2016 Prospects Thread

[mvp 78]

Well we wouldn't of and shouldn't have anyways. We can jump back into the international market again next year and unless MLB comes out with an international draft I suspect the Sox to be very active.

 

I thought the ban was through 2017?

[Hugh2]

I thought the ban was through 2017?

 

I'm pretty sure they are baned this year up until July 2nd of 2017. Meaning they can sign guys in the next period.

[Hugh2]

I just double checked it, they are banned from this current signing period. They can jump back in with zero restrictions next year.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/mlb-takes-away-prospects-red-sox-hammers-boston-international-penalties/#QHbEOsUU0H7WmLpP.97

[mvp 78]

I just double checked it, they are banned from this current signing period. They can jump back in with zero restrictions next year.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/mlb-takes-away-prospects-red-sox-hammers-boston-international-penalties/#QHbEOsUU0H7WmLpP.97

 

Ah, I had misremembered the 2016-2017 part. That makes me feel a little better.

[Jack Flap]

Yeah, someone (Jon Heyman, maybe) put out a tweet the other day that they had been banned from the 2017-18 signing period as well, and I about shat my pants.

 

As it is, the punishment isn't too bad since they couldn't have spent more than $300k this year anyway, making their chances of landing a significant talent pretty remote.

[Spudboy]

Yeah, someone (Jon Heyman, maybe) put out a tweet the other day that they had been banned from the 2017-18 signing period as well, and I about shat my pants.

 

As it is, the punishment isn't too bad since they couldn't have spent more than $300k this year anyway, making their chances of landing a significant talent pretty remote.

 

Yesterday Comcast reported that the Sox were excluded from "next year" as well. I think that it's just poor reporting given that the date is mid-year.

[Hugh2]

It was poor reporting, there was a lot of mis-information out there regarding the situation. Not saying the sox didn't do wrong they obviously did, I'm not going back there but this is a subject so few know anything about or are used to reporting that it's easy to get their story wrong.

 

The Sox had all the guys taken away they should not have signed last year and are banned from this current signing period from July 2nd 2016 up to July 1st 2017.

[Jack Flap]

Holy s***:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/red-soxs-michael-kopech-hits-105-start-vs-wilmington/#fLVAUUU5LDLXDgdP.97

[Hugh2]

Holy s***:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/red-soxs-michael-kopech-hits-105-start-vs-wilmington/#fLVAUUU5LDLXDgdP.97

 

I literally just came in here to post this. Now I know some guns have been known to be off, but never by more than 5 MPH and it was confirmed that 105 was registered on multiple guns.

 

They are now saying last night Kopech threw one of the fastest pitches ever recorded.

[Jack Flap]

Yeah, even if both guns were a few mph hot, that's still some serious gas.

 

A pitching Big Three of Espinoza, Kopech, and Groome is within sight.

[Hugh2]

Yeah, even if both guns were a few mph hot, that's still some serious gas.

 

A pitching Big Three of Espinoza, Kopech, and Groome is within sight.

 

I'm not 100% sure on this but from my understanding radar guns are very reliable and accurate. Sometimes stadium guns are manipulated in the minors to add a tick or two.

 

There was no stadium gun, and it was registered on multiple guns.

[Jack Flap]

I'm not 100% sure on this but from my understanding radar guns are very reliable and accurate. Sometimes stadium guns are manipulated in the minors to add a tick or two.

 

There was no stadium gun, and it was registered on multiple guns.

 

That's probably what I was thinking of.

 

Good to hear, thanks.

[Jack Flap]

5 Red Sox in the top 50 (and three in the top 10) of Keith Law's midseason update:

 

3. Benintendi

5. Moncada

7. Devers

14. Espinoza

45. Kopech

[Hugh2]

5 Red Sox in the top 50 (and three in the top 10) of Keith Law's midseason update:

 

3. Benintendi

5. Moncada

7. Devers

14. Espinoza

45. Kopech

 

He's the only person to have Benintendi ahead of Moncada, also he's much higher on Devers than anyone else.

 

Devers has been hitting really really well lately.

[Hugh2]

After a horrible start Devers was .313/.352/.386 in June and has been on fire in July .376/.453/.750

 

Lets not forget that he's 19 and in high A, and by all accounts he's been fine at 3B. While a move isn't out of the question one day the consensus seems to be he's convinced scouts he has the athleticism for 3B.

[mvp 78]

Benintendi and Moncada are definitely 1a and 1b. I think a case could be made for either. Benintendi may be a little more polished, but Moncada is an athletic freak.

[mvp 78]

Also, it's nice to hear that Devers is doing well. I haven't really heard much about him lately.

[Hugh2]

Back when I was a boston.com frequenter I started a draft thread for the 2015 draft. There were two names attached to the Sox who I really liked, Carson Fulmer and Andrew Benintendi. I admit I was more intrigued with Benintendi but I would have been really happy with Fulmer.

 

Fulmer after a rocky start has done a pretty good job in AA over his last 7 starts he has a 3.51 ERA and has dramatically cut down on the walks striking out 3x as many. Again, I think we got a bigger stud in Andrew, and he's probably going to be one of the next draftees from that class to reach the majors but the White Sox are calling him up this week. If we had gone in this direction....we probably would have that 5th man for the rotation internally now, we also still might have Margot in the system and have him in LF currently too. Then again, we probably wouldn't have Kimbrel, I get it...the butterfly effect so who knows how things would have transpired but I just thought it was a cool thing to ponder. What might have been in a parallel universe.

[cp176]

Nice outing for Owens yesterday. Still a young pitcher. He may very well still become a middle of the rotation kind of arm. He still has value!

[Jack Flap]

Nice outing for Owens yesterday. Still a young pitcher. He may very well still become a middle of the rotation kind of arm. He still has value!

 

Agreed. Johnson threw 5 shutout innings in a rehab start in Lowell the other day as well. It's disappointing that neither has been able to help us so far this year, but I haven't given up on either of them.

[moonslav59]

Nice outing for Owens yesterday. Still a young pitcher. He may very well still become a middle of the rotation kind of arm. He still has value!

 

Nice outing for Brian Johnson too. Maybe there's hope yet...

[Hugh2]

One thing I found encouraging about Owens start was he reportedly had much better control of his fastball. If he can do that with consistency then he can be a real option for us in the rotation sooner than later. I never thought Owens was going to be a TOTRS, and many scouts didn't either but I think he can be a really good solid #3 guy if he can make some real changes to his command.

[cp176]

One thing I found encouraging about Owens start was he reportedly had much better control of his fastball. If he can do that with consistency then he can be a real option for us in the rotation sooner than later. I never thought Owens was going to be a TOTRS, and many scouts didn't either but I think he can be a really good solid #3 guy if he can make some real changes to his command.

 

his projection has been consistently middle of the rotation. He could be an important piece for us and he might just as likely be used as a trade chip. We shall see. If all things had moved along consistently, my money would be on Brian Johnson as opposed to Owens. As we all know, Johnson has some other health related issues. Not saying a lot but his start in Lowell was a good beginning.

[Hugh2]

his projection has been consistently middle of the rotation. He could be an important piece for us and he might just as likely be used as a trade chip. We shall see. If all things had moved along consistently, my money would be on Brian Johnson as opposed to Owens. As we all know, Johnson has some other health related issues. Not saying a lot but his start in Lowell was a good beginning.

 

I think that was more of his projected ceiling in terms of a MOTRS, the highest ceiling I've seen slapped on him from a credible source was #2 if everything broke right but there was a lot of talk of him being a #3#4 guy. If he ever harnesses his control I don't think that's completely out of the question but I think it's more realistic that he improves his command and control enough to crack a rotation but be more of a #4 guy.

 

That may not be the most special projection in the world but if he could end up being that guy this season or next season at some point that would be huge on this team.

 

I think you're right though, I see him as a useful trade chip at this point as well. Some guys need time to struggle and adjust at the MLB level, and a team in contention just can not afford to do that. We had the capacity to do that with JBJ and Bogaerts but not now, however I think that is an important note because even though his value has obviously dropped I don't think it's dropped as much as some people might think.

[jacksonianmarch]

Nice outing for Owens yesterday. Still a young pitcher. He may very well still become a middle of the rotation kind of arm. He still has value!

 

Have you seen him of late? I did. He was absolutely abysmal with no velocity or location.

[a700hitter]

Have you seen him of late? I did. He was absolutely abysmal with no velocity or location.

He was untouchable on the trade market under Ben.

[Palodios]

He was untouchable on the trade market under Ben.

 

Much in the same way as Betts and Bogaerts. You win some, you lose some.

[a700hitter]

Much in the same way as Betts and Bogaerts. You win some, you lose some.

Yep, and lets hope that they got it right with regard to Espinoza.

[a700hitter]

Rusney Castillo is OPSing at a clip of .591 in Pawtucket. That's $72 million in the toilet. That is $2 million more than was offered to Lester as an extension.

 

Allen Craig has all of 18 ABs this season in AAA --another $26 million flushed.

[Jack Flap]

Much in the same way as Betts and Bogaerts. You win some, you lose some.

 

Definitely. I'd rather deal with the Michael Bowdens, Lars Andersons, and Garin Cecchinis of the world not working out than trade away the next Bogaerts, Betts, or Bradley and have it come back to haunt you.

 

Also, not that it probably matters, but I really doubt Owens was ever an "untouchable" piece in our system. He was a good, not elite, pitching prospect for a few years, but not every guy that we liked and didn't end up trading was untouchable. No one knows what Ben might have been offered for Owens at some point...I'd have included him in a Hamels trade scenario without much second thought, but he would not have been the only piece going.