Some perspective on the Latin teenagers
I might be as biased as one can be, since Andrus, Beltre and Feliz (and Salty and MaxRam) are all among the 15-20 prospects on my little simulation roster (stop copying me JD), but with all disclaimers (years before they help the club, undeveloped tools, etc) as givens, the Rangers have collected some pretty special talents here.
Andrus was one of four 18 year olds to-be on Baseball America's Top 100. The others, Billy Rowell, Jose Tabata and Fernando Martinez, have all battled injuries and questions on their status as well, given the level they are all at for their ages. Also, all three are corner players with less positional value, and none are considered even decent defenders. But that is some high cotton for a prospect, being in the middle of those sorts of names.
Beltre, who has survived but not excelled as a 17 year old in the GCL, was considered to be one of the two or three most talented guys in a class that included Carlos Triunfel, Angel Villalona and Beltre's ex-teammate Oscar Tejeda, among just name after name of promising kids. He has special physical talent with a power projection through the roof, good speed and arm, and some semblence of patience at the plate. To my knowledge he was the only player in minor league baseball last season who was publicly compared with a young Barry Bonds and Darryl Strawberry (by someone outside of their - and the Rangers - organization, no less). He surpasses any of the Rangers' highly regarded signings in the past two Latin classes, and you know that AJ Preller, for one, was excited to get another shot at him.
Feliz, simply, has one of the best arms in the minor leagues. We've fortunately advanced as a baseball community past starting and stopping with fastball velocity when we discuss pitching prospects, but when it comes with some promise on a curveball and quality initial performance, it is noteworthy. Feliz is one of a handful of raw but promising very hard throwers in the lower levels in whom I had particular interest.
These guys, especially Andrus but really the other two as well, are household names among people who follow prospects through all levels and are three of the elite physical talents to come from Latin America in the last few years.
I'm really excited to have each of them, because, as Adam mentioned below, they aren't Jim Bowden decathletes who have no ability to play baseball. They are baseball tools guys with depth to their games.
Also, a miscellaneous point that has probably been mentioned on here but that I haven't seen or heard yet today. The Rangers have traded for four pitchers in these deals, and three of them are lefties. In updating my personal organizational depth chart one thing that had been jumping out at me was how weak they had become in left handed pitching. And while none of the three are big studs at this point, they are all prominent enough to make a real difference in the quality depth at that spot, with one at each tier (MLB, AA, LA)
0 recs |
38 comments
Comments
thanks for....
by erikj07 on Jul 31, 2007 6:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
sweet
by trza on Jul 31, 2007 6:45 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Sounds nice
I'll have lots to like.
I can hear you guys call them greedy already..
by Sharky on Jul 31, 2007 6:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Shut your piehole
by tlt29 on Jul 31, 2007 7:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum...
by ghtd36 on Jul 31, 2007 9:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Stats so far....
Beltre (OF): .215/.314/.413 in ~132 PA in Rk ball
Triunfel (SS): .319/.345/.388 in ~269 PA across A-Rk/A+ ball
Villalona (3B): .264.352/.462 in ~118 PA in Rk ball
Tejeda (SS): .293/.348/.407 in ~135 PA in Rk ball
Now zywica usually knows these types of prospects much better than I do.
OTOH, he DOES tend to overvalue prospects like I overvalue stats in evaluating prospects.
Still, some good info. Thanks, zywica. I'm still leery of proclaiming some of these guys as sure-fire 1st rounders (though you most likely could say that of Triunfel)....
Req
by Requiem on Jul 31, 2007 7:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
But to ignore every report of this guy's physical talent is just sticking your head in the sand. No one's guaranteeing anything by any means, but I think people should know the rest of the story. We can all read his stat line.
by Brett Perryman on Jul 31, 2007 7:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think you misread my statement.
That is I put more weight (probably too much) on stats vs. scouting reports whereas you put more weight on prospects vs. major leaguers.
I did not mean you don't look at stats. Far from it.
Physical talent and all is fine. It's translating that talent to production which is more important to me.
Very true on the sample size.
It's going to be a LONG time until we see the results from Beltre, which is why I'd prefer the sandwich pick (and the decent chance at a Type A compensation pick).
Req
by Requiem on Jul 31, 2007 7:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
First of all
I'm also not disagreeing with you that there is necessarily an appreciable difference between what they got in the trade and potentially two picks. I'm a little disappointed with that deal, as I said. However I think that Beltre is more worth the equivalent of a sandwich pick than you apparently do, and I think that he isn't necessarily far from how advanced the guy we might pick, if he's a HS guy, would be. For instance, we picked Neil Ramirez in the range that we'd probably get the sandwich pick. I'm not sure that Beltre is all that far behind him.
Beyond that it's a little hard to compare. I would certainly think that our pick at, say, 25 would be more advanced, yeah.
by Brett Perryman on Jul 31, 2007 8:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah...
For me personally, I just don't like trading for players extremely far away. Especially, if they're essentially the centerpiece of a solid trade.
If we'd gotten Beltre for Sosa, I'd have been ecstatic. Even Mahay, I would have been ok with. But Gagne is the premier reliever (who can double as closer) on the trading block this July, and Beltre is far from the type of player that I'd be centering a deal around (if he was the centerpiece).
Eh, I'm probably just beating a dead horse now.
Suffice to say, I don't really look at prospects as trade targets until they hit A- ball....
Req
by Requiem on Jul 31, 2007 8:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
And
by Brett Perryman on Jul 31, 2007 7:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Also req
by Brett Perryman on Jul 31, 2007 7:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm fine with Andrus....
But that's just splitting hairs.
Req
by Requiem on Jul 31, 2007 8:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
I like that deal a ton more than the other one.
by Brett Perryman on Jul 31, 2007 8:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
who doesnt
other than beltre there isn't anything for me to really like there
by rentz on Jul 31, 2007 8:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm just
by Brett Perryman on Jul 31, 2007 8:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
One other thing...
I think the Rangers believe they have a pretty good shot at bringing him back next year. I think they are hoping to bring him back, anyway.
So if they don't trade him, and re-sign him, they get no draft pick compensation.
If they do trade him, and re-sign him, they lose a 2nd rounder, but get the package they traded him for.
by Adam J. Morris on Jul 31, 2007 10:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Daniels was certainly clear
The fact that they might try to re-sign him was a factor in me feeling like it would be worth trading him (based on the no comp/2nd rounder thing). Of course I thought that they'd get more.
Also, Gagne acting concerned about the return in the deal seems like a positive sign in that direction (if you're rooting for him to get a big, long deal to come back).
by Brett Perryman on Jul 31, 2007 10:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Money
I'd almost rather see them not sign any big names to long term contracts though, unless Hicks is willing to pick up salary later if they need to be traded or dumped.
by t ball on Jul 31, 2007 10:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
A
by UK Ranger on Jul 31, 2007 7:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
thanks for the info z
by Longhorn on Jul 31, 2007 7:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Don't remind me
by Clueless on Jul 31, 2007 7:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
zywica
by NYTXFAN on Jul 31, 2007 8:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Harrison
by Brett Perryman on Jul 31, 2007 8:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
request
by shroomer on Jul 31, 2007 8:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Never been a
by Brett Perryman on Jul 31, 2007 9:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
this is
by NYTXFAN on Jul 31, 2007 8:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
John Danks?
WS I think is 10-11 goal, division is 09
by bushe on Jul 31, 2007 9:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dude
by Longhorn on Jul 31, 2007 10:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
top 100 prospects
by t ball on Jul 31, 2007 10:53 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Actually
Davis wouldn't make it I don't think, nor Whittleman even though he was in the Futures and the midseason one. His slump has just been pretty bad. He could surprise me though. He, Teagarden and Andrus probably have the 3rd, 4th and 5th best shots.
Feliz, maybe he gets a lights out report in the Appy (though they will miss him some now with him leaving, could hurt him), but I'd be surprised.
The guy who I know you people will groan about but if he had only pitched a little more would have a shot is Main. He's the 4th or 5th prospect in the org for me at the moment. Okay start groaning.
by Brett Perryman on Jul 31, 2007 10:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
And Duran
by Brett Perryman on Jul 31, 2007 10:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Poveda
by uthornfan on Jul 31, 2007 11:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Repeating low-A
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 1, 2007 12:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I know
by uthornfan on Aug 1, 2007 12:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
And on MaxRam
by Brett Perryman on Jul 31, 2007 11:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

by 
















