Open Thread: Dante Bichette Jr. talks to YES
ByThe YES Network is either going to run or has already run (not sure which) a short feature on Dante Bichette Jr. in an episode of Yankees Magazine, a feature you can watch above. It’s a typical puff piece, talking about things Bichette wants to work on, how his father has helped him, stuff like that. Still pretty interesting though, so take a few minutes and give it a watch.
Once you’re done with that, here’s your open thread for the night. If you’re jonesin’ for some baseball, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com is airing the entire Caribbean Series over the next few days. Mexico and the Dominican Republic are playing right now (Update: They’re actually in a delay because of the pregame ceremony at the moment). Former Yankees Luis Ayala, Karim Garcia, Randy Keisler, Romulo Sanchez, Humberto Sanchez, Freddy Guzman, and Jon Albaladejo are on various rosters, as are current Yankees farmhands Jose Figueroa, Danny Martinez, Ray Kruml, Francisco Rondon, Pat Venditte, Gary Sanchez, Abe Almonte, and Melky Mesa. I can’t guarantee any of those guys will play, however. The Devils and Knicks are also playing, but talk about whatever you like. Go nuts.
(h/t Bryan Hoch for the video)
77 Comments»
RAB Info
The Founders
Mike Axisa, Ben Kabak, Joe Pawlikowski
Editor-In-Chief
Mike Axisa Archives | Email
Managing Editors
Ben Kabak Archives | E-mail
Joe Pawlikowski Archives | E-mail
Contributing Editors
Larry Koestler (Archives)
Moshe Mandel (Archives)
Stephen Rhoads (Archives)
Weekend Writers
Hannah Ehrlich (Archives)
Matthew Warden (Archives)
Special Contributor
J.R. O'Grady (Archives)
Technical Consultant
Jay Gordon
Subscribe to RAB by RSS and Twitter
Follow @RiverAveBlues Search RAB
Banner Design By
The Mason Williams Watch
but can he grow the mullet?
Theo signed Concepcion the 18 yr old Cuban lefty, talked about here earlier this week
Yeah, saw that. He’s not expected to make the team in spring.
Oh well, Cashman. Soler please???
The Cuban kid, Kotchman and EJax all off the board today. Each had plenty of time and print on RAB.
Anyone else feel like Bichette is fairly underrated as a prospect? While he doesn’t quite have the experience yet, his skills are fairly good and his defense has been better than expected. With the work effort this kid has, it’s not hard to see a .280 BA with 25-30 hr annually if he keeps progressing and developing at his current rate.
You can’t really overrate or underrate a player who just got drafted. He has the skills, but you’re gonna have to wait until the end of next year to judge, really.
People overrate/underrate new draftees all the time, did it with harper, Machado, Bundy, and countless others. Bichette caught and still catches a ton of crap, and dismissed what he’s done so far.
Yes it was Rookie ball, but if it was a highly touted HS prospect like Bubba Starling and he put up Bichette’s like that and at that level, people would need a change of underwear and a wheelbarrow to carry their erections.
For me a player isn’t shouldn’t be considered better or worse than someone else until they’ve actually played the game. They can have all the tools in the world but if you can’t show that you know how to use them against real competition then it doesn’t matter.
Agreed, the knock on Bichette was that he wouldn’t stick at 3B. Now the experts think he can. Obviously the Yankees believed he could all along, but until the experts saw he could, the pick was because Girardi is friends with his dad….
Bichette catches crap because of where he was drafted, being selected as the Yankees #1 when there was other prospects at there clearly viewed as better. Following on top of the Culver pick the prior year set a few fans off the deep end.
Yet as I’ve said before, the Yankees clearly have had a coherent, consistent, focused draft strategy based on a set budget the past two years. I’m sure there was some flexibility to the budget, but it was a budget. Instead of blowing a large percentage of the budget on a single player toward the top, they went for an easily signable player who they view as having high upside, and then using more of the budget to draft player that slipped lower because other clubs viewed as having some signability issues. Think Mason Williams types, or going back a few years, an Austin Jackson type.
I give Damon Oppenheimer credit for developing a holistic approach to the entire draft knowing he has a set budget, knowing under the now old rules that more talented players are available for drafting in later rounds. Now, where I disagree with the Yankees on this approach is they could have had it both ways. A few more million dollars in the budget would allow them to draft a more traditional #1 and still grab the players that have drifted lower in the draft. I certainly would have pushed even harder for a more expanded draft budget knowing the rules were about to change after 2011, and I’m sure the Yankees had to know the new CBA was going to make it more difficult to flex their financial muscles. I would have expanded both my domestic and international budget dollars in 2010 and 2011 to stock up as much as possible to then assess the landscape after the rules changed.
As I noted in Mike’s BA post, I expect there might be some chaos and confusion with the upcoming draft (among all teams) as teams learn how the new rules have changed everything.
I just have one question, what made these guys (more specifically the hitters) “clearly better” than Bichette? His bat was seen as the plus because he has great power potential and bat speed. People doubted his athletic ability, and the ability to play 3rd but it wouldn’t have taken 15 minutes of digging to discover the kid was a top flight jr. tennis player a sport which requires more physical demands than baseball. It all goes back to big names, if Bichette was in football or basketball and baseball in HS rather than tennis and baseball would his athletic ability been questioned more?
Baseball drafting is the biggest crapshoot in sports, if the Yankees feel they have a talent that is comparable to any one on the board at the moment, I am fine with them taking that player because they probably did a ton more scouting on said player than anything BA, or any other report could ever be able to do.
A team is going to find the Gems in there own back yard, the Florida region despite being far from NY is still part of the Yankees Backyard because of all the connections the team has rooted there.
I agree… they were only “clearly ranked higher” on media top X prospect lists. That says nothing about where he ranked on the Yankees’ draftboard. Scouting every draft prospect is a monumental task, and the media guys probably often have to rely on one game they say, some video maybe, and the word of scouts for guys who aren’t top, top HS prospects.
Not that Bichette is guaranteed of any further success at all, but I think of Joey Votto. Apparently the Yankees and Reds were the only two teams seriously scouting him. Yankees were pumped to take him with the pick that ended up being Weeden, but the Reds beat them to it. The Yankees were higher on him than just about anyone, and they were right. Doesn’t mean they’re right here… just a best-case comparison.
Crowd source for my post tomorrow:
Assuming a typical Swisher year, what do you offer him for 2013 and beyond?
I’d offer him a 3/40 if he puts up his usual .260/.375 type with 25 home runs and 80 RBIs.
I bet he signs for 4/60.
A third of what Werth got. Not that’s he’s one third of Werth but fucking spending tens of millions to corner outfielders in their 30s.
This is insane and since it’s the Sox owners, rather hilarious. http://goo.gl/4XJf1
hilarious!
another day, another crazy Red Sox story. I just read that Crawford is getting sued for $123k by one of his friends that he has “swindled”
A former Yankee drunk drove and killed people. So….
Yeah, she also didn’t have her seat belt on. Not only that, but she was drinking as well.
That is hilarious.
Just putting it out there…
Could a Phil Hughes for Mike Carp swap work? With Pineda gone, the M’s could use Hughes and he could thrive in Safeco. Carp would be a good platoon partner for Jones and would be amazing in YS3.
Thoughts?
Nope. I look forward to Hughes having a great year. I wouldn’t trade him for a nobody. The M’s don’t need pitching anyway, they need hitting.
It doesn’t count though, it was their first year. Look at Jeter in his first year, was he overrated because he was terrible?
I don’t see how Harper was overrated, he tore up the minor leagues before getting hurt. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in RF on opening day. I also look forward to him being the best player in baseball by 2020 and on the Yankees.
Meant to reply to Bo Knows.
I’m talking about before even playing a game, you can be very overrated if you’ve never played, harper has proven he’s the real deal. Jeter had to do the same, and he did. Can you imagine what people on RAB would have been saying if they saw young Jeter struggling like he did after the Yankees drafted him as #6? (its would be to disturbing to even think about)
Pretty sure Bichette has ‘played a game’.
I have never seen Gary Sanchez swing before but I just finished watching some film…he has a ton of movement back and forth movement in the batters box, if he quiets his motions down I would bet money his punch-out number would plummet.
He still has some time to develop. What is he, 19? Hopefully our catcher of the future unless Posey comes back healthy!
Yeah I know, I find it a rather big positive when there is an obvious flaw that leads to problems, rather than some inherent deficiency that can’t be pinpointed.
I like Sanchez a lot, he had a decent year last year. I expect him to be up in late 2014 or early 2015.
positive is the wrong word, I think comforting is a better fit. You can fix mechanical problems, but if it was something like physical like recognition, it would be a really bad problem
Hate hate hate to see this
http://rangersblog.dallasnews......ton-h.html
Not to mention he’ll be a free agent soon, bad timing.
I wonder if that costs him $ and how much.
Wow, has it that not a bigger story, or did it just break?
Also, doen’t this happen to him every year now? Seem to remember Deadspin pictures of a drunk Hamilton at a bar with women licking whipped cream off his chest.
Yea it really sucks if its a relapse. Its possible he had a few drinks and the media exaggerated it, but thats not what happened last time. Oh well, hopefully he’s become professional enough for it to no longer effect his game.
lol @ your immaturity. Holy shit.
I remember some folks, even on this site, clamoring for Hamilton in pinstripes, esp. after his All-Star HR derby show……Imagine him in NYC off the field.
Really sucks if this turns out to be true, though. Hope he gets it and keeps it together. He’s made some very long strides.
Nothing to worry about if he comes to the Yankees. There will be no additional pressure or expectations on him if he comes to play for the NY Yankees on a multi-million-dollar contract, where he’ll be compared to Mickey Mantle, and will have TMZ and Deadspin reporters assigned to him around the clock.
Oh, and there are almost no places for a recovering substance abuser to be tempted by, or to get into trouble in NYC.
The Yankees can match him up with Zack Greinke when traveling on the road. I think we have might have a 21st Century remaking of the Odd Couple here.
It’s sad to see him do this again. Also it was sad to see him do that ESPN special about how great he was doing even though he had only been Sober for a few years. He needs to be alittle more low keyed about his soberity and work his program…It sounds like he has a very suportive family and I wish him good luck!
Dante Bichette Jr. is an optical illusion.
Just saw on ESPN that some woman was extorting Brian Cashman and got $6K out of him and is in custody right now.
She allegedly threatened to “contact the press and informant’s family and assert facts that would subject the informant to ridicule and damage his personal relationships and professional reputation.”
I wonder what she has over his head? Maybe this could explain the Burnett signing.
Or…she could be the source of Mitre’s blackmail pics….
Anyone else more pissed off about the Montero trade after today’s Edwin Jackson signing?
Not really. If the Yankees were involved on Edwin Jackson, a 1/$10m deal is likely too small. If the Yankees have to commit, that means they won’t be involved in the market next year which includes pitchers a lot better.
No.
Edwin Jackson is a 28 year old back of the rotation stater who gonna cost $9-$12 million for 1 year and probably is a guy who would have lots of trouble with good lineups like Boston, Detroit and Texas since he puts so many runners on base.
Pineda is a 23 year old potential number 1 starter who’s cheap and under control for 5 years.
Jackson shouldn’t even be in the same conversation as Pineda.
http://www.fangraphs.com/leade.....8;players=
Look at who’s the 20th best starter according to WAR and change your entirely false second paragraph. Besides the 28 year old thing. That’s fine.
Don’t you think it’s about time you got over trading Montero or is this gonna go on all season too?
Jesus Montero being traded has NOTHING to do with saying how good Edwin Jackson is. Arguing that he’s a front end starter over “4 or 5″ does not equate to “let’s get Jesus.”
Or continue to cry that every didn’t jizz over Pineda.
“Or continue to cry that every didn’t jizz over Pineda.”
Care to translate this into english?
Coming off a year where his WHIP was 1.437 that comment isn’t untrue either. He’s been getting better in that the past few years – he was really really bad when he first came up so I’m not gonna mention his career WHIP, though at least his walk rate is getting better – but that’s high, and he’s never really had a great WHIP.
(That said, yeah he’s clearly not a back of the rotation guy. And pitchers, good and not so good, struggle with good lineups because, hey, they’re good lineups. Shocker.)
In the AL east, he’s a back of the rotation starter. Check out his stats when he was with the Rays.
Maybe in the NL central or West he’s a front of the rotation guy but last I checked, the Yankees play in the AL east.
He was with the Rays in 2007 and 2008. That’s four/five seasons ago. He’s clearly been better since then.
Sure he’s been better than he was compared to when he was with the Rays but I still think a guy who puts that many men on base is nothing more than a 4th or 5th starter in the AL east.
I think Jackson has AJ Burnett written all over him and it’s the 2010 and 2011 version of Burnett
Besides, if Jackson was so great, where are the big money multi-year offers?
A 28 year old starter who’s the 20th best in baseball and all he could get was a 1 year deal from the Nationals?
It seems like the the decision makers in baseball don’t agree with your opinion of Jackson
Supposedly he had a 3/$30 deal, if you believe Heyman. He’s not super awesome but he’s good.
A 3/$30 million deal is pretty much what you’d pay for a number 4 starter considering it’s far below deals the guys like middle of the rotation starters like Buerhle, Derek Lowe, Bronson Arroyo, Ryan Dempster and John Lackey have gotten in recent years.
Hell no. You’re comparing Edwin Jackson to Michael Pineda???
TBH, it now really appears that Jackson was never really a consideration for Cashman. And that now explains why Boras went to the owners, doing an end-around on Cashman, because even at 1 yr, $10 million, Cashman wasn’t interested.
Hence, we get the young possible ace in Pineda AND the 1 yr, $10 million stopgap that Cashman always wanted in Kuroda, not Oswalt, not Jackson.
Montero??? We’re just gonna have to get over that already. He’s gone.
I’m blind can you show me where the word “compare” or any synonym of it is in the OP?
Semantics. You are basically comparing the Pineda trade to Jackson’s signing today. And somehow, you’re mad…. Just you. I don’t think anyone else on this site gives a crap that Jackson signed with the Nats.
BTW, if Jackson was so great, 20th best pitcher in MLB and all that jazz, why so unwanted? Surely such a great pitcher, in his prime years, should have been able to turn his 20th-best greatness into more than a 1 yr deal with the Nats. Contending teams that need pitching didn’t really bite.
Yet you’re mad about getting Pineda after seeing Jackson sign for 1 yr, $10 million???
No. One has nothing to do with the other.
Hamilton relapsed with alcohol the other night, per ESPN. What a loser. This guy has a dream job and still can’t control his habits. I’m just annoyed that people think he is a God for “fixing” himself, which he still hasn’t done.
He will be out of baseball in three years.
I don’t really want to get into this so it’ll be my last post on the subject, but:
1. Yeah, the hero worship of him bothers me.
2. That said, this is what being an addict is. No matter how much money you have, or how great your job/life is, or how much support you have, it’s still incredibly difficult to “get over it.”
That’s a problem he has. He isn’t a role model, and he never has been. It’s blown out of proportion.
It’s sad because I love him as a player, but he needs to control himself. This is twice now in the past two years, I can’t see any team giving him a big deal.
Yea ..I mean come on no one wanted me with my coke problems!!I’m sure MANY teams will offer him alot of money because how he plays, very few if any pro’s are real role models. Josh needs to keep a very low profile while he works on his soberity.
I doubt it, I just can’t see him getting much with troubles both on and off the field.
I thought is was a little weird the Rangers wanted to hire his father in law as his full time chaperon but I guess this guy really is walking time bomb when it comes to booze and drugs.
It’s actually kind of sad he has to live with such demons.
He’s gonna be out of baseball soon. I don’t understand how people can do this. He has so much money, he can’t spend it doing something else? At least spend time with your kids.
I’d be more concerned about injuries at this point than the drugs and booze because the guy just can’t seem to stay healthy.
His body is probably breaking down at an early age because of how badly he abused it.
That’s probably what it is. There is no way he gets more than 15M a year or more than four years. But if he does, I hope it’s the Sox.
You never “fix” yourself when your an addict, its always going to be a war, and your going to lose a few battles. Its much harder than just “controlling it” because its not that easy. People like Josh because he has tried to tackle his demons and it has been an inspiration that others can fight similar monsters. If he was drinking alcohol (it could have been ginger ale, or some other non alcoholic beverage we don’t know) it should just serve as a reminder that your never going to be completely “fixed”
I know. It’s a sad thing. I hope he ends up alright, but it doesn’t look good, that’s for sure. He needs to develop a sense of control. I’ve never been an addict, so I can’t say much about it, but he does have to figure something out.
I have family members who are recovering alcoholics, I have loved ones that are currently in graves because they didn’t seek help. Its not an easy thing to control, the only way is to avoid it, which is what Hamilton has tried to do…but the problem is alcohol is everywhere and its shadow is always going to be present, his cravings for it won’t ever go away. It doesn’t take a big stressor to send a recovering addict into relapse. This is also the reason why Hamilton has demanded that a monitor be with him at all times, because he doesn’t trust himself. He was in Texas at the time away from his support group and with no chaperone (although I read on the rangers sb nation blog Kinsler may have been with him; and the bar is also a well known bar-resturant in the area)
Dante Bichette Sr. is perhaps the most hideous man to play in the pros. He’s the Popeye Jones of MLB.
Julian Tavarez and Tim Lincecum.
Shelley Duncan. Thread over.
David Cone looks like a progeria kid.
Hahaha! At least he could pitch.