re: DAT: Offseason Thread (Spring Training has begun!!)

With the Rays trading Forsythe and adding another pitcher in De Leon today, I wonder if that increases the chances of them dealing someone like Cobb or Odorizzi...

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I wonder if that increases the chances of them dealing someone like Cobb or Odorizzi...

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Or Archer.

I was looking at some split stats on McCann and Reddick.

McCann has hit pretty well at MMP. .307 in 21 or so games.

The good news is Reddick has wrecked shite at the Hellpark in Arlington. .327 10HR in 42 games there. He's only got more than 5 HR in 2 parks outside of Oakland.

The bad news is that he's hit .194 with just 4 homers in 34 games at MMP.

Not a fan of reddick. Decent defensively but should be seen as a backup. He should not be playing ever against lefty pitching.

DAT favorite Keith Law is counting down his top 100 prospects. It's behind a paywall but he has Forrest Whitley 78 and Franklin Perez 66 so far. He's counted down through 61.

LINK

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The Astros went semi-local with their first-round pick in 2016. They took San Antonio high school right-hander Whitley with the 17th overall selection in the June draft, betting on his combination of size, present stuff and relative polish. Whitley has been clocked throwing up to 97 mph, his fastball sat at 89-95 once he entered the Astros’ system, and he already works with four pitches, including a hard power curveball that’s at least a 55 right now.

He’s ginormous -- sorry to use the technical scouting term there -- at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, but unlike a lot of kids his height, he is pretty coordinated and can repeat his delivery already. He’s atypical of high school pitching drafts -- there’s nothing substantial that has to change or develop here, other than the sort of adjustments every player has to make when facing better competition at each level. He’s built like a horse, and without any changes in his present stuff, you could project him as a potential No. 2 or, most likely, a good No. 3, giving better than average performances with the capacity to handle 200 innings.

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Signed out of Venezuela in 2013 for $1 million, Perez had thrown only 15 innings in the U.S. before 2016. He comes from a family of athletes, including his mom, a former collegiate volleyball player. The Astros sent him to Quad Cities in mid-May, and he pitched as well as any starter in the league, despite being its youngest pitcher at just 18 years old. Perez doesn’t look that young, with a 6-foot-4, 210-pound body, and he’s very athletic for his size, pitching at an easy 92-94 mph and showing up to 96 at times.

He works with four pitches now, with an above-average curveball and average changeup, and there’s nothing specific that would say he isn't a starter other than his youth and the need to keep him healthy as his arm matures. The Astros did baby him last year -- he had at least six days between all of his starts -- but I imagine this year we’ll see just how good Perez is over a longer period. He offers a good No. 3 starter package now, with his ability to become more than that a function of how well his secondary pitches evolve.

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He also had the Stros with the 12th best overall system. Pretty impressive when you consider the amount of talent we've moved to the major league level the last couple years
LINK

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It’s a coincidence that the Astros and Cardinals are next to each other ... or is it? They employ similar philosophies, they’re both trying to balance winning now with maintaining a pipeline for the major league roster, and now the Astros are no longer drafting in the top 10.

Houston’s system has lost a ton of talent in the last two years -- their top two prospects from last year, Alex Bregman and A.J. Reed, both graduated -- but they’ve managed to keep it backfilled with extremely strong drafts and shrewd trades.

They even saw big steps forward from a few players already in the system, with Teoscar Hernandez reaching the majors and Ramon Laureano emerging as a legitimate offensive prospect. They’re a little light at the three infield skill positions (second, third and shortstop) and behind the plate, but they can at least rest easy knowing their major league infield is set for a while.

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Not a fan of reddick. Decent defensively but should be seen as a backup. He should not be playing ever against lefty pitching.

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You weren't a fan of Bregman either, so I guess things are looking up.

Not sure how credible this site is but was doing some fantasy baseball research and came across this link listing astros top 50 prospects...

(Here is the link for the whole 50, I will just list the top 10 LINK /)

Prospects1500 Tiers:

Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential of making the majors, or have high likelihood of making the majors but providing minimal impact
Tier 5: Players who are worth keeping an eye on, but likely to never make a team’s 40-man roster


Tier 1
1. Francis Martes, RHP
Age: 21 (DOB 11/24/1995)
Potentially one of the best “throw-ins” in recent memory, Martes has developed into a frontline starter with loads of potential. A consistent 93-95 fastball and a curve that will make most knees buckle has pushed Martes into the conversation as one of the best pitching prospects in the game. He needs to work on his control (3.14 BB/9), but a career 8.61 K/9 shows he know to miss bats as well. Spent all of 2016 at AA and should start 2016 in AAA. Oh and he’ll spend the entire season playing at the tender age of 21.

2. Kyle Tucker, OF
Age: 20 (DOB 1/17/1997)
Selected 5th overall in the 2015 draft, Kyle Tucker has proven worthy of the lofty draft slot. After hitting .246 over 232 AB during his draft year, Tucker started to put it all together in 2016. Finishing the season in high A, he combined to hit .285 and slug .438 while getting on base at a 36% clip. Isn’t the fastest guy on the field, but is a smart baserunner. Projects as a RF in the majors with an impact middle-of-the order bat.

3. David Paulino, RHP
Age: 22 (DOB 2/6/1994)
Since being acquired as the PTBNL in a 2013 trade with the Tigers, David Paulino has proven to be a steal. Despite missing 2014 due to Tommy John surgery, Paulino had an impressive 2015 with a 9.34 K/9 and a 3.79 K/BB and a chance at bonafide prospect status. However his 2016 silenced any doubters. 20 games and 15 starts across 3 levels (R, AA, and AAA) led to a 2.00 ERA, a 10.6 K/9 and a ridiculous 5.58 K/BB. Standing at 6’7” and checking in at 215lbs, Paulino has the build of a workhorse. He has a 60-70 FB and 55-60 curve that is bordering on plus. Named a rising star of the AFL in 2016, Paulino has a bright future and could be pitching in Minute Maid later this summer.

4. Forrest Whitley, RHP
Age: 19 (DOB 9/15/1997)
The Astros first round selection in 2016 came from Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio (close enough for me to take in a game or two) and had a somewhat rough adjustment to pro ball. Has the build (6’7”, 240lbs) and fastball (92-97) to rebound nicely in 2017. Whitley also offers a curve that sits in the low 80s that can turn slider. Projects to be a solid 2/3 starter, but could be an effective reliever in the big leagues on the strength of the two plus pitches. Definitely the definition of a high floor, high ceiling player.


Tier 2
5. Derek Fisher, OF
Age: 23 (DOB 8/21/1993)
Hit .245/.373/.431 in 371 at-bats in AA in 2016 earning a promotion to AAA Fresno where he slashed .290/.347/.505 in 107 at-bats. Fisher combined for 21 homers, 28 stolen bases, 83 walks, and 154 strikeouts. There is no doubt that Fisher knows how to get on base and has a very nice power/speed combination. Will most likely be limited to LF in the majors due to a weak arm, however he is one of the best overall athletes in the Astros system with legitimate 20-20 potential.

6. Franklin Perez, RHP
Age: 19 (DOB 12/6/1997)
Franklin Perez made his full-season debut in 2016 after spending 2015 in the DSL and GCL. Pitched to a 2.84 ERA with 75/19 K/BB in 66.2. His K/BB (3.95) and K/IP (10.13) are more reflective of his long-term ability. His arsenal consists of a fastball (91-93), a downer curveball, and a change that is still coming along. Also has a repeatable delivery that will allow him to consistently throw strikes. Perez has the upside of a 3 in a big league rotation

7. Daz Cameron, OF
Age: 20 (DOB 1/15/1997)
There is no doubting the bloodlines of Dazmon Jaroid Cameron as his father was a former All-Star and Gold Glover. A potential #1 overall selection, signability concerns dropped him to 37th overall in the 2015 draft. After a less than stellar 2015 across the GCL and Appalachian league (.251/.353/.309), the Astros aggressively started Cameron in the full-season Midwest league in 2016. An abysmal 21 game stint dropped him to short season ball where things were starting to come together until a broken index finger ended his season in July. His ceiling has definitely fallen, however Daz still could turn into a solid CF who never lost his high floor. As he fills out his 6’2” frame, he should be good for average power (10-15 HR) with decently high stolen base numbers.

8. James Hoyt, RHP
Age: 30 (DOB 9/30/1986)
A little old for most prospect lists, Hoyt is an exception. Added to the Evan Gattis deal as the true definition of a flyer. Prior to the 2016 season, Hoyt was thought of somewhere between decent relief pitcher and organizational depth. After a 2016 season in which he pitched to a 1.64 ERA, saved 29 games, and struck out nearly half of the batters he faced (93 K in 55 IP). Got a taste with the Astros late in the season and threw 11.45 K/9 and 3.68 BB/9. Hoyt now looks like an important piece of the bullpen and has the upside of a top flight closer.


Tier 3
9. Teoscar Hernandez, OF
Age: 24 (DOB 10/15/1992)
Started 2016 in AA Corpus Christi and finished it in Houston. Hernandez hit .307/.377/.459 across AA and AAA earning the promotion to Houston. Was able to only slash .230/.304/.420 across 100 AB and showed problems with the strikzone (28% K rate). Like Fisher could end up a 20-20 type player, but needs to learn patience. Has good speed, but will likely end up in RF as he is a good, but not great defender.

10. J.D. Davis, 3B
Age: 23 (DOB 4/27/1993)
Is a hitter, plain and simple. A minor league career slash line of .282/.334/.485 shows that Davis is good at getting on base. Found his power stroke in the hitter friendly Cal league in 2015 with 26 HR and driving in 101, but showed it wasn’t a fluke as he hit 23HR with 81 RBI in the Texas league in 2016. Has 60-65 power, but does strike out at a 29% rate. Could move to 1B with the uncertainty that Houston still has at that position.

Mlb.com released their top 100 prospects tonight

20. Martes
35. Little Tucker
54. Paulino
83. Fisher
84. Whitley

Former prospect Josh Hader (Gomez/Fiers trade) is at 37.

Man would today not be a great day for baseball at the juice box?

I'm getting the itch baws