Last week the Rays sent Wander Franco to their Minor League camp, meaning he is likely going to spend a big chunk of his summer playing for the Durham Bulls. How many times have the Durham Bulls had the top prospect entering a season?
It's been a few.
I am really excited to see him play, which would normally mean that I would be searching Ebay and Facebook groups for a few of his cards. How many have I bought this spring?
Well, there is this one....
That's it.
I felt well prepared knowing that there is a healthy market for Wander Franco cards, but have you seen the price of his cards? His autographs are all around/over $100. Some of base cards and serial numbered cards are kind of pricy for a player with less than 200 games in the Minors. So, after looking at my baseball card budget and weighing whether or not to spend some money on the upcoming Durham Bulls players, I have decided that I am going to skip the entire team over at the moment.
That's right. A blog with a heavy slant on collecting Durham Bulls cards is not collecting Durham Bulls cards for the moment. I am sure that I will find a few players on the team later on this summer. Surely, someone will be more in the Michael Brosseau price range at some point. In the meantime, I decided to redirect my Durham Bulls budget for this spring into a single card.
I know it's a bold move, but I stand by the decision.
I have a copy of this card, but this one is nicer than the one in my collection and it's Stan Musial. Do you really need a reason to buy a Stan Musial card? I cannot think of one, especially considering this autographed card is cheaper than a Wander Franco autograph.
Wow, that is pretty crazy that Musial Autos are less than a prospect. World we live in now though! And you have multiple Musial auto's, how awesome is that!
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that more people haven't bailed on prospecting. Wander Franco could have a long career as a Major League player, but what kind of numbers is going to have to put up in the long run to maintain these sorts of prices? As a Durham Bulls and Rays fan, I hope he's a great player, but the odds are against that happening. I will take the Stan Musial card any day of the week.
DeleteMusial over Wander is a no brainer. Awesome autograph.
ReplyDeleteIt is a pretty awesome some autograph, definitely a no-brainer. I am glad you are still out here interacting with bloggers during your break. Hope all is well.
DeleteThanks. There are days I miss writing, so I'll throw a few paragraphs down into the draft folder. But overall, it's been nice having a few extra minutes of "free" time (even if they've been spent watching tv shows and movies).
DeleteAs for interacting with bloggers... even if I didn't publish another post, I'll still collect and read as many posts as I can. It's a form of entertainment I enjoy having as a part of my daily schedule. Take care!
I mean I heard Stan is supposed to be good but how many times will he make the Hall of Fame compared to Wander?
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to do some research on your comment and get back with you. You're right, Stan has only made the Hall of Fame once. I guess Wander is in the Hall of Fame somewhere.
DeleteWas this kid injured? I don't follow the current stuff, but it seems like I've heard his name a lot, and usually "great" young players aren't sent back to the minors for something other than an injury.
ReplyDeleteHe has not been injured, that is one thing he has going for him. The Rays did send him back down to the Minors recently, but that was all about the salary arbitration rules. If he stays in Durham until at least May, the 2021 season will not count as a full year towards his arbitration eligibility. It's not like the Rays are going to keep him once he starts getting paid. They will trade him to the Dodgers for their entire farm system.
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