The Sox promoting first Benintendi, and then Espinoza, into the heat of Greenville's playoff run started me thinking about next season, and about the value of prospects playing to win for (and in) the minor league playoffs.
How valuable is it, for an organization to cultivate not only its prospects' individual abilities, but their ability to translate those abilities into winning ballgames?
I don't know, but this is beyond awful:
BOS: 63-72 (5th of 5)
PAW: 57-84 (6th of 6)
PRT: 51-88 (5th of 5)
SAL: 64-73 (4th of 4)
GRN: 70-67 (3rd of 7)
So my question is, should the Sox hold back Salem's most promising (but, as yet, unsuccessful) young pitchers and promote the Greenville Five, creating a bigger, faster, stronger "superteam" of prospects?
Held back: Ball, Stankiewicz, McGrath
Promoted: Benintendi, Moncada, Guerra, Kopech, Devers (and Longhi and Beeks)
This would hopefully make a pretty good team, and it's not like any of the four guys in Salem pitched their way off the island, so to speak. Middle-4's ERA doesn't strike me as demanding a promotion.
I think they should do it. It's depressing to think that Portland might be even worse than this year, of course, but it's not like anyone there would be blocking anyone who earns their way to AA by mid-season. And in the meanwhile, half the Sox top prospects would be on the same team.
How valuable is it, for an organization to cultivate not only its prospects' individual abilities, but their ability to translate those abilities into winning ballgames?
I don't know, but this is beyond awful:
BOS: 63-72 (5th of 5)
PAW: 57-84 (6th of 6)
PRT: 51-88 (5th of 5)
SAL: 64-73 (4th of 4)
GRN: 70-67 (3rd of 7)
So my question is, should the Sox hold back Salem's most promising (but, as yet, unsuccessful) young pitchers and promote the Greenville Five, creating a bigger, faster, stronger "superteam" of prospects?
Held back: Ball, Stankiewicz, McGrath
Promoted: Benintendi, Moncada, Guerra, Kopech, Devers (and Longhi and Beeks)
This would hopefully make a pretty good team, and it's not like any of the four guys in Salem pitched their way off the island, so to speak. Middle-4's ERA doesn't strike me as demanding a promotion.
I think they should do it. It's depressing to think that Portland might be even worse than this year, of course, but it's not like anyone there would be blocking anyone who earns their way to AA by mid-season. And in the meanwhile, half the Sox top prospects would be on the same team.