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18 March, 2007
Hayden Penn BAL 3.0 2 0 0 1 2 ... Hideki Okajima BOS
1.0 1 0 0 0 1 ... Josh Hamilton CIN 0-3, walk, .500 ... Andy
Marte CLE 0-3, .226 ... BJ Upton TB 2B-CF 0-4, .206 ...
Cameron Maybin DET 2-4, triple, homer, .450 ... Lastings
Milledge NYN 2-4, double, .375 ... Jerome Williams WAS 4.0 2 0
0 2 2 ... Chris Snelling WAS 3-5, double, 2 homers, .308 ...
Casey Kotchman LAA 2-4, homer, .306 ... Kendry Morales
LAA 2-4, .306 ... Jeff Mathis LAA 0-3, .156 ... Josh
Fields CHA 1-1, homer ... Miguel Montero ARZ 2-3, .500 ...
Chris Snyder ARZ 3-4, double, .350 ... Alex Gordon KC
0-1, 2 walks, .414 ... Ryan Braun MIL 0-4, walk, .344 ... Tim
Stauffer SD 1.0 3 3 3 1 0 ... Kevin Kouzmanoff SD 2-3,
homer, .385 ... Troy Tulowitzki COL 2-4, .357 ...
Troop movements ... BOS - optioned LHP Craig Breslow, C George
Kottaras and OF Brandon Moss to Triple-A, RHP Runelvys
Hernandez assigned to Minor League camp ... COL - . Reassigned C Edwin
Bellorin to Minor League camp ... TOR - Optioned INF Russ
Adams, RHP Ty Taubenheim , OF Adam Lind to Triple-A ... PHI -
returned Rule 5 pick Alfredo Simon to TEX ...
MinorLeagueBaseball checks in on LAD sleeper - Tony Abreu :
" ... Abreu's continued to play like he belongs. He
has climbed steadily through the farm system and, as the good ones tend to do,
elevated his game each time he moved up a rung. He was a Southern League
All-Star last year and led Double-A Jacksonville with a .287 average, one year
after winning the Florida State League batting title and two years after winning
the Gulf Coast League batting title. Baseball America ranks him as the No. 5
prospect in the organization. Abreu, 21, is ticketed for Triple-A this year ...
arrived in the organization as a skinny kid and has quickly grown into a
powerful man -- adding 40 pounds and the long-ball power ... The
switch-hitting power, the average, the glove and a shortstop's arm has become an
eye-catching package at Dodgertown this spring. "To me, he's the second baseman
of the future for our organization," Duncan [coach Mariano Duncan] said of a
position currently occupied by Jeff Kent, who recently turned 39 and is coming
off a season of injuries. "He's a very smart kid and he listens."
Kevin Kouzmanoff making a good impression at the plate and in the field :
" ... “He's got all-fields power,” Black said. “He
makes solid contact. The pitcher is going to have to make some pitches against
him. He's not going to give away at-bats. Every at-bat with Kouz is going to be
tough on opposing pitchers.” Red Sox analyst Bill James would agree. In his
handbook, James projects Kouzmanoff to hit .321 this year with 27 home runs, 30
doubles and 101 RBI. Kouzmanoff also is playing better defensively than what
some scouts saw in the past few years. Although he doesn't have the fastest
feet, he has made difficult plays to his left and right and after charging
nubbers. He also has shown touch on throws, making quick-release, accurate
tosses without winding up, something some major league third basemen struggle to
do. “Defensively, he's been fine,” Black said. “All of our infield guys have
been OK with his defense. It might not look textbook, but the end result is that
the batter is out. I have been impressed with his willingness to work and
listen. From what I have seen, I am not worried at all.” (San Diego
Union Tribune)
17 March, 2007
Matt Garza MIN 2.0 2 0 0 0 1 ... Chris Sampson HOU 2.0 0 0 0 0 5
... Edward Campusano DET 1.0 4 3 3 0 2 ... Michael Bourn
PHI 2-4, triple, .371 ... Neil Walker PIT 1-4, double, .391 ...
Delmon Young TB 2-3, .242 ... Angel Guzman CHN 3.1 7 5
5 1 0 ... Felix Pie CHN 1-3, .361 ... Tim Lincecum
SF 2.0 2 2 2 1 1 ... Jeff Baker COL 3-4, Joakim Soria
KC 3.0 5 1 1 0 2 ... Billy Butler KC 2-2, 2 doubles, 2 walks, .520
... Yovani Gallardo MIL 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 ... Ryan Braun
MIL 0-4, .393 ... Dustin Moseley LAA 4.2 7 0 0 0 2 ... Matt
Lindstrom FLO 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 ... Yusemiro Petit FLO 4.0 3 3 2 1
3 ... Enrique Gonzalez ARZ 4.0 1 0 0 0 3 ... Carlos
Quentin ARZ 1-2, 3rd homer, .357 ... Cla Meredith SD, 1.0 3 2 2 1
0, 7.20 ...
" ... Jon Lester pitched two innings of a
Minor League game Friday afternoon for Triple-A Pawtucket against the Twins'
Rochester affiliate, going two innings, allowing one hit, striking out two. He
threw 20 pitches, 15 for strikes." (MLB.com)
Troop movements ... SEA - reassigned C Jeff Clement and 2B Michael
Garciaparra to minor league camp; optioned 1B Bryan LaHair,
SS Oswaldo Navarro, OF Wladimir Balentien, OF
Michael Wilson and C Rob Johnson to Triple-A ... CIN -
released RHP Brian Meadows, RHP Kerry Ligtenberg,
reassigned RHP Homer Bailey to minor league camp; optioned 1B
Joey Votto to Triple-A ... WAS - optioned RHP Emiliano
Fruto to Triple-A ... FLO - Optioned RHP Scott Tyler to
Double-A, Outrighted 1B Jason Stokes to Triple-A ... DET -
optioned RHP Yorman Bazardo to Triple-A, 3B Kody Kirkland to
Double-A ... COL - optioned RHP Denny Bautista, RHP Ryan Speier to
Triple-A ...
John Danks CHA is featured in the latest installment of
Dayn Perry's FOXSports
Top 100 :
" ... 29. John Danks ... knock on Danks right now is
that he's failed to succeed in the high minors, which, of course, raises
questions about his ability to handle hitters in the Major Leagues. On the other
hand, he's been consistently younger than his peer group at every stop. Three
plus pitches, fronted by a tremendous curve, plus good velocity for a lefty. He
could use a full season at Triple-A, though."
" ... 28. Sean Rodriguez ... Career .384
OBP in the minors and excellent gap-power skills. His approach at the plate
isn't all that aesthetically pleasing, but he gets results. There's some
question as to whether he'll remain at shot (particularly with Erick Aybar ahead
of him), but he'll hit no matter where he winds up."
" ... 24. Adam Miller ... top-flight
pitching prospect. He has command of three plus pitches, he keeps the ball on
the ground, he has a strong record of performance, and he's poised on the hill.
The only point against him is that he endured serious elbow problems in 2005. If
not for the injury concerns, he'd be a top-10 prospect. If he stays healthy this
year, he'll resume "future Cy Young contender" status."
David Luciani, in his Baseball Notebook Newsletter (I can't find a link
as yet for a posting on his web site) has "A Different Type of Prospect List".
It's a top 50 with short-term value the key.
" ... concept came about because of the obvious
need to be able to draft prospects only with the relative short-term in mind,
not necessarily a single year but no more than three or four years out at most
... this is not a true top prospect list. Because this list focuses only on
short-term value, as we said last year, older players can make the list. In
fact, we singled out Kevin Kouzmanoff last year as being able to crack this list
despite his age because of its emphasis on short-term value. Kevin Thompson this
year is another example of such a player as he turned twenty-seven in September
... The order is, admittedly, somewhat arbitrary but we hope readers find
some names here that they hadn't previously considered. In many cases, players
listed may not have value until 2008 or 2009 but rarely do we extend beyond that
as otherwise the list wouldn't be serving its purpose."
1. Delmon Young, OF (TB) 6. Philip Hughes, P (NYY)
2. Andy LaRoche, 3B (LAD) 7. Brandon Wood, SS (LAA)
3. Sean Rodriguez, SS (LAA) 8. Dustin Pedroia, SS/2B (BOS)
4. Alexi Casilla, SS/2B (MIN) 9. Yovani Gallardo, P (MIL)
5. Reid Brignac, SS (TB) 10. Erick Aybar, SS (LAA)
Among some of the
not-too-familiar names - 13. Kevin Thompson, OF, NYA, 22. Robert
Valido, SS, CHA, 28. Ryan Klosterman, SS TOR, 33.
Irving Falu, SS KC, and 43. Jacob Fox, C CHN
Jim Callis,
Baseball America, looking ahead to the 2008 pre-season draft ... Kosuke
Fukudome :
" ... Fukudome, who plays for the Chunichi Dragons, was the
2006 Central League MVP and batting champion, hitting .351-31-104. He's a career
.306/.393/.545 hitter with 179 homers, 599 RBIs and 66 steals in 993 Japanese
games ... he's an outfielder who fits best in right field but can handle
center. He won't be the same kind of power hitter in the United States, but he
does have some pop and is a legitimate five-tool player. He's the best U.S.
prospect among Japanese position players, a more athletic version of Hideki
Matsui (a career .304/.413/.582 hitter in Japan) with a little less power.
Matsui was nearly 29 when he signed with the Yankees in 2003, and he ranked
eighth on our Top 100 that year. Fukudome will be two years older if he comes
over next season. There are several exciting outfield prospects in the minors
right now, and given his age, my guess is that Fukudome would rank toward the
middle of next year's Top 100 if he does sign with a U.S. club."
The Dodgers' farm report at
MinorLeagueBaseball features a pair of high-flying lefties :
" ... Scott Elbert ... It's a toss-up among most folks
as to who has the better upside among the club's two stellar southpaws, Elbert
and young Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers' top pick last June. Tough dilemma to
have -- two outstanding left-handers on their way up. Elbert's proximity to the
big leagues probably gets him the nod. He split last season between Class A
Advanced Vero Beach, where he posted a 2.37 ERA, and Jacksonville, where that
number rose to a still respectable 3.61, combining to lead the organization with
173 strikeouts and 85 walks over 146 innings. Just 21, the 2004 first-rounder
returns to anchor the Jacksonville rotation and try to tweak his command ...
has an outstanding curveball and limited opponents to a .190 average (lefties to
a .156)."
" ... Clayton Kershaw ... the
seventh player taken in the 2006 draft and showed why when he posted a 1.95 ERA
over 37 innings in the Gulf Coast League, scattering 28 hits and five walks to
go with 54 strikeouts as opponents hit .201 against him. He has great command of
a mid-90s fastball, plus curveball and circle change and could be a quick
mover."
Maybe BJ Upton can try this too :
" ... OF Sergio Pedroza, a third-round pick
in 2005 out of Cal Fullerton who was picked up ... from the Dodgers
... is in the midst of a conversion to catcher. With the logjam
among outfielders in the system, the Devil Rays were anxious to find a place for
Pedroza's bat after he hit 28 homers and drove in 93 runs between three stops in
'06 and so the switch began this spring. "I just talked to Jamie Nelson, our
catching coordinator, and we're still on course," said Lukevics. "He's not there
yet, he has a lot of work ahead of him, but we're optimistic that he's going to
be able to do this." (minorleaguebaseball)
16 March, 2007
Adam Loewen BAL 4.0 2 1 1 1 4 ... Glen Perkins MIN 2.0 0 0
0 0 3 ... Paul Maholm PIT 4.2 2 0 0 0 3 ... Jay Bruce
CIN 1-2 & 0-3 ... Troy Patton HOU 1.0 3 0 0 0 0 ... Fernando
Nieve HOU 3.0 6 3 3 0 3 ... Greg Miller LAD 2.0 1 0 0 2 2 ...
Jonathan Meloan LAD 1.0 1 1 1 0 1 ... Andy LaRoche
:AD 0-4, .212 ... James Loney LAD 2-3, .485 ... Matt Chico
WAS 4.0 4 0 0 1 3 ... Brian Stokes TB 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 ...
Jason Hirsh COL 5.0 3 1 1 3 3 ... Brandon Morrow SEA 2.0
1 0 0 1 3 ... Alex Gordon KC 3-4, .429 ... Josh Rupe
TEX 2.1 5 8 8 4 0 ... Miguel Montero ARZ 1-2, double, walk, .474
... Chris Young ARZ 1-3, double, .267 ... Alberto
Callaspo ARZ 2-4, .500 ... Delmon Young TB 0-2, .200 ... BJ
Upton 2B 0-3, walk, .207 ... Andy Marte CLE 1-4, homer,
.250 ... Ryan Garko CLE 3-4, .270 ... Andrew McCutchen
PIT 2-5, .367 ... Neil Walker PIT 0-2, .421 ... Chad
Billingsley LAD 2.0 1 0 0 1 3 ... Kory Casto WAS 1-3, double,
.412 ... Craig Hansen BOS 1.0 1 1 1 0 0 ... Kei Igawa
NYA 3.0 1 0 0 4 5 ... Brandon Wood LAA 0-3, .300 ... Kendry
Morales LAA 0-2, .281 ... Erick Aybar LAA 1-3, .364 ...
Ryan Braun MIL 2-2, rbi, .458 ... Jeff Clement SEA 0-3, 2 Ks,
.125 ...
Troop movements ... CLE - Optioned INF Michael Aubrey and
RHP J.D. Martin to Double-A, RHP Edward Mujica and LHP
Rafael Perez to Triple-A, Re-assigned INF Asdrubal Cabrera,
C Max Ramirez and LHP Jason Stanford to Minor League
camp ... MIL - Returned RHP Tim Dillard, RHP Chris
Oxspring, RHP Alec Zumwalt and C Lou Palmisano
to Minor League camp; Optioned LHP Manny Parra to Double-A ...
MIN - Optioned RHP Julio DePaula to Triple-A ... SD - Optioned LHP
Ryan Ketchner to Triple-A, Gave RHP Mike Adams his
unconditional release ... KC - optioned LHP Neal Musser to Triple-A ...
NYN - optioned RHP Philip Humber and LHP Jason Vargas to Triple-A,
reassigned outfielder Ruben Sierra to minor league camp; optioned
outfielder Carlos Gomez to Triple-A ... TOR - optioned RHP
Dustin McGowan to Triple-A ...
Tim Grassey, Fantasy
Baseball Cafe, has another installment of his Top 100 :
" ... 26. Luke Hochevar ... has a
low-90s fastball, but it is his curveball that many believe to be his best
pitch. A change-up and slider round out his arsenal, but both pitches need
improvement. He can get erratic with his control at times, but in his limited
playing time in Low-A last season, he only walked two batters in fifteen
innings. It is unlikely that Hochevar makes the major league club out of Spring
Training, but many believe he will be there by season’s end."
" ... 25. Fernando Martinez ...
will play the entire 2007 season at only 18 years of age. He is incredibly well
polished for a hitter of his age, already showing signs of plate discipline not
usually seen amongst young Dominican players. He should develop more power as he
matures, and has above average speed but probably will not be much of a base
stealer. It is unlikely that he remains a centerfielder, but his bat should
carry him to the major leagues regardless of his position."
" ... 22. Reid Brignac ...
Although Brignac is not a top flight defensive shortstop, he is more sure handed
than Upton. Brignac really emerged in 2006, showing plate discipline and power
that have the Devil Rays expecting big things from him. He may crack the
starting lineup at some point in 2007, and may take it over for good in 2008."
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall,
looks at a pair of CF prospects - Jacoby Ellsbury vs Felix Pie:
" ... Ellsbury's career mark is
.306/.391/.427 with 64 steals in 146 games, including .308/.387/.434 last year
in half a season of Double-A. His BB/K/AB ratio is excellent at 73/73/581,
showing strong plate discipline ... Pie hit .283/.341/.451 last year in
Triple-A, his career mark now standing at .294/.353/.459. His BB/K/AB ratio not
very good: 46/126/559 last year, and 164/438/.1945 in his career. His MLE OPS
last year was about .810 with about 17 steals ... Although some people
compare him to Johnny Damon, I don't think Ellsbury will have that kind of home
run power. I expect he'll develop into a .280-.300 hitter with a high on base
percentage, plenty of speed, lots of doubles and triples, 10-15 homers, and
strong glovework ... Some people are starting to compare Pie to Carlos
Beltran. I don't think he'll be quite that good, but Pie (like Ellsbury) could
develop into a .280-.300 hitter. He'll have more home run power, but his OBP and
strike zone judgment could be more erratic, and I think he'll lose his speed
more quickly ... PECOTA obviously likes Pie's upside more than Ellsbury's,
and this is understandable given Pie's younger age and greater power potential.
PECOTA is just one system, however. I think Pie has more projection than
Ellsbury and could be a more complete player, but he also has a higher risk of
flaming out on us, if his strike zone judgment doesn't improve ... Overall
Pie comes out a bit ahead, which is not how I rated them in the book this year:
I had Ellsbury at 21 and Pie at 22. So is the book right, or is this analysis
right? Going over it in this kind of detail has led me to change my mind, and if
I was doing the list again I'd swap them out, Pie moving up a notch ahead of
Ellsbury."
Nate
Silver, Baseball Prospectus, ranks Chris Young ARZ as the 2nd best
(behind Grady Sizemore) 25 & under CF in the game :
" ... If you don’t like Chris Young, you don’t like
prospects. The running complaint – really the only complaint – against Young
last year was that he struck out too frequently. But as if on cue, he cut his
strikeout rate down from 23% in Birmingham in 2005, to 15% on in Tucson last
year, a perfectly acceptable rate for a late-count hitter. Young hits for power,
he swipes bags, he plays a good center field, he draws walks, and he plays for a
team that knows how to develop young talent; this is a low-risk skill set that
still carries huge rewards. His swing can get a little long at times, and the
Mike Cameron comparisons still work – but increasingly, they’re looking like a
worst-case scenario."
Neil Walker ... some smiles in PIT over his transition to 3B :
" ... player development director Brian Graham
could not be more ecstatic with the early returns. "So far, the transition has
been outstanding," Graham said. "Neil has agility, balance, quickness, first
step, athleticism and has so many physical qualities that allow him to be able
to play third base, in addition to the arm strength and the aptitude." Tony
Beasley, the Pirates' Minor League infield coordinator, has been the main man at
the helm of the on-the-job training, with ample help from Triple-A Indianapolis
hitting coach Hensley Meulens (a former third baseman) and Pittsburgh third base
coach Jeff Cox. The Pirates are especially heartened by the hope this will
accelerate Walker's arrival in the Majors ... The experiment has gone so
well that Walker has stuck around in big-league camp much longer than initially
expected, hitting his second spring home run on Wednesday in a victory over
Boston. "We did anticipate him back in Minor League camp earlier to get his work
in," Graham said, "But because he's performing so well, the decision was made to
keep him up there a little while longer." (minorleaguebaseball)
15 March, 2007
Troop movements ... TB - optioned RHP Jason Hammel, 1B Wes
Bankston, 2B Elliot Johnson and LHP Chris Seddon
to Triple-A ... CHA - optioned LHP Heath Phillips, INF Andy
Gonzalez, INF Pedro Lopez to Triple-A, reassigned RHP
Lance Broadway, LHP Corwin Malone to minor league camp
... HOU - optioned OF Josh Anderson, LHP Mark McLemore
to Triple-A ... FLO - optioned OF Reggie Abercrombie to Triple-A,
reassigned RHP Gaby Hernandez to Minor League camp ... KC -
optioned RHP Luke Hochevar to Double-A, optioned OF Mitch
Maier to Triple-A, reassigned RHP Dewon Brazelton, RHP
Billy Buckner, LHP Wayne Franklin, LHP Tyler
Lumsden to minor league camp ... SF - optioned OF Nate Schierholtz,
LHP Erick Threets, OF Daniel Ortmeier and INF
Eugenio Velez to Triple-A ... LAD - released infielder Fernando
Tatis ... NYA - reassigned RHP Phil Hughes to minor league camp ...
Dustin McGowan TOR, not looking good, 3.1 3 2 2 1 0, 8.10 ...
Adam Lind TOR 1-3, .308 ... Adam Miller DET 4.0 3 0 0 2
2 ... Mike Pelfrey NYN 4.0 6 1 1 1 2 ... Hideki
Okajima BOS
1.0 0 0 0 0 0 ... Neil Walker PIT 2-2, .471 ... Kory
Casto WAS 2-2, .429 ...
Zack Greinke KC
4.0 4 0 0 0 6 ... Chris Iannetta
COL 3-4, double, .353 ... Troy Tulowitzki
COL 1-3, .350 ... Jeff Baker COL 1-4, homer, .286 ... Alex
Gordon KC 2-3, triple, .375 ... Gio
Gonzalez CHA 1.2 5 4 4 2 1 ... Ryan Braun MIl 2-2, double,
.409 ... Erick Aybar
LAA 1-2, rbi, .367 ... Homer Bailey CIN 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 ... Delmon Young
TB 0-4, 2 Ks, .214 ... Akinori Iwamura TB 0-3, 0.50 ... Josh
Hamilton CIN 1-3, .548 ... Kevin Slowey MIN 2.0 1 0 0 0 3
...
Lisa Winston reports on the SEA farm at
minorleaguebaseball :
" ... Brandon Morrow ... Mariners' top
pick in 2006 ... could begin the year in the Wisconsin rotation, but the
Mariners may be willing to challenge him with a Class A Advanced spot, even
though High Desert is a nightmare park for pitchers ... pitched a lot of
innings as a junior at Cal and so the Mariners used him sparingly as a result.
Rested and ready, he has a fastball that has touched 99 to go with a fine slider
as well. The conditions at High Desert would probably not faze Morrow, who is
used to adversity as he's grown up dealing with diabetes. "He has a very gifted
arm but wasn't used to throwing in as much of a regimen when we got him last
summer," explained Mattox [Frank Mattox, the Mariners' director of player
development]. "He spent the whole offseason in Peoria to get himself geared up
for this spring. Once he gets to the hill and you hear that glove pop, you'll
know why he was taken where he was taken."
" ... Ryan Feierabend ... third-rounder
from 2003 was the youngest starting pitcher in the Majors when he made his
big-league debut in September and his circle change is the best changeup in the
system ... will be 21 during the 2007 season, also throws a fastball
around 90 and does all the little things well. He begins the season back in the
Tacoma rotation but could be in Seattle again soon. "He's been consistently
durable and goes with his pitching plan," said Mattox."
Over at OnDeck, Scott
Rex offers his take on the 25-man rosters and some updates on his Top 40s.
RaysBaseball
has its picks as the Top 25 in the TB system.
Jacob McGee, No. 5 " ... McGee was
another one of the 2006 success stories for this organization. He pitched in a
full-season league for the first time and almost led the entire minor-leagues in
strikeouts before missing a few starts in August. His strikeout rose in '06, but
his walk rate also almost doubled. For a LHP, the hit and homerun rates are very
encouraging. He will move into 2007 as one of the best LHP prospects in
baseball."
Elijah Dukes, No. 6 " ... Maybe the
biggest offensive upside of any Rays hitter currently in the organization, Dukes
continues to impress with the bat. Not only the biggest upside, Dukes maybe
currently the most well-rounded hitter with the recent struggles of BJ Upton.
The anger issues are well-known .... If he wants it and matures, he could be a
terrific ballplayer and a building block for the Rays if a position is opened up
for him."
14 March, 2007
Josh Hamilton CIN 2-2, walk, 2 rbi, .571 ... Alex Gordon KC
1-2, 3rd error ... Jason Wood LAA 1-2, homer, .375 ... Ryan
Braun MIL 1-4, .350 ... Troy
Tulowitzki COL 1-3, .353 ...
Micah Owings ARZ 3.0 1 0 0 1 4 ... Felix Pie CHN
2-4, walk, .344 ... Carlos Quentin ARZ 1-2, homer, walk, .346 ...
John Danks CHA
3.0 2 2 1 1 3 ... Craig Breslow
BOS 1.0 0 0 0 2 2 ... Edward Campusano
DET 2.0 3 1 1 0 3 ... Cameron Maybin
DET 1-3, CS, .400 ... Phil Humber NYN 2.0 3 1 1 0 0 ...
Lastings
Milledge NYn 1-2, walk, .355
... Trevor Crowe CLE 2-3, double, walk, .278 ... BJ
Upton TB 1-2, double, walk, .231 ... Delmon
Young TB 2-3, .250 ... Hunter Pence HOU 1-1, walk, 2 runs,
2 rbi, .652 ...
Troop movements ... ARZ - Justin Upton was among nine players sent to
minor league camp, along with pitcher Evan MacLane, infielders
Emilio Bonifacio and Danny Richar, outfielder Carlos
Gonzalez ... NYA - reassigned OF Jose Tabata, 1B Eric
Duncan, OF Brett Gardner to minor league camp ... ATL -
optioned RHP Joey Devine to Triple-A, reassigned LHP Matt
Harrison to minor league camp ... TEX - optioned RHP Edinson Volquez,
RHP Armando Galarraga and LHP Daniel Haigwood to
Triple-A, reassigned RHP Thomas Diamond, RHP Eric Hurley,
RHP Jose Vargas and LHP Scott Rice to minor league
camp ... TB - optioned RHP Jeff Niemann and RHP Mitch Talbot
to Triple-A, reassigned RHP Andy Sonnanstine, SS Reid
Brignac, 3B Evan Longoria to minor league camp ... SEA -
released LHP Matt Perisho, reassigned LHP Jim Parque, RHP
Jesse Foppert, 3B Matt Tuiasosopo to minor league
camp; optioned LHP Travis Blackley and LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith
to Triple-A ... MIN - optioned LHP Errol Simonitsch to
Triple-A ... NYN - released RHP Alay Soler ... LAA -
optioned RHP Steven Shell to Triple-A, RHP Jose
Arredondo to Double-A, reassigned INF Sean Rodriguez to
minor league camp ... CHN - optioned 3B Scott Moore to Triple-A,
optioned RHP Jeff Samardzija to Single-A; reassigned RHP Sean
Gallagher, INF Eric Patterson, OF Tyler Colvin
to minor league camp ... OAK - optioned RHP Shane Komine and OF
Javier Herrera to Triple-A ...
A possible surprise in the fifth spot in the Arizona rotation :
" ... Arizona manager Bob Melvin still has to pick a
fifth starter, and his decision is getting more difficult every day. "I'm not
going to handicap it right now," Melvin said Tuesday. "I'm just not going to do
it. We've got to get deeper into it." Micah Owings, one of several
candidates looking to earn a slot in the Diamondbacks' rotation, tossed three
scoreless innings ... allowed one hit and struck out four. The 25-year-old
right-hander, who went 16-2 in the minors last season, is competing with Dana
Eveland, Enrique Gonzalez, Edgar Gonzalez and Dustin Nippert for a chance to
stay with the Diamondbacks when the regular season starts. All five have been
impressive in spurts through the first two weeks of spring training."
(Associated Press)
Carlos Gonzalez ARZ, an eye-opening spring :
" ... Diamondbacks ... already have in
place what some believe is the best group of young position players in baseball.
Gonzalez is a step behind those players in development but could turn out to be
every bit as good. "His skill set is very impressive," said A.J. Hinch, the
Diamondbacks' director of player development. So much that since capturing Most
Valuable Player honors in the Class A Midwest League two years ago, Gonzalez has
drawn comparisons to multitool, All-Star outfielders such as Carlos Beltran and
Bobby Abreu. The scary part is he is still improving ... His play in
Venezuela earned him Winter Player of the Year honors from Baseball America. But
in the same story on the publication's Web site, Gonzalez received criticism as
some scouts deemed him cocky and lazy. Hinch doesn't see it. "He has a
smoothness to him and an ability to make things look easy," Hinch said. "But I
know he's hungry. That's one of best traits you can have as a young player."
(Arizona Republic)
Aaron Gleeman, with the next to last
installment of his Top 50 :
" ... 11. Billy Butler ...
Based on hitting alone Billy Butler is one of the elite prospects in baseball,
but his complete lack of defensive value drops him in these rankings ...
will likely end up at designated hitter. A .344 hitter in 314 pro games who
turns 21 years old next month, Butler combines huge power potential with good
strike-zone control and has a chance to become an all-around offensive monster."
" ... 14. Reid Brignac ...
second-round pick in 2004, Reid Brignac hit .361 in rookie-ball, struggled at
low Single-A in 2005, and broke out with a huge season between Single-A and
Double-A last year. He won the California League MVP before hitting .300 after a
late-season promotion, combining to bat .321/.376/.539 with 24 homers in 128
games as a 20-year-old. There's some question about whether he can remain at
shortstop long term, but Brignac's glove has reportedly improved and his bat
fits anywhere."
" ... 18. Luke Hochevar ... re-entered
the draft last June after playing in an independent league, going No. 1 overall
to the Royals. The whole thing cost Hochevar some development time, but he
gained about $2 million, blew away Single-A hitters after signing, and should be
in the majors by midseason anyway."
Dayn Perry, FOXSports,
approaches the really interesting part of his Top 100 :
" ... 31. Erick Aybar ... career
.311 hitter in the minors with gap-power skills, speed on the bases and
excellent defensive skills at short, Aybar is one of the most underrated
prospects in the game. His main shortcoming right now is an overly aggressive
approach at the plate. Otherwise, however, he's a complete player. He'll take
over as the Angels' every-day shortstop as soon as Orlando Cabrera is shipped
off or his contract expires."
" ... 36. Philip Humber ...
pitched across four levels and looked quite strong in doing so, proving he's
fully recovered from reconstructive elbow surgery. Boasts command of three plus
offerings. Provided he stays healthy, Humber could be a future All-Star.
Considering the uncertain Mets' rotation this season, Humber could be in Queens
sooner than you might think."
" ... 40. Eric Hurley ... Strong
command numbers coming up through the system, but there's some concern that his
fly-ball tendencies won't play well in Arlington. Plus fastball and slider, but
his off-speed stuff needs cultivation. Clean mechanics bode well for his health
going forward."
The folks at
Baseball Prospectus have used their ranking system, PECOTA, to project
numbers for Josh Hamilton CIN. Not the kind of numbers you might
expect after such a sterling spring - .254 .306 .409
Hmmm ... shouldn't have traded my first pick in a May supplemental draft :
" ... The acclaimed teenager from the Dominican
Republic assumed his stance in the batter’s box yesterday at the aged Municipal
Stadium in Pompano Beach, Fla ... Nearby stood Ismael Cruz, the Mets’
director of international scouting. The player, José José, a 16-year-old
outfielder, has drawn the interest of a number of baseball’s big-money teams.
The Mets were among the first teams to have a private workout with José. On
Monday he drove one ball over the wall in right-center field and hit an
assortment of line drives. But he also had his share of foul balls and routine
grounders. José was meeting some of his fellow prospects for the first time at
the Playball Baseball Academy, where Fred Ferreira, a baseball scout, operates
his Win International agency. “He’s a very interesting kid,” Cruz said after
watching José field, throw, run and hit over an hour and half period. “He’s got
a good bat.” Ferreira is making plans to have other teams see José. Seattle and
Anaheim are on the list, as are the Yankees. The Red Sox may be ready to sign
him now. They are the only team that visited José’s native San Pedro de Macoris
in the Dominican Republic to see him work out." (New York Times)
The managers speak. Hunter Pence most likely to the minors, Chad
Billingsley to the pen :
" ... Despite all the hype ... Phil Garner
made it clear that the slugging outfielder isn't a contender at this point for
the Astros' open spot in right field. Considering the Astros are adamant that
Chris Burke has earned the starting spot in center field and the need for Pence
to get regular playing time at this stage in his career, the 23-year-old slugger
appears destined to start the season at Class AAA Round Rock. Luke Scott, Jason
Lane and Richard Hidalgo are the three contenders for the job in right field. "I
am not putting him in the mix for that now," Garner said after the Astros beat
the Atlanta Braves." (Houston Chronicle)
" ... Billingsley, considered one of the Dodgers'
best starting prospects, has made only six professional relief appearances ...
His elimination leaves the club with three primary candidates for the final
starting spot -- Hong-Chih Kuo, Brett Tomko and Mark Hendrickson -- along with
non-roster pitcher Joe Mays and Eric Stults. All have pitched relatively well
this spring ... Manager Grady Little said the decision on Billingsley was
the result of the Dodgers' depth of starters and timing. It was made now, in
part, to free up innings for the numerous starting pitchers preparing for the
season, in part so Billingsley can focus on his new role." (MLB.com)
13 March, 2007
Rick Ankiel STL 2-2, double, homer, .300 ... Ryan Garko
CLE 1-4, homer, .241 ... Neil Walker PIT 1-1, homer, .400 ...
Jeff Niemann TB 1.2 0 0 0 1 2 ... BJ Upton 2B TB 0-3,
.208 ... Matt Lindstrom FLO 2.0 2 0 0 0 1 ... Matt Garza
MIN, nice rebound, 2.0 1 0 0 2 0 ... Matt Albers HOU 3.0 4 4 4 3 3
... JA Happ PHI 2.0 6 6 6 3 0 ... Jonathan Meloan
LAD 1.0 1 1 1 0 2 ... Hayden Penn BAL 2.0 4 2 2 0 1 ... Andy
LaRoche LAD 2-4, double, .250 ... Lastings Milledge NYN
3-4, .345 ... Chris Snelling WAS 1-4, 3-run homer, .294 ...
Dustin Pedroia BOS 2-3, .208 ... Jeff Mathis LAA 3-3, 2
homers, walk, .182 ... just isn't working out, Dewon Brazelton KC
1.0 5 6 6 1 0 ... Brandon Wood LAA 2-4, .357 ... Erick
Aybar LAA CF 2-4, .357 ... Dustin Nippert ARZ 3.0 2 1 1 3 2
... Jeff Samardzija CHN 2.0 4 0 0 1 2 ... Felix
Hernandez SEA 4.0 3 0 0 0 1 ... Travis Buck OAK 1-4, .333 ...
Tim Stauffer SD 3.0 2 0 0 3 2 ... Yovani Gallardo
MIL 1.2 3 4 4 3 0 ...
Troop movements ... CHN - RHP Lincoln Holdzkom, who was
claimed by the Astros in the Rule 5 Draft, has cleared outright waivers and been
returned to the Cubs ... lots of cuts, including ...
COL - Released C Javier Lopez, OF Jeff Salazar, 2B
Jayson Nix to Triple-A, 1B Joe Koshansky, 3B Ian
Stewart, OF Sean Barker, OF Matt Miller and
OF Seth Smith to minor league camp ...
ATL - optioned RHP Anthony
Lerew, OF Gregor Blanco and RHP
Jose Ascanio
to Triple-A; reassigned C Jarrod
Saltalamacchia, C Carlos Mendez and
SS Brent Lillibridge
to minor league camp ... STL - optioned LHP Troy Cate, INF Brendan
Ryan, INF Travis Hanson and OF
Coey Haerther
to Triple-A, reassigned OF Colby Rasmus
and RHP Mike Smith to minor league camp ...
PHI - Reassigned OF Greg Golson to Minor League camp;
Optioned OF Chris Roberson and RHP Anderson Garcia
to Minor League camp ... PIT - Optioned LHP Dave Davidson, INF
Javier Guzman, OF Nyjer
Morgan to Double-A, Optioned OF Rajai
Davis to Triple-A, Reassigned RHP Franquelis Osoria, RHP Allan
Simpson to Minor League camp ... SD - Optioned RHP Jared Wells
to Triple-A, Reassigned LHP Frank Brooks and LHP Adrian
Burnside to Minor League camp ... WAS - Optioned RHP Jermaine Van Buren
toTriple-A, Reassigned OF Darnell McDonald and LHP Chris
Michalak to Minor
League camp ... ARZ - reassigned LHP Greg Smith, INF Mark
Reynolds to minor league camp ...
BAL - Reassigned LHP
Chris Waters, INF Brandon Sing and OF Luis
Montanez to Minor League camp; Optioned OF Val
Majewski to Triple-A
Norfolk; Released RHP Jose Acevedo ... BOS - Returned Rule 5 Draft
pick Nick Debarr
to TB ... ... DET - Optioned RHP
Jordan Tata to Triple-A, RHP Eulogio
De La Cruz and Kyle Sleeth
to Double-A, LHP Andrew Miller to Single-A, Assigned
RHP Jair
Jurrjens and C Gabe
Johnson and C Dusty Ryan to Minor League camp ... HOU -
Optioned RHP Jimmy Barthmaier
and RHP Felipe Paulino to Triple A ... MIN - Optioned LHP Ricky Barrett to
Triple-A, LHP Alexander Smit
to Single-A, RHP Oswaldo
Sosa to Double-A ...
From
MinorLeagueBaseball, an update on the OAK farm, including a comeback
candidate and a possible 2007 breakthrough :
" ... Javier Herrera ... Athletics have
been waiting for Herrera to be able to return to the field after he suffered an
injury that required Tommy John surgery right before the 2006 campaign began.
The 2004 Northwest League MVP hit .331 at Vancouver, then moved up to Kane
County in 2005 and batted .275 with 14 homers and 27 steals in 99 games, showing
his across-the-board tools. Perhaps the best pure athlete in the system with an
outstanding arm, he will start the year at Stockton as soon as he is officially
cleared to play. "He's a multifaceted five-tool player, for sure, who evokes
comparisons to Magglio Ordonez," Owens [Billy Owens, the Athletics' director of
player personnel] noted."
" ... Jermaine Mitchell ...
drafted in the fifth round out of North Carolina-Greensboro last year, something
of a steal, and he responded by hitting .362 with three homers, 23 RBIs and 14
steals in 37 games. He was scouted by Neil Avent, his assistant coach at UNCG,
so the A's knew a little more than the average scout about this young man's
intangibles, athleticism and tools and makeup. An explosive athlete with a good
stroke, Oakland felt thrilled to get him when it did. "He has first- or
second-round tools," Owens said. "A center fielder with power potential and a
five-tool candidate? The sky is the limit for this kid."
Project
Prospect reviews some Spring Training hitters :
" ... Joey Votto – Although he’s been
overshadowed by the incredible performance by the resurgent Josh Hamilton,
Votto’s been very good in his own right. The 22-year-old first-baseman has an
1.170 OPS (.545/.625) and leads all Reds with six walks in his 22 plate
appearances."
" ... Carlos Quentin – The
Diamondbacks’ right-fielder has had a nice opening to spring, posting an .884
OPS (.360/.524) in eight games. True to form, Quentin’s shown good plate
discipline as he’s struck out just once in 23 plate appearances."
" ... Billy Butler – The precocious
20-year-old has been a star this spring, telling reporters how he likes the
babes in the outfield grass while posting a mammoth 1.675 OPS (.619/1.056) in
his 20 plate appearances. Although it’s still unclear whether he’ll ever be even
a decent outfielder, Butler’s looking more and more like Travis Hafner clone."
BJ Upton? May not know until the day before opening day :
" ... A battle is brewing between B.J. Upton and
Brendan Harris for the team's utility infielder slot. "Oh, it's a great battle,
my God, it's awesome," Maddon said. "B.J. is starting to settle in. His
performance is really coming up. ... And Brendan, he just goes about his
business. He's a bulldog. And I love the way he goes about it." Maddon said he
has been pleasantly surprised at the polish Harris has shown. "I had talked to
different people in the offseason about him when we acquired him, and I heard
different things," Maddon said. "And then I got to see him on the field. He's
more accomplished than I've been told, I'll say that. They spoke about his
character and work ethic, but I didn't even realize how good they were. ... He's
actually more than what I'd been told." And for the tough question: Can Harris
and Upton both make the team? "I don't know," Maddon said. "I think anything is
possible; it is possible. And that would be something we'd have to determine
toward the end, obviously. It's not impossible." (MLB.com)
12 March, 2007
Tim Lincecum SF 3.0 2 0 0 0 4 ... Jesse Foppert SEA,
so sad to see, 0.0 3 6 6 3 0 ... Travis Buck OAK 1-4, double, .357
... Joakim Soria KC (Rule 5) 4.0 1 0 0 0 3 ... Fausto
Carmona CLE 3.0 1 0 0 0 0 ... Phil Hughes NYA, well, not
going directly to Cooperstown after all, 1.1 4 3 3 3 0, 7.71 ... Daisuke
Matsuzaka
BOS 4.0 6 4 3 0 3 ... Glen Perkins MIN 3.0 2 1 0 0 2 ...
Fernando Martinez NYN 3-3, double, .600 ... SS Brent
Lillibridge ATL 2-3, .250
... Andrew Miller DET 2.0 3 2 2 2 2 ...
Jair
Jurrjens DET 2.0 3 0 0 0 2
... Hunter Pence HOU 0-2, .667 ... Joel Guzman TB
1-1, double, .176 ... Delmon
Young TB 0-3, .190 ... Elijah Dukes TB 1-3, .263 ...
Lastings
Milledge NYN 1-5, .280 ...
Andrew McCutchen
PIT 1-4 (CF & leadoff), .391 ... Josh Hamilton CIN, the feel good
story continues, 3-3, .538 ... James Loney
LAD 1-2, walk, .500 ... Yusmeiro
Petit FLO 2.2 5 3 3 0 2 ... Trevor Crowe CLE 0-4, .200 ...
Andy Marte CLE
1-3, .263 ... Jose Tabata
NYA 1-1, homer, .455 ... Eric Hurley TEX 1.0 0 0 0 2 2 ...
Brandon Wood 3B LAA 1-3, .300 ... Erick
Aybar LAA 1-2, homer, walk,
. 333 ... Josh Fields CHA 1-5, double, .316 ... Billy
Butler KC 1-1, 2nd homer, .556 ... Justin Huber KC 2-3, .389
... Hernan
Iribarren MIL 1-1,
homer, walk, .400 ... Daric
Barton OAK 3-5, double, homer, .500 ... Casey
Kotchman LAA
2-3, homer, .348 ...
Troop movements ... LAD - released Damian Jackson, reassigned 3B
Fernando Tatis, LHP Scott Elbert, SS Chin
Lung Hu, to minor league camp; optioned RHP Eric Hull,
RHP Zach Hammes and LHP Mike Megrew to Triple-A ...
TOR - optioned RHP Josh Banks, RHP Ismael Ramirez
and SS Sergio Santos to Triple-A, reassigned RHP Beau
Kemp to Triple-A ... COL - optioned RHP Juan Morillo to Triple-A,
reassigned RHP Greg Reynolds, LHP Eric DuBose, LHP
Franklin Morales and LHP Josh Newman to minor league
camp ... FLO - reassigned RHP Chris Volstad, C Brad
Davis and OF Brett Carroll to Minor League camp ... OAK -
optioned RHP Santiago Casilla, LHP Dan Meyer and RHP
David Shafer to Triple-A ...
" ... Left-hander Chuck Lofgren, a
17-game winner at Class A Kinston in 2006, was among five players the Cleveland
Indians sent back to the minors on Sunday. Outfielder Brad Snyder,
left-handers Aaron Laffey and Scott Lewis and
catcher Javier Herrera also were sent to the minor-league camp in
Cleveland's first roster cuts of spring training ... Lofgren, 21, went
17-5 with a 2.32 ERA to help Kinston win the Carolina League championship in
2006, but didn't fare well in two short exhibition appearances this spring. He
gave up five runs and five hits in 1 1/3 innings. Lewis, a third-round pick out
of Ohio State in 2004 who led all minor-league pitchers with a 1.48 ERA at
Kinston in 2006, also was hit hard in two exhibition games. He gave up three
runs and six hits in 1 2/3 innings." (Associated Press)
Project Prospect is checking out the
best of the young guns - their rating of the top pitchers (under age 25).
No. 1 - Felix Hernandez ought not to be a surprise, but No. 2 might well
be :
" ... 2. Jeremy Bonderman ...
WHIP has hovered around 1.30 over the last three seasons, but he has turned in
ERAs of 4.89, 4.57, and 4.08 from 2004 to 2006, respectively. So why the drop in
ERA? Shrinking home run rates. The 24-year-old allowed 0.75 HR/start in 2004,
0.72 in 2005, and 0.53 in 2006. This will be Bonderman’s breakout year…brace
yourself, it’s going to be big!"
" ... 8. Homer Bailey ... the
Reds’ phenom has the swagger and potential of a young Roger Clemens. Bailey
stuck out 37.7% of the batters he faced in Double-A. At the same level but a
year older, Clemens stuck out 37.8%. That’s just spooky similar."
" ... 16. Clayton Kershaw ...
has the potential to crack the top five on this list within two years. Granted
the lefty has thrown just 37.0 professional innings, but he struck out 46.6% of
the Rookie League batters he faced during that span and maintained a maintained
a 0.89 WHIP. Drafted as high as any high school pitcher in the last four years
(7th overall, tied with Homer Bailey), Kershaw is starting to look like a
once-in-a-decade lefty."
" ... 29. Jacob McGee ... has
solidified himself as a big time Major League prospect. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound
lefty has muscled up by adding more than 40 pounds since the Devil Rays selected
him out high school in 2004. McGee mows down opponents with ease on the hill. In
26 Single-A starts last season, the flamethrower sent 36.6% of opposing hitters
down via the strike. Expect Jacob McGee’s star to continue rising in 2007."
MinorLeagueBaseball
moves on to analyze the BAL and TB farm systems :
" ... Brandon Erbe ... fanned
10.4 batters per nine innings last year in the South Atlantic League, but was
clearly a better pitcher in the first half. He was 5-5 with a 2.54 ERA through
his first 16 starts. He was 0-4 over his final 12 starts, posting a 4.33 ERA
during that stretch. Still, he survived the Sally League as a teenager and will
get a good look at some tough competition this year in the Carolina League."
" ... Billy Rowell ...
There are more than a few people who are convinced that the O's found themselves
the next David Wright or Ryan Zimmerman when they grabbed Rowell in the first
round. He still needs to work on his plate discipline some (59 Ks, 29 BB in 195
ABs) but that will come with time and experience."
" ... Evan Longoria ... cruised
through three levels to Montgomery, where he will start in 2007. He spent his
first week at Class A Short-Season Hudson Valley to get his feet wet only
because the California League was on the verge of its All-Star hiatus. By
season's end, he was combining with fellow prospect, shortstop Reid Brignac, as
the left side of the championship infield. He could be combining with Brignac in
the future up the middle though, as some believe his future is at second base.
He would provide some pop at that position, and his 18 homers in a half-season
gave an idea of that power."
" ... Sergio Pedroza ... Acquired from
the Los Angeles Dodgers with Joel Guzman in the deal for Julio Lugo, the Rays
spent some time offseason tweaking the package. As a result, the outfielder may
be seeing some time behind the plate this year. He'll be at Vero Beach, his last
stop last summer, as he combined for a .277 average, 28 homers and 93 RBIs
across three spots. He has a plus arm and minimal speed, so this could be an
interesting move for the third-rounder from 2005."
A sigh of relief in COL :
" ... Troy Tulowitzki's big scare
turned out to be a false alarm. The Rockies' rookie shortstop found out this
[Sunday] morning that he did not suffer any fractures or major damage Saturday
after getting hit just above the right wrist by a fastball thrown by the Padres'
Doug Brocail. X-rays showed that Tulowitzki suffered only a bad bruise. "I'm
pretty much day-to-day, and tomorrow I'll takes some throws and see where I am,"
Tulowitzki said." (Denver Post)
Ah, the 'ol Yankee hype (you'd think the trade deadline was fast approaching) :
" ... Yankees outfield prospect Jose
Tabata is only 18 years old. Yet his talent and potential have led scouts to
liken him to a young Manny Ramirez. Even general manager Brian Cashman had to
stop himself from drawing that comparison when he was asked which major-leaguer
Tabata has the potential to be like. "In fairness to the kid, he's just got to
continue to make his own name," Cashman said. "He's got high-end ability. I
won't say [Ramirez] pops into my mind. That's what I keep hearing other people
say about him. There's only one Manny. A guy like Manny comes along, it seems,
like once every 40 years. It'd be nice to say that you've got another one on the
way, but it would be disrespectful to someone of Manny's abilities." Tabata
himself has heard the "Baby Manny" talk. He appreciates the compliment but would
rather do what Cashman advised and make his own name. "It's nice for them to say
you have talent like a superstar," Tabata said in Spanish, "but I feel like I
have my own identity. I want to be myself." (Newsday)
Hunter Pence HOU, the spring sensation, still with a ticket for Round
Rock :
" ... the reality is that no matter how well Pence
does this spring, he remains a long shot to make the club on opening day. Pence
is not on the 40-man roster and has yet to play at Class AAA Round Rock, where
he'll likely begin the season. And making the big league club as a reserve
outfielder isn't an option because the Astros want him to play every day. That
means Pence would have to win the starting right field job because Carlos Lee
will start in left and Chris Burke seems entrenched in center. Jason Lane and
Luke Scott are the leading candidates right. "I'm not worried about that," Pence
said. "I'm going to go out there and play baseball every day the way I've always
played. They told me coming here, 'Don't expect to make the team.' I'm expecting
to play well and be ready for the season, wherever I'm at." (Houston
Chronicle)
Could that be ... Michael Aubrey? Didn't he retire or something?
" ... For a guy who's played just 42
games over the last two Minor League seasons because of various back and knee
problems, Michael Aubrey hasn't looked like he carries much rust. Aubrey, the
Tribe's first selection in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft, is getting
something the back injury denied him a year ago -- a chance to show what he can
do in big-league camp. In addition to looking fundamentally sound at first base,
he's notched three hits, including a double, in nine at-bats. "I'm just trying
to stay positive," Aubrey said. "It makes it easier when you've got a clubhouse
full of good guys with positive attitudes. You have to act like you've been
there before and make sure you don't make [returning to play] a bigger deal than
it is. Otherwise, the game will catch up with you." (MLB.com)
11 March, 2007
Edward Campusano DET 2.0 0 0 0 1 2 ... Dustin Pedroia BOS
0-3, .143 ... Cameron Maybin DET 0-2, . 364 ... Ryan
Garko CLE 1-4, double, .240 ... Chris Volstad FLO 3.0 5 3 3 1
0 ... Greg Miller LAD 2.0 3 4 4 1 2 ... Matt Kemp
LAD 1-3, double, walk, .167 ... James Loney LAD 2-4, walk, .500
... Kei Igawa NYA 3.0 5 2 2 0 4 ... Alay Soler
NYN 1.0 2 4 4 4 0 ... Lastings Milledge NYN 1-1, homer, .300 ...
Fernando Nieve HOU 3.0 2 1 1 2 3 ... Hunter Pence
HOU 1-1, walk, .737 ... Akinori Iwamura TB 1-3, .083 ... Adam
Wainwright STL 4.2 5 0 0 1 0 ... Troy Cate STL 2.0 1 0 0 0
1 ... Adam Loewen BAL 2.0 2 1 1 1 4 ... Andy
Sonnanstine TB 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 ... BJ Upton TB 2B-CF 2-5, .250
... Elijah Dukes TB 2-3, walk, .250 ... Delmon Young
TB 1-4, .222 ... Dustin McGowan TOR 2.0 4 3 3 1 2 ... Dana
Eveland MIL 3.0 4 1 1 0 1 ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 1-1, .474
... Alberto Callaspo ARZ 3-4, homer, .556 ... Miguel
Montero ARZ 1-3, .471 ... Jason Hirsh COL 3.2 7 7 7 4 1 ...
Felix Pie CHN 0-3, walk, .346 ... Lance Broadway CHA
3.0 4 3 3 3 2 ... Brandon Morrow SEA 2.0 0 0 0 0 2 ...
Casey Kotchman LAA 2-3, .300 ...
Potentially bad news for Troy Tulowitzki ... Jeff Niemann, so far
so good :
" ... Tulowitzki ... hit by a pitch on his right
wrist in Saturday's split-squad game against the Padres in Peoria, Ariz.
Tulowitzki left the game with a contusion on his right wrist and will get X-rays
taken Sunday to determine the extent of the injury. An initial exam showed no
obvious break ... Tulowitzki had a double in his previous at-bat, driving in the
Rockies' only run of the game up to that point. Tulowitzki left the game hitting
.385 (5-for-13) with two doubles and four RBIs."
" ... Niemann is the Rays' top prospect, and the
right-hander is closer than ever to realizing the potential that enticed the
club to draft him with the fourth pick of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft. Once
Niemann arrives, it could be in a big way. He is the total package when it comes
to having the pitching gifts necessary to dominate a game. "Two good breaking
balls, good fastball -- big downward plane on his fastball -- also seems to be
very composed and very professional," Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey said."
(minorleaguebaseball)
RotoWorld with some helpful stuff ... projected lineups :
Jim Callis,
Baseball America, with some thoughts on who might make big leaps on the 2008
Top 100 :
" ... Looking at this year's Top 100, I see two guys
in the upper half that I think can vault into the top 10-15 prospects next year,
Cardinals outfielder Colby Rasmus (No. 29) and Devil Rays lefthander
Jacob McGee (No. 37). From the bottom half of the list, these are my
top candidates to make major moves: Blue Jays outfielder Travis Snider
(No. 53), Pirates righthander Brad Lincoln (No. 69) if he's
healthy, Cardinals lefty Jaime Garcia (No. 70), Marlins righty
Brett Sinkbeil (No. 75), Rockies righty Ubaldo Jimenez
(No. 84), Indians outfielder Brian Barton (No. 86), [Wade]
Davis again and Orioles righty Pedro Beato (No. 99). My
favorites who didn't make the list include Reds righty Johnny Cueto,
Angels catcher Hank Conger, Indians lefty Tony Sipp
and Red Sox first baseman Lars Anderson. Two of my deeper sleepers
are third-round picks from the 2006 draft, Athletics outfielder Matt
Sulentic and Mariners lefthander Tony Butler."
10 March, 2007
Kevin Kouzmanoff SD 2-3, double, homer, .417 ... Brandon
McCarthy CHA 2.0 7 5 5 1 1, 11.25 ... Zack
Greinke KC 3.0 5 3 1 0 4,
7.20 ... Adam Miller CLE 3.0 2 0 0 0 0 ... Chuck Lofgren
CLE 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 ... Homer Bailey CIN 0.2 3 5 5 2 1 ... Nick
Adenhart LAA 3.0 0 0
0 2 0, 1.59 ... Kelly Johnson ATL 2-4, homer, 2 rbi, .333
... Wily Aybar
3B ATL 3-5, homer, .400 ... Andrew McCutchen
PIT 3-5, double, rbi, .421 ... Craig Hansen BOS 1.0 3
2 2 1 0 ... Chad Billingsley LAD 2.1 1 0 0 1 0 ... Scott Elbert
LAD 0.1 4 4 4 0 1 ... James Loney
LAD 3-3, 3rd double, .500 ... Kyle Sleeth
DET 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 ... Phil Humber NYN 2.0 2 3 3 2 2 ... John
Danks CHA 3.0 2 0 0 0
0 ... Gio Gonzalez
CHA 2.0 1 0 0 2 0 ... Micah Owings ARZ 2.0 1 1 1 2 1 ... Carlos
Gonzalez ARZ 3-3, double, .444 ... Chris Young ARZ (still
at leadoff) 1-3, homer, .312 ... Alberto
Callaspo ARZ 2-3, homer, walk, .500 ... Ian
Stewart COL 1-4, homer, .333 ... Matt Harrison ATL 2.0 4 2
2 1 0 ... Ryan Garko
CLE 0-4, .238 ... Josh Hamilton CIN 1-2, .478 ... Matt
Lindstrom FLO 1.1 0 0 0 1 1 ... Hunter Pence HOU, 3-5 (and
lowered his average) 4th double, .722 ... Andy Marte CLE 2-4, homer, .250
... Neil Walker 3B PITG 2-3, double, 3 rbi, walk, .357 ...
Delmon Young TB 0-3, .214 ... Alex Gordon KC 0-1, 3
walks, .333 ... Akinori Iwamura TB 0-2 (now 0-9) ... Erick Aybar
LAA 5-6, double, .333 ...
" ... Homer Bailey ... Against the
Indians, Bailey gave up five earned runs and three hits, including two home
runs, in just two-thirds of an inning. The right-hander also issued two walks
and hit a batter ... Entering with a 2-1 lead, Bailey clearly struggled with his
command while working in relief during the fifth inning. He hit his first batter
with a two-strike pitch, and then allowed a four-pitch walk. Mike Rouse followed
that up with a three-run homer. Following a strikeout, Bailey walked another
batter. Then, Grady Sizemore launched a two-run homer. After a flyout, David
Delluci's single brought Reds manager Jerry Narron out of the dugout to remove
the pitcher." (minorleaguebaseball.com)
Troop movements ... SEA - Cesar Jimenez will have surgery after
being diagnosed with a stress fracture at the tip of his elbow ... BOS -
optioned RHP David Pauley and RHP Edgar Martinez to
Triple-A, OF Jacoby Ellsbury to minor league camp ... ATL - signed
LHP Mark Redman to a minor league contract and invited him to
spring training ... FLO - reassigned RHP Travis Bowyer, LHP
Sean West to minor league camp ...
Dayn Perry, FOXSports,
another installment of his Top 100 :
" ... 45. Bill Rowell ...
Playing across two levels last season, the lefty-swinging Rowell hit a combined
.328 AVG/.415 OBP/.503 SLG. Extremely polished approach at the plate for a
hitter less than a year out of high school. He figures to put up tremendous
power numbers as he matures, and he's already got a solid idea of the strike
zone. The problem is that his huge frame (6-foot-5, 215) means he's probably not
going to stick at third base."
" ... 47. Chris Marrero ...
didn't put up strong numbers last season across two rookie levels, but his quick
wrists through the zone and the way the ball jumps off his bat leads many to
think he'll be a potent power hitter in years to come. In the outfield, he's got
a good arm but will never have more than average range. Still, the power is for
real, and that's what will carry him."
" ... 50. Chuck Lofgren ...
Great velocity for a lefty, three polished pitches in his repertoire. He works
too high in the zone, but last season at High-A Kinston, Lofgren gave up only
five homers in 139.2 innings. Still, those excellent home run numbers won't hold
up at the higher levels if he doesn't keep the ball down. He'll face a big test
in Double-A this season."
Snippets from the camps, from FOXSports :
" ... The Diamondbacks' prospects are the talk of
the Cactus League; one scout calls Class Double-A outfielder Carlos
Gonzalez "a bigger, stronger, left-handed hitting version of Carlos
Beltran," projecting him as a potential 30 to 35-homer man ... Meanwhile,
the team has two other outfielders — Scott Hairston, 26, and
David Krynzel, 25 — who are out of minor-league options and likely to
attract trade interest from rival clubs. The Diamondbacks will either keep
Hairston as a reserve or trade him; general manager Josh Byrnes says his chances
of appearing on the waiver wire are "zero percent."
" ... Padres G.M. Kevin Towers calls Terrmel
Sledge "by far our best offensive player in spring training," further
reducing the likelihood of the team trading reliever Scott Linebrink to the
Phillies for outfielder Aaron Rowand. The Padres would prefer to keep their
bullpen depth intact and acquire a right-handed hitting reserve with speed,
versatility and defensive skill."
The Toronto farm system reviewed at
minorleaguebaseball :
" ... Travis Snider ...
left-handed outfielder can flat-out hit, and hit for power. Not only did he have
24 extra-base hits in 54 games in his debut, he also drew 30 walks, resulting in
his league-leading .979 OPS. A better athlete than you'd think as long as Snider
continues to work hard on his conditioning, he should develop into a
prototypical right fielder, both offensively and defensively. It's probably safe
to say there hasn't been this much excitement about the offensive potential of a
Jays prospect since Alex Rios graduated to the big leagues."
" ... Balbino Fuenmayor ...
Jays have had some interesting international signings over the last couple of
years ... Fuenmayor signed a 2007 contract. He'll play this year at age 17, but
he doesn't look like it. He's a legitimate third baseman, albeit raw, and he has
shown the ability to hit for power and has an advanced approach at the plate.
He's still exceptionally young, but he was showing all the tools during
instructs last fall. He won't be under the radar for long."
09 March, 2007
Dustin Nippert ARZ 2.0 0 0 0 0 1 ... Miguel Montero
ARZ 2-3, RBI, .500 ... Gavin Floyd CHA 3.0 5 6 2 1 1 ... Felix
Pie CHN 2-5, .421 ... Jeff Clement SEA 0-2 ... Alex
Gordon KC, that's better, 2-4, double, triple, 4 RBI, .353 ...
Mike Pelfrey NYN 3.0 3 2 0 0 0 ... Lastings Milledge
NYN 1-2, double, walk ... Jason Smith 2B TOR (Rule 5 pick)
4-4, double, homer ... Dustin Pedroia BOS 0-3, .176 ... Cameron
Maybin DET 1-2 ... Josh Hamilton CIN 1-2, .476 ... no
stopping him, Hunter Pence HOU 1-1, 2-run homer, .769 ... Kevin
Slowey MIN 2.0 2 0 0 1 3 ... Jason Kubel MIN 2-4 ...
Jose Tabata NYA 2-2 ... Jeff Niemann TB 2.0 5 2 2
1 0 ... Delmon Young TB 1-3, .273 ... BJ Upton TB RF
1-2, double, .214 ... Anibal Sanchez FLO, looks in form, 3.0 1 1 1 0 2
... Jason Stokes FLO 0-3, 2 Ks ...
Troop movements ... PIT - released OF Jody Gerut ... WAS -
released INF Tony Womack; Reassigned INF Tony Blanco,
Mike Hinckley to Double-A, OF George Lombard, RHP Felix
Diaz to Minor League camp ... NYN - signed INF Wil
Cordero to a Minor League contract ... MIL - reassigned RHP Vince Perkins,
optioned RHP Marino Salas to Triple-A, RHP Mike Jones
to Double-A ... NYN - reassigned 1B Michel Abreu, RHP Clint
Nageotte, C Mike Nickeas, OF Chip Ambres, OF
Fernando Martinez to minor league camp; optioned LHP Adam
Bostick to Triple-A ... And, while they're cutting 'em, they're also adding them ...
David Farr continues to update the NRI list
...
Aaron Gleeman checks in with 21-30 of
his Top 50 :
" ... 22. Nick Adenhart ... an elite
talent who dropped to the 14th round in 2004 following Tommy John surgery ...
has quickly regained that status with a 2.72 ERA and 204-to-66 strikeout-to-walk
ratio in 208.1 pro innings. He overpowered hitters at low Single-A and continued
to pitch well after a promotion to high Single-A last season, all before his
20th birthday. An overlooked aspect of Adenhart's prospect stock is that he's an
extreme ground-ball pitcher who's served up a grand total of three career
homers."
" ... 24. Cameron Maybin ... pro
debut last season and hit .304/.387/.457 in 101 games at low Single-A. Maybin's
116 strikeouts are a concern, but he showed a strong bat and good plate
discipline for a teenager while swiping 27 bases and drawing rave reviews
defensively in center field. Curtis Granderson's presence in Detroit means the
Tigers don't have to rush Maybin, but he could move quickly through the minors
anyway."
" ... 27. Justin Upton ...
pro debut was viewed by many as disappointing. However, while his numbers
weren't eye-popping, Upton showed a broad base of skills for an 18-year-old with
41 extra-base hits, 52 walks, and 15 steals in 113 games at low Single-A.
Considered raw but promising in center field after playing shortstop in high
school, Upton looks capable of thriving in every phase of the game.
Be sure to check in to RotoJunkie
this weekend for Jason Collette's updates. Lots to devour.
Should have his team-by-team Top 15s to follow his Top 100 posted earlier.
James Loney now Andy LaRoche ... LA tries to find spots for a
talented duo :
" ... LaRoche, in his left-field debut
Thursday night, fielded the two bouncing balls his way without incident ...
He said he enjoyed his first taste of a position other than third base, but
would have liked a little more to do. "I was hoping I'd have to make a throw
home," he said. "I wanted some action out there." LaRoche's brief fling in left
in a night game was in sharp contrast with James Loney's spring debut in right
field the previous day game, when Loney lost sight of three catchable balls off
the bat. "When you put a player in a new position they seem to hit balls at them
right away," said manager Grady Little. "I don't know if it's coincidence or the
baseball gods. Sure enough, they hit a couple but he [LaRoche] handled them
well." (minorleaguebaseball.com)
08 March, 2007
Luke Hochevar KC 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 ... Alex Gordon KC 1-3,
double ... Josh Fields CHA 1-2, homer, walk ...
Yovani
Gallardo MIL 3.0 0 0 0 0 3 ... Jeff
Samardzija CHN 2.0 2 1 1 0 1 ... Kevin
Kouzmanoff SD 1-1, 2
walks ... Tim Lincecum
SF 2.0 4 3 3 0 2 ... Felix Hernandez SEA 3.0 3 1 1 0 2 ...
James Loney
LAD 3-3, walk ... JA Happ
PHI 3.2 1 1 1 0 3 ... Matt Albers HOU 2.0 3 0 0 0 1 ... Troy
Patton HOU 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 ... Miguel Montero ARZ 2-3 ...
B.J. Upton TB 1-3, CS, picked off ... Joel Guzman 3B TB 1-3,
homer ... Lastings Milledge NYN 0-4, 2 Ks ... Andy
LaRoche LAD 0-3, 3rd error ... Edward Campusano DET (Rule 5
pick) 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 ... Hayden Penn BAL 1.0 1 0 0 2 0 ... Andy
Marte CKE 2-5 ... Ryan Garko CLE 1-3, 2 RBI ... Joey
Votto CIN 1-1, homer .... Josh Hamilton CIN 0-3 ... Matt Kemp
LAD 1-3, walk ...
Troop movements ... TOR - reassigned LHP Jo Matumoto to minor league camp
...
Tim Grassey, Fantasy Baseball Cafe,
moves up to the 30s in his inaugural Top 100 :
" ... 33. Hunter Pence ... An
.890 OPS last season in Double-A saw Pence and the Astros salivating at the
Major League opportunities he will see in 2007. Pence has decent plate
discipline and excellent power, but he does struggle with breaking pitches and
could probably use a few months in Triple-A. Expect him to be a big league
regular by 2008."
" ... 35. Jeff Niemann ... When
he is healthy, the 6’9” right-hander is an imposing figure on the mound. He can
paint the corners with a mid-90s fastball that is complemented by a hard slider,
curveball, and change-up. He should start the season in Triple-A Durham, and is
the closest to the majors among legitimate Devil Rays pitching prospects. They
will need him to stay healthy so that he and Scott Kazmir can form a potent 1-2
punch."
" ... 39. Carlos Carrasco ...
signed out of Venezuela in 2003 and his youth will allow the Phillies to be
patient with him; however, his dominance at such a young age may force the
Phillies to push him up the minor league ranks. He complements his low-90s
fastball with a decent curveball, and an excellent change-up, though he can
struggle overall with his control at times. Probably at least two years away."
Aaron Gleeman, with a Top 50 at his
own site, posts the second installment of the series :
" ... 33. Jacoby Ellsbury ...
hasn't shown much power, but boasts an outstanding 73-to-73 strikeout-to-walk
and .391 on-base percentage, which sets him up to do damage with his exceptional
speed. Along with 60 steals in 146 minor-league games, Ellsbury is considered a
very good defensive center fielder and profiles as a similar player to Johnny
Damon."
" ... 39. Scott Elbert ... Few
pitching prospects have been more overpowering than Scott Elbert over the past
two years, as he struck out 301 batters in 261 innings and held opponents to a
sub-.200 batting average. What could keep him from becoming an ace-caliber
starter is throwing strikes and keeping the ball in the ballpark, because over
those same 261 frames he walked 141 batters and served up 23 homers. The control
is likely to improve with experience, but Elbert's fly-ball tendencies mean the
long-ball problems may not."
" ... 40. James Loney ... a big
season, leading the minors by hitting .380 at Triple-A before slugging .559 in
48 games with the Dodgers. Despite Loney's power showing in Los Angeles, he
projects more as a slick-fielding, high-average doubles hitter, although he may
have to break into the lineup as an outfielder."
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall,
with another of his matchups ... this one lefty Andrew Miller DET vs
righty Adam Miller CLE :
" ... Both pitchers throw with similar
velocity; both have excellent sliders; both need to improve their changeups ...
In general, Adam has better control and polish than Andrew right now, but he
also has been learning his craft in a pro environment rather than in college,
and Andrew is hardly raw given his experience level. Perhaps a slight edge for
Adam ... Assuming the expected command refinements, Andrew Miller projects as a
number one starter at the major league level. At worst he would be a power
closer from the left side if the changeup is a problem ... Assuming
continued good health, Adam Miller projects as a number one starter at the major
league level. At worst he'd be a number three type if his stuff levels out or
slips a bit ... Maybe a SLIGHT edge on intangibles for Adam Miller, Andrew
gets a slight edge on tools, Adam gets a slight edge on current polish and
performance, even on projection. I rated Adam at Number Six on my pitching
prospect list, and Andrew at Number Seven. It's really, really close but overall
I think Adam is just a HAIR better."
Jayson Stark, ESPN.com, with a feature piece on Phil Hughes NYA :
" ... He's 6-foot-5, 220 pounds. He launches
baseballs with a smooth, compact delivery that has drawn comparisons to Clemens
and Curt Schilling and Mike Mussina. And his four-pitch repertoire is so
dominating that he turned the entire Eastern League into a collection of .179
hitters last year. So Hughes is shaping up as the centerpiece of Cashman's new,
welcome-to-the-21st-century blueprint for the Yankees. Why buy an ace down at
the old Mercenary Mart for 100 million bucks when you can grow your own? But
before we hand him his first Cy Young trophy, let's remember something: He's
only 20.."
Even beyond Hughes, the Yankees with some pitching talent on the farm :
" ... Dellin Betances ... was
surprising enough in his debut when he posted a 1.17 ERA and 27 K's in 23 1/3 IP
in the Gulf Coast League. Then he was touching 98 mph last fall ... If
that weren't enough, Betances showed up early to camp looking like a different
person. The 6-foot-8 right-hander was around 205 pounds last fall. He showed up
this spring at close to 230 pounds. What that can do for his fastball and his
stamina is a little mind-boggling. He's also shown an above-average curveball
and a changeup that's usable now but will get better. ... Of all the
pitching the Yankees have in their system currently, there may be no one with a
higher ceiling than Betances."
" ... Joba Chamberlain ... in
the Hawaiian Winter League and was named the league's top prospect. He touched
97 mph there and his fastball sat in the 93-95 range. He complements that
plus-fastball with a slider, curve and changeup, all of which are usable
pitches. Part of what scared some teams off were his conditioning and past knee
surgery and Chamberlain will have to continue to focus on conditioning to stay
healthy and maintain his power-command combination. Already making some
adjustments to the pro game in terms of his delivery and his pitch selection, he
could move up extremely quickly and join the upper-level pitching logjam in the
near future." (minorleaguebaseball.com)
07 March, 2007
Daisuke Matsuaka BOS 3.0 2 0 0 1 3 ... Jason Hirsh COL 3.0
1 0 0 0 1 ... Hunter Pence HOU 2-2, triple, .750 ... Phil
Hughes NYA 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 ... Tom
Gorzelanny PIT 1.1 2 6 5 5 0
... Andrew McCutchen
PIT 0-2, walk ... Neil Walker PIT (3B) 0-4, 2nd error ... Blake
Hawksworth STL 3.0 3
1 0 0 2 ... Macay McBride ATL 2.0 4 4 4 2 1 ... Joey
Devine ATL 2.0 0 0 0 1 1 ... Yusmeiro
Petit FLO 3.0 1 0 0 0 5 ... Jacoby
Ellsbury BOS 2-3, triple ... Dustin
Pedroia BOS 1-3 ...
Delmon Young TB 1-3
... Greg Miller LAD 2.0 3 1 1 0 1 ... Glen Perkins
MIN 2.0 5 1 1 0 2 ... Andy LaRoche
LAD 1-5 ... Casey Kotchman
LAA 0-3 ... Kendry
Morales LAA 1-2 ... Chris Iannetta
COL 1-2 ... Troy Tulowitzki
COL 1-3, double ... Billy Butler KC 1-2 ...
Edinson
Volquez TEX
2.0 0 0 0 2 0 ... Thomas Diamond TEX 1.0 3 2 2 2 1 ... Justin
Upton ARZ 1-2 , CS ... Carlos Quentin ARZ 2-2 ...
" ... Brewers 3B Ryan Braun ...
with Corey Koskie's health up in the air, it's unclear what Braun's chances are.
As of right now, however, Braun is being given every opportunity to win the
third base job in Milwaukee. He certainly hasn't hurt his chances early on,
going 6-for-10 with three homers, eight RBIs and a stolen base. A few more days
like that and they won't be able to send him down. ... The flip side is Alex
Gordon. It sounded like the Royals were prepared to have him open the
season as the third baseman with a decent spring, moving Mark Teahen to the
outfield. Starting out the Cactus League schedule 1-for-9 is not a way to cement
that position. It's still too early to write him off, but watch him carefully.
If he starts pressing, the Royals could have him begin the year in Omaha." (minorleaguebaseball.com)
Troop movements ... among the cuts ... CHA - reassigned OF Kenny Kelly,
RHP Eduardo Sierra, INF Kenny Perez and to minor
league camp ... PIT - Optioned RHP Bryan Bullington and RHP
John Van Benschoten to Triple-A, RHP Yoslan
Herrera to Double-A, reassigned RHP Brad Lincoln, LHP
Michael Tejera to Minor League camp ... SF - Optioned 1B Travis
Ishikawa to Triple-A, reassigned OF Eddy Martinez-Esteve
to Minor League camp ... TB - reassigned RHP Shinji Mori and RHP Doug
Waechter to minor league camp ...
Dayn Perry, FOXSports,
marks the halfway point in his Top 100 :
" ... 60. Travis Snider ... the first prep
first-rounder the Jays have drafted since J.P. Ricciardi took over, had a highly
impressive debut last season in the rookie-level Appalachian League. He's got
lots of raw power and a command of the strike zone. On the downside, he's going
to be relegated to left field, and he's already battling weight problems."
" ... 56. Elvis Andrus ... numbers don't
look very impressive at first blush, but last season he was in the full-season
Sally League despite being only 17 for most of the year. In that context, his
batting line of .265 AVG/.324 OBP/.362 SLG at Low-A Rome looks much more
promising. He's raw, but Andrus' speed on the bases, hand-eye coordination and
quick bat through the zone all portend skills growth."
" ... 51. Jeremy Jeffress ... struggled with
his command last season in the rookie-level Arizona League, but a fastball that
occasionally reaches triple digits hints at his promise. He gets groundballs
(always a useful skill), but his secondary pitches need much work. He's raw and
needs careful instruction coming up through the system. However, Jeffress'
promise is undeniable."
Jim Callis,
Baseball America, on Delmon Young TB :
" ... From a tools and performance standpoint, Young still
looks like the same future superstar that he did a year ago. His 11 homers were
a career low, but his power potential remains undeniable. He improved his
performance in Triple-A compared to 2005, and put up combined .316/.339/.474
numbers between that level and the majors—at age 20. The one area where Young
took a hit last year, obviously, was his makeup. He threw his bat after a called
third strike and hit an umpire, drawing a 50-game suspension. He later
criticized the Devil Rays for delaying his arrival to the majors, and generally
came off as petulant. However, the Rays believe he'll mature as he gets older,
and they don't believe his behavior is a long-term concern."
David Luciani, Baseball Notebook, with some thoughts on Alex Gordon
for 2007 and Josh Hamilton :
" ... I've forecasted 434 at bats, a .264 average,
13 home runs, 66 runs scored, 53 RBI and 12 steals ... Gordon is a case where
you have a prospect who's deservingly ranked very high but as always, readers
need to be reminded that it's rare (but not impossible) for prospects to
instantly achieve their potential upon arriving in the majors. Remember too that
while Gordon appears to have a lock on the Opening Day third base job, he's one
extended slump away from a return to the minors as the Royals don't want to ruin
him and are being smart about how they handle him."
" ... based on all the info I can
collect about him (which is limited), I will be forecasting a terrible batting
average - think sub-.200 - with some decent power and occasional speed. Remember
this about him: Yes, he was once considered a top prospect but he's now
twenty-five years old, has missed about four years of action that should have
been used as development time ... last time we did see him, he was hitting
.303 at Single-A (save for the .260 average he picked up in just 50 at bats with
the low Single-A Hudson-Valley short season team last year). Hitting .303 at
Single-A is actually not something that translates to major league skill ...
I am aware that he started by hitting .500 in his first 12 spring at bats but I
just can't use that alone as evidence that he's a significantly improved player
than the one we last saw in real action in 2002 ... I'll be very surprised
if Hamilton is ready for the majors right now after such a long layoff."
The CIN system is featured at
MinorLeagueBaseball :
" ... Drew Stubbs ... has huge power
and surprising speed. The first college position player taken by Cincinnati with
its first pick in the last 10 drafts, he hit .252 with six homers, 24 RBIs and
19 steals in his debut at Billings and will man center field in Dayton. For all
that lumber, though, his best tool may be his defense. "He's as good a defensive
outfielder as there is in the game, and I wouldn't limit that to the Minors,"
Reynolds said. "If that bat comes around just a little, we'll have a real star
kind of guy."
" ... Joey Votto ... converted
catcher from Canada has transformed himself into the top power-hitting corner
prospect in the system, enjoying a breakout season in 2006 at Double-A
Chattanooga. There, he earned Southern League MVP honors after hitting .319 with
22 homers and 77 RBIs, winning the batting crown and leading the Reds' system in
home runs. He added 24 steals, impressive for a first baseman or catcher, along
with 46 doubles and a .408 on-base percentage to show across-the-board tools.
His defense is still something of a work-in-progress though not a liability."
Oh oh ...
" ... Twins have grown increasingly
concerned with Matt Garza's neck pain and have scheduled an appointment
for the pitcher to see a neurologist. The right-hander was taken out of his
outing against the Devil Rays on Monday after throwing to just two hitters due
to the pain hindering his pitching motion. Garza underwent a CT scan last week
to try and find out the cause of the problem, but nothing was discovered. The
right-hander has been waking up every morning with slight headaches and said
that he feels the stiffness constantly. Garza likely will undergo an MRI in the
coming days, and Gardenhire said the club will wait to find a cause before
allowing him to get back on the mound." (minorleaguebaseball.com)
06 March, 2007
Adam Loewen BAL 2.0 1 0 0 1 5 ... Adam Wainwright STL
4.0 0 0 0 2 1 ... Hunter Pence HOU 2-2, double, .700 ... Chad
Billingsley LAD 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 ... Dustin Pedroia BOS 1-2,
double, walk ... Matt Garza MIN (stiff neck) 0.0 1 1 1 1 0 ...
BJ Upton TB (at SS) 0-3 ... Carlos Ruiz PHI 2-3, homer
... Joey Votto CIN 1-1, RBI ... Josh Hamilton CIN
1-1, walk ... Matt Harrison ATL 1.0 3 4 4 1 1 ... Alay
Soler NYN 3.0 4 1 1 0 0 ... Andy Marte CLE 0-3 ...
Trevor Crowe CLE (CF, leadoff) 1-3, walk, error ...
Andrew Miller DET 2.0 2 1 1 1 1 ... Kei Igawa NYA 1.0 2
2 2 3 3 ... Lance Broadway 2.0 2 2 2 1 0 ... Mark Prior CHN 1.1 4 3 3 2 0
... Felix Pie CHN (leadoff, CF) 3-5 ... Kevin Kouzmanoff SD 1-3, walk ...
Alex Gordon KC 1-2 ... Justin Upton ARZ 1-1, homer ...
Chris Young ARZ 1-3 ...
Ian Stewart 3B COL 0-3, 2 Ks ... Kendry Morales LAA
2-3, double ...
Troop movements ... among the cuts, STL - reassigned RHP Chris
Lambert, C Bryan Anderson, C Michel Hernandez
to minor league camp ... SF - optioned RHP Kelyn Acosta to Double-A, RHP
Merkin Valdez to Triple-A ... a bit of a surprise in the initial BAL cuts :
" ... Orioles have reassigned pitchers Garrett
Olson, Radhames Liz and Freddy Deza, and
outfielder Cory Keylor, to their minor league camp in Sarasota,
Fla. Olson allowed one run in two innings in Sunday's exhibition game against
the New York Mets, and he was credited with the win. Liz permitted two runs in
two innings. Manager Sam Perlozzo instructed Olson to concentrate on keeping the
ball down. Olson and Liz are two of the organization's top pitching prospects,
and sending them to Sarasota allows them to get more innings." (Baltimore
Sun)
Aaron Gleeman has the first
installment of his Top 50.
" ... 42. Jeff Niemann ... | As a pro Niemann
has shown that he's indeed an elite talent, striking out 10.5 batters per nine
innings while holding opponents to a .194 batting average, but has also thrown
just 108 career innings because of an assortment of maladies. A 6-foot-9
flamethrower, Niemann has legitimate No. 1 starter potential if he can simply
stay healthy."
" ... 46. Miguel Montero ... ready to take over
as Arizona's catcher ... track record is inconsistent, but Montero has
shown the ability to post big batting averages while making good contact, has
plenty of power, and is considered a solid defender behind the plate. Given a
chance to a platoon with Chris Snyder, he could be a darkhorse Rookie of the
Year candidate."
" ... 49. Alberto Callaspo ... hit
.337 in 114 games at Triple-A and moved up to Arizona in August. A versatile
defender who'll likely end up at second base, Callaspo has more power potential
than a typical slap hitter and controls the strike zone as well as anyone in
baseball. He struck out just 33 times in 601 total plate appearances last year
and has made contact in over 95 percent of his career trips to the plate while
hitting .314."
Jonathan Mayo, MinorLeagueBaseball, on Jeff Clement SEA :
" ... More than likely, Clement will be back at
Triple-A Tacoma to start the season ... |
