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11/12 December, 2004
Thurs/Fri ... Mexico -- Jorge Cantu TB 3-5, 19th & 11th homers, 2 RBI
& 1-4, 9th double, .316
... Edgar Gonzalez ARZ 6.0 5 1 1 1 3, 1.50 ... Ariel Prieto
7.0 6 2 1 1 8, 8-0, 2.31 ... Will Ohman CHN, another reliever having a
superb fall season, 1.0 1 0 0 1 1, 0.90 Puerto Rico
-- Shane Bazzell TEX 6.0 3 0 0 3 2, 3-1, 2.35 ... Doug Waechter
TB 6.1 6 3 3 3 5, 3.46 ... Alex Cintron ARZ 1-4, homer
& 1-5, homer, .333 ... Rick Ankiel STL 2.1 6 3 3 0 4, 3.57
Dominican (Thurs) --
Jose Capellan ATL 4 5 2 2 4 4, 4.30 ... Andy Marte ATL
1-3, .281 ... Luis Terrero ARZ 1-3, 4th triple, .269 ... JR
House PIT 1-2, homer, .250 ... Erick Aybar ANA 3-5, .304
Venezuela (Wed/Thurs) -- Juan Rivera ANA 3-4,double
& 1-3, .403...
Guillermo Quiroz TOR 1-4, 5th homer & 1-3, .253 ... Jose Lopez
SEA 1-4, 6th homer & 2-4, 7th homer, .284 ... not what you'd like from a
comeback effort, John Rocker 0.0 1 3 3 2 0 ... Jose
Castillo PIT 3-4, 2 RBI, .365
Raul
Tavares, on his Dominican Players site, reports Vladimir Guerrero
participating in Licey warmups ... no confirmation yet that he'll be suiting up
for games. Raul also noted :
" .... Kendry "hard hands" Morales, was
playing 1B for Estrellas, he got a K and made 2 errors at first, 1 fielding a
ground ball and the other attempting to pick a throw."
Morales and Hanley Ramirez are reported to have minor
injuries, no details available.
An unknown no more. Michael Hinckley WAS wins kudos from
John Sickels,
ESPN.com :
" ... Hinckley is now one of the top southpaw
prospects in the game ... has filled out a bit since high school, with strong
legs in particular. His biggest improvement since those days is more consistent
mechanics, which have enabled him to sharpen his command. His fastball can hit
94 mph, although he pitches consistently in the 89-92 range ... second pitch is
a very fine curveball ... the change is still his weakest pitch and needs
further refinement. Hinckley is emotionally mature, intelligent, highly
competitive, and not afraid to pitch inside when needed ... has gotten
better each year, which is always a good sign. His K/BB ratios have always been
above-average, and his strikeout rate has improved a bit each season ... doesn't
give up many homers, another good sign and statistical confirmation of the
scouting reports about his sinking fastball. His K/IP, while above average at +7
percent compared to the Eastern League, is not excellent, and could be a warning
that he still has some adjustments to make ... he is one of the best
southpaw prospects in the game. He's not perfect, still needing to improve his
changeup, and will need Triple-A time to put the finishing touches on his game.
But if he remains healthy, he should see the majors sometime in 2005, then
challenge for a Nationals rotation spot in 2006."
At Cardinal Nation, Drew
Williams has a STL Top 25 and a surprise at the top. Righty Anthony
Reyes slipped by catcher Daric Barton to claim the top rung :
" ... Reyes, 22, missed nearly two months with
shoulder tendinitis after his first two starts for Palm Beach, but after going
3-0 with a 4.66 ERA in seven games, the Cardinals moved him up to Tennessee on
July 1. From that point on Reyes flat out dominated. In 12 starts at Tennessee
he went 6-2 with a 3.03 ERA while striking out 102, walking only 13, and
allowing only 62 hits in 74.1 innings ... should start the year at AAA
Memphis. If thing keep going as they are, and Reyes stays injury free, look for
him to get a call-up in September, or sooner if injuries strike ... Look for him
to be in the Cardinal’s rotation permanently in 2006."
" ... Barton, 19, joined Peoria in mid-May
after working his way back from elbow surgery in January. Despite missing the
first month and a half of the season he ranked among the top 10 in many
categories. Besides leading the Midwest league in OBP (.445), Barton ranked 3rd
in batting (.313), 9th in RBI (77), 4th in walks (69, and 4th in SLG (.511). He
also hit 13 home runs. Daric has shown great plate discipline early on, and this
is his ticket to the majors, along with his raw power ... Whether Barton is ever
moved to the outfield should be answered this year. Yadier Molina seems to have
the catching job for quite a while, so we could see Barton moved to a corner
outfield slot this year."
Wilbur
Miller, at Pirates Scouting Report, doesn't yet offer a Top 10, but does
present detailed reports and stats on all the PIT prospects.
10 December, 2004
Wed
... Mexico -- JJ Hardy MIL 1-4, .154 ... Marshall McDougall
TEX 1-4, 8th homer, 3 RBI, .292 Puerto Rico -- Ruben Gotay
KC 2-3, 3rd homer, .196 ... tough day for rehabbing Jesse Foppert
SF 3.1 5 6 6 2 3, 4.24 Dominican -- Rafael Furcal ATL 2-3 in his
debut ... Brian Myrow LA 1-3, 3rd homer, 3 RBI, 2 walks, .293 (32
walks, 29 Ks) ... Kelly Shoppach BOS 0-3, .188 ... Erick
Aybar ANA 0-5, 3 Ks, .290 ... Erick Almonte (CLE NRI) 3-4,
10th double, 1st triple, 4th homer, .311 ... Andy Marte ATL 2-3,
5th homer, 2 RBI, .279 Venezuela (Mon) ... Franklin Gutierrez CLE 2-4, HBP,
9th double, .299 ... Jose Lopez SEA 2-4, 2 doubles (8), .277 ... Rick
Guttormson SEA 1.1 0 0 0 0 3, 0.36
Ah, an explanation for some of the weirdness with
minor league stats (even the winter ball stuff) ... check out
Will Lingo's piece at BA. Thanks to
Brad Dowdy, NoPepper, for
bringing this to my attention. Brad, by the way, has an interesting piece
comparing Andy Marte and Miguel Cabrera.
Lefty
Michael Hinckley grabs more attention as
Seth Trachtman ranks the WAS
farm in his latest posting at SportsBlub :
" ... Hinckley is a 22-year-old lefty that is a less
known but similar prospect to the Phillies' Gavin Floyd. He throws in the
low-90s with one of the best curveballs in the minors and solid control. While
his strikeout rates have never been superb, they have remained solid at every
level. Now that he has already dominated Double-A through 16 starts, he could be
looking at a major league arrival late next season."
Clint Everts, out for the season after TJ
surgery, still rated as the 2nd best prospect, with a sleeper at No. 3 :
" ... Ryan Church ... Acquired prior to
last season from Cleveland along with Maicer Izturis for Scott Stewart, Church
was a mid-level prospect at the time. With a full year in Triple-A, he took his
game to the next level last season. His biggest single improvement was his plate
discipline, resulting in an average well above .300 and more solid contact. The
26-year-old could very well be a future .300-30-100 hitter in the majors."
In
the BA chat room, Alan Matthews with some insights into the ANA picks :
Jered Weaver : " ... Had Weaver signed
in time for the list, he would have fallen in the top 10, but probably right in
front of Santana or Kendrick."
Ervin Santana : " ... Santana has
top-of-the-rotation stuff, regardless of his various ailments. He was sharp in
instructional league and his velocity was near normal, so there's no reason to
believe he can't reach his ceiling as a No. 1 or 2 starter in the future ...
owns the organization's best fastball. He needs a full season at Double-A, in my
opinion, so don't look for him in Anaheim before 2006."
Jeff Mathis : " ... Mathis has been
compared to Jason Kendall but I think he'll have more power. Let's be
reasonable, and project .240-8-59 as a rookie but Mathis has all-star caliber
tools, on both sides of the game and might hit .275 each season with 20-25 home
runs."
Sean Rodriguez : " ... Rodriguez stuck
at shortstop in instructs. I think because of the Angels depth at the position
and Rodriguez great feel for the game and instincts, as well as strong arm, this
conversion to catcher will continue to come up. For now, the Angels like his
tools and value up the middle and plan to continue developing him at shortstop."
Casey Kotchman : " ... Kotchman should
hit for a high average, like an Olerud or Grace in his prime. Olerud had great
power, too, he just preferred not to sacrifice his average to try and lift balls
out of the park. Kotchman has shown that characteristic as well, so that might
be the best comp., though he has potential to hit 20-25 home runs per year. He
is a very accomplished defender, as Grace was."
Howie Kendrick : " ... In terms of
tools, he's not even the best second baseman in the organization, as Callaspo
has that honor. But Kendrick surpassed Callaspo on the list because of his
remarkable ability with the bat, making the most of the tools he has and
maximizing his potential."
Mark Trumbo : " ... I think Trumbo might move
back to the mound in the future. He's a premium talent and an asset to the
organization, either way. Most organizations liked Trumbo as a pitcher ... power
ranks 70 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. His swing has good leverage that
creates backspin and loft. During a soft-toss drill in instructional league,
balls of Trumbo's bat were clocked at speeds in excess of 110 mph. He batted
.421-9-36 as a senior at Villa Park (Calif.) High, competing in one of the
country's most difficult regions. He touched 96 mph off the mound in high school
and has above-average arm strength. Trumbo needs to improve on his pitch
recognition and keep his weight back on offspeed pitches. Defensively, his hands
and instincts are below average while his foot speed is average to slightly
below. His value is greatest at third base but he spent instructional league at
first where his hands and lack of range with be less exploited."
Scott
Slonaker, on his CIN site, has a lengthy piece on the best bets in Monday's
Rule 5 draft. Scott's picks as the most likely Reds' picks :
" ... Royce Ring ... Ex-first
round pick of the White Sox before heading to NY in the Roberto Alomar trade in
mid-’03. 6-foot-5, 220-pound lefty hasn’t put up mind-blowing numbers, but
hasn’t pitched badly at any stop, either, reaching AAA last season (3.63 ERA, 29
G). A career reliever at San Diego State who will be 24 for Opening Day."
" ... Tyler Johnson ... mid-90’s
fastball and a fantastic K ratio at AA Tennessee last year, a LH reliever and
only 24 next June ... He did walk 37 in 56.1 innings in his second AA
stint and post a 4.79 ERA, but did much better than that at previous stops."
" ... Andy Sisco ... 6-foot-9,
250 pounds, and 22 years old, but hasn’t pitched above High-A. A 2nd round pick
in 2001 ... Solid numbers at every level, and K’d more than a batter per inning
in the Florida State League in 2004. But also walked 4.6 per nine and almost
four per nine for his four-year professional career. He might have the highest
upside of any pitcher in the Rule 5 Draft, but is going to be raw."
Dayn
Perry, at FoxSports, sees Sisco as the probably No. 1 pick, followed
by CLE OF Jason Cooper, Johnson, then Mike Napoli
C/1B ANA and Jake Gautreau INF SD.
09 December, 2004
Tues
...Mexico -- Joe Dillon FLO 0-5, 3 Ks, .250 Puerto Rico
-- Ruben Gotay KC 0-3, .167 ... Juan LeBron, once
considered a better Royals' prospect than Carlos Beltran, 3-4, double,
homer, .333 (there was a time when Dee Brown -- 1st rounder in 1996 -- was
the best KC OF prospect, with DeBron -- 1st rounder in 1995 -- at No. 2 and
Beltran -- picked after DeBron in 1995 -- at No. 3).
Alan
Matthews, Baseball America, makes the tough picks as he takes on the ANA
farm. Such a wealth of talent from which to choose. In the end, it's
first baseman Casey Kotchman grabbing the top rung over third baseman
Dallas McPherson. Shortstop Ericky Aybar ranks
No. 3, ahead of catcher Jeff Mathis and Cuban Kendry
Morales. Mathews is in the BA chat room beginning at two o'clock EST
Thursday.
Jim
Callis, Baseball America, on Chris Snelling SEA :
" ... There have been two constants in Snelling's
career ... He has hit everywhere he has gone, putting up career averages
of .319/.398/.486 in 353 minor league games, and he has been hurt in each of the
last five seasons ... Snelling is so aggressive and wants to play so
badly—his bone bruise came from when he swung a bat too much trying to get ready
for the season—but he needs to tone it down so he can stay on the diamond. I
have no doubt he'll hit for average in the majors, but he may have a 15-homer
ceiling and that may not be enough to win him a left-field job. The Mariners
have several outfield options in the majors and upper minors, so he needs to
seize his next opportunity."
At MLB.com, some prospect updates from Jonathan Mayo :
" ... Russell Martin ...
conversion behind the plate continues to go well, even better than expected. He
spent the year with Vero Beach and hit .250 with good power (15 HR) and
excellent patience (71 walks vs. 54 strikeouts for a .366 OBP). He was rewarded
with a trip to the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .296 and continued his
terrific plate discipline by drawing 14 walks against just four strikeouts. He
was also thought to be the best defensive catcher in the AFL, particularly
impressive considering he's still relatively new to the position. Baseball
America recently named him the No. 8 prospect in the AFL and the Dodgers like
him so much they added him to the 40-man roster this fall."
" ... Brad Hawpe ... had a
tremendous year with Colorado Springs, while paying a couple of visits to the
parent club. In just 345 Triple-A at-bats, Hawpe slugged 31 homers and drove in
86 runs while hitting .322/.384/.652. And it wasn't just because of the thin
Colorado air -- 16 of his home runs came on the road. Hawpe got called up the
first time in May and hit a respectable .263 in 57 at-bats. Though he returned
to hit just .229 in 48 September at-bats, Hawpe should be in line to compete for
a big league job next spring."
" ... Jon Zeringue ...
seemed right at home in his pro debut. Going straight to high-A Lancaster,
Zeringue hit .335 avg./.374 OBP/.552 SLG over 230 at-bats. He then stepped it up
a notch by hitting .447 with 12 RBIs during the Cal League playoffs. He joins a
growing list of offensively potent college outfielders (Conor Jackson, Carlos
Quentin) in the Diamondbacks system."
" ... Freddy Guzman, OF Not only is
this guy fast on the basepaths, he's quick on the career path as well. Guzman
once again led the organization in steals with 65, beginning with the 17 he
swiped in his brief 35-game stay in Mobile. At Portland, Guzman stole 48 more in
66 games while hitting .292 and posting a .365 OBP. That earned him a call to
San Diego in August, but after two weeks of regular playing time, Guzman fizzled
out and finished with a .211 average and five steals in 76 at-bats. He's
rebounded to hit .349 with 11 steals in 17 games in the Dominican and will try
to carry over that performance to win a job next spring."
So,
what's next? MinorLeagueBaseball reports a couple of newly re-named
franchises :
" ... The vote is finally in. The Modesto
Professional Baseball Club will now be known as the ‘Nuts’, team
officials announced today. The name was chosen by the community following a
two-month long name the team contest. Nuts was the majority winner in the
contest, garnering 52% of the total vote. Dusters placed second with 34% of the
vote. Steel finished in third place with 8% of the vote, Derailers finished
fourth with 4% of the vote and Strike placed fifth with 2% of the vote."
" ... The Provo Angels are now the Orem Owlz.
The Pioneer League Champions have unveiled their new team colors, logo, and
website (www.oremowlz.com ) in addition to their name."
Update
on the off-season moves ... lots to go ... but, so far (with one
unconfirmed -- Antonio Alfonseca FLO) :
CHN
-- Signed catcher Henry Blanco, INF Todd Walker, SS Nomar Garciaparra,
signed LHP Glendon Rusch, signed INF Neifi Perez
CIN
-- Re-signed RHP Paul Wilson, re-signed C Jason LaRue
COL
-- Terminated the contract of LHP Denny Neagle
FLO
-- Signed LHP Al Leiter, re-signed INF Damion Easley
HOU
-- Re-signed OF Orlando Palmeiro, INF Jose Vizcaino
LA
-- Re-signed RHP Elmer Dessens, signed OF Ricky Ledee
MIL
-- Signed C Chad Moeller, signed C Damian Miller
NYN
-- Acquired LHP Felix Heredia from NYA for LHP Mike Stanton and cash, re-signed
RHP Mike DeJean, re-signed RHP Kris Benson
PHI
-- Signed RHP Jon Lieber, re-signed LHP Rheal Cormier, re-signed C Todd Pratt,
claimed RHP Pedro Liriano off waivers from MIL, signed RHP Cory Lidle
SD
-- Signed LHP Dennys Reyes, signed RHP Rudy Seanez, acquired LHP Randy Williams
from SEA for INF Billy Hogan, signed INF Geoff Blum, signed RHP Woody Williams
SF
-- Signed RHP Armando Benitez, signed SS Omar Vizquel
WAS
-- Sold the contract of OF Valentino Pascucci to the Chiba Lotte Marines, signed
C Gary Bennett, signed 3B Vinny Castilla, INF Cristian Guzman
ANA
-- Acquired INF Maicer Izturis and OF Juan Rivera from WAS for OF Jose Guillen
BAL
-- Re-signed OF B.J. Surhoff
BOS
-- Claimed RHP Tim Bausher off waivers from COL, signed C Doug Mirabelli,
claimed LHP Billy Traber off waivers from CLE, signed RHP Matt Mantei
CHA
-- Signed RHP Dustin Hermanson, signed LHP Kevin Walker, re-signed RHP Jon
Garland
CLE
-- Traded INF John McDonald to TOR for PTBNL, re-signed RHP Bob Wickman
DET
-- Signed free agent RHP Troy Percival
KC
-- Signed 3B Chris Truby, acquired OF Terrence Long, RHP Dennis Tankersley and
cash from SD for LHP Darrell May and RHP Ryan Bukvich
MIN
-- Re-signed RHP Brad Radke, signed C Mike Redmond, signed INF Juan Castro
NYA
-- Acquired RHP Felix Rodriguez from PHI for OF Kenny Lofton, re-signed C
John Flaherty, claimed SS Ferdin Tejeda off waivers from SD
OAK
-- Acquired C Jason Kendall and cash from PIT for LHPs Mark Redman and Arthur
Rhodes and cash, signed RHP Seth Etherton
SEA
-- Signed C Dan Wilson
TEX
-- Signed C Sandy Alomar Jr., claimed INF Ruddy Yan off waivers from CHA,
re-signed RHP Chris Young, re-signed RHP Doug Brocail
TOR
-- Claimed RHP Steve Andrade off waivers from ANA, signed IF Frank Menechino
08 December, 2004
Venezuela
Sun ... Jose Castillo PIT 3-4, .367 ... Wilfredo Ledezma
DET 2.0 5 3 3 2 2, 15.75 ... Luis Gonzalez ARZ 2-3, homer, .336
Kevin
Goldstein provides the lowdown on the OAK system at Baseball America.
Not unexpectedly, outfielder Nick Swisher sits atop the list with a minor
surprise at No. 2 -- the onrushing Javier Herrera. A new snippets
from Kevin's chat room session :
Omar Quintanilla : " ... If Quintanilla ends
up as a utility guy, I think that might be a disappointment. More realistically
he's a solid second baseman who hits for a high average without a ton of
secondary stats ... He's a very solid defender who makes all the plays he gets
too and has great instincts -- he just lacks the range and arm for the position
in the eyes of many."
Javier Herrera : " ... Herrera is a
special talent, and one could make an argument for him being #1 based on ceiling
alone. He has the potential to do it all and his full-season debut in 2005 is
definitely one to watch."
Brad Sullivan : " ... The potential is
still there, he's just farther from it. His season was obviously a
disappointment by any measurement -- his velocity was down, his slider didn't
break like it did in college and he was maybe a little to hard on himself and
got out of whack mechanically trying to find 'it'."
Brad Knox : " ... in the Top 30 -- and
his ranking ends with the syllable -teen. The curve is wonderful, and pitchers
who can throw secondary pitches for strikes often put up HUGE numbers in Low-A
ball. He'll get a huge test in '05 as the A's are considering jumping him to
'05."
Landon Powell, Kurt Suzuki
: " ... Powell vs. Suzuki is an interesting question and a hard one. It's really
a pick your poison kind of situation. Powell has more power in his bat, while
Suzuki makes better contact and should hit for a higher average. Powell is a
better catch and throw guy, while Suzuki is more agile behind the plate. The
reason in the end that Suzuki is at 9 and Powell is not in the 10 (but he's at
11), is that Suzuki is two years younger, so there's more time to develop."
Steve Bondurant : " ... has a killer
change and throws strikes, but he just doesn't have enough fastball to project
as more than a 2nd or 3rd lefty out of the bullpen."
Over
at SportsBlub, Seth Trachtman
is zipping through his Top 10s with FLO the latest on the agenda. A pair
of prospects just out of their teens top the chart :
" ... Scott Olsen ... overlooked by many, but
he has as much ability to be a major league ace as just about every other minor
league prospect around. The lefty can reach the mid-90s with two other solid
pitches. His control is not perfect yet, but he had a 158/53 K/BB ratio in 136.1
innings pitched at High-A last season. The Marlins have grown a reputation as
moving quickly with their top prospects, so it would not be surprising for Olsen
to appear in the majors next season if he is able to handle Double-A."
" ... Jeremy Hermida ... a relatively toolsy
prospect with a decent eye and sharp swing. He held his own in High-A last
season by hitting .297-10-50 in 340 at-bats and adding 10 steals. However, since
he is yet to really breakout as a prospect just yet, he is a step behind the
elite outfield prospects for the time being. It remains to be seen whether he
will be a top of the order or middle of the lineup hitter, but scouts still love
the former first round pick."
Hmmm.
I guess MLB is giving WAS a little break ... a 42-man roster. Even MLB.com
still lists 42 players on the Nats roster.
07 December, 2004
Mexico
Sun ... Joe Dillon FLO 2-3, 2 doubles & 1-3, .275 ... Jorge
Cantu TB 1-3 & 0-2, .302
Puerto Rico Sun ... Chris Enochs PIT
6.2 3 1 1 3 6 ... complete game win for Rick Ankiel STL 7.0 5 0 0
0 7 (hit two plus a wild pitch), 2.66 ... Doug Waechter TB 5.2 5 1
1 1 3 ... Justin Thompson TEX 3.0 2 0 0 0 2 ... Alex
Cintron ARZ 1-3 & 3-4, double, .400
Venezuela Sat ... Jose Castillo PIT
2-3, 9th double, .357 ... Rick Guttormson SEA, finally gave up a
run, 2.0 1 1 1 0 3, 5-0, 0.38 ... Juan Rivera ANA 3-5, double,
.393 ... the full line for Yusmeiro Petit NYN 6.0 3 0 0 0 8, 1.69
... Hector Gimenez HOU 1-4, homer, .327
Sun ... Tony Armas WAS 2.0 2 2 1 2 2 ...
Fernando Nieve HOU 3.0 4 5 5 1 2 ... Jose Lopez SEA (playing under
his middle name Celestino) 4th & 5th homers
Dominican ... box scores missing, but stats
available :
AVG AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB
Morales Kendry ANA .429 14 6 1 0 0 2 0 1 0
Guzman Freddy SD .379 58 22 4 1 0 11 15 11 11
Reyes Jose NYN .347 72 25 3 1 1 7 6 2 4
Nivar Ramon TEX .330 103 34 4 1 2 9 8 8 4
Cano Robinson NYA .319 94 30 10 1 1 13 8 10 1
Guzman Joel LA .309 110 34 5 1 2 12 7 22 1
Aybar Erick ANA .293 92 27 3 0 1 9 7 12 1
Diaz Victor NYN .272 81 22 2 0 4 8 11 24 1
Terrero Luis ARZ .270 89 24 5 3 2 8 16 16 6
Marte Andy ATL .262 103 27 5 0 4 21 17 32 1
Ramirez Hanley BOS .259 108 28 4 2 5 16 9 24 4
Gil Jerry ARZ .256 43 11 4 1 0 2 0 17 2
Pie Felix CHN .238 80 19 2 0 3 4 5 29 3
Encarnacion Edwin CIN .232 112 26 4 0 3 9 11 21 1
Betemit Wilson ATL .224 58 13 2 1 2 13 10 20 0
Pena Willy Mo CIN .214 42 9 0 0 5 14 5 12 0
Shoppach Kelly BOS .175 57 10 1 0 0 6 4 24 0
Paulino Ronny PIT .156 64 10 0 0 1 9 7 22 0
Cash Kevin TOR .120 25 3 1 0 0 1 4 8 1
W L ERA G IP H R ER BB SO
Munoz Arnaldo CHA 1 0 0.00 5 5.1 5 1 0 1 7
Patterson John WAS 2 1 1.20 5 30.0 25 4 4 4 27
Astacio Ezequiel HOU 3 0 1.35 8 13.1 9 2 2 3 12
Cabrera Daniel BAL 0 0 1.54 3 11.2 8 5 2 3 5
German Franklin DET 0 1 1.88 10 14.1 7 3 3 3 9
Dominguez Juan TEX 0 0 2.16 4 8.1 7 5 2 5 7
Montero Agustin TEX 0 1 2.29 15 19.2 15 5 5 10 26
Osoria Franquelis LA 0 2 2.57 16 14.0 16 5 4 3 11
Pena Ramon A. ARZ 3 1 3.30 8 30.0 26 16 11 10 16
Rodriguez Wandy HOU 1 0 3.38 9 24.0 21 10 9 4 21
Brazoban Yhency LA 3 3 3.79 18 19.0 12 8 8 8 15
Capellan Jose ATL 0 1 4.42 6 18.1 19 12 9 3 15
Liriano Francisco MIN 1 3 4.60 5 15.2 14 9 8 6 16
Soler Alay NYN 0 2 5.28 5 15.1 14 9 9 6 23
Valdez Merkin SF 0 2 6.07 5 13.1 17 11 9 9 13
Bautista Denny KC 0 3 7.71 6 21.0 27 18 18 9 23
Santana Ervin ANA 0 0 7.94 7 11.1 14 10 10 7 14
JD
Arney, RedsDaily, presents an extensive look at the CIN farm with a Reds'
Top 40. Third sacker Edwin Encarnacion (also see below) holds down the top rung
ahead of first baseman Joey Votto. The Top 10 features six
starters, including Cincy's 2004 top pick David Homer Bailey
(No. 8). 2004 breakout pitcher Richie Gardner ranks No. 3
overall, with Dustin Moseley at No. 4.
John
Sickels, ESPN.com, with an update on ANA's Dallas McPherson :
" ... McPherson has the potential to be a
devastating offensive force. He is not a perfect player, however, and has some
weaknesses that will have to be addressed ... has good plate discipline and will
work to get ahead in the count, but will swing aggressively at anything in the
zone. While it hasn't hurt him to this point, his strikeout rate is quite high,
and raises some doubts about how much average and OBP he'll produce in the
Majors. He's shown the ability to adjust to conditions, and the Angels are
confident he will make changes should they become necessary. Defensively,
McPherson will never be a gold glove, but his defense has improved ...
With Glaus gone, McPherson has a clear way through to the third base job,
barring an injury or unforeseen spring training collapse ... has to be
considered an early contender for '05 Rookie of the Year."
Some
snippets from MLB.com on fall ball activity :
" ... any discussion of Red Sox prospects begins
with shortstop Hanley Ramirez ... has blossomed to the point that
Baseball America recently rated him the top prospect in the Boston organization.
Already this offseason, Ramirez has rendered re-signing Orlando Cabrera to a
long-term deal impractical, since Ramirez is projected to join the big league
club to stay in 2006, if not sooner ... this winter, Ramirez, who turns 21 on
Dec. 23, has returned to the Dominican Republic, where he is playing for the
Licey Tigers. Ramirez had hit .259 with 16 RBIs in 27 games through Tuesday. His
five home runs tied him for first in the league, while his 19 runs tied him for
second. Ramirez's 11 extra-base hits left him tied for third and his .472
slugging percentage placed him fifth. "He's had a pretty good winter. It's a
good opportunity for him to play every day in that environment," Red Sox
director of player development Ben Cherington wrote in an e-mail. "He's been
pretty consistent defensively." (Alan Ginsberg)
Edwin Encarnacion " ... I know there's
some concern about third base, but in the long run I feel like it's in very good
hands with Edwin," Reds general manager Dan O'Brien said. "He's playing very
well in winter ball right now, but I think we feel that he needs some more time
in our system." After hitting .281 with 13 home runs, 76 RBIs and a Southern
League-leading 35 doubles in 120 games with Double-A Chattanooga in 2004,
Encarnacion entered Thursday's Dominican League action hitting .255 (26-for-102)
with three home runs and nine RBIs for Aguilas. "From the first day I saw him, I
was thrilled with his potential as a hitter," said Cincinnati's minor league
hitting coordinator Leon Roberts. "He's got a quick bat which lets him get on
the fastball. During the course of the season, the tougher the situation, he's
risen to the occasion on every level and I look for good things from him in the
future." (Todd Lorenz)
" ... Orioles prospect Walter Young has
carried the momentum from a sparkling season with Double-A Bowie about 1,500
miles south to the Venezuelan Winter League. Young has played 30 games for La
Guaira Tiburones and has been the team's most impressive player, batting .327
with six homers and 23 RBIs ... Young is a mammoth man (6-foot-5, 296 pounds)
who possesses a heavy bat, solid instincts at the plate and good footwork at
first base. After playing for Class A Lynchburg in 2003, Young joined Bowie and
broke the team's single-season home run record with 33. He also hit .272 and
knocked in 98 runs, making good on the Orioles' risky move to place him on the
40-man roster. The Orioles are thin of top prospects at the higher levels and
Young's progress will be closely watched next season in Triple-A Ottawa. "He's a
[productive] bat," assistant general manager Ed Kenney said. "He had a real good
year in Double-A. And he's pretty athletic. He just needs consistency and to
work on offspeed pitches and breaking balls." (Gary Washburn)
06 December, 2004
Catchup
... Venezuela ... Juan Rivera ANA 2-4, double, 2 RBI & 2-4, double
& 2-4, SB, .373 ...
Hector Gimenez HOU 2-5, 2 RBI & 2-5, 7th double, .330 ...
Tony Armas WAS, season debut, 2.0 2 0 0 0 1 ... Renyel
Pinto CHN 4.0 0 0 0 3 5, 1.48 ... Luis Ugueto SEA 3-5, 11th
& 12th doubles, 3 RBI & 2-4 & 1-3 & 0-4, .343 ... look who's back, Rich
Garces 1.0 2 0 0 0 1, 10 saves, 0.69 ... Rick Guttormson SEA
2.0 1 0 0 0 1, 4-0, 0.00 (in 21 2/3s) ... Franklin
Gutierrez CLE 2-4, 2 SBs & 1-4, triple, SB, .301 ... Ismael Ramirez
TOR 6.0 4 3 3 2 3, 5-0, 2.10 ... Jose Castillo PIT 3-5, 7th & 8th
doubles, .350 ... Yusmeiro Petit NYN another six shutout innings, down to
1.69
Puerto Rico ... Ruben Gotay KC
1-4, 2nd homer, 3 RBI & 2-3, .186 ... Alex Cintron ARZ 4-4, 2 doubles, 3
runs & 0-4, .316 ... setback for Justin Thompson TEX 0.2 5 4 4 1 0
... Bill Pulsipher 6.0 2 1 0 3 6, 1.29
Mexico ... Edgar Gonzalez ARZ 3.0
2 1 1 3 2 ... JJ Hardy MIL 0-4 & 0-4, .111 ... you wonder if
anyone will give Ruben Rivera one more chance -- 4-6, 10th & 11th homers,
3 runs, 3 RBI, .340 (and with 24 walks, 34 Ks in 40+ games) ... Jorge
Cantu TB 4-5, 9th homer, .305
Dominican ... Victor Diaz NYN 1-5, .275 ...
WilyMo Pena CIN 0-3, 3 Ks, .179 ... Kendry Morales
ANA 3-5, 3 runs, RBI ... Joel Guzman LA 1-3, .311 ... Robinson
Cano NYA 3-5, 10th double, 4 RBI, .300 ... Luis Terrero ARZ
1-4, 3rd triple, .282 ... Andy Marte ATL 0-4, .240 ... Erick
Aybar ANA 3-5, walk, .279 ... Joes Reyes NYN 4-6, .368
Seth
Trachtman, SportsBlurb, likes Andy Marte as the best of the ATL
prospects with lefty Dan Meyer as the runnerup (ahead of OF Jeff
Francoeur) :
" ... The comparisons to Miguel Cabrera and David
Wright for Marte are constant. Now that B.J. Upton and Wright are in the majors,
Marte is arguably the top prospect in the game. He is considered excellent
defensively and performed admirably in Double-A at the age of 20. He hit
.269-23-68 with a 58/105 BB/K ratio in just 387 at-bats and added 28 doubles.
While he may never win batting titles in the majors due to the strikeouts, this
looks like a potential 40 home run hitter in the majors with power that has
developed so early."
" ... If the Braves are not already planning on
inserting Meyer into next season's starting rotation, they should be. The
23-year-old lefty has never even had an ERA above 3.00 in pro ball, including
Triple-A. He throws in the low-90s with a solid repertoire and excellent
control. We hear about Tom Glavine comparisons all too often from young pitchers
that do not throw 95 mph, but Meyer might actually be able to have that type of
career."
From
Jonathan Mayo,
MLB.com, more snippets from his team-by-team organizational updates :
" ... Felix Pie ... It was another step
up for Pie ... finished tied for seventh in batting average in the
pitching-friendly FSL (.297), was fifth in stolen bases with 32 and third in
triples with 10. He'll need to cut down on his strikeouts a touch (116 vs. 39
walks), but it's hard not to get excited about a player like this moving up to
Double-A at age 20."
" ... Fernando Nieve ... A year
after Nieve led the organization in wins, he topped the system in 2004 with his
2.81 ERA. He was second with 12 wins and finished fifth in strikeouts (134). He
spent most of the year with high Class A Salem, but was lights out in three late
starts up in Double-A. Oh, and he's only 22, leaving little doubt that he's the
top pitching prospect in the Astros system."
" ... Philip Humber ... Mets
have not yet signed the third overall pick in the draft, but they are still
hopeful they'll be able to do so by next spring. When they do, Humber will
automatically become their best, and perhaps most advanced, pitching prospect.
The Rice product has a fastball (touching 97 mph) and what many considered to be
the best breaking ball (curve) in the entire draft. Once he's in the system, he
should move fast."
" ... Jason Vargas ... southpaw
was the No. 2 starter behind Jered Weaver at Long Beach State, but quickly made
a name for himself in his pro debut. He went 3-1 with a 1.96 ERA in 41 1/3 IP
for Jamestown before getting bumped up to Greensboro. He was equally impressive
there, posting a 2.37 ERA in 19 IP. He held hitters to a .143 average, striking
out 17 and walking two. That figures to a 2.09 combined ERA over 11 starts,
including the first seven innings of a combined no-hitter in just his second
start for Greensboro."
" ... David Purcey ... 16th overall
pick got into three games after signing out of Oklahoma. The southpaw allowed
two earned runs in 12 IP for Auburn in the NY-Penn League, finishing with six
innings of shutout ball in his final regular season start of the year. He could
move up to Dunedin next year as the Jays hope to move the college starter
quickly ... Zach Jackson ... Another college lefty, Jackson
was a sandwich pick (No. 32) out of Texas A&M. He made four outings for Auburn,
allowing nine earned runs in 15 IP for a 5.40 ERA, though he was on a limited
pitch count after throwing 120 2/3 innings for the Aggies last year. He could
make a nice southpaw combo with Purcey in Dunedin next year."
Diamond
Futures has posted its picks as the top young guns at third base & the
outfield (for the full lists check out the site). Again, more than a few
"against-the-grain" choices :
Third Base Outfield
Wright David Milledge Lastings
Stewart Ian Dukes Elijah
Marte Andy Kubel Jason
Duncan Eric Young Delmon
McPherson Dallas Perry Jason
LaRoche Andy Kroeger Josh
Schierhlotz Nate Collins Kevin
Craig Matt Swisher Nick
Baker Jeffrey Pie Felix
Encarnacion Edwin Scott Luke
04/05 December, 2004
MLB.com
is running prospect reviews for each of the teams. Some interesting tid
bits.
" ... Mike Hinckley, LHP ... led his
organization in wins and strikeouts and he was second to Everts in ERA (2.77).
He made 10 starts in high-A before getting promoted thanks to a 6-2, 2.61 mark.
The bump to Double-A didn't faze him, either, as he posted a 2.87 ERA in 16
starts, which makes him the Nationals' best pitching prospect closest to the
Majors. Even though he's just 22, his command and poise (a three-pitch arsenal
that includes a fastball that can hit 94 doesn't hurt) could land him in the big
leagues at some point in 2005."
" ... Justin Huber, C ... There
are still questions about Huber's defensive ability -- he may need to find a new
position -- but he can swing the bat well enough to play at the upper levels, as
evidenced by his .414 on-base percentage and .487 slugging percentage in 236
Double-A at-bats. A knee injury suffered right before the trade kept Huber from
playing for the Royals, going to the Olympics and participating in the Arizona
Fall League. He should be good to go next spring. "
" ... Guillermo Quiroz, C While an
injury derailed Quiroz for much of the year, he still ended up in Toronto by
season's end. He was hitting .258 when he broke his left hand after getting hit
by a pitch. He missed almost all of May and June and never really got untracked
offensively. Still, he got called up on Sept. 2, and picked up 52 at-bats,
hitting .212. While defense is still his ticket, the year was a bit of a step
backward after a breakthrough 2003 season at the plate. With Kevin Cash
seemingly no longer in Blue Jays plans, Quiroz could be Toronto's No. 1 catcher
in 2005."
At
Diamond Futures, Michael
Laureano selects Justin Morneau MIN, Howie Kendrick ANA
and BJ Upton TB as the top dogs at 1B, 2B and SS in his latest
updates. Rickie Weeks MIL ranked No. 9 among 2B while Hanley
Ramirez was no better than No. 17 at SS. The picks so far :
Catcher First base Second base Shortstop
1 Barton Daric Morneau Justin Kendrick Howie Upton B.J.
2 Huber Justin Fielder Prince Young Delwyn Guzman Joel
3 Willingham Josh Sing Brandon Raburn Ryan Tablado Raul
4 Kottaras George Dopriak Brian Cantu Jorge Giarratano Tony
5 Napoli Michael Blanco Tony Cano Robinson Peralta Jhonny
6 Snyder Chris Harper Brett Gotay Ruben Kinsler Ian
7 McCann Brian Votto Joey Lewis Richard Lopez Jose
8 Martin Russell Garko Ryan Spears Nate Morse Michael
9 Saltalamacchia Howard Ryan Weeks Richie Santos Sergio
10 Doumit Ryan Aubrey Michael Furtado Micah Aybar Erick
John
Manuel, in the BA chat room, with some notes on some possible future
moundsmen for the Twins :
Alex Smit " ... he's a personal
favorite who gets overlooked at times because the Twins have been very careful
with him. He's a lefty with athletic ability who could have a plus-plus fastball
and knockout curve before it's all said and done."
Justin Jones " ... Jones has a
pretty big whammy on him in that he hasn't finished a season healthy yet. That's
a prerequisite for being a prospect in my book. He'll make the top 30, but if
you can't hack 140 games in the minors, how are you going to last 162 in the big
leagues? The Twins haven't seen him at full strength yet, so he can change that
perception by taking every turn in the rotation (probably at Beloit) next year."
Anthony Swarzak " ... Swarzak
has a high ceiling because of his pure velocity; his cockiness probably rubbed
GCL managers the wrong way, but the Twins are closer to the situation and think
they know him better. ... He's touched 95, and he's projectable. I think
the Twins think of him as a top of the rotation guy, 2-3 type of guy."
Kyle Wardrop, Greinke? " ... Waldrop
has some parallels to Greinke, no doubt. Both were highly thought of as two-way
players in high school. Waldrop was just amazing at Farragut High, getting every
big hit, it seemed, and winning every big game on the mound for the back-to-back
state champs. He's taller and lankier than Greinke, but like him, Waldrop's
strength is his feel for pitching. Whether or not he has Greinke's
preternatural, precocious feel is yet to be seen. Thanks to Minnesota's system
being light years ahead of Kansas City's, we won't see Waldrop in the big
leagues when he's 20, as was the case with Greinke."
Bryan
Smith, Wait Til Next Year, thinks Andy Sisco should be the No. 1 pick
in the Rule 5 draft :
" ... Sisco provides the largest question
mark. First and most glaring to me, a Cubs fan, is why the Hell did Hendry/Fleita
choose John Koronka over Sisco? Yikes. Other questions associated with Sisco
are, can a pitching coach find the stuff that made this kid a second-round pick?
Is this guy the next Ty Howington, destined for an arm problem? And lastly, how
can you not risk $50,000 on a 6-9 southpaw? To me, Sisco should be the top
choice in the draft, no question. Arizona has the first overall selection, and I
think the staff there knows how to handle tall southpaws. I mean, Sisco would be
the second-tallest left-hander ever in the Majors, behind one Randy Johnson.
Forget the poor year in high-A, and the rumored loss of stuff, spend 50k trying
to turn Sisco into a power reliever and in the right direction."
Tampa
Bay snippets :
" ... [TB general manager Chuck] LaMar said Carl
Crawford likely will switch from leftfield to center until Baldelli returns. He
said Cruz should be in right, and Huff could be involved in a leftfield platoon,
but not B.J. Upton. . . . LaMar said he made a counter-offer to top draft
pick Jeff Niemann and is still confident the pitcher will be in
training camp. LaMar said the only issue is money. . . . Outfielder Delmon
Young, the Rays' minor league player of the year, likely will start with
Double-A Montgomery." (St. Petersburg Times)
03 December, 2004
Puerto
Rico ... some slumping ... Victor Diaz NYN 1-3, .280, error ... Edwin
Encarnacion CIN 0-3, .248 ... Andy Marte ATL 1-4, .250 ...
Luis Terrero ARZ, red hot, 3-3, 3 runs, .284 ... Kendry
Morales ANA 1-4, RBI in his debut (at DH) ... Robinson Cano
NYA 1-4, homer, .282 ... Erick Aybar ANA 2-4, .259 ... Denny
Bautista KC, hammered again, 0.0. 4 5 5 3 0, 7.71
Mexico ... Jason Dubois CHN, nice power but
... 1-4, 9th homer, .254 ... Dan Johnson OAK 1-4, 7th double, .257
... JJ Hardy MIL in action 0-2
Puerto Rico ... Alex Cintron ARZ 1-4,
.111
It's
lefty John Danks then shortstop Ian Kinsler picked as the best of
the Rangers' prospects in Seth
Trachtman's latest dispatch at SportsBlurb.
" ... Danks looks like a potential ace if he
can stay healthy. The 19-year-old had a strong start last season in Low-A with a
2.17 ERA before moving up to High-A and posting an ERA slightly above 5.00. Keep
in that he was facing far more advanced players in age. He finished the year
with more than a strikeout per inning and has three excellent pitches. If he
improves his control just slightly, more experience will carry him to the majors
as a solid major leaguer."
" ... Kinsler emerged last season out of nowhere to
become one of the top shortstop prospects in the game ... hit .402 with 11
homers and 16 steals in Low-A after having an average start to his pro career in
2003. He then went up to Double-A and continued to hit with a .299 BA, eight
homers and seven steals. Kinsler does a good job of getting on base and is
adequate defensively. At the age of 22, he could push Michael Young back to
second base next season."
Michael
Laureano, Diamond Futures has begun posting his position-by-position
prospect picks. Catchers are first up and Daric Barton STL tops the
chart. It's an interesting group (Michael has ranked the Top 20) with some of
last year's top picks down in the bottom group -- Jeff Mathis at
No. 19, Dioner Navarro No. 14, John Buck No. 17 and
JR House at No. 20. I am assuming Guillermo Quiroz
failed to meet the eligibility requirements.
Justin Huber KC won the runnerup spot,
ahead of Josh Willingham FLO. The rest of the Top 10 --
George Kottaras SD, Michael Napoli ANA, Chris
Snyder ARZ, Brian McCann ATL, Russell Martin LA,
Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL and Ryan Doumit PIT.
ANA
has made it official -- a six-year contract for Kendry Morales, the
latest talent to make the jump from Cuba.
" ... The Angels said the deal is conditional
upon the 21-year-old switch-hitter receiving clearance from the U.S. Treasury
Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. "We hope it's sooner rather than
later," Angels general manager Bill Stoneman said Wednesday on a conference
call. "I think he got a pretty nice contract. I'm not going to get into (terms).
Hopefully he'll play very well for those six years and beyond." Morales plays
first base, third base and the outfield. Angels scout Eddie Bane has known about
him for about five years. "We've chased Kendry since he was 16 because we knew
what a good hitter he was," Bane said. "He made it clear that he wanted to play
in the majors, but unfortunately in Cuba, you have to defect to do that. "He's
6-foot-1, 225-230, a power guy, country-strong who has never lifted weights
much," he said. Bane also said he believes Morales is ready to play in the
majors now." (Associated Press)
At one point Morales, a versatile player in Cuba,
expressed a wish to take up catching and complained he wasn't being used enough
on the mound. The piece (which includes a birth date, is from the
Havana Journal in 2002.)
Morales has suited up with Estrellas of the
Dominican League to prep for 2005.
Lefty
Koo Dae-sung, Korea by way of Japan, is another import possibility for
2005. Yankees appear among the interested :
" ... Koo, a 35-year-old left-hander who has played
in the Korean and Japanese baseball leagues ... reported that either Mark
Newman, the Yankees’ senior vice president, or Gordon Blakely, the Yankees’ vice
president, will be in charge of conducting negotiations with Koo. The Yankees
have kept an eye on Koo for a long time. In the midst of this season, it sent
Pacific Rim scout John Cox to Japan and observed Koo’s pitching. The reason why
the Yankees is interested in Koo is his unique pitching form and the nasty stuff
that makes the ball very difficult for left-handed batters to hit. He hides the
ball behind the glove until he starts a pitch, even after the wind-up, making it
extremely difficult for left-handed hitters to beat ... In Japan, Koo had ...
five wins and 10 losses with a 4.39 ERA this year. Though the figures seem
sub-par, his performance itself was strong; it was because his team was weak. "
(donga.com)
And, from
BaseballGuru, Jim Albright's take on the lefty :
G W L SV IP H HR BB K R ER ERA
2001 59 7 9 0 146.1 120 20 88 146 87 78 4.82
2002 25 6 6 0 169.1 152 19 58 147 84 74 3.93
2003 22 3 11 0 131.2 163 33 63 121 128 120 8.17
2004 21 5 10 0 138.0 138 36 57 107 110 102 5.64
"He's 35, and while the strikeouts per innings pitched are fine, the home run
numbers are awful. Combine that with at least a hit an inning in the last two
years, and you've got quite high projected ERAs. I'd pass."
Korean slugger Jong-soo Shim is a free agent and looking for MLB work.
A 29-year-old outfielder, he led Hyundai to the 2003 Korean title with an
impressive .335 average and 53 homers. A knee injury limited his play last
season but he still managed 22 homers. Shim has had a little experience in
the US having suited up for the Marlins in Spring Training in 2003.
Jim
Callis, Baseball America, on Mark Teahen KC :
" ... Teahen may open next year as Kansas City's
third baseman, but I see him topping out as an average big league third baseman
at best. He not only doesn't project to hit 40 homers a year, he may struggle to
hit more than 10-15. He hit 14 in 139 minor league games last year, and that was
while playing in some very favorable hitting environments. Though managers
ranked him the best defensive third baseman in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League
this year, he's more competent than spectacular. If all goes well, Teahen may be
the next Joe Randa. That would make him a useful player, but not a cornerstone.
No matter what it may say in "Moneyball," Teahen isn't going to be the next
Jason Giambi."
Matthew
Pouliot, RotoWorld.com, with his 2nd installment on AFL performances
includes some blue-chippers and probable hangers-on :
" ... Michael Morse ... Scouts like his
offensive upside, but Morse isn’t a shortstop, he strikes out three times as
often as he walks and he ended last year on the Mariners’ suspended list for
undisclosed reasons. Basically, he’s been a good player for about two-thirds of
one season since he was drafted in 2000. I’ll be surprised if he has a career."
" ... Ben Johnson ... Four years after
being picked up from the Cardinals in a deadline deal, Johnson again started to
resemble a prospect in 2004. He followed up a .251/.334/.480 season in Double-A
with a strong enough fall to win a spot on San Diego’s 40-man roster last month
... if he can begin making contact more regularly, maybe he could turn into a
useful player. His performance in Triple-A next season could determine whether
he’ll have a career."
" ... Shin-Soo Choo ... jump to Double-A
didn’t faze Choo. The native of South Korea improved on his numbers from the
California League, hitting .315/.382/.462 and stealing 40 bases in 48 attempts
for San Antonio. The Mariners would still like to see more power, but Choo’s
all-around game will make him at least an average regular in the majors. It’s
breaking into the Seattle outfield that could be difficult."
" ... Jeremy Hermida ... Even
though he was only in A ball in 2004, Hermida is a candidate to jump to the
majors after the All-Star break. The 2002 first-round pick hit .297/.377/.441
for Single-A Jupiter last season. Away from the big ballparks of the Florida
State League, he finished tied for third in the AFL with seven home runs. As a
potential .280-.300 hitter with 25-HR ability, Hermida is often compared to Paul
O’Neill. If Juan Encarnacion struggles, Hermida might get the same kind of
opportunity Miguel Cabrera did in 2003."
" ... Jeff Francoeur ...
one of the most talented outfielders in the minors, and he showed a great deal
of potential while batting .293/.346/.506 for Single-A Myrtle Beach last season.
His .197 average and identical .197 OBP in 76 at-bats after moving up to
Double-A Greenville weren’t so encouraging, but he was just 20 years old.
Francoeur hits to all fields and should someday boast 30-homer power. He’ll take
over as Atlanta’s right fielder after spending at least one and possibly two
more full seasons in the minors."
02 December, 2004
Dominican
Tues... Jose Reyes NYN 3-5, .362 ... Freddy Guzman SD 3-5,
.377 ... Daniel Cabrera BAL 6 5 2 2 2 2 , 1.54 ... Luis
Terrero ARZ 4-4, triple, .256 ... Andy Marte ATL 1-4, .250 ...
Joel Guzman LA 1-3, .311 ... WilyMo Pena CIN 2-3,
5th homer, 5 RBI, .212 (just seven hits, 5 homers)
Venezuela Mon/Tues ... Yusmeiro Petit NYN 5.0 6 3 3 1
6, 1.96 ... Jose Castillo PIT 3-4, triple & 2-4, double, .346 ... Franklin
Gutierrez CLE 0-4, 2 Ks & 1-4, 8th double, .297 ... Hector Gimenez HOU
2-4, double & 1-4, .322 ... John Stephens BOS 5.1 4 1 1 0 6, 1.76
... Rick Guttormson SEA another scoreless inning, now up to 19.2
innings, 7 walks, 26 Ks, 0.00 ... Luis Ugueto SEA 4-5, 10th
double, 2 RBI, .340
A
bit of a surprise atop the Twins' Top 10 from
Baseball America. Joe Mauer. Yep, he's still a rook by
MLB standards (although, unfortunately, not for Scoresheet purposes). The
injured Jason Kubel ranks as the runnerup with reliever Jesse Crain
at No. 3.
John
Sickels, ESPN.com, on Russell Martin LA :
" ... Martin is a sleeper, one of the better
catching prospects around although he hasn't received enough attention. The
Dodgers drafted Martin (a Canadian) in the 17th round in 2002 from Chipola
Junior College in Florida. He was an infielder in college, but the Dodgers
converted him to catcher in 2003, and he took to it well. He's athletic, has
above-average arm strength, and move around well behind the plate, showing good
leadership skills ... now regarded as a very sound defensive catcher. If he
hits, he has the skills to be a regular major league catcher. Will he hit? I
think so. Martin hit just .250 in the Florida State League this year, but he
contributed 24 doubles, 15 homers, and 71 walks, while striking out only 54
times in 416 at-bats. The combination of a high walk rate with a low strikeout
rate is a very good sign. As long as he maintains that sort of plate discipline,
his power and on-base production should carry to higher levels. Even if he never
hits for a great batting average, he should be a productive hitter. Combine that
with strong defense, and you have a fine catching prospect ... Overall I
think he's a big-time sleeper. I've finished the Dodgers section in my 2005
book, and I gave him a Grade B, which is a really good grade in my system."
It's
Curtis Granderson as No. 1 in the DET system in
Dayn Perry's Tiger update
at FoxSports :
" ... Granderson's always had strong on-base
skills (.392 career OBP) and good gap-power numbers, but this past season at
AA-Erie he went deep 21 times. On the downside, Eerie is pretty friendly to home
run hitters. In any event, his gap-to-gap swing should translate nicely to
Comerica. He draws walks, hits for average and plays a key defensive position.
He doesn't have the speed and instincts to stick in center his entire career,
but he'll be there for the first five years or so. He's a good bet to be in the
Tigers' lineup on opening day."
And, a positive spin on Kyle Sleeth, No. 2 :
" ... last season he made it as high as the Double-A
Eastern League. His numbers at high-A Lakeland were quite strong, but he
struggled after his promotion to Erie. Sleeth boasts a mid-90s fastball and a
slider curve that both have plus-pitch potential. His lack of a solid changeup
hurt him in the high minors, so he'll need to make progress in that regard.
Expect the numbers eventually to catch up to the potential. He figures to be a
strong third starter at the highest level."
While
the major focus in Arizona is on Randy Johnson, there are significant holes in
the middle infield :
" ... With [Scott] Hairston likely moving to
the outfield, the starting job at second base will be between Alex
Cintron, a shortstop most of his career, and Matt Kata, who
missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. Cintron would appear to have
an edge entering spring training, but anything can happen. At shortstop, the
Diamondbacks are eyeing free agent Royce Clayton, a Scottsdale
resident during the off-season, and are interested in re-acquiring Craig
Counsell, who likely would fulfill more of a super-utility bench role.
Eventually, the job at short would fall to unsigned top draft pick Stephen
Drew, but he may decide to re-enter the draft next year. Another hot
prospect already in the organization, Sergio Santos, could be the
answer in time. But the more Santos fills out, the more likely he will
ultimately switch to third base." (Arizona Republic)
Hmmm
... and I was just joshing. Looks as if it might be a possibility.
Mike LeBrasseur, SportsBlurb,
has a review of the Rangers' 2004 season and an early look at '05 :
" ... Lefty Justin Thompson is an early
sleeper for 2005. Thompson was traded to Texas in 1999 along with Cordero in a
nine-player deal that sent Juan Gonzalez to Detroit, but he has yet to pitch for
the Rangers. Thompson went 3-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 38 innings out of the bullpen
at Double A Frisco and has gotten off to a good start in the Puerto Rican
league. After four shoulder surgeries it would be an amazing comeback, but one
worth tracking."
KC
keeping close tabs on their fall/winter ball performers :
"
... Should the Royals be re-thinking those plans for right-hander Denny
Bautista to hold down the No. 3 slot in their 2005 rotation? Consider:
Bautista is 0-3 with a 5.57 ERA in five appearances at Estrellas in the
Dominican winter league. This follows his 0-4 and 6.51 performance in five
late-season starts with the Royals ... Yet, the Royals remain far from
discouraged."
“He's been very pitch-efficient down there (in the Dominican Republic),” general
manager Allard Baird said. “He threw just 56 pitches in five innings in his last
start. Pitch efficiency is something we're really looking for with him.”
It isn't hard to understand the Royals' patience. Bautista's fastball hits the
upper 90s with movement, and his breaking ball and change-up are both plus
pitches. Plus, September stats and those compiled in winter ball are notoriously
undependable. One example: Pop-up artist Neifi Perez is currently batting .750
in the Dominican League."
"Similarly, Baird puts a reverse spin on another hard-throwing prospect —
Ambiorix Burgos, who is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in 10 appearances for
Azucareros in the Dominican. Burgos, 20, is turning heads with 17 strikeouts in
14 innings, but Baird cautioned: “He's lighting up the (radar) gun, but he's
still walking a lot of guys.”
Burgos has nine walks and is running plenty of deep counts. Even so, his
potential is obvious and validates the club's recent decision to place him on
the 40-man roster. Left unprotected, Burgos would have been a prime target for
other teams later this month in the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings."
(Kansas City Star)
01 December, 2004
Dominican
... little setback for Jose Capellan ATL 1.1 7 7 6 0 1, 4.73 ...
Freddy Guzman SD 3-4, walk, .354 ... Joel Guzman LA
1-3, .310 ... Robinson Cano NYA 2-3, triple, .282 ... Hanley
Ramirez BOS 1-5, .259 ... Andy Marte ATL 1-3, 3rd homer,
.250 ... Jose Reyes NYN 2-5, 3rd double, 3 RBI, .340
Venezuela (Sun) ... Adrian Hernandez
7.0 4 2 1 2 3, 2.61 ... Guillermo Quiroz TOR 4th homer, .250 ...
Maicer Izturis ANA 3-3, .288
I've
posted all the Top 10s from
Michael
Laureano, Diamond Futures. A check of DF's evaluation system is a good
starting point to understanding the rankings. From all the Top 10s, these
are the guys who received the highest rankings.
1 Felix Hernandez SEA 6
Clint Everts WAS
2 David Wright NYN 7 Ian Stewart COL
3 BJ Upton TB
8 Cesar Jimenez SEA
4 Daric Barton STL 9 Yusmeiro Petit NYN
5 Zach Duke PIT 10 Lastings
Milledge NYN
It's quite a different look from
Bob Reed's Big 60 (the
first of the lists for the season) but offers a distinctive view from a
particular evaluation system.
Cesar
Jimenez? It's the one name unlike the others. For another view on the SEA
reliever (2.29 in 86 innings in 2004),
Sam Geaney, CalLeaguers.com,
(midway through the season) :
" ... Young LHP. Med. frame with thick lower 1/2.
Phys. mature. Arm action is gd. Some stiffness in back but nothing to worry
about. Sets up well over the rubber, opens up into landing, front side flies
open. Ends up off mound towards 3B. FB has below avg velo but has a wrinkle in
it. Size hurts downward angle as ball comes in flat. SL is mediocre. Slurvy
action. CH is best pitch, hard downward tumble and gd command. FB command
mediocre. Offspeed command fringy. His lack of pure stuff and command issues
will hold him back. But he is Lefthanded and young so he has a shot to get to
AAA for me. "
Nonetheless, impressive numbers in 2004 (upon which
the ratings are based).
There's
little doubt Felix Hernandez is heading for an upper rung in the 2005
prospect charts. One more vote of confidence in the latest rankings by
Seth Trachtman, SportsBlurb.
" ... Mariners are no longer considered among the
elite systems in the game. That is not to say that they are barren ...
have the best prospect in all of baseball ... Felix Hernandez ... Yeah,
this is the top prospect in baseball referred to above. It is not only
Hernandez's stuff that makes him the top prospect but his success relative to
age. At the age of 18, he dominated High-A and Double-A. He throws in the
high-90s with an unbelievable secondary repertoire, but unlike similar prospects
that throw in the high-90s, Hernandez actually has great control too. The
Mariners do not want to rush Hernandez, but they may be forced to if he keeps
this up. If available in your prospect draft, this should be the top pick
without a doubt."
And, even down at No. 5, some pretty fair talent :
" ... Matt Tuiasosopo, SS ... The 18-year-old
could have been the top pick in the draft if not for fears that he would go to
Washington on a football scholarship. The Mariners were able to sign him after
drafting him in the third round last year, and he played well in Rookie Level
and Low-A. He is as toolsy as any of the top shortstops in the game but is also
very raw defensively and with his approach at the plate. Still, Tuiasosopo could
emerge as a comparable prospect to B.J. Upton soon enough."
Quite
a collection of prospects, most of them teenagers, in the Topps/MinorLeagueBaseball
All-Stars (Short-season & Rookie Leagues).
" ... The group was led by Billy Butler, 18,
of the Idaho Falls Chukars; Mitch Einertson, 19, of the
Greeneville Astros; and Chris Carter, 21, of the Yakima Bears, all
of whom made runs at Triple Crown hitting titles. Carter, an Arizona farmhand,
came closest as he led the Northwest League with 63 runs-batted-in and finished
second in both homers (15) and average (.335). Butler (Kansas City Royals) and
Einertson (Houston Astros) each led in two categories, but trailed in the third
Crown chase. Butler paced the Pioneer League with a .373 average and 68 RBIs,
while Einertson tied the Appalachian League record with 24 homers and led with
67 RBIs."
All the picks here
(League All-Stars page).
Another
fall ball participant trying to impress enough for another MLB trial ...
Ariel Prieto now 7-0, 2.02 in the Mexican League ... 51 hits in 58 innings,
11 walks, 31 Ks.
From
Jim
Albright, BaseballGuru.com a take on the most likely Japanese import to make
an impact, albeit perhaps pretty limited -- second baseman Tadahito Iguchi
:
G AB H 2B 3B HR BB AVG OBP SLG
2000 65 194 45 11 4 5 14 .230 .284 .402
2001 162 639 155 29 2 21 57 .243 .305 .393
2002 132 495 120 16 2 13 25 .242 .278 .357
2003 156 596 189 42 2 19 75 .317 .393 .488
2004 151 621 193 41 4 18 40 .311 .358 .474
" ... He's just turned 30 and has been released by
his team so he can go to the majors. He's finally turned in two similar seasons.
I'd say he's likely to play at least another year or two at about the 2004
level, then begin to decline with age. He won Gold Gloves in 2001 and 2003, but
as we saw with Kazuo Matsui, that's no guarantee of a NPB middle infielder's
prowess with the glove at the major league level. I'd scout that aspect of his
game carefully, because if his defense is up to snuff, you've got to like a .300
hitting second baseman with some pop in his bat. Unless Jojima is posted, he's
almost certain to be the best player to come over from Japan this year."
Jojima? 28-year-old catcher Kenji Jojima
:
G AB H 2B 3B HR BB AVG OBP SLG
2000 101 364 105 26 4 7 26 .289 .337 .435
2001 162 618 149 20 0 22 29 .241 .275 .379
2002 133 597 132 20 0 17 28 .220 .265 .342
2003 162 638 196 44 4 24 49 .308 .358 .500
2004 141 519 163 30 2 26 48 .315 .373 .533
"
... He's improved his averages, his power, and his ability to take a walk in
each of the last two seasons. Such a broad-based improvement speaks well of him.
He's due to become a free agent after the 2005 season, so his team might opt to
post him. He's captured the last six Gold Gloves for catching in the Pacific
League, so you've got to think he's got the tools to be at least decent behind
the plate, even in the majors. One question is his ability to communicate with
his pitchers. It's hard to underestimate the importance of pitcher/catcher
communication, and a language barrier can't help in that area. On the other
hand, Tony Pena managed for a while with poor English, so it can be done. I just
want to know if Jojima can do it. I'd like to know more about his arm, but even
if it isn't great, you could live with it for a catcher who hits .300 and slugs
.500 and should otherwise be solid behind the plate."
At
the BaseballThinkFactory,
Dan Szymborski has the latest installment of his predictions (hitters and
pitchers) for 2005.
Gleaning
a few more possible Rule 5 picks from
Matthew
Pouliot's RotoWorld.com piece on some of the discarded ones :
" ... Manny Parra - LHP ... Shoulder problems
limited Parra to 73 1/3 IP last season and prevented him from pitching in the
Arizona Fall League. That the Brewers are protecting Andy Pratt and Luis Pena
over him shows just how concerned they are."
" ... Brad Knox - RHP ... 14-5, 2.59
ERA, 141 H, 174/24 K/BB in 156 1/3 IP for Single-A Kane County. Knox lacks more
than No. 4-starter upside and he pitched in low Single-A last year, but those
numbers are still very tough to overlook."
" ... Tyler Johnson - LHP ... Talented
lefty reliever has struck out 10.7 batters per nine innings in four seasons.
Johnson’s control isn’t improving, but he has the fastball-curveball combination
to be a quality setup man. He should be one of the first players to go."
30 November, 2004
Dominican
... Jose Reyes NYN 2-5, triple, .333 ... WilyMo Pena CIN
1-3, .160
Puertio Rico ... Ruben Gotay KC
0-1 & 0-4, .097 ... Justin Thompson TEX (first rounder in 1991)
5.0 4 0 0 0 2 ... Jesse Foppert SF 3.2 5 2 1 1 5, 1.59
Mexico ... Jason Dubois CHN 0-4, 3 Ks,
.238 ... Joe Dillon FLO 0-3, 2 Ks, .179 ... Jorge
Cantu TB 0-4, .290 ... Dan Johnson OAK (back at 1B) 2-3, 5th
double & 2-2, 6th double, 8th homer, 2 walks, .258 ... Edgar Gonzalez
ARZ (born during the 4th season of Fernandomania) 3.0 1 0 0 0 1 up against
Fernando Vanenzuela 5.0 3 2 0 0 1 ... Marshall McDougall
2-5, 7th homer, .291
At
Baseball America, Phil Rogers offers the best of the WSox farm system and
cites a major failure and a pair of notable leaps forward :
" ... Joe Borchard, who signed for a record
$5.3 million in 2000, had another disappointing year in 2004. He started the
season at Triple-A Charlotte and batted .174 in 63 big league games after being
promoted to replace the injured Magglio Ordonez. His strikeout woes extended
into the offseason, when his Mexican Pacific League club released him because of
his lack of production ... There were some positive developments, however.
Righthanders Brandon McCarthy and Sean Tracey took
huge steps forward. McCarthy led the minors with 202 strikeouts in 172 innings,
while Tracey started to harness the best fastball in the system."
Rogers goes with outfielder Brian Anderson as
the top dog with Ryan Sweeney as the runner-up just ahead of
McCarthy.
" ... I'd guess they'll arrive in this order --
McCarthy, Anderson, Fields and Sweeney. I absolutely love Sweeney's potential.
The kid can really hit, and he's an athlete. So I'll say he's the most likely
All-Star on this list ... if you want to throw around names, Anderson could be a
cross between Darin Erstad and Jim Edmonds. Sweeney could be a young Rafael
Palmeiro. That's pretty high praise. I personally think Sweeney is a better bet.
And you weren't alone in having your socks blown off, either. These guys,
Sweeney especially, were the talk of Arizona. Both have moved fast and handled
the jumps. Watch for Sweeney to have a big 2005. Last year was a real learning
year for him, and he was still a Carolina League All-Star ... I think he can be
a George Brett-type guy -- very high average, using all the field, lots of
doubles, clutch power. ... Crede definitely needs a strong first half in 2005 to
hold onto his job. The people I talk to see Fields moving very fast, so a
stop-gap may not be needed ... I think McCarthy could be up by June if he has a
good spring training and a need arises. The Sox were smart to give him the
winter to rest after originally scheduling him for Arizona.
29 November, 2004
Puerto Rico Sat ... Miguel Negron TOR 3-5, 1st
homer, 3 runs, .324 ... Eric Cyr, trying to rebound from injury, not showing
much in bid to attract some interest, 1.0 5 4 4 0 1
Mexico Sat ... Dan Johnson OAK (in LF) 1-2, 2 walks, 7th
homer, .227 ... Joe Dillon FLO 3-4, homer, .208 ... Jason
Dubois CHN 7th homer,
.246 ... Andy Tracy COL 2-3, 3rd double, 11th homer, .350 ...
Jonny Gomes ? (or, perhaps Johnny Gomez) 2-4, double, 4th homer
(he's played only 4 games), .474 ... Ruben Rivera, once such a hot
prospect, 3-4, 2 homers (9), 3 RBI, .338
Dominican Weekend ... Wilson Betemit
ATL (at DH) 2-3, grand slam, 2 walks, HBP, 3 runs, 5 RBI ... Ramon
Nivar TEX (in CF) 2-6, 4 runs ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 0-2 ...
Erwin Santana ANA 2.2 4 2 2 1 3 ... Juan Cruz ATL 2.1 3 0 0
1 4 ...
Venezuela ... with the exception of his BB/SO ratio,
Luis Ugueto one of the surprise performers so far ... young SPs,
Petit, Ramirez, Pinto adding to their laurels, while Indy grad
Rick Guttormson fighting for s spot in the M's pen :
BATEADOR AVE JJ VB H H2 H3 HR BB SO
Simon Randall .381 10 42 16 6 0 4 4 1
Schumaker Skip .350 24 103 36 3 1 2 8 13
Calloway Ron WAS .340 12 50 17 3 1 4 2 9
Ugueto Luis SEA .336 33 146 49 8 5 3 9 27
Castillo Jose PIT .330 29 115 38 5 2 6 8 19
Gimenez Hector HOU .329 20 76 25 5 2 1 2 19
Young Walter BAL .327 30 113 37 7 0 6 11 20
Reyes Rene .324 33 136 44 6 2 4 12 23
Gutierrez Franklin CLE .316 31 117 37 7 0 9 7 26
Torcato Tony SF .315 24 89 28 5 0 4 9 15
Evans Tom .306 29 98 30 6 1 4 13 19
Garrett Shawn OAK .304 15 56 17 7 0 0 9 12
Tiffee Terry MIN .293 10 41 12 2 0 2 4 8
Orr Pete ATL .261 37 142 37 4 3 2 7 27
Callaspo Alberto ANA .257 35 113 29 8 0 1 15 4
Quiroz Guillermo TOR .254 23 71 18 5 0 3 10 17
Infante Omar DET .247 19 77 19 4 3 1 8 13
Linden Todd SF .229 22 83 19 2 0 4 6 29
Izturis Maicer ANA .228 16 57 13 4 1 0 9 3
Leone Justin SEA .220 19 59 13 2 1 2 10 21
Torrealba Yorvit SF .192 20 73 14 3 0 2 5 18
JJ JI IP H HR BB SO EFE
Guttormson Rick SEA 15 0 18.2 12 0 7 25 0.00
Petit Yusmeiro NYN 7 7 31.2 24 1 4 32 1.42
Ramirez Ismael TOR 9 5 28.1 21 2 5 24 1.59
Pinto Renyel CHN 5 4 20.1 12 1 9 20 1.77
Stephens John BOS 8 8 35.2 41 5 7 31 1.77
Hernandez Adrian 7 7 41.1 38 3 10 32 3.05
Vogelsong Ryan PIT 7 7 32.0 30 4 14 32 3.94
Nieve Fernando HOU 4 3 16.1 20 1 2 8 4.41
Betancourt Rafael CLE 4 0 4.0 5 2 1 5 9.00
Over
at SportsBlurb, Seth Trachtman
pins the gold star on Nick Swisher as the cream of the A's farm :
" ... Even with hand problems, Swisher did an
outstanding job in his breakout season in Triple-A. He hit .269-29-92 with a
103/109 BB/K ratio in 443 at-bats and added two home runs during his major
league call-up. Swisher is expected to start in right field next season for the
A's and should be an Adam Dunn lite in the majors offensively."
First baseman Dan Johnson and starter
Joe Blanton rank 2-3 in a relatively well-stocked system.
Even further down the chart there's some talent to be noted :
" ... 7. Javier Herrera ...
a rare tools prospect in the Oakland system. The 19-year-old Venezuelan hit
.331-12-47 in Low-A and was 23/24 on steal attempts. His plate discipline is not
very good at all, but the A's system will try to change that. If he can improve
his strike zone judgment, the sky is the limit."
The
Tampa Tribune with a Top 10 of sorts :
" ... the 10 young players (without at least a full season
of major-league experience) who are most likely to play important roles with the
Devil Rays in 2005:
Delmon Young, OF, Could be roaming RF for Rays as soon as
2005
B.J. Upton, SS, Needs work on defense, but his bat is ready now
Scott Kazmir, LHP, Expected to be part of rotation on Opening Day
Jeff Niemann, RHP, Once he signs, won't take long to reach majors
Seth McClung, RHP, With Tommy John surgery behind him, expects to
excel
Jorge Cantu, IF, Made good enough impression in '04 for long look
at 2B
Joey Gathright, OF, Very fast runner must refine defense and
batting eye
Chad Orvella, RHP, Plowed through Rays organization in '04; majors
next
Chris Seddon, LHP, 14-10, 3.43 ERA, 143 K, 53 BB, 160 IP with
Bakersfield, Montgomery
Jonny Gomes, OF, 26 HR, 78 RBI for Durham; also 136 K in 390
at-bats."
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