2021 Indians Active Roster Discussion

[MadThinker88]

Is AA even a demotion from AAA? Isn't it widely regarded that AA often has better talent in it than AAA?

Turning some of our extraneous players into assets would be nice. It could certainly help clear some of this up.

While in the past many players made the jump to MLB from AA, there is an added hurdle this year: the COVID protocols .

Before the minor league season started, only those at the ALT site were eligible to get a call up.

IIRC (now that the minor season has begun):
Players at the AAA level do not need to spend any extra time being tested/ held away from the team before going up to MLB.
Players lower than AAA level have to complete an extra time period for testing/ quarantine..

Perhaps @BimboColesHair can shed some light/ correct me if necessary.

 

[AZ_]

Well, if you have any data from there, feel free to share it. I can't include performance that hasn't been registered (for the public)

There is none, and that’s the point.

To claim such a response exists (prospect status fading/no hope for him) because of that small sample size, with no other data available, is silly season.

 

[CDAV45]

It's really a shame with Zimmer. I thought he'd work out.

Speaking of, Nolan Jones looks a lot like Zimmer at the plate. Can you give us anything positive on him, because I don't see much to hang our hopes on. He's been awful since AFL 2019 and is losing trade value with every AB.

There are too many flame outs on the hitting side to make it a coincidence. Could this be an organizational flaw, too much launch angle philosophy? I hope there's at least some critical discussion about it.

I don't think Nolan has lost an ounce of trade value to this point. His performance history is too good and a slow start isn't going to deter from that. Now, should he stumble through the 21 season then he'll certainly lose some value, but we're talking such a SSS on a season that started a month late. I think we need to pump the brakes on that idea.

Having said that, I'd trade his ass in a minute in the right deal. He's certainly not one of my untouchables.

 

[Criznit]

There is none, and that’s the point.

To claim such a response exists (prospect status fading/no hope for him) because of that small sample size, with no other data available, is silly season.

It's not just small sample size though. Nolan's K rate has been a concern for awhile he has been averaging over a K a game going back to 2017... well in 2017 he K'd 60 time in 62 games.. Since then it's being going up..

 

[CATS44]

Over the years we have drafted too many kids with much the same profile....athletic with power potential, but contact issues. Weve been trying to develop players backwards....trying to turn big swingers into batters who can make contact.

That hasn't, and doesn't, work.

That has now changed, and we are on the cusp of seeing that in Cleveland.

As for the now, we are waiting for Godot with too many guys on the 40 man...

Zimmer, Bradley, Chang, and Bauers.

Maybe one of them will become the next Urshela or Aguilar someday. But while we wait for the unlikely, we are making it a lot harder to win games now. And while we have waited, every one of them have lost all of their trade value.

 

[CDAV45]

It's not just small sample size though. Nolan's K rate has been a concern for awhile he has been averaging over a K a game going back to 2017... well in 2017 he K'd 60 time in 62 games..

Fair enough, but his AVG is .277, his OBP is over .400 and his OPS is over .850. Your K concerns don't resonate the same way they use to.

 

[Criznit]

Jones offsets his K's with a healthy walk rate as noted, but that doesn't do anything for his platoon splits and lack of natural position.

It's a pivotal year for Mr. Jones.

 

[CATS44]

What Nolan are we talking about?

Nolan Jones is hitting .083.

Jones looks like an almost carbon copy of Zimmer, but without the defense and speed.

But we never learn.

 

[Tondo]

Fair enough, but his AVG is .277, his OBP is over .400 and his OPS is over .850. Your K concerns don't resonate the same way they use to.

...and his career BABIP before this year was 387, which never was sustainable, as he's considered a double minus runner (30). He's hit a lot of balls hard into the ground and through weak infielders at lower levels, those hits are now gone and if you adjust for BABIP, his whole minors career looks like a mirage, with BA closer to 200, and OBP closer to 300

 

[Criznit]

What Nolan are we talking about?

Nolan Jones is hitting .083.

Jones looks like an almost carbon copy of Zimmer, but without the defense and speed.

But we never learn.

Jones does takes a lot more walks than Zimmer.. But I think were pretty much on the same page about something!

 

[mopete12]

What Nolan are we talking about?

Nolan Jones is hitting .083.

Jones looks like an almost carbon copy of Zimmer, but without the defense and speed.

But we never learn.

Obviously he was talking about the guy with 4 years of stats, not the guy with 36 at bats after an off year for a pandemic.

 

[Criznit]

I suggest everyone who hasn't recently checked, to take a look at Nolan's splits over the years.. He still has the tools to be a productive platoon member, but hard (impossible) to see him ever being able to handle ML lefties..

Nolan Jones Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics | Baseball-Reference.com

Nolan Jones Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics including batting, fielding, prospect rankings and more on Baseball-Reference.com

www.baseball-reference.com

 

[CDAV45]

Jones offsets his K's with a healthy walk rate as noted, but that doesn't do anything for his platoon splits and lack of natural position.

It's a pivotal year for Mr. Jones.

I would agree with this, but there is no reason to get in a hurry to paint him in a certain light.

Yeah, we're talking about the Nolan hitting .083. The same one that has been our top prospect and mashed the baseball up until recently. Maybe Bimbo can tell the powers that be to get into contact with CATS so we can have the best farm system in history. All sarcasm aside, there is a place and always will be for high risk, high reward prospects/players. Obviously they don't always realize their potential, but when they do it's money. No team in baseball will draft a bunch of punch and Judy hitters because nobody wants to watch that boring shit and finding the Tyler Freemans and Owen Millers of the world is every bit as difficult.

 

[Criznit]

I would agree with this, but there is no reason to get in a hurry to paint him in a certain light.

Yeah, we're talking about the Nolan hitting .083. The same one that has been our top prospect and mashed the baseball up until recently. Maybe Bimbo can tell the powers that be to get into contact with CATS so we can have the best farm system in history. All sarcasm aside, there is a place and always will be for high risk, high reward prospects/players. Obviously they don't always realize their potential, but when they do it's money. No team in baseball will draft a bunch of punch and Judy hitters because nobody wants to watch that boring shit and finding the Tyler Freemans and Owen Millers of the world is every bit as difficult.

Very true CDAV... Which might explain why I am suddenly interested in Will Benson again..

 

[CDAV45]

Obviously he was talking about the guy with 4 years of stats, not the guy with 36 at bats after an off year for a pandemic.

You're wasting your time Pete. He knows, but likes to use extremes to build his case.

I have no problem with some being suspect towards Nolan Jones' abilities. Not a single one, but to ignore what he has done as a prospect is preposterous IMO. I'm certainly glad that those that make the decisions haven't thrown him in the prospect dumpster because of 36 AB or because of the flaws of a 23 yr old. For me, the jury is still out on Nolan. He's shown good plate discipline and real power to all fields. He's 2 yrs younger than the average AAA player so I'm willing to remain hopeful that his potential shines through.

I'd also like them to quit fucking around with him positionally. He's a 1B and needs to play there. I don't care if it's in Akron or Columbus.