2014 Roster Discussion

[jersey cubs fan]

Comps for Baez at 3B:

 

@DSzymborski: At 3B, his comps become Batista, Matt Williams, Esasky, Gruber, Ian Stewart, Reynolds, Jacoby

 

So just, random collection of names associated with the position?

[NOLA]

Comps for Baez at 3B:

 

@DSzymborski: At 3B, his comps become Batista, Matt Williams, Esasky, Gruber, Ian Stewart, Reynolds, Jacoby

So, somewhere between Matt Williams and Ian Stewart?

Are they listing Almora as somewhere between Griffey Jr and Doug Dascenzo?

[Guest]

I'm guessing these comps are based on age.

 

Ian Stewart at Baez's age was BA's #4 prospect in baseball and had just hit 30 HR in A ball.

 

EDIT - or was it the year before. Whatever.

[SouthSideRyan]

I'm guessing these comps are based on age.

 

Ian Stewart at Baez's age was BA's #4 prospect in baseball and had just hit 30 HR in A ball.

 

EDIT - or was it the year before. Whatever.

 

Well I'm gonna go drink bleach

[bukie]

From Fangraphs chat:

 

Dan Szymborski: Right now, top 10 hitters, 25 and under, by future WAR in ZiPS: Trout, Harper, Machado, Baez, Polanco, Sommons, Buxton, Profar, Salvador Perez, Bogaerts

[Hairyducked Idiot]

From Fangraphs chat:

 

Dan Szymborski: Right now, top 10 hitters, 25 and under, by future WAR in ZiPS: Trout, Harper, Machado, Baez, Polanco, Sommons, Buxton, Profar, Salvador Perez, Bogaerts

 

#religion

[Guest]

I'm guessing these comps are based on age.

 

Ian Stewart at Baez's age was BA's #4 prospect in baseball and had just hit 30 HR in A ball.

 

EDIT - or was it the year before. Whatever.

 

Well I'm gonna go drink bleach

 

FWIW, Baez did what he did better at a higher level in a tougher league to hit in.

 

Stewart's big year was 2004 where he hit .319/.398/.594 in the South Atlantic League (A) in his age 19 season. League average OPS was .737 that year in that league.

 

Baez's ridiculous 2013 amounted to .282/.341/.578 in his age 20 season across A+ and AA in leagues that had average OPS's of .696 and .683, respectively.

 

Javy's wRC+ in AA last year was 180 (!!!) and 145 in A+. Stewart in AA in 2006 (age 21 season) was at 110, and managed 118 in his first taste of AAA Colorado Springs. He did get up to 140 in his second go around there in 08.

[Guest]

The real reason I made that post is Javy stat porn.

[Guest]

From Fangraphs chat:

 

Dan Szymborski: Right now, top 10 hitters, 25 and under, by future WAR in ZiPS: Trout, Harper, Machado, Baez, Polanco, Sommons, Buxton, Profar, Salvador Perez, Bogaerts

Sommons?

[bukie]

From Fangraphs chat:

 

Dan Szymborski: Right now, top 10 hitters, 25 and under, by future WAR in ZiPS: Trout, Harper, Machado, Baez, Polanco, Sommons, Buxton, Profar, Salvador Perez, Bogaerts

Sommons?

Assuming they meant Andrelton Simmons, but I just copied it directly out of the chat.

[sneakypower]

From Fangraphs chat:

 

Dan Szymborski: Right now, top 10 hitters, 25 and under, by future WAR in ZiPS: Trout, Harper, Machado, Baez, Polanco, Sommons, Buxton, Profar, Salvador Perez, Bogaerts

wow, unreal

 

of course, if i'm to be negative for just a minute, it's kind of a bummer that he gets effectively cancelled out* by another divisional prospect; BUT, no Taveras is a pleasant surprise

 

all that aside, Sal Perez's contract becomes a complete & total chuckle-fest after seeing this

 

*yes i know this is not how it works

[Guest]

I just do not get the Polanco thing.

[sneakypower]

he's the CF Frank Lindor

[MWV]

With Parker being assigned to AAA today and Villanueva looking likely to start in the rotation, what does the bullpen situation look like? Cabrera, Veras, Strop, Rondon and Grimm from the right side and Russell and Wright from the left side? Am I missing someone?

[Sammy Sofa]

With Parker being assigned to AAA today and Villanueva looking likely to start in the rotation, what does the bullpen situation look like? Cabrera, Veras, Strop, Rondon and Grimm from the right side and Russell and Wright from the left side? Am I missing someone?

 

Fujikawa.

[Guest]

With Parker being assigned to AAA today and Villanueva looking likely to start in the rotation, what does the bullpen situation look like? Cabrera, Veras, Strop, Rondon and Grimm from the right side and Russell and Wright from the left side? Am I missing someone?

 

Fujikawa.

 

I wouldn't expect him to be in the picture for at least a couple months, unless I missed something.

[Sammy Sofa]

Dammit, really? I thought he was only going to miss the first few weeks.

[Guest]

Dammit, really? I thought he was only going to miss the first few weeks.

 

I'll admit, I don't recall any recent updates off the top of my head, but I figured May was about as optimistic as you could get.

 

 

Has he pitched to hitters at all yet?

[Gilby]

With Parker being assigned to AAA today and Villanueva looking likely to start in the rotation, what does the bullpen situation look like? Cabrera, Veras, Strop, Rondon and Grimm from the right side and Russell and Wright from the left side? Am I missing someone?

 

Hopefully that's what they go with. I'll be disappointed if Rusin starts and Villanueva forces Grimm to the minors. Though Rondon would probably go to Iowa before Grimm in that scenario.

[Sammy Sofa]

Dammit, really? I thought he was only going to miss the first few weeks.

 

I'll admit, I don't recall any recent updates off the top of my head, but I figured May was about as optimistic as you could get.

 

 

Has he pitched to hitters at all yet?

 

No idea; I think I had heard May on the radio, but it was probably an early projection.

[Guest]

Did Hector Rondon get good at some point?

 

I figured once he got his full year in last year (to be kept) he'd be in the minors this year.

[Gilby]

Did Hector Rondon get good at some point?

 

I figured once he got his full year in last year (to be kept) he'd be in the minors this year.

 

Without checking the stats again, I think he finished strong. His velocity was also consistently mid-upper 90s the last few months.

[Gilby]

I wasn't expecting Cabrera to make the roster, but it looks like he will. My guess is we'll need to open up two 40 man spots for Bonifacio and one of Kalish/McDonald/Roberts for the bench. We won't be losing Cabrera. James McDonald is toast, so that leaves one more spot. If Olt makes the roster and Barney isn't traded by opening day, I think Murphy could be in trouble, even with his major league contract. A bench of Kottaras, Bonifacio, Barney, Kalish, and Lake with Olt at 3B, Valbuena at 2B, and Ruggiano in LF is what I'd like to see.

[Guest]

Did Hector Rondon get good at some point?

 

I figured once he got his full year in last year (to be kept) he'd be in the minors this year.

 

Without checking the stats again, I think he finished strong. His velocity was also consistently mid-upper 90s the last few months.

 

Pardon the self-quote, from the bullpen overview thread earlier this winter:

 

Rondon's 2013 was very much a tale of two halves. To wit:

 

Thru June: 26.2 IP, 6.08 ERA, .816 OPS, 21/12 K/BB

After June: 28 IP, 3.54 ERA, .659 OPS, 23/13 K/BB

 

The biggest driver in that improvement was his fastball velocity, which hovered in the low 90s in April and May but was sitting north of 95 by year end.

 

While Rondon could get AAA time if they were interested in him being a starter, I say if the velocity is still there in February then there's no reason for him not to be a middle relief mainstay this year. Rondon had an extreme reverse platoon split in 2013(.908 OPS v. RH, .546 v. LH), so there's likely even more room to grow from his in-season improvement if he can be more effective with the slider(-3 runs in 2013, -1.9 total).

 

I'm not all that happy about Parker being sent down. You'll always have to worry about his control, and he's been bad this spring, but 50 dominating appearances at the MLB level have to have a little more weight. Especially since Arrieta will open on the DL and McDonald has been bad/hurt, the depth hasn't exactly offered an embarrassment of riches in ST. They said Vizcaino was opening at AAA too, right? So where does that leave the pen?

 

Veras

Strop

Russell

Wright

Rondon

 

With Parker, Villanueva, McDonald, Fujikawa, Lim, and Vizcaino out of consideration, that leaves Rusin, Rosscup, Cabrera, and Grimm for two spots. None of them has been all that fantastic in ST(Cabrera has been the most effective, but few Ks), so I don't get removing Parker from consideration with his superior past.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

With Parker being assigned to AAA today and Villanueva looking likely to start in the rotation, what does the bullpen situation look like? Cabrera, Veras, Strop, Rondon and Grimm from the right side and Russell and Wright from the left side? Am I missing someone?

 

Fujikawa.

 

I wouldn't expect him to be in the picture for at least a couple months, unless I missed something.

 

It's yet to be decided, but he was already throwing from a mound early in ST. That gives at least a chance of pitching in May.