Minor League Ball: FanPosts

Teahen to the White Sox....

2009-11-07T01:45:27Z

Fields and Getz to the Royals.

Read most places that Teahen slots at 3B now. With Dye option being declined, how do things shake out? The consensus I have seen is that Ramirez goes to 2B, Beckham to SS. So what happens in RF? Rios there and Podsednik in CF? I have no idea of Pods' defense, or if he's worthy of playing every day at this point (or even at all in CF). They also signed Mark Kotsay to a 1 year deal. I am interested in what the great minds here think happens, I respect the opinions here, fo rthe most part.

Stephen Strasburg is out of the AFL Rising Stars Game

2009-11-06T21:24:53Z

This is very disappointing to me as a Nats fan

Just out from the Washington Nationals. Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg has been scratched for precautionary reasons from his scheduled start in Sat.'s Arizona fall league Rising Stars Game due to a muscle strain in his neck. He is listed as day to day. He will be replaced RHRP Josh Wilkie. I was really looking forward to seeing him pitch this weekend, but I guess it wasn't ment to be.

Twins Acquire J.J. Hardy For Carlos Gomez

2009-11-06T17:20:15Z

Interesting steal for the Twins.

Brewers trade Hardy for Gomez By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel

Nov. 6, 2009 10:50 a.m.

As it turns out, the Brewers will not be trading shortstop J.J. Hardy for pitching help after all. Instead, the Brewers used Hardy today to address their centerfield position, trading him to the Minnesota Twins for Carlos Gomez, a speedster who has been an offensive underachiever.

The move makes it clear that the Brewers have decided to part ways with veteran centerfielder Mike Cameron, who is eligible for free agency. Cameron, 36, has been the starter in center for two years but made $10 million in salary this year, and the Brewers obviously plan to use that money in their attempts to upgrade their starting rotation.

Gomez, who will be 24 on Dec. 4, was one of four players traded by the New York Mets to the Twins on Jan. 29, 2008 for left-hander Johan Santana. Considered one of the top prospects in the Mets’ organization, he replaced the departed Torii Hunter as Minnesota’s starting centerfielder and batted .258 in 153 games that season with 24 doubles, seven triples, seven homers, 59 RBI and 33 stolen bases.

Gomez began the 2009 season as the starting centerfielder but batted only .195 through the first month and was moved to a reserve role. In 137 games and only 315 at-bats, he batted .229 with three homers and 28 RBI, with 15 doubles, three triples and 14 stolen bases. His on-base percentage was .287.

In 348 major league games, the right-handed-hitting Gomez has batted .246 with 12 homers and 99 RBI, with 59 stolen bases. He has a .292 on-base percentage and .337 slugging percentage. Not exactly what you want to see from a player whose main tool is speed.

Hardy, 27, became the Brewers’ starting shortstop in 2005, a role he held until August of this season. Mired in a dreadful slump that he couldn’t shake, Hardy was sent down to Class AAA Nashville in a somewhat stunning move and replaced by prospect Alcides Escobar, promoted from that club.

In 115 games, Hardy batted .229 with 11 homers and 47 RBI. It was in start contrast to the previous two seasons, when Hardy batted .277 with 26 homers and 80 RBI, and .283 with 24 homers and 74 RBI, respectively.

By keeping Hardy in the minors exactly 20 days, the Brewers pushed back his free agency until after the 2011 season, making him more palatable in a trade. In the meantime, Escobar took over the shortstop job and excelled, batting .304 in 38 games.

Hardy mostly sat on the bench after returning in September, and it was evident that the Brewers were ready to turn the page at shortstop. It was quite a fall from grace for a player who made the National League all-star team in 2007.

Escobar, who turns 23 in December, batted .298 with 24 doubles, six triples, four homers, 34 RBI and 42 stolen bases in 109 games with Nashville before being promoted. A superior defensive shortstop, he is rated the No. 1 prospect in the organization by Baseball America magazine.

Hardy made $4.65 million this season and Escobar will make just over the minimum of $400,000, so there’s a financial component to the deal as well. Hardy is eligible for arbitration again this winter and such players usually get raises even with off seasons.

Gomez made $437,500 this year and I believe he qualifies for arbitration this winter exactly with the 2 years, 141 days needed for “Super 2” status.

The Brewers will lose considerable pop in center with the exodus of Cameron. He hit 25 homers with 70 RBI in 2008 after signing a free-agent deal, and socked 24 homers with 70 RBI this year. Cameron also played Gold Glove-caliber defense in center but was strikeout prone, with 142 Ks in ’08 and 156 this year while compiling a .342 on-base percentage.

Cameron is a Class B free agent. To get a supplemental draft pick in exchange for him signing with another club, the Brewers would have to offer him salary arbitration. Because the signing club doesn’t forfeit a pick, he might sign before that deadline, however, giving the Brewers the draft pick.

Cameron filed for free agency Thursday, the first day players were eligible to do so. Other Brewers filing were catcher Jason Kendall, second baseman Felipe Lopez, and outfielders Frank Catalanotto and Corey Patterson.

HERE IS A QUOTE FROM GM DOUG MELVIN ABOUT GOMEZ:

“Carlos brings to our club great speed, athleticism and energy at a position that we needed to fill,” said Melvin. “His defense will serve as a key component to us improving our pitching. At only 24 years of age, Carlos can further develop the offensive aspect of his game and give us a different look to our lineup.”

AND ABOUT HARDY:

“J.J. has been a steady performer for the Brewers,” said Melvin. “His professionalism and popularity with our fans and his teammates made this difficult, but he has been given the opportunity to go to a great organization to play and perform at the high level he is capable of playing.”

BA NYM TOP 10

2009-11-06T16:41:44Z

See BA story here

1. Jenrry Mejia, rhp

2. Wilmer Flores, ss

3. Fernando Martinez, of

4. Ike Davis, 1b

5. Brad Holt, rhp

6. Jon Niese, lhp

7. Reese Havens, 2b/ss

8. Josh Thole, c

9. Ruben Tejada, 2b/ss

10. Juan Urbina, lhp

*** Fernando Martinez was ranked 1st in each of the last two years.

*** Could argue Niese belongs above Holt. The same writer had the two flipped last year. I don't see why they were flipped now.

*** Jefry Marte, who was ranked 6th last year, doesn't get much of a mulligan for struggling against older competition. The 18-year-old had a miserable year in the Sally League, hitting .233/.279/.338 with a 25/117 BB/K in 425 AB. He also committed 49 errors, for what that's worth.

*** Despite missing a lot of time in each of the past two years, Havens doesn't seem to be downgraded all that much. In fact, he is up 1 slot from last year. I've just never been a big fan. I'd take Tejada before him.

*** Urbina was the Mets biggest international splash this year.... son of Ugueth Urbina.... has not pitched yet.

*** Jeurys Familia is a surprising omission.... would have thought he would have been on here before Urbina.

Poll

Who's YOUR #1 in the Mets system?

Timmy Lincecum likes weed.....

2009-11-06T01:08:47Z

From Yahoo:

SEATTLE (AP)—San Francisco Giants star pitcher Tim Lincecum (notes) is facing misdemeanor marijuana charges following a traffic stop in his home state.

Washington State Patrol spokesman Steve Schatzel said Thursday that the 2008 Cy Young Award winner and former star at the University of Washington was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 5 in the town of Hazel Dell, about four miles north of the Oregon border, on Oct. 30.

An officer approached Lincecum’s 2006 Mercedes and smelled marijuana as the pitcher rolled down his window. Schatzel said Lincecum immediately complied with a request to hand over the drug and a marijuana pipe from the car’s center console.

The amount measured was 3.3 grams. Schatzel said police consider that a small amount for personal use, well below the maximum of 40 grams before possession is classified differently and carries a more severe penalty.

The arrest was first reported by The Columbian in Vancouver, Wash.

“It was about the size of a thumb, the whole thumb,” Schatzel said of the volume of marijuana Lincecum handed over.

Lincecum was fined a total of $622 for driving at 74 mph in a 60 mph zone, and for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Both are misdemeanors.

The 25-year-old All-Star starter entered a plea of not guilty through his attorney on Monday, according to records in Clark County District Court. A hearing that had been scheduled for Friday morning was canceled, pending a pretrial conference between Lincecum’s attorney and a county prosecutor on Nov. 23.

Lincecum is currently scheduled to appear before a judge on Dec. 22.

The native of the Seattle suburb of Bellevue went 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA in 32 starts and 225 1-3 innings in 2009, his third season in the major leagues. He is 40-17 with a 2.90 ERA in his career, and could be getting a huge, multimillion raise from salary arbitration this offseason.

Teammates consider the smallish right-hander a quirky perfectionist. They also consider him the “Franchise,” the nickname they gave him when he broke into the big leagues only a year out of college. Others see his boyish face, shaggy dark hair, his diminutive frame—and his dominance—and call him “The Freak.”

San Francisco chose him 10th overall in the 2006 draft out of Washington, and he instantly became the organization’s top pitching prospect since Hall of Famer Juan Marichal signed with the New York Giants as an amateur free agent in 1957.

What does everyone think about this? Does Timmy have more in common with Jeremy Jeffress then Johan Santana? ;)

Lester or Votto

2009-11-06T00:37:48Z

Without getting into detail about who I'm giving up and what the rest of my roster looks like...

If you could choose between getting Lester or Votto in a dynasty league, which on would you choose? Just based on talent/potential. I have the option of either/or, but can't make up my mind. They are both the same about the same age and both are near the top of their positions. Hoping some of you can help me. Thanks

Hermida Traded to Red Sox

2009-11-05T23:31:55Z

Red Sox acquired outfielder Jeremy Hermida from the Marlins for LHP Hunter Jones and LHP Jose Alvarez.

Hermida, the 11th overall pick in the 2002 draft, frustrated with the Marlins with injuries and unexceptional play in four years as a major leaguer and there was no way the team was going to pay him $3 million or so in his second year of arbitration. Still, it's a shame that they couldn't do better than a pair of generic left-handers. Hermida still has a lot of promise. He hit .296/.369/.501 in 123 games in 2007, and he's just going to be 26 next year. The Red Sox may not be content with him as a regular in the event that Jason Bay leaves, but they couldn't pass on the chance to acquire him at this price. Hunter Jones is a pretty mediocre L RP. Anyone know much about Jose Alvarez?

Community Prospect List - Reds

2009-11-03T21:55:11Z

Up to the Reds. Another pretty low system, with even more quality traded to Toronto. There really aren't many players in this system with much upside as far as I know. Maybe I'll learn otherwise.130 AB, 50 IP

1. Yonder Alonso

2. Leake

3. Brad Boxberger (Very Very high on him)

4. Todd Frazier

5. Juan Francisco

Other names that should be considered for the list are Cozart, Heisey, Sulbaran, Yorman Rodriguez, and Wood.

BA ATL TOP 10

2009-11-03T02:50:42Z

See BA story here

1. Jason Heyward, of

2. Freddie Freeman, 1b

3. Julio Teheran, rhp

4. Mike Minor, lhp

5. Craig Kimbrel, rhp

6. Christian Bethancourt, c

7. Randall Delgado, rhp

8. Zeke Spruill, rhp

9. Cody Johnson, of

10. Adam Milligan, of

The one thing that screams out at me is Delgado's somewhat low placement. The guy had a really good year as a 19-year-old in the Sally League. He had a 49/141 BB/K in 121 innings and was even better at the end. Over his last 10 starts, he had a 2.95 ERA with a 9/65 BB/K in 55 innings.

A case could be made that he should be as high as 4, which is where Sickels put him. If you're talking about ceiling, then I don't know how Minor can be ranked above Delgado. Minor may have a higher floor and he may a safer bet to be something in the majors but he just appears to lack the ceiling Delgado has. I've seen Sowers comps on Minor.

Kimbrel's 103 strikeouts in 60 innings are eye-popping, but so are his 45 walks and he's limited to the bullpen. Admittedly, I don't know a lot about Bethancourt and while his numbers look decent (especially given his age/position), Delgado has dominated a higher level of the minors.

Sickels noted Delgado has been underrated. This list is another example of that.

I was more impressed with Sickels' Braves top 10:

1) Jason Heyward, OF.

2) Freddie Freeman, 1B

3) Julio Teheran, RHP

4) Randall Delgado, RHP

5) Craig Kimbrel, RHP

6) Mike Minor, LHP

7) Christian Bethancourt, C

8) J.J. Hoover, RHP

9) Zeke Spruill, RHP

10) David Hale, RHP

Poll

Which Braves top 10 is better?

Rank 'em please...

2009-11-02T21:20:31Z

'Please Rank Prospects' for fantasy purposes...

Pedro Alvarez (Pit – 3B)
Grant Green (Oak – SS)
Kyle Drabek (Phi – SP)
Ethan Martin (LAD – SP)
Jesus Montero (NYY – 1B,C,DH)
Carlos Santana (Cle – C)
Aaron Hicks (Min – OF)
Michael Taylor (Phi – OF)
Hector Rondon (Cle – SP)
Todd Frazier (Cin – 2B,SS,1B,OF)
Brett Lawrie (Mil – 2B)
Logan Morrison (Fla - 1B)

I saw this posted on another site and wondered what people here thought. I personally think that Alvarez is the top prospect here but others have proclaimed it to be Montero. How would you rank them and why? Thanks

Poll

Who is the best propect here?

Controversial Prospect - Kyle Drabek

2009-11-02T17:56:34Z

Drabek is a prospect I've been extremely high on from the beginning of the year. One of my bold predictions coming into the year was Drabek leading the minors in K's. Well...

Season	Team	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	ShO	SV	BS	IP	TBF	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	HBP	WP	BK	SO

2009	Phillies (A+)	4	1	2.48	10	9	1	1	0		61.2	249	49	19	17	0	19	0	2	2	1	74
2009	Phillies (AA)	8	2	3.64	15	14	0	0	0		96.1	405	92	40	39	9	31	2	1	2	3	76

Season	Team	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	AVG	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	FIP

2009	Phillies (A+)	10.80	2.77	3.89	0.00	.220	1.10	.329	72.9 %	1.82
2009	Phillies (AA)	7.10	2.90	2.45	0.84	.253	1.28	.298	75.4 %	3.83

By May it looked like a legit possibility. He was averaging 6+ innings a start, averaging 10.8 K/9. His K total projected if he stayed that same rate over the entire season would be 189 K's, which would have led to him winning the K title. Instead he got promoted to AA as a 21 year old in his first full season back from TJ surgery. From there, his K total plummeted, which worried many observers. But as stated in the line above, he was a 21 year old in his first season back from TJ surgery. These results should have pleased many people. Instead, he's being drastically underrated. He still kept very good control as well. The only concern is that along with the loss of K's, his hit rate went drastically up, a concern with his lower BABIP in AA. He did not allow a single homer in high A, surprising with him not being a groundball pitcher. Coming into the year his stuff was as followed as reported by BA:

Strengths: Drabek is on his way to having three average-to-plus pitches. His fastball has reached 95 mph during his comeback and sits in the low 90s, though he hasn't had to carry it deep into games yet. His hard curveball is rounding into above-average shape more consistently. The work he did in instructional league improved both his mechanics and his changeup.

His A+ Ball report at the end of the season:

Between his 93-94 mph fastball that touched 96 mph whenever he needed and a promising changeup and curveball that both project to be plus pitches, Drabek had the three-pitch repertoire to be a future No. 2 starter.

He also has excellent athleticism for a pitcher, no surprise for someone who could have been a top-three-rounds pick as a shortstop. He fields his position well, holds runners and has the ability to make adjustments to his delivery on the fly.

Drabek's biggest flaws are mainly minor issues. He sometimes relies too much on his secondary stuff instead of blowing hitters away with his fastball. Some managers believed he struggled to maintain his composure when he got into jams, but others thought his fiery mound presence worked to his advantage.

His AA report at the end of the season:

The Phillies threw Drabek's name around in midseason trade talks but kept him as he emerged as their top pitching prospect. The son of 1990 Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek, Kyle overcame Tommy John surgery and threw a career-best 158 innings this season. He tired late as the workload caught up to him, but at his best he showed a tantalizing mix of three plus pitches to go with athleticism that makes him a dangerous hitter and adept fielder.

Drabek's fastball sits in the 90-93 mph range with life, and his curveball and changeup are inconsistent but both have flashed above-average, particularly his breaker. His curveball is sharp and late, but he needs to command both the fastball and curve better. He made great strides with his changeup while going through his Tommy John rehab, as well as with his maturity.

Scouts and managers generally lauded Drabek's competitiveness and fiery mound presence. They also admitted that it gets him in trouble at times. "He loves to compete," Reading manager Steve Roadcap said, "but he will have to learn to dial it back a bit."

He's easily a top 25 prospect, and a top 7 pitching prospect, if not higher.

Community Prospect List - Brewers

2009-11-02T17:36:45Z

Sorry for the long wait. School has been a bitch lately, and I'm still trying to catch up. I want to finish up the NL Central however. Brewers time! 130 AB, 50 IP. I guess to be fair I have to include Gamel.

1. Brett Lawrie

2. Alcides Escobar

3. Caleb Gindl

4. Cody Scarpetta

5. Eric Arnett

Other names, Lucroy, Salome, Schafer, Anundson, Braddock, Gamel, Odorizzi, Rogers, Kentrail Davis, and Wily Peralta. Incredibly underrated system after looking at it more. Lots of great players in it. I could easily reorganize 3 through 15 with almost any of those names. I'm really low on Escobar, as well as Gamel. Gindl is one of my favorite hitters, and the pitching really intrigues me.

JT20 Dynasty League

2009-11-01T22:18:27Z

I have started started a free fun dynasty league in which each person takes control of a MLB roster & minor league system, drafts, signing free agents....

If this sounds interesting to you, go check out the league message board & league rules and sign up. There is no prize for the winner for each season, it is all just for fun, so join!

http://jt20.proboards.com/

thought people here would be interested sign up soon!

Hypothetical Trade Idea - Grady Sizemore to the Cubs

2009-11-01T17:13:47Z

What are your thoughts on a possible Grady Sizemore trade to the Cubs? Maybe something like 3B Josh Vitters, SS Starlin Castro, and an arm like Jay Jackson or Andrew Cashner might make sense.

Pros of this deal:
- The Cubs add a superstar CF.
- The Indians brighten their future even more.

Cons of this deal:
- The Indians aren't likely to deal the face of their franchise, regardless of when they'll next be competing.
- I don't know if the Cubs would be willing to give up this package, especially considering Sizemore has been injury-plagued recently and is coming off of a down year when he was healthy.

As a White Sox fan, I'd hate to see this happen on both ends.

SHS 'spect list continued....101-201

2009-10-31T21:31:25Z

-Top 100 (Part #1) can be found here

-Allow the skepticism to keep coming guys .... obviously, 100-200 is a lot more difficult that the top 100.

101. Aroldis Chapman SP , (FA)

102. Erik Hosmer 1B , Kansas City Royals

103. Michael Pineda SP , Seattle Mariners

104. Jarrod Parker SP , Arizona D' Backs

105. Tony Sanchez C , Pittsburgh Pirates

106. Alex White SP , Cleveland Indians

107. Mike Minor SP , Atlanta Braves

108. Brandon Allen 1B , Arizona D' Backs

109. Hak-ju Lee SS , Chicago Cubs

110. Tanner Scheppers SP , Texas Rangers

111. Tim Melville SP , Kansas City Royals

112. Carlos Carrasco SP , Cleveland Indians

113. Jared Mitchell OF , Chicago White Sox

114. Eric Young JR. 2B , Colorado Rockies

115. Arnold Leon SP , Oakland Athletics

116. Nick Barnese SP , Tampa Bay Rays

117. Grant Green SS , Oakland Athletics

118. Phillip Aumont SP/RP , Seattle Mariners

119. Daniel Duffy SP , Kansas City Royals

120. Will Myers C , Kansas City Royals

121. Kirk Nieuwenhuis OF , New York Mets

122. Alex Avila C , Detroit Tigers

123. Drew Storen SP , Washington Nationals

124. Tyson Gillies OF , Seattle Mariners

125. Kyle Gibson SP , Minnesota Twins

126. Michael Brantley OF , Cleveland Indians

127. Ethan Martin SP/RP , LA Dodgers

128. Jiovanni Mier SS , Houston Astros

129. Cody Scarpetta SP , Milwaukee Brewers

130. JeanMar Gomez SP , Cleveland Indians

131. Chad James SP , Florida Marlins

132. Roger Kieschnick OF , San Francisco Giants

133. Logan Forsythe 3B , San Diego Padres

134. Kyle Lobstein SP , Tampa Bay Rays

135. Mike Trout OF , LA Angles

136. Alex Liddi 3B , Seattle Mariners

137. Arodys Vizcaino SP , New York Yankees

138. Henry Sosa SP , San Francisco Giants

139. Jairo Heredia SP , New York Yankees

140. Brandon Erbe SP , Baltimore Orioles

141. David Bromberg SP , Minnesota Twins

142. Bobby Borchering 3B , Arizona D' Backs

143. Travis Wood SP , Cincinnati Reds

144. Dexter Carter SP , San Diego Padres

145. Craig Kimbrel RP , Atlanta Braves

146. A.J. Pollack OF , Notre Dame D' Backs

147. Tim Wheeler OF , Colorado Rockies

148. William Smith SP , LA Angels

149. Danny Valencia 3B , Minnesota Twins

150. Michael Main SP , Texas Rangers

151. Brett Morel 3B , Chicago White Sox

152. David Lough OF , Kansas City Royals

153. Adrian Cardenas 3B , Oakland Athletics

154. Zach Stewart SP , Toronto Blue Jays

155. Willin Rosario C , Colorado Rockies

156. Robbie Ross SP , Texas Rangers

157. Anthony Capra SP , Oakland Athletics

158. Ian Desmond SS , Washington Nationals

159. Rex Brothers SP , Colorado Rockies

160. Yorman Rodriguez OF , Cincinnati Reds

161. Travis D' Arnaud C , Philadelphia Phillies

162. Hank Conger C , LA Angels

163. Brett Jackson OF , Chicago Cubs

164. Ryan Wheeler 1B , Arizona D' Backs

165. T.J. House SP , Cleveland Indians

166. Bradley Meyers SP , Washington Nationals

167. Casey Kiker SP , Texas Rangers

168. Angel Morales OF , Minnesota Twins (seth stoh's #2 Twins prospect)

169. Christian Bethancourt C , Atlanta Braves

170. (.170-.190 , any order)

J.J. Hoover, Zeke Spruill, Christopher Parmelee, Chase D' Arnaud, Tim Alderson, Kellen Kulbackii, Jacob Odorizzi, Stolmy Pimental, Alexander Perez, Lorenzo Cain, Jordan Walden, Josh Lindblom, Dillon Betances, Everett Williams, Aaron Poreda(RP), Scott Elbert(RP), Adam Moore, Daryl Jones, Jaime Garcia , Michael Ynoa, Luis Exposito, Anthony Rizzo, Manny Banuelos

191. Aaron Miller SP , LA Dodgers

192. Chris Johnson 3B , Houston Astros

193. Clayton Mortenson SP , Oakland Athletics

194. Josh Thole C , New York Mets

195. Sean Doolittle 1B , Oakland Athletics

196. Beau Mills 1B, Cleveland Indians

197. Tyler Robertson SP , Minnesota Twins

198. Brandon Crawford SS , San Francisco Giants

199. Rudy Owens SP , Pittsburgh Pirates

200. Ross Seaton SP , Houston Astros

201. Max Stassi C , Oakland Athletics

H.M.: Zachary Collier OF , Philadelphia Phillies - Joe Savery SP , Philadelphia Phillies - J.P. Arencibia C , Blue Jays - Billy Bullock RP , Minnesota Twins - Dennis Raben OF , Seattle Mariners - Hector Gomez SS , Colorado Rockies - Nick Noonan 2B , San Fran Giants - Casey Weathers RP , Colorado Rockeis - Angel Salome C , Milwaukee Brewers - Ryan Chaffee SP , LA Angels - John Raynor OF , Florida Marlins - Kyle Skipworth C , Florida Marlins - Neftali Soto 3B , Cincinatti Reds - Drew Naylor SP , Philadelphia Phillies - The Gillispie brothers - Chris Carpenter SP , Chicago Cubs - Brand Hand SP , Florida Marlins - Lars Anderson 1B, Boston Red Sox

Any more obvious Honorable Mentions I'm forgetting ? -Matt Hobgood ? -the other Delgado on the Braves? Dayan Viciedo ? Yaimico Navvaro ?

Players by team in second group of 100

^49 in NL

Atlanta Braves (5 ) -- New York Mets (2 ) -- Florida Marlins (1 ) -- Washington Natinals (3 ) -- Philadelphia Phillies (1)

St. Louis Cards. (2) -- Chicago Cubs (2) -- Pittsburgh Pirates (4) -- Cincinnati Reds (2)-- Milwaukee Brewers (3) -- Houston Astros (3 )

LA Dodgers (4 ) -- Colorado Rockies (4 ) -- San Diego Padres (5 ) -- San Francisco Giants (3 ) -- Arizona D'Backs (5)

^52 in AL

New York Yankees (4) -- Boston Red Sox (3) -- Tampa Bay Rays (2) -- Baltimore Orioles (1) -- Toronto Blue Jays (1)

Minnesota Twins (6) - Detroit Tigers (1) -- Chicago White Sox (2) -- Kansas City Royals (5) -- Cleveland Indians (7)

L.A. Angels (4) -- Texas Rangers (4) -- Seattle Mariners (5) -- Oakland Athletics(8)

*Removed from Original (Pre-Edit Post) = Adrian Salcedo (Min.), Daniel Cortes (Sea.)

*JUST ADDED = T.J. House (Cle.), Aaron Miller (LAD.)

*for me Jon Niese, Michael Bowden, Mark Rzyepsenski don't qualify due to innings pitched in the majors....(Bowden only pitching 17 innings , but made like 9 appearances, also otherwise all 3 of these guys would be in top 100)

Fantasy Question

2009-10-31T02:17:44Z

In a 10 team keeper dynasty league (there is no limit how long we can keep our players) I was offered either Matt Holliday OR Andre Ethier for Cole Hamels...My OF's currently are Shane Victorino, Bobby Abreu, Michael Bourn, Carlos Beltran and Ben Zobrist (all of which finished top 20 in points for OF's...except for Beltran who was hurt) and my SP's are Doc Halliday, Ubaldo, Wainwright, Gallardo, Hamels, De La Rosa, Wandy...I am leaning towards taking Matt Holliday for Hamels...any thoughts? Thanks

Jordan Lyles: Under-hyped or Overrated?

2009-10-29T19:33:08Z

It seems that with the first run of prospect lists coming out, that there is going to be once again a few lighting rod prospects. One it seems is going to be Jordan Lyles.

Lyles lit up A ball with a 10.39 K per 9 and a 2.42 FIP in 144 ip while walking 2.39 per 9. This led to his being voted the 6th best prospect in the South Atlantic League by BA with these comments:

Lyles showed the stuff of a potential frontline starter this season. His fastball now sits at 89-91 mph and touches 93. Using a high three-quarters, clean and quick arm action and a repeatable delivery, he challenges hitters with his heater and finished second in the SAL with 167 strikeouts in 145 innings.

"He's the first pitcher I saw say, 'Here you go, Melky Mesa,' and throw him four straight fastballs and strike him out," Tyson said. "After he struck him out and turned around, I saw a little grin on his face, which I like. He's a bulldog, a competitor."

Lyles throws two different curveballs, a show-me pitch in the mid-70s and a sharper 77-80 mph bender. He might be better served scrapping the slower curveball, which he leaves up in the zone. He mixes in an average changeup and started throwing a slider halfway through the season.

The other side of this argument comes from the questions in his ability to keep generating the strike out numbers as he faces better competition. Adam Foster of ProjectProspect.com wrote this in his conclusion of his article on Lyles:

The scouts I spoke with each named a handful of pitching prospects in the South Atlantic League alone who impressed them more than Lyles. Going off buzz from members of our community and the information that's circulating around the web on Lyles, I think he's someone who's likely to enter 2010 very overhyped due to his Low-A walk and strikeout rates.

Looking deep into his numbers, watching a large portion of his 2009 starts, and talking to multiple scouts about Lyles, I see more than a few weaknesses in his game. The main one is that he relies on hitters chasing his fastball up in the zone. Once he faces guys who don't do that, he's likely going to slam into a wall.

So which side of the fence do people here side? Is he being overrated due to his excellent performance against the South Atlantic League's inexperienced hitters or is he undervalued due to his reflection of age and performance in comparison to his numbers?

Poll

Which is he?

Vote on Prospect trade (Bruce, Morrison, etc).

2009-10-29T15:20:43Z

Okay, I've set up a poll to make this easy. Assume a 5x5 16 team Mixed Dynasty League (no salaries). Interested in this as much for folks perspective on some of the talent involved, in particular Jay Bruce and Logan Morrison.

I have already proposed this deal and will make it or not, regardless of the outcome of this poll but would like to stimulate any views opions on the talent involved.

Jay Bruce & Ryan Westmoreland

for

Edwin Jackson & Logan Morrison.

Bruce played 2009 as his age 22 season. While his avg was tepid and contact rate low, he is due for some luck based increase in his BABAIP% The power is real and he still has a chance to blossom, although I doubt he's a player that will hit above 280 on a regular basis.

Jackson looks like he'll be a steady #3SP for several years. Still has the potential to take another step forward, although personally I think that he is "what you see is what you get".

Westmoreland is all tools and will rank high by places like BA that grade tools over performance and not so high by guys like Sickels who favor production. Injury risk seems a bit of a red flag

Morrison. Should be a solid 1B. A better MLB player than a fantasy player given that he'll likely be a ~ 20 HR guy (without speed) and that production is pretty easy to replace in Mixed fantasy leagues.

Thanks

Poll

Which side of this trade do you like?

MLB Bonus Baby Fantasy League

2009-10-29T14:57:20Z

The esteemed Andy Seiler of mlbbonusbaby.com has started a fun, free dynasty league in which each player takes control of a MLB roster & minor league system, drafts, signs FA, etc. there are even some excellent prospect hound prizes to be won in this free league.

we're at 15 players at the moment, and we've each taken on a second team just to get the FYPD started, but we're all looking to relinquish our second teams to new owners. If this sounds interesting to you, go check out the league message board & constitution and sign up.

http://mlbbonusbabyleague.proboards.com/

sorry for posting on minorleagueball about this, but figured there might be a few of you interested in this. it's all for fun.

International signings

2009-10-29T03:20:04Z

I can't find a good list of signings so I compiled one. Here are the top 10 signing bonuses for this years signing period. There is a longer list on my blog. I think I have 48 guys listed and another 14 that haven't signed. I don't have everyone, but it's the best I know of and it's a work in progress.

Jose Iglesias , SS , BOS 8 Million
Miguel Sano , SS , MIN 3.15 Million
Gary Sanchez , C , NYY 2.5 Million
Guillermo Pimentel , OF , SEA 2 Million
Jose Vinicio , SS , BOS 1.95 Million
Cheslor Cuthbert , 3B , KC 1.35 Million
Juan Urbina , LHP , NYM 1.25 Million
Luis Sardinas , SS , TEX 1 Million
Victor Payano , P , BOS 0.9 Million
Jorge Polanco , SS , MIN 0.75 Million

http://www.milbprospects.blogspot.com/

Minor League Ball: FanPosts

Teahen to the White Sox....

Stephen Strasburg is out of the AFL Rising Stars Game

Twins Acquire J.J. Hardy For Carlos Gomez

BA NYM TOP 10

Who's YOUR #1 in the Mets system?

Timmy Lincecum likes weed.....

Lester or Votto

Hermida Traded to Red Sox

Community Prospect List - Reds

BA ATL TOP 10

Which Braves top 10 is better?

Rank 'em please...

Who is the best propect here?

Controversial Prospect - Kyle Drabek

Community Prospect List - Brewers

JT20 Dynasty League

Hypothetical Trade Idea - Grady Sizemore to the Cubs

SHS 'spect list continued....101-201

*Fantasy Question*

Jordan Lyles: Under-hyped or Overrated?

Which is he?

Vote on Prospect trade (Bruce, Morrison, etc).

Which side of this trade do you like?

MLB Bonus Baby Fantasy League

International signings

Fantasy Question