Completely confuses and profounds me…

He is to damn small to pitch in the ML.

1. I wouldn’t trade Smoak unless it was for someone extremely good and controllable. His approach and the type of hitter he is is just to valuable to this offense’s future, IMO. It needs an anchor, and he looks like it – I think he might actually be worth more to us than any possible trading partner in the long run.

2. I’ll leave this one to the guys like Dirkatron and Goyo.

3. At this point I think he might be our third-best SP prospect right now, after Feliz and Perez. Well,until Purke and Schepps officially sign that is.

4. Where I’m concerned, his mono probably makes me inclined to drop him fewer spots than if he had just been plain underperforming for no apparent reason other than suck.

luckily you don’t have to make that decision any time soon. Between Davis and Ramirez’s struggles it would be a hard choice.

If they both revert to previous norms, I tend to think I’d rather have Ramirez. Better K/BB ratio in the minors, although Davis has shown much better power. I have more faith in Rudy increasing Max’s power than I do in Rudy increasing Davis’ Patience.

Additionally, I think you have to consider that CD is a Boras client, so there is a good chance you basicly just have him through the arb years. That isn’t a huge consideration now, but by next year, when you probably have to make the decision, it will loom a little larger.

Would you?

I’d require a throw-in. With Bard, it’s done. But then I think the scale tips and they refuse.

Something sub-Bard…I’d probably still do it.

I’ve been really high on him since day 1, but even I think its hard to put him this high up given his lack of performance so far and injuries.

Due to his starts at the end last year in Clinton and his performance at FIL. Many believe at FIL he was one of the top pitchers there. Even with a couple of bad starts this year (and if it is rumored that mono took much out of him during these starts), people will still be high on him.

It’s honestly the best possible thing we could’ve heard.

There needed to be a reason for all the suck this year, and it needed to be something that wasn’t career threatening (ie, TJ Surgery or something like that).

Mono absolutely sucks and it has crushed much of this season for him, but it’s also the kind of thing that, once you’re recovered from it, you’re recovered from it. There shouldn’t be any long lasting effects from this like there would be from an arm injury.

Last year Moreland was the guy I fell madly in like with, this year it’s Bleier.

Kiker’s best attribute is his aggressiveness on the mound: He works extremely quickly and attacks hitters with stuff that is more above-average than plus. His fastball is 88-91 mph with a little sink, but not enough to make him a ground ball pitcher. His mid-70s curve has a short downward break while his changeup has a hard fade away from right-handed hitters. With plus command, that’s good enough stuff for him to be a starter in the majors, although the lack of a pure out pitch could lead him to the bullpen.

Sounds to me like a back of the rotation starter