SB Nation - Eduardo Morlan

The Rays Must Add Jeremy Hellickson and Desmond Jennings to 40-Man Roster by Early December

R.J. Anderson — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:21:05 -0000

H/T to Brickhaus for the idea.

For those unaware, the Rule 5 draft is basically MLB's way of preventing talent hoarding, here are the rules associated with eligiblity:

After 4 or 5 years as a professional, a player must be added to his club's 40-man roster or exposed to the 29 other clubs in the Rule 5 draft. (A club has 5 years to evaluate a player who signs his first pro contract at 18 years old or younger, but only 4 years to decide on a player who signs at age 19.) For purposes of calculating years as a pro, the counting begins the day a player signs his first pro contract, not the season he begins to play.

So, who do the Rays have that fit those requirements?

Desmond Jennings
Jeremy Hellickson
Aneury Rodriguez
Ryan Royster
Chris Nowak
Eduardo Morlan
Nevin Ashley
Ryan Reid

The first two are givens, after that I doubt any of them are added to the 40-man besides Rodriguez. Maybe Reid if the Rays really like him, otherwise it seems unlikely he gets a spot or can stick in the majors next year -- remember, selected players must spend the year on their new team's 25-man roster or otherwise be offered back to the original team.

Alex Cobb and Alexander Torres top the list of guys eligible next year.

For more information on the Rule 5 draft, read this piece by the fantastic Alan Schwarz.

An Update on AA Montgomery Pitching

FreeZorilla — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:38:35 -0000

The Rays have an abundance of pitching talent in the minor leagues. AAA Durham features World Series starter Andy Sonnanstine, top pitching prospect Wade Davis, and the recently promoted Jeremy "Narwhal" Hellickson. The A Bowling Green Hot Rods have the very promising Matt Moore, Nick Barnese, and Joe Cruz. A+ Charlotte has featured some of the best pitching in the Florida State League with Darin Downs, Alex Cobb, and David Newmann. AA Montgomery has become the red-headed stepchild of the Rays organization since the recent Hellickson and Desmond Jennings promotions. So who is in Montgomery and how are they doing?

Totals	Thr	Age	S/R	Pitches	Sw Strk%	GO/AO	FIP	K/BB
Rayner Oliveros	R	23	B	682	12.3%	0.96	3.36	2.86
Paul Phillips	R	25	R	373	12.3%	0.80	2.12	3.13
Eduardo Morlan	R	23	R	799	11.9%	0.54	4.56	2.14
Brian Baker	R	26	B	1361	11.0%	0.83	3.95	2.39
Aneury Rodriguez	R	21	S	1809	10.3%	0.62	5.10	1.73
Mike Wlodarczyk	L	26	B	813	9.8%	0.89	4.12	1.35
Ryan Morse	L	26	B	1026	9.5%	0.90	5.38	1.03
Matt Gorgen	R	22	R	138	9.4%	0.33	5.88	1.00
Brandon Mann	L	25	S	1286	9.2%	0.88	4.09	1.56
Neil Frontz	R	25	R	898	8.4%	1.14	4.42	1.76
Ryan Reid	R	24	R	680	8.4%	1.29	4.32	1.39
Heath Rollins	R	24	S	1851	7.8%	1.26	3.72	2.31

Analysis After the Jump:

-Heath Rollins has been a bit of a letdown in 2009. Rollins was listed as the #15 organization prospect by Baseball America and the number 8 pitching prospect by RaysProspect to being 2009. Rollins tRA sits at 4.60, just shy of the league average 4.67. He has done a nice job inducing ground balls but his strikeout rate has fallen from 21.34% in A+ ball to 14.07% in AA. Last year he had a cup of coffee in Montgomery which also was north of 20%. Rollins induces a team low 7.8% swinging strikes.

-Eduardo Morlan is a fireballer that came to the Rays from the Twins along with a couple other guys named Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza. Morlan posted a K/9 of 12.69 in A+ ball with the Twins. His 2008 season with the Biscuits was hampered with shoulder issues as his K/9 dropped to 8.62. There is some good news on Morlan beyond his seasonal numbers. His K/9 monthly splits from April to July go: 5.4, 7.3, 9.19, 10.45. His April and May swinging strike % was 9.7%. For June and July that number jumps to a sexy 14.2%. It seems as though Morlan's thunder may be coming back.

-Young Aneury Rodriguez came from the Rockies in the deal that sent off Jason Hammel. Rodriguez struggled early but has been come on strong the past month. He is a flyball pitcher who was dealing with some control issues. His monthly BB/9 splits however are: 6.4, 5.5, 3.3, 2.3. Rodriguez has allowed just 1 Earned Run in his past 26.1 IP. His future seems to be growing brighter by the day.

-Matt Gorgen was recently promoted to Montgomery after absolutely dominating in Charlotte. He is off to a somewhat rough start as his BB/9 has jumped from 3.02 to 5.69 while his K/9 has fallen from 11.1 to 5.7. There are high hopes around here for Gorgen, so keep an eye to see if he can finish the year strong. Keep in mind he was in Hudson Valley at this time last year.

-Two Rays reclamation projects of former prospects of other organizations sit at the of the leader board in Swinging Strike % at 12.3%. Paul Phillips and Rayner Oliveros were recently profiled here. Oliveros doesn't fastball does not make it into the 90's so he is inducing the whiffs with some good movement. Phillips is more of a power pitcher. Oliveros generates a nice amount of ground balls.

-Two starter/relievers, Oliveros and Baker induce noteworthy swinging strike rates out of the pen. Baker sits at 13.1% in relief while Oliveros is at 14.5%. In 23 innings of relief Oliveros has a FIP of 2.39 while Baker sits at 2.61.

Behind the Prospects

FreeZorilla — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:00:08 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

Browse more photos »

Every season and every draft we get very excited about our prospects. Obviously, its somewhat a crap shoot trying to figure out who will pan out and who will not. Who will make it through the farm system unscathed by injury? What level will some of these prospects fizzle out? Let's take a fun look at BaseballAmerica's 2008 top 31 Rays prospect list.

Evan Longoria graduated from the list and has fully integrated himself as one of the best players in the majors. Other players reappeared on the 2009 list and have offered contributions to the major league club such as David Price, Jeff Niemann, and Reid Brignac.

The following names also reappear on the 2009 prospects and remain in the farm system: Wade Davis, Jake McGee, Desmond Jennings, Nick Barnese, Jeremy Hellickson, John Jaso, Fernando Perez, Heath Rollins, Mitch Talbot, Alex Cobb, Ryan Royster, and Justin Ruggiano.

Aside from the 2008 draftees, other names have played themselves onto the 2009 prospct list. These names are: Matt Moore, Albert Suarez, Reid Fronk, Chris Luck, Joseph Cruz, Alexander Colome, Kyeong Kang, Shawn O'Malley, and Mayo Acosta.

So what happened to the other fifteen names that disappeared from 2008's Top 31 list. Sit back, as DRB presents Behind the Prospect.

Chris Mason

The Buildup: In 2007, then 23 year old RHP Chris Mason went 15-4 with a 2.57 ERA in AA ball with a FIP of 3.10 earning him the #10 Rays prospect slot from BaseballAmerica.

The Prospect: Things did not go so well for Mason, as he went 3-10 for Durham in 2008 with a FIP of 5.09. This was driven by an increase in HR/9 from .39 to 1.57.

Where is he now? Mason in back in AA ball with the Rays struggling to regain his 2007 form. His K/9 is at 5.02 down from 7.59 in 2007. He is FIPping 4.32. He made a spot start in Durham earlier this year with largely the same results as last year giving up 8 hits and 4 runs in 4 innings including a HR.

Glenn Gibson

The Buildup: The Rays traded Elijah Dukes for a former 4^th rd southpaw in the Nationals organization, Glenn Gibson. Gibson had posted FIPs of .87 and 2.75 in A- ball prior to being acquired. His K/9 of 9 earned him the #11 Prospect position in 2008.

The Prospect: While still playing in A- ball, Gibson saw his BB/9 rise from 2.33 to 5.82. In 22 games in class A, he 4-8 with a 7.22 ERA for Columbus. His FIP was 5.58.

Where is he now? Gibson will once again find himself in A- ball, trying to reestablish himself with the Hudson Valley Renegades.

Juan Salas

The Buildup: In 2007, The Juice took the Durham Bulls by storm with a K/9 of 12.46 and a FIP of 1.47. He pitched most of 2007 with the big league club pitching in 35 games which proved to be a rough go around. His K/9 fell to 6.44 with K:BB of 1.53. Nonetheless he was listed as the #12 prospect in 2008.

The Prospect: In 2008, he was once again excellent in Durham striking out over 10 per 9 with a K/BB of 4.82. His FIP was an attractive 2.28. He finished the year with the Rays pitching 6.1 innings striking out 8 while walking 4.

Where is he now? The Rays traded Salas in February for minor league infielder Isiaias Valasquez. The Indians released Salas in May. Salas was a converted third baseman who had issues with a falsified birth certificate and a PED suspension. In 2008, he had seizure issues and a visa problem.

Eduardo Morlan

The Buildup: Morlan, a RHP, was selected by the Twins in the 3^rd rd of the 2004 amateur draft. Morlan was a stud on the Minnesota farm system tearing up A and A+ ball with FIPs of 2.80 and 2.65 along with K/9s of 10.58 and 12.61 in 2006-07. He was included in the deal that brought over a head case named Matt Garza and an error prone shortstop named Jason Bartlett. Morlan, along with his near 100 MPH fastball, was named the #15 prospect in the Rays organization.

The Prospect: Morlan battled shoulder issues that shut him down for most of the first half of 2008 in Montgomery. He finished the season with a 3.80 FIP but his K/9 were greatly reduced from 12.61 to 8.62.

Where is he now? Morlan was chosen by the Brewers in the 2008 Rule 5 draft. However, he was designated for assignment in Spring Training and returned to the Rays. He is once again pitching for Montgomery with a FIP to date of 4.02 while his K/9 is down to 8.15.

Josh Butler

The Buildup: The RHP was a 2^nd round selection in 2006 draft out of the University of San Diego. He fared well through A- and A ball before slowing down the second half of 2007 after being boosted to A+ ball. He was promising enough to earn Baseball America's #16 prospect ranking.

The Prospect: Butler made 3 starts for the Rays in A+ in 2008 posting a FIP of 4.02 and striking out 5.29/9. He was then traded to Milwaukee for Gabe Gross, a key cog in the Rays 2008 AL Championship run. Butler went on to struggle in A+ ball for Milwaukee with a FIP of 5.07. He struggled with his control as his walk rate climbed to 4.37/9.

Where is he now? Butler has had a solid year for the Brewers. He has made 9 stats in A+ ball, 1 start at AA, and 3 starts at AAA. In double A and triple A combined he has struck out 21 batters in 21 innings while walking just 2. His FIPs are 3.53/2.20/3.53 from A+ to AAA in 2009.

James Houser

The Buildup: Houser was drafted in the 2^nd round of the 2003 draft out of Sarasota High School. BaseballAmerica immediately named the southpaw the #4 prospect in the organization. Houser began his ascension through the farm system one year at a time from 2005-07 going from A ball to AA in Montgomery. In Montgomery, the still 22 year old Houser posted a FIP of 3.99. Following 2007, he was ranked as the #18 prospect.

The Prospect: Houser stuck around in AA and took a step backwards as his K/9 fell from 7.81 to 7.25 while his BB/9 rose from 3.39 to 3.82.

Where is he now? Despite the setback , Houser was promoted to Durham where he has really struggled. In 12 starts his BB/9 has increased up to 6.43 while his K/9 is down to 5.3. His FIP is 6.11.

Matt Walker

The Buildup: Walker was the Ray's 1th round pick in 2004. He got off to a very fast start at Princeton for an 18 year old striking posting a K/9 of 10.8 and a 2.64 FIP. The right hander with a big curveball struggled somewhat with control in 2006 with a K:BB of 1.66 at A Ball. In 2007 at the A+ level Walker declined greatly walking 7.71/9 innings. During the same year, his best friend was killed in a house fire. Still, Walker was young and earned the #20 prospect ranking for 2008.

The Prospect: Walker continued to struggle with his control in a repeat of A+ ball walking 6.35/9 while FIPping 5.43 before he was suspended for 50 games for amphetamines.

Where is he Now? Walker was released by the Rays in May and has not been picked up by another team.

Mike McCormick

The Buildup: McCormick, a catcher was selected out of high school in the 5th round of the 2005 draft. McCormick had a solid season in rookie ball for a high schooler putting up a slash of .252/.339/.441. In 2006, also at Princeton, the right hander improved his OPS to .864. IN 2007 he converted from 3B to catcher at Hudson Valley where he continued to mash with an OPS of .821 with 8 HR. He was named as a representative in the NY-Penn League's all star game. BA selected McCormick as their #21 prospect in 2008.

The Prospect: McCormick slowed down in A Ball with a slash line of .216/.276/.365 with 13 HR. He struggled mightily against left handed pitching OPSing just .536.

Where is he now?: McCormick is in Bowling Green in Class A where his numbers have continued to decline. He is OPSing just .511 on the season with a K% north or 30%.

Will Kline

The Buildup: Will Kline was drafted with the first pick in the 2nd round of the 2007 draft out of Ole Miss. The right handed pitcher had already undergone a Tommy John surgery but recovered to have a successful college career. Kline had a fair debut in A ball with a FIP of 4.37 with a K/9 of 8.38. BA listed him as the #23 prospect for 2008.

The Prospect: Kline missed all of 2008 with a shoulder injury which was his second major surgery on his throwing arm. It is unclear how he will recover.

Where is He Now? raysprospects.com believes Kline will either make his return with Bowling Green or Charlotte.

Wade Townsend

The Buildup: Townsend was the Rays first round selection in 2005 out of Rice University. The right hander had been selected 8th overall in 0-4 by the Orioles but instead returned to Rice. Townsend struggled as a 22 year old in Hudson Valley mostly with velocity and control as he walked 5.36/9. His FIP came out to 5.17.Townsend was forced to miss all of the 2006 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He made his return in 2007 in A ball where he posted a FIP of 5.39. His numbers were pretty poor but his draft stock still left him at BA's #24 prospect.

The Prospect: Townsend began the year in AA with Montgomery where his struggles were much worse. His FIP rose to 6.82 allowing 17 walks and 17 strikeouts in 23.2 innings. He also was tagged for 5 home runs. He quickly was demoted to A+ ball where he did post a more respectable but not buzz worthy 4.69. Townsend underwent shoulder surgery in the Fall and is expected to miss all of 2009.

Where is He Now? Townsend is expected to miss all of 2009. Wikipedia actually has Townsend retiring on today's day of June 23. 2009 though I have been unable to confirm it.

Nevin Ashley

The buildup: Ashley was selected in the 6th round of the 2006 draft. The right handed hitting catcher tore up rookie ball with a slash of .333/.440/.477 with 4 HR. He also threw out 12 of 23 base stealers. In 2007, Ashley found himself in A ball where he went for .280/.354/.431 with 12 HR and 20 steals. Ashley was named as a South Atlantic all star representative. He was named as the #26 prospect by BA.

The Prospect: Ashley began to slow down in 2008 at A+ ball where he batted .235/.348./315. He did walk a very nice 13% of appearances but his slugging disappeared.

Where is he Now? Ashley began the year in Charlotte in A+ ball batting .212/,293/.314. He was nonetheless named to the All Star team. However he was promoted to AA Montgomery before the All Star Game. To date in Montgomery he is batting .132/.313/.158. Ashley was been slow to prove he can provide slugging at the advanced levels of the minor leagues. He has also struck out in 12 of his first 35 at-bats in AA.

Rhyne Hughes

The Buildup: The 1B Hughes was selected in the 8th round out of community college in the 2004 draft. The left hander performed well in 2005 in Hudson Valley putting up a slash of .279/.335/.470 with 8 HR. In 2006 at A ball Hughes hit for a disappointing .231/.294/.321 with only 3 HR. He would really develop in 2007 playing most of the year at A+ Vero Beach going for .331/.392/.516 with 12 HR. Hughes won the batting title and was named the FSL's best defensive 1st baseman by BaseballAmerica. Hughes had a cup of coffee in August at Montgomery in AA OPSing .804. He was named BA's #28 prospect for 2008.

The Prospect: Hughes played all of 2008 at Montgomery posting a slash of.268/.356/.448 with 14 HR. His K% rose to 28.4%. All in all pretty respectable stuff. However, split became a factor as Hughes batted only .165 with an OPS of .622 vs LHP.

Where is he now? Hughes once again remained in Montgomery to begin the year, but he took the league by storm forcing a promotion to Durham. He posted a .260/.351/.521. His OPS vs lefties improved to .712. He led the Southern League in HR at the time of his promotion with 15. He has handled the promotion well going .288/.327/.500 since being called up. Hughes K% did climb in AA to 35.4%, but he has it back down to 24.5% in Durham. Hughes still deserves the prospect label.

Joel Guzman

The Buildup: Guzman arrived as the headliner in a package deal for Julio Lugo. Guzman is a large 3B standing 6'6 250 Lbs. The former international free agent played at Durham in 2007 hitting .243/.281/.308 with 16 HR. Guzman was a free swinger with a BB% of 5.3% and a K% of 28.3%. He had a 16 game call up with the big league club where he OPSed .660. BA named him the #29 prospect.

The Prospect: Guzman played all of 2008 in Durham where he did OPS .714 while hitting 2o HR.

Where is he now? Guzman was signed away as a free agent by the Nationals. He began the year in AAA where he OPSed a beastly .293 in 12 games before being demoted to AA. He has done well in AA OPSing .774 while getting his K% all the way down to 14.6% when it has been in the mid-20s all of his career.

D.J. Jones

The Buildup: Jones was a toolsy high schooler from Alabama selected in the 11th round of the 2007 draft. Based on his tools, he was named BA's #30 prospect in the Rays organization.

The Prospect: Jones was 21 on opening day for Princeton in 2008. His overall slash was extremely mediocre at .229/.297/.306. He did fare much better in his 25 at-bats vs left handed pitching OPSing .810. His struggles vs the righties is a bit surprising given that he is a lefty.

Where is he now: Jones season just got underway in Hudson Valley. To date, he is 1-6 with 3 Ks.

David Newmann

The Buildup: Newmann, a 6'2 lefty, was selected in the fourth round of the 2007 draft out of Texas A&M. He had missed all of 2006 with Tommy John surgery at A&M, but rebounded to go 11-1 with a 2.98 ERA as a senior. Newmann was named the #31 prospect in 2008 by BA.

The Prospect: Tough luck Newmann tore a knee ligament in Spring Training and missed the entire season.

Where is he now? Tomorrow Newmann will turn 24. He has pitched extremely well for Charlotte this season in A+ ball and has put himself back on the prospect map. He is FIPping 2.94 with 65 strikeouts in 61.2 innings while allowing 23 walks. He is inducing an attractive 61% ground balls. Unfortunately, Newmann went on the 7 day disabled list last week with a finger injury. He is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Derek Rodriguez Sent Back To Chicago White Sox

Tommy Rancel — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:12:26 -0000

Less than a week after getting back their own Rule 5 draft pick, the Rays have sent Derek Rodriguez back to the White Sox. The Rays will get back $25,000 of the $50,000 they sent to the White Sox when they selected Rodriguez. Basically, with Morlan back and Rodriguez going to Chicago the money spent/received is a wash.

If you remember back on Wednesday, I had speculated there would only be room for one pitcher and hoped that Morlan would be that pitcher. Not that Morlan is anything special at this point, but his upside is higher than Rodriguez and he is also three years younger. Morlan also doesn't take up a 40 man roster spot, where as Rodriguez did.

This is probably the most important part of the transaction. If the Rays are going to keep Adam Kennedy, Jason Isringhausen or any other NRI, they are going to have to place them on the 40 man roster. This open up one spot with two other potential spots opening up should the Rays choose to place Chad Bradford and Fernando Perez on the 60 day DL to start the season.

There was a slight chance Rodriguez could've made the club back when he was selected, but the signing of better options as well as a very unimpressive spring(0-0, 7.50 ERA in six games) closed what ever little window of opportunity that was there. Good luck, Mr. Rodriguez, we barely got to know you.

Friday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:48:46 -0000

Some things to read while not watching soccer.

So, a quick stroll through Rumorville this morning revealed that there's renewed buzz around Mike Cameron, with the Yankees once again rumored to be seeking his services. Tom H. says nothing is imminent right now. Hopefully that'll be the end of it.

Of course, it's also possible Melvin has been too busy to answer the phone: Yesterday he was unable to work out a trade so Eduardo Morlan has been returned to the Rays. (Also noted in FanShot)

He also had to evaluate new Brewer Wes Littleton, who pitched a 1-2-3 inning in his debut. He's probably not the first Brewer to say something like this about his new surroundings:

As for those familiar faces, there were non-roster outfielder Jason Bourgeois and pitcher Sam Narron, who have neighboring lockers and were once teammates of Littleton in the Rangers' farm system.

Or he could just be holding his breath as Ryan Braun tests out his sore intercostal muscle to see if he can take batting practice and/or play in the WBC semifinals. The Brewers get to make the final call, so don't be surprised if Braun is held out.

This one probably didn't take too much time, but I'd assume there was also some paperwork involved in returning Lorenzo Cain, Jonathan Lucroy and Scott Thorman to minor league camp.

Melvin may not have had time to talk to Ken Macha about his decision to try Jason Kendall in the leadoff spot. (Also noted in FanShot) Yes, Kendall takes some pitches and will draw a walk, but Two-Fisted Slopper notes that Weeks actually did both of those things better than Kendall in 2008. The Book blog has another conversation starter on whether any of this matters all that much.

Also, further down in that Journal Sentinel story is a note on Tony Gwynn, who is expected to play in the field for the first time on Saturday. Don't read too much into it, but there may be a note in there about who Macha likes among his outfield candidates:

The other thing is there are two (reserve) outfield spots. You've got four guys there: Nelson, (Trot) Nixon and the other two guys.

Speaking of Nixon, thanks to TheJay for spotting this note on his number change:

Former Tribe outfielder Trot Nixon has an uphill fight to make the Brewers' roster and thought he needed an edge.

Nixon wore No. 3 on the back of his uniform then abruptly changed to 93.

"I'm just trying to shake things up," he said.

Visual evidence of yesterday's game:

A ball snuck through the infield while J.J. Hardy was working on his belly flop.
Mike Cameron and a guy who should really put a shirt on both chase a fly ball - Cameron wins.
Cameron also did his best to break up a double play.
Was Prince Fielder congratulating Corey Hart for yet another spring training home run, or for reaching first base on his knees? We may never know.

After a tumultuous few seasons, it sounds like things have finally settled down in Nashville, with the Sounds getting new ownership and spending $2.5 million renovating Greer Stadium with the hopes of repairing a relationship with the city and fans that has been allowed to deteriorate.

Elsewhere in the minors, former Brewer Callix Crabbe and current farmhands Zelous Wheeler and Maverick Lasker are among the 64 players invited to MLB.com's Moniker Madness tournament.

In other camps:

Dodgers: Released Yhency Brazoban.
Giants: Are reportedly in the market for a backup catcher and relief pitching.
Indians: Former top prospect Adam Miller may require surgery to regain movement in his right middle finger, and could miss the entire 2009 season.
Mets: Have reportedly made an offer to Pedro Martinez.
White Sox: May be scouring the trade market looking for a proven center fielder.

Could the Brewers lose a divisional rival in Arizona? Jealous of new facilities built for the White Sox and Dodgers, the Cubs are threatening to leave Mesa if the city doesn't improve HoHoKam park. Sarasota, Florida is being named as an option.

Of course, when you train in Arizona you get spoiled sometimes, with so many things you don't have to worry about anymore. The Rays training complex in Florida, for example, has wild boars roaming the facility at night.

Being generous is a good thing. Forcing generosity onto others is a different problem: Apparently the Dodgers have decided that all new contracts must include a donation to the Dodgers Dream Foundation. Frank McCourt has set himself up for a bunch of $1 donations.

Last year, the Padres were bad. This year, the Padres may also be bad, but Geoff Young says they'll at least be bad in an interesting way.

Oh, and if you're lobbying at the Capitol and you want to have any kind of success, you probably shouldn't snatch wallets while you're there.

Drink up.

Crisis Adverted: Eduardo Morlan Returns

R.J. Anderson — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:54:03 -0000

Per Marc Lancaster.

Reportedly Morlan had lost velocity and gained pounds, a tried and true method towards developing a bust and becoming one too. Tommy talked Morlan in depth more yesterday. I'm certainly fine with adding another high strikeout reliever to the fold. Hopefully the conditioning and velocity issues don't become a constant, because by any measure Morlan performed fair enough in Montgomery and should start the season in Durham with a chance at cracking the major league bullpen sometime during the season.

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:11:11 -0000

Some things to read while having that dream again.

Coming off an outing yesterday that saw him give up two home runs in an inning and a third, Carlos Villanueva has been called out by management and needs to have a couple of good outings yet this spring to secure his role as Trevor Hoffman's primary set-up man. PocketDoppler thought the timing was a little odd, but isn't reading too much into it.

While the first home run off of Villanueva (hit by Ryan Rohlinger) was inside-the-park, it bounced off a 35 foot high wall 435 feet from home plate, so odds are it would have been a home run in most parks. The second one actually cleared the same fence, which hadn't been done in over a dozen years. Jesus Guzman, who hit the shot, says he'd never hit a ball that far in his life.

Meanwhile, the Brewers made a roster move for the third straight day, claiming reliever Wes Littleton off waivers from the Red Sox and designating Eduardo Morlan for assignment to make room on the roster. (h/t FanShot) The Brewers have until Thursday to work out a deal to keep Morlan or offer him back to Tampa for $25,000, and while the Rays are taking their time to think it over, I can't imagine them deciding to let the Brewers keep a young, talented prospect without getting anything in return.

By the end of spring, the Brewers' trainers will be experts in treating torso injuries: Trevor Hoffman is the latest Brewer to miss time with an oblique strain. (Also noted in FanShot) It's not expected to be serious, and team officials aren't concerned about it affecting Hoffman's preparations for the season. The injury did, however, give Hoffman more time to talk to Scott Miller of CBS Sports about his new home and taking one bite out of entire plates of donuts.

Yes, if you're scoring at home, we've now established that Trevor Hoffman eats two things: donuts and worms.

The outbreak of ribcage injuries in Brewer camp has led Big League Stew to wonder if the McRib should compete in the 2009 Sausage Race.

Finally, Angel Salome is now sidelined indefinitely with back spasms after being removed from Saturday's game. One would have to assume the Brewers will take it slow with his rehab this time, seeing as it's the second occurence.

Visual evidence from yesterday's game:

This photo of Ken Macha must have been taken early in the game, because I doubt he was laughing afterwards.
Another day, another awkward celebration photo: this time it's Alcides Escobar and Trot Nixon.
Nixon was, however, just a few inches away from a great leaping catch in right field.

Trot Nixon has come around a bit in the last week or so of camp, but it might be too little too late to replace Brad Nelson on the roster. Nelson's bat has cooled a bit this week, but he and Chris Duffy are still the most likely candidates to open the season in the two vacant backup outfielder spots.

In the only season preview I have today, Full Count Pitch thinks the Brewers' pitching deficiencies are likely too large to overcome, but projects them to win 80-85 games and finish just out of the playoffs.

Despite that, though, the Brewers are one of the finalists for Sports Business Journal's Professional Sports Team of the Year. The winner will be announced on May 28.

Meanwhile, in other camps:

Astros: Aaron Boone is leaving the team to have heart surgery and may be forced to retire.
A's: Released Rob Bowen.
Padres: Reliever Chris Britton has been informed he won't make the team, and may report to minor league camp or become a free agent.
Phillies: Tests showed no structural damage in Cole Hamels' elbow, but he's still a long shot to be ready for Opening Day.
Rangers: Andruw Jones is unlikely to make the team coming out of spring training and could opt out of his deal as soon as Friday.
Royals: Signed Sidney Ponson to a minor league deal.

Ryan Braun didn't play in the WBC last night, but he will remain with the team following Team USA's walkoff victory, advancing to the semifinals. I'm torn on this: obviously I like seeing Team USA succeed, but I also would have liked to have Braun back in Arizona with the rest of the team.

Corey Koskie made his spring debut for the Cubs yeterday and doubled in his first at bat. It's good to see him complete his recovery.

Teams are always searching far and wide to find the next generation of players, but where will major league baseball find the next generation of umpires? The Padres have an idea, and they're sponsoring a camp for Marines interested in learning the job. I hadn't thought about it before, but the quote in the link is dead-on: Marines are uniquely qualified.

Oh, and former Brewers Rick Helling and Mike Myers are working for the Players Association now.

Drink up.

Rule 5 Pick'em: Derek Rodriguez or Eduardo Morlan?

Tommy Rancel — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:00:12 -0000

We learned yesterday that the Milwaukee Brewers had seen enough of Rule 5 pick Eduardo Morlan and promply DFA'd him in favor of Wes Littleton.

"We didn't think he'd make our big-league club," said Melvin. "We like his arm but that's not our call right now," said Melvin. --Journal Sentinel

The Brewers have already offered Morlan back to the Rays, who have a Thursday deadline to accept him back. If they choose to take him back, they would pay the Brewers $25,000 and probably assign him to a minor league camp immediately. If not the Brewers could try clear him on waivers and keep Morlan in their system. Or they could simply try and work out a trade like the Pirates did with Evan Meek in 2008.

According to a Rays source close to the situation, there was no "imminent" decision, but as we all know the Rays like to move in silence and who knows what is actually happening. One thing I do know is the Morlan decision will probably come down to a simple one for the Rays; do they want to take him back? Or do they want to take a chance and workout a deal with the White Sox to keep their own Rule 5 pick, Derek Rodriguez.

In theory they could actually have both, but I'm not sure there is a need for that. Morlan is three year younger than Rodriguez and up until 2008 he was a highly touted relief prospect. Even after a disappointing and injury shortened season, his numbers were on par with that of older Rodriguez.

2008	Rodriguez	Morlan
IP	42.2	47
ERA	3.38	3.64
FIP	3.5	3.82
K/9	9.28	8.62
BB/9	3.8	2.87
K/BB	2.44	3
HR/9	0.42	0.96

*Note* for comparison's sake Rodriguez numbers are from AA.

As you can see, a down season for Morlan was still pretty close Rodriguez's AA production. Rodriguez would receive a promotion after his 42 innings and watched his FIP rise to 4.13 and his HR/9 jumped to 1.23 in AAA. The one thing I liked about Rodriguez was his ground ball percentage which is around 50% for his minor league career. However, that number was lowered to 43% in 2008. Morlan is a flyball pitcher who is at 46.4 FB% for his career. He used to sit comfortable around 92-93 MPH, but was down to 88-91 in 2008 and there were concerns with his conditioning and his elbow.

When selected in the Rule 5 draft, both players seemed to have decent shots at making their respective clubs, however, neither pitcher has impressed in spring. Morlan has given up five runs on 10 hits including two home runs in seven innings. He does have six strikeouts and two walks. I talked to a person close to the Brewers, and they said that Morlan was hit around quite a bit and he "certainly wasn't overpowering anybody." Rodriguez has shown even less. In four innings of work, he's given up three runs on five hits and three walks. He has zero strikeouts and has hit two batters.

Even though Morlan may never turn into the pitcher we imagined he would be after the Matt Garza/Delmon Young trade, when it comes to Morlan or Rodriguez, I'm taking the younger pitcher with the higher upside. We'll see if the Rays make the same decision.

Friday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:59:32 -0000

Some things to read while preparing for Pi Day.

On the field yesterday it was more of the same for Jeff Suppan, who gave up eight baserunners and five runs in three innings of work, raising his spring ERA over 7 and his spring WHIP to ~~1.64~~ 1.73. There's a new poll on the sidebar asking if this performance has changed your mind at all about expectations for 2009. Meanwhile, Brewed Sports is ready to add Seth McClung to the rotation and The Brew Town Beat wonders how many times we'll see the headline "Tough Day for Suppan" in 2009.

Eduardo Morlan pitched two scoreless innings yesterday, keeping the Brewers in the game. That performance wasn't enough to help Ken Macha learn his name, though, as demonstrated in Adam McCalvy's profile:

Brewers manager Ken Macha is speaking purely in the baseball sense when he says that, "the Rule 5 guy is an interesting guy."

Padre hitters certainly had a good day yesterday, but not everyone enjoys coming to Maryvale. Before the game, MLB.com Padres beat reporter Corey Brock called the Brewers' spring training home his least favorite ballpark in Arizona.

I've got several minor league notes today:

Victor Wang of The Hardball Times ranks the Brewers' farm system tenth in baseball.
John Sickels of Minor League Ball lists Cody Scarpetta as a player who could have a breakout season in the minors in 2009.
I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere else, but Joshua Kusnick, agent for several Brewer minor leaguers (including Jeremy Jeffress), reports Jeffress retired all six batters he faced in a minor league intrasquad game yesterday, including breaking a bat wielded by Bill Hall.

How under appreciated is the career of Mike Cameron? Eric Seidman of FanGraphs is inducting him on the first ballot into the Reggie Sanders Club of Boring Stars along with Ellis Burks, Luis Gonzalez, Shawn Green and Ray Lankford.

If you're used to using the guardrails on the staircases at Miller Park, do a quick check to make sure they're still there before you fall on your face in 2009: this Newsday article says the Brewers are removing some railings to eliminate some obstructed view seats at the ballpark.

I think some fans would deal with an obstructed view if they could have The Chalet back: Viva Cerveceros tells the sentimental tale of a crazy man who sat on top of the scoreboard at County Stadium, how it led to Bernie's Chalet and where you can find the Chalet now.

Rankings/projections/predictions:

The Junkball Blues thinks Mike Cameron will hit .240/.337/.470 in 2008.
All World All Sports Blog has the Brewers fifth in the NL Central.
The Ted Lilly Fan Club thinks the Brewers can compete for the Wild Card if their pitching holds up.

A quick reminder of how far the Brewers have come: There have been years when we would have been pretty excited to report that Dugout Central's voting for the worst team in baseball came out yesterday and the Brewers didn't appear on a single ballot.

Meanwhile, in other camps:

Mariners: Signed Chad Cordero to a minor league deal.
Mets: Reliever Tom Martin broke his wrist falling down a flight of stairs at home.

Sometimes life has a strange symmetry to it. Jorge De La Rosa and Valerio De Los Santos probably appear right next to each other on a list of historical Brewers, and today I have stories about De La Rosa getting hit by a line drive and De Los Santos being sent to Mets minor league camp on the same day.

The NL Central continues to take a beating over at FanGraphs. Today, the Reds check in at #24 in their organizational rankings, putting three NL Central teams in the bottom 6.

Here's something you don't see everyday: Derrick Goold of Bird Land has a picture snapped at just the right moment to see a baseball bat slightly bent as it passes through the zone. Cool stuff.

Oh, and Charlie Brown would have been completely different if drawn by Frank Miller. (h/t 6-4-2)

Drink up.

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:26:28 -0000

Some things to read while putting your mustache on for the day.

On the field, Tuesday was an off day for most Brewers. Seth McClung threw three innings in a minor league game to stay on schedule, with R.J. Swindle and Mat Gamel joining him in minor league camp for the day. McClung is, at least for the moment, part of the starting rotation that USA Today says will be the key to the Brewers' season.

Whether you like or dislike Rickie Weeks, it's encouraging to see stories like this one, where the coaching staff is working with him to correct his flaws. Sounds like Dale Sveum is working on several aspects of his related to his batting stance and swing, and Willie Randolph has taken on the task of improving his defense.

While Weeks learns to play one position, Adam McCalvy takes a look at some of the Brewers in camp who can play more than one, and how their versatility helps and hinders their careers. View From Bernie's Chalet thinks Chris Duffy, Brad Nelson and Casey McGehee will take the last bench spots, with Jorge Julio, Todd Coffey and Mark DiFelice picking up the final bullpen spots. That would leave Mike Lamb, Trot Nixon, Tim Dillard, R.J. Swindle and Eduardo Morlan, among others, off the roster.

Speaking of DiFelice, both he and Vinny Rottino should be back in camp soon as Team Italy was eliminated from the WBC yesterday. Rottino picked up a double in the ninth in his only at bat. The big news of the day, however, was The Netherlands' 2-1, 11 inning win over the Dominican Republic, singlehandedly eliminating the DR from contention. Babes Love Baseball thinks Bert Blyleven's performance as pitching coach for the Netherlands should be added to his Hall of Fame resume.

Meanwhile, Curt Schilling has written about the impact of pitching in the WBC, comparing it to baseball's All-Star series in Japan, which Schilling pitched in following the 1998 season.

Some days the Mug feels a little empty without a mention of Eric Gagne. Miller Park Drunk has a photo essay covering his Brewer career.

Some aging veterans, however, can still play: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has a profile of Mike Cameron. The story is a great, well rounded view of Cameron as a person, including his locker room antics, his battle with post-concussion syndrome (which I haven't seen anywhere else), and his family.

On rankings, projections, etc:

The Ghost of Moonlight Graham lists Ryan Braun #3 on his list of five players to build a franchise around.
Both Braun and Prince Fielder made Sportscrack's All Under 25 Team.
Do Gummi Bears Dream of Rubber Passion Fruit? (probably the strangest blog name I've ever linked) predicts the Brewers will finish third in the NL Central, behind the Reds and Cubs, in that order.
Batter's Box Interactive has Sportsinteraction.com's 2009 over/unders, which have the Brewers at 80.5 wins.
Rowland's Office has the Brewers tied for fourth in the NL Central with the Astros. That's about as exciting as one of Erik Bedard's greeting cards.

I'm pretty surprised by this number, which I would have expected to be lower: Over 50% of fans at Miller Park last season came from outside of the five-county area that's helping pay for the ballpark. That number is probably a little inflated, as it includes visiting fans of opposing teams, but it's still impressive. Don Walker uses it to make a case for the retractable roof.

Stories from other camps:

Mariners: Brandon Morrow suffered a setback in a bullpen session and will not be ready for Opening Day.
Mets: Angel Pagan has elected to have surgery on his right elbow and will miss 6-8 weeks. The team also released Duaner Sanchez.
Padres: GM Kevin Towers said in a radio interview yesterday that several spots are still open in his bullpen, and some could be filled as players come available at the end of camp.
Rangers: Ben Sheets is in Texas rehabbing with the Rangers' team doctor, but team officials say there's no connection to the team.
Rockies: Jorge de la Rosa may not make the Rockies' rotation after all. He was pulled from a start yesterday after just one third of an inning, and has a spring ERA over 20.

It has not been a good spring for the Astros. On the field, they lost their tenth straight game yesterday. Off the field, FanGraphs ranked them 28th in their organizational rankings, ahead of only the Nationals and Marlins.

Andruw Jones had also been having a rough spring, until he met up with Claudio Vargas. Vargas gave up a home run to Jones yesterday. At one point this spring, Jones had struck out 10 times in 14 at bats.

On the economic front, things don't look so good for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Hearst-Argyle, a minority partner in the team, is selling their 1.7% share of the team for an estimated $2.25 million. That price would suggest the value of the franchise has fallen $247 million in the past year.

The news isn't quite as bad for the Mariners, but still ugly: not only did the team narrowly avoid losing 100 games last season, they also lost $4.5 million. Hopefully new management can generate some enthusiasm among the fan base, even if they don't win in 2009 either.

Are the Cubs already learning the dangers of relying on Milton Bradley? Bleed Cubbie Blue has quotes from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram where Bradley admits to taking some days off in 2008 to protect his stat line. Eric Seidman of FanGraphs calls Bradley the "most talented player of the last ten years who truly deserves to sign one-year deals each season."

Baseball Musings' Team Offense Projections has projected the Cardinals to score 4.97 runs per game in 2009. They scored 4.81 in 2008.

Oh, and I forgot to mention it on Monday, but there are new pictures on Gorman's Flickr page.

Drink up.