What the Contenders Ne... (07/03)
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July 4, 2012 Future Shock BlogA Quick Look at Dominguez/RasmussenThe Astros in the end got something for Carlos Lee in the form of two decent but far from spectacular prospects.
The 12th pick in the 2007 draft, Matt Dominguez has had several teases offensively, but it's never quite all come together for him, as he's a career .252/.321/.410 hitter in 548 minor league games, including an ugly .234/.291/.357 line at Triple-A New Orleans. While he has size and average power, there are issues with his approach and the length in his swing, and he's a below-average runner. The good news is that he's a remarkable defensive third baseman, with true Gold Glove potential thanks to outstanding instincts, soft hands and a strong, accurate arm. Now in his sixth year in the minors with little reason to think he's going to become enough of a hitter to play every day for a first-division team, his best hope might be for a career in the mold of Pedro Feliz.
Rasmussen was a second-round pick in 2010 out of UCLA who some thought could move quickly in a bullpen role, but the Marlins have tried to develop him as a starter with mixed results. At five-foot-nine, he's more than a bit undersized, but he has a clean, easy arm action that delivers low-90s fastballs and a plus slider that is his out pitch. He'll mix in a curveball and changeup, but both are fringy offerings, leading to more questions about his future role. His command and control are inconsistent, and because of his size, his fastball can get straight. If he develops as a starter, he's no more than a back-end type, but he's more likely to end up as a solid middle reliever.
Kevin Goldstein is an author of Baseball Prospectus.
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Astros fan here. I can't help but wonder if if Rasmussen was the cornerstone of the deal. If he turns into a late-inning reliever, it's a good deal for the Astros (something for not much). It smells like Dominguez is a throw in. The Astros are offensively incompetent and Dominguez adds nothing they don't already have in the high minors (Jimmy Paredes, another no-hit, good-D 3B). It seems the Astros consider Rio Ruiz their 3B of the future, as they should.
Irritating me that Astros fans have been screaming about the team's offense for weeks but are excited to get Dominguez.
I'm guessing it's a case of the grass is always greener.
Are you sure that Dominguez isn't better than Paredes though?
Also, seems like the Astros have had some success with undersized starting pitchers, I like the potential of Rasmussen.
Dominguez plays better D, Paredes has more speed. Neither can hit the barn side of a broad. Six in one hand...
Is Paredes really a middle-infielder though? Not arguing, just curious.
This good of a trade never would have happened with Ed at the helm, by the way.
neither are middle infielders.
Sorry, meant corner infielder. I thought I'd read a few times that Paredes would be better off at SS with his bat.
"The barn side of a broad...?"
I liked it.
Rio Ruiz is 18 years old and has yet to play a game. He is so far away that his presence in the system has nothing to do with anything the Astros do at the major league level.