2024-2025 Minor League Off-Season thread

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Criznit said:
Anyone else hoping Bazzana is working his ass off in CF this off-season?
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-with the bat.. he'd be as good as anyone in the minor league system...

-arm, while not a huge requirement for a CF'er.. it isn't his best tool...

-instincts would be the deciding factor.. those are usually borne of years and years of playing in a position.. For this, Bazzana would be number 3 or 4 as a CF'er in the Guardians minor league system..

One off season does not a major leaguer make.. If anything, moving to the OF might delay his readiness for MLB..

thoughts?
 
Gson said:
-with the bat.. he'd be as good as anyone in the minor league system...

-arm, while not a huge requirement for a CF'er.. it isn't his best tool...

-instincts would be the deciding factor.. those are usually borne of years and years of playing in a position.. For this, Bazzana would be number 3 or 4 as a CF'er in the Guardians minor league system..

One off season does not a major leaguer make.. If anything, moving to the OF might delay his readiness for MLB..

thoughts?
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I was all set to disagree with you...

But Tyler Freeman. Did moving to CF on the fly, impact his offense?

Bazzana the CF/OF has a much clearer path to the majors.

Bazzana the 2B does not.

Not sure how this will be shaking out.
 
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Criznit said:
I
I was all set to disagree with you...

But Tyler Freeman. Did moving to CF on the fly, impact his offense?

Bazzana the CF/OF has a much clearer path to the majors.

Bazzana the 2B does not.

Not sure how this will be shaking out.
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Truth be told.. I don't know that Bazzana will ever be able to supplant Gimi at 2B.. The best spot for him might be LF.. or Util.. Util gives him an immediate path to MLB.. Everywhere else says.. he has to TAKE a job away from someone.. which is easier said than done... At the end of the day, Bazzana hasn't proven he is better than anyone in on the 26 man roster.. let alone a platinum glove 2B or gold glove LF'er or "other".. One thing we do know.. he can flat out hit.. both power and average.. So, 2025 could be a proving year.. or a frustrating one for the Aussie.. We'll see..
 
Gson said:
Truth be told.. I don't know that Bazzana will ever be able to supplant Gimi at 2B.. The best spot for him might be LF.. or Util.. Util gives him an immediate path to MLB.. Everywhere else says.. he has to TAKE a job away from someone.. which is easier said than done... At the end of the day, Bazzana hasn't proven he is better than anyone in on the 26 man roster.. let alone a platinum glove 2B or gold glove LF'er or "other".. One thing we do know.. he can flat out hit.. both power and average.. So, 2025 could be a proving year.. or a frustrating one for the Aussie.. We'll see..
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We also have Brito who profiles as a 2B too. I think Brito has the bigger arm/lesser glove though so Brito may end up in RF... Going to be interesting.

And Watson may find it, clouding the outlook even more. A good problem to have, but makes solving it that much more complicated.
 
I feel like with Bazzana he will get some OF looks, 1B possibly etc... I don't think he has the arm for 3B nor what you want for RF...
 
The clearest path would be 2B with Gimmy moving to short replacing Rocchio.

The question is whether the playoffs this year are Rocchio's coming out party that will springboard him to a successful 2025 season that locks him in as our starting SS for the next five years or whether he just got hot at the right time.

Right field may be in play for Bazzana if DeLauter can't stay healthy and Noel can't stop chasing pitches in the dirt.
 
Wham with the Right Hand said:
The clearest path would be 2B with Gimmy moving to short replacing Rocchio.

The question is whether the playoffs this year are Rocchio's coming out party that will springboard him to a successful 2025 season that locks him in as our starting SS for the next five years or whether he just got hot at the right time.

Right field may be in play for Bazzana if DeLauter can't stay healthy and Noel can't stop chasing pitches in the dirt.
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If Gimenez doesn't pick things up offensively he can take his platinum gloves to another team IMO.

Bazzana will not be playing RF. He doesn't have the arm for it. He's a LFer or 2B and I'm not certain how good he is at either, but those are his best positions.

JRod will carve out a better career than Noel. He's just a better, more well rounded hitter. It probably won't be with Cleveland though. I'm planning on DeLauter claiming RF if he can stay healthy.

What will happen with Martinez, Freeman, Schneeman, Arias, Rocchio, Brito and Bazzana? I don't know how they determine who plays where or who even gets an opportunity at all. I don't see any of Freeman, Schneeman or Rocchio as desirable longterm solutions. Arias is all potential and I don't know if he'll get the opportunities needed in Cleveland. Brito can hit, but isn't sound defensively. Bazzana is a big question mark at this time and won't sniff Cleveland's roster until 2026. Right now, Martinez seems like the most likely of that group to establish himself in 2025. He's got a good combination of contact ability and power, but is he good enough with the glove for SS? What a f'n mess!
 
Keith Law on DeLauter in the AFL dated Oct. 21:

DeLauter, on the other hand, definitely needs these reps, as the oft-injured Guardians prospect played just 39 games this year around several injuries, including yet another fracture in his foot.

He continues to hit when he plays, including a flyout to center at 110 mph off the bat in one of the games I saw, but I have to confess I can’t buy this swing. It’s not just that it’s unconventional, but that it seems to leave him vulnerable to pitches in, or down and in, or just generally down, as he’s geared to attack pitches up and is so strong that he can hit those pitches harder than a lot of hitters can.

Maybe it’ll take major-league pitching to successfully exploit all of the weaknesses a swing like DeLauter’s presents, or maybe it’ll continue to work because DeLauter is so dang strong. He’s going to mash in the AFL, though, where there are very few pitchers who have the combination of stuff and command to attack him.
 
Wham with the Right Hand said:
Keith Law on DeLauter in the AFL dated Oct. 21:

DeLauter, on the other hand, definitely needs these reps, as the oft-injured Guardians prospect played just 39 games this year around several injuries, including yet another fracture in his foot.

He continues to hit when he plays, including a flyout to center at 110 mph off the bat in one of the games I saw, but I have to confess I can’t buy this swing. It’s not just that it’s unconventional, but that it seems to leave him vulnerable to pitches in, or down and in, or just generally down, as he’s geared to attack pitches up and is so strong that he can hit those pitches harder than a lot of hitters can.

Maybe it’ll take major-league pitching to successfully exploit all of the weaknesses a swing like DeLauter’s presents, or maybe it’ll continue to work because DeLauter is so dang strong. He’s going to mash in the AFL, though, where there are very few pitchers who have the combination of stuff and command to attack him.
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CDL is one of the more divisive prospects I have seen with Cle in a while. There is no middle ground. Some are like KLaw, predicting that eventually CDL will reach a point where pitching will exploit his <fill in your adjective here> swing. Then others are saying if CDL stays healthy, he is a star in the making. Of course I hope the latter is true. Can't wait for him to prove the doubters wrong.
 
rmacd said:
BA Minor League All-Star Team

1st Team - OF Jaison Chourio
2nd Team - C Cooper Ingle
SS Angel Genao
SP Matt Wilkinson
RP Andrew Walters
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I'd still like Peterson to get some national attention... Though I like the list overall...
 
sportscoach said:
I'd still like Peterson to get some national attention... Though I like the list overall...
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Disagree with the need for national attention.. it serves no useful purpose to the CleFO's efforts to field the best team... I.O.W., national attention & fifty cents gets you a small cup warm (and lousy) coffee at McDonalds where an out of work politician is horning in some kid's chance at real employment achieving $ 15/hour & a mastery of the French fry machine...

Austin Peterson has made some serious strides with his fastball/change up. His other two pitches a curveball (not bad when he doesn't try to throw it harder, and, what is either a slider or a cut fastball, I can't tell from the inconsistent flight, spin & velo... but the change up is always on the edges.. always!!.. It's exciting to see that pitch work.. The fastball moves up and down and in and out.. most of the time on or near the plate..& it's a good pitch.. but it's the change up that sets Peterson apart. The problem with a change up is that it's clearly a "feel" pitch... Sometimes, Peterson lets it get "too firm" and it sort of flattens out.. His change up gets HAMMERED when that happens.. It's got to be on or Austin Peterson CAN'T pitch.. the end..
 
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