jacksonianmarch

So BA loves Dominguez. He's a top 40 guy before he has one professional AB. They also like Garcia and Schmidt who were in the 60s. Those three are on the mlb pipeline lists as well. One of the other lists has Gil in the top 100 and Schmidt out of the list. Either way, Dominguez is truly a singular talent, but we will see how he translates that as a 17 yr old stateside. Garcia is an enigma to me. Really small, but generates good movement and velocity. The amount of people he strikes out is amazing but his command isn't where it needs to be. That being said he was 20 in AAA by the end of the year, so he has some time. Schmidt is more of the traditional pitcher who is a big hoss and has good movement, command, power, and a true 4 pitch arsenal. He is the most likely of the 3 pitchers on these lists to be a starter in the bigs just due to his entire arsenal. Gil has the most power and has a really nice breaking ball, but doesn't have the change down yet. Good command for someone who can throw over 100mph. I really like our top 4. Outside of the top 100 guys, I still think Florial isn't cooked as a prospect, but I would like to see him not break a bone in his hand or wrist this year (two years running). I would also like to see what he can do in AA away from the pitcher friendly FSL. I think Medina could be a wild card here if his late season location continues. He has the best arsenal of any prospect in baseball. Roansy Contreras is really good and really young, one more solid season will likely see him in the top 100.

Bloom owes him no loyalty, so my bet is no. If Bloom had drafted and developed him, I would say, maybe

Medical records are part of the physical process. If he fails the physical, the deal is off

He didn't have any back surgery. From what they are saying, he had a recurrent oblique injury, likely had a tear that didn't completely heal. Then again, who knows if they are telling the truth

Pairing Mookie with Price decreases prospect return, but very well may allow the sox to get out from under a lot of money.

ESPN is saying the sox and dodgers are "deep" in talks and that Price is involved

Verdugo is not a prospect. He’s actually not even a rookie. He’s a 23 yr old kid who OPS’d over .800 with plus defensive values over 370PAs last year who would have been a FT starter the entire year if he didn’t injure his back.

What I think you’re going to see is a far more consistent approach to drafting and developing. The Rays have a farm that is maybe the best in the game, if not, then they’re top 5. And they’re great every single year. Yes, they deal off good big league talent when they start to get expensive. Yes, they’ve had years where they’ve picked high in the draft. But Bloom created a cheap, deep and very talented team by avoiding the easy way and maximizing return. Bloom has absolutely maximized proximity with his deals. You don’t see a lot of MLB guys going for a four prospect package who haven’t seen AA yet. And he usually wins his deals. So as this rebuild goes into effect and he does deal off players for prospects, I expect the Sox ranking to rise considerably.

That’s the thing, you’ve got 3 players with CIF written all over them in Dalbec, Chavis and Casas. Of them, only Dalbec seems to be capable of being a good 3b. Problem is, you’ve got an all world 3b right now. You’ve got to get Chavis in the lineup. If Dalbec starts 2020 well and earns a promotion, then he’s got to be in the lineup. So you gotta try Dalbec or Chavis at 2b. If anything, maybe their D sucks at those positions, but their bats look good enough to either jettison JD and use the DH spot, or move them for another position of need

If I were Bloom, I would go for Verdugo and Stripling and call it a day. Get some pitching depth and get a replacement for Betts. Verdugo is not a treehouse by the way. The guy looks every bit of a perennial 3-4 WAR player. That is really useful when you can control him for 5 more seasons

The sox lineup can eat a bad spot like 2b. But I have a feeling you'll see Dalbec or Chavis there by end of the season. 2020 will be a year of experimentation for some of the younger talents.

You can really say that about any prospect, though. If anyone has a great year at a young age, they could jump up on the radar. No system is ever "bare" but the amount of lottery tickets in the sox system is just less than others. And some of the lottery tickets have limited upside. What the sox really lack is any true 5 tool talents. They also lack pitching with command of an impressive depth of arsenal or power. That is why they get creamed. Outside of Dalbec, they also lack any sort of big league ready talent capable of giving depth in 2020. So they lack upside, they lack proximity, and they lack depth of the prospect pool. They aren't bare, they're just worse off than most. Bloom will fix this, but it will be more difficult if the cheating scandal robs the sox of draft and IFA stock. Bleacher report just updated their rankings and have the sox moving up to 28th in the game. Interestingly, the Nats are the worst farm, yet they have a top 50 and a top 100, but their depth beyond their top 4 prospects is pretty awful or far away. #29 is Milwaukee, their farm is absolutely terrible with zero top 100 prospects now that Hiura is a MLBer.

and you guys call out the downsides of each prospect. Last I checked, we are on a message board. Opinions are typically welcome, I would assume, right?

Verdugo is good enough to be a one for one with Betts. Not that he’s better than Betts, but 5 years of Verdugo is worth more than one year of Betts, especially for a team looking like 2020 isn’t going to be their year

Not attacking. Just being realistic. Feel free to dispute what I said. Your post is actually more trolling than anything is said, but you’re a Sox fan, so you can’t troll. Right?

Every team has guys who could make the top 100 with a great season in the minors. The problem is, injuries and ineffectiveness creep in. I would tell you this. Groome is likely going to be either in relief or if he is starting, get a 90 inning cap. This will seriously drop his ranking. Unless he comes out and pulls a Gerrit Cole and throws to a 2ERA with 12K/9IP and shows deadly control, he isn't making the top 100. As a matter of fact, as a sox fan, you should just hope he can pitch in April through August without getting hurt. I like Mata. He could end up a top 100 guy. He's certainly got the power, although questions about command and secondary stuff keep his ranking down. But for a guy with his power, he's never been a huge K rate guy. He also has had command issues that creeped back up in AA. He will be a top 100 guy if he dominates AA as he turns 21. He is also a pitching prospect, so he also needs health It is unfair to put any predictions on Jimenez. We had a guy who was insanely hyped last year in Antonio Cabello, who killed it in short season only to flop this past year. These non initially hyped teenager DR prospects don't usually have the easiest of roads early on, especially as they start to see better pitching in the lower levels. He has the tools, let him develop. They may push him to A full season ball. Don't be surprised if he doesn't kill it in 2020. But a solid line (.270/.320/.380 or so) with great speed and good D is enough to keep him progressing. Duran is going to flop. I will tell you this right now. The other guys above on this list certainly have the potential to be a top 100. Duran, to me, is a guy with skills that do not translate to being a great prospect. Yes, he crushed High A ball. But when he got to AA, the warts started to show. He is a high BABIP reliant player who uses his speed to get on base. No power to say the least. But these types need to make a lot of contact so they can reach base then steal bases. Well, he doesn't make great contact and he isn't exceptionally patient. He got to AA and K'd over once per game. If he cannot make more contact, his skill set will peak at that of a backup OFer/pinch runner. Ward, the jury is out. Most SR's on him are a guy with average velocity for a RHer who gets a lot of swings and misses. He added the cutter, which seems to have helped him. He doesn't locate well and didn't make it out of A ball. He should be in AA this year and that is where the rubber meets the road for most prospects. If his new found velo is sustainable, if he can stay healthy and if that cutter fools more advanced hitters, then you might have something. But with his skill set, I doubt if he ever makes the top 100. Then again, top 100 is just an opinion. Robby Cano was never a top 100 prospect and he might be a HOFer. Doesn't mean Ward couldn't be useful, but the lack of command of a non plus plus arsenal would worry me as he progresses

Casas isn't going to be a top 25 talent unless he jumps to AA or AAA and rakes. He isn't the kind of prospect BA likes. BA loves the 5 tool guys and those are the guys who make it way up the line. They only start gushing over 2 tool mashers when they are near MLB ready I am surprised they loved Dalbec so much, but I guess for a MLB ready kid who hit 59 HRs the last 2 seasons, they like the pop. But Dalbec's inability to make contact or even hold a good BA in the minors is pretty concerning. Also, one must consider that he isn't exactly a kid (turns 25 in June), so he was facing leagues where the guys were either at his age or younger.

If the Dodgers are offering Verdugo, I go that route. He’s an OFer with pop who has always carried a solid BA through the minors. He turns 24 in May, so still very young. He’s got 5 years of control and just started showing power the last two seasons. He’s also a good OFer and will likely steal double digit bases on a yearly basis. He will never be Betts, but he has the ceiling of an all star caliber player. He put up 2.2 WAR last year in only 373 PAs. If the Dodgers are offering more than Verdugo, I’d try and get someone close to big league ready or insist on a big league ready starter like Stripling. But Verdugo is better than anything I thought the Sox would get back for one year of Betts at that price

If the Sox get Verdugo without sending any extra talent, that’s a steal. If the Sox get Verdugo plus then it’s a highway robbery

With how rough he was last year and with how the mediocre market has just tanked, they could have NT'd him then signed him for 1yr $4 mil-ish. NO need to guarantee the second year. If JBJ is fading defensively, then he is useless

They spent for sure. Maybe this is the year Machado returns to the .900+OPS guy. Maybe this is the year Hosmer returns to a .300/25/100 guy. Who knows. But when you are facing LA, who is loaded, you need more than hope. And right now, in that division, I still think the DBacks are better too. Heck, if the Rockies pitchers rebound, they have more firepower than anyone. Even with Betts, the Padres aren't a juggernaut and still may not make the POs. If you are a team on the rise but not quite there, you don't make a rental move and give up future pieces. Now signing someone? Go for it. But jettisoning talent? No way

My rationale is more due to the way the sox window is shaping up. Trust me, I am not in love with the Cole contract, but we are staunchly in window and were in need of an ace. Boxes checked. Will his contract hinder us over the long haul? Likely, but if we win a title or two in window, then it is worth it. With Betts, the sox are tumbling down a cliff and have a fair amount of players not likely to outperform their 2020 contracts and beyond. That means adding a prime Mookie on a record setting deal is likely to waste the most important seasons of a long term contract, which are usually the first few. By the time the sox org is ready to take down the Yanks, Mookie might be 30+ and as a smaller player, might be showing some wear and tear. I know Mookie makes the sox better. I know that re-signing Mookie for however many years makes the sox better likely over 2020-2022. Beyond that, he will probably still be good, but may not outperform the contract. Maybe he does? Who knows, but it becomes less likely.

I am entirely hoping the sox re-sign him to something record setting.

I think he overvalued him. JBJ's defense was merely average last year. His worth is tied to his occasional pop and his world class defense. If the defense slips, then his worth is gone

They need someone to take the reigns. Paddack was good, but he was babied. Richards is coming off TJS, so he needs to be brought along as well. Davies is a solid mid to back end guy. Lucchesi is a back end guy. Lamet, meh? Their division has a juggernaut. You don't shoot the shot for a rental without a realistic chance at the division. They aren't there