2022 Minor League Thread

[Derek]

The demise of Nolan Jones was always greatly exaggerated. He went O’fer the first two weeks last year after a lost minor league season in 2020. He was really good after that bad start.

Also, as someone who hits the ball down quite a bit, the elimination of the shift should benefit him greatly.

 

[DJTJ]

Jones never really went anywhere. He just went O’fer the first two weeks last year after a lost minor league season in 2020. He was really good after that.

Also, as someone who hits the ball down quite a bit, the elimination of the shift should benefit him greatly.

In general, I think eliminating the shift completely opens the door next year for this team to take a huge jump.

 

[CDAV45]

Would do almost anything to start September with Nolan Jones and Bo Naylor penciled in the lineup daily.

I’m not on the Brennan train, because I don’t want to block future Cleveland superstar George Valera, and think the org isn’t willing to take the risk of letting him over take straw if he stays this hot.

My goal is for 2023 to have a Valera/Kwan/Jones OF on most days, especially once the shift is gone.

If they're smart, and they are, they'll get a look at Brennan. He's a bigger, stronger, better defending Kwan. Will that translate to MLB is the only question and I'd like to find out. Send Palacios down. Send OGon down. Play Straw less. The kid deserves an opportunity, but we do have a pile up.

 

[DickyLeftridge]

This may be true, but....

Do Kwan, OGonz, Naylor, Gimenez, Amed, or JRam 'deserve' to be pushed aside to make room for them at the moment while we are in contention?

To make room for Jones and Freeman, two of those have to be removed from positions, which is something none of them 'deserve'.

At the end of the day, I think people like you like the idea of prospects more than the idea of players. So long as Freeman, Jones, Yandy Diaz, Jesus Aguilar, whoever, are in the minors, their theoretical potential MLB production remains up for interpretation. They are a blank canvas on which you can write whatever it is you want. It's only once any of these kids come up and fail, like a Yu Chang, that the mythical prospect status is removed. So that's why people like this always have the preference to keep people in the minors longer than they should be. It's a safe space.

Any one of Miller, Clement, Straw, and Palacios could be sent down for one of these kids who is MASHING in Columbus. What people like you fail to account for is that much of a prospect's potential is based on him being young for the level at which he is playing. It isn't cute anymore to be 25 years old and mashing at AAA. You have a very narrow window to get the maximum value for prospects at the AAA level. Either promote them or trade them. They are diminishing in value every day they stay at AAA beyond age 24.

Our organization hasn't been this loaded in 20+ years. The single biggest thing separating this organization from where we are currently--that is a very good, overperforming young team--to where we want to be--making a run at the World Series--is the FO's ability to convert the prospects who aren't in our long term future into proven major leaguers at positions of need. In other words, it's not player development IMO that is the key to taking the next step. It's parlaying Freeman/Rosario/Rocchio/Tena and Plesac/Civale/Logan Allen Junior/Curry and Jones/Brennan/OGonz into the corner OF/corner IF big time bats we still need.

 

[macbdog]

We aren't running a baseball nursery here, we are running a baseball team that has a decent shot to win the division.

Exactly! Which is why Palacios' 82 OPS can go back to Columbus, along with FranWindMil, and one of the hot youngsters can get their shot.

 

[CDAV45]

We aren't running a baseball nursery here, we are running a baseball team that has a decent shot to win the division.

Do you have a problem with the possibility of improving the chances to win the division? They are running a baseball nursery here in a sense. That nursery is providing what is making this team successful. The idea that there is not better options in our minor league system that what is currently on the ML roster is a silly argument. It's going to happen, but probably not as quickly as someone like myself would like to see.

The current farm system is more loaded than the one in the early 90's due to the pitching prospects. I've never seen anything like this and it's going to bear fruit much bigger and better than "competing for the division". I'm certain of it and I don't believe there is much certainty in baseball.

 

[Mcreek]

The current farm system is more loaded than the one in the early 90's due to the pitching prospects. I've never seen anything like this and it's going to bear fruit much bigger and better than "competing for the division". I'm certain of it and I don't believe there is much certainty in baseball.

I don’t see any Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Brial Giles, Ritchie Sexton, Sean Casey, caliber hitters in this system.

 

[Obscured By Clouds]

I struggle to believe that Bo Naylor couldn’t come up tomorrow and provide at min, the same impact as Luke Maile.

I’m very aware the team won’t waste service time, but to pretend like Naylor/Jones would be equivalent to a baseball nursery is not remotely true.

This teams window isn’t 2022, regardless of where they currently stand. It’s 2023+, and I’m sure the FO is incredibly aware of it.

Naylor is still developing, and the idea that he could still develop in the majors is ruined by the reality he would be mostly sitting on the bench.

I'd rather him start in the minors than sit in the majors.

Depending on the OGon situation, he may be getting some IL time, and Jones could be someone they call up.

Speaking of OGon, some posters have pointed to players that started off hot, then cooled off. OGon is seemingly getting a free pass for some reason.

 

[MadThinker88]

I don’t see any Manny Ramirez, Brial Giles, Ritchie Sexton, Sean Casey, caliber hitters in this system.

George Valera has been called a Left Handed Manny at the plate since he was signed

 

[Mcreek]

Naylor is still developing, and the idea that he could still develop in the majors is ruined by the reality he would be mostly sitting on the bench.

I'd rather him start in the minors than sit in the majors.

Depending on the OGon situation, he may be getting some IL time, and Jones could be someone they call up.

Speaking of OGon, some posters have pointed to players that started off hot, then cooled off. OGon is seemingly getting a free pass for some reason.

No surprise with Gonzales who has never been able to take a walk. Guys like this start off hot until pitchers figure him out

 

[CDAV45]

I don’t see any Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Brial Giles, Ritchie Sexton, Sean Casey, caliber hitters in this system.

No Manny's or Thome's, but there is a bunch of good hitters. I'd take Valera over Giles and we already have Josh Naylor who I would take over Casey. Sexton was a big power, swing and miss hitter. You don't think we have any of those? That system didn't have any Rocchios, Arias', Tena's or Martinez's either. The pitching is what makes the difference which is why I specifically stated "due to the pitching prospects".

 

[DCTribefan]

No Manny's or Thome's, but there is a bunch of good hitters. I'd take Valera over Giles and we already have Josh Naylor who I would take over Casey. Sexton was a big power, swing and miss hitter. You don't think we have any of those? That system didn't have any Rocchios, Arias', Tena's or Martinez's either. The pitching is what makes the difference which is why I specifically stated "due to the pitching prospects".

Josh over Sean Casey? Really?

 

[sportscoach]

I struggle to believe that Bo Naylor couldn’t come up tomorrow and provide at min, the same impact as Luke Maile.

I’m very aware the team won’t waste service time, but to pretend like Naylor/Jones would be equivalent to a baseball nursery is not remotely true.

This teams window isn’t 2022, regardless of where they currently stand. It’s 2023+, and I’m sure the FO is incredibly aware of it.

Truth be told, Maile and Hedges handle the staff really well and Naylor doesn't know all of these guys yet. On paper, I think you are right, but moving him to the bigs now, plus trying to learn all the pitchers, plus keep his bat going, I don't want to do. Let's wait until the offseason when he gets to be around them plus Alomar as well...

Now if there is an injury, I am not against bringing him up at all, but outside of that, we should let him develop a little more.

 

[CDAV45]

Josh over Sean Casey? Really?

Yeah, really.

 

[DCTribefan]

Yeah, really.

I’d be thrilled if Josh had anywhere close to Casey’s career.