Grichuk to the Rockies

[Laika]

I do think all things considered this is a small upgrade so it was worth doing

 

Being said, they could flip Tapia. Some old school team might give up a prospect for him. He is fast fast fast and he was a fringe elite prospect.

[Ray]

This seems like the exact type of player that if the Rays traded for, everybody would be lauding them and declaring them a huge winner because you know they'd turn him into an above-average contributor.

 

It's a good trade, and I'm a fan of it despite eating salary since we also got a pretty intriguing prospect (MVP of the Dominican Summer league). We need good defense, stolen bases, a lefty bat, and a .320 OBP from that 9th spot more than 20 home runs and not much else. Grichuk was a redundancy, and when he wasn't hitting, he was absolutely brutal to watch at the plate with the baserunning and fielding not really making up it.

[Jays24]

After seeing the amount of money going to the Rockies, not a fan of the trade. But I've also never seen Tapia play in my life so there's that lol.

 

Just seems like a downgrade from the 2022 roster unless we make a follow up move.

[John_Havok]

After seeing the amount of money going to the Rockies, not a fan of the trade. But I've also never seen Tapia play in my life so there's that lol.

 

Just seems like a downgrade from the 2022 roster unless we make a follow up move.

 

Nah, at worst, it's a push for the roster. Tapia is faster and left handed, Grichuk more power and .... would replace virtually nobody in a pinch hitting or running situation given the RH heavy roster.

 

Save a few milion, get a lotto ticket prospect in the process... overall it's a win, but not truly needle moving for 2022

[L54]

Why is everyone so scared Tapia is going to get 550 at bats? If anything it’s easier to plant his ass on the bench than it is Randal’s

[Krylian]

Why is everyone so scared Tapia is going to get 550 at bats? If anything it’s easier to plant his ass on the bench than it is Randal’s

 

Because we've seen what Charlie did with Panik.

[L54]

It’s not a downgrade, it’s pretty insignificant. Save a few million bucks and get rid having to sit the veteran making 10M 5x a week

 

Like Jim says that could become a locker room distraction.

 

Maybe he isn’t vaxed?

[Ray]

It’s not a downgrade, it’s pretty insignificant. Save a few million bucks and get rid having to sit the veteran making 10M 5x a week

 

Like Jim says that could become a locker room distraction.

 

Maybe he isn’t vaxed?

 

Our entire 40-man was already confirmed as being fully vaxxed as of a couple weeks ago.

[Ray]

Because we've seen what Charlie did with Panik.

 

That was more of a roster composition issue. The only reason he even got as many reps in was because Springer was injured most of the season and Grichuk was the only guy who could play CF. When Springer returned and we got Corey Dickerson, Grichuk was essentially benched.

 

I doubt Montoyo bats him higher than 8th when everyone is fully healthy.

[Abomination]

I was going back and forth on this, but I think I like it. Tapia's bat skills and speed make for some good possibilities late in the game. I'd be happier if we could flip Tapia for a good reliever or something though.

[gruber92]

Why is everyone worried that Tapia will be the primary left fielder versus righties? He's not taking significant AB's away from Gurriel. He'll start 2-3 times a week and be used late in games. He's basically a healthy Pompey.

[Deadpool]

I have to think this is a guy that Shatkins identified as being a tweak or two to his swing away from being a more solid player. Also, he's a "hit it on the ground and beat it out" kinda guy (according to some of the stuff I've read...) so his numbers probably weren't inflated TOO much by Coors...

[Grant77]

 

Tapia is very saaaaaad to leave Coloradoooooo, but he's also very haaaaaaappy to join a new team in Torontoooooo.

 

I love how he talks , it's awesome.

[John_Havok]

https://bluejaysnation.com/2022/03/24/getting-to-know-the-blue-jays-new-20-prospect-adrian-pinto/

 

The 19-year-old second baseman was signed for $120,000 out of Venezuela in 2019. As you probably know, the 2020 minor league season was canceled, meaning that Pinto didn’t make his professional debut until 2021.

 

Pinto’s 2021:

Pinto played the entirety of the season with the Rockies’ Dominican Summer League (DOSL). He was 18-years-old for the majority of the 2021 season, which is about average for the age. However, he was far from average in the DOSL, as he won the MVP award for the league.

 

Pinto’s bat:

Firstly, his bat was insane. The then 18-year-old slashed .360/.486/1.029 in only 224 plate appearances. The 5’6, 156 pound second baseman also added an additional three home runs, which is quite a lot for the level. For context, he would have ranked second on the DOSL Blue Jays, one behind noted power hitter Cristian Feliz, and a head of #9 prospect, Manuel Beltre. Pinto also finished the season with 22 extra base hits, including four triples and 15 doubles.

 

While the homers are impressive, especially for his smaller stature, Pinto also walked 17% of the time while only striking out 8% of the time. If you’ve been keeping up to date with these prospect reports, you know I look highly on prospects who walk more than they strike out, and Pinto is no exception.

 

Batted balls:

In terms of his batted balls, 19.4% went for line drives. This is a solid percentage for line drives, as that is the type of batted ball that results in the highest batting average. His ground ball percentage sat at 47.2%, but he has the ability to run it out with his great speed.

 

In terms of his fly balls, he only hit 33.3% of batted balls in the air, or 48 in total. Interestingly, 35.4%, or 17 of those fly balls were pop flies. This is not uncommon for a player in the rookie leagues, but most players are not 5’6, 156 pounds. While he may have added on more muscle, the 19-year-old’s power may have hit its peak.

 

One other interesting facet of his batted balls is his ability to go the opposite way. While he pulled the ball 49% of the time, he also went the opposite way 33.1% of the time, a pretty impressive number. This is to say he’s a spray hitter with sneaky power with the bat.

 

It doesn’t end there though, as he stole 41 bases in 49 attempts, which is good enough for an 83.7% success rate. The young player has plus speed, a good eye at the plate, and sneakily good power for his size, but what about his defense?

 

Pinto’s defense:

Sadly, the minor leagues do not have advanced stats such as Defensive Runs Saved or Outs Above Average, so we’re stuck with using the good old fielding percentage.

 

At second base, where he is projected to stay, he played 252 innings. Interestingly, he did not commit a single error throughout the season at the position. He did however, commit three errors playing shortstop in 86 innings.

 

The Rockies noted that Pinto also had great speed with a plus arm, as they played him 42.2 innings in centre field. The Jays could potentially see him playing there.

 

What the scouts say:

According to MLB Pipeline writer, Keegan Matheson, Pinto just missed out on the Rockies top 30 list for MLB Pipeline. The diminutive second baseman also didn’t feature on Fangraphs top prospects list.

 

With that being said though, he did place 19th on Baseball America’s list. They note that he has great hand-eye coordination and a short stroke. Coupled with his smaller stature, Pinto has a great eye at the plate, which you can see by the fact he walked 17% of the time.

 

Despite being only 5’6, Pinto does have sneaky power as he hit those three home runs mentioned in the section above, which also notes his 22 extra base hits.

 

I asked Francys Romero (@FrancysRomeroFR) for any information on the 19-year-old second baseman. To paraphrase, [Pinto] is a pure hitter, with great bat speed. He has a plus arm (60 grade) and plus speed (70 grade). He also has the ability for extra base hits.

 

 

 

From that same article, he notes that while being listed at 5'6", that was what he was at signing, so is likely taller now. They didn't have an up to date height/weight

[Krylian]

That was more of a roster composition issue. The only reason he even got as many reps in was because Springer was injured most of the season and Grichuk was the only guy who could play CF. When Springer returned and we got Corey Dickerson, Grichuk was essentially benched.

 

I doubt Montoyo bats him higher than 8th when everyone is fully healthy.

 

But with him being potentially the only LHB on the roster Charlie may not be able to help himself.

[Grant77]

But with him being potentially the only LHB on the roster Charlie may not be able to help himself.

 

What happened to Biggio and even McGuire?

[Jimcanuck]

Because we've seen what Charlie did with Panik.

 

But Panik's a vetrin

[Krylian]

What happened to Biggio and even McGuire?

 

What happened is that I hit my head and wasn't even thinking about them.

 

As you were...

[Eat My Shatkins]

What happened to Biggio and even McGuire?

 

Hell, if Bird actually stays healthy then he has a chance to make this team and add yet another LHB from the bench.

[max silver]

https://bluejaysnation.com/2022/03/24/getting-to-know-the-blue-jays-new-20-prospect-adrian-pinto/

 

The 19-year-old second baseman was signed for $120,000 out of Venezuela in 2019. As you probably know, the 2020 minor league season was canceled, meaning that Pinto didn’t make his professional debut until 2021.

 

Pinto’s 2021:

Pinto played the entirety of the season with the Rockies’ Dominican Summer League (DOSL). He was 18-years-old for the majority of the 2021 season, which is about average for the age. However, he was far from average in the DOSL, as he won the MVP award for the league.

 

Pinto’s bat:

Firstly, his bat was insane. The then 18-year-old slashed .360/.486/1.029 in only 224 plate appearances. The 5’6, 156 pound second baseman also added an additional three home runs, which is quite a lot for the level. For context, he would have ranked second on the DOSL Blue Jays, one behind noted power hitter Cristian Feliz, and a head of #9 prospect, Manuel Beltre. Pinto also finished the season with 22 extra base hits, including four triples and 15 doubles.

 

While the homers are impressive, especially for his smaller stature, Pinto also walked 17% of the time while only striking out 8% of the time. If you’ve been keeping up to date with these prospect reports, you know I look highly on prospects who walk more than they strike out, and Pinto is no exception.

 

Batted balls:

In terms of his batted balls, 19.4% went for line drives. This is a solid percentage for line drives, as that is the type of batted ball that results in the highest batting average. His ground ball percentage sat at 47.2%, but he has the ability to run it out with his great speed.

 

In terms of his fly balls, he only hit 33.3% of batted balls in the air, or 48 in total. Interestingly, 35.4%, or 17 of those fly balls were pop flies. This is not uncommon for a player in the rookie leagues, but most players are not 5’6, 156 pounds. While he may have added on more muscle, the 19-year-old’s power may have hit its peak.

 

One other interesting facet of his batted balls is his ability to go the opposite way. While he pulled the ball 49% of the time, he also went the opposite way 33.1% of the time, a pretty impressive number. This is to say he’s a spray hitter with sneaky power with the bat.

 

It doesn’t end there though, as he stole 41 bases in 49 attempts, which is good enough for an 83.7% success rate. The young player has plus speed, a good eye at the plate, and sneakily good power for his size, but what about his defense?

 

Pinto’s defense:

Sadly, the minor leagues do not have advanced stats such as Defensive Runs Saved or Outs Above Average, so we’re stuck with using the good old fielding percentage.

 

At second base, where he is projected to stay, he played 252 innings. Interestingly, he did not commit a single error throughout the season at the position. He did however, commit three errors playing shortstop in 86 innings.

 

The Rockies noted that Pinto also had great speed with a plus arm, as they played him 42.2 innings in centre field. The Jays could potentially see him playing there.

 

What the scouts say:

According to MLB Pipeline writer, Keegan Matheson, Pinto just missed out on the Rockies top 30 list for MLB Pipeline. The diminutive second baseman also didn’t feature on Fangraphs top prospects list.

 

With that being said though, he did place 19th on Baseball America’s list. They note that he has great hand-eye coordination and a short stroke. Coupled with his smaller stature, Pinto has a great eye at the plate, which you can see by the fact he walked 17% of the time.

 

Despite being only 5’6, Pinto does have sneaky power as he hit those three home runs mentioned in the section above, which also notes his 22 extra base hits.

 

I asked Francys Romero (@FrancysRomeroFR) for any information on the 19-year-old second baseman. To paraphrase, [Pinto] is a pure hitter, with great bat speed. He has a plus arm (60 grade) and plus speed (70 grade). He also has the ability for extra base hits.

 

 

 

From that same article, he notes that while being listed at 5'6", that was what he was at signing, so is likely taller now. They didn't have an up to date height/weight

 

This might be dreaming in technicolor but I can't help but think of a potential Altuve comparision given the size, good bat and primary second base position. Their age 19 numbers are pretty similar right down to walk rates and k rates, but Altuve was in rookie ball at this point where Pinto was in the DSL.

[John_Havok]

This might be dreaming in technicolor but I can't help but think of a potential Altuve comparision given the size, good bat and primary second base position. Their age 19 numbers are pretty similar right down to walk rates and k rates, but Altuve was in rookie ball at this point where Pinto was in the DSL.

 

Yeah, Pinto lost a year due to COVID after his signing and coudlnt get to the states. They figure he'll be in Dunedin this season so they'll be able to get a much better read on his skillset.

[L54]

That was more of a roster composition issue. The only reason he even got as many reps in was because Springer was injured most of the season and Grichuk was the only guy who could play CF. When Springer returned and we got Corey Dickerson, Grichuk was essentially benched.

 

I doubt Montoyo bats him higher than 8th when everyone is fully healthy.

 

Yes. All of this.

[L54]

Santiago Espinal is probably like the 90th percentile outcome for this kid. Altuve is the 99.9%

 

Oh sorry this isn't the wet blanket thread

[max silver]

Yeah, Pinto lost a year due to COVID after his signing and coudlnt get to the states. They figure he'll be in Dunedin this season so they'll be able to get a much better read on his skillset.

 

As I look more into this kid I find myself a little surprised Colorado would essentially sell him for a few million bucks in savings. If he's grown a few inches or more I think he potentially has an impact center fielder toolkit.

 

I’ll write this one up in further detail later, but you have to like the reviews on up-the-middle guy Adrian Pinto, the Altuvian (Pinto is listed at 5’6”/155) infielder the Jays picked up from the Rockies in the Randal Grichuk deal.

 

The DSL MVP last summer, Pinto had twice as many walks as strikeouts, and was second in batting average and OBP, and fourth in SLG.

 

A scouting report from BA, who ranked Pinto as the Rockies’ 19th best prospect:

 

Pinto has a small but strong, compact build. He has outstanding hand-eye coordination and a short, quick stroke, rarely swinging and missing. His ability to recognize pitches and swing at good pitches are already advanced for his age, with a short strike zone that he doesn’t often expand. Pinto is more of an on-base threat than a power threat, but he has some sneaky pop for his size and isn’t just a slap hitter. Pinto’s tools jump out as well. He’s a plus-plus runner who led the DSL with 41 stolen bases. He has a plus arm too. He he spent most of his time last year at second base, his most likely defensive home.

 

From Prospects Live:

 

 

At 19, Pinto is still a few years away. Pinto is a hit-over-power guy with an ability to get on base and create some action when he’s there. He seems like a good candidate to crack Dunedin’s roster early in the season. Jays don’t have to make a Rule 5 decision on him until December of 2023.

 

https://futurebluejays.com/2022/03/24/spilling-the-beans-on-pinto/

[G-Snarls]

The bigger idiots on MLB Network including Harold REYNOLDS (corrected) are talking about how exciting and dynamic Tapia is

 

Tell me why this is BS and he suxx

Edited March 25, 2022 by G-Snarls

[max silver]

The bigger idiots on MLB Network including Harold Baines are talking about how exciting and dynamic Tapia is

 

Tell me why this is BS and he suxx

 

A career WRC+ of 76 is a good start. The year he produced a WRC+ of 97 it looks to have been largely undeserved as he had a WOBA/xWOBA split of .338/.279. The dude can't hit for s*** so he looks to be a glove first player, yet his career DRS total is exactly 0 across the 3 outfield spots.

[Abomination]

This might be dreaming in technicolor but I can't help but think of a potential Altuve comparision given the size, good bat and primary second base position. Their age 19 numbers are pretty similar right down to walk rates and k rates, but Altuve was in rookie ball at this point where Pinto was in the DSL.

 

He basically compares to Tony Kemp. That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing though.

[wamco]

The bigger idiots on MLB Network including Harold Baines are talking about how exciting and dynamic Tapia is

 

Tell me why this is BS and he suxx

 

Harold Gaines is on mlb network now?

Edited March 25, 2022 by wamco

[Ray]

Knowing the Rockies, they probably had Tapia focus on hitting the ball on the ground and using his speed to run out grounders. Dumb organization.

[Jonn]

Have we ruled out them just cutting him? Or flipping him. I assume he needed to be in the trade to offset some salary. I doubt they wanted him. Sure they could use him but that doesn’t mean they want him.