Toggle sidebar

OT: Raise the Jolly Roger: Congrats to the Houston Cheaters on their win

Status
Not open for further replies.
That's on VM. This is exactly the type of shit that drives me nuts. Better players, who will actually have a chance to be contributors down the line, languishing in AAA so these bums can get a month audition in trade deadline scrapheap purge.

Wilson threw a gem considering how bad he was all year.

Stop f***ing around and get Marcano back. Mitchell. Bae is more than deserving.
 
KesselMania said:
Cruz is not a major league hitter. Send him down
Click to expand...

At this point, nah. But looking at those 2 3-0 fastballs against Duggar was awful, awful hitting.

Mr. "I've got a firm handshake and good character, I love baseball and I'd be honored to date your daughter" Suwinski didn't have a sparkling game either...
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Gallatin
The only way for Cruz to get more adjusted to MLB pitching is by having him in the MLB. The idea that anyone would even begin to advocate for sending him down is bonkers.
 
I think it would help Cruz to have some more lineup protection, but the only way to do that is basically to have him between Reynolds and Vogelbach. Separate issue entirely, but I'm changing my tune on Hayes. He's completely lost out there and needs to revamp the approach from the ground up.

I still like what I see from Cruz process wise. Even in the AB where he struck out against Sanmartin, he started out behind in the count because of a bad call. He's spitting on a lot of chase pitches, but not squaring up the ball when he's in a decent count. I'm giving it another couple of weeks before I conclude much more. It's rarely a smooth transition for any young player.

For me, there is a meaningful difference between chasing some pitches for Ks and chasing a lot and putting yourself into a bad count with regularity. He's doing the former (which all players do) but I don't see a lot of the latter, so I think he'll take steps forward over the next 2 or 3 weeks. He needs challenged for a chunk of games regardless -- if he's scuffling at that point in early August, might need to re-assess.

Re: Suwinski, I'm not as high on him as the rest of the thread (he gives away ABs, like he did in the 9th), but it's hard not to like the power. I think he's a useful corner OF and think it's an ok bet that he'll continue improving.

Tonight's game was cruising along pretty nicely and then ran into a wall when VanMeter botched an easy play. Roster management or not, there's no reason he's still around (and it sounds like Madris is getting optioned) over Marcano and many others. I'd rather see Park at this point -- the fact that he has some pop is nice, but outside of pop and generic versatility, it's not an attractive profile and we would be much better off seeing those ABs going to prospects who could factor in next year.
 
DJ Spinoza said:
Re: Suwinski, I'm not as high on him as the rest of the thread (he gives away ABs, like he did in the 9th), but it's hard not to like the power. I think he's a useful corner OF and think it's an ok bet that he'll continue improving.
Click to expand...

I think Suwinski could be a decent to good corner OF, but I'm not going to anoint him based on this "I see the look in his eyes and I see obsession and hard work, so I shook his hand and gave him the job" stuff that percolates around this thread. Nor will I anoint Solometo or Henry Davis or any of the other obsessed caucasians.
 
From the eye test I like Suwinski's overall game/demeanor a lot. Specifically, it seemed like people thought he had no real defensive home, but he clearly can make the plays out there and doesn't look horrendous as a guy to throw in CF in a pinch to rest Reynolds.

He's definitely been one of the few organizational bright spots this year even if he has some ways he can still improve. To put it in a way that is maybe unfair to him, I think he's got the skills and makeup of a very useful rotation type player, but it's very rare for any team to have the perfect players in every spot, so he's shaping up to be a useful everyday corner OF.

Mackey mentioned that Madris was getting hugs in the locker room, and while he's maybe more of a AAAA depth guy, it is pretty disheartening to see a team headed nowhere about to roll out a bunch of veteran playing time plus the buy low/late breakout/whatever you want to call VanMeter and maybe even to an extent Chavis.... even granting the manipulation of Contreras, we're basically beyond all this now and it's a better use of games to see Marcano, Bae, and others. Even if they struggle for 3-4 weeks and you have to find another solution, it's clear that we have a number of guys ready, and playing them at some point has to be part of the equation. After all, we tore down the team for a reason, right?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gallatin
DJ Spinoza said:
Mackey mentioned that Madris was getting hugs in the locker room, and while he's maybe more of a AAAA depth guy, it is pretty disheartening to see a team headed nowhere about to roll out a bunch of veteran playing time plus the buy low/late breakout/whatever you want to call VanMeter and maybe even to an extent Chavis.... even granting the manipulation of Contreras, we're basically beyond all this now and it's a better use of games to see Marcano, Bae, and others. Even if they struggle for 3-4 weeks and you have to find another solution, it's clear that we have a number of guys ready, and playing them at some point has to be part of the equation. After all, we tore down the team for a reason, right?
Click to expand...
It's disheartening but I wouldn't group Chavis in there.

MC has been a good baseball player this year and since he's been here, and flashes great power and an ability to mash lefties. He has higher upside for a mid-career step up than Madris, Swaggerty, Mitchell and the likes of Park have period. Just cause he's 2 years older let's not write him off.

VM, Yoshi, Gamel is gonna be traded, etc.? Yes, sure - bury em.
 
Yeah, it's probably too far to lump him in with some of those other guys. He's been overexposed because of how bad the lineup is, but he's basically a guy with some pop who can platoon vs. LHP.

I don't think we can just roll out 100% prospects, but we're also not in a situation where there are just some general prospects who could be ready. Marcano, Bae, and probably Swaggerty at this point all deserve MLB playing time on merit. I'm preaching to the choir in all likelihood, but the upshot of basically any trade we would make is similar guys with much less probability of hitting. Maybe a bullpen flier guy. The priority should be opening up opportunities for these young players in order to assess them.


With Hayes, I also think it has to be an indictment of the coaching. It isn't raw stuff like contact or skill stuff like hard hit, but the results just aren't what they should be. Perhaps magnified by a longer slump right now, but it's trended this way for too long, and so far it doesn't seem like Haines has addressed it. It's really getting tough to stay patient and not think we're spinning our wheels to a great extent, doubly so if there's no plan to invest in some free agents this winter.
 
Cruz was hitting like 250 in the minors but people said they had to bring him up. I like the approach of calling the kids up let them get their feet wet and going back down. Calling them up again in a hot steak
 
DocEmrickSkitters said:
I think Suwinski could be a decent to good corner OF, but I'm not going to anoint him based on this "I see the look in his eyes and I see obsession and hard work, so I shook his hand and gave him the job" stuff that percolates around this thread. Nor will I anoint Solometo or Henry Davis or any of the other obsessed caucasians.
Click to expand...

Sorry to be so annoying lately Doc. You're a long time favorite, it kind of sucks having you criticize me over and over.
 
Last edited:
Cruz is showing he can’t really read pitches. His hitting has plateaued around .200 for that reason. That isn’t MLB level and he can make his “adjustment” in AAA. What’s bonkers is thinking his issues are simply a matter of adjusting to MLB pitching. It’s not, he doesn’t have much of an eye and shouldn’t be made to try developing that in the big leagues.
 
Bubba Chandler might be our top prospect heading into 2023

3 IP, 0 hits, 1 BB, 5 K's so far today.

Now has 14.1, has given up just 3 hits, 10 walks, 25 K's.

Obviously the walks are high and should improve as he moves along but it's hard to miss the fact that nobody can hit the kid and he's missing a lot of bats.

And OPS'ing 1.100 at the dish.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Factorial, Gallatin and ChaosAgent
ImporterExporter said:
Bubba Chandler might be our top prospect heading into 2023

3 IP, 0 hits, 1 BB, 5 K's so far today.

Now has 14.1, has given up just 3 hits, 10 walks, 25 K's.

Obviously the walks are high and should improve as he moves along but it's hard to miss the fact that nobody can hit the kid and he's missing a lot of bats.

And OPS'ing 1.100 at the dish.
Click to expand...

Just finished the 4th with 2 more K's. 4 IP, 0 hits, 1 walk, 7 K's.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ChaosAgent
It's nice to see the walks tick down for Chandler. I'm still holding off on the full blown hype train until he gets into affiliated ball, but so far he's tracking exactly like you want a mid-first round talent to do.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gallatin
DocEmrickSkitters said:
Sorry, I was being a jackass again.

Now I feel bad. Deservedly
Click to expand...

This is not my intention. I'm just a guy that's been a Doc fan for many many great Penguin seasons. And you got my goat a little bit. I've seen you get ornery with others, this is just my first personal experience though, and I didn't handle it well.

Apologies
 
ImporterExporter said:
Bubba Chandler might be our top prospect heading into 2023
Click to expand...
Total Guestimate on Our Top 10 at start of '23. A future list of a future list? How far down the rabbit hole does this pointlessness go...

1. Davis, C/1B/DH
2. 1st Round Pick, TBD
3. Chandler, RHSP/SS
4. E. Rodriguez, C/Util
5. Gonzales, 2B
6. Burrows, RHSP
7. Solometo, LHSP
8. Bae, 2B/Util
9. Priester, RHSP
10. Jones, RHSP

Graduated (for me this indicates 200 PAs for hitters or 60 IPs): Contreras, Cruz, Suwinski, Castillo, Castro, Marcano

Traded: Peguero
 
ImporterExporter said:
Bubba Chandler might be our top prospect heading into 2023

3 IP, 0 hits, 1 BB, 5 K's so far today.

Now has 14.1, has given up just 3 hits, 10 walks, 25 K's.

Obviously the walks are high and should improve as he moves along but it's hard to miss the fact that nobody can hit the kid and he's missing a lot of bats.

And OPS'ing 1.100 at the dish.
Click to expand...
He's had multiple 3 walk games at the plate since the Grandslam.

Ceiling's quite high that's for sure. He's still super raw, but damn the tools are impressive.

DJ Spinoza said:
It's nice to see the walks tick down for Chandler. I'm still holding off on the full blown hype train until he gets into affiliated ball, but so far he's tracking exactly like you want a mid-first round talent to do.
Click to expand...
A sound position to take IMO.
 
DocEmrickSkitters said:
Total Guestimate on Our Top 10 at start of '23. A future list of a future list? How far down the rabbit hole does this pointlessness go...

1. Davis, C/1B/DH
2. 1st Round Pick, TBD
3. Chandler, RHSP/SS
4. E. Rodriguez, C/Util
5. Gonzales, 2B
6. Burrows, RHSP
7. Solometo, LHSP
8. Bae, 2B/Util
9. Priester, RHSP
10. Jones, RHSP

Graduated (for me this indicates 200 PAs for hitters or 60 IPs): Contreras, Cruz, Suwinski, Castillo, Castro, Marcano

Traded: Peguero
Click to expand...
Did they let Bubba go back to playing shortstop? I thought they had focused him down to hitting and pitching.

DocEmrickSkitters said:
Total Guestimate on Our Top 10 at start of '23. A future list of a future list? How far down the rabbit hole does this pointlessness go...

1. Davis, C/1B/DH
2. 1st Round Pick, TBD
3. Chandler, RHSP/SS
4. E. Rodriguez, C/Util
5. Gonzales, 2B
6. Burrows, RHSP
7. Solometo, LHSP
8. Bae, 2B/Util
9. Priester, RHSP
10. Jones, RHSP

Graduated (for me this indicates 200 PAs for hitters or 60 IPs): Contreras, Cruz, Suwinski, Castillo, Castro, Marcano

Traded: Peguero
Click to expand...

Any thoughts on what kind of trade Peguero might end up in?
 
Gallatin said:
Any thoughts on what kind of trade Peguero might end up in?
Click to expand...

Pitching?

Just with Cruz's better-than-expected SS performance at the MLB level, plus the possibility that Castillo may have a good floor as Mercer 2.0, this is a definite position of strength for us. Not to mention all of the Utility players who may be viable at the position in their own right - Bae, Castro etc.

Meanwhile we don't have enough right handed hitting and starting pitching.
I suppose we could let next year play out and maybe let Peguero build some hype/narrative as a "blocked prospect of note" - if we're semi in it at the deadline move him then...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gallatin
Knew it was coming after he missed a few games in a row after the off day. We saw what a wrist injury did to Hayes. Davis was smashing until he went down, came back for a little bit and sucked, now back on the IL.

Not good.

 


No surprise, though I just don't see why we're going to keep rolling with VanMeter. I think best case scenario, vets are playing a lot for 3 weeks and we unload what we can, and then call guys back up, but I don't know if it's likely that we'd actually call up like 4 guys, which is probably what needs to happen (Bae, Marcano, one of Swaggerty/Mitchell if not both, or Madris, Castro... all 40-man guys other than Bae who should be being evaluated at the MLB level).
 
Newman was smoking the ball in AAA so I'm excited to see what he can do in the majors. I think you play him at 2B as much as you can, with Cruz playing most nights at SS, and then you put Newman at SS when Cruz needs an off-day.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Spinoza
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom