As we know TJ surgery surgery is not a sure procedure. FDLS had tj surgery with multiple setbacks. Back in 2007 he was a Future's game participant and later named the #1 prospect in the white sox farm system. Traded in early 2008 in the Nick Swisher deal with Gio Gonzalez and Ryan Sweeney. He is currently dominating high A stockton with regained fastball velocity up to 97 mph and showing good control. Unfortunately  he is now a reliever and just turned 24 yrs old earlier this yr. I believe FDLS runs out of minor league options after next season so at some point Oakland will need to be aggressive with his promotions. As a result, he cannot afford anymore injury setbacks. What does the future hold for this once top prospect, now finally healthy 2 years later.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=501745

A 5 star prospect in 2007 by BP:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6912

Perfect World Projection: Star-level starter or closer.

Timetable: De los Santos has the highest ceiling of any player in the system, but he’s still at least two years away. He’ll likely begin 2008 at High-A, with an expectation than he could be ready for a look at some point in 2009.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2010/269399.html

Surprising choice.

Adding in his numbers from a brief Triple-A debut at Sacramento at season's end, Carter's final stat line reads .329, 28 homers and 115 RBIs in 138 games. He led the Minors with 179 hits, tied for the Minor League lead in total bases (310), ranked second in RBIs and extra-base hits and finished third in runs scored.

He achieved all of this at age 22, leading the Oakland system as well in doubles (43), walks (85) and slugging (.570).

He also added 13 steals, though speed is not the forte of the 6-foot-4 225-pounder, and drew 82 walks in 125 games at Midland. After starting "slow" with a .296 average in April and a .288 mark in May, he torched the ball when the temperature rose, hitting .324 in June, .365 in July and .424 in August.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE
TOP 20 PROSPECTS
1. Buster Posey, c, Fresno (Giants)
2. Neftali Feliz, rhp, Oklahoma City (Rangers)
3. Travis Snider, of, Las Vegas (Blue Jays)
4. Michael Saunders, of, Tacoma (Mariners)
5. Cameron Maybin, of, New Orleans (Marlins)
6. Alcides Escobar, ss, Nashville (Brewers)
7. Brett Wallace, 3b/1b, Memphis (Cardinals)/Sacramento (Athletics)
8. Kyle Blanks, 1b/of, Portland (Padres)
9. Justin Smoak, 1b, Oklahoma City (Rangers)
10. Vin Mazzaro, rhp, Sacramento (Athletics)
11. Bud Norris, rhp, Round Rock (Astros)
12. Esmil Rogers, rhp, Colorado Springs (Rockies)
13. Mat Gamel, 3b, Nashville (Brewers)
14. Brandon Allen, 1b, Reno (Diamondbacks)
15. Gio Gonzalez, lhp, Sacramento (Athletics)
16. Jeff Samardzija, rhp, Iowa (Cubs)
17. Adam Moore, c, Tacoma (Mariners)
18. Angel Salome, c, Nashville (Brewers)
19. Adrian Cardenas, 2b, Sacramento (Athletics)
20. Gaby Sanchez, 1b/3b, New Orleans (Marlins)

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2009/268996.html

1. Mat Latos, rhp, San Antonio (Padres)
2. Justin Smoak, 1b, Frisco (Rangers)
3. Chris Carter, 1b, Midland (Athletics)
4. Jhoulys Chacin, rhp, Tulsa (Rockies)
5. Brett Wallace, 3b, Springfield (Cardinals)
6. Jason Castro, c, Corpus Christi (Astros)
7. Esmil Rogers, rhp, Tulsa (Rockies)
8. Trevor Reckling, lhp, Arkansas (Angels)
9. Peter Bourjos, of, Arkansas (Angels)
10. Hank Conger, c, Arkansas (Angels)
11. Kasey Kiker, lhp, Frisco (Rangers)
12. Lance Lynn, rhp, Springfield (Cardinals)
13. Daniel Descalso, 2b, Springfield (Cardinals)
14. Michael McKenry, c, Tulsa (Midland)
15. Adrian Cardenas, 2b/3b, Midland (Athletics)
16. Jeff Bianchi, 2b/ss, Northwest Arkansas (Royals)
17. Logan Forsythe, 3b, San Antonio (Padres)
18. Dan Cortes, rhp, Northwest Arkansas (Royals)
19. Corey Brown, of, Midland (Athletics)
20. Samuel Deduno, rhp, Tulsa (Rockies)

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2009/268990.html

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2009/268861.html

 Team: high Class A Myrtle Beach (Carolina) / Double-A Mississippi (Southern) / Triple-A Gwinnett (International)
Age: 20
Why He's Here: .323/.408/.555 (117-for-362), 17 HR, 25 2B, 4 3B, 63 RBIs, 51 BB, 51 SO, 10-for-11 SB 
The Scoop: When Jason Heyward was in high school, scouts struggled to get a good read on the Atlanta prep prodigy. Opposing teams pitched around him, and his coach struggled to throw a good batting practice, which meant a crosschecker or scouting director could fly in, watch a Heyward game and leave without really ever getting a chance to see what he could do.

The Braves were thrilled that other teams weren't getting a good look. Heyward slipped past 13 teams, giving Atlanta a chance to develop another hometown star with their first pick in the 2007 draft. Ever since then, Heyward has lived up to every expectation. He dominated low Class A Rome in 2008, but he was even better in 2009. Heyward can run, he can hit for power and he can hit for average. But as his Myrtle Beach manager Rocket Wheeler explained, his defense is the part of the game that is underrated.

"He's an outstanding player. He has a plus arm, he makes diving catches and he has great instincts on the bases when he runs. He's the complete package."

SO i was curious around a yr + later, how the santana/harden trade returns for 2 small market teams look Twins and A's look so far

Santana kind put Minn in a corner and forced their hand, to trade 1 season of a cost controlled to the mets

gomez- still has superstar potential?

humber- i believe DFa'd or off 40 man

mulvey- PTBNL in rauch deal

guerra- mixed results but lots of projectability, only 20 in AA

A's traded harden/gaudin. They opted to get something of value for the injury prone pitcher.Harden has pitched just as many starts in 1+seasons around 35+ than he did in 3 seasons combined with A's. Gaudin was released by cubs, then later sold from padres to yankees

gallagher- injuries, poor performance, later traded  for scott hairston

donaldson- lots of double/walks in AA, not a ton of power, solid yr

patterson- a AAAA superstar, destroys the minors, but doesnt carry over to mlb. A's trying to make him a wanna be figgins

murton- later traded for corey wimberly

So will either team salvage much value out of these trades or it will likely be major non factors eventually?

His last 4 starts vs the yankees, red sox, rangers, and orioles have gotten some attention. Seems like he's been on the prospect radar for awhile having been involved in several major trades, leading the minor leagues in K's a couple yrs ago, etc. After a tough mlb audition in 08, he fell off the radar. At 23 and still with rookie eligibility hes salvaged some of his value and has shown steady improvement in recent weeks. So does he still profile as a decent back rotation SP or will the stretches of bad control always be his downfall? Early on there was some ideas of making him a reliever since he was passed up  by Anderson, Cahll, and others. Any thoughts on Gio Gonzalez?

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=461829

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/sweetspot/0-4-155/A-s-Gonzalez-shows-promise.html

I'm still not convinced of two things:

1. "Short shutout" is a better term than "shortout" (or "short-out").

2. Gio Gonzalez is going to make it.

Since rejoining the A's in late June, Gonzalez is 5-4 with a 5.23 ERA. Of course that's nothing special, but there's one disastrous start in there. Take out that one, and Gonzalez has been just fine for a 23-year-old starting pitcher who's getting just his second taste of the Big Boy League.

Olney today on Gio's start:

A. Baltimore hitters went 0-for-9 against off-speed pitches, including 0-8 against curveballs. On the season, hitters have a .083 batting average off Gonzalez curveballs (5-60).
B. He threw at least one of the first two pitches for a strike 96 percent of the time.
C. Fifty-eight percent of plate appearances lasted three pitches or less.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=1B&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=474892

discuss.

leads the texas league w/ a .975 OPS, next best player is 50 pts less.

Carter leads the texas league in hits, runs, doubles, obp, slg %, ops, etc. Along with being 2nd in walks, just behind league leader josh domadlson

he's hit .280 + at every level other than the 08 cal league.

.430+ OBP since june

So give me reasons why he's overlooked as a potential top 50 prospect?

Should be be promoted to AAA or stick to his 1 level per season approach theyve had his whole milb career?

Any thoughts on his future? He didnt make BAs top 30 or so prospects last week. Is he  considered a guy with polished hitting ability but not alot of upside? Did his short stint in AAA hurt his status. He hasnt shown alot of HR power, but solid gap power. A better athlete with upside is pushing him at the lower levels in Jemile Weeks. Would a Cardenas shift to 3b lessen his status? Some would would say he might be a 2b version of a daric barton. No star upside,but a decent bet to be an avg/above avg player.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=2B&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=502133

He was the 12th overall pick in the 2008 draft. By most projections he was considered  to be chosen in the 20's, a fringe 1st rd type. Then late draft, he became a high riser due to the lack of quality up the middle position players. But no one expected him to go as high as 12 and was considered an overdraft. If you ask most A's fans they preffered wallace or hicks. But A's were hesitant on Wallace defensive value and loooked at Hick's as a pitcher. Fast forward to the offseason and recently, Wallace /Hicks became top 50 prospects, Weeks took 10 months of rest/rehab from a hip flexor injury. So the pick of weeks was looking very questionable.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Jemile%20Weeks&pos=2B&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=457789

He was activated in late may and sent to the cal league. He has started his season with a 17 game hit streak and 5hr over that span of games. It is only a sample size of 70 ab's but there's already thoughts of being aggressive with a promotion to AA by mid seson. Especially when other picks like alonso, castro, wallace, g. beckham, smoak, etc have been doing well. High end projections of Weeks ive read could be a top of the order energizer orlando hudson, brian roberts, jimmy rollins (2b version) type. Of course low end, another pennington, quintanilla type A's fans are used to. With cardenas tearing up AA and probably the best 2b prospect in milb, how  will they handle Weeks future position? So looking back at 08 draft updates was the area of the Weeks pick justified, would he go any lower if there was a re do?

http://mlbbonusbaby.com/2009/06/06/2008-draft-first-round-stats-update/

So i was reading this week BA prospect hot sheet. "Mazzaro doesn't have any outstanding pitches, but he throws strikes and keeps the ball on the ground, which is why he has a 2.38 ERA in 56 2/3 innings this year." There has been skepticism over his 08 texas league pitcher of the yr production since he struggled in 06/07. Has his 09 so far answered those critics and put him into top 100 prospect territory? So will the real vin mazzaro please stand up...is he closer to the 06/07 or the 08/09 version? I've read varying reports on bowden, who's gotten alot of prospect expert media attention, red sox has even made him untouchable in trade discussions. so how does mazzaro compare? Do both profile more than mid rotation types at best?

Also from the BA chat:

john (boston): michael bowden or vin mazzaro?

Ben Badler: Mazzaro

BP preseason top 11 writeup:

8. Vin Mazzaro, RHP
DOB: 9/27/86
2008 Stats: 1.90 ERA at Double-A (137.1-115-36-104), 3.49 DERA; 6.15 ERA at Triple-A(33.2-49-9-27), 7.52 DERA
Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked

The Good: Some scouts rank Mazzaro's sinker as a tick above even those of Cahill and Anderson. It's a bowling ball of a pitch that sits at 92-94 mph, with one scout commenting, "I can't help but be reminded of Kevin Brown when he pitches." He has good mechanics and has made great progress in his command and control, while also showing a mature knack for getting hitters out even when he doesn't have his best stuff.
The Bad: Mazzaro lives off of that sinker, because his secondary pitches lag well behind. His slider flashes average at times but can also flatten out, while his changeup could use more separation in velocity from his other pitches.

Perfect World Projection: He's a mid-rotation starter.
Glass Half Empty: He'll work in the back end of the rotation.

Both these players were among the better college OFs in the 07 draft and now looks like future CFs for the AL West teams around 2010-2011.

Julio Borbon Rangers:

leadoff type. speed, defense, not much power. top of the order energizer that could be a terror on the basepaths

mlb comparison: lofton/damon type

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Julio%20Borbon&pos=OF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=474865

Corey Brown A's:

Oakland Athletics in 1st Round (59th overall) of 2007 amateur entry draft

multi tool CF, but K's/contact issues. Sickles on Brown: "The former Oklahoma State star is quite toolsy, with outstanding raw power, good speed, and a strong arm."

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Corey%20Brown&pos=OF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=446395

mlb comparison: cameron

From the prospect experts out there, i'd like an opinion on matt sulentic. In his 06 debut he looked like one of the better pure hitters at the highschool level to come from that 06 draft. Some of the Top 100 publications even took notice and said he might have a chance to crack some lists w/ a good season. He destroyed the SS Vancouver league, but followed it up with an equally horrible low A kane county.  Basically he fell of the prospect radar after that 07 season. 08 he held his own in the cal league but missed the last month + due to injury. 09 didnt start playing till mid-late april but  as a 21 yr old in AA had done well IMO. Has he regained that status and put himself back on the map? What is his upside? Will his lack of power for a corner OF limit him?

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Matthew%20Sulentic&pos=OF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=501991

21 yr old in AA.
struggles against lefties, destroys righties.
overall 8 walks in 98 ab’s…not good. but 7bb have come in the last 35.
speed/stolen bases- most surprising . he started the season late on april 21. he already has 10 steals so far
defense – last yr his coaches praised his improvement

Garland also has been impressed with Sulentic’s play in the outfield, noting that the youngster could “play in the big leagues now as an outfielder.”

http://international.league.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080627&content_id=424545&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp

here’s his 06 draft report

Sulentic is a pure lefthanded hitter with power to all fields. He’s an average runner with a decent arm, and his instincts allow his tools to play up in all aspects of the game. Scouts love his makeup, perhaps more than any high school player in Texas. His chief drawback is his size. He’s built along the lines of Lenny Dykstra but is more suited for left field than center. Sulentic has played shortstop, and if a team believes he could handle second base he could get picked as early as the second round.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/draftdb/2006team.php?team=OAK

So usually every season you have that rookie that comes of nowhere and surprises. Bailey was middling, fringe top 15-20 prospect in a deep A's system, who got blasted in AA as a SP. Got demoted to the bullpen and everything clicked. As a reliever, he dominated the rest of the season in AA, AFL/spring training. Yet he was still buried in the depth chart as a 24/25 yr old pitching prospect almost headed to AAA. Injuries to joey devine and other pitchers got him a spot as a long reliever. Fast forward to now, he's  been in every situation needed, so far among AL relievers in Ks/IP and is talked about as a future closer. Not saying he'llbe like him, but i see a bit of papelbon a mid 90s fb, high 80s cutter, and a solid curve/slider w/ that bulldog mentality goes right at hitters. I'd be interested in a Sickles write up on him,  his future role (maybe a return to SP or not)

http://espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=30096

So if you've followed Beane's man crush going back 5 yrs now. The A's liked Milledge in that 2003 draaft,

Continue reading this post »

a couple write ups and video from A's beatwriters of his throwing session this morning. apparently, he'll spendind time in arizona extended spring training then head to short season Van in the summer. looks like he has a smooth delivery. this guy may either end up king felix part II or daniel cabrera, jr. the hype has definitely begun with his higher than expected rankings in the BA/BP top 100

the "beautiful eyes" comment from fake jairo was funny

also apparently another team offered $1mill more than the A's...guessing its rangers

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=21&entry_id=36736

http://baybridgebaseball.com/

This pitch has been extinct from the arsenal of pitchers for awhile now due to violent consequences and risk of injury. a marginal 24th rd lefty from texas tech became a decent prospect due to that one pitch, zoomed through the minors, then got injured. he was forced to dump the pitch due to further injury risks. now if you were a pitcher would you sacrifice throwing a screwball a handful of times if its the difference between solid mlb pitcher and AAA/bullpen filler? i ask this because dallas braden is attempting to do this, since his screwball has been rated as a true out pitch before. but has had mixed results on the AAA/mlb shuttle the last 2 yrs. would you take that risk if it meant solidfying an mlb roster spot ? already beaten the odds as a 24th rd pick, having played 1 season of div 1 college baseball, and playing for his mlb hometown area team. would you tempt fate?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/15/SPRF15UO4S.DTL

That pitch earned him notice in the minor leagues but after surgery in 2006 to remove scar tissue encircling his biceps tendon and a humeral defect that left the top of his arm with an unusual hollow, the A's asked him to stop throwing the scroogie.

"It's something I'm going to kind of petition for," he said. "That's the pitch that put me on their radar, but they wanted me to back off it because my injuries were so abnormal and they weren't sure what caused that. Then I bounced back so quickly they didn't want to stir anything up."

i dont know if this is a feel good story since he made his own mistakes, but an interesting situation to follow. it wouldnt surprise me if he does get a chance since their rotation is so influx and inexperienced. crazy it wasnt too long ago when williams, foppert, ainsworth were the future of this team...i guess it evened out since cumster, cain, bummy, alderson will actually live up to that hype.

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090215&content_id=3831814&vkey=news_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak

Williams got way too comfortable, and it cost him dearly.

His meteoric rise began in 1999, when he threw a no-hitter and hit three home runs in the same game as a senior at Waipahu High in Oahu, Hawaii. Shortly thereafter, the Giants made him the 39th overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft. Upon signing, he was sent to their Class A affiliate in Salem, Ore., and by August he'd already picked up a Northwest League Pitcher of the Week award.

Williams was off and running. High-A ball in 2000. Double-A in 2001. Triple-A in 2002. In April 2003, he arrived at The Show -- and put on a show.

Handed a spot in San Francisco's rotation, he went 7-5 with a 3.30 ERA in 21 starts. In 15 of those, he threw at least six innings. He allowed two runs or fewer 12 times. He became the fourth Giants rookie to start a playoff game since 1937.

Ok, so we all know the Athletics have  some young talented arms. 

Trevor Cahill

Brett Anderson

Vin Mazzaro

James Simmons

Henry Rodriguez

Fautino De los Santos

Michael Inoa

plus several relievers like Carignan, Demel, Bailey, Lansford, etc

Probably a few more I am forgetting as well.  My question is, who do you think will fail, and succeed?

I think Cahill and Anderson will be all star perennial SP in the majors. 

Henry Rodriguez will end up being a closer.

Simmons will be a solid back of the rotation starter.

De los Santos will be one of those pitchers who has all the potential in the world, but will never totally fulfill it.

Just my opinions.  What are yours?

this 2007 1st rd supp. pick sort of had a breakout yr in 08. He was known as a pure hitter w/ good obp ability but power was an issue. Over the offseason, He put on weight, adjusted his swing with more loft and the results showed with more power. Is he a result of other Univ of Virginia players who's numbers were surpressed by a tough hitting home park similar to a reynolds, zimmerman, etc. He tore up the cal league in his age 21 season and was one of the better hitters during the season. His stint in AA had some growing pain, but now during the AFL has gotten back on track and leads the league so far in hr's w/ 6. He already known to have a GG caliber glove at 1b, but has also shown some versatility playing the OF at times showing a plus arm. I've read comparisons similar to a jt snow, nick swisher, casey kotchman and adrian gonzalez coming up through the minors. So 2009 will be his age 22 season, if he continues to progress and they are aggressive he might be up in the majors late 09 at the earliest. With the A's 1b depth do you see him maybe even replacing barton? plus chris carter is right behind him too. whats his upside, maybe a solid 2nd tier type 1b? any thoughts?

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Sean%20Doolittle&pos=OF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=448281

so this question was mentioned in a recent ask BA, only alderson/madbum, tillman/matsuz, cahill/anderson were mentioned. are there any like holland/felliz, price/mcgee + davis/niemann or others that are out there? who do you think is the best combo of sp teammates in a farm system and why? how would you rank them?

I'd rate all three of those lefty-righty combos very close to each other, and there's not much to separate them. Bumgarner has the best pure stuff of the three lefthanders, but I like Matusz and Anderson nearly as much as prospects because they have quality three-pitch arsenals and plenty of polish. If I could pick just one, I'd take Bumgarner, but Matusz and Anderson are close behind him.

I like Alderson, too, but I'd rather have Cahill or Tillman. Alderson is very advanced for a young pitcher, but so are Cahill and Tillman, and they have more overpowering stuff. In any case, we're talking about six of the very best pitching prospects in the game, and there's no shame in coming in third among these pairings. I hope that pinkie heals nicely.

(Update: I was only asked to compare these duos to each other, not to the rest of baseball. After receiving an avalanche of email, I'll rank the top lefty-righty combos in the next Ask BA.)

so with news that A's resign mark ellis to a 2 yr deal, where does this leave 2b/OF eric patterson? at the time of the harden deal, he looked like a decent back end part of the trade that could use a change of scenery. i know the PCL is an offensive league but the past 2 seasons he's hit very well there. There was the impending FA of ellis and patterson couldve then been a future option. now he's 25, stuck in no man's land, ellis is signed for 2 yrs and cardenas/weeks is right behind him. Does he get the dreaded "AAAA" type label or as a solid player stuck in a depth chart? He didnt impress much in a late season callup and got injured. in early 07 Sickles rated him aa B/B+ type prospect and mid season of 08 ranked : 

4) Eric Patterson, 2B-OF, Grade B
     Traded to Oakland. Hitting .333/.371/.565 in Triple-A. Change of scenery could help him a lot.

should A's slot him as a utility guy to battle with cliff pennington in spring training? or maybe trade him for an equally rated 3b/SS stuck also in a depth chart? i'm thinking david freese from cards. they need a 2b. do you think a trade matches up?

there seem to be many guys that are stuck in a situation or are late bloomers like a pena, quentin, ludwick, cust, blake etc. that needs consistent ab's and a legit chance

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Eric%20Patterson&pos=2B&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=452221

interesting article on the direction of both bay area teams...what do you think fair analysis? seems to miss mention of certain players on both sides.

the argument that giants have an easier path due to the weak division, a's have the huge roadblock of angels

giants: no schierholtz, villalona,velez, bowker,romo etc or prospects like noonan, crawford, gillespie

mentions the core of burriss/pablo/lewis, pitching depth, posey/alderson/bummy on the way

A's: no devine, buck, ziegler, suzuki, etc or prospects like cahill, anderson

mentions sweeney, gonzalez, smith

what both teams have depth for use and  future trades. giants could acclerate the process by trading cain/sanchez or spending money. A's could trade street  or prospects

http://www.contracostatimes.com/athletics/ci_10641450?nclick_check=1

Fast-forward six months, and things aren't nearly so bleak. The Giants uncovered a perennial Cy Young candidate (Tim Lincecum), finally found a successor to closer Robb Nen (Brian

 Wilson), discovered a hitting machine to solve their first-base woes (Pablo Sandoval) and transformed themselves from a club that was old and tired to one that is young and energetic.

As a result, they'll enter '09 with Lincecum and Matt Cain giving them a 1-2 punch atop the rotation that many teams would envy. The presence of Sandoval, left fielder Fred Lewis and shortstop Emmanuel Burriss gives them potential pieces to the future puzzle that weren't in place at this time a year ago. And Wilson's presence in the ninth means Sabean has one less area of repair regarding his bullpen.

Oh, and don't forget the coming attractions — catcher Buster Posey and pitchers Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson.

Does that mean the Giants are a timely move away from being in the mix? Hard to say, but it helps that they reside in the National League West, a division that has been won with no more than 88 wins in three of the past four seasons.

final tally: 11 giants prospect made their league top 20's ( likely 12 of course with posey)

PCL #13 - Nate Schierholtz

Eastern #19 Pablo Sandoval

Cal League:

6 - Tim Alderson

7 - Pablo Sandoval

Sally League:

1. Madison Bumgarner, lhp, Augusta (Giants)
6. Angel Villalona, 1b, Augusta (Giants)
9. Nick Noonan, 2b, Augusta (Giants)

NWL:

5. Conor Gillaspie, 3b, Salem-Keizer (Giants)

AZL:

4. Ehire Adrianza, ss, Giants

9. Jose Casilla, rhp, Giants

17. Kyle Nicholson, rhp, Giants

20. Wendell Fairley, of, Giants

BA PCL top 20

1 - Colby Rasmus
2 - Chade Headley
3 - Max Scherzer
4 - Brandon Wood
5 - Carlos Gonzalez
6 - Jeff Clement
7 - Ian Stewart
8 - Gio Gonzalez
9 - Andy LaRoche
10 - Wladimir Balentien
11 - Sean Rodriguez
12 - Chris Perez
13 - Nate Schierholtz
14 - Bryan Anderson
15 - Franklin Morales
16 - Jaime Garcia
17 - Mitchell Boggs
18 - Carlos Rosa
19 - Nick Adenhart
20 - Greg Reynolds

BA Eastern League Top 20

1 - Matt Wieters
2 - Chris Tillman
3 - Travis Snider
4 - Lars Anderson
5 - Jordan Zimmermann
6 - Carlos Carrasco
7 - Fernando Martinez
8 - J.P. Arincibia
9 - Daniel Bard
10 - Austin Jackson
11 - David Huff
12 - Jose Tabata
13 - Daniel Murphy
14 - Lou Marson
15 - Michael Bowden
16 - Wes Hodges
17 - Brett Cecil
18 - Jonathan Niese
19 - Pablo Sandoval
20 - Greg Golson

BA California League Top 20

1 - Trevor Cahill

2 - Carlos Santana

3 - Lars Anderson

4 - Brett Anderson

5 - Jhoulys Chacin

6 - Tim Alderson

7 - Pablo Sandoval

8 - Josh Reddick

9 - Henry Rodriguez

10 - Cedric Hunter

11 - Julio Borbon

12 - Jordan Walden

13 - Greg Halman

14 - Chris Carter

15 - Carlos Triunfel

16 - Sean Doolittle

17 - Peter Bourjos

18 - Sean O'Sullivan

19 - Josh Donaldson

20 - Kellen Kulbacki

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2008/266919.html

1. Madison Bumgarner, lhp, Augusta (Giants)
2. Jason Heyward, of, Rome (Braves)
3. Mike Stanton, of, Greensboro (Marlins)
4. Jhoulys Chacin, rhp, Asheville (Rockies)
5. Matt Dominguez, 3b, Greensboro (Marlins)
6. Angel Villalona, 1b, Augusta (Giants)
7. Jesus Montero, c, Charleston (Yankees)
8. Austin Romine, c, Charleston (Yankees)
9. Nick Noonan, 2b, Augusta (Giants)
10. Freddie Freeman, 1b, Rome (Braves)
11. Michael Burgess, of, Hagerstown (Nationals)
12. Che-Hsuan Lin, of, Greenville (Red Sox)
13. Cole Rohrbough, lhp, Rome (Braves)
14. Jeff Locke, lhp, Rome (Braves)
15. Michael Taylor, of, Lakewood (Phillies)
16. Alex Cobb, rhp, Columbus (Rays)
17. Darin Holcomb, 3b, Asheville (Rockies)
18. Caleb Gindl, of, West Virginia (Brewers)
19. Ryan Kalish, of, Greenville (Red Sox)
20. Cody Johnson, of, Rome (Braves)

BA NWL top 20

1. Josh Vitters, 3b, Boise (Cubs)
2. Martin Perez, lhp, Spokane (Rangers)
3. Christian Friedrich, lhp, Tri-City (Rockies)
4. Neil Ramirez, rhp, Spokane (Rangers)
5. Conor Gillaspie, 3b, Salem-Keizer (Giants)
6. Wilfredo Boscan, rhp, Spokane (Rangers)
7. James Darnell, 3b, Eugene (Padres)
8. Tim Murphy, lhp, Spokane (Rangers)
9. Jharmidy DeJesus, 3b, Everett (Mariners)
10. Charlie Blackmon, of, Tri-City (Rockies)
11. Blake Tekotte, of, Eugene (Padres)
12. Ryan Flaherty, ss, Boise (Cubs)
13. Dennis Raben, of, Everett (Mariners)
14. Simon Castro, rhp, Eugene (Padres)
15. Tyson Gillies, of, Everett (Mariners)
16. Matt West, 3b, Spokane (Rangers)
17. Jason Christian, ss, Vancouver (Athletics)
18. Dusty Coleman, ss, Vancouver (Athletics)
19. Cole Figueroa, 2b/ss, Eugene (Padres)
20. Collin Cowgill, of, Yakima (Diamondbacks)

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2008/266887.html

BA AZL Top 20

1. Mike Montgomery, lhp, Royals

2. Jaff Decker, of, Padres

3. Jharmidy DeJesus, 3b, Mariners

4. Ehire Adrianza, ss, Giants

5. Manuarys Correa, rhp, Angels

6. Rashun Dixon, of, Athletics

7. Jake Odorizzi, rhp, Brewers

8. Tyler Sample, rhp, Royals

9. Jose Casilla, rhp, Giants

10. Yowill Espinal, ss/2b, Royals

11. Joe Wieland, rhp, Rangers

12. Tyler Chatwood, rhp, Angels

13. Jose Bonilla, c, Royals

14. Starlin Castro, ss/2b, Cubs

15. Seth Lintz, rhp, Brewers

16. Junior Lake, ss, Cubs

17. Kyle Nicholson, rhp, Giants

18. Clark Murphy, 1b, Rangers

19. Terrell Alliman, of/3b, Angels

20. Wendell Fairley, of, Giants

wow this league is loaded with talent.

1. Mike Moustakas, 3b/ss, Burlington (Royals)
2. Neftali Feliz, rhp, Clinton (Rangers)
3. Jarrod Parker, rhp, South Bend (Diamondbacks)
4. Ben Revere, of, Beloit (Twins)
5. Brett Wallace, 3b, Quad Cities (Cardinals)
6. Engel Beltre, of, Clinton (Rangers)
7. Andrew Lambo, of, Great Lakes (Dodgers)
8. Philippe Aumont, rhp, Wisconsin (Mariners)
9. Derek Holland, lhp, Clinton (Rangers)
10. Neftali Soto, 3b, Dayton (Reds)
11. Danny Duffy, lhp, Burlington (Royals)
12. Craig Italiano, rhp, Kane County (Athletics)
13. Jordan Walden, rhp, Cedar Rapids (Angels)
14. Justin Jackson, ss, Lansing (Blue Jays)
15. Pete Kozma, ss, Quad Cities (Cardinals)
16. Corey Brown, of, Kane County (Athletics)
17. Juan Ramirez, rhp, Wisconsin (Mariners)
18. Danny Gutierrez, rhp, Burlington (Royals)
19. Kevin Ahrens, 3b, Lansing (Blue Jays)
20. Trevor Reckling, lhp, Cedar Rapids (Angels)

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2008/266900.html

1. Josh Vitters, 3b, Boise (Cubs)
2. Martin Perez, lhp, Spokane (Rangers)
3. Christian Friedrich, lhp, Tri-City (Rockies)
4. Neil Ramirez, rhp, Spokane (Rangers)
5. Conor Gillaspie, 3b, Salem-Keizer (Giants)
6. Wilfredo Boscan, rhp, Spokane (Rangers)
7. James Darnell, 3b, Eugene (Padres)
8. Tim Murphy, lhp, Spokane (Rangers)
9. Jharmidy DeJesus, 3b, Everett (Mariners)
10. Charlie Blackmon, of, Tri-City (Rockies)
11. Blake Tekotte, of, Eugene (Padres)
12. Ryan Flaherty, ss, Boise (Cubs)
13. Dennis Raben, of, Everett (Mariners)
14. Simon Castro, rhp, Eugene (Padres)
15. Tyson Gillies, of, Everett (Mariners)
16. Matt West, 3b, Spokane (Rangers)
17. Jason Christian, ss, Vancouver (Athletics)
18. Dusty Coleman, ss, Vancouver (Athletics)
19. Cole Figueroa, 2b/ss, Eugene (Padres)
20. Collin Cowgill, of, Yakima (Diamondbacks)

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2008/266887.html

looks like a good possibility, probably very likely. that good will gesture of the territorial right given  from A's to Giants in the early 90's  looks to be their downfall 15+ yrs later Thanks Haas Family

(09-19) 21:33 PDT -- A's owner Lewis Wolff stood fast Friday to his desire to move the team to Fremont and threatened leaving California altogether if the proposal doesn't work.
Oakland Athletics



Wolff, speaking to the team's booster club at Francesco's in Oakland, said an agreement regarding new TV and radio contracts could be announced in the next couple of months. Then he opened the floor for questions, which focused mainly on the proposed move and the makeup of the roster.

The booster club ranged from unbridled supporters to an angry mob, and Wolff used anecdotes and humor, mixed with direct statements to deal with each end of the spectrum. Here's an abridged look at the 30-minute question-and-answer period:

Q: When do you plan to move the team to Fremont?

A: 2012 would be our target. Dealing in California is not simple, so you may be boosting us for longer than you think.

Q: What will transit options be in Fremont?

A: Instead of just saying, 'If you don't have a BART station, you can't survive,' we're trying to figure out if we can. If we can, we will. If we can't, we won't. Of course, then we wouldn't be in California any more.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/19/SPUP131A5N.DTL

wow it would be not far fetched if oakland's only team by the end of the decade will be the warriors. bring on SAC or Vegas!! maybe wolff's frat brother selig will get his contraction wish eventually. or the unthinkable, they end this territorial rights BS and  allow them to get something done in the south bay. SJ 3rd largest city in California, 10th largest in US. they have no major sports teams in the late spring/summer. putting the A's there is good for mlb overall. but this territorial rights BS is based off something 10-15+ yrs ago that A's let giants originally have so they wouldnt move off to Tampa Bay. a good will gesture has turned into a ridiculous situation where A's are getting bent over and may be their downfall

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/19/SPUP131A5N.DTL

A's owner Lewis Wolff stood fast Friday to his desire to move the team to Fremont and threatened leaving California altogether if the proposal doesn't work.

Q: When do you plan to move the team to Fremont?

A: 2012 would be our target. Dealing in California is not simple, so you may be boosting us for longer than you think.

Q: What will transit options be in Fremont?

A: Instead of just saying, 'If you don't have a BART station, you can't survive,' we're trying to figure out if we can. If we can, we will. If we can't, we won't. Of course, then we wouldn't be in California any more.

Q: Did you make a sincere effort to stay in Oakland?

A: I wish I had a lie-detector test. I spent two years making a sincere effort to stay in Oakland, but it was not as simple as I thought it might be. ... When a lot of you sue me for leaving, I think I can win the case because I tried.

If the A's decide to trade Huston Street this offseason, might they give a shot to Joey Devine?  Yes, I realize Brad Ziegler might have been one of the best stories of 08 but Devine has your typical closer stuff and It sure looks to me like he could do the job. He came into the 08 season with a label as a bust. Braves fans just remember him as a rookie giving up playoff hr's, cant get lefties out, and injury issues, etc. Well, he's fixed those issue and has been  a nice surprise.  The only thing that takes the luster off his great season has been missed a couple months due to injury, othewise has been dominant