Is it possible that were misplacing how 1b prospects are viewed in terms of value? Rizzo was a nice prospect, that was well-regarded by the industry, but calling him an elite 1b prospect is far different then calling him an elite prospect, due to the contrast in values between 1b almost every other position. His pre-season rankings:
BA - #47 BP - #75 MLB - #37 Law - #36
The RJ comment was dumb, should have left it out, but I just thought it was interesting to see that kind of discrepancy.
Honestly I don't really see much comparisson between Cashner & Poreda. Remember reports of Poreda hitting 100 with the Sox only to peak around 93-94 (avg 92) when he came up to the Padres. Atleast Cashner's gas is legit, not to mention not having those gawd awful walk numbers in the upper minors as part of his "track record". Not sure who the lefty Cashner would be but it sure as heck wouldn't be Poreda... what a dud!
I'm not a huge NFL guy, but you know what sucks.....when you trade the backup QB only to find out that he's probably better than your starter. Rizzo looking good (and we know he's a good defensive... more
That trade really was inexplicable wasn't it? It's certainly not surprising that Rizzo is having success this year given how everything has gone down so far. I'm mildly encouraged by Cashner's... more
Yup. Possibly most concerning among those people - at least superficially - is some of the players and folks working with the team. The mind-bend associated with that ballpark is really something... more
I think a Headley trade could shed some light on how what Byrnes and company think is ailing the club right now and whether they properly understand Petco's effects. I'd love for Chase to stay with... more
"I think the Latos trade was a really good deal. Incredibly good, actually. It's just discouraging that they followed it up with such a terrible deal for Rizzo. Oh well." Considering they followed up ... more
"arm with that same kind of talent" is such a terribly misleading phrase. That is like saying an unscratched lottery ticket has the same potential as a known winner. Sure it is technically true, but... more
If the lottery had those kind of odds of paying off I don't think I'd turn my nose to it! The odds that are against Cashner are IMO 90% health & 10% ability. He's healthy, he'll get his opportunity,... more
Suggesting that he is a good example of anything doesn't help your cause. He was a freak, so far out on the tail of the bell curve, that he doesn't really serve as any kind of pattern to follow at... more
It's like Crash Davis says at the end of Bull Durham: Why was everybody somebody famous in a past life? It's a lot more likely that Cashner's LH comp is Aaron Poreda and not Randy Johnson. Sure, some ... more
Re: Oh, and on Randy Johnson — Chase,Wed Jul 11 11:53
I don't think so, given how teams pay first basemen. Of baseball's top 15 salaries, 5 of them play 1b, one fewer than SP. It would take amazing mental gymnastics for front offices to believe that... more
I think everyone was pleased after Cashner's first start, but the injury concerns are real and he's got a long way to go before he's proven himself Latos equal in everything else. 37 league-average... more
He ain't healthy now. It's not the elbow, but like with Blanks, sometimes a guy just can't keep himself on the field. Maybe he can get healthy and be productive, but 10.2 major league innings as a... more
Don't really buy the whole Cashner was on the fence of being a non-tender guy in '13. His demotion to the minors this year probably prevented him from being a super-2. Even if he was arb elgible,... more
It largely depends on how many 40 man spots the Cubs might have needed, but teams drop mid-20s pitchers with mediocre performance records and sketchy health every winter and spring. Nothing to do... more
Cashner having the "potential" to be a staff ace has everything to do with his stuff. Nice slider, deceptive changeup with movement. Not a comfortable at bat for any hitter with that fastball in his... more
We've seen him improve his command? He's walked 4.7 per 9 this year in the bigs. His improvement is 8.1 major league innings and 14.1 against AA competition. He's cured! Except for command, health,... more
He's pitched in 30 games this year: 1st 15 - 13.2 IP, 12BB/12K last 15 - 23 IP, 7BB/33K No kidding there is a big different between "CAN and HAS" - didn't we already talk about that when discussing... more
I'm specifically talking about your claim that we've seen this fantastic improvement in Cashner's performance based on 8 innings as a starter and 15 as a reliever -- a stint that ended, let's not... more
But he showed improvement, right? :) Rizzo has been on FIRE!! Heck at this rate he might be considered the better 1b out of he, Alonso or Agon. If Cashner can stay healthy, an IF as big as those... more
The only thing that would shock me is Cashner ever throwing 200 IP in a season. I was as big an advocate of moving Cashner to the rotation as anybody, but I think the chances that he succeeds there... more
Exactly. Byrnes was like a kid who just cashed his first real paycheck, overtipping the waitress, bartender, and valet because he can't believe there are so many 20s in his wallet.