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Author: Jason Martinez

Knocking Down The Door: Adames, Ferguson, Kingham, Kopech, Poche

By | at April 24, 2018 6:50pm CDT

The 2018 debut of “Knocking Down The Door” is here!

Over the next four months, I will be identifying Minor Leaguers who I believe are putting themselves in position to earn a big league call-up in the near future. Walker Buehler and Gleyber Torres would’ve gotten serious consideration had they not already been promoted. Many others who make this list will get never get the call. Ask Chance Adams, who made this list in 2016 and 2017.

Here’s a look at five Minor Leaguers who are currently “Knocking Down The Door” to the Major Leagues.

Willy Adames, INF, Rays (Triple-A Durham) | Rays Depth Chart

Willy Adames | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Rays didn’t get a great immediate return from the trade that sent away one of the best pitchers in baseball, David Price, nearly four years ago. Nick Franklin never panned out, and Drew Smyly made 49 starts in two and a half seasons before being flipped for outfielder Mallex Smith and lefty Ryan Yarbrough. Smith and Yarbrough are both on the roster now and controllable for years, and the trade could soon pay additional dividends with the 22-year-old Adames closing in on the Majors.

After hitting for the cycle Monday, Adames is slashing .345/.441/.582 in the first 16 games of his second Triple-A season. Year one wasn’t overly spectacular, though Adames was one of the league’s younger players at 21 years of age, and did have some very productive stretches. His strong start to year two, however, has to have the Rays’ infielders on notice. A current 10-for-22 hot streak could help the light-hitting Adeiny Hechavarria deflect any current thoughts of Adames taking his starting shortstop job. Second baseman Joey Wendle (.867 OPS) and fill-in third baseman Daniel Robertson, who went 4-for-4 on Sunday, are also doing what they can to extend Adames’ Triple-A tenure.

In all likelihood, Adames will be in the Majors very soon. The only question is where he’ll play. While he should be able to make a quick transition to second base, he’s played all but 21 games in his career at shortstop (10 games at third base in the Dominican Summer League and 11 games at second base in ’17). With Hechavarria in the last year of his contract and the Rays unlikely to compete for a playoff spot, Tampa Bay could look to trade him or move him into a part-time role where he could help mentor Adames.

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Drew Ferguson, OF, Astros (Triple-A Fresno) | Astros Depth Chart

The combination of Derek Fisher, Marwin Gonzalez and Jake Marisnick appeared to be a sufficient stopgap for top prospect Kyle Tucker, who would presumably need at least a few months in Triple-A before taking over as the team’s starting left fielder. But despite a strong start by the Astros, they’ve gotten very little production out of the Fisher-Gonzalez-Marisnick trio. While Tucker is doing just fine early on in his first Triple-A season (.270/.360/.392) and Tony Kemp continues to be productive (.324/.427/.405), it’s the 25-year-old Ferguson who is making the most noise.

The former 19th-round pick is slashing .362/.457/.580 with two homers, five doubles and nine multi-hit games. He might not be the long-term answer in left field, but he could certainly give a spark to the Houston offense, particularly the bottom third of the order.

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Nick Kingham, SP, Pirates (Triple-A Indianapolis) | Pirates Depth Chart

It was three years ago that Kingham was closing in on an MLB rotation spot. After allowing one run through five innings in an early May start at theTriple-A level and striking out the leadoff man in the sixth, though, he exited the game with elbow discomfort.

Kingham underwent Tommy John surgery a few weeks later and didn’t return until late in the 2016 season. Despite making 19 starts in Triple-A last year, he never quite made a push for a big league call-up. But after four starts into what is his fourth season in the International League, it appears he’s finally back on track. The 26-year-old pitched five shutout innings with 10 strikeouts in his 2018 debut, followed it up with back-to-back quality starts and another strong outing on Sunday (5 2/3 IP, ER, 6 K).

While Steven Brault has done a decent job filling in as the No. 5 starter, he could possibly give the Pirates a bigger boost as a multi-inning lefty out of the ‘pen. The same could be said for Joe Musgrove, a setup man with the World Champion Astros, who was slated to the be the team’s No. 5 starter before landing on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. But that all depends on whether Kingham can lock down a rotation spot once he’s given a chance. And he deserves a chance.

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Michael Kopech, SP, White Sox (Triple-A Charlotte) | White Sox Depth Chart

A prospect of Kopech’s caliber isn’t necessarily waiting for a big league spot to open for him. When he’s ready, the White Sox will make room soon thereafter. But the need for a spot starter in Saturday’s double-header and an injury to Miguel Gonzalez—his spot is being filled by Chris Volstad on Tuesday and will come up again on Sunday—could at least force them to decide if the 21-year-old is ready now.

One of the best pitching prospects in the game, Kopech has a 4.4 BB/9 and 11.6 K/9 since being drafted by the Red Sox with 33rd pick in the 2014 draft. But in six Triple-A starts (three at the end of ’17 and three in ’18), he’s shown more control (3.0 BB/9) while maintaining his high strikeout rate. In his most recent start, the right-hander walked one and struck out 10 in five innings of work. He’s yet to reach 100 pitches in any of his three starts—he surpassed that total five times in ’17—but as long as he continues to throw strikes consistently, he should be able to navigate past the fifth inning on a regular basis against MLB hitters.

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Colin Poche, RP,  Dbacks (Double-A Jackson) | Diamondbacks Depth Chart

There is “dominant,” and then there’s whatever Poche has done in his first eight innings in Double-A. The 24-year-old lefty has allowed just one hit and one walk. Of the 24 batters he’s retired, he’s struck out 19. Left-handed hitters have yet to put a ball in play against him. He’s struck out all seven.

Keep in mind that another Diamondbacks lefty, Gabriel Moya, also had great success in Double-A last season (0.82 ERA, 14.2 K/9 in 43.2 IP). But instead of getting the call-up for Arizona’s playoff run, he was traded to the Twins in July for backup catcher John Ryan Murphy. In other words, the front office wasn’t all that impressed with Moya despite him making this list a month earlier. Still, it’s impossible to ignore what Poche has done thus far. He should be able to help the D-backs at some point in 2018.

“Knocking Down the Door” is a weekly feature that identifies minor leaguers who are making a case for a big league promotion.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Knocking Down The Door MLBTR Originals

MLB Weekend Roster Roundup: DeShields, Rendon, Torres, Zobrist

By | at April 22, 2018 9:12pm CDT

ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(April 21st-April 22nd)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

  • CHICAGO CUBS | Depth Chart
    • Placed on 10-Day DL: INF/OF Ben Zobrist (back tightness)
    • Promoted: INF/OF David Bote 
      • Bote played 3B and batted 8th in his MLB debut on Saturday.
  • SAN DIEGO PADRES | Depth Chart
    • Activated from 10-Day DL: OF Manuel Margot
      • Margot played CF and batted 1st on Saturday and Sunday.
    • Placed on 10-Day DL: OF Hunter Renfroe (elbow inflammation)

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

  • LOS ANGELES ANGELS | Depth Chart
    • Promoted: SP Jaime Barria, RP Eduardo Paredes (Saturday)
      • Barria started Sunday’s game and will be optioned to Triple-A on Monday.
    • Designated for assignment: RP Luke Bard
    • Optioned: RP Eduardo Paredes (Sunday)

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

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MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Myers, Pomeranz, Samardzija, Zunino

By | at April 20, 2018 10:05pm CDT

ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(April 19th-April 20th)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

  • COLORADO ROCKIES | Depth Chart
    • Reinstated from 5-game suspension: 3B Nolan Arenado
      • Arenado played 3B and batted 4th on Friday. Charlie Blackmon hit 3rd for the first time ever with Arenado in the lineup.

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

  • CHICAGO WHITE SOX | Depth Chart
    • Acquisiton: OF Trayce Thompson (acquired from Athletics for PTNBL or cash)
      • Thompson was not in the starting lineup on Friday.
  • KANSAS CITY ROYALS | Depth Chart
    • Promoted: RP Scott Barlow
      • Barlow was the 26th man for Friday’s double-header.

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

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Daily Roster Roundup MLBTR Originals

MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Buxton, Camargo, Gamel, Hill

By | at April 18, 2018 11:02pm CDT

ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(April 18th)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

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MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Cueto, Realmuto, Rizzo, Yelich

By | at April 17, 2018 10:48pm CDT

ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(April 17th)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

  • KANSAS CITY ROYALS | Depth Chart
    • Promoted: RP Scott Barlow
      • Barlow was the 26th man for Tuesday’s double-header.
  • TORONTO BLUE JAYS | Depth Chart 
    • Promoted: SP Joe Biagini
      • Biagini started Game 2 of Tuesday’s double-header

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

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MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Gyorko, Harrison, Hellickson, Kiermaier

By | at April 17, 2018 12:32am CDT

ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(April 16th)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

  • TEXAS RANGERS | Depth Chart 
    • Added to 25-man roster: INF/OF Renato Nunez (claimed off waivers from Athletics on Sunday)
      • Nunez played LF and batted 6th on Monday.
    • Optioned: INF/OF Ryan Rua

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

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Offseason In Review: San Diego Padres

By | at April 16, 2018 11:00pm CDT

This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s 2017-18 Offseason In Review series. Click here to read the other completed reviews from around the league.

The early-offseason buzz on the Padres’ possible interest in adding an impact player came to fruition when Eric Hosmer inked the biggest contract in franchise history. They had also reportedly shown some interest in top free agent pitchers Jake Arrieta and Alex Cobb. While the addition of Hosmer isn’t expected to turn the Padres into an immediate contender — nor would’ve the signing of Arrieta or Cobb, for that matter — it’s another step towards building the organization’s next playoff-caliber roster.

Major League Signings

Trades and Claims

Extensions

Notable Minor League Signings

Notable Losses

Padres 25-Man Roster & Minor League Depth Chart; Padres Payroll Overview

Needs Addressed

The Padres still believe that Wil Myers can take a step forward and live up to the $83MM contract he signed last offseason. And it’s not a stretch, either. He’s averaged 29 homers and 24 stolen bases over the past two seasons and he’s only 27 years old. But he wasn’t comfortable in the role of clubhouse leader, which is partly why the team decided to pursue Hosmer, who filled that role on a Royals team that had a successful three-year run that included back-to-back World Series appearances and a championship.

Valuing Hosmer was a topic of ample debate as his trip onto the open market drew near. Ultimately, the Pads and Royals decided he was worthy of a significant investment despite the fact that he’s not an overwhelming offensive force for a first baseman. Age (he’s just 28) plainly played a big role along with Hosmer’s oft-lauded makeup. Nobody questions that Hosmer is a quality big leaguer, and the hefty guarantee is spread over a lengthy term, but this type of signing always represents a notable risk for a lower-budget team.

In addition to Hosmer, the team solidified the left side of its infield by trading for Galvis and Headley. Neither is likely to deliver huge output over the full course of the season, but they’re both steady veterans who will raise the overall standard and provide a benchmark for the team’s youthful assets to measure themselves again. It’s certainly possible that either player could end up on the move over the summer.

The core of the bullpen — a unit compiled smartly from some unlikely places — remains intact. Craig Stammen, a successful reclamation project in 2017, was re-signed to a two-year deal over the winter. He’ll be joined by veteran Japanese hurler Kazuhisa Makita, who also signed an affordable multi-year pact.

Most notably, though, the Padres decided to keep closer Brad Hand off of the trade block. It had long seemed he’d be moved — it was rather shocking it didn’t happen last summer — after coming out of nowhere to become one of the game’s better high-leverage relievers over the past two seasons. While the potential to plug more young talent into the system was surely tantalizing, the team smartly took advantage of an opportunity to achieve value by investing further in Hand. The extension gives the organization control through the 2021 season at what looks to be quite an appealing rate for a high-quality closer that had already reached arbitration.

Filling out the rotation remained a need even after a late-season move to extend Clayton Richard. The Headley swap was designed primarily to bring in Bryan Mitchell, who has a big arm and will be given a chance to sink or swim in the majors. Veteran Chris Young lost a spring battle to make the staff, but old friend Tyson Ross opened some eyes in camp and has continued to show well early in the season. While the loss of intriguing youngster Dinelson Lamet has put a damper on things, the impressive arrival of 2016 fourth-rounder Joey Lucchesi has created some excitement in the early going. Robbie Erlin‘s return after two seasons mostly lost to injury is also worth watching. He opened with some success in the pen and has now moved into the rotation, though his first start (just this evening) did not go as hoped.

Questions Remaining

Along with Hosmer and Myers, catcher Austin Hedges and center fielder Manuel Margot are all but locked in at their respective positions for the next several seasons. The team’s future double-play combination is expected to be made up of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Urias. Two of the best prospects in the game, both are on the fast track to San Diego, though they’ll have to earn their way up before being anointed. A lot can happen in one season, but it’s easy to imagine that group of players in the same lineup at some point in 2019. That would leave just two future lineup spots, third base and corner outfield, unsettled.

In all likelihood, the corner outfield spot opposite Myers will likely be filled internally by one or more of Franchy Cordero, Jose Pirela and Hunter Renfroe. All three will have a chance to make their case in 2018. Cordero, who dazzled at Triple-A in 2017 with his speed-power combination, did not join the competition right away after opening the year on the DL. But with Margot hitting the shelf with an early injury, Cordero has received a chance and is off to a nice start.

While the return of Headley gives the Padres some stability at the hot corner for at least the next few months, the team’s third baseman during their next window of contention is probably not in the organization at this time. A reunion between Hosmer and Moustakas, who could reach free agency once again next offseason, is intriguing. Filling the spot in-house is a slight possibility, although it would probably take a breakout season from second baseman Carlos Asuaje to convince the team to alter their plans for where Urias and Tatis end up on the diamond. A strong performance from Galvis, who the team could look to re-sign after the season, could also shake things up.

With an abundance of talented pitching prospects who could reach the Majors sometime over the next 2-3 seasons, the Padres are in great shape to fill out their pitching staff without having to add significantly to their payroll. Left-hander Eric Lauer should join Lucchesi at some point in 2018, while the next wave should be ready to make an impact next season. In the meantime, Erlin, Bryan Mitchell and Luis Perdomo will have every opportunity to prove that they can be a part of the rotation for years to come. Lamet will be counted on to reenter the picture at some point in 2019.

Overview

Hosmer is entering a situation that should seem like very familiar territory. As a highly-touted Royals prospect, he made his MLB debut in 2011. He was surrounded by talented young players, including Danny Duffy, Alcides Escobar, Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez. There was a lot of hype surrounding this group, which only made it more frustrating for the fan base when the team suffered its eighth consecutive losing season. And then a ninth. That this group of players would help lead the team to 86 wins by 2013, their first post-season appearance in 19 years in 2014, and a World Series title in 2015, made it all the more special.

This Padres team is in the midst of — you guessed it — seven consecutive losing seasons. The streak is almost certain to reach eight. But they have the resources to turn things around quickly. Their farm system was ranked third in baseball by both Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law, while Baseball Prospectus ranked it first. General manager A.J. Preller has done a terrific job stockpiling young talent and still has payroll flexibility even after committing to Myers and Hosmer.

Signing Hosmer was not a pure win-now move, as he’s young enough to contribute for years to come. But it did represent a strong signal of the organization’s near-term aspirations. The organization’s first major outside acquisition since its failed gambit at producing a contender in Preller’s first year in town, Hosmer is evidently a believer. As I wrote in the Padres’ Offseason Outlook back in November, “If he’s convinced that the Padres are a team on the rise and on a road to contend by 2019, he could be willing to sign on.”

He signed on. I guess that means he thinks they can contend next season. But there’s still plenty of work to be done to fully establish a new winning core in San Diego.

How do you grade the Padres’ offseason efforts? (Link for app users.)

Grade the Padres Offseason

  • B 43% (765)
  • C 29% (516)
  • A 12% (223)
  • D 10% (187)
  • F 6% (105)

Total votes: 1,796

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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2017-18 Offseason In Review MLBTR Originals San Diego Padres

MLB Weekend Roster Roundup: Cobb, Cruz, Schoop, Walker

By | at April 15, 2018 8:20pm CDT

ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(April 14th – April 15th)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

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MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Andrus, Donaldson, Gurriel, Plawecki

By | at April 13, 2018 9:46pm CDT

ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(April 13th)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

—

FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

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