Carlos Rodon - you're going to hate this guy

[gunnarthor]

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/55980/carlos-rodon-lights-up-twitter-with-dominant-outing

 

About a year ago at this time, Rodon was seen as a lock to go #1 overall to Houston.  Instead he had a slightly not-as-dominating year and teams maybe over thought things and two high schoolers went before him and the White Sox got a freaking ace picking third.  (Seriously, the Astros passed on Buxton, Bryant and Rodon.  Un-freaking-believable)  He's struck out 19 in only 12 innings this ST and his last start got ESPN's (and Twitter's) attention.  He might not start at the ML level for the same reasons as Bryant but he'll make over 20 starts for the Sox this year (barring injury).

[jimmer]

In fairness Carlos Correa is a stud as well. 

[Mike Sixel]

Ya, I don't know how you criticize the Correia pick. It also allowed them to over slot on others. Carlos looks like a legit MLB SS, probably in the majors before Buxton.

[gunnarthor]

 

Ya, I don't know how you criticize the Correia pick. It also allowed them to over slot on others. Carlos looks like a legit MLB SS, probably in the majors before Buxton.

Nah, Correa is coming off a broken ankle and no one thinks he'll make the majors this year.  Almost everyone - including Ryan - thinks Buxton will.  Obviously, play on the field will decide it but you're being a bit too cynical.  

[Vance_Christianson]

Correa is still in big league camp. Houston isn't afraid to bring up their prospects to early. Hence what the Astros did last year with their youth. Correa in the pro's wouldn't surprise me 1 bit.

[gunnarthor]

 

In fairness Carlos Correa is a stud as well. 

Yeah, he's a stud, but even with Buxton's bad year he's the better prospect.  And the Astros could easily have had the consensus #1,2 and 15 prospects, all of whom probably debut this year.  Instead they have the #3, 30 and a draft pick, none of which are likely to debut this year.  That's a "what if" game that'll hurt for a bit.

[gunnarthor]

 

Correa is still in big league camp. Houston isn't afraid to bring up their prospects to early. Hence what the Astros did last year with their youth. Correa in the pro's wouldn't surprise me 1 bit.

They signed Lowrie and traded for Villanuela.  Correa has yet to make it to AA.  He won't be up.

[Willihammer]

Ugh. Ro-dahhhhhhhhhhhn's going to be a stud isn't he.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Nah, Correa is coming off a broken ankle and no one thinks he'll make the majors this year.  Almost everyone - including Ryan - thinks Buxton will.  Obviously, play on the field will decide it but you're being a bit too cynical.  

 

Forgot about that. I bet he's up this year or early next....I don't actually believe Lord Byron will be here this year.

[gunnarthor]

 

Forgot about that. I bet he's up this year or early next....I don't actually believe Lord Byron will be here this year.

I'm honestly curious why you think that.  Most prospect guys do, the GM has said he expects Buxton to come up.  He's generally considered one of the two best prospects in baseball.  The team is basically leaving a hole in CF for him.

 

Almost everything is opposite in Houston - no one thinks Correa will be up this year, he isn't as good a prospect as Buxton (although he is close), hasn't made it to AA and is coming off an ankle injury.  The Astros also signed a vet to cover short.

[Mike Sixel]

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/55980/carlos-rodon-lights-up-twitter-with-dominant-outing

 

About a year ago at this time, Rodon was seen as a lock to go #1 overall to Houston.  Instead he had a slightly not-as-dominating year and teams maybe over thought things and two high schoolers went before him and the White Sox got a freaking ace picking third.  (Seriously, the Astros passed on Buxton, Bryant and Rodon.  Un-freaking-believable)  He's struck out 19 in only 12 innings this ST and his last start got ESPN's (and Twitter's) attention.  He might not start at the ML level for the same reasons as Bryant but he'll make over 20 starts for the Sox this year (barring injury).

 

Back on topic...yes, Rodon is going to hurt.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I'm honestly curious why you think that.  Most prospect guys do, the GM has said he expects Buxton to come up.  He's generally considered one of the two best prospects in baseball.  The team is basically leaving a hole in CF for him.

 

Almost everything is opposite in Houston - no one thinks Correa will be up this year, he isn't as good a prospect as Buxton (although he is close), hasn't made it to AA and is coming off an ankle injury.  The Astros also signed a vet to cover short.

 

I think there is a ton of rust on Buxton, and that the Twins will wait until late in the year to consider it. At that point, when you are out of it, does it make sense to call him up in July or August, or keep him down until week two of next year, to control 1 more year of service time? 

[HitInAPinch]

 

I think there is a ton of rust on Buxton, and that the Twins will wait until late in the year to consider it. At that point, when you are out of it, does it make sense to call him up in July or August, or keep him down until week two of next year, to control 1 more year of service time? 

Per Ryan:  "He's got the speed, the arm, the range, the base stealing abilities.  It's just a matter of the bat."  Whenever I hear the '5-tool player' thing, it's always a hitting problem.  Looking at his MiLB stats, his only success was in A - A+ ball.  Then, as you said, there has to be a ton of rust after all the injuries last year.  Unless he turns in a stunning performance at AA, I hope the Twins do not call him up at all.

[Steve Lein]

 

I think there is a ton of rust on Buxton, and that the Twins will wait until late in the year to consider it. At that point, when you are out of it, does it make sense to call him up in July or August, or keep him down until week two of next year, to control 1 more year of service time? 

 

I agree it's going to take Buck a little bit to get going because of the rust factor. I would also be surprised if he's up this year before September, if at all.

 

Before the season last year, everyone thought he'd be up at some point as well, but I maintained he would have to have an almost exact year as the one before to do so, which would be pretty hard. It's pretty much the same thought process this year, and he's coming off a very brief season where he never got going and a concussion.

[TheLeviathan]

Considering all of Buxton's setbacks, I think it would take quite a few things to have to happen before he'd get the call.

 

But it probably doesn't hurt that our current CF options look like the Bad, The Worse, and The Ugly.

[biggentleben]

 

Considering all of Buxton's setbacks, I think it would take quite a few things to have to happen before he'd get the call.

 

But it probably doesn't hurt that our current CF options look like the Bad, The Worse, and The Ugly.

 

The Braves would trade you Eric Young, Jr. to add in "The Worst" to that combination.

[gunnarthor]

I enjoyed this thread but found it interesting that it went from Rodon to the Astros to Buxton to the Twins CF issues.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Whichever player the Twins end up putting in CF, Rodon can probably strike that guy out.

[Willihammer]

Whichever player the Twins end up putting in CF, Rodon can probably strike that guy out.

LOL nicely done.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Nah, Correa is coming off a broken ankle and no one thinks he'll make the majors this year.  Almost everyone - including Ryan - thinks Buxton will.  Obviously, play on the field will decide it but you're being a bit too cynical.  

Even if Correa doesn't beat Buxton to MLB, he could still be a comparable prospect, given that he is 9 months younger.

 

Personally, I don't think Buxton will make MLB this year unless he more or less reprises his 2013 performances, this time split between AA and AAA instead of A and high-A.  Given the higher level of difficulty and coming off the lost season, I don't think that's likely -- possible, but not likely.

 

And I feel that if the Twins really expected him to debut this season, that would mean they really expected him to break camp with the club next spring, which suggests they would have kept him in big league camp longer this spring.  Buxton's spring training appearance this year felt like the standard token invite for top picks/prospects, rather than a stepping stone for a guy who's likely to be in MLB soon.

[notoriousgod71]

I love Rodon. He was the guy I hoped would fall to the Twins last year even though I didn't believe they would draft him.

 

Sad as it is to say, I like Rodon, Abreu, and Sale more than any three current Twins players.

 

Hopefully that changes once Buxton and Sano are up.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

He might not start at the ML level for the same reasons as Bryant but he'll make over 20 starts for the Sox this year (barring injury).

Back to Rodon, I think he's got a much better case for starting in the minors than Bryant.  He's almost a full year younger (obviously drafted a year later), with barely a month of minor league experience compared to Bryant's season and a half.  Plus he's a pitcher, with a good argument for a reasonable innings cap -- might as well start him slow in the minors this year, so he can come up and finish strong in the majors (I generally dislike potential late-season precautionary shutdowns if a team has a realistic chance at contending).

 

And as much as he will frustrate me as a Twins fan, as a baseball fan I am super-excited to see him.  Hopefully the White Sox have a short leash for Noesi and especially Danks.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Sad as it is to say, I like Rodon, Abreu, and Sale more than any three current Twins players.

Those are three great players, with great narratives too.

 

Obviously rooting for the Twins first and foremost, but if the White Sox are the ones to unseat Detroit, I won't be sad about it.

[jimmer]

 

Those are three great players, with great narratives too.

 

Obviously rooting for the Twins first and foremost, but if the White Sox are the ones to unseat Detroit, I won't be sad about it.

There's not a team in all of sports I dislike more than the White Sox.

[biggentleben]

 

Back to Rodon, I think he's got a much better case for starting in the minors than Bryant.  He's almost a full year younger (obviously drafted a year later), with barely a month of minor league experience compared to Bryant's season and a half.  Plus he's a pitcher, with a good argument for a reasonable innings cap -- might as well start him slow in the minors this year, so he can come up and finish strong in the majors (I generally dislike potential late-season precautionary shutdowns if a team has a realistic chance at contending).

 

And as much as he will frustrate me as a Twins fan, as a baseball fan I am super-excited to see him.  Hopefully the White Sox have a short leash for Noesi and especially Danks.

 

There have been good discussions on a few podcasts I listen to about Rodon possibly taking the old Baltimore Orioles route to the majors where they'd stick a "stud young arm" into the bullpen in a stretch role or in 5th starter role and let him take his lumps in the majors, a la Curt Schilling, Ben McDonald, Mike Mussina, Arthur Rhodes, Jose Mesa, and Armando Benitez (among many others).  Sometimes that clarifies a role for a guy as well, like it did with Rhodes and Benitez.

[Celebrity Weddings!]

 

Per Ryan:  "He's got the speed, the arm, the range, the base stealing abilities.  It's just a matter of the bat."  Whenever I hear the '5-tool player' thing, it's always a hitting problem.  Looking at his MiLB stats, his only success was in A - A+ ball.  Then, as you said, there has to be a ton of rust after all the injuries last year.  Unless he turns in a stunning performance at AA, I hope the Twins do not call him up at all.

 

While I grant that three strikeouts and a season-ending concussion is about as bad a single game a player can have, I think you're running into some sample-size problems when you look at Buxton's work above the A-A+ level.

[Thrylos]

 

There's not a team in all of sports I dislike more than the White Sox.

 

That would be the Packers, sorry.

[Thrylos]

 

 

While I grant that three strikeouts and a season-ending concussion is about as bad a single game a player can have, I think you're running into some sample-size problems when you look at Buxton's work above the A-A+ level.

 

Have you seen his recent plate appearances (at any level) against curveballs and changeups?

 

Hint:  you could stand in for him and the results would had been the same...

[jimmer]

 

That would be the Packers, sorry.

I'm not a Vikings fan so I have no strong feelings about the Packers.

[Minniman]

Rodon?

 

What about Godzilla, Mothra, and Ghidorah?

 

I know, spelling, but I cannot help seeing it.

 

There's not a team in all of sports I dislike more than the White Sox.

 

 

Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Stars, LA Lakers, Green Bay Packers, New York Yankees, ....