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A few links for Wednesday night...
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Just like with Phil Hughes and before him Andruw Jones and Mark Prior its not always a good thing to give these great minor league prospects such high expectations. Nothing against either team, but they are really overhyping Lars Anderson and Matt Weiters. Then again I could say the same thing for Austin Jackson.
Posted by: Tim | March 04, 2009 at 08:42 PM
I'm not disappointed about the Sox not landed Tex either. I'm excited to see Lars play. I don't think he's overhyped. You have to go to a game and see the guy play. He's got some pop.
Posted by: Umair | March 04, 2009 at 08:47 PM
I really think Wieters is going to be something special though, I don't know much about Lars Anderson though.
Posted by: GD31892 | March 04, 2009 at 09:05 PM
Andruw Jones was a fine player for a number of years, and Mark Prior was dynamite for the one year of healthy pro ball he played. Not really sure why you'd bring up those guys instead of players like Sean Burroughs, Corey Patterson or Ruben Rivera - guys who were ACTUALLY flops after all the hype they received as minor league players. Lars Anderson and Matt Weiters could end up being great players, or they could end up being average players, but I doubt it will have much to do with the praise they are getting now. Some guys have it, some just don't.
Posted by: BadEnoughDude | March 04, 2009 at 09:09 PM
I really think Wieters is going to be something special though, I don't know much about Lars Anderson though.
Posted by: GD31892 | March 04, 2009 at 09:05 PM
He's projected to be the next Justin Morneau, they say he's can't-miss...I'm hoping!! He's definitely fun to watch. I'm excited to see Wieters though. From everything I've heard, he's going to be one hell of a ballplayer.
Posted by: ilikebaseball | March 04, 2009 at 09:27 PM
"Just like with Phil Hughes and before him Andruw Jones and Mark Prior its not always a good thing to give these great minor league prospects such high expectations. Nothing against either team, but they are really overhyping Lars Anderson and Matt Weiters. Then again I could say the same thing for Austin Jackson."
The thing you're not taking into account is the major difference between pitchers and position players. The only position player you listed in the "didn't pan out" section is Jones (Noting that Hughes has another few years before the jury's in on him), and he had five seasons where he got at least an MVP vote or two. He didn't not pan out, he just fell off the shelf.
Pitchers tend to not pan out more often than position players since so much more goes into pitching a game. Anderson and Weiters have much better odds of working out than Hughes or Prior did.
Posted by: 0bsessions | March 04, 2009 at 09:27 PM
Andruw Jones was a borderline hall of famer before his last 2 years. The guy was elite defensively for a long time and a very good offensive threat.
Jones lived up to the hype.
Posted by: scribbletone | March 04, 2009 at 09:38 PM
Don't say Hughes didn't pan out. In'07 he was pitching a perfect game with 7 outs to go. Then he injured himself. He's only 23. God, what is Prior, like 34?!?
I always loved Andruw Jones, but he had a terrible swing. Went against everything you are ever taught. I do believe he was on HgH or something though.
And of course Davidoff would rate the Yankees as having the worst off-season. He favors the ones that are able to unload salary than to add.
Posted by: Yankee for l1fe | March 04, 2009 at 10:02 PM
"With Jermaine Dye likely playing his final season on the South Side, the Sox would love to move Carlos Quentin over to right field - his more natural outfield position - in 2010, and then plugging Viciedo into left field, much like they did with Carlos Lee"
Ok, I said this exact same thing a couple of weeks ago and people jumped all over me. Admit it ... it makes sense.
Posted by: Svengoolie | March 04, 2009 at 10:16 PM
I wouldn't count Hughes out at all especially since he'll be starting in AAA. And I didn't get Davidoff calling the Yankees "Winners with Downside" either. I think the Yanks undoubtedly had one of the top 5 offseasons this year.
Posted by: Yanksallday | March 04, 2009 at 10:29 PM
lol Yeah Lars anderson>= mark teixeira. morons
Posted by: A-RodMadonnaCastASpellonyou | March 04, 2009 at 11:28 PM
I am really hoping on Anderson also and am glad to have been able to have seen him play a couple of ST games so far, but he has not really looked good, probably because he's been overmatched with facing upper ML pitching since he's barely even played AA ball even, but still he's a top prospect that am sure was a key reason they did not want to over pay for Tex.
I certainly would not say Hughes is washed up, maybe not as hot as he was, but he has good stuff and still should be a decent MLB starter. Wouldn't say that about Kennedy, who the Yanks should probably try to trade while he has some value maybe, but Hughes is a keeper IMO.
Here is a nice swing comparison video with Tex and Anderson, along with scouting report on Anderson:
http://www.baseball-intellect.com/boston-red-sox-top-prospects-part-1/
Posted by: johns | March 04, 2009 at 11:53 PM
This is a complete list of players who accumulated 100 or more at bats as a 20 year old in AA and had at least a .950 OPS since 1992.
Nick Johnson, Vlad Guerrero, Miguel Cabrera, Eric Chavez, Cliff Floyd, Chipper Jones, Derek Jeter, Hank Blalock
And Lars Anderson. Who slots in just above Derek Jeter on that list.
Posted by: jp | March 05, 2009 at 06:32 AM
Tazawa probably could pitch in MLB right now...because he pitched shutout innings against Northeastern, Boston College and the Cincinnatti Reds in the 7th inning (AAAA-time in ST). All sounds good so far with Tazawa and I'm excited about him...but I'm not sure why you could come to this conclusion.
Posted by: Jared78 | March 05, 2009 at 07:46 AM
"All sounds good so far with Tazawa and I'm excited about him...but I'm not sure why you could come to this conclusion."
I completely agree. The biggest compliment everyone has for him so far is his attitude and the quickness to which he's adapting to a new culture. But that can easily change the first time he gets rocked in a big game.
Posted by: start_wearing_purple | March 05, 2009 at 08:46 AM
JP - I think you missed Andruw Jones and his 1.100OPS in AA at age 19...
Posted by: dfarth | March 05, 2009 at 09:15 AM
""With Jermaine Dye likely playing his final season on the South Side, the Sox would love to move Carlos Quentin over to right field - his more natural outfield position - in 2010, and then plugging Viciedo into left field, much like they did with Carlos Lee""
It would highly depend on Josh Fields, Brandon Allen, and Tyler Flowers.
If Fields blows and Viciedo can play a decent 3B, keep him at 3B. If Fields pans out, he's 3B. Then, whether Allen can hold down 1B/Flowers sticks at C and needs 1B comes into question.
But yeah I could see Viciedo at LF.
I think Jermaine Dye shouldn't be resigned by the South Side though.
Posted by: melonis rex | March 05, 2009 at 09:28 AM
And I see a lot of questions long term with the pitching.
Posted by: melonis rex | March 05, 2009 at 09:29 AM
The Cubs-Sox game was on TV here last night... some notes:
- Theriot was the best player on the field.
- Jeff Samardzija was shaky
- Betemit can not play SS
- Fields blew 2 plays at third
- Jerry Owens looked good
- Fontenot looked good
- Soriano is still really stupid
- Jermaine Dye is slower than ever in RF
- Who the hell is Michael Restovich ?
Posted by: Svengoolie | March 05, 2009 at 10:29 AM
You forgot to mention that Danks looed great.
Posted by: southsider | March 05, 2009 at 10:39 AM
You're right about Danks. What did you think of Poreda?
Posted by: Svengoolie | March 05, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Mike Restovich played high school baseball in Rochester, MN and was a draft pick of the Minnesota Twins.
Posted by: BadEnoughDude | March 05, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Poreda looks like he may be more suited to relief - but too early to put that label on him. He has a lot of movement on his fastball and can throw mid nineties, but he has little in terms of secondary pitches.
Posted by: southsider | March 05, 2009 at 11:32 AM
"You're right about Danks. What did you think of Poreda?"
I didn't watch the whole game, but I did see Poreda pitch. That fastball is beast, but I really didn't see much of a second dominant pitch, and he was pitching to the Cubs AAAA lineup (late innings of ST games = AAAA hitters with prospects mixed in) Most SP need that second pitch to succeed. Obviously, you have to watch him more to truly gauge, but he either
1. lacks that dominant pitch
2. isn't confident in it.
If the Sox want him in the rotation, I think he'll have to start the season in AAA working on that 2nd pitch.
Posted by: melonis rex | March 05, 2009 at 11:49 AM
And the Sox kinda need him in the rotation long term. I don't see that much in high upside pitching laying around.
And no, Lance Broadway, Jeff Marquez, Jack Egbert, and Jhonny Nunez don't count as high upside.
Posted by: melonis rex | March 05, 2009 at 11:55 AM
"And no, Lance Broadway, Jeff Marquez, Jack Egbert, and Jhonny Nunez don't count as high upside."
I agree. The only one in this group I see at the major league level is Broadway as a #5... only because of his intelligence not his arm.
The good news, however, is that a lot of salary $ comes off the books after this year and the future middle of the order looks to be Ramirez, Quentin, Danks, Beckham and Vicieado ... so they will be able to spend money of free agent starting pitching.
Actually, I think the Ken Williams has his eye on Halladay.
Posted by: Svengoolie | March 05, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Kenny Williams has high hopes for Egbert I think. But I don't know much about him.
I think Dye will be back to replace Thome at DH. They can still stick Viciedo in the OF then. It also depends on whether any of Viciedo, Flowers or Allen are ready. Viciedo is 18/19, Flowers was in A last year, and I don't think Allen was above AA, but I could be wrong. I think KW might want to keep Dye around as a DH until he retires. He's still got a great bat, one of the best in the league, but he just can't field much anymore.
Posted by: rype123 | March 05, 2009 at 12:45 PM
"Actually, I think the Ken Williams has his eye on Halladay."
Halladay would easily net Poreda, Beckham, Jordan Danks, and one of Brandon Allen/Viceido in a trade. Easily. There goes the Sox farm system.
I think Kenny's FA target is Lackey, if he indeed hits the market.
Posted by: melonis rex | March 05, 2009 at 07:00 PM
I was thinking Fields, Poreda, Richard, and Brandon Allen... but that might not be enough until Toronto is out of it.
Good call on Lackey. I know Williams likes Duchschere too.
Hey do you know anything about a kid in the Sox system named John Shelby? I remember watching his father play for the O's.
Posted by: Svengoolie | March 05, 2009 at 08:01 PM
Another possibility would be that Toronto makes another team take Vernon Wells and his huge K if they want Halladay.... which would mean Yankees.
Posted by: Svengoolie | March 05, 2009 at 10:46 PM
Shelby is one of their better prospects too. He started as a 2B but told him his best chance of making the club was the OF so he moved there a couple years ago.
He'll be solid, maybe that fourth OF... possibly a LF that does all the little things if we don't need to stick one of our defensive liabilities out there.
And I think K-Dub goes after Halladay more then Lackey. Roy is more of a GB pitcher then lackey, and that's what you need at US Cellular field. But lackey is younger and he's a bull dog, goes right after hitters too. Either one would be a welcome addition to my pitching staff.
Posted by: Sox Shoe Man | March 06, 2009 at 01:28 PM