Sad.

When your #1 prospect is a pure reliever your system is in trouble.

Nestor Molina would barely have been in the Blue Jays' top 20 (BA says they had him at #18). He's #2 in this organization.

I have no idea where Marinez and Martinez would have wound up in the Marlins' list; they were 4-5 a year ago but I'm thinking their stock dropped enough this year so that they'd have been in the 11-20 range. I think Kevin's selling Martinez a little short here; I'd put him between Mitchell and Short.

Castro was San Diego's #3 prospect a year ago but dropped outside the top 10 before he was traded.

-- MWE

As I've mentioned before, if you include two recently-promoted major leaguers, Chris Sale & Dayan Viciedo, the list still looks bad, but not horrible. Honestly, I was looking at the Indians' top 10 prospects at BA the other day, and it doesn't look much better than the Sox. IIRC, in their top 4 they've got a 17 year old SS, a pitcher who hasn't thrown a pro inning, and two relievers.

The Sox recently signed this guy, so maybe they'll be a bit more active in the international market. Plus, they're one of four teams seriously interested in Cespedes.

Honestly, I was looking at the Indians' top 10 prospects at BA the other day, and it doesn't look much better than the Sox.

It isn't, but it doesn't include Kipnis or Chisenhall, if you're going to do that recently-graduated stuff (not to mention White and Pomeranz, traded for Ubaldo Jimenez). Lindor is a *much* better prospect than anyone on the White Sox list, and that's enough to push them above Chicago.

The AL Central farm systems in general (except for KC) are pretty weak. The Twins have Sano and Rosario, who are a long way away, and a pretty significant dropoff after that (I'm not as high on Benson as others are, and Hicks is going backward). The Tigers have Turner, Castellanos, and Smyly; below that, it's almost all guys with upside but no production yet.

-- MWE

a third baseman who has the ability to hit,

I get what he's saying here ("to hit well"). But I like the idea that there are legions of third basemen in the low minors who are somehow incapable of the act of hitting, like every time they're told to go up to the plate they fall over and start spasming around inside the batter's box until until the pitcher throws three strikes or they get taken out.

So, you're saying there's still hope for me?

Are you a third baseman?

System in 20 Words or Less: Two words: Not good.

So is that a 4-word summary or a 2-word summary?

(Yes, I understand both 2 and 4 are <= 20) :-)

Like Bill Joyce.
Both lefty, both move like we're dead. (but, yeah, I was - and that was a fair description of me as a hitter . Not fear, incompetence.)

Isn't Addison Reed is the lead character in that crummy ABC doctor drama, Private Anatomy? Or was that a completely different thing I was just watching?

Yeah, Addison Reed and Dylan Axelrod are the hotshot surgery residents.

As a White Sox fan, I would like to pretend that the future isn't going to happen and that most of the past is a lie.

I was tricked into thinking about Rico Brogna tonight. Brogna was traded for Ricardo Jordan, who reminded me or Ricky Jordan, who, naturally, reminded me of David Green. How is this trade not discussed more often?

December 12, 1980: Traded by the Milwaukee Brewers with Dave LaPoint, Sixto Lezcano and Lary Sorensen to the St. Louis Cardinals for Rollie Fingers, Ted Simmons and Pete Vuckovich.

That's the next two Cy Youngs and Ted Simmons.

I like the idea that there are legions of third basemen in the low minors who are somehow incapable of the act of hitting, like every time they're told to go up to the plate they fall over and start spasming around inside the batter's box until until the pitcher throws three strikes or they get taken out.

Worked OK for Tony Lazzeri.

System in 20 Words or Less: Two words: Not good.


System in 20 Words or Less: Eighteen words: Sixteen words: Fourteen words: Twelve words: Ten words: Eight words: Six words: Four words: Two words: Not good.