Feel free to add if there is anyone that's still up in the air to be converted from a reliever to a starter. What's the latest on these guys? Starters or relievers, short term and long term? Will any of these guys not work as a starting pitcher but succeed if moved back to the pen? I keep getting mixed reports of these players roles from the 2008 draft...

Bryan Price, P (BOS)
Ryan Perry, P (DET)
Josh Lindbom, P (LA)
Jay Jackson, P (CHC)

If there are any similar player, please share.

So is this guy for real? He's been on of the minors best hitters since the start of last year...

last year 20 years old played second base, has moved to 3B...

last year 327/404/516 with a 51/65 BB/K ratio

this year at A+ 369/440/462 and he hasn't even gotten his power stroke on

What are the best websites for minor league scouting reports? I'm not looking for anything crazy. I just want to know if Joe Rookieball and his 12 K/9 might be for real, or if he has two pitches, one being a 86 mph FB.

Unrelated question; where is Matthew Sweeney, 3B LAA?

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So, who had the best/worst debuts? I know some of the players but I usually wait to check out how they did. What about some players in the other early rounds that were intriguing and have big debuts?
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In A ball he's at 292/364/534 and he's only 19. He's homered in 3 straight games at 19 on the year along with 13 2B and 2 3B. He's not too raw either as he has a decent EYE ratio at 34/64. He's MASHING the last two months with a SLG% of 643 in June and 635 so far in July.

From what I can gather he was drafted in 2005, got only 163 ABs in 2006 on two different teams (didnt do much). And that's about it. But we are getting deeper into the season (he has 300+ Abs) and he's got great peripherals, size, age vs league, etc. It looks like it's all there.

What do we make of this kid?

Whats the deal with this kid? 2nd round pick in 2004 has pitched in 18 games but only 7 as a starter (his last seven games).

23 years old in AAA

As a starter in 2007....

39 IP 4 HR 10 BB 39 K

He's always had good stuff with a K/9 over 9 and K/PA over 20% every stop. Groundball pitcher (50-60% GB%). The knock on him has been the walks but he showed great control in 2004 and before his promotion in 2005. When he was promoted in 2005 his walk rate went up about double he amount and stayed that way until 2007 where he reverse the numbers back to his old rates.

Anyone have any info on him? I only took a peek at him now. He's got the peripherals now and in his early career that make me think he could be a legitimate top prospect.

20 years old second basemen in the Brewers system 25th round pick out of Canada. Debuted last year and hit poorly the lone bright spot was his ability to take walks and put the ball in play. Now in full season ball he's hitting

.344/.394/.607 1.001 OPS

to go along with a decent 15/27 K/BB ratio

Huge numbers from anyone, let alone a second basemen, anybody have anymore info on him?

Another VERY young phenom in the works? He's 17 and he's already listed 6'2 239 on the team site(fatty!?) and is a catcher in full season ball. To be fair his weight is listed around 200 everywhere else, but that is what the team site says. Pictures I have seen make me believe it's the latter. The Mets were considering putting him at high A to start the season but are just playing him in full season ball and he's off to a wicked start, 6-9!

Did anyone see him this spring or have any reports on him? Might be someone who shoots up the rankings into the top 50 if he has a year like Martinez did.

http://images.minorleagueball.com/images/admin/knobrook.jpg

http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2005/04/26/O3MMW4OD.jpg

Is it just me or is this kind of freaky?

I had posted this somewhere else but wanted to repost it here to see what everything though.

So it looks like the Yankees are sending Unit packing.

Clearly, the Yankees have a plan headed into the new ballpark, to assemble an incredible bullpen and young starting pitching. Like when they brought up all the players in the late 90s, they are looking to do that again in the next few years, this time with mostly pitching.

Brandon Medders and Dustin Nippert seem to be headed to NY. Medders is a reliever, Nippert a starter.

Nippert is an interesting player, he got hurt in 2005 but if he pans out he's got pretty big upside. He had a dissapointing 2006 but he can definitely put it together, the only reason his numbers weren't great is because he gave up a lot of hits. But he had good stuff shown by his strikeout numbers.

Medders will atleast be decent, but if his strikeout numbers come back he can be a setupman even in 2007.

If the Yankees hold all of their pitching prospects/young pitchers they probably will have the best bullpen and starters in baseball going into 2008. Off the top of my head...

Hughes
Wang
Sanchez
Clippard - ready mid season 2007
Igawa
Nippert? - not sure if he will pan out
Chamberlain? - don't be surprised if he becomes one of the best minor leaguers this year
Kennedy?

Britton - proven young mlb talent
Cox - should see NY soon, he's been talked about a lot as the next closer
Medders - another young proven mlb guy
Whelan - from Detriot

I really hate the Yankees but every team in the AL should be scared right now because all these guys have big upside and will be ready very soon and are progressing well. Plus, most of these guys are going to be at the minimum contract wise. So the Yanks will have plenty of money to spend anywhere they want. Carlos Zambrano?

The Yanks are probably set up the best in baseball looking at the near future going forward.

-a mets fan

No love for this guy?

In 2005 at AA he was 21 and posted a 812 OPS
In 2006 at AA he was 22 and posted a 845 OPS with more walks than strikeouts.

After his promotion he was absolutely terrible. I'm not sure why, but why forget this guy already? Seems like a solid prospect to me.

What are some guys (a least low A ball) who might be a season away from becoming a solid B type prospect. I'm talking about guys with like ~750 to 800 OPS (of course I'm talking pitchers too) that are age appropriate for their league and based on last years preformance can have a breakout year this year.

To St. Lucie.

Both he and the other 17 year old bluechipper the Mets have, Fernando Martinez are already in High A.

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Have there been 17 year olds playing in the AZL? The Mets reportedly are thinking about sending Fernando Martinez as their A ball exception. He has 15 total bases in his first 20 AB at high A. So Just wondering about the age question.

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.333/.389/.505 line in low A got him promoted for St Lucie's playoff push. After Carlos Gomez had a 707 OPS last year and skipped high A he's got a .778 OPS as a 20 year old in AA. Leading fans to believe Martinez will probably start 2007 as an 18 year old in AA aslong as he plays decent.

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Everyone is putting Tabata on top of top prospect lists while Fernando is well behind yet they are eerily similar. Lets look at the lines for the two similar players. One has more AB due to an injury so I'll list other numbers so I don't give away each player...

(Low A ball)

.321/.395/.454 849 OPS slightly better K/BB
.321/.384/.473 857 OPS slighty better HR/AB

Which one is which? It really doesn't matter, they are nearly the same. Rotoworld ranks Tabata like 18 while Martinez is 80th. Baseball Analysts has Tabata 21 and Martinez 36 after a nice "teir break".

The Mets have agreed to terms with Francisco Pena, a 16-year-old catching prospect who is the son of Yankees first-base coach (and former All-Star catcher) Tony Pena. The younger Pena, who as a resident of the Dominican Republic was not subject to the draft, is expected to receive a bonus in the high-six-figure rage. Washington, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Florida and the Yankees also had interest in Pena, who has a strong arm and power potential

-NJ.com

MIAMI -- The Mets of New York signed Saturday to I prospect Dominican Francisco Rock, son of the old receiver and present coach of the Yankees, Tony Peña, informed to ESPNdeportes.com a respectable familiar source.

-ESPN deportes

This year's top targets include some big names, both in terms of length and in terms of big league name recognition. Dominican catcher Francisco Pena has received the most attention, as the youngest son of former big leaguer Tony Pena, now a coach with the Yankees. Pena has been pursued by teams such as the Yankees, Mets, Nationals and Reds, and rumors swirled that he was expected to sign for a bonus as large as $2 million. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Pena has power and arm strength behind the plate, like his father. He's not considered as athletic as his dad or brother, Tony Pena Jr., now a shortstop in the Braves system.

One international scouting director termed Pena's body as "heavy and thick." Marlins catcher Miguel Olivo, who knows the Pena family well, told the Kansas City Star in a recent interview that Pena "throws almost as well as me, and he has good size. I knew from seeing him he would be a professional. Tony Pena has baseball in his blood, and his kids are the same."

-Baseball America

mets.scout.com is reporting that Binghampton is Pelffreys newest team. It is expected to be his last stop before the majors.

16 IP 1.13 ERA 11 H 2 ER 18 K 1 BB                      

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We (rightly so) marvelled the 17 year old SS Elvis Andrus for playing in the GCL rookie league and putting up a solid .295/.377/.398/775 line. Now the Mets have 17 year old OF Fernando Martinez playing A ball.

Martinez has (in 28 AB) 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 SB, 5 RBI, .355 AVG, .412 OBP, .548 SLG in his first 7 games as a pro

This could be something special to watch.

On another Met note, Mike Pelfrey is off to a good start

5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

Help settle a debate, I think the answer is quiite obvious.

Yankees:

1. R. Johnson
   
2. M. Mussina
   
3. S. Chacon
   
4. C. Wang
   
5. C. Pavano
   
6. J. Wright

---------------

1. C. Schilling
   
2. J. Beckett
   
3. D. Wells
   
4. M. Clement
   
5. T. Wakefield
   
6. J. Papelbon

Which is more reliable and overall better?

MIAMI (ESPNdeportes).- In rarely occasions, the Dominican players that obtained large bonds by signing they reached the stardom in the Large Leagues. In fact, of the ballplayers quisqueyanos that received more than one million dollars by signing, only the gardener Wily Mo Rock (2.45 million with the Yankees of New York) is playing in the older leagues.

That it is only one of the challenges that considers before Fernando Martínez, who received 1.4 million dollars of the Mets of New York this week to be become professional.

"Do not I fear to the challenges", said Martínez to ESPNdeportes since its home in Dominican Republic.

"I am prepared mentally to conquer all the obstacles and to comply my dream to arrive at the Large Leagues", added Martínez, who will comply 17 years in October.

Martínez is a left-handed batter to be able that possesses the five necessary tools for to be considered a potential star in the older leagues.

"Fernando is amazing. He has to be able, contact, great arm, velocity and fildeo. He possesses the five tools to be a great star", he said Ezequiel Sepúlveda, a buscatalento of the Dodgers that continued to Martínez for months.

A catazatalentos of the Red Averages of Boston said that Martínez seems a Ted Williams young.

"Martínez can play in the center or the right side of the gardens due to its great arm", said Rafael Bournigal, director of buscatalentos international of the Mets.

"Besides, Fernando has a great position to be so young", added Bournigal.

Opponent to the majority of its countrymen, Martínez would be able to begin its career in a league class TO U.S. and not in the Dominican League of Summer.

The most optimistic projections indicate that would be able to reach the Large Leagues after three years of work in the smaller.

Besides justifying the bond received, Martínez should validate the label of "cannot fail" and to conquer "the curse of the high bonds", something that did not obtain other super prospects quisqueyanos.

The launcher Ricardo Arámboles (Yankees of New York) the torpedo boat Josephang Benhardt (Toronto), who at the beginning of the years noventas became the two first Dominican whose bonds surpassed the million of dollars, they did not pass from double A.

The torpedo boat July Warlike (Boston) and the launcher Jesus Lamb (Los Angeles), that signed for 700 thousand and 600 thousand dollars, respectively, neither to double TO they arrived.

Other that signed more recently, like the antesalista Andy Mars (Atlanta), the torpedo boat Ervin Joel Guzmán, the intermedista Willy Aybar (Los Angeles), and the torpedo boat Jerry Gil and the right launcher Ramón Rock (previously called Adriano Rosary), of Arizona, they will be seeking to be established in the next years.

As opposed to the Americans signed, the majority in the university drawing of June, the boys that play al baseball in Dominican are not prepared for the tremendous impact that signifies to pass from the most extreme poverty to famous millionaires.

Dominican republic, that harbors to near 10 million inhabitants in 48 thousand square kilometers, is one of the poorest countries of the American continent.

The most minimum salary in the island is of barely 120 monthly dollars. The majority of ballplayers they stem from the poorest layer of the company.

The great desire to leave the poverty and to help its relatives was the main catalyser that prompted the careers of players as Sammy Dull, Pedro Martínez, David Ortiz, Alfonso Soriano and Miguel Roof.

None of those players was a "bond baby", as call the Americans to the players that receive high sums by signing.

"I am hungry to play in high levels. My responsibility is with my family, with my village and with the country", said Martínez.

"My dream is to be able to play in the same team of Pedro Martínez and Carlos Beltrán and I am going to treat to reach the Large Leagues as soon as possible to join with them", said Martínez.

http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/story?id=343457

Mets announced a bunch of moves....

Bannister promoted to AAA Norfolk
Milledge promoted to AA Binghampton
Humber to AA Binghampton
G. Hernandez to High A St Lucie

Petit can't be far behind.

Humber's stats may not be pretty but his K/BB is great and in his last 4 starts his ERA is under 3....with a couple of dominating starts (7 IP 0 BB 10 K)

Millegde was bad his first month coming up with an injury but has been batting in the mid 300s since. He has shown surprising discipline and cut down in his Ks.

Gaby Hernandez tore up low A as a teenager. Nothing to prove there. He's going to establish himself as one of the games best prospects IMO.

Bannister has just been unreal. Could be a good trade piece though, sell high.

Petit has been insane as a 20 year old, hopefully they justify his play.