Live chat w/ Luhnow tonight (2/26)

[OregonStrosFan]

Just wanted to give y'all a heads-up that Farmstros will be doing a Live Chat with Jeff Luhnow tonight (Sunday 2/26) beginning at 9:15 CST.  Here is a link to it in case you'd like to participate:  LINK.  Enjoy!

[astrosfan76]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll have to check that out.

[Travis]

The chat with Luhnow was great: http://farmstros.blogspot.com/2012/02/chat-coming-on-sunday-night.html

The whole thing is worth your time, but a few of my favorite tidbits:

On his trip to the DR:
"I see why we signed Ovando. Toscar looked good. Several of the pitchers were impressive but I didn't see many of them in games... just bullpens. We just signed a short right handed pitcher who is 19 years old (don't remember his name) but he was throwing 94 with a good breaking ball and change up. He could be a sleeper."

Wasn't sure where Ovando or Springer would start the year (or, at least, wouldn't share what he thought)

On scouting in the Pacific Rim:
"Right now we are not focused on the Pacific Rim... but that day will come. My feeling is that you either need to be fully committed or not be in at all... otherwise you will make mistakes. I don't have a point of view about which approach is right yet, but over time we will."

I asked how many players, right now, had a realistic shot at being drafted #1:
"I'd say about three or four right now, but that could change."

On Lancaster (and its pitcher-nightmare tendencies):
"I will go to Lancaster this year and see it for myself. I've heard that it's a challenging environment for pitchers... but there are several like that across the minor leagues. In St Louis, the AA affiliate is a hitters park in a hitters league, and yet the best pitchers seem to always succeed even in that environment."

[jbm]

Nice brushing aside of OSF's question, and thanks for the Austin radio question, which he also basically blew off. 

I did find the Lancaster discussion interesting.  I strongly doubt Springfield equates to Lancaster, but I understand the trial by fire mentality. 

All in all, I find those chats pretty disappointing.  I understand why he doesn't want to delve into tough topics or provide honest assessments of players, but without that stuff, it's about as enlightening as a presidential debate.

[astrosfan76]

One quote that I found surprisingly honest (referring to gaps in terms of prospects):

My sense is that we have some depth among prospect players, and we have some good arms but we lack that true top of the rotation starting prospect. 

We're not loaded with arms right now, but I was a little surprised that he wouldn't at least say someone like Cosart, or even Folty, would be in that category of prospect. That's at least the kind of ceiling they have.

[moriartp]

We're not loaded with arms right now, but I was a little surprised that he wouldn't at least say someone like Cosart, or even Folty, would be in that category of prospect. That's at least the kind of ceiling they have.

If Luhnow's got higher standards than that, I'll take it as a good sign.

[Reuben]

One quote that I found surprisingly honest (referring to gaps in terms of prospects):


We're not loaded with arms right now, but I was a little surprised that he wouldn't at least say someone like Cosart, or even Folty, would be in that category of prospect. That's at least the kind of ceiling they have.

He backed off that comment when asked about it in his astros.com chat today. Said "We have some very good pitching prospects, so I didn’t mean to talk them down. The “industry” doesn’t see an obvious top of the rotation guy in our system, and that is what I was referring to in my comment. That doesn’t mean someone won’t emerge as a top guy."

[astrosfan76]

He backed off that comment when asked about it in his astros.com chat today. Said "We have some very good pitching prospects, so I didn’t mean to talk them down. The “industry” doesn’t see an obvious top of the rotation guy in our system, and that is what I was referring to in my comment. That doesn’t mean someone won’t emerge as a top guy."

Eh, I glanced through BA's new handbook today and they see him as one if he can refine his command and possibly add some weight. He's not quite in the same class as Shelby Miller and I've read the concerns that he'll end up in the pen, but I would think that Luhnow would have used his own opinions instead of relaying what the "industry" says.