caulfield12

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martijd02.shtml One of the few hitters who seemingly had a pedestrian first three years in the bigs and then exploded on the scene in a big way. David Ortiz another...obviously there might have been another factor at play.

The best we can about Zavala is he knocked off Zack Collins…but that doesn’t exactly scream developmental success, either.

.613 career ops and 70+ ops don't seem worth the tradeoff...especially with all that production crammed into 10-15 multihomer games.

Basabe and Zavala come to mind...high ceiling/low floor/high bust rate types. W.Abreu has at least had one solid all-around big league season...only Eaton and Avi Garcia have had better single years since Jermaine Dye patrolled RF.

#2 Sasaki

If this one goes south, we now know exactly who to blame? Or will Ryan Fuller take the blame for making the recommendation, like Tosar/Vargas...? And now? Miguel (Vargas) has carved his own path to baseball stardom, and his father could not be more proud. “He’s definitely better than me,” Lazaro said. “He has better tools than I had. He hits more than me, he runs faster than I did, and he’s so much stronger than I was.” Miguel wanted to show off his speed despite the field conditions and he ended up pulling a hamstring in the process. He still impressed the Dodgers with his tools and desire. “He was hitting balls into a house,” Tosar recalled. “We couldn’t really get the distance, so we went on a distance-tracking app through GPS. We saw home plate, we saw the roof and where the ball hit and we marked it and it was over 400-something feet. He must’ve been 17 at the time. It was legit.” At the time the Dodgers only had $300,000 to offer Miguel because they had exceeded their spending total internationally the year before. That amount was below what he was hoping to sign for, and the Dodgers knew he was worth more than that. https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/featured/miguel-vargas-lazaro-vargas-connect-through-baseball-journeys?msockid=03c2413601076bcf19e3529f00f66aa7

https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/ncaaf/bigten/2024/11/21/curt-cignetti-indiana-ohio-state-cfp-bracket-predictions/76396563007/ Never thought Indiana at OSU would highlight a CFB weekend...but here we are. But, with Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan State down, and Michigan still in transition after Jim Harbaugh’s departure, this would seem like an opportunistic window for a Big Ten program to climb the ladder and perch on a higher rung. Indiana understands Cignetti at least gives it a chance at a winning hand. The Hoosiers doubled his pay by awarding him an eight-year, $72 million contract last week. By now, nobody needs to Google Cignetti to know, he wins.

Harold? Maybe if not for the injuries that slowed him down in the second half... Taking a kid with ONLY 368 AA at-bats in 2023 and just 350 in AA/AAA last season to the big leagues seems like rushing again. The kid's only going to be 21, give him at least a half season at Charlotte. The other reason pushing Quero and Montgomery up fast doesn't make sense unless you're also doing the same with Schultz and Hagen Smith.

Glove 50 Quiet setup, soft hands, has the potential to be a good receiver; moves well laterally; conversion project to the catching position but making quick progress; gets out from behind the plate well on bunt plays; good leadership behind the plate, takes control of pitchers. Arm 60 Plus arm strength with quick release; 2.2 pop time to second base, can be improved upon with better footwork and more repetitions; enough arm strength to eventually display 2.0-2.1 times to 2B. 30 year old catchers are almost always on the downside, but he started out as a position player originally so less wear and tear. Maybe maybe if it's just to replace Robinson and Venable had connections to him with the DBacks and loves his game-calling/work mentoring young pitchers. Definitely not the type of hitter who should be getting any more than 60-80 games, though. Has bounced around a lot recently in his career. https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/eyewitness_bat.php?reportid=202

https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/237219/ Merrill from MD, a state (like IN) not exactly renowned for producing MLB talent other than Harold Baines. To the majors at 21 with just two full minor league seasons after being drafted. Only 800 minor league at-bats AND an unexpected position change to CF with just one MLB spring training to prepare. Both players ascended to similar spots around the Top 15-20 MiLB range, but Merrill held and even moved up into the Top 8-10 if I remember correctly.

Another that he was overly concerned with velocity since his legendary Texas HS baseball days (set some crazy mark like 103-105 MPH) and was known to be trying to throw a ball through a wall (wanted even MORE velo back then) rather than being a pitcher (simply a raw thrower who relied on stuff mostly and wasn't refined or mature).

At one point, though, he was briefly considered the top RH pitching prospect in baseball...so let's not act like he was chopped liver, either.

There wouldn't be many shocked or surprised posters, that's fore sure...

Merrill is a much more dynamic fast-twitchy athlete than the Montgomery at Charlotte in 2024...the suggestion that Colson would play nearly GG level defensively in CF in Chicago replacing Robert would be met by more shaking heads of Sox fans who have nearly seen it all.

Or that they would have heavily invested in Lopez when they didn’t know how to effectively utilize him with the Sox over many years?

It’s not like Cease is that far off…Top 2-8 performer two of last three years in MLB and a much better health profile overall. Granted, for a playoff team to win a Game 7, you have to go with Crochet or Skubal true ace ability every time…versus being a key cog in making 30-32 starts and just getting your team to the postseason.

Like the former Cubs' pitcher with 11 fingers...

Luckily not considering Dylan's post-season disappointments...nor Skubal's, although that was such as anomaly. Still think Sale needs another 2-3 solid seasons to guarantee his place in Cooperstown.

We should actually be praising or congratulating ex Sox Cody Asche (banner star at SoxTalk) for surviving the Red Wedding over at the Warehouse/Camden Yards. Must have made a really strong impression in Low A ball (Clearwater/Phillies) in 2021 to jump directly to another big league club the after just one season in the upper minors...especially since BALT doesn't even have their own team in the Florida State League to "scout" him as a coach. wikipedia Asche quickly progressed through the Phillies' minor league system, briefly dabbling at second base before predominantly sticking to third base and left field. At both positions, minor league scouts regarded his defensive ability as sub-optimal. His career with the Phillies ended in 2016, and he played one additional season in the Chicago White Sox organization before bouncing around several minor league organizations. Philadelphia Phillies On March 31, 2021, it was announced that Asche was hired as the hitting coach for the Clearwater Threshers, the Low-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.[58] Baltimore Orioles Asche joined the Baltimore Orioles as the organization’s upper–level hitting coordinator beginning with the 2022 season.[59] He was promoted to manager Brandon Hyde's coaching staff as its offensive strategy coach for the 2023 season on November 8, 2022.[2] On November 5, 2024, the Orioles named Asche their hitting coach for the 2025 season.[60]

$7,555,500 Pool Cincinnati Reds Detroit Tigers Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays $6,908,600 Pool Arizona Diamondbacks Baltimore Orioles Cleveland Guardians Colorado Rockies Kansas City Royals Pittsburgh Pirates White Sox in the $6,261,600 Pool (mid-tier) Bottom 4 $5,646,200 Pool Houston Astros St. Louis Cardinals $5,146,200 Pool Los Angeles Dodgers (penalized $1,000,000 for Ohtani) San Francisco Giants

Worth more or less than Grossman, Pham, DeJong or Flexen on the trade market? I guess it's better for Venable to have some veteran bats he trusts on the bench rather than having to rely on someone like Shewmake, Sheets, Amaya/Baldwin, etc. Unless he's toast already...

See Tyler Flowers back in the day...AFL standout who eventually became more known for his defense when at that point he was almost the opposite.

Hitting .320 at Charlotte is like hitting .240 - .250 at Birmingham...

It's not intelligent if it's based on a one or two week hot streak in PR against AA equivalent pitching... Not to mention relying on the heat to get his bat going...can't imagine his numbers in April and May when he struggled then in the best of times.

"A source told MLB.com on Friday that co-hitting coach Ryan Fuller, bench coach Fredi González and Major League coach José Hernández will not be returning next season. The club has not yet confirmed the departures. On Monday, a source said that co-hitting coach Matt Borgschulte will also not be back in 2025, which the club has not yet confirmed. Borgschulte will be returning to the Twins to serve as a big league hitting coach. In 2024, Baltimore had a trio of hitting coaches: Fuller and Borgschulte, as well as offensive strategy coach Cody Asche. It is not yet known how the O’s staff will be filled out in ‘25, but Fuller and Borgschulte will both be gone." https://www.mlb.com/news/orioles-making-coaching-staff-changes-for-2025