Quote from fenn68 on April 27, 2021, 8:38 am

Minor League camp should be wrapping up at the end of this week ... need players to get to their new cities ... settle in to some sort of living situation ... and for some travel to wherever their home opener is (if not a home game).

So, the players and organization may know who is going where very soon .... different question as to when those assignments get announced ... usually that lags. Wouldn’t be surprised if we found out next Monday.

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Given the 1 month delay in the season ... not sure the weather in FW is that big an issue ... significant difference between Apr 4 and May 4 weather wise and by mid-month not an issue. Still see Hassell, Mears, and Lange LE bound and SA getting the bulk of the more advanced prospects. Not sure what is in store for FW.

Might get surprised on some AAA assignments with the “older” prospects (if they looked decent in camp). Preller seems to like to move good prospects up quickly and IF they have some “younger” prospects they see as AA ready that may push others up to AAA. Thinking Avila, Thompson (if stays in the pen), maybe some others.

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I can’t remember the article, but wasn’t there a report that the minor league rosters will be larger in 2021 (not sure the usage rules) to compensate for the loss of the 2020 season ... pitchers have not pitched in games for nearly two years so some care needs to be taken. Looking at the ML injury rate ... with pitchers who did pitch in 2020 ... that would be justified.

Quote from Brian Connelly on April 27, 2021, 1:25 pm

"Preller seems to like to move good prospects up quickly.."

I'm NOT saying the Tatis', Weathers, Abrams, and even Marcanos of the system won't rise quickly... but this is an old cliched refrain I really hope fades away with an elite team at the MLB level ultimately forcing prospects to stay in the Minors and DEVELOP longer.   Beyond a few elite guys whose ability just carries them to MLB, I've never been convinced rushing guys up, skipping levels, etc really PROVED successful at the MLB level.  SP's should work in a setting WHERE THE OUTCOME REALLY DOESN'T MATTER by being "made" to throw their secondary pitches in games at specific use %.  Position players increasingly should work at different field positions in the Minors; not play 2 innings in LF of 1 game in ST and be annointed "an OF".

Think the flip flop of Ft Wayne to High-A & Elsinore to Low A will actually really help the Padres position prospects' development path.  It's very similar to AA being a better place than AAA for best SP prospects.  Before, there was the temptation to skip the challenge of low A Ft Wayne in Midwest for an elite hitting prospect (like Hassell).  Now, it just makes more sense to have them go to Elsinore for at least half a season to get rolling in more hitter favorable environment before making the jump to High-A.

 

 

 

Quote from fenn68 on April 27, 2021, 1:57 pm

The prospect progression should begin to be more measured without the need to get prospects to MLB fast ... at least in the near term.

Preller seems to take the approach of trying to place the prospect at a level that provides a real challenge to boost development and just not leave the prospect at a level that they dominate. Obviously a big grey area with judgement on the player ... and Preller has implied that he does not want to place a player where he will fail and have to be dropped a level. They will be "right" sometimes and "wrong" other times.

Agree that having low A in LE is a better full season introduction for the players. (easier shuttle between LE and the AZ rookie league which is the most likely scenario as the prospects try to establish themselves.)

My issue in 2021 is not having any real sense of prospects that were in AZ/DSL in 2019 ... a lot of bodies (especially pitchers) and who ends up in low and high A. After losing a season might want the better prospect at some level of full season over some "non-prospects" who occupied full season ball in 2019 (and they are a couple of years older).

All teams have a similar issue with their farm system ... so "maybe" high A league becomes closer to low A and low A becomes closer to short season? Effort to develop the younger prospects over nursing the "old guys". No idea how AZ Rookie League shakes out ...

Quote from Brian Connelly on April 28, 2021, 8:29 am

With "Cal League" being so hitter friendly relative to "Midwest League", I agree on P placement:  OK to push talent to High-A b/c now it's actually more favorable to the P to be there vs. the "punishment" it used to be.  Remember the frequency young P's who rolled through Ft Wayne would suddenly have 5.50 ERA's when moved to High-A Elsinore?

So over-simplifying here, but in general:   Let elite young position prospects go through Low A Elsinore to get feet wet in Minor League travel ball and establish some success.  If younger talented P is dominating Arizona League or even Minors ST, maybe OK to skip low-A & go straight to Ft Wayne.

 

Quote from fenn68 on May 1, 2021, 7:49 am

Getting close ... San Antonio and Lake Elsinore open next Tuesday (4th) on the road and  Fort Wayne opens on the 4th at home. El Paso opens on the 6th on the road.

Did see that in an attempt to reduce travel ... series are going longer than the normal 3-4 game sets. For Lake Elsinore .. at least in May ... the league is going with 6 games series followed by a day off for travel.

Wonder if that format will lead to 6 man rotation giving starters 6 rest days between starts? Given most had zero game work in 2020 and reflecting on the injuries in the major leagues with pitchers who did play in 2020 (but limited) ... might make sense to control workloads over the season. As I recall the minors can carry one or two more players on the roster for the season which should help the pitching use.

Quote from WindsorUK on May 1, 2021, 8:37 am

Outside of Gore, who else do we have in the minors that can come up and give us a few starts before we lose another starter to elbow pain?🙄

Quote from fenn68 on May 1, 2021, 10:05 am

Quote from WindsorUK on May 1, 2021, 8:37 am

Outside of Gore, who else do we have in the minors that can come up and give us a few starts before we lose another starter to elbow pain?🙄

A lot of bodies ... but don't expect any to be all that effective and go deep into games.

Think we are in the window where any of the minor league arms will be evaluated on how well they are currently showing (alternate site, minor league camp, initial minor league starts) over "potential / upside" based on scouting. That may keep Gore in the minors for now unless the need is for more than "a few" starts.

On the roster, Crismatt was a starter in the past (2017-19) and might get stretched out. Longer shot is Humphreys (inexperienced with injury past ... but was an effective SP in the lower minors).

Non-roster (again based on current work): Knehr; Bachar; Guerrero; Camarena; Kennedy.

 

 

Quote from JasonE135 on May 1, 2021, 5:58 pm

Matt Strahm was also a starter just a couple of years ago. He can eventually be used to soak up some innings if needed.

Quote from WindsorUK on May 1, 2021, 11:29 pm

Forgot about Strahm!

I do think he could help if he could ever get healthy.  It's his knee, right? Same one as before?