Quote from Randy Manese on January 25, 2023, 2:28 pm

The more I think about Ethan Salas playing 2 games in the Venezuelan Winter League (VWL) (second game rained out) the more impressed I am by what he did.  He had 4 official plate appearances and drew 2 walks and got the bat on the ball sufficiently to have 2 groundouts - more importantly he did not strike out!  Further, I believe he caught 8 scoreless/hitless innings!  The VWL has got to be at least equal to Low A ball, so later in the year when Salas is promoted to Lake Elsinore, I've got to go watch this teenage phenom in person!

Acuna Jr just played in it.. Salvador Perez was Ethan's teamate.. there are MLB players sprinkled in every team in VWL... so AA/AAA level at least. Maybe not the DR level which is borderline MLB.. but I would say AA and avg age was 28.2 or +12 yrs older than Salas.. incredibly impressessive

Training continues even without gloves hard papers also work as gloves. Everyday single day comes with its own challenges sometimes it's so hard but the only choice I have is to keep going at it with all I got. I trust the process more so I will stay working hard pic.twitter.com/MeGJANaaI1

— KASUMBA DENNIS (@KASUMBADENNIS4) January 27, 2023

Time to build a baseball academy in Africa.. get ahead of the curve as baseball ramping up in popularity.. early bird gets the worm

Quote from Henry Silvestre on January 27, 2023, 2:52 pm

https://twitter.com/KASUMBADENNIS4/status/1618964571758399489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1618964571758399489%7Ctwgr%5Eef14d695c9aa2c76aecef8552fa3ed16240316fc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barstoolsports.com%2Fblog%2F3454033%2Fthis-high-school-catcher-from-uganda-is-practicing-with-no-glove-and-getting-hit-by-tires-to-try-and-get-to-america-to-play-college-baseball

 

Time to build a baseball academy in Africa.. get ahead of the curve as baseball ramping up in popularity.. early bird gets the worm

Who the HELL is that?????

That is one impressive dude!

pic.twitter.com/hK07Eshcvx

— Will Holder (@WillHolder9) January 30, 2023

Looks like the wrist is healed on Zavala

Latin players and people just love baseball man, they always so demonstrative and happy..and talk shit to each other.. its a very Happy Sport for them if u get my drift..

Keith Law in his new top 100 has Jackson Merrill 20th and Samuel Zavala 94th

— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) January 30, 2023

Zavala #94 ..makes Keith Laws top 100...Merrill #20..(#19 in mlb)

By mid 2023 we could have 4 top 100... if not more

Merrill/Lesko/Zavala/Salas

Close-- Snelling/Mazur

The San Diego Padres are favorites to sign Dominican SS Leodalis "Leo" De Vries when the 2024 international FA period opens on Jan. 15, 2024. De Vries is a consensus "Top 2" prospect in the 2024 class. Sky high ceiling, wiry, athletic, rangy, power from both sides of the plate. pic.twitter.com/3SXRrRZ4Pn

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) December 20, 2022

I dont ever want to see an International Draft... AJP and staff are about as good as they come recognizing elite talent and signing them... Salas #1 .. DeVrie #2 (next class).. unreal

Quote from Henry Silvestre on January 30, 2023, 8:32 am

https://twitter.com/JoeDoyleMiLB/status/1605231553906212864?t=0bIZIibNi7sDnEBhvcqDXA&s=19

 

I dont ever want to see an International Draft... AJP and staff are about as good as they come recognizing elite talent and signing them... Salas #1 .. DeVrie #2 (next class).. unreal

An international draft would be the best thing for a majority of these young, foreign born players and for baseball. It would do a better job of spreading around the money to mid range prospects.

Quote from BoosterSD on January 30, 2023, 8:42 am

Quote from Henry Silvestre on January 30, 2023, 8:32 am

https://twitter.com/JoeDoyleMiLB/status/1605231553906212864?t=0bIZIibNi7sDnEBhvcqDXA&s=19

 

I dont ever want to see an International Draft... AJP and staff are about as good as they come recognizing elite talent and signing them... Salas #1 .. DeVrie #2 (next class).. unreal

An international draft would be the best thing for a majority of these young, foreign born players and for baseball. It would do a better job of spreading around the money to mid range prospects.

But not for the Padres

I am interested to see some of the young prospects who should be at some point in LE in 2023 … four position players who where highly touted when signed internationally might be big for the future;

1. 1B/OF … LHH …Montesino (18) … injured most of 2022

2. CF … Salinas (20)

3. INF … Verdugo (18)

4. 3B/OF … Murillo (20)

Chance to show in their first full season and still at a young age. I am ready for a surprise star to emerge.

Speaking of surprise stars … always follow position player conversions to RP and sometimes they work (eg Hoffman) but usually don’t. This year following Justin Lopez who failed as a SS (could not hit) but last season the Padres started his conversion to a RP. Had the strong arm at SS … will it carry in in the pen? Could have a chance to begin the season in LE.