I’m not going to argue that the scouts don’t know what they’re talking about or that they don’t pick up little things that the average fan could never see, but what am I supposed to do with a quote like:

“When they made Masterson the centerpiece of that trade, someone with the Indians said he’s a starter. You see the results.”

I understand Hoynes’ isn’t looking for precise breakdowns of the players here, but there is quite a bit of equivocation our ‘he could’ statements in there.

I found the Marson quote the most surprising. Not that I think of Marson as having a super-quick bat, but his minor league track record would surprise me if he had a significantly slow bat. From 2005-2009 he put up consistently high BABIP numbers and improved his strikeout rate as he progressed through the minors. I would not expect those attributes from a guy with a slow bat. But I also don’t recall any stories about Marson getting dinged up last year or any other reason for a slow bat.

Reading the DiaTribe is always a great idea. I wish Neyer/ESPN had tapped Cousi.

The one person in the comments section with a mind is slowly losing it:

Don’t you get that we have control for six years, and perhaps 7 or 8 depending on if the ballplayer signs a longer contract. Don’t you get that?