AlNipper49 said:I'm sure you guys are familiar with my story about not making anything off of SoSH. I'm tempted to go out and use SoSH funds to buy a 4k recorder to get video of this kid.
Do it.
AlNipper49 said:I'm sure you guys are familiar with my story about not making anything off of SoSH. I'm tempted to go out and use SoSH funds to buy a 4k recorder to get video of this kid.
Detts said:Joon Lee @iamjoonlee
Anderson Espinoza will make his Greenville Drive debut this Saturday, according to a source. #RedSox
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.
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.
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?
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?
This is what I was trying to say, but said much clearer.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.
Thanks very much for this.AlNipper49 said:
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.
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+.
I mean at some point this thread is NSFW right?I would say something about how that write up makes me feel, but that would not be safe for a public forum.
Sidd Finch couldn't wail a sax anywhere close to Clemons. You bite your your tongue.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.
Not until Espinoza turns 18.I mean at some point this thread is NSFW right?
Number 19 overall in BA's top 50 special on MLB Network tonight.
Unf.
I am starting to wish it were 2018There's a piece about Espinoza by Michael Silverman in today's Herald. Very nice but not a lot of new information there except for maybe how Pedro accidentally drove up the price to sign him.
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox/2016/03/sox_phenom_anderson_espinoza_has_got_everything
I pray that he doesn't get hurt. He's going to be special.“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.”