Sox in on DePaula .

[NateGrey]

Jorge Arangure tweet:

 

Top DR prospect Rafael DePaula is back on market. #Yankees, #redsox, #angels and #rangers interested

 

 

Video of DePaula: http://vimeo.com/5265661

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[a700hitter]

If Dipre was here, he could tell us how good this kid is.

[NateGrey]

If Dipre was here' date=' he could tell us how good this kid is.[/quote']

 

 

The seventeen year old righty wields a low 90s fastball and a repertoire of breaking pitches that have shown impressive potential. With further maturation and development, many scouts believe that DePaula will become a fire-balling ace, capable of launching mid-to-high 90s fastballs and spinning razor sharp sliders past opposing batters.

 

> http://thebaseballchronicle.blogspot.com/2010/01/dominican-ifa-rafael-depaula-back-on.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dojji]

Throws 90 at age 17? Tops out in the mid 90's (which I'm cautiously considering a "tops out at 94 but we want to hype the guy so we say 'mid 90's'" thing)

 

Still, to get even to 94 at that age is pretty interesting. Sounds like the kid has a chance.

 

And with those teams all going after him, his agent has to be feeling very good about things right now.

[a700hitter]

Throws 90 at age 17? Tops out in the mid 90's (which I'm cautiously considering a "tops out at 94 but we want to hype the guy so we say 'mid 90's'" thing)

 

Still, to get even to 94 at that age is pretty interesting. Sounds like the kid has a chance.

 

And with those teams all going after him, his agent has to be feeling very good about things right now.

I'll wait for Dipre's evaluation.

[Spudboy]

A source tells me that as with many Dominican prospects, his age is a concern.

 

Scouts suspect that he is actually 19.

[jacksonianmarch]

He's big and he throws absolute smoke. There were reports that he was 19 back in July, but from the sounds of it, he was only found to be a yr older than his stated age. At 17, he is quite a prospect. NY had a big budget coming into this INTL season, and the rumor was that they were gonna get Sanchez and Depaula. Now that he's back on the market, we'll have to see if that comes to fruition

[Imperial59]

He's big and he throws absolute smoke. There were reports that he was 19 back in July' date=' but from the sounds of it, he was only found to be a yr older than his stated age. At 17, he is quite a prospect. NY had a big budget coming into this INTL season, and the rumor was that they were gonna get Sanchez and Depaula. Now that he's back on the market, we'll have to see if that comes to fruition[/quote']

 

It'll be interesting to say what you say about him if he signs with the Red Sox. I have a feeling it might be a lot like the center field situation for the Yankees last year where you said:

 

I dont think we need another marquee middle of the order hitter. We just need to fill that CF hole with a guy like Cameron who will put up a .800 or so OPS and we'll have a lineup with all 9 players at .800+ OPS if healthy. That is a good lineup.

 

Then when the Yankees didn't get Cameron you said:

 

Melky is the man' date=' I am so glad we didnt deal him for Cameron[/quote']

 

11 of Melky's 20 RBIs are in the 7th inning or later

 

Then when the Yankees traded Melky, you said:

 

If Gardner does EXACTLY what he did last yr' date=' and I expect him to be better, then he will be worth more than Melky.[/quote']

 

When the player's on the Yankees, he great. As soon as they don't acquire him or the Yankees trade him the player's broken down, not as valuable or not as clutch as a player the Yankees already have.

[Lester82]

Wow, Imperial. Just wow, awesome work. :thumbsup:

 

I just laughed really hard at how you showed him up. thank you... thank you.

[Lester82]

Jacko's reversal of quotes on Melk man was good... actually, it was all good.

[NateGrey]

It'll be interesting to say what you say about him if he signs with the Red Sox. I have a feeling it might be a lot like the center field situation for the Yankees last year where you said:

 

 

 

Then when the Yankees didn't get Cameron you said:

 

 

 

 

 

Then when the Yankees traded Melky, you said:

 

 

 

When the player's on the Yankees, he great. As soon as they don't acquire him or the Yankees trade him the player's broken down, not as valuable or not as clutch as a player the Yankees already have.

 

 

 

 

 

http://memegenerator.net/Thumbnails/874/208x228_LOlbama-LOL-GOTCHA-BITCHES.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jacksonianmarch]

Wait, you are pulling stuff from game threads? That's reactionary for the most part.

 

The truth is, I would have loved to have Cameron as our #9 hitter in the lineup, since that's all he would need to be for us. Right now, he is much more productive than Gardner will be. The difference is how you use him. There is an outside chance that he could end up in the middle third of your order this yr. That is not a good use of his talents. But in the 9 hole patrolling CF or LF in YS, that would be money

[Dojji]

An outside chance he'll be in the middle of our order. OK.

 

I think Martinez, Lowell if he's still here, Ortiz, Drew, VMart and Beltre would all have to abjectly suck to have any chance of that happening, but OK.

[Imperial59]

The difference is how you use him. There is an outside chance that he could end up in the middle third of your order this yr. That is not a good use of his talents. But in the 9 hole patrolling CF or LF in YS' date=' that would be money[/quote']

 

Perhaps you should refrain from guessing how you think I see him. Because I certainly don't see him as a middle of the order bat. I expect him to hit 8th and grind out at bats like the patient hitter he is while hitting 25+ home runs in a park that's build for his swing. Not bad for a #8 hitter.

 

Depending on how Ortiz hits, Drew could then be moved down to the 7th spot and we'd have one hell of a bottom of the order.

[jacksonianmarch]

An outside chance he'll be in the middle of our order. OK.

 

I think Martinez, Lowell if he's still here, Ortiz, Drew, VMart and Beltre would all have to abjectly suck to have any chance of that happening, but OK.

 

Lowell and Ortiz will be sharing ABs IMO if he stays. But with Beltre being a major ?? and Drew being an injury liability, there is a very real chance that Cameron ends up batting in the 6 hole for a good part of the yr. As a #8 hitter, he's fine. #6 hole though....

[Spudboy]

Lowell and Ortiz will be sharing ABs IMO if he stays. But with Beltre being a major ?? and Drew being an injury liability' date=' there is a very real chance that Cameron ends up batting in the 6 hole for a good part of the yr. As a #8 hitter, he's fine. #6 hole though....[/quote']

 

Of course there is the possibility that a giant sink hole will open up and swallow Fenway Park.

 

It is built on a swamp, isn't it?

 

Maybe not.

[Imperial59]

Lowell and Ortiz will be sharing ABs IMO if he stays. But with Beltre being a major ?? and Drew being an injury liability' date=' there is a very real chance that Cameron ends up batting in the 6 hole for a good part of the yr. As a #8 hitter, he's fine. #6 hole though....[/quote']

 

OK, so if you assume that Beltre and Lowell will fail to hit at all and Drew will get hurt, then Cameron is the #6 hitter. I'll give you that one

[Lester82]

And don't forget Swishlicious in 2010. He's gonna have an even bigger year than last!

[Dipre]

Throws 90 at age 17? Tops out in the mid 90's (which I'm cautiously considering a "tops out at 94 but we want to hype the guy so we say 'mid 90's'" thing)

 

Still, to get even to 94 at that age is pretty interesting. Sounds like the kid has a chance.

 

And with those teams all going after him, his agent has to be feeling very good about things right now.

 

No.

 

He sits 92, 93 and can hit 95 consistently, but he likes to vary speeds on his fastball. Tops out at 97.

 

He's big and he throws absolute smoke. There were reports that he was 19 back in July' date=' but from the sounds of it, he was only found to be a yr older than his stated age. At 17, he is quite a prospect. NY had a big budget coming into this INTL season, and the rumor was that they were gonna get Sanchez and Depaula. Now that he's back on the market, we'll have to see if that comes to fruition[/quote']

 

Not big. At 6'3, it's a projectable frame, but he's under 200 pounds as of right now. When you talk big pitcher to a scout, you're talking either a tall guy with some weight on him or a really tall guy. DePaula is neither.

 

Rafael DePaula scouting report:

 

Young, lanky kid with impressive feel for pitching, throws smoke, and can throw an assortment of secondary pitches, 2-seamer, CB, Slider, Cutter, Change, C-Change, likes to vary speed on almost everything he throws, and wows scouts with his demeanor, competitive drive and his ability to repeat his delivery.

 

Concerns:

 

Age: Baseball people fear he's actually 19, but he swears by the fact that he's 17. It'll be cleared up eventually, but if he's actually 19, someone's going to end up massively overpaying.

 

Health: Kids who start throwing really hard really young usually end up having arm trouble, and this kid is the perfect example of it, not to mention he loves throwing that slider in competitive instances, if that slider-love is not contained, it could be Liriano part deux.

 

I'll post some thoughts on his pitches after i get some feedback from the guy who trains him later in the day.

[a700hitter]

No.

 

He sits 92, 93 and can hit 95 consistently, but he likes to vary speeds on his fastball. Tops out at 97.

 

 

 

Not big. At 6'3, it's a projectable frame, but he's under 200 pounds as of right now. When you talk big pitcher to a scout, you're talking either a tall guy with some weight on him or a really tall guy. DePaula is neither.

 

Rafael DePaula scouting report:

 

Young, lanky kid with impressive feel for pitching, throws smoke, and can throw an assortment of secondary pitches, 2-seamer, CB, Slider, Cutter, Change, C-Change, likes to vary speed on almost everything he throws, and wows scouts with his demeanor, competitive drive and his ability to repeat his delivery.

 

Concerns:

 

Age: Baseball people fear he's actually 19, but he swears by the fact that he's 17. It'll be cleared up eventually, but if he's actually 19, someone's going to end up massively overpaying.

 

Health: Kids who start throwing really hard really young usually end up having arm trouble, and this kid is the perfect example of it, not to mention he loves throwing that slider in competitive instances, if that slider-love is not contained, it could be Liriano part deux.

 

I'll post some thoughts on his pitches after i get some feedback from the guy who trains him later in the day.

Thank you. Now, I feel that I have some reliable information about the guy. Let us know whatever you find out about him. IMO first hand information from someone that works with him is much better than written reports on prospect sites. Of course you know that if the Yankees sign him, Jacko will post that he is the next Pedro, and if we get him, he'll be a disaster who will bring ruin to Fenway, but that is to be expected.

[jacksonianmarch]

6'3" at 17 yrs old is big.

[Dipre]

6'3" at 17 yrs old is big.

 

If you really think he's 17, i have a bridge i want to sell you.....

[italstallianion]

I don't even care if he's 17. Even if he's 19, assuming if the stats on his pitches are true then he's still ballin.

[Dipre]

I don't even care if he's 17. Even if he's 19' date=' assuming if the stats on his pitches are true then he's still ballin.[/quote']

 

Yeah but the projection on a 17 or a 19 year old is not nearly the same. The signing bonus would be greatly influenced by his age (which i can say without a shadow of a doubt that it's 19 years old).

[jacksonianmarch]

If you really think he's 17' date=' i have a bridge i want to sell you.....[/quote']

 

Absolutely agreed. If he's 19 or 20 yrs old, then 6'3" is probably his max height and he's above average sized. If he is truly 17, then 6'3" might turn into 6'5" which would be large. Also, almost all of these guys come in wiry thin. He'll fill out.

[Dipre]

Absolutely agreed. If he's 19 or 20 yrs old' date=' then 6'3" is probably his max height and he's above average sized. If he is truly 17, then 6'3" might turn into 6'5" which would be large. Also, almost all of these guys come in wiry thin. He'll fill out.[/quote']

 

Hence the term "Projectable frame".

[DepaulasTrainer]

Hello I'm Rafael Depaula's trainer. Not his agents (Ulises Cabrera and Brian Mejia). Here is my youtube user account: youtube /user/CruelAsLife you can see some clips of Rafael Throwing. I could also upload pics from his last visit to the Redsox's academy in the Dominican Republic.

 

The teams that have scouted Depaula the Most are the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers and Boston Red sox.

 

I can tell you with 100% of certainty that the Red Sox and Rangers won’t sign Rafael Depaula.

 

The Yankees are the front runners, the Orioles, Brewers, Mariners, Philies, Padres, Guardians, Astros and Athletics still have a real chance.

 

 

The JCE veridict means that Depaula is using his real papers, not someone else's, regardless of that; teams do not believe his age and that’s why Rafael will sign for a rather low amount (when everything is settled teams will kick themselves after realizing that for his talent regardless the age Depaula was a bargain).

 

Depaula highest reading has been 99 mph, he touched that once. 97 is easier for him, but he sits 93-94 and he maintains this speed in the later innings. His change up has crazy movement and he easily throws it in the 87-88 range, he has 2 change ups one over the top and he drops down a bit with the one with more movement. Curveball (to him is a curveball) some clubs feel is a slurve other call it a slider, has nasty spin, he throws it for strikes when he wants and is usually 78 mph, but I saw him throwing it at 84 a month ago.

 

Let's take 3 mph from all his pitches, so he would be 91-92 fb 84-85 ch and 75 CB, he would still be a great prospect because he is the hardest working guy out here and loves the game like no one else, he is a true student of the game and that’s why he dominates so easily, he loves pressure and big important games/tryouts.

 

I'm sorry Dipre but no one will overpay for him, first because during the tryouts he pitches against cubans like Viciedo, Felix Perez, Julio Jose Ruiz "Candelita" Iglesias, if not he has to face advance Dominican summer league guys or minor league prospects. Secondly he has been throwing non stop from the summer of 2008 till now (he is taking 3 weeks for rest) clubs have seen him more than any other prospect in the history of the Dominican Republic. Thirdly with his suspension and all the bad publicity he would have broken down by now, yet he keeps getting better. Clubs have more data on Depaula than any other prospect; they are in a better position to make the right call than any other time in the past.

 

In 2009 Theo Epstein, Francona and other high officials from the Red Sox came to see Depaula, Arguelles and other prospects, Depaula out pitched him in every sense of the word and Red Sox scouts will admit to this and when everything is all said and done Arguelles will probably get 9 times what Depaula will.

 

Guys, teams say that Depaula is ready to throw at least class A ball now, some say double A and most agree that in 2 years he will be in the Major Leagues. One of the Alcantara dudes you sign is probably better than Ynoa too; but like us he didn’t have the money for all that marketing machine to do magic and produce a record breaking bonus. Again the only ones been fooled here are the fans that don’t know what’s going on.

 

I am his trainer so I am obviously biased in his favour, so take my words and put it in the worst possible scenario for your own comfort (I.E. the kid is 30, he bearly tops 92 and his breaking pitches are flat) that will help make it better when the Yankees get him for peanuts.

[Plumpamania]

Troll is obvious troll.

[italstallianion]

GOM brings trolling to a whole new level. Gotta love the dedication though.

[DepaulasTrainer]

ummm if I upload pics of Depaula at the bosox complex, even Julio Jose Ruiz and Israel Soto, convince you?