Francisco Peguero, OF. DOB: 6/1/1988. 5'11", 195 lbs. B-R, T-R.
AAA: .272/.297/.394, 20 2B, 10 3B, 5 HR, 1 SB in 449 AB.
MLB: .188/.188/.188, 3 SB.
DWL: .194/.231/.290, 3 SB.
Francisco Peguero has been the most tooled up prospect in the Giants system for several years and apparently still is. He's a prospect who tends to spark the classic tools vs stats debates among various analysts depending on their biases. I have to confess to not quite knowing what to make of him or how to rank him on several levels. I had him ranked much lower in my first draft of this list. Then I saw a couple of references that have the Giants believing he still has the best bat speed in the organization and that caused me to move him up to #11.
Peguero has the tools, that's for sure. He can run, catch, throw and hit. He can hit for gap power even if he has not hit a lot of HR's, but he has had projectability for more dingers. His SB's have fallen way off the last two years but he also has had knee surgeries each of the last 2 springs. During his September callup, he showed no ill effects from the surgeries and ran the bases with impressive speed.
He does have some things working against him. While I am no slave to the notion that OBP is the end-all, be-all, but even I blanche at the sight of his walk rates! No matter how you spin it, he has to be swinging at a lot of pitches outside the strike zone to be walking that little. That, in turn, has to make you wonder whether the bat translates to the MLB level. He also is not getting any younger. Once upon a time he was young for his level and seemed to have a ton of projectability. Now, at age 24 going on 25, his window for breaking into MLB is getting very tight. Lastly, where do you put a guy like this? He is fast enough to play CF, and has the arm for RF, but does he have enough bat to play corner OF? Where do you put him in a lineup? On the surface, he looks like a leadoff hitter, but that OBP is prohibitively low for the top of the lineup. My opinion is you don't try to force him into being a leadoff hitter. You slot him lower in the lineup, let him slash away and see what you end up with.
Barring an unexpected setback or a new injury, he should come to spring training fully healthy for the first time in 3 years. It appears he will get a chance to compete for a roster spot as a 5'th OF. More likely, he will get sent back to AAA Fresno where he really needs to put up numbers like he did in Augusta and San Jose and be ready to grab his chance if an injury or face plant by a Blanco or Torres opens up an opportunity in SF.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Perhaps slightly off topic, but sort of related: When I look at the Giants bench, there's one thing I see lacking, and that is a hitter with at least some threat of power. We have versatile, useful guys, but I'd like to see us add someone who could serve as a PH/DH for interleague play. Not expecting anyone big (those guys are expensive); just a bit more of a threat. Do you see anyone (either in the minors or a bargain bin FA) who might fill that role? Do you think we need someone for that role?
ReplyDeleteI need to say that "pygalgia" is the funniest screen name I've seen in a long time; and of course someone clever enough to come up with that name is thereby unlikely to come across as a source of pygalgia for others.
DeleteI'm guessing that the Giants are going to look at a number of players in ST who might have some pop and be otherwise useful; and if they fail their finding any for 2013, will acquire one. By not getting tied up with a long-term contract, for example to Nick Swisher, they have given themselves freedom to go in search of serendipity, as they've done so well in the past three or four years.
I'd like to see a RH bat with some pop that could come off the bench or platoon with Blanco in LF, or even be a full time starter out there. At the beginning of the offseason, Jonny Gomes was high on my wish list, but he signed fairly quickly with Boston. I thought they might re-up Nady on a cheap deal, but he signed a minor league deal with KC. I've kind of come to the conclusion that Sabes doesn't look at it as high a priority as conventional wisdom would give it. Seems like maybe he's gone all in with the defense-first/gap power plan.
DeleteI think the Hector fits that bill, though Bochy needs to be very clever about how he uses Sanchez being that he's the backup catcher. With Sanchez's great approach I definitely predict a power spike in the next year or two, judging by his very solid ops in the minors.
Delete- Rainball
campanari: glad you like the screen name. I've been using it since back in the old BBS days (yes, I'm old).
Deleteanon: yeah, Hector has the potential pop, but as backup (and part time starting) catcher, doesn't really fill the PH/DH role.
and DrB, I agree that Sabes looks at the game differently than I do. Given that he has the trophies, I'll accept his judgement. But as a long time fan (first game attended in '64), I like engaging in hot stove speculation.
Does anybody know how the change of the Astros to the AL impacts the amount of inter-league games played per team. I see those games as a spot to rest Posey while keeping Belt in the lineup.
DeleteI think they just spread the interleague games around over the full season. Since there are 15 teams in each league, their has to be 1 interleague series at any given time. The total number does not necessarily go up.
DeleteI'm not giving up on Peguero just yet, although a 272 BA in AAA in a hitters friendly league is not good. Since he'll be going into 2013 fully healthy for the 1st time in 3 seasons, I'm expecting Pegs to put up better #'s in AAA. While I agree that a major trade is unlikely to fill the LF platoon partner with Blanco, I wouldn't rule out the Giants re examining the FA marlet later on in the off season to see if the price comes down for guys like Scott Hairston, Juan Rivera, and even Lance Berkman..
DeleteLG
If he can pick up someone on the very cheap, then yeah, Sabes might add a RH hitting LF as spring training nears.
DeleteI just don't think Peguero is going to be able to handle the MLB transition, and has a bench player ceiling.
ReplyDeleteWith Gregor Blanco having shown some great "wares" in the playoffs and WS, along with the Torres pickup and somewhat of a surplus at the Rosin, Surkamp, Heston, Kickham pitching tier in the Giants system, I'm really wondering if the Giants brass is going to make a trade for a Swisher/Pagan type of outfielder to make that last upgrade going into 2013.
I think this returning WS roster is FAR better and more complete than the one returning from 2010. However, I think Sabean has in his mind that standing pat, even with a great roster, isn't the way to build on a winning culture.
I'm looking for the Giants to make a play for a LF to slot between Pence & in front of Belt just ahead of spring training. Not an Upton, but perhaps a guy they think may become the next Upton.
- Rainball
Ooh, I don't know. When was the last time Sabes made a major trade just before or during spring training? He is very much about getting his shopping done early then waiting until midseason to fill in any missing pieces. I also think the Giants have a soft self-imposed salary budget and are right up against it, so that pretty much rules out anyone who would cost anything in salary.
DeleteFirst, the Outfield market has been quite the mess so far this offseason, with seemingly more free agents and teams willing to trade than teams seeking. Since the Giants are playing from a total position of power, it made no sense to jump into the foray when the dealing was furious and the price quite high.
DeleteAs for the budget, one way to circumvent this for Sabean would be to include, say, Javier Lopez in any trade for an OF, plus Gregor and said 2nd tier prospect. The package, honestly, could very well fit another teams needs, with Javier being one of the best LOOGY (and overall) relievers in the game, and Blanco possessing a nice talent package for around a mil.
Guys like Aoki (MIL) and Daylan Viciedo both entice me as players who have tools that would play well for the Giants, both being young and under control, though neither being particularly excellent in the field. Ben Zobrist is the guy I'd really like to get, but I have a feeling that would take an additional Panik-type along with Kickham, though I'd probably go there.
Heck, looking at Zobrist's contract, I'd even begin the debate that he'd be worth letting go of the heralded Gary Brown. He's got club options for $7 and $7.5 mil in 14 and 15 respectively, with a $5.5 base in 2013. He had a 9.8 UZR last year in the OF, to go along with a killer hit tool and 97/103 BB/K. I mean, Crist, it's making me sad now that we probably won't make this move, because to me, this makes perfect baseball sense for both sides. G Brown + Lopez to Tampa Bay and Zobrist to the Giants: perfection.
Make it happen Saby Sabes!
Let's see here:
Delete1. The Rays aren't trading Zobrist so no point in even bringing him up.
2. I could see a possible trade of Mijares near the end of spring training, but Sabes is not going to trade Affeldt or Lopez, so they're off the discussion table too.
3. Low cost players of the caliber of Aoki and Viciedo are simply not available on the trade market. You have to look in the distressed property category like Pagan last year.
4. No matter how you spin it Sabes is not going to shake up this team just before, during or just after spring training. He just doesn't operate that way. We've seen the last major move until midseason. Take that to the bank.
Does Peguero have another option year?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he has at least one more option year, possibly two.
DeleteWho are we stuck with option-wise this year? Is Gonner the nosy one who is against the wall?
DeleteI'm not really aware of anyone other than Gillaspie. The only reason for that is the Giants obviously had an under-the-table agreement with him to add him to the 40 man roster at the end of the season he was drafted. Right now, that's looking like a bad deal for both sides. The thinking was probably that he was either going to make it within 3 years or he was never going to make it. That's looking to be true too, so maybe it doesn't really make all that much difference.
DeletePretty sure Peggs is out of options, the Giants added him to the 40 11/2009, so he's been on for 3 seasons. Don't think there is a special exemption the way there was with Conor G.
DeleteThat is my recollection as well Shankbone.
DeleteWe'll see. I haven't seen anything specifically addressing the option question for Peguero. I remember a few years ago everybody, including Todd Linden himself, thought he was out of options. He got a nasty surprise at the end of spring training when the Giants held an extra year he didn't know about and sent him packing to Fresno. He didn't take it too well. I did a quick google search and was not able to find a definitive answer to the question.
DeleteLinden always was a salty character...
DeleteThere is a clause where if a player is added on early, sorry do not remember the exact language, the team gets another year of options on him. But I have only seen that happen with draft signees, not international FA. Linden had that, I think someone recent also got one, maybe Burriss?
DeleteCBA should cover this. But I agree with Shankbone, he probably do not get another year, as he presumably signed when he was sixteen, and he got added to forty at 22, making that six years, which is not early.
However, if he get waived, any team claiming him would also need to put him on their 25 man roster, and if he makes it thru, I think the team gets to reclaim him, first time through.
I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more of Pegs during the season than most of us would expect, probably sooner rather than later. Let's face it, Andres Torres isn't exactly the best bet to stay healthy during the season and his hamstrings are now another year older. I'm guessing the main reason he was brought back (besides being a fan favorite) is because the Giants don't like to hand a job to an unproven player (Belt and Crawford both had extensive playing time the year before) and he came at a reasonable cost. But expecting him to last an entire season is wishful thinking, which would open a spot in the lineup for Pegs.
ReplyDeleteTorres will definitely get some hammy injuries at some point. I like all the coverage the Giants have for that circumstance. And speaking of injuries, Roger Kieschnick will definitely challenge Peggs during ST.
DeleteYou make that sound like a bad thing, being unwilling to give a unproven prospect a starting position. This is about risk mitigation, so that if someone fails, there is somebody who hopefully can produce instead.
DeleteIt is about competition, making a player earn his starting spot instead of giving it to him. And what is wrong with that?
I have never really cared that much for Pegs as a prospect. Tools are nice, but there has been so many Giants prospects with tools who fail that I am a bit jaded on that term.
ReplyDeleteBut his nice call up got my attention. He has always been one for me where he had to prove himself at every level. I was very impressed with his steals and defense in the short time he played. Not that I think he is a starter, yet, but he definitely has skills that work well for bench player, and I am hoping to see him do some stuff in spring training, particularly since injuries have hampered him in recent seasons.
To Shankbones comment, I agree that Kieschnick will give a good battle for the other OF spot, and would not be surprised if he wins a spot.