Prospect Rumor Roundup: Future Promotions
If you're a moderate to hardcore baseball fan, you've probably heard of the term "Super Two" when top prospects and their imminent big league promotions are being discussed. Basically, it's an important business aspect of baseball that can cause your favorite MLB-ready prospect to spend a little extra time in the minors. For a refresher on the subject, check out Tim Dierkes' article from April and Ben Nicholson-Smith's post from February.
Now that you're up to date and understand why some players have been recently called up to the Majors, it's time to identify the next big-named prospects who could be promoted in 2013, following in the footsteps of the Rays' Wil Myers, the Mets' Zack Wheeler, and the Mariners' Mike Zunino.
Xander Bogaerts, SS, Red Sox: Bogaerts, 20, didn't let his age stop him from dominating Double-A ball. One of the youngest players in the Eastern League, the shortstop hit more than .300 with strong on-base skills and power. The Aruba native earned himself a trip to Triple-A after less than half a season. A strong start to 2013 earned fellow shortstop prospect (and potential roadblock) Jose Iglesias a 25-man roster spot as the backup to oft-injured veteran Stephen Drew, but Bogaerts has a much higher ceiling. Iglesias is much more likely to end up as trade bait thanks to his high-level play — should Boston need to shore up its roster for a run at the playoffs. Drew is a free agent at the end of the year, and the Red Sox may want to give Bogaerts a chance to get his feet wet in the Majors by the end of the year to gauge if he's truly ready to assume the full-time gig in 2014.
Nick Castellanos, 3B/OF, Tigers: Castellanos had a modest start to the 2013 season, but he's seen his offensive numbers improve each month with his OPS rising from .755 to .814 to 1.025. Also working in his favor for a call-up is the fact that he can offer competent defensive assistance at both third base and in the corner outfield. Miguel Cabrera isn't going to be bumped from his starting gig at the hot corner, but the emergence of Castellanos could allow the club to rest the veteran in the second half of the year in preparation for long playoff run. The prospect could also be a solid platoon complement to left fielder Andy Dirks, a left-handed hitter. It would also give Avisail Garcia — another rookie outfielder — a chance to spend more time in Triple-A. Lynn Henning of the Detroit News wrote that Castellanos could be a key player for the big league club as it tries to secure a playoff spot in 2013.
Sonny Gray, RHP, Athletics: Aside from Bartolo Colon, injuries have ensured that Oakland's starting rotation lacks pitchers with more than two years of service time. Due to the volatility of young pitchers, depth could become an issue for the first-place club in the second half of the year. Gray, a former first round draft pick, could offer some help after rebounding well from a disappointing 2012 season. The right-hander has averaged more than six innings per start in his 13 Triple-A appearances and struck out 83 batters in 82 1/3 innings of work.
Erik Johnson, RHP, White Sox: Chicago is currently deploying an inexperienced starting rotation with the likes of Hector Santiago, Jose Quintana, and Dylan Axelrod. Johnson, a former second round draft pick, has dominated pro ball and his time at Double-A in 2013 has been no different. He currently has a 2.24 ERA with 74 strikeouts and just 21 walks in 84 2/3 innings of work. Johnson, 23, has a frame that suggests he should develop into an innings-eater and his pitching acumen could eventually help him develop into a No. 2 or 3 starter for the Sox. The California native could offer some assistance to the big league club in the second half of the season, and he has the highest ceiling of any starter in the Sox system at either Double-A or Triple-A. Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune recently penned an article after speaking with Johnson, who said he's just taking it one day at a time and not worrying about a promotion to The Show.
Danny Salazar, RHP, Indians: After spending big in the offseason, Cleveland finds itself in a playoff hunt. With a big league starting rotation that features some rather large question marks with the likes of Ubaldo Jimenez, Scott Kazmir, and Carlos Carrasco, Salazar could become a key player at some point during the second half of the season. While splitting the season between Double-A and Triple-A, the Dominican right-hander has struck out 80 batters in 58 innings of work. If he doesn't figure into the club's plans in the starting rotation, his power arsenal and ability to pitch multiple innings could allow him to offer some assistance in the bullpen in the latter half of the year and even the playoffs. In a piece for MLB.com, John Wagner spoke to Salazar's Triple-A manager, Chris Tremie, who talked about the things that the young pitcher does well.
Jonathan Singleton, 1B/OF, Astros: Singleton's season got off to an inauspicious start when he was suspended for 50 games after violating minor league baseball's drug policy. Since returning, the 21-year-old hitter has appeared in just 10 games, split between Single-A, Double-A and now Triple-A. Thirteen of his 20 hits have gone for extra bases, and he's walked 13 times. Singleton has experience playing both left field and first base but has exclusively played the infield in 2013. Despite that, his clearest opening for big league playing time could be in the outfield where Trevor Crowe, J.D. Martinez, and (recently demoted) Jimmy Paredes have produced less-than-impressive numbers. First basemen/designated hitters Chris Carter and Carlos Pena have also had underwhelming seasons to date (and could become trade bait) but offer much-needed power. The playoffs are out of the question for 2013, but once outfield prospect George Springer joins Singleton in Houston, the club will have a strong middle-of-the-order core to build around.
Yordano Ventura, RHP, Royals: Talented but undersized pitching prospects are slowly shedding the stigma that they're destined for future bullpen work at the big league level. Like Toronto's Marcus Stroman, the slender Ventura doesn't break the six-foot mark, but his upper-90s velocity — which tickles triple digits — has intrigued prospect watchers since he came over to North America from the Dominican Republic in 2010. After opening 2013 in Double-A, a recent promotion has brought Ventura one step away from the Majors. Should injuries strike — or should the Royals tire of the inconsistent performances from Luis Mendoza or Wade Davis — the 22-year-old Dominican could receive the call. Jeffrey Flanagan of Fox Sports Kansas City recently spoke to Royals Assistant General Manager J.J. Picollo who said the organization is looking to have Ventura become more efficient and keep his pitch counts down.
Trade Deadline Notes: Closers, Phillies, Buyers
If you are looking for a unique way to occupy your evening, be sure to follow (or re-read) the Dodgers' Twitter feed as unparalleled announcer Vin Scully chats about his incredible memories and observations on today's game. (A sample: Scully says he had to be on his feet watching for foul balls at old Briggs Stadium — better known as Tiger Stadium — because "the booth was so close to home you could hear the hitter grunt.") Also worth reading are the following links looking ahead to the coming trade deadline period:
- The market for closers could focus on Glen Perkins and Steve Cishek if Jonathan Papelbon and Rafael Betancourt are unavailable, tweets MLB Network analyst Peter Gammons. Teams like the Tigers and Red Sox are potentially on the hunt for late-inning help, but Gammons says to expect a high price on Perkins and Cishek.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com took a look at Boston's closer situation today. GM Ben Cherington did not rule out the possibility of dealing for late-inning help, but also said that the club had internal options.
- Buyers should not expect Papelbon to be available, Gammons further tweets. He cites an unnamed GM as saying that the Phillies are unlikely to deal their closer or star pitcher Cliff Lee given "their pending TV deal."
- Potential buyers include the Giants, Orioles, Padres, Diamondbacks, and Reds, according to Baseball Prospectus. While the O's may join the Giants on the market for starting pitching, BP's Bret Sayre says the club should also be in on a second baseman to address its glaring issues there. Likewise, Cincinnati's shopping list is relatively clear: an outfielder to replace the injured Ryan Ludwick and Chris Heisey. BP further suggests that the Padres have many areas that could warrant an upgrade, while the Dbacks ought to look to add a "star" to compliment the emerging Paul Goldschmidt.
- While the Nationals were quiet at last year's deadline, ultimately acquiring backstop Kurt Suzuki in a post-deadline deal, MLB.com's Bill Ladson suggests that the team could be more active this season. Getting the injured Wilson Ramos and Bryce Harper back is the first order of business, but the Nats could look to add a veteran right-handed bench bat given the struggles of the demoted Tyler Moore. Ladson also wonders whether Washington could look to pick up a fifth starter to replace the inconsistent Dan Haren. But with Haren's salary and track record, Ladson says, the team is unlikely at this point to make such a move. (It is worth noting, too, that the Nats still have Chris Young working at Triple-A on an incentive-laden deal, though Young has struggled to a 7.88 ERA in seven starts.)
- Although the Rangers have struggled at the plate, ESPN.com's Richard Durrett says the team's first order of business should be to shop for starters at the deadline. With the young back of the rotation still looking for consistency, and Colby Lewis and Matt Harrison still major injury question marks, Durrett says the club could look at high-end arms like Cliff Lee. Durrett's colleague Todd Wills, on the other hand, writes (same link) that Texas should focus on finding a left fielder. He suggests that Andre Ethier, Josh Willingham, and Carlos Quentin are viable possibilities. With Leonys Martin and Craig Gentry failing to nail down their roles and Nelson Cruz still potentially a suspension target, says Wills, outfield depth could the the key down the stretch.
- The Padres' recent hot streak has made the team a bubble buyer, writes Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Sanders suggests that starting pitching is the most likely target, as GM Josh Byrnes has said. He says that arms like Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle are potentially available could be a nice fit in the NL West's larger ballparks. Alternatively, if the Pads turn into sellers, the team may be able to find takers for pitchers Eric Stults, Jason Marquis, Edinson Volquez, and Huston Street.
- Other bubble teams include the Dodgers, Giants, and Indians, writes ESPN.com's Jim Bowden (Insider subscription required). Still in contention and with solid enough cores to remain there, Bowden says these clubs are in "reload" mode and gives an in-depth analysis of their trade deadline approach. Los Angeles could use improvements on the left side of the infield and back of the bullpen, and might also look to add rotation or pen depth. San Francisco, meanwhile, could (as noted above) look for rotation help or shop for an outfielder given Angel Pagan's injury. For Cleveland, Bowden says that the team should look to add "at least two more quality arms" while not selling away the team's future. Be sure to check out the link for further analysis and potential trade scenarios.
Draft Signings: Gonsalves, Williams, Monda, Hannemann
Here are today's notable draft notes and non-first-round signings (all slot info courtesy of Baseball America)…
- High school lefty Stephen Gonsalves has agreed to a $700k bonus with the Twins, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The fourth-round pick Gonsalves, once considered a possible first-rounder, signed for about $232k over slot rather than attending the University of San Diego.
- The Diamondbacks have signed second-round choice Justin Williams with a roughly at-slot bonus, tweets Callis. The high school shortstop, who is advised by the Boras Corporation, will likely take his raw power to the outfield as a pro.
- The Phillies will not sign sixth-round choice Jason Monda, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports on Twitter. The Washington State junior had initially seemed willing to sign, but elected instead to return for his final year as a collegiate ballplayer.
- Third-rounder Jacob Hannemann has agreed to a $1MM bonus with the Cubs, Callis reports via Twitter. The contract pays the speedy BYU outfielder over $250k more than his recommended slot.
- The Indians have given a well-above-slot bonus to fifth-round choice Sean Brady, tweets Callis. The high-school lefty, who is advised by Tom O'Connell, will receive $800k from Cleveland, over double the $347,100 slot recommendation.
- Yankees second-rounder Gosuke Katoh has signed for the full slot value of $845,700, according to Callis (on Twitter).
- Callis also reports that the Padres signed supplemental second-rounder Jordan Paroubeck for a $750K bonus (Twitter links). The prep outfielder from California has solid tools across the board, according to Callis. He signed for $58K under slot.
- The Padres have also agreed to terms with eighth-rounder Adrian De Horta on a well over-slot deal, MLBTR has learned. De Horta, who is advised by Terry Jones of Reynolds Sports Management, agreed to a $425K signing bonus, which is about $269K over slot value for the No. 238 overall selection. The deal is pending a physical. MLB.com doesn't have a full scouting report on De Horta, though they do offer a scouting video for Padres fans to check out.
Jeff Todd contributed to this post.
Indians Sign Clint Frazier
SATURDAY, 2:01pm: The Indians announced via press release that the deal is official.
FRIDAY, 6:32pm: The Indians have agreed to terms with fifth overall draft pick Clint Frazier, Baseball America's Jim Callis reports (Twitter link). Frazier will receive a $3.5MM bonus, less than the $3.787MM assigned slot value price for the No. 5 pick (slot info courtesy of Baseball America). Frazier is advised by the ACES agency.
Frazier was widely heralded as one of the top members of this year's draft class, rated as the No. 4 overall prospect by both MLB.com and Baseball America. ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription required), who rated Frazier at No. 7, described him as possessing "the best bat speed in the draft, [and] some of the best I've ever seen on an amateur player." Frazier even drew some buzz as a surprise choice to be taken by the Astros as the first overall pick, though Houston instead went with right-hander Mark Appel.
Frazier, 18, is a right-handed hitting outfielder out of Loganville High School in Georgia. He has above-average arm strength and running ability, according to BA's scouting report, and he is a threat at the plate due to his bat speed and "plus-plus raw power." While Frazier played center field in high school, he is projected as a corner outfielder in his pro career.
Once Frazier's deal is finalized, he will be the 14th player taken in the first round to have reached an agreement with his club.
Indians Sign Clay Rapada
The Indians announced that they have signed left-hander Clay Rapada as a minor league free agent. The 32-year-old has been assigned him to Triple-A Columbus.
Rapada went to camp this spring on the Yankees' 40-man roster and made ten appearances at Triple-A Scranton, posting a 4.66 ERA with four strikeouts and four walks in 9 and 2/3 innings. Rapada saw a career-high 38 1/3 big league innings for the Yankees last season, pitching to a 2.82 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.
The Virginia State product has faced 251 left-handed hitters in his Major League career and held them to a .168/.257/.236 batting line. However, right-handers have found success against him, hitting .342/.459/.613 in 135 plate appearances.
Draft Signings: Indians, Smith, Kuhl, Wade, O’Neill
Here's today's rundown of notable Day 2 and Day 3 draft picks to sign (all slot info courtesy of Baseball America's list of assigned pick values)…
- The Indians announced, via Twitter, that they have signed four draft picks, including right-hander Trevor Frank, who served as the closer for the UC Riverside this season.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Padres fourth-rounder Mason Smith received a $415K bonus. Smith signed slightly under the assigned pick value of $433K. The high school outfielder from Idaho was committed to Utah and projects to have a plus bat with average power. MLB.com's Corey Brock first reported the Smith signing, as noted below.
- Pirates ninth-rounder Chad Kuhl signed for the full slot value of $145K, tweets Callis, who adds that the Delaware right-hander generates a lot of ground-balls with his sinker.
- The Yankees have signed fourth-rounder Tyler Wade to a deal worth $371K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The high school shortstop's bonus matches the assigned value of his pick. Callis writes that Wade boasts plus speed and a plus arm with a line-drive bat.
- Callis tweets that the Mariners signed third-round pick Tyler O'Neill to an above-slot $650K bonus (assigned value was $631K). O'Neill, a prep catcher from Canada, has drawn comparisons to Brett Lawrie because of his bat and power. He's likely to end up in the outfield.
- The Diamondbacks have signed third-round pick and first baseman/outfielder Daniel Palka for $550K, Callis tweets. Arizona secured the Georgia Tech product under slot, as the assigned pick value for the No. 88 slot was $603K. Palka has big power and a strong arm that could profile in right field, Callis adds.
- The Reds went over slot to sign their fifth-round pick, according to Callis (Twitter link), inking prep shortstop Cory Thompson for $367K (slot was $275K). Callis adds that Thompson is a solid runner with a good glove and some pop in his bat, but he also has a fastball in the low 90s.
- MLB.com's Corey Brock tweets that the Padres have signed 20 draft picks, including Hofstra right-hander Bryan Verbitsky (No. 86 overall), high school center fielder Mason Smith (No. 118) San Francisco right-hander Adam Cimber (No. 268) and UNC right-hander Justin Livengood (No. 298). The slot values for those picks are $621K, $433K, $146K and $134K, respectively.
- Two of those 20 picks that Brock mentions are Memphis lefty Erik Schoenrock (11th round) and junior college lefty Payton Baskette, tweets Callis. Each pick signed for an even $100K.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Indians Acquire John McDonald
The Indians announced that they have acquired John McDonald from the Pirates in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later. McDonald will help bolster the club in the middle of the infield in the wake of Asdrubal Cabrera‘s right quadriceps injury.
The 38-year-old has appeared in just 16 games for the Pirates so far this season. Over the course of his 15 year major league career, McDonald owns a .237/.275/.328 slash line. Last year, the veteran hit .249/.295/.386 in 70 games for the D’Backs with above-average defense at shortstop.
Draft Notes: Diamondbacks, Giants, Indians
The Diamondbacks got a great value by picking Nevada pitcher Braden Shipley with the No. 15 pick in the first round of this weekend's draft, Keith Law of ESPN says in his NL draft roundup (Insider-only). He also praises the Phillies for their first several picks (which began with California high school shortstop J.P. Crawford at No. 16), and says the Giants (whose draft class was headlined by Florida high school shortstop Christian Arroyo) had his least favorite draft of any team this year. Be sure to check out the rest of Law's post for his analysis of other NL teams' picks this weekend. Here are more notes on the draft.
- The Indians took Georgia high school outfielder Clint Frazier with the fifth overall pick this year, and made what might turn out to be an excellent pick when they took Francisco Lindor in the first round in 2011. But right now, they don't have any of their former first-rounders on their 25-man roster, Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer points out. C.C. Sabathia (1998) and Jeremy Guthrie (2002) are currently on other teams' rosters, however.
- In the 34th round on Saturday, the Diamondbacks selected Arizona State center fielder Cory Hahn. Hahn was paralyzed from the chest down while attempting a stolen base in a Sun Devils game in 2011. The pick was a meaningful one, both for the Diamondbacks and for Hahn, MLB.com's Tyler Emerick reports. "It's something that you can't really put into words, it was very humbling that they wanted to do this for me," says Hahn. "It's something I'll always cherish. No one made them do it, so the fact that they did — I'll be forever thankful."
Minor Moves: Paddy Matera
Here are Wednesday's minor moves…
- The Indians have signed infielder Paddy Matera and assigned him to Class A Carolina, the team announced (on Twitter). Matera, 25, has been playing independent ball since 2010, primarily with the Camden Riversharks of the Atlantic League. He's hitting .304/.365/.525 in 40 games this season and is a career .277/.358/.414 hitter in independent ball. The New Jersey native has extensive experience at second base, shortstop and third base.
- The Mariners selected the contract of catcher Brandon Bantz, optioned Carlos Triunfel to Triple-A Tacoma and transferred Franklin Gutierrez to the 60-day DL. There was speculation that Mike Zunino could be on his way to the bigs with Jesus Sucre injuring his hand, but Bantz gets the call for now.
- Six players currently reside in DFA limbo: Chris Snyder of the Orioles, Zach Duke and Henry Rodriguez of the Nationals, Tyler Robertson of the Twins, Tyler Greene of the White Sox and Vinnie Catricala of the Mariners.
Central Notes: Liriano, Carpenter, Berry, Kazmir
From earlier today in the two Central divisions, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer sat down for a podcast with ESPN's Buster Olney, the Brewers are looking to the future and Jake Peavy is willing to be traded anywhere if the White Sox see fit to move him. Here are some other items from both the AL and NL Central…
- Francisco Liriano's 2014 option with the Pirates will vest for $6MM if the southpaw can avoid spending 120 days on the disabled list this season, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports. Liriano signed a complicated deal with the Bucs in February that only guaranteed him $1MM in 2013 but could've been worth as much as $12.75MM if Liriano stayed healthy. His stint on the DL this season already cost him around $1.625MM this season and an extra $2MM for 2014.
- Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter threw to live batters on Monday, The Associated Press reports, and may repeat the process if his shoulder doesn't become numb. Carpenter was thought to be out for all of 2013 and was pondering retirement due to ongoing shoulder injuries, but the former Cy Young Award winner has taken several positive steps in his comeback.
- The Twins had some interest in Quintin Berry before the Royals claimed the outfielder off waivers earlier today, 1500ESPN.com's Darren Wolfson tweets.
- Scott Kazmir credits his development of secondary pitches and better pitching strategies for his return to the Major Leagues, Howard Megdal of Sports On Earth writes. Kazmir has a 5.13 ERA in eight starts with the Indians this season but his secondary numbers are good enough that MLBTR's Steve Adams believes he could earn a decent free agent contract this winter.
- "Lots of changes figure to occur" with the Royals if the team can't get on track, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star writes as part of a reader mailbag. If they make a big move like trading Ervin Santana, Dutton figures K.C. would look to acquire a slugging corner outfielder or a second baseman in return.
- Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago covers several White Sox and Cubs topics and rumors in his live chat about Windy City baseball.