2023 Minor League Thread

[sportscoach]

They don't hit the ball very hard so their BABIP is going to be low.

They need to rid themselves of expiring contracts and add as much talent to the roster as possible that aligns with what is currently in place. They need a couple of big RHH. Another near ready/ready SP prospect or two wouldn't hurt either. Another C prospect would be good as all of our eggs are in Bo's basket.

They are not in it to win it this season unless it's done with the players/prospects that will be here over the next few years. They're not going to abandon the plan for a false hope of a postseason miracle.

As soon as they committed to Bell, Rosario and Zunino, the FO kept Bieber, they said their goal was the playoffs... That's not an opinion, but a fact... They wouldn't have done all of that if they didn't plan on the playoffs...

 

[CATS44]

The same things were said about Minnesota and the Guards last year...

When we were 7.5 games behind them on Memorial Day..

And when we got swept in a 4 game series by Detroit, followed by losing a 3 game series to KC...and being 4.5 games behind on July 10th.

*********

When a GM builds a roster around multiple players that are fragile, its not bad luck when they miss time due to injuries. Its to be expected. Thats the kind of roster Minnesota has.

******

Now that the one game WC has been eliminated, there is no such thing as a token playoff appearance. Ask the 2022 Phillies, who finished as the last WC team in the NL.

Ask our FO about what last years playoff appearance meant for this year.

Overall average attendance is up 20%. YTD average attendance is up 32%. Group sales are up 70%. Concessions are up 45%. Merchandise sales are up 50%. TV ratings are up 15%.

Playoffs = $.

Playoffs = experience = what is most needed when you have the youngest team in MLB.

*******

Until I joined this forum, I have never run into so many fans that claim not to care about winning a division title...in any sport...and then complain bitterly every time the Guards lose a game.

Most fans say, "Wait til next year" at the end of an unsuccessful season. This group says it three months before the season begins...even when the last season was a very successful one.

 

[CATS44]

Moving to AA is supposed to be the biggest jump...and sternest test...for a prospect.

If that is so, we may have a freak in Juan Brito.

Brito was 4-5 with a walk, HR, and double last night.

393/485/607/1.292 thru seven games.

I think he has hit the ground running in Akron. Obviously, he won't keep that up, but he has put up impressive...very impressive numbers...everywhere he has played.

From FDSL thru A+ his OPS's have been...

.894
.838
.877
.799

In his pro career before tonight it is .860. He has averaged an XBH every 10 at bats...walking more than he strikes out.

 

[Martyinnewyork]

Akron had 15 hits in the final three innings yesterday. FIFTEEN!!!

 

[CDAV45]

As soon as they committed to Bell, Rosario and Zunino, the FO kept Bieber, they said their goal was the playoffs... That's not an opinion, but a fact... They wouldn't have done all of that if they didn't plan on the playoffs...

That's not a fact and you're full of shit. They weren't expecting to make the playoffs in 22 and they weren't expecting it for this season either, but if they do it is "found money". They probably assumed that Bieber would continue to be the dominant pitcher he has been and that waiting until the deadline wouldn't put too much of a dent in his value. That and they weren't sure if the kids were ready or if they would hit a couple of bumps in the road like so many rookies do.

If you think the second sentence is simply my opinion then you'd be wrong..............again.

 

[CDAV45]

The same things were said about Minnesota and the Guards last year...

When we were 7.5 games behind them on Memorial Day..

And when we got swept in a 4 game series by Detroit, followed by losing a 3 game series to KC...and being 4.5 games behind on July 10th.

*********

When a GM builds a roster around multiple players that are fragile, its not bad luck when they miss time due to injuries. Its to be expected. Thats the kind of roster Minnesota has.

******

Now that the one game WC has been eliminated, there is no such thing as a token playoff appearance. Ask the 2022 Phillies, who finished as the last WC team in the NL.

Ask our FO about what last years playoff appearance meant for this year.

Overall average attendance is up 20%. YTD average attendance is up 32%. Group sales are up 70%. Concessions are up 45%. Merchandise sales are up 50%. TV ratings are up 15%.

Playoffs = $.

Playoffs = experience = what is most needed when you have the youngest team in MLB.

*******

Until I joined this forum, I have never run into so many fans that claim not to care about winning a division title...in any sport...and then complain bitterly every time the Guards lose a game.

Most fans say, "Wait til next year" at the end of an unsuccessful season. This group says it three months before the season begins...even when the last season was a very successful one.

It's your fictional world so believe whatever you want and keep referring to whoever it is that you are imagining. Hook maybe, or is it Peter Pan?

 

[petes999]

Kind of surprised that Francisca didn't come over to Arizona early. But, it maybe too that we got soo many in Rookie ball as well. Just thought they would push their top tier prospects



And, this isn't official but is they Guardian's Arizona MILB site (assume a few more names will be added as they move over from last year's DSL and Campbell moved to injury list)

Roster

The Official Site of Minor League Baseball web site includes features, news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, live game radio broadcasts, and video clips.

www.milb.com

 

[sportscoach]

Kind of surprised that Francisca didn't come over to Arizona early. But, it maybe too that we got soo many in Rookie ball as well. Just thought they would push their top tier prospects



And, this isn't official but is they Guardian's Arizona MILB site (assume a few more names will be added as they move over from last year's DSL and Campbell moved to injury list)

Roster

The Official Site of Minor League Baseball web site includes features, news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, live game radio broadcasts, and video clips.

www.milb.com

Have the Arizona rookie ball been published?

 

[sportscoach]

That's not a fact and you're full of shit. They weren't expecting to make the playoffs in 22 and they weren't expecting it for this season either, but if they do it is "found money". They probably assumed that Bieber would continue to be the dominant pitcher he has been and that waiting until the deadline wouldn't put too much of a dent in his value. That and they weren't sure if the kids were ready or if they would hit a couple of bumps in the road like so many rookies do.

If you think the second sentence is simply my opinion then you'd be wrong..............again.

They don't spend money like that unless they plan to compete... Why put 20+ million aka a 5th of your budget into 2 players if you don't plan on competing...

 

[CATS44]

Yeah.

The notoriously fiscally challenged Guardians didn't spend $16 mil for a DH, after offering even more to Abreu, because they didn't expect to contend this year...after winning the division by ELEVEN games last year.

Everybody, even members of the org, said that last years team was a year ahead of schedule.

A year ahead of what schedule?

The schedule for contending.

The Guards had the fifth best rotation in 2022, the second best bullpen, the best closer, Jose, an all star 2B, the third place finisher in ROY, four GGs, the Manager of the Year, the Executive of the Year, a new minority owner...all of them coming back...and had a meeting in which they decided to 'not compete this year, but lets blow $16 mil.'

 

[CDAV45]

Yeah.

The fiscally challenged Guardians are still well below average in payroll and it's been said a bazillion times that they do not try to lose. They will field a competitive team even in a retool/rebuild. Hell, you've even said that. If they were truly trying to "compete" then you would have seen a bunch of prospects dealt for ML help. You probably would have seen Murphy in a Cleveland uniform amongst others.

Last years success surprised them and there were many influential circumstances that allowed them to win the division. One of the biggest surprises........how well the rookies played. They had strong pitching from top to bottom and that can keep any team alive. Especially in a shitty division where the 2 best teams had record setting amounts of injuries.

The window is actually 2025-2028. Anything above that is found money. I'll keep posting that until it sinks in. I firmly believe if things go right(good trades) that they could compete next year, but at the least they'll be in the running.

The Guards also had a top 3 farm system with most of the talent in the upper levels. What does that tell you a "fiscally challenged" team might do?

 

[MadThinker88]

Kind of surprised that Francisca didn't come over to Arizona early. But, it maybe too that we got soo many in Rookie ball as well. Just thought they would push their top tier prospects



And, this isn't official but is they Guardian's Arizona MILB site (assume a few more names will be added as they move over from last year's DSL and Campbell moved to injury list)

Roster

The Official Site of Minor League Baseball web site includes features, news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, live game radio broadcasts, and video clips.

www.milb.com

Don't forget that anyone stateside counts toward the 180 players limit while those in the DSL do not count toward that player limit.
This organization carefully watching the overall roster number should not be surprising.

 

[MadThinker88]

An interesting item to watch: AAA Columbus has been having Bo Naylor hit in the 2 spot recently with Rocchio up in the majors.

That might be an interesting dynamic to watch for once Bo eventually gets back to the big league club himself...

 

[sportscoach]

An interesting item to watch: AAA Columbus has been having Bo Naylor hit in the 2 spot recently with Rocchio up in the majors.

That might be an interesting dynamic to watch for once Bo eventually gets back to the big league club himself...

I don't see him in the 2 spot in a call up... I feel it's more of getting him more ABs personally, but I could be wrong.

 

[petes999]

Moving to AA is supposed to be the biggest jump...and sternest test...for a prospect.

If that is so, we may have a freak in Juan Brito.

Brito was 4-5 with a walk, HR, and double last night.

393/485/607/1.292 thru seven games.

I think he has hit the ground running in Akron. Obviously, he won't keep that up, but he has put up impressive...very impressive numbers...everywhere he has played.

From FDSL thru A+ his OPS's have been...

.894
.838
.877
.799

In his pro career before tonight it is .860. He has averaged an XBH every 10 at bats...walking more than he strikes out.

And, who did we trade for this Brito kid??? Was it someone who had just lost a lot of his perceived value and we got cents on his original true value? Can’t remember the guys name? Must have been one of those Jones guys as they are all the same (FO overvaluing these kids).