|
Post by redsfanman on Aug 9, 2016 10:29:46 GMT -5
Some prospects who I really wanted promoted to the next level in the final weeks of the season:
3b Nick Senzel - send him to Daytona, he's making a mockery of the Midwest League. He's a good hitter who's also too advanced for where he's at. He'll probably start next year in Daytona, perhaps not for very long, but I'd like to see them send him there... like, today, to get settled in. There's no reason for him to play another game in Dayton.
CF TJ Friedl - He's only played 4 games in Billings, presumably heading to that low level because he needed a tuneup after time off, like Senzel and Okey. Well, he's made a mockery of that league. I hope he gets promoted to Dayton for a few games before the end of the season. Next spring they can then reevaluate where to start him out, at Dayton or Daytona.
RF Aristides Aquino - He deserves a promotion to AA for the last few weeks of the season, to see how that goes, before he returns there everyday in 2017. He doesn't really have anything left to prove in Daytona, and I'm surprised he's been kept there for so long. I suspect that a big part of it is that, after 2015, they want to prove he can keep going for a whole season.
While I'm at it, I'd also like to see the following promotions, but they're less important and each have much stronger arguments why they shouldn't happen: RHP Sal Romano to AAA - he's pitched well lately, and he'll be going the next season. The counter argument is that his 3.92 ERA isn't terribly impressive, and there's no hurry.
INF Alex Blandino to AAA - he's hit better lately, improving his AA numbers for 2016 is a lost cause at this point, maybe he can make a positive impression in Louisville. He'd probably have to play 3b there, with SS/2b both filled. Of course the counter argument is that he's had a terrible season and deserves no promotion.
CF Taylor Trammel to Dayton - He's done fine in Billings at age 18, probably a bad idea though, it'd probably constitute rushing him at a young age, and it would probably only make him look like a worse draft pick (this bum can't hit single A pitching!).
OF Phil Ervin to AAA - Pro: .349 OBP. Con: .234 average. It'd be interesting to see how he did in Louisville in the final few weeks of the season, I think.
|
|
|
Post by packsmack25 on Aug 9, 2016 10:33:39 GMT -5
Sounds like RHP Rookie Davis was promoted to AAA, to fill their opening in the rotation. 4 innings, 9 earned. Welcome to AAA.
|
|
|
Post by kinsm on Aug 9, 2016 10:39:22 GMT -5
Friedl had no time off, he was playing with Team USA.
|
|
|
Post by redsfanman on Aug 9, 2016 10:52:32 GMT -5
Oh. Well, point remains, send him to Dayton, he's not being challenged at all in Billings, it seems. Too advanced.
|
|
|
Post by sloucho on Aug 9, 2016 15:47:32 GMT -5
Oh. Well, point remains, send him to Dayton, he's not being challenged at all in Billings, it seems. Too advanced. Give him some time in Billing first. Geez. He needs to get more than 15 ab's before you don him the next Johnny Damon. Daniel Sweet is ahead of Friedl right now. He will pass him, but no need to get impatient.
|
|
|
Post by redsfanman on Aug 9, 2016 16:29:25 GMT -5
Oh. Well, point remains, send him to Dayton, he's not being challenged at all in Billings, it seems. Too advanced. Give him some time in Billing first. Geez. He needs to get more than 15 ab's before you don him the next Johnny Damon. Daniel Sweet is ahead of Friedl right now. He will pass him, but no need to get impatient. Daniel Sweet is a LF (at least that's how he's been used), Friedl is a CF, so it's not like one is blocking the other. The one thing they had in common is that upon signing they're more advanced than the pitching they face in Billings. Sweet hung around there for 24 games. It's a fairly common occurrence for college hitters to not be challenged in rookie ball. Together Sweet and Friedl are/would be cutting into the ABs of Shane Mardirosian, Mitch Piatnik, and/or Reydel Medina... all three of whom are hitting .235 or lower.
|
|
|
Post by sloucho on Aug 9, 2016 17:45:08 GMT -5
Give him some time in Billing first. Geez. He needs to get more than 15 ab's before you don him the next Johnny Damon. Daniel Sweet is ahead of Friedl right now. He will pass him, but no need to get impatient. Daniel Sweet is a LF (at least that's how he's been used), Friedl is a CF, so it's not like one is blocking the other. The one thing they had in common is that upon signing they're more advanced than the pitching they face in Billings. Sweet hung around there for 24 games. It's a fairly common occurrence for college hitters to not be challenged in rookie ball. Together Sweet and Friedl are/would be cutting into the ABs of Shane Mardirosian, Mitch Piatnik, and/or Reydel Medina... all three of whom are hitting .235 or lower. Sweet has proven to be a pretty good hitter so far for a 29th rounder. If he is playing LF, then fine, Friedl should be promoted. Sweet has put up very good numbers so far. Friedl will be in Dayton before the end of the year if Sweet isn't a CF. I didn't see any indication of what position Sweet plays, but he is offensively sufficient at A ball so far for a 21 year old. If he does play LF, then fine, Friedl should be in Dayton, but, his numbers are a very small sample size so far. You are just jumping the gun. Those other guys probably don't have a future, so you may be right, but let him get familiar with professional ball before you put him in a tougher position than he can handle is all I'm saying. No need to rush him.
|
|
|
Post by floydgator on Aug 10, 2016 13:28:10 GMT -5
Daniel Sweet is a LF (at least that's how he's been used), Friedl is a CF, so it's not like one is blocking the other. The one thing they had in common is that upon signing they're more advanced than the pitching they face in Billings. Sweet hung around there for 24 games. It's a fairly common occurrence for college hitters to not be challenged in rookie ball. Together Sweet and Friedl are/would be cutting into the ABs of Shane Mardirosian, Mitch Piatnik, and/or Reydel Medina... all three of whom are hitting .235 or lower. Sweet has proven to be a pretty good hitter so far for a 29th rounder. If he is playing LF, then fine, Friedl should be promoted. Sweet has put up very good numbers so far. Friedl will be in Dayton before the end of the year if Sweet isn't a CF. I didn't see any indication of what position Sweet plays, but he is offensively sufficient at A ball so far for a 21 year old. If he does play LF, then fine, Friedl should be in Dayton, but, his numbers are a very small sample size so far. You are just jumping the gun. Those other guys probably don't have a future, so you may be right, but let him get familiar with professional ball before you put him in a tougher position than he can handle is all I'm saying. No need to rush him. I don't really think he benefits much from rookie ball. He didn't play SEC/ACC/PAC10 level comp every day in college, but he played plenty of good teams plus his time wit the national team. He's not 18 and right out of HS. Let him get his professional feet wet at a level that is more commensurate with his experience. Same is true for Scott Moss, but Moss didn't pitch much in college due to injury so at least there is a case to be made there. Still, he's already proven that he's better than rookie ball and there is no reason to slow the progress of a guy who is a month short of 22 already.
|
|
|
Post by The Duke on Aug 10, 2016 21:49:44 GMT -5
3 weeks at a new level isn't much at this point. If I were them, I would concentrate the talent in Billings, Daytona and Pensacola for their respective playoffs. I know minor league champioships mean nothing, but I think it would be better for our prospects to taste a little success over getting a handful of at bats or IP at a higher level.
Senzel, Okey, Ohanian, and Hendrix to Daytona Keep Friedl, Trammell, Moss, Kahaloa, Jordan in Billings I'd keep Aquino in Daytona. Let him finish out his most successful year trying to win in that spot. Bring some AZL guys up to Dayton to run out the clock this year.
|
|
|
Post by kinsm on Aug 11, 2016 9:46:38 GMT -5
Jonathan Mayo made the Reds list. Nuff said. After the top 5, the list is garbage. Mayo is an idiot.
|
|
|
Post by sloucho on Aug 11, 2016 16:45:04 GMT -5
A note on moving Senzel up. I still think that the Reds are pretty high on Gavin LaValley, who is about the same age as Senzel. I'm not sure what you do with LaValley, who is hitting around .260, with 8 dingers. Not a good year, not a bad year, but he still has pretty good upside.
I'd be surprised to see Senzel in Daytona by the end of this year. The Reds probably want to take it easy on him since he has been playing ball since March.
BTW, MiLB is awesome. Lets you listen to minor league games on Reds off days for something to do. Daytona is taking on Tampa with Mateo and Torres. Shed Long is 1-1 so far in the first game of a DH.
|
|
|
Post by The Duke on Aug 11, 2016 19:00:27 GMT -5
A note on moving Senzel up. I still think that the Reds are pretty high on Gavin LaValley, who is about the same age as Senzel. I'm not sure what you do with LaValley, who is hitting around .260, with 8 dingers. Not a good year, not a bad year, but he still has pretty good upside. I'd be surprised to see Senzel in Daytona by the end of this year. The Reds probably want to take it easy on him since he has been playing ball since March. BTW, MiLB is awesome. Lets you listen to minor league games on Reds off days for something to do. Daytona is taking on Tampa with Mateo and Torres. Shed Long is 1-1 so far in the first game of a DH. Lavalley has primarily been a 1B this year. He certainly isn't blocking Senzel from anything.
|
|
|
Post by sloucho on Aug 11, 2016 19:18:20 GMT -5
A note on moving Senzel up. I still think that the Reds are pretty high on Gavin LaValley, who is about the same age as Senzel. I'm not sure what you do with LaValley, who is hitting around .260, with 8 dingers. Not a good year, not a bad year, but he still has pretty good upside. I'd be surprised to see Senzel in Daytona by the end of this year. The Reds probably want to take it easy on him since he has been playing ball since March. BTW, MiLB is awesome. Lets you listen to minor league games on Reds off days for something to do. Daytona is taking on Tampa with Mateo and Torres. Shed Long is 1-1 so far in the first game of a DH. Lavalley has primarily been a 1B this year. He certainly isn't blocking Senzel from anything. He was playing 3b tonight. Went 2-3. Daytona got blown out. He is playing 1b in the second game. So there is a place for Senzel, but I'd still be surprised to see the organization rush him. A guy that really needs to see AA is Ismael Guillon. 23 year old lefty is 6-2 2.40 and leads the team in K's. He's pitching game 2...3 shutout innings so far. I'd be surprised to see anybody else moved up with 3 weeks left in the season.
|
|
|
Post by sloucho on Aug 11, 2016 20:32:33 GMT -5
Correction...
Guillon is 24. A late bloomer. If anyone needs to be move up, he is definitely in the conversation.
He went 6 tonight, gave up 2 hits, k'd 9.
He is now 6-2 with a 2.32 era, 105K's in 86 innings. Has only allowed 1 ER in his last 26 innings.
Herget blew his 7th win, only his 2nd blown save of the year.
|
|
|
Post by redsfanman on Aug 12, 2016 11:01:58 GMT -5
Gavin LaValley is generally regarded as a future 1b (and a below average defensive 1b at that... or DH), despite playing 3b in the past. He's played 3b again some lately to open a spot for Avain Rachel, as far as I can tell. Rachel is 22 and hitting .203, albeit .352 OBP. It's not LaValley that would lose playing time to Nick Senzel, it's Avain Rachel and/or Blake Butler.
I've always liked what I've read about LaValley. He's really young, shows decent plate discipline, and I think he's actually having a really good year... moving up a level, where he remains young for the league, and doing better. He started out his career as a big overweight football player, then shrank into a skinnier muscular guy, but with his transformation his formerly highly regarded raw power seemed to vanish. This year he's hit 8 homeruns, which is a big improvement... for him. From what I've read I think he has the size and power to hit 20+, and any demonstration of in-game power rather than raw batting practice power is an improvement.
He's not having a great award winning year where he's doing anything particularly flashy, but he's a bat first player showing the improvements he needs at a young age to keep his career alive. He's a ways from the majors, but he's quietly one of the organization's better hitting prospects. Of course, he still needs to take some big steps forward to become a successful major leaguer. But I think he's shown enough at a young age that it's too early to rule that out. I wouldn't be at all surprised by LaValley putting together a breakout season in 2017, and rising up prospect lists. I think he's got the talent and plate discipline necessary.
There's definitely room for Senzel and LaValley in the same infield. If anything I think there's stuff they could learn from eachother, as far as further improving plate discipline and using raw power. They're similar ages, but one went pro out of high school while the other went to college. LaValley's transformation from an overweight football lineman to a muscular athlete suggests to me he has the necessary dedication to working hard for professional success (I mean, that change doesn't come by doing the minimum). Senzel is faster and a better hitter, but I think they're more alike than lots of guys. I'd like to see them play together.
|
|