Worst Farm System in MLB

[witesoxfan]

Mike f***ing Trout? Really? I mean, dude's prospect, for sure, but he's played 5 games above rookie ball. It's an obvious fluff piece.

[danman31]

Hagadone is a 24 yo (just turned 24) with TJS under his belt and 2 starts above low-A ball. He Ks guys, but he has walked 4.5/9 in his MiLB career. That's pretty harsh to put Hudson behind that resume.

[Quin]

This also reminds me how Matt Wieters and David Price we're locks to win the AL ROY last year.

 

As for Keith Law, Wikipedia says hello.

 

In December 2007, Law was declined admission to the Baseball Writers Association of America, members of whom vote for Baseball Hall of Fame candidates and several annual awards including the Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Award. While 16 other internet baseball columnists were admitted in their first year of eligibility, ESPN's Law and Rob Neyer were refused due to the BBWAA's perception that Law and Neyer did not attend enough games in person. In 2008, however, Law was admitted to the BBWAA along with Neyer and Baseball Prospectus writers Christina Kahrl and Will Carroll. On his 2009 NL Cy Young ballot, Law listed Javier Vázquez in front of Adam Wainwright and did not include Chris Carpenter on the three name ballot, which elicited strong reactions from St. Louis Cardinals fans. Law stated, "Carpenter's innings total was the main reason he ended up off my ballot. He pitched extremely well when on the mound, but not well enough to close the value gap between him and the three pitchers I listed, each of whom threw at least 27 innings more than Carpenter"

 

 

[witesoxfan]

Considering Law is a stats guy, it makes a hell of a lot of sense why he voted Vazquez over Wainwright. Better K/9, better BB/9, better H/9, and then obviously a better WHIP too. Wainwright was overall more valuable, but there is a definite argument that Javy Vazquez was a more dominant pitcher than Wainwright last season.

[caulfield12]

Well in fairness to Law, he is a stats guy. Floyd was posting 6 K/9, 5 BB/9. That's not a Major League pitcher. Gavin Floyd's turnaround was seemingly unforeseeable by everyone other than Kenny and his scouting team.

 

 

I bet there are a ton of ESPN types who were wrong on Edwin Jackson in 2009 or Jon Danks in 2008, too.

 

Or giving up on Homer Bailey after 2009.

 

Just imagine if we could have pulled off that Bailey trade, knowing what has happened since. :-(

 

 

By the way, where is Chris Carter? I've seen him ranked 20-35 on some Top 100 lists out there.

Edited January 28, 2010 by caulfield12

[chunk23]

I bet there are a ton of ESPN types who were wrong on Edwin Jackson in 2009 or Jon Danks in 2008, too.

 

Or giving up on Homer Bailey after 2009.

 

Just imagine if we could have pulled off that Bailey trade, knowing what has happened since. :-(

 

 

By the way, where is Chris Carter? I've seen him ranked 20-35 on some Top 100 lists out there.

 

He's with Oakland and looks like he's going to be an absolute monster.

[Quin]

I bet there are a ton of ESPN types who were wrong on Edwin Jackson in 2009 or Jon Danks in 2008, too.

 

Or giving up on Homer Bailey after 2009.

 

Just imagine if we could have pulled off that Bailey trade, knowing what has happened since. :-(

 

 

By the way, where is Chris Carter? I've seen him ranked 20-35 on some Top 100 lists out there.

 

We' have a possible upgrade in the 5th starter spot?

[chunk23]

We' have a possible upgrade in the 5th starter spot?

 

The Sox would have had Buerhle, Floyd, Danks, Colon/Bailey/Contreras/Hudson/Richard/Garcia in the rotation. They probably don't trade for Peavy. Now they have a handful more pieces and the payroll room to make some blockbuster trades. I assume they would've gone after Abreu to fill Dye's spot. They might even have the parts to trade for A.Gonzalez. They could sign Figgins with the payroll room currently occupied by Peavy.

Edited January 28, 2010 by chunk23

[danman31]

The Sox would have had Buerhle, Floyd, Danks, Colon/Bailey/Contreras/Hudson/Richard/Garcia in the rotation. They probably don't trade for Peavy. Now they have a handful more pieces and the payroll room to make some blockbuster trades. I assume they would've gone after Abreu to fill Dye's spot. They might even have the parts to trade for A.Gonzalez. They could sign Figgins with the payroll room currently occupied by Peavy.

But let's not go out on a limb or anything. This all would have gone down exactly this way.

[Quin]

The Sox would have had Buerhle, Floyd, Danks, Colon/Bailey/Contreras/Hudson/Richard/Garcia in the rotation. They probably don't trade for Peavy. Now they have a handful more pieces and the payroll room to make some blockbuster trades. I assume they would've gone after Abreu to fill Dye's spot. They might even have the parts to trade for A.Gonzalez. They could sign Figgins with the payroll room currently occupied by Peavy.

 

 

But let's not go out on a limb or anything. This all would have gone down exactly this way.

 

What I'd see happening is us still trading for Peavy, because Bailey was pretty poor at the seasons start. There goes the Figgins money. We'd also probably not acquire Rios, and instead would have Abreu. This would give us around $5M, which we'd use to pay part of Pierre's contract. So, we'd have a rotation of Peavy-Buehrle-Danks-Floyd-Bailey, with an OF of Quentin-Pierre-Abreu. Abreu's defense would be horrid though, so our lineup this year would be

 

LF - Pierre

SS - Alexei

RF - Quentin

DH - Abreu

1B - Konerko

2B - Beckham

C - AJ

3B - Teahen

CF - Jordan Danks

[danman31]

Not sure why we're bothering with what ifs at this point.

[Dick Allen]

Not sure why we're bothering with what ifs at this point.

If SD has the same impression about the Sox prospects as Keith Law, there pretty much is zero chance Adrian Gonzalez ever becomes a White Sox.

Edited January 28, 2010 by Dick Allen

[scenario]

If SD has the same impression about the Sox prospects as Keith Law, there pretty much is zero chance Adrian Gonzalez ever becomes a White Sox.

 

If SD had the same impression about the Sox prospects as Keith Law, there would have pretty much been zero chance Jake Peavy would have ever become a White Sox.

 

 

[Ozzie Ball]

Considering Law is a stats guy, it makes a hell of a lot of sense why he voted Vazquez over Wainwright. Better K/9, better BB/9, better H/9, and then obviously a better WHIP too. Wainwright was overall more valuable, but there is a definite argument that Javy Vazquez was a more dominant pitcher than Wainwright last season.

I'm not sure how you're defning valuable but a stats guy would argue that Vazquez was the better pitcher overall last year:

2.77 FIP to Wainwrights 3.11

2.82 xFIP to 3.36

3.62 tRA* to 3.82

6.6 WAR to 5.7

 

Perhaps you consider those stats "domination" stats, which would b a fair point to make. But then it gets down to preventing a player from winning the CY Young just because his team couldn't field, which some might say is unfair.

[southsider2k5]

Well in fairness to Law, he is a stats guy. Floyd was posting 6 K/9, 5 BB/9. That's not a Major League pitcher. Gavin Floyd's turnaround was seemingly unforeseeable by everyone other than Kenny and his scouting team.

 

First year stats are not the most reliable indicators of how good a pitcher can be. Guys like Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux prove that.

[southsider2k5]

If SD had the same impression about the Sox prospects as Keith Law, there would have pretty much been zero chance Jake Peavy would have ever become a White Sox.

 

And Nick Swisher, and Freddy Garcia...

[soxfan3530]

keith law is seriously the most negative reporter i have ever seen. he sucks.

[sircaffey]

I don't mind Law. I think he's pretty close on this one as well. The system is far too thin.

[Ozzie Ball]

Law's top 100 is up. No Hudson, Flowers at 58 and Mitchell at 95.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Law's top 100 is up. No Hudson, Flowers at 58 and Mitchell at 95.

Hudson not even in the Top 100? Yikes.

 

 

[Ozzie Ball]

Hudson not even in the Top 100? Yikes.

His White Sox top 10:

Chicago White Sox

1. Tyler Flowers, C

2. Jared Mitchell, CF/RF

3. Dan Hudson, RHP

4. Jordan Danks, OF

5. Trayce Thompson, OF

6. Brent Morel, 3B

7. Dayan Viciedo, 3B/1B/DH

8. David Holmberg, LHP

9. Miguel Gonzalez, C

10. Nathan Jones, RHP

Edited January 28, 2010 by Ozzie Ball

[scenario]

Hudson not even in the Top 100? Yikes.

 

2009 MiLB Pitcher of the Year can't break his top 100?

 

[chunk23]

Hudson not even in the Top 100? Yikes.

 

He's actually really down on Hudson, doesn't see him as an impact prospect. He loves Mitchell though, thinks his ceiling is sky high.

[NorthSideSox72]

His White Sox top 10:

Chicago White Sox

1. Tyler Flowers, C

2. Jared Mitchell, CF/RF

3. Dan Hudson, RHP

4. Jordan Danks, OF

5. Trayce Thompson, OF

6. Brent Morel, 3B

7. Dayan Viciedo, 3B/1B/DH

8. David Holmberg, LHP

9. Miguel Gonzalez, C

10. Nathan Jones, RHP

That isn't a bad list, when he's focused on the Sox specifically. I'd have Hudson above Mitchell and probably Flowers, Holmberg lower... but this list is certainly reasonable.

 

Hudson not being in the Top 100 is bizarre.

 

[scenario]

He's actually really down on Hudson, doesn't see him as an impact prospect. He loves Mitchell though, thinks his ceiling is sky high.

 

How much you want to bet that he's never seen either one of them play?