SB Nation - Justin Smoak

MLB Trade Rumors: Josh Johnson for Justin Smoak and Neftali Perez??

raygu — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:00:23 -0000

by Wilfredo Lee - AP

2 months ago: Florida Marlins starter Josh Johnson winds up as he delivers a pitch during the first inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia PhilliesTuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

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I was surprised to read that the Texas Rangers offered their two best prospects, Justin Smoak and Neftali Perez for the Marlins ace pitcher Josh Johnson. I am not sure any other team could top that offer of prospects for 2 years of JJ.

Here is what ESPN's Keith Law had to say on the offer:

"As good as Johnson is, that seems like too much to offer given the remaining years of control and the fact that Smoak and Feliz are two of the top 10 prospects in the game and two players Texas' front office prizes very highly. Smoak is a switch-hitting first baseman with patience & power from both sides, and Feliz has already shown what he can do in relief with a chance that he can still start due to his easy velocity."

The Marlins are in a semi-rebuilding mode after dealing Jeremy Hermida, and on the verge of dealing second baseman Dan Uggla. I say semi-rebuilding because they are a young team that is about to get younger once prospects Logan Morrison and Michael Stanton make it to the big league club in the next year or so.

I can't see why they rejected the Rangers solid offer. Should they have pulled the trigger on that deal, they could feature a lineup in 2010-2011 as follows:

Logan Morrison-LF

Michael Stanton-RF

Justin Smoak-1B

This team would be tough to beat on paper come 2011. If the Marlins feel they can compete in 2010, then you have to keep Josh Johnson. But, come July 31st and they are 10 games out, they should re-kindle these talks.

Poll

Should the Marlins have pulled the trigger on the Rangers offer?

Down on the Farm: Part 2 of Interview with Adam Foster from Project Prospect

raygu — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:00:16 -0000

Here is the part 2 of the two part interview with Adam Foster from Project Prospect. Foster and the guys over at Project Prospect recently posted their top 15 catching prospects, so head on over to Project Prospect and check out their top 15 rankings.

Fake Teams: Aside from the AFL, what prospects that you have seen this year made the biggest leap forward? Step back?

Adam Foster: James Darnell is a guy who I went well out of my way to see this year. His swing really impressed me at Minor League Spring Training. He's very athletic with a good chance of sticking at third base. And his power potential is outstanding.

Some of my colleagues who are really into college statistics pointed Darnell out as a guy who may have fallen further than he should have in the draft - he wasn't healthy his junior season. Then I bumped into Darnell's Cape Cod League coach in Phoenix one night and he said he wanted Darnell over Justin Smoak on his Cape team.

I'm not saying that Darnell is a lock to become a superstar. But he's one of the best prospects in baseball. And people who aren't giving him that kind of recognition probably haven't done their homework.

As far as guys who took a step back, unfortunately Tim Alderson was a different pitcher this year than last. He lost some movement on his fastball. And his pinpoint accuracy left him. There are guys who chose to give up some velocity to gain movement. Alderson may have gone the opposite direction in 2009, I'm not sure. But even though his curveball is already a plus pitch, he wasn't giving High-A or Double-A hitters much trouble last season. He definitely has elite control. I just don't think he's a big league pitcher without outstanding command.

More after the jump:

Fake Teams: I read in your Rising Stars game chat that you and your colleagues are not as high on the Phillies outfield prospect Domonic Brown. What are your reasons?

Adam Foster: Guys who are outstanding fast-twitch athletes can become overrated in a hurry. People like to assume that they're athletic enough to do things that other players can't. In Brown's case, there's some false information floating around that he's an elite defender. He has a very good arm and he's fast, but he doesn't get good reads or take good routes. Those skills can't really be learned. So it's highly unlikely that he'll be more than an average defensive right fielder.

Additionally, he's really not very coordinated - compared to his peers. My first reaction when I saw him bat was that he looked awkward. He gets in a crouch to try to shrink down his big strike zone (Brown is 6-foot-5). And while he has a lot of bat speed, is patient, and recognizes pitches well, he's not going to be an above-average contact hitter. There's not much he can do about that. He doesn't have very good bat control.

Keep in mind that Brown is an elite prospect. He's in the 99^th percentile for his class. I'm just dissecting the heck out of him here. If you compare him to the other guys who are at the head of the class, I don't think he stands out as one who's going to become a star. He's very good and a likely bet to become an average big leaguer. But there are a dozen or so hitters out there who I see as better prospects than him.

Fake Teams: What players who underwhelmed in 2009 do you expect to jump back into the limelight in 2010?

Adam Foster: Reese Havens is a good one to start with. He moved to second base in the Arizona Fall League and looked solid at the position. He's a polished, well-rounded hitter who can play up-the-middle defense. He was a first rounder. And had a successful junior season in college - I'd be more confident in him if he was better his sophomore year, though. His baseball resume puts him in elite company. I'll be surprised if he doesn't break out in 2010.

Don't sleep on Jon Niese and Kevin Mulvey. They are solid bets to turn into useful big league starters. You could also end up looking like a genius if you snatch up Kellen Kulbacki cheap now that a lot of people have forgotten about him. Nick Noonan was one of the youngest players in High-A and has a lot of potential. Ivan De Jesus may not be a fantasy stud, but if you play in a deep dynasty or sim league, don't forget about him - and I'm sure you haven't ;).

Fake Teams: What prospects do you feel who should be getting more press based on their talent/performance?

Adam Foster: Josh Bell is just starting to get the attention he deserves. I guess you lose some street cred when you get traded for a reliever. But the Dodgers are clearly working under the win-now model, so I wouldn't hold it against him. He can play third base and has a lot of power. If Pedro Alvarez and Brett Wallace can't stick at third - and they probably won't - then Bell starts looking like a pretty good pick for the best "true" third base prospect in the minors. I'll have to compare my video of him and Darnell this offseason, though.

Brandon Snyder is another guy who has the resume to turn into a solid big leaguer. But you don't hear much talk about him. I'm a big Drew Cumberland believer. Matt Sweeney is a breakout guy. Lorenzo Cain has fallen out of the spotlight but I still see a lot of potential in him. Che-Hsuan Lin gets lost in the Red Sox depth of athletic hitters. Jaff Decker gets overlooked largely due to some old scouting biases.

Fake Teams: Who are your top 5 hitting prospects going into 2010? Who are your top 5 pitching prospects going into 2010?

Adam Foster: At the end of the 2009 season, we ranked Jason Heyward, Carlos Santana, Jesus Montero, and Buster Posey as the game's top five hitting prospects with Dustin Ackley, Desmond Jennings, Fernando Martinez and Mike Stanton on the bubble. Those guys will account for the bulk of - if not all - the spots among our top five hitting prospects entering 2010.

We didn't get to see many of baseball's top pitching prospects at the AFL. And I still want to get better reads on some guys. But Stephen Strasburg and Brian Matusz are clearly at the head of this class. Daniel Hudson and Jeremy Hellickson were two of the most impressive pitchers I saw in 2009 - Hudson for his FB and CH movement; Hellickson for his command. Then it's hard not to like Neftali Feliz' stuff. The five guys I've mentioned were our top five pitching prospects when we put together our October top 25 pitching prospect list. Most of them should also be top five on our 2010 list.

I want to thank Adam for taking the time for this interview.

Halladay won't approve in-season trade?

Eli Greenspan — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:10:06 -0000

More photos » by Darren Calabrese - AP

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Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay reportedly will exercise his no-trade clause and veto any trade once he reports for Spring Training in February. This is obviously an attempt to speed up a trade, similar to what Johan Santana-Twins situation that sent the Cy Young pitcher to the Mets.

"[But] one thing is certain -- once Roy reports to spring training as a member of the Blue Jays, from that point forward he will not approve or even discuss any potential trade scenario," Berry continued.

The Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers have shown the most interest in Halladay, but other teams are certain to enter the mix. The Angels have the prospects to pull off such a deal, and the Cubs have expressed some interest in the pitcher. The Rangers had interest in him last season, discussing a couple packages around prospect Justin Smoak and pitcher Derek Holland.

Two things could happen from this report.

Teams will wait till the Blue Jays are desperate to make a move, buying low, but still surrendering a top prospect. He only has one year left on his contract and is coming off his fourth straight season with 220 innings or more.

The other is things will stay normal until the Winter Meetings, when one team moves in to pull off a deal, either striking a Winter Meetings deal or soon after.

If the Jays fail to move Halladay, they will hopefully collect two first-round draft picks as compensation.

Part II: Interview with Alex Eisenberg of Baseball-Intellect

Bryan Everson (The Royalty of Roto) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:45:17 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

3 months ago: Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Wade Davis prepares to throw to a Baltimore Orioles batter during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009, in Baltimore. The Rays won 3-0. Davis threw a four-hit shutout to earn his first major league win. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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About three weeks ago, I had a chance to converse with Alex Eisenberg, who's in charge of Baseball-Intellect, focusing scouting young prospects and analysis of player's mechanics. If you want to check out Part I of that interview you can do it right here. With that, I bring you Part II of that interview, which focuses on some prospects that you've probably read in Ray's AFL updates.

TROR: Give me one prospect from each league that you think aren't being talked about or rated highly enough.

Alex: Oh man...I can't limit it to just one.

I don't know where other publications will rate these players, but here are some guys that under the radar, sleepers, and/or aren't household names.

- Nick Hagadone, LHP, Cleveland Indians - He's highly regarded, but people sleep on him. He's coming off TJ surgery and he's a bit old for his level, but he's a lefty with plus stuff who misses bats, keeps the ball on the ground...command is a bit of a question mark, but it projects to be solid enough. The Indians are being very conservative with him. He could be a front of the rotation starter or a multi-inning reliever out of the bullpen.

- Ryan Westmoreland, CF, Boston Red Sox - Not sure he'll be underrated, but he's not a household name. He's got an excellent blend of power and patience and the Red Sox are extremely high on him. Durability is a concern as he suffered a fractured clavical, just a year after tearing his rotator cuff.

- Zach Stewart, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays - He'll be the Blue Jay's No. 1 prospect, so he won't be underrated but he's also not a household name. Potential No. 3 starter or top flight set-up man...two plus pitches, ability to miss bats and get ground balls.

- Paul Demney, RHP, Washington Nationals - Not a lot of buzz surrounding Demney, but he's a sleeper. I don't think he'll be highly rated by other publications, but we'll see. Two good pitches (fastball and curve), but he's inconsistent. Could be a power arm out of the bullpen, but might be able to stick as a starter if he can improve his change-up and command.

- Fautino de los Santos, RHP, Oakland Athletics - Once a top-50 prospect, he fell off the face of the earth after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He came back briefly and his velocity was reportedly excellent. He was a potential front of the rotation starter before going down with an injury, but some felt he might be better suited for the bullpen. Given his age, it wouldn't surprise me if the A's try to fast track him to the majors by putting him in the bullpen.

- Chris Nelson (SS, Colorado Rockies), Jarek Cunningham (INF, Pittsburgh Pirates), Ivan De Jesus Jr. (SS/2b, Los Angeles Dodgers) - All were injured for most of 2009, all will be underrated because of it. Cunningham is the biggest wild card of the group because he's the least experience, has only experienced success in Rookie League ball, and has the most questions about his defense. But he's an excellent athlete and offers a lot of projection.

- Allen Webster (RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers) - Haven't seen him, but there is a lot of buzz surrounding him. Projectable, but already has good fastball velocity, good breaking ball and he throws strikes. He's somebody who could rise up prospect lists very quickly.

- Zach Britton (LHP, Baltimore Orioles) - Extreme ground ball pitcher with an ability to miss bats. Velocity increased over the past year and he's working on being better able to command his better stuff. Has a slider that has also developed well over the past year. He projects as a potential No. 3 or 4 starter.

TROR: Building on that, name one batting and pitching prospect in the AL that you think makes the biggest impact in 2010, and what about for the National League?

Alex: Again, I'm going to break the rules and name a couple for each league:

AL Hitters

- Justin Smoak (1B, Texas Rangers) - Despite a pretty poor Triple-A debut, he's still an elite prospect

- Brett Wallace (3B/1B, Oakland Athletics) - I don't see him as highly as others, but he can still rake and he's an excellent pure hitter

- Desmond Jennings (CF, Tampa Bay Rays) - Prototypical lead off hitter could be Carl Crawford's replacement.

AL Pitchers

- Zach Stewart - Mentioned him earlier, should have an immediate impact if he starts out in the bullpen

- Jeremy Hellickson and Wade Davis (RHP, Tampa Bay Rays) - Davis gave us a glimpse of what he can do late in the season. Hellickson doesn't have the raw stuff of Davis, but he commands his pitches extremely well and he has an excellent feel for pitching.

- Hector Rondon (RHP, Cleveland Indians) - Quality pitching prospect with a solid repertoire of pitches that he commands well. He should compete for a rotation spot out of Spring Training this year.

NL Hitters

- Jason Heyward (RF, Atlanta Braves) - The obvious choice as he's the best prospect in baseball.

- Buster Posey (C, San Francisco Giants) - The other obvious choice, a top-5 prospect that is major league ready now.

NL Pitchers

I don't see many potential impact pitching prospects that are ready in the NL.

Stephen Strasburg, but will the Nats be more conservative with him? Jaime Garcia perhaps, but he's coming off TJ surgery though he looked pretty good in his return last year. Daniel Schlereth, a hard throwing lefty out of the bullpen with Arizona is another one. There just aren't many impact guys right now. I see a lot more talent at the lower levels.

Madison Bumgardner is another guy that could make an impact, but his stuff needs to return to what it was prior to last season.

TROR: Thanks for your time, Alex.

Obviously Alex mentioned some of the major prospects that are going to be talked about as making immediate impact at the Major League level in 2010, but hopefully he re-affirmed some beliefs on those guys, and also touched on some guys that maybe haven't been talked about as much. It's a good primer for getting an idea of what kind of pitcher these guys are if you weren't familiar with them already, as well. Thanks again to Alex, and go check out his site if you haven't already.

Just when you thought it was safe to feel good about Michael Bourn's Gold Glove

HighLeveragePerformer — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:00:27 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Some people can't leave well enough alone, Michael.

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Astros fans probably aren't going to have all that much to cheer about in the coming seasons. We've come to accept that. Accept the losing, accept the fact that Drayton McLane, Jr. is still pulling the strings. It comes with the territory.

This week's announcement that our own Michael Bourn has won a Gold Glove sort of gave us a jolt of life. It was good news after a season of poor play and a botched hiring process for a manager. A week's vacation of sorts.

Damn it all, I was feeling good. I knew Bourn had a nice season, but this gave him and the team some positive national recognition. There were a ton of sketchy choices for the award (as there always is) but Bourn seemed like a legitimate choice.

Not so fast. Good 'ol Joe Sheehan weighed in on the situation, and per usual didn't mince words when talking about an Astro:

The NL awards were marked by a lot of turnover, unusual for an award of this nature. The turnover was unnecessary. Michael Bourn wasn't a better defender than Mike Cameron was, and Matt Kemp and Shane Victorino certainly weren't.

That may be true. Cameron was statistically the best centerfielder in the NL in 2009, at least going by one measure. Advanced defensive metrics are still in their relative infancy, and nobody can seem to decide on which one is the best at ascertaining true defensive ability and skill. Yes, by both measures linked by me Cameron was better than Bourn...barely. Better by such an small amount that you could hardly criticize Bourn's selection over Cameron.

If this isn't the ultimate picking of nits and splitting of hairs, I don't know what is. I understand that the apparent theme of his article "I know more about baseball than most everyone on earth, especially the simpletons who dole out the Gold Glove Award" mandated that he denigrate most every selection, but come on. This act of telling people how smart you are and how much information you have to bestow on us is getting old.

Maybe I'm the one splitting hairs and am being overly sensitive. Yes, Sheehan does say you can make a case for Bourn winning (thanks for throwing us a bone, Joe). From the general tenor of his articles, to his nearly constant implicit reminders that: 1) we're not as smart as he is, and 2) we need to be taught on a near daily basis that we aren't, I am beginning to grow weary of that website. Yea, yea, yea: I know a lot of people love BPro, and they don't need Evan Hochschild's readership to get by. I understand. The simple fact that the great majority of Sheehan's articles are negative and quasi condescending frustrates/angers/befuddles me. Sorry for the rant, but I just had to get this off my chest.

(Yes, I saw he said something positive about Jason Castro...within a thinly veiled pot shot at the Astros' having selected him over Justin Smoak.)

Corner Infielders from the 2008 Draft

John Sickels — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:10:44 -0000

Corner Bats from the 2008 Draft

There were seven "infield corner" bats drafted in the first round in 2008, one (Eric Hosmer) from high school and six (Pedro Alvarez, Yonder Alonso, Brett Wallace, David Cooper, Ike Davis, and Allan Dykstra) from the college ranks. All were regarded as polished and capable of advancing quickly, though Dykstra was considered a stretch in the first round by most. Let's take a look and see how they did in their first full seasons.

Pedro Alvarez: The second overall pick, Vanderbilt product Alvarez got off to a slow start at Lynchburg in the Carolina League for the Pirates, but turned things on after the first month and hit .247/.342/.486 overall, earning a promotion to Double-A at mid-season. He was blistering after that, hitting .333/.419/.590, finishing the season with a combined .288/.378/.535 mark, 27 homers, 32 doubles, 71 walks, and 129 strikeouts in 465 at-bats. He handled lefties well at the Double-A level (.324/.360/.451), and his defense at third base came out as average according to Minor League Splits.com. There's still some doubt about where he'll end up defensively, and his strikeout rate is rather high, but he draws plenty of walks and overall I think he answered a lot of questions in the second half, firmly establishing himself as an elite offensive prospect.

Eric Hosmer: The third overall pick out of high school in Plantation, Florida, Hosmer was supposed to be a very advanced high school hitter with plus power, excellent strike zone judgment, and the ability to advance rapidly through the farm system. He did show the solid plate discipline in the Midwest League, with a 44/68 BB/K in 280 at-bats, but he hit just .254/.352/.382 overall with very disappointing power. The Royals moved him up to the Carolina League for the last month of the season, for some reason, and he hit just .206/.280/.299 for Wilmington, including .143/.208/.204 in 14 home games. I commented on how he looked at Burlington earlier in the year, his swing sometimes looked quick and smooth and other times appeared mechanical and slow. Hosmer apparently had vision problems most of the year, and had Lasik surgery in late August to correct the issue. Given his youth, it is too early to conclude that this was a busted draft pick, but he has a lot to prove next year.

Yonder Alonso: The seventh overall pick last year out of the University of Miami, Cincinnati prospect Alonso was considered a very advanced college hitter with power and superb strike zone judgment. The main question revolved around his ability to handle left-handed pitching. He split the season between Class A Sarasota (.303/.383/.497) and Double-A Carolina (.295/.372/.457), though he was limited to 84 games by a broken hamate. The platoon splits are still an issue: he hit a combined .307/.382/.502 against right-handed pitching, but just .222/.329/.317 against southpaws. He hit nine homers in 295 at-bats, perhaps less than expected, but also knocked 24 doubles and showed a very sharp eye with 41 walks, 46 strikeouts. I think the home runs will come assuming that the hamate injury heals properly, as that sort of injury can hamper power development. I'm not sure if he'll ever hit lefties, though.

Justin Smoak: Smoak was the 11^th overall pick in the draft, from the University of South Carolina. I thought this was a great bargain for the Rangers; I loved his bat and had him ranked ahead of all college hitters except Alvarez and Buster Posey before the draft. He got off to a great start at Double-A Frisco, hitting .328/.449/.481 with 39 walks and just 35 strikeouts in 183 at-bats. However, he strained an oblique muscle in June, and while he came back quickly he wasn't the same afterward. The Rangers promoted him aggressively to Triple-A Oklahoma City where he hit .244/.363/.360 in 54 games, continuing to show good plate discipline but lacking power. Overall he hit .290/.410/.443 with 12 homers, 75 walks, and 81 strikeouts in 386 at-bats. I still like Smoak a lot, and suspect that the oblique hampered his performance much of the summer. He retained command of the strike zone even when struggling. However, hopes that he would be ready in 2010 have to be tempered; he'll need more Triple-A time.

Brett Wallace: The 13^th overall pick out of Arizona State, Wallace hit .281/.403/.438 for Springfield in the Double-A Texas League in 32 games, then .293/.346/.423 for Memphis in the Triple-A PCL in 62 games. Traded to Oakland in the Matt Holliday deal, he hit .302/.365/.505 for Sacramento in 44 games, giving him a combined line of .293/.367/.455. His plate discipline was a bit weaker than advertised with 47 walks against 116 strikeouts in 532 at-bats, but overall it is hard to fault his performance in Triple-A just one year out of college. Like Pedro Alvarez, Wallace rated as average statistically at third base according to Minor League Splits, though most scouts expect he'll wind up at first base in the long run.

David Cooper: Toronto made David Cooper the 17^th overall pick in '08, from the University of California. He was considered another polished bat with good plate discipline and average power for a first baseman. He hit .333/.399/.502 in his pro debut at the A-ball level, but was unable to duplicate this for Double-A New Hampshire, hitting .258/.340/.389. He showed a little more power in the second half (.427 SLG) than in the first (.363), but in general it was a disappointing season. He did show decent plate discipline with 59 walks in 473 at-bats, but pre-season hopes that he could help early in 2010 appear misplaced and he'll need a good dose of Triple-A. He had a sharp platoon split (.611 OPS vs. lefties, .772 against normal people).

Ike Davis: The 22^nd overall pick out of Arizona State, Davis was supposed to be less polished than college teammate Wallace, but more athletic and with better physical projection. Mets fans were frightened when Davis hit just .256/.326/.316 with zero homers in his 58-game pro debut in the New York-Penn League, but he erased those doubts in 2009 with a strong campaign. He hit .288/.376/.486 in 59 games for St. Lucie in the Florida State League, then .309/.386/.565 in 55 games for Binghamton in the Double-A Eastern League, combining for a .298/.381/.524 mark with 20 homers, 31 doubles, 57 walks, and 112 strikeouts in 429 at-bats. He has work to do against lefties, hitting just .242/.301/.371 against them this year compared to .323/.414/.586 against right-handers. Other than that, his season was very strong and he should be ready to help sometime next year.

Allan Dykstra: Drafted 23^rd overall by the Padres out of Wake Forest, Dykstra was the only one of the first round corner hitters considered to be an overdraft by most experts. He also had a health issue with a degenerative hip condition that reduced his signing bonus, though so far durability on the field hasn't been a problem. Unfortunately, performance was: he hit just .226/.397/.375 at Fort Wayne in the Midwest League. He also drew an amazing 104 walks, giving him a very high OBP despite his poor batting average. His power production was less than anticipated, and he was hampered by a difficult home park, hitting .185/.385/.325 at home vs. 265/.408/.422 on the road. His glove at first base is solid, and the high walk rate is certainly intriguing, but I'm not sure what to expect from him at higher levels.

To summarize, Alvarez looks great right now and Davis has answered doubts about his power. Wallace looks solid to me though I'd like to see a few more walks. Smoak and Alonso have things to work on but both had injury excuses this year, and I retain faith in both of them. Hosmer is the youngest of the group and has time to improve; perhaps the vision problem explains his struggles as well. I'm concerned about Cooper's lack of distance power. Dykstra is an enigma who might blossom next year in a better environment, but he turns 23 in May and can't afford another bad campaign.

Friday Morning Astros, etc Round Up

HighLeveragePerformer — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:00:27 -0000

by David J. Phillip - AP

That oughta lift your spirits, Lance.

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In case y'all haven't noticed, Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt haven't exactly been themselves in 2009. I mean, they haven't been terrible, but each has left a little to be desired. Zach Levine gives us the optimist and pessimist perspective on each in his blog post yesterday. More than their diminished performance this year, I'm worried about their attitudes towards their futures in baseball and the Astros in the immediate future. Maybe it's just that I'm used to Astro players keeping quiet for the most part, but Lance nor Roy have come out sounding excited about playing baseball. It's a grind when you're out of the race, and it's natural to let down when you have "nothing" to play for. Perhaps a free agent signing or strong performance by a youngster (or five) will lift the spirits of our longest tenured Astros?

Our minor league affiliates named their team MVPs, and I can't argue with the selections from AAA, AA or A. Round Rock chose Tommy Manzella, Drew Locke earned the honor in Corpus, and Koby Clemens was rewarded in Lancaster. The Lexington Legends' team MVP is Brian Pelligrini, but it's more than likely that a pitcher (Jordan Lyles) was truly the most valuable member of that squad.

RJ's twitter feed informs us that five Astros have made their major league debut this season: Bud Norris, Wilton Lopez, Sammy Gervacio, Tommy Manzella and Chris Johnson. This type of factoid is common for most teams, but for the Astros it's downright nutty! Taking these five, plus Felipe Paulino, Michael Bourn, Hunter Pence, Wes Wright, Alberto Arias, and Yorman Bazardo into account, 2010 could be an extremely telling season in terms of whether or not this team is going to be competitive in 2011 and beyond.

The Astros may have lost last night, but Chris Johnson will always look back fondly on the game as the night he notched his first big league hit. Congratulations to Chris. Now Tommy Manzella needs to get his chance to do the same. Perhaps a Miggy at third base, Tommy at shortstop starting lineup is in order?

It's always fun when the big baseball websites take note of the successes of our minor leaguers, and Baseball Prospectus did just that on Wednesday in an article which analyzed the minor league leaders in various categories. Jon Gaston led the minors in HRs, and was given the usual assessment of being fortunate to play in a bandbox, and striking out too much. Koby Clemens apparently led the minor leagues in RBI with 123:

One of the bigger surprises of the year, Clemens hit .345/.419/.636 for the JetHawks, and while the ballpark and the top of the Lancaster lineup did wonders for his RBI total, this is at least some kind of step forward. He'll need to prove it's for real next year at Double-A, and his catching still needs a load of work, as in 66 games behind the plate he was charged with 18 passed balls while throwing out less than 30 percent of opposing basestealers.

Maybe he and Jason Castro can get together, and Koby can pick Jason's brain?

In their first World Cup game, the U.S. team lost to Venezuela in a slugfest, 13-9. Jason Castro managed to go hitless in five at bats, but was probably worn out from crouching so much. He looks swell in his Team USA uniform though:

Team USA faces host nation Germany tomorrow. Other high draft choices from 2008 playing on Team USA include Justin Smoak and Pedro Alvarez.

Remember when Dice K mattered? I barely do. He's coming back for the stretch run though...so take heart, Boston?

Texas Rangers Top 20 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:00:12 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus, (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Texas Rangers Top 20 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review

This list was originally published December 18, 2008. This is a REVIEW of the PRE-SEASON list for 2009, not a revision of that list. This is a REVIEW of the old list. I'm not doing new grades or lists until I start working on the 2010 book.

1) Neftali Feliz, RHP, Grade A: 3.49 ERA with 75/30 K/BB in 77 innings for Oklahoma City, 0.55 ERA with an amazing 21/1 K/BB in 16 innings in the majors so far. An outstanding young pitcher.

2) Justin Smoak, 1B, Grade A-: Excellent in Double-A (.328/.449/.481), not so good in Triple-A (.240/.359/.350). Hampered by a strained oblique. I think he'll be fine.

3) Elvis Andrus, SS, Grade A-: Hitting .269/.334/.384 with 24 steals in 26 attempts for the Rangers. Looks like he'll be an excellent player to me.

4) Derek Holland, LHP, Grade B+: 4.95 ERA with 86/35 K/BB in 109 innings for the Rangers, 118 hits allowed. He was rushed, but is holding his own.

5) Taylor Teagarden, C, Grade B: Hitting .194/.263/.375 in 144 at-bats for the Rangers. I think if he got regular playing time that he'd do a lot better than this.

6) Julio Borbon, OF, Grade B: .307/.367/.386 with 25 steals for Oklahoma City, hitting .415/.478/.537 with nine steals in 14 major league games. That won't last, but he's made a lot of progress refining his tools.

7) Engel Beltre, OF, Grade B: Hitting .227/.281/.317 with 17 steals in 24 attempts for Class A Bakersfield. Great tools, but still very very raw.

8) Michael Main, RHP, Grade B: 7.33 ERA with 45/36 K/BB in 54 innings for Bakersfield. On rehab assignment in rookie ball right now. Disappointing season.

9) Max Ramirez, C, Grade B: hitting .234/.310/.332 for Oklahoma City, hampered by a wrist injury all year.

10) Martin Perez, LHP, Grade B-: 2.31 ERA with 105/33 K/BB in 94 innings for Class A Hickory. Promoted to Double-A at age 18, pitched poorly in his first two starts but well in the third.

11) Kasey Kiker, LHP, Grade B-: 3.86 ERA with 120/66 K/BB in 126 innings for Double-A Frisco, 108 hits. Very good stuff, command is still erratic.

12) Neil Ramirez, RHP, Grade C+: 4.33 ERA with 47/36 K/BB in 60 innings for Hickory, 50 hits. I thought he was a breakthrough candidate, but it hasn't happened. Components aren't too impressive at this point.

13) Guillermo Moscoso, RHP, Grade C+: 3.27 ERA with 90/29 K/BB in 107 innings between Frisco and Oklahoma City. I think he can be a useful swingman type.

14) Kennil Gomez, RHP, Grade C+: 5.71 ERA with 118/63 K/BB in 123 innings for Bakersfield, 140 hits. Not exactly a great season, but still has interesting potential.

15) Blake Beavan, RHP, Grade C+: 4.42 ERA with 28/11 K/BB in 79 innings for Frisco, 102 hits. He throws strikes and is just 20 years old, but his K/IP is very low and he gives up a huge number of hits.

16) Wilfredo Boscan, RHP, Grade C+: 3.35 ERA with 58/16 K/BB in 97 innings for Hickory, 95 hits. Good command, strikeout rate is low, just 19 years old.

17) Tim Murphy, LHP, Grade C+: 7.24 ERA with 82/53 K/BB in 123 innings for Bakersfield, 175 hits. I thought he'd do a lot better than this. Even considering California League environment, this is pretty dismal.

18) Wilmer Times New Roman Font, RHP, Grade C+: 3.32 ERA with 92/53 K/BB in 95 innings for Hickory, 80 hits. Just 19, loads of potential but sneeds to sharpen command.

19) Tommy Hunter, RHP, Grade C+: 2.85 ERA with 41/22 K/BB in 66 innings for the Rangers. Can't complain about that.

20) Eric Hurley, RHP, Grade C+: His arm fell off.

21) Robbie Ross, LHP, Grade C+: 2.98 ERA with 68/16 K/BB in 63 innings for short-season Spokane. Looks like a breakthrough guy for 2010. Note 3.41 GO/AO ratio.

22) Omar Poveda, RHP, Grade C+: 4.45 ERA with 59/46 K/BB in 115 innings for Frisco, 119 hits. Don't like the low strikeout rate.

23) Joe Wieland, RHP, Grade C+: 5.52 ERA with 63/21 K/BB in 73 innings for Hickory, 91 hits. Throws strikes, gets some grounders, just 19, could still develop.

24) Jose Vallejo, 2B, Grade C+: hitting .248/.291/.324 between Frisco, Oklahoma City, and Round Rock, just traded to Astros. Not too impressive this year with the bat, but a slick glove.

The Rangers entered 2009 with an outstanding farm system. Andrus has been terrific all season, Feliz and Borbon have been awesome since being promoted, and Holland is coming along nicely considering that he was rushed pretty fast. I still think Teagarden could be a very good player if given a full opportunity. Injuries have hampered the development of Smoak, Ramirez, and some of the pitchers, but there is still a lot to like here even with the graduation of Andrus and Holland beyond rookie status. The failure to sign Matt Purke in the 2009 draft hurts, and I'm not sure what is going on with Tanner Scheppers, with rumors that he could end up in Japan. The club needs to resolve its financial problems, but clearly the baseball development personnel know what they are doing if given the resources.

Stat of the Day

Adam J. Morris — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:30:12 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

7 months ago: Texas Rangers' Chris Davis follows through with awalk off two-run home run off of Seattle Mariners' Brandon Morrow in the ninth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, May 14, 2009. The shot that scored David Murphy and gave the Rangers a 3-2 win. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Justin Smoak in August: .291/.426/.436

Chris Davis in August: .333/.469/.510

Hank Blalock in August: .175/.175/.365

This team is in a playoff race, and is getting nothing from the first base position right now. The current first baseman is a free agent after the season, and is just about a lock not to return.

The team has got two young first basemen in AAA. One of them has had success in the majors before this season, and has crushed AAA pitching since being demoted about 6 weeks ago. The other is a first round pick who was expected to move fast and who has performed well of late after struggling initially in AAA.

This team needs help offensively. Among A.L. teams, only Toronto has scored fewer runs in the month of August. There's no excuse for the Rangers to accept just giving away at bat after at bat from the first base position.

Particularly given that there appear to be two better options in AAA right now.

There is no reason whatsoever for either Justin Smoak or Chris Davis not to be the Rangers' starting first baseman the rest of the way. Either one of them is better than what we've got right now.

Poll

Who should get the majority of starts at first base for the rest of the season?

Hank Blalock

46 votes

Chris Davis

917 votes

Justin Smoak

43 votes

Andruw Jones

15 votes

1021 votes | Poll has closed

Roy Halladay To Rangers All But Dead

Matt Buggenhagen — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:01:19 -0000

More photos » by Darren Calabrese - AP

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Any deal sending Roy Halladay to the Rangers appears to be dead, this according to John Heyman of SI.com.

Last night it was reported that the Rangers and Jays were having extensive talks about a deal for Roy Halladay, and while it appears the teams did come close, no deal is on the horizion.

It's believed the teams were discussing top young pitching prospect Derek Holland and top hitting prospect Justin Smoak in various packages.

Furthermore, it's believed that the Rangers were trying to get the Jays to pay a portion of Halladay's contract for this season. No word on what broke the deal down, but as of last night the Rangers were believed to be serious about taking on most of Halladay's contract, which likely means it was haul of prospects in return that broke the deal down.

The Rangers are just the latest team to fall victim of J.P. Ricciardi's rath. The teams believed to still have a chance at Halladay are the Red Sox, Yankees and Angels, but as of now it looks like Halladay may be a Jay for at least the remainder of this season.