Jason Esposito Retires

[Can_of_corn]

He has informed the Orioles that he is retiring instead of reporting to Frederick.

Pretty shocking how badly he panned out considering his draft position and that he was a college bat.

[glenn__davis]

Can't really blame him. Hopefully he invested that bonus money wisely, and I'm sure there's a spot in baseball somewhere for him if he wants it.

[Can_of_corn]

Can't really blame him. Hopefully he invested that bonus money wisely, and I'm sure there's a spot in baseball somewhere for him if he wants it.

He went to Vandy, hopefully he finished his degree.

[Crazysilver03]

Think we see that rickocrazy guy again? Maybe he will come back and tell us that Jason retired because he didn't have any believers.

Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk

[hoosiers]

This was one of Joe Jordan's worst draft picks - criticized within the industry almost as soon as it was made.

It has been a long, long time IMO since an early round Os draft pick bat flamed out in this fashion - maybe Brian Bass, Corey Schafer. Most of Joe Jordan's college picks at least moved through the system before flaming out short of the majors - like Angle and several others. Not Esposito.

Best of luck for your future, Jason.

[weams]

This was one of Joe Jordan's worst draft picks - criticized within the industry almost as soon as it was made.

It has been a long, long time IMO since an early round Os draft pick bat flamed out in this fashion - maybe Brian Bass, Corey Schafer. Most of Joe Jordan's college picks at least moved through the system before flaming out short of the majors - like Angle and several others. Not Esposito.

Best of luck for your future, Jason.

Tony said that his bat speed was slider at best in college, let alone as a pro.

[McLovin]

Sadly, the ending most expected when he was drafted. Hard to find anyone (that didn't go to school with him) that liked the pick.

[Three Run Homer]

This was one of Joe Jordan's worst draft picks - criticized within the industry almost as soon as it was made.

It has been a long, long time IMO since an early round Os draft pick bat flamed out in this fashion - maybe Brian Bass, Corey Schafer. Most of Joe Jordan's college picks at least moved through the system before flaming out short of the majors - like Angle and several others. Not Esposito.

Best of luck for your future, Jason.

Billy Rowell was worse than Esposito because he was drafted in the first round with the ninth overall pick. I guess Rowell had success at very low levels (Appalachian League, NY Penn League) before flaming out, while Esposito never hit. Then again Esposito might have hit if he had started in the NY Penn League instead of Delmarva.

[xian4]

Has Nicky Delmonico also retired. Last time I heard, he had joined the White Sox organisation but hasnt played in their minor league system yet !

Stop Press - He started playing in the SAL League on Tuesday and is sporting a .467 average with 1 Homer and 6 RBI's

[stef]

Has Nicky Delmonico also retired. Last time I heard, he had joined the White Sox organisation but hasnt played in their minor league system yet !

Stop Press - He started playing in the SAL League on Tuesday and is sporting a .467 average with 1 Homer and 6 RBI's

Yep. He had to finish up a suspension. Now in high A. As we know, same draft as Esposito, taken in round 6 with a $1.525 million signing bonus.

[JayThomas]

This was one of Joe Jordan's worst draft picks - criticized within the industry almost as soon as it was made.

It has been a long, long time IMO since an early round Os draft pick bat flamed out in this fashion - maybe Brian Bass, Corey Schafer. Most of Joe Jordan's college picks at least moved through the system before flaming out short of the majors - like Angle and several others. Not Esposito.

Best of luck for your future, Jason.

Who was the guy that we drafted right around that time out of HS who had an offer from North Carolina? He signed to play with us late and never produced at all and retired I think last year? He was not a college bat but an equally unproductive pick.

[hoosiers]

Tony said that his bat speed was slider at best in college, let alone as a pro.

A "slider speed" bat is what the industry said pretty much as soon as the pick was made and Joe Jordan was defending the pick almost as soon as it was announced.

Esposito was considered a reach in the second round IIRC.

Separately, I do think this pick was worse than Rowell. Industry consensus was that Rowell was the top HS pick along with Travis Snider. Rowell was a first rounder bust, but a defensible pick IMO.

[weams]

Some said that Esposito didn't have good bat speed but I don't remember anyone saying he wasn't worthy of a 2nd round pick at the time. He showed signs of life last year at Frederick, albeit with terrible plate discipline. Going up to the next level did him in.

He was defensively everything that Manny ended up turning into.

[JayThomas]

Connor Narron

Yes. That's him. I remember seeing him with Aberdeen up here in Brooklyn and he seemed disinterested right from the start, like he was out in the field thinking to himself what a mistake it was to not go to Carolina.

[Frobby]

Tony said that his bat speed was slider at best in college, let alone as a pro.

I think there were some concerns about his bat speed, but Tony was not that harsh on him when he was drafted, and no, he was not considered that much of a reach, if he was a reach at all. Take a look at the thread from the day he was drafted: http://forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/showthread.php/111305-2nd-Round-Jason-Esposito-3B-Vanderbilt-University?highlight=Esposito Stotle had him on the list of possible Orioles 2nd round picks. Keith Law had him ranked as the #54 prospect in the draft. Tony ranked him as our no. 7 prospect at the end of the 2011 season (though Esposito didn't play in the 2011 season). http://forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/showthread.php/115889-Jason-Esposito-7-prospect?highlight=esposito