SB Nation - Jhonny Nunez

D.J. Carrasco: Nay

larry — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:51:50 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Goodbye, everybody.

D.J. Carrasco, arguably the White Sox' second most valuable reliever last season, is rumored to be a non-tender candidate. With a bullpen that already appears to be getting full with Bobby Jenks, Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz, Scott Linebrink, Tony Pena and a LOOGY to be named later (currently Raaaaaaaaaandy Williams), the team could decide that the $500K or so raise Carrasco is likely to seek in arbitration could be better spent elsewhere. Daniel Hudson in particular is a candidate for a multi-inning role, or perhaps a Clevelan Santeliz or Jhonny Nunez - all at half the cost. Then again, it's only $500K and, if the White Sox decide to go in a different direction in Spring Training or before, they may only owe Carrasco 30-45 days of termination pay instead of the entire contract.

What say you?

Edit: Of course, the only vote that counts is KW, and he voted 'Nay'.

Carrasco was kind enough to address the 88% of White Sox fans who wanted him to return: "One of the reasons I'm going to miss Chicago is the passion and knowledge of the White Sox fans," said Carrasco, when asked if he had heard of fans' disappointment over his departure. "It holds a special place in my heart that they wanted me back."

Poll

Offer Carrasco arbitration?

Yea

319 votes

Nay

43 votes

362 votes | Poll has closed

Chicago WhiteSox Top 20 Prospects for 2010

John Sickels — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:15:07 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

3 months ago: Chicago White Sox' Gordon Beckham dashes down the first base line on his two run home run in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox during their baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Monday Aug. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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Chicago White Sox Top 20 Prospects for 2010.

All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change. Don't get too worried about exact rankings at this point, especially once you get beyond the Top 10. Grade C+/C guys are pretty interchangeable depending on what you want to emphasize. Complete reports on these and over 1,000 other players will be in the2010 Baseball Prospect Book, now available for pre-order, shipping on February 2^nd!

1) Dan Hudson, RHP, Grade B+: A personal favorite, since I rated him as a big sleeper pre-season and he really broke through.

2) Jared Mitchell, OF, Grade B: Grade A tools, refinement is a Grade C/C+ right now.

3) Tyler Flowers, C, Grade B: Power and patience are plusses, defense has improved a great deal according to all reports.

4) Brent Morel, 3B, Grade B-: I think he's underrated. Only questions about power at higher levels keep him from a Grade B. Now blocked behind Mark Teahen, a long-term signing I don't understand.

5) Jordan Danks, OF, Grade C+: Borderline Grade B-, as I like the tools and think the bat may still come around.

6) Dayan Viciedo, 3B, Grade C+: Cutting him some slack since he was young for Double-A and was pushed fast, but this is a good example of why we need performance data rather than just hype and team propaganda/scouting reports when evaluating players.

7) David Holmberg, LHP, Grade C+: Will the fastball get faster? If it does his stock could go up quickly.

8) C.J. Retherford, 2B, Grade C+: He can hit despite unimpressive tools. Not sure how he fits into long-term plans.

9) Christian Marrero, 1B-OF, Grade C+: Looks underrated to me. Could be a good platoon player.

10) Santos Rodriguez, LHP, Grade C+: Gotta love the strikeouts, but a long way from being ready to help. High ceiling though.

11) Miguel Gonzalez, C, Grade C+: Interesting catcher with good hitting in the Appy League and good glove rep, could rise quickly up the list in '10.

12) Jhonny Nunez, RHP, Grade C+: Power relief arm could help sometime soon.

13) Josh Phegley, C, Grade C+: Borderline Grade C; defensive questions still present and he had trouble transitioning from metal to wood, but can't ignore Indiana numbers completely yet.

14) John Ely, RHP, Grade C: I know scouts hate him but he just keeps getting people out. Passed Double-A Finesse Pitcher Test with flying colors.

15) John Shelby, OF, Grade C: Good speed, good glove, some power, on-base skills still sketchy despite increase in walk rate.

16) Tracye Thompson, OF, Grade C: Great tools, horrible hitting skills at this point. High risk of bust, but physical potential is impressive.

17) Clevelan Santeliz, RHP, Grade C: I know he throws hard and has the pretty ERA in Double-A, but his walk rate remains too high for me to trust him at this point.

18) Lucas Harrell, RHP, Grade C: Another guy with a decent arm but unattractive component ratios.

19) Brandon Hynick, RHP, Grade C: Nice pickup from the Rockies, possible inning-eater type though stuff is marginal.

20) Carlos Torres, RHP, Grade C: Old for a prospect at 27, but pitched well in Triple-A and could be a useful staff asset.

Others of Note (all grade C): Kyle Bellamy, RHP; Ryan Buch, RHP; Nick Ciolli, OF; Justin Collop, RHP; Tyson Corley, RHP; Eduardo Escobar, SS; Stefan Gartrell, OF; Jon Gilmore, 3B; Nevin Griffith, RHP; Gregory Infante, RHP; Nathan Jones, RHP; Jon Link, RHP; Charlie Leesman, LHP; Dan Remenowsky, RHP; Sergio Santos, RHP; Joe Serafin, LHP; Brady Shoemaker, OF; Taylor Thompson, RHP.

This is a very thin farm system, thanks in part to frequent trades and major league graduations like Gordon Beckham. I like the four guys at the top: Hudson and Mitchell are both personal favorites, though both still have enough questions to keep them from getting B+ ratings. Flowers seems to have come around defensively and has a good bat. Morel is another guy I like quite a bit and he has breakout potential in '10.

After that things thin out fast. Danks, Viciedo, and Holmberg all have good potential but even bigger questionmarks than the top guys. Marrero strikes me as an underrated player. Rodriguez and Gonzalez are intriguing but we need to see them at higher levels. After that we have a bunch of potential role players, possible bullpen arms, or guys with big ceilings but gigantic holes in their game (Trayce Thompson).

If Mitchell begins to fulfill his potential he'll be the clear number one next year.

This Month in White Sox Minor League Baseball

larry — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:34:57 -0000

You won't be seeing Sergio Santos use this anymore.

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Today was the Arizona Fall League Championship game between the Phoenix Desert Dogs and Peoria Javelinas, for whom White Sox prospects play. The Javelinas won 5-4. AFL batting champion Brent Morel had a good game, going 2-4. Jordan Danks continued his struggles with pitches inside, grounding out to the right side on such pitches three times. He did draw a walk, finishing 0-4. But C.J. "Stumpy" Retherford was the hero. He drove in Morel on a fielder's choice for the first Javelinas run and then hit an absolute bomb to left field in the 8th to give them a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

RHP Sergio Santos, the recently converted SS, made an appearance. As expected, the control was spotty - one of his strikeouts also hit the batter - and the results were rather typical (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K) but he flashed a very nice slider and the fastball velocity looked very good.

In other news:

Video from the AFL, including Retherford, Morel and Danks.
The White Sox added five to the 40 man roster, thus protecting these players from next month's Rule 5 Draft. Phil Rogers' favorite OF Stefan Gartrell was added; with the outfield situation uncertain at this point, he was a reasonable use of space, though he strikes me as an AAAA player at best. RHP Brandon Hynick, who came over in the Contreras trade, was also protected. Of all the adds, he was the likeliest to actually be picked considering he is the closest to major league ready. Raw RHP Sergio Santos is another reasonable addition. His potential is tremendous and, as he's new to pitching, you don't know when things may click. RHP Santo Luis will be 26 next season and it will be his first time above A ball. I suppose he does have a nice strikeout rate. SouthSideSox had been hearing that RHP Brian Omogrosso tore his labrum so, if that's the case, I'm not sure why he was protected since another team couldn't stash him on the DL all year. Perhaps he's healthier than that or perhaps the White Sox see this as an irrelevant move since they have plenty of roster room and they can put him on the DL all year and, if so, would be able to get another option year.
Potentially notable non-additions are 2006 waste of a first round pick Kyle McCulloch and John Shelby. But I wouldn't be too concerned.
Minor league free agency began. Notable filings: Ehren Wassermann, David Cook and Fernando Hernandez. But I wouldn't be too concerned.
Lists season is in full swing. BP's Kevin Goldstein published his. No real surprises on it, as one could expect an analyst who favors tools to rank Jared Mitchell and Trayce Thompson higher than most.
You can keep track of all the White Sox players in winter ball here. Not much has changed since last post: Jon Link still walking too many and Clevelan Santeliz is still striking out many. Jhonny Nunez has begun playing for Licey in the Dominican Winter League so he's another to watch.

This will probably be the last front page update post until March. Check out the right sidebar for the Minor League Update fanpost, which will probably be around in one form or another for most/all of the offseason. And you can follow me on Twitter @SouthSidelarry.

The Official SSS Top Ten White Sox Prospects

larry — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:00:44 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

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The White Sox did a pretty good job this year in terms of graduating homegrown talent to the big league level. Gordon Beckham, Chris Getz and Clayton Richard all played important roles. Per usual, the system also permitted Kenny Williams to acquire major league talent, as Aaron Poreda, Dexter Carter, RIchard, and Brandon Allen were traded away. Any system would be hurt by the "loss" of those six players; however, for a White Sox system that was only beginning to strengthen itself, both in terms of quality and depth, this has put the White Sox back in the position of having one of the worst farms in baseball. While the top five will probably be essentially a consensus amongst listmakers, after that, the depth drops off precipitously. It was a real struggle to complete the list. You could include any of about fifteen players in the next five and make a solid argument for all of them. The upper levels are full of fringe types and the lower levels, while having some interesting players, isn't all that inspiring to me at this point.

It is good for the club that they have a pretty well set starting five for next season because, outside of Daniel Hudson, there is an alarming lack of starting pitching prospects. Like every organization, there are a number of arms that could be relievers, some, like Jhonny Nunez, ready for opening day in 2010. Where the White Sox have improved is position player talent up the middle. Tyler Flowers looks like a legit catcher to me. And Jordan Danks and Jared Mitchell both look like they'll be able to handle centerfield defensively.

List after the jump.

1. Daniel Hudson: 2009 MiLB line: 147.1IP, 105 H, 34 BB, 166 K at Kannapolis, Winston-Salem, Birmingham and Charlotte. MLB: 18.2 IP, 16 H, 9 BB, 14 K. The Cheat covered him extensively here so I won't give yet another explication of his repertoire here. Suffice to say, his rise through the system last season was meteoric and well-deserved. Like any young pitcher, he still has things to work on but the talent is there. His ceiling is probably a #2 starter, depending upon how his offerings, particularly his slider, develop. I love the movement he generates on his pitches. ETA: Early 2010. The White Sox may want to play the service time game and start him in Charlotte. Barring injury or trade, there isn't a spot in the starting rotation for him. He could be a valuable arm out of the bullpen right away.

2. Tyler Flowers: 2009 MiLB line: .297/.423/.516 at Birmingham and Charlotte. Going into the season, his major question mark was whether he would stick at catcher, both because of his (in)abilities and injury history. He answered that question affirmatively by vastly improving his defense and staying healthy. And, oh yeah, he continued to hit the ball very well. While his strikeout rate is high (30%), he draws plenty of walks and hits for power. Don't expect his batting average to remain high, though, particularly since his BABIP was inflated. His ceiling is probably an average defensive catcher with an above average bat; in other words, a very valuable commodity. ETA: Mid-2010. With the White Sox continuing to implement their new policy of pushing players more quickly through the minors, he may be starting next season on the South Side. Though I think it would be a mistake to limit his repetitions at catcher by having him fill-in for A.J. Pierzynski once a week, it wouldn't surprise me if he found himself doing that along with playing some first and DH. On the other hand, Ozzie took a shot at Flowers' inability to "play small ball" and high K rate so shielding Flowers from such insanity for as long as possible would be prudent.

3. Jordan Danks: 2009 MiLB line: .266/.359/.405 at Winston-Salem and Birmingham. It was a tale of two halves for the left-handed hitting Danks. He tore up the Carolina League before a promotion to Birmingham where he continued to hit very well. Then he was sidelined by a wrist injury, followed by a finger injury and saw his offensive numbers diminish significantly. The question remains which is the true Danks. Was the slugging he initially showed a fluke or did injuries simply impede the awakening of his long projected power? The answer to that will dictate his future because, without some pop, that 26% K rate looks a whole lot scarier. ETA: 2011. Talked up as a possible September call-up in the summer, the poor second half took the sheen off his rapidly rising star. A return to Birmingham for a couple months and then a promotion to Charlotte will be his path next year.

4. Jared Mitchell: 2009 MiLB line: .296/.417/.435 at Kannapolis. His performance was exactly as expected: lots of walks, lots of strikeouts and lots of defense. Quite toolsy but also quite raw, it will be very interesting to watch his development over the coming seasons. Guys like Mitchell tend to either succeed spectacularly or fail spectacularly. The ceiling of a plus defensive CF with good power, plus contact and plus on base skills is certainly tantalizing. ETA: 2012. Will probably start at Winston-Salem and then move to Birmingham when Danks is promoted.

5. Dayan Viciedo: 2009 MiLB line: .280/.317/.391at Birmingham. I can sugarcoat ii as much as I like but there's no denying that Viciedo was not very good this year. Yes, at 20 he was young for the league. And, yes, he was acclimating to a new culture. But, no, his beisbol wasn't very good. First, his defense is terrible at third so he's going to need to find a new position. Second, while scouts will still tell you that he has quick hands and power potential, his pitch recognition is poor. Finally, questions about his fitness still linger. All that said, he gets a mulligan from me for last season, particularly since he showed some signs of life in the second half. But he's going to need to show improvement soon - starting in the Arizona Fall League next week - in order to justify his price tag. ETA: 2011. Back to Birmingham and then on to Charlotte.

6. Brent Morel: 2009 MiLB line: .281/.335/.453 at Winston-Salem. I'm a big fan of Morel. He doesn't strike out a lot, he's got gap power, his defense is fantastic, he's got good speed (25 for 34 in SBs) and his makeup is excellent. If you can get past the fact that his bat will be less than average for third base, you can see the makings of an average to solid player. The Joe Randa comparison still rings true to me. ETA: 2011. Will start in Birmingham and may spend the whole season there.

7. C.J. Retherford: 2009 MiLB line: .297/.340/.473 at Birmingham. The guy just puts up numbers. He was a doubles machine this year, racking up 46 in 128 games. There's nothing overwhelming in his tool box but average or so at a lot of things can get you to the majors and that appears to be the case with Retherford. Most scouts don't think he'll be more than a utility player - he played mostly 2B this year but has experience at multiple positions - but I could see him slotting in as a somewhat below average starter with the right team. ETA: Late 2010. Will start in Charlotte and could find himself as the first infield call-up when Chris Getz inevitably injures himself.

8. David Holmberg: 2009 MiLB line: 40 IP, 40 H, 18 BB, 37 K for Bristol. He's got good velocity for a lefty, hitting the low 90s, and a plus curve. He's a scouts' favorite with a clean delivery and makeup to boot. Development of a changeup is essential. Fresh out of high school, he's a long way away but his potential makes him an interesting prospect. ETA: 2013. Extended spring training and then a return to Rookie ball before moving up to Kannapolis.

9. Christian Marrero: 2009 MiLB line: .308/.348/.501 at Winston-Salem and Birmingham. The 23 year old lefty had a a very good season offensively and deservedly has begun to receive some attention as a prospect. He's got some issues to overcome, however, starting with his defense. He's essentially split time between RF and 1B in his career but, despite a plus arm, he probably isn't good enough to stick in the outfield. That means his bat is going to need to be good enough to merit consideration at 1B. The decline in walks from 11% at Kannapolis last year to about 6% this year suggests he may not quite have the bat. ETA: 2011. A return to Birmingham for a couple months and then a promotion to Charlotte.

10. Clevelan Santeliz: 2009 MiLB line: 56.1 IP, 43 H, 35 BB, 52 K at Birmingham. Santeliz improved his control markedly as the season wore on. In the first half, he walked 27 in 35 innings. In the second half, just 8 in 21.1. If that improvement is real, the 23 year old righty could find himself and his mid-90s fastball and plus slider in the bullpen role sooner rather than later. ETA: Mid-2010. Will be in Charlotte and probably will be the first choice for a reliever call-up.

Continuing to Introduce Your September White Sox Call-Ups

larry — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:40:04 -0000

Daniel Hudson via Sox Machine

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Daniel Hudson: He's the one for whom just about everyone has been waiting. After starting the season in Kannapolis, Hudson had successful stints at each of the full season affiliates and now completes his stunning rise by joining the major league club. His blended line in the minors: 147.1 IP, 105 H, 34 BB, 166 K. His GO/AO rate of 0.86 (which declined at each successive level) is a worry considering the way flyballs tend to fly out of the park at the Cell. His delivery appears a bit unorthodox, which may explain some of his success. He relies on a fastball/slider combination. For a fuller scouting report, I'll refer you to Sox Machine.

Jhonny Nunez: He spent a bit of time with the White Sox earlier this season, pitching in two games for a total of one inning. His blended line between Birmingham and Charlotte was very good: 70.2 IP, 57 H, 26 BB, 79 K. The 24 year old righty, like many relievers, uses a fastball and slider (which is a plus pitch). He can mix in a changeup but it's not very good. He has quick arm action and generally throws from a low 3/4 slot.

New Arms of the Week and a Half

Harry Pavlidis — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:53:30 -0000

Instead of just last week's rookie pitching debuts, I'm including Monday through Wednesday's debuts as well. Hello, Neftali Feliz.

This is a pretty big batch of pitchers this time around, led by Feliz and one more fireballer, Waldis Joaquin. We get the Orioles' Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman, Bud Norris filling in for Roy Oswalt, Casey Fien working out of the Detroit bullpen and a pair of Chicago pitchers, Mitch Atkins on the North Side and Jhonny Nunez on the South Side.

Just for a change of pace, I'm breaking the eight rookies into four groups. As usual, these are my own pitch classifications and will not match Gameday in many cases (especially with rookies). If you don't feel like reading, skip to the bottom for the data table.

Serious Heat

Feliz and Joaquin have live arms. Feliz is hotter, but Joaquin, just a tick slower, throws a frightening amount of strikes. The Giants have something there, and should be, and could be, just as happy as Texas.

Feliz throws over 100 mph with regularity, Joaquin kept his fastball above 97 but just below 100. Feliz averages 99.5, almost a full mph more than Joaquin.

Which would you rather have, and this is only from one game for Joaquin and four for Feliz, the guy throwing 99 but in the zone almost 3 out of 4, or the guy throwing 100 but in the zone 2 out of 4? What if I told you the "slower" guy also throws a sinker? At the same speed? What if I told you they both do. Maybe.

I think Feliz threw a couple two-seamers. I may be over-reading the break, to borrow a golf term. Or over-read the borrow, to break out another golf term.

Finishing off Joaquin, all 13 of his pitches, are two cutters. Or sliders. Or, could they be, slutters? 86 mph seems slider-speed for a guy like this, but five inches of "rise" against the force of gravity says otherwise. More data needed.

Feliz has thrown 66 pitches. I have 49 fastballs, 2 sinkers, 7 "curves" which I think are slurves, and 8 change-ups. His 90 mph pitch is not a sinker, it is a circle-change. I attirbute that grip diagnosis to a commenter on some thread some where on the interwebs. Someone checked the video and was able to see the grip on the change, but not on the breaking ball. Sorry I forgot to bookmark or clip your comment, video watching Ranger fan.

Brian Bannister would call Feliz' change-up a power change. It moves almost like a Derek Lowe sinker. Nasty stuff. For the slurve, think Carlos Marmol minus a few mph and a with less sweep and sink. Feliz has trouble throwing his offspeed pitches for strikes. He's just 3 for 15 so far.

Last though on Feliz: his fastball has yielded a whiff rate of .35 that would be impressive for a slider or a curve. That's insane for a four-seam fastball. I think it's the 4 or 5 extra inches of tail on that thing, and not the hop, that causes that problem for hitters. He moves that thing A LOT. It doesn't seem fair.

Flips of the Birds

The Orioles dipped into the farm system twice, grabbing Tillman first, and later Matusz. Tillman has made his second start already.

After looking at the first two guys, Tillman's 94 mph fastball seems pedestrian, but it isn't since he's throwing several innings, not just one or two. Matusz, who mixes in a two-seam sinker, throws both of his fastballs plenty hard, averaging close to 93 mph.

Tillman's a righty and Matusz a southpaw. Their four-seam fastballs, spin movement-wise, are very similar with Tillman's extra speed coming with a little less tail and a little more hop.

Matusz throws more strikes (.64 to .56) and gets more whiffs (.19 to .07), at least in the limited sample to date. Roughly 1 in 4 of their heaters put in play were hit on the ground, and about 1 in 5 were marked as line drives by the MLB stringers.

Matusz' sinker sinks and tails a couple or three inches off the path of the four-seamer, at almost the same speed. He also threw it for strikes (.61) which I find to be impressive, and yielded a ground ball rate in the upper 50s.

On to the change-ups. Matusz actually throws his harder than Tillman, but a mph (83 vs 82). Average fastball minus average change-up spreads end up being 10 mph for Matusz and more than 12 for Tillman.

Gap isn't the only important thing about a change-up, but I believe they could both afford to close it up a bit. In their combined three starts, neither pitcher got a grounder with his change-up, which is odd.

The main difference between these pitchers, besides their handedness, comes with the breaking stuff. Matusz throws a slider, Tillman a curveball. Tillman gets almost eight inches of drop from top-spin, while Matusz showed a good sinking slider that had a bit of top-spin (we'll see after some more data from more parks).

Despite the big difference in action, their breaking stuff moves at about the same speed. Tillman pushes 80 with the power curve while Matusz sneaks in above that mark with the slider. So far, very little contact against either.

Tillman, power righty. Matusz, hard throwing lefty. Matusz is around the zone more, Tillman has the nastier stuff. Matusz can actually get some ground balls, Tillman hasn't shown that he can.

Casey and Bud

I really have no reason to put these two together. Fien had a good debut, but struggled after that. Detroit optioned him back to Triple-A on Tuesday. I can't see anything special about his 93 mph fastball that explain its success.

Fien throws his four-seamer it for strikes (.62) and misses a lot of bats (.26). Small sample, of course, but those are both good numbers. Just a sprinkling of batted balls against it, no grounders. Otherwise, Fien is a ground ball machine. His slider and sinker make-up around 1/4 of his pitch mix a piece, outnumber the four-seam fastball when combined.

Fien throws his sinker as hard, if not harder, than his fastball. He struggles to find the zone (.39) and is yet to get a whiff with it. He's managed to get three ground balls and a home run with it. His slider, coming in around 81 or 81 mph, has a nice bit of sink to it (similar to Matusz in that regard).

With the slider, Fiend has even fewer strikes than the sinker, but has missed almost as many bats as he with the four-seam fastball. No one has lifted it yet. He does have a second off-speed pitch, some type of change-up. He only threw one, about 83 mph with less tail than the sinker but more sink.

Norris is an instant hero in Houston. After a relief appearance in Wrigley Field, Norris took a turn for Oswalt in the rotation. And he dealt. With just three pitches and two speeds, he may get exposed at some point. But his stuff is good, and guys have done well with worse in this league.

With a fastball that averages almost 95 mph, you can see why he may not need a lot of tricks in the bag. 60% strikes, which is good, but he's pretty much average or better with all my favorite attributes. That includes whiffs (.125) and SLGCON (.455).

Norris' off-speed stuff consists of an 87 mph change-up and an 88 mph slider. Starting with the slider, Bud throws strikes (.50), misses bats (.33) and hasn't given up much of anything (.091 SLGCON, 45% GB).

We haven't seen much of it yet,, but the change-up has done about as well as the slider for Norris. But with less strikes, less whiffs and more grounders. No base hits, yet.

South Side, North Side - Not Much to Say

The Sox saw Nunez throw six pitches, and that was enough for them. Four sinkers (93 mph) and a pair of fastballs (94 mph). Atkins had a couple relief appearances for the Cubs. He mostly threw sliders, which reminded me a bit of Randy Wells' slider. You can read more about Atkins at my blog, Cubs f/x.

The Pitches

click headers to sort

pitcher	type	#	MPH	PFX_X	PFX_Z	DEG	RPM	Swing	Whiff	B:CS	IWZ	SLGCON	GB%
Brian Matusz	Change	30	82.7	5.5	6.7	141	1634	0.433	0.308	1.8	0.500	1.000	0%
Brian Matusz	Fastball	45	92.8	4.3	9.6	156	2187	0.578	0.192	3.5	0.644	0.444	22%
Brian Matusz	Sinker	26	92.6	7.0	7.6	137	2144	0.423	0.182	1.5	0.615	0.571	57%
Brian Matusz	Slider	11	80.6	-1.3	-1.2	280	414	0.273	0.667	1.7	0.455
Bud Norris	Change	11	87.1	-9	4	248	1900	0.455	0.200		0.364	0.000	67%
Bud Norris	Fastball	75	94.7	-5	9	210	2278	0.427	0.125	1.8	0.600	0.455	18%
Bud Norris	Slider	55	88.1	2	1	127	483	0.436	0.333	2.4	0.509	0.091	45%
Casey Fien	Change	1	82.7	-6	3	243	1180	0.000			0.000
Casey Fien	Fastball	39	92.7	-4	9	204	2120	0.487	0.263	1.9	0.615	0.400	0%
Casey Fien	Sinker	23	92.9	-8	5	237	2015	0.478	0.000	2.0	0.391	1.500	75%
Casey Fien	Slider	22	81.4	2	-2	57	617	0.364	0.250	2.5	0.364	0.500	50%
Chris Tillman	Change	35	81.7	-6.4	7.6	221	1841	0.400	0.500	4.0	0.257	0.600	0%
Chris Tillman	Curveball	51	79.5	2.6	-7.8	26	1480	0.196	0.600	1.9	0.333	1.250	50%
Chris Tillman	Fastball	132	94.1	-4.1	10.2	202	2323	0.538	0.070	2.6	0.561	0.800	27%
Jhonny Nunez	Fastball	2	94.0	-4	8	205	1954	0.500	0.000		0.500
Jhonny Nunez	Sinker	4	93.3	-7	6	231	1957	0.500	0.000		0.500	0.000	100%
Mitch Atkins	Curveball	3	75.2	8	-5	60	1610	0.333	0.000	0.0	0.667	1.000	100%
Mitch Atkins	Cutter	1	90.9	-2	7	193	1529	0.000			1.000
Mitch Atkins	Fastball	6	89.8	-5	9	208	2148	0.833	0.000		0.833	0.000	50%
Mitch Atkins	Slider	11	85.2	3	4	143	951	0.546	0.333	1.0	0.546	0.000	33%
Neftali Feliz	Change	8	90.4	-10	4	249	2083	0.625	0.400	2.0	0.125	0.000	100%
Neftali Feliz	Curveball	7	82.0	4	-2	65	894	0.429	0.667	3.0	0.286
Neftali Feliz	Sinker	2	98.8	-10	7	234	2718	1.000	0.000		1.000
Neftali Feliz	Fastball	49	99.5	-8	9	222	2735	0.531	0.346	1.8	0.510	1.000	0%
Waldis Joaquin	Cutter	2	86.4	-1	5	197	909	0.000		1.0	0.500
Waldis Joaquin	Fastball	7	98.7	-6	11	208	2776	0.429	0.000	3.0	0.714	1.000	50%
Waldis Joaquin	Sinker	4	98.6	-10	8	233	2722	1.000	0.250		0.750	0.500	100%

This Week in White Sox Minor League Baseball

larry — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:00:26 -0000

Carlos Torres, lone deserving representative to the AAA All-Star Game.

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This week:

I was going to lead off with the revitalization of Jack Egbert, who has been impressive since his return to a starting role. However, last night, after another impressive beginning, he took a line drive to his pitching hand and left the game. Charlotte is notoriously tight-lipped about injuries so no further info available at this point. In eight starts, Egbert had far better results than as a reliever: 43 IP, 32 hits, 5 BB, 35 K.
Carlos Quentin will be starting his rehab assignment for the Knights tonight, where he is scheduled to play three innings.
Carlos Torres will be representing the Knights at the AAA All-Star Game. His line has been very good this season: 86 IP, 67 hits, 35 BB, 84 K. Cole Armstrong also somehow made the team.
Promotions: Jhonny Nunez to Charlotte; Henry Mabee to Birmingham; Gregory Infante to Winston-Salem; and Nevin Griffith to Kannapolis.
Tyler Flowers: .286/.431/.533. Read this interview with him by Sox Examiner.
Flowers and Dayan Viciedo were granted permission from the White Sox to participate in both the Futures Game on July 12 and the Southern League All-Star Game the following night. The Barons are hosting the latter game this season.
Bryan Morgado, the third round pick out of Tennessee with control issues, had quite a day pitching in the Cape Cod League: 5 IP, 1 hit, 1 BB, 13 K. His price may be going up.
As The Cheat noted earlier this week, the White Sox were silent at the opening of the signing period for international free agents. The organization has long done a poor job in this facet, for a variety of reasons. However, it appears that they may have played the role of the blind squirrel with a nut named Miguel Gonzalez. This 18 year old catcher out of Venezuela piqued my interest last season while playing in the DSL because of his excellent plate discipline. He's made a splash so far in his stateside debut for Bristol, adding some power (in a small sample size) to his numbers: .429/.467/.750.
Josh Phegley, first round supplemental pick, was assigned to Kannapolis. The catcher has so far appeared in three games, all at DH, as he works himself back into catching shape and familiarizes himself with the pitchers. So far, as expected, he hasn't had much trouble adjusting to professional hitting.
Sox Machine gives his midseason prospect rankings for Charlotte and Birmingham and Winston-Salem and Kannapolis.
Nick Ciolli and Kyle Colligan have both had no trouble with Pioneer League pitching. These two outfielders are going to be putting pressure on some of the laggards at higher levels.
Tyler Kuhn isn't one of those laggards. He's been hitting very well since his promotion to the Dash: .400/.419/.475.

The Savior Has Arrived: Beckham Called Up

larry — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:03:48 -0000

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Apparently the White Sox' patience has run out. Gordon Beckham, the organization's top prospect, is to be called up prior to tomorrow's game and Wilson Betemit is to be designated for assignment.

Beckham spent just seven games in Charlotte and his hitting, which had been very good in Birmingham, was torrid in AAA - .464/.448/.679 - including six doubles. He also played six of those seven games at third base but had three errors.

Gonzales:

"He's going to play," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Where, we're going to find out. Is he going to play third base every day? I don't think so. But he will get plenty of at-bats. To me, he has to be in the lineup every day and get a good percentage of at-bats."

Guillen said he would bat seventh or ninth.

Merkin also speculates that Beckham will also see time as designated hitter.

Guillen is quoted as saying Beckham will be in the starting lineup tomorrow. He will be making his debut a day short of the one year anniversary of the White Sox picking him #8 overall in last year's draft. Purchase your tickets now, Sox fans - 1:05 start.

more after the jump on the other players directly affected by this.

Lost in this major news, of course, is Betemit who, as has been covered and discussed extensively on SSS, has been awful. With Jeff Marquez on Charlotte's disabled list with bone chips in his throwing elbow and Jhonny Nunez being merely acceptable at Birmingham, the return from the Nick Swisher trade has been unimpressive so far. Betemit may draw interest as a waiver claim due to his past status as a top prospect.

Josh Fields will also be working out at first base as he is likely now the backup to Paul Konerko. Fields did not speak to the media after the game.

White Sox Minor League Affiliates Preview

larry — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 22:30:09 -0000

This time of year, there’s a lot of talk around the water cooler about where to go for a vacation during spring break or the summer. Should we set out for Fort Mill, South Carolina to experience the mill-fort? Visit Birmingham to see the world’s largest cast iron statue? Dash to the Camel City to introduce the children to the tobacco and doughnut industries? Or head to lovely Kannapolis, North Carolina to visit the Curb Museum of Music and Motorsports?

I find such questions silly. While "culture" is nice, I – like the rest of the normal population – choose my vacation destination based upon the minor league baseball available. So let’s explore after the jump what each of the White Sox full season affiliates has to offer the minor league aficionada.

Charlotte Knights (AAA, International League)

The Castle has long been barren of legitimate star power. Not since Joe Crede and Jon Garland passed through earlier this decade has this team seen real prospects. And this year, at least to start, appears to be no different.

Look at this roster. It’s awful. There isn’t a position player younger than 25. Heck, there are only a few pitchers who are. And, not coincidentally, those are some of the only guys to even be mildly interested in following. Their opening day starter was John van Benschoten. Think about that. Rounding out the rotation will likely be Lance Broadway, Wes Whisler, Jeff Marquez, and Carlos Torres. Fugly. The recent addition of Justin Cassel to the roster (although as an inactive) may mean that he will be in the rotation.The only position players to note are co-catchers Donny Lucy and Cole Armstrong (although Armstrong left today's game with an apparent leg injury, status uncertain). Jayson Nix, once he comes of the DL, will be headed here, as well.

I’ve already covered quite a few of the Knights pitchers here. Jon Link is an especially interesting arm. Jack Egbert’s move to the bullpen should be intriguing as well; he’s the sort who may benefit from the little bit extra on his fastball and the (likely) increased MPH differential between his pitches now that he’ll only be expected to pitch an inning or two. The early return for both pitchers (and the Knights as a whole) were not promising today.

A Prospect to Watch: Justin Cassel is a 24 year old righty who was drafted in the seventh round in 2006. A shoulder injury in 2007 set him back but he rebounded in 2008 at Birmingham to put together an acceptable campaign. He’s certainly not going to overpower anyone – he’s lucky if his sinking fastball reaches 90 MPH – and his curve and change are both average pitches. However, he could provide useful starter depth and a future as a swingman-type is reasonable.

Vacation? Wait until summer for some promotions.

Birmingham Barons (AA, Southern League)

Now the Barons, on the other hand, are stacked. The top five White Sox prospects – Gordon Beckham, Aaron Poreda, Brandon Allen, Dayan Viciedo, and Tyler Flowers – will all be starting the season in Birmingham. It also appears as if someone really wants this team to win as some guys who probably should be playing in Charlotte – most notably outfielders David Cook and Stefan/Maurice Gartrell – are going to be lending their experience.

While the rotation will be headed by Poreda, Lucas Harrell will look to continue to justify his protection on the 40 man roster in his second year removed from elbow surgery. They’ll be joined by 2007 third round pick John Ely. Brian Omogrosso is apparently back to starting, as he takes the hill tonight in Barons' Southern League opener. Clevelan Santeliz, the random addition to the 40 man roster this offseason, will start the year on the DL. That could be a real injury or, for a guy as raw as Santeliz is, that could be code for "extended spring training" or even "visa issues" - as a member of the 40 man, Santeliz needs to be assigned to some roster. Other notable pitchers include Swisher bounty Jhonny Nunez.

In the field, John Shelby will be looking to cut down on his strikeouts and CJ Retherford will be looking to validate Hawk’s faith in him as his “Minor League Pick to Click.” Good luck, CJ.

A Prospect to Watch: We all know about the big-time prospects so let’s focus on John Ely. The 23 year old righty has an average fastball in the low 90s and equally average, though promising, curve and change. His K/BB says he’s got good control. If he can improve one of his secondary offerings - his curve can flash as plus - he could profile as a #4 starter.

Vacation? Go now before everyone has left.

Winston-Salem Dash (High A, Carolina League)

A couple of 2008 draft picks headline this newly re-named affiliate (in case you’re wondering about the team name, “the Dash” is a nickname for Winston-Salem). Third round pick Brent Morel sped through Rookie Ball and Low A last year – as a polished college hitter should do – and he’ll look to replicate this year. While scouts question whether the power numbers will hold up at higher levels, his contact skills and good defense suggest a major league future in some capacity. Seventh round pick Jordan Danks impressed at his cameo at Kanny and, after Gartrell’s shoulder injury, came out of the Instructional League to hold his own in a cameo against more advanced competition in the Arizona Fall League. His defense, speed, and good on base skills also suggest a major league future. I’m very high on Danks (as I was on the other one - let's sign the sister, too) and I’m anxious to see how he deals with advanced pro pitching over a full season. Watch the K rate closely.

The pitching is pretty meh. While there are a few interesting guys – Michael Dubee, Hector Santiago, and Jacob Rasner – there’s not much that really projects to the major league level at this point.

A Prospect to Watch: Rasner is another player in whom I am disappointed in where the White Sox have placed him. He pitched well enough last season for Winston-Salem to be pushed to Birmingham. He’s got a low 90s fastball and induces enough groundballs; if he cuts his walks a bit, the Sox could have something. I hope he’s successful early in his repeat and gets pushed to AA quickly.

Vacation? Any legitimate CF prospect in this organization is worth a visit.

Kannapolis Intimidators (Low A, South Atlantic League)

More of the 2008 draftees are here. While some think Daniel Hudson and Dexter Carter (pictured above) should have been pushed to the Dash, I’m more sanguine about their placement. The Old Dominion teammates dominated the Pioneer League. Hudson has more polish but Carter has the better stuff. The knock on Carter was control but the White Sox made tweak to his delivery by having him throw across his body less and stride more toward the plate. The result was more strikes with a low 90s fastball and a plus curve that’s helped him get more than a K per inning. I expect the two to move quickly to High A.

The hitters are led by shortstops Tyler Kuhn and Eduardo Escobar, and 3B Jon Gilmore who came over in the Vazquez trade. Kuhn tore up the Pioneer League after being drafted out of West Virginia but don’t expect the slugging to translate to higher levels; his defense is also probably more suited to 2B and Escobar will likely handle most of the SS duties. Escobar was signed out of Venezuela in 2006 and the 20 year old made his US debut last year at Kanny. He has plus speed and is a great defender but a poor hitter – little strike zone judgment and no power. He’ll need to improve the former. Gilmore is also 20. He was a supplement first round pick out of Iowa high school. He’s a good contact hitter and scouts think the power will come. Like Escobar, he also needs to improve his strike zone judgment.

A Prospect to Watch: Drew O’Neil was a fourth round selection in 2008 out of Penn State. The righty is a sidearmer and has an unusually quick sinking fastball for someone with his kind of delivery. The reliever had a ridiculously high ERA at Great Falls but his peripherals told a different story. His sinker, coupled with his sinking fastball, induced a 4.00 GO/AO (groundout/flyout ratio) and 40 strikeouts in 31 innings. His command is inconsistent and will need to improve as he moves to higher levels.

Vacation? See them now before they become famous.

Game 2 of White Sox Spring Training: Viciedo, Beckham Debut

larry — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 02:35:13 -0000

Viciedo, despite a defensive misstep, debuted to rave reviews:

Viciedo opened with a clean, first-inning single to left off an 0-1 pitch from Colorado starter Jason Hirsh. He grounded into a double play in the third and lined out to right fielder Daniel Ortmeier in the fifth before being replaced at third base by Javier Castillo in the sixth inning.

"I felt relaxed, no pressure at all," said Viciedo, through translator and White Sox bench coach Joey Cora. "I felt happy and very good to finally play a game in the big leagues."

"The kid can swing the bat. He really, really can swing the bat," Guillen said of Viciedo. "And he's not scared."

Beckham didn't get the start but came on as a sub. The White Sox' consensus top prospect was 0-1 but drew a walk and stole second base.

Lillibridge began his insurgent campaign for the second base job with a 2-4 performance and a stolen base. If Sox fans want to see a guy who actually could steal 50 or more bases, he's the one.

Corky Miller had two singles and a double. Also apparently showed off his glove and toughness with a block of the plate to complete a double play.

Floyd gave up a run over two innings and then Egbert, Carrasco, Broadway, and Nunez combined to pitch seven scoreless innings to close out the White Sox' first victory of the spring.

Box score

In other news, expect Contreras and Colon to be pitching in live games around mid-March. Their current schedule according to Coop:

The two will finish off their throwing programs Friday morning at the facility in Glendale, take two days off, and then take the mound to throw sideline sessions on Monday.
"Just fastballs, changeups, to build some arm strength,'' Cooper said.
If there are no setbacks, then they will throw sidelines on March 4 and again on the seventh. Cooper will then give them March 8 off, and bring them back the following day to face their first live hitting in a batting practice session.
"It's the same stuff we were doing with the guys that were here before and healthy, and ready to go,'' Cooper said of the process.