Yasmani Grandal

[aubashbrother]

Im a big fan of Barnhardt. Wheres he starting at Billings ?

[Caveat Emperor]

I like this pick a lot. He's another guy on a short timetable to the major leagues, he switch hits, has power potential and he plays a premium defensive position. I think I remember reading somewhere that he speaks spanish (plus for eventually handling a staff of Volquez, Cueto & Chapman), and he continues to build the Reds organizational ties to Cuban baseball.

Plus, he frees the team to consider packaging Mesoraco for help at the big league level this year, right as he starts to heat up.

Solid pick by Jocketty. Absolutely no complaints this year.

[Blitz Dorsey]

Originally Posted by Lockdwn11

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.

Hey Debbie Downer, your SNL skit is about to start. ;-)

[Lockdwn11]

Originally Posted by Blitz Dorsey

Hey Debbie Downer, your SNL skit is about to start. ;-)

LOl Funny you should say that. If I sound bummed its because I am. I may be dead wrong about this guy but all the scouting reports I have read leading up to the draft made me not want this guy at all Slow bat,(from the right side) bellow avg. arm behind the plate and well below avg. foot speed . I have a hard time believing almost everybody else is wrong and the Reds scouts are right on this one. Grandal wants alot (reported 6 mill) of money to sign. The Reds know this and was said to be looking for a player at slot money. Grandal isn't going to sign for slot and the only thing that makes sense to me is the Reds are counting on this being the case. They have Chapman this year and two 1st round picks in a much better 2011 draft.

[nemesis]

Originally Posted by Lockdwn11

Grandal wants alot (reported 6 mill) of money to sign.

Incorrect. according to MLBTR:

The Royals' and Grandal had agreed to a predraft offer of $2.9MM. Yasmani Grandal then was offered $3.5ish by Cleveland. When Grandal went back to KC with this info they dropped him. Then Cleveland didn't even draft the kid, which to me is odd. The Reds had to know this. They have no intention of punting the pick. There was enough quality, signable talent at 12 that they coulda chose and let Grandal slide right by. Bet they have a deal in place by July 1st. Give him 30 games behind the plate in Dayton. AZFL, then Lynchburg to start next year.

Offer him $3MM. same money 8 spots later.... Take it or leave it.

Brentz, Vitek, Deglan already have deals so the ball is already rolling...

[Mario-Rijo]

Originally Posted by 11larkin11

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.

Nothing at all huh, just coincidence that they chose a cuban speaking catcher? I find that hard to believe and maybe they did also think he was BPA but the fact that he can communicate with Aroldis had to play into making his worth more to them.

BTW an informative read:

Palm Beach Post

Cuban emigre Yasmani Grandal has blossomed into a star catcher for Miami

CORAL GABLES — On his first day in the United States, 10-year-old Yasmani Grandal sat in front of a TV set at his uncle's home and wolfed down two huge Cuban sandwiches, slowing only to wash it down with a jug of Coke.

Within two months, the scrawny Cuban émigré had packed on 20 pounds....

[Mario-Rijo]

Originally Posted by Lockdwn11

LOl Funny you should say that. If I sound bummed its because I am. I may be dead wrong about this guy but all the scouting reports I have read leading up to the draft made me not want this guy at all Slow bat,(from the right side) bellow avg. arm behind the plate and well below avg. foot speed . I have a hard time believing almost everybody else is wrong and the Reds scouts are right on this one. Grandal wants alot (reported 6 mill) of money to sign. The Reds know this and was said to be looking for a player at slot money. Grandal isn't going to sign for slot and the only thing that makes sense to me is the Reds are counting on this being the case. They have Chapman this year and two 1st round picks in a much better 2011 draft.

I don't know if I agree but you paint a compelling picture here.

[JaxRed]

This pick has NOTHING to do with Chapman. Even if he does speak "Cuban". I like the pick, and hope he signs quickly.

[OesterPoster]

I like the pick too, and I don't quite understand all the lamenting over too many catching prospects in the pipeline. It wasn't too long ago that a lot of posters were salivating over the Rangers big 3 catching prospects, Teagarden, Salty, and Ramirez. You can't really say that any of those 3 has panned out yet, so I don't see the big deal with having a high pedigree catcher at a couple levels of the system.

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by Mario-Rijo

Nothing at all huh, just coincidence that they chose a cuban speaking catcher? I find that hard to believe and maybe they did also think he was BPA but the fact that he can communicate with Aroldis had to play into making his worth more to them.

I think your reading way too much into this. I think this has little if anything to do with Champan. If it did I would be disappointed. You could say his ability to speak spanish is a plus, but it isn't bigger than a list of baseball skills that he has.

I like this pick. I like the fact that he is a switch hitter who hit pretty damn well last season at Miami. I don't know if he stick at C, but if his bat is good enough the Reds will find a place for him to play. I think they got their best offensive bat available in what many are saying is an overall weak draft class.

It never ceases to amaze me that many still think that this organization is going to punt a pick because Bowden did that with Sowers a handful of years ago. This current scouting department has been pretty darn good at getting talent into the Reds farm system. I see no signs of any punting of this pick.

[Mario-Rijo]

Originally Posted by JaxRed

This pick has NOTHING to do with Chapman. Even if he does speak "Cuban". I like the pick, and hope he signs quickly.

So I can't suppose it is but you can be sure it's not? It may not have been the main reason but I find it hard to believe that his stock wasn't propped up a bit more to the Reds for this reason.

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by Mario-Rijo

So I can't suppose it is but you can be sure it's not? It may not have been the main reason but I find it hard to believe that his stock wasn't propped up a bit more to the Reds for this reason.

If they draft a white English speaking catcher is that because of Bailey and Leake?

[pahster]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

If they draft a white English speaking catcher is that because of Bailey and Leake?

You mean "U.S. American" speaking catcher?

[medford]

I'm going to jump to conclusions and assume that the plan is to have Chapman, Cueto and Volquez speak English well enough that a baseball conversation at the mound will not be a problem. Actualy, Cueto and Volquez are already there, don't know about Chapman, but just in general life terms, it would be a shame if the Reds weren't getting Chapman help in speaking English well. Its not like he can return home anytime soon, so he better have a decent enough handle on English. It is certainly a plus that Grandal speaks spanish, but I shouldn't make all that much of a difference when selecting a 1st round draft pick. If they passed on somebody with better baseball skills to take a catcher b/c he speaks "cuban" then that is a poor plan. I bet if I walked to the mound in the middle of a game and said fastball to Chapman, he would know what I was talking about. Frame the glove where you want him to throw it, and he'll know where to aim.

Heck, for all we know, Mes may speak passable spanish, or at least enough to handle a baseball conversation on the mound. Go back to the start of last season, and the Catching spot may have been considered the weakest link in the organization. Flashforward to today, and you feel pretty good about Hanigan, love the development of Mes the last season +, are excited about the potential in Soto and pick up the top college catcher in the draft. You go from a weak link, to having a lot of potential at the position in 18 months.

[Ghosts of 1990]

Is the thinking that Grandall and Sardinah (sp) will be the future of the position at the MLB level or have the Reds brass given up on the former 1st round pick?