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Plugging Away At The Player Reports

Plugging Away
Having reviewed the Baseball America Prospect Handbook, but knowing the Sickels version is still another couple of weeks away, I’ve spent this weekend making another pass through the player reports. There’s a good chance that many of the guys I’m holding out on won’t be covered, but I’d rather be sure than just assume that.

Yesterday’s transaction post from Baseball America had but one name, Tim Alderson, a 26-y.o. RHP who began 2014 as a reliever for Baltimore’s AAA team in the International League and finished with seven starts in eight appearances for Oakland’s High-A entry in the California League.

(Yeah, the news is still slow).

So after you’ve enjoyed the brief respite from the winter weather, feel free to take a look at the player reports while we await the start of spring training.

15 Commments

  1. Thanks, Luke. I was going over them a lot yesterday and my two biggest impressions were how many pitchers on last years MASH unit are out of baseball and how empty the cupboard is with left-handed pitching.
    There is Purke & Solis, if they can pitch, and past them are youngsters who are years away.
    Would have liked to see Travis Ott develop.

    1. Look a little more closely at the LHPs… a little disappointed Jeff hasn’t commented yet on the music reference I dropped there.

        1. I guess there’s still some hope for Felipe Rivero as well. He is a top prospect and healthy. There’s Silverstre, Harper, Spann, and one of my dark horse favorites Kylin Turnbull. And Solis is theoretically healthier than Purke so … he might contribute at the major league level this season.

          But we know its not like the Marlins treasure trove of top left-handed pitcher … not by a long shot.

        2. Well, Luke, have to admit, without the hint I was dead meat.
          Almost sprained my neck as it initially flew overhead.

  2. June draft has two second rounders for nats
    So maybe a bonus baby from a NCAA- program ( like USC
    Trojans or ASU Sun Devils???

    1. Not sure who you see as a target, Jeff. Nothing of note at USC. Two possibles at ASU: Ryan Kellogg who’s a bit of a soft-tossed and Reagan Todd who ended the season as the Friday night starter. Thoughts?

  3. Luke. I am dumbstruck. Yours truly missed the
    Music reference. Something about lend me a lefty?
    Solis should surely start in spring with bullpen
    Guys coming in in three guys a game scenarios .
    Back to my dog who is faster than span! Kkkkk

  4. For more preseason rankings noise, I offer the Baseball Prospectus Top 101: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25538.

    Of note is that the Nationals place four prospects on this list, led (shock!) by Giolito at #6, followed by Cole at #30, Taylor at #57 and Lopez at #72. Interesting that, despite the loss of faith among certain commenters, Baseball Prospectus still likes A.J. Cole a bunch, enough to promote him over 20 slots from last year. Also interesting that they prefer Cole to Lopez (probably because of distance to the majors, although in the comment thread the author indicates that distance to majors was of lesser importance than upside – which is why Souza wasn’t ranked at all). Neither Turner nor Ross made the BP list.

    1. Not sure if it’s loss of faith or prospect fatigue with Cole, especially when his counterpart (Ray) has already made it up (and was pounded like $1 beers on a Thirsty Thursday). I do know that a lot of folks are skeptical of Lopez, given his injury history prior to 2014, and the “Dominican Mystery Man” syndrome.

      The fact of the matter is the Nats don’t have to use Cole immediately and don’t need to be creative the way the Cardinals have with young arms (apprentice as a reliever at MLB instead of starting at AAA). They can use Treinen or Hill for a power arm or an emergency starter while Cole builds trade value finishes his development at Syracuse to begin 2015.

      1. “Builds trade value” is right. Rizzo is stashing these arms for building a boon of lower leverage prospects, methinks. He’s got Gio. He’s got Roark. He’s got Scherzer. He’s got Giolito in the pipeline that he’ll probably keep. He doesn’t need but so many arms and he’s got expensive parts on the diamond to replace.

        Are you guys hoping that he buys out Rendon’s arb years and do you think that will actually happen? Rendon’s got to be a JV-“give him that Mike Trout cash early” candidate.

  5. If Turnbull motors out of High a and becomes more than a reliever?
    Slap me and call me Shirley !
    Lol!

  6. Airplane 1 Mark
    Why don’t the nats play the east coast
    Opponent in cubs with Livian part of the
    Contingent ?

  7. Am I the only one taken aback by Espino not in invite list?
    McGregor must have flashed something late in Harrisburg 2014?

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