Anderson Espinoza

chrisfont9

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Given how young he is, should he see some time in the bullpen as he progresses? I mean, they want to challenge him but need to keep his innings down. I'm not sure how this works at the MiL level but it's been how teams like the Cardinals have done it with young guys at the ML level.
 

doc

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If you could flip this kid for Sale or Bumgarner (not that I think you could do this straight up, or that the other teams would trade either of them, I am just using them as examples of a young, MLB established top of the rotation starter) I would do it.  A lot of bad things can happen to a 17 yo pitcher between now and MLB.
 

Buzzkill Pauley

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doc said:
If you could flip this kid for Sale or Bumgarner (not that I think you could do this straight up, or that the other teams would trade either of them, I am just using them as examples of a young, MLB established top of the rotation starter) I would do it.  A lot of bad things can happen to a 17 yo pitcher between now and MLB.
 
A lot of bad things can happen to a young, established top of the rotation starter, too. 
 
Here's the rub: there's probably no one actually available in MLB who you could get for Espinoza 1-for-1, who's also good enough that you'd want to do the deal. But Espinoza's got too much upside to make him part of a package for someone who is available.
 
If anyone truly can be said to be "untouchable" then Espinoza should be. 
 

nighthob

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Yeah, I was just going to post that, you can't get anyone good enough for Espinoza straight up because he's still technically a lottery ticket, and he's been so ridiculously good against older competition that you don't want to be adding him to a trade as a throw-in.
 

Detts

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Just checked to see if we can get tickets for tomorrow (they have some assuming Nip gets there when the box office opens).  Told the guy I don't want to miss Espinoza and was told that it was news to him (and the team) that he was starting tomorrow.
 
Which doesn't mean anything.
 

epraz

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nighthob said:
Yeah, I was just going to post that, you can't get anyone good enough for Espinoza straight up because he's still technically a lottery ticket, and he's been so ridiculously good against older competition that you don't want to be adding him to a trade as a throw-in.
 
For all of you calling Espinoza untouchable, is it because other teams won't value him as much as the Red Sox, or is there some level of a prospect's ceiling where he shouldn't be traded unless he's blocked at the position in the majors?
 

Detts

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epraz said:
 
For all of you calling Espinoza untouchable, is it because other teams won't value him as much as the Red Sox, or is there some level of a prospect's ceiling where he shouldn't be traded unless he's blocked at the position in the majors?
 
Because his ceiling is a #1 starter, however you would never get a #1 straight up for him as that team would be taking on the risk that he gets brain cancer from some bacteria on the scissors he will fall on while getting out of bed before some Portland hooker wakes up.
 
A proven #1 > a potential #1, which means you would be trading below EXPECTED value.  #1's don't grow on trees, so you have to rely on your minors leadership.
 
And a quote I read somewhere from a scout (paraphrasing):  'He is the only 17 year old on the planet with 3 quality pitches because if there was a HS junior out there like that everyone would know.  And if there was a kid like that out there he would be hearing how good he is from everybody making his head too big, while Espinoza has never truly understood how special he is.' 
 
Last edit.  It was from the Alex Speier article posted today (From Greenville...heh):
 
“There ain’t no 17-year-old juniors in this country that have his three-pitch mix, not that I’m aware of,” said Kotchman. “If there were, they would have their names splattered over everything, and then they probably wouldn’t become what they might become, because they’re anointed this and that. This kid is very, very humble for someone who could possibly be what he can be.”
 
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/09/03/red-sox-minor-leaguer-anderson-espinoza-fast-learner/K4oVJEsVJHSlAd98SuSszO/story.html
 

doc

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It depends where you are in the cycle, a team with a single great starter and good lower level prospects , but crap in MLB and the upper minors might make a deal for Espinoza +.  Espinoza is about to run the injury nexus gauntlet for young pitchers, and in the next 3-5 years has the highest risk of injury until he gets old.  I'd love to see this kid come up and make it with the Sox, but they are all gambles and in the end prospects are commodities some you use, some you trade.
 

nighthob

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epraz said:
 
For all of you calling Espinoza untouchable, is it because other teams won't value him as much as the Red Sox, or is there some level of a prospect's ceiling where he shouldn't be traded unless he's blocked at the position in the majors?
 
As a 17 year old he can't the centerpiece of a trade for a frontline starter, due to age he wouldn't be more than a throw-in, but you don't want to be throwing in guys with that much talent.
 

Buzzkill Pauley

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nighthob said:
 
As a 17 year old he can't the centerpiece of a trade for a frontline starter, due to age he wouldn't be more than a throw-in, but you don't want to be throwing in guys with that much talent.
This is what I was trying to say, but said much clearer.
 

67WasBest

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On the suggestion of buying a vudeo recorder.

With the quality columns being written, providing quality video to support the enterprise seems a logical next step. Good move IMO. Improves the site.
 

AlNipper49

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So I ended up not purchasing the recorder, or bringing my SLR.  The forecast was awful and I really wanted my 8 year old to see Espinoza, so I figured to keep it simple.  As we evolve, some nice equipment is definitely in the cards.
 
We did get some pretty choice seats.  As a new comer to the South I did not realize the impact of a minor league game and college football.  It was sparsely attended.
 
So anyhow I did get some video.  It takes a bit to upload, and youtube may take it down.  But until then, here you go!
 
Epinoza's first batter 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtFVgopwBdY
 

LesterFan

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Kiley McDaniel had this to say:
 
Kiley McDaniel @kileymcd

Finally tracked down Red Sox 17 year old phenom RHP Anderson Espinoza. Threw 9 fastballs in the first, all 96-98. Very easy delivery.

 
Kiley McDaniel @kileymcd

I'm hesitant to praise a 17 year old pitcher too much, but I had high expectations for Anderson Espinoza & he easily surpassed them today.
 
Q: @kileymcd Top-100 in offseason rankings? Top-50?
A: middle of top 100
 
Q: @kileymcd Could he have gone 1-1 in last year's draft? Or this year's?
A: Guy I saw today would've been top 5 in either class, but that can obviously change
 

GreyisGone

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Jim: Thoughts on Anderson Espinoza and Francis Martes? I’ve been hearing a lot of high projections of them lately.
Klaw: I think I know more about Espinoza now – a non-Boston exec told me “he might be Pedro” than Martes, but both are pretty clearly top 100, probably top 50 prospects
http://meadowparty.com/blog/
 

ALiveH

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It will be fascinating to see the thought process & debate around ranking Espinoza this offseason.  On the one hand, he's only 17 and will have <100 IPs at single-A.  OTOH, he dominated (dominated might be understating) at 3 different levels this year (DSL, GCL, Sally) and pitching prospects with potential to be true #1A bona-fide Aces must be exceedingly rare.
 

nighthob

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I'm not sure he dominated that start in the Sally. But the fact that he pitched pretty well against much older competition as a 17 year old has to be pretty uncommon. How many 17 year old pitchers have made mid A in the last quarter century? I'm eagerly looking forward to next year now, to see how he does an 18 year old there.
 

jscola85

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I don't see much harm in starting him in Greenville.  If he dominates for 4-5 starts off the bat, move him quickly up to Salem.  Whatever the case might be, he's going to take at least two more years to stretch out to be close to helping the MLB team even if he dominates the competition at whatever level he's at.  He pitched less than 70 innings this year - even on an aggressive path, he's probably maxed at 100 next year and ~140 in 2017.
 

The Talented Allen Ripley

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BA named Espinoza the top prospect in the GCL for 2015.

 
Red Sox righthander Anderson Espinoza and Nationals outfielder Victor Robles, were two of the breakout stories of the minor league season, while Braves 2015 supplemental first-rounder Austin Riley dramatically raised his pre-draft stock in pro ball. Many other players with talent on par of a second- or third-round pick didn’t make the cut, while just three of the seven GCL prospects who touched 100 mph made the cut.
 
Espinoza led a strong Red Sox pitching staff that had a combined 2.28 ERA, best in the league. They finished with the league’s best record in the regular season and repeated as GCL champions.
 

Montana Fan

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From Sickels. Note is at the bottom of the comments section.

Anderson Espinosa, RHP, Boston Red Sox
Bats: R Throws: R HT: 6-0 WT: 170 DOB: March 9, 1998

Year Team League G GS IP H R ER HR BB SO W L SV ERA
2015 DSL Red Sox R- 4 4 15.0 13 6 2 0 3 21 0 0 0 1.20
GCL Red Sox R 10 10 40.0 24 5 3 0 9 40 0 1 0 0.68
Greenville A 1 1 3.1 4 3 3 0 2 4 0 1 0 8.10
1 Minor League Season 15 15 58.1 41 14 8 0 14 65 0 2 0 1.23
2015: Grade C+

Oh, boy, this one looks terrific. The Red Sox gave Espinosa a bonus of $1,800,000 in 2014, an all-time record for a Venezuelan. He opened 2015 in the Dominican Summer League but was obviously too good for that level. Promoted to the Gulf Coast League, he blew away older competition in 10 starts, drawing tremendous praise for his talent and backing that up with strong numbers. He finished with one start in A-ball which did not go very well, but he was just 17. Espinosa showed an 89-94 MPH fastball when he signed but that increased to 93-98 last year, with a few reports of 99-100. This is easy heat, too, with a clean, smooth delivery from an athletic body. His curveball and change-up need some additional polish but both project as plus pitches and are certainly strong offerings given his age. His feel for pitching is also strong and he has plenty of mound presence. He’s not a huge guy but nobody seems concerned about that. If Espinosa were from the United States, he would be entering the draft pool in 2016 and would be viewed as a candidate not just for the first round, but a candidate to go number one overall. We need to see how he holds up to a workload of course, but while it is generally wise to keep expectations in check for a young pitcher, Espinosa has all the physical and intangible attributes to be a number one starter, assuming he continues to throw strikes (which seems likely) and stay healthy (too soon to know). Grade B+.

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2015/12/3/9837820/boston-red-sox-preliminary-prospect-list
 

snowmanny

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It's hard to be a "B" prospect in A-ball in his system:

Here's his glossary-

Grade A prospects are the elite.
In theory, they have a good chance of becoming stars or superstars. Theoretically, most Grade A prospects develop into stars or at least major league regulars, if injuries or other problems don’t intervene. Note that is a major "if" in some cases.

Grade B prospects have a good chance to enjoy successful careers. Some will develop into stars, some will not. Most end up spending several years in the majors, at the very least in a marginal role.

Grade C prospects are the most common type. These are guys who have something positive going for them, but who may have a question mark or three, or who are just too far away from the majors to get an accurate feel for. A few Grade C guys, especially at the lower levels, do develop into stars. Many end up as role players or bench guys. Some don’t make it at all
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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I'd venture to say the amount of B+ ratings he's given to 17 yo international players who have all of one game of A ball under their belt could be counted on one hand. That's usually too far away for him to be so optimistic.
 

jimbobim

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Heady Stuff from Law

He might be Pedro Martinez or he might be a right-handed Aroldis Chapman, but one thing Anderson Espinoza will not be is short of hyperbole. The 17-year-old Dominican right-hander lit the low minors on fire last year, even finishing the summer with a single outing at Class A Greenville, and won't even turn 18 until March. With three big league-caliber pitches and shocking feel for his age, Espinoza is the living definition of a player being "scary good," because we haven't seen a player like him in quite a while.

Espinoza stuck to about four innings per outing in 2015, by which I mean he went exactly four innings in 13 straight outings before he actually pitched poorly enough to be removed from a game for a reason other than a pitch count. He sat 94-99 mph all summer, and also showed a plus changeup and a plus curveball, although he wouldn't necessarily have all three pitches working on any single night. He has great confidence in the changeup and will use it against right-handed batters, a great sign for his pitching acumen, given his youth. His body looks as if it'll fill out enough for him to handle a starter's workload, but he's already throwing so hard -- and so easy -- at 17 that it's hard to come up with enough comparisons in recent memory to talk intelligently about the odds he'll stay healthy as a starter. If he does, we'll be talking about him in the same way as we did young King Felix and Doc Gooden.
 

Niastri

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As a nine year old, my mind was captivated by the idea of Sidd Finch being even better than Clemons. It took me three readings to realize that it wasn't mere hyperbole but complete mockery.

I am pretty sure most adults who were fooled by the article didn't give it so many readings.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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As a nine year old, my mind was captivated by the idea of Sidd Finch being even better than Clemons . It took me three readings to realize that it wasn't mere hyperbole but complete mockery.

I am pretty sure most adults who were fooled by the article didn't give it so many readings.
Sidd Finch couldn't wail a sax anywhere close to Clemons. You bite your your tongue.

 
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soxhop411

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Number 19 overall in BA's top 50 special on MLB Network tonight.

Unf.

80 grade fastball

“@redsoxstats: On the Top 100 list there were only 6 80 grades on a tools, 2 got it for speed, Gallo for power, Giolito, Reyes, Espinoza for fastballs”
 

johnnywayback

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Walked by him today at Fenway South, and I'm pretty sure that this kid is not six feet tall. But he seemed a lot more solidly built than what I had seen on tape -- possible that he put on a little bit of good weight this winter, perhaps. I did manage not to swoon noticeably, but it wasn't easy.
 

Laser Show

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https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2016/04/14/anderson-espinoza-confident-his-future/PuDSdooJtaVThs7s3HENSJ/story.html

“My goals are big this year,” Espinoza said through translator Daveson Perez last month. “I want to start off in Greenville, pitch 50 or so innings, and then hopefully be promoted to High A. I want to make the [All-Star] Futures Game this year in San Diego, and hopefully I can have maybe two or three starts in Double A. Those are my goals for the season.

...

“If we’re speaking of what’s going to happen in a year, I see myself starting the year in Double A, being there for a little while, then getting called up to the majors, then being in the majors and not get told to go back down,” he said. “I want to be in the running for Cy Youngs in the future. I want to go to All-Star Games in the future. I want to be recognized as one of the best pitchers in the league. I want to have statistics to back that up, and I want to be one of the best pitchers in Red Sox history.

...

“I think people who just conform to being average don’t go anywhere,” said Espinoza. “I think being on top of my game and having high goals is key to me being a better player and improving and always keeping the trajectory going up.”
I pray that he doesn't get hurt. He's going to be special.