Carlos Correa Promoted

[Hrbowski]

I'm really looking forward to this:

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/06/astros-promote-carlos-correa.html

[gunnarthor]

I was a little surprised.  He hasn't really looked good in AAA after his first handful of games and it's the PCL so I thought they'd let him get a bit more comfortable with advanced pitching.  But his walks and strike outs look pretty good so maybe it's just noise.

 

Anyhow, he's a very interesting prospect so we'll see how he does. 

[drjim]

I really like it. Houston is leaking a little bit recently so they are going with talent at a place of need to keep it going. Would be something to see Twins follow with Meyer now and Buxton and possibly Sano/Polanco soon. Maybe even Berrios if the opportunity presents itself.

[biggentleben]

Not surprising after possibly the dumbest defensive play of the season this weekend from Jon Villar. Houston was getting poor defense and then the one guy giving almost average defense ends up pulling another major bonehead play.

[drock2190]

They promoted another top prospect in Velasquez.

 

Astros are serious, question is do the twins have similar plans?

[Mike Sixel]

They are totally ruining their future by rushing these guys. Not one of them has shown consistency at all. None of them have force the Astros hand. I am confused by this trend.

[Shane Wahl]

Correa still put up a 1.007 OPS for the year so far after a bit of an issue at AAA.

[blairpaul715]

I think Correa is ready, and the Astros really need a SS after the injury a month or so ago of Lowrie...........also as someone mentioned they are starting to come back to reality and maybe they are trying to squash that with more talented(albeit less experienced) players.......Also like the Twins, I dont think the Astros considered 2016 to be the yr they would make a run, I think they were also thinking 2017 and beyond, but will try to stem the tide if they can.

[gunnarthor]

 

They promoted another top prospect in Velasquez.

Astros are serious, question is do the twins have similar plans?

Wow, imagine the venom in this thread if the Astros had a better record ...

[gunnarthor]

 

I think Correa is ready, and the Astros really need a SS after the injury a month or so ago of Lowrie...........also as someone mentioned they are starting to come back to reality and maybe they are trying to squash that with more talented(albeit less experienced) players.......Also like the Twins, I dont think the Astros considered 2016 to be the yr they would make a run, I think they were also thinking 2017 and beyond, but will try to stem the tide if they can.

Yeah, in the short run, he'll struggle - although I wouldn't be surprised if he has a good series against Chicago.  But most young players struggle - Trout had a .281 OBP during his first call up.  

 

[HitInAPinch]

 

I was a little surprised.  He hasn't really looked good in AAA after his first handful of games and it's the PCL so I thought they'd let him get a bit more comfortable with advanced pitching.  But his walks and strike outs look pretty good so maybe it's just noise.

 

Anyhow, he's a very interesting prospect so we'll see how he does. 

I thought the same thing.  A little time to adjust at a new and better level of competition is expected.  I looked up his stats over the last 6 games at Fresno: 
22 AB's 9 Hits.  A .409 clip. That's after a .385 clip at Corpus Christi. 
He's ready

[biggentleben]

Velasquez has been pretty darned good, but it sounds like his is more of a one-start fill in, and he was on schedule to start anyway. The guy's put up a huge strikeout rate in AA with not-horrible control as well.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Yeah, in the short run, he'll struggle - although I wouldn't be surprised if he has a good series against Chicago.  But most young players struggle - Trout had a .281 OBP during his first call up.  

 

which is one reason to call them up sooner, rather than later, but I digress.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I was a little surprised.  He hasn't really looked good in AAA after his first handful of games and it's the PCL so I thought they'd let him get a bit more comfortable with advanced pitching.  But his walks and strike outs look pretty good so maybe it's just noise.

I think "getting comfortable" with PCL conditions is probably a bad thing for a prospect.

 

Correa posted a 108 wRC+ in his brief stint at AAA, so he was above league average despite a .286 BABIP versus the league BABIP of .318.  And as you mention had excellent BB and K rates.

 

If he's a quality defensive shortstop, you've got a gaping MLB hole at that spot right now, and you're past the projected Super 2 cutoff (which apparently we are, according to MLBTR), you absolutely make that call-up.

[Otto von Ballpark]

The McCullers call-up was much more surprising, although that is paying dividends right now too.  At the moment, their 2012 draft strategy is looking good.  (Tonight I guess we will get more data about their suspect 2014 draft strategy...)

[drjim]

 

The McCullers call-up was much more surprising, although that is paying dividends right now too.  At the moment, their 2012 draft strategy is looking good.  (Tonight I guess we will get more data about their suspect 2014 draft strategy...)

 

Plus Ruiz was the main piece used to acquire Gattis in the offseason.

 

I do think the strategy gets slightly overstated, even if they had drafted Buxton, they would have been able to afford McCullers too, just not Ruiz. It was never a 3 vs. 1 as often portrayed. And after all that, it is still about 50/50 they took the best guy in that draft anyways.

[biggentleben]

 

Plus Ruiz was the main piece used to acquire Gattis in the offseason.

 

I do think the strategy gets slightly overstated, even if they had drafted Buxton, they would have been able to afford McCullers too, just not Ruiz. It was never a 3 vs. 1 as often portrayed. And after all that, it is still about 50/50 they took the best guy in that draft anyways.

 

No, he was not. He was the consolation prize when the Braves came in and said they'd like Domingo Santana/Preston Tucker/etc as an MLB-ready OF along with a high-upside pitching prospect lower in the chain. Houston came back with Foltynewicz as the MLB-ready piece, a high-upside hitting prospect (Ruiz), and a wild card pitcher who has dominated before being injured as part of a bus crash. Ruiz was the secondary piece in the deal that did happen, but he was definitely not who the Braves were pursuing in that deal.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Plus Ruiz was the main piece used to acquire Gattis in the offseason.

 

I do think the strategy gets slightly overstated, even if they had drafted Buxton, they would have been able to afford McCullers too, just not Ruiz. It was never a 3 vs. 1 as often portrayed. And after all that, it is still about 50/50 they took the best guy in that draft anyways.

 

Funny, I read here all the time how much better Buxton was, and how Houston messed up that draft, even if they did get another guy or so out of it. As a matter of fact, it was posted on a draft thread just recently that they'll find a way to mess it up like they always do.

 

If things fall "just right", they could get 3 top 10ish prospects today.....

[drjim]

 

No, he was not. He was the consolation prize when the Braves came in and said they'd like Domingo Santana/Preston Tucker/etc as an MLB-ready OF along with a high-upside pitching prospect lower in the chain. Houston came back with Foltynewicz as the MLB-ready piece, a high-upside hitting prospect (Ruiz), and a wild card pitcher who has dominated before being injured as part of a bus crash. Ruiz was the secondary piece in the deal that did happen, but he was definitely not who the Braves were pursuing in that deal.

 

Sorry, I should have said "a" not "the".

[nicksaviking]

I would love the atmosphere around that club right now. 

 

To be fair, I get a headache and roll my eyes at every bragadocious word of BS I hear when I'm at a bar or restaraunt with a bunch of 21-24 year olds (though not those who post on Twinsdaily, our young posters seem very reasoned and well adjusted, thank-you-very-much).  However, I love the energy young teams have when they go nearly 100% youth movement.  Sometimes you get the feeling that they're so naive, they don't realize they're supposed to stink, and once in awhile, that lack of self-fulfilling prophecy means they don't.

 

 

 

 

[drjim]

 

Funny, I read here all the time how much better Buxton was, and how Houston messed up that draft, even if they did get another guy or so out of it. As a matter of fact, it was posted on a draft thread just recently that they'll find a way to mess it up like they always do.

 

If things fall "just right", they could get 3 top 10ish prospects today.....

 

I still think Buxton is better long term, but Correa was a very highly rated prospect going in, so it was never a huge reach. Can't judge this either way for at least a couple more years.

[nicksaviking]

 

Funny, I read here all the time how much better Buxton was, and how Houston messed up that draft, even if they did get another guy or so out of it. As a matter of fact, it was posted on a draft thread just recently that they'll find a way to mess it up like they always do.

 

If things fall "just right", they could get 3 top 10ish prospects today.....

 

Looks good for them now, and even if the Twins do walk away with the better player(s), clearly Houston did very well for themselves.

 

Kind of funny that previously Buxton was supposed to be the superior talent, and while he may be, if years later we say the Twins did have the better draft, it almost certainly will be because Berrios, not Buxton, is exceeding expectations.  Of course that will be in part because of the unreasonable expecations placed on Buxton.

[gunnarthor]

 

Funny, I read here all the time how much better Buxton was, and how Houston messed up that draft, even if they did get another guy or so out of it. As a matter of fact, it was posted on a draft thread just recently that they'll find a way to mess it up like they always do.

 

If things fall "just right", they could get 3 top 10ish prospects today.....

Sure, things could fall right but that's because they already screwed up last years draft about as bad as you could. They lost the 1-1 pick in a strong draft (and a 5th rounder and 1m dollars) to pick second in this draft.  So they didn't get an extra guy - they lost a year of development to get that extra pick this year.

 

And Buxton is better. 

[Mike Sixel]

 

Sure, things could fall right but that's because they already screwed up last years draft about as bad as you could. They lost the 1-1 pick in a strong draft (and a 5th rounder and 1m dollars) to pick second in this draft.  So they didn't get an extra guy - they lost a year of development to get that extra pick this year.

 

And Buxton is better. 

 

You know Buxton is better? Lots of "experts" have had Correa ahead of him for the past 6-9 months.

[gunnarthor]

 

You know Buxton is better? Lots of "experts" have had Correa ahead of him for the past 6-9 months.

Actually, not really.  The only list that has had Correa ahead of Buxton before the season was Sickels. BA, BP, Mayo/Callis, Klaw, McDaniel etc all had Buxton ahead.  And that was with Buxton coming off of a ruined year.

 

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

 

Actually, not really.  The only list that has had Correa ahead of Buxton before the season was Sickels. BA, BP, Mayo/Callis, Klaw, McDaniel etc all had Buxton ahead.  And that was with Buxton coming off of a ruined year.

 

Like Correa's broken ankle? How do those lists look now.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Like Correa's broken ankle? How do those lists look now.

 

I guess I don't get why we can't think they are both going to be great players........

[gunnarthor]

 

I guess I don't get why we can't think they are both going to be great players........

We do and I even said that. 

 

But you're passive aggressive rips on the Twins and Buxton were what was driving this.

[Blackjack]

 

You know Buxton is better? Lots of "experts" have had Correa ahead of him for the past 6-9 months.

 

Terry Ryan came on the Twins broadcast last night and said Correa looks like a young Alex Rodriquez - but then said Buxton was faster... 

[drjim]

 

I guess I don't get why we can't think they are both going to be great players........

 

I think virtually everyone does think that. Not sure what you are referring to.