Motion to bump threads from last year saying Leake was a horrible pick. Just to show how many armchair draft experts there were. If the guy can rake, I don't care what the scouting reports way about his defense.
Motion to bump threads from last year saying Leake was a horrible pick. Just to show how many armchair draft experts there were. If the guy can rake, I don't care what the scouting reports way about his defense.
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cinA switch-hitter, Grandal is batting .412 in 59 games with 14 home runs, 56 RBIs and a .537 on-base percentage. Scouting reports from MLB.com indicate he's a strong hitter with some raw power, but that it's not "plus power."
"He's very polished," Buckley said. "He's a plus thrower. He threw out 40 percent of runners this year at the University of Miami. He's well above [average] defensive player, a switch-hitter with power from both sides."
Being that you wasn't around last year at this time I will tell you most people on this board like the pick they may have not loved it but the pick was well received.Originally Posted by ILoveWilly
There fixed that for ya. Honestly the one guy (ok there was maybe 2) that I didn't want, the Reds are good for doing that. I'm guessing this is another piece to the Aroldis puzzle, the only good news on the pick. Hearing Buckley say that about his defense just kills me, we will see Chris and your reputation will take a major hit if he turns out well below avg defensively. Not only that there is a chance he won't hit either, ughh!
"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."
--Woody Hayes
Here are his numbers from his Freshman and Sophomore Campaign as well as a season of ball in the Cape Cod League between those two seasons.
Power seems suspect OBP seems legit.
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/playe...-Grandal.shtml
Can anyone give me a scouting report on Devin Mesoraco defensively? I have to think the Reds don't think Mez has what it takes defensively or they wouldn't have drafted a catcher in the first round for the second time in four years.
Before 2007, the Reds had only drafted catchers in the first round TWICE in club history: Dan LaMar in 1979 and Dan Wilson in 1990. Now we've taken catchers twice in four years. Amazing.
Again, this tells me the organization is not sold on Mesoraco as a catcher. His bat is improving, but maybe not his D? Can anyone confirm this? Refute it?
Mesoraco's defense is just fine. Good arm, accurate arm, calls a fine game. The Reds just took the BPA. It has nothing to do with Mesoraco.
I think this has more to do with potentially giving Aroldis a catcher he can communicate with than anything else. Not to say others can't but Grandal has that going for him and apparently the Reds people feel he is better than the reports we are getting. If he is kudos to them as Grandal could then be a steal but something tells me the Reds people are in the minority on his ability and are wrong on this one. 2 of the worst things you can have as a baseball player (and especially as a catcher) are poor arm strength and the nail in the coffin poor bat speed. I am more concerned about that bat speed than anything else because if true he could be an outright bust at the major league level and we may not even know it until he gets there ala Brandon Larson. If his bat is ok and he is polished defensively then I can live with a so-so arm.
"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."
--Woody Hayes
That's like saying they drafted Alonso because they didn't think Votto's bat would stick at 1B.
It has become obvious that they are going to take the best College player available with the top pick and deal with the logjam issues as they arise. What it does signal is that Soto probably won't stick at Catcher. So I would imagine he gets moved to LF, back to 3B or 1B permanently. Which means he need to hit a whole lot more than he currently is.
Having Grandel and Mez is a great problem to have...
If he was able to rake playing big-boy college baseball at a place like Miami, his bat speed can't be that slow.
I think this pick has 0% to do with Aroldis. The Reds took what they believed was BPA, and I'm happy with the pick.
Domo Arigato, Here Comes Joey Votto
---TRF
"I do what I want to do and say what I want to say."
--Bronson Arroyo
Or maybe they stick him with Soto as Mez was early in the year to slowly develop Soto alongside with a guy who knows what he is doing. Mez then gets promoted to AAA, Grandal to AA and Soto takes over bulk of the catching duties at high A.
"When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail"
and Coddington?
I doubt Grandal will sign before the August deadline, if he signs at all. I think they give Soto from now until August to see if the catching experiment works. If it doesn't, he goes back to either 3B or LF and better start to hit, as he'll start next year in AA.
I think Grandal goes the Alonso route of development, and gets a few games in Lynchburg this year before heading to Carolina next year. Hopefully Mez can OPS over .750 for the remainder of this year in AA so that he'll be ready for Louisville next year.
Go BLUE!!!
Man wouldn't it be great to have a pipeline of Hanigan, Denove, Mez, Grandal, Soto, Coddington, Fleury, Manz, Barnhardt, Y. Lopez. Good hitting catchers are the best trading chips any team can have.
I truly believe the Reds will never sign this guy and they know it.I may be wrong but I believe that was the plan from the start and Aroldis Chapman is your 1st round pick this year.
Last edited by Lockdwn11; 06-07-2010 at 11:20 PM.
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