A Few More Minor-League Signs
By now most of you have heard about the fat guy that came along this week, so we’ll focus on the pitcher and two third basemen named in Baseball America’s latest transaction post.
The pitcher is LHP Richard Bleier, a 6th Rd. pick in the 2008 Draft for Texas who has since moved on to the Toronto organization. He spent the majority of 2014 with AA New Hampshire, throwing 84⅔ innings over 34 appearances for a 6-5 record with one save with a pitcher’s line of 3.93/4.83/1.31. Though the 27-y.o. mostly worked in long relief, LHBs managed just a .620 OPS (.841 vs. RHBs) against him.
One of these offseasons we’ll go without a former Arizona player being signed. This is not one of them. Local product Jacob Mayers is the first of two third basemen signed. Mayers was drafted in the 19th Rd. in 2013 out of the Univ. of Richmond and spent two short seasons in Diamondback organization before being released. The 24-y.o. posted a line of .296/.362/.376 in the SS-A Northwest League in 2014.
The second third basemen is Ian Stewart, a 1st Rd. pick in 2003 for Colorado who has struggled to recreate the .785 and .781 OPS marks he put up in 2009 and 2010 during his age 24 and 25 seasons. After a wrist injury ended his 2012 campaign at just 55 games with only five HRs and 17 RBIs, he’s been on the interstate, batting .171 for the Cubs and Dodgers AAA teams in 2013, and .176 for the Angels in April and May and .198 for their AAA affiliate in Salt Lake City the rest of the 2014 season.
Bleier and Mayer will be competing for playing time at Low-A and AA respectively, while Stewart appears to be a let’s-see-what-he’s-got gamble as his deal reportedly includes an non-roster invite to Spring Training.
Ty Luke. Back to picking up all the Christmas
Wrapping paper and bows!!!
Lol!
We should meet in the pfitz next April !
Sure must be tough to play in NW league on a team
Named hops with all those Oregon micro brews
Around ! Lol!
Who gets his pink slip first? Uggla or
Bell!
Depends on whether Bell can find one in his size at Victoria’s Secret? (Not that there’s anything wrong with that…)
I think there’s a problem if either of these two are still in camp by mid-March.
Mayers is an interesting story. He was cut loose after posting excellent numbers. And after only 1+ years in the system.
He got in trouble in Richmond when he was in college there. Perhaps he revived the bad news tag while in the pros? Well, he is married now. He ought to be ticketed for low A, and closer to home.
I hope someone has the back story.
Speaking of which, we never saw any updates from the Florida instructional league. Last year’s dispatches from Byron Kerr proved instructive, especially in heralding the arrival of Wilmer Difo. Has anyone got intel on what went on in Florida this past fall?
Should be a lot of wild swinging going on in Syracuse this year if the INF includes Uggla, Stewart, and Robinson. Who knows if Uggla would actually report to Upstate or just be released at the end of the spring. The Braves will be paying him $13.5M this year, so he can spring for the KFC for the long bus rides. I guess Burriss would figure to be the SS for that INF. Not sure where these developments would leave Dykstra and Josh Johnson in the grand scheme of things. I’m assuming that Cutter is ticketed for a promotion. Johnson had a strong 2013 but really struggled in 2014 after a hand injury, I believe. Burriss acquitted himself quite well.
With Vettleson, Michael Taylor, and Brian Goodwin starting in that outfield. Matt Skole at third. And we’ll likely see Kevin Keyes as first? It’ll be interesting to see that’s for sure. Have to wonder who will do the catching for the AAA Upstate NY team. Second base has a lot of contenders including Dykstra. Burriss at short and lead-off unless he makes the 25 man going north which isn’t out of the question given the continuing issues associated with the Nat’s bench. Have to figure next season TT might be there after some AA starting in June.
Thanks to the recent trade it sure looks the Chiefs will again have a power armed deep rotation along with some pretty decent relief pitching. It’ll be interesting to see what Billy Gardner Jr. does with the gifts he seems destined to receive.
I think Vettleson has something to prove in AA still. The recent free agent sign from the PCL is a more likely fit for RF while he shows he can dominate and stay healthy, if he can.
Skole goes 3B-1B, Robinson goes 1B-DH, Cutter goes 2B-3B, and Kobernus goes 2B-OF, and Johnson goes all around the IF.
Keyes is another guy who has to show he can dominate AA. He tailed off. I think he’ll be back at AA. Wooten from A+ will rise to the AA outfield; so should Oduber. But otherwise, with Caleb Ramsey thereto, it’s put up time. There’s a lot of offensive talent back at A+ to start the year (Ballou, Batista, Miller) and if any of them break through, the underperformer is gone.
Turner gets to the organization in June – we’ll know by then whether he is ticketed for A+ or AA.