It's about that time of the year again...

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

yeah I agree, the first 3 are or should make up the 3 pitchers except for the hs ss who may

put himself into the running. the idea situation would be the sox pick #3. but that is a pipedream.

 

I'm not really even looking at who the top picks are yet, since it will change so much between now and then. I don't believe there is even a consensus #1 at this point either.

[fathom]

I'm not really even looking at who the top picks are yet, since it will change so much between now and then. I don't believe there is even a consensus #1 at this point either.

 

I want nothing to do with Aiken

[greg775]

Funny thing in all this rooting for wins or losses is that no matter which way you root for, it has zero impact on if the Sox actually win or lose so I fail to see what the complaining is about if some fans choose to hope for a higher draft pick.

 

You speak the truth.

[LDF]

I'm not really even looking at who the top picks are yet, since it will change so much between now and then. I don't believe there is even a consensus #1 at this point either.

 

overall you do have a point. that is all I will say with that respect.

 

btw, it is nice to talk about the realm of possibilities, not to say this is the final

product. also it is enjoyable to know more about the players and their profile.

Edited September 15, 2014 by LDF

[BlackSox13]

I'm not really even looking at who the top picks are yet, since it will change so much between now and then. I don't believe there is even a consensus #1 at this point either.

Agreed. Last year at this time Rodon was the early #1 and considered the only player in the top tier. That did not change until roughly half way through the 2014 amateur season with Aiken and Kolek shooting up the the board in the mock drafts and passing Rodon. Before that nobody thought the Sox had a chance at Rodon slipping to #3.

 

I want nothing to do with Aiken

I have to agree with you and I was hoping the Sox were going to have a shot at drafting him in June. After the reports on the ligament in his elbow, I'll pass as there will be other options.

 

You speak the truth.

Cheers!

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

overall you do have a point. that is all I will say with that respect.

 

btw, it is nice to talk about the realm of possibilities, not to say this is the final

product. also it is enjoyable to know more about the players and their profile.

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I like reading about some of the amateur talent, I am just saying I'm not sitting here thinking I hope "xxxx" falls to us, or I hope we can get a top 5 pick because then we can get "xxxx". It will all change so much that I don't care to worry myself with who I WANT to get yet, but having some background on a group of them now is helpful.

[LDF]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I like reading about some of the amateur talent, I am just saying I'm not sitting here thinking I hope "xxxx" falls to us, or I hope we can get a top 5 pick because then we can get "xxxx". It will all change so much that I don't care to worry myself with who I WANT to get yet, but having some background on a group of them now is helpful.

 

I am sorry about how I responded. I am lousy in English.

 

I should have said that I was not responding b/c as you and everybody have said

it is too early. in some respect yes and others no. and that is where I didn't to discuss

my answer.

 

I do not think it's not too early to start being informed on the next yr talent. and to

see where the sox will fall in the draft.

 

for all to remember the sox is rebuilding, now if the sox were in the playoff race, that

is a different way to look at the draft.

[Balta1701]

I have to agree with you and I was hoping the Sox were going to have a shot at drafting him in June. After the reports on the ligament in his elbow, I'll pass as there will be other options.

If he was sitting there around picks 9-10 and still thought of fairly highly you wouldn't be interested?

[BlackSox13]

If he was sitting there around picks 9-10 and still thought of fairly highly you wouldn't be interested?

Nope. As I said in the post you quoted, their will be other options.

[Jake]

Wins are always good. Every loss is a time a fan says "this team wasn't worth my time" not to mention the fact that it also probably means we aren't getting the best from our young guys

[southsider2k5]

If he was sitting there around picks 9-10 and still thought of fairly highly you wouldn't be interested?

 

If I were thinking about drafting him, I would ask for his medicals ahead of time. If he refused, I wouldn't draft him early.

[fathom]

If he was sitting there around picks 9-10 and still thought of fairly highly you wouldn't be interested?

 

Nope, because that means the Astros weren't the only time that thought his ligament issue was potentially devastating.

[BlackSox13]

If I were thinking about drafting him, I would ask for his medicals ahead of time. If he refused, I wouldn't draft him early.

 

 

Nope, because that means the Astros weren't the only time that thought his ligament issue was potentially devastating.

An undersized UCL in the pitching elbow has trouble written all over it. I'm with you guys.

 

Caulfield, where ya at? I know you followed this pretty closely, probably more than anyone on this board! I definitely want to hear what you have to say on this cause I know you got knee deep into the Aiken/ Astros stuff.

[The Ultimate Champion]

The idea of Rodon falling to us in 2014 & Aiken falling to us in 2015 is so sloppy and pornographic that it almost too obscene for this board. I mean really??

 

Mr. Donald James Cooper, let me remind you guys, went on record before the draft saying that if all the tops arms were available when the Sox made their pick, and if Cooper was the one who got to make the pick, he'd have taken Aiken. He'd have taken Aiken over Rodon, Kolek, Nola, everyone.

 

I don't think that can be emphasized enough. When Don Cooper is dead there will be teams of short bald men wandering about every continent on the Earth, dressed in black and white robes leading black and white-dyed camels in search of his latest reincarnation. He is the f***ing Dalai Llama of pitching. And he would have taken Aiken over everyone else.

 

Small UCL, whatever, who gives a f***. Are we looking at a 15-20 year solution here? Where we would be drafting, at most we're talking about a few million dollars, which basically is the cost of one year of a highly paid UT type or the price of one year of an average or better setup guy. And in exchange for that you are getting (4) MiLB option years and (6) years MLB team control over a guy that could be a left-handed ace. Really, ANYONE wouldn't take that?

 

Let's not be stupid. The Astros are complete and total dumbf***s that pissed away an entire draft year, and hey, that's not even nearly the end of it for them. They've had a s*** year on multiple fronts, leaking out trade info, Cosart and JD Martinez could both come back on them, etc. They're just morons over there. They f***ed up, and when it comes time for us to make decisions we shouldn't think about anything the Astros are thinking about because those guys are idiots anyway.

 

Yeah I'd take Aiken, in a heartbeat. Even 2 MLB years out of him is in all likelihood more production than you're going to get of most of the players taken in the entire draft, and 5-6 years of Aiken at the MLB level? s*** we're talking about that Tomas guy in the other thread, other players out of Asia etc. and Aiken is going to cost a song more or less. Yeah, take him, don't worry about the UCL. If it holds up even a little you've probably already gotten a tremendous value. He's a lefthanded pitcher with very good stuff. The game of baseball was MADE for lefthanded pitchers with very good stuff.

[BlackSox13]

Good grief TUC. It took all that to say you disagree and would take Aiken?

 

[The Ultimate Champion]

Good grief TUC. It took all that to say you disagree and would take Aiken?

I thought it was fairly concise. Besides I like to think of the people who read my posts as "victims."

 

Seriously though how awesome would it be to get that caliber of pitching prospect 1 year after Rodon? "The best college lefty since Price" followed by "the best high-school lefty in a decade" or whatever it was they said about Aiken. And we could thank the Houston Astros for both. I think if this happens & we get Aiken + Rodon in consecutive years we should all send personalized Christmas cards to the Astros FO. We can also send some of our old/worn out WS Championship memorabilia as a token of our thanks, you know since they didn't get to enjoy any of that themselves cuz we beat them.

[BlackSox13]

I thought it was fairly concise. Besides I like to think of the people who read my posts as "victims."

 

Seriously though how awesome would it be to get that caliber of pitching prospect 1 year after Rodon? "The best college lefty since Price" followed by "the best high-school lefty in a decade" or whatever it was they said about Aiken. And we could thank the Houston Astros for both. I think if this happens & we get Aiken + Rodon in consecutive years we should all send personalized Christmas cards to the Astros FO. We can also send some of our old/worn out WS Championship memorabilia as a token of our thanks, you know since they didn't get to enjoy any of that themselves cuz we beat them.

Ya know, one thing I have not considered is money. I just realized that I have caught myself saying no to Aiken with that 6.5M price tag in my head that he initially agreed to. The Sox are currently sitting in the 9th slot for the 2015 draft. In 2014 that slot allotment was a tick over 3M. Due to the undersized UCL ligament i dont think Aiken will be worth slot value BUT, if Aiken slipped to the Sox in the 9th spot and was willing to accept say 2.5M or less, I can see taking the chance since it would allow for a chance at an over slot to someone else.

 

In the end it won't matter since its likely that some team ahead of the Sox will take the chance on him. If teams will draft pitchers that just had TJ surgery then Aiken will be drafted as well.

 

 

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

With tonight's epic loss, the Sox gained a game on....

 

Cubs, Astros, Dbacks, Padres.

 

Sox still have the 9th pick, are now 10.5 GB of the #1 pick, are 5 GB of the #5 pick, and 2.5 games ahead of the Reds for a protected pick.

 

Only 1.5 games separate the 6th-9th picks.

 

Had we lost that double header vs. the Twins on Saturday, we'd have the 6th pick and be only 4.5 GB of the #4 pick.

[caulfield12]

Ya know, one thing I have not considered is money. I just realized that I have caught myself saying no to Aiken with that 6.5M price tag in my head that he initially agreed to. The Sox are currently sitting in the 9th slot for the 2015 draft. In 2014 that slot allotment was a tick over 3M. Due to the undersized UCL ligament i dont think Aiken will be worth slot value BUT, if Aiken slipped to the Sox in the 9th spot and was willing to accept say 2.5M or less, I can see taking the chance since it would allow for a chance at an over slot to someone else.

 

In the end it won't matter since its likely that some team ahead of the Sox will take the chance on him. If teams will draft pitchers that just had TJ surgery then Aiken will be drafted as well.

 

 

 

You're assuming he's 100% healthy next year.

 

Look at what happened with Hoffman, Fedde, etc., just in the last 6 weeks or so before the draft...I think there was one other guy that was ouchy too, maybe it was Finnegan or Evansville's pitcher.

[LDF]

You're assuming he's 100% healthy next year.

 

Look at what happened with Hoffman, Fedde, etc., just in the last 6 weeks or so before the draft...I think there was one other guy that was ouchy too, maybe it was Finnegan or Evansville's pitcher.

 

ummm you know he does have a point. if he does get hurt, the sox still has control. dealing with

the surgery, the meds can repair and thicken the UCL ligament, (I read that it can be done)

 

if he doesn't get hurt, the sox will have a great pitcher. interesting gamble.

Edited September 16, 2014 by LDF

[Quin]

If Aiken falls to the Sox, I'd take him in a heartbeat.

 

As it presently stands, I'd take Mautella above him and that might be it.

[BlackSox13]

You're assuming he's 100% healthy next year.

 

Look at what happened with Hoffman, Fedde, etc., just in the last 6 weeks or so before the draft...I think there was one other guy that was ouchy too, maybe it was Finnegan or Evansville's pitcher.

There is no assumption, he is healthy. Its just the smaller UCL is what is in question here. Hoffaman was picked #10 by the Jays after TJ surgery so teams have shown a willingness to take that chance. One could make a case for Aiken based on the fact he's only 18.

[flavum]

Over the last 12 games, if the Sox are two games worse than the Cubs, Red Sox, and Astros, they'll probably have the 5th worst record.

 

5-7, 6-6, or 7-5 probably keeps them in their same neighborhood.

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/standings/_/group/9/sort/winPercent

[BlackSox13]

ummm you know he does have a point. if he gets hurt, the sox still has him to control, with

surgery, the meds can repair and thicken the UCL ligament, (I read that it can be done)

 

if he doesn't get hurt, the sox will have a great pitcher. interesting gamble.

Thank you and you bring a very good point about Aiken's age. He's good enough and young enough to have the TJ surgery ( if needed) and still make an MLB debut at a relatively young age depending on his progress and how old he was at the time of surgery. A kid that throws a mid 90's fastball, a plus curve ball and plus control could be more than worth the risk.

[LDF]

Thank you and you bring a very good point about Aiken's age. He's good enough and young enough to have the TJ surgery ( if needed) and still make an MLB debut at a relatively young age depending on his progress and how old he was at the time of surgery. A kid that throws a mid 90's fastball, a plus curve ball and plus control could be more than worth the risk.

 

thanks, but as the old cliché goes, you cannot teach speed.

 

there are several up and coning young hs'ers that throws hard. they are very intriguing,

but again, it is a gamble. if the sox had a stack systems, then sure, take the gamble.

but the systems need working, healthy players now.