Prospect Hot Sheet Chat

Philip (San Diego): Dinelson Lamet- Starter or reliever?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Hi there, I think, after talking to some scouts and Padres personnel, that Lamet is on a starter’s track He’s got the pitch mix to do it, for sure. At one point, because of his age and his success, San Diego did toy with moving him to the bullpen so that he’d get to the majors quicker, but now they’re content with moving him along with the rotation in mind.

Phil (Ridgewood PA): Recently attended Reading vs Richmond to see Cozens and Hoskins vs Tyler Beede. Beede was consistently 94-98 into the 7th inning. His CB was a weapon, after reading reports of decreased velo and no curveball has he reinvented himself and in the Giants plans?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: I don’t recall seeing any reports of decreased velo. Quite the opposite. We’ve consistently reported that he’s back to Vandy-level velocity. The Giants were always quite impressed with Beede. He’s in their plans, for sure.

chuck (mo): other than his last outing junior Fernandez has been awful in hi A. Has his stuff and command declined it can we blame it on age?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Just acclimating to a higher level. You mean because he’s just 19?

Dave (Texas): What can you tell me about Mitch Haniger? He had one heck of a season, albeit at the ripe old age of 25. Seeing as he was a first round pick, he must have been a decent prospect.
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Nick Piecoro tells you everything you need to know: https://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/rebuilt-swing-propels-haniger/#1Hpk8DG2rMHAq6Z6.97

Doug (Vancouver): Hi Vince, If Gary Sanchez plays fulltime next season do you think 20+ HRs and .260 BA is realistic? Thanks.
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: I think that’s reasonable, sure.

Tom (Phoenix, AZ): The scouting report on Fernando Romero looks a lot like Michael Fulmer a year ago. Big time fastball, power slider, developing change. The k/bb rate is outstanding. Are we looking at a top 50-75 prospect?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: He will be in the discussion.

Jose (Washington, DC): Brendan Rodgers is obviously on fire, but he continues to do all his damage at home (1.000 OPS) and struggles on the road (.698 OPS). For those of us scouting the statline, how concerned should we be about home/road splits that extreme?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: It bears watching to be sure. several Rockies prospects have had to overcome that McCormick Field stigma. But Rodgers is ultra talented. I wouldn’t be too concerned.

Matt (Denver): Does Nick Torres project to be a regular at the MLB level? He seems to be a guy who is pretty decent at everything without a real standout tool.
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: I think you answered your own question right there.

Aristides Aquino (Daytona): Am I more Wily Mo Pena or Vlad Guerrero?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Isn’t there a whole lot in between for you there, Double A?

Roger (Whitehead): When do the league top 20s start?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Some time in mid-September is what we’re looking at.

steve (Chicago): Has Alec Hansen shown enough in his debut to warrant top 100 consideration?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: He’s had nine appearances. I mean, they were good appearances, but no, not just yet.

Ryan (Indy): Over or under a 50% chance that Newcomb shakes the walk problems and becomes a frontline starter?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: I’ll put it slightly over. I like him.

Brett (New Jersey): Vince, with Rodgers landing atop the hot sheet this week and likely to start next season in High A, is he the kind of prospect you can see pushing for promotion to the major league level sometime in the summer of 2018?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Not for me. With Trevor Story at short, I don’t see the urgency. Maybe the end of 2018, just to get a feel.

Thomas (Boston): Luis Alexander Basabe has really reduced his K rate the last two months, all while retaining excellent power. His 2nd half stats are in line with Eloy Jimenez's season-to-date; how would you compare tools and potential of the two?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Such different players. Talked to a couple people today associated with MWL who say Eloy’s the best player in the league. He’s far above Basabe, for me.

Phil (STL): Would Gereit Cole be a good comp for Alex Reyes' ceiling?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Because of the fastball/curveball combo? I see the similar size, but Cole had far more command at the same age.

Roger (Greenville, SC): Has Ryan McMahon's stock taken a large hit with the down year and move to 1B?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Not a large hit. I think you have to account some of the difficulties to Hartford playing on the road the entire season.

Chris (St. Louis): Hey, Vince. Thanks for the chat. Which of the following are on major league opening day rosters in 2017: Yandy Diaz, Ozzie Albies, Manuel Margot, Amed Rosario, Tom Murphy? Thanks!
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: I think Margot has the clearest shot. Don’t see Albies or Rosario there. Maybe Murphy in a backup role.

Rob (New York): How bad is Calhoun at second? Bad enough that he won't play there in the majors?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: I’ve been told he’s OK there, he’s average at best, but the best part is that he’s embraced playing second. He wants to do it, and that’s half the battle sometimes.

Daniel (New York, NY): Do you think Domingo Acevedo and/or Chance Adams can be up in the Bronx next season? Do you think Acevedo's offspeed stuff has developed enough to keep him in the rotation?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Next year? No, I don’t see it, especially for Acevedo. His offspeed has not yet advanced to the level he could be in a major league rotation. As long as he is, could take awhile.

Brandon (Albuquerque): What kind of numbers does Eloy Jimenez project to put up at this point? Is he a .300 avg 30 hr guy?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Man, if you talk to the folks I talked to today, the answer would be both. I’ve asked for red flags and concerns and so far, evaluators are bullish on Eloy.

Kyle (Hollywood, Fl): Will the White Sox have faith in Carson Fulmer as a starting pitcher or is he destined for the bullpen?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: IMHO, he’s destined for the bullpen. When I saw him pitch for Vandy against Illinois, the delivery is so herky-jerky, I don’t see how he repeats it. I don’t know that he ever does. But the raw stuff is good enough to be an end-game reliever.

Big Jim (Bronx): Vincenzo if you could select 1 player at each infield position based on potential who is not currently in the majors who would those 4 players be whether they are in the minors, College or playing internationally. I know this is one tough question. Personally I would select Jhailyn Ortiz 1B, Lourdes Gurriel 2B, Moncada 3B if that is where he stays and Jorge Mateo SS. Thoughts. Thanks Vinny
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Oh this is fun. I’d pick Bellinger at 1b, Moncada at 2b, Gleyber Torres at ss, and Rafael Devers at 3b.

dave (nj): Kopech- Starter or reliever?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: It’s a good question. What everyone in the game will tell you is you develop a guy as a starter until he shows you he can’t do it, then the organization makes the call. So you keep developing Kopech for now. He’s got the size, physicality, the mound presence. He needs a third pitch. That’s vital.

Steve (Tacoma): Is Luiz Gohara the top pitching prospect in the Mariners' system? Appears to have size and solid command, but how good is the kid's stuff exactly?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: It might be Andrew Moore, although Moore doesn’t posses Gohara’s stuff. But Gohara’s stuff is real. The arm slot helps the fastball play up, the slider has depth and slurvy action. He needs to keep working on a change of pace.

Sean (Santa Clara): Willie Calhoun looks like he can really, really hit, but struggles in the field. Is the bat strong enough to carry him to a full-time role in MLB?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Yes, I think so. He’s committed to playing second base and I think he can be average there.

Mike (San Diego): After the disaster of a season for the Padres at SS throughout the system, could you envision a scenario in which they match up with the Mets for a rare prospect-for-prospect trade on Margot for Rosario as each team leverages its depth at their respective positions?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Sure, that’s possible, but I don’t see the Mets moving a premium shortstop for an outfielder, at least one without a power profile.

GC (Tampa, Florida, United States of America): Is Jorge Mateo going to get promoted this year? Or will he remain in Tampa to create the double-play combo of the future with Gleyber?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: There’s not much time left to promote. They’re splitting time and Mateo has flourshed.

Alex (St. Louis): What's the ceiling for Harrison Bader? Do you think he ultimately replaces Matt Holliday in LF next year?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: I got an interesting comparison on Bader yesterday to Randal Grichuk. Maybe not the raw power, but the defense and power combo. I could see that happening. I think the Cards believe he can play CF, but he should have enough pop to move to a corner.

Nate (the Hate): Adrian Rondon going to be close to the top 100 this offseason? Or at least in consideration? Thanks
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: He’ll be in the discussion for sure. Streaky guy.

Jessie Winker (Cincy): I have the power to hit 15-20 homers in the bigs, right?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Well, that’s the big question, no? Look within …

bob (DE): Josh Sborz...am I a SU/Closer or SP in 3years with Dodgers?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: It’s always easier to say reliever. Like most pitchers, it’ll come down to developing a third pitch. Absolutely crucial to being able to get through a lineup a second or third time around.

Chad (Chicago): What is Ozzie Albies ceiling and as it safe to say he should be looked at as a 2B going forward?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Not necessarily. He’s surely the slicker fielder, if you’re talking him and Swanson. It’s possible they trade off the position on occasion.

Matt (Va): Does Eloy Jimmenez get a late season promo to Myrtle Beach?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: I don’t get the sense that will happen, in speaking with folks I spoke to the past week. He’s comfortable where he is, we’ve got two weeks to go, basically.

Jose (Washington, DC): Hard not to get excited by Kopech, especially considering 2 walks versus 22 strikeouts in his last 2 starts. What's changed recently for Kopech to get the walks under control?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: He’s really sharpened command of the slider. The fastball is crazy good, and with a fastball that good, guys really have to gear up to hit it. It will be interesting to see how much of this is command versus batters having no choice but to speed up their bat and then not being able to hit the slider. Sometimes, it’s not so much command but overmatching less-advanced hitters

Sergio Q (Tijuana, Mexico): Is Eric Lauer's success sustainable because of his pitch ability? Or will his lack of elite velocity keep him a back of the rotation guy?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: He’s a back-end guy, ultimately, but there is nothing wrong with that. That is a necessary, durable guy every team wants.

Grant (Denver): Hoffman called up to face the Cubbies tomorrow. Any chance he can get a decent outing, or is this a virtual impossibility?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: My buddy Kyle Glaser will answer that soon with a ‘What To Expect.’ Check baseballamerica.com soon!

Bill L (Inatech software): Hey Vince. What's happening.. I'm gonna to need you to come in on Sunday... Actually Who do you think will be in the AFL?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: hahahaha. I feel like this is someone I know. we should have rosters soon. I think you could see a guy like Dillon Tate, who the Yankees are trying to rebuild, for example. Greg Bird, coming back from injury; I don’t think you’ll see any 2016 draft guys, who will more likely head to instructs.

Jose (DC): Jhailyn Ortiz: worth getting excited about, or overpay by the Phillies? What's the scouting community saying?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: Overpay? The guy’s 17 with an .818 OPS in the GCL. The Phillies must be thrilled.

John (LA): Who are some of the A ball pitchers you're really high on?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: I’ll tell you guys I saw in low A, or those I was told about. Albert Abreu, Sandy Alcantara, Derian Gonzalez, Logan Allen, Ryan Kellogg, Joel Payamps, Fernando Romero, Angel Perdomo, Nick Neidert, Genesis Cabrera, Marcos Diplan, Anderson Espinoza. There are tons. Will be tough limit the MWL to 20 players.

Scott (Chicago): WIll Jaime Schultz stick as a starter long term? What kind of upside does he have?
Vincent Lara-Cinisomo: I think ultimately he’ll be in the bullpen. Part of it will be need, part of it will be size and part of it will be lack of command. But he could be a very effective reliever. That’s it for me, folks. Back to the grind. See ya next time!