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Badler: Sox expected to sign Yoelki Cespedes


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1 hour ago, bmags said:

They don't do tool grades. This is part of why I trust BA more, it's hard to get a read on Cespedes because he's apparantly transformed his body a lot since training, but also hasn't been able to do much the last year. Unfortunately we are just going to have to wait until this guy plays to really know more. Let's just hope he's not in the DR all year - PLEASE


"Report: The 23-year-old brother Yoenis Cespedes, Yoelki looks to be ticketed to the White Sox for around $2 million, the latest in their run on Cuban players that includes righthander Norge Vera also in the class, following shortstop Yolbert Sanchez last year for $2.5 million, and outfielder Luis Robert and first baseman Jose Abreu before him. Cespedes played for Cuba in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, but it’s hard to relay an accurate, reliable report that’s up to date like we normally would. Cespedes has been training at his brother’s ranch in Port St. Lucie, Fla. and hasn’t been scouted much due in part to the coronavirus pandemic and MLB’s scouting ban on international players that ended in September. He played for Granma in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, batting .273/.353/.400 in 289 plate appearances with 17 walks, 42 strikeouts and six home runs in the 2017-18 season. The next year was his final season in Cuba and he hit .319/.355/.389 with two walks, 18 strikeouts and no home runs in 77 PAs as a 21-year-old. He has a shorter but strong, athletic frame with added bulk since leaving Cuba, showing good bat speed and a strong arm from the outfield. More depth will probably have to wait until Cespedes gets tested and scouted against more live pitching."

 

Thanks for sharing. I would assume BA was being a bit more conservative and did not want to rank him based on the rumor swing and body change, and the ranking is based on when he last played in Cuba (he didn't set the world on fire), while MLB may be putting a lot of stock into the recent changes, hence the 1st vs. 12th ranking, which is a pretty big gap.

IIRC BA and Pipeline were also pretty far off on Adolfo ranking a few years back, but they have never been this far off in terms of the best prospect in the class.

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9 minutes ago, thxfrthmmrs said:

Thanks for sharing. I would assume BA was being a bit more conservative and did not want to rank him based on the rumor swing and body change, and the ranking is based on when he last played in Cuba (he didn't set the world on fire), while MLB may be putting a lot of stock into the recent changes, hence the 1st vs. 12th ranking, which is a pretty big gap.

IIRC BA and Pipeline were also pretty far off on Adolfo ranking a few years back, but they have never been this far off in terms of the best prospect in the class.

Mlb pipelines rating on sanchez was absurd

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9 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

Was Alec Hansen a draft or development failure?

Great question.  Probably development.  I always wondered what Sox could have received in a trade for Hansen after his one good year.  There were rumors about Miami offering Yelich; I have no idea.  Yelich was certainly on the block for prospects in those days.

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13 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

Was Alec Hansen a draft or development failure?

When someone fails for the exact reason people thought he'd fail for, I have to say draft failure. Maybe if he was out of high school I'd say development.

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From Harold's Fangraph link:

" As you'd expect given his lineage, Cespedes has prodigious physical gifts, including elite arm strength. I do not think he'll hit enough to play a big league role, though. His long, noisy swing causes him to be late on velocity and Cespedes hasn't played or seen live pitching regularly for nearly four years, and when he has played, he's struck out a bunch. The error bar around Cuban players is big because the context in which they're evaluated is often strange, but I'm pessimistic about the bat based on the info I have."

--------------------------------------------

Bat-to-ball skills and eye/hand coordination cannot be taught.  It makes one appreciate Eloy, Abreu,  Moncada and Madrigal--hitters that just seem to have advanced eye-hand coordination, quick reflexes and the natural  instincts to hit a major league fastball.

 

Edited by tray
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