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| Re: Las Vegas 51's |
Tue, 05 June 2012 21:20   |
 Gimbeaux
Messages: 2298
Registered: October 2005 |
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I was at the game on Saturday, primarily to get a live look at Trevor Bauer, the ballyhooed Diamondbacks prospect who was throwing for Reno. It still had to be well over 100 degrees at game time, and the 51s provided a pretty stiff test for Bauer with the likes of Adam Lind, Vladmir Guerrero and some of the Blue Jays' better young prospects such as Travis d'Arnaud and Anthony Gose (ranked No. 1 and No. 2 by Baseball America). Adeiny Hechavarria is also a regular in the 51s lineup, though he's thought to be more of a glove-first guy at shortstop. Guerrero's bat speed wasn't there, though he did jerk one off the right field fence, only to get thrown out on a bonehead baserunning play at third. I don't know what he has left, but he may serve as another DH/semi-power bat off the bench candidate. I can't see regular field time for him at this stage.
d'Arnaud is the guy that I came away most impressed by, and a lot of scouts think it's a matter of time before he supplants Arencibia up in Toronto. He has great footwork behind the plate, and his bat profiles well to challenge for 20-plus HRs as a Big League regular, in my opinion. He was off to a slow start here in Las Vegas, but has looked the part over the last few weeks. I wasn't as impressed with Gose, as he looked to have a little bit of hot dog in him, but many scouts project him as a Grade 70-plus runner and an above-average defensive outfielder. Both d'Arnaud and Gose are former Phillies prospects, with d'Arnaud being a key piece in the Halladay deal, along with Kyle Drabek. Gose was acquired from the Astros after going in the Oswalt-to-Philadelphia deal.
I've said this before: if the Blue Jays want to make a splash on July 31, they have plenty of bullets to do so. They also have the dollars to spend in Free Agency, but have remained cautious in their approach. This is an organization with some good resources, and I liked their draft again yesterday. If I'm Alex Anthopolus, I'm keeping d'Arnaud and taking calls for Arencibia, who would get me less in a trade, but is way more expendable. Lawrie hasn't shined like a lot hoped he would this year, but he's still a solid cornerstone. The key will be developing the pitching, which hasn't been easy.
For those interested in Bauer, who should up with Arizona soon (one would hope): he draws comparisons to Lincecum with his quirky delivery and small frame. He's listed at 6'1", which is laughable, but he has solid velocity and a very-plus curve. His command on Saturday was spotty, but the 51s have an advanced lineup, especially for Triple-A, not to mention the hot temperature and pitching in the joke of a hitter's park known as Cashman Field. I won't ding Bauer for any of that. He was routinely in the low-to-mid 90s, and his routine includes throwing a long-toss session from foul pole to foul pole, and a crow hop on his first warm-up pitch, which can reach in excess of 100 mph, every inning. I didn't get to see the pre-game routine, but did see the crow hop. The kid is a piece of work, and I'd like to see him in Phoenix soon.
[Updated on: Tue, 05 June 2012 21:21]
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| Re: Las Vegas 51's |
Tue, 12 June 2012 18:43 |
Gimbeaux
Messages: 2298
Registered: October 2005 |
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I guess in theory, Encarnacion can be moved to first base to pencil in Guerrero as a DH, but the Blue Jays have some other options that I think would suit them better at this point. They still need to see what Snider can do, once he comes back from his injury, and if they gave up on Lind, I'm not sure how Guerrero was ever going to be in the plans. Not that Lind is any great shakes at this point.
I don't want to sit here and say that four ABs make a complete scouting report, but when I saw him play, I didn't see the bat speed or the right body to think Guerrero can handle an everyday role, even as a DH. I think a late-inning, down-two, let's-see-if-he-can-step-into-one type of role might have been it. And to be honest, I would hate to see him end up in a place like Oakland or Tampa Bay in the effort to sell tickets, only to flame out. Maybe the guy gets a chance and proves me wrong, but I'm not seeing it. The guy is a HOFer in my opinion, and I just think now is the time to ride off.
Regarding Cashman Field, I agree on the "dump" analysis. I'm usually a guy that will accept the bare minimum, as long as I'm getting a nice on-field product, but the night I went, the misters were not fully functional in the sweltering heat, the concession lines were beyond ridiculous, and it just wasn't an overall great experience. I'm sure the management team is doing all it can, and I'm not going to hang them out to dry, as I know that some of the more respected people there have been banging down the doors for a new yard, only to see the local politicos sit on their hands or have a pipe dream for a Major League park. The field itself also has a lot to be desired, with the joke dimensions and lack of an indoor hitting facility. The infield has been known to be rock hard, and I'm not sure how the Blue Jays can fairly evaluate players there. In fact, I don't know how any organization sends any pitching prospect of any note to the PCL, when you're playing in places like Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs, Reno, etc. That's why you see more of the premium guys move right from Double-A, while you see the Quad-A guys and filler-types line the PCL. Maybe you can send some questionable positional prospects to put up some numbers and bump up trade value, but I'm not sending any pitchers to throw in the altitude, heat and wind of the PCL.
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