Nationals Pick Up Royals Farmhand For Cash
Nats get 25-year-old AA RHP in trade with Kansas City
Multiple sources are reporting that the Nationals have acquired RHP Alex Caldera for cash from the Kansas City Royals.
Caldera split time between High-A Wilmington and AA Northwest Arkansas in 2010, compiling a records of 6-4, 3.25 and 3-2, 5.12 respectively. He was a 13th-round pick in the 2007 draft and helped lead the 2008 Burlington Bees to the Midwest League championship with a 12-6, 2.89 mark and 120Ks in 149.2 IP. He struggled in his first run at High-A, allowing more hits than innings pitched and walking a career-high 53 batters with a 4.77 ERA.
His scouting report from Royals minor-league blog The Pinetar Press reads very much like a taller, right-handed version of Tom Milone (numbers updated):
[A] finesse pitcher, tossing rather consistently in the upper 80s and hitting the low 90s occasionally. He compliments his fastball with an average changeup and a slightly above average curveball… Much like he was in college, he has proven [to be] a control artist over the years, allowing an average of 2.8 BB/9 over 442 1/3 innings of duty. Caldera owns a career 3.78 professional ERA over 78 starts and 85 appearances. At 6’3″, 200 lbs., he has a rather projectable frame.
The 25-year-old is currently assigned to the Potomac roster but could very well end up in Harrisburg at the beginning of the season.
My 1st question would be why the Royals are willing to unload him, but a couple a days ago I read where the Royals have the best farm system seen in 30 years.
I guess this guy never broke the Royals’ top 30, or they would have said. I find it interesting that this signing comes so soon after discussions of how crowded Harrisburg and Syracuse’s pitching staffs will be. The staffs are not so good that this guy can’t possibly knock one member of them out of the organization.
Agreed that he’ll likely push someone out of the organization, but he’ll probably be no more than filler going forward (right-handed corner painters tend to have short shelf lives).
The next ten days are going to be interesting on the minor-league side of things, to be sure.
Rizzo has shown a propensity for picking up guys that play in the same league as the affiliates (e.g. Jamar Walton, Josh Johnson) so it’s not a surprise that he took him when he became available. In addition to some guy getting knocked out, this could also mean that someone that thought they were bound for Hagerstown is going to be sticking in Florida for a few more weeks.
Considering that Billy Ott just got cut, I’m thinking we may not be seeing too many new SPs at Potomac. Could be something like Solis-Lehman-Bronson-Demny-Frias, maybe Applebee.
Kind of wonder if Marcos Frias might not get promoted? He did finish with a flourish last year? And he is what Rizzo likes, a power pitcher?
He did, but I have to think that if the likes of Arnesen, Alaniz, and/or Mandel make the cut, he’ll stick at Potomac until there’s room. Plus, he only turned 22 in December.
RSP Hernandez
RSP Zimmermann
LSP Lannan
RSP Marquis
LSP/LRP Gorzelanny
LSP/LRP Detwiler
RSP/RRP Broderick
RRP Storen
LRP Slaten
LRP Burnett
RRP Balester
RRP Clippard
RRP Gaudin
I’m still guessing they keep 13. Detwiler starts tomorrow while Lannan pitches in the minor league game. I see a trade or trades involving Lannan (he’s cheaper and younger) and/or Marquis looming. With Milone pitching as well as he is in ST?
I don’t think that they are going to want Detwiler to relieve. He’s a starter. He’s got more value to the organization as a starter in AAA who is stretched out and ready to step in upon demand rather than a reliever who is getting inconsistent work and not getting a chance to demonstrate durability with inconsistent MLB innings. If we were the Giants or Rays making a pennant run, you probably keep Detwiler up, but we’re a young team that needs to marshall and develop assets.
I heard there were several players that were cut from the minor leagues this week. Anyone have any knowledge who they were?