Hugh2

I think drafting for need happens more later in the draft. You need to fill out rosters, but at the top it’s all about talent and money.

I get that argument, admittedly I’ve probably used it before but I honestly believe things are almost never equal. If they take Leiter over Davis, it’s because they think he’s better, or he was asking for less money.

If you’re drafting a pitcher for pure upside, Jobe is your guy. Best spin rate in the draft, his slider is already mlb caliber. HS pitchers are risky, they’re the biggest boom/bust out there. The Trey Ball PTSDers will lose their minds if we draft Jobe. But I have heard that he belongs in that top tier of talent. Seems to be 8 guys.

The average 2B is a .704 ops hitter. It’s a small jump for Kike to beat that as his career line is worth more. Plus D, positional versatility. Only thing you can really complain about is him in the lead off spot.

I think they’d take Leiter over Davis too, so they probably don’t take Davis unless Leiter goes 1-1. They could be in on Mayer/Lawlar too.

Needs are pointless, you can always trade from surplus for depth. If Davis is the BPA, you take him and trade him down the line if need be. These guys are 2-4 years away from playing in the majors and a lot can happen in that window. Also, the Tigers have been tied to Davis and have been said to really like him (they like Leiter too). So I wouldn’t rule them out drafting Davis just because they have a catcher in their system,

All I know is they better not draft Trey Ball or people will be pissed.

Most players traded don’t turn into stars. Fortunately we don’t need all 5 to make this a good trade, just one. Interesting factoid. David Ortiz was a PTBNL

Loving the Bello movement. Watching the WooSox today. I’ve read that there’s a jet stream from behind home plate to center, and today I’m seeing it. Very very very hitter friendly.

A bird in hand is worth two in the Bush. One side can evaluate a trade soon, the other side usually has to wait a few years. In blooms case a bird in hand is worth 5 in the bush. At first glance it looks like a good deal and a great infusion of talent into our system, but like you said. Time will tell.

Agreed, but Davis is a top 10 talent for his bat alone. I wouldn’t be upset with the top college bar in the draft.

in 2019 Adley Rutschman and Shane Langeliers were taken in the top 10 and they're ranked #2 and #73 in all of baseball. Joey Bart was #41 in baseball before recently graduating as he was rushed, still 24 hitting well in AAA. He looks like a MLBer Kyle Schwarber in 2014 and Mike Zunino in 2012. If history is precedent, Davis is a future MLB catcher and I'm really starting to love the bat.

They also weren't top ten college catchers, the track record there is good. Joe Mauer and Buster Posey were top ten picks (although Joe was a HS guy). Over the last ten years the worse college catcher taken in the first round has been Zack Collins who was taken #10 overall and he's still in the big leagues, most draft picks don't even make the majors. But even he still has a chance to make it, as he's relatively young and hit well in the minors. Me personally, I'd rather have a defensive stud with average offense, maybe even below average if the rest of the lineup is good. And you can easily sign or trade for one of those guys if you don't have one in your system. It would be like putting a poor defender out in CF just because he can hit, why not just move him to LF? I'm not saying Davis isn't going to be a good catcher, but it's his arm that is what has scouts raving about him behind the plate. Honestly, I'd value blocking and framing much more than controlling the run game. I have come around on Davis though. I'm not attached to him at #4 but I'd be excited to have him in the system.

yeah, that's what I thought too but someone on another forum pointed out the track record of catchers drafted in the top ten and it's really really really good. Catchers take more time to develop, but with Davis the bat is elite, that a team might consider him a top ten talent with his bat alone. He's got plenty of arm for 3rd.

I was really down on Davis for a long time, for no real good reason other than I don't like Catching prospects, and I have no real good reason for that either. I'm starting to come around on Davis, if the defense improves behind the plate then he's a potential franchise player. If he moves to third, he still has 1st division starter upside with his bat. But I'd take Leiter over Davis at this point, even if college bats are a safer bet I like the risk/reward shot at a MLB starting pitcher. Really like the highschool short stops, both Mayer/Lawlar are 5 tool talents.

Kiley McDaniel on the top of the draft: The Pirates (No. 1 pick) are believed to be down to Jordan Lawlar and Marcelo Mayer, with price playing a big part in their decision -- with Jack Leiter and/or Henry Davis as long-shot options. The Rangers (No. 2) are generally seen to prefer Leiter and Davis, but it appears they haven't made any firm decisions yet, so it's early. The Tigers (No. 3) are known to love Mayer and they've always loved SEC power pitchers, so Leiter is likely second on their board, but there's a split in the industry on who'd they take if those players go 1-2. Sources have suggested Lawlar, Kumar Rocker, Brady House, and, with some late momentum, Jobe. Boston (No. 4) has long been tied to Rocker, but I don't know if that is to be believed; I'm buying into Davis links much more.

Teams don't draft for need, they often draft BPA. Huff could be close to FA, or have fallen off a cliff by the time Davis is MLB ready, also Davis is considered an all star caliber bat with the athleticism and arm to play 3B. If you keep him at catcher, and he becomes one of the best prospects in the game and you like Huff, you can always trade a guy like Davis to fill in a hole elsewhere. The Tigers love taking college bats too so I think there's a good chance Davis is gone before we pick, but a lot can happen. Good chance Leiter goes, and if two of the HS short stops from this class go early then it's probable that Davis slips to us.

I think they totally lost faith in Benintendi. Not sure how they felt about him long term too, as undersized players often do not age well. I think some are underestimating the return Bloom got for him, not sure what these people expected. Bloom has a pretty darn good track record over making moves like this.

If the Sox thought Duran was ready they would not have let him go to the Olympic trial games. Santana is the guy, and you hope he can at least somewhat replicate his 2019. They didn't sign Santana to sit in Worcester all year, he was always first guy up. I think after Santana Duran starts to get a look, maybe in August. If Santana is performing, or even if the offense picks up in other areas and it's not as much a concern I don't think we see Duran this year. But if Santana starts laying eggs all year then I could see them bring him up even if hes not ready but close to ready. I think the Sox plan on him being close to ready to ready by the end of this year. If they're in a situation where they don't need him he gets his cup of coffee in September.

A lot of revenue comes from the branding, marketing, and tv deals. Many of these teams, especially the big market teams are flush with cash, and those are the teams you're competing with for a guy like Xander. Maybe a year after Covid you don't have teams like the Seattle Mariners making that once a decade big splash competing for Bogaerts, but you still have everyone else.

I think there's a fair argument that Xander give the Red Sox another below-market deal, but he's still going to opt out for a better deal.

If anything, Franchys success at the AAA level is proof (not that anyone should have needed it) that you don't just scout a Milb stat line and declare a guy ready. There can be many holes in a players game that an organization sees that we do not looking at a box score. But at the same time, sometimes a guy has nothing else to learn except how to adjust to MLB pitching.

.780 to .750? I think you mean .785 to .721. That's not a massive difference, but significant enough to call one player better than the other offensively.

Beni's offense is much better than JBJ's. I'd be more concerned with Benintendi's size, guys with his physicality do not age well. He's not the guy you want to sign to a long term deal. It's easy to fall in love with all every MLB player that comes up through the system but the reality is you have to man a 25 man roster. Hard decisions are made, I would have been ok with the Sox keeping AB and seeing if he could regain his level of play and go for a run this year but I understand why they made the trade too.

Among all MLB shortstops RBIs 4th AVG 1st OBP 1st SLG 1st HR 5th 2B 1st Defensive metrics put him middle of the pack for MLB ss. Xander is the best player at arguably the most premium offensive position. If Bogaerts doesn't opt out, it will be because he gets injured and starts sucking.