Viva El Birdos: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Sports blogs for fans, by fans.
New Blog: The Boxing Bulletin for Boxing Fans!

K-Law Top 100 Prospects

Keith Law released his top 100 minor league prospects today. It had 3 Cards. Including, Rasmus, Boggs, and Garcia.

[http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=3221365&action=u psell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fmlb%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist %3dlaw_keith%26id%3d3221365]

Star-divide

Rasmus was at #5, here's what he had to say about him:

Rasmus has been very quiet in his march toward the big leagues and up prospect lists. Rasmus comes from a baseball-mad family -- judging by the number of Rasmuses I've seen at some high school showcases, I believe he has about a bazillion brothers -- and has an outstanding feel for the game. His tools all project to plus; he has very quick hands and gets his bat started early, so his plate coverage (even inside) is excellent, and he should grow into plus power, especially to pull. He's a plus runner who gets from zero to full speed quickly, so he should be an asset on the bases capable of stealing 20-plus bags a year. His arm is plus and would be playable in right, but he's adapting well to center field and only struggles now with balls hit over his head, something that should improve in time. Cardinal fans may have been disappointed to see Jim Edmonds go, but they'll love his replacement.

He had Boggs at #73 and Garcia at #85:

Boggs could pitch in the majors right now as a reliever, although the Cardinals have been developing him as a starter due to his durable frame and ability to hold his stuff through 90-plus pitches. Boggs has a plus pitch in his 93-96 mph fastball and a future-plus pitch in his sharp downer breaking ball at 82-84 mph. His fastball command, especially to his glove side, needs work and may just result from a little herky-jerky movement early in his delivery. More troubling is that for some reason he has struggled to miss bats despite his solid stuff, which would portend a move to the bullpen long term unless he finds a way to finish hitters off.
When healthy, Garcia has a low-90s fastball with good sink and a near-12-to-6 curveball that could be an out pitch. However, he missed most of 2007 with a sprained ligament in his elbow, and while it hasn't required surgery yet, elbow injuries often end up with the pitcher on the operating table.

Noticably missing from his list were Anderson and Perez. At least, I would expect Anderson and Perez to be on the list above of Boggs and Garcia.

0 recs  |  Comment 41 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

I think we are all a tad bit too high
on Mr. Anderson.  We may regret not having traded him while his percieved value was higher.
Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Jan 31, 2008 8:41 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Were
we offered anything?
On with the (good) youth movement!

by aet15 on Jan 31, 2008 9:31 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

No, not that I heard of
but that doesn't mean Mo couldn't have used him as the centerpiece of a package to go out and get something he was looking for, not waiting for someone to come to him looking for a young catcher.

We need pitching and a SS.  All we seem to be doing is picking up older, broken down ones.

Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Jan 31, 2008 10:05 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

hmmmmm
Maybe there content with just waiting for Kozma for 3 years.  Even though I would completly disagree with that tactic
2/3rd's of the earth is covered by water, the other third is coverd by Jim Edmonds....when he's healthy...

by cardsphan04 on Jan 31, 2008 10:08 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Hmmm...
Whose to say his value is going to go down?

If he develops some extra base ability and becomes more consistent behind the plate his value will go through the roof.

"You're either rebuilding for something special, or you're on the verge of something special. To be in between is foolish." Billy Beane

by bobbyballgame1 on Jan 31, 2008 11:58 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Did you just say
that if he gets better, his value will improve?

:)

Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Feb 1, 2008 12:17 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Again....
Why would his value go down?

You said they should have traded him buy now when his value is perceived to be higher?

What makes you think his value is going to go down?

"You're either rebuilding for something special, or you're on the verge of something special. To be in between is foolish." Billy Beane

by bobbyballgame1 on Feb 1, 2008 7:47 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

With prospects, it's all about percieved value
Anderson could become a great player or he could fizzle.  But his value as a prospect isn't necessarly his talent but his percieved talent or 'ceiling' of what he can become as a player.

If the Cardinals are holding on to him, it doesn't really matter what the scouting community thinks of him.  But if the Cardinals hoped to get maximum value for him as a prospect, if he isn't showing up on some lists (though it appears he is on others) then some of the luster on his percieved value is down.

Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Feb 2, 2008 3:36 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Well...
When was his value higher?

I think he's going into this season about in the same position as he was going into last season.

I'm just trying to figure out when you thought they should have traded him?

"You're either rebuilding for something special, or you're on the verge of something special. To be in between is foolish." Billy Beane

by bobbyballgame1 on Feb 4, 2008 12:14 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Well
Let's remember that he IS still pretty frickin' young. If he has another solid season this year, especially at AAA, his value is going nowhere but up. Obviously, that's an if, but it's not completely unlikely.
On with the (good) youth movement!

by aet15 on Feb 1, 2008 12:49 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Not ready to panic yet
He's still a 20-year old who held his own at AA last year, that's nothing to sneeze at. He did tail off in July and August, here's hoping that his endurance can improve a bit in the next year or two.

by mikedallas23 on Feb 1, 2008 11:23 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

totallly agree...
This guy was one of the youngest players in his league at a togh position.  He was pushed just a bit too fast but handled it very well.  I see him repeating AA and launching him into the top 50 of most list.

by BigJawnMize on Feb 1, 2008 12:54 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I
don't think anything major came up with Anderson or Moe would have pulled the trigger.  As far as where our guys were placed, I think the rankings are pretty accurate, and I am surprised by Boggs even being on the list.  I think Rasmus is right where he should be. He is elite.  I value Keith Laws opinion to an extent, but don't get me wrong I still hate the guy.
2/3rd's of the earth is covered by water, the other third is coverd by Jim Edmonds....when he's healthy...

by cardsphan04 on Jan 31, 2008 10:03 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

I
hate your guts Ron Burgundy, but dammit do I respect you.

by Toddius396 on Feb 1, 2008 2:12 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

The only thing that would have topped that
would be if Keith Law signed in here and said, "Thank you.......brother."
The hot stove is burning...

by cardzfan24 on Feb 1, 2008 6:18 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

+1
Well played, sir.
Rasmus or bust.

by Zoop on Feb 2, 2008 1:41 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Hopefully,
Some teams will look at this list and realize the cards are getting better.  Were 13th in the new Baseball America.  Maybe next year at this time we will have Anderson, Garcia, and someone else on there.  Rasmus will be with the club and I think Perez might be there too already.

My Baseball prospect Book is still not here!!  The wait is killing me!  Did anyone else order through Borders and is still waiting?

2/3rd's of the earth is covered by water, the other third is coverd by Jim Edmonds....when he's healthy...

by cardsphan04 on Jan 31, 2008 10:06 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

and
joba chamberlain

by mdarshan on Feb 1, 2008 11:46 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

And 20-20 hindsight on that one
Joba was fat(ter) with balky knees and throwing 88 for a large chunk of his junior year (triceps tendonitis) and consequently throwing the decent slurvy curve more than the ridiculous power slider.  The guy you see on the Yankees was not the guy in college.
Cheeseburger in paradise.

by joker24 on Feb 1, 2008 12:29 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Yes, but the Yankees saw what he COULD be
when he was in college-and took a chance on him.  That's what good scouting is all about-seeing what a player is now and what he could be down the road. They deserve kudos for taking a chance on him.
She isn't crazy, she's just not impressed.

by jillsinmo on Feb 2, 2008 7:14 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Or you could say the Yankees got lucky
and a high-risk flyer (high risk because of the draft position and the questios associated with the player) has seemed to pay off.  

There are hundreds of players who are recognized as having great talent but are underperforming every year.  Some imporvoe and live up to potential...most do not and I'm sure most (if not all) teams saw Joba's talent and what he "could" be. There was just a major risk involved and not every team is in a position to take a big risk.

Anyway, just becuase the Yankees got lucky with Joba doesn't make them smarter than everyone else.  It's like when Albert hits an average base hit to the left fielder and he rounds 1st and keeps going to 2nd.  Sometimes, the outfielder is caught off guard and everyone applauds Albert for being a super heads-up baserunner.  But every once in a while the outfielder is ready for it (seemeed to happen more this past season) and guns his ass out by 15 feet.  

Is he still a super heads-up baserunner?  Depends.  But he sure looked stupid on that play  Instead, he just takes gambles that pay off some times.  Just like the Yankees and Joba.  To an extent, they got lucky.

by Big Red on Feb 2, 2008 11:43 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Okay. They very well might have gotten lucky.
But they still had to put their money down.  The Yankees can do this-they have enough money to spend on the ML roster and they have enough good players in their system that they can take chances on players like Joba.  This time, they found a diamond.  Next time, it might be a lump of coal.
She isn't crazy, she's just not impressed.

by jillsinmo on Feb 2, 2008 12:30 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Looking forward
to both Longoria's and Rasmus' debuts.  Longoria for a keeper league, and Rasmus for obvious reasons.
The hot stove is burning...

by cardzfan24 on Jan 31, 2008 10:34 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

++1
I actually have both of them AND Joba and Phil Hughes in my keeper league -- I'm becoming the Jeffrey Loria of fantasy baseball after trading off Sheffield, Abreu, and Rolen before the '07 season for young talent. lol
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller

by fourstick on Feb 1, 2008 4:18 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

That's a loaded squad
That will be tough for years, assuming the rules allow you to keep all of them for an extended period of time.  The Loria analogy will be complete after you try to stiff arm the locals to fund a new stadium, maybe in this case, a new site design or something.
The hot stove is burning...

by cardzfan24 on Feb 1, 2008 4:49 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Haha, yeah,
I proudly have Longoria stashed away too.
On with the (good) youth movement!

by aet15 on Feb 1, 2008 5:27 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I posted a question
on the comments section and K-Law answered:

"...neither of those guys made the cut. Anderson doesn't have the arm to stay at catcher, and Perez's control is well below average"

by Romo9 on Jan 31, 2008 10:51 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Anderson...
All the scouting reports I've read credit him with a strong, accurate throwing arm.

His problems behind the plate are his mechanics and passed balls, things that can be fixed....not his arm.

"You're either rebuilding for something special, or you're on the verge of something special. To be in between is foolish." Billy Beane

by bobbyballgame1 on Feb 1, 2008 12:00 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

indeed
I find Law pretty insufferable but this was a pretty decent piece in terms of readability.  The problem with articles about prospects is that a columnist can say whatever he wants and 99.9% of the people, even the most educated ones, can't argue because they haven't seen the guys play; we're all at the mercy of the professional scouts.  Even guys who get to go to the games probably only see them play a few times.  Everything we know is because someone told it to us, and I'm guessing it's the same with Law.  How many of these guys do you think he actually watched play?

In Anderson's case, everything I've read agrees with what you've said here.  If that was his reply then he's either got inside information we don't, or he got Anderson confused with someone else, or he's just giving a boilerplate answer because his ego won't let him admit he missed a good prospect.  Of course a glaring mistake like that (what appears to be a mistake, at least) makes me question his credibility with the rest of the evaluations he's made here...

And now that one jerk has said "Anderson's arm is weak" I wouldn't be surprised if it became common knowledge regardless of how true it is...

by SleepyCA on Feb 1, 2008 12:44 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

i've read...
average arm with decent release.  not great at blocking balls.  handles the staff well though.  i've read he doesnt profile as an above average defensive catcher but this was the first i've read he can't stick at catcher.

by dmb60614 on Feb 1, 2008 11:53 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I saw him in the futures game
He's got a really good arm and pretty good release.  He got like 3 SB's against him because the pitchers didn't care about anything but throwing 98 and the guys on the bases were burners but he flashed a plus arm in my eyes.
Cheeseburger in paradise.

by joker24 on Feb 1, 2008 12:31 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

weird
if he is that critical of anderson its kind of strange that he likes boggs so much.

by dmb60614 on Feb 1, 2008 8:01 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

regarding #8
there was an awesome post by colby's father over at the birdhouse; apparently he's got himself up over 200 lbs this winter (B-R says 175) and has been working out with manny and a-rod's hitting instructor in arizona, etc, even working out with manny on occasion.

He's confident about making the team out of spring training...

by SleepyCA on Feb 1, 2008 12:48 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

I liked this over at that other site...
Here is a comparison of minor league numbers:

Beltran
1274 ABs (all but a few from ages 18-21)
.268/.343/.436/.779
42 HR (1 HR every 30.3 ABs)
53/73 SB (73%)
282 K
145 BB

Rasmus
1184 ABs (age 18-20)
.285/.371/.510/.881
52 HR (1 HR every 22.7 ABs)
59/73 SB (81%)
271 K
147 BB

(compliments of the aforementioned site)

stlfan

by stlfan on Feb 1, 2008 11:26 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

If
he were to end up being as good as Carlos Beltran, I would be elated.  I have always felt like Beltran was a great outfielder defensively, too.  I don't know what the metrics think of him, but he has that effortless running style, where he never looks like he's really exerting himself but is still really fast.  He also has a good arm and a quick bat.  I would love it if Colby ended up being the same type of player.

by Toddius396 on Feb 1, 2008 2:15 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Law's article
struck me a little odd because some of his highest prospects are only in A-Ball.  It seems like he switches potential with ACTUAL high prospect ability and availability all over the map.  For instance, Desmond Jennings the RF for Tampa Bay is ranked 11, EIGHT spots higher than Jacoby Ellbury!  Who wouldn't mind trading Desmond Jennings for Rick Porcello (eleven spots behind), any of the Tampa pitchers, or even Ian Kennedy (45!) straight up and immdiamente? An interesting read but I think he needs to do more homework.

by RonGant on Feb 1, 2008 9:17 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

Correction
Ellsbury...sorry

by RonGant on Feb 1, 2008 9:18 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

I see your Keith Law and raise you Kevin Goldstein
Kevin Goldstein posted his Top 100 today at Baseball Prospectus

He's got:
Rasmus at 8
Perez at 69
Anderson at 71

Interesting that he puts Perez and Anderson in at approximately the same rank as Law had Boggs and Garcia.  I think this speaks to what a crap-shoot this kind of thing is beyond the top 10 or 20 blue-chippers.

My guess is both prognosticators got to around 70, remembered the Cardinals system was improving, and pulled a couple names out of the "talented but with question marks" hat.

by bgodar on Feb 1, 2008 1:06 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Nice article on pitchers
all about how high strike out pitchers who walk more batters than the control guys actually carry a lower era. Gives you confidence that we could see Perez dominate when he finally comes up.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/k-bb-ratios-does-it-matter-how-a-pitcher-does-it/

"Why does he keep saying that?"

by Red Blazer on Feb 1, 2008 10:39 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to the Internet's #1 St. Louis Cardinals blog.
Start posting about the Cardinals »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

1753738656_110919ebe9_o_small
2010 Hot Stove Post #1: CHONE hitter projections

Recent FanPosts

Avatar_small
How to EASILY make tables for Fanposts
Arch_small
Number 15
Small
Some thoughts on Holliday (and potential replacements)
Small
Ok let me try this again...
Knights-09_small
Disenchanted Blue Jays Fan Looking For A New Team
Painterlance_small
The Holliday Dilemma (Rocks Fan Perpsective)
375830-r1-025-11_011_small
Anybody read Bob Gibson's new book yet?
Flanders_small
Yadi2first
Small
40 Man Question..

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >


Managers

Jack_benny_small DanUpBaby

Editors

Bender1_small azruavatar

Adam1_small chuckb

Kid-a-bear_small the red baron