Melendez won't catch this season....and you know that in your heart of hearts. No matter what Salvy will catch 120 games. Barring a trade Melendez will have very little PT in the big leagues this season.

Melendez will start the season in Omaha. But even if Perez catches 120 games in 22 and going forward, they can still find a full season's worth of time for Melendez IF he hits as expected.

He catches when Perez DHs. Maybe that becomes more of a 110-50 split or 100-60 split as time goes on. Melendez offers the same skills as Perez behind the dish.

So say melendez catches, on average, 2 games/week. He can DH 2 days/week and play LF or 3B another day or 2/week, and that gets him to "regular" level at-bats.

I think he'll be up in June or so and we see his PT mirror the schedule I laid out there.

Look, I love your thinking. I agree. BUT, I can just see DM and MM keeping Cam and Perez behind the plate and the kid in omaha, unfortunately.

If Salvy catches 120 games, then there are 42 games for Melendez as your #2 catcher. The other games, if he hits as well as it appears he will, he's your DH.

I really don't get why that seems odd to you.

I expect Melendez may well start the season in Omaha, but I expect if he continues to beast, he'll be up and especially spell Salvy some the second half of the season as well as DH. I expect as the years go on, that split will be more and more even to save wear and tear on Salvy.

There's nothing remotely illogical about that.

I think they'll maybe keep Gallagher through Melendez's callup. But they have a real glut of C talent at the major league and upper minors.

Perez
Gallagher
Melendez
Rivero
Viloria

I can't see them keeping all 5 of those guys. One will be on the move, and I think it will be Gallagher once Melendez is ready.

I don't think it's about seeming odd to anyone...the idea of Melendez doing what you suggest. NYChief is merely realistic - that scenario is not likely to happen. In 2023? Absolutely. This year? I doubt it.

Melendez will likely see the bigs this year, but barring a long term injury at the C position, he'll only get his feet wet enough to fight through early struggles that most players have at the MLB level. Plus...unless someone gives them something for Gallagher, I think they want to keep him around for at least the early season - people underestimate how much they like Gallagher as a backup to Salvy. Pitchers love him.

Once Melendez comes up, Gallagher is likely gone...so the timing on that will likely have more to do with when they're ready to unload Gallacher. Hell...even if they trade Gallagher before the season, I STILL think they would end up having Rivero start at the MLB level, because his bat does not demand his inclusion in the lineup so much that Salvy would catch less than he prefers.

No longer a Royal unless we should re-sign him.

Is Keoni DeRenne the coach that helped MJ Melendez and Nick Pratto?

MJ Melendez
2018 (A Lexington) 111 games, 419 AB, .251 AVG, 19 HRs
2019 (A+ Wilmington) 110 games, 363 AB, .163 AVG, 9 HRs
2020 -
2021 (AA & AAA) 123 games, 448 AB, .288 AVG, 41 HRs

Nick Pratto
2018 (A Lexington) 127 games, 485 AB, .280 AVG, 14 HRs
2019 (A+ Wilmington) 124 games, 419 AB, .191 AVG, 9 HRs
2020 -
2021 (AA & AAA) 124 games, 445 AB, .265 AVG, 36 HRs

Any thoughts on why 2019 was so bad and 2021 was so good?

So you are saying that a hitting coach does make a difference?

Larry Sutton was the hitting coach for Wilmington in 2019. He is now in Korea.

Scott Thorman was the manager of Wilmington Blue Rocks in 2019 and he was the manager of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in 2021. Both Pratto and Melendez started out 2021 with the Naturals. The Naturals have Abraham Nunez as their hitting coach.

Omaha Storm Chasers had Brian Poldberg as the manager and Brian Buchanan as the hitting coach in 2021.

I think I see the pattern.

Perhaps we need to hire Larry Sutton to work with our hitters for one year and then let them move on and become much better. One year of pain for many years of gain.

Nathan Eaton and Seuly Matias will be playing in the Arizona Fall League's Fall Stars Game at 6 p.m. CST tonight on MLB Network.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">⭐️ Your 2021 Arizona Fall League Fall Stars ⭐️<br><br>2021 AFL Fall Stars Game<br>�� <a href="https://twitter.com/SaltRiverFields?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SaltRiverFields</a> <br>�� 5:00 p.m. MST (7:00 p.m. EST)<br>�� <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLBNetwork</a> <a href="https://t.co/JXApyBpB7j">pic.twitter.com/JXApyBpB7j</a></p>&mdash; MLB&#39;s Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBazFallLeague/status/1458462080571297796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

No it's not the managers really, you can dig up articles about this but a couple years ago after most of these big prospects had horrible years, they completely revamped the minor league hitting approach and brought in a bunch of new guys like DeRenne to focus on hitting development. They've completely flipped the script and last year guys were killing the ball up and down the minor leagues. Time will tell if that'll show up at the major league level though.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sources: The Tigers are close to finalizing a multiyear deal with free agent LHP Eduardo Rodriguez.<br><br>Rodriguez had a 4.16 ERA and 3.32 FIP last season for the Red Sox. Finished sixth in Cy Young voting in 2019.</p>&mdash; Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) <a href="https://twitter.com/CodyStavenhagen/status/1460239411518574596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Meh. Doesn’t move the needle for me. Has always underperformed his FIP

This is a pretty cool concept will help kill some time for you baseball fans

https://eternalbaseball.com/