I don't see that there's a lot at issue in whether Francisco works on his walks at Sarasota or Carolina. We all know what he needs to do. Might even be the case that he's better off working on that particular skill at the higher level where the pitching is more consistent. Seems to me the real issue here is getting Frazier some PT at 3rd where most of us probably see him playing in Cinti.--though it's certainly possible he could end up in a corner OF spot with the Reds too.
The problem is, if there is even an inkling that he may repeat AA, why didn't he repeat High A this year, at least to start, so a guy who is much more advanced could get reps at 3B, then when he was moved to AAA you could call up Francisco?Originally Posted by Kc61
As for his numbers getting better, slightly. But they still represent exactly what he did last year.
The walks or strikeouts are really going to be the key. Either Francisco has to cut his strikeout rate in half or he is going to have to walk at least twice as often as he generally does. Its not rocket science and the fact that the Reds don't seem to be that concerned by it is somewhat bothersome. The key numbers there are ISOP, BB% and K% and all fall directly in line with Francisco's career rates.Code:Split PA ISOP BB% K% BABIP GB% LD% April 91 .205 3.3% 24.2% .258 45% 19% May 127 .192 3.1% 22.0% .299 42% 27% June 57 .231 5.3% 19.3% .316 51% 17%
Last edited by dougdirt; 06-15-2009 at 02:02 PM.
Wow, David Espinosa plays for West Tenn. (I'm sure some of you knew that, but, well, not me.)
I don't have access to all the monthly stats for Francisco, but it seems to me that his hitting has improved and he is playing at a level fairly high for a player of his age. As far as I'm concerned, he has 1 1/2 seasons remaining at AA to get his walk rate improved. Maybe it's achievable, maybe not, but meanwhile his other attributes -- power and the knack for driving in runs -- are still evident.
This guy's upside is so high that the Reds need to work with him on this. It would be a shame if he doesn't make it.
Carolina back in a rain delay.
Espinosa just got picked up from Indy ball a couple weeks ago. There is no regular 3b at AAA. They could move Frazier there in a hearbeat if they wanted to.
I guess the main issue with that is that him being at AA when he could easily have worked on his problems in High A is that it led to Todd Frazier, a better prospect, being shifted to another position when he is more advanced and can be ready for the Majors by September 2009.
Maybe. But Frazier was moved to the outfield also because the Reds thought they have a third baseman for the next two years in EE, not expecting him to get hurt. And all the talk about Frazier at third forgets that EE will be back and, according to Jocketty last week, EE is the third baseman.
So Frazier probably has a better chance of playing in LF. EE will play third when healthy.
Maybe the Reds plan makes as much sense to them as yours does to you.
Carolina wins in a rain shortened game.
Perhaps. Its going to be interesting to see how it plays out, but if Alonso remains in the organization, I just don't see anywhere for Frazier to play LF if that happens. However it does still leave open the option for Frazier at 3B. Maybe the Reds see a much larger plan than I do, but I just can't find a way that it all makes sense unless they have no intentions of keeping Yonder Alonso.
I'd guess since Frazier was a SS, they're pretty confident he can play 3B. IMO, they want him getting reps in the OF so he can be a multi-position option in the big leagues. He looks a lot like a guy who doesn't have the glove for the middle every day and maybe not quite enough bat for the corners. But he has enough of both to play a lot at many positions. If he hits, he can always stick somewhere at that point, but why not get him prepared for the supersub role anyway?
All my posts are my opinion - just like yours are. If I forget to state it and you're too dense to see the obvious, look here!
I'd be surprised if the Reds werent confident in Fraziers defensive ability. If they were they wouldnt have him playing 3 positions and stuck with him at SS for as long as they did in A ball.
Badly needed depth so that each season doesn't turn into "if only [fill in current star or two that is supposed to carry the team to the promised land] didn't get injured"?
I was always really high on Francisco based on his combination of age/level/production. After seeing him play though, I am no where near as optimistic of his future. I am not a scout but I believe his negatives and positives are inextricably tied to his swing and you cannot fixt one without impacting the other.
His swing is long, but the bigger part of the problem I believe is that he really for lack of a better description, coils his body up like a spring and then lets everything loose. The uncoiling and long swing generates tremendous torque and bat speed hence the power, but the time it takes to uncoil everything means he needs to start his swing earlier, meaning less time to determine whether a pitch is a ball or a strike. The results are obvious and I think will be exploited more as he guys higher up the chain.
They might be able to get him quicker to the ball, but I am not sure they can do it without cutting down on his swing, therefore cutting down on his power. So I guess it comes down to what is a fair balance.
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