The Little Rock Patriots signed Rico Lopez to a minor league contract with a near $27M signing bonus. Many are wondering whether he was worth all the money. Well, my advance scouts have filed this report with the front office today.
Fielding:
Although he is a blue chip player he does have his flaws. His defense may not be up to par with that of a SS or CF. Though he has the potential be a GG winner at 2B/3B.
Hitting:
Overall his hitting skills are a mixed bag but will be a tough out. We expect he may walk more than strike out and bat in the .285+ range with about 20 HR's per season on average, he is more of a doubles hitter. His speed and base running skill will allow him to be a league leader in this area. Expect him to settle into either: 1, maybe 3, or 6th spot in a lineup as he is too strong for the 2 slot and too weak for 4 and 5.
Training:
Attainment of projected ratings: We feel he will gain most of his projected ratings early with training and proper coaching by the time he is 22. However, he will be slowed after that and maybe make it to 90% of his actual projected ability.
