All Questions Answered Thread Featuring John Sickels

by Randy Booth on Mar 24, 2005 7:03 PM EST in News Comment 21 comments

It's that time, folks. It's time for the "All Questions Answered Thread."

John Sickels, former ESPN columnist and writer of MinorLeagueBall.com, is here to answer all your questions. Sickels is the guru when it comes to the minor leagues and prospects. Test his knowledge with some questions, if you dare.

Let the questions fly! All you have to do is leave a question for Mr. Sickels in the comments section and he will answer all of them in the next hour. You only have an hour, so make those questions good!

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I'll kick it off

John, can Abe Alvarez transition into a productive major leaguer? A lot of people think he doesn't have the 'stuff.' What do you think?

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Mar 24, 2005 7:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

stuff

Well, Alvarez is one of those guys who will always live on the margins since he isn't overpowering. Sometimes this works out...Jimmy Key, John Tudor, Jamie Moyer. A lot of times it doesn't. I'd like to see what Alvarez does in Triple-A this year before getting overly excited about his chances, but he has a track record of good pitching against good competition in college, and he did OK in Double-A.

by John Sickels on Mar 24, 2005 7:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Jon Papelbon

Is Jon Papelbon for real? He had a great season
last year, but he can be considered old (23) for
playing A-Ball. What do expect from him in 05 in
Portland?

by Rob Booth on Mar 24, 2005 7:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

papelbon

Papelbon wasn't THAT old...and he has less experience than most college products. I think he is for real. If he posts similar numbers in Double-A, he could be an elite prospect.

by John Sickels on Mar 24, 2005 7:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

hey guys

Hey guys. I am here. I have to reboot my computer but will be back in a minute to answer questions. Thanks for your patience.

by John Sickels on Mar 24, 2005 7:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

A's prospects

hey john,

what do you think of brad knox and jason windsor? do they have the stuff to be good major-league starters? knox had a great year but was old for the MWL, and windsor had amazing college stats but wasn't highly touted coming into the draft.

by jpahk on Mar 24, 2005 7:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

brad and jason

They are both somewhat similar actually. Knox put up great numbers in the Midwest League, but as you point out he was old for the level. He was left unprotected in Rule 5 and no one made a claim, which tells you what scouts think. But he's certainly earned a chance at higher levels.

Windsor, like Knox, doesn't have a great fastball but relies on breaking stuff and sharp control. Like Knox, he should dominate A-ball but we need to see what he does against better competition. I have them both at Grade C+ in the book.

by John Sickels on Mar 24, 2005 7:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sox infield prospects

Ramirez, Pedroia, Soto, Lara...four "shortstop" prospects in the Sox' system. I've heard various sources indicate that most of them may project to different positions (Ramirez - CF, Pedroia - 2B, Soto - 3B). Is there a bonafide shortstop in the bunch?

by thanman2 on Mar 24, 2005 7:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

SS

Well, I think all of these guys are potentially legit shortstops. But the Sox have that positioned filled for the time being, so there is a need to see what these guys can do elsewhere.

Ramirez in particular looks to me like he could be a fine shortstop. Pedroia doesn't have a classic SS arm, but he has a quick release and is very reliable. Soto and Lara have the athleticism but are farther away. In some systems, any of these guys would be regarded as shortstop of the future. The position switches are more due to circumstance I think.

by John Sickels on Mar 24, 2005 7:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

DiNardo

What are your thoughts on Lenny DiNardo? He was impressive last season, and really seems to fit in with the "wild" personality of the Boston Red Sox. Was he graded in your book?

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Mar 24, 2005 7:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

DiNardo

DiNardo's 28 innings with the Sox went OK, although he was hittable. The sample is too small to get too excited (or discouraged) about. HIs outlook is like Alvarez's: his stuff is OK, he can succeed if the command is there but we need to see more.

by John Sickels on Mar 24, 2005 7:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Stern / Dinardo?

Are all of the Rule 5 roster shenanigans required to keep guys like Stern and Dinardo from returning worth it? Also, what do you think the Sox plans are for Youkilis? Will he ever be the 3B starter as opposed to a 3B/1B utility guy? It seems like Francona is kind of down on Youkilis and from the way he's hit it's confusing why.

by cunningt on Mar 24, 2005 7:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

rule 5

Well, most Rule 5 guys aren't really worth the trouble. I mean, just how many Johan Santanas and George Bells are there? In this year's class the winning ticket looks like Andy Sisco. There are lots of guys like Stern and DiNardo around.

I'm not sure what the scoop is on Youkilis. Perhaps they think he is as good as he is ever going to get.

by John Sickels on Mar 24, 2005 7:54 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Prospect

Who's the one Sox prospect we should keep our eyes open for this season

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Mar 24, 2005 7:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

story

For me the big story will be Palpelbon, how quickly he adjusts (or doesn't) to Double-A. Manny Delcarmen is another guy of interest. He could regain the great prospect status he had before his injury a couple of years ago.

by John Sickels on Mar 24, 2005 8:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Cedeno

Juan Cedeno wasn't on your top 20 prospect lists at Minor League Ball. SoxProspects.com has him sixth in the whole farm system for pitchers. Do you not think high of him or anything like that?

by Rob Booth on Mar 24, 2005 8:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

cedeno

Cedeno has a good arm, but his performance has never been as good as his potential. I mean, look at the numbers. 120 innings, 145 hits, 4.64 ERA, just 78 strikeouts. He may throw hard but the K/IP and H/IP are so poor that I can't see any way for him to be a successful major league pitcher without substantial improvement in all catgories.

He's still young enough to get better, but for me he's just a Grade C guy right now.

by John Sickels on Mar 24, 2005 8:10 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

O's question(s)

Is Walter Young a legitimate prospect, or is it just that our system is so thin that the fattest guy can stick out as some type of hope? He doesn't seem to have the same upside Cal Pickering had at the same level in '98, and we all know how Pickering turned out.

And, how much do you think Majewski's injury sets him back? He's still quite young and hasn't played AAA ball yet.

Camden Chat

by SC on Mar 24, 2005 8:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Os

Young is legitimate, but so was Pickering. Pick was crippled by injuries and weight. So far the injuries haven't been a problem for Young, but weight still might be. His power is real...but so is Picks! Young could put up Sam Horn numbers as a minimum, and for all his weaknesses, Horn did have moments of success and was a dangerous hitter.

Majewski...shoulder stuff worries me. It can have an impact on hitting development. Wait and see right now, though I was high on him before he got hurt.

by John Sickels on Mar 24, 2005 8:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

gotta go

Well, guys, I have to go. Nice chatting. I think the NCAA tourney is drawing a lot of interest right now, but we will definitely return to do more AQA threads as the baseball season progresses.

Thanks!

by John Sickels on Mar 24, 2005 8:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs