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02 April, 2006
ST action ... Gavin Floyd PHI 4.0 5 4 4 2 2, 3.16 ... Jonathan
Papelbon BOS 1.0 2 1 1 0 1, 5.48 ... Ian Snell PIT 5.0 10 7
6 1 3, 5.27 ... Prince Fielder MIL 0-3, .291 ... Daniel Cabrera
BAL 4.0 5 3 3 4 8, 5.40 ... Nick Markakis BAL 3-4, 8th double,
.358 ... Matt Cain SF 5.0 4 5 5 1 7, 7.99 ... Dewon
Brazelton SD 5.0 6 5 2 2 2, 1.77 ... Josh Barfield SD 2-3,
.433 ... Taylor Buchholz HOU 7.0 5 0 0 0 6, 1.50 ... Chad
Billingsley LAD 5.0 4 0 0 3 4, 2.51 ... Jeff Mathis LAA 2-3
double, .306 ...
" ... Anthony Reyes ... combined with
four Redbirds relievers on a Spring Training no-hitter against visiting Norfolk,
beating the Tides, 5-3, on Saturday. Reyes was efficient over the first five
innings, retiring the Tides on just 52 pitches while striking out seven and
walking one. The right-hander compiled a 7-6 record and a 3.64 ERA with Memphis
last season. He also went 1-1 in four games and made one start for St. Louis." (MLB.com)
Troop
Movements ... ARZ - placed Brandon Medders on the 15-day DL,
assigned Casey Daigle, Jerry Gil and Carlos
Quentin to minor league camp (MLC) ...
ATL - purchased the contracts of Brian Jordan and
Mike Remlinger, placed LHP
Mike Hampton on the 15-day DL ...
CHN - optioned Ryan Theriot to Triple-A, purchased the contract of
Wade Miller and placed him on the 15-day DL ...
CIN - optioned Ryan Wagner to Triple-A, assigned Brian Buchanan,
Quinton McCracken, Jacob Cruz and Frank
Menechino to minor league camp (MLC), recalled Chris Denorfia
from Triple-A, placed Jason LaRue, Paul Wilson
on the 15-day disabled list, signed Darrell May to a minor league
contract, purchased the contract of Andy Abad, designated Dane
Sardinha for assignment, assigned Dewayne Wise to MLC ...
FLO - assigned Tom Wilson to MLC ...
HOU - purchased the contract of Eric Munson,
assigned Kevin Orie to MLC ...
LAD - placed Jayson Werth on the 15-day DL,
optioned Oscar Robles, Russell Martin to Triple-A ...
NYN - assigned Joe Hietpas to MLC ...
PHI - -optioned Chris Roberson to Triple-A,
acquired David Dellucci from TEX for Robinson Tejeda and
Jake Blalock ...
PIT - Brandon Duckworth, C.J. Nitkowski and Terry Adams
assigned to MLC ...
STL - assigned Alan Benes, Brian
Falkenborg to MLC, placed outfielder Larry Bigbie, Rick Ankiel
on the 15-day DL ...
SD - purchased the contract of Brian Sweeney,
placed Doug Brocail, Ryan Klesko, Mike
Cameron on the 15-day DL, reassigned Justin Leone, Eric
Junge and Eric Valent to MLC ...
SF - optioned Kevin Correia, Elizer Alfonzo,
Todd Linden to Triple-A, assigned Kevin Frandsen and
Abraham Nunez to MLC, purchased the contract of Todd
Greene, designated Angel Chavez for assignment, placed
Armando Benitez on the 15-day DL ...
WAS - placed Pedro Astacio on the 15-day DL,
recalled Jay Bergmann ...
BAL - placed Todd Williams, John
Parrish on the 15-day DL, assigned John Halama, Cory
Morris, Eddy Rodriguez, Tyler Yates, Eddie
Rogers and Brandon Marsters to MLC, optioned Eli
Whiteside to Triple-A ...
" ... The Orioles made their final cuts on
Saturday and elected to keep Nick Markakis on board ... "They
weren't saying much. They just left me out there, playing hard every day," said
Markakis, who had three hits on Saturday. "Good things happen when you do that."
Markakis was one of the team's hottest hitters all spring, notching a .333
batting average with a .427 on-base mark. Despite his success, his lack of
upper-level experience was a constant talking point. The former first-round pick
has only played 33 games at the Double-A level, but Perlozzo said his knowledge
of the strike zone is as good as anyone on the roster." (MLB.com)
BOS - placed David Wells, Hee Seop Choi on the
15-day DL ...
CHA - signed Jose Contreras to a three-year,contract extension,
placed Dustin Hermanson on the 15-day disabled list, purchased the
contract of Boone Logan. ...
CLE - purchased the contracts of Danny Graves,
Todd Hollandsworth, designated Brandon Phillips,
Kazuhito Tadano for assignment, optioned Jason Davis,
Jason Dubois to Triple-A, assigned Tim Laker
to MLC ...
DET - purchased the contracts of Bobby Seay, Ramon
Santiago, designated Frankyn German, Rob Bowen
for assignment, placed Craig Dingman on the 15-day DL, placed
Troy Percival on the 60-day DL
KC - purchased the contracts of Steve
Stemle and Luke Hudson, placed Zack Greinke on
the 60-day DL, placed Mike MacDougal, Mark Redman,
on the 15-day disabled list, optioned Runelvys Hernandez, Joel
Peralta to Triple-A , designated Steve Andrade for
assignment ...
LAA - purchased the contract of Tim Salmon,
designated Scott Dunn for assignment, optioned Dallas
McPherson, Kendry Morales, Mike Napoli and
Kevin Gregg to Triple-A, assigned Brian Specht,
Jered Weaver, Curtis Pride to MLC ...
MIN - optioned Terry Tiffee to Triple-A, assigned Jason
Tyner to MLC ...
NYA - placed Carl Pavano, Aaron
Small, Octavio Dotel on the 15-day DL, assigned Ramiro
Mendoza, Matt Childers, Jose Veras, Omir
Santos, Russ Johnson and Damian Rolls to MLC,
optioned Matt Smith, Felix Escalona to Triple-A,
released Luis Garcia. ...
OAK - optioned Bobby Kielty, Santiago
Casilla, Ron Flores to Triple-A ...
SEA - purchased the contract of Roberto Petagine,
optioned Rene Rivera and Emiliano Fruto to Triple-A,
placed Chris Snelling on 15-day DL, designated Marcos
Carvajal for assignment ...
TB - purchased the contracts of Jason Childers,
Ruddy Lugo and Luis Ordaz, optioned Edwin
Jackson, Kevin Cash to Triple-A, assigned Russell
Branyan, Greg Norton to MLC, placed Rocco Baldelli,
Sean Burroughs on the 15-day disabled list, placed Shinji
Mori on the 60-day DL, designated RHP Tim Corcoran for assignment ...
TEX - signed John Wasdin to a minor league contract,
placed Adam Eaton, Gary Matthews Jr. on the 15-day DL,
designated Erasmo Ramirez for assignment, optioned Robinson Tejeda
and John Rheinecker to Triple-A, assigned Adam Hyzdu
to MLC, purchased the contracts of Antonio Alfonseca, Adrian
Brown and D'Angelo Jimenez. ...
TOR - designated Vince Perkins for assignment, placed A.J.
Burnett on the 15-day disabled list, purchased the contracts of Jason
Phillips and Brian Tallet ...
Dewon Brazelton SD, on the rebound :
" ... Brazelton was awarded a spot in the
Padres rotation... sending veterans Woody Williams and Chan Ho Park to the
bullpen for at least the first two weeks of the season ... “I feel like I've accomplished
something. Not impossible, but the cards were stacked against me.” Brazelton,
the third player selected in the 2001 draft, was Tampa Bay's Opening Day starter
last year. But he finished the season 1-8 with a 7.61 ERA over 20 games (eight
starts) to fall to 8-23 with a 5.98 ERA for his career. He also took a leave of
absence to deal with personal problems. “I made mistakes, yes,” Brazelton said.
“But I'm only 25. It's not right to give up on anyone at such a young age. I
don't want to blow this out of proportion, but I did accomplish something and it
should be applauded. I don't think you can have a worse year than I did last
year.” (San Diego Union Tribune)
Andrew Miller continues to impress :
IP H R ER BB SO NP
Andrew Miller 7.0 4 0 0 1 9 108
" ... One week after shutting down No. 4
Georgia Tech for seven innings ... North Carolina left-hander Andrew Miller did
the same to top-ranked Florida State Friday ... Over seven innings, Miller (6-0)
allowed four hits - just one out of the infield - and walked one. He fanned nine
and now has 22 strikeouts in his last 14 innings. The Gainesville, Fla., lefty
gave up just two hits over the first six innings before FSU threatened in the
seventh on back-to-back, two-out infield singles. On the season, Miller now has
61 strikeouts and just 10 walks in 47 innings. His fourth shutout performance of
six innings or more this season, Friday's win was the 20th of Miller's career."
(UNC)
In a report from the International League, a preview of some of the young guns
who might figure in some Triple-A time this summer.
Buffalo, CLE " ... 3B Andy Marte becomes the
heir apparent to Aaron Boone at the hot corner in Cleveland ... 1B Ryan
Garko is a former catcher making the full-time transition to first base.
Like Marte, his bat is ready for the Major Leagues; he's in Triple-A to polish
his defensive skills...OF Ben Francisco and Franklin
Gutierrez are speedy outfielders who need another year in Triple-A at the
plate, but could see time with Cleveland this season."
Ottawa, BAL " ... In 2005, RHP Hayden Penn
skipped Triple-A and went straight to Baltimore from Double-A Bowie, going 3-2
in eight starts with the Orioles. At Double-A, Penn posted a 7-6 mark with a
3.83 ERA in 19 starts...OF Val Majewski is looking to rebound
after missing all of 2005 with a shoulder injury ... RHP Sandy Rleal
could be the Lynx closer if he doesn't make the Major League club out of spring
training ... Expect to see OF Nick Markakis make his Major League debut with the
Orioles this season, but before that, he may spend time in a Lynx uniform.
Markakis is rated the Orioles' top prospect by Baseball America ... 6'6" LHP Adam Loewen
made his mark pitching for Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic ... went
10-8 with a 4.12 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 142 innings at Class-A Frederick last
season."
Pawtucket, BOS " ... 23-year-old LHP Abe
Alvarez is beginning his second year at Triple-A, after a 2005 season
that included an appearance in the Triple-A All-Star Game and two promotions to
Boston ... LHP Jon Lester was Boston's 2005 Minor League Pitcher
of the Year. He led the Double-A Eastern League in ERA (2.61), complete games
(3), and strikeouts (163). His fastball tops out at 95 MPH ... Boston's 2005
Minor League Offensive Player of the Year was 2B Dustin Pedroia.
Over his first two pro seasons, Pedroia has fanned only 50 times in 617 at-bats.
He's equally comfortable playing second base or shortstop ... RHP Craig
Hansen is Boston's closer of the not-too-distant future. Last season he
became the first player in Red Sox history to reach the Major Leagues in the
same year he was drafted."
Rochester, MIN " ... [Both top prospects made
the Twins' rosters but could see time in Rochester during the season.] ... Francisco Liriano
...
flame-throwing lefty led all of Minor League Baseball in strikeouts last
year...OF Jason Kubel is the Twins' #2 prospect. He won the IL
batting title (.343) and was named Rookie of the Year in 2004, but missed all of
last season after injuring his knee in October 2003 at the Arizona Fall League. ...LF
Alex Romero hit .301 for New Britain and was named to
the Eastern League's postseason All-Star team in 2005."
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PHI " ... LHP Dan
Haigwood spent 2005 in the White Sox organization, going an amazing 14-3
with a 2.82 ERA between Class-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham ...
It's very likely the Red Barons will welcome Philadelphia's top overall
prospect, LHP Cole Hamels, into the fold this season. An
assortment of injuries has limited Hamel to just 28 appearances over his first
three professional seasons ... OF Michael Bourn adjusted well last
season to a jump from low Class-A to Double-A, where he was voted as the Eastern
League's most exciting player after leading the circuit in stolen bases (38)
... LHP Gio Gonzalez went 8-3 with a 3.56 ERA last year after a
promotion to Class-A Carolina. He's gained attention among scouts for his 95-MPH
fastball."
Syracuse, TOR " ... RHP Dustin McGowan is rated as Toronto's top overall
prospect by Baseball America. He jumped from Double-A New Hampshire to Toronto
last year after missing most of 2004 following Tommy John surgery ... RHP Josh Banks,
Toronto's #5 rated prospect, is one of the best control pitchers in the Minor
Leagues. He recorded 145 strikeouts and just 11 walks for New Hampshire in 2005
... RHP Casey Janssen,
Toronto's #6 prospect, was a two-way player for three years at UCLA who slipped
to the fourth round in the 2004 draft, but he's moved quickly through the Blue
Jays' chain."
Columbus, NYA " ... 1B Eric Duncan ... first round draft pick in 2003
hit 19 home runs last year for Double-A Trenton, and followed that up by being
named MVP of the Arizona Fall League ... RHP Phil Hughes, the top Yankees draft choice in 2004,
is considered to be the top prospect in the organization. The 19-year-old
flamethrower will likely start the season at Class-A Tampa, but should work his
way up the ladder quickly."
Indianapolis, PIT " ... 3B Jose Bautista
hit .283 with 23 HR and 90 RBI for Double-A Altoona last season before being
promoted to Indianapolis on August 23 ... LF Rajai Davis hit .281 and stole 45 bases for Altoona
in 2005 ... Slugger Brad
Eldred hit 40 HR between Altoona, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh in
2005. He'll start this season in the Minor Leagues as he works on cutting down
his number of strikeouts."
Louisville, CIN " ... OF Chris Denorfia is the Reds' reigning Minor League
Player of the Year. He hit .330 in 46 games in Double-A and .310 in 91 Triple-A
games last year before a brief big league trial ... RHP
Homer Bailey, the organization's top
prospect, will probably start in Double-A. The Reds have big plans for the
19-year-old, who went 8-4 with a 4.43 ERA and 125 strikeouts in his first full
professional season."
Toledo, DET " ... With RHP Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya making the Detroit roster in spring
training, the Mud Hens will not have a single top ten prospect on the opening
day roster."
Charlotte, CHA " ... RF Ryan Sweeney played through a wrist injury last
season, his first at the Double-A level ... modest numbers, hitting .298 with 1
HR and 47 RBI. The 21-year-old has moved quickly through the Chicago farm system
... 3B Josh Fields...
top draft pick for the White Sox in 2004. Last year for Double-A Birmingham
Fields hit .252 with 16 HR and 79 RBI, but also struck out 142 times."
Durham, TB " ... OF Delmon Young, who was the Topps Minor League Player of
the Year for 2005 ... top prospect in all of baseball. Young combined to hit
.315 with 26 HR and 99 RBI last season between Double-A Montgomery and Durham
... B.J. Upton ... first-round pick in 2002 ...a tendency to commit
errors in bunches, which is why he hasn't stuck in the Major Leagues yet. The
best news was that the IL All-Star has never taken his fielding woes to the
plate ...OF Elijah Dukes,
a five-tool prospect, got the No. 20 prospect ranking in the Southern League
last season ... DH Wes
Bankston ... hit .292 with 12 HR and 47 RBI in 301 at-bats for
Montgomery last season after opening the year by hitting .387 at Class-A Visalia
... RHP Jeff Niemann,
the Devil Rays' first-round pick (fourth overall) in 2004, had 11 outings in
Visalia and Montgomery last season."
Norfolk, NYN " ... OF Lastings Milledge is a five-tool player ... batted .318
with 8 HR and 29 SB combined in stops at Class-A St. Lucie and Double-A
Binghamton last year ... RHP Mike Pelfrey was New York's top draft choice in 2005
out of Wichita State. The 6'7" righty throws in the mid-90's."
Richmond, ATL " ... RHP Anthony Lerew went 10-6 between Double-A and Triple-A
last season before making his Major League debut ... SS
Tony Pena Jr. looks to improve upon
his first season at the Triple-A level after hitting .249 with 5 HR, 40 RBI, and
17 SB for the 2005 R-Braves ... 20-year-old C Jarrod Saltalamacchia is among the best catching
prospects in Minor League Baseball. In 2005 playing for Myrtle Beach of the
Carolina League, he hit .314 with 19 HR and 81 RBI. He is likely to start the
season at Double-A Mississippi."
KC's Double-A club with some promising recruits :
" ... four No. 1 draft picks are on the roster -- third baseman Alex Gordon
and outfielders Billy Butler, Chris Lubanski and
Mitch Maier. Gordon, who played at Nebraska and was the college
player of the year, was the No. 2 overall pick in June for the Kansas City
Royals." (Wichita Eagle)
If you've wondered about what happened to Blake Hawkesworth ...
" ... Hawksworth is trying to overcome his health demons ...
In Hawksworth's mind, this is a make-or-break season. But St. Louis' player
development staff won't go so far as to place such an unnecessary burden on the
right-hander's surgically repaired shoulder. Vying for a starting role with the
Springfield Cardinals most of camp, Hawksworth instead will open the year as a
starting pitcher at High-A Palm Beach, Fla. The hope is that he throws so well
that he garners a late-season promotion to Springfield. "He's got to prove he
can stay healthy for a full year," veteran pitching coordinator Mark Riggins
said. "He's got to throw 150 innings. That's what we're hoping for. You at least
want him to get in 100 innings." That, of course, would appear to be some task
for Hawksworth. He has thrown only 24 2/3 innings the past two seasons ...
now 23 and almost four years removed from being drafted in the 28th round ...
It was just two years ago, too, when Baseball America magazine ranked Hawksworth
as the Cardinals' top prospect. " (Springfield
News-Leader)
01 April, 2006
No
April Fools' Day stuff here ... except to note
George Plimpton's story on Sidd
Fitch in SI was among the best of the AFD pranks ... (I think I still have a
copy of that issue of Sports Illustrated).
Looking
for a few good men and/or women ... to help provide prospect coverage during the
minor league season ... 30-40 minutes a day checking box scores for a specific
league ... if interested, please let me know (less than a week before the games
begin) ...
ST
action ... Joel Zumaya DET 1.0 0 0 0 0 3, 5.52 ... Adam
Wainwright STL 1.0 0 0 0 1 1, 0.57 ... Prince Fielder ML
1-4, triple ... Jeff Bannon CIN 2-4, homer ... Zach Duke
PIT, not providing much confidence, 5.0 10 5 5 0 2, 7.62 ... Ryan Zimmerman
WAS 2-3, 2 doubles, 8th error, .359 ... Boone Logan CHA 1.0 0 0 0
0 2, 0.69 ... Blaine Boyer ATL 1.0 1 0 0 0 0, 0.00 ... Chuck
James ATL 2.0 2 0 0 0 1, 3.52 ... Kameron Loe TEX 4.0 3 1 1
2 2, 3.68 ... Mike Jacobs NYN 2-3, homer, .292 ... Ian
Kinsler TEX 1-2, double, .236 ... Casey Kotchman LAA 1-3, 6th double, .442
...
Troop
Movements ... ARZ - released Luis Terrero ... BOS -
optioned Dustan Mohr to Triple-A ... TB - optioned Chad
Orvella to Triple-A, assigned Justin Miller, Al
Reyes, Mike Rose, Luis Rivas to minor league
camp (MLC), sent Chad Harville outright to Triple-A ... OAK -
acquired Juan Dominguez from TEX John Rheinecker,
Freddie Bynum (Bynum sent to CHN for John Koronka &
PTBNL) ... NYN - optioned Heath Bell, Yusaku Iriki
to Triple-A, assigned Jose Lima to MLC, released Matt
Perisho, Mike Venafro, Jeremy Hill and Kole
Strayhorn, re-signed Mitch Wylie to a minor league
contract. ... SEA - returned Luis Gonzalez, a Rule 5 pick, to LAD,
claimed Guillermo Quiroz off waivers from TOR .. CIN - released
Tommy Phelps, placed Grant Balfour on the 60-day
disabled list, claimed Jon Coutlangus off waivers from SF ... TOR
- placed Gregg Zaun on the 15-day disabled list ... HOU - placed
Raul Chavez on waivers (claimed by BAL) .. PIT - optioned Jody
Gerut to Triple-A, assigned Brandon Duckworth to MLC,
purchased the contract of Jose Hernandez, placed Bryan
Bullington on the 60-day disabled list ... MIN - optioned Jason
Bartlett to Triple-A ... TEX - placed Josh Rupe, C.J. Wilson,
Frank Francisco, Marshall McDougall on the 15-day
disabled list ... COL - designated Jaime Cerda for assignment ... LAD -
acquired Wilson Valdez from KC for Jarod Plummer ...
BAL - released Desi Relaford ... FLO - placed Michael
Megrew on the 15-day disabled list ... ATL - optioned Joey Devine,
James Jurries to Triple-A, sent Brad Baker outright
to Triple-A, placed Macay McBride, Kelly Johnson,
John Foster on the 15-day disabled list ... CLE -
assigned Einar Diaz and Steve Karsay to MLC ...
" ... Minnesota Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano
was arrested and charged with drunken driving, but his team said he still could
begin the season with the club. The 22-year-old left-hander was released on $500
bond, the Lee County Jail said. He is to return to Cape Coral for a court date
that has not yet been set." (AP)
David
Regan, RotoAmerica, highlights the PIT system :
" ... #2 Andrew McCutchen ...
debut was impressive, as he showed an advanced approach at the plate. Should
eventually develop 30 HR power as he fills out and develops. Very good speed
(think 40 steals in his prime) and solid defense. Arm is average, but he should
be able to handle CF with his athleticism. He's talented and advanced, so after
starting 2006 in Low A, he could advance quicker than expected."
" ... #1 Neil Walker ... a switch-hitting
catcher capable of hitting for both average and power. He projects as a
.300/30/100 type middle-of-the-order threat and could eventually provide Jason
Bay some legitimate protection in the Pittsburgh lineup. As a catcher, he has a
very strong arm but shows some inconsistency with his footwork and throwing
mechanics. Some scouts feel that he'll eventually move to the outfield or 3B, a
position that he's actually taken some practice at in the Arizona Fall League.
"
Jonathan
Mayo, MLB.com, reviews the WSox farm :
" ... Josh Fields ... As good an
athlete as Fields is, he's a better person. All he needs to be ready for the big
leagues is more at-bats, as he's just a few years removed from being a two-sport
college star. He's got 25-homer, 100-RBI potential once he refines his hitting
approach. His defense may be a touch behind his bat, but he shouldn't have any
problems staying at third. He'll spend the year in Charlotte, knowing that Joe
Crede's contract is up at the end of the year."
" ... Ray Liotta ... The 2004 draftee has all the
tools to succeed as a left-hander at the upper levels. His curve has the
potential to be a Major League out pitch, Liotta just needs to find more
consistency with it. His fastball is at least Major League average for a lefty,
maybe a tick above. His development last year made it easier for the White Sox
to deal two other talented lefties in the Jim Thome trade. He'll continue his
quick march to the big leagues by starting the year in Double-A
Birmingham."
Jorge Arangure Jr., Washington Post, on Sendy Rleal BAL:
" ... A complete unknown five weeks
ago, the 25-year-old Rleal (pronounced ray-AL) is on the verge of making the big
league team ... Last season he had a 2.04 ERA for Class AA Bowie and saved 16
games after Ray was called up to the majors. A wicked change-up has made him a
sensation this spring. Though Rleal throws 91-93 mph, relatively tame by major
league standards, he deceives hitters with the change-up, a pitch he can throw
for a strike in any count. Rleal is fearless with the pitch. "It doesn't matter
what the count is, I'll throw it," Rleal said ... Rleal's potential has put
Orioles Manager Sam Perlozzo in a bind this spring. "It's been one of the
toughest things to put together," Perlozzo said of his bullpen."
Chris Kline, Baseball America, on Fausto Carmona CLE :
" ... Carmona, 22, separated himself this
spring with outstanding command of his 95 mph fastball, and he has tightened up
his slider. He might not ever rack up huge strikeout numbers, but Carmona gets
outs by consistently pounding the zone and keeping the ball down. "He really put
himself in a different place with the way he pitched this spring as far as
poise, command and control and just the way he went about his business," Shapiro
[general manager Mark Shapiro] said. "There wasn't any outward sign of how old
he is or how much experience he had coming in. That said, because he's so young
and because we have quality pitching at the big league level not only with who
we brought in during the offseason, but with the homegrown pitchers here--he
needs some more time in Triple-A."
COL's Double-A infield quite a quality quartet :
" ... the opening day roster will include the
top two prospects in the Colorado Rockies minor league system. Number one
prospect Ian Stewart will begin the year as the starting third baseman.
The soon to be 21-year-old was one of the top hitters for the Rockies during
Major League camp this spring. Stewart hit .396 in 48 at-bats and led the
Rockies with 5 home runs and 14 runs batted in. He will be joined on the left
side of the Tulsa infield by shortstop Troy Tulowitski. Tulowitski
was Colorado's first pick in the June draft last year out of Long Beach State.
He hit .266 with 4 homers for Class A Modesto. He has only 22 games of
professional baseball experience. A pair of returnees will join Stewart and
Tulowitski on the infield. Matt Macri will start at second base,
and Joe Koshansky will begin the season at first base. After
playing in 64 games for Modesto, Macri played in only one game for the Drillers
last season before a wrist injury ended his season. Koshansky came to Tulsa late
in 2005 and hit .267 with 2 home runs in 12 games " (Tulsa Drillers)
31 March, 2006
Looking
for a few good men and/or women ... to help provide prospect coverage during the
minor league season ... 30-40 minutes a day checking box scores for a specific
league ... if interested, please let me know (less than a week before the games
begin) ...
ST
action ... Joey Devine ATL 1.0 2 1 0 1 3, 2.45 ... Sendy Rleal
BAL 2.0 1 0 0 0 0, 0.75 ... Nick Markakis BAL 3-4, double, walk,
.344 ... Matt Kemp LAD 0-4, .103 ... Matt Moses MIN,
making the most of a turn in the lineup, 3-4, homer ... Jason Kubel
MIN 2-3, double, .268 ... Anderson Hernanez NYN 3-5, .295 ... Edwin
Jackson TB 5.2 4 3 3 3 3, 5.16 ... Rich Hill CHN 2.0 2 2 2 4
3, 7.20 ... Dallas McPherson LAA 0-2, .195 ... putting an
exclamation mark on his spring campaign, Josh Barfield SD 4-4,
11th double, 18th RBI, .436 ... Ian Kinsler TEX 0-3, .226 ... Gerald
Laird TEX 1-1, homer, .343 ... Jered Weaver LAA 5.0 2 0 0 1 4
... Kenji Johjima SEA 1-3, 2nd homer ... Joe Borchard SEA 0-3, 2
Ks, .288 ...
Troop
Movements ... DET - optioned Roman Colon to Triple-A ... CHN
- optioned Roberto Novoa to Triple-A ... PIT - assigned Giovanni
Carrara to minor league camp (MLC) ... WAS - released Michael Tucker,
assigned Kevin Gryboski, Alberto Castillo to MLC,
sent Travis Hughes outright to Triple-A, purchased the contract of Wiki
Gonzalez ... HOU - acquired Cody Ransom from SEA, Joe McEwing
from KC ... SD - released Andy Ashby, signed Brian Sikorski to a
minor league contract and assigned to Triple-A
... NYA - assigned Scott Erickson to MLC ... TOR - assigned Lee
Gronkiewicz, Kevin Barker to MLC ... MIL - placed Ben Sheets
on the 15-day disabled list, optioned Mike Adams to Triple-A
...TEX - assigned Jon Leicester outright to Triple-A ... ARZ -
waived Luis Terrero, optioned Jeff Bajenaru to Triple-A ...
MLB - suspended Julian Tavarez BOS 10 days ...
Only
the Top 10 left to go as Aaron
Gleeman, The Hardball Times, updates his Top 50.
" ... 11) Daric Barton
... made the full-time switch from catcher to first base in 2005. He's
reportedly still rough around the edges defensively, but Barton's outstanding
hitting didn't miss a beat. He hit .318 at Single-A and .316 at Double-A,
combining for 13 homers, 52 total extra-base hits, and 97 walks in 135 games.
The most impressive parts of Barton's game are his ability to post big batting
averages (.311 in 279 pro games) and his remarkable plate discipline and
strike-zone control (171-to-203 strikeout-to-walk ratio), and the biggest
question mark is whether or not his power will develop significantly. Right now
Barton looks capable of 15-20 homers per year in the majors, which along with
the great on-base skills would make him an excellent player (think Nick Johnson
without the injuries). However, the fact that he doesn't turn 21 years old until
August gives some hope that he can eventually generate 30-homer power and become
an offensive monster."
" ... 13) Chris Young ...
tends to get overlooked because his batting average leaves a lot to be desired
and he strikes out a lot ... if you look beyond batting average you will
see a player who does just about everything else extremely well. Young is a
well-regarded defensive center fielder, draws tons of walks for someone so
young, has outstanding power, and has 63 steals at an 81 percent clip over the
past two years ... when it comes to name recognition he might be the most
underrated top prospect in baseball."
Jason
Ratliff, MLB.com, has a look at the CLE farm headed by such luminaries as
Jeremy Sowers and Andy Marte. Here's a couple of under-the-radar guys :
" ... Stephen Head ...
got his rookie season off to a blistering start by hitting six home runs in his
first 10 games at Mahoning Valley before being bumped up two steps to High-A
Kinston. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound first baseman more than held his own there,
too, batting .286 with four homers and 36 RBIs in 47 games. Overall, he hit
.308/.349/.513 with 10 roundtrippers and 50 RBIs. Based on that success, Head
could have a monster year as he returns to the Carolina League to start
2006."
" ... Brad Snyder ... Through his
first three professional seasons, Snyder's extra-base hit and home run numbers
have increased each year, and he's averaged over 15 stolen bases for every 100
games played. His tools and athleticism are as good as those of any offensive
player in the Indians' system. The one glaring area of concern is the
left-hander's propensity to swing at pitches out of the strike zone ... His
primary area of focus heading into the 2006 season, fittingly, is improving his
two-strike approach in order to cut down on his strikeouts (158 in 133 games in
'05) and reduce the number of times he gets himself out."
Jim
Callis, Baseball Amercia, on Neil Walker PIT :
" ... For now, I'd do what the
Pirates are going to: let him catch. In almost every case, it behooves a team to
try a player at a more difficult defensive position until he proves he can't
handle it. He has the tools to catch and he's more athletic than most backstops,
but he can get sloppy with his throwing mechanics and his blocking skills. If he
can smooth out that part of the game and make it as a catcher, Walker will be
more valuable than he would be at third base. However, my gut feel is that when
we hear that a young player may have to shift positions, that usually comes
true. If defensive shortcomings are evident against inferior competition,
they're going to be more glaring in the major leagues. Also, as Ian notes,
catching would take away from Walker's bat. Some scouts project him as a .300
hitter with 25-30 homers annually, and that would make him a star at third base.
My guess is in the long run, he winds up moving from behind the plate."
Ken
Rosenthal, FOXSports.com, with his picks for 2006 ROY awards:
" ... Prince Fielder ... Favorite
race of 'em all — Marlins right fielder Jeremy Hermida, Nationals third
baseman Ryan Zimmerman and Diamondbacks first baseman Conor Jackson are among
the other legitimate candidates. Fielder figures to draw more attention playing
for a team on the rise, and also figures to hit for the most power — though
D-Backs manager Bob Melvin predicts that Jackson will be a "monster."
" ... Brian Anderson ... It's
difficult to go against a player at an up-the-middle position, though Anderson
faces unique pressure taking over center for the defending World Series
champions. Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima could join Hideo Nomo, Ichiro and
Kazuhiro Sasaki among Japanese winners of the rookie award, but as a catcher he
faces a more profound adjustment. Look out for Indians third baseman Andy Marte
if he arrives at midseason — not to mention the Twins' latest left-handed
wonder, Francisco Liriano."
Zack
Greinke KC, Dustin Pedroia BOS, light at the end of the tunnel.
" ... “He’s progressing nicely at this
point,” general manager Allard Baird said Wednesday. “He sounds happy, but
there is still no official timetable for when he will return.” ... Several
sources told The Star that Greinke recently underwent a formal psychological
evaluation to determine the specific nature of his emotional issues. Those same
sources said treatment through medication is likely ... “He seems
to be doing better,” manager Buddy Bell said. “He’s beginning to talk
about coming back. That’s a good sign.” A best-case scenario now calls for
Greinke to return in mid-April to extended spring training ... before starting a
rehab pitching assignment in the minors that can last up to 30 days."
(Kansas City Star)
" ... Highly-touted prospect Dustin Pedroia
will stay in extended Spring Training as he continues to recover from a strained
left shoulder. "I'm going to stay down here and get 25, 30 at-bats,"
said Pedroia. "I think I'm going to miss 12 games, 10 games, something like
that, then I'll catch up with Pawtucket in Durham. It will be good. I haven't
had any at-bats since my first swing [of Spring Training]." (MLB.com)
30 March, 2006
ST
action ... Jason Kubel MIN 1-3, 1st homer, 3 RBI, .245 ... in
relief, Francisco Liriano MIN 3.0 4 3 3 0 3, 6.43 ... Hanley
Ramirez FLO 2-4, 4th SB, .328 ... Jeremy Hermida FLO 1-2,
walk, .258 ... Brandon Phillips CLE 1-3, 3rd homer, .316 ... Kelly
Shoppach CLE 0-4, .156 ... Blaine Boyer ATL 0.1 2 0 0 1 0,
0.00 ... Chris Coste PHI, 33-year-old with a chance to stick on the
opening day roster, 2-4, double, .474 ... Russ Martin LAD 1-2,
double, .333 ... Ryan Zimmerman WAS 2-3, 2 walks, .342 ...
Brandon Wood LAA 2-4, homer ... Mike Napoli LAA 2-2, homer ...
Juan Cruz ARZ 3.0 0 0 0 1 3 ... Conor Jackson ARZ
1-2, double, walk, .438 ... maybe he'll win a spot after all, Joe Borchard
SEA 2-4, 4th homer, .290 ... Josh Barfield SD 2-3, double, 2 RBI,
.392 ...
Troop
Movements ... CLE - signed Grady Sizemore to a 6-year
contract ... DET - optioned Nook Logan
to Triple-A, assigned Mark Woodyard, Hector Mercado,
Don Kelly, Alexis Gomez
to minor league camp (MLC), claimed Rob Bowen
off waivers from MIN, announced Carlos Pena
cleared waivers, making him a free agent ... MIN - assigned Dennys Reyes,
Shawn Wooten, Glenn Williams
to MLC, returned Rule 5 selection, Jason Pridie,
to TB (assigned to Triple-A) ... SEA - optioned Clint Nageotte,
Mike Morse to Triple-A, assigned Kevin Appier, Scott
Atchison, Francisco Cruceta, Greg Dobbs,
Adam Jones, Corky Miller to MLC ... TEX - optioned Juan
Dominguez to Tripe-A, assigned Jose Silva to MLC, released John
Wasdin ... CHN - optioned Rich Hill to Triple-A, assigned Michael
Restovich to MLC ... CIN - optioned William Bergolla, Matt
Kata, Brian Shackelford
to Triple-A ... FLO - released Lenny Harris, Kerry Ligtenberg,
assigned Matt Cepicky, Mike Kinkade
to Triple-A, optioned Scott Olsen
to Triple-A ... LAD - signed Jeff Kent
on a one-year contract extension, recalled Tim Hamulack, placed Cesar
Izturis on the 15-day disabled list ... PHI - released RHP Ricardo
Rodriguez ... PIT - assigned Scott Strickland, Britt
Reames, Mike Edwards
to MLC, optioned Jose Bautista, Ronny Paulino
to Triple-A ... KC - optioned Aaron Guiel to Triple-A, Leo Nunez
to Double-A, assigned Joe McEwing to MLC ... BAL - released Geromino Gil ...
NYA - assigned Keith McDonald to MLC ... HOU - released Steve
Sparks ... PHI - optioned Robinson Tejeda, Eude Brito
to Triple-A, placed Chris Booker on the 15-day disabled list ...
NYN - released Tike Redman ... LAD - released Brian Meadows ...
MIN - placed Dave Gassner on the 15-day disabled list ... LAA -
optioned Chris Bootcheck, Reggie Willits to Triple-A
... STL - released Deivi
Cruz, optioned John Gall, Chris Duncan to
Triple-A ... SF - purchased the contract of Jamey Wright, designed Jon
Coutlangus for assignment ...
Gavin
Floyd PHI, a starting role :
" ... The talented right-hander put
his 2005 ills firmly in the rear-view mirror and showed he belongs in a Major
League rotation. His performance has many in the organization convinced that
he's poised to live up to the potential of a former No. 4 overall draft pick.
"He's had a good spring. He's done a good job," said general manager
Pat Gillick. "Coming into Spring Training, I didn't really have any
expectations for him because he didn't have a good 2005 season and didn't pitch
particularly well in Puerto Rico. He exceeded my expectations because he wasn't
a guy who would have even been considered for somewhere in the pitching
staff." Floyd as the No. 5 starter sets off a chain reaction in which one
of the Ryans -- Madson or Franklin -- shifts to the bullpen." (MLB.com)
A
spring surprise for the Mets' Brian Bannister :
" ... Bannister will become the third rookie
starting pitcher to begin a season with the Mets in a four-season span ... .
last season, when he seamlessly moved from Double-A to Triple-A. He won nine of
13 decisions in 18 starts with Binghamton and four of five decisions with
Norfolk. He didn't necessarily "put Triple-A behind him" as Bobby
Valentine used to say. But this spring, as Yogi Berra used to say, "he
exceeded expectations and more." Bannister's 1-2 record meant nothing, and
really, neither did the 0.95 ERA he produced in five games (three starts) and 19
innings ... What impressed his manager and coaches was his ability to control
his pitches and his emotions. General managers and their player development
staff like to see how a player handles adversity. Bannister endured an ugly
second inning against the Astros on Sunday. He hit a batter and walked in a run.
But he minimized the damage -- one run -- and subsequenly retired 10 of 12
batters." (MLB.com)
A
pair of once highly-rated first baseman are included in the "make or
break" chart by Dayn
Perry and FOXSports :
" ... 3. James Loney,
... has a picture-perfect swing, quick wrists through the zone and good
raw-power skills. On the downside, he's been hurt often, and, in a related
matter, he's yet to produce on an extended basis. Still, Loney picked up the
pace in the second half last season, and he's a Gold Glove-caliber defender at
first. This spring, he tore it up in Grapefruit League play (32 ABs, .438 AVG,
.625 SLG). If he's able to avoid injury, then Loney might have that long-awaited
breakout season. Keep in mind he's still only 21."
" ... 6. Michael Aubrey ... Most
scouts thought Aubrey was the second-most gifted college hitter in the 2003
draft (behind only Rickie Weeks). He's occasionally shown flashes of that
promise, but overall Aubrey has been a bit of a disappointment. Aubrey is a
skilled defender, and he can hit for average. However, the secondary skills are
lacking. He's been unable to command the strike zone or hit for power in the
high minors, and he also missed time with a back injury last season. He could be
John Olerud, or he could be Rico Brogna. The 2006 season will help us figure out
which one."
Jason
Ratliff, MLB.com, includes a pair of 2005 underachievers in his MIN prospect
report :
" ... Matt Moses ... the
21-year-old third baseman tapered off after an All-Star first half in the
Florida State League. The former first-round pick hit .306/.376/.453 with seven
homers, 42 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 73 games for Class A Fort Myers before
struggling through 48 games at New Britain. Not only did his average drop nearly
100 points to .210, but his walk-to-strikeout ratio jumped from 1:2 to nearly
1:4. And it only got worse in the hitter-friendly AFL, where he walked just once
while striking out 16 times in 69 at-bats while batting .275. He'll get another
crack at Eastern League pitching in '06 and, with a good showing, could be in
line for the Twins' third base job after Tony Batista's one-year deal
expires."
" ... Glen Perkins ... started out
like gangbusters at Class A Fort Myers before dropping off in the second half at
New Britain and then finishing the season in the Arizona Fall League. The 6-foot
left-hander was 3-2 with a 2.13 ERA, .205 OPP AVG and 66 strikeouts in 55
innings for the Miracle before going 4-4 with a 4.90 ERA for the Rock Cats, with
Eastern League hitters batting .263 off him. Perhaps the most impressive portion
of Perkins' season was in the Arizona Fall League, where he was one of only six
pitchers to record an ERA below 3.00 and led the circuit in strikeouts with 39
in 32 innings."
Hmmmm.
Feeling old. Seems it was just yesterday when he was a hot prospect.
" ... Ryan Minor is ready to walk away
from his playing days ... The third baseman, who played for the Lancaster
Barnstormers last season, has announced his retirement and has accepted a
coaching position with the Road Warriors ... Minor was a two-sport star at the
University of Oklahoma and was drafted by both the Baltimore Orioles and
Philadelphia 76ers in 1996. After choosing baseball over basketball, he ascended
quickly through the Orioles’ system. He played 142 games in the majors from
1999-2001, but struggled at the plate batting .177." (Lancaster
Intelligencer Journal)
29 March, 2006
ST
action ... Kyle Davies ATL 5.0 8 3 3 2 5, 1.89 ... Chuck James
ATL 2.0 2 1 1 0 1, 4.05 ... Joel Zumaya DET 1.0 1 0 0 0 1, 5.93
... Scott Baker MIN 6.0 4 3 3 1 2, 3.52 ... Jason Kubel
MIN, RF, 1-3, double, .240 ... Reggie Abercrombie FLO 1-2, even a
walk, .386 ... Sendy Rleal BAL 1.0 0 0 0 0 1, 0.90 ... Nick
Markakis BAL 0-3, .321 ... Paul Maholm PIT 5.0 2 3 3 3 5,
7.83 ... Boone Logan CHA 1.0 0 0 0 0 1, 0.79 ... Angel Pagan
CHN 2-4, 4th homer, .405 ... Joe Borchard SEA, a short-lived
opportunity (see below) 2-3, .276 ... Dewon Brazelton SD 3.1
1 0 0 0 1, 1.17 ... Josh Barfield SD 1-4, homer, 3 RBI, .375 ... Dallas
McPherson LAA 0-2, .200 ... another TEX starter tries to pitch himself
off the roster, Juan Dominguez 4.0 5 4 4 3 1, 8.44 ... Ian Kinsler
TEX 1-3, double, .234 ... Bill Bray WAS 1.0 1 0 0 0 0, 6.23 ... Ryan
Zimmerman WAS 2-4, 6th & 7th homers, 3 RBI, 7th error, .329 ...
could be the beginning of a breakout, Prince Fielder MIL 3-4,
homer, .304 ...
Troop
Movements ... BAL - purchased the contract of Jim Brower,
assigned Napoleon Calzado, Howie Clark, Vic Darensbourg,
Eddy Garabito, Esix Snead to
minor league camp (MLC), placed Aaron Rakers
on the 60-day disabled list ... CLE - signed Felix Heredia to a minor league contract ... KC -
claimed Tony Graffanino
off waivers from BOS and Steve Andrade
from SD, designated Chip Ambres
for assignment, placed Bobby Madritsch
on the 60-day DL ... LAA - assigned Jason Bulger, Scott Dunn to
MLC ... TOR - assigned James Baldwin
to MLC ... CHN - acquired Lincoln Holdzkom
and Zach McCormack
from FLO for Todd Wellemeyer,
announced the retirement of Marquis Grissom,
placed Kerry Wood, Mark Prior on the 15-day disabled
list, optioned Angel Guzman, Jae Kuk Ryu and David Aardsma
to Triple-A, assigned C Casey Kopitzke to MLC ... COL - optioned J.D.
Closser, Jeff Baker to
MLC, assigned Jose Acevedo, Miguel Asencio, Carlos
Rivera
and Ian Stewart
to MLC ... ATL - optioned Brayan Pena, Tony Pena Jr.
to Triple-A ... LAD - optioned outfielder Joel Guzman, Willy
Aybar
to Triple-A ... CIN - acquired Ryan Jorgensen from FLO for
Carlos Piste ... WAS - optioned Ryan Church
to Triple-A , purchased the contracts of Royce Clayton, Daryle
Ward, transferred Brian Lawrence, Luis Ayala
from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list, optioned Jay Bergmann,
Brendan Harris to Triple-A, assigned Bill Bray to
MLC .... TB - assigned Wayne Franklin to MLC, optioned Tim
Corcoran to Triple-A ... ARZ - assigned Randy Choate to MLC
... SD - acquired Aquilino Lopez from PHI for Matt Thayer
and Trey Johnston ... BOS - optioned Craig Hansen, Manny
Delcarmen to Triple-A ... MIL - waived Kane Davis ... NYN
- placed Kaz Matsui on the 15-day disabled list, optioned Jeff
Keppinger, Royce Ring to Triple-A, assigned Tike Redman,
Lastings Milledge, Sandy Martinez and Todd Self
to MLC ...
Ooops
... SEA now reports Jeremy Reed might be in the Opening Day lineup :
" ... An intensive series of tests performed on the
broken right wrist of Mariners center fielder Jeremy Reed has found that the
wrist is not broken. The initial X-ray picked up a fracture that team trainer
Rick Griffin said could have been 12 or 18 years old. ''However old the fracture
is, it's completely healed,'' Griffin said Tuesday morning ... There is a chance
he could be in the Opening Day lineup, but that seems unlikely. However, there's
a much better chance that he won't go on the disabled list." (SEA
Post-Intelligencer)
Jonathan
Mayo, MLB.com, checks in with his Top 50. Had to slip down into the
30's before there's any hint of a sleeper (Delmon, Jeremy, Brandon
1-2-3).
" ... 30 Philip Hughes ...
jumps onto the
fast track this season with a leap up to Double-A. It's not out of the question
he'll see the Bronx by September, then challenge for a rotation spot next
spring."
' ... 31 John Danks ... One of the vaunted
"DVD" trio, Danks usually dominates a level, gets promoted, then
struggles. He then goes back to that level the next year and dominates. He
should then be ready by midseason 2007."
" ... 34 Scott Elbert ... His progression last year helped the
Dodgers part with Chuck Tiffany. LA hasn't hesitated in pushing young pitchers,
but with depth ahead, Elbert can proceed at regular speed."
" ... 50 Fausto Carmona ... Knocking on the door to
the big leagues, Carmona has the stuff, but perhaps not quite the consistency,
to be in the big leagues right now. He had an outstanding spring and join Sowers
in an outstanding Buffalo rotation."
Aaron
Gleeman, The Hardball Times, creeps up to No. 16 on his Top 50.
"
... 16) Chad Billingsley ... very similar to Cain. Both are big
right-handers who throw hard and rack up tons of strikeouts. They were both
first-round picks out of high school who were born in late 1984 and both have
moved relatively quickly through the minor leagues. Cain reached the majors last
season and has a rotation spot locked up for 2006 while Billingsley's last stop
was Double-A, but I actually like Billingsley slightly more over the long haul.
Most reports have his secondary pitches ahead of Cain's at this stage in their
development, he doesn't have the same sort of checkered injury history, and he
made a lot of progress with his control last season while Cain was walking a
batter every other inning. They're both extremely good prospects, of course, but
those are the sorts of seemingly minor differences that cause one guy to be
ranked 20th and another to be ranked 16th."
"
... 21) Andy LaRoche ... with Guzman making the switch to the
outfield this spring the path has been cleared for Andy LaRoche to be the
Dodgers' third baseman of the future. LaRoche has smacked 53 homers and 114
total extra-base hits in 260 pro games, including 21 homers in 63 games at
Single-A and another nine in 64 games at Double-A last season to cement his
standing as one of baseball's top power-hitting prospects. His relatively low
strikeout rate makes him anything but an all-or-nothing slugger and LaRoche is a
former shortstop who is considered a good defender at third ... If LaRoche
spends the bulk of the year teeing off on Triple-A pitching at hitter-friendly
Las Vegas, his power numbers will be scary good."
Take
the 5th ...
" ... The Cubs' No. 5 job is still completely
up in the air, with all three candidates continuing to pitch well. I think that
even if Sean Marshall performs admirably the rest of the way, he'll get
sent down since he hasn't pitched more than a handful of games above Class A.
That leaves Angel Guzman and Rich Hill. My money's
on Guzman. His upside is much higher than Hill's, and if he continues to prove
that he's healthy, he's the best option they've got. It may not be determined
until right before one of them is needed on April 15." (Mayo, MLB.com)
Andrew
Miller, North Carolina, named the Pitcher of the Week in the Atlantic Coast
Conference.
Player ERA W-L GS CG IP H R ER BB SO
Andrew Miller 1.58 5-0 6 0 40.0 27 10 7 9 52
28 March, 2006
ST
action ... seems to have turned the corner, Gavin Floyd PHI (4-0, 2.08)
6.0 4 1 1 0 1 ... Daniel Cabrera BAL, a hot commodity in many
drafts this year, 4.0 5 3 3 4 6, 4.91 ... Josh Willingham FLO 2-2,
3rd & 4th homers, 3 RBI, walk, .448 ... a little breakout, Jeremy Hermida
FLO 3-4, double, .250 ... Taylor Buchholz HOU 6.0 2 0 0 1 5, 1.96
... Justin Verlander DET 5.0 5 3 3 5 4, 3.38 ... Jason Kubel
MIN 0-2, .234 ... Russ Martin LAD 0-2, 2 walks, .324 ... Joel
Guzman LAD 1-3, walk, .296 ... Matt Cain SF, could he be
headed for some time in the minors?, 5.1 8 5 5 3 3, 7.71 ... Joey Devine
ATL 1.0 1 0 0 0 0, 2.70 ... Ian Snell PIT 5.0 5 4 4 2 4, 4.03 ... Ian
Stewart COL 2-5, .396 ... Prince Fielder MIL 0-3, .262 ... Dallas
McPherson LAA 2-2, double, homer, .212 ... Edinson Volquez TEX, this
should guarantee he starts the season in the minors, 3.0 7 6 6 2 2, 8.36 ... Joe
Borchard SEA, this won't help win the CF spot, 0-4, 3 Ks, .255 ... Laynce
Nix TEX 3-4, double, 2 homers, 7 RBI, ..239
Troop
Movements ... SD - released Brian Sikorski, Jason Anderson
& Walter Young outright to Triple-A, optioned Pete Laforest
to Triple-A, assigned Seth Etherton, Jon Adkins, Ryan
Meaux, Ricky Gutierrez and Jack Cust to minor
league camp (MLC) ... NYN - released Mitch Wylie ... CHA -
assigned Javier Lopez, Tim Redding to MLC ... CIN -
reassigned Jake Robbins to MLC, released Stephen Smitherman
... KC - assigned Chris Clapinski, Benji Gil, Wilson
Valdez, Mike Coolbaugh, Alex Gordon to MLC, Paul
Phillips to Triple-A ... WAS - placed Robert Fick, Cristian
Guzman, Ryan Drese, Luis Ayala, Brian Lawrence
on the 15-day disabled list ... HOU - assigned Carlos Hernandez to
MLC, optioned Humberto Quintero to Triple-A ... ARZ - optioned Dustin
Nippert, Stephen Drew, Alberto Callaspo and Scott
Hairston to Triple-A, assigned Mike Koplove, Juan
Brito and Brian Barden to MLC ... LAD - assigned Kelly
Wunsch to MLC, optioned Tim Hamulack, D.J. Houlton and
Jonathan Brazoban to Triple-A ... SF - assigned Pedro
Liriano to MLC, optioned Brad Hennessey, Merkin Valdez
and Daniel Ortmeier to Triple-A ... FLO - optioned Nate
Bump to Triple-A ... TEX - released Erubiel Durazo ...
PHI - optioned Cole Hamels to Single-A Clearwater; assigned Aquilino
Lopez, Yoel Hernandez to MLC ... NYA - optioned Colter
Bean to Triple-A , assigned Mark Corey, Dusty Bergman
to MLC ...
One
more installment in Aaron
Gleeman's Top 50 at The Hardball Times.
" ... 30) Jarrod Saltalamacchia
... broke out in a big way at high Single-A last year. He batted
.314/.394/.519 with 19 homers and 55 total extra-base hits in 129 games,
establishing himself as perhaps the catching prospect with the highest ceiling
in all of baseball. A switch-hitter, Saltalamacchia combines the ability to post
big batting averages with elite power potential and quality plate discipline ...
There are two reasons why I don't have Saltalamacchia ranked even higher. One is
that I try to be conservative with catchers who haven't yet advanced past the
low minors. The other reason, specific to Saltalamacchia, is that by the time he
gets to the majors it may not be as a catcher. While considered a solid defender
behind the plate, Saltalamacchia is 6-foot-4 and adding more bulk as he matures
may force a move to first base ... Plus, the Braves already have an extremely
promising young catcher in Brian McCann, who made a great impression as a rookie
after ranking as the #41 prospect on this very list last year."
" ... 26) Justin Huber ... made
the full-time switch to first base in 2005. While he would have been more
valuable as a catcher and is now a work in progress defensively at first base,
Huber has more than enough potential offensively to be an impact player there.
Huber began last season at Double-A, where he hit .343/.432/.570 with 16 homers
and 74 RBIs in 88 games before a promotion to Triple-A. He continued to put up
big numbers there, hitting .274/.374/.531 with seven homers in 32 games, but
then struggled in a 25-game stint with the Royals ... Regardless of the Royals'
ineptitude and assuming they realize what they have in Huber at some point, he's
one of the game's best hitting prospects."
Jonathan
Mayo, MLB.com, posts a preview of the Royals' young guns and includes a
couple of guys not named Butler or Gordon :
" ... Chris Lubanski ... When
drafted in 2003, Lubanski looked like a speedster who might have some power. Now
he looks like a guy who's going to have a lot of power with some speed to boot.
He tied for second in the Minor Leagues with 116 RBIs and hit 28 homers while
finishing with a .301 average. He certainly took advantage of the friendly
confines in High Desert, hitting .359, with 19 of his homers coming at home ...
capped that off by going 13-for-15 in the playoffs. His basestealing skills
improved at the same time as he was thrown out just once in 15 attempts all year
... He'll be Wichita's center fielder to start the season."
" ... Jeff Bianchi ... The high school shortstop
got only 98 at-bats in the rookie-level Arizona League due to a lower back
strain. The back isn't a long-term worry and the Royals are looking forward to
getting a longer look at him this year. Bianchi's got terrific speed and can
make the plays at short, despite not having the strongest arm. He generates fair
power with good bat speed. With Chris McConnell ahead of him, Bianchi likely
will hang back in extended Spring Training before heading to Idaho Falls."
At
Inside The Dugout, Terry Borning
offers a PHI prospect report :
" ... 2-Gio Gonzalez
... impressive in three different minor league stops. He is a three
pitch pitcher who throws a fastball in the low 90s, a good changeup, and a
hammer curveball. One drawback is that he is on the smallish side (5'11").
He came over from the White Sox in the Jim Thome deal, and should move up to AA
this season, with a possible callup sometime in 2007."
" ... 4-Michael Bourn ... Bourn's
game is speed, he is the fastest player in the Phillies organization. A 4th
round draft pick, Bourn's stock soared with his 2004 campaign in the SAL,
hitting .317 with 57 steals and a .433 OBP, drawing 85 walks to 88 steals. Upon
advancing to AA Reading last year, Bourn's numbers faded while not
disappointing. His K/BB ratio ballooned to 123/63 and his average fell to .268,
while his steals were still an impressive 38. The decline in numbers is
attributed to a two-level jump, he should start in AA again this year to gain
confidence. His defense is a plus, and he profiles somewhat similarly to Kenny
Lofton."
27 March, 2006
ST
action ... Blaine Boyer ATL 1.0 0 0 0 0 1, 0.00 ... Craig Hansen
BOS 2.0 0 0 0 1 0, 0.00 ... Adam Stern BOS 2-4, double, .367
... Edwin Encarnacion CIN 0-3, K, 2 errors, .418 ... Ryan
Zimmerman WAS 2-5, 4th & 5th homers, 4 RBI, .318 ... is it time to
worry? - Zach Duke PIT 4.0 11 8 6 1 0, 7.29 ... Guillermo
Quiroz TOR 0-4, .107 ... Scott Olsen FLO 5.1 3 1 1 2 4,
2.75 ... Jeremy Hermida FLO 0-2, walk, .214 ... Dan Uggla
FLO 2-3, double,, .283 ... Joe Zumaya DET 1.0 1 2 2 1 0, 6.39 ... Kameron
Loe TEX Loe 6.0 6 3 3 2 3, 4.22 ... Prince Fielder MIL 0-4
... Jeff Mathis LAA 2-3, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, .360 ... Casey Kotchman
LAA 3-3, 2 doubles, 3 runs, .452 ... Joe Borchard SEA 1-4, .275
...
" ... Felix Hernandez, who has been experiencing
some right leg pain, has been scratched from his Wednesday start. Hernandez has
developed a mild case of shin splints, and the Mariners want to make sure their
19-year-old No. 5 starter doesn't get any worse ...The injury is not considered
serious." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
" ... Jeremy Sowers, Andrew Brown
and Ben Howard combined on a five-hit shutout as the Bisons
defeated the Toledo Mud Hens, 8-0 ... Sowers earned the victory with five
innings of work ... allowed just three hits and collected a pair of strikeouts
... Andy Marte went 1-3 with 2RBI, a walk and a run scored in his
first game as a Bison." (Buffalo Bisons)
Troop
Movements ... HOU - optioned RHP Ezequiel Astacio, Luke
Scott, Josh Anderson, Charlton Jimerson and Hector
Jimenez to Triple-A, assigned Joe Valentine, Dave Borkowski
to minor league camp (MLC) ... MIL - optioned Nelson Cruz to
Triple-A, assigned Jason Kershner, Justin Thompson,
Allan Simpson, Mike Rivera, Brent Abernathy
to MLC ... DET - Carlos Pena, unconditional release ... SEA -
optioned RHP Jesse Foppert to Triple-A ... OAK - traded Juan Cruz
to ARZ for Brad Halsey, optioned Charles Thomas, Chad Gaudin,
John Rheinecker, Jeremy Brown, Mike Rouse,
Matt Watson to Triple-A ... MIN - released Darrell May ... CHN -
optioned Felix Pie to Triple-A ... PIT - assigned Jorge Vasquez, J.J.
Furmaniak to MLC ... FLO - optioned Travis Bowyer, Robert Andino,
Jason Stokes to Triple-A, assigned Mark Little,
Ryan Jorgensen to MLC ... STL - released Jeff Nelson ...
NYA - optioned Kevin Thompson, Kevin Reese to Triple-A,
assigned Ben Davis to MLC ... CHA - optioned Sean Tracey to
Triple-A, assigned Armando Almanza, Andy Gonzalez, Robert
Valido, Ryan Sweeney were reassigned to MLC ...
Aaron
Gleeman, Hardball Times, continues with his 2006 Top 50. A couple of the
selections so far :
" ... 31) Jeff Clement ... USC
... had an outstanding three-year career there, winning the Johnny Bench Award
as the nation's top catcher in 2005 and hitting 46 career homers in 171 games.
Clement was taken by the Mariners with the third overall pick in last June's
draft, hit .315/.387/.508 with six homers and 12 total extra-base hits in 34
games between two levels of Single-A, and then batted .269/.347/.487 in the
Arizona Fall League. Clement's biggest asset is his elite left-handed power ...
What makes him a special prospect is that the potentially dominating offensive
package also comes along with solid catching skills, which could combine to make
Clement a frequent MVP candidate down the road."
" ... 36) Dustin Pedroia ...
hit .357 between two levels of Single-A in his pro debut and then made the jump
to Double-A last year. Pedroia hit .324/.409/.508 in 66 games there, showing off
tremendous plate discipline and strike-zone judgment along with surprising
power. His numbers after a promotion to Triple-A were disappointing, but it's
worth noting that they were accumulated while Pedroia played through a nagging
wrist injury ... played second base last season, but he was a shortstop in
college and may move back there now that Hanley Ramirez is in Florida. If the
Red Sox are convinced he can handle the position defensively Pedroia will be
their long-term answer there, and if not he'll eventually replace Mark Loretta
at second base ... I think he can smack 10-15 homers a year while racking up
plenty of doubles. Pedroia is only 22, but he's a league-average middle
infielder whenever and wherever the Red Sox decide they need him."
" ... 39) Josh Barfield ... Back when
he won the California (Single-A) League MVP with a breakout season in 2003, Josh
Barfield was considered a hitter first and a defensive player second ...
he slumped at Double-A in 2004, but while doing so seemed to impress people with
an improved glove at second base. The 2005 season saw things come together, as
Barfield bounced back offensively with an excellent year at Triple-A—hitting
.310 with 15 homers and 20 steals in 137 games—and continued his
transformation defensively ... has a chance to be one of the position's
top hitters."
Over
at RotoAmerica, the folks offer a full
range of stuff, including a 2006 draft kit, some free, some subscription.
A taste of the goodies - David Regan with a few of his 2006 breakout
picks :
"
... Ryan Sweeney ... has all the tools. So far though, he’s hit
just 10 home runs in over 1,000 minor league at-bats. I expect to change this
year as he is fully recovered from a wrist injury that sapped his power last
year. A 20 home run season is within his grasp and he could do it in either AA
or AAA while still at the tender age of 21. Power is often the last tool to
develop, and when it does for Sweeney, he’ll rise quickly on prospect ranking
lists."
"
... Wade Davis ... a hard thrower who posted a solid 10.2
K/9 rate in the NY-Penn league last year. At age 20, he’s ready for full
season ball and could rocket up the charts with a solid year in the Low-A
Midwest League."
"
... Adam Loewen ... has been a disappointment since
being drafted #4 overall back in 2002, but there signs pointing to a breakout
2006. Since 2002 he’s shown flashes of brilliance, but Ankiel-like command has
resulted in a BB/9 rate of 5.6. Down the stretch in 2005 he did show much
improvement, and a trip to the Arizona Fall League resulted in a league-best
1.67 ERA in 27 IP (though he did walk 14). Loewen should start in AA this year,
where I’ll be looking for a breakout year."
Ryan Atkins, in
his "safe-bets" for 2006 column, offers notes on some guys just below
that category but bound for MLB time this season :
" ... Daric
Barton ... Oakland’s top prospect looks to be a safe bet to reach
the majors and become a solid major league player, but the comparisons to John
Olerud have to worry A’s fans. His power skills were missing last year and the
road to the majors is blocked as of right now, but expect to see Barton in
September at the latest, and monitor where he plays, because if he moves back
behind the plate his value will skyrocket. At worst he should be a solid first
baseman who can post .300/.380/.480 numbers with 15-20 home runs annually."
" ... Jon Lester
... With the trade of Andy Marte to Cleveland, Lester is now the Red Sox
top prospect. In AA last year Lester struck out 163 batters in 148 innings while
posting a 2.61 earned run average. He will likely be in AAA to start the season
but once he heads to Boston, he is likely to stick in their rotation. Bronson
Arroyo has already been traded to the Reds clearing out one more arm in front of
Lester."
" ... Jeremy
Sowers ... doesn’t wow people with his stuff, his command
and mental focus has carried him through the minors with ease. The Vanderbilt
product struck out 145 batters while walking only 28 last season. Sowers reached
AAA last year and that is likely where he will begin, but the Indians are
confident he is ready to be a winner in the big leagues. Don’t be scared by
his prospect ranking, expect Sowers to make it to the bigs sometime in the
second half of the season, and he should be a fixture in the Indians rotation
for years to come."
Chuck Richter offers
his Top 35 Fantasy Baseball Prospects for 2006 :
" ... Matt
Cain ... a bit of an enigma in 2005 as at times he looked good in Triple-A
but other times he got pounded. Be that as it may, the true test was pitching in
the big leagues and he didn’t disappoint going 2-1, 2.33 ERA and 30 K’s in
46.1 innings ... think Rich Harden but on the other side of the bay!"
" ... Ian Kinsler
... good for 20+ Hr’s, 80-90 Rbi’s and a solid BA in Texas. Could match
Soriano’s #’s this year (since he’s a Nat) with ease. Oh and Kinsler can
actually play a little defense so he’ll stick around!"
" ... Justin
Verlander ... Should overtake Jeremy Bonderman as the team ACE before
long. Look for a good amount of K’s and ERA if he can improve his mechanics.
Win total depends on how well the overall team plays, defense and offense."
Kevin
T. Czerwinski, MLB.com, features the FLO system in his latest team prospect
preview :
" ... Chris Volstad ... 16th
overall pick in last season's draft had a solid debut, going 4-3 with a 2.22 ERA
while splitting 13 starts between the Gulf Coast and New York-Penn Leagues. The
Marlins like his fantastic attitude and makeup, not to mention his low-90s
fastball and strong off-speed stuff. Look for him to begin the year in Class A
Greensboro, but with a strong showing there, he could be in Jupiter before long.
"He's just about everything that you want," Fleming said. "He's
6-foot-7 and has tremendous body control. He has three present pitches and a
tremendous feel for pitching. He's aggressive and isn't afraid of contact. Young
pitchers have a tendency to want to strike everyone out, but he just wants to
get them out."
" ... Gaby Hernandez ... was dominant in the Gulf
Coast and South Atlantic Leagues but when it came time to move up in competition
to the Florida State League last season, he struggled. He'll start the season in
the FSL this year, where he will work on his off-speed stuff, a much-needed
complement to his low-90s fastball. Hernandez has guts and doesn't back down on
the mound, relying on great mechanics and a good game plan."
Josh
Willingham FLO bound for time both behind the dish and in left :
" ... with an unsettled left field spot, the
Marlins feel it is best to give Willingham outfield work. "They said I'm
going to play both places," Willingham said. "It's not like I'm done
catching. I'm going to play some in left. "I've worked hard behind the
plate, so obviously I want to play back there. They want me to get a lot of
at-bats. Playing in both places will help keep me fresh and keep me in the
lineup every day." Considering Willingham has not spent a full season in
either the big leagues or Minor Leagues catching, the organization wants to give
the 27-year-old from Florence, Ala., every chance to be productive ...
"He's still going to catch," Girardi said. "But we believe he
will be more productive if he doesn't catch six days a week." The plan for
now appears to go with Willingham in left field, with Miguel Olivo likely as the
Opening Day catcher." (MLB.com)
Jim
Callis, Baseball America, on some guys who could make a big jump up the
prospect charts next season :
" ... It won't be a huge jump, but I think
Diamondbacks outfielder Carlos Gonzales (No. 32 on this year's list) will
be in the top 10 next year. He's going to be a .300-hitting, 30-homer right
fielder with a strong arm, and he's going to put up monster numbers in the high
Class A California League in 2006. My other breakout candidates, all from the
bottom half of the Top 100: Dodgers lefthander Scott Elbert (No. 55) and
third baseman Blake DeWitt (No. 82), Reds outfielder Jay Bruce
(No. 76), Cubs lefty Mark Pawelek (No. 85), Angels righty Nick
Adenhart (No. 90), Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold (No.
99) and Twins righty Anthony Swarzak (No. 100). As a bonus, I'll
give you two more guys I like who just missed the Top 100 cut. Shortstop Reid
Brignac and righty Wade Davis, both Devil Rays, are going
to make bigger names for themselves in 2006."
Tony
Pente, Orioles Hangout, on Nick Markakis BAL :
" ... After ... 4-for-4, two double performance,
his spring line now sits at .356/.464/.556. If that’s not impressive enough
for you, add in the fact that he’s drawn 10 walks while striking out four
times, and you have a prospect who’s actually forcing his way onto the roster.
Add in the fact that Markakis could be the first real rookie of the year
candidate the Orioles have had since Gregg Olson won it in 1989, and you have
another reason to keep him, fan excitement ... if my research is correct,
he would be the first rookie to open the season with a starting position in the
opening day lineup since Geronimo Gil in 2002. "
Jason
Kubel MIN, good chance he's on the opening day roster :
" ... With lingering uncertainty over whether Michael
Cuddyer (strained oblique) and Ruben Sierra (strained quad) will be ready to
start the season, Gardenhire mentioned the possibility of right fielder Jason
Kubel making the club in a platoon roll. In that scenario, Kubel, coming back
from knee surgery, would probably get starts against righthanders, with Lew Ford
starting against lefties. If Kubel took over, he would probably play every day,
Gardenhire said." (Star Tribune)
Carlos Pena ... what happened?
2001,
ESPN, John Sickels, TEX Top 10 " ... 1) Carlos Pena, 1B:
Outstanding combination of power, patience, batting average and defense. Will
play Triple-A in '01, then take over first base in '02 (if the Rangers have any
sense)."
2001,
CBS, Top 100 " ... 6. Carlos Pena, 1B, Rangers Pena came into
his own in his third season as a pro, ripping 36 doubles and 28 jacks last year.
He took his plate discipline to another level by drawing 101 walks. A
smooth-swinging left-handed hitter, he could produce in the majors immediately,
but will hone his skills in Triple-A with Andres Galarraga blocking his
path."
Baseball
Weekly, AL West " ... CARLOS PENA (1B): The 10th overall
selection in the 1998 draft, Pena improved his plate discipline, added 44 points
to his batting average and increased his run production at Double-A Tulsa. The
22-year-old opened the season with a six-RBI game. Pena reached base safely in
45 consecutive games and was consistent at home (.303) and on the road (.294).
He led the Texas League in runs (117), finished second in RBI (105) and tied for
third in home runs (28). After batting just .159 against lefties in 1999, Pena
posted a .304 mark against southpaws this past season. Born in the Dominican
Republic, Pena is a product of Northeastern University. The 6-2, 210-pounder
hits to all fields and even beat out 15 infield hits this past season."
Baseball
America, TEX Top 10 " ... 1. Carlos Pena ... more than an
all-or-nothing power hitter. He reached base in 45 consecutive games last
season. He also can run, legging out 36 doubles and stealing 12 bases without
being caught. Defensively, Pena is excellent at first base. He brings the
intangible of outstanding character as well. He's smart and hard-working, and he
has an advanced understanding of how to play the game. He can be a franchise
centerpiece on and off the field. "
BBHQ,
TEX Top 10 " ... 1. Carlos Pena ... hit like everyone knew he
would, improving his power and OBP. A fundamentally sound player who should be
an All-Star in short time. He could probably handle major league pitching, but
the Rangers will likely give him some AB's in Triple-A."
The
Sporting News, 2002 Top 100 " ... 5. Carlos Pena ... one of
the best hitting prospects in baseball because he combines the ability to hit
for both average and power while drawing a significant number of walks. He has
Gold Glove potential at first base, where the A's hope he can help make up for
the loss of Jason Giambi. After an extremely slow start at Class AAA last
season, Pena rebounded to hit .288 with 23 home runs, 11 steals and a .958 OPS
(On-base plus slugging). He is one of the top candidates for the American League
Rookie of the Year award for 2002."
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