mac9001

QUOTE (JPR @ Jul 28, 2017 -> 05:11 PM) Still think they should build a bigger ball park by the Tweeter Center in Tinley Park. I bet it would be sold out every night and they could add more seats to make the capacity 50,000+. The cell or whatever it's called till the next corporate contract comes up, is in a horrible location. And as you all know water is also wet unless its frozen and the sky is blue unless it's night. I really wish they'd build a new ball park in the Orland/Tinley area. $$$$$ Tinley Park is a pretty terrible place to build anything. 80% of Chicagoland would view Tinley Park as an inconvenient drive. The absolute best place to build a park was Rosemont. They're actually putting an unaffiliated minor league team there and I'm willing to bet they'll do fantastically well in terms of attendance.

I'm not entirely sold there's a huge benefit to having these guys with Coop for a couple months or that it will drastically change their future development regardless. I'd be fine letting them finish off their AAA season and call it a year. Give them both a chance to win a rotation spot in spring training. At this point I think I would save the additional option year and just start next year fresh.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 27, 2017 -> 11:13 AM) Huge list of players to get at-bats for now... Hayes will probably get pushed out by Gillaspie/Delmonico/Asche. Feeling Tilson has little to no future due to his lack of power playing 81 games in Chicago. Then you've got Cordell, Willy Garcia, Liriano, Engel, Leury (who might have to move back to SS), Avi Garcia (upon return), Hanson, Sanchez, Saladino, obviously Matt Davidson until they find someone better. Maybe, just maybe, Eddie Alvarez or Peter. That's 14-16 players there alone. Plus, Abreu is ensconced somewhere in there, either at 1B or DH. How many of them will be on the next Sox playoff team, one wonders... If we're struggling to find atbats for any of these guys that's a good sign. I figure some will produce and they'll be rewarded with playing time and the rest are roster filler at Charlotte. All of these guys are lucky to have this opportunity and hopefully some of them will stick.

From a purely development standpoint it seems like we're rushing this kid a bit. I'd have preferred to get him 30-40 AAA innings before starting his service clock. There's no shortage of AAAA bullpen arms in Charlotte to throw into the churn. But he's definitely the most interesting relief prospect we have (that's not undergoing TJ surgery).

Also, i'm surprised Bummer is getting the promotion. I would have figured Clark or Purke would be the next lefty up.

It's strange seeing people excited over this kid and so down on Cordell. I personally view Cordell more favorably, but I wonder if people would have felt this kid was an appropriate return for Swarzak?

QUOTE (Alexeihyeess @ Jul 21, 2017 -> 06:25 PM) On his way to W-S? One would hope, if I went 5-5 and they sat me the next day I would lose my s***.

Next in line for a promotion to AAA should probably be Jordan Guerrero. Given Stephens limited time in AA and the fact his peripherals are not conducive of his ERA it would be appropriate to keep him there longer.

I'd say whatever our win-loss record is at the end of this year, subtract another 5 for next season and potentially far worse. I'm not overly optimistic we'll see significant production from our current prospect stock next year. Which means if we have any quality production next year it'll be from guys like Sanchez, Garcia, Abreu and thus they'll likely have trade value and we'll likely trade them. You probably don't stop trading our current vets until the new stock of prospects start to show a noticeable level of mlb production (2019). Then consider filling out the roster with free agency in 2020.

Tyler had a 27% K-rate in AAA and averaged higher for most of his minor league career. My trading philosophy on prospects with high K-rates is get what you can when you can get it, there's a overwhelmingly high chance this kid will never be a productive major league hitter.

Zavala showing some serious power. Crushed a ball and with a low effort swing.

1 Moncada 2 Jimenez 3 Kopech 4 Robert 5 Rutherford 6 Lopez 7 Giolito 8 Dunning 9 Hansen 10 Cease 11 Collins 12 Adams 13 Burger 14 Guerrero 15 Stephens 16 Zavala 17 Clarkin 18 Sheets 19 Burdi 20 Delmonico 21 Fulmer 22 Adolfo 23 Fisher 24 Basabe 25 Flores 26 Call 27 Mendick 28 Skoug 29 Tilson 30 Cooper Guys I considered and those I think could easily be top 30 (up arrows) ^^^ Polo May ^^^ Bummer ^^^ Danish Alvarez Peter ^^^ Basto ^^^ Flete ^^^ Booker ^^^ Rose Michalczewski ^^^ Gonzalez Martinez Diaz Yrizarri Notes: Kopech - Command scares the hell out of me. He throws a lot of wasted pitches that no one would ever swing at. Giolito - Consistency is keeping him from being a true TOR prospect. I feel better about him figuring it out than Kopach improving his command. Collins - Shows any improvement in hit tool and could easily bump him up five spots. Adams - Opposite of Kopech, throws too many pitches around the plate. Stuff is better than k-rate would indicate, but might need adjustments to approach. Highest floor of any starter we have. Guerrero - If he was throwing 95-96 he would probably be our top pitching prospect. Gun doesn't show it but pitches like a true power pitcher, swinging strike rate higher than Kopech. Of all the games I've watched this year hitters looked most uncomfortable against Guerrero. Basabe - Slight improvement in hit tool can move him up 10 spots. But not overly optimistic as k-rate has shown no improvement. Zavala - If Collins was putting up his numbers he'd be in the top 5. Fulmer - Needs to show some semblance of command to justify continued prospect rank. Hansen - Controlling the running game will quickly become a major issue if he doesn't adjust. Adolfo - No improvement to K-rate despite decent numbers over last two months. Not sold unless that improves.

The fact they were able to get a legit top 30-40 prospect and a promising left is a fairly adequate return. But I definitely like the return better from the Yankee's side. They're getting a solid closer with a decent track record and one hell of an arm in Kahnle. I like Kahnle's chances of being a dominant reliever over the next few years better than Rutherford ever seeing the bigs. In a few years we'll be really lucky to pull off a trade like this.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 16, 2017 -> 07:40 PM) It's been a real rough WSox career so far for V. Diaz. Have to wonder how healthy he is. I saw him on TV a few days ago and there isn't anything visibly wrong. There were no gun readings but he looked like a power pitcher. Was throwing strikes and the fastball had decent life.

Most importantly he's doing it in Charlotte. You gotta spot a starter at least two runs, maybe three for a day game.

Lopez looks fantastic. This will be his four straight start with good (or great) command. He might have the occasional off day and get lit up, but it definitely seems like there's enough consistency in his command to see if it plays in the bigs.

QUOTE (maxjusttyped @ Jul 16, 2017 -> 01:56 AM) I don't want to be overly negative, but it boggles my mind people can look at him and still see one of the best prospects in baseball. Law had him (I believe) at 15 and that seems impossible to justify. Skoug went 3-5 and is hitting a cool .529. When you watch him pitch on a night with solid command you begin to understand the hype. You just have to sit back and hope the consistency comes, even if it takes a few more years.

QUOTE (CWSpalehoseCWS @ Jul 15, 2017 -> 10:46 PM) A little soon to be calling a 20 yr. old a bust, don't you think? Just because he was relatively highly rated doesn't mean it was justifiable. There's nothing I can find that makes me think he gets any further than AA. Flete might never see the bigs but at he'll at least provide solid organizational depth. This kid just put up a 1.8% BB rate in A ball (where every second pitcher struggles to throw strikes). He gets to AA and he'll never see a hitable pitch with his lack of discipline. If he wasn't a SS he may have never moved past rookie ball.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 15, 2017 -> 09:47 PM) I would not. When I posted a small little update in the Sox transactions catch-all, I expected him to be a nothing. This kid has a shot at being a respectable player, as in the type of player the Sox should be looking for when it comes to returns on Swarzak, Frazier, Melky, Holland, and Gonzalez. Instead, they got him for international slot bonus money. I hope they make about 4 or 5 more deals like that. Also, it really says something about the Sox system when he's 17 in Texas and 30 in Chicago. Give it 3-4 years, and this Sox team is going to be looking awesome. There is literally nothing encouraging about his career so far. If he moves off short he'll probably be out of baseball shortly.

I'd rate Bryant Flete and Matt Rose ahead of this kid.

QUOTE (JLarucci23 @ Jul 14, 2017 -> 10:38 PM) Chavis and Beeks please.. Probably a bit optimistic.

QUOTE (maxjusttyped @ Jul 14, 2017 -> 06:32 PM) Yeah, this is definitely an option year. I think I was wrong and he's down to 1 after this season. My mistake if so. You only use up an option if he's called up. At this point I wouldn't even give him a Sep call up.

QUOTE (oneofthemikes @ Jul 14, 2017 -> 02:32 PM) He's not. They are absolutely not trading a consensus top 10 prospect for relievers, regardless of how many you throw at them. We, better than anyone, should realize what it takes to get a top 10 OF. We just did it. It took 3+ years of a cost controlled All Star SP. Harper is gone in a couple years and they know that they will need a replacement. Refocus on Soto and/or Kieboom. They are a hell of a lot more realistic than Robles. I agree, I expect they'll do a bunch of small deals and if the Nats fall short of making the playoffs due to their bullpen I expect Rizzo to lose his job.

If Robles is on the table it's time to cash in on Kahnle. The Nats bullpen deficiencies require multiple moves, we're the only team out there that can address it in one deal and do it in a way that adds no financial burden to their books. If Rizzo's plan is to go out and find three Swarzak's he'll likely come up short than overpay for a lesser option after the trade deadline. At some point including Robles in a deal like this might actually make more sense from an asset standpoint than doing multiple smaller deals and gutting their farm depth. The Sox offer the added benefit of immediate relief and longer term asset control. It puts the Nats in a better position to resign a guy like Swarzak and you have multiple years of control on Kahnle and at least one more year of Robertson. But from Rizzo's perspective you figure there's a certain level of hesitance to pull another big deal with the same team in the course of such a short window. The perception that he gave away the farm to the Sox would be a fairly accurate judgment.

Given the Nats bullpen woes I wonder what the haul would be if we send them Robertson, Kahnle & Swarzak. If I'm Rick Hahn I'd be calling Rizzo and planting the go big idea over the next few weeks.