Quote from fenn68 on July 4, 2019, 8:33 am

Looking at the full season rosters ... clearly some strength in the INF prospects but a real thin crop of OF prospects and none of the few seem to developing into candidates for impact ML starters. Olivares potentially (in a couple of years) and maybe J.Rosario as a defensive first CF (in maybe 3 years) but with the poor performance by Ornelas this season in hitter friendly CalLeague lost a lot of confidence in him. The short season / rookie league guys are just too far off to consider.

With Machado and Tatis likely locking up 3B/SS for years to come .... and "hopefully" Urias at 2B, shouldn't the Padres start converting some of the better INF prospects into OF ? Maybe a focus on those that show hitting skills but marginal INF defensive skills? When they make the move is always a question but that is why they have development folks I guess and would think that the more time in the OF will just improve their potential as an OF / ML prospect.

Up on my list is E.Ruiz (poor throwing arm considered) has shown hitting skills and elite speed but from what I have read poor defensively at 2B. A conversion to LF (a lot of ML players have worked out in LF with a noodle arm) and that could be a better route to the ML for Ruiz.

Ripple effect would be an opening to move elite prospect Edwards to LE from FW in 2019. Of course, there is the option of converting Edwards to an OF (at a minimum getting his some playing time there).

Cordoba should be given an OF spot and just left there to maximize his defensive skills and not be bounced around between INF and OF.

Just a thought to better serve the future for the ML club.

Quote from Brian Connelly on July 4, 2019, 10:01 am

Well, Padres are now in the insanely enviable position of having an elite MLB SS in Machado backing up their elite MLB SS!!  And this will be true for next 4 years or more.  So the normal "highest need" of a utility guy being SS capable is greatly diminished for the Padres.

This makes the (normally) secondary needs of LH/RH balance & CF capability relatively more important to the Padres.  Also having a capable 3B, since that would be the open position if Tatis OR Machado to IL like in May.  A dropoff inevitable with anyone backing up MM/Tatis, but can't ask France to do more than he's doing in AAA.

It has to be mentioned that Urias' SS capability has less value to the Padres than it would to another team without Machado there to fill in at SS.

Any player like Cordoba that might be able to handle 3B AND CF would have a lot of value.   Don't want to move your best SS at each level off SS, but might move the 2nd best guy around especially to OF more quickly than in the past... I'd like to see Abrams getting time in CF next year @ Ft Wayne for example.

Quote from fenn68 on July 4, 2019, 11:03 am

Assuming Urias can live up to his projections .... play 2B and he too is being billed as a very capable SS. So, an injury to Tatis could be covered by either Machado or Urias. I would lean toward using Urias believing it may be harder to have a plus defense 3B hanging around than a quality 2B. Noting that Urias has also had time at 3B.

I would leave the top SS alone for as long as possible ... it is just hard to develop top ML SS candidates (and become valuable trade chips) ... can convert them later. More focused on experimenting with the non-SS projected prospects such as Cordoba, E.Ruiz, and Potts ... maybe even France. Guessing they let Abrams bat mature first then make the move (maybe in AA).

 

Quote from Alex Tamayo on July 4, 2019, 7:00 pm

Any knews on Pedro Ávila? Havent heard anything from him in quiet a while

Quote from WindsorUK on July 4, 2019, 11:46 pm

How old is Xavier Edwards?

I'm thinking get him to LE now, and if he continues, to Amarillo by the end of the yeat. That sets him up for Am. and EP next year. 2021 to SD? Have Urias cover 2nd 2020 and let the 2 battle it out the next season.

 

Quote from fenn68 on July 5, 2019, 9:03 am

Quote from WindsorUK on July 4, 2019, 11:46 pm

How old is Xavier Edwards?

I'm thinking get him to LE now, and if he continues, to Amarillo by the end of the yeat. That sets him up for Am. and EP next year. 2021 to SD? Have Urias cover 2nd 2020 and let the 2 battle it out the next season.

 

Edwards is 19 and that trajectory may be a bit optimistic but do see the logic for movement to A+ before the end of 2019 (only 2 months left). In 2019, see how he adapts to A+ and make a call mid-2020 on a move to AA which should be the most challenging jump. Maybe a 2022 arrival is more reasonable.

Quote from fenn68 on July 5, 2019, 9:29 am

Since we are now in the back end of the minor league season with 2 months to go, did a assessment of those players who look to have elevated their prospect profiles in the first three months of 2019 (only full season players considered) with their MLBPipeline beginning of the season team rank identified:

#14  Edwards (19) ... low A ... first season of full season ball is always a big step and the made it running with a 337/393/415 slash line and 20 SB ... all season near the top of the league's hitters.

#18. Campusano (20) ... high A ... a catcher who can hit (lead the Cal League) at age 20 is someone to really embrace as a prospect and should vault into a clear Top 10 Padre prospect and has to be considered for a MLB Top 100.

#23. Olivares (23) ... AA ... "5 tool" meeting the development challenge of AA with a 289/405/470 and 21 SB / 12 HR and can handle all 3 OF slots defensively. Hitting even better in Jun-Jul around .340.

#26. Miller (22) ... AA ... in his 1st full season after getting drafted a year ago getting placed in AA is aggressive. He has produced with a 296/360/423 slash line. 2B/SS who can hit is pretty valuable even if it is as the back-up in the ML.

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Two more to consider not eligible for prospect rankings as former Rule 5:

Torrens (23) ... another catcher who shows some hitting skills in AA ... 281/354/439 ... noting that catchers who cn hit are in short supply

Cordoba (23) ... after all that lost time due to Rule 5 on the ML roster / major injury from the auto accident, the kid who showed a lot of hitting promise justifying his Rule 5 selection seems to have put it together in high A this season. Very good athlete playing 3B/LF now and for the year 306/354/439 but missed April and had a slower start in May ... however, June took off for him: 345/395/491.

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on the flip side (and I chose to avoid the real young prospects maybe just placed too aggressively for early 2019 success) ... fading as the don't meet the challenge of AA should be Reed (#17) which should not be a major revelation and, unfortunately Potts (#15) who even before his injury did not build on his taste of AA late last season.

Quote from MrPadre19 on July 5, 2019, 10:43 am

So Joey Cantillo......our "30th" ranked Prospect to start the season for 2019.

69 ip.....only 38 hits allowed!

90 strikeouts against only 18 BB's!

.81 WHIP and a BAA of .159

Eye popping numbers much like Gores.

How high will Cantillo move in the Padre rankings and in MiLB's?

 

Quote from Brian Connelly on July 5, 2019, 10:50 am

Good assessment FENN:  Edwards in Top 100, CJ Abrams has to be, & I agree Campusano should get consideration... his hit tool looks better than what currently given... probably a top 10 MLB C prospect.  The other prospect I would add as "arrow up" is Andres Munoz who we should be seeing soon.

Nice to see Cordoba's clearly evident talent from 2017 R5 year returning, and I've taken Torrens off my "vulnerable" on 40-man roster list.

The other big disappointment so far has been Tirso Ornelas with 2 bad months in a row...