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16 December, 2006
Dominican - Matt Kemp LAD 2-3, 2 doubles (8), .235 ... Fausto Carmona
CLE 3 7 2 2 0 5, 3.48
Venezuela - Wladimir Balentien SEA 2-4, 8th homer & 1-2, 4th
triple, 3 walks, .279 ... Franklin
Gutierrez CLE 2-3, double & 0-4, , .283 ... Edwin Jackson TB 4 4 2
2 2 6, 1.60 (45 innings, 37 hits, 23 walks, 39 Ks, 8 WPs)
Puerto Rico - oh my, Bruce Chen FA another six shutout innings,
6.00 0 0 0 1 10, now at 0.63 in 43 innings, 16 hits, 5 walks, 51 Ks
Troop movements ... CHN - now official, signed Ted Lilly, signed 1B-OF
Daryle Ward ... BOS - acquired RHP Brendan Donnelly from LAA for
LHP Phil Seibel ... BOS - signed Doug Mirabelli, JC
Romero ... HOU - announced the retirement of Jeff Bagwell ... KC -
designated catcher Paul Phillips for assignment ...
It's pitching topping the prospect chart in PHI as
Kevin
Goldstein, Baseball Prospectus, checks out the Phillies' kids :
" ... 1. Carlos Carrasco ... Long, skinny
Venezuelan cruised through the South Atlantic League in his second try, limiting
batters to a .182 average. He throws an 89-94 mph fastball with good movement
and backs it up with a changeup that is the best in the system now that Cole
Hamels has graduated to the big leagues. Curveball made great strides in 2006,
improving from a show-me pitch to a usable offering ... control of his secondary
pitches comes and goes. Scouts love the projection, and he'll need to fill it as
he moves up because he is not a pure power pitcher yet, but approaches the game
like one ... should find some immediate success in the Florida State
League, and could hit Double-A by mid-season."
" ... 2. Kyle Drabek ... Generally considered
the top high school righthander in this year's draft, thanks to a mid-90s
fastball and a curve that rates right now as a 60-70 on the 20-80 scouting
scale. Changeup is already a decent offering and should become plus. Excellent
athlete who fields his position well, and can hit a little too ... Makeup
issues abound with teams concerned about his behavior both on and off the field
prior to the draft. Drabek's pro debut was as unpredictable as his behavior,
with excellent starts being followed by awful ones, and vice-versa ... This will
either be the steal of the draft or a total bust – it's hard to see a lot of
scenarios that are in between."
Brandon Wood continues to shine in the LAA system as
John Sickels ranks the little
Angels.
1. Brandon Wood SS 6. Stephen Marek RHP
2. Nick Adenhart RHP 7. Jose Arredondo RHP
3. Sean Rodriguez 2B-SS 8. Sean O'Sullivan RHP
4. Hank Conger C 9. Tommy Mendoza RHP
5. Erick Aybar SS 10. Ryan Mount SS
Over at Project
Prospect, there are the picks as the top first base prospects for 2007.
" ... 1. James Loney ... turned in one of
more the stellar seasons of any advanced prospect in 2006, earning a promotion
to the big leagues at the end of July. In 48 major league games (102 at-bats),
the lefthanded Loney took advantage of the platoon work given to him, posting an
OPS of .901. His 15 extra-base hits (6 doubles, 5 triples, 4 home runs) pushed
his slugging percentage to .559, and his low strikeout ratio (8 walks vs. 10
strikeouts) kept his on-base percentage at an acceptable .342 clip. Loney’s
Triple-A stats were even more impressive than his big league numbers, albeit in
hitter-friendly Las Vegas ... the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder appears to
be absolutely ready for extended playing time in the bigs. A polished,
disciplined hitter with significant ability to pound the ball into the outfield
gaps, there’s not a whole lot to dislike about the 22-year-old. But where will
he play? Incumbent first baseman Nomar Garciaparra re-signed, Juan Pierre and
Luis Gonzalez arrived via free agency, and Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp are two
hot prospects competing for the last outfield spot."
Jonathan
Mayo, MiLB.com, on responses to his Top 50 especially the ranking of
Homer Bailey over Phil Hughes :
" ... it's basically a toss-up between these two
right-handers (with Yovani Gallardo not too far behind, by the way). Overall,
the basic feeling among the scouts is that Bailey's got the better pure stuff, a
slightly better power arm. Hughes has got slightly better command and mixes his
pitches well. It's all a question of what you like better in a pitching
prospect. In the end, just barely enough voters chose pure power ...
Here's a sampling of what some scouts who did like Hughes a touch better said:
"I think Hughes is a little better athlete, and I think he's going to command
the baseball better," said a scout who put Hughes on top of Bailey. "Bailey's
stuff, pure stuff, may be a little more sexy than Hughes', but Hughes has a
little more pitchability. It's close, but I'd go with the power/pitchability guy
more than with the pure power guy." "They're very, very close," another scouting
director said. "Both will be good big-league pitchers. You could flip a coin,
but I think Hughes has the chance to be better than Bailey. In Hughes' case,
there's more pitchability. Bailey's velocity may be better, but the package on
Hughes is better. And there's Gallardo, who's got four pitches. He doesn't have
the velocity Bailey does. But would I take all three of those guys? Sure."
Jim
Callis, Baseball America, on Gio Gonzalez (traded back to the WSox by
PHI after BA had ranked the WSox system) :
" ... He'll rank No. 3, behind outfielder Ryan
Sweeney and third baseman Josh Fields ... Because it's the holiday season,
however, I'll give you an early gift and present the scouting report written by
Chris Kline. Gonzalez would have rated No. 2 on our Philadelphia Top 10 ...
Gonzalez has a fundamentally sound delivery that he repeats well, creating
effortless 92-95 mph velocity with his fastball. His low-80s hammer curveball
always has been his go-to pitch, and he'll use it in any count. He located his
changeup better in 2006, and it shows flashes of being a third plus pitch ...
will need better command with his fastball and more consistency with his
changeup to succeed at higher levels. He fell behind in the count early and
often in Double-A, leading to too many homers and walks ... has all the
making of a legitimate No. 2 starter, but they have no reason to rush him. He'll
likely return to Double-A at the beginning of 2007."
Cubbies say they are pleased with the progress of Felix Pie :
" ... His defense has been great," Fleita [player development
director Oneri Fleita ] said of Pie. "Other than that, he might be going through
one of the tougher things he's gone through, hitting-wise. When you hit ninth in
the lineup and play down there at that level, by the time you face the starter,
you're probably facing a left-hander. Any time from the fifth inning on, they
play matchups." Pie, 21, is a left-handed hitter, and Joshua told Fleita that
the outfielder is seeing more lefties than ever before. And they're throwing
hard. Pie is batting low in the order by design, Fleita said. "We want him to do
one thing and that's play defense," Fleita said. The Cubs have a vacancy in
center field following the departure of Juan Pierre, and Pie could fill that job
with a good spring. Asked about the hot prospect, new Cubs manager Lou Piniella
said he'd heard that the team's brass was divided on whether Pie was ready.
Piniella will find out in February when he sees the slender outfielder
first-hand." (MiLB.com)
15 December, 2006
Dominican - Radhames Liz BAL 1/3 1 2 2 3 0, 1.80 ... Matt Kemp
LAD 0-3, .224 ... Willy Aybar ATL 2-3, 2 walks, .319 ...
Mexico - Troy Cate STL 7.0 6 1 1 1 3, 2.08
Troop movements ... MLB - nullified TB's waiver
claim of LHP Bobby Livingston and subsequent trade of Livingston to
Philadelphia; assigned Livingston to the Reds on a waiver claim ... SEA - now
official, signed Miguel Batista ... BOS - now official, signed
Daisuke Matsuzaka
This one a freebie at
Baseball
Prospectus - Kevin Goldstein checking out the Mets' prospects:
" ... 1. Fernando Martinez ... After receiving the
largest bonus in the 2005 international signing season ($1.4 million), Martinez
looked to be worth every penny. Both his hitting skills and approach are
remarkable for his age, and power should come as he learns how to pull balls.
Every tool grades out as average or plus, and he's a sound center fielder with a
plus arm ... Concerns exist about his ability to maintain speed as body
fills out, leaving some to project a move to a corner slot ... It's
hard to figure out where Martinez will bat in the lineup when he's done, but
most agree it was be as an impact hitter in the one, two or three slot. It's
interesting to note that when the updated PECOTA cards come out, his comps will
include Jose Reyes and Miguel Cabrera, so the system doesn't know what he'll end
up as either, other than really, really good."
" ... 4. Carlos Gomez ... Oozing with
athleticism, there are people within the Mets organization who think his tools
are batter and his ceiling is higher than Martinez or Lastings Milledge.
Overmatched initially after the double jump to Double-A, Gomez hit .341 after
July 1. Power is not there now, but potential is there once he adds bulk to his
long, lanky frame. Excellent base stealer thanks to plus-plus speed which also
helps him in centerfield to go along with above-average arm ... the
gap between what Gomez can be and his actual numbers is pretty sizeable, yet
scouts are so universal in their praise for him, it's a little easier to think
he'll make enough adjustments to be of value in the big leagues. He'll begin the
year as a 21-year-old in Triple-A, and should make his big league debut at some
point in 2007, though the Mets outfield picture is too confusing to predict
anything more."
USA
Today adds prospect reports for the SEA and SF farms :
" ... Yung-Chi Chen ... on an
accelerated pace to the big leagues. He opened the 2006 season in rookie ball,
and by the end of it he was playing in Double-A. Chen is a good contact hitter
who uses the entire field. He hit .324 in 2006, leading all Mariners minor
leaguers. He also is a shrewd hitter who makes constant adjustments. He has
average speed but is an excellent baserunner. Chen doesn't have particularly
good range, but he made only eight errors all season, including none in 35
Double-A games. "We really pushed him," Bavasi says. "And we pushed him hard.
But I think it will be good for him. He's learned how to handle adversity."
" ... Brandon Morrow ... Mariners'
first-round draft pick this year, and he lived up to the advance billing in his
limited first professional season. He pitched 16 innings but proved to be the
Mariners' finest minor league power pitcher. He has a 95-mph fastball that has
been clocked as high as 99. More impressive, though, is he maintains his
velocity into the late innings. He also has an 84- to 86-mph slider and a
split-finger fastball. He just needs experience, and once Morrow gets it, the
Mariners believe the command will come ... The Mariners probably will have
him start at high-A High Desert or at San Antonio in 2007. "This guy is
everything we hoped," Mariners vice president for scouting Bob Fontaine says.
"He has a tremendous arm. He just needs experience."
" ... Tim Lincecum ... 1.95 ERA in
six starts at high-A San Jose. Despite a small frame — 5-11, 160 pounds —
Lincecum dominated Pacific-10 hitters at Washington before signing with the
Giants. He's slated to start next season in the minors, possibly as high as
Triple-A, but Hiatt says there's an outside chance Lincecum, 22, could break
into the big-league staff from the beginning. "He's got absolutely fabulous
stuff," Hiatt says. "His ball never does the same thing twice. He's got a great
curveball, one of the top five I've seen in my life. He's got excellent command,
a good mound presence and a good makeup."
" ... Emmanuel Burriss ... has great
athleticism. Hiatt expects him to make an impact at San Jose next season, then
move on. "He's the kind of player who shows what you can do to a game with
speed," Hiatt says. "He's got that cockiness to him, like daring you to pick him
off. And he's an excellent shortstop."
John Sickels stands by
Felix Pie as the best of the Cubs' farm system:
1 Felix Pie OF 6 Jeff Samardzija RHP
2 Donald Veal LHP 7 Tyler Colvin OF
3 Eric Patterson 2B 8 JaeKuk Ryu RHP
4 Sean Gallagher RHP 9 Scott Moore 3B
5 Mark Pawelek LHP 10 Ryan Theroit INF
" ... Donald Veal ... Grade B+
(excellent stuff, needs to reduce walks) ... Eric Patterson
... Grade B+ (looks solid to me, has improved in all phases)."
14 December, 2006
Dominican - Matt Kemp LAD 0-5, .230 ... Erick Aybar LAA
2-4, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, walk, .327 ... Justin Huber KC 2-4, .279
... Fabio Castro PHI 3 0 0 0 2 5, 1.73 ... Daric Barton
OAK 2-6, .324 (but just three XBH, all doubles, in 21 games)
Venezuela - Richard Hidalgo 2-2, 8th homer, 2 walks, .266 ...
Franklin Gutierrez CLE 2-4, double, .283
Troop movements ... BOS - signed shortstop Julio Lugo, Daisuke
Matsuzaka (not yet official) ... COL - signed LHP Tom Martin
... MIN - signed INF Luis Rodriguez ... WAS - reported to have
traded Jose Vidro to SEA for Chris Snelling and Emiliano Fruto ...
A big welcome please for Joe Hamrahi and the guys at
Baseball Digest Daily . They have the first installment of their Top
100 already posted on their very interesting site. Check 'em out :
" ... 69 Kurt Suzuki ... It's
easy to love Kurt Suzuki - look at that OBP. It may be true that OBP has gone
from wildly underrated to wildly overrated in just a few short years since the
publishing of "Moneyball" but when you have a catcher that can get on like Kurt
Suzuki, you have a gem. (Ryan Mock)."
" ... 93 Hank Conger ...
Listed as one of the best HS bats in the 2006 draft, and he's done nothing to
tarnish that perception, making consistent hard contact in his brief AZL
experience. And he's still catching, which gives him a chance to be
extra-special (Rob McQuown)."
" ... 78 Dustin Pedroia ...
Evokes the name of another middle infielder who wears red, but Pedroia is far
more advanced as a hitter. His minor league stats indicate a guy who will
average .294/.366/.422 with a 7% K%. That's 63 more points of slugging then
Eck's career SLG. Expect a couple .400 OBP seasons (Rob)."
" ... 71 Dexter Fowler ... Just
20 years-old, Fowler is long, lean, and mean. Has excellent gap power and can
flat out fly. Needs to learn to pick his spots when stealing bases, but when he
gets a good jump, there’s no stopping him. Home run potential is likely to grow
as he fills out a little. Still, he is already very strong for his size. Fowler
has great makeup and most likely would have gone in the first few rounds of the
2004 draft (instead of the 14th round) had he not signed a letter of intent to
attend the University of Miami . He’s already a good defender and makes getting
to the ball look real easy. There’s no wonder he has drawn comparisons to Andruw
Jones." (Joe Hamrahi)
John Sickels ranks the best of
the Tigers and Reds systems :
DETROIT CINCY
1 Cameron Maybin OF Homer Bailey RHP
2 Andrew Miller LHP Jay Bruce OF
3 Eulogio DeLaCruz RHP Joey Votto 1B
4 Jair Jurrjens RHP Johnny Cueto RHP
5 Gorkys Hernandez OF Drew Stubbs OF
6 Jeff Larish 1B Travis Wood LHP
7 Scott Sizemore 2B Sean Watson RHP
8 Brent Clevlen OF Chris Valaika INF
9 Jordan Tata RHP Sam LeCure RHP
10 Dallas Trahern RHP Milton Loo 3B
" ... Bruce, OF, Grade A- (strong tools with
developing skills)."
" ... Votto, 1B, Grade B+ (breakthrough looks
real to me)."
" ... Maybin, OF, Grade A- (outstanding
overall prospect, just needs to cut strikeouts)."
The 2007 edition of the
Prospect Book will be
shipping in January. Click the link to go to John's order page.
At
BaseballThinkFactory, Dan Szymborski has the latest of his ZiPS
projections - the Twins. Pretty good seasons forecast for a couple of young
starters :
Age ERA W L G GS INN H ER HR BB K
MIN Matt Garza 23 3.88 13 10 28 28 160 158 69 17 51 124
MIN Kevin Slowey 23 4.31 6 5 20 19 119 129 57 18 21 80
13 December, 2006
Venezuela - Gregor Blanco
CF ATL 1-3, homer, .306 ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 3-4, .299 ...
Troop movements ... LAA - signed LHP Darren Oliver ... PHI - Kyle
Drabek, JA Happ among the invites to ST ... TEX -
signed Eric Gagne & pending a physical, Kenny Lofton ... KC -
designated RHP Brandon Duckworth for assignment ... SEA -
reported to have signed Miguel Batista ... DET - signed Jose Mesa
... HOU - acquired Jason Jennings and Miguel Asencio from
COL for Jason Hirsh, Willy Taveras and Taylor
Buchholz ... TOR - signed Matt Stairs to a minor league contract
... TB - claimed LHP Bobby Livingston off waivers from SEA and
traded him to PHI for cash ... MIN - pending a physical, signed Jeff
Cirillo ... PIT - claimed RHP Franquelis Osoria off waivers from LAD
... CIN - signed RHP David Weathers, designated LHP Brandon Claussen
for assignment ... BOS - announced the retirement of Gabe Kapler ... SD -
signed outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. ... LAD - Toby Hall, Jayson
Werth ... TEX - Mike Wood ...
" ... the Rockies insisted on receiving Hirsh,
the 2006 Triple-A Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year and MiLB.com Triple-A
Starter of the Year, who was 13-2 with a 2.10 ERA in 23 starts for Round Rock.
He also went 3-4 with a 6.04 ERA in nine starts with the Astros. Hirsh, who
turns 25 on Feb. 20, was the Astros' top draft pick in 2003. Buchholz,
25, went 6-10 with a 5.89 ERA in 22 games, including 19 starts, for the Astros
as a rookie in 2006. Buchholz originally was a sixth-round pick of the Phillies
in 2000. The Astros acquired Buchholz and fellow pitchers Brandon Duckworth and
Ezequiel Astacio from the Phillies for closer Billy Wagner in November 2003."
(MiLB.com)
Players not tendered contracts, thus making them
Free Agents - COL - Chin-Hui Tsao ... NYA - Aaron Guiel
... ATL - 2B Marcus Giles, Chris Reitsma ... DET -
Alexis Gomez ... NYN - Victor Zambrano ... SEA - Joel
Pineiro ... LAA - Jason Bulger ... SD - Jon Knott ... CIN -
Brandon Claussen, Miguel Perez ... CHN - Adam Harben,
Jose Reyes ... OAK - Jerome Williams ... MIN -
Willie Eyre, Luis Rodriguez ... CHA - Edwardo
Sierra ... BAL - David Newhan, Todd Williams,
Aaron Rakers ... STL - Jorge Sosa, Rick
Ankiel ... TB - Damon Hollins ...
It's 3B Ryan Braun atop the prospect ladder in MIL as
Kevin Goldstein, Baseball Prospectus, reviews the kids in the Brewers'
playpen :
" ... 1. Ryan Braun ... One of the more
advanced hitters in the minors. Very good pitch recognition and tremendous bat
speed allows him to use all fields with natural power. Does not need to fully
square a ball to get it out of the park, with half of his Double-A hits going
for extra-bases. A very good athlete with all of the tools to be a solid third
baseman ... Despite the tools, Braun is still inadequate at the hot
corner. His footwork is bad, and while he has plus arm strength, his throws lack
accuracy. His bat is nearly major league ready, so if the glove doesn't catch up
fast enough, he could be moved to right field. The bat will play anywhere."
" ... 2. Yovani Gallardo ... Very good
stuff plus excellent command equals outstanding pitching prospect. Pitches off a
heavy 91-93 mph fastball that touches 96, as well as two plus breaking pitches –
a hard-sweeping slider and a downer curveball. Throws strikes and has advanced
polish well beyond his years ... Changeup is an average pitch, but that's
nitpicking. Body doesn't offer the same projection as other top pitching
prospects. That's nitpicking as well ... will turn 21 in Spring Training,
yet he's ready for Triple-A, and the Brewers don't think he'll need a full
season there in preparation for the big leagues."
A slightly varied Top 10 from
BrewerFan.com :
" .... 1 Gallardo, Yovani ... If there
is no such thing as a pitching prospect ... Gallardo is about as close as it
gets... He may only be an arm injury away from never realizing potential, but he
also may only be a year away from being named Rookie Of The Year."
" ... 02 Braun, Ryan ... Has
proven that his bat is likely to play in the bigs, but still hasn't proven his
glove will stick at third base... Will Bill Hall's presence on the roster force
Braun to LF/CF for the time being?"
" ... 04 Salome, Angel ...
Assuming his ankle gets healthy, Angel is the guy the Brewers will look to once
Johnny Estrada's time in Milwaukee is finished."
4 05 Gillespie, Cole R+ CF 22 R R
A young centrefielder tops the RedSox prospect chart at
John Sickels' MinorLeagueBall :
1. Jacoby Ellsbury OF 6. Daniel Bard RHP
2. Clay Buchholz RHP 7. Dustin Pedroia 2B
3. Michael Bowden RHP 8. George Kottaras C
4. Craig Hansen RHP 9. Justin Masterson RHP
5. Lars Anderson 1B 10. Bryce Cox RHP
Baseball
America wraps up the AL rookie reports with the TEX Top 10 :
1. John Danks, lhp 6. Joaquin Arias, ss
2. Eric Hurley, rhp 7. Kasey Kiker, lhp
3. Edinson Volquez, rhp 8. Nick Masset, rhp
4. Thomas Diamond, rhp 9. Jason Botts, of/dh
5. John Mayberry Jr., of 10. Josh Rupe, rhp
Tim Polko, RotoHelp, checks
out the COL and FLO farms :
COL " ... 1. Chris Iannetta ...
possesses excellent defense and has nothing to prove in the minors. Iannetta
annihilated Texas League pitching while demonstrating plenty of plate discipline
then somehow boosted his OBP to truly outstanding levels during two months at
Colorado Springs. Combined MLE averages of .282/.359/.448 give you an idea of
his current production floor ... offers an immediate upgrade to Colorado
on almost any alternative at catcher."
COL " ... 2. Troy Tulowitzki
... Colorado's plan to bat him leadoff this summer helped his plate
discipline improve. He even performed solidly on defense when promoted in
September despite some struggles at the plate ... might benefit from a
little more seasoning. Only selected by the Rockies in 2005 with the seventh
pick in the draft, Tulowitzki's 692 professional at-bats don't demand a big
league berth at this time, and he'll need to earn the starting job in spring
training."
FLO " ... 3. Jose Garcia
... dominated the Florida State League, and then remained one of the top
arms in the circuit following a promotion to Double-A. Finishing the year with
Florida, Garcia now ranks as the most promising upper-level rookie pitcher in
the system and should break camp in the big league bullpen with a good camp.
With MLE skill rates of a 6.6 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 1.2 HR/9, and 10.0 H/9 as a
starter, Garcia should blossom in a limited role next summer."
FLO " ... 7. Gaby Hernandez ...
Netted from the Mets in the Paul Lo Duca swap, Hernandez's second tour of the
Florida State League resulted in far superior results than his ten starts in
2005. He demonstrated solid all-around skills though didn't post overly
impressive marks in any particular facet of the game. Yet he'll progress to
Double-A in the spring, and if he at least echoes this performance, Hernandez
will join the Marlins by September as the club appears vigorously opposed to
promoting starters from the remarkably pitcher-unfriendly Triple-A squad at
Albuquerque."
KC almost ready to anoint Alex Gordon as the future at 3B :
" ... [GM] Moore remains unwilling, at this point,
to commit to Alex Gordon as the club’s starting third baseman despite a terrific
first professional season that resulted in his selection as Baseball America’s
minor-league player of the year. “We’re still not ready to say that Gordon is on
our team,” Moore said. “We want him to continue to force our hand.” Even so, it
would be a stunning development if Gordon isn’t the starting third baseman when
the Royals open the season April 2 against Boston at Kauffman Stadium. Putting
Gordon at third would force Mark Teahen to shift to the outfield — something he
has already been told to prepare for as he undergoes rehabilitation following
surgery on his right shoulder." (KC Star)
Ouch :
" ... First baseman Brad Eldred, sent home by
his team in the Dominican winter league because of a 1-for-18 start at the
plate, will report to Bradenton, Fla., in January to participate in early
workouts. The Pirates had hoped he would take 100-150 at-bats in the Dominican
this winter to make up for losing most of his 2006 season to a broken thumb, but
Escogido cut him after losing all six games in which he played."
(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Koby
Schellenger, FantasyInfoCentral, ranks the youngsters on the Mets and
Marlins :
NYN " ... 1. Fernando Martinez ...
might be the best athlete in the baseball at this point. He's only 18 but was
able to hold his own in the AFL this year. He draws a fair amount of walks,
strikes out a tad too much and can even hit for some power. He struggles
mightily with left handed pitching and struggles with anything inside. For
fantasy baseball this is a rich man's Juan Pierre. He might hit 20-25 home runs
someday."
NYN " ... 2. Mike Pelfrey ...
There are very few pitchers who start in A+ and end in the big leagues. There
are even fewer that do it in their first professional season. Pelfrey did. He's
big (6'7") and knows how to use that body. He carries a 96 MPH plus fastball
with good movement, and a good change and curve. His slider has good movement
but lacks control. He needs another year of minor league conditioning to build
durability and develop some of those pitches. He will be a good strikeout
pitcher who also doesn't give up too many walks."
FLO 1. Sean West ... Lots
of potential for the 20 year old. He's shown signs that he's learning how to
pitch by adjusting his game to batters, which is something he struggled with, or
didn't need to do, in 2005."
11 December, 2006
Venezuela - Vladimir Balentien SEA, slumping, 0-4, .267 ... Gregor Blanco
CF ATL 2-4, double, .305 ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 2-4,
6th homer, .287 ... Angel Guzman CHN 1 3 3 3
0 1, 3.00
KC may have picked a good one (although, as a caution, Fernando is still
pitching and doing OK in the Mexican League) :
Joakim Soria " ... Two days after the
Royals made him the second overall pick in the Major League phase of the Rule 5
Draft, Soria pitched a perfect game in the Mexican Pacific League on Saturday
night as the Yaquis de Obregon blanked the Naranjeros de Hermosillo, 6-0. Soria
already was dominating the winter circuit, leading all three pitching triple
crown categories (9-0, 1.77 ERA, 73 strikeouts). But the 22-year-old
right-hander struck out nine and threw 101 pitches to remain unbeaten. " (MiLB.com)
Troop movements ... TEX - signed RHP Vicente Padilla ... SF -
signed RHP Tyler Walker
to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training ... CHN - signed Jason Marquis
... ATL - signed 2B-OF Willie Harris to a minor league contract and invited
him to spring training ... KC - designated RHP Scott Dohmann for assignment
Outfielder Adam Lind grabs the top spot as
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall,
ranks the best of the TOR system :
1. Adam Lind, OF 6. David Purcey, LHP
2. Travis Snider, OF 7. Jesse Litsch, RHP
3. Ricky Romero, LHP 8. Brandon Magee, RHP
4. Curtis Thigpen, C 9. Davis Romero, LHP
5. Ryan Patterson, OF 10. Kyle Yates, RHP
Johnathan
Mayo's Top 50 at MinorLeagueBaseball
" ... 26 Tim Lincecum ... If the Giants want to
put him in the pen, he could help out next season. As a starter, it may take a
little longer, but he's got nasty stuff either way."
" ... 36 Jacoby Ellsbury ... In his first
full season, the Oregon State product jumped a level, won a title and went to
the AFL. He could be the Red Sox's center fielder and leadoff hitter in the
not-too-distant future. "
" ... 43 Blake DeWitt ... He didn't take
off like some thought, but at least one scout still considered him an elite
prospect. His stint in Hawaii didn't go too well, but most are still confident
things will start clicking in soon."
09-10 December, 2006
Dominican - Justin Huber KC 2-4, double, .235 ... oh boy, back on the
bandwagon, Radhames Liz BAL 7 3 1 1 0 8, 1.09 ... Kendry
Morales LAA 1-2, 11th homer, .257 ... Daric Barton OAK 1-4,
.333 (nice 17/9 BB/K ratio, but two extra base hits (both doubles) in 19 games)
... Erick Aybar LAA 2-4, .324
Venezuela - Miguel Montero ARZ 2-3, double, 2 walks, .252 ...
Wladimir Balentien SEA 1-4, 7th homer, .284 ... Franklin
Gutierrez CLE 1-3, double, .265
Puerto Rico ... some noticeable numbers ... Casey Kotchman LAA 7
for 23, .304 in 7 games ... Jason Botts TEX .284, .457 SLG ...
Bruce Chen FA 0.73 in 37 innings, 4 walks, 41 Ks ... Todd
Linden SF .373, .600 SLG, .484 OBA
Troop movements ... CHA - signed RHP Mike MacDougal ... FLO - signed OF
Alex Sanchez to a minor league contract with a ST invitation ...
KC - signed LHP John Bale, RHP Octavio Dotel
... LAD - official now, signed RHP Jason Schmidt, OF Luis
Gonzalez ... NYA - signed LHP Andy Pettitte ... SF -
re-signed LHP Steve Kline ... STL - signed RHP Russ
Springer ... TEX - signed OF Marlon Byrd ... BAL - signed OF
Jay Payton ... MIN - signed 1B Ken Harvey to a
minor league contract and invited him to spring training ... OAK - now official,
signed C Mike Piazza ...
Jonathan
Mayo, MiLB.com, makes his picks as the cream of the prospect crop with a
pair of Redlegs in the Top 10 (the Top 100s
here) :
" ... 3 Homer Bailey ... The top
pitcher on the list really took off in 2006, especially after a promotion to
Double-A. The Reds did well not to push him to the bigs too soon, but he should
get there at some point next season."
" ... 8 Jay Bruce ... It's hard
not to like the numbers Bruce put up in his first full season. Then think about
how quickly the 42 doubles will turn into homers and Reds fans really have
something to be excited about."
" ... 20 Nick Adenhart ... may
go down as one of the all-time draft steals. Now completely back from Tommy John
surgery, he's quickly moving up the charts among right-handed pitching
prospects."
" ... 15 Andrew McCutchen ...
done nothing but hit since his debut in the summer of 2005 and he jumped on the
fast track with an impressive leap to Double-A at the end of this season. His
power has come faster than people expected, too."
" ... 31 Erick Aybar ... Sometimes
forgotten among the Angels stable of prospects, Aybar is the best defensive
shortstop in the system and can run. The only issue is Orlando Cabrera standing
in his way."
A not-so-hot SEA farm gets the once-over at
Baseball America..
1. Adam Jones, of
6. Wladimir Balentien, of
2. Jeff Clement, c 7. Mark
Lowe, rhp
3. Brandon Morrow, rhp 8. Chris Tillman, rhp
4. Tony Butler, lhp 9. Yung-Chi
Chen, 2b
5. Ryan Feierabend, lhp 10. Eric O'Flaherty, lhp
All the Top 10s
here.
Tim Polko, RotoHelp, checks in with his
ranking of the CIN kids (remember his chart is skewed toward 2007 performance -
Homer Bailey ranks No. 3) :
" ... 1. Joey Votto ... continues to
climb the minor league ladder, ascending one rung every summer. Unfortunately
for Votto, he mastered Double-A pitching by mid-season and essentially treated
water for half the year, demonstrating all-around offensive skills highlighted
by very impressive plate discipline, intriguing speed, and a 1.01 G-F that hints
at plenty of power upside ... I see no reason he shouldn't emerge as a key
member of the Reds' next offensive machine, joining Jay Bruce and Edwin
Encarnacion in the heart-of-the-order. Plan to select Votto with a very high
minor league pick in 2007."
" ... 4. Jay Bruce ... possesses
incredible long-term value as a developing power hitter ... won't
contribute to fantasy teams as more than trade bait for the next two years. His
1.15 G-F isn't great, he struggles against left-handers, and he won't play in a
particularly good hitters' park until hitting the majors. Yet if Bruce stays in
centerfield, which he continues to handle respectably, he could develop into a
very valuable player for the Reds."
Adam Foster
and the gang at Project Prospect continue with their fine work in a series
of postings on the best rookies by position with 2007 playing time in mind.
Catchers are up first and COL appears to have a good one :
" ... Chris Iannetta ...
Virtually every element of Iannetta’s game improved dramatically in 2006.
Starting the season back at Double-A Tulsa, the 5-foot-11, 195-pounder tortured
opposing pitchers to the tune of a .321/.418/.622 line. He then was promoted to
Triple-A where he kept up a similar pace (.351/.447/.510). In addition to his
offensive success, Iannetta slimmed down his frame and improved his game-calling
abilities. All of this led to a big-league promotion for the red-hot backstop,
where he was respectable (.260/.370/.390) in 77 at-bats. So what can we expect
from Iannetta in 2007 and beyond? His BABIP (batting average on balls in play)
was .374 in the minors in 2006, and .310 in the majors. That his 2007 hit rate
should fall somewhere between these two numbers is reason for optimism. While he
may never be an all-star, Iannetta is definitely a potential draft-day bargain,
and a guy who can help your fantasy squad in 2007 and beyond."
Celebrated COL prospect not yet making a full-time position switch :
" ... Ian Stewart, the Rockies' first-round
draft pick in 2003, will get his first extended look in the outfield at spring
training, but O'Dowd said Stewart primarily will play at third base with
Triple-A Colorado Springs when the season starts. Stewart probably will wind up
in the outfield in the majors because of the presence of Garrett Atkins. He has
worked some on outfield play this offseason with Joe Mikulik, his manager with
Single-A Asheville (N.C.) two years ago and also the father of Stewart's fiancee.
Stewart will be married Dec. 15 in Asheville." (Rocky Mountain News)
TEX farmhand to see considerable action at other than his primary position :
" ... It may become inevitable that if shortstop
Joaquin Arias is going to make the big leagues with the Rangers, he will
have to learn to play another position. Daniels said Thursday the club has
considered having Arias play other infield positions and learn the outfield.
Arias, 22, is blocked in his path to the majors by Michael Young, with whom the
Rangers will try to negotiate a long-term extension this winter. The club could
need a backup infielder and outfielder, which is one method by which Arias could
break into the big leagues. "We've talked about it," Daniels said. "But he's a
premium shortstop. It's a possibility." (Dallas Morning News)
08 December, 2006
Venezuela - Franklin Gutierrez CLE 2-4, .263 ... Carlos
Gonzalez ARZ 0-6, 3 Ks, left 14 runners aboard, .270 ... Gregor Blanco
CF ATL 3-4, double, 2 walks, .300
Dominican - Daric Barton OOAK 2-3, walk, .339 ... Willy
Aybar ATL 3-4, double, .314 ... Matt Kemp LAD 1-6, 3rd
homer, .248
Troop movements ... TB - released Travis Harper ... PIT - released INF
Yurendell DeCaster ... KC - released RHP Runelvys
Hernandez, signed Gil Meche ... CHA - acquired LHP Gio
Gonzalez from PHI as the PTBNL in the Gavin Floyd-Freddy Garcia deal ...
BAL - designated RHP Aaron Rakers for assignment ... MIN - signed
Mike Venafro, Carmen Cali to minor league contracts
with ST invites ... LAD - signed OF Luis Gonzalez ... NYN -
re-signed RHP Guillermo Mota ... SF - resigned Barry Bonds
...
Ian Stewart continues a slow decline on the COL prospect chart.
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall, ranks the former phenom No. 3 :
1. Troy Tulowitzki, SS
6. Greg Reynolds, RHP
2. Chris Iannetta, C 7. Dexter
Fowler, OF
3. Ian Stewart, 3B
8. Shane Lindsay, RHP
4. Franklin Morales, LHP 9. Jonathan Herrera, SS
5. Ubaldo Jimenez, RHP 10. Seth Smith, OF
Rule 5 picks ... a few surprises :
" ... Tampa Bay had the top pick and grabbed outfielder
Ryan Goleski from Cleveland. The Devil Rays then proceeded to trade the
slugger to Oakland. Two picks later the Cubs grabbed controversial former
first-round pick Josh Hamilton only to trade him to Cincinnati
immediately following the draft ... Hamilton, 25, made a much-heralded
return to the field this season, appearing in 15 games for Hudson Valley of the
Class A Short-Season New York-Penn League. It was the first on-field action in
four years for the 1999 top draft pick, who was out of baseball while battling a
myriad of problems, including drugs and alcohol ... Two more of the picks worth
keeping an eye on ... Jesus Flores and Josh Phelps.
The Nationals grabbed Flores, a 22-year-old catcher from the Mets who spent the
season at Class A Advanced St. Lucie of the Florida State League. Flores hit
.266 with 21 homers and 70 RBIs and is sound defensively." (MLB.com)
No position switch yet for Salty in ATL :
" ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ... Bobby Cox
reiterated Wedndesday that the Braves aren’t ready to move Salty from the
catching spot yet, and might keep him there to maintain his value, which will be
enormous if he bounces back with a strong year in the minors." (Atlanta
Journal Constitution)
07 December, 2006
Dominican - Willy Aybar ATL 3-5, 4 RBI, .296 ... Jose Capellan
MIL 3 5 4 2 2 4, 2.30 ... Daric Barton OAK 1-3, 2 walks, .321 ...
Rafael Soriano ATL 2/3s 3 4 3 1 0, 7.50
Venezuela - Gregor Blanco ATL 1-3, walk, .283 ... Carlos
Gonzalez ARZ 2-4, .282
Puerto Rico - Bruce Chen FA 6.0 4 0 0 1 4
Troop movements ... BAL - signed C Paul Bako, acquired IF-OF Freddie
Bynum from CHN for PTBNL ... CLE - signed OF David
Dellucci, RHP Joe Borowski ... KC - acquired RHP Brian
Bannister from NYN for RHP Ambiorix Burgos ... LAD - signed
C Mike Lieberthal, subject to a physical, signed RHP Jason
Schmidt... OAK - signed LHP Alan Embree, released RHP
Juan Dominguez, subject to a physical, signed C Mike Piazza
... SF - signed C Bengie Molina ... PHI - acquired RHP Freddy
Garcia from CHA for RHP Gavin Floyd and PTBNL (thought to
be Gio Gonzalez) ... CHN - signed LHP Ted Lilly
... ATL - reported to have acquired Rafael Soriano for
Horacio
Ramirez ... SD - subject to a physical, signed Greg
Maddux ...
USA
Today reports on the CLE system, including a check on the top prospects :
" ... Adam Miller ... had a breakout
season, getting named the Indians' minor league pitcher of the year and the
Double-A Eastern League's pitcher of the year. Playing for Akron, he was named
to the All-Star Futures Game and was an Eastern League postseason all-star. He
was 15-6 with a 2.75 ERA in 26 games for Akron and ranked first in the league in
wins, second in ERA and third in strikeouts (157 in 1532/3 innings). An elbow
injury limited him to 15 games in 2005. Miller's fastball is at 97 mph, and his
slider is his second-best pitch."
" ... Chuck Lofgren ... named the
Carolina League's pitcher of the year, and his 17 victories tied him for first
in the minor leagues. He was 17-5 with a 2.32 ERA in 25 starts for Kinston. His
ERA and strikeouts (125 in 139 2/3 innings) ranked second in the Carolina
League, and he worked at least five innings in 23 of his 25 starts. He held
opponents to one run or fewer in 11 starts. He made the Carolina League's
regular-season and postseason all-star teams and posted a 2.19 ERA in two
playoff starts. The Indians like his progression in all aspects of his game;
they especially like his confidence. He's likely to show up in Cleveland in
2008."
Tim Polko, RotoHelp, ranks the Cubs and
Braves youngsters :
" ... 2. Eric Patterson ... signing Mark
DeRosa with the intention of deploying the veteran as the everyday second
baseman ... leaves the Cubs' leadoff-man-of-the-future without a clear
opening in the majors any time soon. Sure, the club could shift the veteran
almost anywhere on the diamond, but between the youngster's overly aggressive
ascent through the system and the organizational mandate to win now, I can't see
Chicago giving another Patterson on-the-job training. Current rumors also
indicate that Patterson will begin to play center in the minors, further
diminishing his value to the club."
" ... 7. Donald Veal ...
Selected in the second round of the 2005 draft, Veal's overall dominance of
A-ball hitters this summer appropriately obscures his control issues. Few young
left-handers strike out more than a batter per inning and allow only three hits
every five innings, so I don't mind that Veal's walk rate remains high. Pitchers
with a 1.12 WHIP comprised of 47% walks and only 53% hits simply don't let
opposing teams generate many rallies, accounting for Veal's superb 2.16 ERA on
the season. I doubt he'll face any serious challenge until reaching the majors
late next summer. Although I won't recommend any Cubs' rookie pitcher at this
point, he'd dramatically increase in value if moved to another organization, and
if you must own one of Chicago's minor league pitchers, draft Veal."
" ... 1. Gregor Blanco ... his
return to Mississippi this season resulted in a higher contact rate that boosted
his BA and OBP to fairly impressive levels, warranting a mid-season promotion to
Richmond. Blanco truly reemerged as Triple-A, demonstrating a broad base of
leadoff skills that suggest he could succeed on a big league bench right now. He
even echoed these numbers in the Venezuelan Winter League this fall, so I see no
reason why Blanco shouldn't receive every chance to break camp as the Braves'
fifth outfielder in the spring."
" ... 6. Matt Harrison ...
Neither Harrison's strikeout nor hit rates much interest me, but he possesses
very good control and doesn't allow too many homers. He also only turned 21 just
two weeks before season's end, making the fact he improved upon his 2005
breakout all the more impressive. Harrison ranks right behind Anthony Lerew as
the best fantasy values among Braves' pitching prospects."
Is Travis Buck that good or is Daric Barton beginning a
slide down the charts?
Baseball America checks in with its ranking of the OAK farm :
1. Travis Buck, of 6. Javier Herrera, of
2. Daric Barton, 1b 7. Jason Windsor, rhp
3. Kurt Suzuki, c 8. Marcus McBeth, rhp
4. Matt Sulentic, of 9. Justin Sellers, ss
5. Jermaine Mitchell, of 10. Trevor Cahill, rhp
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall,
likes Justin Upton as the best of a still strong farm system :
1. Justin Upton, OF 6. Micah Owings, RHP
2. Chris Young, OF 7. Brett Anderson, LHP
3. Carlos Gonzalez, OF 8. Gerardo Parra, OF
4. Miguel Montero, C 9. Dustin Nippert, RHP
5. Alberto Callaspo, 2B 10. Brooks Brown, RHP
Glen Perkins looks to remain a starter, Jason Kubel
heading for DH role as Twins plan for the new season :
" ... Twins' list of desires this offseason includes
a second left-hander to have in their already talent-laden bullpen ... One
player that has already been ruled out as an option for that spot is Glen
Perkins. Perkins spent a bit of time in the Minnesota bullpen during his callup
at the end of the season, but that wasn't a glimpse of the future. The
Stillwater, Minn., native is expected to compete for a starting role, but while
Francisco Liriano used a bullpen spot to transition into the Majors, Gardenhire
doesn't envision the same for Perkins." (MLB.com)
" ... Kubel ... 24-year-old underwent
arthroscopic surgery in late November to fix a torn meniscus in his right knee.
It was surgery on Kubel's left knee prior to the 2005 season that caused him to
miss an entire year of baseball. Soreness in both knees due to the lingering
effects of the surgery plagued Kubel during the second half of 2006, and the
recent news seems to point toward Kubel playing the outfield as little as
possible. "Kubel may be better suited to DH right now," Gardenhire said.
"But we can mix and match out there." To earn a steady role, Kubel must show the
Twins he can remain healthy and that he has improved his conditioning." (MLB.com)
COL flame thrower might be heading for a relief role :
" ... pitching prospect Juan Morillo is
going to get a spring training audition in the bullpen. "We want to see if he
might turn into our Joel Zumaya," O'Dowd said in reference to the Tigers'
hard-throwing rookie reliever. If Morillo doesn't make the Opening Day roster,
O'Dowd said he could be used as a starter at Triple-A Colorado Springs."
(Rocky Mountain News)
No pen for Homer :
" ... If Homer Bailey pitches with the
Reds this season, it will be as a starter. "If he comes up, he'll start," Narron
said. But Narron doesn't expect Bailey to begin the year with the Reds. "Unless
something unforeseen happens, he'll start in Triple-A," Narron said
(Cincinnati Enquirer)
Michael Laureano,
Diamond Futures is
zipping through his position-by-positions rankings (a few eye-openers included)
:
CATCHER FIRST BASE SECOND BASE
Fox Jacob Kaaihue Kala Kendrick Howie
Kottaras George Dunlap Cory Denker Travis
Saltalamacchia Jarr Votto Joey Hatch Anthony
Thigpen Curtis Loney James Brito Javier
Anderson Bryan Carp Mike Young Eric
Salome Angel Blanks Kyle Gonzalez Angel
Flores Jesus Lis Erik Callaspo Alberto
Towles Justin LaHair Bryan Bonfacio Emilio
Frostad Emerson Carter Chris Valbuena Luis
Mercado Orlando Nelson Brad Raburn Ryan
THIRD BASE SHORTSTOP
Braun Ryan Reynolds Mark
Gordon Alex Upton B.J.
Kouzmanoff Kevin Wood Brandon
Duncan Eric Rodriguez Sean
LaRoche Andy Brignac Reid
Fields Josh Velez Eugenio
Moore Scott Hollimon Michael
Winfree David Lillibridge Brent
Dewitt Blake Tulowitzki Troy
Stewart Ian Andrus Elvis
06 December, 2006
Dominican - Justin Huber KC 2-4, double, .227 ... Wilson Betemit
LAD 2-5, .200
Puerto Rico - a couple of interesting names atop the pitching leaders :
Team ERA G W L IP H R ER HR BB SO
Chen, Bruce Caguas 0.87 5 3 0 31.0 12 3 3 1 3 37
Soler, Alay Ponce 1.06 5 1 1 17.0 13 2 2 0 4 14
Troop movements ... COL - signed RHP LaTroy Hawkins
... LAD - signed Takashi Saito ... BOS - preliminary deals with
JD Drew, Julio Lugo ... KC - minor league contracts & Spring Training invitations for
RHP Dewon Brazelton, LHP Wayne Franklin, catcher Jared
Price, Damaso Espino, RHPs Roberto Giron and
Matt Wright, 1B first baseman Graham Koonce ...
Blue Jays' farmhand, Chip Cannon, voted the MVP of the Arizona Fall
League :
" ... On Tuesday, he was honored for his magnificent year
when he was presented with the Joe Black Most Valuable Player Award in an awards
ceremony at the Winter Meetings. Cannon, 25, nearly became the first player to
win the AFL Triple Crown, leading the league in home runs (11), RBIs (29), total
bases (75), slugging percentage (.714) and OPS (1.188). He was second in on-base
percentage (.474), tied for second in hits (37) and finished fourth with a .357
batting average. "It's kind of cool to say you won the MVP of the Arizona Fall
League," said Cannon, whose real first name is Rhame. "I don't know if it will
carry me or give me more of a push. But everything can help." (MiLB.com)
More arm woes for top MIL pick :
" ... Right-hander Mark Rogers, the Brewers'
first-round draft pick in 2004, is facing the likelihood of surgery after a
continuation of the shoulder pain that forced him to be shut down in the second
half of the 2006 season at Class A Brevard County (Fla.). Assistant general
manager Gord Ash ... said Rogers, 20, was examined by team physician
William Raasch, who recommended arthroscopic surgery to pinpoint the cause of
the shoulder discomfort. "He's going to get a second opinion but it's looking
surgical," said Ash." (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Dodgers' prized lefty likely to continue in a bullpen role :
" ... New farm director De Jon Watson said that left-hander
Greg Miller, whose
promising career was interrupted by two years of shoulder problems, is healthy
and expected to remain a reliever, although there has been some discussion of
allowing him to start." (MiLB.com)
Another couple of prospects from the
USA Today previews
:
" ... Troy Tulowitzki ...
first-round draft pick in 2005 was slowed by a knee injury last season but still
hit .291 with 13 homers and 61 RBI at Double-A Tulsa. His time is approaching,
if it's not already here. Tulowitzki, 22, will get a chance to earn the starting
job in spring training. "He does a lot of things well," farm director Marc
Gustafson says. "He'll hit for average, hit 15 to 20 home runs down the road and
drive in some runs. His composure and his ability are very impressive."
" ... Sean Gallagher ... 12th-round
pick in 2004, Gallagher, 20, is making heads turn with his progress. Gallagher,
whom the Cubs named their minor league pitcher of the year for 2005, yielded a
2.30 ERA in 13 starts at high-A Daytona and a 2.71 ERA in 15 starts for Double-A
West Tenn this past season. He finished the year with 11 victories, 171
strikeouts (in 164⅔ innings) and a 2.51 ERA. He is on the fast track to the
Cubs' 2008 rotation."
05 December, 2006
Dominican - Dennis Tankersley 6 7 1 1 2 3, 2.41 ... Daric
Barton OAK 0-4, .321 ... Matt Kemp LAD 2-3 walk, .253 ...
Kendry Morales LAD 2-4, .264
MLB.com scooped the source ... reporting that Baseball America had named
the Dodgers as the 2006 Organization of the Year.
Troop movements ... SEA - signed OF Jose Guillen,
designated LHP Bobby Livingston for assignment ... NYA - catcher
Raul Chavez to a minor league contract ... SF - signed Rich
Aurilia, re-signed Pedro Feliz ... STL - signed Chris
Carpenter to an extension ... SF - reported to have signed catcher
Bengie Molina ...
No surprise atop the Angels' ladder as ranked by
Baseball America, but one of
those "outta left field" picks in the No. 4 slot.
1 Brandon Wood ss 6 Hank Conger c
2 Nick Adenhart rhp 7 Jeff Mathis c
3 Erick Aybar ss 8 Sean Rodriguez ss/2b
4 Young-Il Jung rhp 9 Sean O'Sullivan rhp
5 Stephen Marek rhp 10 Tommy Mendoza rhp
Jonathan
Mayo, MLB.com, with some reviews on one of the barest systems, STL :
" ... Adam Ottavino ... the Northeastern product got
in 65 1/3 pro innings across two levels. He finished with a 3.31 ERA in 14
starts, striking out nearly a batter an inning while holding opponents to a .211
batting average. He didn't allow his first earned run until his fifth pro outing
and could start to move quickly next year."
" ... Colby Rasmus ... Playing almost the
whole season at 19, Rasmus took a large step in establishing himself as one of
the few top-notch outfield prospects the Cardinals have produced in recent
memory. He handled his first taste of full-season ball easily, hitting .310 with
11 homers (.512 SLG) and 50 RBIs in 303 at-bats before being challenged with a
move to Palm Beach. His average fell to .254 and his slugging slipped to .404,
but he continued to draw some walks (27 in 53 games), impressive for such a
young player. He also made adjustments after hitting .214 in July, improving to
.305 in August."
" ... Tyler Greene ... one part of Greene's
game that remained consistent all year was his speed. The Georgia Tech product
led the organization with 33 steals and was caught only three times. The rest of
his season wasn't nearly as successful. Beginning the year as Palm Beach's
shortstop, Greene hit .224 in 71 games before being moved down to Quad Cities to
try to right himself. He performed better there, hitting .287 in 59 games and
going 11-for-11 in stolen-base attempts before going 5-for-14 (.357) in the
playoffs. How he handles a return to Palm Beach next year could help determine
what kind of long-term future he has."
Tim Polko, RotoHelp, checks in with the
best of the ARZ and TOR farm systems :
" ... 1. Chris Young ... To illustrate the depth
of the Diamondbacks' young talent, the biggest decision facing the organization
in the next few years is whether to keep Chris Young or Justin Upton in center
and whether the loser supplants Carlos Quentin or Carlos Gonzalez on the corners
or heads elsewhere as trade bait for a second ace to join Brandon Webb. For now,
Young will open 2007 as the starting centerfielder and enjoys at least a year to
establish his credentials. Given his performance to date, we expect he'll excel
in Arizona. Young nearly won the job this year before a fluke broken hand in
February cost him all of spring training. He hit decently well in the first half
but just exploded after the break, registering .286/.372/.579 averages before
his inevitable promotion to the majors ... With excellent range, plate
discipline, power, and playable speed, we could see him hit both 30-30 ...
only an unimpressive batting average should prevent him from emerging as a
five-category force."
" ... 2. Miguel Montero ... Last month's
trade of Johnny Estrada clears the catching job for an expected platoon of Chris
Snyder and Montero, who should receive the majority of at-bats. Montero nicely
built on his 2005 breakout, demonstrating excellent plate discipline while
registering a .85 G-F that should make him one of the best fantasy values in the
game as a catcher capable of exceeding twenty homers."
" .. 6. Justin Upton ... failed to echo
B.J.'s debut at an identical age and level. Yet despite rampant reports of a
lackadaisical attitude, he posted an outstanding walk rate, decent power
numbers, and only truly struggled against southpaws ... A respectable 1.24
G-F further illustrates his potential, especially as he follows Carlos Gonzalez
from the Midwest League to Visalia in the Cal League. Nothing here causes me to
sour on Upton in any meaningful way. Scouts still love his upside, he won't turn
20 until next August, and he heads into a great environment for hitters next
spring. Expect Upton to finish 2007 at AA Mobile, if not Arizona, as he truly
begins to convert promise into results."
" ... 1. Adam Lind ... , 2004 third round pick simply
destroyed the upper minors, registering very respectable MLE averages of
.281/.332/.427 before impressing everyone during his September cup-of-coffee ...
although his defense relegates him either to DH or into a platoon with Reed
Johnson in left field, only an awful camp should keep him from spending 2007 in
the majors. While his lack of speed limits his immediate roto value, Lind
conversely ranks as perhaps the safest rookie in sim leagues due to the
combination of his demonstrated skill level and the welcoming environment
presented by the Rogers Centre."
" ... 6. Travis Snider ... won MVP honors in the
Appalachian League. His offensive profile gives him the opportunity to join the
Jays as soon as 2009, likely playing across from Alex Rios in left field. With
solid plate discipline, plenty of power potential, and minimal platoon splits,
Snider ranks among the safest investments in the game of any lower-level
prospect."
04 December, 2006
Dominican - Erick Aybar LAa 1-6, homer, .333 ... Felix Pie
CHN 2-7, .233 ... Daric Barton OAK 2-6, walk, .347 ... Kendry
Morales LAA 1-3, 10th homer, .257
Venezuela - Angel Guzman CHN 4 1 0 0 0 7
Puerto Rico - Free agent Bruce Chen having quite a winter season,
7.0 1 1 1 1 12
Troop movements ... BAL - re-signed 1B Kevin Millar, sent RHP Cory
Morris and RHP Brian Finch outright to Triple-A ... CLE -
signed RHP Roberto Hernandez and LHP Aaron Fultz ...
SF - signed outfielder Dave Roberts ... MIN - Josh Rabe
outrighted to Triple-A ... ATL - signed RHP Tanyon Sturtze ...
USA Today
checks in with some views on possible ROY challengers for 2007 and a few other
rooks you ought to know :
" ... 1. Chris Iannetta ... a
.303 hitter over his three minor league seasons and showed enough in Colorado at
the end of last season to indicate he could become this franchise's first
big-time catcher. Crucial to him taking over the big-league job, at 24 next
April, is his defensive play, which has been strong to this point."
" ... 4. Kory Casto ...
converted third baseman gets the first shot at the left-field job vacated by
Alfonso Soriano. Don't expect Casto to be a 40-40 man, unless you're thinking
about doubles and homers. But it could take awhile for his power to develop to
that level."
" ... Andy LaRoche ... ,
Dodgers have tried to maintain a win-now strategy while easing in as many as
possible of their deep stable of prospects. They did it with outfielder Andre
Ethier last season, and LaRoche could emerge after beginning 2007 either
starting at Triple-A or sharing time in Los Angeles. The 23-year-old should
develop into a good power hitter."
" ... Joey Votto ... has
the power to give Cincinnati the punch at first base that hasn't been there for
a long time. Manager Jerry Narron should be able to find Votto time in a
flexible lineup, and, if Votto's ready, his power could help him take more and
more playing time away from Scott Hatteberg."
Tim Polko, RotoHelp, adds reports on the
TEX and TB farms, his top 15 prospects for 2007 :
" ... 1. Freddy Guzman ...
Dealt to Texas in May with Cesar Rojas for Vince Sinisi and John Hudgins, Guzman
failed to break into the Texas outfield due to the unexpected emergence of Gary
Matthews, Jr. Now ... fully recovered from his 2005 Tommy John surgery,
the fleet youngster appears the current favorite to start in center next year.
With excellent plate discipline, baserunning instincts, and defensive range,
Guzman looks like a great fit between potential starters Brad Wilkerson and
Nelson Cruz while adding a welcome dose of speed to the bottom of the order."
" ... 3. Edinson Volquez ...
skyrocketing walk rate sabotaged Volquez's development, likely a side effect of
his rise from A-ball to the majors in 2005 following only ten games in the upper
minors. However, his strikeout and hit rates continue to depict a pitcher with
plenty of upside, and if he endears himself to the Rangers' new coaching staff,
he easily could open the year in the big league rotation. Unfortunately, the
club's historical lack of patience with young starters could create plenty of
problems for Volquez, who could find himself shunted to the bullpen if he
doesn't produce immediately."
" ... 2. Elijah Dukes ...
Repeated problems with the Triple-A coaching staff resulted in a 15-game
suspension for Dukes in June, a 30-game, season-ending suspension in August, and
three other lesser suspensions throughout the year. Of course, the Rays
dismissed Durham's coaching staff for overt incompetence in developing
prospects, and Dukes also managed an excellent .313/.425/.625 performance in 32
AFL at-bats. Vast improvement in his walk rate similarly makes him as good a bet
to succeed in the majors in 2007 as Delmon Young, so if the Rays don't deal
Dukes, he'll spend spring training pushing Jonny Gomes for at-bats at DH. I
realize that Dukes' history of discipline issues raises severe warning flags for
fantasy owners, but I consider his success on the field in spite of those
difficulties a significant badge of success for the prospect."
" ... 6. Reid Brignac ... Taking
full advantage of the California League propelled Brignac's prospect stock,
elevating him among the game's top infield prospects as a left-handed power
hitter capable of playing shortstop in the majors. Tampa moved both B.J. Upton
and Evan Longoria to third base to clear short for Brignac, who will spend one
more summer in the upper minors before likely supplanting Ben Zobrist in the
majors. Although his unimpressive plate discipline still concerns me, his
five-tool upside and relative youth present a tremendously promising future for
Brignac."
" ... 7. Evan Longoria ... Our
choice for the top pick in this June's draft despite less upside than Andrew
Miller and a couple of other pitchers, Longoria slipped to the Rays with the
third selection ... blew through the New York-Penn League in barely a week. He
then continued mashing in the California League despite switching to third base
due to Tampa's decision to cede shortstop to Reid Brignac. Longoria even snagged
a promotion to Double-A for the last month of the year, and despite
deteriorating patience, his .99 G-F helped him smack eighteen highly unexpected
homers in only a half season as a professional. Only Alex Gordon clearly offers
more fantasy potential among AL infield prospects, so feel free to roster
Longoria in the first round of any minor league draft. Despite the theoretical
obstacle presented by B.J. Upton, I suspect the Rays either will deal Upton or
move him to center following a Rocco Baldelli or Carl Crawford trade due the
club's obvious preference to keep Longoria alongside Brignac on the left side of
the infield for no less than the next half-dozen seasons."
Mike Emeigh does some nice work over at
BaseballThinkFactory, this time with a preliminary list of possibilities for
the Rule 5 draft. A few names which caught my attention - P Beau Hale,
P Abe Alvarez, 1B Ian Bladergroen, P Bobby
Brownlie, C Jake Fox, P Ching-Lung Lo, P
Justin Jones, P Brad Knox, 1B/OF Jason
Perry, C Colt Morton, OF Vince Sinisi, P
Chris Begg.
02 December, 2006
Dominican - Kendry Morales LAA 2-3, homer, walk, 3 RBI, .262 ...
Fausto Carmona CLE 5 6 2 3 0 6, 3.21
Venezuela - Wladimir Balentien SEA 1-4, .279 ... Franklin
Gutierrez CLE, playing in CF, 1-3, walk, .286
Troop movements ... TOR - signed catcher Jason Phillips ... TB -
signed RHP Stephen
Andrade, RHP Tony
Peguero, first baseman Hee-Seop
Choi, catcher Yamid Haad, outfielder Dustan Mohr and infielder
Jorge Velandia to minor league
contracts and invited them to spring training ... NYN - signed Tom Glavine
... SD - re-signed infielder Geoff Blum ...
It's Phil Hughes at the top rung as
Project Prospect ranks
the best of the starters.
" ... Hughes ... already has an arsenal of
pitches that could make him a solid major league starter. The 6-foot-5,
225-pound righty dominated High-A Tampa (9.00 K/9, 0.70 WHIP) and Double-A
Trenton (10.71, 0.91) in just his second full season in the minors. He’ll likely
start 2007 in Triple-A Scanton-Wilkes Barre but could be the first pitcher the
Yankees call on in the event of an injury. If no one gets hurt or someone is
struggling, Hughes, 20, should push for a spot in the rotation by midseason."
" ... 3. Mike Pelfrey ... Still a little raw
after signing out of Wichita State in January of 2006, the 6-foot-7, 210-pounder
can touch 97 MPH and has shown hints of masterful command. His performances in
the upper levels of the minor leagues and with the Mets last season were a
little discouraging, but Pelfrey, 22, is the type of competitor who you can
expect to thrive on redeeming himself. Still desperately in need of starting
pitching, the Mets may give the huge righty a opening day rotation spot, through
he would probably be best served with another half season in the minors."
The pace has quickened at
Baseball Prospectus, as Kevin Goldstein moves right on to preview the
Dodgers' farm system.
1. Clayton Kershaw, LHP 6. Josh Bell, 3B
2. Andy LaRoche, 3B 7. Preston Mattingly, 1B
3. Scott Elbert, LHP 8. Blake DeWitt, 2B/3B
4. James Loney, 1B 9. Bryan Morris, RHP
5. Jonathan Meloan, RHP 10. Chin-Lung Hu, SS
Baseball America has the Twins' up. Matt Garza topping the
chart :
1. Matt Garza, rhp
6. Pat Neshek, rhp
2. Glen Perkins, lhp 7. Alexi
Casilla, ss/2b
3. Kevin Slowey, rhp 8. Joe
Benson, of
4. Chris Parmelee, of 9. Paul Kelly,
ss
5. Anthony Swarzak, rhp 10. J.D. Durbin, rhp
Homer Bailey, a rotation slot in 2007?
" ... Most in the organization would prefer to start the
20-year-old Bailey in Louisville next April, but the top-rated prospect might
force the Reds' hand. "With Homer, he's going to come to spring training, he's
going to get a chance to pitch some, and we'll see what happens," said Narron.
"I know the smart thing to do would be probably to get him some time at Triple-A
and go from there, but I think all of us will be open-minded about it. But
definitely, no question, we want to do what's best for the long-term."
(The Cincinnati Post)
In a follow-up piece at Baseball
Analysts, Jeff Sackmann, checks in with some of the worst defensive players.
Take a look. Some interesting names pop up - Trevor Crowe, Elvis
Andrus, Ryan Braun, Josh Fields. And, a
warning for those counting on Matt Kemp or Fernando
Martinez as major league centre fielders.
01 December, 2006
Lists updated ... 40-man rosters ...
Top 10s ...
Top
100s ... Prospects by position ...
Crossovers ...
Dominican - Jose Capellan MIL, fronted a one-hitter, 6.0 0 0 0 3 5, 1.85
... Kendy Morales LAA 2-4, double, .252 ... Felix Pie
CHN 0-3, .231 ... Daric Barton OAK 1-3, 2 walks, .366
Troop movements ... BAL - signed RHP Scott Williamson, RHP Chad
Bradford ... COL - signed Jeff Francis to a four-year contract ...
BOS - signed free agent LHP Hideki Okajima ...
" ... Okajima ... two-year contract with an option
for the 2009 season ... In addition to his potential contributions as the
left-handed specialist in the Sox’ bullpen, having Okajima on board can only
help the Sox in their quest to sign ace pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. Okajima, who
will turn 31 on Christmas, is a 12-year veteran of Nippon Professional Baseball.
He has been a quality setup man in the Japanese leagues, playing 11 years for
the Yomiuri Giants and last season for the Nippon Ham Fighters. Last season,
Okajima went 2-2 with a career-best 2.14 ERA in 55 appearances for the Ham
Fighters. In his career, he is 34-32 with a 3.36 ERA ... Though not said
to be a hard thrower, the word is that Okakjima has a devastating curveball."
(Boston Herald)
Kevin
Goldstein, Baseball Prospectus, ranks the best of the HOU farm :
1. Jason Hirsh, RHP 6. J.R. Towles, C
2. Hunter Pence, OF 7. Matt Albers, RHP
3. Troy Patton, LHP 8. Juan Gutierrez, RHP
4. Jimmy Barthmaier, RHP 9. Felipe Paulino, RHP
5. Max Sapp, C 10. Brian Bogusevic, LHP
At Baseball America, more praise for Alex Gordon, Billy Butler et al as BA
presents the Royals' Top 10:
1. Alex Gordon 3B 6. Erik Cordier RHP
2. Luke Hochevar RHP 7. Mitch Maier OF
3. Billy Butler OF 8. Justin Huber OF/1B
4. Chris Lubanski OF 9. Billy Buckner RHP
5. Tyler Lumsden LHP 10. Brent Fisher LHP
A warm welcome please for Koby Schellenger! Koby, a graduate of the
University of Wisconsin, is pumping out team-by-team prospect reports at
fantasyinfocentral.com .
Koby's work can also be seen at athomeplate.com and baseball-ramblings.blogspot.com.
His rankings are among those including in the Top
10s. He's run through the AL teams and for the NL, the ATL prospect preview
is his latest report :
" ... Eric Campbell ... began to
play some 2B in the HWL ... future is still unknown but I would imagine
ATL will try to keep him at second. He has incredible power that he's already
displayed but I question his ability to turn 22 HR (in the pitcher friendly park
in Rome) into 25-30 major league home runs. He doesn't have the consistency we'd
expect from someone like him but he's still developing. He's got the power, he
just needs to add discipline at the plate."
" ... Jeff Clement ... If Clement
can solidify his defense he is the one minor league catcher who could challenge
Piazza's home run record for catchers. Clement struggled in his first full
professional season (most of which was spent in AAA) due to an injury ....should
be ready to contribute, in some serviceable capacity, next season. The only
question is where he fits in."
" ... Kyle Drabek ...
prototypical high school stud ... throws 95 with a plus 12-6 curve and
excellent understanding of how to pitch. His coaches have noted how important it
is that they don't need to remind him of things while he's on the mound. His
major areas to work on are his delivery which is odd and jerky and his stamina."
" ... Nick Adenhart ...
Great fastball, plus curve. He projects as a frontline starter. Must improve his
change before he can move up effectively. Everything is kept down and he does a
great job working the corners."
" ... Daric Barton ...
tremendous ability to get on base and will likely hit 20 home runs in the big
leagues. He projects to hit .280/.400/.460 with relative consistency."
" ... Glen Perkins ... isn't
quite ready but he's becoming a power pitcher with every start. He can rack up
the K's when his command is on. He can touch 96 with his fastball and throws a
slow curve, and occasionally a fast curve as well as the best changeup in the
system."
" ... Billy Butler ...
Butler and Gordon could very well have been 1a and 1b. They are very very close.
Gordon has better numbers but is two years older. Butler has defensive issues
and may project better as a DH but that won't matter when he's hitting
.310/.410/.530. He projects as a power hitter with patience to boot."
USA Today
continues with its team-by-team reports, including a Top 5 prospect list.
Among those highlighted :
" ... Franklin Morales ...
General manager Dan O'Dowd can hardly contain his enthusiasm about the
20-year-old Venezuelan, whose 179 strikeouts (in 154 innings) for high-A Modesto
were the most in the organization. "He's a left-handed starting pitcher who has
(Francisco) Liriano-type ability," O'Dowd says, then adds, "That might be
stretching it a little bit, but he's got a lot of ability." Morales, who throws
effectively in the mid-90s, probably will start at Double-A in 2007."
" ... Dexter Fowler ...
flew a bit under the radar in part because he was out with a sprained ankle. He
hit .296 with 43 steals (in 66 chances) for low-A Asheville. "He's a five-tool
player," Gustafson says. "He's a switch-hitter who can run and has power; a very
exciting player." Fowler, 6-4 and 173 pounds, needs to fill out and cut down on
strikeouts. He is ticketed for high-A Modesto next year."
" ... Brandon Erbe ... Don't be
fooled by this year's 5-9 record. It's the mid-90s fastball, slider and changeup
that have this 18-year-old on the Camden Yards radar ... .At Delmarva this year,
he struck out 133 in 114⅔ ."
One more setback for Jason Kubel, or is that a positive move ?
" ... Kubel needed surgery last week to repair
a torn meniscus in his right knee, but should be ready for spring training in
February, Kubel tore three ligaments in his left knee in 2004 and was forced to
miss the entire 2005 season. He batted .241 with eight homers in 73 games last
season, but his mobility was limited. Twins General Manager Terry Ryan suspects
that Kubel injured his right knee by compensating for his left. "Everything
structurally is fine," Ryan said. "He will be ready to go. I'm almost relieved
that there was something in the good knee that didn't allow him to function. We
have the health issues taken care of now, so we can move on." The Twins are
willing to hand over the starting left field job to Kubel if he's healthy."
(Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
Casy Kotchman ... uphill battle for a starting slot :
" ... Kotchman, who missed all but 29 games while
battling the effects of mononucleosis last season, spent some time this fall
playing in scrimmages and intra-squad games with the University of Tampa
baseball team, and he recently began playing winter ball in Puerto Rico. Even if
Kotchman reports to spring training with a clean bill of health, he will have to
win his job back, and that means showing he has the endurance and stamina to
handle the rigors of a major league baseball season. There will be no shortage
of competition — Robb Quinlan, Kendry Morales and Dallas McPherson will all
enter camp as first-base candidates." (LA Times)
30 November, 2006
Dominican - Daric Barton OAK 1-2, walk, .368 ... Nelson Cruz
TEX 2-4, double, .295
Venezuela - Alberto Callaspo ARZ 2-4, .285 ... Wladimir
Balentien SEA 1-4, double, .280 ... Miguel Montero ARZ 0-4,
.265
Troop movements ... MIL - signed INF Craig Counsell ... TOR - signed
shortstop Royce Clayton ...
At
MiLB.com, Kevin T. Czerwinski reviews the DET farm :
" ... Cameron Maybin ... proved
to be one of the more dynamic players in the Midwest League this season, easily
confirming during his maiden season in the pros that he was worthy of being a
first-round pick. He hit .304 (fifth in the Midwest League) as a 19-year-old
with nine homers and 69 RBIs, despite being hampered by a finger injury. He
stole 27 bases and had a .387 on-base percentage, yet his youth was obvious in
his impatience. He fanned 116 times and drew only 50 walks."
" ... Andrew Miller ... 6-foot-6
Miller saw action in three games with Lakeland, pitching five scoreless innings,
before getting called up to Detroit. He appeared in eight games for the Tigers
and got roughed up, allowing eight hits and 10 walks over 10 1/3 innings. Still,
he figures to be a staple in the Detroit rotation for years to come."
" ... Jordan Tata ... followed
up a big 2005 season by reaching the Major Leagues in 2006, posting a 6.14 ERA
in 14 2/3 innings with the Tigers. He spent the bulk of the season in Toledo,
going 10-6 with a 3.84 ERA in 21 starts for the International League champion
Mud Hens. He's not a big strikeout guy, despite his size (6-foot-6), but his
low-90s fastball does have a great deal of movement."
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall,
ranks the Orioles' system :
1. Bill Rowell, 3B, Grade B+ 6. Radhames Liz, RHP, B
2. Brandon Erbe, RHP, Grade B+ 7. James Hoey, RHP, B-
3. Nolan Reimold, OF, B 8. Jeff Fiorentino, OF, B-
4. Garrett Olson, LHP, B 9. Brandon Snyder, C, C+
5. Pedro Beato, RHP, B 10. James Johnson, RHP, C+
Jeff Sackmann, in a piece at
Baseball Analysts, introduces his rankings of the defensive prowess of minor
leaguers.
MiLB.com names its Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year ...
Kevin Kouzmanoff and Matt Garza :
" ... Starting the year in the Florida State League,
Garza made three leaps forward and debuted with the Twins in August. Garza was
on the ultimate fast track in 2006 -- compiling a 14-4 record, 1.99 ERA, 154
strikeouts, 32 walks and a .179 batting average against in the Minors -- and as
a result was named MiLB.com's Minor League Pitcher of the Year."
" ... newly minted San Diego Padres third baseman
Kevin Kouzmanoff ... "I like to be under the radar, I'm happy to just hang
low and not be in all the papers and magazines and stuff," Kouzmanoff said. "But
I guess there's no more hiding now." Kouzmanoff, originally a sixth-round pick
by the Cleveland Indians in 2003 ... This past summer, the 25-year-old
combined to hit .379 between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Buffalo, missing the
Minor League batting crown by .001 while combining for 22 homers and 75 RBIs in
only 94 games. He led the Minors in slugging (.656) and was fourth among
full-season players in on-base percentage (.437). Kouzmanoff made his Major
League debut on Sept. 2 and promptly made history when he crushed the very first
pitch he saw from Texas Rangers rookie Edinson Volquez for a grand slam."
29 November, 2006
Dominican - Matt Kemp LAD 1-4, double, .247 ... Erick
Aybar LAA 2-5, .329 ... Felix Pie CHN 0-3, .245
Puerto Rico - a few selected players (a couple of former prospects
included) :
BA AB H 2B 3B HR BB SO
Edgar Clemente FA .419 43 18 2 2 1 8 11
Todd Linden SF .365 52 19 2 0 4 10 5
Jason Botts TEX .351 57 20 1 1 2 4 | 
