Initial 2018 Player Reports Are Completed
I’ve made it through the first pass of writing the 2018 Watchlist and Player reports as I await the arrival of Baseball America’s 2018 Prospect Book, which is the only prospect book I use these days.
I really wish there was a worthy successor to Sickels. A few years back, there was the Minor League Baseball Analyst by Deric McKamey, but like a lot of folks from that era (~2005-2011), he’s now working for an MLB organization. I gave his successors (Rob Gordon, Jeremy DeLoney) a chance but when back-to-back editions (2010 and 2011) were nearly identical to each other, I called it quits.
So like last year, I didn’t punt as very many players. When the BA handbook arrives, I’ll finish ’em up, edit those that need it, and then lock ’em down. After that, it becomes clickbait reference material for the rest of the season.
As always, feel free to discuss in the comments as we wait out the offseason from hell…
Luke — great news on the Watchlist reports. I will give them a look.
Also, the BA top 100 list is out, with Robles at #5 and Soto at #56. As folks around here know, I’m really on the Soto bandwagon, but I’m surprised he ranked that highly after playing so little. There must be quite a lot of word-of-mouth about him in the prospect community.
Luke : safe to say the NRI list if posted would look like this ?
Milone, Smith, Voodoo X Ranger Mendez, Goforth, Darnell, ( Ames and Fleck stock Cuse bullpen ).
Could Tejera be so busy on the B fields in PBI looking at this list of hurlers? Voth, Baez, Borne, Crownover, Mapes, G Ross, Jefry Rod, McGowin, Workin for the Weekend E, dragmire, N Lee, T Collins, Self, Backus, Brinley, Cordero , pantoja, R Pena, Silvestre ,
Rivera3, L Rivero???
Farewell to Matt Skole, now officially a White Sox, on a minor-league deal.
Good for him, they’re bad enough that maybe he can find a spot.
Lol!! AL club with slow DHs and other positions
Welcome back , Taylor Swift. I mean Hill, …. Moises Sierra adds depth @ Cuse.
I am going to say it since Taylor Hill was brought back for some reason for march : bring Clint Robinson back on a two way contract that way Marmelos has some lefty lumber behind him besides Collier, Stevenson , Hernandez or Keller .
I saw somewhere (Nats Talk?) that CRob is scouting for the Marlins. (Presumably Marlins scouts ask guys if they’ll sign for a couple of hundred bucks and a Jeter autograph.)
No kidding. Wow to go from a fan favorite to scouting . Time stops for no one
Anyone know if any nats made the 51-100 portion of Law’s list, which is also out?
On Keith Law’s list Victor Robles was #4 and Juan Soto #42 in top 100.
Springfield fan. Fighting the flu too and the Thera flu isn’t helping ? Lol
I notice you could not decide where the two Rule 5 guys would land : Wilson and Fleck . Should be interesting to see how the two bullpens play out come April . Backus, Brinley, Cordero , N Lee, Collins , Dragmire , Ronald Pena AA Harrisburg ?
The NRI Lus is being held longer than the FISA report .
Cue Aerosmith song with lyric – sick as a dog what’s your story ??
KW the Elder returns
Sidebar comment after Nats resign
Howie and Kintzler making us feel better with Mulls and Watson gone :
Narron should have an interesting
Crop of arms to work with in B fields next month. Let’s see if Sam has an effect on Borne and Gilabeau !!
Baez Rivera SS, DeRosier, ….
Yes, Bryan Harper (the Elder) is back, and with a Spring Training invite to boot. Chelsea Janes seemed surprised by the spring invite, but when last seen, Harper was at AAA, so it seems logical he would be in camp with the big club. If he can get back to where he was pre-injury, he’s got a chance at some MLB time. I think Matt Grace is out of options, and the numbers are tight with the big club’s bullpen, so he might end up elsewhere. So the lefties in waiting at Syracuse may end up as recovery projects Harper, Nick Lee, and Tim Collins.
Yup yup
They might package Grace and Gio 2 left handers. Gio’s fastball has the same velocity as Milone so its clear he is declining … albeit adapting by becoming a very clever pitcher … still the risk is high for him to get bombed in the later innings.
Before the TJ Harper was very effective in the high minors and he is a left-hander with decent velocity on his FB. Maybe upping the velocity brought on the TJ?
Hopefully, Antuna’s bat plays well in the upper minors so that the Nats can flip him to an AL team.