SB Nation - Jorge Jimenez

Marlins offer Jorge Jimenez back to Red Sox

craig — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:12:02 -0000

This time, as with most times, the Rule 5 draft of Jorge Jimenez didn't work out.

...the Marlins determined Jimenez wasn't part of their plans, so they have decided to cut ties with the 25-year-old third baseman.

On Sunday morning, the Marlins offered Jimenez back to the Red Sox.

Jimenez joined the Marlins at the Winter Meetings in December. To complete the Matt Lindstrom trade with the Astros, Houston picked Jimenez in the MLB phase of the Rule 5 Draft, and then sent him to Florida. Now, for Lindstrom, the Marlins have received lower-level pitching prospects Robert Bono and Luis Bryan.

If the Red Sox don't want him back, and he clears waivers, the Marlins can assign him to the minors. All of that probably won't happen. Though it could.

With a Rule 5 draft player he must be kept on the Major League roster all season and the Marlins just don't have the space for a 3rd baseman. This means, more than likely, Jorge Cantu will be the third baseman and Gaby will be the first baseman to start the season. Not really surprising, but it wasn't a bad idea to see if Jimenez could give the club some immediate return on the Lindstrom trade. It just didn't work out.

If the Red Sox want him back, the Marlins are out $25,000 for the experiment. But hey, you put your money down, roll the dice and take your chances. A Rule 5 draftee is like playing a hop bet in craps, most of the time it doesn't work out. But every once in a while, you get lucky.

Jorge Jimenez is Coming Back to the Red Sox

Ben Buchanan — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:38:34 -0000

Peter Abraham has tweeted that minor league third baseman Jorge Jimenez, who was taken by the Marlins in the Rule 5 draft, has been accepted back by the Red Sox.

Jimenez, 25, was drafted in the 15th round of the 2006 draft. After dominating competition in the New York-Penn League and California League, Jimenez struggled with his first exposure to AA pitching in 2008 before rebounding to post a .789 OPS last year.

If nothing else, Jimenez provides organizational depth at third base, and adds to the limited stores of players in the high majors who could potentially help the Red Sox this year. As a left handed bat with big splits against righties, he has the potential to work well in a platoon situation.

To keep Jimenez, the Marlins would have had to keep him on their 25-man roster for the entire season. For their trouble, the Red Sox will get to keep $25,000 of the $50,000 the Marlins had to pay for the pick. He has only managed a line of .167/.286/.278 in 18 at bats this spring, and will likely start the year with the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox.

Marlins reach contract agreements with several players

craig — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:21:59 -0000

Just got this text message.

The Marlins have reached 2010 contracts with RHP's Jay Buente, Jose Ceda and Brett Sinkbell, C Brett Hayes and INF's Jorge Jimenez and Gaby Sanchez.

That's great, but am I missing something here? All of these guys are still under team control and the Marlins can pay them whatever the team wants to, as long as it is at least the league the minimum. So what confuses me is the word "reached". There is no reach, there is no negotiation, but I guess reached sounds nicer in a message than assigned.

But whatever, the boys are going to get paid.

Florida Marlins Out of Options

craig — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:28:33 -0000

JCR has the list of Marlins players out of options.

The following players are out of options, meaning that they would have to clear waivers for the Marlins to assign them to the minors: pitchers Dan Meyer, Hayden Penn, Renyel Pinto, Brian Sanches and Leo Nunez; infielders Wes Helms and Jorge Jimenez; and outfielder Cody Ross.

No big deal, most all of the players will be on the 25-man roster all year long. That, or on the DL. There are two exceptions: one is Hayden Penn and the other is Jorge Jimenez. Up until this point, Penn hasn't pitched well enough to hold down a spot on the 25-man. And if he doesn't again this season, clearing waviers won't be a problem. Jimenez, you remember him, he was the Rule 5 draft pick we got from the Astros in the Lindstrom trade. In other words, if he doesn't make the club he will be offered back to the Red Sox, the team from which he was drafted.

Florida Marlins Top 20 Prospects for 2010

John Sickels — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 04:57:41 -0000

Top 20 Florida Marlins 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 the 2010 Baseball Prospect Book, now available for pre-order, shipping on February 2^nd!

1) Mike Stanton, OF, Grade A-: The strikeouts are worrisome, yes, but he's only 20 years old and hit 16 homers in half-a-season of Double-A ball. Upside: 40-homer production for years. Downside: he loses the strike zone and ends up like Jeff Francoeur.

2) Logan Morrison, 1B, Grade B+. I still love this guy. Tremendous improvement with his strike zone judgment stands out, and power slippage is likely attributable to hand injury.

3) Matt Dominguez, 3B, Grade B. Defensive raves continue, but the bat didn't look as good in the more difficult Florida State League. Will struggle if rushed, they need to give him 900 at-bats in the upper minors.

4) Chad James, LHP, Grade B: Has B+/A- potential but would like to see some professional data first.

5) Ryan Tucker, RHP, Grade B: Gets an injury mulligan and the same grade as last year. I love his stuff, still worry about command. Downgrade to B- considered, but at least it was a knee injury and not an elbow or shoulder.

6) Gaby Sanchez, 1B, Grade C+: Age 26 limits his upside, but should be a solid hitter to hold down first base until Morrison is ready.

7) Scott Cousins, OF, Grade C+: Tools are underrated, does a lot of things well, plate discipline is sketchy however. Could be perfect fourth outfielder.

8) Bryan Petersen, OF, Grade C+: Similar to Cousins, not as athletic but with better plate discipline.

9) Kyle Skipworth, C, Grade C+: Borderline C. VERY difficult to grade. His performance has been horrible, but he was so good in high school and at age 20 it is too soon to give up on him. However, one more season like this one and people will be heading to the exits.

10) Jake Smolinski, 3B-2B, Grade C+. This bat has considerable potential, however he is apparently injury-prone and still looking for a position.

11) Jhan Marinez, RHP, Grade C: borderline C+. Excellent arm, could dominate in the pen if command comes around.

12) Issac Galloway, OF, Grade C: Great tools, no performance yet.

13) Brad Hand, LHP, Grade C: Pitched better in second half, may need more time as a cold-weather high school guy.

14) Garrett Parcell, RHP, Grade C: Could contribute in the bullpen quite soon if he proves durability.

15) Chris Leroux, RHP, Grade C: Another possible middle relief arm.

16) Steve Cishek, RHP, Grade C: Like Parcell and Leroux, he can help in the pen.

17) Arquimedes Caminero, RHP, Grade C: Powerful Dominican bullpen arm hit 98 in the New York-Penn League but has control issues.

18) Ramon Benjamin, LHP: Another NY-P pitcher with plus stuff but command issues.

19) Marcell Ozuna, OF, Grade C: Big numbers in the Gulf Coast League from a potential power hitter, but need more data from higher levels.

20) Tom Koehler, RHP, Grade C: Looks like a potential inning-eater type.

OTHERS (Grade C): Pete Andrelczyk, RHP; Bryan Berglund, RHP, Jay Buente, RHP; Jose Ceda, RHP; Marquis Cooper, OF; Rodolfo Encarnacion, RHP; Josh Hodges, RHP; Dan Jennings, LHP; Kyle Jensen, OF: Jorge Jimenez, 3B; Graham Johnson, RHP; Kyle Kaminska, RHP; Brent Keys, OF; Jai Miller, OF; Edgar Olmos, LHP; Curtis Petersen, RHP; A.J. Ramos, RHP; Graham Taylor, RHP; Elih Villanueva, RHP; Jay Voss, LHP.

This system doesn't have as much depth as I thought it did.

Beginning with the hitters, you have Mike Stanton, who has the tools to be a superstar but also has the potential to crash and burn badly if he's rushed too fast. He needs another 300 at-bats in Double-A, and 400 in Triple-A, before being pushed to the majors. He has All-Star upside, but he still has flaws in his game that could prevent his talent from fully coming through if he's not handled properly.

Morrison may be a notch overrated at A- and I'm going to sleep on that grade. Dominguez should be a solid regular although I'm doubt at this point he'll hit enough to be a genuine star. Sanchez, Cousins, and Petersen all look like they could be useful role players, but none of them project as stars. I don't know what the hell to make of Skipworth at this point. After that there are some tools guys but no one I'm really wild about, though Smolinski could surprise if he can stay healthy.

The pitching features Chad James as the headliner, a possible number two starter if he reaches his ceiling. After that it thins out fast. There are a large number of potential bullpen arms, beginning with future closer Ryan Tucker and a boatload of potential setup men with good arms. But other than maybe Brad Hand, I don't see a lot of potential starting pitchers on the horizon.

Although things look thin with this current list, some of the Grade Cs have the potential to improve, and they graduated considerable talent to the majors last year. They've recharged before and they'll do so again. It will be interesting to see what approach they take in the '10 draft, and if the resolution of the stadium situation opens the pocketbook for player development a bit more.

Rule 5 Draft

craig — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:13:23 -0000

As part of the Lindstrom trade the Marlins received the Rule 5 draft pick of the Astros in which Jorge Jimenez was chosen.

To complete the deal, the Astros selected third baseman Jorge Jimenez out of the Red Sox's system in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft and shipped him to the Florida Marlins. The Winter Meetings concluded with the Marlins acquiring the strong-armed, left-handed hitting corner infielder they coveted.

We will see what happens but keep in mind Jimenez was 25 year-old Double-A player. Should things go awry, say with the pitching staff, and the Marlins should need to bring up more pitchers, it happened last season, they will ship him back to make room on the 25-man roster. But at this point he looks like the best thing the Marlins received in the Lindstrom trade. Kinda sad when the best thing we got was the player to be named later.

In the draft the Marlins lost John Raynor in the major league portion and catcher Andrew Jenkins in the triple-a portion. Losing Raynor probably isn't earth shattering, but still, he was well thought of. If Pittsburgh needs a spot on the 25-man roster, we may get him back.

Rule 5 Draft Impressions

John Sickels — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:57:26 -0000

2010 Rule 5 Draft Review

There wasn't a lot of super-exciting action in the Rule 5 draft this year, but some interesting players did change hands. From the look of it, most teams were on the lookout for bullpen help, which makes sense since it is easier to carry an extra pitcher these days than an extra hitter.

1) Yankees: Jamie Hoffman, OF, from Dodgers: The Yankees traded up to make sure they got Hoffman, who hit .284/.360/.455 this year for Triple-A Albuquerque and .182/.167/.409 in 14 games with the Dodgers. The 25-year old is a right-handed hitter and thrower with average tools, including decent speed, occasional power, and fairly good plate discipline. He can be a useful reserve outfielder.

2) Pirates: John Raynor, OF, from Marlins: Another potential reserve outfielder, the 25-year old Raynor hit .255/.326/.357 for Triple-A New Orleans, but swiped 18 bases. He had a much better season in 2008, hitting .312/.402/.489 with 48 steals for Double-A Carolina. Raynor's speed would look good on the Pirates bench but he probably won't hit enough to be a regular.

3) Rangers: Ben Snyder, LHP, from Giants: Snyder posted a 2.88 ERA with an 86/38 K/BB in 97 innings for Double-A Connecticut this year. The 24-year old Ball State University product struggled as a starter when reaching Double-A in '08, but was much more effective after converting to relief this year. He could provide some solid LOOGY or long relief innings for the Rangers in 2010.

4) Royals: Edgar Osuna, LHP, from Braves: This 22-year old southpaw from Mexico posted a 3.72 ERA with a 49/21 K/BB in 77 innings for Double-A Mississippi in 2009. His fastball isn't very fast, but he changes speeds well and throws strikes with his effective breaking ball. He could be a useful 11^th man, capable of spot starting and long relief work.

5) Indians: Hector Ambriz, RHP, from Diamondbacks: Ambriz is 25 years old, a fifth rounder out of UCLA in 2006. He was mediocre as a starter for Triple-A Reno this year, with a 5.57 ERA and a 103/40 K/BB in 128 innings with 164 hits allowed. He does get his fastball past 90 MPH and has a good splitter, and I could see him being a decent relief arm with spot starter potential.

6) Diamondbacks: Zack Kroenke, LHP, from Yankees: A University of Nebraska product (fifth round 2005), Kreonke posted a 1.99 ERA with a 55/30 K/BB in 72 innings for Triple-A Scranton this year. The 25-year old has an 88-92 MPH fastball with movement, and he could end up being an astute pick as a bullpen asset if his command sharpens a bit more.

7) Mets: Carlos Monasterios, RHP, from Phillies: This 23-year old from Venezuela posted a 3.73 ERA with a 71/27 K/BB in 82 innings for Class A Clearwater. His 90 MPH sinking fastball is an asset and he throws strikes, but scouts give mixed opinions about his slider and he's unproven above the A-ball level. If the command is there he can help out in the major league pen. TRADE: He was sold to the Dodgers after the draft.

8) Marlins: Jorge Jimenez, 3B, from Red Sox: A 25-year-old third baseman, Jimenez was a 15^th round pick in 2006 from Porterville Junior College. He hit .289/.366/.422 this year for Double-A Portland, showing decent plate discipline and touches of power with 13 homers. He could fit as a pinch-hitter and platoon player but seems unlikely to become a significant regular.

9) Athletics: Bobby Cassevah, RHP, from Angels: The 24-year old Cassevah posted a 3.68 ERA with a 45/37 K/BB in 73 innings for Double-A Arkansas this year. The strikeout rate was weak, but he gets tons of grounders with his 92-94 MPH sinker, resulting in a 4.03 GO/AO ratio. If he throws strikes, he can be an effective middle reliever.

11) Blue Jays: Zech Zinicola, RHP, from Nationals: The 24-year old Zinicola posted a 1.74 ERA with a 16/9 K/BB in 21 innings for Double-A Harrisburg, but was much less effective for Triple-A Syracuse, with a 7.56 ERA and a 31/10 K/BB in 33 innings but 47 hits allowed. A sixth round pick out of Arizona State in '06, he throws hard and often throws strikes but has an erratic track record. He could be a good middle reliever if he improves his consistency.

12) Brewers: Chuck Lofgren, LHP, from Indians: Lofgren was once a hot prospect, but two erratic seasons have hurt his stock, though perhaps a change of scenery can help him. He posted a 1.48 ERA with a 31/15 K/BB in 43 innings for Double-A Akron this year, but went 6-10, 5.31 with a 62/33 K/BB in 98 innings after moving up to Triple-A Columbus. Sometimes he throws hard, sometimes he doesn't, and his command is likewise inconsistent.

13) Cubs: Mike Parisi, RHP, from Cardinals: The 26-year old Parisi missed almost the entire season recovering from Tommy John surgery, making just five rehab starts in the lower minors. When healthy he shows decent command of three pitches but does not throw hard. He could help out as a mopup man in the back end of the bullpen, but is a long shot to make a huge contribution.

14) Rays: Armando Zerpa, LHP, from Red Sox: The 22-year old Zerpa, a Venezuelan, posted a 1.20 ERA with a 51/14 K/BB in 45 innings for Greenville in the South Atlantic League. He has average velocity but a good slider and has dominated lower-level hitters when his command is on. His command is not always on, so it is unlikely he'll see high-leverage innings in the 2010 bullpen.

15) Mariners: Kanekoa Texeira, RHP, from Yankees: Tezeira posted a 2.84 ERA with an 88-43 K/BB in 101 innings for Double-A Trenton, used as a long reliever and spot starter. The 23-year old has an excellent slider and a solid fastball, but inconsistent control has held him back. He could help out in the bullpen if he solves his command issues.

16) Giants: Steven Johnson, RHP, from Orioles: Baltimore acquired the 22-year old Johnson from the Dodgers this past summer, and he's a very solid sleeper prospect, having pitched very well after moving up to Double-A this year thanks to a complete 90 MPH fastball/curveball/slider/changeup arsenal. He's still inconsistent, but is young and could develop into a solid inning-eater .

17) Cardinals: Ben Jukich, LHP, from Reds: Jukich is 27 years old. A soft-tosser with a good curveball, he went 9-6, 4.10 with a 106/40 K/BB in 123 innings for Triple-A Louisville this year, allowing 125 hits. The former 13^th round pick out of Dakota Wesleyan is having a fine winter ball season in the Dominican Winter League. The Cardinals may be looking at him as a left-handed short man, although his platoon splits haven't been extreme.

18) Phillies: David Herndon, RHP, from Angels: A fifth round pick in 2006 out of Gulf Coast Community College, Herndon posted a 3.03 ERA with a 35/14 K/BB in 65 innings for Double-A Arkansas this year. His fastball velocity is average, but he has a decent sinker and slider and throws strikes, making him an option as a middle reliever. He gets lots of grounders and posted a 2.28 GO/AO at Arkansas.

Minor League Update -- 11/23/09

Ben Buchanan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:17:48 -0000

First, a weekly reminder to join in on voting for the OTM Top Prospects list here.

Arizona Fall League

Luis Exposito: 3-7, 2B, BB, 2 K -- .314/.364/.431

-A solid showing for Luis Exposito, if not quite as good as he did in Portland. Expo kept his strikeouts down and earned as many walks as he did in AA in about half as many ABs. Not a big step forward, but also not a step back.

Jose Iglesias: 1-8, 3 K -- .275/.324/.420, 3/3 SB

-Iglesias ends on a down note, but once again the story is that he wasn't completely overwhelmed in the small sample size (73 plate appearances) against higher-level minor league competition. This showing may have cleared the way for Iglesias to start in AA next year, which would be nice if only to keep him with buddy/interpreter Exposito. Also of note is the 2 home runs, which hopefully indicate some unpredicted power potential.

Ryan Kalish: 3-11, 2B, BB, 4 K -- .301/.384/.384, 6/7 SB

-While Kalish didn't exactly carry his hot streak from late in the year over to the AFL, he put on another good OBP performance. The power was a bit lacking, but this is coming on the tail end of a year in which he hit 18 home runs during the regular season—far more than he ever had before. Kalish also put on a good show on the basepaths, as he has done in years past (for instance, stealing 12 bases in 13 attempts in the 2008 winter leagues while getting under 100 plate appearances).

Casey Kelly: 0-12, 6 K -- .171/.261/.244, 1/1 SB

-Kelly keeps moving towards full time pitching. While the level of competition was predictably way over his head, he struck out in nearly half of his at bats, which is a bit too much no matter how advanced the opposition. This performance may have cleared the way to full-time pitching in 2010.

Randor Bierd: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K – 6.04 ERA, 17:12 K:BB, 1.47 WHIP

-An uninspiring performance by an uninspiring pitcher.

Richie Lentz: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 1 BB, 3 K – 4.11 ERA, 16:3 K:BB, 1.04 WHIP

-Lentz ended the year very poorly, giving up 6 ER over his last 2 appearances to squander a great start to the AFL. But the huge improvement in K:BB shouldn't be overlooked, and if nothing else maybe this will help him be ignored in the Rule 5 Draft.

Chris Province: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 3.46 ERA, 9:5 K:BB, 1.08 WHIP

-Not too bad for Province, if not as good as his year in Portland. Would have liked to have seen some K:BB improvement.

Dustin Richardson: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K – 5.40 ERA, 18:10 K:BB, 1.97 WHIP

-Certainly not as good as his regular season performance, which brought Richardson back into the picture as a prospect. Should still get a shot for a bullpen spot during spring training, though.

Columbian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez: .255/.360/.394

-The CWL does not have the best record keepers in the world, let it be known.

Dominican Winter League

Neither Navarro nor Wagner have played in a long while. I'm guessing their years are over.

Jose Capellan: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 4 K – 3.86 ERA, 8:19 K:BB, 1.67 WHIP

-Well, if ever there's been an example of unsustainable results, it's Capellan. Even if he has a 3.86 ERA, this has been an awful winter league for him. 8 strikeouts to 19 walks? Awful!

Mexican Winter League

Robert Coello: 2.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K – 2.70 ERA, 30:16 K:BB, 1.35 WHIP

-This is Coello's first real chance against competition that's close to being age appropriate since he became a pitcher, and he's actually done a pretty good job of it. This last outing sort of sucked, but still, something to be said for the righty getting his first shot at starting (he's gone 5 or more innings 4 times so far).

Puerto Rican Winter League

Reymond Fuentes: 1-5, 2 K -- .200/.200/.200

-I can't imagine this is going to be a good stint for Fuentes. He played in the GCL last year and is playing in the same league as Jimenez and Bates. I don't exactly know what level this league is supposed to be at, but it's certainly over his head.

Jorge Jimenez: 2-3, 2B, BB -- .400/.538/.800

Ken Roque: 2-6 -- .333/.333/.33

-Roque very quietly put up a .317/.400/.520 line in his 3^rd year in the GCL, finally breaking through into the A-levels where he put up 32 nice ABs in Lowell without looking too overwhelmed. Roque falls into that "sleeper middle infielder" crowd with guys like Derrik Gibson.

Andrew Dobies: 2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K – 13.50 ERA, 2:0 K:BB, 3.00 WHIP

-After missing 2008 due to injuries, Dobies put up a fair 2009 in Portland. This, so far, has not been an extension of that...

Sydney Winter League

Boss Moanaroa: 0-3, BB, K -- .393/.485/.571

Moko Moanaroa: 2-4 -- .308/.419/.385

Venezuelan Winter League

Yeiper Castillo: .2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 5.14 ERA, 5:6 K:BB, 2.00 WHIP

Leandro Marin: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K – 2.25 ERA, 4:1 K:BB, 1.25 WHIP

40-Man Roster Finalized, Rule 5 Draft

MLB teams had to finalize their 40-man rosters on Friday, leaving some tough decisions for teams as to which minor leaguers to protect. For the Red Sox, Jose Iglesias, Michael Bowden, Junichi Tazawa, Dustin Richardson, Mark Wagner, Aaron Bates, and Dusty Brown comprise the Minor League contingent. The most notable unprotected players available in the upcoming draft are Kris Johnson and Richie Lentz.

Minor League Update -- 11/16/09

Ben Buchanan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:16:28 -0000

Jose Iglesias is not to be kept down. via cache.daylife.com

View full size photo »

First, a weekly reminder to join in on voting for the OTM Top Prospects list here

Arizona Fall League

Only one more week for the AFL and the Sox' biggest name prospects playing this offseason.

Luis Exposito: 3-9, BB -- .295/.340/.409

Jose Iglesias: 8-16, 3 2B, BB, K -- .293/.348/.439

-And just when it looked like he was going to follow through on that "no bat" prediction. A roller coaster stint for Iglesias is so much better than a flatline.

Ryan Kalish: 5-14, HR, 3 BB, 3 K -- .306/.392/.387

-Finally, some of the power! But it's Kalish's continued OBP and patience (BB% of ~12.5) that are really impressive.

Casey Kelly: 3-9, 4 K -- .241/.353/.345

-Y'know, I think Kelly's skills as a shortstop probably get underrated. It's hard to pick things up when everyone is already in midseason form and you're just starting out. Not to mention it seems like he really could have a nice bit of pop for a middle infielder.

Still want him to be a pitcher though...

Randor Bierd: 4 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 5.40 ERA, 13:10 K:BB, 1.29 WHIP

Richie Lentz: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K – 1.98 ERA, 13:2 K:BB, .88 WHIP

-Everybody has a bad game sometimes. Lentz' season is still something to write home about after his crappy year in Portland

Chris Province: 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 0 K – 3.86 ERA, 8:4 K:BB, 1.03 WHIP

Dustin Richardson: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 3 K – 5.91 ERA, 16:9 K:BB, 1.97 WHIP

-I'm starting to notice a trend as far as earned runs are concerned...

Columbian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez: .213/.310/.311

-Wow, that must've been one bad week.

Puerto Rican Winter League

The late-starting Puerto Rican League started play this week. Only Aaron Bates and Jorge Jimenez saw playing time among Sox players so far.

Aaron Bates: 1-8, 3 K -- .125/.125/.125

Jorge Jimenez: 2-7, HR -- .286/.444/.714

-Two hit by pitches! He's an on base machine!

Sydney Winter League

Boss Moanaroa: 2-4, 2B, K -- .409/.500/.500

-Boss is seeing some time in the corner outfields in Sydney. Committed an error, though.

Moko Moanaroa: 2-4, 3B -- .278/.409/.389

-Though corner outfielder Moko is playing center, so perhaps it's just a matter of level of talent?

Venezuelan Winter League

Yeiper Castillo: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K – 5.68 ERA, 4:5 K:BB, 1.74 WHIP

-Castillo bucks the trend, but in the wrong direction.

Felix Doubront: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K – 1.74 ERA, 3:2 K:BB, 1.06 WHIP

-Not a big "peripherals" year for Doubront.

Ryan Westmoreland Looking Good

The Providence Journal reports that Ryan Westmoreland's recovery is coming along quite nicely. Westmoreland suffered a broken collarbone after running into an outfield wall in the process of making a catch. If Westmoreland is as well as reported, it seems very likely that he won't miss any more baseball due to this injury.

Peter Gammons Chimes In

Gammons had a few notes on Iglesias—not much more than the usual other than this bit:

"What impressed me is that he squares the ball," says an NL scout. "He's not some overwhelmed teenager. He squares the bat on the ball. He shows some pop, and with his speed, if he learns to steal bases, could be a pretty good offensive player."

First time I can remember having heard positive scouting on Iglesias' bat. Maybe he's just having a hot streak, but there's no reason not to hope.
Gammons also notices a long-developing trend in the Sox' minor league system involving depth at shortstop and catcher. While the Sox may not have a wealth of top-level talent, they've been building up a large number of lesser names that could all turn out to be good major league talent at some of the league's most talent-bereft positions. Whether any of them hit remains to be seen, but between Wagner, Exposito, Federowicz and Lavarnway at Catcher, and Iglesias, Navarro, Gibson and Renfroe at SS, they've got some surprisingly good odds. Which is to say nothing of the under-18 group in Oscar Perez and Jose Vinicio.

Sox Acquire Stephen Fox, RHP, from Can-Am League

Fox is the second player acquired by the Red Sox from an independent league this year, joining Reynaldo Rodriguez. Fox had a rocky start to his year, but finished strong by posting a 1.90 ERA and 29 strikeouts in his final 24 innings of work, earning him a look from MLB teams.

So far, Reynaldo Rodriguez has struggled during his short time spent in Edgar Renteria's Columbia Winter League. Daniel Nava, another independent league acquisition, has been dominating every level of competition he's faced in the Sox' farm system, and is likely to start the year in Pawtucket.

Sea Dogs first hand: the good and the bad

Randy Booth — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:00:14 -0000

I had the pleasure last night to go check out the Sea Dogs in Portland. I got a call from a friend a few hours before the game and he told me he had an extra ticket. I couldn't pass up a chance to see Lars Anderson go 0 for 4.

OK, so that didn't actually happen. Lars did all right and it was a pretty good game despite the Dogs losing, 6-4. I made note of a few players that saw action last night.

Here's the boxscore for the game before we get going:

Daniel Nava, LF - This guy can play. Where did we get him? I'm not even sure, to tell you the truth. He hit leadoff for the Dogs and was really impressive, going 3 for 5. Not only can he put solid contact on the ball, but he can draw a walk with the best of him. Didn't really see much action in left field, so I can't comment there, but it'd be interesting to see how he does the rest of the season and into 2010.

Iggy Suarez, SS - Iggy, a fan favorite, made his presence known early. He had a behind-the-back flip for an out at second in the first inning and then followed it up by throwing a batter out from the grass in short left field BY A MILE. Seriously, the batter had no chance. Iggy got the ball into the glove and into it his hand so quickly and made a perfect throw to first. It was impressive. His bat, though -- well, I don't think he could hit out of a wet paper bag, unfortunately.

Jorge Jimenez, 3B - Jimenez played a solid hot corner and put good wood on the ball. He didn't do anything spectacular, though. He hit out of the three hole, but I think that's only because he has a pretty decent average on the year (.287).

Jon Still, DH - Still definitely looks like a power hitter at the plate, and 15 home runs on the year backs that up. But as a power hitter, strikeouts come with that and he K'd twice. If he wants to make it to the bigs he's going to have to hit for more power and get the average up, too. The power is there, but I'm not sure about everything else.

Lars Anderson, 1B - Laaaars. Lars went 1 for 3 with a run and two walks, while playing solid defense at first base. I really tried to figure him out at the plate and my biggest concern is that he's not aggressive at all. I really think that's why he's been struggling this year. I can't even remember him taking a good hack at the ball tonight. He had a hit, but it was in the second inning (the Dogs' first of the night) and it was an infield single. I will say, though, he's surprisingly fast for a tall guy. If he starts swinging at the good pitches -- instead of seeing the count go 3-2 almost every time -- he's going to be a better hitter.

Luis Exposito, C - After Lars, the one guy I was really going to watch. Expo did well behind the plate, blocking quite a few pitches in the dirt. He also did well at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a walk. He's hitting .361 with Portland this season. He seems like he could be a pretty good hitter in the pros, but there are definitely some weak spots with his game at the plate. But he's talented and he could go far. I'm excited to see what he does in Pawtucket, perhaps, next season.

Jason Place, RF - Oh, Mr. Place. The first round pick that has yet to pan out. But maybe tonight will be the start of something consistent? Place went 2 for 3 with a huge two-run home run in the sixth. It was dead-center and hit very well. Place seems to be a guy that maybe tries too hard. He obviously has some talent, he just hasn't put it all together yet. He also played a good right field with a jumping catch in foul territory to earn an out. I'm still waiting to see him put it all together and be a good player, but I'm worried it won't happen.

Ryan Khoury, 2B - Don't laugh, but after watching Khoury for a few innings, I thought "Dustin Pedroia Lite." Both guys are of similar size and Khoury is a lot like him: he has a huge swing and plays a dirty defense. He didn't look very comfortable at the plate (0 for 4) but he is an OBP machine. I think he needs to get comfortable at this level and then he'll play well.

Matt Sheely, CF - Sheely didn't do too much to stand out last night. He played a fine center field, but was never really challenge. At one point he hustled after a ball and then sort of hiccuped and dove for it, allowing it to get by him. The interesting thing is that he's hitting .190 on the year, but has a .369 OBP.

Kris Johnson, SP - Johnson struggled in his 5.2 innings. He couldn't find the plate and when he did, he got hit. He gave up 5 runs (4 earned), walked two and struck out three. He never hit higher than 91 on the gun. I don't really see much future for Johnson. He's struggled at almost every level and doesn't have anything special in the repertoire. Maybe he'll pick up the pace, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Chad Rhoades, RP - He had some life on his fastball, but had to work hard for outs. He worked for them and got them. Really pounded the zone. Solid reliever, but nothing too special.

Richie Lentz, RP - Lentz is probably the biggest name of the three pitchers tonight. He had a good fastball, but he nibbled a lot. The umpire had a tight strike zone, too, but Lentz didn't really blow me away. It didn't seem like he had any secondary pitches that could really get the job done. He gave up a run and struck out three in two innings of work. The best part about Lentz: he has an amazing mustache. Grade A stuff. His 'stache alone should get him a call to the big club.

All in all, a good night for baseball, despite the Dogs losing. Players I was most impressed with: Nava and Exposito. Players I'm holding out hope for: Lars and Place. Players I want to see succeed, but will probably fall through the cracks somewhere: Iggy and Khoury.

In other minor league news, I may be seeing Daisuke Matsuzaka pitch for the Sea Dogs on Saturday. That's a maybe at this point. Could catch a game on Friday, too. If I do any of the above, I will certainly report back to you, The Faithful.

In the meantime, let's hope Lars and J-Place find their swings.