You should skip this long and rambling post that goes nowhere fast

Phil Gurnee ♦ September 6, 2016 ♦ Leave a comment

Just listened to some game yesterday (Bluejays?) and the announcer was lamenting how fans and general managers have come to love their prospects too much. How so many don’t work out and that why just a few years ago Dominic Brown was considered a can’t miss and now he’s simply AAA fodder.

And he has a point. But the flip side of his point is:

There are 28 position players 24 years or younger with an OPS+ > 100 with at least 200 PA in 2016. For context players with an OPS+ > 100 with at least 200 PA are 133.

How many players are 24 and under with at least 200 PA? 46

How many players are 24 and over with at least 200 PA? 274

I lost my point somewhere up there

The players who have been traded or released on this list are:

• Trea Turner
• Addison Russell
• Tommy Joseph
• Randall Grichuk
• Odubel Herrera

The rest of the list is a virtual who’s who of the best young players in baseball.

I’m pretty sure the fans and general managers of those teams are quite happy they did not trade those players. And I’m pretty sure that the Padres would love to have Trea Turner back no matter how much they like Myers. I know Billy Beane would like to have Addison Russell back.

The Giants,  however, made the right move, they parted ways with Tommy Joseph as part of the package for Hunter Pence.  

I do think Trea Turner, Addison Russell, and Randall Grichuk could have a big say in the post season but it won’t be for the teams who traded them, it will be for the teams who traded for them.

Odubel Herrera gets his own little paragraph. Herrera was picked up as a rule five player from the Texas Rangers.  I like Herrera because he reminds me of a past rule five pickup by the Phillies, someone named Shane Victorino who was plucked from the Dodgers as a rule five player during the brief Paul Depodesta reign. They are both CF,  both have/had plus speed, and just enough power you have to play them honest. Both become starting CF in short order and were acquired as cheap as one can get acquired in major league baseball.

It would seem that teams who are keeping their young talent are keeping the right young talent.

But I’ll admit this article got a little too big for me and is going in circles. However,  it is my circle so who cares.

Which takes us to these guys: Talk about cherry picking. These are the players 24 or younger, with at least 70 PA but < 200 PA. I had to find a way to talk about Andrew Toles.

And a plethora of more young talent that is either just getting started in 2016, or are part time players.  I think Sanchez, Benintendi, Dahl, Bregman, Peraza, Santana can safely look at full time at bats in 2017.

Funny list because Zunino and Franklin are on it. Two failed top prospects who are still so young they have failed and rebounded before their 25 birthdays. Good work.

The Dodger connection:

Andrew Toles, Jose Peraza, Ronald Torreyes

Toles was picked up by the LAD FO almost one year ago. It may turn out to be one of the best moves by this front office.

Jose Peraza was traded along with Scott Schebler for Trayce Thompson and Frankie Montas. Montas helped get the Dodgers Rich Hill and Josh Reddick.

Ronald Torreyes was a nice LAD acquisition and then they traded him for Rob Segedin. A trade that so far has benefited both teams and players. Torreyes though might be much more. He has impressed the Yankees enough they gave him a run at 3rd base and he didn’t disappoint. Chase Headly is back at 3rd, but Yankee observers noticed how much better Torreyes produced during his brief run. It will be curious to see if Torreyes really is just a utility player or much more.

And I’m done with the hitters. Can’t wait to do the pitchers