harfman77

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Apr 1, 2015 -> 11:04 AM) Debate what though? You should always go BPA in the baseball draft. In the first round specifically, you should never worry about a position. Definitely, you can always trade quality prospects to fill holes in your roster, so no reason to take a guy you dont like as much when there is someone you think can provide more value. To me, the MLB draft is the opposite of the NFL draft as the goal is to attain as many valuable assets as possible - while in the NFL with small rosters you need to get guys that fit your needs. I believe this draft isn't especially good at the top, as there are no clear cut top of the draft guys, but deep in the way that the top 20 picks are pretty much interchangeable at this point.

QUOTE (LDF @ Mar 26, 2015 -> 03:32 PM) good question, ummm could it be the underdog thingy, or fast ascendance of a media project superstar. i would like to hear other opinions. It gives them content fill pages. If the Sox said they were bringing him up there would be a ton of articles saying how the Sox need to keep him down to get him some more experience and preserve a year of service time. They just need to be oppositional to get people to read.

Is there video of him pitching this season somewhere? Based on how he looked last season he needs some time to tweak his pitching motion, he does not appear to get enough flexion in his torso during his delivery which can lead to back issues (which he has had in college) and then arm problems from compensating for the back soreness. The Sox have a lot riding on him being successful and I think they need to make sure that he is going to be an asset for the long haul. If he has corrected that, I would be much more comfortable with him taking on a major league workload.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 25, 2015 -> 10:08 AM) Marcus Stroman? Exactly. That was the same dig on Stroman when he came into the draft as well.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 26, 2015 -> 08:44 AM) I have Gordon at 5' 9" and Tate at 6' 2". Gordon had one of the best curveballs of his generation and Tate has an MLB quality slider. There is no similarity in their deliveries at all. The only similarities Tate has to Gordon is that he is a black pitcher. You might want to double check that. Flash featured pretty much fastball/slider combo greater than 90% of the time. http://www.fangraphs.com/pitchfx.aspx?play...&position=P Tate's PG profile lists him at 6'1, he may be 6'2 now but the pitch selection and velocity are similar. As far as their deliveries, I have not seen Tate pitch, just read his scouting reports so I can speak to that being similar and I believe you that they are not. To be fair, he probably compares with 100 other relievers that feature the slider/fastball combo, but I have Flash on the mind since his son Nick is starting the season here this year.

QUOTE (LDF @ Mar 25, 2015 -> 11:29 AM) you got an excellent point. i can find no faults. i have always used this scale, i was told this by an old scout in the 80's while in Bos. hitters, subtract 20-30 points from the college hitting avg in their first yr, if they can rebound to both the speed of mlb pitching, and the quality of the pitches, they may add 5-15 points back. it is up to them to continue to learn the art of hitting. now that was the old way of thinking that maybe this person was giving a bunch of BS. but it usually was always close. but then again what the hell do i know. i work for a living. the other part of what i wrote, i said it maybe or should be or can be, meaning the future. now he is tearing it up. but i thoughts are, why is he not climbing in the draft??? Probably due to his build, he is 6'1 230lbs, so built more like a fullback than a baseball player. I think the concerns around him are related to him not being that athletic or quick. In my mind he is the antithesis of Jared Mitchell, great bat to ball skills, low K rate, and a good command of the strike zone. I am not sure why he is not climbing really, I am guessing there are questions related to his size and defense because I don't see what else would be holding him back. Slash line this year is - .304/.513/.684 compared to Schwarbers .358/.464/.659 in an inferior conference in his junior season and I think he is probably on track to being a better pro. I like him as a player and I like that if the Sox draft him, given where he is projected to go in the draft, they will likely get him at a discount from full slot.

QUOTE (LDF @ Mar 23, 2015 -> 05:19 PM) yeah, DJ Stewart in nice, but i think he will have a low avg, high K's and lots of hrs. unless he shows or if the coaches think he can become a better hitter, i don't know. same goes for 3b David Thompson, he may go 2nd rnd or 3rd. but as of right now, he does hit for avg and he does have tremendous power. I really like Kyle Tucker, suppose to be the best all around hitter in the HS class, and he is a bean poll. 6'4 and at best 175 lbs. plays a good D in the outfield. can anyone imagine what he can do when he gains muscle weitght and fully develop? hs pitchers is plentiful this yr. Stewart hit .364 and .351 that last two seasons and while his average has dipped this season to .304 thus far his ISO has increased from .196 - .206 - .380 and his K rate has decreased each year from 1.05 to .75 to .74. He does lead all of college baseball in HR's this season, but he is not an all or nothing hitter.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 23, 2015 -> 01:50 PM) I don't get your Tom Gordon comp at all. Flash was the pitching equivalent of a midget whereas Tate has decent but not great size. My favorite comparison for Tate would be Chris Archer. I'd put a lot of money on the Sox taking a pitcher. Their developmental team basically spelled it out. It is the combination of stuff and being undersized to be a long term rotation piece. Tate features the slider/fastball as flash did, they have similar builds and velocity. Flash was listed at 5'10 Tate is listed at 6'1.

QUOTE (Señor Ding-Dong @ Mar 23, 2015 -> 11:29 AM) It'll be interesting to see what we do with the outfield after this season, especially if Hawkins looks primed for a ML role at some point in 2016. That would be a good problem to have.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 20, 2015 -> 04:21 PM) Right, but that's the risk of any contract extension. I think his injury risk is definitely reflected in the price, considering the guy already has two full years of service time. Which is why I think it is a pretty even deal. The risks are pretty high with Eaton so that brought the price for the Sox down to a reasonable level.

QUOTE (LDF @ Mar 23, 2015 -> 11:12 AM) can Sanchez play SS?? He has in the past, he probably cannot on the MLB level though.

QUOTE (LDF @ Mar 23, 2015 -> 10:43 AM) Tate has some interesting stuff. but come draft day, depending on which pitchers are hurt and what kind of injury, it may be real interesting on #8. if none of the main pitchers drop, will the sox go for the SS. some rumbings on the blogs, has maybe Aiken dropping and / or Swanson or the LSU ss going to the sox. i know what many are saying BPA, but i just don't know why the rumblings so early about SS. i know the sox FO like to preplan for 2 yr from now. i just don't see anything. btw, don't shoot the msg'er. Tate reminds me of Flash Gordon because of his stuff and size. I love Flash, but I am not picking him at #8. I would much rather grab Hooper who had TOR ceiling, and mid-range that lands somewhere around Matt Thornton. I still really like the idea of DJ Stewart as a guy similar to Schwarber last year in that is the best college hitter and you can likely get him underslot. Add to that he should be ready right about the time that Melky's contract is up I would lean that direction at this point - IF - I was able to save enough in the deal to come back and sign a couple high school kids with high ceilings in rounds 4 and 5.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 23, 2015 -> 10:37 AM) That's the thing. The org is likely higher on Saladino and Sanchez, so Leury is just a bench guy in AAA anyway. So you try to trade him maybe, or waive him and then assign him. If someone takes him, oh well. If not, he's bench depth in Charlotte. I think Leury could be the everyday SS at Charlotte, Sanchez or Johnson at 2B, and Saladino playing like he did last year - playing everyday but not having a set position. I think people forget that Leury is still pretty young, the second youngest player on the 40 man behind Sanchez, younger than Micah, Davidson, and Saladino. He was rushed to the majors to fill a role, but given everyday at bats his bat could come around yet and he could be a Cesar Izturis type at some point.

QUOTE (LDF @ Mar 23, 2015 -> 09:41 AM) new mock draft, according to this one, the pitchers have not change. interesting in sox pick at #8. http://www.mymlbdraft.com/MLB-Mock-Draft That #2 pick is pretty dumb. No way that the Astros select Aiken again because if they do not sign him they will lose that pick with no compensation.

QUOTE (fathom @ Mar 20, 2015 -> 05:22 PM) Sounds like scouts believe there's no way Tate will still be around for the Sox pick. Thats cool, that means someone else will drop. I am not that sold on Tate anyway, unless the Sox can go underslot to sign him to try and grab someone like Chandler Day who could slip due to signability.

I would be interested in Montero if they were to let him go for something reasonable. He could provide insurance against and Abreu injury, platoon some with LaRoche at DH, and serve as emergency C. He seems to be the kind of guy that would really do well with a change in scenery.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 20, 2015 -> 03:40 PM) The longer you wait, the higher those end years go, and the less likely they are to resign. Or the opposite happens and the end years go down. Everyone would have wanted Beckham go sign this type of deal after his first season with the team, he definitely wasn't worth it in any season after that. It is a risk/reward thing, given his history of injuries the risk is a bit higher which holds down some of the investment in the pre-free agency years. On the other side it does provide cost certainty when planning for future payroll. It is a fair deal at this point, Eaton gets more money upfront and probably loses a little at the end of arbitration IF he stays healthy.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 15, 2015 -> 02:23 PM) I've seen a couple people say he's the best prospect in the B1G. He's a buddy's cousin so I used to play him all the time. I played him as recently as 2012 and he was a very short, slight dude. I don't know if he had a post high school growth spurt but he's listed at 6' 1" 185 and when I was 18 I was 6' 165 and probably bigger than him. Obviously official listings are always generous. Keith Law is a huge fan though and says the stuff is top notch. Another guy to watch is Dillon Tate out of USCB. He's going to be moving up the boards now that he's dominating in his first stint as a starter. BA has Jay as the number one prospect and Duchene as #3 in the conference for this years draft. I am not sure if that indicates more that the talent level in the conference is down and that is why a RP is the #1 prospect or if the talent in the conference is not draft eligible at this point.

Hes a guy. He could be a really solid 4th OF option. He missed almost all season last year with a broken leg and has a good mix of defense and speed. He will be good insurance in Charlotte. Engel Beltre Beltre is out of options so it's major league or waivers for the speedy outfielder. Beltre is recovering from a fractured right tibia and is on the 60-day DL. Dave Sessions reports: "Outfielder Engel Beltre (fractured right tibia) is "progressing ahead of schedule," Levine said. He is eligible to return May 29." He looked good in the Spring, swatting a .333 average. He had a mediocre year for the Rangers last season, appearing in 22 games and hitting .250. The Rangers like his speed and that he can play all three outfield positions effectively. Look for the Rangers to make room on the roster for him once he's ready. http://www.sportsinjuryalert.com/2014/04/r...ml#.VQBbs_nF8z4

QUOTE (LDF @ Feb 16, 2015 -> 02:04 PM) new mock draft today, this one is interesting. they has the sox drafting Kolby Allard, LHP, while Nathan Kirby, LHP, Virginia and some others avail. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2346481...-edition/page/3 this one has prospect all over the place being picked. oh it is my opinion. http://fueledbysports.com/nathans-mlb-mock-draft-2015/ this one at least, for me, has the names right for the first 5 picks. http://mockdraftmlb.com/?page_id=50 this one has his head up his arse..... what the fvck. https://mlbdraftcountdown.wordpress.com/201...raft-1-0-11715/ finally this one has their crap together. i was wondering if they were doing the medicinal hash oil. http://www.mymlbdraft.com/MLB-Mock-Draft The first one lost me at the Astros taking Brady Aiken again at #2. If they are not able to sign him there they will lose the pick. The second makes some sense at this point based on the information going into the season. The third is plausible, but probably done by an Astros fan. The fourth seems pretty similar to the second. The fifth is reasonable as well. Of the five two have the sox landing Dansby Swanson and two have Kyle Funkhouser. The crazy one had the Sox take HS prep LHP Kolby Allard. I still think the Sox are going to go cheap on this pick and try to either get someone they like underslot like the Cubs did with Schwarber last year, or find a discounted guy like Jeff Hoffman, Lucas Giolito or Erick Fedde and then use the savings to be aggressive later in the draft.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 05:08 PM) It is in MLB's and the commissioner's best interest to get the international draft started. I think our team has been operating within the constraints of what is deemed acceptable by the commissioner for some time and it has only been a detriment to the team. I sure hope the MLB levels the playing field internationally so JR can take the leash off of his executives who would prefer not to play ball on his behalf. I am not sure that is true. It would definitely be in the best interest of the White Sox and similarly situated teams, but allowing your "brand name" teams to scoop up a larger share of talent may be in the overall best interest of promoting those brands - at the expense of the competitive balance. If there was a lot of support from the owners to have a draft in place they would already have one, but I get the sense that there is a division among ownership about the overall effects of the draft. Then the next question becomes, what is the real value of having two drafts? How will the sixteen yo LA kids stack up against the more polished kids that go in the current draft? Will it have such a significant impact on the economics of baseball in LA that those countries will attempt to do something radical? Perhaps funnel talent to Japan instead to try and maintain the system they have created? There are a lot of unknowns and a lot of potential stumbling blocks to getting an international draft implemented.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Feb 7, 2015 -> 07:16 AM) I hope you are correct, but then I don't know what you mean by 'soon enough'. The next collective bargaining agreement? When is that? Next year or two, I believe. MLB has had the issue on the table twice before, and they always capitulated. Let's face it, the Players' negotiators are smarter than the Owners' negotiators. At least, they are more effective. They will fight hard on this issue. I think it has more to do with PR than the players unions. The LA countries really do not want a draft as it will hurt a very lucrative business run by the buscados. The players have little incentive to fight the issue because the more money spent in LA, the less that is available for ML rosters.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Feb 6, 2015 -> 08:29 AM) MLB has to fix this system of signing int'l players. This is the fixed system.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 28, 2015 -> 02:56 PM) These aren't perfect parallels though. Byron Buxton cost $6 million to sign. By all accounts, Moncada is going to cost $75-80 million, taxes included. That money has to come from somewhere, and that means you are likely trading away anybody that has money, and that doesn't seem like a good idea. The signing bonus itself can be split into payments over 3 years, but the taxes have to be paid immediately. It's not going to happen, even if he is a great prospect. $300K, but the point remains, you technically can still sign players, but you won't get the cream of those crops. Buxton cost $6M to sign in the draft because there is a closed market, if he were a FA today what would he sign for? Moncada is going to be expensive, but I remember last year Badler mentioned in an article that numbers like these can get floated around by GM's to try and intimidate other teams from getting involved, that may not be the case but since then I take those estimates with a grain of salt. Yes, I understand at this point it is not going to happen, the money that could have been used to sign him went to win now moves this offseason in sign LaRoche and Cabrera. I would have personally preferred to hold off on those moves for another season and spent one more year building the foundation finding out what you have in M. Johnson and Rodon, but I don't really fault the moves that were made either. The Sox are back to being minor players in international free agency anyway as they are not willing to bust through the limits to chase the top guys the way that quite a few other teams have, that leaves them battling for the left overs especially as more and more teams take the over the pool approach.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 28, 2015 -> 02:16 PM) Not just one year, but two years, plus probably not signing anyone else this year either. Of course Moncada is the same age as Dayan Viciedo was when we signed him... We can still sign players, just not for more than $250K each.