Luis Sardinas to Mariners for OF Ramon Flores

[superfly]

My guess is he isn't considered a top 100 prospect anymore.

 

No, probably not. But Ramon Flores was ranked what, >20 in his own organization?

 

I don't like the return, especially at a position as easy to fill as OF/1B. Hopefully Stearns views Flores as being wildly undervalued and he proves me wrong.

 

First base is easy to fill? How many years did we play guys like 40 year old Lyle Overbays, Sean Haltons, Juan Franciscos there after Fielder left?

[JohnBriggs12]

Flores wasn't rated high as a prospect because he didn't flash the big power and at 5'10" he's hardly your prototypical 1B. But he possesses some unique skills that could prove valuable. He's very difficult to strike out, In fact in AAA in 2015, he walked more than he struck out. Even if his role is as late inning PH, I like guys that can make contact or take walks against relievers that run it up there in the high 90's. It's very interesting in that the last two guys Stearns has acquired, Flores and minor league catcher Rene Garcia have been both very tough to fan in the minors.

[reillymcshane]

Sardinas looks like the kind of guy who hasn't changed physically in several years. At age 19, scouts probably said, "This kid has got a great glove. If he fills out, he could be pretty good." But he hasn't filled out. He's a stick figure - 6'1" and 150 lbs. He'll be 23 in May, which means he's still got a chance to bulk up a little, but time is against him.

 

It's why prospects can, especially young ones, are so difficult to assess. These are kids. The great basketball player David Robinson was 5'9" his junior year of HS - he ended up 7'0".

 

I just looked at Luis last season and saw a guy who was never going to hit the ball with any authority. He had a ton of promise a few years ago, but he just didn't develop as hoped. A lot of that has nothing to do with him. We can only do so much to build strength and bulk (legally, of course). He might just not have that in him.

 

I see Sardinas as redundant - a guy like Rivera has more potential as a hitter - so he would just languish at AAA. Best get something for him now.

[1992casey]

The past few years experience tends to make me believe first isn't all that easy to fill.

I'd say "hasn't been" easy to fill rather than "isn't." Even though teams are likely valuing first base defense more than they've been in the past, I think the current shortage of Major League first basemen is something that's temporary rather than permanent. Still, it's an issue in the present, and teams have to deal with that. The silver lining for the Brewers is that they don't have to prioritize 1B right now.

[MKE81]

Flores was a good value trade. Sardinas will be the same player in 5yrs as he is today. He's a solid defender swinging a noodle at the plate. He's a dime a dozen and doesn't make this team better off the bench and certainly isn't as versatile as Villar, or even Herrera. A player like Flores can make an impact off the bench, or filling in somewhat regularly, given his spray approach and understanding of the strike zone while playing strong defense. Those are HUGE quality attributes this team has sorely been lacking off the bench and even with the starters (ie Khris Davis). Plus he's a lefty and can play all OF spots. With Arcia coming up soon enough and Villar here now there's no reason to have a guy like Sardinas on the roster.

[logan82]

Sardinas looks like the kind of guy who hasn't changed physically in several years. At age 19, scouts probably said, "This kid has got a great glove. If he fills out, he could be pretty good." But he hasn't filled out. He's a stick figure - 6'1" and 150 lbs. He'll be 23 in May, which means he's still got a chance to bulk up a little, but time is against him.

 

It's why prospects can, especially young ones, are so difficult to assess. These are kids. The great basketball player David Robinson was 5'9" his junior year of HS - he ended up 7'0".

 

I just looked at Luis last season and saw a guy who was never going to hit the ball with any authority. He had a ton of promise a few years ago, but he just didn't develop as hoped. A lot of that has nothing to do with him. We can only do so much to build strength and bulk (legally, of course). He might just not have that in him.

 

I see Sardinas as redundant - a guy like Rivera has more potential as a hitter - so he would just languish at AAA. Best get something for him now.

Weights instead of winterball wouldprobably help.

[monty57]

I don't know if the lack of versatility in the recent past has been because Attanasio insisted on using all the available money to pick up a "name player" (Garza, Lohse, etc) or if Melvin really didn't mind playing guys at defensive positions they couldn't play. Whatever the reason, I am glad to see that we will have some versatile guys on the team.

 

If we make some bigger trades, these guys will allow us to fill every position with someone who at least deserves to be on an MLB roster. Otherwise, they at least provide some good bench options, which hasn't seemed to be a high priority lately.

 

My guess is that we will make bigger trades this offseason, and we will be glad to have the guys we just received once everything shakes out. In the early stage of a rebuild, it will be nice to have young, team controlled guys all over the field who actually have some talent. I'd rather see that than a bunch of journeyman veterans and AAAA guys, which is common for teams at this stage.

[MadScientist]

I don't know if the lack of versatility in the recent past has been because Attanasio insisted on using all the available money to pick up a "name player" (Garza, Lohse, etc) or if Melvin really didn't mind playing guys at defensive positions they couldn't play. Whatever the reason, I am glad to see that we will have some versatile guys on the team.

 

If we make some bigger trades, these guys will allow us to fill every position with someone who at least deserves to be on an MLB roster. Otherwise, they at least provide some good bench options, which hasn't seemed to be a high priority lately.

 

My guess is that we will make bigger trades this offseason, and we will be glad to have the guys we just received once everything shakes out. In the early stage of a rebuild, it will be nice to have young, team controlled guys all over the field who actually have some talent. I'd rather see that than a bunch of journeyman veterans and AAAA guys, which is common for teams at this stage.

You sound like you didn't want to see Sardinas sliding over to first a la Alex Gonzalez.

[monty57]

I don't know if the lack of versatility in the recent past has been because Attanasio insisted on using all the available money to pick up a "name player" (Garza, Lohse, etc) or if Melvin really didn't mind playing guys at defensive positions they couldn't play. Whatever the reason, I am glad to see that we will have some versatile guys on the team.

 

If we make some bigger trades, these guys will allow us to fill every position with someone who at least deserves to be on an MLB roster. Otherwise, they at least provide some good bench options, which hasn't seemed to be a high priority lately.

 

My guess is that we will make bigger trades this offseason, and we will be glad to have the guys we just received once everything shakes out. In the early stage of a rebuild, it will be nice to have young, team controlled guys all over the field who actually have some talent. I'd rather see that than a bunch of journeyman veterans and AAAA guys, which is common for teams at this stage.

You sound like you didn't want to see Sardinas sliding over to first a la Alex Gonzalez.

 

Well, you know what they say... anyone can play first base :-)

[reillymcshane]

 

Well, you know what they say... anyone can play first base :-)

 

Doah!

 

http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Yuniesky+Betancourt+Milwaukee+Brewers+v+St+MhHjRocAl9El.jpg

[MNBrew]

I don't know if the lack of versatility in the recent past has been because Attanasio insisted on using all the available money to pick up a "name player" (Garza, Lohse, etc) or if Melvin really didn't mind playing guys at defensive positions they couldn't play. Whatever the reason, I am glad to see that we will have some versatile guys on the team.

 

If we make some bigger trades, these guys will allow us to fill every position with someone who at least deserves to be on an MLB roster. Otherwise, they at least provide some good bench options, which hasn't seemed to be a high priority lately....

I echo the italicized part, but Lohse was signed so late in ST that the money spent on him surely didn't prevent the Brewers from signing a different player they valued a lot. And Garza was a late January signing (going into Brewers Fest weekend, as I recall), so the most desirable guys on the FA market (including many not-big-impact guys) had already been available and signable for nearly 3 months by that point, so surely that deal also didn't prohibit the Brewers from acquiring a roster-flexibility guy in the large chunk of the offseason before Garza became a Brewer (less than a month before ST).

[djoctagone]

has anyone heard anything about flores' recovery from his ankle injury? is he expected to be ready for spring training?

[Outlander]

has anyone heard anything about flores' recovery from his ankle injury? is he expected to be ready for spring training?

Not a whole lot out there. In early January he retweeted that he spoke with management of the Venezuelan team (the same team Hernan Perez and Josmil Pinto is on) about his recovery but that he is not ready to play yet. Don't know if that is good or bad though as I have not seen anything regarding if he will be ready for spring training.

[djoctagone]

flores completed rehab last week and states he is ready to go.

[djoctagone]

ramon flores just entered today's game in left field in the 5th inning.

[gregmag]

I was just looking through the BA Prospect Handbook, and it reminded me that they had Sardinas as our #3 prospect last year. I thought that was weird even at the time, but in retrospect it seems even weirder. I had no problem at all giving up Sardinas for Flores, but if you had asked me at the time whether I was okay trading our 2015 BA #3 prospect (whose identity, at the time, I wouldn't have remembered) for Flores, I would have said no way.

[Crash2303]

which is why we may have really undervalued Sardinas or are undervaluing Flores (not on MLB.com top 30). hard for me to imagine that in one poor season, playing without consistent ABs as 22 year old in the MLB, that he could have dropped so precipitously in value, when some prospects are coming out of college at that age and going into A ball.

[1992casey]

On today's Mariners pregame show, Scott Servais was talking about how much he liked Sardiñas. He and Luis go back to the Rangers organization. Scott didn't say it, but it's possible that he had some input into this acquisition.

[djoctagone]

from browsing the 2016 media guide . . .

 

ramon flores got his first major league hit on 31 may 2015 in oakland with a single off jesse chavez.

 

scooter gennett got his first major league hit on 5 june 2013 vs. oakland with a single off jesse chavez.

[Mass Haas]

Sardinas actually starting in LF for the M's today...

[CheezWizHed]

Sardinas actually starting in LF for the M's today...

 

Things that make you go Hmmmm....

[Outlander]

With the way Flores has been playing and looking kind of lost I think it might not be a bad idea for him to get some regular time in the minors. It does not appear that he has been outrighted yet so might make sense to send him down if Reed is really coming up as I doubt he gets claimed considering he has no options and been playing poorly.

[pacopete4]

Flores needs some regular playing time in the minors, agreed. I think he can be a productive 4th OF at some point but playing the merry go round in CF for him just isn't going to do it. Bring up Reed and play Niewenhuis. Let those two play basically 50/50 in CF and get those other guys some playing time.

[CheezWizHed]

Flores needs some regular playing time in the minors, agreed. I think he can be a productive 4th OF at some point but playing the merry go round in CF for him just isn't going to do it. Bring up Reed and play Niewenhuis. Let those two play basically 80/20 in CF and get those other guys some playing time.

 

Fixed. Reed doesn't need to sit for Niewenhuis...

[pacopete4]

Flores needs some regular playing time in the minors, agreed. I think he can be a productive 4th OF at some point but playing the merry go round in CF for him just isn't going to do it. Bring up Reed and play Niewenhuis. Let those two play basically 80/20 in CF and get those other guys some playing time.

 

Fixed. Reed doesn't need to sit for Niewenhuis...

 

 

If we were talking a corner OF, I might agree to some extent but Reed is not a CF. I am okay with bringing him up to see what he has but there's no reason unless he is smoking the ball to basically make him the everday CF. Especially when you look through his minor league stats and they aren't even as good as Niewenhuis. Reed will eventually find his way to Milwaukee as a fill in OF, so hopefully people don't get their hopes up too much.