Alright this baseball post is only partly related to the arbitration clock, but here goes nothing:
Player #1: 20 yrs old, .266 BA, .352 OBP, .789 OPS with 11 Homers and 13 SB in AA
Player #2: 21 yrs old, .277 BA, .338 OBP, .757 OPS with 9 Homers and 0 SB in AA
Player #1 is currently the #9 best prospect while player #2 is the 17th best prospect in all of baseball. Player #1 just got called up to the major leagues while player #2 still plays for the Tulsa Drillers.
Answer:
Player #1 = Manny Machado
Player #2 = Nolan Arenado
Now you could argue that Machado is being rushed to the MLB to enhance the Orioles chances to make post season play, but I could also argue that the Rockies have nothing to lose by playing Arenado in August as well as September, except for that little thing called the Arbitration Clock.
Anyway I thought it was very interesting to compare two very different approaches to developing very similar prime prospects. As we used to say over the ITR Whatduyu Think?
Arenado has not been giving 100 percent effort at all times, thus the reason he’s still down at Tulsa if you believe DOD.
I would argue that the Rockies have plenty to lose by rushing Arenado. If he can’t handle MLB pitching it could set back his development. That’s not a risk worth taking in my opinion. I (probably for the only time this entire year) whole heartedly agree with the Rox in regards to leaving Nolan at AA. I would like to see him in the AZ development league again this fall.
Arenado isn’t on the 40 man roster, so they’d have to add him to it to call him up. But that’s no big deal since the 40 man isn’t chock full of great players/prospects. He’d then have 3 option years left, which also isn’t a big deal since if he’s not ready by 2016 he’ll never be ready. Renck has been lobbying for him to be called up, and I have to agree. I see nothing to lose, and maybe it’ll light a fire under him. And give us some reason to watch in September.
I say call him up. Since we are 2-3 years away from possibly competing anyway, and that should give him plenty of time to adjust, right?
There are few player’s I’d love to see, but how do you work the roster, not to mention playing time to get them in there?
The conspiracy theorist in me says the timing of Helton’s surgery is at leat partially due to the need to play some youngsters like Colvin and McBride.
How do you guys want to get Arenado up? Waive Nelson or Herrera? Waste an option on Pacheco? Maybe the best way is to send LeMahieu down but then what about his growth?
I’m glad we don’t have Scutaro adding to the confusion.
Getting time for Wheeler or Blackmon in the OF will be even worse. That’s one reason why I thought trading Cuddyer to be a good idea. Nothing against Cuddyer, but isn’t this team in rebuilding mode? I don’t think he fits into that at a high priced 3 year contract. I guess when Cuddyer comes off the DL McBride goes back down.
What about Andrew Brown? How does he fit in?
I continue to be utterly confused by the log jam at in the OF and at 2B for this organization.
Agree whole heartedly, Prog. Just like we mentioned yesterday, we don’t have anyone on the team who doesn’t need work. Nolan ain’t going no where, so wait until September–that gives the others a couple more weeks to show what they’ve got. Have no idea why, but I get the impression all the positive attention kinda went to Nolan’s head. I agree, D.J.– keep him at AA until he knocks the door down. The onus is on him to prove he belongs.
There is something to be said for a player spending more time working on things in the minors, but another to having them be there too long (especially pitchers) and missing a “window” where they could have been better had they just been called up and worked on with the big boys…many of us would look at CarGo’s first few weeks as an excellent example of someone that struggled when first called up, but the team patience with him more than paid off…
I really hate when a manager, coach, owner throws a player under the bus…that is never called for, especially on a kid still developing his game…just another black check in the front office column on this one…
Personally I’d rather see any one of the people mentioned on the comments so far in replace of DJ…don’t really think DJ has the true star ability that Arenado, Blackmon and Wheeler have going for them…Of course most of Blackmon’s star ability comes from the fact that he is so dang cute (as my wife would say)!
Speaking of Blackmon, as I type his walkup song is playing on XM 80s. “Your Love” by Outfield. Kid has taste.
The Rockies need to hire the Nuggets GM (Can’t come close to spelling his name). He just got rid of two average players, one with a horrible contract for 1 stud.
Manny hit two HR’ in his second game. Pretty good call-up.