The guy has been putting up great numbers lately, and even though the outfield is quite crowded, it looks like he's a keeper beyond this season. He's most likely not the long-term answer for center field, but the Marlins should keep on finding a way to get his bat into the lineup.

The guy has been putting up great numbers lately, and even though the outfield is quite crowded, it looks like he's a keeper beyond this season. He's most likely not the long-term answer for center field, but the Marlins should keep on finding a way to get his bat into the lineup.

 

But he may the long term answer in left field :mischief2

 

He appears (operative word) to make Willingham expendable (read, tradebait).

Anyone find it strange everytime Girardi sit Reggie, we go on a long winning streak. I wonder what our W/L record so far without Reggie now.

second 2HR game in 48 games this season. i like him.

He'll be a good bench player long term but Willingham is still a better player if you ask me.

In my opinion, no matter what, Cody MUST play in games in which sanchez starts. He is responsible for the last 2 wins that Sanchez has gotten :thumbup

He'll be a good bench player long term but Willingham is still a better player if you ask me.

 

It hard to tell if he is in a slump or he just had a really good season start. :confused

I have nothing against Willingham but he is, without debate, a defensive liability, and clearly inferior to Ross in that department. If Ross can show he can hit major league pitching with regularity, and play better defense, the decision becomes an inevitablity.

In the last 6 games he is 7 for 16 (.438) with 4 HR and 2 BB. Hopefully he can keep it up if he keeps starting.

always been a streaky hitter

He's been a blessing so far. Wait and see.

Whats the different in age arent they both 25 I could be wrong??

I know Ross is 25.

The guy has been putting up great numbers lately, and even though the outfield is quite crowded, it looks like he's a keeper beyond this season. He's most likely not the long-term answer for center field, but the Marlins should keep on finding a way to get his bat into the lineup.

 

But he may the long term answer in left field :mischief2

 

He appears (operative word) to make Willingham expendable (read, tradebait).

If you trade Willingham and move Ross to LF then who plays CF? I would rather have Willingham & Ross than Ross & Reggie.

If you trade Willingham and move Ross to LF then who plays CF? I would rather have Willingham & Ross than Ross & Reggie.

 

No disagreement there.

The guy has been putting up great numbers lately, and even though the outfield is quite crowded, it looks like he's a keeper beyond this season. He's most likely not the long-term answer for center field, but the Marlins should keep on finding a way to get his bat into the lineup.

 

But he may the long term answer in left field :mischief2

 

He appears (operative word) to make Willingham expendable (read, tradebait).

If you trade Willingham and move Ross to LF then who plays CF? I would rather have Willingham & Ross than Ross & Reggie.

I think 03 was saying that if Ross were to sustain his good play, then after we acquire a center fielder Willingham becomes expendable. Or perhaps he will be used as icing in a trade to get a center fielder.

I've been doing a bit of research on Cody Ross (see: Googling "cody ross") and I really think we found a nice gem.

 

At the least this guy is a 4th OF on a World Series contending team, but he can start for a good team. Like Ramp said though he is very streaky. He reminds me of Eric Owens with more power but less speed.

 

I love having plus defenders in the OF too. Does his defense merit him being more important to us in LF longterm instead of Willingham if we solved CF from outside the organization? Don't know, but it's a good debate. Here is something from BA:

 

Eddie from West Lafayette, IN asks:

Pat, How on Earth can Cody Ross not crack your top ten list of Detroit Tigers prospects? The only knock anybody ever seems to have against him is his height, at 5? 11? and still growing, he is the same height as many modern day sluggers including Manny Ramirez, Magglio Ordonez, and many others in addition to Hank Aaron, the man who hit more homeruns than anybody to play in the Major Leagues. This is not to say that Cody Ross will be breaking down homerun barriers, but a player?s height does not preclude him from being able to hit for power. Also, it should be pretty hard to criticize someone?s offensive ceiling given what Cody Ross has done at the plate throughout his Minor League Career, posting slugging percentages of .515 in AAA at age 22, .352 in AA at age 21, .461 at age 20 in high A, and .396 at the pitcher friendly confines of Old Kent Park back when he was 19 years old, a year that looks very similar to your number 2 prospect, Brent Clevlen. I do have doubts about Cody Ross?s plate discipline, but he has shown in the past he does have a decent eye. But if that were the reason for keeping him off the list, I would love to know why guys like Nook Logan, Anderson Hernandez, Brandon Inge, and Omar Infante have cracked the list in the past with much worse batting eyes among many other flaws that have predictably kept them from success. It can?t possibly be health reasons that have kept him off the list, as he is almost all set for training camp, while guys like Kenny Baugh and Rob Henkel are nice and settled on your list. There also seems to be this bias towards players who play many positions, as guys who ?don?t have a position? or ?project to fourth outfielders? simply because they have a bit of flexibility. Writing for a national publication I would hope you are above downgrading somebody for their positional flexibility. Cody Ross has done a fantastic job in the Tigers organization to date, and there is no reason for him to be shoved out of the way in favor of guys like Jay Sborz, who had a hard time retiring guys fresh out of high school this past summer and still has a long long long way to go before he can even start to sniff the big leagues, Kody Kirkland, who cooled off mightily towards the end of the season and also in the Instructional Leagues after getting off to a hot start in the NY-Penn league, or especially Scott Moore, who hasn?t hit the broad side of a barn since the 2001 season, his Junior year in High School. There has to be some reason that Ross isn?t one of the Tigers top prospects in your mind, and I would like to know what it is, because it really seems like it?s down to an evaluation error by scouting types, who have certain biases against players they have deemed they don?t want to succeed. I?d really hate for that to be the case.

A:

 

Pat Caputo: sorry, i'm late...had some technical difficulties...I like Cody ross as a prospect. there is a lot of debate among scouts about him. they either like him or don;t think he has enough tools to make it. I think he has enough tools to make it and if the list was just up to me, he probably would have made the top 10. but I have to take into account what scouts tell me from both sides on this. I like the way he grinds. I do think he has decent power potential. He's good defensively. but don't be fooled by that 5-11 listing. He's more like 5-8 or 5-9. If he has a flaw it's that all his tools are ok, but none exceptional. That means he'll probably be an extra outfielder

Whats the different in age arent they both 25 I could be wrong??

 

willingham is 27, and ross will turn 26 late this year.

Why not give the hammer another crack at C during the offseason. Olivo has been great for us, but assuming he doesnt return, getting offensive production from hammer at C would be a big help to the team. And before anyone says hes a defensive liability at C, hes also one at LF, and theres no reason why we shouldnt give him a shot behind the plate

Personally I like Willingham better.

 

I'm sure the coaching staff is working with him so he can get out of his slump.

Why not give the hammer another crack at C during the offseason. Olivo has been great for us, but assuming he doesnt return, getting offensive production from hammer at C would be a big help to the team. And before anyone says hes a defensive liability at C, hes also one at LF, and theres no reason why we shouldnt give him a shot behind the plate

 

It might be better for Willingham to go to a winter league to work on his catching if the front office and/or the manager indicates to him their intention to have him play that position in the future.

 

Regarding Cody Ross, I've said this before here, but it's worth repeating. Watching Cody swing, it's hard to think of anyone, perhaps excluding Miggy and maybe including him, who generates more bat speed on this team than Ross. He gets through the zone as fast as anyone I've seen in a number of years who wore a Marlins uniform.

 

If Mike Jacobs could clone Ross' swing he'd hit fifty a year and that isn't a knock on Jacobs. The more production Ross generates in the four spot, which means playing regularly, the more opposing teams will feel the need to pitch to Cabrera. While not the prototypical cleanup hitter, if he gets Cabrera better at bats offensively the team comes out ahead.

Isn't it wonderful to be having this conversation about all this talent on such a young club!

 

Makes you dream of the future and pay attention to the whole Marlin's system. Respectfully, I mean. :notworthy

Looks like a keeper...and also a bit like Dr. evil.

Ross' offense < Willingham's offense

Ross' defense > Willingham's defense

Ross' potential > Willingham's potential

 

While I don't know that Ross is the long term answer in LF, I think he might have more potential out there than Willingham. I'd like to see us pick up a decent CF next year and give Ross most of the playing time in LF, while Amezega becomes our main defensive sub/pinch runner and Willingham becomes our main offensive sub. I don't think Borchard is going to cut it, and who knows if Helms is even going to be here after July 31.

Ross' potential > Willingham's potential

 

I have no idea where you got that from...