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Trade Deadline
by John Sickels on Jul 31, 2010 10:37 AM EDT
72 comments
Use this thread to discuss the trade deadline deals. I'm doing analysis of this for Rotowire, but tomorrow I will have a piece here with my personal reaction to each deal. Right now the one that stands out as questionable to me is the White Sox picking up Edwin Jackson for Dan Hudson and David Holmberg...I'm not convinced that Jackson will be any better than Dan Hudson would have been down the stretch.
Minor League Notes, July 30, 2010
by John Sickels on Jul 30, 2010 4:00 PM EDT
9 comments
Minor League Notes, July 30, 2010
**The Brewers promoted Jeremy "Cheech" Jeffress to Double-A Huntsville and he got into his first game yesterday, throwing a scoreless inning against Mississippi with one strikeout. Before moving up, he'd thrown 10 innings for Brevard County with eight runs allowed, 14 strikeouts, and seven walks. He'd started the season at Wisconsin where he threw eight scoreless relief innings with a 14/3 K/BB and zero hits allowed. Reports indicate that he had his blistering stuff back just fine, so once again it boils down to control on the mound and self-control off it. I think keeping him relief is a good idea; it (in theory) will force him to focus and be prepared for each game.
**Oakland Athletics lefty prospect Ian Krol has sagged a bit in recent outings for Low-A Kane County in the Midwest League, with a 4.65 ERA in his last six starts. His K/BB is good at 19/4 in 31 innings, but his strikeout rate has been slowly declining as the season is progressing, possibly a sign of some fatigue. His overall numbers remain strong at 2.74 ERA, 71/17 K/BB in 99 innings, 79 hits allowed. Midwest League sources have a favorable impression of his talent, pointing to sharp command of both his curveball and changeup. His fastball ranges between 87 and 92 MPH. Overall he's had a good season as a 19 year old, and still projects as a possible number three or four starter down the line.
**Blue Jays prospect Eric Thames is on another tear at Double-A New Hampshire, hitting .333/.433/.784 in his last 14 games. On the season, he's hitting .285/.368/.531 with 21 homers, 41 walks, and 89 strikeouts in 382 at-bats, with the best news being that he's stayed healthy this year after two years of hip and quadriceps injuries. He has decent plate discipline and has unleashed his power this year, and reports I have about his swing and hitting approach are positive, but there are still some oddities in his numbers. He has a sharp home/road split, at least in terms of batting average; .339/.410/.600 at home, .238/.332/.470 on the road, though the home run totals are split evenly (11 at home, 10 on road). He has serious problems against lefties (.217/.301/.387), but destroys right-handed pitching (.312/.394/.587). He's an adequate defender in left field. All told, I like Thames but see him more likely as a strong future platoon bat than a complete regular.
**Drafted by the Rockies in the first round last year out of Sacramento State, outfielder Tim Wheeler has had a so-so season for Modesto in the California League. His overall line isn't too impressive considering the league context: .253/.350/.390. On the positive side, he has a good walk rate with 49 free passes in 387 at-bats, and he's fairly efficient at stealing bases with 18 in 25 attempts. His defense in center field is solid, but I don't think his overall skills are good enough to play regularly in the majors unless his bat takes a step forward. His overall line is very similar to what he did in short-season ball (.256/.332/.381), not much growth there. The worry with Wheeler in college was that he would end up as a "tweener" type, and so far he hasn't done anything in pro ball to assuage that concern. Since he has good command of the strike zone, a breakout at some point in the next year or two is plausible. But I don't think it is likely, and this just may be the kind of player that he is, which would make him a future reserve.
Prospect Smackdown: Dustin Ackley vs. Brett Lawrie
by John Sickels on Jul 30, 2010 9:00 AM EDT
31 comments
Prospect Smackdown: Dustin Ackley vs. Brett Lawrie
Earlier this month we did a poll question on two second base prospects, Dustin Ackley of Seattle and Brett Lawrie of Milwaukee.
This resulted in spirited (and informative) debate in the comments section. The poll itself was incredibly close: out of 1004 votes cast, 506 went to Lawrie (50.4 percent) and 498 went to Ackley (49.6%). I can't think of a previous Minor League Ball poll that came out so close, with that many votes.
Several readers have asked me who I preferred myself, so this seems like a good thing to hash out in a Prospect Smackdown.
Schedule
by John Sickels on Jul 29, 2010 5:00 PM EDT
7 comments
Tomorrow I will have a Prospect Smackdown for you and more minor league notes. We will begin the Top 20 prospect reviews on Monday.
Rookie Profile: Domonic Brown
by John Sickels on Jul 29, 2010 2:15 PM EDT
13 comments
Rookie Profile: Domonic Brown
With his recent promotion to the majors, this seems like a good time for a look at Phillies outfielder Domonic Brown, a textbook example of how teams try (and sometimes succeed) in turning a raw athlete into a baseball player.
13 comments | 1 recs |
Prospect Retro: Aubrey Huff
by John Sickels on Jul 29, 2010 9:00 AM EDT
4 comments
Prospect Retro: Aubrey Huff
More than one reader has asked me for a Prospect Retro for Aubrey Huff over the last few months. I endeavor to please, so here goes.
Minor League Notes, July 28, 2010
by John Sickels on Jul 28, 2010 9:30 PM EDT
6 comments
Minor League Notes, July 28, 2010
**Los Angeles Angels second base prospect Jean Segura has been on a tear at Low-A Cedar Rapids lately, hitting.362/.404/.606 in the month of July. His overall line now stands at .306/.352/.448 with 35 steals in 47 attempts, 30 walks, and 49 strikeouts in 366 at-bats. This is obviously strong performance across the board, keeping in mind that the Midwest League is not an easy place to hit. Segura hit .346/.392/.512 for Orem last year, but that was in the Pioneer League. The fact that he's remained productive in the Midwest circuit is a good sign for his future. Scouting word is that Segura is showing excellent bat speed, and while he's not a walk machine, his feel for the strike zone is solid, he makes contact, and could show more home run power in time. His defense draws mixed reviews from scouts, who pan his range and hands, although his defensive stats are pretty decent and he's not especially error-prone for a 20-year-old middle infielder. He looks like a strong prospect to me, moving from a C+ in the book to at least a B- and probably a straight B currently.
**One Midwest League infielder who didn't make the book is Minnesota Twins prospect James Beresford. An Australian, he hit .289/.342/.313 last year at Beloit in the Midwest League, showing speed and defensive ability, and enough athleticism to interest scouts. But he didn't show any power, with a miniscule ISO, which is why I left him out. Returning to Beloit this year, he's hitting .294/.350/.364 thus far, slightly better than last season, though as a league repeater that should be expected. The lack of power is still his biggest problem as a hitter. On defense, he's competent at shortstop and excellent at second base. His makeup is considered outstanding by Twins officials. He's 21 and needs to start showing more pop next year, but he could have a future as a utility infielder.
**Phillies prospect Trevor May began this year with High-A Clearwater, but was recently demoted down to Lakewood in the Low-A Sally League. In his first five starts for the Blueclaws, he's fanned 42 guys in 29 innings, with 10 walks and a 3.10 ERA. The K/IP is outstanding, no surprise given a fastball that can hit 95 and a power curve. His numbers in the Florida State League were less impressive: 5.01 ERA, 90/61 K/BB in 70 innings. . .the K/IP was still excellent, but the walk rate was much too high. The 20 year old May has a workhorse body at 6-5, 215. I'm a strikeout nut and I love all the Ks he rings up, even with the high walk rate I think he has huge potential going forward. I had him as a B- in the book and that still seems a fair grade given his command issues. I regard him as a breakout candidate for next year.
**After numerous injury related delays, San Diego Padres 2009 first round pick Donavan Tate is finally playing regularly again in the Arizona Rookie League, with mixed results: .232/.357/.377 in 19 games, with 13 walks, 33 strikeouts in 69 at-bats, and six steals in seven attempts. The good: he's trying to work the count and is drawing a good number of walks. He's using his speed very well on the bases. Scouts continue to praise his tools and athleticism. But there's one huge negative: his strikeout rate is beyond worrisome, fanning in almost 40% of his plate appearances. That's unacceptable at any level, but it is especially bothersome for a 19 year old in rookie ball with his pedigree. Given the sample size there is no reason to panic at this point, but concern is valid, and the pre'09 draft scouting reports about Tate's bat needing a lot of work were true.
Rookie Review: Jon Jay, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
by John Sickels on Jul 28, 2010 10:00 AM EDT
15 comments
Rookie Profile: Jon Jay
Here is a profile of St. Louis Cardinals rookie outfielder Jon Jay, currently hitting .387/.437/.624 in 44 games for the Cardinals.
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