Timmy U

As did the Yankees. Sox are everyone’s sucker at the poker table.

Soooo…. It is one spring training outing. I am on record as not liking the profile because there is no margin for error. I do have Nastrini ahead of Thorpe, and this hopefully explains why. God willing, he goes down to AA and keeps working. Sox really have a magic wand with guys like Eder and Thorpe — everything seems fine until they don the Sox uni.

i truly believe he's your opening day starter. Or at least your first game against a rhp starter

I am very high on Nastrini. The change can really help him, and his best slider is nasty. Boy, do the Dodgers know how to draft and develop players. Remember, he was expendable to them. When he got to the Sox, he pointed out how much easier it was to advance in systems that are not good at development. Hopefully, they learn the lesson and start developing their own Nastrini.

Wild. They probably should have held onto Soroka.

I am fine with any of the Top 6 in this mock. Generally, I'm against taking pitchers this high because "there's no such thing as a pitching prospect" due to injuries and inconsistencies. But, for me, Burns, Smith, and Montgomery are all in the same tier. I just don't want them to cut a deal with Kurtz so they can afford two college arms coming off TJS with their second round picks.

Thanks. Not gonna be Shewmake now. I wonder about Jesse Chavez. I get that he's a "respected veteran" but eventually you get too old or Eddie Collins would the Sox second baseman. He has been lukewarm garbage all spring. Maybe it doesn't matter. In which case, stop touting what a competition the whole thing is.

I do not believe in Spring stats as the be all and end all, but they do have minor predictive value. More importantly, Grifol declared it an open competition. What credibility will he have if he hands a guy the job based on a garbage spring? I fear both Moustakas and Sheets are making this team and Charlotte has both Fletcher and DeLoach in the outfield with Colas at first. Kinda worst case scenario.

The two rookies combine for 8 innings of 1 run ball. Jesse Chavez continues to struggle. I am not sayin spring stats matter, but it will be interesting to see if the “competition” they promised is real.

Cannon gives up the solo shot. Game ends 3-3. Gotta say, though. Cannon sounded good. Threw a lot of strikes. His upside is limited, but I could imagine him as a fill-in at some point this year.

Interesting point in the rebuild: Do they want to see what they have in people like Lee and Leasure and Nastrini or are they going to value veterans exclusively, which seems to be Pedro's jam?

Thanks.

I cannot see or hear the game, but in my mind, Sheets looked really slow there.

Two of the worst teams in baseball with no TV and no radio. If they didn't play the game and just sent fake stats into the league office, you think anyone would notice?

Millions of dollars for doing nothing? I wish I was eligible for that award.

Shuster cut himself with how he looked yesterday. He has a lot of work to do to be a 5th starter let alone more. I am not obsessed with getting an extra year on Nastrini cuz he’s not that young. Healthy arms you could easily do Soroka, Fedde, Flexen, Crochet, and either Nastrini or Thorpe and that wouldn’t be embarrassing. Kuhl or Keller… that’s embarrassing.

On paper, the Cubs should win it easily. Should have won it on run differential alone last year. That is why they broke the bank for Counsell.

FG seems pretty close. if not Sheets, it’s Moustakas. I am not sure Fletcher has locked up rf. He has not looked particularly good. And Ortega of all people is getting tons of abs. The fact that Getz mentioned Nastrini on the broadcast yesterday is a good sign for him. Though, if there is a roster crunch, that would benefit Shuster. I do not think Toussaint makes the team unless he has really shown something in his bullpens.

Caglianone not gonna be there at 5, right?

If I were them I would at least start him in AA. He has had less than half a season at the level and Charlotte could make the trade look bad in a hurry.

Good luck, Dylan. Thanks for the video game slider, the great interviews and introducing me to disc golf.

I may be the high man on Nastrini. 96+ with a good if inconsistent breaking ball and his change has developed into a weapon. Personally, would not bump him for Thorpe.

Matter of taste. I simply do not care for rhp that throw 90-92, who's best pitch is a change. Track record in the last 30 years is terrible for the profile. I hope I'm wrong, but he seems like a better version of Jonathan Cannon. I mean we all celebrated dumping Mena over the fastball and he throws harder than Thorpe. I almost put Zavala ahead of him for upside.

I know you weren't asking me, but my top ten are 1. Montgomery 2. Schultz 3. Ramos 4. Nastrini 5. Quero 6. Thorpe 7. Eder 8. Jacob Gonzalez 9. Zavala 10 Iriarte

Thorpe feels like the Joey Ortiz of pitching prospects.