Looking at the Game of Baseball from all ends of the Spectrum
For those who want to keep up on baseball prospects, you might want to head on over to Baseball Digest Daily.
They’ve done the tedious work of compiling the top prospect lists from many (yes, many) blogs and media outlets for each MLB division and put into one spreadsheet for to peruse.
Nice work, BDD.
If you want check it out, you can download the Excel spreadsheet from Baseball Digest Daily’s site.
Check BDD later for updates, too.
There is another three way deal on the horizon, this one involving the Phillies, the Blue Jays, & the Mariners. Philadelphia would get righthanded ace Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays & pitching prospect Phillippe Aumont (plus another Seattle youngster, yet to be named) from the Mariners, Seattle gets Cliff Lee from the City of Brotherly Love, and Toronto picks up superstar phenom outfielder Michael Taylor, sky’s the limit starter Kyle Drabek (Son of Doug), and minor league catcher Travis d’Arnaud from the Phils. In a deal involving two former Cy Young Award winners switching uniforms, the third party player might end up being the big winner, that’s how good Michael Taylor might end up, he’s that good! Trader Billy Beane jumped into the frey to make it a four-way deal, sending 1B-3B Brett Wallace, a 2008 1st round pick out of ASU by the Cardinals who was traded to Oakland in the Matt Holliday trade, to Toronto for Michael Taylor. While Wallace has some serious power 20 or more homers in each of the last two seasons, he also swung & missed 106 times in the minors this past year. To me, the A’s look to be the big winner getting the highly skilled outfielder Taylor.
This three way deal was probably made possible when the Red Sox inked John Lackey away from the Angels. Once the Bronx Bombers knew Boston was no longer in the hunt to pickup either Halladay or Lee, the Pinstripers could relax and let the trade proceed without outside interference from NY.
In another move, not made by the Yankees, World Series MVP Hideki (Godzilla, but you can call me Shemp) Matsui headed west to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Orange County team needed to bring somebody on board after losing leadoff man Chone Figgins (now with the Mariners) & ace starter Lackey (over in Bean Town) already this offseason. Still I don’t know if it’s much of a consolation prize, seeing the Mariners added Figgins & Lee, while on this day the Halos, in effect, swapped Lackey for Matsui.
MLB is starved for good arms, especially if they’re lefthanded throwers, and there seems to be something exotic about coming from another country, like Japan as was the case with Daisuke Matsuzaka, or Cuba as is the case with Aroldis Chapman. Now it’s being reported that the Red Sox are really interested in Chapman, Boston is also interested in John Lackey, and they already have Matsuzaka, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and youngsters Clay Buchholz & Michael Bowden.
Aroldis’ defection from Cuba wasn’t as dramatic as some of his fellow countrymen, who’ve fled Castro’s Cuba in search of the big bucks of baseball in America. The Cuban National team was in the Netherlands for a baseball tournament, Chapman simply walked out the front door of the hotel, into the car, driven by an acquaintance. He petitioned MLB and now is on his way to the show.
Tomorrow the 21 year old lefthanded Cuban pitcher will throw for several ballclubs in Houston. Back in July, when he defected, it was thought it would take $40 million to sign him, but now it looks like he’ll be a relative bargain, possibly signing for as little as under $20 million, you have to remember times are tough. If you’ve got a young boy, be sure to teach him to throw a baseball with his lefthand.
The major players in the bidding war for the services of Aroldis Chapman will be the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
There will be plenty of prospects to satisfy anybody’s appetite in the 2009 AFL Championship game Saturday November 21st in Scottsdale, AZ. I’m really bummed that I’m not in the Arizona desert to see this showdown between the Phoenix Desert Dogs and the Peoria Javelinas.
Even without Stephen Strasburg, this game will feature alot of talented young baseball players. For example, Drew Storen was the 2nd first rounder drafted by the Washington Nationals. He threw up a 0.66 ERA, 2-0, 4 saves, 13 strikeouts in 13″ innings pitched this Fall for the Desert Dogs, and appears to be on the fast track to the Nation’s Capital. Storen starred at Stanford before turning pro.
A Javelinas star is the 2nd player taken in the 2009 draft out of the University of North Carolina by the Seattle Mariners, outfielder, Dustin Ackley. Ackley showed off his skills in the AFL, batting .315. Dustin put up fantastic numbers in college, batting .402, .417, & .417 in his three years in collegiate ball.
Another pitching prospect for the Nationals appearing for Phoenix was Baylor’s Jeff Mandel, 14′ innings, striking out 10, without issuing a base on balls, and a nifty 1.88 ERA. Mandel was 12-6 this past season, splitting time between A+ & AA Ball. Two Javelinas pitching prospects were Eric Krebs of the Pirates 19 strikeouts in 13″ innings and the Tigers Andrew Oliver who struckout 16 batters in 16 innings. One hurler I’m hoping to see pitch in the game is Robbie Weinhardt of the Javelinas and the Tigers, 29 strikeouts in 18′ innings in the AFL.
Some of the hitting prospects I’m looking forward to seeing are the White Sox thirdbaseman Brent Morel for the Javelinas, a couple of Desert Dogs firstbasemen Brandon Snyder of the Orioles & the Nats Christopher Marrero, another Nationals prospect out of Long Beach State SS Danny Espinosa, White Sox/Javelinas outfielder Jordan Danks (brother of John), and AFL home run champ with 11 Grant Desme of the A’s & the Desert Dogs. Interestingly Morel & Desme, who’ll square off in this contest, were teammates at Cal Poly.
While my heart might be in the desert, the rest of me will be in front of my TV watching some of the best young players, playing a little baseball, can’t wait!
I first saw Matt McBride when he clubbed an 8th inning two run home run in the Rising Stars AFL All Star Game, which proved to be the difference. The 24 year old catcher starred in the desert for the Peoria Saguaros, hitting .378, power numbers of 4, 2, 4, two stolen bases, 19 walks, and an out of this world OBP of .511.
You might think this 6’2″ 215 pound standout, drafted by the Indians in the 2nd round of the 2006 draft would have a clear path to the big leagues, especially after Cleveland traded their All Star catcher Victor Martinez to Boston, but the Tribe is loaded with young talent behind the plate. The former Lehigh University standout put up some mighty fine numbers in 2006, hitting .417, 19 doubles, 12 homers, 61 ribbies in 56 games, and even stole 22 bags. This past season in the minors Matt clouted 44 doubles & 18 long balls, splitting time between A+ Kinston & AA Akron.
Despite the trade of Martinez, the Indians still have Kelly Shoppach on their roster, along with standout minor leaguers Lou Marson (acquired from Philadelphia in the Cliff Lee deal) & Carlos Santana (acquired from Los Angeles in the Casey Blake trade). Both seem to be ahead of McBride on the depth chart. Marson was at AAA last season and even spent some time in the majors, while Santana made the Eastern League All Star team at AA Akron, batting .290, 30, 2, 23, while walking 90 times. The best path for McBride to make it to the big leagues might be the Rule V draft, the Indians have not rostered Matt, so he’ll be draft eligible. Hey, major league clubs, if your team is looking for a catcher, you might want to think about drafting Matt McBride.
I was doing some more research on kids whose stars shined brightly in the desert in the 2009 AFL and came across the story of Colin Curtis, which is a story too good not to be told. Curtis is the property of the World Champion New York Yankees.
The Yankees are currently trying to decide on whether or not to bring back Johnny Damon and/or World Series MVP Hideki Matsui. I have a sneaking suspicion they’re going to go after outfielder Matt Holliday, that sounds okay to me, but I’d let both Damon & Matsui walk if I chose to sign Holliday, and give youngster Colin Curtis a shot at the leftfield spot, with Holliday becoming the regular DH.
I’m sure you’re asking, who is this Curtis kid, known also as C-2? Colin was the three year starting centerfielder for the Arizona Sun Devils, where he batted .300, .342, & .335, with a total of 40 stolen bases. Maybe more impressive than this kid’s baseball talents is his makeup. As a high school senior he was the leader of his Issaquah, WA team which won the state championship, all this after he beat testicular cancer.
I’m not saying the Yankees should just give this kid the job based on a sappy sentimental story, he can play! Colin batted .397 (2nd in the league) with a .472 OBP in twenty games in the AFL, showing patience at the plate with eleven walks. To be fair this 2006 4th round draft has struggled since being drafted, not hitting above .270 above Single A, with a disappointing .235 at Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2009 most recently staring back at him in his rear view mirror.
This game isn’t just about numbers, it’s also about character, as the Yankees might’ve finally found out, it’s about overcoming adversity, and if that’s the case, then I look forward to watching Colin Curtis in the New York Yankees outfield very soon.
I couldn’t make it to the desert to watch any Arizona Fall League action this year, which was very disappointing. I’m a huge baseball fan, who enjoys seeing young talent more than anything, and then watching these players develop. Last Fall I enjoyed getting a chance to see The Sporting News AL Rookie of the Year Gordon Beckham of the White Sox play in the AFL for the Peoria Javelinas.
Looking over this year’s stats I couldn’t help but notice Brent Morel. Brent is also a member of the White Sox organization, plays thirdbase, was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft out of Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo. He hit .435 in the desert to lead the AFL in batting, with two homers, two doubles, & two stolen bases, in 62 at bats.
Since being drafted by the Sox this kid has done nothing but impress. After completing his career at Cal Poly where he hit .368, 18 doubles, 5 triples, 8 homers, & 60 RBIs in 56 games, Morel tore up rookie ball, hitting .375 in 64 at bats there, before being promoted to A Ball Kannapolis, where again he held his own, with a .297 average & power numbers of 6, 2, 6, in 172 at bats.
In 2009 Brent spent the entire season at Class A+ Winston-Salem, where he posted numbers of .281, 33, 1, 16, & 25 steals. He has always been a California kid, born in Bakersfield, so it took some adjusting getting used to the other coast, back home it rains 5 inches in a year, while in Winston-Salem you might see that in a day. This kid isn’t just a pretty bat as he was also rock solid in the field.
Morel is an all around athlete who starred at QB for his high school football team at 6’2″ 200 pounds, he could’ve gone on to have played football if he’d chosen to do so. Since then he’s added 20 pounds of muscle and appears ready to move up the ladder. Interestingly he’s always idolized Cal Ripken, so he gobbled up #8 as soon as it became available, like gobbling up a groundball.
Brent will most likely start out 2010 in Double A, but if all goes well the 22 year old from the Golden State might see some action at Triple A before the year’s out, and I’ll be waiting at the Cell to cheer on this talented youngster when he reaches the big leagues in the not too distant future.
You can watch Brent Morel along with the rest of the Peoria Javelinas when they battle the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the AFL Championship game, which will be telecast on the MLB Network, Saturday, November 21st, at 1:00 PM CST.
Neither closer has had all that much success this year, neither Matt Capps, nor Brad Lidge. Capps spit out a one run 9th inning lead, allowing back to back doubles, and then with two outs Shane Victorino lined a ball right at Andrew McCutchen, McCutchen froze, and the ball took off over his head, and gave the Phillies a one run lead. Now it was time for Brad Lidge to protect a one run lead. Hits by Luis Cruz & Brandon Moss, with a wild pitch in between, tied the game when Jayson Werth over ran the ball, and pinch runner Brian Bixler scored. That brought up the kid, Andrew McCutchen. Andrew talked with Lastings Milledge during the game, talking about what he’d do if he hit a walkoff home run, and told him he’d be like a basketball player taking the dunk to the hoop when he reached home plate. He thought he might get the bunt sign, but when he didn’t, he focused on the job at hand and looked for a ball to hit hard. And BANG it happened!
Which got me to thinking of managers putting their players into positions where they can achieve success. I remember a couple of nights ago where Jim Tracy didn’t panic, he told Adam Eaton to take three pitches with the bases loaded (he walked), trailing in the game, wanting Ryan Spilborghs to bat with the bases loaded, and BANG it happened!
Then there was the opposite, which happened in last night’s Texas/Yankee game. With nobody out in the bottom of the 9th New York trailed the Rangers 10-9 with runners on 1st & 2nd, facing Frank Francisco. Now we all know Swisher cannot bunt, I presume Girardi knows this as well, but he had him try, popout. And then BANG it happened! Linedrive up the middle by Melky Cabrera, caught by Elvis Andrus for a game ending DP.
I’m reminded of what Stacey King always says regarding Da Bulls, KYP, Know Your Personnel! Don’t have players do what they can’t!
Cliff Lee was involved in one of the best trades the Indians ever pulled off, when he was traded from the Expos, along with Grady Sizemore, & Brandon Phillips. Now Cleveland is hoping lightning strikes twice, swapping Lee & Ben Francisco to Philadelphia for four top notch prospects.
Jason Donald looked great when I saw him this past year in the Arizona Fall League. He’s pretty much hit .300 every year in the minors, except for 2009, the Indians are hoping he regains his stroke.
Lou Marson is a line drive hitting catcher. I’ve seen Marson in the AFL & spring training, his average has climbed as he’s matured, batting around .300 in AA & AAA ball.
Carlos Carrasco had a breakout season in 2006 in A ball, 12-6, 2.26 ERA, 103 hits in 159′ IP, with 159 K’s. While he’s maintained about one strikeout per inning, his ERA is currently 5.18 in Triple A.
At 6’5″ 225 Jason Knapp, a 19 year old righthander out of New Jersey, can really bring it, striking out well over one batter per inning in Rookie & A ball.
This trade just might turn out to be exactly what both teams need, the Phillies, trying to repeat, get a tough lefthanded starter in Lee and a solid righthanded hitting outfielder in Francisco, in exchange for four top prospects. Donald is a scrappy player, who might be at SS next year in Cleveland, with Marson flashing the signals to Carrasco, with Knapp warming in the bullpen, you never know.
Hours after holding the A’s scoreless for six innings, 22 year old righthander Nick Adenhart was killed in a car crash. The accident occurred shortly after midnight at the intersection of Orangethorpe Avenue and Lemon Street in Fullerton, said Lt. Craig Brower of the Fullerton Police Department. Several witnesses told police the driver of a red minivan ran a red light at the intersection, hitting a silver Mitsubishi carrying four passengers. Two people in the Mitsubishi were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, authorities said. Two others also in the Mitsubishi were taken to a nearby hospital, where one was later pronounced dead, Brower said. The driver of the minivan fled on foot, but police found him about a mile away and took him into custody on suspicion of hit-and-run, Brower said. Further charges are pending as the investigation continues, he said.
This is a tragedy beyond baseball, it puts things into perspective, what’s really important in life, how very precious life is, and how it can end at any time. Please take the time to enjoy your life, reach out & touch those you love, and remember Nick Adenhart.
I still remember, forever young, 27 year old righthander, Paul Edmondson, a starting pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, who died in a Santa Barbarba car accident February 13, 1970 (one day after his birthday) on a rain soaked highway 101.