Odds & Ends: Chapman, Padres, Orioles, Coste

I officially have no respect for Keith Law. Its one thing to say the Padres drafts over the last 5-10 years have been among the worst, but to talk about the last three, to single those particular drafts out, is plain ignorant! HE obviously doesn't follow Padre baseball, not surprising!

man i'm excited for the pads future

me neither because i can't read the article (insider!), but i think it has something to do with thinking our drafts are especially more terrible in recent years as opposed to more distant years (bush and pre-bush).

Ah.

It just makes me think of Fuson's "It's impossible, it just has to be."

Law took questions on espn on fuson

Gavin (San Diego): You've seen the Padres a couple times now...do you see any potential first-division regulars from the minors, outside of Blanks?

Keith Law: No. Latos was gone already before I got there and word was he didn't look great. Venable ... no. Hundley, no. I saw Fuson's comments about how they have a top-ten or top-five farm system. I want whatever he's having.

Kevin (San Diego): More insane - the guy who asked the Luis Castillo question or Grady Fuson, overseer of a top 5-10 farm system?

Keith Law: Fuson. I put them at 21 and thought I overrated them

i thought Latos looked great. the results undoubtedly tailed off towards the end of the season, so that must be Law's "word" (read: box score). but it is a 21 year old with a great throwing motion and explosive stuff. of course results are going to be a mixed bag in his first crack at the bigs, but someone who holds lead scout position at espn should account for this and have at least seen the kid.

As someone who has follows the Padres more than a bit for awhile, I agree with agonzo. Some of these kids will develop, and they will all go through rough patches. It's those who emerge from those patches better for it that seem to make it. However, I still think Hoyer needs to get both working capital and some top young talent to add yeast to the farm and at Petco . . . and I still think trading AGon and Bell now accomplishes both, big time (almost 20% of payroll and choosing 7-8 Petco-compatible players/prospects. Further, because Hoyer already picked most of the Red Sox players and prospects, and thoroughly understands their skill-sets, he will get a better, more valuable haul from the Sox than any other team. And the Sox just happen to need AGon and could replace Wagner/ Masterson with Bell. If done right, it's a win-win.

Creating a mini-Fenway West would make the team competitive, and wouldn't hurt attendance at all, and eventually enhance the fan base. I'm from Boston. My kids were born and live in SoCal. They root for the Angels, Dodgers and Padres. I go to their games, buy beer, food and gear. Moreno, McCourt & Moorad don't mind at all.

"As a Yankee fan thinking about the possibility of going into a series against the Sox with a rotation consisting of King Felix, Beckett, Lestor, and Buchholz is terrifying."

Well, I'm thinking that if such a trade went through--i.e. Felix Hernandez to the Red Sox(and I pray it never does), then you probably wouldn't have all 4 of those names in the Red Sox rotation.

i.e. King Felix and Beckett? Sure. Lester and Buchholz? One of them--probably Buchholz--would go to the M's in such a trade, I'd have to believe. :)

"If the Sox part with some of their top prospects this offseason I expect it to be for Jose Reyes or King Felix."

Well I can absolutely guarantee Reyes will not be shopped this offseason, he's a great player who's trade value is at an absolute low because of his injury... but trading for Hernandez would be an absolute wet dream. Schil and Beckett have done great in Sox unis, but the city of Boston was at a standstill every day Pedro took the mound, King Felix would give Boston the same feeling.

As a close Padres follower I agree that the first round picks up until this year have been a complete disaster. I think the Padres farm system is/was a little better this year than most experts thought it would be producing players like Latos and Blanks who look like they could become all-star caliber players and guys like Tim Stauffer and Greg Burke who look like they could be role players at the major league level. Also they Fort Wayne team looks to be loaded with talent, however there does not look like there are too many major league players above the Padres A ball teams. Eric Sogard looks like he could be a utility guys, Luis Durango looks like he could be an everyday OF(although he can’t play CF and does not have enough power to stay at the corners),Mitch Canham may be able to be a Major league catcher if his defense develops a little more but outside of that and a few potential BP arms there is not much more Major league level talent in the Padres ML system above A ball.

I do disagree with Mr. Law about Venable, he put up a 110 OPS+ in 2009 in 324 PA, im not really sure why you don't belive he is a major league player?

Steve they improve a little bit but they are not a top 15 farm system. Canham is rated one of the worst defensive catcher in the minors. Sogard a light hitting 2b that has avg defense at best.

You may follow the Padres but,you do not know the Padres farm system and the lack of impact players.

Posted by: DTogo | October 28, 2009 at 10:12 AM

Isn't that exactly what I said? Sogard has a career OBP of .375 but has no power so as I said he looks to be a bench player. Also as I mentioned Canham bat may develop to a major league level bat but his D is subpar. Also I never said that the Padres had a top 15 farm system I said it was a little better than what the experts predicted, Baseball America ranked the Padres farm system #29 at the beginning of the year. Also didn't I say in my post that Latos and Blank were the only impact players that Padres had above A ball?