Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, February 26, 2016 i Baseball America

MARCH 10 2008 IN THIS ISSUE: Yankees and Red Sox righthanders Joba Chamberlain and Clay Buchholz highlight this year’s Top 100 list. » ALSO: Eric Hosmer, Sonny Gray and Gerrit Cole dot our High School All-America roster. In a Split Decision on the futures of Clay Buchholz and Joba Chamberlain . . . JIM CALLIS WRITES: In terms of pure stuff, I think Buchholz’ curveball and changeup are right up there with Chamberlain’s fastball and slider. I’d love to have either of those guys, but I’d take Buchholz for two reasons. One, his plus fastball and occasional plus slider give him a deeper repertoire. And two, given their pasts and builds, I think Buchholz is a better bet to stay healthy over the long haul. CHRIS KLINE WROTE: They’re both…

ESPN.com PHILADELPHIA Rob Manfred’s legacy as Major League Baseball’s 10th commissioner has yet to be defined. But in his first 365 days on the job, he crossed a lot of items off his to-do list. After an extended run as MLB’s chief labor lawyer, Manfred succeeded Bud Selig as commissioner on Jan. 25, 2015. During his rookie year, the Royals won their first title since 1985 with the game’s 16th biggest payroll and an emphasis on homegrown talent. It was both a symbolic gesture and a triumph for the concept of parity when Manfred handed the World Series trophy to Royals chairman David Glass on a chilly November night in New York. That awards ceremony was merely the capper to an eventful spring, summer and fall. During Manfred’s inaugural season,…

Ramon Ramirez, who played at three levels in the Orioles’ organization in 2015, was killed in a motorcycle accident in his native Dominican Republic Jan. 30. According to MASN.com’s Roch Kubatko, also BA’s Orioles’ correspondent, the accident took place as Ramirez was leaving a softball game. Ramirez, 23, signed with the Orioles in July 2014. In 2015, he played at short-season Aberdeen, the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and high-Class A Frederick. “Our entire organization is deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic death of Ramon Ramirez,” Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said in a statement. DELMON YOUNG FACES BATTERY CHARGE Free-agent outfielder Delmon Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft, was arrested and faces a battery charge after he allegedly choked and threatened to…

johnmanuel@baseballamerica.com If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me use a hashtag, #personalcheeseball. Approximately 100 percent of the time that I have used said hashtag, I’ve had to explain it. That’s a good sign that it’s not going to take off anytime soon. Nevertheless, #personalcheeseball has come to be used in the BA offices as shorthand for a personal favorite that does not reflect the popular consensus, much in the way that the nut-encrusted cheeseballs on sale in your grocery store’s dairy section are looked down upon as a lesser cheese snack. I’ve never been able to find out which wine goes best with cheeseball. I do know which prospect was my first #personalcheeseball. The honor, such as it is, goes to former Florida State second baseman…

Ranking the game’s top 100 prospects, as Baseball America has done annually since 1990, casts a net so wide that organizations rarely slip through the cracks and place no prospects on the list. For the first 26 years of Top 100 Prospects history, up through 2015, just eight orgs had failed to place even one representative on the list. Yet this year, four orgs—the Angels, Marlins, Mariners and Orioles—will not have their names attached to any player ranked inside the Top 100. The Mariners (Alex Jackson) and Orioles (Dylan Bundy, Hunter Harvey and Chance Sisco) had prospects who appeared on individual Top 100 ballots by the BA editorial staff, but not one of those players garnered the widespread support necessary to make the final cut. The Angels and Marlins, on…

Austin Meadows (22) vs. Nick Williams (27) vs. Max Kepler (30) JOHN MANUEL: Meadows has the easiest, smoothest swing of these guys and had the best amateur track record, which matters to me. I’m sure I have a small bias toward him from having done the Florida State League Top 20. He and Kepler have the best chance to add defensive value in center field, but for me, I ranked these guys as future left fielders whose value comes from the bat, and I ranked them in this order based on faith in their future offensive value. Williams has the most volatility of the group—higher upside, worst strike-zone judgment. He could wind up being a tease. MATT EDDY: While conceding that Williams has more power—and significantly more opposite-field power—than Kepler…

Every year, once the Top 100 prospects list is released, editors at Baseball America are asked three main questions: How close did my favorite prospect come to the list? Could my favorite prospect make a big jump up the list? Why didn’t my favorite prospect make the list? Well, we can’t answer every question but here’s some tidbits on players who could climb and who has fallen. JUST MISSED Here’s a look at some prospects who missed the 2016 Top 100 list but could easily jump onto next year’s list. JAMES KAPRIELIAN | RHP, Yankees Kaprielian, the Yankees’ 2015 first-rounder from UCLA, was one of the last few players in consideration for the final spot on the list. His fastball bumped 96-97 mph in pro ball with short-season Staten Island…

NEW YORK With their top picks in the 2014 and 2015 drafts, the Yankees selected lefthander Jacob Lindgren and righthander James Kaprielian out of major college programs— but that’s where the similarities end. Lindgren attended Mississippi State, where he worked as a reliever, when New York made him a second-round pick in 2014. The Yankees invited him to big league spring training in 2015. Kaprielian, a starter at UCLA whom New York selected 16th overall in 2015, also received a big league invite as he embarked on his first attempt at full-season ball. Due to the nature of the two pitchers’ roles, however, Kaprielian probably will not reach the majors in his second pro season. That’s what Lindgren did in 2015 when he appeared in seven games with the Yankees…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ PHILADELPHIA Nick Williams’ first love was football. He was a good enough high school player in Galveston, Texas, to attract interest as a receiver from several top college programs. So why is Williams now one of the most exciting prospects in a restocked Phillies’ system? “Hitting is, I think, what kept me out of football,” the 6-foot-3, 200-pound outfielder said. “Football is what I wanted to do. I wanted to be in the NFL. But hitting a baseball— there’s just something about it. I love defense, too. I love taking hits away and making ‘wow’ plays. But there’s something about hitting. Get a good hit, it’s like, ‘All right, I won this battle with the pitcher.’ I think…

NEW YORK Xorge Carrillo roomed with Jacob deGrom as teammates with Double-A Binghamton. Carrillo also caught Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz with the Eastern League club. And while Carrillo may be blocked from joining them at the major league level right now by Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki, Carrillo did have a breakout year power-wise in 2015 and is knocking on the door of a major league career. In his first full season as a starting catcher, Carrillo hit.240/.318/.382 with 10 homers and 40 RBIs in 325 at-bats last year. After being drafted in the 14th round in 2011 out of Arizona State, Carrillo had produced only five total homers in his first four pro seasons. Still, Carrillo added: “I don’t think the.240 is really me. I think that I…

CLEVELAND This is clearly a year of transition for the Indians’ outfield. Only two of the eight outfielders on the team’s 40-man roster have been everyday outfielders for a full big league season. Those two are Michael Brantley and Rajai Davis. The other six are Abraham Almonte, Joey Butler, Lonnie Chisenhall, Collin Cowgill, Tyler Naquin and James Ramsey. Barring any late additions, the stable of outfielders the Indians will bring to spring training, with the exception of Brantley, is not a high-profile group. A case could be made that the two most interesting Indians outfielders won’t be in the major league camp at all. At least not officially. Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier, the club’s top two prospects, are not among the minor leaguers who have been invited to the…

MINNEAPOLIS Is it possible for a player to be a “prospect” if his team envisions him as a bench player? Absolutely, the Twins say. That’s why they have Heiker Meneses. The 24-year-old Venezuelan already has eight seasons of professional experience, yet doesn’t have a settled position. That’s by design. If he reaches Minnesota, the Twins figure, he’ll be playing several different positions. “Not every guy projects as a regular, or as a star,” said Mike Radcliff, the Twins’ vice president for player personnel. “Menses has a decent chance to impact the major league team, but he’ll do it by being ready to play all over the diamond.” Staying ready has been the tricky part. Meneses is a solid infield defender and a relative veteran at Double-A, so the Twins had…

CINCINNATI Fifteen of the Reds’ pitchers, some prospects, some who got their first taste of the big leagues in 2015, met at the team’s spring training home in Goodyear, Ariz., in mid-January for what manager Bryan Price called a “pitching summit.” The Reds are in a rebuilding phase and rebuilding with pitching, so Price, major league pitching coach Mark Riggins, bullpen coach Mack Jenkins and Triple-A pitching coach Ted Power hosted some of the team’s top prospects. The lone veteran on the Reds’ staff, Homer Bailey, was also there. The Reds have loaded up on pitching prospects over the last couple of years, so there had to be limitations to keep the group to just 15. The group was limited to pitchers who reached at least the Double-A level in…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ OAKLAND First, his knee went bad. Then came a wrist injury. Matt Chapman’s first full year as a pro was little more than a mixture of pains. But somehow, between the ailments, Chapman, 22, managed to show the kind of potential the Athletics envisioned when they made him the 25th overall pick in the 2014 draft. He played impressive defense at third base and socked 23 home runs in only 80 games for high Class A Stockton. “He began to display the power that we thought was there,” farm director Keith Lieppman said. “He put together 23 home runs in three-quarters of a season. He was able to show opposite field power and pull power. That was the…

SEATLLE An unexpected candidate for the Mariners’ platoon partner with Adam Lind at first base has been added to the competition. With no ideal candidate to fill that role, Seattle signed slugging Korean first baseman Dae-Ho Lee to a minor league contract with an invite to big league spring training. He’ll compete with Jesus Montero, Gaby Sanchez and Stefen Romero for the spot. “Dae-Ho gives us another potential righthanded power bat in the first base competition,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said. “He has performed at a very high level of production in both Korea and Japan and we are excited to see how that translates to our team.” The Mariners scouted Lee heavily at the Premier 12 in November in Tokyo with director of international scouting Tim Kissner and vice…

PHOENIX Righthander Evan Marshall has been back on a mound for two weeks now, and it feels just like old times. Only more so. “Everything is great,” Marshall said. “I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been. It’s part of the whole rehab process.” Marshall missed the final two months of the 2015 season after sustaining a fractured skull when he was hit on the right side of his head by a line drive while pitching for Triple-A Reno at El Paso on Aug. 4. He had surgery to address swelling and bleeding on the brain that night. His recovery process has gone so well that on the impact test mandated by major league baseball’s concussion protocol, Marshall said doctors told him he…

SAN FRANCISCO One of Buster Posey’s greatest honors from his college days was winning the Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s top catcher. He won’t be the only catcher in Giants camp to have been a finalist for the award. The organization isn’t wasting any time exposing Matt Winn to big league life. Just eight months after being drafted in the 14th round out of Virginia Military Institute, Winn received an invitation to major league spring training. He’ll catch bullpens alongside Posey, Andrew Susac and others. Not a bad spot for a 23-year-old kid who has played a grand total of 36 games in his professional career. Winn hit just.216/.277/.328 in those games split between the Giants’ Rookie-level affiliate in the Arizona League and low Class A Augusta. But in…

1. HUNTINGTON BEACH (CALIF.) HIGH After a slow start in 2015, Huntingon Beach rebounded quickly and went 25-8, going on to win the CIF Southern Division championship with a team filled with talented underclassmen. In 2016, most of that squad is back. Pitchers Hagen Danner, Nicholas Pratto and Logan Pouelsen, all strong prospects committed to Pacific-12 Conference schools, form a dynamic staff for the Oilers. Huntington Beach should be expected to win every time it takes the field this season, though its schedule is filled with skilled Southern California competition, and the Oilers will play in two very challenging tournaments in the National High School Invitational and the Boras Classic. 2. WALTON HIGH, MARIETTA, GA. Walton is hungry after losing the 6-A Georgia state championship in 2015, and it returns…

SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC There was a buzz across the Dominican upon news that Yulieski Gurriel and younger brother Lourdes Jr. had fled the Cuban team at the Caribbean Series so they could each pursue a contract with a major league team. Yulieski, 31, is the best player in Cuba. Baseball America ranked him as the No. 1 Cuban player still on the island last year in April, and now that he’s hit.494/.586/.861 with just two (!) strikeouts in 215 plate appearances this season with 37 walks and 14 home runs, he’s only further cemented his status as the country’s top player. Yes, his prime years are behind him—Gurriel first played for Cuba’s top-level national team in 2003—but he’s still an offensive force who can play good defense at third…

Yulieski Gurriel, long considered both the best major league prospect and the best player in Cuba, has left the island with his brother Lourdes Jr., also a strong MLB prospect in his own right. Baseball America’s Ben Badler confirmed an El Nuevo Herald report on the Gurriels on Feb. 8 that the brothers have left the island, intending to establish residency elsewhere and become free agents. Both players have changed the spellings of their names recently; it’s been Gourriel in the past. Yulieski, 31, was hitting .494/.586/.861 in 215 plate appearances during the 2015-2016 season in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, with 14 home runs, 37 walks and two strikeouts prior to joining Cuba’s team for the Caribbean Series. He went 9-for-20 in five Caribbean Series games while playing second base and…

The Indians have a new top scout in Latin America. Koby Perez, who had been an international crosschecker for the team the last two years, was promoted to director of Latin American scouting, filling the vacancy from the departure of Ramon Pena earlier this month. Perez has been with the Indians since November 2013, joining the team after spending the previous five years with the Phillies, where he was primarily responsible for scouting in the Dominican Republic. Perez had been an integral part of Philadelphia’s strong run of Dominican signings during that stretch. He was involved in the signings of third baseman Maikel Franco, outfielder Domingo Santana and righthanders Hector Neris and Lisalverto Bonilla, all of whom have reached the major leagues. He was also a signing scout for righthanders…

MLB.com DENVER Bill White went about his normal routine on Feb. 3. He went into “The City” for a while, returned to his Delaware River residence outside of Philadelphia, and tended to a few personal matters. “No big deal,” White said. Twenty-seven years earlier, however, on Feb. 3, 1989, the day was a real big deal. White was appointed president of the National League, becoming at that time the highest-ranking African-American executive in professional sports. Not that White thought about it in those terms. He knew his hiring was abnormal, but not because of racial reasons. White was a former big league player. He was a longtime radio/television announcer. White wasn’t part of the ownership or frontoffice inner circles. He was an outsider. White, however, felt he was certainly qualified.…

Prospect season never ends at Baseball America, but the Top 100 Prospects list is the natural demarcation line from one season to another. All of our countless conversations with scouts, coaches and team officials as well as many road trips over the past year have led to this list. And as soon as we put this Top 100 in your hands we’ll start working and thinking about next year’s list. Te Top 100 was compiled by John Manuel, J.J. Cooper, Matt Eddy, Ben Badler, Josh Norris and Vince Lara-Cinisomo. 01 COREY SEAGER SS, DODGERS HIT: 70. POWER: 60. SPEED: 40. FIELDING: 45. ARM: 60. ETA: 2016. 02 BYRON BUXTON OF, TWINS HIT: 70. POWER: 60. SPEED: 80. FIELDING: 70. ARM: 70. ETA: 2016. 03 YOAN MONCADA 2B, RED SOX HIT:…

Blake Snell (12) vs. Steven Matz (13) JOHN MANUEL: Because Matz has major league time and pitched well in that time, I can see giving Matz the edge. For me, it’s a matter of Snell’s constant improvement in the minors with his breaking ball getting better and his control trending in the right direction. For me, he’s got the higher ceiling with the easy velocity, potential above-average breaker and plus changeup. Other advantages for Snell are age and lack of injury history though Matz’s TJ is far in the past. Both guys look like potential No. 2 starters to me. J.J. COOPER: I appear to be the most optimistic about Matz’s health and future durability. He made 21 starts in 2013, 24 starts in 2014 and 27 starts in 2015…

Jake Bauers (78) vs. Dominic Smith (79) vs. Bobby Bradley (93) JJ COOPER: I like how we have Bauers and Smith back-to-back because they are very similar type of prospects. Both are strong defensive first basemen (edge to Smith) and above-average hitters with questions about how much power they’ll hit. Bauers is a better athlete (and can play left field as well as first base). Smith was obviously a much higher draft pick, but a lot of that came back to Smith’s longer track record as an amateur. From their senior year in high school on, Bauers has matched or bettered Smith hit for hit and he’s a little younger. But the more I think about it, the more I think Bradley could end up the best of this trio.…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ BALTIMORE By re-signing Chris Davis to a seven-year, $161 million contract, the Orioles raised questions about the futures of minor league first basemen Christian Walker and Trey Mancini. Is one of them expendable, perhaps leading to a trade? Could they co-exist at Triple-A Norfolk this summer, alternating between first base and DH? Could they try their hand in the outfield? Walker was the organization’s minor league player of the year in 2014. Mancini won the award last season. They’re two of the top position prospects in the organization, but they’re blocked by Davis. Orioles manager Buck Showalter isn’t endorsing a trade. “It’s like when someone says, ‘Geez, if you like Mancini, why don’t you trade Christian Walker? If…

ST. PETERSBURG While most of the 20 young prospects invited to the Rays annual mid-January winter development camp jetted back home for another few weeks of rest, Adrian Rondon was headed to Port Charlotte to continue offseason workouts. Signed to a nearly $3 million bonus just after turning 16 in July 2014, Rondon has been understandably slow to develop, so the Rays figured the extra work could help and the native of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, was all for it. “There’s a lot of things I can work on,’’ Rondon said through team interpreter George Pappas. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to stick around. I’m grateful for the staff and everybody who wants to help me. So I thank God for the opportunity and look forward to getting…

ATLANTA The Braves enter spring training with more questions than answers regarding their big league rotation. A similar situation will unfold at the Class A levels, although those issues involve an excess of options as opposed to a perceived lack of depth. Numerous trades made over the past two years as well as an impressive 2015 draft class could create a logjam at high Class A Carolina and low Class A Rome. The Braves realize these situations have a way of working out, but the possibilities are intriguing. “Rome could be so loaded that several guys will end up in extended spring training,” said Braves general manager John Coppolella. “There’s a chance some guys may get frustrated, but it also creates competition, which is something every organization hopes to have…

WASHINGTON Rhett Wiseman only thought he was playing every day when he was helping Vanderbilt win a College World Series title in 2014 and then make it back to the finals last year. He found out differently after playing in the short-season New York-Penn League. Though the third-round pick had what Nationals farm director Mark Scialabba called “a solid start to his professional career,” Wiseman knew he had work to do after the Auburn Doubledays’ season ended. He started simplifying his swing in instructional league and was putting in more work this offseason in San Diego with Troy Gingrich, the organization’s hitting coordinator. “It was a pretty long season transitioning right from the CWS to pro ball,” Wiseman said. “But your swing’s always changing with your body. At Vandy, the…

DETROIT There good news for power-hitting right fielder Steven Moya is that he posted solid numbers while playing in the Dominican League this winter. The bad news is that a big league roster spot will be quite difficult to come by this spring. The Tigers signed Justin Upton to a lucrative six-year deal and will have nine outfielders with big league experience in camp. But general manager Al Avila warned against overlooking Moya. “Moya had a very good winter,” Avila said. “If he continues in Toledo where he left off in winter ball, then he will be on his way to playing in the big leagues.” Moya, 24, was listed at or near the top of the team’s prospects list for several years, but slipped out of the top 10…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ MILWAUKEE To say it has been all good for Josh Hader since he joined the Brewers organization is an understatement, to say the least. The 21-year-old lefthander was highly regarded when he was one of four prospects acquired from Houston in late July in exchange for center fielder Carlos Gomez and righthander Mike Fiers. But Hader took his game to another level after that trade, quickly rising up the ranks of prospect lists for the entire minor leagues. Hader was 3-3, 3.17 in 17 games (10 starts) at Double-A Corpus Christi while still in the Astros’ system but was even better after the Brewers assigned him to Double-A Biloxi. In seven starts there, he compiled a 2.79 ERA…

PITTSBURGH Shortstop Gift Ngoepe has long been a great human interest story in his journey from being raised by his mother in the clubhouse of a South African semipro team to signing with the Pirates in 2008. However, the 26-year-old would like the next wave of media attention to be generated by becoming the first African to reach the major leagues. Ngoepe is finally on the doorstep. The Pirates placed him on the 40-man roster in November. He will have a chance to win a bench job in spring training. It is not completely out of the question that he could be the opening day second baseman as Josh Harrison might be needed to fill in at third base if Jung Ho Kang isn’t completely recovered from the broken leg…

HOUSTON Righthander Francis Martes sprinted up the minor league ladder last season, and now he’s adding to his repertoire and hoping to jump to the big leagues in 2016. In 2015, Martes cruised through low Class A Quad Cities before overpowering opposing hitters at high Class A Lancaster to earn a promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi months before he turned 20 in November. Martes dominated mainly with a mid-90s fastball and wicked curveball combination. He also throws a changeup. Pitching coordinator Doug White asked his young righthander to start working on a cutter, so he began learning how to throw that pitch in January in his native Dominican Republic. “It’s a process, but everything is fine,” Martes said of his new addition. “I have to try to get better, because…

ARLINGTON Righthander Myles Jaye spent the past two seasons at Double-A Birmingham in a thin White Sox system. He pitched well enough in 2015 to earn his first taste of Triple-A—he went 12-9, 3.29 and allowed opponents to hit.244—yet he needed a change in organizations to get that bump. Jaye appears headed to Triple-A Round Rock to open 2016, assuming he doesn’t shock the world and make the Rangers’ starting rotation after being handed a non-roster invite to big league camp. A return to Double-A, at Frisco, would likely be only temporary. The Rangers needed Jaye after shipping three pitching prospects to Philadelphia last season in the July 31 trade for Cole Hamels. They also wanted him, trading for him on the final day of the Winter Meetings and immediately…

DENVER Summing up the acquisition of lefthanded reliever Jake McGee, general manager Jeff Bridich said, “There’s an intent here to continue to bombard this organization with impact pitching. And this is just simply another example of that.” Bridich wasn’t referring solely to McGee. The trade that sent outfielder Corey Dickerson and third baseman Kevin Padlo to the Rays also netted righthander German Marquez, adding another pitching prospect to Colorado’s system. Marquez, who turns 22 on Feb. 22, joins that prospect mix. He has held his own while being one of the youngest players at each level since first playing in the U.S. in 2013 in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. “Those are all good signs,” Bridich said. “There are signs of maturity there. It’s another really good arm and hopefully a…

ESPN.com PHILADELPHIA I’ve been waiting a lonnngggg time to write this column. For weeks. For months, actually. This column has become a Super Bowl tradition like no other. In fact, it’s become my favorite column of the year, if you want to know the truth. Why? Because there’s no better time than Super Bowl week to punch a really enjoyable hole in the NFL’s most widely accepted—but hilariously fictional— bit of institutional propaganda. Which is: That in the awesome and sacred National Football League, anybody can win. (Ho, ho, ho.)... And every team has a chance. (Ha, ha, ha.)... And the landscape is totally level. (Guffaw, guffaw, guffaw.)... And parity rules. (Har, har, hardy, har, har.) Oh, really? Tell it to the Browns. Yeah, if only baseball could be more…

EVERYONE, EVERY YEAR Yes, this is the one time each year that we know we’ll receive this question for Ask BA. We know as soon as you get the Top 100 Prospects list in your hand, you’ll be wondering who just missed the list. This year the just-missed list is a little longer and meatier than usual because the back of this year’s list was even more wide open— with more varied opinions—than usual. A little insight to the process: We get the Baseball America staff to rank their Top 150 Prospects, and we put those lists into a spreadsheet to see if we can find a consensus. Once we have that list, we sit down and mull over the adjustments. In some order, the next 20 who just missed…

MLB Network BOSTON The 2015 Kansas City Royals had the 22nd-best starters’ ERA in the game and won the World Series. Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman faced 565 batters last season and struck out 347 of them. The Orioles paid $31 million to keep Darren O’Day. The Yankees have two $10 millionplus relievers in their nine-out troika. The Red Sox moved three very good prospects for Craig Kimbrel and a 200-inning starter to Seattle for two more relievers. The Nationals have traded for Jonathan Papelbon and Trevor Gott and signed two more relievers. The Mets paid handsomely for Antonio Bastardo. The Astros traded big for Ken Giles. This is a long way of saying, bullpens have become more important that ever. “Honestly, we look to go to spring…

Reds lefthander Cody Reed has most everything a scout looks for in a lefty starter: a big body, the size that can denote durability and the plus stuff that makes hitters wince. Blue Jays center fielder Anthony Alford fits the prototype for a top-of-the-order table setter. He has a solid understanding of the strike zone and the quick hands that allow him to line singles and doubles. And he’s got the speed to make pitchers nervous when he’s standing on first base. Alford (No. 25 on the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects list) and Reed (No. 34) are among the best prospects in the minors heading into the 2016 season. Neither came close to making this list last year. They are also two of the unlikeliest Top 100 Prospects, albeit…

Jorge Mateo (26) vs. Raul A. Mondesi (29) JJ COOPER: Jorge Mateo has a great season. He dominated the South Atlantic League and had a great finish in the Florida State League. But it’s worth noting that Mateo is older than Mondesi. I can’t help but wonder what kind of numbers Mondesi would put up if he had spent much of the season in the Sally League–Mondesi’s stint in Lexington was two full seasons ago. Tools-wise I’d argue Mondesi has the edge in power, defense and arm while they have similar speed. Mateo uses his speed better and has a potentially better hit tool, but I don’t think the difference there is as much as it would appear from their minor league statistics. JOHN MANUEL: I was a little startled…

Andrew Knapp (96) vs. Tom Murphy (97) vs. Tyler Stephenson (98) JOHN MANUEL: Stephenson fits a very risky demographic as a high school catcher picked in the first round. He’s got the highest ceiling here, but I’m comfortable being conservative with his ranking. Knapp has loud offensive tools and a good track record for having a feel for hitting. We’ll see whether or not he’ll be good enough defensively, but I have faith in the reports that give him average potential. Murphy had an injury-plagued year last year but he has shown the tools to be a starter if not a starter. His grinder makeup gives me another reason to like him. J.J. COOPER: These are three very different catchers. Stephenson is the long way away, high ceiling all-around catcher.…

BOSTON On the surface, Brian Johnson’s 2015 season appeared dominant. In 18 Triple-A starts, he went 9-6, 2.53 and showed the poise, pitch mix, command, and feel to convince most evaluators that he represented a solid bet to be a major league starter. Yet behind his effectiveness, something seemed amiss at times. Whereas Johnson sat at 90-91 mph for much of his breakout 2014 campaign, his fastball lost a couple ticks in 2015, often sitting at 88-89 mph. The lefthander also found that his signature fastball command sometimes wasn’t present. Johnson’s season ended in early August when he was diagnosed with ulnar nerve irritation. In hindsight, he understands how the condition impacted him. “I don’t even know if there was a certain time when it started, but it was there.…

TORONTO General manager Ross Atkins believes there are two key areas of focus when deciding which non-roster prospects get invited to bigleague spring training. “One is making your team better, obviously, so if there’s a chance for someone to impact your team that year, it can be seen as an orientation and a familiarization with the coaching staff, with the players on it, and certainly a more extended preparation,” he explains. “Two is just effort, who’s earned it from an effort standpoint, who’s been the most consistently professional.” The Blue Jays are bringing 14 non-roster prospects to their camp this month, with first baseman Rowdy Tellez, righthander Conner Greene and shortstop Richard Urena among the first-timers. Center fielder Anthony Alford is headed to his second big-league spring training, arriving this…

MIAMI It’s just a 15-hour trip, but it’s been 15 years in the making for J.T. Riddle, who will drive his Ford F-150 pickup truck from Lexington, Ky., to Jupiter, Fla. Once the Marlins’ 6-foot-3, 175-pound infielder arrives at Roger Dean Stadium on Feb. 21, he will be ready to live a dream come true—his first major league camp. “It’s a big honor,” said Riddle, 24. “This is something I’ve been working toward since middle school, and to finally be so close is an awesome feeling.” The Red Sox selected Riddle out of Western Hills High in Frankfurt, Ky., in the 35th round in 2010. Riddle went instead to college at Kentucky, where he played mostly second base but also some right field. Miami signed Riddle in 2013 after drafting…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CHICAGO Shortstop Eddy Alvarez is a 26-yearold prospect with dreams of making it to the major leagues despite spending most of 2015 at low Class A Kannapolis. The odds are seemingly stacked against him, but Alvarez has experience rising above challenges. “How realistic is a Miami boy making it to the Winter Olympics?” Alvarez said. “Anything in this world is possible, and I like to think I’m a testament to that. So yeah, the big leagues for me is there.” After earning all-conference honors as a shortstop for Salt Lake CC in 2011, Alvarez decided to drop baseball and concentrate on speed skating. “It was three years of training for six, eight hours a day, six days a…

KANSAS CITY Matt Alvarez possesses a major league arm with a plus fastball, but that did not transform into success at Boston College. Alvarez brandished 5.88, 5.91 and 5.60 ERAs mostly as a reliever and not surprisingly went undrafted in 2013. Pitching that summer for Staten Island, Alvarez was rated the No. 1 prospect in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League with a 93-96 mile per hour fastball and a 90 mph cutter. The Royals signed the 6-2, 190-pound righthander on Aug. 8 and dispatched Alvarez to Idaho Falls. Alvarez posted a 6.75 ERA in six appearances with the Chukars. The next season he went 5-7 with a 5.15 ERA in 30 games, including seven starts, with low Class A Lexington. In 2015, Alvarez turned it around with high Class A…

CHICAGO The Cubs’ bullpen was a significant strength in 2015, when the team finished third in the National League in ERA. To repeat that performance, the front office has added more pieces for manager Joe Maddon to choose from, more options for the back of the bullpen. That led to offseason acquisitions such as righthander Spencer Patton, acquired in November from the Rangers for shortstop Frandy de la Rosa. Patton was a Triple-A allstar in 2015, going 2-0, 1.67 with 11 saves in 26 games for Triple-A Round Rock, but struggled in 27 outings for Texas, with a 9.00 ERA. He’s a sinker-slider pitcher who pitches in the low 90s with a low-80s slide, and at 28, he’s fairly established as a potential ground ball guy. A less established piece,…

ST. LOUIS With the moves the Cardinals made this offseason—and one they didn’t—latebloomer Tommy Pham can clearly see the opportunity presented him this spring. It helps that he has new contacts. Pham, 27, had his rise to the majors complicated by injuries and ailments, not the least of which was an eye condition discovered back when he was in Double-A that has, at times, limited his vision. Back in 2009, with his average deteriorating as rapidly as his eyesight, Pham relented to an exam and learned he had keratoconus. The narrowing of the cornea limited his vision without the help of contacts or glasses. He has tried to remain vigilant when it comes updating is prescription, but has been reluctant to do so during a season because of the adjustment.…

ANAHEIM As good a defensive center fielder as Chad Hinshaw has become in three years in the Angels’ system, he has no future there with the club that drafted him in the 15th round out of Illinois State in 2013. The Angels are set in center, at least through 2020, with Mike Trout, who’s a full year younger than Hinshaw, 25. But there could be a crack in the front door of the Angels lineup, and it may provide Hinshaw’s only hope at becoming a big league regular. Probable 2016 leadoff man Yunel Escobar is only signed through this season with an option for 2017. Assuming Hinshaw, who can play both corner spots, advances to Triple-A Salt Lake, a strong season there could position him for a reserve outfield spot…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ LOS ANGELES Micah Johnson has a simple philosophy. “It’s beyond my paygrade to be a GM yet,” the 25-year-old second baseman said in January. “I’ve still got a couple years of playing before I worry about the GM moves. So I don’t think about it. I just play.” That’s a good thing—because a lot has seemed out of Johnson’s control lately. The former Indiana Hoosier, who turned 25 in December, went to camp with the White Sox last spring and won the job as their primary second baseman, making his major league debut as the starter there on Opening Day. By mid-May, Johnson was hitting.270 with a.333 on-base percentage, but his defense was deemed too unreliable and he…

SAN DIEGO At age 24, outfielder Rymer Liriano still has time to make his mark in the big leagues. It just won’t be with the Padres. Liriano, who in 2012-13 was one of the franchise’s top prospects, went to the Milwaukee Brewers on Jan. 28 in a trade for Double-A pitcher Trevor Seidenberger. General Manager A.J. Preller inherited and traded Liriano, who, because of his raw power, powerful build, quick feet and strong throwing arm, drew comparisons to former Dodgers standout Raul Mondesi early in his minor league career. Preller had acquired several other righthanded corner outfielders, including Matt Kemp and Rule 5 draftee Jabari Blash, in addition to holding on to prospect Hunter Renfroe, who will compete for a major league job in spring training. Liriano is a career.277/.350/.435…

Ian Anderson fits into many of the standard “projection” categories that teams have used for years. Anderson is a 6-foot-3, railthin righthanded pitching prospect, with a clean delivery that he repeats well. Anderson’s fastball sits in the low 90s and has touched as high as 94. He complements it with a changeup that could become a plus pitch, as well as an improving breaking ball that shows late dive as it crosses through the strike zone. He’s also from upstate New York, making him one of the most projectable pitchers in the 2016 draft class. Anderson’s high upside, and his high draft stock, represent a turning point in Northeast baseball. A lot of the language used to describe Anderson was applied to another righthander from New York’s capital region back…

PHOENIX While college baseball fans eagerly awaited Feb. 19 for Division I opening day, junior college programs got a head start on Jan. 29. The highlight of the first weekend in the Phoenix area was a three-game series between perennial powerhouse Central Arizona JC and Phoenix JC. Central Arizona swept the series, outscoring Phoenix, 35-9 over the course of the weekend. Central Arizona outfielder/DH Mitchell Robinson joined the Vaqueros after starting his college career with one season at Florida International. He started his junior college career by going 5-for-13 with a home run and a stolen base in his first three games. Robinson, the Marlins’ 2014 22nd-round pick and a native of Vancouver, B.C., intrigues scouts with a power bat from the right side of the plate. He uses his…