P.O. Sox: Remaining questions after Prospect Week

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mikeyb

There are a decent number of utility guys in the mid-to-upper minors who could theoretically be MLB ready by mid season if things break right. If the Sox are unwilling to spend money (or make a trade) for a 2B option better than Leury, does it make more sense to:

1) stick Leury there for half a season as a starter and hope one of Romy/Yolbert/whoever can make the leap by mid season?
2) shift Moncada back to 2B and give Burger the opening day starting spot at 3B?

Neither seems like an ideal option, and hopefully the Sox realize that.

Sophist

If they were to fill at least two of the other three apparent holes–RF, DH, SP–I would be ok with letting Leury handle second until someone else emerged or until they get Madrigal back for Vera and Sheets.

Trooper Galactus

I think they need a backup catcher. Between Grandal’s spotty health and the absolute shit-show that is lined up behind him, their current crop of backups is boumd to cost them games and strain their pitchers unnecessarily.

HallofFrank

Homegrown, star catchers just seem so rare. Hell, star catchers seem so rare. That’s one position where the relative lack doesn’t bother me. A good defender/framer can be had on the market for cheap, so I can see the logic in piling up on athletic guys/big bats/big arms in the system—who tend to be not so cheap.

As Cirensica

Keith Law top 100 prospect has 13 catchers in it (and a lot of SS)
Source

1. Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles
6. Gabriel Moreno, C, Toronto Blue Jays
8. Francisco Alvarez, C, New York Mets
13. Diego Cartaya, C, Los Angeles Dodgers
20. Henry Davis, C, Pittsburgh Pirates
27. MJ Melendez, C, Kansas City Royals
35. Tyler Soderstrom, C, Oakland Athletics
49. Harry Ford, C, Seattle Mariners
67. Luis Campusano, C, San Diego Padres
75. Ivan Herrera, C, St. Louis Cardinals
79. Joey Bart, C, San Francisco Giants
80. Shea Langeliers, C, Atlanta Braves
97. Drew Romo, C, Colorado Rockies

HallofFrank

What point is this supposed to make? I didn’t say there aren’t prospect catchers or that catchers don’t make top 100 lists. I said star catchers are rare. 

See, for example, catchers on previous top 100 lists. In 2017 (oldest year on FG), FG and MLB’s Top 100 list each included the same five catchers (albeit in different order): Jorge Alfaro, Fransico Mejia, Carson Kelly, Chance Sisco, and Zack Collins. In the ~20 MLB season combined between them, there’s been exactly one 2+ WAR season—Carson Kelly’s 2.1 WAR season in ’21. I glanced at some older MLB lists (2012, 2014) and there certainly are a few success stories (Grandal, Gary Sanchez?, perhaps I missed someone?), but they are rare. 

Of course, prospect hits in general or rare. But, from what I can tell, they tend to be a lot rarer among catchers. Not only that, but a good, big-league regular catcher is relatively cheap. For example: Manny Pina’s career is probably a 90 percent outcome for a catching prospect, and he signed for 2 years, $8m before the lockout.

These things, combined with the inherent ceiling cap on the position, make catching prospects (I think) the least valuable position for prospects. Of course, I wish the Sox did have good catching prospects. But I hope they don’t seek to correct that by going looking for them. Draft an athletic outfielder or big arm instead. The potential payoff is much, much higher. 

Trooper Galactus

Let’s not forget that Jesus Montero spent three years as a top-10 prospect according to both BP and BA.

ParisSox

I thought you hated catchers. 😉

Last edited 2 years ago by ParisSox
peanutsNcrackerjack

Jim, I’ve logged into Sox Machine first, but am still not identified as a Patreon supporter. Can’t seem to get into that content. Credit card payments seem to be going through.

peanutsNcrackerjack

That seems to have done it. Thanks!
So when signing in each time, one should sign in under Patreon rather than Sox Machine? Not sure why we need to sign in, not every time but often, rather than the website remembering the device we’ve sign in on in the past. Is that a function of lapsed time since last on the site?