Odds and Ends, Prospects Edition: Kendry Morales, Dayan Viciedo, Logan Morrison

Good stuff Sarah. I think Morales will get a spot with Anderson, Rivera and Teixiera FAs, and Matthews sucky and falling apart.

I sort of hope the White Sox sign Viciendo.

"I sort of hope the White Sox sign Viciendo."

Why not, he could fantastic! Why do the Sox love signing Cuban teens, and not dominic or other teens? Who cares, Sexie Lexei has turned out a steal.

I remember last year, when the Rockies were going hard after Iguchi, that Ramirez would be a very nice guy to fill that spot. If only...

I hope the Rockies at least look into it. They have had a lot of success lately signing Latin pitchers. Might as well see if it works for hitters.

Also, wanted to point out that Eric Young junior has been really solid in the AFL as well. 2nd in batting, 3rd in OBP,twice as many stolen bases as anyone else (18 in 27 games).

The Angels are finally figuring out that Kendry Morales can play more than one position. He can play both the infield and outfield corners, which means he should be given first crack at LF/DH even with Tex on board.

"84 mph won't cut it unless you have some damn good secondary pitches or you're Maddux/Moyer. But at 19, there's room to add velo I suppose."

Rememeber that this kid is likely coming from cricket, where the motion is different and you get a run up. I am sure once they teach him the mechanics of a baseball pitch, he will throw much harder.

If the White Sox could sign Viciedo and he pans out to what they think he will the Sox lineup will be SICK and YOUNG in 2010:

1 - CF w/ SPEED... Jerry Owens?
2 - SS Alexei Ramirez
3 - RF Carlos Quentin
4 - DH Paul Konerko / Jermaine Dye (the other will be traded)
5 - 3B / 1B Dayan Viciedo
6 - 2B Gordon Beckham
7 - C A.J. Pierzynski
8 - LF Nick Swisher
9 - 3B / 1B Chris Getz

SP: Floyd, Buherle, Danks, Poreda, Richard / P Acquired in Trade

White Sox future looks extremely bright

Tough - You could trade Vazquez to the Mets for Endy Chavez + prospect...Chavez's defense at OF is arguably best in MLB and has the speed you are talking about. Not sure if Mets want to trade him though

Kenan - He would be 21 in 2010 He his 337 with 14 HR as a 16 Year old in Cuba. I think he may be the real deal.

Vitkor - I'm not to high on Chavez. He has been in the minor leagues at least for a little bit every year since 1997 w/ the exception of last year. He doesn't steal as many bases as I would like to see and by 2010 he will be 32... maybe too old to trade for. I'd rather take a chance a younger player especially if we are trading for them THIS season

Mets fans hate Castillo. I think it is hilarious

White Sox!
White Sox! White Sox!
Go-Go White Sox!
Let's go, Go-Go White Sox
We're with you all the way!
You're always in there fighting,
And you do your best.
We're glad to have you out there in the Middle West.
We're gonna root-root-root-root White Sox.
And cheer you on to victory.
When we're in the stands,
We'll make those rafters ring;
All through the season,
You will hear us sing.
Let's go, Go-Go White Sox,
Chicago's proud of you!

White Sox! White Sox!
Go-Go White Sox!

Root-Root-Root for the White Sox.
We'll cheer you on to victory.
When we're in the stands,
We'll make those rafters ring;
All through the season,
You will hear us sing.
Let's go, Go-Go White Sox,
Chicago's proud of you! (Play ball!)
White Sox! White Sox!
Go-Go White Sox!
Let's go, Go-Go White Sox!
Chicago is proud of you!

by
Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers

ballerwhiteboy

......
what are you talking about...?
with the Sox love signing cuban teens

they've signed cubans, but not teens.....

J the Dizzolla, it's Engel Beltre.

"I am sure once they teach him the mechanics of a baseball pitch, he will throw much harder."

He's been working with Tom House for awhile now. His mechanics are probably as good as they're going to get.

And Ballyb11, get a life.

I understand his upside, I don't value his Cuban numbers as much as you do.

I don't know if he's been hitting pitching "equal to minor league players," obviously he has tools and the build to be a prolific hitter.

I will maintain that COUNTING on him to start in the majors a year after he's signed is foolish. The list of young, raw talents who don't live up to the hype is significantly longer than the list of one's who do, so I'll take the safe route and assume an international 19 year old could use some seasoning before I inject him into the lineup.

I really hope you understand my point.

Here is a possibility for the Whitesox offense in '09

cf- Taveras(traded for broadway)
c- Pierzynski
lf- Quentin
rf- Dye
dh- Thome
3b- Viciedo
ss- Ramirez
1b- Konerko
2b- Beckham, Getz, Nix, Castillo(traded from Mets for Swisher)

DYEhardSOXfan -

I'm dead set on Taveras NOT being a part of the White Sox. I understand he brings the speed that we need to the top of the lineup but I am not a big fan of his low average.

Nick Swisher will not be traded for Castillo. Castillo has a terrible contract and the Sox do not need top spend a boat load of money on a player that is going to put up the same production as Getz and Nix.

Beckham and Viciedo (assuming they sign him) will not be in the majors next year. Beckham needs to learn how to play 2B so that he is comfortable to play their everyday in the majors.

We will be trading Javy making Broadway our 6th starter. Him being our 6th starter makes him non-expendable. Jose Contreas isn't due back until midseason at least. We need Broadway in case Poreda or Richard cannot get the job done or if someone gets hurt.

Javelin throwers? The guy who developed Mark Prior? Wow... those two guys are going to have "smooth, easy motions" that destroy their shoulders, and that's only if they can actually learn to throw baseball pitches with any consistency. This has career minor league middle relief written all over it.

Alexei Ramirez is overrated? Have you even watched the kid play. He makes plays on defense that are out of this world.

He has the potential to be 30 / 30 if he can learn how to get a better read on pitchers in order to steal more bags. All that with a high average.

Nobody ever knocked Vlad because he is a free swinger so what does plate discipline have to do with anything when you are able to hit .300 and drive in runs.

Alexei Ramirez IS NOT overrated!!!

Vladimir Guerrero hit .324 with a .371 OBP his first full season. Ramirez hit .290 with a .317 OBP. Vladimir had 38 HRs and 37 doubles that year. Alexei had 21 HRs, 22 doubles. Vladimir was only 22 that season, Alexei was 26 this season. I don't see the comparison.

I was just using him as an example because he is a known free swinger and you seem to have been criticizing Alexei for being just that.

Hitting .290 with 21 HR in your first season is great if you look at all Alexei had to battle. He was coming to a new country, defected from Cuba leaving his family behind. He was playing a position described as his 3rd best, SS and CF being 1 and 2.

The kid is not overrated. He comes up with timely hits game after game. His grand slam against Detroit is the reason the White Sox were in the playoffs.

STATS ARE NOT THE ENTIRE STORY. If you watch the way he plays he brings a spark to the White Sox team. He "little boy" enthusiasm and grinder typer of play are important to any team. Alexei's stats are Good - he was hitting above .300 for the majority of the season, his defense at his 3rd best position was good, and his intangibles are important. There isn't a stat for clutch!

Whatever spin you put on it isn't going to make me agree that he is overrated. He will be an all-star like dyehardsoxfan said. Wait and see

To sum up your argument as I understand it.

1. For some reason the White Sox are definitely signing Vicideo, even though he's reportedly this other world talent, other teams will pass I guess.

2. This kid, 19, is going to be an all star in the big leagues AND start for chicago.

That sound about right?

A couple things here. First, 19 year olds certainly can and do make the majors in their next season. Witness Clayton Kershaw.

Second is about the post by Bjguess. I am surprised that, as an Angel fan, you suggest that Kendry Morales hasn't gotten a constant job in the majors because of his ability. That has little, if anything, to do with it. He has killed the ball in the minors. The problem is that he has been hopelessly blocked by a combination of Casey Kotchman, Chone Figgins and the Angels' OF surplus clogging up the DH spot. That .919 OPS was hardly a fluke and I think he should prove that with a regular job.

yo texas, when smoak becomes tradeable, look to the yankees' pitching depth in the minors!

Wow, I didn't realize that Viciedo was an underachiever with a poor work ethic.

While I'd still like to see the Cardinals give him a shot, I don't see this guy being a starter in 2010.

The kid is only 19 and the bad work ethic could come from not wanting to stay in Cuba, and about that some Cuban players don't pan out in the Majors, it is a simple explanation for that, their goal is to be free, not to play ball, most of them leave their family behind and without any family support the cultural shock is very damaging, they don't have the luxury to go home once the season is over, or to fly their love ones to the States to watch them play, and the baseball in Cuba is between AAA and the Majors, and any National team member will make it to the Big Show, without a doubt, the Angels has kept Morales in the Minors because they have options, they know all along that he has the tools to be a very good player, the baseball in Cuba is played with heart and skill, is played for free, and they been playing since the 1860's, they teach the sport to Puerto Rico and Dominica Republic, and the first non american to play in the majors was Cuban, I think they have 3 HOF that never play in the Majors, Dihigo, Torriente and Mendez, before Castro close the door, the scouts never went to DR, PR or Venezuela to look for players, yes some came from there, but the majority of foreign players came from Cuba, don't be fooled if a 15 or 16 year old kid was on the National Team, he is very good.

"Alexei Ramirez is overrated? Have you even watched the kid play. He makes plays on defense that are out of this world.

He has the potential to be 30 / 30 if he can learn how to get a better read on pitchers in order to steal more bags. All that with a high average.

Nobody ever knocked Vlad because he is a free swinger so what does plate discipline have to do with anything when you are able to hit .300 and drive in runs.

Alexei Ramirez IS NOT overrated!!!"

Look, I think both sides here are being foolish.

First, Alexei Ramirez is NOT Vladimir Guerrero and never will be. Vladimir Guerrero is going to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot and is one of the most physically gifted players ever to play the game. Also, who is to say Guerrero doesn't have plate discipline? He has a career OBP of .389 and has never struck out more than 95 times in a season (and that was 10 years ago). Just because he doesn't walk a ton (he still does take his walks) doesn't mean he doesn't have a good eye. He just can hit any pitch at any time that is within his reach and chooses that route to getting on base and driving in runs.

On the other hand, Ramirez seems to be a pariah among the true sabermetric heads out there. The guy comes over from Cuba, which is stressful in and of itself, and immediately comes in and acquits himself very respectably at the highest level of pro baseball. He was playing his 3rd best position on the field (he should have been in CF the whole time) and puts up decent overall numbers while making some spectacular plays and shows serious 5 tool talent. You don't think there is room for improvement there, and a hell of a base to build on?

"You really just referenced batting average with RISP?"

Actually, I do think those numbers say something about what Ramirez can do when he shortens up his swing and focuses.