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Eric Longenhagen Chat
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Martin
12:50
Jhaylin Ortiz always felt very boom or bust. Safe to say bust at this point?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:50
Might still be a useful bench weapon but not a plug-and-play 1B/RF or anything.
shortstoppin
12:50
how do you see the Gunnar/Ortiz/Westburg/Mayo defensive alignment working itself out
Eric A Longenhagen
12:51
I have Mayo projected in RF, Westburg becomes the square peg at 2B but maybe you live with it because of the bat
Kate
12:51
Wiemer had an incredibly up and down year in 2022.  Started out hot then slumped terribly before catching fire again to end the year at AAA.  Obviously this is all hit tool related.  How does this impact your eval going forward?  Still flawed hit tool with enough crazy tools and approach to make it work?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:52
That's my position, yeah. It's possible he'll have some gigantic big league seasons and some duds.
Prospecting
12:52
Is there another level of control coming for Kyle Harrison? Seems like the missed spots will cost him more as he moves up the ladder. Would you rather have him or Daniel Espino following the lost season?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:52
I'd take Espino despite the injury because it's a more traditional look. Harrison's slider has so much length that it can be easy for experienced hitters to lay off, and yeah the command piece for him is just okay right now.
Russ
12:53
Will Wagner had a very successful AFL, what are your thoughts on his future at the highest level? Also, out of Korey Lee and YAiner Diaz which one project to take over for Maldy in '23 but mostly for '24?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:54
I loved Wagner, dude. Think he's a real piece, maybe a 45 FV type 3B. I tend to think Yainer's bat gives him the edge over Lee, who has that arm but still needs to polish other aspects of his defense. Yainer played 1B in the Dominican last night and he's no lock to stick at C so both are in a liminal space rather than slam dunk long-term answers. That they have two options is good.
Kate
12:54
You made a big move on Endy, but I seem to recall you've always been a bit dubious of his power upside.  Is he the type of guy that could hit tool his way to better than expected power outputs?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:56
Yes, watching him tuck his hands in and rip the barrel through the inner third of the zone is, um, arousing. I don't think he's Jose Ramirez or anything and a big part of why I have him stuffed is because of the switch-hitting and defensive flexibility more than because I think there will be 20+ homers.
Quincy
12:57
Rayne doncon-what did you think of his development this year?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:58
Blerg, his approach turned out to be really bad and I got too excited from his backfield look during '21 instructs and '22 milb spring training. Upside is still huge because his bat speed is, but the pitch recognition is scary.
Mat
12:58
Did the entirety of Will Benson's 2022 change your evaluation on him at all? Seemed like he smashed AAA but never got any consistent playing time in the majors. What's your projection for him?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:58
Working on that system now, will see if there's been a mechanical adjustment that might firm up confidence in his bat.
Dalton Wilcox
12:59
Pedro Ramirez has outperformed all of the Cubs’ teen sensations through age 18 and by alot. What be his prospects?
Eric A Longenhagen
12:59
Cute little 2B who can hit, doesn't have Hernandez's upside but I like him more than the positionless thumpers from that group, like Ballesteros.
Anthony Rendon fan
1:00
please give me an Angels pitching prospect you like
Eric A Longenhagen
1:00
Walbert Urena
Moon Boy
1:01
Do the M's have enough in their system to land Bryan Reynolds, assuming Reynolds even moves this off-season? Or should I cross "trade for Reynolds" off my Christmas wishlist for the M's?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:03
I bet they could swing it. PIT has tended to take back bulk and buy-low types. SEA could throw a bunch of pitching at them and Kelenic or someone like that. Some of the rumored Reynolds deals from the past year or so have been pretty exciting but obviously a year of control has now slipped away. Not sure what the market is like for him but there are lots of alternatives (the Dbacks guys, Ramon Laureano, etc.) who might make it tough for PIT to get the deal they want
SH, Jr.
1:04
Injuries excluded, have you ever seen playing winter ball hurt a player’s development? Is there such a thing as bad reps, where the environment or experience is so non productive that a guy probably just ought to have lifted weights and played xBox for a couple months?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:05
I can't think of one off the top of my head. I think young guys spending time with older dudes who are working hard to barely stay in pro ball tends to be good, and the buzzy environment (esp in the DR) prevents you from sleep walking through it. You can get hurt, though. I watched Jose Siri grab at his oblique this week and that feels bad.
Prospecting
1:06
Pulled a Jordy Barley autographed card, any hope for him to become something?
Eric A Longenhagen
1:06
Probably not but he is fun as hell to watch. Hit huge bombs, run 4.1, make a sick play on D then boot a routine grounder and TOOTBLAN the next two innings.
Daniel Bardo Pond
1:07
Many observers are down on Ronny Mauricio but you actually bumped him up in your end-of-year rankings. Can you elaborate on what you saw/heard that gives you continued confidence in him? Thx Eric.
Eric A Longenhagen
1:08
The amount of in-zone contact and the quality of the contact (90 mph avg exit, nearly a plus-plus hard hit%) is exciting and I think he's a legit SS. His approach is awful and he's super risky but all the FVs are a mesh of risk and upside, and his upside is large.
Pete
1:09
Remember when FG covered prospects? That was fun
Eric A Longenhagen
1:09
And with that the internet trolls have found the chat and it's time to wrap up. Thanks so much for coming everyone, talk again soon.
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