Jason Parks On Jairo Beras

Some interesting stuff at the link, including Jason's rundown of why he feels MLB's delay in rendering a verdict on the Beras case was caused by other powerful entities within the game exerting pressure on the commissioner's office (to go along with their hope/intent of having the deal nixed altogether), some stuff on how the Rangers have acquired a dirty reptation in Latin America for their actions (real or rumored), and this capsule Jairo Beras scouting report:

All the market/league/signing bullshit aside, Beras is the real story here, a player so promising that one source suggested was the best amateur player in available in 2012. He has tremendous size and raw strength, standing 6’6’’ with room to add bulk to his already proportioned frame. His bat is his calling card, with 80-grade power potential, the type that is missing in the minors at the present. Middle-of-the-order monsters are missing from the minors, and the Rangers have recognized this inefficiency in recent years and have targeted this rare breed of talent in recent years.

The top of the power pyramid sits Beras, with his loose, righty swing capable of generating incredible leverage and tape measure shots. The power can stand with any raw talent in the baseball, and if he develops, can stand with any player in the game itself. The hit tool is a question mark, as most are at this level, but the swing is fluid and the hands work well, so it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Beras has a classic right field profile, with a 70-grade arm and good athleticism. He’s not a five-tool prospect, but his two loud tools are sonic booms, and if he develops as planned, he’s a super star in the Juan Gonzalez mold.