Quote from sportwarrior on January 15, 2020, 5:49 pm

Quote from MrPadre19 on January 15, 2020, 5:30 pm

Quote from sportwarrior on January 15, 2020, 4:21 pm

Quote from MrPadre19 on January 15, 2020, 1:48 pm

Quote from fenn68 on January 15, 2020, 1:09 pm

Quote from sportwarrior on January 15, 2020, 12:45 pm

Quote from fenn68 on January 11, 2020, 2:04 pm

The Australian Winter Baseball League is ... maybe at best ... a low A quality. However, Padres have a few players participating.

Recently surfacing (3 games) are Robbie Podorsky and Kelvin Melean.

Podorsky (injured most of 2019) is "older" out of college ... put up some good lower minor league stats (plus plus speed) .. smaller guy ... low chance of ML time but seems like the guy to root for against the odds ... at least to get that "cup of coffee" as a call-up back-up down the road and until then a good system guy. 3 for 10 with 2 SB.

Melean on the other hand was signed a few years back as a prospect with good upside ... still only 21. Struggled in some early moves into full season ball but showed some signs of his potential in short season in 2019 (at 20).

Should note two others trying to turn their short season performances into something better to make full season roles.

Jordy Barley (just 20) in 17 games 274/328/452. Raw skills the Padres love ... just has not put it together. Hope?

Jonny Hozma in 30 games 260/330/365. Just 20 ... but interesting as a draftee out of Alaska and the Padres converting him for INF to C. Never has hit in the minors but?

Odds any make the Padres down the road are very low ... but maybe some interesting minor league follows.

My buddy lives in Aukland and has been a regular at Tuatara games. Homza has been primarily used at C and 3b, for what little that's worth. Also, fun fact... Aukland has a local kid playing for them that's 18, 5'7, and listed at 135. He looks even smaller than that on the field!

I did not think of this before .... but wonder how the fires are impacting the players / games?

Saw one of the players in the qualifiers for the Australian Open tennis tournament buckled over having difficulty breathing and had to withdraw ... as did some others. Air quality is "hazardous" ... at least in Melbourne. Fires are all over the southeastern part (actually every part) of Australia.

And purposely set!

I hope they throw the book at those responsible.

I did read that there was a lynch mob after one of the pyromaniacs who they arrested!

Let them have him!

 

I hate to veer off topic, but the narrative that any significant portion of Australia's bushfires are attributable to arson is demonstrably false.

I guess I shouldn’t have chosen this time to believe CNN?

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/07/australia/australia-fires-police-action-trnd/index.html

 

 

Nothing in that article says that a substantial percentage of bushfires were started by arsonists. Some people and one or two news outlets in this country have chosen to emphasize arson as a reason behind Australia's fires. There have been instances, to be sure, but it's incredibly misleading to focus on it as a significant reason as to why this fire season has been so absolutely devastating.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-11/australias-fires-reveal-arson-not-a-major-cause/11855022

Back to Padres talk!

Quote from MrPadre19 on January 16, 2020, 3:19 am

I guess I thought 24 accused would be a substantial amount.

 

Quote from fenn68 on January 16, 2020, 9:11 am

MLBPipeline has Campusano as their #4 catching prospect.

 

Quote from fenn68 on January 16, 2020, 9:26 am

Quote from fenn68 on January 16, 2020, 9:11 am

MLBPipeline has Campusano as their #4 catching prospect.

 

Side observations on Campusano:

1. at #4 he is placed ahead of LAD's Ruiz (#7) who has been much touted as a great prospect worth of a king's ransom in any trade and LAD will resist trading him.
2. good chance prospect #3 (Murphy of OAK, age 25) will drop off the list soon after the season starts .. he has already earned ML time and should be with OAK out of ST ... then also a good chance that #2 (Bart of SF age 23) arrives late in 2020 and graduates ... so, by the end of the season could see Campusano (just turned 21) rise to the second prospect slot.

A very young catcher, in AA, who can hit and play at least average defense in an era in MLB striving for depth from that position has to be worth a lot to the future of the Padres ... especially since he should not arrive until 2022 more fully developed and (if he is still around) the end of the Hedges era.

Quote from Commie on January 16, 2020, 9:58 am

Quote from fenn68 on January 16, 2020, 9:26 am

Quote from fenn68 on January 16, 2020, 9:11 am

MLBPipeline has Campusano as their #4 catching prospect.

 

Side observations on Campusano:

1. at #4 he is placed ahead of LAD's Ruiz (#7) who has been much touted as a great prospect worth of a king's ransom in any trade and LAD will resist trading him.
2. good chance prospect #3 (Murphy of OAK, age 25) will drop off the list soon after the season starts .. he has already earned ML time and should be with OAK out of ST ... then also a good chance that #2 (Bart of SF age 23) arrives late in 2020 and graduates ... so, by the end of the season could see Campusano (just turned 21) rise to the second prospect slot.

A very young catcher, in AA, who can hit and play at least average defense in an era in MLB striving for depth from that position has to be worth a lot to the future of the Padres ... especially since he should not arrive until 2022 more fully developed and (if he is still around) the end of the Hedges era.

Or form one of the best offensive C tandems in the game with Mejia 😁

Quote from fenn68 on January 16, 2020, 10:11 am

Quote from Commie on January 16, 2020, 9:58 am

Quote from fenn68 on January 16, 2020, 9:26 am

Quote from fenn68 on January 16, 2020, 9:11 am

MLBPipeline has Campusano as their #4 catching prospect.

 

Side observations on Campusano:

1. at #4 he is placed ahead of LAD's Ruiz (#7) who has been much touted as a great prospect worth of a king's ransom in any trade and LAD will resist trading him.
2. good chance prospect #3 (Murphy of OAK, age 25) will drop off the list soon after the season starts .. he has already earned ML time and should be with OAK out of ST ... then also a good chance that #2 (Bart of SF age 23) arrives late in 2020 and graduates ... so, by the end of the season could see Campusano (just turned 21) rise to the second prospect slot.

A very young catcher, in AA, who can hit and play at least average defense in an era in MLB striving for depth from that position has to be worth a lot to the future of the Padres ... especially since he should not arrive until 2022 more fully developed and (if he is still around) the end of the Hedges era.

Or form one of the best offensive C tandems in the game with Mejia 😁

Sort of heading that way for 2022 ... a Mejia - Campusano tandem would have a 3 year run until Mejia moves on (baring an extension). Since both are billed as plus hitters ... could see some 1B/DH time to improve the offense.

Also, during that period, would not sleep on Torrens being a factor ... he is still young and came off a very good AA season in 2019. No prospect status due to his rule 5 year but really is a prospect who does seem to also have some offensive skills. IF the DH is around, IF Hosmer is traded (or opts out), IF Mejia's bat earns him some OF role ... could see all three in that 2022-24 window.

Quote from fenn68 on January 17, 2020, 12:17 pm

From MLB.com on each team's best defensive prospect:

Padres: Gabriel Arias, SS (No. 13)
Signed for $1.9 million during the Padres’ 2016-17 international spending spree, Arias has loud tools at shortstop but is still learning to harness them to achieve consistency. A plus defender, he has very good hands, footwork and control of his body, with arm strength and range that make it clear he’s cut out for the position long-term. The 19-year-old made strides at the plate with Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore in 2019, batting .302/.339/.470 with 17 homers in his second full season.

 

Quote from MrPadre19 on January 17, 2020, 1:46 pm

We have so many guys like Arias(and Campusano really) who still have so much potential.

I truly believe because we have had so many guys in the top 100 the last few years some of these guys don't get their due.

Arias for example is our 13th rated prospect right now....I have to think he would be top 5 in many other systems.With his defense and the step he took offensively last season...I mean,over .800 OPS with 17 HR's for a great defensive SS prospect?!

Plus he's still a teenager!

I certainly hope we don't trade him too soon...if at all.

He will be good insurance in case FTJ's reckless style causes him to miss more time.

OR.......he will have even more value after another good season with the bat.

 

 

Quote from JasonE135 on January 17, 2020, 2:16 pm

Did anyone else check out the Madfriars top 30 prospects for 2020 Davey edition? One thing I noticed was what he said about David Weathers. He said in the beginning of the year, Weathers was consistently throwing 94-96 with better movement. Does anyone here know, is that true? If so, that could push him up to having a plus fastball. That could push his overall outlook past being just a back end starter and into a possible #3 or even #2 starter. If he can manage to get it back and retain it.