The interesting thing is that at age 21, if he had gone to college in the U.S., he'd have just been drafted in June. So, going forward, you'd like to see him advance like a top draft pick out of a major college program. If he has success at AA next season, he'd basically be on the same path as Bryce Brentz.
Michael Almanzar
- Thread starter TheGoldenGreek33
- Start date
3 BB, 3 2B, and 2 HR so far in only 28 ABs for Portland. Easy to forget that this guy is still only 22 (and will be 22 all season - December birthday).
Almanzar is 7th in wOBA in the EL, with 5 of the 6 above him at least 2 years older.
So far his BB% and K% are holding steady to what he did in Salem, each a tick improved.
6.6%/15.5%
7.3%/14.6%
He's 8th in BA and 8th in IsoP.
So far his BB% and K% are holding steady to what he did in Salem, each a tick improved.
6.6%/15.5%
7.3%/14.6%
He's 8th in BA and 8th in IsoP.
Curll said:
He's been rule 5 eligible the past 2 years, with 6 years as a minor leaguer he becomes a minor league free agent if not added to the 40 man roster. Of course, if he hits in AA anything like what he hit in Salem last year, he's a cinch to be added to the 40 man roster. We can keep our fingers crossed that he's finally matured both physically and mentally to the point where all that talent they saw when they signed him as a 16 year old has finally started turning into skills.
No doubt. And Plympton added other implications. But Otto was bizarrely responding to a post about Almanzar's age, as if the number of years of MiL experience had some sort of influence on whether he is breaking out at age 21/22.Curll said:
Quintanariffic said:
No, Mr. Otto prompted people to look at the fact that Almanzar was in his sixth year figuring that they might realize the club could loose control over him. If you are unable to follow such things without outside help then perhaps you should not be commenting.
Minor leaguers aren't eligible for free agency until after seven seasons, not six. In terms of team control, I don't think there's any significance to Almanzar being in his 6th season. His Rule 5 eligibility is another matter.
OttoC said:
Crazy Puppy said:
That's got to smart.
Anyway, Otto, please carry on with the important April speculation on whether the Sox might lose control of Almanzar in January 2014 should he continue to hit but not be added to the 40-man roster. It's obviously top of mind for any Sox watcher right now.
FWIW... http://wiki.soxprospects.com/Red+Sox+MLFA
Miguel Celestino after this year, Almanzar, Stroup and a few other names next winter.
Miguel Celestino after this year, Almanzar, Stroup and a few other names next winter.
It's time to bump this. Almanzar, at over the halfway point, is still looking legitimately improved. He has increased his power and walk rate over last year's breakout, maintained his strikeout rate, all while moving up a level. His bat isn't good enough yet for him to be a truly exciting prospect at 1B, but he has likely earned himself a 40-man spot this offseason and a AAA assignment next spring unless he falls off a cliff over the remainder of the season.
Selected by the Orioles in the Rule 5 Draft.
https://twitter.com/MLBDraft/status/411136133645340672
https://twitter.com/MLBDraft/status/411136133645340672
Wow.
I like Almanzar, as most people here know. But I'm glad they got a receipt for that pick, since they'll be returning him.
I like Almanzar, as most people here know. But I'm glad they got a receipt for that pick, since they'll be returning him.
Crap. He's not ready at all but he has upside, so they will try to keep him on the roster all year. I think this will be bad for Almanzar's career, as he'd be much better off playing in the minors than spending a year as a benchwarmer.
I wouldn't be surprised if we got him back at the end of spring training, but maybe Duquette loves his potential enough to keep him as the 25th man all year.
I wouldn't be surprised if we got him back at the end of spring training, but maybe Duquette loves his potential enough to keep him as the 25th man all year.
The Gray Eagle said:
Is Machado expected to be ready for Opening Day? This may be a hedge in the event his recovery has some setbacks.
Why can't he stick on a roster all year long? Ryan Flaherty went .224/.293/.390 in 224 AB's as a backup 2B last year for the Orioles. The offensive bar is not insanely high for 25th man; a lack of positional flexibility will hurt him. He's not going to hit .280, but he might not hit .190 either. No risk, great pick by the Orioles. Rooting for the kid.
Roster question concerning Almanzar -
If he starts the year on the active 25 man roster (and obviously the 40 man roster) and is subsequently returned to the Sox do they have to place him on their own 40 man roster or would he be subject to waivers ?
If he starts the year on the active 25 man roster (and obviously the 40 man roster) and is subsequently returned to the Sox do they have to place him on their own 40 man roster or would he be subject to waivers ?
He has to clear waivers before being offered back to the Sox. Anyone who claims him also has to keep him on the 25 man all year long.BCsMightyJoeYoung said:
Almanzar was the one I worried about losing but I didn't expect it to be a contending team. Of course, if Machado is healthy, the Orioles have him and Davis at Almanzar's 2 positions of 3b/1B, so they are a team that could carry him all season without it affecting their lineup very often. It's not the best thing for his development, but they can DL him twice with phantom pulled hamstrings, and let him have two 20 game rehabs without running astray of the rules so that he accumulates 200 or so plate appearances.
Paradigm said:
Your backup 2B might be able to get away with that, especially if he's got defensive tools. I don't think a backup corner bat, particularly since that position also traditionally profiles as backup/potential DH, can. And Michael's defensive tools are pretty average. As others have posted, sure, you can sit on him, but then what you've picked up is a not a potential stud, or even a regular, but guy who will always hit .230 or .240, precisely because you're stashing him and robbing him of some developmental time.
Seems like there's enough uncertainty/mediocrity between LF and DH to give Almanzar at least a chance of making the roster and getting decent playing time as a DH/corner infield backup. If the guys ahead of you on the depth chart are Nolan Reimold and Danny Valencia, you have no reason to give up hope.
I am shocked, just shocked that Dan Duquette would select a guy with some raw offensive potential and an iron glove.
BosRedSox5 said:
The problem has been more the iron head. Michael's work ethic is, shall we say, open to question.
I just hope he's not the next Arquimedez Pozo
(FTR, I really wanted Pozo to get a job in 97, but looking at his career, I think it's safe to assume he was about 3-5 years older than his birth certificate)
(FTR, I really wanted Pozo to get a job in 97, but looking at his career, I think it's safe to assume he was about 3-5 years older than his birth certificate)
Only if he goes unclaimed on waivers. If another team picks him up, that club would inherit the obligation to keep Almanzar on their active roster for the balance of the season. If not, he'd be offered back to Boston. If the Sox want him, they'd have to pay the Orioles $25,000 -- half the $50,000 drafting fee the O's forked over when they selected him in the Rule 5 draft in December. If the Sox decline, Baltimore can outright reassign Almanzar to a minor league affiliate.
Considering Boston paid $1.5M to sign the kid, I doubt they'd bat an eyelash at spending another $25k to get him back. He's still just 23. Of course, he'd once again be eligible for the Rule 5 this winter, and I can't see the Sox expending a 40-man spot on him unless he completely sets the world afire over the next couple of months.
The $25K to get him back is pretty easy to spend when they already got $50K for losing him in the first place. I'd also bet that short of a huge offensive surge from him to close out the mL season he's unlikely to get taken in the next Rule 5 draft either. I'd expect the Sox to roll the dice on him unless something happens and he gets a surprise ML call up due to the complete lack of worthwhile healthy bats in the high minors.mabrowndog said:
The real question I have is this: if they take him back (I'd expect them to) where does he play? He had a scorching hot April and a horrible July at AA last year but was otherwise a mid to high .700 OPS guy throughout 2013. If they put him back in AA he'd basically take the every day 3B job away from Heiker Meneses and lock Coyle in to 2B the rest of the season (unless Coyle gets promoted). At AAA he'd be competing with Cecchini, Shaw, and the rehab assignments of Middlebrooks and Carp for playing time.
I could see having him finish out July in AA to get his legs back under him followed by challenging him with AAA after that since Middlebrooks and Carp should either be on the ML roster or shut down for the season by then. Might be worth trying him in LF some though to develop some versatility. He doesn't look real likely to see a shot at the ML roster in 2015 on the basis of playing 3B or 1B when he's got WMB, Cecchini, and Coyle all pushing at 3B and Napoli and Shaw at 1B.
Having seen him play a bunch at Salem, he's really a 1Bman. Though if Menesses is really the everyday 3B at Portland, that seems a logical place to put him for a month.
Taking him back and hoping he gets hot enough to be the third prospect in a major deal at the deadline or this offseason would be what I would hope for.
Taking him back and hoping he gets hot enough to be the third prospect in a major deal at the deadline or this offseason would be what I would hope for.
Meneses was supposed to be a super sub, but the promotions of Betts and Shaw have resulted in Coyle moving back to 2B on the regular, Welch and Chester seeing a lot of the 1B/DH time, and Meneses making it in more games at 3B than we'd all probably like.Plympton91 said:
Almanzar would be a worthwhile option over any of the last three there for regular ABs in AA.
Personally, I'd hope to see him used at 1B/LF/DH/3B in that order, in Portland. If his bat matures at all from 2013 with the repeat of AA and he shows the ability to handle LF he could quickly put himself on the map as an emergency OF for 2015, and have a direct path to regular AAA ABs that won't conflict with Coyle, Cecchini, or Shaw who have all clearly outpaced him at the IF corners.
Cecchini has already started playing some LF for Pawtucket, and the reports are that Middlebrooks will soon do so as well. Both of them are far more athletic than Almanzar, who played incredibly stiff and showed the footspeed of a Molina brother in most of the dozen or so games I watched him play. He's a strat-o-matic 4 at both first and third, but at least his height plays well as a first baseman. I cannot fathom him ever setting foot in the outfield.Drek717 said: