Monday, January 7, 2019

Monday Morning Hot Links

The Astros made a move yesterday.


Naturally since nothing else has happened in the last few days, almost every single link today will be based around this trade. If you don't care to read about minor league prospects, I suggest you look away.

Here is the best article breaking down the trade that I read today, detailing everything of what you need to know (and maybe things you don't need to know but cool to know). There are links at the bottom of this article that I will also put later on in this post for organization sake, so don't be alarmed if you read the same thing twice.

If you don't like long winded articles, here is the talent the Astros are getting in 240 characters or less.

FanGraphs writer Eric Longenhagen writes that the Mets acquired J.D. Davis "at a steep price."

Ross Adolph:
+Adolph is ranked #30 in the Astros Minor League Pipeline

+Here's a little highlight reel of Ross Adolph's 2018 campaign.

+MetsMinors.net ranked Ross as their 3rd best outfield prospect going into 2019.

+Amazin' Avenue (Mets SBNation page) ranked Adolph as the 8th best minor league player for the Mets. 

+Adolph was the first Brooklyn Cyclones player to homer or win the New York Penn League All-Star Game MVP.


Luis Santana:
+Santana is ranked #22 in the Astros Minor League Pipeline.

+This scouting report, as someone on Twitter pointed out, sound eerily similar to another second baseman we know.

+It sounds as if another MLB team wanted to acquire this guy via trade as well.

+MetsMinors listed him as a "breakout prospect" of 2018.

+Amazin'Avenue ranked Santana as the 6th best minor league player for the Mets.

+Matt Eddy from Baseball America has this to say about Santana: 

"I was inclined to underestimate 2B Luis Santana based on his 5-foot-8 stature and lack of loud overall tools, but the more sources I talked to, the more I liked him. Move him up, they all said. Santana ultimately will fall just outside the top 10, with a chance to move into the 10 next year if he performs in full-season ball. He does have a potentially special bat, with his knack for hard contact, plate discipline and just swagger." Source

Scott Manea:

+Manea is not on the Astros Minor League Pipeline Top 30, but Jeff Luhnow called him "a key piece" in regards to this deal.

+Prospects1500 ranked Manea as the Mets 38th best prospect and a tier 4 player, which is a tier that means "players who have the potential of making the majors, or have high likelihood of making the majors but providing minimal impact."

+However, Ben Wilson of Prospects1500 said on Twitter he has "the best balance of hitting/defense of all Mets catching prospects."

+J.P. Ricciardi, special assistant to Sandy Alderson at the time, had this to say about Manea at the end of this year: 

"He has got a chance to be something. He has opened up some eyes this year. He has got power and a pretty good idea of what he is doing behind the plate." Source

To close the Hot Links for today, Jeff Luhnow suggested that the Astros likely aren't done yet this offseason.