Cubs' Prospects FUTUREBONER thread

[Oleg]

I, for one, appreciate SKO's youthful exuberance.  I'm just not sure what the point is of calling a 21 year old with barely 200 AA PAs a bust.

Even the absolute best front offices miss on picks. So far, they look to have hit on Bryant and Schwarber. Almora looks like a miss (a quick glance at the first round shows 8-10 guys who were available at 6 who would now look like better picks). That's fine. If they hit on 2 out of 3 first-rounders from here on out, the Cubs are going to be very good for a long time.

I'd love to have that Addison Russell character.

[PenFoe]

I think we've finally hit a point where people are overreacting to SKO's overreacting. Let him blow out a ventricle like a bald tire if he wants.

I think the mistake is thinking that's overreacting. I fucking talk a lot, and I type a lot, and I'm not even remotely stressed or ANGRY while doing so unless that mother fucker David Ross is involved. A lot of words does not necessarily make a rant. I had a blog once where I wrote 50,000 words at a time, but then the subject matter of said blog sucked and started collecting domestic abusers. Now I let it out here, and you're all fucking welcome.

[SKO]

I think we've finally hit a point where people are overreacting to SKO's overreacting. Let him blow out a ventricle like a bald tire if he wants.

I think the mistake is thinking that's overreacting. I fucking talk a lot, and I type a lot, and I'm not even remotely stressed or ANGRY while doing so unless that mother fucker David Ross is involved. A lot of words does not necessarily make a rant. I had a blog once where I wrote 50,000 words at a time, but then the subject matter of said blog sucked and started collecting domestic abusers. Now I let it out here, and you're all fucking welcome.

Oh man that's brilliant. Kudos to that guy. Seriously. I lol'd. His face totally sells it, too.

[InternetApex]

I think we've finally hit a point where people are overreacting to SKO's overreacting. Let him blow out a ventricle like a bald tire if he wants.

He's not overreacting, he's overposting. I know that feel, though, SKO.

Been there, bro.

[PenFoe]

I think we've finally hit a point where people are overreacting to SKO's overreacting. Let him blow out a ventricle like a bald tire if he wants.

I think the mistake is thinking that's overreacting. I fucking talk a lot, and I type a lot, and I'm not even remotely stressed or ANGRY while doing so unless that mother fucker David Ross is involved. A lot of words does not necessarily make a rant. I had a blog once where I wrote 50,000 words at a time, but then the subject matter of said blog sucked and started collecting domestic abusers. Now I let it out here, and you're all fucking welcome.

Oh man that's brilliant. Kudos to that guy. Seriously. I lol'd. His face totally sells it, too.

It was enough to download the video, screengrab it at that exact moment, save the image, crop it, upload it to IMGUR. 

I figured I'd probably get another couple uses out of it.

[SKO]

That's fair.

I guess I don't know where the notion that he might sucks comes from.  Outside of his half-season at AA last year--which many people feel followed a premature promotion-- his numbers--while not great--are not necessarily awful.

Take a look for yourself:

2012 Boise (15 games): .292/.292/.446/.738
2012 AFL (18 games): .347/.363/.480/.843
2013 Kane County (61 games): .329/.376/.466/.842
2014 Daytona (89 games): .283/.306/.406/.712
2014 Tennessee (36 games): .234/.250/.355/.605
2015 Tennessee (13 games): .273/.323/.327/.650
232 Minor League Games: .293/.322/.418/.740

Again, that bottom line is not exactly world-beater stuff, but it's not exactly horrid.   it's not unreasonable to think that those numbers can be improved--particularly when there's already a pretty significant upgrade in his BA/OBP/OPS at AA in his 13 games this year compared to his 36 last year--even better when you see the drop in SLG (which can be attributed to a change in approach) and yet his OPS has gone up 50 points.

Forgive me for not throwing in the towel on the kid and daring to use such nebulous factors like Gold Glove defense and a good head on his shoulders to point to as to why I think he still has a chance to develop into a useful--possibly above-average-- ballplayer.  Your fire and bluster has failed to convince me otherwise at this point.

If you look at his line

I'm not actually writing him off. I'm just, how you say, "down" on him. His stock fell, and has yet to rise. Of course he's got talent and could figure shit out, he was a first round pick. But there've been a thousand guys with his talent who have sucked and then just kept on sucking. So if I were to keep score, my "Reason to think Almora Will Probably be Bad" currently outnumbers my "Reasons to Think He'll Be Good" column. But I haven't written him off entirely becuase it turns out I'm not the GM of the Cubs and all I get to do is see how this plays out.

[CT III]

That's fair.

I guess I don't know where the notion that he might sucks comes from.  Outside of his half-season at AA last year--which many people feel followed a premature promotion-- his numbers--while not great--are not necessarily awful.

Take a look for yourself:

2012 Boise (15 games): .292/.292/.446/.738
2012 AFL (18 games): .347/.363/.480/.843
2013 Kane County (61 games): .329/.376/.466/.842
2014 Daytona (89 games): .283/.306/.406/.712
2014 Tennessee (36 games): .234/.250/.355/.605
2015 Tennessee (13 games): .273/.323/.327/.650
232 Minor League Games: .293/.322/.418/.740

Again, that bottom line is not exactly world-beater stuff, but it's not exactly horrid.   it's not unreasonable to think that those numbers can be improved--particularly when there's already a pretty significant upgrade in his BA/OBP/OPS at AA in his 13 games this year compared to his 36 last year--even better when you see the drop in SLG (which can be attributed to a change in approach) and yet his OPS has gone up 50 points.

Forgive me for not throwing in the towel on the kid and daring to use such nebulous factors like Gold Glove defense and a good head on his shoulders to point to as to why I think he still has a chance to develop into a useful--possibly above-average-- ballplayer.  Your fire and bluster has failed to convince me otherwise at this point.

If you look at his line

I'm not actually writing him off. I'm just, how you say, "down" on him. His stock fell, and has yet to rise. Of course he's got talent and could figure shit out, he was a first round pick. But there've been a thousand guys with his talent who have sucked and then just kept on sucking. So if I were to keep score, my "Reason to think Almora Will Probably be Bad" currently outnumbers my "Reasons to Think He'll Be Good" column. But I haven't written him off entirely becuase it turns out I'm not the GM of the Cubs and all I get to do is see how this plays out.

To your last point, the proper way to do this is to express no opinion, then wait a few months or years to see who ends up being wrong and never let them forget it.

Jesus, it's like you've never even used the internet before.

[Eli]

I, for one, appreciate SKO's youthful exuberance.  I'm just not sure what the point is of calling a 21 year old with barely 200 AA PAs a bust.

Even the absolute best front offices miss on picks. So far, they look to have hit on Bryant and Schwarber. Almora looks like a miss (a quick glance at the first round shows 8-10 guys who were available at 6 who would now look like better picks). That's fine. If they hit on 2 out of 3 first-rounders from here on out, the Cubs are going to be very good for a long time.

I'd love to have that Addison Russell character.

It's funny how that worked out.

Of course, if they had just originally drafted Russell, Theo could have used HammelSnork to fleece some other unsuspecting GM last summer.

[SKO]

I, for one, appreciate SKO's youthful exuberance.  I'm just not sure what the point is of calling a 21 year old with barely 200 AA PAs a bust.

Even the absolute best front offices miss on picks. So far, they look to have hit on Bryant and Schwarber. Almora looks like a miss (a quick glance at the first round shows 8-10 guys who were available at 6 who would now look like better picks). That's fine. If they hit on 2 out of 3 first-rounders from here on out, the Cubs are going to be very good for a long time.

I'd love to have that Addison Russell character.

It's funny how that worked out.

Of course, if they had just originally drafted Russell, Theo could have used HammelSnork to fleece some other unsuspecting GM last summer.

I wish they'd drafted Corey Seager, and then still traded for Russell, and then Theo's dream team of 9 SS would be nearly complete.

[Powdered Toast Man]

I, for one, appreciate SKO's youthful exuberance.  I'm just not sure what the point is of calling a 21 year old with barely 200 AA PAs a bust.

Even the absolute best front offices miss on picks. So far, they look to have hit on Bryant and Schwarber. Almora looks like a miss (a quick glance at the first round shows 8-10 guys who were available at 6 who would now look like better picks). That's fine. If they hit on 2 out of 3 first-rounders from here on out, the Cubs are going to be very good for a long time.

I'd love to have that Addison Russell character.

It's funny how that worked out.

Of course, if they had just originally drafted Russell, Theo could have used HammelSnork to fleece some other unsuspecting GM last summer.

I wish they'd drafted Corey Seager, and then still traded for Russell, and then Theo's dream team of 9 SS would be nearly complete.

Why are we even talking about Almora? I would love for him to work out, but I don't think the Cubs really need him or are counting on him for anything other than giving the franchise some value that they could trade or keep. It's not like Almora's Jorge Soler or Kris Bryant...now that the Cubs have the first waves of this organization rebuild pounding the shores of MLB, there is a little bit more of a luxury to not have to count on every prospect working out.

I'm not saying I have given up on him, and I'm not saying I don't care. All I'm saying is I don't think it affects the Cubs dramatically if he doesn't pan out...

[Eli]

Why are we even talking about Almora?

Because RV brought him up 4 pages ago.

[Quality Start Machine]

I think we've finally hit a point where people are overreacting to SKO's overreacting. Let him blow out a ventricle like a bald tire if he wants.

I think the mistake is thinking that's overreacting. I fucking talk a lot, and I type a lot, and I'm not even remotely stressed or ANGRY while doing so unless that mother fucker David Ross is involved. A lot of words does not necessarily make a rant. I had a blog once where I wrote 50,000 words at a time, but then the subject matter of said blog sucked and started collecting domestic abusers. Now I let it out here, and you're all fucking welcome.

Oh man that's brilliant. Kudos to that guy. Seriously. I lol'd. His face totally sells it, too.

It was enough to download the video, screengrab it at that exact moment, save the image, crop it, upload it to IMGUR. 

I figured I'd probably get another couple uses out of it.

I'm not sure even BC can improve on this.

[SKO]

I, for one, appreciate SKO's youthful exuberance.  I'm just not sure what the point is of calling a 21 year old with barely 200 AA PAs a bust.

Even the absolute best front offices miss on picks. So far, they look to have hit on Bryant and Schwarber. Almora looks like a miss (a quick glance at the first round shows 8-10 guys who were available at 6 who would now look like better picks). That's fine. If they hit on 2 out of 3 first-rounders from here on out, the Cubs are going to be very good for a long time.

I'd love to have that Addison Russell character.

It's funny how that worked out.

Of course, if they had just originally drafted Russell, Theo could have used HammelSnork to fleece some other unsuspecting GM last summer.

I wish they'd drafted Corey Seager, and then still traded for Russell, and then Theo's dream team of 9 SS would be nearly complete.

Why are we even talking about Almora? I would love for him to work out, but I don't think the Cubs really need him or are counting on him for anything other than giving the franchise some value that they could trade or keep. It's not like Almora's Jorge Soler or Kris Bryant...now that the Cubs have the first waves of this organization rebuild pounding the shores of MLB, there is a little bit more of a luxury to not have to count on every prospect working out.

I'm not saying I have given up on him, and I'm not saying I don't care. All I'm saying is I don't think it affects the Cubs dramatically if he doesn't pan out...

Why talk about prospects in the prospect thread? Why talk about Schlitter and Jackson in the 2015 Cubs thread? Why talk about baseball on the baseball site?

[PenFoe]

I, for one, appreciate SKO's youthful exuberance.  I'm just not sure what the point is of calling a 21 year old with barely 200 AA PAs a bust.

Even the absolute best front offices miss on picks. So far, they look to have hit on Bryant and Schwarber. Almora looks like a miss (a quick glance at the first round shows 8-10 guys who were available at 6 who would now look like better picks). That's fine. If they hit on 2 out of 3 first-rounders from here on out, the Cubs are going to be very good for a long time.

I'd love to have that Addison Russell character.

It's funny how that worked out.

Of course, if they had just originally drafted Russell, Theo could have used HammelSnork to fleece some other unsuspecting GM last summer.

I wish they'd drafted Corey Seager, and then still traded for Russell, and then Theo's dream team of 9 SS would be nearly complete.

Why are we even talking about Almora? I would love for him to work out, but I don't think the Cubs really need him or are counting on him for anything other than giving the franchise some value that they could trade or keep. It's not like Almora's Jorge Soler or Kris Bryant...now that the Cubs have the first waves of this organization rebuild pounding the shores of MLB, there is a little bit more of a luxury to not have to count on every prospect working out.

I'm not saying I have given up on him, and I'm not saying I don't care. All I'm saying is I don't think it affects the Cubs dramatically if he doesn't pan out...

Why talk about prospects in the prospect thread? Why talk about Schlitter and Jackson in the 2015 Cubs thread? Why talk about baseball on the baseball site?

It seems perfectly reasonable to be talking about Almora, since he's the highest-ranking prospect remaining in the system (Baez excluded) that has legit bust potential.

[R-V]

Why are we even talking about Almora?

Because RV brought him up 4 pages ago.

And I got to come back a few hours later and read several entertaining posts! I'm getting a great return on investment from this Desipio membership.