SB Nation - Adrian Cardenas

Phillies Top 10 Stories of 2009: No. 10 -- Improvement on the Farm

WholeCamels — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:38:45 -0000

First in a series of ten (seriously!) articles on the 2009 Phillies.

As recently as 2005, the Phillies farm system had the worst minor league winning percentage in all of professional baseball. Organizational winning percentage may not be the best way to judge system strength, but you get the idea. Things have turned around since then. So much so, that the organization has been able to unload six of their top ten prospects (Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, Lou Marson, and Jason Knapp) at the deadline for pitching help, and they still have one of the best farm systems in baseball.

The biggest reason? The system's top three prospects -- RHP Kyle Drabek, and outfielders Michael Taylor and Domonic Brown. The three guys who were too good to trade for Roy Halladay.

More after the jump...

Drabek, coming off Tommy John surgery, posted a 3.19 ERA with 150 strikeouts and just 50 walks in 158 innings pitched between Class A Clearwater and Double-A Reading. Drabek only turns 22 early next month. The Phillies shut Drabek down in August when he led the minors in innings pitched; a judicious decision, considering his recent arm surgery. He projects as a #2 starter in the majors, but will likely spend all of 2010 in Double-A and Triple-A, barring disaster in Philadelphia.

Michael Taylor posted a combined .320/.395/.549 line between Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley, with 20 home runs. An extremely strong contact hitter (just 70 strikeouts) with a line-drive swing, the 6'6", 250 pound outfielder looks to force his way into the big leagues as soon as mid 2010 -- whether it's with the Phillies or another team remains to be seen. He'll be 24 next season, so he's just about "done."

Domonic Brown has emerged as the organization's top prospect. An exciting mix of tools and skills, Brown went .299/.377/.504 mostly between Clearwater and Reading in his age 21 season. Brown will need at least one more full year in the minors and will probably start 2010 in Reading.

Aside from those three, there's a great deal of organizational depth, particularly among the pitchers -- lower level guys with high upside like Trevor May and Brody Colvin, and future reliever types like Joe Savery, Mike Stutes and Vance Worley, not to mention Justin DeFratus, Austin Hyatt, Jonathan Pettibone, Matt Way, etc. etc. You get the idea. Grab a bunch of nice arms, and hope to hit on a couple of them. It's as good a strategy as any. Oh, and Scott Mathieson is hitting the mid to upper 90s again.

Among the position players, catcher Travis D'Arnaud and outfielder Anthony Gose lead the non-Taylor/Brown positional prospects, but both are still at least a few years away.

Of course there are weaknesses -- no real third base or middle infield prospects to speak of (unless Freddy Galvis can actually figure out how to hit a little) -- and a disconcerting tendency to go for toolsy outfielder types with high picks. But in 2009, the Phillies farm system proved beyond any doubt that it belongs in the top third in MLB. Quite a change from a few years ago, when it was one of the very worst.

Minor League Update: Season's End

grover — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:00:29 -0000

The 2009 minor league season is over and congratulations are due to the Midland RockHounds, who won the Texas League crown by defeating the NW Arkansas Naturals 3 games to 1. The Sacramento River Cats were not so fortunate, getting swept by the Memphis Redbirds in 3 games. All in all it was a fairly successful year for the farm system, as several prospects that were under a lot of scrutiny had good seasons while 3 of the 4 full season teams posted winning records. (Heck, even the Stockton Ports managed to rebound in the 2nd half and go 36-34 to finish with a 61-79 overall record.)

I plan on doing a full summary of the farm system a little later on. For today I’m going to update what key players did in the play-offs. Minorleaguesplits.com is the only website that I know of that keeps track of play-off performance as part of the yearly tally but even they only show the numbers as part of the whole body of work. So if you ever wonder why the numbers from their website are different from what you will see at MiLB.com it’s on account of the play-off performance. The season totals listed below include the play-off numbers.

Chris Carter

AAA Postseason: 8-27, 1 D, 4 HR, 4 BB, 8 K (296/387/778)

AA-AAA Total: 567 AB, 44 D, 2 T, 32 HR, 89 BB, 137 K (330/423/584) .389 BABIP

MLE: 597 AB, 34 D, 1T, 25 HR, 62 BB, 151 K (258/330/444) .306 BABIP

Carter was the breakout performer in the organization and the A’s have tried him in the outfield in addition to 1B in an effort to find somewhere, anywhere to play his bat. Oakland seems very eager to see what Carter can do; as they discussed adding him to the 40 man roster after the River Cats’ season ended so he could get a cup of coffee with the A’s. Instead they’ve secured a spot for him in the Mexican Pacific League to play Winter Ball. For those who aren’t familiar with the MPL the quality of the competition is generally considered to be AAA caliber. You’ll see a lot of familiar names in the box scores and the A’s hope Carter will be able to handle the steady diet of quality breaking stuff he’s likely to see. If Carter has a strong Winter Ball season expect the A’s to give him a shot at a job on the 2010 Opening Day roster during Spring Training.

Brett Wallace

AAA Postseason: 8-27, 1 T, 2 HR, 2 BB, 3K (296/345/593)

AA-AAA Total: 550 AB, 26 D, 1 T, 21 HR, 47 BB, 115 K (293/365/458) .338 BABIP

MLE: 568 AB, 21 D, 1 T, 16 HR, 34 BB, 125 K (250/305/375) .295 BABIP

TotalZone gives Wallace an average defensive score at 3B but as you can see, his strike zone judgment needs a bit more improvement and his power numbers could tick up some as well. I haven’t seen anything that says Wallace will play Winter Ball, but my guess is he’ll spend time at the A’s facility in Arizona working on his defense and basically getting to know the folks in the organization. He won’t be a part of Instructs per se, but I imagine he’ll get some time in. The A’s don’t appear to be as aggressive about promoting Wallace as they do Carter but I’m sure that could change depending on what moves the A’s make in the offseason. If Wallace ends up back in Sacramento to start next season, rest assured his time there will be contingent on how long it takes for the A’s medical staff to begin their post-mortem on Eric Chavez.

Adrian Cardenas

AAA Postseason: 10-27, 3 D, 4 BB, 4K (370/452/481)

AA-AAA Total: 530 AB, 44 D, 4 T, 4 HR, 57 BB, 75 K (304/369/425) .348 BABIP

MLE: 548 AB, 36 D, 2 T, 3 HR, 40 BB, 82 K (246/295/336) .285 BABIP

I think Cardenas could easily surpass his MLE next season; the guy seems to be a natural born hitter. The A’s rave about his hitting ability and think 2B is the best fit for him at this time. Given Ellis’ track record for not staying healthy there’s a good chance we’ll see Cardenas in the Green & Gold at some point next season. The 52 extra-base hits are an encouraging sign as heading into the 2009 season his power was heavy on the potential and very little on the applied side of things.

Tyson Ross

AA Postseason: 12.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 19 K (1.49 ERA)

A-AA Total: 155.2 IP, 125 H, 64 ER, 56 BB, 132 K (3.71 ERA, 1.17 WHIP)

Ross was absolutely dominant in the postseason for the RockHounds and he probably has the best stuff of any SP currently pitching in the A’s farm system. (Note the phrasing before you comment!) Consistency is an issue for Ross, but a year from now the A’s might be trying to find room for his power arm.

And once again, thank you for your support.

Minor League Update: 9-15-2009 A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words... I didn't have that much to say

grover — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:14:38 -0000

First, the really cool news.

The Sacramento River Cats and the Midland RockHounds have both advanced to the next round of their respective play-offs. The River Cats are going for their 3rd consecutive PCL crown and what’s great about this season’s squad is that the current roster includes a fair number of high end prospects. Exposing them to the pressures of play-off baseball (even if it’s the minor leagues) can only help their development as ballplayers. The A’s have always believed that winning in the minors is important; as it helps the individual players unite as a team to strive towards a common goal.

Now if only we could get the organization to start winning in Oakland again… that would be a good thing. (Mean? Probably. Honest? Brutally.)

And how well are these wonder prospects doing in a play-off environment? I’ll tell you after the jump… so come on over!

You know you want to.

AAA

Henry Rodriguez: 1.1 IP 0 H 4 BB 2 K 3 ER

Sam Demel: 1.2 IP 3 H 0 BB 3 K 0 ER

Chris Carter: 5-17 4 HR 2 BB 5 K

Adrian Cardenas: 7-15 2 D 3 BB 2 K

Brett Wallace: 5-17 1 T 2 HR 2 BB 1 K

Graham Godfrey: 6.2 IP 1 H 3 BB 5 K 0 ER

Tyson Ross: 6.1 IP 4 H 2 BB 8 K 2 ER

Mickey Storey: 4.2 IP 3 H 0 BB 5 K 0 ER

Jemile Weeks: 4-13 1 HR 2 BB 2 K

Josh Donaldson: 3-16 1 D 2 HR 1 BB 5 K

Matt Spencer: 7-15 2 HR 2 BB 1 K

Corey Brown: 1-8 5 K

Shane Peterson: 3-15 1 D 1 BB 4 K

The numbers pretty much speak for themselves. Chris Carter… he hits ball really far. Ross had maybe his best start in AA and Mickey Storey has been nothing short of sensational this year, pitching for Kane County, Stockton, Midland and Sacramento. He has, amazingly enough, given up only 8 walks while striking out 71 in 51.2 IP.

The A’s are sending/inviting 36 players to Instructs this fall. I’m not going to write up the whole list but the notable names include 2009 draftees Ian Krol, Paul (Haven’t given up a run in the first 25 games of my pro career) Smyth, Josh Leyland, Max Stassi, Conner Crumbliss, Grant Green, Stephen Parker and Myrio Richard. Third rounder Justin Marks might join halfway through if he gets over a groin injury. Other folks of interest include Ben Hornbeck, Brett Hunter, Fautino de los Santos, Anthony Capra, Michael Ynoa, Nino Leyja, Jeremy Barfield, Rubin Rosario and Rashun Dixon.

The Oakland contingent to the AFL has been decided, health permitting. Jemile Weeks, Corey Brown, Grant Desme, Clayton Mortensen, James Simmons, Justin Friend and Sam Demel get to be Desert Dogs this year.

There’s a rumor that the A’s might call up Brett Wallace and Chris Carter after Sacramento’s season ends, but that would mean first putting them on the 40 man roster. It would be a dick move but I could see the A’s releasing Nomar and placing Chris Denorfia on waivers to make room for Carter and Wallace. I’m not particularly attached to Garciaparra but firing the guy with 2 weeks left in the season would be a classless move.

In a recent interview with Scout.com A’s Director of Player Development Keith Lieppman said that the A’s consider 2B to be the best place for Cardenas. He sees Carter at 1B long term and counts Wallace strictly as a 3B. It is what it is, but the A’s seem to be fast tracking Jemile Weeks; if Cardenas is destined for 2B then ultimately wither Weeks? Keep an eye out during the AFL to see if Weeks plays some OF.

And thank you for your support.

Minor League Update, September 1st

grover — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:39:04 -0000

My timing is impeccable.

The morning after the A’s score 8 runs and Chris Carter hits 3 homeruns for the River Cats I come to AN to post a story about how underwhelming the Oakland offense has been and how we can’t expect to see any help from the farm system until July of 2010.

Gosh how I love feeling timely and relevant.

Today’s Minor League Update is my attempt to gauge when the Oakland A’s offense can expect to receive reinforcements from internal sources, i.e. the farm system. My estimates are meant to be conservative, as I don’t want to see players bounced back and forth between Oakland and Sacramento. When I post a player’s ETA it’s meant to be a permanent arrival… until Billy Beane trades him, of course.

Chris Carter: LF; ETA: July, 2010

The A’s have said time and again that once a player has success at AA the possibility of him being called up increases dramatically. The reality with our favorite baseball organization has traditionally been much more conservative, as the A’s under Beane almost never called up a player until he’d seen a fair amount of time in AAA. Then this season happened and Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill, the top pitching prospects in the system, end up on the Opening Day roster with no more than 2 months experience above High-A ball! So we should expect to see the top hitting prospect in next year’s Opening Day line-up… right?

Not so fast. Carter’s AA line of 337/435/576 is oh so pretty, but he’s shown a tendency over the past couple seasons to start slowly. In 2008 he didn’t start hitting until June and this season the power didn’t start flowing until the second half of May, not hitting his 4th home run until May 18. Carter hasn’t exactly taken AAA by storm (OK, clouds were building last night) and I think he’s going to need some time to make a few more adjustments before making the Show. Give him a couple months next year to get his feet under him in AAA and let him make his big league debut when he’s going full tilt.

Brett Wallace: 1B; ETA: June 2010

Brett Wallace is one of the best hitting prospects in the minor leagues, but he’s barely a year out of college and his AAA line of 295/344/444 with 17 doubles and 13 home runs doesn’t exactly scream DOMINATOR. So sure, the A’s could rush him and start him in the Oakland next Opening Day… then probably have to send him down to Sac by early May so he can get his swing figured out. Let’s be proactive here and skip the demotion! I say give him 6 weeks to beat the snot out of AAA pitching and call him up when the rest of the PCL is willing to buy his bus ticket just to get him out of the league.

Adrian Cardenas: 3B; ETA: August 2010

The toughest player for me to guestimate, in large part because his arrival time is at least partly tied to the health (or lack thereof) of Eric Chavez. If Chavez collapses early in 2010 then Wallace will (most likely) get first crack at playing 3B. But if a miracle occurs and we actually see Chavez play again, then Cardenas (the most logical long term successor in the A’s system, even if the A’s themselves seem to be fighting that reality with every freakin’ breath) probably doesn’t see the Show until September, 2010. However, when betting on Eric’s health the smart money is always on the DL, so I’m bumping up Cardenas’ arrival date to August of next year. The only thing that worries me about Cardenas is the lack of power he’s shown thus far, but he’s young and has shown a knack for hitting so the power could still come.

Corey Brown: OF, ETA: September 2010

Call it woman’s intuition or maybe my furry blue coat has fried my brain, but I can see Mr. Brown seeing the bright lights of Oakland a year from today. It could happen even sooner if he has a wildly successful Arizona Fall League stint, segueing into a brilliant AAA debut but his strike out issues and missing half of the 2009 season begs for caution.

Corey Brown has the bat and the defensive chops to handle CF in the Show and who knows how long Rajai Davis can keep this going, but Brown has got to stay healthy and take advantage of his opportunities when they appear.

Others of note: Josh Donaldson does not have the skills to be a starting big league Catcher. His arm is strong but tends to be a bit scatter shot and he allows too many Passed Balls. He does show some solid hitting skills and might have enough versatility to play on the infield corners, making him a valuable bench asset down the line. The A’s seem to be fast tracking Jemile Weeks but he won’t see Oakland until the A’s are unicorn free. Weeks will most likely start next season in AA but I expect the A’s to look for reason to promote him by June. Sean Doolittle is still recovering from his knee injury and the A’s want to see him play Winter Ball. But Wallace’s arrival and Carter’s development pretty much make it RF or bust for Doolittle and he missed a golden opportunity to get his foot in the door this season.

That’s it. And thank you for your support.

(I need a catchier closing line.)

Could it be...? No, it can't be... OMG it really is! It's a Minor League Update!!!

grover — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:00:25 -0000

Hello again.

Work called me away for a while and it’s been tough getting back into the groove of things. For those who don’t know, I’m a wildland fire fighter and August got a little busy for those in my career field. So when I disappear again for a couple weeks just remember… I envy your access to in-door plumbing.

Anyways, I want to focus this week’s minor league update on the 40 man roster and the options that are going to have to be decided upon in the coming months. Why do this now instead of waiting until September 1st? The topic tickles my fancy, that’s why. As I seem to have (once again) misplaced my Cap o’ Omnipotence I’m forced to resort to basic logic and common sense reckoning to try and deduce the future roster.

That’s right… none of what I’m about to tell you is guaranteed!

The way I see it, there are 28-29 spots on the future 40 man roster all but guaranteed. On the pitching side, Brett Anderson, Andrew Bailey, Jerry Blevins, Dallas Braden, Craig Breslow, Trevor Cahill, Joey Devine, Gio Gonzalez, Jeff Gray, Jay Marshall, Vin Mazzaro, Clayton Mortensen, Josh Outman, Henry Rodriguez, Michael Wuertz and Brad Ziegler all seem certain to have jobs in the Oakland organization next year. That’s 16 pitchers of varying combinations of success/cheapness/options that aren’t going to be released just to make room on the roster. (There’s a pretty good chance that Outman will open next season on the 60-day DL, opening up an additional spot on the 40 man.) Santiago Casilla and Edgar Gonzalez are both arbitration eligible next season but neither pitched so well that the A’s are going to be eager to give them big pay raises, which could mean either or both players could end up as trade fodder or possibly even released. Dana Eveland is still on the 40 man roster as well, but his poor performance led to a demotion that will keep him from seeing any arby money next season. Unfortunately, Mr. Eveland’s suckitude forced the A’s to use his last option this season; meaning he can’t be stashed on Sacramento’s roster next season without first passing through waivers. Chances are Eveland isn’t going to be one of the 5 best SP candidates for the A’s come Opening Day 2010 and as a lefty with a pulse he’d probably get snapped up by some other team desperate for pitching. Therefore, I think this is good-bye to Mr. Eveland.

As it just so happens, it looks as if the A’s are going to need maybe 3 openings on the 40 man roster just to protect some arms that should attract a lot of interest in the Rule 5 draft. Pedro Figueroa hasn’t advanced past High-A ball but he’s a lefty with a low-90’s fastball. Brad Kilby is another lefty who’s put up back-to-back quality campaigns in Sacramento’s bullpen. Fautino De Los Santos is still trying to bounce back from 2008 TJ surgery but he wouldn’t last long if the A’s made him available for the Rule 5 draft. Jason Ray is in the same boat but I don’t think there’s much risk of someone grabbing him and keeping him on a 25 man roster all season.

There’s also a chance the A’s might be interested in bringing back Brett Tomko or Justin Duchscherer next season. Dan Giese should be fully recovered in time for next season; maybe the A’s are still interested in him as a swing man type. Plus, guys like Sam Demel and James Simmons could be knocking on the door next season and they’d need a spot on the 40 man to do so. Like I said, I could see 3-4 spots going to the guys I just listed and we haven’t even looked outside the organization to find help.

The hitting side of things is even more in flux.

Kurt Suzuki, Landon Powell, Eric Chavez (who?) Mark Ellis, Daric Barton, Travis Buck, Aaron Cunningham, Rajai Davis, Scott Hairston, Ryan Sweeney, Jack Cust, Tommy Everidge, Cliff Pennington and Gregorio Petit have spots on the 40 man roster. (Although I’m not sure if Petit has another minor league option available to him in 2010… if someone has a conclusive answer I’d appreciate hearing it.) C Anthony Recker is the most prominent bat in the A’s system that would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter and I’m not sure if the A’s would consider his departure to be a great loss. So any Recker fans out there can protect him on their 40 man lists, but I’m thinking the A’s leave him off the protected roster. Chris Denorfia and Eric Patterson are both out of options, so if they aren’t in Oakland come Opening Day there’s a good chance they’ll be playing for another organization in 2010. I can maybe see Patterson as a back-up at 2B and in the outfield but I’ve got to squint and angle my head to one side to see it. I think it’s more likely that the A’s will try to bring back Adam Kennedy to serve as a deluxe back-up option/veteran mentor type.

The real twist comes when you consider the minor league bats that the A’s have in AA or higher that aren’t yet on the 40 man roster. Sean Doolittle, Adrian Cardenas, Josh Donaldson, Corey Brown, Chris Carter and Brett Wallace highlight the next wave of Oakland offense… which could be much more refreshing than the current ripple in the still waters we’ve experienced as of late. Yet again we haven’t looked outside the current organization to determine if maybe there’s another bat to be had.

So bring back Kennedy, add the newbies and you’re looking at 38-39 players on the 40 man roster before the Rule 5 draft. Does anyone see any glaring omissions?

Until the next time...

Monday's Minor League Report: Is It Moving Day Yet?

grover — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:45:08 -0000

The short season leagues begin in the coming week and that will probably lead to some roster shuffling among the full season affiliates. This week I've decided to try my hand at anticipating some of those moves. Its not just about identifying the guys who are performing well at a lower level, I need to make sure there's room for them in their new digs.

Oh, before I forget, Mark Ellis has begun his re-hab assignment tonight with the Stockton Ports. He's playing 2B, with Jemile Weeks serving as the DH. (Update: Ellis went 0-2 with a BB.)

I guess I should start with the obvious names... last word is the A's expect Rashun Dixon and Nino Leyja to play for the Vancouver Canadians when the NWL starts on June 20. Fautino de los Santos had a minor slow down in his recovery from 2008 TJ surgery, nothing to be alarmed about but it will delay him getting into games until July. No news seems to be good news regarding Inoa and his elbow; he probably won't see the Arizona Rookie League until mid-July at the earliest. The A's haven't signed any of their 2009 draft class.

I don't have any info on who's doing well in extended Spring Training, so I can't really predict who might be headed to Kane County if and when some space opens up. But I do have a good idea about who might be making the jump from Kane County to Stockton.

The Stockton Ports are currently carrying 23 active players on their roster, plus a re-habbing Mark Ellis. With only 10 position players on the team, it makes sense that Grant Desme and Dusty Coleman head west to seek their fame and fortune. Desme was Oakland's 2nd round pick back in 2007 out of Cal Poly but he's been hurt since before the A's drafted him. His numbers aren't superlative, and his 18/75 BB/K rate in 235 at bats is downright worrisome but the A's need to be aggressive in his promotions to try and get him caught up. He played mostly CF for the Cougars but has the arm for RF, which is probably where he'll see most of his time in Stockton.

I'm probably being too aggressive with the call on Coleman, but I have this hunch that Jemile Weeks is east bound and down before too long and the Ports would need another middle infielder. The safe play might be to demote Larry Cobb from AAA back to High-A, but I'd prefer to see upward movement in the prospect ranks whenever possible. If/when Weeks does leave for Midland I could see the organization move current Ports SS Michael Richard to the right side of the infield, making room for the top SS prospect currently signed and in the A's system.

Desme and Coleman aren't the only two that I see heading out to Stockton. Kenny Smalley and Mickey Storey have been down right dominant in the Cougars' rotation and bullpen, respectively. The Ports need all kind of help, and an infusion of talent from the mid-west would be exactly what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, adding all four players would require someone on the Ports roster (because Weeks is headed to Midland) to be waived or demoted. My guess is Nick Walters would be saying good-bye.

Midland also has 23 actives on the roster and with Adrian Cardenas seeing time at 3B they're forced to rely on Michael Affronti to man 2B when Cardenas is busy.

Who?

Michael Affronti.

Let me be the first to acknowledge that Mr. Affronti is a much better baseball player than I am, but he's not much of a prospect.

So if Weeks is moving to Midland, does that mean Cardenas is headed back to Sacramento? Doubtful, I think. It makes more sense (to me, anyways) to keep Cardenas in a comfortable hitting environment while he adjusts to the defensive demands of 3B. Chris Carter might get a promotion to AAA, but as of now it strikes me as a coin flip chance. The 296/397/500 certainly supports a promotion but dropping from 39 HR to 9 HR by mid-June has got to be a little worrisome to management. It is obvious that Carter has made some adjustments to his approach this season; do the A's ask him to make another change and go for more power? And if they do that shouldn't they leave him in AA, in a league he already knows to help better another transition? Of course, getting a (presumably) successful half season in AAA would go a long way in determining if Carter could be ready for Oakland come next season.

So I'm actually going to flip a coin to make this call... Heads he stays in AA, Tails he gets promoted...

Tails it is! Carter's headed for Sac.

TotalZone on Second Base Prospects

erik — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:00:11 -0000

Rally and Sackmann (sounds like a detective show) have given us TotalZone stats for minor leaguers, which can be found at position players' pages at Minor League Splits. Sackmann provided the data, Rally created TotalZone, which he has long used with major league players. For a full explanation on how reliable these stats and how they translate to the majors, you can read here. Over the past couple of days we've looked at shortstops and center fielders, this time we'll check out the keystoners.

Charted below are the consensus top second baseman in the minors. Just a quick word about this class: It's quite weak.

	Org.	Age	Level	Outs	Chances	Runs	Runs/150
Adrian Cardenas	OAK	20	A+	120	168	0	0
Matt Antonelli	SDP	23	AAA	240	345	-6	-8
Chris Coghlan	FL	23	AAA	252	338	9	12
Luis Valbuena	CLE	22	AA	155	205	7	15
Nick Noonan	SFG	19	A	262	382	-3	-4
Shelby Ford	PIT	23	AA	155	224	-3	-6
Eric Sogard	SDP	22	A+	286	411	2	2
Eric Young Jr.	COL	23	AA	230	305	11	16
Johnny Giavotella	KC	20	A	133	186	3	7
Brad Emaus	TOR	22	A+	216	308	-2	-3
Travis Denker	SDP	22	AAA	128	166	6	16
Ryan Mount	LAA	21	A+	184	272	-3	-5
Jacob Smolinski	WAS	19	A	117	160	3	8
John Tolisano	TOR	19	A	234	350	-6	-8
Tony Thomas Jr.	CHC	21	A+	249	317	19	27

After the trade to Oakland, Adrian Cardenas played more games at shortstop than at second. In his career he has a -3 at SS and -5 at 2B. He's a middle infielder, but at which position is yet to be determined.
Matt Antonelli went from being "can't miss" to "swing and a miss", as he got all out of sorts with his swing in AAA last year. He still has a patient approach and he believes he pinpointed the problems with his swing, so he may reassert himself into top prospect status. He played third in college but has converted to second, and hasn't really adjusted, posting a -17 over three seasons in the minors.
Chris Coghlan may be flying under the radar. He's not a real power threat, but he can hit. In his last two seasons, he has wOBA+'s of 122 and 112. This was his first season where his defense is a plus.
Luis Valbuena came to Cleveland from Seattle in that three team, 12-player swap that included J.J. Putz. He posted a .380 OBP last season between AA and AAA, and is a pretty nifty defender, with +43 runs through '05-'08. Asdrubal Cabrera should start looking over his shoulder.
E-Yo 2.0 looks like a carbon copy of E-Yo 1.0 - A speedy, small ball type of player that can reach base at a reasonable clip. His scouting report says that defense is his biggest challenge, but the numbers disagree, he's a +21 defender over '05-'08 and had his best season in '08. The Rockies seem intent to move him to CF, which looks like a mistake, but his future is as a utility player, so having him play some infield and outfield won't hurt him. I look forward to seeing Jr. on Baseball Tonight some time in the 2020's.
Tony Thomas Jr. had the best TZ of any 2B last season and is an interesting sleeper. He was an outstanding hitter in college in and short-season ball last year, but struggled to find his stroke last year in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. If he could just be close to average with that bat, he ought to be a nice asset. CHONE projects he'd be a +1 win defender per 150 games in the big leagues this year.

February 25, 2009 - Wednesday Phillies Breakfast Links

WholeCamels — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:58:31 -0000

First game of spring! Check out Bucs Dugout for more coverage. How to watch/listen.

Bill Conlin's All-Time Phillies Punk Team. Some interesting selections on there...

Updates for Josh Outman and Adrian Cardenas, dealt to Oakland last summer for World Series slugging icon Joe Blanton...

Meanwhile, Blanton reminisces on his homer heroics. I was at that game and have never experienced a more joyful "What the hell just happened?!" sports moment in my life.

Harry Kalas set to return to the booth after medical procedure. Get well, Harry!

John Kruk slams the sport for ignoring cheaters. Um, that clubhouse in 1993...

Mike Schmidt is getting into Anthony Hewitt's business. This seemed to work so well for Pat Burrell.

The Fightins continues its Top 11 2008 Regular Season moments. Today: Number 10.

Billy Beane luvs speedy 2Bs

Adam J. Morris — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:27:23 -0000

So, yeah...remember when Jon Daniels seemed to be collecting catchers?

Billy Beane seems to be doing the same thing with speedy second basemen.

He traded Matt Murton for Corey Wimberly today (and by the way...anyone still want to trade Marlon Byrd for Murton straight up?). Wimberly's stats can be found here. Zero power, draws a few walks, but his calling card is that he's stolen 181 bases in 354 career games as a pro.

The Rich Harden deal, which brought Murton to Oakland in the first place, also brought to Oakland second baseman Eric Patterson. He's a second baseman (and outfielder) who doesn't really walk much, and who has a little power, with a couple of 40+ steal seasons in the lower minors and 29 steals against 3 CSs between AAA and the majors in 2008.

The A's first round draft pick this past year -- and a guy they supposedly targeted in the draft -- was Jemile Weeks, a speedy, athletic college second baseman who is terrific on the basepaths.

And the Joe Blanton trade brought to Oakland Adrian Cardenas, a second baseman who doesn't necessarily have the speed or athleticism of the other guys I've listed, but who is nonetheless considered a quality basestealer.

It makes you wonder...is this coincidence?

I've said before that defense is the new OBP, and every around the league seems to be jumping on that bandwagon...is speed now the new defense?