Lillian

I did some research on Baty. This issue of him being 19 1/2 is interesting. If the kid really has legitimate bonafides, I could see his age actually being an advantage. Although, it diminishes his stats, playing against younger guys, it also means that he is more physically mature and could get to the Big Leagues more quickly. He's a big strong left handed hitter, with big time power. He also led his HS basketball team, so he is a very good athlete. I'm intrigued. I imagine that the Sox would save a lot of money, selecting him 3RD. That could be an interesting strategy. This is one where the scouting really would be key, as the stats could be especially misleading, considering his age.

I worry about the same issue, plus all of the other negatives, we've discussed. Whom do you like? You know that I'm still partial to Bleday.

Last night, In the Tournament against #2 Ohio State, Bleday had a couple of doubles and 2 walks. He was 2 for 3 with no strike outs and an RBI.

I just listened to the Podcast, with Jim Callis. He would personally take Vaughn, if Rutschman and Witt are off the board. However, he has no idea whom the Sox will take. He feels that it's very close between Abrams and Vaughn, with Bleday as a close 3RD option. He reiterated that Abrams' comp is Dee Gordon, with more power. His assessment of our last year's pick, Madrigal, is that he doesn't quite know what to think. He has the same question that many of us have; Is he going to hit for a high enough average, to overcome the lack of walks and low Slugging %?

Regarding that FanGraphs piece by Kiley; How is this "Swing Change" innovation relevant to a comparison of Vaughn and Bleday? Bleday is at Vanderbilt, which Kiley mentioned as one of the more "progressive" programs. Could that account for J. J.'s sudden emergence of power? What is the program like at California? Has Vaughn developed his successful approach on his own, or is he also a product of this new thinking?

If you and "bMags" are correct and disagree with "Ray Ray," who echoes Law, then I want Bleday, over Vaughn, for all of the reasons we have discussed. To me this is the critical question. Vaughn has to be considered a tier above Bleday, to justify taking him. Wouldn't you agree that most of the experts consider at least Vaughn's hit tool, as a tier above the others?

Is there still a consensus that Rutschman, Witt and Vaughn are all in a tier above Bleday, Abrams and any other guys, who might be considered in the 2ND tier?

MLB Trade Rumors has a piece on McCann today. Surprisingly, they don't credit him with having been a good defensive catcher: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com

He was not doing much until recently. However, he has been making up for a poor start and I doubt that many are unhappy with how is now playing. Moreover, as someone reminded us, he was recovering from the wrist injury, earlier in the season. The real test will come when he gets promoted to AA. The only one of our prospects who has been able to carry his success, at Winston-Salem, over to Birmingham is Robert.

Yes, you're right about that. Especially since it was getting late in the game, and he had thrown close to the normal limit of pitches. Good point.

You and Law present a very compelling argument. If you guys are right, I'm on the "Vaughn Train". So, here is my dream team for the 2021 Division winning Sox: SS Anderson 2B Madrigal 3B Moncada LF Eloy 1B Vaughn RF (A Left Handed Power Hitter. This lineup cannot be effective with just one LH bat. I have no idea who that would be) DH Abreu C McCann CF Robert

If he is really that good of a hitter, then he has to be in a tier above the other bats, in this Draft. That being the case, I would take him at #3, unless Rutschman is available.

How many guys do you think will hit 30 HR's this season, with this juiced ball?

You are absolutely right. If he is going to hit like Frank Thomas, I'd take him #1, in almost any year's draft. However, I wonder what the probability is that he hits anywhere close to the Big Hurt's HOF career.

Very interesting, indeed. This author validates my rejection of the assertion that being only 6' tall is a negative. However, height may still be a consideration, regarding defence. Being a bigger target, with a longer reach, at first, is advantageous. I wonder how good of a hitter Vaughn has to be in the Major Leagues, to justify his being picked 3RD. For me, unless he exceeds .300, .350, .500, with over 30 HR's. I'd prefer a guy who hits left handed and, or can also play a premium position. However, you can see how a team could be willing to settle for just reaching those bench marks, especially if they think the probability of reaching them is high enough. After all, those numbers aren't exactly "chopped liver". On the other hand, 30 home runs doesn't seem like much of a hurdle, these days, with the maple bats and live ball. Lot's and lot's of guys are going to have 30+ homers, this year. Last night, Abreu hit what should have been his 15TH, if he hadn't passed Tim, rounding first base, and that's in just 1/3 of the season.

I respect and admire your intellectual honesty and open mindedness. Your having changed your position on the question of extending McCann is a rare instance of someone being able to critically rethink an issue, and come to a different conclusion. It would be wonderful if more people were able to keep an open mind. Good for you. In the final analysis, it would obviously come down to how much money would be involved. However, the idea is certainly worth exploring.

Perhaps last night's decision to leave Lopez in the game was a "teaching moment". Renteria stated that they wanted to see if he could find a way to get out of the jam. He said that Lopez can usually "muster a little more". Especially with McCann catching him, I think that they were trying to give Reynaldo an opportunity to work out of trouble. It's part of the development of a young pitcher. The only question I have is how that could be even plausible, when his command was so bad. He just couldn't locate his pitches. Nevertheless, it is a year, in which developing the young players should take precedence over winning. Lopez has a lot of talent and could be a key piece in the starting rotation. We have to trust Cooper, Hassler and Renteria to oversee that development. I wouldn't be presumptuous enough to think that I could do it better. It's frustrating to us, as fans, because we want to win, but the coaching staff's priority may be different. If development is a higher priority than winning the game, then the decision to leave him in doesn't look quite so foolish.

Actually, I stated several times, that I preferred Harper to Machado. Nevertheless, neither one of them are living up to their contracts, It's early, but it isn't looking good.

Who, in this year's Draft, would be a good "sleeper" candidate, based upon this market inefficiency?

You have identified a very plausible "market inefficiency". I wonder how many front offices take that factor, into consideration.

You're right, but he's all we've got. That's why I'm hoping that they give Palka another shot.

He's there because he's the only left handed, power bat the Sox have. And you all wonder why I obsess over the need for a middle of the order, left handed bat. Well, that is your answer; so we don't have to watch Yonder's total ineptitude. This organization has long stated that it was a need, but they have not managed to find the right player. More ineptitude and it's getting pretty tiresome. And, the next impact bat, that will likely join this lineup is Robert, another RH hitter. I'm guessing that they are still hopeful that Alonso gets back to what he has been the last couple of years, which would be acceptable. But, I'm not holding my breath. In any case, at some point they will have to deal with the possibility that his option vests.

Abrams' best tool is his speed. The problem is that the game has moved away from stealing bases and bunting. It's now all about hitting the ball out of the park. That is not the kind of game, which I would prefer, but unfortunately, that is what it has become. Moreover, he may lose a step, when he fills out. He is a very lean youngster and if he is going to get bigger and stronger, so that he can develop more power, he'll likely sacrifice some speed. I don't know about this one. Seems like a long shot to me. Now, Witt is another story. There is a SS with all of the tools to be a big impact player. I still rank them 1) Rutschman, 2) Witt, 3) Bleday.

The best reason to believe that McCann's offensive performance is not a fluke, is that he has made some very wise adjustments, which are, not surprisingly, producing good results. His taking fast balls up the middle, or the opposite way, and pulling the off speed pitches, together with his practice of choking up on the bat, with 2 strikes, are fundamentally sound approaches. Again, he is not going to hit .340, but I think he will be a productive hitter. That, coupled with his defence, make him a very appealing option, to be the catcher, going forward. Well, I guess I've said all that before, but it bears repeating, for those who insist that it's too early to believe that he is anything more than the scrub, who played for the Tigers. I want to extend him, because I want him to be the primary backstop, for this rebuild. That is, of course, unless Rutschman miraculously falls to us, in the Draft. If we wait, until he reaches free agency, at the end of next year, this front office may balk at paying him, what the market commands. It wouldn't hurt to have him be Collin's mentor, either. Collins has a lot to learn, to become a good Major League catcher. The Sox have a very young pitching staff, and will need a good, smart catcher, to help them realize their potential.

The reason is to avoid having to pay him, when he becomes a free agent, after next season. Now is the time to lock him up, on an affordable contract, if he is willing to sign one.