HollywoodTim

Van Eyk gone

Tyler Danish was a really interesting pick back in the day. I read somewhere that he was the fastest guy to home plate as far as delivery. When he was drafted I think you could have legitimately hoped for a good version of Justin Masterson, but he never took those next steps. But there was never Sale-like stuff. He was always a sinkerballer / changeup guy.

There are several upside types but then there is Van Eyk who IMO might be a nice lower ceiling/higher floor guy to go after also.

Burdi was never a SP candidate. Fulmer was undersized, a small guy who had obviously in hindsight already topped out. Really, what were the Sox going to "develop" about either one of those guys? It would be more fair to point to Alec Hansen and say they haven't developed him, but I also think it's fair to say he has a case of the mini-yips or something like that. He's a headcase apparently and I'm not sure any team could straighten him out. I think with his stuff, if there was any team that thought they could, they'd have taken him in the Rule-5 and taken the hit on return cost just to work with him in ST. But Fulmer and Burdi are bad "development" cases to pick at IMO.

Crow-shay

I like Kelley, Van Eyk, Ginn & Fulton tomorrow. Any and I will be happy.

Maybe also the #3 comment has something to do with one of the following: 1) He has the ability to slot behind Gio + Kopech (no shame in being 3rd there) 2) The Sox really think he'll be more of a 180IP guy than a 200+ especially 220+ IP guy that really defines a true ace

If he could ever learn to pitch to both sides of the plate and ace guys in and out with his fastball then it would be a great name.

There's a lot of intriguing arms still on the board for tomorrow. We pick 10th. Waiting to see what the Tigers and Royals do to fuck us (I expect them both to take a P I want).

I'd love Kelley in the 2nd but as a general RHP profile I like guys 6'3"+ with strong builds and a FB/CH/CB repertoire with FB velocity and a quality or at least emerging CH. Kelley doesn't really fit that but he's close. I like sliders on LHPs more and would like Fulton if he falls over Kelley at 47.

Thank you. What do you think about Austin Hendrick? This is the guy who really intrigues me the most. I really like everything I have read and love the longterm potential fit as an athletic LH slugger who can legitimately play the OF but I don't see others here mentioning him.

yeah sure and poop etc.

Abel has been mocked and discussed above 11 anyway. I doubt the Sox would try to get him to go below slot. His agent already knows his general value and has been talking to a lot of teams including probably at least a few ahead of the Sox. He's going to be slot probably anywhere at 9 or 10 or lower, and maybe a bit above slot if he falls to like 15 or 16 (doubt it). Edit: okay maybe not slot at 9 but still he's about slot where the Sox are. I'm not sure they can do anything to Abel by talking about Crochet. But talking about Crochet is something that Crochet's agent might do to try to put it in the minds of other teams that the Sox are trying to cut an underslot deal with him at 11.

Beckham's issues weren't remediable here. He was what he was and he stayed as he was. He couldn't hit the high fastball and that hitch stayed. I asked a question about mechanics btw.

Nick Gonazles seems like the typical player that a lot of teams / evaluators like enough to put very high but when push comes to shove how many people really "love" him that much?

All you people who follow hitting mechanics etc.: what are the differences between Gordon Beckham and Nick Gonzales as prospects mechanically? I don't know about hitting mechanics but I am concerned about other Beckhams popping up in our drafts and making our future miserable.

That makes zero sense. Abel isn't going to stick around very long. If they want him and he's there they will take him. If not, they won't. This type of thinking only has a place with regard to the kinds of players that people think will still be around later.

Not sure why Crochet talk would be "draft day smoke" or whatever. What is happening makes the most sense: guy slotted down on the draft boards which teams are interested in taking much higher, and those teams don't want the other teams to know it about it, nor do they want the player to rise on mocks, because the teams are also looking at the player on an underslot deal. You don't say things until you're getting ready to put the money together for real. There really is no reason to pretend to be interested in a guy who is commonly slotted like 10+ picks below where you are selecting. I think it's a sign of legitimate interest.

Rodon has been a quality MLB pitcher when on the mound. I would say that the safety concerns pre-draft were probably Aiken > Rodon > Sale, but it's turned out that Sale is by far the healthiest and best, then Rodon who still has been good, and then Aiken as an absolute bust after. I think if the Sox want Crochet then it means they are very comfortable with the risks. If they are comfortable then I am comfortable.

Do you remember what your thoughts at the time were on Chris Sale, Carlos Rodon, and Brady AIken? Obviously we all know how they have turned out. Aiken was supposedly the safest given the mileage on Rodon's arm yet he's an unquestionable bust. And Sale had one of the best runs of any pitcher in MLB history before TJ, and there really isn't any reason to believe he's done.

Poreda just had a big fastball. I don't ever remember anything at all about a plus slider and I can't find a record of it online. He was big fastball and that's all people talkied about, supposedly with the beginnings of a feel for a changeup which never turned into anything. Maybe his slider developed more in the minors. Poreda had size, strength, left-handedness and a big fastball. He was a longshot project at best if he was ever thought of as a SP. It was a safe pick also because there was a downside (and really ceiling) of MLB late inning reliever. I don't think Crochet is very risky as far as prospects go. Health and control are risks for most players, but his floor is as a very useful player and the timeline on him could be pretty quick.

Poreda had literally no secondary pitch, Poreda was the guy the Sox tried to explain had ceiling when they passed on Porcello. I personally thought and hoped he would turn into Matt Thornton but was way short of that. But it was pretty clear early on that we were probably looking at Matt Thornton best case scenario and never looking at a true SP.

https://web.archive.org/web/20101209211216/http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20020604&content_id=41765&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws But no tho.

I don't see anything troubling at all. A Major League organization can develop players skills, not players talents or a pitchers stuff. They can make some mechanical changes, etc. Sure he's not a finished product, but if the Sox especially feel he's a SP and not a reach at 11th overall then that means they believe they can put in the kind of work they are actually capable of doing, and that it will yield results. I trust the Sox with pitchers in the exact opposite way I trust their view of position players especially hitters.

Even if Crochet is "just" a RP he has a pretty good shot at being more of a difference maker on a playoff team with WS aspirations than a pitcher like Detmers does IMO. And he's probably a better bet of working out at all than a HS pitcher in general. Crochet, especially at underslot, would have me very excited. If the Sox think he's a starter and they can keep him healthy, this is really a no-brainer to me. Even if they think it's 50-50 he's a starter it's still a real good looking pick. The idea of someone like Fulton being there in the second round is mouthwatering. Kelley or Bitsko I think **have** to be gone by 47. Maybe Fulton is still there though. I couldn't be upset about Abel either. Abel >>>>>> Detmers IMO.