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August 11, 2015

Eyewitness Accounts

August 11, 2015

by Jeff Moore

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Jairo Labourt
Cale Coshow
Nick Plummer
Austin Dean
Abiatal Avelino

Jairo Labourt


	Born: 03/07/1994 (Age: 21)
	Bats: Left	Throws: Left
	Height: 6' 4"	Weight: 205

Plus arm speed; above-average length to arm path, drops down out of hand break; doesn't use size as well as he could during leg raise/gather at top of delivery; inconsistent timing of arm and explosion towards plate, arm drags behind body at times.

Evaluator	Jeff Moore
Report Date	07/21/2015
Affiliate	Dunedin Blue Jays (High A, Blue Jays)
Dates Seen	7/18/15
OFP/Risk	55/High
Realistic	50, set-up man
MLB ETA	2017
Video	No

Pitch Type	Present Grade	Future Grade	Sitting Velocity	Peak Velocity	Report
FB	50	60	91-94	95	Plus velocity stemming from size, easy action and live arm; below-average command causes it to play down at present; strong downward plane; minimal arm-side run, not enough to generate ground balls or miss bats.
SLD	55	60	85-87		Potential plus pitch, sharp two-direction movement; average present command with tendency to miss glove side; when commanded, will dominate left-handed hitters; has the potential to miss right-handed bats as well.
CHG	20	30	85-86		Well below-average pitch; thrown far too firmly, minimal movement, below-average command; very deliberate changes in delivery and arm speed, telegraphs pitch early in delivery; if he threw it for strikes more often, it would get hit very hard.

Labourt has an impressively live arm with the natural size and velocity that makes him an extremely attractive prospect. His flaws, however, will likely make him a reliever, though he could be very good one.

He's not a great athlete, which limits his ability to control his body and repeat his mechanics. That leads to major questions about whether or not he'll ever be able to have enough command to start. Additionally, his changeup is no where near where it needs to be in order to be a usable third major league offering.

On the plus side, however, his combination of fastball velocity and bat-missing slider could make him a high-leverage reliever. In order to pitch in the late innings, he'll have to continue to improve the command of his slider, which he can use to attack righties when he is able to keep it down in the zone. With that combination and some additional fastball command, he could be a high-leverage arm. If the command never gets to that level, he should still be a highly effective situational reliever who makes a career out of dominating left-handed hitters.

Cale Coshow


	Born: 07/16/1992 (Age: 23)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 5"	Weight: 260

Uses height well; easy delivery, little effort; average arm speed, some stiffness to arm action; shoulder does most of the work; generated good downward plane; has a high effective velocity because of plus extension towards the plate.

Evaluator	Jeff Moore
Report Date	08/04/2015
Affiliate	Tampa Yankees (High A, Yankees)
Dates Seen	7/28/15
OFP/Risk	50/Moderate
Realistic	40, middle reliever
MLB ETA	2017
Video	No

Pitch Type	Present Grade	Future Grade	Sitting Velocity	Peak Velocity	Report
FB	60	70	93-96	97	Plus velocity with average present command; throws exclusively two-seamers with hard, boring arm-side run; strong downward plane; combination of movement and velocity makes it difficult to square up.
Cutter	45	50	88-91		Average command of pitch, threw for strikes but some inconsistency with in-zone command; average movement, early in trajectory towards plate; just enough movement to miss barrels but not enough to miss bats.
SLD	30	40	80-81		Minimal break, movement occurs far too early in pitch; too similar to cutter, but slower and more hittable; easy to identify, below-average pitch.
CHG	30	40	83-84		Consistently too firm with pitch; below-average command, inconsistent from pitch to pitch, some arm-side fade but average movement at best.

The plus skills are obvious for Coshow, who is an impressing figure both in height (6-foot-5) and overall size at well over 250 lbs. He's huge, and his size helps him generate easy velocity and thus command his fastball well. With hard two-seam movement, premium velocity and average present command, it's a legitimate plus pitch with the potential to be even better.

Unfortunately, that's about all he has. A cutter is Coshow's second potential average offering, and the inverse movement works well to off-set the arm-side action on the two-seam fastball. But he doesn't throw anything soft for hitters to have to worry about, and better hitters will exploit him by cheating on the fastball to catch up with the velocity.

Given the potential of his two-seamer/cutter combination, he needs only an average off-speed offering of some kind to keep hitters honest. There's not a lot of hope for him ever developing a truly effective one, but if he can get one of his off-speed pitches to an average level, he could really succeed in a bullpen role. He's working as a starter for the first time as a professional, but he's likely destined to end up back in the bullpen.

Nick Plummer


	Born: 07/31/1996 (Age: 18)
	Bats: Left	Throws: Left
	Height: 5' 10"	Weight: 200
	Primary Position: CF
	Secondary Position:

Not the ideal tall, long frame but one that can still handle some additional weight; already some physical development but body can sustain more; doesn't project to outgrow middle of the field unless weight gain is substantial.

Evaluator	Jeff Moore
Report Date	07/28/2015
Dates Seen	6/26/15, 7/1/15,
Affiliate	GCL Cardinals (Rookie, Cardinals)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Realistic Role	Video
2018	High	50	40, fourth outfielder	No

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	55	Quiet stance, short load; quick hands, short line-drive oriented swing path, plus bat control, whole field approach; very patient hitter, works counts, embraces leadoff profile. High strikeout totals a byproduct of patient approach, not contact abilities.
Power	30	Not likely to produce over-the-fence power; won't have bat knocked out of his hands but power will come from gaps and speed; line drive stroke does not produce fly ball trajectory.
Baserunning/Speed	60	Plus runner, gets to top speed quickly, limited wasted motion.
Glove	55	Up-the-middle defender, should have no problem remaining in center field; solid route runner; strong first step; smooth actions tracking fly balls; not a true gap-to-gap defender but should be able to remain in center field until he loses a step.
Arm	40	Below-average arm, passable for center field but would only play in left if he has to move to a corner.

Plummer doesn't have an high ceiling thanks to his limited power profile, but he does have a refined swing and advanced plan at the plate for a player approaching his 19th birthday. His patience at the plate has gotten him in trouble thus far as a professional, as his judgement of the strike zone is currently better than the umpires at his present level of competition, but that problem will solve itself in time.

His compact swing and good barrel control give him a chance to hit atop a big league lineup in a few years, and his plate discipline gives him a safety net in case the hit tool falls short. His lack of power means he'll have to earn his way on, but he embraces the roll of being a table setter. In the field, Plummer shows refined ability to track fly balls, though doesn't have the elite straight-ahead speed or range of a plus center fielder. Still, he should be able to remain in the middle of the field, at least through his prime.

Plummer's ability to play everyday will rest on his bat and whether he gets on base enough to justify it.

Austin Dean


	Born: 10/14/1993 (Age: 21)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 1"	Weight: 190
	Primary Position: LF
	Secondary Position:

Stocky, thick lower half; mostly maxed out frame; little physical development remaining.

Evaluator	Jeff Moore
Report Date	08/03/2015
Dates Seen	4/11/15, 4/15/15, 4/25/15, 4/27/15, 7/28/15
Affiliate	Jupiter Hammerheads (High A, Marlins)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Realistic Role	Video
2018	Moderate	45	40, Reserve outfielder	No

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	55	Quiet stance with little movement; direct swing path to the ball, above-average bat control; above-average bat speed and good feel for the barrel give him a chance to be an effective hitter; can get rotational and struggle with plate coverage; uses an up-the-middle approach and whole field, but has a tendency to reach for pitches on outer half and fall into pull-happy mode.
Power	30	Strength in frame doesn't translate into in-game power; enough bat speed to drive the ball but more gap power than over-the-fence production; home run power only to extreme pull side.
Baserunning/Speed	40	Below-average runner, takes time to get to full speed; short strider.
Glove	55	Above-average defender in left field; not a fast runner but gets very good jumps and tracks the ball well; will do a good job on the balls he can get to.
Arm	40	Accurate, but not strong; LF only arm.

The profile is a tough one for Dean, who doesn't feature premium athleticism or power. He's limited to left field defensively, but doesn't have the power potential to be an everyday player there. The one thing Dean does well is square up a baseball consistently, with a hit tool that could help carry him into a big league role if all else goes right, and enough gap power for it not to be a completely empty average.

He won't be an everyday player, but guys with an above-average hit tool have a chance to get to the big leagues. Dean could find a role as a fourth outfielder.

Abiatal Avelino


	Born: 02/14/1995 (Age: 20)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 5' 11"	Weight: 186
	Primary Position: SS
	Secondary Position: 2B

Small, not physically developed; needs to add strength but doesn't have a ton of room for growth.

Evaluator	Jeff Moore
Report Date	08/04/2015
Dates Seen	5/11/15, 7/28/15
Affiliate	Tampa Yankees (High A, Yankees)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Realistic Role	Video
2018	Moderate	45	40, utility/bench player	No

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	50	Neutral hitting stance, above-average bat speed; can get rotational and struggles with plate coverage, can get pull happy; short swing leads to high contact rates; patient approach, will work deep counts; struggles identifying breaking balls.
Power	30	Little to no present power; makes no attempt to drive the ball; line drive/ground ball approach limits home run opportunities; gap power at best.
Baserunning/Speed	55	4.25 home to first from right side; quick twitch athlete; gets to top speed quickly.
Glove	55	Plus hands, above-average range with smooth movements laterally; can get tentative on routine plays, sits back too often; much more fluid on plays where he has to move.
Arm	55	Above-average arm, can handle left side; not a plus arm but good enough to stick at shortstop; would be a plus arm at second base.

Because of his ability to handle shortstop and his ability to handle High-A pitching respectably at age 20, Avelino is an interesting prospect. His ceiling isn't terribly high, however, thanks to a lack of power that will ever keep him from being an impact bat.

He controls the barrel well and has a chance to be an average big league hitter with average plate discipline, but if he's in the lineup regularly his team will want it to be near the bottom. His glove and athleticism will carry him, though he's not enough of a premium defender to get away with being a glove-only player. He'll have to hit a little bit too.

It's likely a utility profile for Avelino, but his arm strength will allow him to play on the left-side of the infield which will give him enough value to justify a roster spot.

Related Content: Nick Plummer, Jairo Labourt Cale Coshow, Austin Dean, Abiatal Avelino

4 comments have been left for this article.

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BillJohnson

(2635)

The comment about Plummer's judgment of the strike zone being better than the umpires' at GCL is interesting and a bit disturbing, not so much for his sake as for the questions it raises about player development at the GCL, nominally a "development" league where players are learning their craft from a comparatively basic starting point. If this is really true, one has to ask whether having players "learn" the strike zone there is a beneficial part of their development at all. Are there other GCL players who might be getting held back by this?

Aug 11, 2015 06:08 AM

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rating: 1

Jeff Moore

BP staff

(75992)

I'm not sure how much it's affecting his development, though I guess if a player gave in and began changing his approach based on umpiring then that could be an issue. In general, however, I put it in there as an explanation for his high strike out numbers, which in the games I've seen are more a result of getting rung up looking on bad calls than a result of swinging and missing.

In general, however, it's important to remember that umpire development takes the same steps as player development, which means that at every level of the minors, there are umpires who have gotten to their highest level and likely are in over their head just like there are players in the same situation.

Aug 11, 2015 06:17 AM

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jonjacoby

(39984)

Jario Labourt is now in the Tigers' organization from the David Price deal, does this at all change his ETA or any other part of the scouting report? Or is a players's organization a non-issue in these reports?

I assume non-issue since these are eyewitness accounts, but in general, how much does a player's org figure into scouting reports, like how certain teams tend to be better/ worse at developing certain positions and/or kind of players.

Aug 11, 2015 08:14 AM

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rating: 0

Jeff Moore

BP staff

(75992)

It doesn't change anything for me, as they'll continue to use him as a starter until he proves otherwise. As for the report itself, he's kisted with the Bkue Jays because that's who he was with when I initually filed it.

Aug 11, 2015 08:55 AM

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