TheFutureIsNear

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jul 13, 2017 -> 08:11 PM) Heh, I do appreciate a 295 million dollar guaranteed commitment being described as "controllable". Any player is controllable if you're willing to guarantee enough money. That's why I specifically summed it up by mentioning Yelich and not Stanton. Yelich is something like 5/55M after this season.

Rumors are swirling of the Marlins ownership selling off the likes of Stanton and Yelich, 2 controllable young OF's with a proven track record. If we could put together a package without including any of Moncada, Robert, Eloy, Cease, Kopesch, or Hansen would you? The Phillies are rumored to be suitors and their farm system is nothing impressive in my opinion. I've been 100% on board with a full rebuild for years, but if we can get a long term bat like Yelich to speed the process up I'd be all for it.

Aside from it being obviously dumb...Burger was an underslot sign. This rumor would suggest that the Sox ownership doesn't have the capital to maintain basic business functions like signing draft picks. That isn't even remotely true. That's a terrible rumor even on the worst of sports radio talk stations.

QUOTE (heirdog @ Jul 8, 2017 -> 10:07 PM) I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the deadline...well, unless you are also one of the Sale trade was "one player short" or "bad because it didn't include Devers instead of Diaz" Nope, was very pleased with pretty much all of the off season moves except the handling of the Q situation. And for the record I'm not even upset that he wasn't traded. It has a lot more to do with the fact that they said they were trying to move him and didn't. The talk to the media the entire time should have been "Q is a great young talent under control that we will continue to build around." If a deal came a long great, if not oh well. I've said it before and people here have disagreed, but I believe 100% that there's a correlation to the trade talk and Q's performance so far this season.

I'll say it again, and don't care what anybody says, not trading Q in the offseason was a monumental mistake. The entire publicized trade efforts without actually getting a deal done was horribly managed by the FO and now the team and Q are in a tough situation. Yes, I know Q still has plenty of time on his deal, and yes, I know he is still a very talented pitcher, but anybody who thinks we can still get a full value deal on him is naive. The time to trade him was in the offseason and the opportunity was completely blown. Ok rank over...

Church didn't have much speed tho did he?...my comp is Drew Stubbs. A guy with pop and speed, but lacks a consistent hit tool to sustain any kind of real long term success as a starter. If we're lucky Engel can capture lightning in a bottle and put together a few good seasons like Stubbs did.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 3, 2017 -> 09:01 PM) Leury was a top 40 guy in all of MLB fWAR when he got hurt... Small sample size...like I said, he can still have pretty good value as a super utility guy that can play multiple positions, but I just don't see him being a regular long term. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I don't see the slug% he had as something he can keep up. Seemed a little flukish to me, but I would have no problem eating crow on this 1 if he is able to keep it up.

Send Hanson down. Doubt someone claims him, but if it happens oh well. And Willy Garcia still has options left no? Send him down again, don't see a particularly bright future for him anyway. Hate to be That Guy, but really all of these guys are nothing but bench pieces. Not that a bench player capable of backing up multiple positions doesn't have some value, but if we are serious about being WS contenders in 3-4 years I don't think any of these guys mentioned in the OP will be starting players.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Jul 2, 2017 -> 07:50 PM) Shame last nights Charlotte game ended up delayed. According to the box score Fulmer was looking pretty good. Man, watching this season for Giolito, Fulmer and Lopez has been a roller coaster ride. Not worried about Fulmer or Lopez since I think both have the potential to become high energy closers if things don't work out for them as starters. Giolito is the one that concerns me a little but he's just 23 so he has time to come around. Prefacing this by saying he's not a lost cause and things still can improve for a young pitcher not far removed from the draft, BUT...there's nothing about Fulmer right now that says he is closer material, or late inning reliever at all. 6.19 K per 9 and I think the opposite of closer material to be perfectly honest.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Jul 2, 2017 -> 08:28 PM) Has he earned a call up? He has nothing but solid numbers since he went down to Charlotte. AAAA player...he's had more than enough ab's to prove he's not a good major league player. Maybe if someone gets traded and we need a depth bench bat again, but other than that he's really not worth talking about.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Jul 2, 2017 -> 06:12 PM) I think any scout at the game today would have written a positive report His command wasn't there. Can't throw that many balls and expect to go deep into a game regardless of what your guys are doing behind you. Jose doesn't have the stuff to have an exact 2:1 s/b ratio. He needs to be more in the 65% strike ratio. Would I classify it as not bad? Sure, but I wouldn't call anything besides the 1st 2 innings as positive. Not that it's a big deal or anything...obviously that start was far from horrible and sure isnt going to deter teams or anything. Just saying that it would have been nice to see Q keep the moment going and he just didn't have his usual great location today.

Defense has let him down, but Q struggling a little this game isn't helping things. He needed to keep his good start streak going, but at this rate he's going to struggle to get out of the 6th.

I think people are discounting how hard it is for a young catcher to improve defensively and offensively. A lot of his time and energy has probably gone into his defense. I would look at recent A's call up Bruce Maxwell as a comp. He was a high 2nd round pick that was questionable to stick at catcher but had a good bat. He Struggled and didn't put up an OPS over .750 in his 1st 3 pro years in the minors, but his D supposedly improved drastically. Suddenly in 2016 he started raking and hasn't stopped so far in the majors (albeit small sample size). So yeah, it would be naive to not be at least a little worried, but all hope certainly isn't lost.

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Jun 26, 2017 -> 08:26 PM) At this rate he's going to be the second best pitching prospect in the system after Kopech by season's end. He's already there in my book

In the meantime...just be patient and wait it out. Don't rush it with forced signings to try and compete early, especially when the team clearly still won't be good enough imo.

I can't see Q going to anybody but the Yankees or Astros at this point. From Yankees- Has to start with Frazier pretty much no matter what at this point I would think...Frazier, Andjuar, and Sheffield would be really nice. If not some combo of Adams, Fowler, Abreu, and Clarksin and I wouldn't complain. Wouldn't hate getting Tyler Austin from them either if they aren't going to call him up. So Frazier, Andjuar, and Sheffield or Frazier, Fowler, Clarksin, and Austin Astros- Again, more or less has to start with Tucker. Either Whitley or Perez as the 2nd piece and the either JD Davis or Yordam Alvarez as the 3rd...maybe a lotto pick 19 year as well. Tucker, Perez, Davis, and Jonathan Arauz

Never been a fan and don't have a ton of hope for him honestly. Yeah I know he's still young and raw or whatever, but we should be seeing at least some improvment to his plate approach and there just isn't. 5 years into a career and not being able to walk at a 4% clip just isn't a good sign to me. Hopefully the D can level out and he can at least be league average though.

And with Fulmer's inability to strike anyone out right now I'm not sure how much better he would fare in the pen. Future isn't looking bright for him.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Jun 17, 2017 -> 08:24 PM) Correct. Same syndrome applied to Courtney Hawkins a few years ago. Fulmer not THAT bad, however. Yeah what's most troubling for me is the lack of K's....I honestly never expected him to make it as a starter but did think he had a shot at closer. Now, I'm just hoping he can be any key part of our pen. Of course it is still a bit early and he can improve. Thankfully he is indeed not Hawkings level lost cause.

Fulmer has done absolutely nothing to be regarded as a top 9 prospect in our system other than being a high draft pick. Not saying to completely give up on him, but the idea of him being a TOR (top 2) pitcher seems pretty far fetched to me. If he was a 3rd round pick would he even be top 12 in our system based on what he's done so far in his career?

Moncada Kopech Giolito Robert Lopez Collins Hansen Dunning Burger Fulmer Burdi Stephens Adams Micker Basabe That's my top 15

I know it could go either way, but I think it's kind of weird that everybody seems to be discounting that Burger could actually lose weight and get in better shape going from a small college to a major league program. I'm sure he will see a massive upgrade in weight rooms and with $ in his pocket and access to dieticians his nutrition intake should get a lot better from when he was a poor college kid. Of course some guys also eat their way out of positions/the league once they get paid, but hopefully we scouted him enough to feel comfortable that he will work hard.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Jun 12, 2017 -> 08:36 PM) I know there are mixed views on posters here who are pro and con Bukauskas, but I can't believe he hasn't been picked yet. Almost steal range now. Horrific mechanics. Does pretty much everything you don't want a young pitcher to do. I'll be surprised if he doesn't have an arm injury within 3-4 years.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 12, 2017 -> 08:23 PM) I don't either but we need a lot of young athleticism in rounds 2-10 Hopefully he's underslot and we can gamble and overpay a high school athlete to sign in round 2. That would pretty much be ideal for me

Draft clearly didn't go as we hoped. Burger was the safest bat left and I don't have a problem with it all.