Yes, none. Only the team of the winner gets anything, BAL and ARI.Does anyone know what, if any, draft compensation this gives the Sox?
I hear we’re using the pick to select Sidd FinchWe get that sweet sweet additional pick in the non-existent IFA draft.
He's looking good for a top 3 pick, as is Bobson Dugnutt.I hear we’re using the pick to select Sidd Finch
Why would anyone get draft compensation for this? Is it like a prize?Yes, none. Only the team of the winner gets anything, BAL and ARI.
The idea is to incentivize clubs to call up top prospects early in the season rather than stash them for service time purposes.Why would anyone get draft compensation for this? Is it like a prize?
So does Rafaela qualify next season as a rookie or did he burn his status?The idea is to incentivize clubs to call up top prospects early in the season rather than stash them for service time purposes.
He is still a rookie.So does Rafaela qualify next season as a rookie or did he burn his status?
Superstar potential?“I’m not close at all,” Casas said late in the season of how close he was to being the player he envisions becoming. “I feel like I take a lot of pitches that I should be hitting. I feel like I check-swing at a lot of pitches that shouldn’t even merit a flinch. I feel like there’s a whole other level that I could tap into, but I’m not really there right now for whatever reason. I’m trying to figure it out.”
Already, the cerebral Casas has demonstrated an atypical gift for problem-solving in the batter’s box and deciphering how opposing pitchers are attacking him. Often, rookies will see their performance slip — and sometimes crumble — in the second half of the season. The physical wear of the first full year in the big leagues, coupled with the adjustments of opposing pitchers to exploit deficiencies, can result in a sputter toward the finish line.
He learned from his early season struggles:“He started settling in a little bit, learning,” said Sox assistant hitting coach Ben Rosenthal. “He took that and then you go to the second half, and all these little things that he’d been putting together were just building blocks to see what he can do. There’s still more room.
“He’s got the ceiling; we’re seeing it. I don’t think he’s a guy that’s going to be comfortable. His personality and how he goes about things, I think he wants to go and be elite, to be a superstar. I think he wants it. I think he’s on the right track. There’s still more room to grow.”
His approach to his young teammates is really encouraging to read about:He struggled at the beginning of the year while taking too passive an approach, hitting just .133/.283/.293 in April. But in retrospect, he wasn’t drowning in that initial stretch, just treading water while figuring out how to swim.
Casas steadily improved over the first half, then exploded with a jaw-dropping performance after the All-Star break. He hit .317/.417/.617 with 15 homers in 54 games in the second half, putting him in the middle of a who’s who of the best hitters in baseball — just behind Ronald Acuña Jr., and slightly ahead of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Yordan Alvarez — for the top performances after the All-Star break.
To put up such numbers at any career stage is impressive. That Casas did so as a 23-year-old rookie was historic. His 1.034 OPS in the second half was the eighth-highest mark by a rookie.
Mindful of his advanced thoughts about hitting, Sox players and coaches encouraged him to assume an increasingly vocal role in pregame hitters meetings. Casas also took it upon himself to connect with prospects such as Wilyer Abreu and Enmanuel Valdez to help them in their acclimation to the big leagues.
Such outreach underscores the great distance Casas traveled in the course of a year. As a September callup in 2022, he navigated veteran expectations uncertainly — and sometimes drew eye rolls from teammates for quirky pregame routines such as sunbathing shirtless in the outfield. But by this September, his performance and commitment to routines had earned the respect of both older and younger peers.
Hope he's a good influence on Valdez and Abreu. Both those guys posted really high BB rates with the automatic strike zone in AAA, and saw them plummet in the bigs (the delta between Valdez's AAA BB rate and MLB BB rate this year is crazy). I think if both of those guys learn to trust their eyes they'll be much more comfortable as big league hitters.Speier in the Glob on Casas:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/11/13/sports/triston-casas-wasnt-rookie-year-he-looks-like-huge-part-red-sox-future/
He believes he will only get better.
Superstar potential?
He learned from his early season struggles:
His approach to his young teammates is really encouraging to read about:
I hear this Reggie Stocker guy is in the top 3 as well. I think that rounds it out...He's looking good for a top 3 pick, as is Bobson Dugnutt.