2022 Minor League Thread

[thestatman]

Let's all remember that "experts" get things wrong quite often. All of us could fill up a page listing the players that have defied the so called "baseball odds" and proven them wrong. (Jose, Merrifield). Personally I think OG has earned the right to show what he can do. Jones and Benson have not. What have these experts opined on Brennan? He's the only guy on the Rubberducks that has smashed the baseball all season.

I view Palacios and Kwan as potential excellent players going forward, Howver to me they are clones. Would love to see one, just one power hitting outfielder up here (OG).
Some here target next year for this team to compete for a title. I hope you all are right. It kind of depends how long it takes for Wlliams and Espino to get up here. For me, the front office should be targeting 2024 as THE Year to make a run. In my view, they need to do whatever it takes to land a young, perrenial All Star catcher. Just thinking back to the Joe Carter trade bringing in Sandy and Baerga which catapulted the 90's Indian teams to the top.

 

[sportscoach]

But various posters have debated Nolan’s chances to be successful. I can see why Cats44 included him in the comment but I agree with you that Jones has a different profile from OscarG & Will Benson.

You know Jones had 11 at bats to pitchers who were younger than him in 21, his age 23 season, where he was -3.5 years younger than the average in AAA... He would have easily had an OPS over .800 if he didn't have that horrible first month in AAA. He still put up a .356 OBP%...

He has a higher SO rate than I would like, but he has a very good BB rate... Half of his ABs will either be a walk or a SO, those players often actually flop as often.

Looking up his numbers and whatnot, it feels like his comp as a hitter is Carlos Pena, so Pena with a better fielding potential... I'd take that in a heartbeat... Not sure if he ever gets that many HRs, but I think he can get to the 20+ HRs with average to above average at 1B defensively. Not sure about RF yet...

 

[BimboColesHair]

Williams to Akron

 

[petes999]

Williams to Akron

I think it was Justin Lane saying last outing at LC last night too. Any word on who goes to Columbus as Akron has 6-7 starters now when Espino comes back.

 

[Criznit]

Jones is not in the same profile as OGonz and Benson... Jones actually has a profile that can succeed in the bigs.

Um Jones and Benson are very similar profiles IMO. The difference is their early returns and Jones being the more polished and Benson far more toolsy. I actually think Benson could bounce around the league much longer than Jones and like his chances of actually taking that next step a bit more. Benson is more boom or bust, but no denying a fully blossomed Benson would be a beast.

OGonz is the oddball here.

OGonz has maintained a very consistent batting averages in the minors

2018: 292
2019: 293
2021: 293 - this is where is raw power starting popping up
2022: 314 - his power seems pretty legit

Oscar also has every single warning sign of being a complete bust as a major league baseball player. I'd like to see him get a chance if he keeps it up, but I am not in a rush.. Have said end of May start of June is a point you reassess and if he is still around 300/320/530 maybe pull the trigger.

 

[Criznit]

I think it was Justin Lane saying last outing at LC last night too. Any word on who goes to Columbus as Akron has 6-7 starters now when Espino comes back.

I'll guess Cantillo..
Curry? Nah but.
A hodgepodge? A FA signing?

 

[sportscoach]

Um Jones and Benson are very similar profiles IMO. The difference is their early returns and Jones being the more polished and Benson far more toolsy. I actually think Benson could bounce around the league much longer than Jones and like his chances of actually taking that next step a bit more. Benson is more boom or bust, but no denying a fully blossomed Benson would be a beast.

OGonz is the oddball here.

OGonz has maintained a very consistent batting averages in the minors

2018: 292
2019: 293
2021: 293 - this is where is raw power starting popping up
2022: 314 - his power seems pretty legit

Oscar also has every single warning sign of being a complete bust as a major league baseball player. I'd like to see him get a chance if he keeps it up, but I am not in a rush.. Have said end of May start of June is a point you reassess and if he is still around 300/320/530 maybe pull the trigger.

Their profiles are completely different... Benson has had to constantly rework his swing and whatnot to even get anything productive... Jones until last season, his OPS was usually close to .850+ and batting avg over .280... Jones actually knows how to hit while Benson was the athlete who they hoped figured out how to hit...

 

[Real Deal]

just put him in a deal if theres no use for this, he's tattooing pitchers that's trying to make the bigs too.

 

[KluberSociety]

IMO if we went with Zimmer rather than Mercado and didn't have Amed, we'd have seen OGon by now but with the way the current roster is set up unless you want to sit Kwan against lefties then it's hard to really make a case for OGon on the roster. And thus Palacios gets the callup to serve as Mercado's platoon partner.

I don't think he'll be good, however I don't think he should be given up on and I don't think there's any better thing for his development than seeing big league pitching, which may actually lead him to work on his approach and take that lesson back with him to AAA if he crashes and burns.

He obviously knows how to hit a baseball, and hit it hard. What I'm confused about is why a poor approach has to be looked at more as an inherent property, than as an area for improvement in his development. But maybe the team has tried and tried and he's stubborn and won't change that approach because it's working. Maybe in that case, actually seeing it fail first hand will be what it takes to burst him out.

As I'm not an insider in this whole thing, just theorizing.

 

[Criznit]

IMO if we went with Zimmer rather than Mercado and didn't have Amed, we'd have seen OGon by now but with the way the current roster is set up unless you want to sit Kwan against lefties then it's hard to really make a case for OGon on the roster. And thus Palacios gets the callup to serve as Mercado's platoon partner.

I don't think he'll be good, however I don't think he should be given up on and I don't think there's any better thing for his development than seeing big league pitching, which may actually lead him to work on his approach and take that lesson back with him to AAA if he crashes and burns.

He obviously knows how to hit a baseball, and hit it hard. What I'm confused about is why a poor approach has to be looked at more as an inherent property, than as an area for improvement in his development. But maybe the team has tried and tried and he's stubborn and won't change that approach because it's working. Maybe in that case, actually seeing it fail first hand will be what it takes to burst him out.

As I'm not an insider in this whole thing, just theorizing.

I think we (the org) want Ogonz to get as much exposure as possible at a 3-4 bat everyday in AAA a bit more. Still a little short in the track department, especially as a fringe guy.

Hopefully we all will be calling for his shot in 3-5 weeks, if not oh well.

 

[MadThinker88]

just put him in a deal if theres no use for this, he's tattooing pitchers that's trying to make the bigs too.

IF there was a market for OscarG and the CLEFO had no plan or intention to use OscarG here, then I am confident the CLEFO would deal him and bring in assets that could/ would use here.. That group is all about maximizing the available assets.

I'm guessing other teams are not making offers to get OscarG (or have OscarG included in discussed trade packages) at this point.

During the past week OscarG flashed a strong throwing arm from the warning track to get a guy out trying to advance.. It was a nice play. Kudos to OscarG for making it. The more (& better) he plays out in RF, the more likely he will get a chance with some team at some point.

 

[Criznit]

IF there was a market for OscarG and the CLEFO had no plan or intention to use OscarG here, then I am confident the CLEFO would deal him and bring in assets that could/ would use here.. That group is all about maximizing the available assets.

I'm guessing other teams are not making offers to get OscarG (or have OscarG included in discussed trade packages) at this point.

During the past week OscarG flashed a strong throwing arm from the warning track to get a guy out trying to advance.. It was a nice play. Kudos to OscarG for making it. The more (& better) he plays out in RF, the he will get a chance with some team at some point.

If Ogonz hasn't been added to our roster by the trade deadline, and we are making a move... I think OGonz will end up in another jersey as one of the "other" pieces.

If anyone is asking about our AAA/AAAA guys, Mitchell Tolman might be actually generating some $$$/PTBNL interest. Unlikely but.

 

[MadThinker88]

Williams to Akron

Makes me happy I went to see him in Lake County on 4/30. Will be interesting to watch the other dominoes fall.
Who/ how will LC fill the spot in their rotation?
How does the Akron rotation change??
What changes happen with Lynchburg (if someone moves up to LC)???

Grab the popcorn & enjoy the show..

 

[macbdog]

just put him in a deal if theres no use for this, he's tattooing pitchers that's trying to make the bigs too.

He's the Gs version of La Mole. Not sure they can really have both in a lineup at the same time. A smart team keeps whomever is cheapest.

 

[DickyLeftridge]

NO ONE that is a fan of the CLE baseball team is rooting AGAINST Will Benson or Oscar G.
Not Pete. Not myself. I repeat NO ONE.

Crappy reasoning like that (not agreeing with your idea = rooting against the player) and naming multiple people "nameGOAT" are classic Reno moves.
Are you admitting to be the banned Reno under a different name??

People discuss ideas. People have different viewpoints. Sometimes fans will agree. Sometimes they will not agree.
A disagreement does not mean the person (or any person) is rooting against the player or even the poster that supports the player.

Please grow up & accept the distinction or GTFO!

People discuss ideas. People have different viewpoints. Except mine. Mine are not allowed. And when my idea and viewpoints are broached, I'm accused for the millionth time of being someone I'm not. Because that's all you can muster.

When will you grow up? When will you head your own advice? I'll wait.

Meanwhile, my posts--both of which were very tongue-in-cheek--seemed to have hit close to home. Why is that? People discuss ideas. People have different viewpoints--except mine. These are your own holier-than-thou lecturing words. Help us follow your logic bub.

Whether you will admit it or not, there are people rooting against Oscar Gonzalez and Will Benson. How do I know that? Because your actions speak louder than your words. Oscar Gonzalez has been the most productive bat in the organization for multiple years now. Please link us to your posts praising his success and urging his promotion to the big league team. I'll wait.

What I can link are the posts--just like the one I'm quoting right now, and just like the one I quoted from ol pete--where people have exactly the same type of visceral, holier-than-thou reaction to Oscar Gonzalez and Will Benson that I described. In the words of the late Denny Green--you are who I thought (and said) you were. Rather than try to deflect from that and get all bent out of shape, maybe you should take a moment to listen to what I've said and either accept it or change. You'll do neither. We all know this.

You can't advocate for Oscar Gonzalez as a player for the Guardians and take yourself seriously as a baseball fan at the same time. These are the uncontroverted facts. Don't think so? Post an example that shows otherwise. Hint: you can't.