San Diego trades Mat Latos to Cincinnati in exchange for Edinson Volquez, Yonder Alonso, Yasmani Grandal, & Brad Boxberger.

Your thoughts?

1. Will Rizzo get traded?

2. Will Alonso stay as a corner outfielder where he is sub-par defensively?

3. How badly does this hurt Alonso offensively?

4. When will Grandal be the starting catcher in Petco?

5. Will Boxberger be groomed to be a closer or is he a starter?

Finally--do we see Latos value dip a little as he is leaving Petco?

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2011/2612441.html

 

EASTERN LEAGUE TOP 20 PROSPECTS

1. Bryce Harper, of, Harrisburg Senators (Nationals)
2. Travis D'Arnaud, c, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays)
3. Anthony Gose, of, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays)
4. Brad Peacock, rhp, Harrisburg Senators (Nationals)
5. Jacob Turner, rhp, Erie Seawolves (Tigers)
6. Manny Banuelos, lhp, Trenton Thunder (Yankees)
7. Starling Marte, of, Altoona Curve (Pirates)
8. Will Middlebrooks, 3b, Portland Seadogs (Red Sox)
9. Dellin Betances, rhp, Trenton Thunder (Yankees)
10. Henderson Alvarez, rhp, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays)
11. Eric Surkamp, lhp, Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants)
12. Derek Norris, c, Harrisburg Senators (Nationals)
13. Jeurys Familia, rhp, Binghamton Mets
14. Francisco Peguero, of, Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants)
15. Ryan Lavarnway, c, Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox)
16. Francisco Martinez, 3b, Erie Seawolves (Tigers)
17. Austin Romine, c, Trenton Thunder (Yankees)
18. Chih-Hsien Chiang, of, Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox)
19. Adeiny Hechavarria, ss, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays)
20. Kyle McPherson, rhp, Altoona Curve (Pirates)

Signing deadline is only 9 days away.  Which of these 2011 draftees will not sign with their teams by the deadline?

 

I will go with 5 names who I predict will not sign:

1.  Josh Bell--I think it is pretty well known that he will be heading to the University of Texas in the fall.

2.  Jackie Bradley, Jr.--I hope I am wrong but I can see him heading back to USC and trying to become a top 10 pick in 2012.

 

3.  Dwight Smith, Jr.--The Blue Jays can't sign all these guys can they?

 

4.  Tyler Beede--I think Tim Corbin convinces him to come to Vanderbilt and that the Jays sign Daniel Norris which makes the need to sign Beede a little less.

 

5.  Dillon Howard--He decides that in 2014 he could be the #1 pick in the draft.  (totally just pulled that out of my back-end though)

 

1	1	Pittsburgh Pirates	Gerrit Cole	RHP	UCLA	Calif.
2	2	Seattle Mariners	Danny Hultzen	LHP	Virginia	Va.
4	4	Baltimore Orioles	Dylan Bundy	RHP	Owasso (Okla.) HS	Okla.
5	5	Kansas City Royals	Bubba Starling	OF	Gardner-Edgerton HS, Gardner, Kan.	Kan.
6	6	Washington Nationals	Anthony Rendon	3B	Rice	Texas
7	7	Arizona Diamondbacks	Archie Bradley	RHP	Broken Arrow (Okla.) HS	Okla.
8	8	Cleveland Indians	Francisco Lindor	SS	Montverde (Fla.) Academy	Fla.
9	9	Chicago Cubs	Javier Baez	SS	Arlington Country Day HS, Jacksonville, Fla.	Fla.
11	11	Houston Astros	George Springer	OF	Connecticut	Conn.
12	12	Milwaukee Brewers	Taylor Jungmann	RHP	Texas	Texas
13	13	New York Mets	Brandon Nimmo	OF	East HS, Cheyenne, Wyo.	Wyo.
14	14	Florida Marlins	Jose Fernandez	RHP	Alonso HS, Tampa	Fla.
15	15	Milwaukee Brewers	Jed Bradley	LHP	Georgia Tech	Ga.
16	16	Los Angeles Dodgers	Chris Reed	LHP	Stanford	Calif.
19	19	Boston Red Sox	Matt Barnes	RHP	Connecticut	Conn.
20	20	Colorado Rockies	Tyler Anderson	LHP	Oregon	Ore.
21	21	Toronto Blue Jays	Tyler Beede	RHP	Lawrence Academy, Groton, Mass.	Mass.
23	23	Washington Nationals	Alex Meyer	RHP	Kentucky	Ky.
24	24	Tampa Bay Rays	Taylor Guerrieri	RHP	Spring Valley HS, Columbia, S.C.	S.C.
25	25	San Diego Padres	Joe Ross	RHP	Bishop O'Dowd HS, Oakland	Calif.
26	26	Boston Red Sox	Blake Swihart	C	Cleveland HS, Rio Rancho, N.M.	N.M.
27	27	Cincinnati Reds	Robert Stephenson	RHP	Alhambra HS, Martinez, Calif.	Calif.
30	30	Minnesota Twins	Levi Michael	SS	North Carolina	N.C.
31	31	Tampa Bay Rays	Mikie Mahtook	OF	Louisiana State	La.

1	34	Washington Nationals	Brian Goodwin	OF	Miami Dade JC	Fla.
3	36	Boston Red Sox	Henry Owens	LHP	Edison HS, Huntington Beach, Calif.	Calif.
6	39	Philadelphia Phillies	Larry Greene	OF	Berrien County HS, Nashville, Ga.	Ga.
7	40	Boston Red Sox	Jackie Bradley	OF	South Carolina	S.C.
8	41	Tampa Bay Rays	Tyler Goeddel	3B	St. Francis HS, Mountain View, Calif.	Calif.
10	43	Arizona Diamondbacks	Andrew Chafin	LHP	Kent State	Ohio
15	48	San Diego Padres	Michael Kelly	RHP	West Boca Raton (Fla.) HS	Fla.
17	50	Minnesota Twins	Travis Harrison	3B	Tustin (Calif.) HS	Calif.
20	53	Toronto Blue Jays	Dwight Smith Jr.	OF	McIntosh (Ga.) HS	Ga.
21	54	San Diego Padres	Brett Austin	C	Providence HS, Charlotte	N.C.
22	55	Minnesota Twins	Hudson Boyd	RHP	Bishop Verot HS, Fort Myers, Fla.	Fla.
24	57	Toronto Blue Jays	Kevin Comer	RHP	Seneca HS, Tabernacle, N.J.	N.J.
26	59	Tampa Bay Rays	Grayson Garvin	LHP	Vanderbilt	Tenn.

 

1	61	Pittsburgh Pirates	Josh Bell	OF	Dallas Jesuit HS	Texas
2	62	Seattle Mariners	Brad Miller	SS	Clemson	S.C.
3	63	Arizona Diamondbacks	Anthony Meo	RHP	Coastal Carolina	S.C.
4	64	Baltimore Orioles	Jason Esposito	3B	Vanderbilt	Tenn.
6	66	Philadelphia Phillies	Roman Quinn	OF	Port St. Joe (Fla.) HS	Fla.
7	67	Cleveland Indians	Dillon Howard	RHP	Searcy (Ark.) HS	Ark.
8	68	Chicago Cubs	Dan Vogelbach	1B	Bishop Verot HS, Fort Myers, Fla.	Fla.
10	70	Milwaukee Brewers	Jorge Lopez	RHP	Academia de Milagrosa, Cayey, P.R.	P.R.
12	72	Florida Marlins	Adam Conley	LHP	Washington State	Wash.
14	74	Toronto Blue Jays	Daniel Norris	LHP	Science Hill HS, Johnson City, Tenn.	Tenn.
16	76	Detroit Tigers	James McCann	C	Arkansas	Ark.
19	79	St. Louis Cardinals	Charlie Tilson	OF	New Trier HS, Winnetka, Ill.	Ill.
22	82	San Diego Padres	Austin Hedges	C	JSerra HS, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.	Calif.
26	86	San Francisco Giants	Andrew Susac	C	Oregon State	Ore.
28	88	New York Yankees	Sam Stafford	LHP	Texas	Texas

I have to admit that I know very little about the international signing period that will begin on July 2.  Baseball America has stated that they will be reporting about players beginning tomorrow.

 

I was hoping this community could build a list of players that you know about who are eligible to be drafted and maybe even add a sentence or two about them ( a mini scouting report ).

 

Have I hit my word count yet . . . yep but barely.

Nope, it isn't even Jeremy Jeffress this time!

Link:  http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=6119217

I did not realize that Brewer was playing for the Vols, but obviously the reputation of the Tennessee football program can even corrupt ex baseball players.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee safety Brent Brewer has been suspended pending an investigation after police arrested the sophomore on a domestic assault charge.

Brewer was free on $1,500 bond Sunday, according to Knox County Sheriff records.

"Without knowing all of the facts, any domestic incident warrants a suspension from all team-related activities until a thorough investigation is concluded," coach Derek Dooley said in a statement. "We respect everyone's right to the legal process but also acknowledge a greater standard of conduct associated with the privilege of being a member of the Tennessee football team."

Brewer played in every game as a freshman for the Volunteers in 2010, starting the last six, and made 30 tackles. The 22-year-old from Tyrone, Ga., played the previous four years in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/02/04/giants-top-prospect-brandon-belt-likely-headed-for-triple-a/

 

According to Hardballtalk:

 

Last year Brandon Belt led all minor leaguers in OPS during his first pro season, batting .352 with 76 extra-base hits, 22 steals, and 93 walks in 136 games while playing at three different levels, but yesterday Giants general manager Brian Sabean indicated that the 23-year-old first baseman will likely begin 2011 back at Triple-A.

Sabean didn’t rule out Belt forcing his way into the team’s Opening Day plans, but made it clear to Chris Haft of MLB.com that the 2009 fifth-round pick will be facing an uphill battle:

You don’t want a young player, or potentially a player that’s going to burst on the scene, [coming] to spring training and [having] no chance. You have to give them some hope that you’re going to be open-minded. Having said that, I probably expect him to start in Triple-A, and we’ll be conservative. But you can’t kill his enthusiasm or his will to want to make the team. He’ll have to force his way into this mix through his performance.

San Francisco didn’t call up Buster Posey until May 29 last season and he was an even better, more MLB-ready prospect than Belt, so most likely he’ll have to beat up on Triple-A pitching for a couple months before potentially taking over as the Giants’ first baseman and pushing Aubrey Huff to left field.

The rumored return: prospects Chris Archer, Hak-Ju Lee,Brandon Guyer and Robinson Chirinos.

 

With the Rays losing some key pieces this offseason, are they back in rebuilding mode?  Can they even compete with Boston & NY at this point.  They seem to me to be a 85 win team at this point.

 

The links:

 

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/01/07/the-cubs-are-nearing-a-deal-for-matt-garza/

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=5998431&campaign=rss&source=twitter&ex_cid=Twitter_espn_5998431

I hate to post a fantasy question here, but figured this site would lead to the most input & discussion from many of you who know much more about fringe prospects than I do.

I need to cut someone in a deep fantasy league.

I have narrowed it down to these guys:

Derrik Gibson, 2b/ss

Carlos Triunfel, 3b/ss

Ivan DeJesus, 2b

Ryan Flaherty, 2b/3b

Dave Filak, sp

Logan Verrett, sp

 

I am looking for the guy who has the least likely chance of contributing in the major leagues.

 

Thanks!!

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=12441

Entire article is free to read.

System In 20 Words Or Less: The big draft class of 2009 was a mild disappointment, while the top prospect missed the season—an ugly combination.

Five-Star Prospects
1. Jarrod Parker, RHP
Four-Star Prospects
2. Tyler Skaggs, LHP
Three-Star Prospects
3. Chris Owings, SS
4. Bobby Borchering, 3B
5. Matt Davidson, 3B
6. Marc Krauss, OF
7. Wade Miley, LHP
8. Pat Corbin, LHP
9. David Holmberg, LHP
Two-Star Prospects
10. Paul Goldschmidt,, 1B
11. Tyler Linton, OF

Nine More:
12. A.J. Pollock, OF: He missed all of the regular season due to elbow surgery; many scouts see him as a 'tweener.
13. Keon Broxton, OF: He had the best tools in the Midwest League after Mike Trout, but he looks foolish against even the fringiest of breaking balls.
14. Raul Navarro, SS: The 18-year-old Dominican has a line-drive bat and true shortstop skills, giving him the potential to move up significantly.
15. J.R. Bradley, RHP: Bradley offers a silky-smooth delivery and plenty of projection; like Navarro, he could get a full report next year.
16. Sam Demel, RHP: This power-armed righty was impressive at times out of the big-league bullpen. However, he needs more consistency with his control and slider.
17. Carlos Rosa, RHP: Rosa can still light up a radar gun but has yet to figure out how to miss bats.
18. Charles Brewer, RHP: The 12th-round pick from '09 led the organization in ERA (2.45) and strikeouts (153); he has legitimate back-of-the-rotation stuff.
19. Josh Collmenter, RHP: Command, control, deception all work in his favor; but Collmenter rarely gets out of the 80s with his fastball.
20. Tyler Green, RHP: An over-slot eighth-rounder, Green has low-90s velocity and an advanced curve for teenager.

 

Borchering too high?  Davidson too low?

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/2011-top-10-prospects-cleveland-indians-and-minnesota-twins/

 

Cleveland Indians: Top 10 Prospects

1. Alex White / SP / White had a great debut season. Some question whether any of his secondary pitches will develop into the out pitch that he needs, but he has great command and movement on his fastball, which could carry him far.
2. Lonnie Chisenhall / 3B / The future outlook remains true for Chisenhall; good but not great. While he has power, contact ability, and plate patience, nothing adds up to perennial All-Star.
3. Jason Knapp / SP/RP / Knapp's elite velocity is completely back following a shoulder surgery that kept him out most of 2010. He did return in time to record 29 strikeouts over 16 Single-A innings. He is a supreme breakout candidate for 2011.
4. Drew Pomeranz / SP / Pomeranz faces too many question marks for a college hurler drafted at No. 5 overall. But Cleveland obviously feels that they have a lot to work with, and the team is willing to give him a year to prove doubters wrong.
5. Jason Kipnis / 2B/OF / While his defense is shaky and may keep him in the minors longer than anticipated, Kipnis' bat came alive in 2010. He has good bat speed and above average power for a second baseman. It's understandable why some have him rated higher than this, but his defense needs to settle down for him to move up. His offense could get lost in the crowd if he needs to switch to the outfield.
6. Nick Weglarz / OF / Weglarz has improved to the point where he deserves a shot at the big leagues. He still has untapped power and good patience at the plate, but the key to everything will be him staying off the disabled list.
7. Chun-Hsiu Chen / C / Chen has the skills to stick behind the plate, including a plus arm. To little fanfare, his offense took off in 2010, and his best tool, his power potential, finally surfaced.
8. LeVon Washington / OF / Washington is an offensive-minded outfield prospect. He has a good plate approach, speed, and some power to work with, although his tools are overblown by some.
9. T.J. House / SP / House had a solid year, although his secondary offerings, namely his slider, didn't take the step forward they need to. His upside appears limited unless an out pitch develops.
10. Hector Rondon / SP/RP / Rondon had perhaps the most disastrous season of any top-ranked player in the minor leagues. It's not time to give up yet, but it was finally revealed that Rondon's injury required Tommy John surgery, leaving his future in jeopardy.

Cleveland Indians: Top 10 Players Under Age 26 (as of 4/1/11)

1. Carlos Santana / C
2. Asdrubal Cabrera / SS
3. Alex White / SP
4. Lonnie Chisenhall / 3B
5. Jason Knapp / SP/RP
6. Drew Pomeranz / SP
7. Jason Kipnis / 2B/OF
8. Carlos Carrasco / SP
9. Nick Weglarz / OF
10. Michael Brantley / OF

Minnesota Twins: Top 10 Prospects

1. Kyle Gibson / SP / It's unlikely anyone envisioned Gibson having the kind of debut season he did. He put the injury concerns to rest and was able to show off his varied arsenal over three levels, culminating with three strong August starts for Triple-A Rochester.
2. Miguel Sano / 3B/SS / It's hard to not be impressed with the rookie-league debut of 17-year-old Sano, especially from a power perspective. The tools are there across the board for a superstar future.
3. Aaron Hicks / OF / It was a solid season for Hicks, but everyone expects more from him, and for it to be coming at a level beyond Single-A. His walk rate is the most impressive stat he posts, which is good in a sense but surprising for a young man with his talent level.
4. Alex Wimmers / SP / Wimmers' curveball is among the best in the 2010 draft, but he doesn't have much else to work with, including below-average velocity at times on his fastball. His poise, command, and first-round draft status earn him extra points.
5. Ben Revere / OF / Revere's stock is stuck in neutral. He makes good contact and has the base path skills to be a good leadoff man, but his walk rate isn't improving and the little bit of power potential he once had is nowhere to be found.
6. Liam Hendriks / SP / By some accounts, Hendriks is no more than a junkballer with his varied repertoire, lack of an out pitch, and below average velocity. But a junkballer doesn't sport a nearly 10:1 strikeout-to walk-ratio and 1.74 ERA over 108.2 innings.
7. Adrian Salcedo / SP / Salcedo found a step up in levels to be difficult in 2010. He really didn't do a whole lot different compared to his breakout campaign in 2009, but he was unable to get away with leaving the ball over the middle of the plate, unlike 2009. He has good stuff and a bright future.
8. Max Kepler-Rozycki / OF / Kepler-Rozycki is another young, high-upside position player. Unlike most of his ilk, though, he hails from Germany and is sometimes referred to as the best baseball specimen to ever come from Europe. His bat is quick and he looks and carries himself like an athlete.
9. Oswaldo Arcia / OF / Wow, Arcia posted some great numbers in the Appalachian League. Despite his age, he isn't overly toolsy, but his bat speed and power look legitimate at this point.
10. David Bromberg / SP / Billy Bullock nearly slid in here, but for a reliever to be in the top-10, he needs to have closer upside, and Bullock may not have that much talent. Bromberg has a lot to clean up, but still has some upside left in him. His curveball has the makings of an out pitch.

Minnesota Twins: Top 10 Players Under Age 26 (as of 4/1/11)

1. Delmon Young / OF
2. Kyle Gibson / SP
3. Miguel Sano / 3B/SS
4. Aaron Hicks / OF
5. Alex Wimmers / SP
6. Ben Revere / OF
7. Liam Hendriks / SP
8. Adrian Salcedo / SP
9. Max Kepler-Rozycki / OF
10. Oswaldo Arcia / OF

 

 

Twins list seems to be solid.  Pretty close to John's top 10.  I don't have a big issue with the Indians except for two minor things:

1)  Alex White would not be #1 IMO.  I like him more around 4th or 5th.

2)  No mention of Hagadone?  What are some thoughts on him?  Is he destined to be a bullpen only guy?  I think he is coming off injury so that might scare him away from some top 10's but I hear that his arm has excellent potential.

I guess LeVon Washington may be kicking himself for a long, long time for turning the Rays down.

I have never made my own Top 100 prospect list & I don't really have much interest in doing that.  Many of you guys (& girl) do an excellent job of preparing a list and trying to defend your opinions & perspectives.  I am very thankful for all the input as it allows me to generate my own opinions.  Life in general keeps me from being able to see many of these prospects with my own eyes so I enjoy hearing many of you discuss prospects that you are able to see on a daily basis.

 

I basically spend time researching many sites & then I compile my list & sort it by team.  I wanted to post my top 5 for every team.  I usually end up with a list of about top 30 for every team (with much help from John!)  Feel free to discuss, debate, disagree, & shoot down my opinions.  I can handle it.  I have not seen most of these players with my own eyes so I am simply ranking them based on reading a ton of info on the internet.

 

Here it goes:

Arizona--Jarrod Parker, Matt Davidson, Tyler Skaggs, Bobby Borchering, Brandon Allen  (HM:  Marc Krauss)

***EDIT*** Brandon Allen has graduated.

Atlanta--Julio Teheran, Freddie Freeman, Mike Minor, Randall Delgado, Craig Kimbrel  (HM:  Vizcaino & Lipka)

Baltimore--Manny Machado, Zach Britton, Xavier Avery, Ryan Berry, Wynn Pelzer  (HM:  Mychal Givens)  **Difficult system to find 5 that I like.

Boston--Casey Kelly, Ryan Kalish, Anthony Ranaudo, Anthony Rizzo, Jose Iglesias  (HM:  Brandon Workman)  **So many to choose from.

***EDIT*** Ryan Kalish graduated (163 AB's).  I would add Workman to the top 5 & then my HM would probably be Lars & Pimentel.  So many others in the discussion (Doubront, Britton, Vitek, Fuentes, Reddick).

Chicago Cubs--Brett Jackson, Chris Archer, Trey McNutt, Josh Vitters, Hak-Ju Lee  (HM:  Jay Jackson & Chris Carpenter)

Chicago White Sox--Chris Sale, Jared Mitchell, Brent Morel, Addison Reed, Jacob Petricka  **Really struggled after the top 3.  Does Flowers belong in top 5?  Viciedo?

Cincinnati--Aroldis Chapman, Yonder Alonso, Devin Mesoraco, Yasmani Grandal, Todd Frazier  (HM:  Hamilton & Yorman Rodriguez)

Cleveland--Lonnie Chisenhall, Jason Kipnis, Nick Weglarz, Drew Pomeranz, Carlos Carrasco  (HM:  White & Knapp)

***EDIT*** Carrasco has graduated.

Colorado--Tyler Matzek, Christian Friedrich, Nolan Arenado, Willin Rosario, Chris Nelson

Detroit--Jacob Turner, Nick Castellanos, Andy Oliver, Daniel Fields, Casey Crosby  **Not much after top 3.  A healthy Crosby could be very good, but can he stay healthy?

Florida--Chad James, Matt Dominguez, Kyle Skipworth, Christian Yelich, Brad Hand  **Worst system??  I only see 2 prospects here!  Finding 5 was not easy.

Houston--Jordan Lyles, Delino DeShields, Mike Foltynewicz, Jonathan Villar, Tanner Bushue  (HM:  Jay Austin)  **This system is hard to swallow, just not as bad as Florida.

Kansas City--Mike Moustakas, Wil Myers, Eric Hosmer, Mike Montgomery, John Lamb  (HM:  Danny Duffy)  AMAZING!

LA Angels--Mike Trout, Hank Conger, Kaleb Cowart, Garrett Richards, Jean Segura  (HM:  Fabio Martinez-Mesa)

LA Dodgers--Dee Gordon, Jerry Sands, Chris Withrow, Trayvon Robinson, Aaron Miller  (HM:  Zach Lee)  **There are a bunch of RHP here to choose from.  Miller looks like the lone LHP there.

Milwaukee--Jake Odorizzi, Brett Lawrie, Jeremy Jeffress, Zach Braddock, Lorenzo Cain  (HM:  Cody Scarpetta & Kentrail Davis)

***EDIT*** Lorenzo Cain graduated (147 AB's) so I would move Scarpetta to #5 & HM would be Davis & Mark Rogers or Wily Peralta.  Dylan Covey sure would look nice in their top 5 wouldn't he?

Minnesota--Kyle Gibson, Aaron Hicks, Miguel Sano, Alex Wimmers, Ben Revere  (HM:  Hendriks & Arcia)

NY Mets--Jenrry Mejia, Wilmer Flores, Fernando Martinez, Matt Harvey, Aderlin Rodriguez  (HM:  Reese Havens)  **Looks like Alderson will take over and change this system for the better.

NY Yankees--Jesus Montero, Dellin Betances, Austin Romine, Manny Banuelos, Gary Sanchez  (HM:  Andrew Brackman)

Oakland--Grant Green, Chris Carter, Michael Choice, Michael Taylor, Jemile Weeks  (HM:  Yordy Cabrera & Ian Krol)  **Will the real Michael Taylor please report immediately to Oakland?

Philadelphia--Domonic Brown, Jonathan Singleton, Trevor May, Jarred Cosart, Brody Colvin  **Was the Cliff Lee trade a failure?

Pittsburgh--Jameson Taillon, Tony Sanchez, Stetson Allie, Rudy Owens, Bryan Morris  (HM:  ZVR & Brad Lincoln)  **If their arms stay healthy, this system could have one of the deepest SP staffs in 3 or 4 years.

***EDIT*** Brad Lincoln has graduated.

San Diego--Jaff Decker, Simon Castro, Corey Luebke, James Darnell, Donavan Tate  (HM:  Drew Cumberland)

San Francisco--Brandon Belt, Zach Wheeler, Thomas Neal, Gary Brown, Jarrett Parker  **Struggled to find #5 here.

Seattle--Michael Pineda, Dustin Ackley, Justin Smoak, Nick Franklin, Alex Liddi  (HM:  Halman & Walker)  Top 4 are exciting but who should be #5?

***EDIT*** Justin Smoak has graduated.  How did I miss that one??

St. Louis--Shelby Miller, Zack Cox, Lance Lynn, Carlos Martinez, Tyrell Jenkins  **Huge dropoff after Cox.

Tampa Bay--Jeremy Hellickson, Desmond Jennings, Matt Moore, Jake McGee, Alex Colome  (HM:  Take your pick!  Torres, Barnese, Sale, Romero, Cobb, Lobstein, Wilking Rodriguez, Beckham)  **What a strong system!

Texas--Martin Perez, Jurickson Profar, Engel Beltre, Robbie Erlin, Robbie Ross  (HM:  Tanner Scheppers)

Toronto--Kyle Drabek, Zach Stewart, Carlos Perez, Deck McGuire, Anthony Gose  (HM:  D'Arnaud)  **I think this system is underrated & has solid depth throughout both pitching & hitting.

Washington--Bryce Harper, Danny Espinosa, Derek Norris, Wilson Ramos, AJ Cole  (HM:  Burgess & Marrero)

I know it is a fairly slow time in the prospect world as many of us are waiting on the "well-respected" to lay out their top lists by teams & positions.

While we wait, I thought it would be worth some discussion to post this list of top 150 prospects I found here:

http://www.dobberbaseball.com/index.php/component/content/article/26-rankings/2144-top-150-prospects

 

There are many places where players have exceeded prospect status (Storen, B Wallace, J Bell) & many places I disagree.  Too high--Mejia, Carrasco, Scheppers, & Moreland to name a few.  Too low--Teheran, Trout, Matt Moore, & Hosmer to name a few.

I think they definitely consider floor higher than other places.  A couple years ago, they had Nelson Cruz as a top 10 prospect & I ridiculed them for that but he seems to be doing just fine.

IMO, not a great list, but I am sure we can generate a decent amount of discussion here about where you would place some of these guys.  Thoughts?

The top 150:

Continue reading this post »

SOUTHERN LEAGUE TOP 20 PROSPECTS

1. Mike Stanton, of, Jacksonville Suns (Marlins)
2. Dustin Ackley, 2b, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Mariners)
3. Michael Pineda, rhp, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Mariners)
4. Mike Minor, lhp, Mississippi Braves
5. Brett Lawrie, 2b, Huntsville Stars (Brewers)
6. Dee Gordon, ss, Chattanooga Lookouts (Dodgers)
7. Devin Mesoraco, c, Carolina Mudcats (Reds)
8. Brett Jackson, of, Tennessee Smokies (Cubs)
9. Chris Archer, rhp, Tennessee Smokies (Cubs)
10. Matt Dominguez, 3b, Jacksonville Suns (Marlins)
11. Chris Withrow, rhp, Chattanooga Lookouts (Dodgers)
12. Alex Torres, lhp, Montgomery Biscuits (Rays)
13. Trayvon Robinson, of, Chattanooga Lookouts (Dodgers)
14. Brandon Guyer, of, Tennessee Smokies (Cubs)
15. David Sappelt, of, Carolina Mudcats (Reds)
16. Alex Liddi, 3b/1b, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Mariners)
17. Brandon Beachy, rhp, Mississippi Braves
18. Brent Morel, 3b, Birmingham Barons (White Sox)
19. Alex Cobb, rhp, Montgomery Biscuits (Rays)
20. Jerry Sands, of/1b, Chattanooga Lookouts (Dodgers)

 

Quite a few great names on this list with Stanton, Minor, & Morel all seeing time on their MLB squad.  I also think it is interesting that you see 3 MI in the top 6 (although it looks as if Lawrie will not remain there.)  Guyer & Sappelt are names I am not as familiar with from this list.

 

From the article:

The Top 20 would have been even stronger if Tennessee shortstop Starlin Castro and Mississippi righthanders Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado hadn't just missed the cutoff.

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE TOP 20 PROSPECTS

1. Mike Trout, of, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels)
2. Brandon Belt, 1b, San Jose Giants
3. Grant Green, ss, Stockton Ports (Athletics)
4. Tyler Chatwood, rhp, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels)
5. Engel Beltre, of, Bakersfield Blaze (Rangers)
6. Jonathan Villar, ss, Lancaster JetHawks (Astros)
7. Jaff Decker, of, Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres)
8. Aaron Miller, lhp, Inland Empire 66ers (Dodgers)
9. Juan Nicasio, rhp, Modesto Nuts (Rockies)
10. Pat Corbin, lhp, Rancho Cucamonga (Angels)/Visalia (Diamondbacks)
11. Francisco Peguero, of, San Jose Giants
12. Rex Brothers, lhp, Modesto Nuts (Rockies)
13. Ehire Adrianza, ss, San Jose Giants
14. Marc Krauss, of, Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks)
15. Ethan Martin, rhp, Inland Empire 66ers (Dodgers)
16. Kyle Russell, of, Inland Empire 66ers (Dodgers)
17. Paul Goldschmidt, 1b, Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks)
18. Johermyn Chavez, of, High Desert Mavericks (Mariners)
19. Eric Surkamp, lhp, San Jose Giants
20. Drew Cumberland, ss, Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres)

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2010/2610750.html

From Rotoworld:

The Pirates have clinched the No. 1 pick in next June's First-Year Player Draft.

The Pirates are 56-101 this season while the Mariners are 61-96. They can still tie for the majors' worst record, however the Pirates hold the tiebreaker advantage for the No. 1 pick since they had the worse record last season. Early buzz has Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon as the top overall talent in next year's draft class, though he is currently recovering from a major ankle injury.

So does this seal the fate of Pedro Alvarez as a 3B or was that already a foregone conclusion?

1. Carlos Perez, c, Auburn Doubledays (Blue Jays)
2. Jake Thompson, rhp, Hudson Valley Renegades (Rays)
3. Cory Vaughn, of, Brooklyn Mets
4. Marcell Ozuna, of, Jamestown Jammers (Marlins)
5. Roman Mendez, rhp, Lowell Spinners (Red Sox)
6. Zack Von Rosenberg, rhp, State College Spikes (Pirates)
7. Kolbrin Vitek, 3b. Lowell Spinners (Red Sox)
8. Nick Longmire, of, Batavia Muckdogs (Cardinals)
9. Cesar Hernandez, 2b, Williamsport Crosscutters (Phillies)
10. Colton Cain, lhp, State College Spikes (Pirates)
11. Darrell Ceciliani, of, Brooklyn Mets
12. Domingo Santana, of, Williamsport Crosscutters (Phillies)
13. Bryce Brentz, of, Lowell Spinners (Red Sox)
14. Mike Kvasnicka, of/3b/c, Tri-City Valley Cats (Astros)
15. Aaron Altherr, of, Williamsport Crosscutters (Phillies)
16. Drew Hutchison, rhp, Auburn Doubledays (Blue Jays)
17. Zack Dodson, lhp, State College Spikes (Pirates)
18. Daniel Webb, rhp, Auburn Doubledays (Blue Jays)
19. Josue Carreno, rhp, Connecticut Tigers
20. Madison Younginer, rhp, Lowell Spinners (Red Sox)


The short-season New York-Penn League featured plenty of young, raw prospects with significant upside, but very few sure things. There was no clear-cut No. 1 prospect this summer like Ryan Westmoreland, Jason Castro and Brett Cecil in recent years. Lowell third baseman Kolbrin Vitek was the only 2010 first-rounder who spent any meaningful time in the league, and many of the biggest-name college products struggled in the NY-P.

"The New York-Penn League wasn't as good as it was last year," Connecticut manager Howard Bushong said. "Especially the pitching—it wasn't even close. And there wasn't a position player who blew you away like Westmoreland last year, and no (Alex) Colome like last year that made you go, 'Wow.' I saw some good players, but I didn't see the 'wow' factor we saw last year."

League champion Tri-City featured some of the best players in the NY-P, most notably second baseman Ben Orloff, but no top-flight prospects. "Everyone on their staff could throw strikes and throw breaking ball for strikes," Bushong said. "That's what separated them, that's why they won."

According to Ben Badler on twitter:

 

Blue Jays prospect Adeiny Hechavarria is scheduled to make his professional debut for High-A Dunedin on Friday.

The 21-year-old Cuban shortstop has been playing in extended spring training since signing a four-year, $10 million contract with the club last month. Look for him to stick with Dunedin for a brief while before earning a promotion to Double-A New Hampshire. Many believe he could find his way to the majors within the next two years.

Anybody know much about him?  It seems inevitable that his career will be closely linked with Jose Iglesias.  How would you compare the two?  Hechavarria actually received a more lucrative contract but I know that doesn't always correlate with being a better prospect.

Poll

Which shortstop will have a more successful major league career?

64%

Adeiny Hechavarria

33 votes

35%

Jose Iglesias

18 votes

51 votes | Poll has closed

I know that Balentien has been mentioned as a possible option for the Mariners to add some power to their lineup.  One has to wonder if they will now look to pick up Frank Thomas.

This occured in Saturday's game:

On another note, top outfield prospect Wladimir Balentien hurt himself sliding into a concrete wall Saturday. The early indication is that the damage isn't too bad, but Bavasi said the second-day look is a better guide, and the Mariners hope to know Balentien's status later in the day.

I know this thought has been discussed in a few different places, but I wanted to collect everyone's thoughts all in one place.
I wanted to compare some player's minor league level after 3 years out of high school based on whether they went the college route or minor league route.
For instance, where would you expect to see players such as Heyward, Vitters, Porcello, J Parker, Moustakas, Lars Anderson, Rowell, Snider, Burgess after 3 years in the minors VERSUS players such as Smoak, Pedro Alvarez, Price, Wieters, or Detwiler?  I am not really wanting to discuss these players specifically, but more in general:  Would you expect a player with 3 years minor league experience straight out of high school to be--roughly--in A+, AA or higher?  Would you expect a player with 3 years of college experience to be at what level?  A+, AA or higher?
Does anybody have any research over the past 5 years of some of the top prospect's levels based on this question?  Do high school draftees reach the MLB level sooner or do college prospects generally reach the MLB level sooner?
I guess I am really trying to figure out if there is an advantage for a player to jump straight to the minors or play college ball.  There are certainly outside influences such as the $$ to play professionally versus the experience of college ball and then you also have the wood bat versus the "ping" debate as well.

Hey all--
Where do I find a list of the signings of high school players?  I looked at Baseball America already and they only allow you to look at things if you are a subscriber.
I have read so far that North Carolina had the top recruiting class and that Tim Beckham signed with USC.
Maybe we could come up with a list below of where the high schoolers have signed and what chances you give them of attending those schools.  I know it all depends upon where they get drafted in June, but it seems that most players are taking the money and skipping college.

I've been reading quite a bit lately about top prospects from this year as well as minor league all star teams and so forth.  It seems as if the DRays are just loaded with prospects as well as good young players in the big leagues.
Minor league prospects:
Jennings, OF
Hellickson, P
McGee, P
Davis, P
Price, P
Longoria, 3B
Brignac, SS
Niemann, P
Mason, P
Royster, DH
Ruggiano, OF
Jaso, C
F Perez, OF

Major league potential stars:
Kazmir, P
Orvella, P
Salas, P
Shields, P
Sonnanstine, P
Guzman, IF
Pena, 1B
Baldelli, OF
Upton, OF
Dukes, OF
Crawford, OF
D Young, OF

OK, so you cannot argue with the potential that exists.  My question is:  Will the DRays ever be able to make the playoffs? As long as they stay in the same division with the Yankees & Red Sox, is it realistic for them to be able to compete for a playoff spot?  I have heard that management is not interested in winning, they just want to make money.  Will they be able to keep their all stars and pay them?  Will they ever be able to translate all this talent into a winning franchise?
If they will be a playoff team, how long will it take?  Will they be a playoff team in 2 years?  5 years?  8 years?

So far John has completed 5 teams (KC, Atl, Min, Wash, & NYY).  He has graded 6 prospects as an A or A-.  Let's see if we can predict who will be some of the other A/A- prospects.
I can definitely see Homer Bailey and Andrew Miller.
Others--Longoria?  Gallardo?  Carlos Gonzalez?  Lincecum?  Carrasco?  Lofgren?  Braun?  Jay Bruce?  Clement?  Elbert?  LaRoche?  Rasmus?  Votto?  Tulowitzki?  Veal?  Wood?