I don't either -- I think he was way more advanced than anyone else at that level, and probably 85% to where he needed to be to debut.
And I think when he did debut, he was about 85% where he needed to be.
I agree with the premise that Moncada and Eloy were nearly finished when they were acquired, but I don’t agree that they didn’t have improvements they needed to (and largely didn’t) make afterwards. And I can certainly see what you mean by making a distinction between what you’re calling “development” vs “refinement,” don’t you think those are both parts of the process that fall under the purview of player development?
I can’t tell if you’re joking. Do you really believe player development ends in the lower minors?
Even if you did, which is insane, what about the hundred or so players the Sox drafted into the system since 2017?
One article said that he was moved to relief more because they needed bullpen arms than because he couldn’t start, and another said that he’s missed a lot of development time to injuries and pandemic, so he may have more command upside than his age would indicate
C. I think it needed one more solid secondary piece if Thorpe was headliner.
Swap Snelling for Thorpe or add one more guy in the Zavala range and I’d be happy.
Yeah, I liked it when I thought Dillion Head was in it. Feels one guy light to me. That said...
It does sound like Iriarte has helium, and may actually belong in the tier with the other three pitchers very soon.
True, and given how many signs point to regression from him, it probably isn't the wisest gamble for a rebuilder anyway.
Also the Cease move probably breaks the stalemate on the free agents a bit, meaning those prices may now rise again.