Ideas For Epstein's Compensation
by Conor Duffy on Oct 16, 2011 9:56 AM EDT
Email
Print
No, not Brett Jackson. The Red Sox already have about a million outfield prospects like Ryan Kalish and Josh Reddick (if you can still consider them prospects). While looking at the Cubs' top prospects yesterday, I found some names that may actually help the Red Sox. My first name is Austin Kirk. He is a left-handed starter for the Cubs single-A affiliate at Peoria. He went 5-12 with a 4.29 ERA in 2011, but this was his worst season in professional baseball. He is only 21, but I think he could make a big impact in 2013-2014 and it is a name the Red Sox should definitely consider. My second name is Marquez Smith. Smith is not quite so young, and does not have quite the upside as Kirk does. He is 26 years old, and is the third baseman for the Iowa Cubs (AAA). This past year, he batted .278 with 7 home runs; however, he was coming off a great year in 2010 where he batted .314 with 17 home runs in AAA. If he was healthy in 2012, he could join the Lowrie/Aviles mess as a solid bench player, possibly as an interim third baseman before Will Middlebrooks is healthy. There's some more info at my blog here. Thanks for reading, and comment what you think!
25 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
It's more likely we try to get both of those together.
I doubt we get either. I think at the rate it’s going it will be a good upper level prospect, but it won’t be Brett Jackson. Although I’d love Brett Jackson.
The Red Sox suck, and I am the dirt that was sucked in, I am a dirty.
I'm narcissistic, nihilistic, and arrogant. That's me in a nutshell.
Cubs fan here.
Kirk & Smith? Done.
Join us for complete MLB coverage at SB Nation's Baseball Nation
by Al Yellon on Oct 16, 2011 5:18 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
and another
I’d do that deal in a heartbeat (I would say New York minute, but somebody here might call me a troll and ban me:) ). Even throw in some money, the $2 mil sounds about right to me.
"There is no tomorrow for you, and that makes you very dangerous people."--Jimmy McGinty (Gene Hackman) The Replacements
Time is an illusion--lunch time doubly so.
"The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just."--Abraham Lincoln
Hey hey hey
They’re good players. Don’t be insulting me here
not really
Kirk has fringy stuff. Despite throwing that perfect game this year, his fastball is mostly in the upper 80’s and the secondary stuff isn’t all that great to write home about. At some point, I do expect him to be moved to the pen if he continues to work his up.
Smith might still have a shot to be a utility player, but he’s the type of guy you could find in a lot of systems in the upper levels. Giving up those two wouldn’t be an issue for the cubs. Kirk might not make the A+ rotation next year (and they probably aren’t going to send him back to Peoria, IMO) and Smith, if he’s around, is slated for a utility type role/partial time role in AAA. Keep in mind Smith was available in Rule 5 last year and everyone passed.
I’d set my sights a bit higher, and clearly, the Sox are.
btw
if you wanted a low level upside arm, there are a lot better guys to choose from, from Peralta/Cruz/Liria/Wells/Arias and a few more. If you wanted an upper level guy who can spot at 3rd, Ryan Flaherty has legit power, can play a passable stopgap 3rd while you wait on Middlebrooks (who I tend to think is over-hyped a bit right now, but that’s a whole separate issue) or if Youkilis is hurt.
I don't mean to be insulting you at all
To me, those players aren’t really worth much to me. Marquez Smith is an aging corner infielder who has been stuck in AAA without any calls from the big club. He is a “AAAA” player, I don’t know if you are familiar with this name but Micah Hoffpauir? If he wants to advance his career I expect to see him in Japan in 2 years or so.
Austin Kirk? He is a long ways away, and as you said coming off his worst pro season. On the brightside I believe he did throw a no-hitter this year, but there a a handful of better pitching prospects in the Cubs farm system.
In reality, neither of these guys are in the Cubs top 10 prospects. And if we don’t have to give up a top 10 prospect, then I would do it in a heartbeat.
I understand everybody's point of view
I’m just sharing some ideas. Nobody wants to read what they already know, so something new is interesting once in a while.
I really don't know those guys at all
but a 26 year old AAA third baseman sounds like Drew Sutton to me, or any one of a number of other people obtainable on a minor league deal, and a 21-year old in low A for his third year in pro baseball sounds only slightly more promising. Cubs fans, do you guys consider these guys prospects?
yeah, I understand
and it’s cool, appreciate seeing the research. Just curious what the Cubs fans thought of those people
neither guy is in my top 30 right now
and while I haven’t worked it out to 40, I doubt they’ll be in my top 40.
If the White Sox got
two top prospects for Ozzie, the Sox should get the same for Theo. A GM is much more important to an organization than a manager.
Let's be real.
White Sox got crap for Ozzie. Marinez is a 22 year old AA pitcher with a career ERA over 4.00, his career walk rate is 5.9. That’s terrible. Martinez is a 23 year old AAA SS with a career OPS of .682.
Going into this year the SS was their 8th best prospect, the pitcher their 9th by fangraphs. Neither have ever been rated to be top 100 prospects according to baseball-reference.
I feel those two would barely fit in our top 20.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
They still got
two top 10 prospects from the Marlins. Whether they turn out to be good or not is not the question, it’s the fact they got two top 10 prospects from them is the important fact.
by aubatron2011 on Oct 17, 2011 9:42 PM EDT up reply actions
"Top 10 Prospect"
Means nothing without context. The Marlins system is ranked near the bottom, if not THE bottom. If you don’t have very good prospects, it isn’t very hard to give them up. 8 and 9 for the Marlins like I said, is barely in our top 20. They may be outside of it.
“Top prospect” or not, they aren’t very good prospects is my point. Don’t let their title fool you.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
And my point is
is the precedent for these type of trades are for top prospects, not for scrub prospects. It’s not our faul the White Sox decided to trade with the Marlins, they still got to of their top 10 prospects, therefore the Red Sox should not settle for anything less.
by aubatron2011 on Oct 17, 2011 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions
My point is
That Marlins top prospects ARE scrubs. That they happen to fall in the top 10 means nothing. If in a terrible and unfortunate accident, prospects #1-98 died and #99 and #100 become their #1 and #2 prospects, that doesn’t make them better, they’re still bad players. If the White Sox had traded with say, us, they would not have gotten anything remotely close to a top prospect while still getting exactly the same talent in return.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
Well, that maybe the
case, but it’s still precedent, that when a manager gets traded, the team trading them gets something of quality. So why should be the Sox be any different? I don’t think it will be Brett Jackson, but McNutt and another prospect would fit the bill, IMO. A GM is much more valuable than a manager, so the level of prospect should be higher.
by aubatron2011 on Oct 17, 2011 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Over the Monster
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- College player makes impossible over the fence catch to save tournament game (Video)
- Security!: Camden Yards guard collides with Royals’ Mike Moustakas
- The Juice: Nelson Cruz matches career high eight RBIs, Pujols stays hot in Seattle
- Benches clear at Fenway as Red Sox-Rays rivalry heats up
- Keeping good company: Albert Pujols becomes fourth-youngest player to hit 450 home runs
