Comments on: Prospects and Suspects — A Photo Essay http://prospectinsider.com/2008/05/12/prospects-and-notspects-a-photo-essay/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:29:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: PositivePaul http://prospectinsider.com/2008/05/12/prospects-and-notspects-a-photo-essay/#comment-9604 PositivePaul Tue, 13 May 2008 21:06:14 +0000 http://prospectinsider.com/2008/05/12/prospects-and-notspects-a-photo-essay/#comment-9604 Hah -- you're correct cujo! The M's system indeed wasn't bare, really. It's amazing that a lot of the youthful turnover that has churned into the current Mariner team indeed has come mostly from the "barren" farm system that Gillick left the team with. Of that list you provided, only Adam Jones, Eric O'Flaherty, Ryan Feierabend & JJ Putz came from the draft. Most of the other guys came from international free agency (and my fave from that list -- Sherrill -- from the Indy Leagues ;-). It never ceases to amaze me how often that fact is overlooked. Yeah, Gillick mostly blew off the draft (by surrendering draft picks for questionable free agent acquisitions -- a strategy with which I don't necessarily agree), but he didn't neglect the farm system. There were definitely some missed opportunities from guys whose trade value was higher than their performance value ended up being to the M's. A lot of the backlash against the farm system Bavasi inherited seems to be precisely because the top-touted prospects (Anderson, Meche, Blackley, Nageotte, Pineiro, etc...) either got hurt or flamed out (or both). Certainly the previous regime didn't leave the cupboards as bare as some say they did, though. Anyone who says that really isn't paying attention. Yes, there were missed opportunities and it certainly might not have been maintained as well as it could've been. But it definitely wasn't completely neglected to the point of being barren. Hah — you’re correct cujo! The M’s system indeed wasn’t bare, really. It’s amazing that a lot of the youthful turnover that has churned into the current Mariner team indeed has come mostly from the “barren” farm system that Gillick left the team with.

Of that list you provided, only Adam Jones, Eric O’Flaherty, Ryan Feierabend & JJ Putz came from the draft. Most of the other guys came from international free agency (and my fave from that list — Sherrill — from the Indy Leagues ;-). It never ceases to amaze me how often that fact is overlooked.

Yeah, Gillick mostly blew off the draft (by surrendering draft picks for questionable free agent acquisitions — a strategy with which I don’t necessarily agree), but he didn’t neglect the farm system. There were definitely some missed opportunities from guys whose trade value was higher than their performance value ended up being to the M’s. A lot of the backlash against the farm system Bavasi inherited seems to be precisely because the top-touted prospects (Anderson, Meche, Blackley, Nageotte, Pineiro, etc…) either got hurt or flamed out (or both). Certainly the previous regime didn’t leave the cupboards as bare as some say they did, though.

Anyone who says that really isn’t paying attention. Yes, there were missed opportunities and it certainly might not have been maintained as well as it could’ve been. But it definitely wasn’t completely neglected to the point of being barren.

]]> By: cujo http://prospectinsider.com/2008/05/12/prospects-and-notspects-a-photo-essay/#comment-9603 cujo Tue, 13 May 2008 19:28:08 +0000 http://prospectinsider.com/2008/05/12/prospects-and-notspects-a-photo-essay/#comment-9603 Hey Paul ive been reading so much about how bad are farm system was when Bavasi got here i did a little work on it. Funny results i think we may have been loaded and not empty when he got here..These guys where here in the minors Baek,Balentine,Feirbrand,Felix,Jiminez,Adam Jones,Jose Lopez,Oflaherty,Rowland-Smith and Sherrill and Putz.That my friend is not bare that is what i would call loaded i know you havent wrote this but i get a laugh everytime people say the prior GM left the cupboard bare that is the furthest thing from the truth on the minor league side dont you think? Hey Paul ive been reading so much about how bad are farm system was when Bavasi got here i did a little work on it. Funny results i think we may have been loaded and not empty when he got here..These guys where here in the minors Baek,Balentine,Feirbrand,Felix,Jiminez,Adam Jones,Jose Lopez,Oflaherty,Rowland-Smith and Sherrill and Putz.That my friend is not bare that is what i would call loaded i know you havent wrote this but i get a laugh everytime people say the prior GM left the cupboard bare that is the furthest thing from the truth on the minor league side dont you think?

]]> By: Waiting for the long ball http://prospectinsider.com/2008/05/12/prospects-and-notspects-a-photo-essay/#comment-9602 Waiting for the long ball Tue, 13 May 2008 17:40:32 +0000 http://prospectinsider.com/2008/05/12/prospects-and-notspects-a-photo-essay/#comment-9602 Nice pics. One mid-tier prospect that seems to have been forgotten is Marshall Hubbard, the infielder from West Tenn. I know that he is older(26), but his numbers this year are very strong. A BA of .362 and a OPS of 1.049 should put him in some rare company with all of minor league baseball players. Over Hubbard's career he has a solid .286 BA in over 1,660 at bats. We hear lots of nice things about LaHare at Tacoma, and we should, but Hubbard's numbers are very solid and should be mentioned more often. Nice pics. One mid-tier prospect that seems to have been forgotten is Marshall Hubbard, the infielder from West Tenn. I know that he is older(26), but his numbers this year are very strong. A BA of .362 and a OPS of 1.049 should put him in some rare company with all of minor league baseball players.

Over Hubbard’s career he has a solid .286 BA in over 1,660 at bats. We hear lots of nice things about LaHare at Tacoma, and we should, but Hubbard’s numbers are very solid and should be mentioned more often.

]]> By: SethGrandpa http://prospectinsider.com/2008/05/12/prospects-and-notspects-a-photo-essay/#comment-9600 SethGrandpa Tue, 13 May 2008 07:08:27 +0000 http://prospectinsider.com/2008/05/12/prospects-and-notspects-a-photo-essay/#comment-9600 Very cool. It's too bad they look sketch condensed, but once you click on them they're very nice. Very cool. It’s too bad they look sketch condensed, but once you click on them they’re very nice.

]]>