Zach at #2? Ahead of Drabek?

 

And here I thought he would be the thrown in for Morrow...

I posted this in the other thread, but it is more fitting here. Also, I got to clean up some spelling! You don't realize how dependant you are on spell check until you try expressing yourself with a blackberry on the go train without it.

Jays certainly have many prospects coming off bad years. AA is like a new portfolio manager taking over in the midst of a recession. Many of the assets appear to have no where to go but up.

I am cautiously optimistic that Ahrens and Jackson can show something in their second years at high A. It would be nice to have some possible talent on the much discussed left side of the infield.

With regards to Sickles rating Stewart over Drabek - he uses the word underrated with reference to Stewart, as opposed to overrated with reference to Drabek. When I first read the rankings I was concerned that he might not value Drabek very highly. But it seems the rankings are more a reflection of being high on Stewart, and conservative with Drabek.

He mentions that Stewart, Drabek and Jenkins could form a solid foundation for a starting rotation *if things break right*. I mentioned on a different site, but that is exciting - especially with Marcum, Romero, Cecil and Zep poised to support them, along the possibility that Morrow realizes his potential.

Or course Jenkins hasn't even pitched as a pro yet, so I should curb my enthusiasm. I have spent the last 5 years looking forward to the "rotations of two years in the future" which never seem to materialize.

Considering the poor outlook for the major league club, there is certainly more excitement surrounding the club that one might expect. And before long there will be threads on battersbox with a picture of frosty mug of draft beer.

I'm getting a little tired of hearing the "potential closer" tag applied to almost every young Jays pitcher.  Are there any pitchers in the organization, aside from maybe Camp and Carlson and Tallet, who have not been closers in the past or potential closers in the future?   Now we're also hearing it about Morrow and Stewart.  Seems to have become an all-purpose tag for any pitcher with good stuff.

I'm getting a little tired of hearing the "potential closer" tag applied to almost every young Jays pitcher. ... Seems to have become an all-purpose tag for any pitcher with good stuff.

It's not fashionable to say a guy has a menial job in his future. The only pitching jobs with enough glamour and respect to satisfy many egos are starting pitcher and closer.  It's what the pitchers aspire to be; it's what GMs aspire to acquire. It's what wins Cy Youngs and big gobs of money.

I'd love to see the guy who makes it fashionable to close out games for 2 or 3 innings at a time. Of course it likely wouldn't go over well if the club was seen to be 'expirementing' with Brandon Morrow, after all that the poor boy has already been through. But technically, the guy could be a 'relief ace' without confining him to the final inning of close games.

And maybe then you would get an even more all-purpose tag of "useful pitcher" or "innings eater" or "key staff contributor" applied to young pitchers with good stuff.

I would rank Tyler Pastornicky in the top 10. He is the one prospect who stood out to me as being successful after being pushed to a higher level. Perhaps he doesn't have the raw tools of some of the others but he has something more imortant in my estimation - kid just knows how to play baseball. I think it is quite possible, even likely, that he is in the show 3 years hence regardless whatever ss prospect that may or may not be acquired in the meantime. He is one of those hidden prospects that inclines me to believe that the prospect pool is not as thin as some lead us to believe. It will be intersting to see what transpires over the next few years.

I am with Peter G.  The chance that Pastornicky will be an average ML shortstop in 3 years is greater than the chance that Josh Roenicke will be an average ML closer in 3 years, in my opinion.  The same goes for Sierra in rightfield (and I think that Sierra has a decent chance to be a modestly above average rightfielder).  I'd rather have the shortstop or rightfielder. 

I cannot remember a year in which I disagreed with Sickels to the degree that I do this year.  I had no input at all into BB's list, but it is, as far as I am concerned, the best of them (it goes without saying that BB's list would have reflected the Halladay prospects prominently among the top 6).  The prospects that I am excited about in the organization are Drabek, Stewart, Jenkins, D'Arnaud, Perez, Wallace, Pastornicky, Sierra and Thames.  All are, to my mind, B- or better prospects.

I'd have Henderson Alvarez on that list too Mike.

It'll be interesting where BA ranks us post-trade.  They had Philly as a top 5 system and ours as a bottom 5.  I think our system is clearly better and deeper than Philly's now.

If anyone needs to read the 2,734th anatomy written on the Halladay trade you can thank Bob Elliott today. Comes complete with a lengthy detailed timeline of events and claims such as at least 15 or 16 teams showed interest in Doc and roughly 60 players were mentioned as part of a Halladay package. Personally, I have to wonder what team offered a package of 60 players(!)  and why Anthopolous wouldn't take it, besides the problem of where you are going to fit 60 ballplayers in the organization. (kidding)

Also to be found in the latest rehash is this gem of a quote from Ned Colletti about AA: "He's sharp. I nicknamed him 'Slick' and told him if this GM thing doesn't work out, he can be an agent because he can B.S. with the best of them. We talked so often, four times a day, that I miss him. He called the other day asking for the same players we offered for Halladay ... except he doesn't have Halladay any more."  Also, "I walk in and he has tea made for me," Coletti says.

Also, to upset a few folks, the claim is made "The Yanks offer Montero and prospects, but no Hughes or Chamberlain." Also.... "The Phils suggest moving Aumont and Gillies -- both Canadians -- to the Jays, to keep Drabek. Anthopoulos likes both Seattle prospects, but prefers Drabek."
and....

DEC. 14

Amaro and Halladay meet. "He was exactly what our scouting report said," recalled Amaro. "He looked you in the eye."

I'll have to look out for Tyler Pastornicky as I have never heard him mentioned before.  It sounds similar to Reed Johnson.  I had never heard him mentioned as a lead prospect and I think that several people got a crack at the job ahead of Reed during spring training but Reed managed to make the most of his abilities and has proven to be a valuable average player.  (It's Christmas, let's not start the Reed is awesome/sucks debate.)

On another note, it appears as if Mr. Tom Cheek is now in 2nd place in the Ford C. Frick voting.  Ouch. 
If you have Facebook & are inclined to vote,  it really would be wonderful if Tom came out on top. 

http://www.facebook.com/baseballhall?v=app_20678178440

I'll second the voting link.

 

At the moment it is 195(44%) to 197(45%)

 

Keep voting guys

200 each on my check for Cheek vs Doucet (who also clearly belongs - the French voice of the Expos).  No one else even at 10 votes.  Seems odd.

Pastornicky doesn't do it for me, at least not yet. He has held his own at a young age, but not really shown any exceptional skills besides his speed. If I'm going to have a player at the top of the order I want someone with a better average than .270. His minor league OBP is ok, at .346 and if he could make a little more contact that would increase. His power is also really weak, he doesnt even show doubles power.  A SS who could possibly steal 40+ bases and lead off is definatly intruiging but he still has a lot of work to do with his bat.

Denoit, it really depends on what his defense is like.  He doesn't have to be a top of the order bat to have value if he can steal bases and play solid defense, that's a perfect #9 hitter quite frankly.  I'm pretty high on him , but we'll have to wait and see what the book is on his defense in two seasons.

I took the Stewart ranking as an encouraging review of Stewart not a slight of Drabek;

I was stunned Schempf made the top 20

I was really surprised Roenicke still qualified (or I was when he showed up on BA's list.

I was surprised Seirra wasn't more highly regarded by Sickels

I did a revision of my rankings after the trade but due to a Firefox crash I lost it. 

I would rank Sickels assessment a D-

LOL

The vote is refreshed every day. Cheek & Doucet always have the lion's share, and Nuxhall gets a few too.

You don't realize how dependant you are on spell check

Simply because I am a huge fan of the ironic moment, you mean dependEnt. The -ent is an adjective, the -ant is a nominal. Merry merry!

;-P

I like Pastornicky, but I’m not sure if he will hit enough to get beyond being a bench player at the major league level. That said, he’s young enough to develop substantially beyond his current level, and his "intangibles" are a big positive.

- Sickels on Pastornicky in the comments section

 

 

Merry Christmas, all...
A short article from Mass on Tim Collins:

http://www.telegram.com/article/20091225/NEWS/912250409/1009/SPORTS

Adam Foster and ProjectProspect  (    http://projectprospect.com/article/2009/12/01/top-15-catching-prospects   )   lists their take on the Top 15 Catching prospects and have this to say ...

#11 Travis D'Arnaud C Elite defender w/ good contact skills and power; BB% was 3.7 in Apr. vs. 9.5 in Aug. 21.2 PHI A

 He was the 4th youngest of those listed, one of only two with elite defense and only one with contact and power and elite "D"... sounds pretty good to me .