Alexei on move to SS, Viciedo...

[Dick Allen]

I wonder if he showed up out of shape and scared some people off?

I agree. The agent talks like he has a million offers. Maybe the offers just aren't as attractive as what he was hoping.

[2nd_city_saint787]

Arent Boston and New York set at 3B for the foreseeable future? I know they like to just pile on the talent, but it doesnt seem like Viciendo would get a fair shot to compete at the job with either of those two teams, and that could play pretty heavily into the White Sox favor.

 

 

 

I actually heard boston was interested in Teixera and they would have to trade one of there 3b youklis or lowell so maybe Viciendo is the bo sox 2nd option and they want to trade prob lowell

[caulfield12]

Once again, most are arguing that this kid is probably at least 1 1/2 to 2 seasons away from being ready.

 

He definitely needs to get in better shape.

 

I can't imagine teams like the Yankees or Red Sox are going to pin their hopes on him being their starting RF or 3B as soon as 2009.

[Balta1701]

I can't imagine teams like the Yankees or Red Sox are going to pin their hopes on him being their starting RF or 3B as soon as 2009.

But...both of them have moderately expensive 3b's right now.

[caulfield12]

Well...if the kid's a legit 19, I just can't imagine Cashman or Epstein thinking he would possibly be ready, maturity-wise or physically, for the mental grind of dealing with playing in either of those two cities (or Philly, for that matter).

 

Cashman, I would have thought, should have learned his lesson/s from Contreras. You really need to do the background work and due diligence before bringing a Swisher or Viciedo onto your roster.

 

Personally, my read on all this is that the ACTUAL concrete offers they have received until now were pretty underwhelming...if they had something that knocked their socks off, there would be some more "fire/smoke" about the signing being imminent. Maybe they are just playing teams against each other and weighing their options, but I can't imagine Torres preferring to stick him in NY or BOS unless he's 100% confident he can handle the pressure there.

 

He knows that the White Sox, with Guillen/Contreras/Ramirez, would be a much better and more natural fit. Even as a RFer, with Dye possibly trade bait and definitely out of the picture in Chicago after 2010.

[witesoxfan]

The Yankees want him, we dont stand a chance.

 

I'm going to disagree with this 100%, and I would disagree more if possible.

[caulfield12]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-v...o&type=lgns

 

Good article from Jeff Passan with some more insight from various scouts about size of contract and size of Viciedo.

[G&T]

Well...if the kid's a legit 19, I just can't imagine Cashman or Epstein thinking he would possibly be ready, maturity-wise or physically, for the mental grind of dealing with playing in either of those two cities (or Philly, for that matter).

 

Cashman, I would have thought, should have learned his lesson/s from Contreras. You really need to do the background work and due diligence before bringing a Swisher or Viciedo onto your roster.

Personally, my read on all this is that the ACTUAL concrete offers they have received until now were pretty underwhelming...if they had something that knocked their socks off, there would be some more "fire/smoke" about the signing being imminent. Maybe they are just playing teams against each other and weighing their options, but I can't imagine Torres preferring to stick him in NY or BOS unless he's 100% confident he can handle the pressure there.

 

He knows that the White Sox, with Guillen/Contreras/Ramirez, would be a much better and more natural fit. Even as a RFer, with Dye possibly trade bait and definitely out of the picture in Chicago after 2010.

 

I agree. Either there is a bidding war or the offers aren't very good. By now, we would have heard something if there was a bidding war.

[southsider2k5]

This is the latest story I could find on the situation...

 

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/130682

 

SHORT HOP

 

D-Backs director of player development A.J. Hinch and scouting director Tom Allison watched Cuban free-agent third baseman Dayan Viciedo, 19, during his workout for all major league teams in the Dominican Republic last week. Viciedo shares the same agent as Cuban and White Sox player Alexei Ramirez, and some believe he will get a contract similar to the four-year, $4.75 million deal Ramirez signed last year.

[caulfield12]

Same AJ Hynch the White Sox tried to draft out of Stanford (I think, maybe it was HS instead) and got stuck with egg on their faces. Not unlike Bobby Seay and Bobby Hill, it was all much ado about nothing in the end, fortunately for the Sox.

[DukeNukeEm]

If Viciedo is really only gonna pull 4 years / $4.75 mil then something went horribly wrong at these workouts.

Edited November 19, 2008 by DukeNukeEm

[caulfield12]

Everyone seems to know/believe he can and will hit...

 

The question HAS to be about what position he will play and why would he show up to the biggest workout in his life after waiting for so long for such an opportunity and be incredibly out-of-shape? I mean...Torres has babysat/incubated enough baseball players in his career, and a lot of money was riding on this for him as well. Just doesn't make sense why he would look like a cross between Cecil Fielder and the Michelin Man with a little of Jack Black from The Fatties/Tropic Thunder thrown into the mix.

[southsider2k5]

If Viciedo is really only gonna pull 4 years / $4.75 mil then something went horribly wrong at these workouts.

 

Either that or the Dbacks are playing possum to try to talk his value down.

[Steve9347]

I still think the Sox will sign him, but I'd have thought it'd have happened by now.

[heirdog]

Either that or the Dbacks are playing possum to try to talk his value down.

 

By "claiming" he can be had for a low contract, aren't they making him more attractive to several other teams. I would think that if they were playing possum, they would err on the high end...not the low end.

[southsider2k5]

By "claiming" he can be had for a low contract, aren't they making him more attractive to several other teams. I would think that if they were playing possum, they would err on the high end...not the low end.

 

In this case I was thinking more like throwing up red flags to scare teams off... such as why would he be so cheap, are the rumors about his being out of shape true? etc.