A’s To Promote Lawrence Butler For MLB Debut
August 11: The A’s have now officially recalled Butler, with Kemp moved to the paternity list in the anticipated corresponding move.
August 9: The Athletics are recalling outfield prospect Lawrence Butler, reports Martín Gallegos of MLB.com (Twitter links). It’s his first big league promotion. Butler was added to the 40-man roster over the offseason, so the club will only need to make a corresponding active roster move. That figures to be the placement of Tony Kemp on the paternity list, as Gallegos notes the veteran utility player is headed to Nashville for the birth of his second child.
Butler, 23, was a sixth-round draftee out of an Atlanta high school five years ago. It was an upside play on a 6’3″ outfielder with significant power potential. He started slowly in his pro career but had a breakout showing in Low-A coming out of the canceled season. Butler continued to perform well in High-A last season, leading the A’s to select his contract to ensure they wouldn’t lose him in the Rule 5 draft.
He has spent the majority of this season at Double-A Midland. The lefty-swinging Butler hit .285/.352/.465 with 10 homers, 13 steals and a solid 18.9% strikeout percentage in 318 plate appearances. He was tabbed to participate in this summer’s Futures Game and bumped to Triple-A Las Vegas thereafter. Butler has hit .281/.340/.512 in 22 games since getting moved to the top minor league level.
The Oakland front office was sufficiently pleased with those results to give him his first big league call. Whether the A’s are simply giving Butler a cup of coffee in Kemp’s absence or plan to afford him regular run from here on out remains to be seen. He has experience at all three outfield spots but is generally viewed as best suited for the corner outfield or first base. With Esteury Ruiz back to man center field, Butler seems likely to mix into the corners alongside Seth Brown, Brent Rooker and JJ Bleday.
MLB Announces Futures Game Rosters
Major League Baseball announced rosters for the 2023 Futures Game this evening. The contest — a seven-inning exhibition between some of the sport’s most talented minor leaguers — kicks off All-Star festivities in Seattle on Saturday, July 8.
As Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com notes, 28 of the 50 players on the roster are included on MLB Pipeline’s recent Top 100 prospects list. Six of Pipeline’s top ten will participate. The full rosters (MLB Pipeline prospect rank included, if applicable):
American League
- Clayton Beeter, Yankees RHP (AAA)
- Lawrence Butler, A’s OF (AA)
- Junior Caminero, Rays INF (AA), #17 prospect
- Jonathan Cannon, White Sox RHP (High-A)
- Joey Cantillo, Guardians LHP (AAA)
- Jonatan Clase, Mariners OF (AA)
- Shane Drohan, Red Sox LHP (AAA)
- David Festa, Twins RHP (AA)
- Harry Ford, Mariners C (High-A), #29 prospect
- Drew Gilbert, Astros OF (AA), #76 prospect
- Jackson Holliday, Orioles INF (High-A), #1 prospect
- Spencer Jones, Yankees OF (High-A)
- Colt Keith, Tigers INF (AA), #43 prospect
- Heston Kjerstad, Orioles OF (AAA), #40 prospect
- Will Klein, Royals RHP (AAA)
- Justyn-Henry Malloy, Tigers INF (AAA)
- Kyle Manzardo, Rays INF (AAA), #42 prospect
- Marcelo Mayer, Red Sox INF (AA), #5 prospect
- Kyren Paris, Angels INF (AA)
- Edgar Quero, Angels C (AA), #72 prospect
- Sem Robberse, Blue Jays RHP (AA)
- Tyler Soderstrom, A’s C (AAA), #37 prospect
- Owen White, Rangers RHP (AAA), #48 prospect
- Nick Yorke, Red Sox INF (AA), #91 prospect
- Yosver Zulueta, Blue Jays RHP (AAA)
National League
- Mick Abel, Phillies RHP (AA), #46 prospect
- Ryan Bliss, Diamondbacks INF (AA)
- Jackson Chourio, Brewers OF (AA), #3 prospect
- Justin Crawford, Phillies OF (Low-A), #90 prospect
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs OF (AA), #10 prospect
- Yanquiel Fernandez, Rockies OF (AA), #97 prospect
- Kyle Harrison, Giants LHP (AAA), #14 prospect
- Tink Hence, Cardinals RHP (High-A), #66 prospect
- Brady House, Nationals INF (High-A), #75 prospect
- Jordan Lawlar, Diamondbacks INF (AA), #7 prospect
- Noelvi Marte, Reds INF (AA), #19 prospect
- J.P. Massey, Pirates RHP (High-A)
- Jackson Merrill, Padres INF (High-A), #12 prospect
- Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers RHP (High-A), #93 prospect
- Patrick Monteverde, Marlins LHP (AA)
- B.J. Murray, Cubs INF (AA)
- Nasim Nunez, Marlins INF (AA)
- Jeferson Quero, Brewers C (AA), #79 prospect
- Endy Rodriguez, Pirates INF/C (AAA), #39 prospect
- Dalton Rushing, Dodgers C (High-A), #51 prospect
- Victor Scott II, Cardinals OF (High-A)
- Spencer Shwellenbach, Braves RHP (Low-A)
- Mike Vasil, Mets RHP (AAA)
- Carson Whisenhunt, Giants LHP (AA)
- James Wood, Nationals OF (AA), #6 prospect
A’s Select Lawrence Butler, Hogan Harris
The Athletics announced Tuesday that they’ve selected the contracts of outfielder Lawrence Butler and left-hander Hogan Harris. The pair of moves brings their 40-man roster count to 39 players.
Butler, 22, spent the bulk of the season in High-A where he slashed .270/.357/.468 with a 12% walk rate and a 31.5% strikeout rate. Baseball America tabs him 15th among Oakland farmhands, lauding his 70-grade raw power (on the 20-80 scale) and penchant for top-of-the-scale exit velocities. He also boasts plus speed, per their report, but has a tendency to swing and miss even though he’ll also draw plenty of walks. Butler is an outfielder for now but has also garnered some experience at first base.
Harris, 26 next month, isn’t considered among the organization’s top-ranked prospects but put himself on the map with a promising showing across three levels in 2022. The 6’3″, 230-pound southpaw didn’t pitch in 2020 due to the canceled minor league season and missed all of 2021 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
However, he returned with a sub-2.00 ERA and a 35.8% strikeout rate in 43 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A before getting torched for a 6.35 ERA in 28 1/3 innings late in the season in a very hitter-friendly Triple-A Las Vegas setting. Walks were an issue even at those lower levels, but Harris’ success in Double-A and ability to miss bats from the left side might’ve made him an appealing Rule 5 target even with questions about his ability to consistently locate the ball.