Quote:
Originally Posted by OKchiefs
I could be wrong, but I seem to remember Cain, Escobar, and Jeffries (spelling?) being more highly regarded than these guys.
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They were, but Greinke was 2 years of a starting pitcher compared to three months of a reliever with Herrera.
The thing with Zack was that people expected "more". We didn't get a "can't miss" ace or a power-hitter, but pieces that all had concerns that prevented them from being top prospects.
Esky, while considered a defensive maestro (a welcome plus after a Yuni world), had concerns that his bat would never develop.
Cain was relatively old for a prospect, and while he was highly regarded by scouts for his tools, those tools hadn't translated to the field and many were concerned that he was too fragile for a full season.
Jeffress was a reliever that was one suspension from being banned from the MLB for life.
And Odo was very young, many issues could have happened in his development, and at the time he didn't have an out pitch.
These prospects were definitely more valuable than what we got back today, but many (analysts included) thought the Royals could have got back "more" for an ace like Greinke. We now know that the scouts found players who were pitch perfect for Kauffman (Fantastic speed, incredible defense, and contact hitters whose hits would more often fall with the K's spacious dimensions). This trade seems in line with what Moore looks for - and considering Soler's recent emergence (injury notwithstanding), I'll be at least hopeful that they can emerge in our system.