuan Lin. That's a very interesting team.

 

Stolmy Pimental is at Salem along with Tim Federowicz, Anthony Rizzo, Will Middlebrooks, Alex Wilson and Ryan Dent.

 

Drake Britton is at Greenville. So are Derrick Gibson, Roman Mendez and Rey Fuentes.

 

In terms of prospects at Pawtucket, you're looking an Randor Bierd, Mike Bowden, Dustin Richardson, Mark Wagner, Aaron Bates and Josh Reddick.

[BoSox21]

Not a whole lot on the brink in Pawtucket to start the season

[riverside sluggers]

Manuel Rivera allowed one hit in five scoreless innings and struck out nine Thursday for low Single-A Greenville.

Rivera, 20, is making his full-season debut this year after amassing a 1.39 ERA and a 50/14 K/BB ratio in 53 innings in the Rookie GCL League last year. With a quality fastball-changeup combination, he could be known as one of Boston's top pitching prospects by the end of this season.