AL East Prospects that Should Get the Call

by kbball813 on Jun 24, 2011 11:48 AM EDT

Youth is being served this baseball season. We’ve seen many organizations forgo their plans of waiting out prospects and getting them up to the bigs earlier then first speculated. Names Such as Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakis, Danny Duffy, Anthony Rizzo, Charlie Blackmon, Domonic Brown, Dee Gordon, Jerry Sands, etc. have gotten their tickets to the show. While a lot of big names have already surfaced, I would like to look at the next in line to be called up for each team. While defense is an important metric in determining a prospects worth, I am strictly using the standard 5x5 fantasy format(Batting Average, Homeruns, RBI, Runs, Stolen Bases x ERA, WHIP, Wins, Saves, K) when evaluating. These are my opinions on who SHOULD get the call and not on who will get the call.

Boston Red Sox: Ryan Lavarnway (Age 23) AA/AAA C .297 16HR 44RBI 41R 0SB in 236AB

Lavarnway was drafted in the 6th rd out of Yale in 2008. After his terrible 08’ season something clicked and he has been raking ever since. Hitting over 20 HR’s every year and batting close to .300 with a superb OBP. The Red Sox had to be pleased when they saw a catcher in their system raking the ball, because Salty wasn’t hitting and Varitek is past his prime. Recently Salty has been hitting much better, getting his average above .250. So the need to rush Lavarnway is not as urgent. But since his promotion to AAA he is hitting .393 with 2HR, 6RBI, 6R and .452 OBP in 28AB’s. Obviously he can’t keep that ridiculous pace up, but if he continues to terrorize the international league the Red Sox might just call this kid up. Realistically he won’t be seen until September call ups, but he has a great shot at challenging for a roster spot next season.

The rest of the AL east write up is on http://www.hits4brains.com/2011/06/prospecting-for-golden-tickets-to-show_23.html

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No.

Lavarnway shouldn’t see any MLB time except for possibly a September callup. I think a mid-season callup next year or even spending all of next year in AAA is a better plan of action.

by ThePanda on Jun 24, 2011 12:09 PM EDT reply actions

Largely depends on a huge thing that is left out of the 5x5 format, defense

The story on his defense hasn’t been quite nailed down. Some say it’s worse than Montero’s (who has been called the worst catcher ever), other say it isn’t a huge detraction and getting better. I think his hitting is for real, I think he can rake at a major league level, but he needs a position to do that. If he can get his defense to a Victor Martinez level at some point, I think he’ll finally see a real call-up because that I think is the necessary level at which his bat his still valuable at the position.

"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.

by Rogue Nine on Jun 24, 2011 12:20 PM EDT reply actions

Agreed

I was trying to get a solid report on his defense but they all seem to be conflicting. Like i said at the end, i don’t think he gets called up until September (If then). But I do think he should be given a chance to compete for the job next year.

www.Hits4Brains.com

by kbball813 on Jun 24, 2011 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions

The only prospects that ought to be called up by the Sox are Navarro and, already, Reddick.

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by TheLoneDavid on Jun 24, 2011 1:02 PM EDT reply actions

+1

There is no place for Lavarnway on the ‘11 roster unless Ortiz hits the DL. Navarro is the most deserving if you can find a spot for him on the roster after Lowrie returns as a 2nd infielder and 5th outfielder. Reddick won’t have a spot when CC returns unless Drew, Cameron or McDonald are jettisoned. A third name is Doubront who could serve a prominent role out of the pen down the stretch.

by mg050369 on Jun 24, 2011 3:17 PM EDT reply actions

Even if Ortiz hits the DL

there isn’t really a 2011 spot for Lavarnway, just because he needs to be down there working on his defense, not up here ignoring it.

by wolf9309 on Jun 24, 2011 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Posada/Piazza/VMart

Plenty of catchers were sub par defensively but their bats made up for it. As long as the pitchers like the game they call then they are fine behind the dish. I have heard good things about his game calling. I think he at least deserves a chance to compete for the catcher spot in spring training.

www.Hits4Brains.com

by kbball813 on Jun 24, 2011 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions

2011 I said

by wolf9309 on Jun 24, 2011 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Probable but not completely unlikely

They could conceivably call him up to get regular AB’s at DH and serve as the full catcher. He could work regularly with Tuck on the side on his catching skills and get pointers from Varitek. However, I also recognize that’s probably unlikely because it would require adding him to the 40 man roster. If Ortiz were go to on the DL, I suspect that Reddick would get an extended look at DH while getting spot starts in the OF.

by mg050369 on Jun 24, 2011 8:59 PM EDT up reply actions

prospects

The lack of big league ready prospects is hurting the Sox right now. I don’t know why this team wastes money on players like McDonald and Cameron.

by I_Bleed-Red on Jun 25, 2011 9:07 AM EDT reply actions

Wellll

McDonald is making league minimum I believe (so it’s a very minimal waste) and we have a major league prospect ready to take his place, Reddick, but for some reason they aren’t giving him regular at bats. As for Cameron, we’re wasting money on him because we really needed him last year and that injury seems to have had lasting effects, seemed to me the plan was probably to have Reddick be a bench player anyway this year, he’s just been far, far less valuable in that role than he should have been.

Our other big league ready prospects have had injuries, Kalish, Doubront and Navarro are all ‘ready’ but when the time came when we needed them they were already on the DL. But between Reddick, Kalish, Doubront, Navarro, Miller, Weiland and Bowden, that’s actually a lot of major league ready prospect depth.

"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.

by Rogue Nine on Jun 25, 2011 9:47 AM EDT up reply actions

Reddick

I think Tito has been using a Reddick/McDonald and Drew/Cameron split since CC went on the DL. If correct, McDonald has been getting the bulk of playing time just because they have played an unusual amount of playing time as they have run into their fair share of lefties. I don’t mind that platoon unless McDonald and Cameron continue to hit only about 100 points better than I am in the majors.

by mg050369 on Jun 25, 2011 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions

Huh?

Have you heard of Reddick? Doubront is a viable option for the rotation and pen as well. Navarro will be a choice once he get a few more games under his belt after returning from the DL. Kalish would be the mix as well if they weren’t injured. How many major league ready prospects should they have?

Cameron was signed as a Bay (LF) replacement and will be gone at season’s end, if not earlier. McDonald played well last year, is making the league minimum and could be easily jettisoned in favor of any prospect or trade deadline deal.

by mg050369 on Jun 25, 2011 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions

I completely disagree

The Sox have no starting holes on their major league roster and have some quality bench players. The Sox system is stocked with far-from-the-majors high ceiling prospects like Garin Cecchini, Sean Coyle, Miles Head, Brandon Jacobs, Brandon Workman, Xander Bogaerts, Bryce Brentz, and Drake Britton, including a few more guys like Will Middlebrooks that are even closer. The Sox have been going after toolsy high school players in the middle and late rounds of their recent drafts and it looks like their system will be pretty deep in just a couple years. If any team can sacrifice major league ready prospects for high ceiling, raw players, it’s the Sox.

by The Duke of Silver on Jun 26, 2011 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions