Comments on: Signings, Promotions, Etc

By: Felonius_Monk

Felonius_Monk — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 10:40:20 +0000

All fair comments, but it’s also reasonable to state that Gil isn’t getting out of the MWL any time soon, as he hasn’t really hit much this year (87 wRC+, not terrible but below-average for the league and pretty ordinary for a 22-year-old). As Grabiel Hernandez he would’ve been 19. As Ronny Gil he’s 22, and will be 23 at the start of next season. If he’s still only in A-ball, he simply isn’t much of a prospect. I agree with you generally that age-criticisms require context, but it’s a perfectly true statement as well that there really aren’t a lot of guys aged 23 in A-ball who are ever going to amount to anything in the major leagues.

I was, perhaps, guilty of being a little offhand in my Gil comment, but I was merely trying to point out that a guy who’s slightly struggling as a 22-year-old in Quad Cities is worlds apart from a 19-year-old who’s putting up the same numbers.

By: cariocacardinal

cariocacardinal — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:29:27 +0000

What does old for his level”mean to you? To me it only has relevance if a) a guy is performing successfully at the level he is at due to more experience (that can include college, minors, or other advanced playing levels) than average for others at that level (not Gill’s case) b) He is performing successfully a the he is at due to being more physically advanced the average of the other players at that level (also not Gill’s case) or c) the player has so much experience that he is not going to learn and improve much in the future (not Gill’s case). I am not making a case for or against Gill here but against the overuse of a term without really looking at the situation in its entirety. Many 22 years old may be old for the Midwest league but when a player’s only organized experience is one year in the Latin leagues (where he excelled) I don’t think the “old for his level” adage is appropriate.

By: Gruntosaurus

Gruntosaurus — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:54:28 +0000

To be sure, “Brendan Ryan in 2 years” is a pretty good outcome, as long as it doesn’t come along with Boog’s apparent disruption of the clubhouse. If the other Ryan (Jackson) accomplishes that, the team can be happy with that draft.

By: Felonius_Monk

Felonius_Monk — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:29:32 +0000

Gill has been in the system for a couple of years. He used to be Grabiel Hernandez until they discovered that wasn’t his real name and he was a couple of years older.

“A lot of other players reach the majors after 5+ years of training. Its early to discount Bolivar and Kozma. A few years ago, Descalso was dismissed; now he is a ML rookie.”

That’s factually incorrect. Descalso has been solid right the way through his minor league career, and put up a big year in (IIRC) 2009. I wouldn’t say he’s ever been “dismissed”, although I recall the draft was painted as a conservative one at the time (I think he was a 2nd or 3rd rounder). Kozma, on the other hand, has been awful (not just bad, but truly awful, one of the worst players in the league) at every stop and although he’s still relatively young, he’s just been so bad that there’s no way he suddenly turns it round and learns to start hitting at AAA after three years of ineptitude. He’s a bust and I don’t see that there’s any other way to frame it.

If Bolivar can stick at SS, you’re right, he’s probably got a shot at a major league backup role in a year or two, but he’s been a slo-o-o-o-w mover and this year is the first time he’s been an average hitter for his level.

Pretty much all these guys are low upside. I don’t see too many lottery tickets here, even in most of the short season teams.

By: Felonius_Monk

Felonius_Monk — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:23:43 +0000

“Descalso could be an everyday ML 2B.
A lot of other kids have potential. They just need experience to improve.”

Not sure I agree with this. Gill’s old for his level and probably isn’t going to do much. Bolivar and Rodriguez might make it, but only as utility guys at best. Solano can’t hit and is getting old. Greene has never put it together, probably never will now he’s 27. Kozma has been awful at every stop. None of those guys profile as more than replacement-level filler, if they ever even make it to a big league roster. There are some real long-shot teenagers in short season ball, but none of them would really even rank as prospects yet.

Jackson might be Brendan Ryan in 2 years. Greg Garcia might end up as a major league utility/backup guy, but Nick Punto is probably his absolute ceiling. I like Descalso, but realistically he’s been disappointing with the bat so far and looks a bit over-matched; he can pick it, so I’m going to say optimistically that maybe he’s more than a utility guy (long end of a 2B platoon, perhaps?).

Kolten Wong is the only guy who might end up as a 2 WAR+ guy in the majors, and I think his ceiling is probably a Placido Polanco down year.

The state of the farm’s middle infield for the last few years is the reason why guys like Skip Schumaker are getting playing time for the big league club. It’s a sad state of affairs.

By: Tackle Box

Tackle Box — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:53:48 +0000

@Karmaloop. I understand the Vina comparison but I believe Wong at least has potential to develop a little power. Sure he’s short but he’s got a good, strong build. He definitely has the strength to hit the ball out of the park now and might develop more with instruction. He’s got a powerful build. I’d almost liken him to a Lenny Dykstra type.hitter although Lenny had a little help from a syringe. Either way, he should have no problem hitting foe power. Now will that translate onto home runs, I’m not sure. But he should hit plenty of doubled and triples.

By: Vision

Vision — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:18:45 +0000

Leobaldo Pina is a kid they really like as well. Long, lanky kid at 6-2, 160, he has a little bit of pop in his bat, and he just turned 17. Decent results thus far, especially given his age, and he’s a kid to really watch moving forward.

Can’t wait for him to get to the States and try his hand at a league here.

By: Cardinals645

Cardinals645 — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 07:55:59 +0000

I think his upside is more of a solid starter, maybe an all-star in a peak year and/or a down year at the position.

By: Karmaloop

Karmaloop — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 05:31:10 +0000

I think it’s more the lack of upside. We’re looking at a Fernando Vina kind of player best case scenario. Value? Sure, but he’s nowhere near an elite 2B. He’s more of a guy whose a fringe starter at this point.

By: Karmaloop

Karmaloop — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 05:30:22 +0000

My point exactly. Wong and Jackson are the only two I could see as potential starters down the road. We’ve got enough of these utility MI types in the farm sysystem IMO.