Albert Cartwright is one of my favorite prospects in Baseball and he is one of the best prospects in a much improved Houston Astros farm system. The speedy and versatile 5 tool player did a great job with this interview and I hope you enjoy it.
Me: Talk to me about the transition from Lancaster to Corpus Christi and what adjustments you had to make.
Albert: Lancaster was a good league with alot of good pitchers but i thought when i got to Corpus the pitcher had a better plan and didnt stray away from it until you made the adjust
Me: Describe what you think is the biggest part of your game and how you can improve upon it.
Albert: biggest part of my game is my speed so i try to work it into my game the best that i can meaning; taking the extra base, bunting ,tagging up when necessary anyway i can make the defense uncomfortable that's how i try to play this game of baseball
Me: You set the Cal League record for most triples in a game. Whats a record you'd like to break at the Major League level?
Albert: setting a cali league record is a big accomplishment that i cherish dearly and my biggest concern is to help a team win at the major league level but if any record stands out at me is the stolen base record
Me: What are some of the highlights of the '10 season for you?
Albert: two highlights that stand out to me from 2010 is the game i set the record for most triples and the game i hit my first career walk off base hit.
i can remember coming to the plate my third at bat thinking if im going to get anything to hit and after i hit another tripple hearing the cheers from the crowd and my biggest accomplishment of 2010 is hitting a walk off to win the game bottom of the 9th at home. walking to the plate telling myself just get a good pitch over the plate and sure enough i got a curveball down the middle
Me: What are some things you're doing this off-season and how can that prepare you for Spring Training and the upcoming season?
Albert: preparing my self mental and physically to endure the the long brutal season ahead of me. pushing yourself in the gym and putting time on the field and in the batting cages. putting in time gets me ready for the season
Me: You were drafted in the 36th round and are now one of the Astros better prospects. Describe the journey it's been all the way from Polk College to where you are now and did you have to turn many heads after getting drafted much later than most?
Albert: getting drafted in later rounds is definitely harder . you dont get the chance or opportunities a early round pick would get so it puts more pressure on you to perform but i would say once you go out and do what you got to do on and off the field your chance will come where you can show your talent now once you get ya chance to show what you can do you have to run with it and i think with the opportunities i got i turn a few heads. polk community college baseball program led by former head coach Joe Arnold and assissant coach Brian Kraft got me prepare and help shape my overall game to take it to the next level and by listen to the Houston Astros coaching staff and putting everything together help mold my game to what it is now.
Me: Who are some of your biggest idols and do you ever seek help from current Astros?
Albert: My biggest idols i would say is my mother Patricia Cartwright and my father Albert Cartwright. I learned early in my life just by watching them go out and handle there business waking up early in the morning before the sunrise in the morning just to provide for me and my brother Cyril and sister Amanda. my parents did what it takes just to make sure that we had anything they didn't had as a child and i commend them for that. past two season i had the the opportunity to have the same manager Tom Lawless who i look up to and who helps me out with my overall game from hitting to defense
Me: Toughest pitcher you've faced in college and in the minors?
Albert: toughest pitcher i faced in my short career i would say is Matt Latos when i was as at Polk and he was at Broward community college
Me: When going through the draft process, which team were you hoping would draft you, and was the signing process somewhat hard or lengthy?
Albert: during the draft process it was more of a wait to see who will take me more than i hope a certain team. the signing process was a bit lengthy but nothing to bad i was leaning more on going back to school and signing in 07 so after a week or two after being selected by the Astros i had a conversation with my dad Albert Cartwright and after that i decided ill sign with the Houston Astros
Me: Talk to me about your teammate, J.D. Martinez
Albert: J.D is a good friend of mine with a good work ethic and talent. the times he spend studying pitching and hitting in the cage is amazing to be on a team with him and to workout with him in off season is a privilege just to be able to learn and to know what he is thinking at times although he is still you young and has alot more baseball to play and much more to learn he is an amazing talent
Thursday, December 23, 2010
A Royals fan from NY
First and foremost, as most of you can imagine, right about now is the perfect time to be a fan of the Kansas City Royals. The picturesque Royal blue and gold logo is starting to look much more blue and plenty golder. Obviously, so is the future of the Kansas City Royals.
Being someone who can't locally celebrate the debuts of Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, and Wil Myers (unless they are in debuting in NY), it's just amazing to feel the fact that we are finally going to be relevant among those who only have bad things to say about the Royals who have obviously not been an exciting Major League team over the past 20 years. Now, can any of you think about 5 other Baseball topics that are more exciting than the Royals future?
In my opinion, the big trade of Yuniesky Betancourt over the weekend (joking, we will miss you Zack) added to the future. I'm not going to say that the 4 newest Royals youngsters are better than the Royals top 5, because they are not, but we're looking at 4 tremendously exciting young players who will certainly have an impact on the potential winning teams of the future Royals. Not only that, but we got 4 great guys.
Again, as Greg pointed out on his radio show earlier, in which he did a great job doing, me being in NY I could obviously choose to like the Yankees who exemplify winning (not in the prettiest of ways) or even the Washington Nationals who showed some promise by signing a big time free agent this off-season. I could even like the Braves, Phillies, Red Sox, Tigers, or Mets; 5 teams with exciting players and are much more "local" than my favorite team of them all, the Kansas City Royals. And for that exact reason; It's the love and hope of what will eventually come to be winning Baseball and much more than that at the very least.
Of course I get made fun and viewed strangely when stating my opinion on my favorite team, but to encourage and promise everyone that the Royals are and will be relevant is something I love to do! I was in school today, and my science class was watching Chicken Run. So while they were focused on that, I was putting together my Royals top 40 prospect list. When I came to 40, I said to myself: "wait a second, that can't be right? I left off so many prospects. So then I expanded it to a top 50 and after that, I still forgot Elisaul Pimentel and other exciting young Royals who may definitely have a major impact on the Kansas City Royals future.
And even with the top 10 prospects. You hear everyone saying "oh well the Royals 2011 season is for not they aren't going to do anything." Well theres a chance the season doesn't finish with the Royals over .500, but how great and exciting will it be to see the debuts of Mike Moustakas, Tim Collins, Danny Duffy, and possibly Eric Hosmer! It's going to be amazing and I certainly can not wait!
Being someone who can't locally celebrate the debuts of Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, and Wil Myers (unless they are in debuting in NY), it's just amazing to feel the fact that we are finally going to be relevant among those who only have bad things to say about the Royals who have obviously not been an exciting Major League team over the past 20 years. Now, can any of you think about 5 other Baseball topics that are more exciting than the Royals future?
In my opinion, the big trade of Yuniesky Betancourt over the weekend (joking, we will miss you Zack) added to the future. I'm not going to say that the 4 newest Royals youngsters are better than the Royals top 5, because they are not, but we're looking at 4 tremendously exciting young players who will certainly have an impact on the potential winning teams of the future Royals. Not only that, but we got 4 great guys.
Again, as Greg pointed out on his radio show earlier, in which he did a great job doing, me being in NY I could obviously choose to like the Yankees who exemplify winning (not in the prettiest of ways) or even the Washington Nationals who showed some promise by signing a big time free agent this off-season. I could even like the Braves, Phillies, Red Sox, Tigers, or Mets; 5 teams with exciting players and are much more "local" than my favorite team of them all, the Kansas City Royals. And for that exact reason; It's the love and hope of what will eventually come to be winning Baseball and much more than that at the very least.
Of course I get made fun and viewed strangely when stating my opinion on my favorite team, but to encourage and promise everyone that the Royals are and will be relevant is something I love to do! I was in school today, and my science class was watching Chicken Run. So while they were focused on that, I was putting together my Royals top 40 prospect list. When I came to 40, I said to myself: "wait a second, that can't be right? I left off so many prospects. So then I expanded it to a top 50 and after that, I still forgot Elisaul Pimentel and other exciting young Royals who may definitely have a major impact on the Kansas City Royals future.
And even with the top 10 prospects. You hear everyone saying "oh well the Royals 2011 season is for not they aren't going to do anything." Well theres a chance the season doesn't finish with the Royals over .500, but how great and exciting will it be to see the debuts of Mike Moustakas, Tim Collins, Danny Duffy, and possibly Eric Hosmer! It's going to be amazing and I certainly can not wait!
Should the A's try to lock up Josh Willingham?
Billy Beane has done his best to add power to an A's lineup that was nearly worst in the American League each of the past three seasons. And today, he not only acquired a power hitter in Josh Willingham, but an on-base machine as well. As we've witnessed nearly every off-season when it comes to the A's, it's been a huge struggle attracting big name free agents to the Bay Area, or at least one side of the Bay Area. And as Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post tweeted today, a contract extension may very well be possible. Thus, my question is, can the A's lock up Josh Wilingham after acquiring him in the same off-season a la Dan Uggla? If so, what will it cost the A's?
Willingham has made nearly $10MM in his Major League career. The most he was paid in a season was obviously in '10, $4.6MM. The career .265 hitter has a .378 on base percentage over the past two seasons, his two years on the Washington Nationals and although his UZR is -10.0 over the last two seasons, he can boast about a 5.2 WAR over his aforementioned cup of tea with the Nats.
There's one close to perfect comparison for Willingham. That would be Corey Hart.
Corey is perhaps the best comparable for Willingham. Both are very similar players and Hart is being paid $6.5MM in '11, $9MM in '12, and $10MM in '13. That's exactly what I would pay Josh Willingham over the next 3 years. Willingham gets on base more than Hart, but both have very similar power and are both equally not so spectacular defenders, as their respective UZR's over the past two years would suggest. Josh Willingham has hit .264 over the past two years while Hart has hit a very similar .262. With all of that said, Willingham has a higher runs created and weighted on base average during his Nationals stint, something that Billy Beane surely has in mind. Both strike out the same amount (JW 23% and CH 22.9%) and are equally slow, hence their lousy play in the outfield.
Here's a WAR Graph comparing the duo's cumulative WAR by age, courtesy of Fangraphs.
Furthermore, what will an extension for the A's newly acquired left fielder cost? He is three years older than Hart, but continues to outplay the Brewers slugger.
Personally, I think a 3 year deal worth $28MM would be fair. Being paid $6MM in '11, $9MM in '12, and $13MM in '13. Willingham has shown tremendous improvement since being traded from the Marlins along with Scott Olsen in exchange for Emilio Bonifacio and two minor leaguers. Even if an extension doesn't go through or get decided upon, the A's have a much improved lineup for the 2011 season headlined by new acquisitions David DeJesus and Hideki Matsui. Not to mention another year of experience for Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, Gio Gonzalez, and Dallas Braden to go along with a fantastic bullpen which is highlighted by Andrew Bailey, Craig Breslow, and Brad Ziegler. Continuing, I really like the A's chances in 2011 and most of my confidence in their chances to win the division come from the new acquisition and this entry's centric, Josh Willingham.
Willingham has made nearly $10MM in his Major League career. The most he was paid in a season was obviously in '10, $4.6MM. The career .265 hitter has a .378 on base percentage over the past two seasons, his two years on the Washington Nationals and although his UZR is -10.0 over the last two seasons, he can boast about a 5.2 WAR over his aforementioned cup of tea with the Nats.
There's one close to perfect comparison for Willingham. That would be Corey Hart.
Corey is perhaps the best comparable for Willingham. Both are very similar players and Hart is being paid $6.5MM in '11, $9MM in '12, and $10MM in '13. That's exactly what I would pay Josh Willingham over the next 3 years. Willingham gets on base more than Hart, but both have very similar power and are both equally not so spectacular defenders, as their respective UZR's over the past two years would suggest. Josh Willingham has hit .264 over the past two years while Hart has hit a very similar .262. With all of that said, Willingham has a higher runs created and weighted on base average during his Nationals stint, something that Billy Beane surely has in mind. Both strike out the same amount (JW 23% and CH 22.9%) and are equally slow, hence their lousy play in the outfield.
Here's a WAR Graph comparing the duo's cumulative WAR by age, courtesy of Fangraphs.
Furthermore, what will an extension for the A's newly acquired left fielder cost? He is three years older than Hart, but continues to outplay the Brewers slugger.
Personally, I think a 3 year deal worth $28MM would be fair. Being paid $6MM in '11, $9MM in '12, and $13MM in '13. Willingham has shown tremendous improvement since being traded from the Marlins along with Scott Olsen in exchange for Emilio Bonifacio and two minor leaguers. Even if an extension doesn't go through or get decided upon, the A's have a much improved lineup for the 2011 season headlined by new acquisitions David DeJesus and Hideki Matsui. Not to mention another year of experience for Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, Gio Gonzalez, and Dallas Braden to go along with a fantastic bullpen which is highlighted by Andrew Bailey, Craig Breslow, and Brad Ziegler. Continuing, I really like the A's chances in 2011 and most of my confidence in their chances to win the division come from the new acquisition and this entry's centric, Josh Willingham.
How can Rich Harden be Rich Harden again?
If anybody has heard yet, that Cliff Lee guy signed with the Phillies. The Rangers, who had hoped the ace left hander would stay in the Lone Star State, chose otherwise, leaving a big hole in the Texas rotation. So there has been plenty of talk about signing Rafael Soriano and pitching him in the 9th thus sending Neftali Feliz to the rotation. Like Rich Harden, who is the centric of this entry, Feliz has tremendous stuff. Would it really make sense to put a closer who was dominant through 70-80 innings in a rotation where he would pitch 200 innings and have all of the opposing hitters get used to his fastball and curve? Or does it make sense to keep him in the closer role where he can empty everything out in one inning?
Well Rich Harden is apparently in talks with his former team, the Swingin' A's on what would most likely be a one year deal with plenty of incentives. The real question is, will he be starting or relieving?
Personally, Rich Harden is one of my favorite pitchers. He can't stay healthy, but when he is healthy, he's sometimes unhitable. Other times, he doesn't miss bats and gets in to lots of trouble with opposing hitters. So like someone like Clay Hensley for example, does moving to the pen take pressure off of not only you, but your manager, and your teamates. I could see Harden succeeding in the 5th spot in the A's rotation, but there are definetly some pros about possibly setting up for Andrew Bailey. In fact, say the aformentioned Feliz pitched in the rotation this year and pitches quite well, can Harden join a teams rotation in '12 after expierence in the pen and pitch a decent 180 innings? I'm not sure, but the problem again for Harden has not been the fact that he can't pitch well, it's about staying healthy. In 2008, he was dominant. It would be great to see him get back to that form, but for now, I think a place like Oakland, even though things didn't end well, would be a fine fit for him unlike Colorado or any other team in the west. I thought a la Clay Hensley, the Marlins would be a great fit on a minor league deal and a chance to make the rotation, but it looks like he's close to a deal with the A's. Let's just hope that Rich Harden can be Rich Harden again.
Well Rich Harden is apparently in talks with his former team, the Swingin' A's on what would most likely be a one year deal with plenty of incentives. The real question is, will he be starting or relieving?
Personally, Rich Harden is one of my favorite pitchers. He can't stay healthy, but when he is healthy, he's sometimes unhitable. Other times, he doesn't miss bats and gets in to lots of trouble with opposing hitters. So like someone like Clay Hensley for example, does moving to the pen take pressure off of not only you, but your manager, and your teamates. I could see Harden succeeding in the 5th spot in the A's rotation, but there are definetly some pros about possibly setting up for Andrew Bailey. In fact, say the aformentioned Feliz pitched in the rotation this year and pitches quite well, can Harden join a teams rotation in '12 after expierence in the pen and pitch a decent 180 innings? I'm not sure, but the problem again for Harden has not been the fact that he can't pitch well, it's about staying healthy. In 2008, he was dominant. It would be great to see him get back to that form, but for now, I think a place like Oakland, even though things didn't end well, would be a fine fit for him unlike Colorado or any other team in the west. I thought a la Clay Hensley, the Marlins would be a great fit on a minor league deal and a chance to make the rotation, but it looks like he's close to a deal with the A's. Let's just hope that Rich Harden can be Rich Harden again.
20 Baseball Facts you didn't know
These are 20 facts that you didn't know. Trust me, you definetly didn't know. Not that these are in any order, but you can rank them for yourself. I think all are equally interesting. Enjoy!
Matt Kemp had a -0.24 UZR in 2010. Horrible season for Matt Kemp. I'm not going to say that Ned Colletti and the Dodgers management pressure didn't have anything to do with this, but if he didn't have that final week surge, he might be jealous of Melky Cabrera's season.
Alexi Casilla has had the last AB of the regular season 2 out of the last 3 seasons. Good news is the one of those was a walk off that got his team, the Twins, in to the postseason, but the other was a game ending fly out that got the White Sox in to the postseason.
Ray King holds the record for most consecutive games without issuing an intentional walk. One of my favorite pitchers of all time. Not that this stat is found in record books or in the Hall of Fame, but I thought you'd be interested in knowing this.
Joe Inglett threw a knuckle ball at 54 MPH this season, and recorded an out. According to Fangraphs, this is true, but he can thank his incredible pitching staff for making that possible.
Darren Oliver was the first American league pitcher to pitch to a National league batter not including the world series or All-Star game. Ironically, this game was a matchup between the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants.
The 1990 Twins executed 2 triple plays in a game. If anybody was wondering, I don't think Bengie Molina was on the opposing team. Perhaps the turf at the Metrodome helped the Twins fielders out.
Johnny Burnett, in 1932, got 9 hits in a game. Cesar Izturis should take note. Even though this game was 18 innings, 9 hits is nearly impossible. I guess they didn't believe in intentional walks back then.
Zack Greinke in 2010 was 11th in WAR among qualified pitchers. His value is extremely high which is something people don't realize. He is in line to bring at least 2 superstar players back to KC plus two other extremely good young players.
The only time in history that two sets of siblings played in the same infield in the same game were the Larkin's and the Boone's in the mid 90's. On a side note, Al Leiter was once scheduled to face his brother on the Phillies, Marc, but a rainout thought differently.
The Texas Rangers selected both Anthony Ranaudo and Drew Pomeranz in the 2007 draft, both of whom obviously did not sign. Most of that draft for the Rangers was used to acquire Cliff Lee, Christian Guzman, and Bengie Molina. I do have a feeling though that signing Pomeranz and Ranuado would have been a tad smart.
Before every game, umpires must rub around 6 dozen balls to get rid of the shine off the balls. This is obviously so Ken Macha wont march out of the dugout and ask the umpires, who are apparently shoe polish experts, to determine if there is polish on the ball, which isn't as easy as it sounds.
Justin Upton, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark Reynolds B.J. Upton, and David Wright all played for the same high school team at the same time. That's like 8474683 home runs every game right?
The Cleveland Indians' 1999 draft produced only 3 players who have gone on to play Major League Baseball; Jeff Baker, Fernando Cabrera, and Ben Francisco. All of the others are what we call "duds" and this draft was widely considered the worst draft by a single team in MLB history.
B.J. Upton's real name is "Melvin Emmanuel Upton." This is just me, but M.E. Upton doesn't exactly have that ring to it.
Kila Ka'aihue has a brother in the A's organization, Kala Ka'aihue. Kala was a dominant minor league first baseman back in 2006 but everything went downhill from there.
When Charlie Kerfeld, whose uniform number was 37, learned that Jim Deshaies had signed for $110,000 in 1987. He asked for and received $110,037.37 plus 37 boxes of orange Jell-O.
A "shuuto", a Japanese gyroball type pitch, is a backward slider, which is horrible for the elbow but used prominently by japanese pitchers. Dice-K apparently throws one, as does Hisashi Iwakuma. Japanese pitchers though have 10 pitches in their arsenal though I wouldn't be surprised to see even more have a history of throwing one.
As part of his contract, Tim Beckham had to personalize every Baseball that he signs. On the other hand, Hanley Ramirez is not allowed to sweetspot any ball he signs.
Ryan Ludwick and Cody Ross are the only two players in Major League Baseball who bat right and throws left. You would expect there to be more, but I bet there are more left handed batters who throw right.
Kauffman Stadium has the second largest jumbo-tron in sports. Which venue has the largest? Well your going to have to figure it out yourself, I don't give answers away like that, but it rhymes with Schmallas Schmowboys Stadium.
-Dave Gershman
Matt Kemp had a -0.24 UZR in 2010. Horrible season for Matt Kemp. I'm not going to say that Ned Colletti and the Dodgers management pressure didn't have anything to do with this, but if he didn't have that final week surge, he might be jealous of Melky Cabrera's season.
Alexi Casilla has had the last AB of the regular season 2 out of the last 3 seasons. Good news is the one of those was a walk off that got his team, the Twins, in to the postseason, but the other was a game ending fly out that got the White Sox in to the postseason.
Ray King holds the record for most consecutive games without issuing an intentional walk. One of my favorite pitchers of all time. Not that this stat is found in record books or in the Hall of Fame, but I thought you'd be interested in knowing this.
Joe Inglett threw a knuckle ball at 54 MPH this season, and recorded an out. According to Fangraphs, this is true, but he can thank his incredible pitching staff for making that possible.
Darren Oliver was the first American league pitcher to pitch to a National league batter not including the world series or All-Star game. Ironically, this game was a matchup between the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants.
The 1990 Twins executed 2 triple plays in a game. If anybody was wondering, I don't think Bengie Molina was on the opposing team. Perhaps the turf at the Metrodome helped the Twins fielders out.
Johnny Burnett, in 1932, got 9 hits in a game. Cesar Izturis should take note. Even though this game was 18 innings, 9 hits is nearly impossible. I guess they didn't believe in intentional walks back then.
Zack Greinke in 2010 was 11th in WAR among qualified pitchers. His value is extremely high which is something people don't realize. He is in line to bring at least 2 superstar players back to KC plus two other extremely good young players.
The only time in history that two sets of siblings played in the same infield in the same game were the Larkin's and the Boone's in the mid 90's. On a side note, Al Leiter was once scheduled to face his brother on the Phillies, Marc, but a rainout thought differently.
The Texas Rangers selected both Anthony Ranaudo and Drew Pomeranz in the 2007 draft, both of whom obviously did not sign. Most of that draft for the Rangers was used to acquire Cliff Lee, Christian Guzman, and Bengie Molina. I do have a feeling though that signing Pomeranz and Ranuado would have been a tad smart.
Before every game, umpires must rub around 6 dozen balls to get rid of the shine off the balls. This is obviously so Ken Macha wont march out of the dugout and ask the umpires, who are apparently shoe polish experts, to determine if there is polish on the ball, which isn't as easy as it sounds.
Justin Upton, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark Reynolds B.J. Upton, and David Wright all played for the same high school team at the same time. That's like 8474683 home runs every game right?
The Cleveland Indians' 1999 draft produced only 3 players who have gone on to play Major League Baseball; Jeff Baker, Fernando Cabrera, and Ben Francisco. All of the others are what we call "duds" and this draft was widely considered the worst draft by a single team in MLB history.
B.J. Upton's real name is "Melvin Emmanuel Upton." This is just me, but M.E. Upton doesn't exactly have that ring to it.
Kila Ka'aihue has a brother in the A's organization, Kala Ka'aihue. Kala was a dominant minor league first baseman back in 2006 but everything went downhill from there.
When Charlie Kerfeld, whose uniform number was 37, learned that Jim Deshaies had signed for $110,000 in 1987. He asked for and received $110,037.37 plus 37 boxes of orange Jell-O.
A "shuuto", a Japanese gyroball type pitch, is a backward slider, which is horrible for the elbow but used prominently by japanese pitchers. Dice-K apparently throws one, as does Hisashi Iwakuma. Japanese pitchers though have 10 pitches in their arsenal though I wouldn't be surprised to see even more have a history of throwing one.
As part of his contract, Tim Beckham had to personalize every Baseball that he signs. On the other hand, Hanley Ramirez is not allowed to sweetspot any ball he signs.
Ryan Ludwick and Cody Ross are the only two players in Major League Baseball who bat right and throws left. You would expect there to be more, but I bet there are more left handed batters who throw right.
Kauffman Stadium has the second largest jumbo-tron in sports. Which venue has the largest? Well your going to have to figure it out yourself, I don't give answers away like that, but it rhymes with Schmallas Schmowboys Stadium.
-Dave Gershman
What to do with the Marlins Bullpen
Lots of talk has been centered around the Marlins bullpen. Personally, I think Leo Nunez has to go.
Some ideas that came to mind involve the Marlins shopping him for a young CF or 3B prospect with less upside than most but ceiling of a solid regular.
I first thought of Ryan Kalish and Ben Revere. Both of whom have their value high enough.
Kalish could be available due to the fact that he is blocked. He profiles as a potential 15 HR, 25 SB, .290/.360 type of guy.
Revere will hit less home runs but hit for a higher average and steal more bases.
Both players are solid defensively. Leo Nunez on the other hand is undervalued due to his horrid back to back Septembers. Not only is he a potential closer, but he has proven that until the aforementioned evil month, he can come out back to back nights and either close the game out or set up the closer while sitting at 95 MPH.
He is also under team control for several more years despite getting a raise which could total out to be $4.5MM.
This is all just speculation but I'd be surprised if Nunez is with the Marlins come Spring Training.
However, I do expect them to pursue someone like Joe Beimel or Tim Byrdak. Both of whom are lefties who can mentor young southpaw, Michael Dunn, which is what the Marlins are hoping to get done, no pun intended.
Also keep in mind that Joe Beimel has been highly effective as a reliever in his career. Not once has he had a particularly bad season.
Let me know what you think!
Some ideas that came to mind involve the Marlins shopping him for a young CF or 3B prospect with less upside than most but ceiling of a solid regular.
I first thought of Ryan Kalish and Ben Revere. Both of whom have their value high enough.
Kalish could be available due to the fact that he is blocked. He profiles as a potential 15 HR, 25 SB, .290/.360 type of guy.
Revere will hit less home runs but hit for a higher average and steal more bases.
Both players are solid defensively. Leo Nunez on the other hand is undervalued due to his horrid back to back Septembers. Not only is he a potential closer, but he has proven that until the aforementioned evil month, he can come out back to back nights and either close the game out or set up the closer while sitting at 95 MPH.
He is also under team control for several more years despite getting a raise which could total out to be $4.5MM.
This is all just speculation but I'd be surprised if Nunez is with the Marlins come Spring Training.
However, I do expect them to pursue someone like Joe Beimel or Tim Byrdak. Both of whom are lefties who can mentor young southpaw, Michael Dunn, which is what the Marlins are hoping to get done, no pun intended.
Also keep in mind that Joe Beimel has been highly effective as a reliever in his career. Not once has he had a particularly bad season.
Let me know what you think!
Interview: Royals Prospect Darian Sandford
This is an interview with Darian Sandford, a prospect in the Kansas City Royals organization. Last year, Darian played outstanding in his first season in pro ball. He is also a really good guy, someone who gives back and cares about his fans. He did a great job with this interview, so I hope you like the interview with my buddy, Darian Sandford.
Me: Talk to me about what it was like starting off your pro career with a very, very well.
Darian: Starting my career off pretty well makes me feel more confident but i am still disapponted in how i played overall because i have a lot to improve in to get to where i really want to be.
Me: What was it like to get drafted by your home town team and were you hoping the Royals would draft you all along? Also, did you expect to get taken in the 47th round? or higher?
Darian: It feels good to get drafted by the team in my state even though i grew up in st.louis and watched the cardinals i still supported the royals because they are not that far away. I was very excited the royals drafted but still kinda of upset i went so late but that just motivates me because i have always been the underdog being a small guy and coming from a small school.
Me: Talk to me about some of the people who have helped you be where you're at right now.
Darian: I have had plenty of people help me out my parents have helped me the most because they supported me when i didnt have a job in the summers like my friends did in order to support my dream and also my college coaches who helped spread the word about my talents
Me: You were once telling me how watching video of yourself motivates you and improves your game. Have you seen any video of yourself from Surprise this past year?
Darian: I havent seen any game footage of myself yet but during instructs the hitting coaches vieo taped my swing and that helped me alot with studying to better my swing.
Me: Who are some of your favorite teamates at Park Ritter and are any of them currently in pro ball as well?
Darian: Some of my favorite teammates at Park were my teammates Mike and Gabe they arent currently in pro ball because they are still in college but they helped me when i wanted extra work those are my boys.
Me: In my opinion, your speed is the key to your success. What do you do that makes you such an awesome baserunner?
Darian: Besides being blessed by God with pretty good speed i try to learn pitchers tendencies and Rusty helped me alot in instructs because before i started learning pitchers and what are good counts to run on i jus took off the first pitch and let my speed get the bags but now putting my mind with my speed i think i can one day be the greatest baserunner in history. I want to be the most exciting and agressive baserunner in baseball for the fans to enjoy and look forward to coming to a ball game and watching me get on base
Me: You just got a really good job working with kids in KC, is the player-fan relationship something that means a lot to you and something that you will always have at a higher or the highest level?
Darian: I love kids and i believe that players should interact more with fans and the higher i go im going to try to be more out going with fans and go out in public and meet as many fans as possible because fans are your support and without the fans the game wouldnt be as awesome as it is today
Me: What do you think about Yordano Ventura?
Darian: Ventura will be a big leaguer soon to have the arm he has once he developes his other pitches he will be awesome im just glad he is on my team .
Me: What are your expectations for next season?
Darian: My expectations for next year are pretty simple if im in full season ball i want to hit over 300 have at least 100 bags and help win a championship
Me: Who's your favorite fan? (aside from me...joke)
Darian: All my fans are my favorite fans including you Dave LOl
Me: Talk to me about what it was like starting off your pro career with a very, very well.
Darian: Starting my career off pretty well makes me feel more confident but i am still disapponted in how i played overall because i have a lot to improve in to get to where i really want to be.
Me: What was it like to get drafted by your home town team and were you hoping the Royals would draft you all along? Also, did you expect to get taken in the 47th round? or higher?
Darian: It feels good to get drafted by the team in my state even though i grew up in st.louis and watched the cardinals i still supported the royals because they are not that far away. I was very excited the royals drafted but still kinda of upset i went so late but that just motivates me because i have always been the underdog being a small guy and coming from a small school.
Me: Talk to me about some of the people who have helped you be where you're at right now.
Darian: I have had plenty of people help me out my parents have helped me the most because they supported me when i didnt have a job in the summers like my friends did in order to support my dream and also my college coaches who helped spread the word about my talents
Me: You were once telling me how watching video of yourself motivates you and improves your game. Have you seen any video of yourself from Surprise this past year?
Darian: I havent seen any game footage of myself yet but during instructs the hitting coaches vieo taped my swing and that helped me alot with studying to better my swing.
Me: Who are some of your favorite teamates at Park Ritter and are any of them currently in pro ball as well?
Darian: Some of my favorite teammates at Park were my teammates Mike and Gabe they arent currently in pro ball because they are still in college but they helped me when i wanted extra work those are my boys.
Me: In my opinion, your speed is the key to your success. What do you do that makes you such an awesome baserunner?
Darian: Besides being blessed by God with pretty good speed i try to learn pitchers tendencies and Rusty helped me alot in instructs because before i started learning pitchers and what are good counts to run on i jus took off the first pitch and let my speed get the bags but now putting my mind with my speed i think i can one day be the greatest baserunner in history. I want to be the most exciting and agressive baserunner in baseball for the fans to enjoy and look forward to coming to a ball game and watching me get on base
Me: You just got a really good job working with kids in KC, is the player-fan relationship something that means a lot to you and something that you will always have at a higher or the highest level?
Darian: I love kids and i believe that players should interact more with fans and the higher i go im going to try to be more out going with fans and go out in public and meet as many fans as possible because fans are your support and without the fans the game wouldnt be as awesome as it is today
Me: What do you think about Yordano Ventura?
Darian: Ventura will be a big leaguer soon to have the arm he has once he developes his other pitches he will be awesome im just glad he is on my team .
Me: What are your expectations for next season?
Darian: My expectations for next year are pretty simple if im in full season ball i want to hit over 300 have at least 100 bags and help win a championship
Me: Who's your favorite fan? (aside from me...joke)
Darian: All my fans are my favorite fans including you Dave LOl
How to Determine a Pitcher from a Hitter
Lately, we've been spoiled by watching Baseball's top young arms dominate Major League offense's in the late innings. Incredibly enough, some of those top young arms were scrubby AA infielders or back up catchers not too long ago. I really wonder, what makes a position player a good pitcher or even a bad pitcher for that matter? First and foremost, Kenley Jansen and Jason Motte are two former catchers and Kenley caught in the WBC as recently as 2009. I don't by any means think that soemone like Ryan Budde can become a strikeout machine on a Major League mound, but then again, if you had told me that some of these guys like Motte, a former catcher in his own right, were throwing 97 MPH strikes at a young age AFTER converting, well thats just crazy isn't it? The stories of Motte and Jansen are bit contrary to the other since Motte broke his left thumb and was never able to hit for average and Kenley was turned in to a reliever because of his strong catchers arm, but there must be some way to determine these random hitters at a young age and whether or not they can remain a position player much less throw hard off a mound.
According to Baseball America's Jim Callis, Tyrell Jenkins, a two sport star is an incredible athlete and is a good comparison to a great athlete (much like Carlos Marmol and Sergio Santos): "Athleticism matters a lot with pitchers. The more athletic the pitcher, the more likely that he'll be able to repeat his delivery, which should result in better consistency with his pitches and command. Athleticism also should lead to a sounder delivery with less effort, which should help keep a pitcher healthier in the long run." So by reading that quote from Jim Callis in one of his "Ask BA's," can somebody like Carlos Marmol, a good athlete, a former infielder, but as good of a hitter as the worst hitter on the planet show signs that he may be able to pitch in the long run? Or is there some other way to determine future pitchers? Back in '08, Sergio Santos and Steve Singleton pretty much teamed up to see which left side of the infield infielder was worse. Apparently size matters, as seen with Santos and Jansen, but not for Tony Pena Jr. What a funny story Tony Pena Jr. is, of course the Royals would lose 19-4 right? Well in the late innings of that game, Tony performed mop up for the great Trey Hillman, he dominated the Tigers in that inning throwing 2 really good curveballs and hitting 90+ on the gun. It was then that he was (obviously) released by the Royals and signed to a Minor League deal by the Giants in the not too distant future. Brian Anderson, a similar story, couldn't hit any better than yours truly, but threw hard from the outfield. He had a fine season pitching for the O-Royals.
So as you can see, from the few players I examined, 3 infielders, 1 outfielder, and 2 catchers. Of course thats the case right? My opinion, anytime you can play your position well and make good throws from wherever you are playing, you have a chance to at least be decent off a mound. I don't think just anybody can be a pitcher. But it obviously takes a good athlete as Callis said. Also keep in mind, our good friend Matt Bush. He's someone to watch next season. The two things that all of these players have in common though, they have really good stuff, and their respective organizations saw that they had a pitcher inside of them, and it obviously turned out well. If only we could determine who could be the next Carlos Marmol, Kenley Jansen, or Jason Motte. I have my money on a Rangers prospect named Michael Thomas, but he just converted in to a pitcher. Interestingly enough, he is a former catcher, which seemed to be the theme of most position player turned pitchers.
According to Baseball America's Jim Callis, Tyrell Jenkins, a two sport star is an incredible athlete and is a good comparison to a great athlete (much like Carlos Marmol and Sergio Santos): "Athleticism matters a lot with pitchers. The more athletic the pitcher, the more likely that he'll be able to repeat his delivery, which should result in better consistency with his pitches and command. Athleticism also should lead to a sounder delivery with less effort, which should help keep a pitcher healthier in the long run." So by reading that quote from Jim Callis in one of his "Ask BA's," can somebody like Carlos Marmol, a good athlete, a former infielder, but as good of a hitter as the worst hitter on the planet show signs that he may be able to pitch in the long run? Or is there some other way to determine future pitchers? Back in '08, Sergio Santos and Steve Singleton pretty much teamed up to see which left side of the infield infielder was worse. Apparently size matters, as seen with Santos and Jansen, but not for Tony Pena Jr. What a funny story Tony Pena Jr. is, of course the Royals would lose 19-4 right? Well in the late innings of that game, Tony performed mop up for the great Trey Hillman, he dominated the Tigers in that inning throwing 2 really good curveballs and hitting 90+ on the gun. It was then that he was (obviously) released by the Royals and signed to a Minor League deal by the Giants in the not too distant future. Brian Anderson, a similar story, couldn't hit any better than yours truly, but threw hard from the outfield. He had a fine season pitching for the O-Royals.
So as you can see, from the few players I examined, 3 infielders, 1 outfielder, and 2 catchers. Of course thats the case right? My opinion, anytime you can play your position well and make good throws from wherever you are playing, you have a chance to at least be decent off a mound. I don't think just anybody can be a pitcher. But it obviously takes a good athlete as Callis said. Also keep in mind, our good friend Matt Bush. He's someone to watch next season. The two things that all of these players have in common though, they have really good stuff, and their respective organizations saw that they had a pitcher inside of them, and it obviously turned out well. If only we could determine who could be the next Carlos Marmol, Kenley Jansen, or Jason Motte. I have my money on a Rangers prospect named Michael Thomas, but he just converted in to a pitcher. Interestingly enough, he is a former catcher, which seemed to be the theme of most position player turned pitchers.
Interview: Phillies Prospect Jiwan James
This is an interview with Philadelphia Phillies prospect Jiwan James. Jiwan spent the 2010 season playing for the Lakewood Blueclaws. Jiwan did a great job with this interview. This was definetly my favorite interview I've done. I hope you enjoy
Me: Talk to me about some of your favorite high points of the '10 season at Lakewood.
Jiwan: The entire season, from the first spring training game with those guys, until the final out of the Championship game. We had way too much fun together to try and name certain points along the way.
Me: Do you ever think about what it would be like to play alongside Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and other current Phillies stars?
Jiwan: I've thought about it a few times, but its nothing that I've completely set my mind on. Im sure it would be a lot of fun with them, but who's there when I get there is out of my control.
Me: Have you had any discussions about where you're going to play in '11 and have you reached out to any former Reading Phillies to ask for advice?
Jiwan: I haven't had any discussions on where I'll play in '11. Im just going to head into camp and try to make a team. I talked to Domonic Brown throughout the season this year, and I talked to J.Slayden during instructs some.
Me: Favorite current Major Leaguer?
Jiwan: J.Roll and Howard. I know them on a personal level now and there just down to earth great people. When your with them away from the field, its like hanging out with some of your high school buddies from home.
Me: Do you think minor leaguers should be evaluated by sabermetrics and what are your thoughts on advanced stays as such?
Jiwan: It doesnt really matter to me rather minor leaguers get evaluated by sabermetricts or not. Looking at someone's stats doesn't really show you what type of player they are, It just gives you an Idea. Stats don't show what type of clubhouse guy you are which could be the reason your winning or what kind of character you have which could be the reason your not getting the call even though your having a great season statistically. So that stuff really doesnt matter.
Me: Do you ever try to emulate your former idols when in the batters box? If so who.
Jiwan: No shot, I know everyone is their own player. So Im just trying to figure out what works for me in the box and stick with it.
Me: Talk about the season you guys had and how awesome it was to dominate A ball.
Jiwan: We had a great season and it was alot of fun. I dont know if anyone on our roster would have had it any other way. We won both halfs and the title so what more can you ask for from the season. I think its easy to dominate something when your entire team hates to lose. We had a team full of winners, so it was like we had no choice but to win night in and night out.
Me: Last one, what are your thoughts on Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton?
Jiwan: Cosart was alot of fun to watch pitch, especially at home because I could turn around out there in CF and look at the radar gun. Every time he went 95+ I let out a little scream and whoever was in LF and RF would just look at me like I was crazy. Then he'd snap off a nasty breaking ball and have some of the hitters buckling there knees in the box, and I'd give a few chuckles from those too. As long as I wasnt up there facing that, I thought it was funny.
When Singleton came up, for the first month, month and a half, he was easily the best hitter in baseball I thought. Whenever he came up to bat I made it my business to get up off the bench or stop whatever I was doing in the dugout and watch his at bat. It was like he could do nothing wrong. It seemed as If everything was in slow motion to him the way he was taking pitches, and then when he did get a pitch he liked it was crazy how hard he was hitting the ball. Hagerstown infielders said 1 day that whenever he came up to hit they all took a few extra steps back because of how hard he was hitting the ball. I can't wait to watch him put on a show for a full season and drive me in all year long.
Me: Talk to me about some of your favorite high points of the '10 season at Lakewood.
Jiwan: The entire season, from the first spring training game with those guys, until the final out of the Championship game. We had way too much fun together to try and name certain points along the way.
Me: Do you ever think about what it would be like to play alongside Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and other current Phillies stars?
Jiwan: I've thought about it a few times, but its nothing that I've completely set my mind on. Im sure it would be a lot of fun with them, but who's there when I get there is out of my control.
Me: Have you had any discussions about where you're going to play in '11 and have you reached out to any former Reading Phillies to ask for advice?
Jiwan: I haven't had any discussions on where I'll play in '11. Im just going to head into camp and try to make a team. I talked to Domonic Brown throughout the season this year, and I talked to J.Slayden during instructs some.
Me: Favorite current Major Leaguer?
Jiwan: J.Roll and Howard. I know them on a personal level now and there just down to earth great people. When your with them away from the field, its like hanging out with some of your high school buddies from home.
Me: Do you think minor leaguers should be evaluated by sabermetrics and what are your thoughts on advanced stays as such?
Jiwan: It doesnt really matter to me rather minor leaguers get evaluated by sabermetricts or not. Looking at someone's stats doesn't really show you what type of player they are, It just gives you an Idea. Stats don't show what type of clubhouse guy you are which could be the reason your winning or what kind of character you have which could be the reason your not getting the call even though your having a great season statistically. So that stuff really doesnt matter.
Me: Do you ever try to emulate your former idols when in the batters box? If so who.
Jiwan: No shot, I know everyone is their own player. So Im just trying to figure out what works for me in the box and stick with it.
Me: Talk about the season you guys had and how awesome it was to dominate A ball.
Jiwan: We had a great season and it was alot of fun. I dont know if anyone on our roster would have had it any other way. We won both halfs and the title so what more can you ask for from the season. I think its easy to dominate something when your entire team hates to lose. We had a team full of winners, so it was like we had no choice but to win night in and night out.
Me: Last one, what are your thoughts on Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton?
Jiwan: Cosart was alot of fun to watch pitch, especially at home because I could turn around out there in CF and look at the radar gun. Every time he went 95+ I let out a little scream and whoever was in LF and RF would just look at me like I was crazy. Then he'd snap off a nasty breaking ball and have some of the hitters buckling there knees in the box, and I'd give a few chuckles from those too. As long as I wasnt up there facing that, I thought it was funny.
When Singleton came up, for the first month, month and a half, he was easily the best hitter in baseball I thought. Whenever he came up to bat I made it my business to get up off the bench or stop whatever I was doing in the dugout and watch his at bat. It was like he could do nothing wrong. It seemed as If everything was in slow motion to him the way he was taking pitches, and then when he did get a pitch he liked it was crazy how hard he was hitting the ball. Hagerstown infielders said 1 day that whenever he came up to hit they all took a few extra steps back because of how hard he was hitting the ball. I can't wait to watch him put on a show for a full season and drive me in all year long.
Every Player Eligible for the Rule 5 Draft
Here is the list of every player eligible for the 2010 Rule 5 Draft. This list is made up from many hours of sifting through every team's affiliates. The one thing I took from this, most teams with good farm systems, had fewer amounts of players eligible. Take the Phillies for example, they had a bunch of eligibles, but certainly not the Orioles who have a much less deeper farm system than the Phillies. I guess this is because most of the good systems have younger, better prospects and the ones that need to be protected are on the 40-Man Roster. The bolded players are the ones who are especially worth keeping an eye on. I will also do a Mock Draft next week. The order of this list is in order from the AL East ending with the NL West. Keep in mind that many teams will not even pick a player, although I can guarantee that this Rule 5 Draft is much deeper than previous Rule 5 Drafts. By the way here is a fun fact. The most recent player who a team sent back to their original team that would make you say, "WHAT!", is Ivan Nova. The Padres sent Ivan Nova back to the Yankees in the spring of '09. Interesting right? If I had to pick one sleeper, I'm stuck between several, Doug Arguello would probably be my pick. One thing that I noticed about these Rule 5'ers is that if a player in AAA is 26 years old and a player in High-A is 21 years old, and the two have the same stats, the team might go for the former due to the expierence and amount of time spent at the higher level, nevertheless, there are some very exciting players on this list. I hope you enjoy!
Orioles: Wynn Pelzer, Ryan Adams, Daniel Figueroa, Tyler Henson, Brett Bordes, Pedro Beato, Billy Rowell, Tim Bascom, Steve Johnson, Pat Egan, Brandon Cooney, Chad Thall, Brandon Waring, Robbie Widlansk, Ryohei Tanaka, Carlos Rojas, Matthew Tucker, Armando Gabino, Mitch Adkins, Adam Donachie, Blake Davis, Paco Figueroa, Rhyne Hughes, John Mariotti, Will Startup, Nathan Nery, Brian Ward, Miguel Abreu, Jason White
Red Sox: Bubba Bell, Ryne Miller, Ronald Bermudez, Daniel Turpen, Cesar Cabral, Yeiper Castillo, Chih-Hsien Chiang, Caleb Clay, Bryce Cox, Zach Daeges, Mitch Dening, Kyle Fernandes, Miguel Gonzalez, Jorge Jimenez, Kris Johnson, Ryan Khoury, Anatanaer Batista, TJ Large, Will Latimer, Ryne Lawson, Santo Luis, Wilson Matos, Blake Maxwell, Adam Mills, Pedro Perez, Kelvin Pichardo, Wilfred Pichardo, Jason Place, Eammon Portice, Ryne Reynoso, Jason Rice, Aaron Bates, Manny Rivera, Matt Sheely, Nate Spears, Jon Still, Will Vazquez
Yankees: George Kontos, Edwar Gonzalez, Kevin Whelan, Eric Wordekemper, Kei Igawa, Lance Pendelton, Wilkin Arias, Wilkin De La Rosa, Luis Nunez, Grant Duff, Adam Olbrychowski, Tim Norton, Austin Krum, Damon Sublett, Justin Snyder, Alan Horne, Philip Bartleski, Craig Heyer, Ronny Marte, Francisco Santana, Abraham Almonte, Noel Castillo, Zoilo Almonte, Bradley Suttle, Jose Pirela, Walter Ibarra, Jose Gil, Michael Solbach, Jonathan Ortiz, Francisco Gil, Richard Martinez, Kelvin Perez, Jose Toussen, Jairo Heredia, Emerson Landoni, Kelvin Castro, Gabriel Tatis, Francisco Rondon
Blue Jays: Brad Emaus, Adam Loewen, Jonathan Diaz, Adam Calderone, Randy Boone, Luis Sanchez, B.J. Lamura, Dumas Garcia, Ricardo Nanita, Callix Crabbe, Vince Bongiovanni, Jamie Vermillya, Scott Campbell, Al Quintana, Danny Perales, Ronald Uviedo, Matt Liuzza, Chad Beck, C.J. Ebarb, Concepcion Rodriguez, Sean Shoffit, Juan Hernandez, Frank Gailey
Rays: Aneury Rodriguez, Paul Phillips, Brian Baker, Craig Albernaz, Henry Wrigley, Rayner Oliveros, Heath Rollins, Matt Fields, Shawn O'Malley, John Matulia, Chris Andujar, Delvis Mavarez, Jairo De La Rosa, Will Kline, Ryan Royster, Stephen Vogt, Matthew Sweeney
Mets: Nick Carr, Eddie Kunz, Jose De La Torre, Ryan Coultas, John Lujan, Elvin Ramirez, D.J. Wabick, Hector Pellott, Emmanuel Garcia, Robert Carson, Raul Reyes, Orlando Tovar, Jean Luc Blaquiere, Michael Fisher, Marcos Tabata, Luis Nieves
Phillies: Joe Savery, D'Arby Myers, Tuffy Goosewich, Nate Bump, Tyson Brummett, Chance Chapman, Edgar Garcia, Tim Kennelly, Fidel Hernandez, Derek Mitchell, Michael Durant, Drew Rundle, Keoni Ruth
Nationals: Erik Arnesen, Jeff Mandel, Brad Meyers, Josh Wilkie, Michael Martinez, Seth Bynum, Brian Bixler, Boomer Whiting, Jesus Valdez, Tim Pahuta, Josh Johnson, Adam Fox, Jhonatan Solano, Zech Zinicola, Cory Van Allen, Ryan Tatusko, Jack Spradlin, Hassan Pena, Adrian Alaniz, Josh Philabaum, Daniel Lyons, Nick Arata, Jose Lozada, Robert Jacobson, Bill Rhineheart, Nicolas Moresi
Braves: Michael Broadway, Todd Redmond, J.C. Boscan, Barbaro Canizarez, Dan Nelson, Brent Clevlen, Wilkin Ramirez, Antoan Richardson, Brett Butts, Yeliar Castro, Jaye Chapman, Tim Gustafson, Shawn McGil, Mauro Gomez, Donnell Lineras, Willie Cabrera, Chad Rogers, Michael Jones, Geraldo Rodriguez, Scott Diamond
Marlins: Jay Buente, Wade Korpi, Dallas Trahern, Brett Sinkbiel, Miguel Fermin, John Raynor, Jeff Allison, Jeff Andrelyczyk, Todd Doolittle, A.J. Battisto, Kris Harvey, Garrett Parcell, Brad Stone, Graham Taylor, Ryan Curry, Kevin Mattison, Corey Madden, Ben Lasater, Thomas Hickman
Tigers: L.J. Gagnier, Fu-Te Ni, Luis Marte, Zach Simons, Thad Weber, Brendan Wise, Andy Bouchie, Max St. Pierre, Michael Bertram, Justin Henry, Maxwell Leon, Cesar Nicholas, Shawn Roof, Christopher White, Brooks Brown, Ramon Garcia, Matt Hoffman, Jon Kibler, Jay Voss, Jeff Kunkel, Diek Scram, Brent Wyatt, Kyle Peter, Wilfredo Ramirez
Royals: Edgar Osuna, Luis Mendoza, Federico Castaneda, Mario Santiago, Paulo Orlando, Eduardo Paulino, Cody Clark, Irving Falu, Kurt Merkins, Rowdy Hardy, Ben Swaggerty, Mario Lisson, Anthony Seratelli, Jamie Romak, Nick Van Stratten, Manauris Baez, Eddie Basurto, Harold Mozingo, Rene Oriental, Patrick Norris, Nicolas Francis, Matthew Morizio, Victor Marte, Luis Mendoza, Bryan Bullington, Brian Anderson, Gaby Hernandez
Twins: Ryan Mullins, Danny Lehmann, Toby Gardenhire, Brendan Harris, Erik Lis, Brandon Roberts, Dustin Martin, Brian Dinkleman, Mike McCardell, Tyler Robertson, Jeff Howell, Alexander Soto, Chris Cates, Juan Portes, Steve Singleton, Mark Dolenc, Michael Tarsi, Deibenson Romero, Yangervis Solarte, Kyle Waldrop
White Sox: Robert Hudson, Brandon Hynick, Garrett Johnson, Kyle McColluch, Derek Rodriguez, Brian Omogrosso, Miguel Socolovich, Robert Hudson, Ricky Brooks, Angel Garcia, Matt Long, Duente Heath, Johnnie Lowe, Henry Mabee, Michael Richard, C.J. Retherford, Jim Gallagher, John Shelby, Dylan Axelrod, Logan Johnson, Gary Paiml, Seth Loman
Indians: Hector Ambriz, Paulo Espino, Jose Flores, Connor Graham, Adam Miller, Yohan Pino, Danny Salazar, Carlton Smith, Steven Wright, Doug Pickens, Juan Aponte, Jerad Head, Wes Hodges, Beau Mills, Josh Rodriguez, Karexon Sanchez, Ronald Rivas, John Drennen, Chad Huffman, Matt McBride, Preston Mattingly, Jason Smit
Reds: Dallas Buck, Tom Cochran, Jerry Gil, Matt Klinker, Joseph Krebs, Mike Costanzo, Daniel Dorn, Eric Eymann, Michael Griffin, James Avery, Scott Carroll, Lee Tabor, Travis Webb, Chris Denove, Miguel Rojas, Andrew Bowman, Daniel Guerrero, Jeff Jeffords, Justin Reed, Jordan Hotchkiss, Jeremy Horst, Ismael Guillon
Cubs: Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Hung-Wen Chen, J.R. Mathes, Jake Muyco, Blake Parker, Chris Robinson, Jonathon Mota, Matt Camp, Marquez Smith, Ty Wright, Ryan Buchter, Marco Carillo, Jeremy Papelbon, Steve Clevenger, Blake Lalli, Matt Spencer, David Patton, Craig Siegfried, Smaily Borges
Brewers: Tim Dilliard, Marco Estrada, Alex Periard, Donavan Hand, Brendan Katin, Brae Wright, Robert Hinton, Chris Cody, Casey Baron, Patrick Arlis, Dayton Buller, Anderson De La Rosa, Taylor Green, Anderson Machado, Chris Nowak, Chuck Kaufield, Lee Haydel, Darren Byrd, Corey Frerichs, Mike Ramlow, Sean McCraw, Brock Kjeldgaard, Matt Cline
Pirates: Dustin Molleken, Doug Bernier, Andenson Chourio, James Skelton, Adam Davis, Jose De Los Santos, Michael Dubee, Miles Durham, Casey Erickson, Shelby Ford, Corey Hamman, Derek Hankins, Craig Hansen, Jared Hughes, Melkin Laureano, Rodolfo Cardona, Jean Machi, Matt McSwain, Kevin Melillo, Jim Negrych, Greg Picart, Jeremy Powell, Milver Reyes, Kris Watts, Casey Erickson, Eric Fryer
Astros: Jose Altuve, Colin DeLome, Drew Locke, Koby Clemens, Doug Arguello, Lou Santangelo, Carlos Quevedo, Sergio Perez, Daniel Meszaros, John Curtis, German Duran, Oswaldo Navarro, Wladimir Sutil, Brandon Barnes, Jared Wells, Bubbie Buzachero, Brad James, Michael Afronti, Kody Kirkland, James Van Ostrand, Freddy Parejo
Cardinals: Brandon Dickson, Charlie Fick, Tyler Norrick, Pete Parise, Steven Hill, Donavon Solano, Daryl Jones, Nick Stavinoha, Adam Ottavino, Amaury Cazana, James Rapoport, Shane Robinson, Andrew Brown, D'Marcus Ingram, Jared Bogany, Domnit Bolivar, Cody Rauschenberger,
Rangers: Mark Hamburger, Carlos Pimentel, Geuris Grullon, Beau Jones, Kasey Kiker, Joseph Ortiz, Chad Tracy, Davis Stoneburner, Marcus Lemon, David Paisano, Michael Ballard, Brennan Garr, Ben Snyder, Danny Gutierrez, Chris Mobley, Jonathan Green, Mitch Hilligoss, Guilder Rodriguez, Rene Osuna, Hector Nelo, Doug Hogan, Curtis Gradoville, Joseph Ortiz
Mariners: Mario Martinez, Matt Lawson, Edward Seco, Kyle Parker, Jarrett Grube, Jose Yepez, Johan Limonta, Jarrett Grube, Nick Hill, Steven Richard, Mumba Rivera, Robert Rohrbaugh, Leury Bonilla, Joseph Dunigan, Oqui Diaz, Cheynne Hahn, Jacob Wild, Luis Nunez, Kuo Hui Lo, Denny Almonte, Ronny Morla
A's: Anthony Recker, Jared Lansford, Michael Benacka, Jon Hunton, Jeff Baisley, Corey Wimberly, Gary Daley, Derrick Gordon, Danny Satner, Neil Wagner, Jermaine Mitchell, Yusef Carter, Lance Sewell, Josh Horton
Angels: Tommy Mendoza, Barrett Browning, Paul McAnulty, Michael Anton, Robert Fish, Jeremy Haynes, Jay Brossman, Ryan Mount, Abel Nieves, Rian Kiniry, Matt Meyer, Jose Perez, Alberto Rosario, Luis Jimenez, Darwin Perez, Angel Castillo
Diamondbacks: Ed Roemer, Mark Hallberg, Evan Frey, Josh Ellis, Bryan Henry, Cyle Hankerd, Leo Rosales, Andrew Berger, Matt Torra, Clay Zavada, Jason Urquidez, Cesar Valdez, Ed Easely, Eric Groff, Josh Ellis, Kyler Newby, Tom Lane, Reid Mahon, Sean Coughlin, Bryan Byrne, Chris Rahl, Billy Spottiswood, Christian Beltre, Josh Ford
Rockies: Andy Graham, Alan Johnson, Andrew Johnston, Greg Smith, Mike Paulk, Warren Schaeffer, Chris Frey, Craig Baker, Brandon Durden, Sean Jarrett, Keith Weiser, Lars Davis, Radhames Nazario, Matt Repec, Scott Beerer, Jeff Kindel, Michael Mitchell, David Christensen, Scott Robinson, Brian Rike, Johnny Bowden, Josh Sullivan, Michael Marbry, Kenneth Durst, Isaiah Froneberger, Orlando Sandoval
Giants: Brett Pill, Mike McBride, Tyler Graham, Ben Copeland, Matt Yourkin, Daryl Maday, Adrian Martin, Felix Romero, Tyler LaTorre, Nestor Rojas, Brad Boyer, Andy D'Alessio, Ryan Lormandio, Eric Stolp, Brian Anderson, Hector Correa, Joel Weeks, James Simmons
Padres: Nick Schmidt, Aaron Breit, Matt Buschmann, Nathan Culp, Steven Faris, Colt Hynes, Alexis Lara, Anthony Contreras, Andy Parino, Quentin Berry, Craig Cooper, Hayden Beard, Nick Schumaker, Daniel Robertson, Danny Payne
Dodgers: Justin Miller, James Adkins, Tim Sexton, Jaime Pedroza, Matt Wallach, Bobby Blevins, Jesse Mier, Alex Garabedian, Jaime Ortiz, Gorman Erickson, Eric Thompson, Justin Sellers, Josh Wall, Scott Van Slyke, David Pfeiffer, Esteban Lopez, Cody White, Jesus Castillo, Matthew Sartor, Blake Bannon, Gari Tavarez, Marlon Urriola, Pedro Guerrero, Rafael Ynoa, Geison Aguasviva, Alfredo Silverio, Francisco Felix, Elian Herrera, Mario Alvarez, Jesus Rodriguez, Thomas Melgarejo, Eduardo Perez, Miguel Sanfler, Keyter Collado, Luis Vasquez, Johan Garcia, Gabriel Gutierrez, Christian Lara, Alberto Bastardo
Orioles: Wynn Pelzer, Ryan Adams, Daniel Figueroa, Tyler Henson, Brett Bordes, Pedro Beato, Billy Rowell, Tim Bascom, Steve Johnson, Pat Egan, Brandon Cooney, Chad Thall, Brandon Waring, Robbie Widlansk, Ryohei Tanaka, Carlos Rojas, Matthew Tucker, Armando Gabino, Mitch Adkins, Adam Donachie, Blake Davis, Paco Figueroa, Rhyne Hughes, John Mariotti, Will Startup, Nathan Nery, Brian Ward, Miguel Abreu, Jason White
Red Sox: Bubba Bell, Ryne Miller, Ronald Bermudez, Daniel Turpen, Cesar Cabral, Yeiper Castillo, Chih-Hsien Chiang, Caleb Clay, Bryce Cox, Zach Daeges, Mitch Dening, Kyle Fernandes, Miguel Gonzalez, Jorge Jimenez, Kris Johnson, Ryan Khoury, Anatanaer Batista, TJ Large, Will Latimer, Ryne Lawson, Santo Luis, Wilson Matos, Blake Maxwell, Adam Mills, Pedro Perez, Kelvin Pichardo, Wilfred Pichardo, Jason Place, Eammon Portice, Ryne Reynoso, Jason Rice, Aaron Bates, Manny Rivera, Matt Sheely, Nate Spears, Jon Still, Will Vazquez
Yankees: George Kontos, Edwar Gonzalez, Kevin Whelan, Eric Wordekemper, Kei Igawa, Lance Pendelton, Wilkin Arias, Wilkin De La Rosa, Luis Nunez, Grant Duff, Adam Olbrychowski, Tim Norton, Austin Krum, Damon Sublett, Justin Snyder, Alan Horne, Philip Bartleski, Craig Heyer, Ronny Marte, Francisco Santana, Abraham Almonte, Noel Castillo, Zoilo Almonte, Bradley Suttle, Jose Pirela, Walter Ibarra, Jose Gil, Michael Solbach, Jonathan Ortiz, Francisco Gil, Richard Martinez, Kelvin Perez, Jose Toussen, Jairo Heredia, Emerson Landoni, Kelvin Castro, Gabriel Tatis, Francisco Rondon
Blue Jays: Brad Emaus, Adam Loewen, Jonathan Diaz, Adam Calderone, Randy Boone, Luis Sanchez, B.J. Lamura, Dumas Garcia, Ricardo Nanita, Callix Crabbe, Vince Bongiovanni, Jamie Vermillya, Scott Campbell, Al Quintana, Danny Perales, Ronald Uviedo, Matt Liuzza, Chad Beck, C.J. Ebarb, Concepcion Rodriguez, Sean Shoffit, Juan Hernandez, Frank Gailey
Rays: Aneury Rodriguez, Paul Phillips, Brian Baker, Craig Albernaz, Henry Wrigley, Rayner Oliveros, Heath Rollins, Matt Fields, Shawn O'Malley, John Matulia, Chris Andujar, Delvis Mavarez, Jairo De La Rosa, Will Kline, Ryan Royster, Stephen Vogt, Matthew Sweeney
Mets: Nick Carr, Eddie Kunz, Jose De La Torre, Ryan Coultas, John Lujan, Elvin Ramirez, D.J. Wabick, Hector Pellott, Emmanuel Garcia, Robert Carson, Raul Reyes, Orlando Tovar, Jean Luc Blaquiere, Michael Fisher, Marcos Tabata, Luis Nieves
Phillies: Joe Savery, D'Arby Myers, Tuffy Goosewich, Nate Bump, Tyson Brummett, Chance Chapman, Edgar Garcia, Tim Kennelly, Fidel Hernandez, Derek Mitchell, Michael Durant, Drew Rundle, Keoni Ruth
Nationals: Erik Arnesen, Jeff Mandel, Brad Meyers, Josh Wilkie, Michael Martinez, Seth Bynum, Brian Bixler, Boomer Whiting, Jesus Valdez, Tim Pahuta, Josh Johnson, Adam Fox, Jhonatan Solano, Zech Zinicola, Cory Van Allen, Ryan Tatusko, Jack Spradlin, Hassan Pena, Adrian Alaniz, Josh Philabaum, Daniel Lyons, Nick Arata, Jose Lozada, Robert Jacobson, Bill Rhineheart, Nicolas Moresi
Braves: Michael Broadway, Todd Redmond, J.C. Boscan, Barbaro Canizarez, Dan Nelson, Brent Clevlen, Wilkin Ramirez, Antoan Richardson, Brett Butts, Yeliar Castro, Jaye Chapman, Tim Gustafson, Shawn McGil, Mauro Gomez, Donnell Lineras, Willie Cabrera, Chad Rogers, Michael Jones, Geraldo Rodriguez, Scott Diamond
Marlins: Jay Buente, Wade Korpi, Dallas Trahern, Brett Sinkbiel, Miguel Fermin, John Raynor, Jeff Allison, Jeff Andrelyczyk, Todd Doolittle, A.J. Battisto, Kris Harvey, Garrett Parcell, Brad Stone, Graham Taylor, Ryan Curry, Kevin Mattison, Corey Madden, Ben Lasater, Thomas Hickman
Tigers: L.J. Gagnier, Fu-Te Ni, Luis Marte, Zach Simons, Thad Weber, Brendan Wise, Andy Bouchie, Max St. Pierre, Michael Bertram, Justin Henry, Maxwell Leon, Cesar Nicholas, Shawn Roof, Christopher White, Brooks Brown, Ramon Garcia, Matt Hoffman, Jon Kibler, Jay Voss, Jeff Kunkel, Diek Scram, Brent Wyatt, Kyle Peter, Wilfredo Ramirez
Royals: Edgar Osuna, Luis Mendoza, Federico Castaneda, Mario Santiago, Paulo Orlando, Eduardo Paulino, Cody Clark, Irving Falu, Kurt Merkins, Rowdy Hardy, Ben Swaggerty, Mario Lisson, Anthony Seratelli, Jamie Romak, Nick Van Stratten, Manauris Baez, Eddie Basurto, Harold Mozingo, Rene Oriental, Patrick Norris, Nicolas Francis, Matthew Morizio, Victor Marte, Luis Mendoza, Bryan Bullington, Brian Anderson, Gaby Hernandez
Twins: Ryan Mullins, Danny Lehmann, Toby Gardenhire, Brendan Harris, Erik Lis, Brandon Roberts, Dustin Martin, Brian Dinkleman, Mike McCardell, Tyler Robertson, Jeff Howell, Alexander Soto, Chris Cates, Juan Portes, Steve Singleton, Mark Dolenc, Michael Tarsi, Deibenson Romero, Yangervis Solarte, Kyle Waldrop
White Sox: Robert Hudson, Brandon Hynick, Garrett Johnson, Kyle McColluch, Derek Rodriguez, Brian Omogrosso, Miguel Socolovich, Robert Hudson, Ricky Brooks, Angel Garcia, Matt Long, Duente Heath, Johnnie Lowe, Henry Mabee, Michael Richard, C.J. Retherford, Jim Gallagher, John Shelby, Dylan Axelrod, Logan Johnson, Gary Paiml, Seth Loman
Indians: Hector Ambriz, Paulo Espino, Jose Flores, Connor Graham, Adam Miller, Yohan Pino, Danny Salazar, Carlton Smith, Steven Wright, Doug Pickens, Juan Aponte, Jerad Head, Wes Hodges, Beau Mills, Josh Rodriguez, Karexon Sanchez, Ronald Rivas, John Drennen, Chad Huffman, Matt McBride, Preston Mattingly, Jason Smit
Reds: Dallas Buck, Tom Cochran, Jerry Gil, Matt Klinker, Joseph Krebs, Mike Costanzo, Daniel Dorn, Eric Eymann, Michael Griffin, James Avery, Scott Carroll, Lee Tabor, Travis Webb, Chris Denove, Miguel Rojas, Andrew Bowman, Daniel Guerrero, Jeff Jeffords, Justin Reed, Jordan Hotchkiss, Jeremy Horst, Ismael Guillon
Cubs: Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Hung-Wen Chen, J.R. Mathes, Jake Muyco, Blake Parker, Chris Robinson, Jonathon Mota, Matt Camp, Marquez Smith, Ty Wright, Ryan Buchter, Marco Carillo, Jeremy Papelbon, Steve Clevenger, Blake Lalli, Matt Spencer, David Patton, Craig Siegfried, Smaily Borges
Brewers: Tim Dilliard, Marco Estrada, Alex Periard, Donavan Hand, Brendan Katin, Brae Wright, Robert Hinton, Chris Cody, Casey Baron, Patrick Arlis, Dayton Buller, Anderson De La Rosa, Taylor Green, Anderson Machado, Chris Nowak, Chuck Kaufield, Lee Haydel, Darren Byrd, Corey Frerichs, Mike Ramlow, Sean McCraw, Brock Kjeldgaard, Matt Cline
Pirates: Dustin Molleken, Doug Bernier, Andenson Chourio, James Skelton, Adam Davis, Jose De Los Santos, Michael Dubee, Miles Durham, Casey Erickson, Shelby Ford, Corey Hamman, Derek Hankins, Craig Hansen, Jared Hughes, Melkin Laureano, Rodolfo Cardona, Jean Machi, Matt McSwain, Kevin Melillo, Jim Negrych, Greg Picart, Jeremy Powell, Milver Reyes, Kris Watts, Casey Erickson, Eric Fryer
Astros: Jose Altuve, Colin DeLome, Drew Locke, Koby Clemens, Doug Arguello, Lou Santangelo, Carlos Quevedo, Sergio Perez, Daniel Meszaros, John Curtis, German Duran, Oswaldo Navarro, Wladimir Sutil, Brandon Barnes, Jared Wells, Bubbie Buzachero, Brad James, Michael Afronti, Kody Kirkland, James Van Ostrand, Freddy Parejo
Cardinals: Brandon Dickson, Charlie Fick, Tyler Norrick, Pete Parise, Steven Hill, Donavon Solano, Daryl Jones, Nick Stavinoha, Adam Ottavino, Amaury Cazana, James Rapoport, Shane Robinson, Andrew Brown, D'Marcus Ingram, Jared Bogany, Domnit Bolivar, Cody Rauschenberger,
Rangers: Mark Hamburger, Carlos Pimentel, Geuris Grullon, Beau Jones, Kasey Kiker, Joseph Ortiz, Chad Tracy, Davis Stoneburner, Marcus Lemon, David Paisano, Michael Ballard, Brennan Garr, Ben Snyder, Danny Gutierrez, Chris Mobley, Jonathan Green, Mitch Hilligoss, Guilder Rodriguez, Rene Osuna, Hector Nelo, Doug Hogan, Curtis Gradoville, Joseph Ortiz
Mariners: Mario Martinez, Matt Lawson, Edward Seco, Kyle Parker, Jarrett Grube, Jose Yepez, Johan Limonta, Jarrett Grube, Nick Hill, Steven Richard, Mumba Rivera, Robert Rohrbaugh, Leury Bonilla, Joseph Dunigan, Oqui Diaz, Cheynne Hahn, Jacob Wild, Luis Nunez, Kuo Hui Lo, Denny Almonte, Ronny Morla
A's: Anthony Recker, Jared Lansford, Michael Benacka, Jon Hunton, Jeff Baisley, Corey Wimberly, Gary Daley, Derrick Gordon, Danny Satner, Neil Wagner, Jermaine Mitchell, Yusef Carter, Lance Sewell, Josh Horton
Angels: Tommy Mendoza, Barrett Browning, Paul McAnulty, Michael Anton, Robert Fish, Jeremy Haynes, Jay Brossman, Ryan Mount, Abel Nieves, Rian Kiniry, Matt Meyer, Jose Perez, Alberto Rosario, Luis Jimenez, Darwin Perez, Angel Castillo
Diamondbacks: Ed Roemer, Mark Hallberg, Evan Frey, Josh Ellis, Bryan Henry, Cyle Hankerd, Leo Rosales, Andrew Berger, Matt Torra, Clay Zavada, Jason Urquidez, Cesar Valdez, Ed Easely, Eric Groff, Josh Ellis, Kyler Newby, Tom Lane, Reid Mahon, Sean Coughlin, Bryan Byrne, Chris Rahl, Billy Spottiswood, Christian Beltre, Josh Ford
Rockies: Andy Graham, Alan Johnson, Andrew Johnston, Greg Smith, Mike Paulk, Warren Schaeffer, Chris Frey, Craig Baker, Brandon Durden, Sean Jarrett, Keith Weiser, Lars Davis, Radhames Nazario, Matt Repec, Scott Beerer, Jeff Kindel, Michael Mitchell, David Christensen, Scott Robinson, Brian Rike, Johnny Bowden, Josh Sullivan, Michael Marbry, Kenneth Durst, Isaiah Froneberger, Orlando Sandoval
Giants: Brett Pill, Mike McBride, Tyler Graham, Ben Copeland, Matt Yourkin, Daryl Maday, Adrian Martin, Felix Romero, Tyler LaTorre, Nestor Rojas, Brad Boyer, Andy D'Alessio, Ryan Lormandio, Eric Stolp, Brian Anderson, Hector Correa, Joel Weeks, James Simmons
Padres: Nick Schmidt, Aaron Breit, Matt Buschmann, Nathan Culp, Steven Faris, Colt Hynes, Alexis Lara, Anthony Contreras, Andy Parino, Quentin Berry, Craig Cooper, Hayden Beard, Nick Schumaker, Daniel Robertson, Danny Payne
Dodgers: Justin Miller, James Adkins, Tim Sexton, Jaime Pedroza, Matt Wallach, Bobby Blevins, Jesse Mier, Alex Garabedian, Jaime Ortiz, Gorman Erickson, Eric Thompson, Justin Sellers, Josh Wall, Scott Van Slyke, David Pfeiffer, Esteban Lopez, Cody White, Jesus Castillo, Matthew Sartor, Blake Bannon, Gari Tavarez, Marlon Urriola, Pedro Guerrero, Rafael Ynoa, Geison Aguasviva, Alfredo Silverio, Francisco Felix, Elian Herrera, Mario Alvarez, Jesus Rodriguez, Thomas Melgarejo, Eduardo Perez, Miguel Sanfler, Keyter Collado, Luis Vasquez, Johan Garcia, Gabriel Gutierrez, Christian Lara, Alberto Bastardo
Thinking Aloud: Should Teams Really Have to Keep Their Draft Picks Before Trading Them?
I think it's pretty fair to say that most of the teams in Baseball who had good drafts in '10, had pretty lousy minor league systems before the Amateur draft in early june. That also tells us, all of these good prospects that good added to many systems in '10, are obviously inelgible to be traded which has hurt the chances of most teams wishes to acquire some of Baseball's most compelling trade candidates. For example,
Tigers: They have have one of Baseball's worst minor league systems, might be able to easily acquire any trade candidate they want if Drew Smyly, Nick Castellanos, Corey Brown, and Chance Ruffin were eligible to be traded.
Blue Jays: The Jays minus their 2010 draftees, have a pretty lousy system. Thanks to AA's work and his strong draft, the Jays are now top 5 in farm systems in Baseball. By no means do I think they should have traded Danny Farquahar and Trystan Magnuson for the poor on base skills of Rajai Davis, but you take a look at Aaron Sanchez, Asher Wojciechowski, Dickie Joe Thon, Deck McGuire, Griffin Murphy...Well put it this way, can you say Justin Upton? Not to say they couldn't acquire Upton with Snider and a couple other guys with high upsides, but "what if" is the question you ask yourself.
Red Sox: I think Theo Epstein would feel much more compfortable trading his pitching prospects for Adrian Gonzalez if Anthony Ranaudo and Brandon Workman were eligible to be traded, he might just ship them to SD as part of a package for A-Gon or to Milwaukee for Prince. If I'm Doug Melvin, I say okay to that, but thats a different story. Garin Cecchni, Kendrick Perkins, Brandon Jacobs, Bryce Brentz, and Kolbrin Vitek just to name a few, are other potential trade candidates who could lure in a ton of talent, that is if they were eligible to be traded.
White Sox: I am a huge fan of 3 White Sox draft picks. Those 3 are Addison Reed, Jacob Petricka, and Chris Sale. The Sox might not only have been able to acquire Adam Dunn last summer, which could have had a huge impact on the results of the AL Central at the end of the regular season, but they could easily acquire Prince Fielder or Adrian Gonzalez right now. Not to say they wont dangle some of their '10 draftees come July next year, but you have to believe that Kenny Williams and I have common thoughts when it comes to the White Sox systems.
Nationals: The Nats are interesting. Greinke, Upton, Garza, and other big name players are on their radar, and if Sammy Solis, A.J. Cole, Rick Hague, and even if Bryce Harper were available, who knows what the Nationals roster would look like. They might even give 4 other contending teams in their division a run for their money come the '11 season.
Those are just a few, actually five teams who will not only have trouble bringing in big names (minus Justin Upton because Kevin Towers want Major Leaguers who can make an impact tomorow) this winter, but would have a much easier time and a better team in '11 if they were able to trade draft picks from the same year. So the question presents itself; should teams really be required to hold on to draft picks for a whole year before trading them? I'm not sure, but I know that MLB and MiLB would be much more interesting if teams were able to.
This also tells us something else, teams who had good drafts in '10, saved their minor league system. The Tigers, Blue Jays, Astros, Pirates, Nationals, and Indians had pretty dull farm systems before the draft. Not saying all 6 are the top 6 systems in Baseball now, but the word would be much "improved."
Furthermore, Bud Selig has a lot on his mind as we speak and write. This would be an interesting change to MLB and the draft, you also ask yourself is players would rather not sign out of high school if it meant getting traded right after you sign. Then again, free agents can't sign until after the season starts. And lastly, this is all just me imagining "what if." Do I think something will change in the current way teams hold on to players after the draft? Not really, but i'm just thinking about "what could happen,"
Tigers: They have have one of Baseball's worst minor league systems, might be able to easily acquire any trade candidate they want if Drew Smyly, Nick Castellanos, Corey Brown, and Chance Ruffin were eligible to be traded.
Blue Jays: The Jays minus their 2010 draftees, have a pretty lousy system. Thanks to AA's work and his strong draft, the Jays are now top 5 in farm systems in Baseball. By no means do I think they should have traded Danny Farquahar and Trystan Magnuson for the poor on base skills of Rajai Davis, but you take a look at Aaron Sanchez, Asher Wojciechowski, Dickie Joe Thon, Deck McGuire, Griffin Murphy...Well put it this way, can you say Justin Upton? Not to say they couldn't acquire Upton with Snider and a couple other guys with high upsides, but "what if" is the question you ask yourself.
Red Sox: I think Theo Epstein would feel much more compfortable trading his pitching prospects for Adrian Gonzalez if Anthony Ranaudo and Brandon Workman were eligible to be traded, he might just ship them to SD as part of a package for A-Gon or to Milwaukee for Prince. If I'm Doug Melvin, I say okay to that, but thats a different story. Garin Cecchni, Kendrick Perkins, Brandon Jacobs, Bryce Brentz, and Kolbrin Vitek just to name a few, are other potential trade candidates who could lure in a ton of talent, that is if they were eligible to be traded.
White Sox: I am a huge fan of 3 White Sox draft picks. Those 3 are Addison Reed, Jacob Petricka, and Chris Sale. The Sox might not only have been able to acquire Adam Dunn last summer, which could have had a huge impact on the results of the AL Central at the end of the regular season, but they could easily acquire Prince Fielder or Adrian Gonzalez right now. Not to say they wont dangle some of their '10 draftees come July next year, but you have to believe that Kenny Williams and I have common thoughts when it comes to the White Sox systems.
Nationals: The Nats are interesting. Greinke, Upton, Garza, and other big name players are on their radar, and if Sammy Solis, A.J. Cole, Rick Hague, and even if Bryce Harper were available, who knows what the Nationals roster would look like. They might even give 4 other contending teams in their division a run for their money come the '11 season.
Those are just a few, actually five teams who will not only have trouble bringing in big names (minus Justin Upton because Kevin Towers want Major Leaguers who can make an impact tomorow) this winter, but would have a much easier time and a better team in '11 if they were able to trade draft picks from the same year. So the question presents itself; should teams really be required to hold on to draft picks for a whole year before trading them? I'm not sure, but I know that MLB and MiLB would be much more interesting if teams were able to.
This also tells us something else, teams who had good drafts in '10, saved their minor league system. The Tigers, Blue Jays, Astros, Pirates, Nationals, and Indians had pretty dull farm systems before the draft. Not saying all 6 are the top 6 systems in Baseball now, but the word would be much "improved."
Furthermore, Bud Selig has a lot on his mind as we speak and write. This would be an interesting change to MLB and the draft, you also ask yourself is players would rather not sign out of high school if it meant getting traded right after you sign. Then again, free agents can't sign until after the season starts. And lastly, this is all just me imagining "what if." Do I think something will change in the current way teams hold on to players after the draft? Not really, but i'm just thinking about "what could happen,"
Interview: Twins Prospect Niko Goodrum
This is an interview with Twins IF Prospect Niko Goodrum. Niko was the Minnesota Twins 2nd round pick in the 2010 Draft. I look at Niko as the same type of player as Billy Hamilton, who is one of the Cincinnati Reds top prospects. Niko played his first pro season in the GCL in Ft. Myers and looks to get to a much higher level next season. Something that I found interesting about this interview, he and the last player I interview not too long ago, Shawon Dunston Jr., both have the same favorite player; Dexter Fowler. Anyway, Niko was great in this interview and it was a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy it.
Me: Talk to me about your first season of pro ball and how happy you were to have begun quickly after the draft.
Niko: My first season of pro ball was great . I enjoyed every moment of it . I've learned so many things in such a short time . Enjoyed meeting all of my new teammates . My decision to start so soon was one of the best decisions because it got me into pro ball to get adjusted and experienced.
Me: Explain the process from after the draft to the when you signed and how that went.
Niko: My first season of pro ball was great. I enjoyed every moment of it . I've learned so many things in such a short time. Enjoyed meeting all of my new teammates . My decision to start so soon was one of the best decisions because it got me into pro ball to get adjusted and experienced .
Me: What are your expectations for next season and what are you most excited for?
Niko: My expectation for next year is to move to the next level . Get back to Spring Training and to get started .
Me: In my opinion, you are the perfect Twins type of player because you are very toolsy and play the game right. What kind of player do you see yourself as going forward?
Niko: Thanks . Going forward I will always play the game the right way . Or as we say it , the Twins Way . Playing hard and giving my all each and everyday . Doing what I have to do to get the job done . I love this game . In the future , I see myself as a fast , quick , strong , athletic , fundemental , hardworking and smart baseball player . Never giving up .
Me: Describe your game and what you think is your best tool.
Niko: My game is being able to play multiple positions at the pro level . I feel I'm capable of being a 5 tool guy . At this time my arm is my best tool .
Me: What do you plan to do this off-season to prepare for Spring Training and the Upcoming Season?
Niko: To get ready for Spring Training and the upcoming season , I am doing lifting programs , speed training , pilates , fielding ground balls , throwing , hitting and running .
Me: Who has been your Major influence to getting you to this level?
Niko: My parents were a great influence . But my Dad has been my biggest influence throughout it all .
Me: Have you reached out or talked to any other Twins recent picks i the years or in the 2010 draft such as Aaron Hicks or from the recent draft someone like Alex Wimmers?
Niko: Yes , Aaron and Alex both played in instructional league with me . Their both great guys . Aaron and I became real cool . My roommate is JD Williams . Him and I became great friends . A friend for life .
Me: Your favorite player in Major League Baseball is _________
Niko: My favorite player in the Major League is Dexter Fowler .
Me: Last question, who was the best pitcher you faced in High School and in the minors in '10?
Niko: The best pitcher I faced in High School is Cam Bedrosian and in the Minor League is was a lefty for the Orioles . Can't remember his name . I believe he was from the Dominican Republic .
Me: Talk to me about your first season of pro ball and how happy you were to have begun quickly after the draft.
Niko: My first season of pro ball was great . I enjoyed every moment of it . I've learned so many things in such a short time . Enjoyed meeting all of my new teammates . My decision to start so soon was one of the best decisions because it got me into pro ball to get adjusted and experienced.
Me: Explain the process from after the draft to the when you signed and how that went.
Niko: My first season of pro ball was great. I enjoyed every moment of it . I've learned so many things in such a short time. Enjoyed meeting all of my new teammates . My decision to start so soon was one of the best decisions because it got me into pro ball to get adjusted and experienced .
Me: What are your expectations for next season and what are you most excited for?
Niko: My expectation for next year is to move to the next level . Get back to Spring Training and to get started .
Me: In my opinion, you are the perfect Twins type of player because you are very toolsy and play the game right. What kind of player do you see yourself as going forward?
Niko: Thanks . Going forward I will always play the game the right way . Or as we say it , the Twins Way . Playing hard and giving my all each and everyday . Doing what I have to do to get the job done . I love this game . In the future , I see myself as a fast , quick , strong , athletic , fundemental , hardworking and smart baseball player . Never giving up .
Me: Describe your game and what you think is your best tool.
Niko: My game is being able to play multiple positions at the pro level . I feel I'm capable of being a 5 tool guy . At this time my arm is my best tool .
Me: What do you plan to do this off-season to prepare for Spring Training and the Upcoming Season?
Niko: To get ready for Spring Training and the upcoming season , I am doing lifting programs , speed training , pilates , fielding ground balls , throwing , hitting and running .
Me: Who has been your Major influence to getting you to this level?
Niko: My parents were a great influence . But my Dad has been my biggest influence throughout it all .
Me: Have you reached out or talked to any other Twins recent picks i the years or in the 2010 draft such as Aaron Hicks or from the recent draft someone like Alex Wimmers?
Niko: Yes , Aaron and Alex both played in instructional league with me . Their both great guys . Aaron and I became real cool . My roommate is JD Williams . Him and I became great friends . A friend for life .
Me: Your favorite player in Major League Baseball is _________
Niko: My favorite player in the Major League is Dexter Fowler .
Me: Last question, who was the best pitcher you faced in High School and in the minors in '10?
Niko: The best pitcher I faced in High School is Cam Bedrosian and in the Minor League is was a lefty for the Orioles . Can't remember his name . I believe he was from the Dominican Republic .
Comparing the Royals, Rangers, and Rays: The 3 R's
The three R's. Well i'm certainly not talking about radishes, rhino's, and rolex's. I'm also not going to be discussing Ryne Sandberg, Ricky Weeks, and Ronny Paulino. We're going to discuss the comparisons and parellels between the Royals, Rangers, and Rays over the past several and the next several seasons.
Take a look at the Yankees organization. Great management, great fan attendance. The point is, the Yankees management is among the best in Baseball due to passion for keeping the game original and spending when they need to. They are not the only productive organization in Baseball, but the three that I am discussing today couldn't be more different. Take a look at the Rays for example. They don't have the money to go out and spend $181MM on Mark Teixeira or get in to a bidding war for Matt Holliday. The Rays have to draft, spend internationally, build from within, and maintain a team where you have little fan attendance and no payroll. The aformentioned ballclub has obviously been extremely successful lately thanks to Stuart Sternberg, Andrew Friedman, among others...But can a team succeed in the long run when they are in the dumps for such a long time? I say the answer is yes, and I think Nolan Ryan and the Texas Rangers fan base would agree. Obviously you look at some of the great moves that Jon Daniels has made recently. Now take a look at their 2007 draft, again, I used the "D" word. Most of the trades that they have made over the past year consist of letting go of players to whom they had drafted in '07. Isn't that all it is though? If you draft smart, spend money on amateurs including international amateurs, how far can that get you in the long run? Now take a look at the Royals. Not only the best farm system in Baseball but maybe the best farm system in Baseball History. I could spend hours just discussing and thinking about how scary their teams are and they are still underrated.
Now how do the Royals go about becoming a winning and successful franchise again such as the current Rays and Rangers? Well there are actually a lot of comparisons that need to be discussed.
According to Baseball America's top 10 Rays prospects in 2007, (by the way, tell me this isn't extremely awesome) from 1-10, Evan Longoria, David Price, Jake McGee, Wade Davis, Reid Brignac, Desmond Jennings, Jeff Neimann, Jeremy Hellickson, Ryan Royster, Chris Mason.
Obviously it's about those two big names, Ryan Royster and Chris Mason. Seriously though, is that all it takes to be a winning team let alone successful franchise for years to come? Simplfying it, maybe. The Texas Rangers now, who actually had a little bit of a different road to glory, boasted the best Minor League System for a time before they had their pieces in place for this season. Now if you look at their roster, Elvis Andrus, Derek Holland, Neftali Feliz, Mitch Moreland, Ian Kinsler, Michael Young, among others...All of whom are on that team due to Estaban Loaiza, Mark Teixeira, and good drafting. The Rangers also have two minor leaguers who I really like, both international signings, Martiz Perez and Jurrickson Profar.
So the point is, can the Royals, who currently boast a top 15, (my opinion) Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Wil Myers, John Lamb, Mike Montgomery, Christian Colon, Chris Dwyer, Johnny Giavotella, Cheslor Cuthbert, Danny Duffy, Salvador Perez, Tim Collins, Brett Eibner, Derrick Robinson, and Crawford Simmons. Now there are many others who I can go crazy about (and trust me there are), but the question is, can these 15 translate in to a 2013 2008 Rays season? You look at the Rays and how their great drafts translated in to 3 consecutive winning seasons to say the least, the Rangers who will in my opinion have a winning team for many years to come, and the Royals, who in my opinion are extremely underrated and have a lot to be excited about.
The point is to focus more on the drafts, international scouting, player development and such, that to me is more important than signing player A for $10MM and player B for $15MM. Dayton Moore has done a fantastic job even after dealing Leo Nunez and Ramon Ramirez for pretty much nothing. Bottom line is, there is a lot to be excited for if you are a Royals fan, and even more to be excited about if you are a Rays and Rangers fan, who are two and three of the best managed teams in Baseball. The Rays, Rangers, and Royals...The REAL three "R's"
Take a look at the Yankees organization. Great management, great fan attendance. The point is, the Yankees management is among the best in Baseball due to passion for keeping the game original and spending when they need to. They are not the only productive organization in Baseball, but the three that I am discussing today couldn't be more different. Take a look at the Rays for example. They don't have the money to go out and spend $181MM on Mark Teixeira or get in to a bidding war for Matt Holliday. The Rays have to draft, spend internationally, build from within, and maintain a team where you have little fan attendance and no payroll. The aformentioned ballclub has obviously been extremely successful lately thanks to Stuart Sternberg, Andrew Friedman, among others...But can a team succeed in the long run when they are in the dumps for such a long time? I say the answer is yes, and I think Nolan Ryan and the Texas Rangers fan base would agree. Obviously you look at some of the great moves that Jon Daniels has made recently. Now take a look at their 2007 draft, again, I used the "D" word. Most of the trades that they have made over the past year consist of letting go of players to whom they had drafted in '07. Isn't that all it is though? If you draft smart, spend money on amateurs including international amateurs, how far can that get you in the long run? Now take a look at the Royals. Not only the best farm system in Baseball but maybe the best farm system in Baseball History. I could spend hours just discussing and thinking about how scary their teams are and they are still underrated.
Now how do the Royals go about becoming a winning and successful franchise again such as the current Rays and Rangers? Well there are actually a lot of comparisons that need to be discussed.
According to Baseball America's top 10 Rays prospects in 2007, (by the way, tell me this isn't extremely awesome) from 1-10, Evan Longoria, David Price, Jake McGee, Wade Davis, Reid Brignac, Desmond Jennings, Jeff Neimann, Jeremy Hellickson, Ryan Royster, Chris Mason.
Obviously it's about those two big names, Ryan Royster and Chris Mason. Seriously though, is that all it takes to be a winning team let alone successful franchise for years to come? Simplfying it, maybe. The Texas Rangers now, who actually had a little bit of a different road to glory, boasted the best Minor League System for a time before they had their pieces in place for this season. Now if you look at their roster, Elvis Andrus, Derek Holland, Neftali Feliz, Mitch Moreland, Ian Kinsler, Michael Young, among others...All of whom are on that team due to Estaban Loaiza, Mark Teixeira, and good drafting. The Rangers also have two minor leaguers who I really like, both international signings, Martiz Perez and Jurrickson Profar.
So the point is, can the Royals, who currently boast a top 15, (my opinion) Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Wil Myers, John Lamb, Mike Montgomery, Christian Colon, Chris Dwyer, Johnny Giavotella, Cheslor Cuthbert, Danny Duffy, Salvador Perez, Tim Collins, Brett Eibner, Derrick Robinson, and Crawford Simmons. Now there are many others who I can go crazy about (and trust me there are), but the question is, can these 15 translate in to a 2013 2008 Rays season? You look at the Rays and how their great drafts translated in to 3 consecutive winning seasons to say the least, the Rangers who will in my opinion have a winning team for many years to come, and the Royals, who in my opinion are extremely underrated and have a lot to be excited about.
The point is to focus more on the drafts, international scouting, player development and such, that to me is more important than signing player A for $10MM and player B for $15MM. Dayton Moore has done a fantastic job even after dealing Leo Nunez and Ramon Ramirez for pretty much nothing. Bottom line is, there is a lot to be excited for if you are a Royals fan, and even more to be excited about if you are a Rays and Rangers fan, who are two and three of the best managed teams in Baseball. The Rays, Rangers, and Royals...The REAL three "R's"
Interview: Shawon Dunston Jr.
This is an interview with 2011 potential 1st rounder and Outfielder for the Valley Chritian High School in Freemont, CA. Shawon is also the son of former MLB All-Star, Shawon Dunston (obviously. Shawon is a really good guy and was very willing to do this interview, so hope you enjoy it.
Me: Your likely to be a first round pick in next years draft. Aside from getting drafted, what are you most excited about come next June?
Shawon: well I do not know if I will go in the 1st round in the draft, I cannot control that, but i can control playing hard and continue to work hard and getting my game better in every aspects. I am excited about the draft, but also excited about college, which i have not made my commiment yet, but will really soon!
Me: What's it like having a father who played the game as a mentor and cheerleader?
Shawon: its great, but at the same time tough, my dad pushes me hard everyday and he is the one who keeps me level headed with everything and I just learn and take things from him because he has been there and done that.
Me: If you could pick any team to draft you, which team would it be and why?
Shawon: The rays because my favorite player Bj Upton plays on that team
Me: There are rougly 8 months until draft day. What kind of work will you be doing physically to prepare for the draft?
Shawon: I will be doing alot of leg work, to improve my strength in my legs, and some upperbody work to add more pounds on me
Me: What similiarities do you and your father have in terms of your playing abilities?
Shawon: We both play hard, we are both fast. Hitting I have quick hands and wrists which i got from him.
Me: Talk to me about what you anticipate when thinking about begininging your pro career.
Shawon: Whenever if it is the summer of 2011, or the summer of 2014 I know i am one step closer of reaching my ultimate goal which is playing in the Majors.
Me: Aside from possibly your father, have you been given any comparisons that you think suit you? If so, who? and Who are some of your favorite players?
Shawon: I have been compared to Dexter Fowler which I can say that is true, because we both are fast and have talent, and we just havent put it all together yet. My favorite players are Bj Upton, Dexter Fowler, Ryan Braun and Jose Reyes
Me: What has it been like facing the best pitchers in the nation? I know the best pitcher you ever faced was A.J. Vanegas who was just drafted by the Padres. Describe the challenge of competing against the best pitchers and players and the return to high school ball.
Shawon: Besides Venagas whom is at Stanford now, it was great facing pitchers like Tyler Beede and Mike Kelly and so on. You want to compete against the best and if you are considered as one of the best you have to step up and prove it. It will be a challenge, but I know what it is like to play against the best in the country and coming back to high school ball i will have to be on my top of my game, because no one is going to hand you anything.
Me: How excited are you for your final high school season and do you plan to change any part of your game?
Shawon: I am very excited i want to win a section title for my high school team. I want to be more of a team leader, lead by example, and I want to use the whole field hitting, and not just one side of it.
Me: Final question Shawon, The _____________ are going to win the World Series this year.
Shawon: Giants
Me: Your likely to be a first round pick in next years draft. Aside from getting drafted, what are you most excited about come next June?
Shawon: well I do not know if I will go in the 1st round in the draft, I cannot control that, but i can control playing hard and continue to work hard and getting my game better in every aspects. I am excited about the draft, but also excited about college, which i have not made my commiment yet, but will really soon!
Me: What's it like having a father who played the game as a mentor and cheerleader?
Shawon: its great, but at the same time tough, my dad pushes me hard everyday and he is the one who keeps me level headed with everything and I just learn and take things from him because he has been there and done that.
Me: If you could pick any team to draft you, which team would it be and why?
Shawon: The rays because my favorite player Bj Upton plays on that team
Me: There are rougly 8 months until draft day. What kind of work will you be doing physically to prepare for the draft?
Shawon: I will be doing alot of leg work, to improve my strength in my legs, and some upperbody work to add more pounds on me
Me: What similiarities do you and your father have in terms of your playing abilities?
Shawon: We both play hard, we are both fast. Hitting I have quick hands and wrists which i got from him.
Me: Talk to me about what you anticipate when thinking about begininging your pro career.
Shawon: Whenever if it is the summer of 2011, or the summer of 2014 I know i am one step closer of reaching my ultimate goal which is playing in the Majors.
Me: Aside from possibly your father, have you been given any comparisons that you think suit you? If so, who? and Who are some of your favorite players?
Shawon: I have been compared to Dexter Fowler which I can say that is true, because we both are fast and have talent, and we just havent put it all together yet. My favorite players are Bj Upton, Dexter Fowler, Ryan Braun and Jose Reyes
Me: What has it been like facing the best pitchers in the nation? I know the best pitcher you ever faced was A.J. Vanegas who was just drafted by the Padres. Describe the challenge of competing against the best pitchers and players and the return to high school ball.
Shawon: Besides Venagas whom is at Stanford now, it was great facing pitchers like Tyler Beede and Mike Kelly and so on. You want to compete against the best and if you are considered as one of the best you have to step up and prove it. It will be a challenge, but I know what it is like to play against the best in the country and coming back to high school ball i will have to be on my top of my game, because no one is going to hand you anything.
Me: How excited are you for your final high school season and do you plan to change any part of your game?
Shawon: I am very excited i want to win a section title for my high school team. I want to be more of a team leader, lead by example, and I want to use the whole field hitting, and not just one side of it.
Me: Final question Shawon, The _____________ are going to win the World Series this year.
Shawon: Giants
Interview: Royals Expert Greg Schaum
The man who I am interviewing here is one of the most knowledgable people when it comes to the Kansas City Royals. His name is Greg Schaum and I encourage everyone to check out his blog @ www.RoyalsProspects.com. This interview is simply bases on many Royals fans excitement on the future of the organization. Check this out.
Me: Talk to me about where you think the Royals system ranks among the best in Baseball.
Greg: I think it has to be the number one system in baseball right now. The Braves, Rays, and Rangers have some studs but 1-6 on the Royals would be 1-2 on the majority of teams in baseball. (Hosmer, Moustakas, Myers, Montgomery, Lamb, and Duffy)
Me: Who are some sleepers in the Royals organization?
Greg: The first name that comes to mind is a pitcher who pitched in the Arizona League this year named Yordano Ventura. The buzz on him grew as the season progressed and I think this would be a name to watch next season. His teammate Robinson Yambati is also quite the find for the Royals organization.
The Royals also have a young catcher named Salvador Perez that is a great catcher and his bat really emerged as the Wilmington season went on. He reminds me of Sandy Alomar JR.
Me: Talk about the progression of Some of the higher level Royals.
Greg: Wow, I do not think you can not talk about progression without mentioning the awesome seasons that Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer have had.
Mike Montgomery and John Lamb both came out of the gate fast in 2010 and even though they have slowed down in the last few weeks they both have had big years.
The return of Danny Duffy to the Royals has been big and he is a legit future big leaguer. I also really like Chris Dwyer and he might be the closest to the majors of all of the Royals lefties.
Wil Myers, though, might end up being the best of the entire group. He looks to be that franchise type of guy that is such a rarity in baseball.
Me: Give me your thoughts on some of our favorite Royals from Surprise: Yordano Ventura and Darian Sandford.
Greg: I talked about Ventura already but Sandford is a burner that was a late round draft pick. The odds are stacked against him but that does not mean he could not end up being a special player. But, I will wait to make a prediction on him after he has some full season ball under his belt (I do have a interview lined up with Darian this week so check that out)
Me: Who do you like among the Royals 2010 draftees?
Greg: I really liked Whit Merrifield and Kevin Chapman during the college season. I think Chapman could be a Norm Charlton type of reliever...The upside of Merrifield is becoming a type of player that always makes a club better but is not a regular player. Brett Eibner was a great pick in the 2nd round and even though I liked him better as a P he has that rare ability to provide power from the right side of the plate. He has a chance to be a special player with the bat and glove (he is a very good OF)
I like Christian Colon because he is a winner and will do whatever it takes to win games. The Royals have done a great job building a future team of winning type of players. He will be a perfect compliment to Moustakas.
The local kid the Royals drafted named Jason Adam has a chance to be a special pitcher. He is a RH and he has a ton of potential.
Me: Who are some future weapons out of the pen in the Royals organization?
Greg: Louis Coleman can throw every day and is very deceptive. Tim Collins is maybe 5'7 but the lefty has terrific stuff and knows how to pitch. I think Aaron Crow ends up as a reliever and he has 2 pitches that could make him a late inning guy in the future. I mentioned Chapman already and the Royals have another lefty named Blaine Hardy that could be a reliever in the big leagues (He will pitch in the big leagues but right now the Royals are trying him as a starter because he has command of four pitches)
Me: Do you think the Royals international signings are starting to pay off? Especially in the lower levels...
Greg: Yes, Cheslor Cuthbert is a young slugger in the mold of Gary Sheffield. He has a quick bat and is only 17 years old. He is the best of the group of international guys.
Me: Talk about the great season that the Northwest Arkansas Naturals have had, and the progression of Hosmer, Giavotella, D-Rob, and the lefties.
Greg: The Naturals are one of the best AA teams in recent memory. They have the right mix of speed, defense, power, and pitching. They have some greay character guys like Everett Teaford and Clint Robinson (who both have had excellent seasons) and were provided a spark in the first half from Moustakas and in the second half from Hosmer. Derrick Robinson is an exciting young player that has had a big rebound season. He still has some improvements that need to be made but he is as fast as anyone in the game.
Giavotella is a fine hitter with great bat control. He is a perfect #2 hitter and will knock the ball out of the park every so often. I would challenge anyone to find a better group of lefties than the Royals have in their system (all of them have pitched for AA at some point this season) at any one time in the last 30 years.
Me: Last one, Describe the expectations of Pat White and what kind of progression he is expected to make plus his ETA, this is all assuming he stays in Baseball.
Greg: From what I understand Pat White is just testing the water right now. It is not a fact that he will stick with baseball. But, if he does than you are talking about a potential 5 tool guy. He was a terrific high school star and has a great arm, can fly, and used to be a terrific hitter. This could end up bring a fantastic sign by the Royals organization.
Me: Talk to me about where you think the Royals system ranks among the best in Baseball.
Greg: I think it has to be the number one system in baseball right now. The Braves, Rays, and Rangers have some studs but 1-6 on the Royals would be 1-2 on the majority of teams in baseball. (Hosmer, Moustakas, Myers, Montgomery, Lamb, and Duffy)
Me: Who are some sleepers in the Royals organization?
Greg: The first name that comes to mind is a pitcher who pitched in the Arizona League this year named Yordano Ventura. The buzz on him grew as the season progressed and I think this would be a name to watch next season. His teammate Robinson Yambati is also quite the find for the Royals organization.
The Royals also have a young catcher named Salvador Perez that is a great catcher and his bat really emerged as the Wilmington season went on. He reminds me of Sandy Alomar JR.
Me: Talk about the progression of Some of the higher level Royals.
Greg: Wow, I do not think you can not talk about progression without mentioning the awesome seasons that Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer have had.
Mike Montgomery and John Lamb both came out of the gate fast in 2010 and even though they have slowed down in the last few weeks they both have had big years.
The return of Danny Duffy to the Royals has been big and he is a legit future big leaguer. I also really like Chris Dwyer and he might be the closest to the majors of all of the Royals lefties.
Wil Myers, though, might end up being the best of the entire group. He looks to be that franchise type of guy that is such a rarity in baseball.
Me: Give me your thoughts on some of our favorite Royals from Surprise: Yordano Ventura and Darian Sandford.
Greg: I talked about Ventura already but Sandford is a burner that was a late round draft pick. The odds are stacked against him but that does not mean he could not end up being a special player. But, I will wait to make a prediction on him after he has some full season ball under his belt (I do have a interview lined up with Darian this week so check that out)
Me: Who do you like among the Royals 2010 draftees?
Greg: I really liked Whit Merrifield and Kevin Chapman during the college season. I think Chapman could be a Norm Charlton type of reliever...The upside of Merrifield is becoming a type of player that always makes a club better but is not a regular player. Brett Eibner was a great pick in the 2nd round and even though I liked him better as a P he has that rare ability to provide power from the right side of the plate. He has a chance to be a special player with the bat and glove (he is a very good OF)
I like Christian Colon because he is a winner and will do whatever it takes to win games. The Royals have done a great job building a future team of winning type of players. He will be a perfect compliment to Moustakas.
The local kid the Royals drafted named Jason Adam has a chance to be a special pitcher. He is a RH and he has a ton of potential.
Me: Who are some future weapons out of the pen in the Royals organization?
Greg: Louis Coleman can throw every day and is very deceptive. Tim Collins is maybe 5'7 but the lefty has terrific stuff and knows how to pitch. I think Aaron Crow ends up as a reliever and he has 2 pitches that could make him a late inning guy in the future. I mentioned Chapman already and the Royals have another lefty named Blaine Hardy that could be a reliever in the big leagues (He will pitch in the big leagues but right now the Royals are trying him as a starter because he has command of four pitches)
Me: Do you think the Royals international signings are starting to pay off? Especially in the lower levels...
Greg: Yes, Cheslor Cuthbert is a young slugger in the mold of Gary Sheffield. He has a quick bat and is only 17 years old. He is the best of the group of international guys.
Me: Talk about the great season that the Northwest Arkansas Naturals have had, and the progression of Hosmer, Giavotella, D-Rob, and the lefties.
Greg: The Naturals are one of the best AA teams in recent memory. They have the right mix of speed, defense, power, and pitching. They have some greay character guys like Everett Teaford and Clint Robinson (who both have had excellent seasons) and were provided a spark in the first half from Moustakas and in the second half from Hosmer. Derrick Robinson is an exciting young player that has had a big rebound season. He still has some improvements that need to be made but he is as fast as anyone in the game.
Giavotella is a fine hitter with great bat control. He is a perfect #2 hitter and will knock the ball out of the park every so often. I would challenge anyone to find a better group of lefties than the Royals have in their system (all of them have pitched for AA at some point this season) at any one time in the last 30 years.
Me: Last one, Describe the expectations of Pat White and what kind of progression he is expected to make plus his ETA, this is all assuming he stays in Baseball.
Greg: From what I understand Pat White is just testing the water right now. It is not a fact that he will stick with baseball. But, if he does than you are talking about a potential 5 tool guy. He was a terrific high school star and has a great arm, can fly, and used to be a terrific hitter. This could end up bring a fantastic sign by the Royals organization.
Locking Up Gio Gonzalez
So I'm on a 7 hour train currently from Vermont to New York and as I'm looking at the corn fields in the distance and the trees as green as you'll ever see, I said to myself, aren't those Oakland A's colors? So I got my laptop and then a thought came in to mind, shouldn't Gio Gonzalez be at Ricky Romero or Jon Lester status by at least next season or the season after? I sure think so.
With tons of young quality arms in Baseball, you have to expect that eventually a majority of them will get locked up after hitting arbitration at their respective time. Well some pitchers will and should get locked up before they hit arbitration. I'm sure some names that are coming to mind are David Price, Mat Latos, and Tommy Hanson among others. Well my guy is Gio Gonzalez. No, his ERA isn't as marginal as Bucholz's or Clayton Kershaw's, two more young pitchers who will get the big bucks either before they hit arbitration, or when they build up their value even higher.
Obviously, Billy Beane's plan is starting to turn in to reality as it was a dream in the past. Would I have traded Carlos Gonzalez for what is now Michael Taylor? Absolutely not, but I am a huge fan of plenty of Billy Beane's other moves. You have to like the Nick Swisher for Gio Gonzalez, Fautino De Los Santos, and Ryan Sweeney deal at the time it was made. Nick Swisher is now hovering around .300 and will probably total up 35 home runs this season, but at the time of the deal, Nick didn't have his head on straight. Literally, some flaws in his swing caused him to hit anywhere from the low .200's to maybe .270 during certain times of some seasons. Yes, he did rack up 35 home runs one year in the bay area, but the point is, at the time, acquiring Gio Gonzalez, Ryan Sweeney (two highly touted prospects at the time), and Fautino De Los Santos for a player who again, wasn't the Nick Swisher we've grown to love on the Yankees now.
So Gio, who has obviously found his feel for pitching this season, is really pitching. And I use the word pitching to describe what Gio is really doing. In '09, his k/9 was 9.1. His ERA in that season was 5.75. So my point is, he's pitching, meaning he has lowered his strike out rate to throw more strikes and try to get a ground ball or two, hence 127 K's in 154.0 IP. Not sure if any of you remember, but Torii Hunter also claimed that Gio Gonzalez had the best curveball in Baseball, and if you watch him pitch, it seriously looks like the ball is attached to his hand the whole way through when he throws the aforementioned 10-4 curveball. Nothing tells me that Gio Gonzalez won't improve on this season in 2011. So I'd like to compare Gio's potential contract to Matt Cain's first contract.
Matt Cain, in the breakout season in which earned him an extension, he pitched 190.2 innings which was worth a 3.5 WAR. Gio so far, after last nights dominant start against the Tribe, has now logged 161.0 IP. Now listen to this, our good friends at ZIPS project that Gio will log 197.0 IP and finish with a tremendous ERA (3.52) for a pitcher in what is really his first full season. His current WAR is at 3.0 so I'm thinking it could reach the 3.5 or at least close to that of the 2006 Matt Cain.
So Matt Cain got 4 years worth $9 Million with a club option, but lets remember that Matt Cain finished with a 4.15 ERA. So even if Gio finishes with a 3.72 (not saying he will) which is 20 points higher than ZIPS projects, isn't he worth a little more? Plus Gio has logged more career innings than Matt Cain did at the time. So let's say 4 years at $12MM could work, which would buy out free agent years and if an option was added, it would keep him in the Bay for 5 years. Gio Gonzalez is certainly tempting Billy Beane to at least consider it and in my opinion, this off-season Gio Gonzalez will in fact be locked up.
With tons of young quality arms in Baseball, you have to expect that eventually a majority of them will get locked up after hitting arbitration at their respective time. Well some pitchers will and should get locked up before they hit arbitration. I'm sure some names that are coming to mind are David Price, Mat Latos, and Tommy Hanson among others. Well my guy is Gio Gonzalez. No, his ERA isn't as marginal as Bucholz's or Clayton Kershaw's, two more young pitchers who will get the big bucks either before they hit arbitration, or when they build up their value even higher.
Obviously, Billy Beane's plan is starting to turn in to reality as it was a dream in the past. Would I have traded Carlos Gonzalez for what is now Michael Taylor? Absolutely not, but I am a huge fan of plenty of Billy Beane's other moves. You have to like the Nick Swisher for Gio Gonzalez, Fautino De Los Santos, and Ryan Sweeney deal at the time it was made. Nick Swisher is now hovering around .300 and will probably total up 35 home runs this season, but at the time of the deal, Nick didn't have his head on straight. Literally, some flaws in his swing caused him to hit anywhere from the low .200's to maybe .270 during certain times of some seasons. Yes, he did rack up 35 home runs one year in the bay area, but the point is, at the time, acquiring Gio Gonzalez, Ryan Sweeney (two highly touted prospects at the time), and Fautino De Los Santos for a player who again, wasn't the Nick Swisher we've grown to love on the Yankees now.
So Gio, who has obviously found his feel for pitching this season, is really pitching. And I use the word pitching to describe what Gio is really doing. In '09, his k/9 was 9.1. His ERA in that season was 5.75. So my point is, he's pitching, meaning he has lowered his strike out rate to throw more strikes and try to get a ground ball or two, hence 127 K's in 154.0 IP. Not sure if any of you remember, but Torii Hunter also claimed that Gio Gonzalez had the best curveball in Baseball, and if you watch him pitch, it seriously looks like the ball is attached to his hand the whole way through when he throws the aforementioned 10-4 curveball. Nothing tells me that Gio Gonzalez won't improve on this season in 2011. So I'd like to compare Gio's potential contract to Matt Cain's first contract.
Matt Cain, in the breakout season in which earned him an extension, he pitched 190.2 innings which was worth a 3.5 WAR. Gio so far, after last nights dominant start against the Tribe, has now logged 161.0 IP. Now listen to this, our good friends at ZIPS project that Gio will log 197.0 IP and finish with a tremendous ERA (3.52) for a pitcher in what is really his first full season. His current WAR is at 3.0 so I'm thinking it could reach the 3.5 or at least close to that of the 2006 Matt Cain.
So Matt Cain got 4 years worth $9 Million with a club option, but lets remember that Matt Cain finished with a 4.15 ERA. So even if Gio finishes with a 3.72 (not saying he will) which is 20 points higher than ZIPS projects, isn't he worth a little more? Plus Gio has logged more career innings than Matt Cain did at the time. So let's say 4 years at $12MM could work, which would buy out free agent years and if an option was added, it would keep him in the Bay for 5 years. Gio Gonzalez is certainly tempting Billy Beane to at least consider it and in my opinion, this off-season Gio Gonzalez will in fact be locked up.
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