Lillian

If they decide to go with a college bat, as of this moment, with a month to go, I'm hoping for India as an under slot pick, at #4. 3RD base would be just fine, with some middle infield flexibility, if needed.

Has anyone posted a link to this article, published yesterday afternoon?: https://www.minorleagueball.com/2018/5/3/17304808/2018-mlb-draft-jonathan-india-3b-university-of-florida

India is especially intriguing because apparently he could go back to SS. If he is a good defensive SS, his bat would play very well, indeed.

Anyone else high on Jonathan India? How good is his defense at SS and 3B? He leads the Southeastern Conference for the Gators, with the following: .401 .546 .810 1.356 10 2B 3 Triples and 14 HR, while walking more than he has struck out and 10 for 10 in stolen bases. If he is a solid defensive third baseman, he is very intriguing.

Madrigal profiles best at second and passable at SS. There is no way he profiles at third. Therefore, he would have to replace Moncada or Anderson. As I suggested earlier, it could make sense to trade Anderson, if and when Madrigal were ready to take over short. It doesn't appear that they want to think of repositioning Moncada, who clearly wants to stay at second. In any case, you wouldn't think that Madrigal would push his way onto the MLB squad, until 2020, at the earliest, probably not until 2021, when he would turn 24.

You have just raised my biggest concern. While it's understandable how some of these prospects are going to arrive earlier than others, it's a shame that the time table for the rebuild couldn't have been a little better coordinated. It would have been great to have the maximum number of controlled years for Moncada, Jimenez, Robert and the future starting rotation. It now looks like Jimenez will probably not be on the parent club, for a full year, until 2020. By then Moncada, Giolito and Lopez will be nearing arbitration. It would have been wonderful to see them all dominate AA, then AAA and ultimately come to the Big Leagues together. At the least, I'd have preferred to have them all come within a 2 year time frame. If they had waited until this year to bring Moncada, 2019 would have been his first full year, and the year that Jimenez could have gotten a late call up, in preparation for his first full year, in 2020. That would have allowed guys like Kopech, Cease and Dunning, to join them. I guess that's a pretty difficult thing to manage, but it would have been great to have them playing and winning, together, in the Minors, before coming to the big club and being able to stay together for a long run of contention.

I want his service time to be during his prime years, not developmental years. Let him play at AA and then AAA and then we'll see. There is no rush to bring him up, as this team is not going to win anything with him, even if he's good. I'm hoping for one more really good draft, next year.

Booker has overtaken Rutherford, for the Carolina League, top batting average!! Of course, he is 3 1/2 years older. Winston-Salem has 5 of the top 10 Carolina League batting average leaders!! Is that Vizquel's influence?

It would be a big surprise if he could generate Eaton type power, with a wood bat. Eaton is actually pretty strong, for a guy of his small stature. It is also difficult to imagine that he would ever play in the OF. He is a middle infielder and maybe not even a MLB SS.

I could care less about his lack of power. There are already too many guys in the game, who swing for the fences. If he could play good defense, get on base at a .375 clip, or better and steal bases, I'd take him. I don't care if he never hits even one home run. But then, I'm a "throw back".

Good point.

If you read the previous 2 or 3 pages, of this thread, you'll note that there is some criticism of his mechanics.

Regarding Madrigal: Would the questionable mechanics, at the plate, impede his ability to make solid contact and hit for average? If the alleged flaws in his approach, only limit his power, I wouldn't consider that to be a major negative. In fact, I personally prefer to see guys of his physical stature, concentrating on making contact and getting on base. Leave the power production to the physically stronger hitters. Therefore, if his approach actually increases his ability to make contact, albeit without much power, I'd consider it a plus. The future Sox team is not likely to need a power hitter, at SS. If he could continue to get on base, and steal, he would make an ideal leadoff hitter. The idea of a lead off hitter, who can hit the long ball, is rare and certainly not required. So, my question is; Can his mechanics result in good contact hitting, at the Major League level?

Just to make note of the fact that he is currently hitting .400 vs. RHP. His combined batting average is .342, which leads the Carolina League. We're all rightly concerned about his lack of power, but we should be encouraged by his results. Remember, he is young for Advanced A Ball.

I stand corrected. Of course, it was indeed Giambi who won the MVP, when it should have gone to the "Big Hurt". Giambi was another PED user.

Steroids were a huge factor in baseball, during Frank's career and he was very vocal about the fact that he didn't use any. In fact, he probably lost the MVP award to Mark McGwire, because of PED's. This article might be of interest: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1917409-how-frank-thomas-brilliant-career-was-overshadowed-by-the-ped-era

It is hard to understand how the front office thought that it was a good idea to rush Anderson to the Big Leagues, when they completely understood that he was "raw". You would think that he would have been kept in the Minors, while he was learning the nuances of the game. What was the big hurry? I guess that was when they thought that they were going to be competitive, before they committed to a rebuild.

Rose has been on fire, since they put him at third. I wondered, at the time of the trade, if he could play there, as he had some previous experience at the hot corner.

I don't understand how Gonzales is rated above Basabe. He's a year older and putting up lesser production, at a lower level. I like him, but Basabe is really off to a great start. I'd rate Basabe over sheets, as well.

Thank you "Jose Abreu," for clarifying my remarks. You interpreted them in precisely the way that I intended. Tim was indeed a basketball player, whom scouts described as being a "raw" baseball talent. He possesses intriguing tools, and is a gifted athlete. However, he is still learning the game. I use the term baseball "acumen," which I believe is a better word than "IQ". Acumen is defined as; "skill in making correct decisions and judgments in business or in a particular endeavor." The implication is that it is an acquired skill, rather than an innate ability, such as IQ. This article should reinforce the perception: http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/chicago-white-sox/growth-spurt-how-tim-anderson-developed-blossoming-star

Power hitters are streaky. Those who insists that he may go through stretches of looking hapless, are absolutely correct. To which one might respond; "So, what else is new?" Of course he will occasionally struggle, especially against really good pitching, and so will most of the rest of the team. The point is that he is establishing himself as a significant run producer and presence, in the lineup. What are we supposed to do, panic every time he has a slump? He isn't going to keep up this pace, to which again, one might respond: "So what?"

I just watched this video, breaking down Madrigal's swing. Never mind, not with the 4TH pick:

Agreed.

No, not at all. I'm saying that there is no reason not to draft Madrigal, if he is the best player, solely because Moncada blocks him at second base. The scouting report says that he has the ability to play SS, at a high level. Therefore, if the Sox draft him, and he earns the starting SS position, in three or 4 years, they could then trade Anderson. The Sox have options to resign Tim, for 2023 and 2024, at $12.5 M and $14M, respectively. If Madrigal were ready before then, Anderson could be traded, with that contract. If Anderson has flopped, the Sox would simply not pick up the team options, which would only cost them $1M, for the buy out, in either year. It should also be noted that Anderson is not a "star" yet. He may well become one, but I wouldn't attach that moniker to him, just yet.

Here is what John Sickels, of Baseball Nation had to say about Madrigal, just last week: "Speed is the best tool overall, with grades between 60 and 70 depending on the source. You can split the difference at 65 if you like, but everyone agrees that he’s an excellent baserunner with an ideal combination of instincts, athleticism, and aggression. Speed doesn’t matter much if you can’t get on base but Madrigal excels in that department, with a superior batting eye and contact ability. There’s plenty of bat speed and his power production has improved steadily. He should hit a substantial number of doubles and triples and has a shot at hitting double-digit homers down the line. He can bunt, too, if you’re interested in small ball. Madrigal plays second base for the Beavers due to the presence of Cadyn Grenier at shortstop. Madrigal is a tremendous second baseman, MLB.com going so far as to say he could be a Gold Glover someday. His arm and range are good enough for him to be a plausible shortstop, too. To top it all off, his makeup is considered superb." Well, there is your SS and lead off hitter, allowing Moncada to move to the middle of the order. Let him take Anderson's place, when he's ready. If Anderson becomes a star, he'll net something very valuable, in a trade, with that contract.