Flash

Vaughn will ascend to bigs quickly...maybe 2020/1. Imagine a lineup with Roberts, Moncada, Vaughn, Eloy, Anderson....???

Read several teams have worked him out at 3rd including Baltimore. Will look for article.

Poor Mans Rutschman...might still be around 3rd/4th round - Missouri State's Drew Millas is extremely athletic for his position, flashing above-average run times and moving around behind the plate like an infielder. He has soft hands and excels at blocking and receiving. He also has a strong and accurate arm, the leadership skills desired in a catcher and calls his own game -- a rarity in college. Millas offers some raw power, but he has gotten too wrapped up in trying to lift and drive the ball during a rough junior season offensively. He's a switch-hitter who's significantly better from the left side, and some evaluators wonder if he'd be better off giving up batting right-handed.

I'm probably wrong but I don't rule out Vaughn being able to play 3B if necessary. He has a classic 3B build and strong arm. Moreover, suggesting we can move Eloy, Collins, Burger , etc. oversimplifies the skills and undervalues the importance of having a solid glove at first. Just watch Rizzo, Hosmer, Votto and Freemen and see how many throwing errors they prevent (as opposed to Abreu). With our young IF'rs I'd hate to see someone like Eloy trying to scoop up in-between hops.

Wow!!

Agreed! Lineup looks entirely different with Tilson...guys a pro and a tough out. Please lock up McCann!!!

What would be a realistic expectation for Colome? Red Sox have a strong LH hitting 1B prospect in Tristan Casas (who might obviate any interest in Vaughn in favor of Abrams).

I can see it Mags. If you are still undecided and look at next 2-4 yrs of need AND, you project Eloy as DH/1B then we definitely can use a LH corner OF w/power. I like it.

Saw him vs. Vandy over the weekend. Despite Bleday and other prospects, Kessinger stood out to me. Great fielder (true SS) with a bit of power. Obviously great pedigree.

Would love if somehow we can float Espino to our second pick (45?). Kids got serious potential but doesn't seem to be getting buzz.

Jimmy - any intel on Don Kessinger's grandson. SS for Southern Miss?

Reasonable possibility. I'd call it 40%. I'd say 50% he's eyeing up Abrams. Interestingly, I flipped on Vandy S. Miss yesterday and the guy who impresed me the most was Grae Kessinger, Don's grandson. Haven't heard him mentioned among top prospects but he is a polished SS and appears to be an excellent hitter. Hit a couple of seeds while I was tuned in.

These are rhetorical questions but go to my point that 'rebuild' is code for 1) cut expenses; 2) give frustrated fans something to look forward to 3) exhibit no accountability 4) offer no timeline or actual progress markers and 5) provide job security for the undeserving. 1) We'll know the rebuild is complete when...(fill in the blank) 2) The rebuild will take ____years ? 3) We can measure our progress against ? a. how key minor league players are progressing b. wins and losses c. Cubs and Astros trajectory/timing d. dunno...its more of a 'feel' kind of thing

Dinging them for style points seems misguided. And BTW, they were Wild Card team in 2017 and should walk away with the division this year. They will figure out a way to stay the course because thats what well run organizations do.

Its just frustrating that management isn't forced to put some definition around the term 'rebuild'. It just feels like an ambiguous time period without guideposts to inform our progress. The de facto time period seems to rely on when key prospects reach the bigs. Of course this leaves plenty of wriggle room for management to push the window back instead of a broader blueprint involving draft/development combined with smart acquisitions through trades and FA signings a la Twins and Brewers.

Bingo! The Twins are but one example debunking the notion that rebuild is synonymous with waiting for years until key minor leaguers are ready. Look 90 miles north to the Brewers. They hired a 30 year old GM (Stearns) and took their lumps for a season then acquired Yelich, Moustakis and Cain as well as Grandal last year. You have to have a vision and ability to evaluate talent.

You can take it as complaining but in 2016, Twins lost 103 games...easily the most in MLB. The following year they finished 2nd and played Yankees as Wild Card. Not content with that, they fired Manager of the Year, Paul Molitor a year later. You could lay the Twins lineup side-side with Sox coming into 2019 and argue the WS were stronger at most positions. The Twins made some smart acquisitions and the Sox brought in McCaan, Colome and $20 million of hot garbage. If you don't see the subpar functional areas with this organization you are blind or kidding yourselves.

There is no reason the Sox shouldn't be better than the Twins right now except bad personnel decisions, most this past offseason.

The difference between the Twins and the Sox is Twins ownership doesn't tolerate continued underperformance. In 2016, the Twins fired their beloved GM, Terry Ryan. Before the start of the 2019 season, the Twins fired Paul Molitor a year after earning Manager of the Year. You don't get to rest on your laurels. The Twins know when they need to bring in fresh perspective. You could argue the Sox came into 2019 with a better looking team on paper than the Twins. The difference is the off-season moves and and commitment to fielding a competitive product game in and game out...not providing job security to underperforming patsies under the banner of a multi year rebuild.

If you had to look him up you don't follow MiLB very closely. Nonetheless, my point is the WS cannot draft and develop their way to contention. They will need to augment the draft through smart trades and FA acquisitions. BTW, the only reason Hahn traded for Colome (and Herrera) was to flip them at the trade deadline. Unfortunately, Herrera's performance doesn't warrant trade value but Colome is as good as gone.

I'd try to get either trade partner to sweeten the deal but I WOULD trade Abreu and Colome for Turang plus a top 10-12 Brewer prospect. Abreu and Colome combined would be too rich for just Casas but I'd send them Colome for Casas in a heartbeat.

Any player is subject to trade analysis but the problem with trading Abreu is the likely return. Noncontenders won't be interested and there are is too limited a number of 1B-challenged contenders to create any kind of bidding. My sense is the best way to unlock Jose' trade value is in combination with Colome. Maybe a team like the Red Sox or our favorite trading partner, Milwaukee would have interest. Bryce Turang would be an interesting target from Brewers. Tristan Casas a nice target from Red Sox.

Many thanks Brad.

I feel we need to effect a trade(s) in addition to drafting well in order to upgrade the roster if we are to compete for post season anytime soon. For me (not trying to be controversial), Eloy looks DH only. I also feel we tend to undervalue the importance of the ability of 1B to save throwing errors by playing short hops and I don't trust Eloy to acquire that skill. It is especially needed with Sox young IF 'rs. That said, I would be looking for a polished bat who could play an adaquate corner OF, ideally LH hitting and a LH hitting 1B with solid defensive skills. OF 's I would consider taking at 3 are Bleday and Greene (I'm very high on Greene). I would then look to acquire a LH/1B through trade. Players I could see targeting include Naylor (SD), Byrd (NYY) and McMahon (Rox). I know they all come with question marks but are potentially available in trade and have shown potential both offense and defensively.

All this talk about Vaughn and Abrams and we might have overlooked the the highest ceiling hitter in the draft, Riley Greene. Watch some video of this kid.