Someone clue me in.......is the Futures Game about performance in the lst half or potential? Asking because Alvarez' numbers in the Cal League aren't exactly impressive.
Mostly about potential. Again, I don't know how exactly each player is chosen but it's not a Minor league all star game... They have those in each league and that is more about performance. This one is pretty much just a showcase of top prospects according to MLB. They go for the dudes with the shiniest tools, and Alvarez is a top right handed pitching prospect.
I believe that each team gets to select two representatives for the futures game. Some teams use the event to artificially inflate the stock of certain prospects, to just showcase them in front of the majority of other big league front offices or reward these guys for a solid season. There is no true method to the selection process.
Coincidentally or not the guys chosen from us are #1 and #2 on the spec list. A few teams have their #1 chosen but other than that it's all I got.
I missed this yesterday as I was driving back from Wyo, but Bill Plunkett talked to Zaidi and he threw Verdugo into the same class as Bellinger, Seager and Urias. They don't see any potential deals that would make them consider moving Verdugo. They consider him big league ready or close to big league ready right now.
I really wonder what this means behind the scenes. Yes, the "You're going to have to blow us away" scenario could be in play here, but I don't think it is likely. What it makes me think about is what they are looking at long term for this team? With Taylor, Bellinger, Pederson and Puig all in the fold and under contract for more years, what do they do with him? Or what are they going to do with one of the entrenched 4? He is still very young and has some things to work on, so keeping him in AAA all year is not a bad thing, but you have to wonder if he comes up and starts taking PT from Pederson or Puig down the stretch, if that could cause some issues. It was brought up a couple of years ago by some vets that the FO made them get the feeling of having to look over their shoulders, not sure the club would want that come playoff time. With Verdugo in the future plans though, he is absolutely going to need to come up and play this year. The FO has an interesting hurdle coming up.
A BP write up on Starling Heredia who has made it stateside and is destroying the world at 18: Starling Heredia, OF, Los Angeles NL (Profile) Level: Short Season Age: 18 Org Rank: 16 Top 100: NR Line: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 2B, BB Notes Heredia is built like Juan Uribe — not 18-year-old Juan Uribe, but rather late-career Juan Uribe — and yet somehow still hauls ass down the line and posts plus run times while torching fastballs up in the zone. He looked too comfortable at the plate in the AZL to stay down there for very long and was moved to Odgen. He has star-level tools, a chance for average to above hit, plus raw power, and early-career speed. Between the two levels, .447/.519/.894, 8:10 B:K, 4 HR's in 55 PA's. He was one of our prized IFA's in the year that we blew the doors down.
i think joc and particularly puig (hitting with power) could be shipped in the right deal i doubt verdugo is dealt unless we get a marquee mlb sp in return
Next year will be interesting, but after 2018 Gonzalez, Puig, and Forsythe are all off the books, basically opening up spots for Bellinger, Verdugo, and Taylor.
puig and agon have guaranteed (salaries) for 2018 but forsythe has an $8.5MM team option with a paltry $1MM buyout if he doesn't heat up big time in the 2nd half he's toast
Good point. Plus AGon has a guaranteed salary, but no guarantee he will be any good. Bellinger, Taylor, Verdugo could all easily be in next years opening day lineup.