Adrian Cardenas

by FanBall on Apr 20, 2009 2:24 AM EDT

If you would have told Adrian Cardenas was going to have a breakout year, I probably would have laughed at you at the beginning of the season; now I might take you at face value.

This is a small sample size, but his stats are impressive. He is batting .407 with 7 doubles, after striking out 3 times in his first game, his BB:K ratio is 4:5. Is this just a hot start or does anyone think he could be the next hot SS prospect? Anyone seeing his team play in Texas?

Tweet Comment 28 comments | 1 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

My thoughts

He’s always been a Ryan Sweeny (has power potential but we’ve never seen it) type prospect.

I dunno if he can keep it up, but if he can maybe we’re seeing that power that’s always eluded him. I don’t think a mid-year call-up to AAA Sacrament is out of the question.

Sometimes life will strike you out on a curve ball and the only choice you have is to flip off the umpire and walk to first base anyway.

by Threepwood XX on Apr 20, 2009 3:14 AM EDT reply actions

No.

It’s been a week, and Cardenas almost certainly won’t stick at shortstop. I see him settling in as a guy with a very decent shot to become a useful everyday player, but he has virtually no star potential.

by slamcactus on Apr 20, 2009 3:51 AM EDT reply actions

is that a fair judgement to make already?

its not like he came out of nowhere…highschool player of the yr when drafted several yrs ago, BA ranked him a top 30 midseason prospect last yr and i believe was ranked phillies #1 prospect at the time. yes, all of the A’s main 3 minor league levels are in hitting leagues, so maybe some caution in that area. Obviously more abs needed, but great start so far

heres BPs take on him back in february

The Good: Scouts are universal in their praise for Cardenas’ bat; he has a simple, fluid, if not downright pretty swing. He hits line drives all over the park and should be able to hit 12-15 home runs annually to go with a .300 batting average once he fills out and begins to drive the ball more. He’s a fundamentally sound defender who makes plays on all the balls he gets to, and he’s a solid-average runner with outstanding instincts on the basepaths.
The Bad: Following the trade to Oakland, Cardenas played at his original position of shortstop, but he really doesn’t have the range to play there at the big-league level. He’ll need to move left or right, and while he has the arm for the hot corner, he profiles better offensively as a second baseman. His natural hitting skills can lead to too much aggressiveness at the plate.
Perfect World Projection: He’ll be an offense-oriented second baseman.
Glass Half Empty: His value will decline if his glove only really works at third.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=8551

by Asfan4ever723 on Apr 20, 2009 5:10 AM EDT up reply actions

as a sleeper infield prospect

dusty coleman is another A’s infielder off to a hot start.. coleman/weeks/christian should probably at least be in the cal league by seasons end.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Dusty%20Coleman&pos=SS&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=543038

by Asfan4ever723 on Apr 20, 2009 5:15 AM EDT up reply actions

One would think they would not ALL be there at any given time...

although the A’s do tend to rotate their infielders around, so I suppose they could rotate Coleman and Christian through 3B and Weeks through CF.

Linda's in the cold ground, won't see her anymore
Somewhere out on the highway tonight, the drunken engines roar
It's just one of those things, one of those things
-- Al Stewart, "Accident on 3rd St."
In memory of Nick Adenhart and all victims of drunk driving

by PaulThomas on Apr 20, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Christian Q&A on scout.com

mentioned him being used at several infield position this season possibly, so rotation idea seems realistic. considering they still have nothing at 3b in the lower minors and coleman seems to be the better defensive SS, we could see that happen

by Asfan4ever723 on Apr 20, 2009 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions

A's fan...

The translation of that Goldstein scouting report is pretty much exactly what I said in my post that you responded to. An “offense oriented” second baseman who “profiles better offensively” there than third is a decent but not great hitter and an average glove. Useful, but not a star. That’s pretty underwhelming, and that’s the “perfect world projection.” He has solid tools across the board, but he doesn’t project to be an elite player either with the bat or the glove.

by slamcactus on Apr 21, 2009 1:42 AM EDT up reply actions

He's already been moved to 2B

It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver

by WaddellCanseco on Apr 20, 2009 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions

He's seen a couple of games at SS, but you're right

He’s a second baseman, and the A’s have apparently realized this.

by NateHST on Apr 20, 2009 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions

As a real life major leaguer....

He’s fine. He’ll be a useful player for the A’s. In a fantasy baseball league, he’s worthless. He’s like a young Placido Polanco. Booooooooring.

by joltinjoe on Apr 20, 2009 10:34 AM EDT reply actions

Well unless you're in a deep or AL-only league

In which a guy like Polanco could have some value, especially if he has a few seasons like Polanco did in his prime…

The 2008 Rogelio Moret League Fantasy Baseball Champions!

by The Congo Hammer on Apr 20, 2009 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Future Shock: Monday Ten Pack

Adrian Cardenas, 2B, Athletics (Double-A Midland)
The big bat acquired from Philadelphia last year in the Joe Blanton deal, Cardenas entered the year with a career batting average of .299, a full .001 below expectations, as one scout had classified him as “the kind of player who seems like he could hit .300 in his sleep.” He’s doing much more than that early in the new season, going 3-for-4 with a home run on Friday, adding two hits (both doubles) on Saturday, and wrapping up the weekend with three hits, including a triple, to complete an 8-for-14 weekend that brought his average up to .405 over the first ten games of the year. With Mark Ellis signed through 2010 with a club option for ‘11, it’s hard to figure out where he fits into Oakland’s future at his more natural position of second base, but the A’s have time to figure those kinds of things out… and a massively talented system is going to create a number of similarly difficult decisions over the next few years.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=8761

by Asfan4ever723 on Apr 20, 2009 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Again...

nothing I said about Cardenas was negative. He can become a solid every day player, but there’s absolutely nothing indicating that he’ll be a star in any reasonable sense of the word.

I don’t know what point you think you’re making posting things that tell us that Cardenas is a good prospect. That’s a given. The question posed by this thread was whether or not he’ll become the next big shortstop prospect. The answer to that question is no.

by slamcactus on Apr 21, 2009 1:45 AM EDT up reply actions

not trying to make a point

the 1st link was from the BP top 11 in february, 2nd one was the write up from monday where they noticed his good weekend play.

by the way, i was looking overall at BPs top 11 team writeups there seems be a lack of solid middle infielders.
AL: i counted 3 middle infielders with 4 star rankings: andrus, cardenas, cardenas
NL i didnt check in depth i noticed 4 stars escobar, dejesus, flores

by Asfan4ever723 on Apr 21, 2009 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions