Apparently Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, and Lou Marson will go to Cleveland for Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco. 

"The Phillies have reached agreement with the Indians on a trade that would bring them left-hander Cliff Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco for Class A right-hander Jason Knapp, Class AAA right-hander Carlos Carrasco, shortstop Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson, according to major-league sources."

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9866498/MLB-trade-deadline-buzz:-Wednesday's-edition

The breakout thread above turned my attention to one guy who has really been blowing up the last few weeks - Daryl Jones.  Jones is a lefthanded leftfielder currently playing  for the Cardinals' AA affiliate in Springfield.  He was drafted out of HS in 2005 in the third round.  At the time, here was the comment from MLB.com:

"COMMENT: Medium-small frame. Athletic build. Similar to Otis Nixon. Short, compact, line drive stroke. Uses hand quickness and wiry strength to drive the ball. Uses whole field. Speed to play short game. Playable arm w/ future plus defensive skills."

After being drafted, Jones really struggled for his first couple of seasons - failing to hit above .300, post an OBP over .400, or SLUG over .500 at any of his stops.  Not surprisingly, he failed to make John's STL top 20 this past offseason.

However, the light has apparently clicked on this season, as Jones was one of the better players in the FSL (as a 20 year old for most of that time) and has now been even better at AA.

Year  Age Tm  Lg  Lvl Aff   G    AB    R    H   2B  3B  HR  RBI  BB   SO    BA   OBP   SLG 
+----+----+---+---+---+---+----+-----+----+----+---+---+---+----+----+----+-----+-----
 2008   21 PBC FSL A+  STL   87   307   43  100  11   7   7   35   33   67  .326  .406  .476
           SPG TEX AA  STL   27    91   15   29   4   1   5   12   21   20  .319  .461  .549 

As you can see, he's been on fire for Springfield.  To make things even more impressive, he really struggled initially at Springfield.  However, since the calendar turned to August, he has been absolutely awesome - hitting .361/.513/.623/1.135 with 4HR, 4SB, and a really impressive 18BB/14K.  All this to say, I think Jones has turned himself into a very intriguing prospect.

I guess I'll finish by asking the obligatory questions; where does he rank on the STL Top 20?; do you think he makes the top 100?; does he profile as an MLB regular?; has anyone seen him in person?; etc.  Or, just discuss.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Daryl%20Jones&pos=RF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=457801

Well, I am sitting here watching the Reds/Cubs games and I swear I'm having deja vu.  Edinson Volquez, he of the overall MLB strikeout lead and currently #2 ERA (behind Cliff Lee) seems well on his way to DVB (Death Via Baker).  In today's game, Volquez has once again showed his great stuff (0ER, 10K in 7IP) and his inconsistent control (6BB).  That said, believe it or not, he threw 118 pitches in today's game.  Now I know what you are thinking, surely this was a 1-0 game - well guess again, the Reds are currently leading 9 to 0.  The thing that is bizarre is they sent him out there for the seventh with a pitch count already over 100 (and a 9 run lead mind you) and the Reds didn't even have anyone warming up in the bullpen.  Then, when Volquez issued a pair of walks, they were scrambling to get someone ready because he was clearly losing it. 

Please Dusty.  I tried to give you to give you the benefit of the doubt.  I figured with all we have learned about young players and injuries that you would not do this again.  Please do not destroy these young arms...

Just saw that Travis Snider got promoted to AA after 17 games in Hi-A.  This is a bit of a surprise since he wasn't just killing Hi-A (at least in terms of BB/K).  However, this is not totally unexpected as some folks thought he would start the year in AA but the Jays chose to send him to Hi-A instead.  My guess is that the Jays wanted him to stay in warm weather for the first few weeks since New Hampshire is probably not a great place to play baseball in early April.  That said, it is interesting to me how these major league teams coddle their top prospects...After all, Snider will eventually have to play in bad weather in April...

Anyways, here's a link to Snider's Hi-A stats...discuss...

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Snider%20%20DH&pos=&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=501983

So, we did this last year and I figured we might want to do it again this year. Some of yesterday's story lines: Matt Laporta hit a grand slam homerun in his AA debut; Rick Porcello suggested he wont be overmatched in Hi-A with 5 scoreless innings; FDLS had a decent start to the season - giving up 2ER in 6IP with 6K; and my favorite breakout prospect Gerardo Parra had a HR last night as well. So, what did you notice yesterday? / who are you watching tonight?

I just wanted to point out that Everyday Edinson is having himself a nice Spring.  For the most part, the majority of the hype so far has been on Johnny Cueto.  Some experts have even penciled Johnny Cueto into the Reds rotation - and for solid reasoning considering his strong spring.  Volquez, however, has been very good himself.  He threw 5 scoreless innings today against a Phillies lineup that included three of the best hitters in the NL (Utley, Rollins, and Howard).  His ERA is down to 3.46 and he has a very good 19/3 K/BB in 13 innings.  I'm curious if everyone thinks that the Reds will really start Volquez and Cueto over the vets and Bailey or will the kids get sent back to AAA.  Knowing Baker, it maybe hard to tell....

I was just wondering who this community thinks has the best lineup in baseball this year.  Also, I think that it is important to remember that the best lineup isn't necessarily the one that will score the most runs (because of park factors, etc.).  That said, I'm including the top five teams in terms of runs scored from last year - and of course you can write in your other vote.  Here are those team's projected lineups for 2008 (according to CBSSports):

NY Yankees (2007 Ranking: #1 - 968 Runs Scored):

1      Johnny Damon      LF
2     Derek Jeter     SS
3     Bobby Abreu     RF    
4     Alex Rodriguez     3B    
5     Hideki Matsui     DH    
6     Jorge Posada     C    
7     Jason Giambi     1B            
8     Robinson Cano     2B    
9     Melky Cabrera     CF

Philadelphia Phillies (2007 Ranking: #2 - 892 Runs Scored):

1      Jimmy Rollins   SS
2     Shane Victorino CF    
3     Chase Utley     2B    
4     Ryan Howard     1B    
5     Pat Burrell     LF    
6     Geoff Jenkins     RF    
7     Pedro Feliz     3B    
8     Carlos Ruiz     C

Detroit Tigers (2007 Ranking: #3 - 887 Runs Scored):

1      Curtis Granderson  CF
2     Placido Polanco 2B    
3     Miguel Cabrera     3B         
4     Magglio Ordonez RF    
5     Gary Sheffield     DH    
6     Carlos Guillen     1B    
7     Edgar Renteria     SS    
8     Jacque Jones     LF    
9     Ivan Rodriguez     C

Boston Red Sox (2007 Ranking: #4 - 867 Runs Scored):

1      Jacoby Ellsbury CF
2     Dustin Pedroia     2B    
3     David Ortiz     DH    
4     Manny Ramirez     LF    
5     Mike Lowell     3B    
6     Kevin Youkilis     1B    
7     J.D. Drew     RF            
8     Jason Varitek     C    
9     Julio Lugo     SS

Colorado Rockies (2007 Rank: #5 - 860 Runs Scored):

1      Willy Taveras      CF
2     Todd Helton     1B    
3     Matt Holliday     LF    
4     Garrett Atkins     3B    
5     Troy Tulowitzki SS
6     Brad Hawpe     RF    
7     Yorvit Torrealba C    
8     Ian Stewart     2B

If you haven't seen this, it's worth the time:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SPB9IglzxG8

Continue reading this post »

Well it's that time of year again.  Here's my predictions:

LAA vs. BOS - Gotta pick the BoSox here.  Despite having similar pitching, the BoSox have the homefield advantage and a lineup that is significantly stronger.  

NYY vs. CLE - This one is a bit closer but I'm going to give it to Cleveland.  If they are able to run CC and Fausto out there 4 times in a 5 game series, they will be tough to beat.  I think the Yankees have a better lineup and a better bullpen, however, so this could go either way.  

CHC vs. ARZ - I'm picking the Cubs here.  They have a better lineup, and I think the pitching is better as well.  I'm impressed by the season the D-Backs have had but I just don't trust any pitcher on the team other than Brandon Webb.

COL vs. PHI - They have similar lineups with the slight advantage to Philadelphia.  However, I think I like the Colorado bullpen better.  The SP is pretty even - with Hamels being the best on either team - but I like Jimenez and Morales better than Moyer and Kendrick (?not sure about which pitchers PHI will use).  I'm going to pick the Rocks based on the fact that they have been on fire lately - I think the emotion of the young guys will keep them going.

BOS vs. CLE (not sure who is home in this situation since they had the same record) - I'm picking Cleveland again on the strength of their big 2.  I like Beckett but I'm not sure that I trust Matsuzaka and Schilling right now.  Carmona and CC have been great, especially down the stretch.  I expect the dominance to continue.

COL vs. CHC - I'll take the Cubs here.  I think the Cubs lefties (Hill and Lilly) will be particularly effective against the many lefties in the Rocks lineup and the magical run will end just short of the WS.  

CHC vs. CLE - I'm going to make the nicest guy on this website very happy and pick the Cleveland Indians to win the WS this year.  Cleveland has a nice lineup, dominant starting pitching, and a decent bullpen.  I would be more comfortable with Betancourt closing games - but I'm not sure Dempster is any better.  Indians in 5.  WS MVP - Victor Martinez....

Let's hear your picks

He's pitching a gem against the Dodgers and (I believe) he has just set the Rockies team record for consecutive scoreless innings.  And, he's still a prospect.  Where does he rank for you on a top 100?

Continue reading this post »

To the Washington Nationals - just reported live by the Red Sox announcers.  I can't find any details.

Also, they said that Ellsbury is going to be called up today.

Continue reading this post »

Wieters Signs

Posted Aug. 15, 2007 11:13 pm by Jim Callis
Filed under: Signings

All 30 first-rounders are done. No. 5 overall pick Matt Wieters signed at the last second with the Orioles.

Amazing!

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/                                                  

Moustakas Signs

Posted Aug. 15, 2007 10:59 pm by Jim Callis
Filed under: Signings

Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star just got word that Mike Moustakas signed with the Royals. No word on the terms yet.

With a minute to go, doesn't look like the Orioles will sign Matt Wieters. No word on what's going on with the Cubs and Josh Vitters . . . thought that would have been done earlier this evening.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/

Let's see, it's 9:14 Central Time on Tuesday, August 14th.  Major League Teams have slightly over 1 day left to sign their picks.  According to BaseballAmerica, the following 1st rounders remain unsigned:

Devil Rays: David Price
Royals: Mike Moustakas
Cubs: Josh Vitters
Orioles: Matt Wieters
Diamondbacks: Jarrod Parker
Giants: Madison Bumgarner
Mariners: Phillippe Aumont
Marlins: Matt Dominguez
Rangers: Blake Beavan
Yankees: Andrew Brackman

So let's hear from you - Rays, Royals, Cubs, Orioles, Diamondbacks, Giants, Mariners, Marlins, Rangers, and Yankees fans.  Are you nervous that your team wont be able to get something done?

According to FirebatMIV (citing an FSN broadcast) Blake Beavan has been signed. I could not confirm it independently, but it seems plausible after reading this http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070814&content_id=2148565&vkey=news_tex&fext=.jsp&c_id=tex.

1 down - 9 to go...

According to Jeffrey Ma at Protrade, Justin Upton is going to be called up tomorrow.  Here's a link:

http://www.protrade.com/content/DisplayArticle.html?sp=Seb3879b9-40b4-11dc-9598-3557bf7bf277

I don't know much about Jeffrey so it's tough to tell if it is credible but I do know that he contributes at baseballprospectus.

Also, it appears Adam Jones will be up on Friday as well - according to rotoworld.com.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&id=72

There are many early games today so I thought I'd get this going.  I noticed that both Adam Jones and Wlad Balentien have both already homered for Tacoma.  Coming into today's game, they have OPSs of (.951) and (.979) respectively.  In contrast, the Mariners' starting corner outfielders and DH, Ibanez, Guillen, and Vidro are 1-8 today with OPSs of .728, .809, and .707 respectively.  One would think that at some point the Mariners might actually start trying to win...

Anyways, let's hear what else is happening today...

I'm interested in Alan Horne but I'm also trying to learn how to better use stats in the discussion of prospects - so please help me if you think I am getting off track.

I'm curious what everyone thinks about Alan Horne and how he projects.  I was browsing his stats and was struck by just how strong they are this season.  Intuitively, I thought of two other pitchers who have destroyed the EL in the past two seasons: Phil Hughes and Clay Buchholz.  Here are the their vitals (from the EL):

Phil Hughes
Age 19/20
21GS 116INN 73H 29ER 5HR 32BB 138K
5.7H/9 .4HR/9 2.5BB/9 10.7K/9 2.25ERA 0.91WHIP .179BAA .257BABIP 1.44GO/AO

Clay Buchholz
Age 22 (soon to be 23)
15GS 86.2INN 55H 17ER 4HR 22BB 116K
5.7H/9 .4HR/9 2.3BB/9 12.0K/9 1.77ERA 0.88WHIP .175BAA .268BABIP 0.93GO/AO

Alan Horne (these stats are a little old because I used MLSplits.com)
Age 24
17GS 93.1INN 88H 35ER 2HR 26BB 106K
8.5H/9 .2HR/9 2.5BB/9 10.2K/9 2.26ERA 1.28WHIP .246BAA .345BABIP 1.38GO/AO

A few things about these stats jump out at me.  Not surprisingly, the first thing I noticed is how good Hughes was at such a young age - I'm still impressed by his season last year.  The second thing that I noticed is how flipping dominant Buchholz has been this year.  I already knew that he is a great prospect.  But, aside from ARL, his numbers are better than Hughes (except for the GO/AO rate).  Finally, I noticed that Horne isn't too far off from these guys - at least statistically.  The biggest difference between Horne and Hughes/Buchholz in terms of statistics is the hit rates.  

(Now for the part that I may screw up)...It looks to me like Horne's hit rates are fluky high.  I'm not an expert on BABIP, but I think that the average pitcher's BABIP is around .300.  If Horne's BABIP were .300, it would result in 11 less hits (or a H/9 of 7.4).  That's more like it...  

Still, I look at those stats and a .300 BABIP seems like it is high considering that both Hughes and Buchholz have(had) a BABIP in the .260 range. Considering how similar their peripherals seem, I wondered if Horne should maybe have a BABIP that is lower than .300...

I have recently read on here that a pitcher's BABIP can be related to his LD%.  Someone said that it is estimated to be equal to his LD% + 12%.   I'm not sure how well that applies with these players, but here is what it looks like when applied to Hughes/Buchholz/Horne:

Hughes - (32LD/267BIP) = 11.9LD% + 12% = estimated .239BABIP (actual .257BABIP)

Buchholz - (18LD/182BIP) = 9.9LD% + 12% = estimated .219BABIP (actual .268BABIP)

Horne - (23LD/250BIP) = 9.2LD% + 12% = estimated .212BABIP (actual .345BABIP)

Obviously, LD% + 12% seems to produce estimated BABIP that are a bit low.  Still, using each pitcher's LD%'s as an indicator, it looks to me like Horne's BABIP should be in the same range as Hughes and Buchholz.  If Horne's BABIP were .260, he would have given 65 hits this year (or 6.3H/9) and his WHIP would be 0.98 - which would put his overall stats on par with the domination of Buchholz and Hughes.

Now, I'm not really trying to draw any huge conclusions here.  And, I'm certainly not trying to argue that Horne is as good of a prospect as Hughes or Buchholz - because they dominate him in terms of ARL and have the glowing scouting reports to match the production.  I guess I am trying to figure out 1. if I have correctly analyzed these statistics, 2. why Horne's BABIP is fluky high, and 3. if he might be flying a bit under-the-radar because of some bad luck.  Anyone have any thoughts on the subject?

   In case you are wondering how Andy Laroche ended up winning #35, check http://www.minorleagueball.com/story/2007/7/6/23150/60255 out.

   1. Justin Upton
   2. Phil Hughes
   3. Yovani Gallardo
   4. Billy Butler
   5. Ryan Braun
   6. Homer Bailey
   7. Adam Jones
   8. Evan Longoria
   9. Jay Bruce
  10. Andrew Miller
  11. Clay Buchholz
  12. Jarrod Saltalamacchia
  13. Clayton Kershaw
  14. Cameron Maybin
  15. Fernando Martinez
  16. Colby Rasmus
  17. Brandon Wood
  18. Adam Miller
  19. Reid Brignac
  20. Matt Garza
  21. Felix Pie
  22. Joey Votto
  23. Daric Barton
  24. James Loney
  25. Luke Hochevar
  26. Joba Chamberlain
  27. Andrew McCutchen
  28. Jose Tabata
  29. Eric Hurley
  30. Wade Davis
  31. Travis Snider
  32. Jake McGee
  33. Carlos Gomez
  34. Wladimir Balentien
  35. Andy Laroche

Wily Mo commented that he might need a little help so here's #36.

Temporarily Exiting - Bryan Anderson, Chris Marrero, Carlos Carrasco
Newbies - Deolis War, Ian Kennedy, Ian Stewart
Back On - Nick Adenhart
Spin Cylce - Giovany Gonzalez, Greg Reynolds,  Carlos "going going" Gonzalez, Billy "barrel" Rowell, Jeff "Hello" Niemann, Chase HEADley, Mike "Bobby" Bowden, and Kevin "I Throw Too" Slowey.

Still Awaiting Testers - Brett Anderson, Lars Anderson, Josh Fields, Desmond Jennings, Troy Patton, Johnny Cueto, Franklin Morales, Brandon Erbe, William Inman, and every single other player in the minors.

As we get closer to this draft it seems like three players have established themselves as the top three talents in this draft - Price, Porcello, and Wieters.  After that, however, it seems there is a lot of debate about who the next best player is. Scouts seem to love Vitters but many people have doubts - is Moustakas better?  What about the talented hitting tandem of Beau Mills and Jason Heyward?  A lot of people seem to like Jarrod Parker - do you think he's good enough to be the fourth best player in this draft?  Do you prefer one of the college pitchers (Detwiler or Moskos) instead?

Here's my question.  If you were a GM that was drafting the best available player and had no salary restrictions - who would you pop with the number 4 pick.  I want to hear why!

Lots of early action today so I thought I'd go ahead and start this.  Justin Upton will be in action soon.  Many other games are already underway - Kinston is already beating up on Frederick and Brandon Erbe.  Here's his line for today:

3IP 7H 7ER 2BB 1K 2HR.

I'm beginning to think Erbe is hurting.  Or maybe he is working exclusively on the breaking pitches or something - any Orioles fans know?  

Anyways, what are you watching today?

Via CBSSportsline.com:

Hayden Penn, SP BAL
News: According to the Baltimore Sun, Orioles SP prospect Hayden Penn will have surgery on his pitching elbow. Penn, who made just one start at Triple-A Norfolk, has been trying to rehab but that plan is now over. He is opting to have surgery to remove a bone chip and is expected to miss most of the season.
Analysis: The elbow surgery pretty much scraps any plans for Penn to be pitching in the majors in 2007. Ignore him in all seasonal leagues at this time and he remains just a long-term keeper for perhaps the 2008 season.

Tough News for Penn who I thought might have a big breakout this year...

With a crop of morning and afternoon games, I thought I would help out and get this started for today.  Eric Hurley already threw in the Texas League going 6 innings and giving up 2 runs.  Not a bad outing but not great either.  I believe Adam Miller pitches today as well.  Who else are you watching?

via Rotoworld.com: ESPN is reporting that the Red Sox will announce after Thursday's game that Jonathan Papelbon is going to be shifted back to the bullpen. Even though Papelbon has been publically enthused about the move to the rotation, it sounds like he's requesting the return to the closer's role. A switch would settle a situation that has been a major issue in camp, but the Red Sox would be foolish to make the move based on the media and fan perception of the team's needs. Papelbon would likely be more valuable throwing 200 innings than 70, not that he's a lock to do either. The Red Sox better be confident that a move back to the pen wouldn't put him at any additional risk, and they'd need to put restrictions on how manager Terry Francona is allowed to use him. A change would probably make Julian Tavarez the team's fifth starter initially, with Jon Lester waiting in the wings. Kyle Snyder would also be an option.

Well, here's a good discussion topic to start the season off right.  I think everyone always has a few guys that are "under the radar" for one reason or another.  Or, alternatively, everyone has a few guys that they don't like because of outrageous hype (or other factors).  So, I'm interested in hearing who your overrated and underrated prospects are for the 2007 season.  Who are the guys that we are going to be talking about in 2008 because they blew up or because they fell apart?  Who is 2007's Yovani Gallardo and who is 2007's Joel Guzman?

I'll post mine a bit later.

I've been reading up a bit on the recovery of Jon Lester.  First and foremost, I'd like to congratulate Jon on a successful recovery from cancer.

Now that's out of the way, do yall think that Lester will start the season in the rotation?  Reports have come out today that Lester says he will be ready when pitchers and Molinas report in two weeks.  He reportedly weighs 208 pounds which is supposedly 7 pounds under his ideal playing weight of 215. But, the Red Sox's rotation is already pretty full...with Schilling, Dice-K, Beckett, Papelbon, and Wakefield.  

I'm sorta thinking that the Red Sox have made a mistake by transitioning Paps back to the rotation.  For one, he has already proven he can be a great closer.  For another, Schilling, Dice-K, Beckett, and Papelbon are all hard throwing right-handed pitchers.  It seems like it might help all the pitchers to have a little bit more variety.  In the Sox defense, they did not know that Lester was going to be healthy for ST.  Still, I wonder if they will consider putting Paps back in the pen.  What do yall think?

Anyone else think that Franklin Morales might be the next Liriano?  We all know that Morales is a lefty that throws hard...We also know that he has had his share of ups and downs - especially with his control.  Well this was posted on BA today (free):

The Rockies recently held their annual winter development program, and lefthander Franklin Morales was the talk of the town. Coming off a 10-9, 3.68 season at high Class A Modesto where he was as well known for his erratic command as his 97 mph fastball, Morales appears to have harnessed his overall arsenal . . . at least in January in Denver.

"We're talking (Johan) Santana or (Francisco) Liriano kind of stuff," a Rockies front office official said. "(The command of the fastball) is probably better when he's 93-95, but he topped out at 98 . . . and had an absolute hammer. He's gotten much bigger physically and with that stuff, a hell of a lot more imposing."

Both Morales and righthander Juan Morillo are slated to see an extended amount of time in big league camp this spring.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/news/263250.html

He reminds me a lot of Liriano.  The arsenal is similar and the fact that he wasn't completely dominant despite his impressive stuff in the low minors is similar.  What do yall thin?

Sorry about this, I never do them.  But you knew what you were getting into when you clicked this.  On second thought, I'm not sorry...  

Anyways, I am in an odd position in my fantasy league.  I have three prospects available to me at no cost.  They are Brad Lincoln, Kevin Slowey, and Casey Kotchman.  I don't really have enough time to do the research necessary to make an educated decision, so I was wondering what the experts here thought.

I'm curious who the Braves are planning to start at 2B after the Marcus Giles deal.  I have read that the most likely options are Martin Prado, Kelly Johnson, and Willy Aybar.  I believe Aybar was the most highly touted as an amateur.  But, Johnson is somewhat interesting too since he was a SS for a while and did some hitting as a rookie LF.  So, who will be the starting 2B for the Braves in 2007 and why?

No one has posted it so I will...

1. Homer Bailey, rhp, Sarasota (Reds)
2. Yovanni Gallardo, rhp, Brevard County (Brewers)
3. Scott Elbert, lhp, Vero Beach (Dodgers)
4. Ryan Braun, 3b, Brevard County (Brewers)
5. Donald Veal, rhp, Daytona (Cubs)
6. Colby Rasmus, of, Palm Beach (Cardinals)
7. Mark Rogers, rhp, Brevard County (Brewers)
8. Mike Carp, 1b, St. Lucie (Mets)
9. Blake DeWitt, 2b/3b, Vero Beach (Dodgers)
10. Kevin Slowey, rhp, Fort Myers (Twins)
11. Sean Gallagher, rhp, Daytona (Cubs)
12. Terry Evans, of, Palm Beach (Cardinals)
13. Gaby Hernandez, rhp, Jupiter (Marlins)
14. Johnny Cueto, rhp, Sarasota (Reds)
15. Jaime Garcia, lhp, Palm Beach (Cardinals)
16. Jair Jurrjens, rhp, Lakeland (Tigers)
17. Jose Mijares, lhp, Fort Myers (Twins)
18. Alexi Casilla, ss/2b, Fort Myers (Twins)
19. Ryan Patterson, of, Dunedin (Blue Jays)
20. Greg Golson, of, Clearwater  

I thought I'd start a diary on one of the less heralded rookie SP's in the AL - Boof Bonser.  He has quietly had a very solid rookie season.  After defeating the Royals today, his ERA is down to a respectable 4.15 on the season...He also lowered his post All-Star break ERA to 3.5 and his September ERA to 2.2...

He also has some good peripherals - that I'd like to think indicate future success...He's only walked 24 batters in 95 innings...he's K'ed a pretty solid amount (81) and his K/BB is a solid 3.4.  Plus, all those numbers are stronger in the second half (12 BB in 59 Innings with 54 K's...K/BB of 4.5).  I watched some of tonight's game, and was pretty impressed.  I haven't seen enough of him to give a scouting report - but his fastball consistently hit the mid-90's and he seemed to have pretty good control of it.  

On the other hand...
He appears have a problem with the HR (not suprising for a young pitcher who doesn't walk many).  He's given up 16HR in 95 innings - 7 in 59 innings after the All-Star break.  That could be a problem in the future.

I know we have a lot of good Twins fans here, so I wanted to see what they thought.  I'm inclined to think that Boof and Garza give the Twins a decent foundation (after Santana) even if Liriano's arm problems become recurring.  

Anyways, I'm starting to ramble - I just thought I'd give Boof's strong rookie season some press.