Who is Redszone's #3 prospect?

[Kc61]

FWIW, my guess is that Frazier's name will be prominent in trade talks. Reds just don't seem to know what to do with this guy. This isn't meant as a slap on his ability, he seems like a very consistent right handed hitter, I consider him one of the Reds' three top guys with JF and Alonso.

But the move for Rolen shows that the Reds really want plus defense at third base. Not just the ability to play third base, but a true third baseman. And Rolen will likely be a Red for two or maybe three more years.

Oddly, if I were guessing, the guy most likely to stay with the Reds is Francisco. Either Alonso or Votto probably will be traded. I see Frazier as potential trade bait. And I don't see Heisey having the bat as a regular corner outfielder. Stubbs will be the guy who takes CF due to his superb glove.

I do see Francisco in left field, at least as a platoon.

Who knows, but I've thought for some time that the Reds were treating Frazier as a trade piece.

[TRF]

Frazier's comp... Todd Walker.

Yorman's comp... Eric Davis.


just sayin'

[Kc61]

Originally Posted by TRF

Frazier's comp... Todd Walker.

Yorman's comp... Eric Davis.


just sayin'

If Yorman gets to .700 OPS at some level, maybe you can start making comps like that. If and when.

[TRF]

Originally Posted by Kc61

If Yorman gets to .700 OPS at some level, maybe you can start making comps like that. If and when.

He is 16, And I didn't make the comp, scouts did.

[Kc61]

Originally Posted by TRF

He is 16, And I didn't make the comp, scouts did.

It's all just way premature. Good athlete who appears to have baseball-type abilities at age 16, great to have.

Eric Davis? I'll wait on that, thanks.

[TRF]

16 year old playing in the Pioneer League.

Exactly how often does THAT happen?

[REDblooded]

umm, yeah, still Yorman for me...

[mound_patrol]

Originally Posted by TRF

Frazier's comp... Todd Walker.

Yorman's comp... Eric Davis.


just sayin'

+1
If we were voting on who is most likely to help the Reds in the very near future I'd vote for Frazier, but this is best prospect and I'll take Yorman over Frazier every time.

[lollipopcurve]

16 year old playing in the Pioneer League.

Exactly how often does THAT happen?

I definitely agree that Yorman's performance in the Pioneer League was impressive. However, here's an interesting quote from a recent Gammons piece on ESPN.com:

Red Sox vice president of international scouting Craig Shipley figures that when a club signs a 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic or Venezuela it takes a minimum of six years to determine whether that player is a legitimate prospect.

Somewhat sobering to think it may be 5 years before we know if Yorman is legit....

[JaxRed]

My debate was between Frazier, Yorman and Francisco. I want to see impact guys and I keep thinking that Frazier is going to be solid but not impact. So between the 2 impact guys, I'll go with the one who's on the cusp. Francisco.

[nmculbreth]

Frazier.

I'm not as high on Frazier as some other people, mainly due to ambiguity about where he'll end up on the diamond, but he has been a consistently good hitter at every level and is right on the cusp of the majors. I don't see him ever being an impact player but I could see him OPSing around .800 while playing a bunch of different positions in a role similar to DeRosa or Casey Blake.

I was tempted to go with Yorman Rodriguez given his immense upside but given his age it is really tough to project what kind of player he might develop into. Maybe he's the next Eric Davis, maybe he'll end up washing out. Only time will tell.

[TRF]

Originally Posted by JaxRed

My debate was between Frazier, Yorman and Francisco. I want to see impact guys and I keep thinking that Frazier is going to be solid but not impact. So between the 2 impact guys, I'll go with the one who's on the cusp. Francisco.

And that is the best argument I've read so far. Kudos.

[TRF]

Originally Posted by lollipopcurve

I definitely agree that Yorman's performance in the Pioneer League was impressive. However, here's an interesting quote from a recent Gammons piece on ESPN.com:



Somewhat sobering to think it may be 5 years before we know if Yorman is legit....

Took Cueto 4 years, to make his MLB debut, but he was a little older, 18 I believe.

But how many 16 year olds are signed for the amount Yorman was, sought after by several teams? I think he, more than Duran has the best chance to be a star. And the best part is, if he pans out, He'll be Red at the time Bruce is hitting his prime years.

[Kc61]

Originally Posted by TRF

And that is the best argument I've read so far. Kudos.

Put another way --

Francisco will be in the middle of the Reds' lineup when most of these other guys are still in the minor leagues working on their walk rate.

[mace]

As an interesting note (to me, at least) that probably means very little, Frazier's apparent election here represents the third straight first-rounder, one for each of the last three drafts. (OK, he was a supplemental first-rounder, behind Mesoraco, but a first-rounder nevertheless.) That pattern suggests . . .

1) the Reds are doing an excellent job with their highest picks;

2) they're not doing so hot overall, with very few players stepping up and distinguishing themselves;

or

3) the constituency here is heavily swayed by the perceptions that attend first-round draft picks.

Not sure which it is. But I wouldn't count out No. 3.

(My guess for the fourth-rated prospect is Yorman, who was of course not drafted but, by dint of tools and hoopla, clearly falls into the same kind of categorization.)

(For what it's worth, I do like all these players. I'm especially intrigued by Frazier's intangibles.)