Rangel Ravelo

[ILMOU]

Since we've kinda got 1B covered for awhile, and there's a plethora of DH candidates on the roster, even after Dunn's departure, I think we should try to get this guy playing at 3B ASAP.

 

He needs to stay healthy, and the SSS applies, but despite a supposed lack of power, he's presently a OBP/doubles machine, putting up a line that will play in any lineup. It's been suggested recently that he give it a shot again at the hot corner (Stoltz, was it?), and the time is ripe to take some time and see if he could be made adequate there.

 

Besides the still-unknown quantity of Gillaspie, we've got a so-far disappointing acquisition toiling at Charlotte, that could possibly use a kick in the butt.

[Balta1701]

1. If there was any chance he could stick at 3rd it's hard to imagine why they'd move him to first.

2. The path at 3b isn't any clearer than at 1b. We happen to have just traded our closer for a highly rated 3b prospect who is, himself, currently blocked.

3. If Ravelo could play a solid 1b and hit...there'll be a role for him on the big league squad at some point.

[ILMOU]

1. If there was any chance he could stick at 3rd it's hard to imagine why they'd move him to first.

2. The path at 3b isn't any clearer than at 1b. We happen to have just traded our closer for a highly rated 3b prospect who is, himself, currently blocked.

3. If Ravelo could play a solid 1b and hit...there'll be a role for him on the big league squad at some point.

Not in the forseeable future, and Rangel's not too far away. Sure, things could change. I think there's definitely a lot less in his path at 3B.

 

And here's another possibility for 2015. We're mentioned.

 

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/04/...season/related/

 

 

 

[maggsmaggs]

Ravelo may be able to move to LF, allowing Viciedo to play DH.

[Balta1701]

Not in the forseeable future, and Rangel's not too far away. Sure, things could change. I think there's definitely a lot less in his path at 3B.

 

And here's another possibility for 2015. We're mentioned.

 

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/04/...season/related/

Dunn and Konerko are gone after this season. The Sox would still be in the position of needing a LH bat somewhere else in the lineup, but if Ravelo could hit tolerably, Abreu and Ravelo filling the 1b/DH slots would be an option that could be a winner.

[NorthSideSox72]

An org guy is playing 3B in Birmingham. Between Davidson (AAA) and Michelczewski (A), there are no actual 3B prospects in the system. Not to mention that his bat would be huge at 3B. If he was even semi-competent out there playing third, that is where he'd be. Clearly he's not.

 

[ILMOU]

Dunn and Konerko are gone after this season. The Sox would still be in the position of needing a LH bat somewhere else in the lineup, but if Ravelo could hit tolerably, Abreu and Ravelo filling the 1b/DH slots would be an option that could be a winner.

Ideally, we get Tank over to DH, and replace him with a lefty OF with better D. You know, a guy like De Aza, if De Aza were any good.

 

An org guy is playing 3B in Birmingham. Between Davidson (AAA) and Michelczewski (A), there are no actual 3B prospects in the system. Not to mention that his bat would be huge at 3B. If he was even semi-competent out there playing third, that is where he'd be. Clearly he's not.

Just sayin' I think it's worth another shot.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Stan Bahnsen

[Balta1701]

Ideally, we get Tank over to DH, and replace him with a lefty OF with better D. You know, a guy like De Aza, if De Aza were any good.

Personally I still think if Viciedo ever gets time to settle into a position, particularly RF, his arm will play well enough there to make him an average fielder and a guy you're happy with in the OF. I could certainly be wrong in that, but worth stressing that letting him work his way into a position over time has not been tried at all.

[caulfield12]

Ravelo reminds me of a guy from the past named Mario Valdez.

 

Was laughing about the Korean star's description of being handsome...so we've got Davidson's red hair and K-Pop/soap opera or drama matinee idol down at 3B, haha.

 

Actually, it would be a great get, and I would prefer that to dumping tons of money into Shields or Masterson. The Korean infielders are always quite capable fielders and fundamentally sound/team-oriented hitters.

 

One advantage, having Tanaka (impossible now, of course) and getting that Korean kid, we'd start to have an attendance impact in the Asian community we're not reaching right now.

Edited April 28, 2014 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

Personally I still think if Viciedo ever gets time to settle into a position, particularly RF, his arm will play well enough there to make him an average fielder and a guy you're happy with in the OF. I could certainly be wrong in that, but worth stressing that letting him work his way into a position over time has not been tried at all.

 

 

I think ideally, Viciedo's in RF, Eaton in CF and Avi Garcia in LF.

 

Then you can look at that LH bat like LaRoche, Melky Cabrera, V.Martinez or Kendrys Morales for 1B/DH.

You also have Conor to consider, DeAza (looking doubtful but things could change and probably will)...Davidson's development, etc.

 

Or you could move Semien to 3B, leave Ramirez alone at SS and try to find a 2B who can hit...which would preferably be Micah Johnson, and is unlikely to be Leury or Carlos Sanchez.

Edited April 28, 2014 by caulfield12

[GreenSox]

Trade him and/or others for young pitching.

[NorthSideSox72]

He has more value to us than he would in a trade. Not sure if you're just overreacting to the pitching problems in the big leagues or what, but this is a very unlikely scenario. I sure hope you wouldn't want to dump one of our only prospects with a great approach.

Eh, I don't think it is far-fetched at all. He's becoming a significant prospect, but the realities of the team above him and his handed-ness, combined with him being far enough along for numbers to mean something but not quite major-league ready, make him a possible trade chip. Not saying I WANT to lose the guy, just that the system needs pitching more than 1B's, and if sending a guy like him to cap off a deal for the right pitcher is there, the team shouldn't hesitate.

 

[oldsox]

Why was he switched from 3B 2-3 yrs ago? I remember when it happened, but not why it happened.

[southsider2k5]

Why was he switched from 3B 2-3 yrs ago? I remember when it happened, but not why it happened.

 

The only reason a guy gets moved off of a position is because they aren't good enough to play it, or someone else is blocking them and they want to create a spot for the kid to succeed.

 

I'll leave it to you to decide which happened here.

[Ozzie Ball]

Ravelo's line over his last 10 games:

 

.462/.641/.885, (.423 ISO), 2 HR, 5 2B, 10 BB, 4 SO

 

50% of his XBH (5/10) have come in his last 7 games. ISO now at .237 on the year.

[NorthSideSox72]

Why was he switched from 3B 2-3 yrs ago? I remember when it happened, but not why it happened.

There was never any official word "why", but there rarely is. It happened when he showed up in ST 2013 and was playing 1B on the back fields. Hasn't been back to 3B since, as far as I know.

 

[Balta1701]

Eh, I don't think it is far-fetched at all. He's becoming a significant prospect, but the realities of the team above him and his handed-ness, combined with him being far enough along for numbers to mean something but not quite major-league ready, make him a possible trade chip. Not saying I WANT to lose the guy, just that the system needs pitching more than 1B's, and if sending a guy like him to cap off a deal for the right pitcher is there, the team shouldn't hesitate.

If the team does think he's blocked and the handed-ness is a major problem...there's a way to turn him into a trade piece as well. Take your time with him, don't push him upwards through the ringer like we do with so many other people. Put him in AA the whole year and let him rake, put him in Charlotte next year and hopefully let him rake and maybe even grow into a bit more power, and suddenly a couple years of strong numbers could actually turn him into a useful trade chip.

[GreenSox]

He has more value to us than he would in a trade. Not sure if you're just overreacting to the pitching problems in the big leagues or what, but this is a very unlikely scenario. I sure hope you wouldn't want to dump one of our only prospects with a great approach.

Why would he have more value to us? Don't all organizations want prospects with great approaches. Just trade him for prospect(s) in areas of need.

Certainly don't want to trade him (or anyone else) for middle relievers or mediocre veterans.

But we have little top end pitching in the farm; we are flush in other areas. Seems like a good trade scenario.

[LDF]

Why would he have more value to us? Don't all organizations want prospects with great approaches. Just trade him for prospect(s) in areas of need.

Certainly don't want to trade him (or anyone else) for middle relievers or mediocre veterans.

But we have little top end pitching in the farm; we are flush in other areas. Seems like a good trade scenario.

 

I really don't think that we are all that flush in the outfield as we are lead to believe. I have been thinking, if gillaspie (3b) is for

real, where do we put matt Davidson? in the outfield, dh, and where will that leave ravelo? I been wondering if he can

turn into a hitter like keppinger was suppose to have been.

[beautox]

I really don't think that we are all that flush in the outfield as we are lead to believe. I have been thinking, if gillaspie (3b) is for

real, where do we put matt Davidson? in the outfield, dh, and where will that leave ravelo? I been wondering if he can

turn into a hitter like keppinger was suppose to have been.

I consider myself a big fan of Conor but if he can't hit .650-.670 against LHP then he is just a good platoon bat with solid defense that will be a cheap option for our bench. With Jeong Choi announcing to the world that he wants to play in MLB this could be an opportunity for Hahn to get creative. Provided Davidson gets out of his funk and the Padres let Headley walk(which appears very likely) we could match up very well with them; something like Davidson, Thompson and Flowers for Grandal and Torres.

[Ozzie Ball]

Ravelo in Stoltz's latest prospect watch at FanGraphs:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/prospect-wa...lo-and-simmons/

[Bruce_Blixton]

Ravelo's last 10 games:

 

.536/.690/1.000/1.690 with 7 doubles, 2 Home Runs and 11:3 BB:K ratio.

 

He's putting together an Edgar Martinez/John Olerud season right now, should be in Charlotte by mid-season and with the way Andy Wilkins is hitting it should be sooner.

 

[royoung]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/prospect-wa...lo-and-simmons/

 

Unapologetic Ravelo lover Nathaniel Stolz gets to brag a bit. He is a believer in his defense at 3B as well.

[LDF]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/prospect-wa...lo-and-simmons/

 

Unapologetic Ravelo lover Nathaniel Stolz gets to brag a bit. He is a believer in his defense at 3B as well.

 

add me to that list of admirers .... I would love to see him move to the outfield. I believe he can be a really good hitter, maybe like

a #2 in the line up, with occasional power.

[maggsmaggs]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/prospect-wa...lo-and-simmons/

 

Unapologetic Ravelo lover Nathaniel Stolz gets to brag a bit. He is a believer in his defense at 3B as well.

He's been at first for awhile now, I don't really know how Stoltz can make that call about his D at 3rd. As mentioned by someone else, if he could have stayed at 3rd, he wouldn't be at first.