All Quiet On The Minor-League Front
Some links to peruse while we wait for spring...
It’s been awhile since I’ve done a post like this, but the usual “filler stories” have been wanting. The past two BA transaction updates have been wanting, either reporting no news or news that we already had reported. Given that it took nearly two full weeks for the J.D. Martin move to make room for Adam LaRoche, I’m not holding my breath to find out who else will be cut or outrighted (but props to SpringfieldFan to keeping the Big Board up to date).
Since we’re not quite at the point where I can jump into parent-club fray under the guise of spring training — in a more perfect world, I’d be going to Viera for a week, but the budget (both monetary and spousal tolerance) isn’t there — I thought I’d pass along a few links with some commentary.
All three books have been ordered, so the anticipated posts of what the experts think are forthcoming. But it’s useful to see what other online folks think outside our little bubble, even if it’s under the dreaded auspice of rankings.
Fangraphs listed its Top 10 Nats prospects, with only one real surprise: J.P. Ramirez as its #10 pick. Our spies will feel some validation when they read this:
His ticket to the Majors is definitely tied to his bat. He’s not a speedy player by any means, which hampers him on the base paths and in the field. His arm is also average-at-best and he’ll be limited to left field.
MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo ranked Bryce Harper as the #2 OF prospect, which thus far has raised a couple of hackles, but is a good example of the hair-splitting that I can’t stand about rankings. Why wouldn’t you rank a five-tool guy with 800+ professional PAs ahead of a kid that has less than 40 (counting the AFL as official, which it isn’t)? I took that to mean: Wow, that must mean Mike Trout is pretty damn good.
Finally, the folks over at www.prospectjunkies.com have been making their Top 10’s, and guess what? They rank Harper the #1 OF prospect. Derek Norris comes in as their #7 catching prospect. (For those of you wondering, they’ve been sour on Ramos as a hitter, which is fair as you can see they value offense more than defense) while Danny Espinosa comes in as their #9 shortstop
Now, if history is any guide, now that I’ve done a post-to-keep-the-site-fresh, naturally something else will happen today…
Do you have any suggested sources to get an understanding of who does and does not have options? With all of the drama with the last couple of roster spots for the starting rotation, bullpen, and bench, options will play a significant role in who stays and who gets cut from the 40-man roster.
Garrett Mock is an interesting case. His time is starting to run down, but you think that he deserves to get one more year in Syracuse if he has the options left. Wish baseball-reference.com had an options piece on their player pages.
Mock is one of the more challenging players to determine options for, but I believe that the team avoided using an option in 2010, leaving him him at one more option year.
Sorry, I meant “at least one more option year.” Between his injury history and the arcane rules about “professional experience,” I’m not sure if he could be eligible for a 4th option year as well.
Brian’s piece last March is where I’d start: Option Status and then subtract one from his findings. Unfortunately, there is no master clearinghouse list, probably for the same reason these are hard to find come Rule 5 time: It only matters for about two weeks out of the year.
I’m trying to add this info as a sheet in the Big Board, but please bear with me if it’s a little slow to be complete and correct.
souldrummer, Sue_D: The ‘options remaining’ question has been a personal soapbox issue of mine for a few years now. I’ve never understood why that information isn’t part of the player data published by MLB.com, at the very least, other than that may put a staff researcher / cross-checker out of work on every team in MLB.
For most of the players on the Nationals roster, I’ve taken a look at their profiles on sites like Baseball Reference & done my own calculations to come up with a number (Start with 3; 1st promotion to Majors, subtract 1 option, Majors & minors in same year, subtract 1 option). For players acquired by the Nats, I try to keep up, but there are rare occaisions when teams can apparently be extended a fourth option on a player, which screws me up completely; End rant.
Correction: 1st ‘in-season’ promotion / demotion while on 40-man roster, subtract 1 option; If the player has been purchased (outside the 40-man), no option is lost.
I am going to kick a dead horse with some humor and lazer point wording.
Has Bryce Harper been ordained as THE NATURAL by fans and Rizzo/brass to the point that
trading Burgess was so subconscience that no thought was given to how the LH hitting outfield depth chart could evaporate with RogBern not elevating his game, Ankiel playing worse than KC numbers indicated or Bryce blowing out a knee or meeting a bi-polar barbara hershey look alike ???? Something tells me my guardian angel namesake may head to the Cubs and just enjoy the wind blowing out for years.
I have a good friend @ TSN on-line who shares with me a concensus down there that Rizzo overpaid for Gorzy. I still believe that Rizzo could have snapped up Zach Duke for AJ Morris even.
somebody responded to my comment that Gorzy represents the mound meat which has spelled last place for Bucs in PITT for years since Drabek and Zane Smith, ( that expos trade was clever- Moises Alou, Willie Greene turned into John Wetteland and a serviceable Scott Ruskin.
You may know I am not into polls, rankings, etc etc…JP ramirez looks like trade meat for an AL deal. Clark, Rizzo and co. better harvest this June draft with some lumber in the likes of Dickerson, Oropeza from USC or as we have come to know with Rizzo—major Big 12 plucking.
Sue, what is the story with Maxwell??? rehab with light duty in Florida or a lower A ball club or
just hanging out in SYR in cold weather???
Go Packers!
Jeff – Sorry, no inside dope on Maxwell. From what I can tell, only Zimmerman, LaRoche, and Werth are assured of place in the starting lineup and a place in the field. I think there will be competition for every other spot. Yes, I’m alluding to the SS job. I get that a lot of people like Desmond, but if Espinosa can hit enough to make the starting lineup, then it doesn’t make sense to put the superior fielder at 2B. At the very least, they ought to see what Desmond can do at 2B. He may discover having that extra beat to work with means he doesn’t have to rush.
What will be interesting to see is if Rizzo will be willing to cut Ankiel or Rodriguez if they struggle in ST while a younger guy like Maxwell or Flores is outperforming them. Unfortunately, (and this is how I’m circling back) that may be the most likely scenario that has Maxwell making the team.
agree on Maxwell acessment. too bad he could not have been the cats meow so the 7 year deal for Werth and surrendered picks were spent elsewhere….all goes back to the empty moving van from Montreal ( Bowden should not get all the blame for having to band aid thye Opening seasons rosters)..I grew up with Buf Selig in my backyard, so I have many gripes on that schmuck!
my guys to watch this summer. Rick Hague and Russell Longhorn Moldenhauer ( and built like one)…
lets hope Werth has a Clay Matthews, Jr. year. Good story for that family. Papa and Uncle never reached a Super Bowl but Junior does in year 2. good.
All quiet: Unless your Shairon Martis. He just got DFAed. Not a big loss to me. Wish him well, but we’ll see whether he sticks in the system. If I were him, I wouldn’t accept the assignment.
Good Luck and much success to Shairon Martis. At a STH event he told us how to say “Let’s Go!” in Curacaoan (a mish mash of several languages) => “Bangt Arriba!”
Bangt Arriba Shairon!