Yoan Moncada sits atop both the midseason top 100 prospect rankings from Baseball America and the top 50 list from Baseball Prospectus. The two lists have different methodologies in compiling the rankings (for instance, BA includes 2017 draft picks while BP doesn’t) but obviously are in agreement about the value of several top minor leaguers, with Moncada as the consensus choice. The White Sox prospect has a very solid but not dominant .282/.380/.451 slash line over 334 plate appearances at Triple-A this season, and with 93 strikeouts on his record, plate discipline is still something of a question mark. Of course, Moncada struck out in 12 of his 20 big league plate appearances last season during his first taste of MLB action. Though the White Sox have been somewhat non-committal about when Moncada will get called up, the 22-year-old is likely to make his debut in a White Sox uniform at some point late this season.
Here’s some more from around baseball…
- Jay Bruce’s contract contains partial no-trade protection against eight teams, and the octet on Bruce’s list hasn’t changed since the offseason, James Wagner of the New York Times writes. The eight teams in question are the Athletics, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Phillies, Rays, Twins, and Yankees. The Mets outfielder isn’t likely to be targeted by many of those teams anyway, be it for financial reasons, fit reasons or because at least three of those clubs are looking like deadline sellers themselves.
- The Yankees are one of the many teams interested in Marlins relievers AJ Ramos and David Phelps, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
- Also from Sherman’s piece, the Marlins have gotten “a few nibbles” on Edinson Volquez and Brad Ziegler. Miami appears to be concentrating on dealing relievers and veterans under multi-year contracts like Volquez and Ziegler, and the club’s biggest names seem to be staying put for now, though “the situation is fluid,” according to both Marlins officials and officials on rival teams. Sherman includes right-hander Dan Straily on the list of Miami’s untouchable-for-now core players, which makes sense given that Straily is enjoying a strong season and is controllable for three more seasons. The Marlins are scouting over 20 different farm systems for potential trade pieces.
- It’s unclear if Padres righty Jered Weaver will ever pitch again, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. If Weaver does resume his career, Lin doesn’t expect it to happen in San Diego (Twitter link). The 34-year-old Weaver, who has been on the disabled list with left hip inflammation in late May, is working on his health in San Diego, according to manager Andy Green. The club has given Weaver “latitude to explore some things,” and there’s no timetable for his return, per Green. Before Weaver landed on the shelf, the former Angels ace recorded unsightly numbers (7.44 ERA, 7.99 FIP) over nine starts and 42 1/3 innings.
Weaver’s toast. Not sure why he was one of the lotto tickets the Padres signed, or why they gave him twice as much as the other lotto tickets, but oh well.
Sad about jered weaver. Guy always gave 110%.
James Wagner moved from the Washington Post to the New York Times in June of last year.
they are the same
I wouldn’t mind seeing Weaver as kind of an assistant to Balsley..He seemed like a pretty decent mentor type, even as he was getting crushed. Green always had nothing but good things to say about his character too.
Darn, that’s too bad about Weaver. I was hoping he would be able to come back and help get the team back into position for the first pick in the draft next year.
Nice to read good comedy at night
I was hoping that he would break Jose Lima’s record for more HR allowed in a season, but then the “injury” happened.
I thought the Cubs laid an egg yesterday but the white sox laid more than one. It’s one thing to tank a season but they took tanking to a whole new level yesterday. Williams must be proud. If the prospects, that they got from other teams, don’t succeed then they may as well move. Since Reinsdorfs basically gone now, no one is accountable. The organization is terrible and the attendance has been in the bottom five for years.
Williams is no longer the GM. If you’re gonna troll an organization, know who’s GM.
Good old Joel throw it against the wall and hope it sticks
Another Preller special $ waste along with anemic Wil Myers
I wonder why Bruce included the yanks in his no trade clause
Maybe playing time? Doesn’t like the organization?
Just because they they’re the Yankees doesn’t mean everyone is dying to play there
Uh, no. Everybody puts the Yankees on the no-trade list, now. Because they can possibly get the Yankees to pay $$$ to get the player to agree to waive it. It’s a loophole in the no-trade mechanics.
Or they have no interest in playing for the Yankees
If I were an already rich athlete I would put the Yankees on my no-trade list just because I have no desire to live in NYC.
You don’t have to live in NYC to play for the Yankees (or Mets).
I doubt any of the Yankees players – or very few of them – actually live in the city.
Leverage.
As a Marlins fan, Straily needs to be traded too. Literally makes no sense for him to be untouchable. Only 3 “untouchables” are Yelich, Realmuto, and Stanton. Straily is controllable and can bring something decent back
I’d put Ozuna on that list too.
I’m surprised Hunter Greene only ranks #30 on Baseball America prospects. Mickey Moniak debuted much higher last year, as king of last year’s draft class.
Moniak was considered more polished and there isn’t the sort of doubt about where he ends up playing, right? Still, 30 is pretty good for Greene.
Another dimwit move by Preller