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Sox trade Cristian Mena to Arizona for OF Dominic Fletcher


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1 hour ago, Johno said:

Fletcher was very good at University of Arkansas!!!

Just like Benintendi...and properly grindy if anything like his brother David of Angels' fame.

At leather there's some competition now and potentially younger players incoming.

Edited by caulfield12
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This move legit terrifies me.  How does trading Mena for a 26 year old, 5’ 6” OF enhance our long-term outlook?  Like I get this guy isn’t completely powerless, but we now have a pair of contact-oriented hitters in our OF corners.  This just seems like such a low ceiling move and I struggle to see the broader strategy here.  And now I’m actually worried that Getz places very little value on power.

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1 minute ago, Chicago White Sox said:

This move legit terrifies me.  How does trading Mena for a 26 year old, 5’ 6” OF enhance our long-term outlook?  Like I get this guy isn’t completely powerless, but we now have a pair of contact-oriented hitters in our OF corners.  This just seems like such a low ceiling move and I struggle to see the broader strategy here.  And now I’m actually worried that Getz places very little value on power.

Honest question here - what is Mena’s upside? Is he actually decent?

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2 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

This move legit terrifies me.  How does trading Mena for a 26 year old, 5’ 6” OF enhance our long-term outlook?  Like I get this guy isn’t completely powerless, but we now have a pair of contact-oriented hitters in our OF corners.  This just seems like such a low ceiling move and I struggle to see the broader strategy here.  And now I’m actually worried that Getz places very little value on power.

You just now realized he doesn’t care about power?

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4 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

This move legit terrifies me.  How does trading Mena for a 26 year old, 5’ 6” OF enhance our long-term outlook?  Like I get this guy isn’t completely powerless, but we now have a pair of contact-oriented hitters in our OF corners.  This just seems like such a low ceiling move and I struggle to see the broader strategy here.  And now I’m actually worried that Getz places very little value on power.

This is exactly how I see this one too.

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1 minute ago, Balta1701 said:

Is Fletcher out of options? Trying to ask why the DBacks would do this deal when they could use players available now rather than a few years away.

Because they’re absolutely loaded with OFs and very few pitching prospects. Fletcher has 2 more options. 

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11 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

This move legit terrifies me.  How does trading Mena for a 26 year old, 5’ 6” OF enhance our long-term outlook?  Like I get this guy isn’t completely powerless, but we now have a pair of contact-oriented hitters in our OF corners.  This just seems like such a low ceiling move and I struggle to see the broader strategy here.  And now I’m actually worried that Getz places very little value on power.

The other trade for DeLoach probably proves this isn’t a concern.  He looks like a true lefty power bat.

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Just now, fathom said:

You just now realized he doesn’t care about power?

I have avoided reading too much into the veteran scrap-heap moves because I thought he was simply looking for cheap filler that could provide plus defense (giving Getz something he could pat himself on the back about) and be good in the clubhouse for the handful of young players we actually have.  However, this is the first time Getz has gone out and acquired a potential foundational piece using our own prospect currency and he spends it on a high contact, strong glove RF.  I’m sure Fletcher is a fine little player, but it’s not what I want from RF (especially when stuck with Benintendi in LF) and not how I would have spent my limited prospect capital on while just kicking off a rebuild.  Really makes me question what in the f*** Getz is doing in all honesty.

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1 minute ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I have avoided reading too much into the veteran scrap-heap moves because I thought he was simply looking for cheap filler that could provide plus defense (giving Getz something he could pat himself on the back about) and be good in the clubhouse for the handful of young players we actually have.  However, this is the first time Getz has gone out and acquired a potential foundational piece using our own prospect currency and he spends it on a high contact, strong glove RF.  I’m sure Fletcher is a fine little player, but it’s not what I want from RF (especially when stuck with Benintendi in LF) and not how I would have spent my limited prospect capital on while just kicking off a rebuild.  Really makes me question what in the f*** Getz is doing in all honesty.

I just believe Getz sold Reinsdorf on a vision of reinventing the team as fundamentally strong on defense and getting away from limited sluggers.  Problem is the sluggers we had/have never really slugged besides Robert.

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13 minutes ago, JoeC said:

Honest question here - what is Mena’s upside? Is he actually decent?

Mena could be a middle of the rotation option and was expected to make his debut at some point this upcoming season. He's only 20 too. He did have some control issues in Charlotte, but he is quite young for the league. His calling card was his breaking ball, so maybe the Sox don't think he can be an option for the rotation with a mediocre fastball? Just seems odd to trade one of your top 10 prospects for a 5'9" glove-first RF option.

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33 minutes ago, South Side Hit Men said:

I have liked most of what Getz has done since taking over considering his budget and inherited roster.

Maldonado and this move would be the exceptions. Not saying they should not have traded Mena, but don’t see the point in acquiring Benintendi’s tiny baby brother who will be 27 this season for Mena.

Fletcher is the type of player they should be picking up on waivers or signing to a Minor League FA deal, not dumping a decent prospect to acquire.

What world do you live in where 26 year olds that have a great track record of hitting at every level are just floating around on the free agent list? What a ridiculously bad take.

 

And Mena is a mediocre prospect that got overrated amongst the mess the Sox have in the minors. A RHP that has a 90 mph fastball and below average control isn’t a recipe for success…and the results show so far in the minors.

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20 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

This move legit terrifies me.  How does trading Mena for a 26 year old, 5’ 6” OF enhance our long-term outlook?  Like I get this guy isn’t completely powerless, but we now have a pair of contact-oriented hitters in our OF corners.  This just seems like such a low ceiling move and I struggle to see the broader strategy here.  And now I’m actually worried that Getz places very little value on power.

David Epstein/Getz types across the board.

All grinders/overachievers like Madrigal lol.

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I love this move. Guy raked in the bigs last year and D-Backs have some of the best outfield talent evaluators the last 5 years. His defense will play well and he can be a solid #2 hitter. Mena loss stinks, but to hopefully have our outfield resolved for the next 3-4 years is pretty huge considering how big a hole RF was. 

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2 minutes ago, CWSpalehoseCWS said:

Mena could be a middle of the rotation option and was expected to make his debut at some point this upcoming season. He's only 20 too. He did have some control issues in Charlotte, but he is quite young for the league. His calling card was his breaking ball, so maybe the Sox don't think he can be an option for the rotation with a mediocre fastball? Just seems odd to trade one of your top 10 prospects for a 5'9" glove-first RF option.

I don’t think he’s just a glove-first RF.  He can play CF and has .300 hitting potential with a high OBP.

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12 minutes ago, JoeC said:

Honest question here - what is Mena’s upside? Is he actually decent?

I’d say a #3 starter ceiling.  He’s not an elite prospect by any means, but the kid is also a legit 21 year old in AAA who has posted nice K rates throughout the minors thanks in part to a plus curveball.  People here will harp on the fastball being below average, but he’s also built up a considerable amount of innings over the past couple years and I wouldn’t be shocked if the fastball eventually goes up a notch.  Regardless, it’s dangerous to trade a young, athletic starter who just put up 135 innings in the minors when you have zero long-term guys in your rotation.  Even more dangerous when you’re trading him for a 26 year old who screams 4th OF or second division regular.  I don’t like the move in isolation and I like it even less given where we stand in our rebuild.

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23 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

Is Fletcher out of options? Trying to ask why the DBacks would do this deal when they could use players available now rather than a few years away.

Mena is going to start the year in AAA and just put up a 135 innings.  He is immediately a key depth piece for the Diamondbacks and could help this year potentially.

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I don't have any issues with trading any of our SP prospects, but it doesn't feel like the return was adequate. The stuff wasn't there with Mena, but at his age there was a lot of time left to build a variable path to a MLB career. Honestly he was probably closer to a MLB start than Eder. 

My issue with the Sox is they just love to waste value on replacement level players. There's always a lack or vision or strategy. If you're gonna spend prospect capital go spend it on an above average talent, then spend money to fill out the roster with replacement level talent.

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12 minutes ago, fathom said:

I just believe Getz sold Reinsdorf on a vision of reinventing the team as fundamentally strong on defense and getting away from limited sluggers.  Problem is the sluggers we had/have never really slugged besides Robert.

Sure, getting rid of one-dimensional sluggers in the OF corners made sense.  But we need multi-dimensional players that can actually hit some bombs and substituting one weakness for another doesn’t actually accomplish anything.

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Everyone will have a problem with his age...seems more like a 4th/5th outfielder on a playoff team.

"Strong as Fletcher’s offensive numbers have been to this point in his career, defense is the outfielder’s true calling card. In ranking Fletcher as Arizona’s #11 prospect last season, MLB.com described him as a center fielder with strong reads off the bat and solid routes in the outfield that he pairs with an arm strong enough to handle right field."

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