Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, February 27, 2015 i Baseball America

APRIL 1 1984 » IN THIS ISSUE: Will the Yankees find a spot for 18-year-old Joe Rijo? Is there room on the Mets’ staff for Dwight Gooden? » ALSO: Kirk McCaskill weighs returning to the California Angels or pursuing a hockey career with the Winnipeg Jets. Before we published a Top 100 Prospects list, BA lined up a Top 25. The impressive list was topped by Juan Samuel, who replaced Joe Morgan in Philadelphia, and Cubs shortstop Shawon Dunston, “who shouldn’t need more than a season in the high minors before he’s ready to replace an aging Larry Bowa.” Jose Rijo and Dwight Gooden ranked third and fourth, with Darnell Coles and Kenny Williams (the future White Sox GM) up next. Roger Clemens checked in at No. 11 with a…

Baseball Writer, ESPN.com NEW YORK Robert D. Manfred Jr., Major League Baseball’s 10th commissioner, is familiar to American sports fans only in lawyerly snippets on the big stage. His notable cameos include an appearance before a Congressional committee investigating steroid use in 2005 and a 2014 “60 Minutes’’ report on Alex Rodriguez and MLB’s Biogenesis investigation. To most people outside baseball’s inner circle, he is a blank slate wrapped in an enigma dressed in a navy suit. But Manfred’s influence and achievements vastly outweigh his low profile. He’s the guy who has helped ensure continuity and labor peace for two decades through his cooperative work with Michael Weiner, the late executive director of the Players Association. Weiner was fond of flannel shirts and Chuck Taylor high-tops while Manfred came to…

HUDEK’S DAUGHTER EARNS SCHOLARSHIP Sarah Hudek, the daughter of former major league reliever John Hudek, received a scholarship to pitch at Bossier Parish (La.) CC. Bossier coach Adam Vorachek told the Shreveport Times that signing Hudek was not a publicity stunt and that the 5-foot-10 lefthander throws about 82 mph. “This is not a gimmick and I could care less about media attention,’’ Vorachek told the newspaper. “I’m signing her to help us win ball games.” As a junior at George Ranch High in Richmond, Texas, Hudek was 1-0, 2.25. In eight innings, she struck out 11 and walked five. MLB PUTS ROBINSON INTO ADVISER ROLE Frank Robinson, Major League Baseball’s executive vice president of baseball development since June 2012, is giving up that post to become an adviser to…

Editor in Chief Baseball America johnmanuel@baseballamerica.com I was graduating high school when Allan Simpson, Tracy Ringolsby, Ken Leiker and company were coming up with Baseball America’s first Top 100 Prospects list. At the time, I was more interested in Rick Fox’s prospects of leading Dean Smith and my Tar Heels to the Sweet 16 than I was in prospects. Times change. I’m still interested in Tar Heels basketball and mourning the loss of Coach Smith, who means more to me than he probably should. The same is true of BA’s Top 100. Top prospect lists are now commonplace in baseball writing, but Allan and Co. were on to something. As you can read in J.J. Cooper’s oral history of the Top 100 (Page 14), the time had come for such…

It’s never too early to look ahead, so here we present 10 players who didn’t come all that close to cracking this year’s Top 100 Prospects ranking, but who could make the list next year because they have high ceilings. Many of these players competed in short-season leagues in 2014—some even signed within the last year—and embark on their first fullseason assignment in 2015. OZHAINO ALBIES, SS, BRAVES Albies made quick work of the competition in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast and Appalachian leagues. He impressed evaluators enough to rank as the Appy League’s No. 1 prospect while playing at Danville. Albies is a high-energy, leadoff-type hitter with excellent hand-eye coordination and the ability to stay inside the ball and spray line drives all over the field. He’s a smooth defender…

Ramos Getting Back To Work BOSTON The timing couldn’t have been worse. Outfielder Henry Ramos appeared to be blossoming at Double-A Portland in 2014. Through 48 games, the 22-year-old switchhitter batted .326/.368/.431, while showing enough progress with the bat to go with his typically strong defense and natural speed. Some speculated that Ramos might be added to the 40-man roster after the season, but that was before his season came to a crashing halt on May 28. That’s when he suffered a stress fracture in his left tibia after getting hit by a pitch. Consequently, the Red Sox did not add the 22-year-old to the 40-man, and no team selected him in the Rule 5 draft. Still, while Ramos seems destined to return to Portland, he is in an organization…

MIAMI | Marlins For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ FORT LAUDERDALE It didn’t occur to shortstop J.T. Riddle until he hit an eighth-inning home run that he could have hit for the cycle that day for low Class A Greensboro. After a first-inning double on June 30 at Asheville, Riddle led off again in the second and lined a pitch to deep center field. He reached third base when the ball glanced off the outfielder’s glove, but the official scorer ruled the play an error, ultimately leaving Riddle a triple shy of the cycle. That 5-for-7 game was a springboard for the 23-year-old Riddle, who put together a strong second half after a severe ankle sprain sidelined him for most of April. “I was doing…

Lively Repertoire PHILADELPHIA Righthander Ben Lively will never forget New Year’s Eve 2014. He and some buddies had just arrived in New Orleans for a celebration when his phone rang. The Reds had traded him to the Phillies for Marlon Byrd. “I had just checked into the hotel,” Lively said. “I had no idea it was coming. I knew they needed an outfielder, so I guess it was always a possibility in the back of my mind. But it was definitely a shock. “I was literally in Cincinnati two weeks earlier for Reds (fan) fest. Thinking about that made it even more shocking, but that’s baseball.” Lively, a 2013 fourth-round pick from Central Florida, earned pitcher-of-the-year honors for the Reds in 2014. He went 13-7, 3.04 in 26 starts split…

No More Backflips CHICAGO After being selected by the White Sox with the 13th overall pick in the 2012 draft, outfielder Courtney Hawkins was so excited he did a backflip. Now 21, the former prep phenom out of Carroll High in Corpus Christi, Texas, is keeping his emotions in better check. That helps explain why Hawkins wasn’t turning cartwheels after receiving a non-roster invitation to big league camp this year. “I got the invite, and now I just have to go out and play my game,” Hawkins said. “I’m excited, but whatever happens happens. Don’t try to do too much and don’t try to shoot for something that might not be there. Just go out and play ball.” After spending the past two seasons at high Class A Winston-Salem, Hawkins…

Duffey On The Cusp MINNEAPOLIS Nearly three years after the Twins adopted a Costco approach to power arms, righthander Tyler Duffey appears close to making the strategy pay off. Faced with a shortage of velocity in the system, the Twins splurged on collegiate relief pitchers with radar-gun résumés in 2012, drafting five among their top nine picks. The buy-in-bulk method hasn’t produced a major leaguer yet, but Duffey, a fifth-rounder from Rice, will be in big league camp, preparing for a potential 2015 promotion. “He was the one who always projected to climb the fastest because starting was in his background,” vice president for player personnel Mike Radcliff said. “He came in with three pitches and great command.” That command hasn’t deserted him. Duffey debuted with 27 strikeouts and two…

Goals To Ful-Phil CINCINNATI Outfielder Phil Ervin’s goal for 2015 is not only simple in scope, but it should be easy to achieve. The 2013 first-rounder from Samford simply wants to do better than he did in 2014. That should be a goal for everyone, sure, but for Ervin and the Reds, it’s essential. In his first full season, Ervin struggled mightily at low Class A Dayton, hitting .237/.305/.376 in 498 at-bats. Those numbers are in the past now, but they did haunt him for much of his 2014 season. Every at-bat, every game, he’d look up and see his statistics, and they were rarely pretty. Ervin coasted at Rookie-level Billings in his 2013 debut, hitting .326/.416/.597 with eight homers before posting a 1.013 OPS in 34 games at Dayton.…

HOUSTON | Astros For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ HOUSTON A year ago, third baseman Colin Moran used his first big league spring training mainly to get familiarized with the expectations and his surroundings with the Marlins. He knew better than to expect a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 22-year-old got six Grapefruit League at-bats before being reassigned to minor league camp, but he’s prepared to get much more playing time as a non-roster invitee this year with the Astros. Moran has a realistic chance of being in the majors later this year, so Houston needs to see what he can do this spring training. “Obviously it will be a different situation going into it,” Moran said. “I was just happy to be…

Tongue Twister SEATTLE At first glance, it’s hard to know what’s more difficult, pronouncing Mayckol Guaipe’s name or getting a hit off him. But if he keeps progressing, people will know how to say his name because he will one day be part of the Seattle bullpen. According to the Mariners official guide, the 24-year-old righthanded reliever pronounces his name “Michael GWHY-pay.” “People are never quite sure when they first see it,” farm director Chris Gwynn said. But Gwynn knows that Guaipe can pitch, and pitch well. Guaipe, who signed out of Venezuela in 2006, had a breakout season at Double-A Jackson in 2014, and he carried it over to winter ball and a spot on the Mariners’ 40-man roster. He went 1-3, 2.89 with 12 saves for Jackson and…

On The Move, Again PHOENIX Lefthander Robbie Ray should be accustomed to being in demand these days. About a year after going to the Tigers in the deal that sent Doug Fister to the Nationals, Ray moved to the Diamondbacks as they looked to replenish their rotation with young arms. Arizona sent shortstop Didi Gregorius to the Yankees in the three-team deal for Ray that also unclogged its middle infield. “We have to build on our future,” general manager Dave Stewart said when the deal was completed in early December. “(Ray) is projected to be a middle-of-therotation or top-of-the rotation guy.” The 23-yer-old Ray will enter spring training as a contender for the final spot in the big league rotation. He will contend with a crowded group of younger arms…

Dream Coming True SAN FRANCISCO Mitch Delfino grew up in Cloverdale, a small town along the Russian River on the northern edge of Northern California’s wine country. He grew up enamored of the Giants, of course, and it was a thrill the first time he put on an orange and black jersey in instructional league. Now entering his fourth season, the way appears clear to fulfill a lifelong dream. The 24-year-old righthanded hitter has surpassed expectations at the plate every year while establishing himself as the organization’s most gifted defender at third base. That’s a handy combination of skills to possess, especially now that the Giants must replace star third baseman Pablo Sandoval. Delfino isn’t a candidate to fill the void just yet—the team acquired Casey McGehee from the Marlins—but he’ll…

A ballpark a decade in the making may have to wait a couple of months longer before opening its gates. With just two months until Opening Day and their new $36 million ballpark still far from complete, the Biloxi Shuckers announced plans to begin the 2015 season on the road. A revised schedule released by the Southern League in early February calls for the Shuckers to play their first 24 “home” games away from Biloxi, including 15 back at their previous home in Huntsville. The delayed debut would certainly be a blow to the team, which is looking to build a following in its first season since leaving Huntsville, and a financial hit to the city of Biloxi, which will have to pick up the tab on any cost overruns…

No surprise here, but this year’s inaugural version of the Baseball America/National High School Baseball Coaches Association High School Top 50 is dominated by warm-weather teams. You have to look all the way to No. 11 Moeller High (Cincinnati) before finding a team not from California, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas or Nevada. The Top 10 includes four teams that will participate in this year’s National High School Invitational, and those teams return a wealth of talented players who boast NCAA Division I commitments and stand to have their names called at this year’s draft. In total, seven of the Top 25 teams that open this season will participate in the NHSI. California schools JSerra High in San Juan Capistrano and Huntington Beach High will be in both the NHSI and…

Four months before new commissioner Rob Manfred announces the first pick, it’s clear that baseball has never seen a draft like this one. This is just the third time that the No. 1 pick in the previous year’s draft will again be draft eligible, but it’s the first time that the team who failed to sign the top pick got a compensatory pick one spot later. The fact that last year’s No. 1 pick, San Diego prep lefthander Brady Aiken, will be draft eligible again this June, and that the team that picked him last year will have two top five picks, assures that this draft will have plenty of intrigue and confusion as teams try to sort out a muddle at the top to their draft boards. The Astros…

Transactions involving minor league players, i.e. those not on 40-man rosters, covering the period Jan. 23-Feb. 5. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: Signed RHPs Henry Rodriguez and Aaron Sookee and C Gerald Laird. Re-signed C Dallas Tarleton. ATLANTA BRAVES: Signed Cs John Buck and Jesus Flores. Traded RHPs David Hale and Gus Schlosser to Rockies for Cs Jose Briceno and Chris O’Dowd. Traded OF Edward Salcedo to Pirates for RHP Bryton Trepagnier. BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Signed RHPs Dane de la Rosa and Brad Duffy, 2B Trevor Sprowl and OFs Anthony Hewitt and Chris Parmelee. Re-signed RHP Steve Johnson and OF Julio Borbon. Traded LHP Stephen Tarpley and a player to be named to Pirates for OF Travis Snider. Traded 2B Steve Lombardozzi to Pirates for cash. BOSTON RED SOX: Signed RHP Felipe Paulino, LHP…

Major League Baseball has changed course and is now allowing teams to sign Cuban players under the “general license” from the Office of Foreign Assets Control, paving the way for Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada and others to be able to sign. Given the interest level throughout the game in Moncada, it seems likely that he will sign before the minor league season begins. MLB had previously declared Moncada and Cuban infielder Andy Ibanez free agents, which means they should be eligible to sign immediately. While MLB has yet to declare Cuban second baseman Hector Olivera a free agent, he meets the requirements for the general license, so he should be able to sign shortly as well. Due to the United States’ embargo against Cuba, OFAC requires Cuban nationals to be…

PHOENIX One pitch was all it took to ruin a masterful performance by Phil Bickford. But that didn’t diminish the opinion of the 50 or so scouts on hand to watch Bickford—the Blue Jays’ unsigned 2013 first-round pick—pitch for the JC of Southern Nevada against local South Mountain CC. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound righthander, who left Cal State Fullerton prior to his sophomore year in order to make himself eligible for the 2015 draft, looks like he will again be a firstround pick in June. The 19-year-old cruised through the first five innings, striking out nine and walking two without a hit. He ran into trouble in the sixth, giving up an infield hit and then hitting a batter. The mistake came on a 3-2 pitch to sophomore Sabastian Zawada, who…

Columnist, MLB Network BOSTON National signing day for college football is a holiday in most of the country. On that day 17 years ago, Drew Henson had it all. He officially became a Michigan Wolverine, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound quarterback considered the best prospect at that position in the nation. Henson was considered so good that he got comparisons to Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana, and the football staff told Michigan’s baseball coaches they thought he would start as a freshman. The baseball coaches loved hearing that news—not really—because Henson was on his way to setting a national record with 70 career homers and winning high school player of the year honors for Brighton (Mich.) High. The Yankees thought Henson was the second coming of Mike Schmidt. New York took him…

The 25th Anniversary edition of the Top 100 Prospects list continues the rich history of the definitive list of baseball’s up and coming talent. For this year’s list, we’ve broken out each player’s component tools, rated on the 20-80 scouting scale, with 20 the lowest, 80 the highest and 50 considered major league average. Keep in mind that these grades carry considerable risk, so take them with a grain of salt. The Baseball America editorial staff votes on the list and then meets to hammer out the final version, led by Editor John Manuel and Managing Editor J.J. Cooper. 01 KRIS BRYANT 3B, CUBS AGE: 23. ETA: 2015. HIT: 60. POWER: 80. SPEED: 50. DEFENSE: 50. ARM: 60. 02 BYRON BUXTON OF, TWINS AGE: 21. ETA: 2016. HIT: 70. POWER:…

TAMPA BAY | Rays For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ST. PETERSBURG The Rays had a pretty good idea what kind of player they were getting from the Tigers when they insisted that shortstop Willy Adames be included as part of the return for David Price last July. They are even more pleased now that they’ve gotten to know the 19-year-old Dominican. “He can swing the bat, and he has skill at shortstop,” farm director Mitch Lukevics said, “but what’s impressive to me for only being in (the U.S.) for a short period of time . . . he has ‘it.’ ” Adames, who signed with the Tigers for $420,000 in 2012, handled himself well on and off the field last season as the youngest…

Yanks Add Another Power Arm NEW YORK Yankees pitching coaches and coordinators have come and gone, but the organization’s obsession with power arms remains intact. Their belief that Dellin Betances could harness his powerful right arm after years of poor control paid off in 2014 when he made the all-star team as a reliever. Naturally, Chris Martin’s bullet-throwing right arm interested the Yankees when they purchased the reliever from the Rockies, who had designated him for assignment in January. “He has a big fastball, which he gets up to 96 (mph) and averages 94,” assistant general manager Billy Eppler said of Martin, 28. “He is always around the strike zone and throws a high percentage of strikes and quality strikes. He misses bats in the strike zone. “We are excited…

Ground Attack ATLANTA The way righthander Jason Hursh sees it, he has been pitching for just two years as he prepares for spring training. Primarily a shortstop in high school, he had Tommy John surgery after 30 innings as a freshman at Oklahoma State. He returned to see his first extended mound action as a redshirt sophomore in 2013. “(That) was really my first full year to pitch at a competitive level,” said Hursh, 23, a firstround pick in 2013 who spent all of 2014 at Double-A Mississippi. “It wasn’t until (2014) that I really learned how to be a professional pitcher and how to compete at a high level.” Hursh’s lack of experience has had no ill effects on his development. He went 1-1, 0.67 in nine starts at…

A Healthy Approach WASHINGTON Righthander Lucas Giolito plans to begin the season with the same strength he finished the last one. On target to move up at least one level to high Class A Potomac, the 6-foot-6, 255-pound Giolito said he’s preparing to build on what he did at low Class A Hagerstown. He went 10-2, 2.20 with 110 strikeouts and 28 walks in 98 innings in his first full year after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. The Nationals spread out Giolito’s 20 starts, the last of which came Aug. 16, and he watched from the dugout as the Suns advanced to the South Atlantic League championship series. “It’s cool to be on that level to be considered 100 percent healthy,” Giolito said, “and a normal part of the pitching…

Briceno Bouncing Back DETROIT Tigers fans will get a chance to see relief prospects Angel Nesbitt and Joe Mantiply in big league camp this spring, but they’re going to have to wait to get a good look at Endrys Briceno. A 23-year-old righthander from Venezuela, Briceno continues to work his way back after having Tommy John surgery last summer. “(He) is one our better young pitching prospects who we are projecting to be a starter,” assistant general manager Al Avila said. “He is tall with a nice, fluid delivery and a very quick, live arm. The ball appears to explode out of his hand with good movement.” Briceno is listed at 6-foot-5, 171 pounds, so he has room to add some weight to his frame. But even with that slender…

ST. LOUIS | Cardinals For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ST. LOUIS On the verge of being one of those highly regarded Triple-A starters the Cardinals turn to, lefthander Tim Cooney had a blunt description of what he wanted to improve upon entering 2015. “I want to throw harder,” he said. The 24-year-old went 14-6, 3.47 in 26 games (25 starts) during his first turn at Triple-A Memphis last year. He was, in many ways, the Redbirds’ most reliable and steady starter, though 2013 first-rounder Marco Gonzales and Tyler Lyons bypassed him when it came to receiving a big league callup. Not being on the 40-man roster worked against him, and so did fate. Once when the Cardinals were looking for a starter and Cooney…

Short Stay For Knebel MILWAUKEE Righthander Corey Knebel’s home coming was short-lived. When the Tigers sent Knebel to the Rangers last July as part of a deal for Joakim Soria, the 23-year-old reliever was just 200 miles down the road from his Austin home. But he never got to pitch in a game for the Rangers before getting traded again. Texas dealt Knebel, shortstop Luis Sardinas and 18-year-old righthander Marcos Diplan to the Brewers for righthander Yovani Gallardo in late January. “It didn’t last very long, but it was fun while it lasted,” said Knebel, a 2013 supplemental first-round pick out of Texas. “When I heard of the first trade (from Detroit), it was hard to believe. It’s not like I saw this coming, but it wasn’t as hard to…

Heaney Looks To Bounce Back LOS ANGELES It was a quick ascent from Oklahoma State to the big leagues for Andrew Heaney, the 23-year-old lefthander who needed just 34 minor league appearances over two years to reach the Marlins last summer. Heaney, who was traded to the Dodgers and then flipped to the Angels for second baseman Howie Kendrick in December, didn’t hang around long, going 0-3, 5.83 in seven games before being demoted to Triple-A. “Unfortunately, I learned a lot more of what not to do than what to do,” Heaney said of his brief big league stint. “I didn’t feel like I was at my best at the time, but I’m a little bit glad. Sometimes being humbled, a little bit shaken, having some disappointment, can be good…

Mind Games ARLINGTON A look at Jorge Alfaro reveals a 6-foot-2, big league frame, and the Rangers’ catching instructor last year, Hector Ortiz, was convinced that Alfaro had the tools to be an elite big league catcher. Missing, though, was the big league aptitude, which isn’t a knock against Alfrao, who signed out of Colombia in 2010 and joined the 40-man roster last November. He attends his first big league camp this spring. Alfaro is just 21 years old and still needs experience working with pitchers, calling games and maintaining his focus for nine innings every night. Alfaro said in January that how soon he reaches the big leagues is up to him, after he participated in the Rangers’ annual mid-winter mini-camp that to young players serves as a springboard…

Catching Clinic DENVER Dom Nunez, Ryan Casteel and Tom Murphy received valuable mid-winter instruction, thanks to the generosity and initiative of catching coordinator Mark Strittmater. He invited the three backstops to individually come to Denver in January for a week and stay at his house, where Strittmatter has a batting cage and a pitching machine so catchers can hone their receiving and blocking skills. The first to arrive was Nunez, a sixth-rounder out of Elk Grove (Calif.) High in 2013, who actually stayed with shortstop Max George, a teammate last year at Rookie-level Grand Junction. Casteel and Murphy stayed with Strittmater, his wife Katie and their two kids. All three catchers paid their way to Denver. Strittmater said that during Nunez’s visit, Katie posed a simple question. “She said, ‘Why are…

Yoan Moncada is getting the majority of the attention—certainly in the public eye—when it comes to the Cuban market. Deservedly so. He’s a premium prospect that every team would love to add to their system. For more immediate impact, there’s Hector Olivera, who ranked as the No. 6 player in Cuba in August before he fled the island the following month. Olivera, a second baseman who turns 30 in April, attracted hundreds of scouts to a January showcase and is a favorite among many in the international scouting community who have evaluated him for years. There has been less public focus on 21-yearold second baseman Andy Ibanez, but teams are well aware that he’s the next top Cuban who will likely force a team to break its international bonus pool…

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. Like most youth baseball players, D.J. Stewart mirrored the batting stances of some of his favorite professional players. One game, the lefthanded-hitting Stewart might have the toe tap of Josh Hamilton. The next, Stewart might have had his legs spread and positioned in a semi-squat like Albert Pujols. “You were a different player with a different stance every week,” Stewart said and laughed. Stewart is his own player now, a hardhitting junior left fielder at Florida State who has developed into one of the nation’s top hitters and could be the best college bat in the 2015 draft class. Stewart’s stance—one that he has basically hit from since he was a youth in Yulee, Fla., outside of Jacksonville—continues to be a topic of conversation. Stewart settles into an…

For a generation of fans, the towering home runs of Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez are synonymous with baseball in Colorado. For more veteran Rockies rooters, the fondest memories involve the Blake Street Bombers— Vinny Castilla, Dante Bichette, Larry Walker and Andres Galarraga—doing damage to pitchers. But the same atmosphere that has helped the big league club to top-10 finishes in runs scored in seven of the last eight seasons seems to have had a hand in hindering the pro futures of hitters raised in Colorado. To wit, just five players selected out of either high school or college in Colorado have managed more than 1,000 at-bats in the major leagues. Former Expos second baseman Mark Grudzielanek leads the way with 7,052, followed by Jeff King, John Stearns, Randy Ready…

FIRST ROUND 1. Diamondbacks 2. Astros (for failure to sign Brady Aiken) 3. Rockies 4. Rangers 5. Astros 6. Twins 7. Red Sox 8. White Sox 9. Cubs 10. Phillies 11. Reds 12. Marlins 13. Rays 14. Braves 15. Brewers 16. Yankees 17. Indians 18. Giants 19. Pirates 20. Athletics 21. Royals 22. Tigers 23. Cardinals 24. Dodgers 25. Orioles 26. Angels COMPENSATION PICKS 27. Rockies (for losing FA Michael Cuddyer) 28. Braves (Ervin Santana) 29. Blue Jays (Melky Cabrera) 30. Yankees (David Robertson) 31. Giants (Pablo Sandoval) 32. Pirates (Russell Martin) 33. Royals (James Shields) 34. Tigers (Mac Scherzer) 35. Dodgers (Hanley Ramirez) 36. Orioles (Nelson Cruz) SUPPLEMENTAL FIRST ROUND 37. Astros (via Marlins) 38. Rockies 39. Cardinals 40. Brewers 41. Padres 42. Indians SECOND ROUND 43. Diamondbacks 44.…

PHILADELPHIA You can’t measure seven years in baseball with a yardstick, a ruler or even Altuves. So we’re here to measure it in a different way. (You’re welcome.) Seven seasons ago—that would be in 2008—13 pitchers showed up on at least one ballot in the Cy Young voting. Six are retired now (Mike Mussina, Roy Halladay, Mariano Rivera, Brad Lidge, Ryan Dempster and Brandon Webb). Of the other seven, Daisuke Matsuzaka is headed back to Japan, Johan Santana hasn’t won a big league game since June 2012, C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee spent a combined 200 days on the disabled list last year, and while his team was winning the World Series, Tim Lincecum was starting as many games last October as Juan Marichal. That leaves two others, Ervin Santana…

— BA READERS EVERY YEAR It’s a question we always get this time of year. After perusing the Top 100 Prospects rankings (SEE PAGE 12), our readers always want to know who just missed making the list. So this year we’re beating you to the punch with 15 prospects who missed the cut. Among the seven personal Top 150s turned in before our Top 100 Prospects staff meeting, 215 different players received at least one vote. Of that group, 15 players came close to making the Top 100, but were left out in the end for one reason or another. Indians outfielder Clint Frazier and Twins righthander Kohl Stewart both just missed because too many scouts who saw them play last year were disappointed with how these 2013 first-round picks…

Columnist, MLB.com DENVER Rocky Bridges had a big chaw in his right jaw, a smirk on his face, and a one-liner ready to deliver on his lips. He was old-school baseball, in a fun way. Everett Lamar Bridges’ death in late January from natural causes in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, at the age of 87 did not grab headlines across the country. However, it creates a void for baseball in its connection to the past. While Bridges did play in 11 seasons and coach in six others at the big league level, the legacy of the man who managed 21 years in the minor leagues was more about his wit than his wisdom. He was a minor league cross between Casey Stengel, Don Zimmer and Yogi Berra. Asked by a waiter…

It was 25 years ago that Baseball America unveiled its first Top 100 Prospects list. Braves wunderkind lefty Steve Avery was the original No. 1 prospect, a few months before his 20th birthday. Since then, Baseball America has picked out more than 2,000 players as the rising stars of tomorrow, creating a tradition that has spread throughout baseball and baseball journalism. Nowadays, compiling an overall list of the best prospects in the game is considered as much a vital part of the offseason as Winter Meetings trades, free agent signings and spring training. But when Baseball America put together its first comprehensive top prospects list in 1984, a Top 25, it was considered an audacious attempt to rank something that hadn’t been ranked before. To tell the history of the…

Orioles Land Lefty Rodriguez BALTIMORE The Orioles’ endless search for pitching depth and their enhanced efforts in the international marketplace led them to 30-year-old Mexican lefthander Daniel Rodriguez. Baltimore purchased the southpaw from the Braves on Jan. 23 and penciled him into the Triple-A Norfolk rotation for 2015. General manager Dan Duquette said Rodriguez won’t receive an invitation to spring training, “but we’ll probably take a look at him.” The Orioles’ minor league camp in Sarasota, Fla., is a short drive from the major league complex, so big league manager Buck Showalter often summons players to fill his travel roster. Rodriguez went 6-13, 5.04 with a 1.46 WHIP in 29 appearances (21 starts) last season at Triple-A Gwinnett. Orioles bullpen coach Dom Chiti is familiar with Rodriguez from his days…

Smith Smooths Self At Second TORONTO Outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. showed enough potential during his crash course at second base in the Arizona Fall League that he’ll continue to work at the position this spring with the Blue Jays. By no means is a position switch set in stone for the 22-year-old, who is coming off a season at high Class A Dunedin in which he hit .284/.363/.453 in 121 games and led the Florida State League in both runs (83) and extra-base hits (48). Smith appears destined for Double-A New Hampshire in 2015, but his bat may profile better in the infield. Second base is also an area of organizational need for Toronto, even after the acquisition of prospect Devon Travis from the Tigers, making the experiment one worth…

Right On Track NEW YORK Center fielder Brandon Nimmo began answering his critics in 2014 and now stands as a top-tier prospect in the system. The 21-year-old Nimmo launched a careerhigh 10 home runs and hit .278/.394/.426 in 127 games split evenly between high Class A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton. The 2011 first-rounder cited improved upper-body strength for his breakout, which he attributed to working out the previous offseason at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., alongside Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez and Felix Doubront. He left that facility at 208 pounds and primed for a big season with 8 percent body fat. “Prior to (2014), I know I didn’t hit any home runs the other way,” Nimmo said. “Four of my six in Double-A were the other way. “Getting…

CLEVELAND | Indians For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CLEVELAND Talk about having to make some adjustments. When the Cardinals traded outfielder James Ramsey to the Indians last June, he not only changed organizations, but he changed levels. At the time of the trade, Ramsey played at Double-A Springfield. After acquiring him in the trade that sent Justin Masterson to St. Louis, the Indians assigned the 25-year-old to Triple-A Columbus. “Playing at Triple-A, it’s a much faster game, but I was confident I could play there, just as I’m confident I can play at the big league level,” said Ramsey, who plays all three outfield positions but focuses on center. He flourished at Springfield and Columbus, hitting a cumulative .295/.382/.509 with 16 home runs and…

Williams Eyes Bullpen Role KANSAS CITY One of righthander Ali Williams’ goals entering 2014 was to pitch in the Arizona Fall League. Williams not only accomplished his objective but thrived for Peoria, posting a 1.42 ERA in 10 relief appearances, while holding hitters to a .136 average in 13 innings. “If you’re (in the AFL), it’s for a reason,” said Williams, 25. “The organization likes you, and you see some of the best talent in the world.” In his final six AFLoutings, he threw nine scoreless innings, while allowing two hits, striking out 10 and walking two. “I think of all the players we sent to the AFL, he took the most advantage,” said Peoria manager Vance Wilson, who also was Williams’ skipper at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. “He showed he…

Holding On To Their Youth CHICAGO If the Cubs’ aggressive winter of roster-shuffling produces the desired result, the organization’s biggest achievement might come back to this: They didn’t have to part with any of their vaunted prospects. “You’re holding your breath a little bit,” farm director Jaron Madison said, describing the feeling of the player-development staff when president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer embarked on their big winter plans. Epstein made it clear every time he spoke from September through the Winter Meetings that every option was on the table for filling big league needs, including the possibility of trading from the system’s exceptional depth. After three years of focusing on building volume on the minor league side at the expense of the big league…

Not Left Out PITTSBURGH One of the few weaknesses in an otherwise strong Pirates farm system is lefthanded pitching, which is why Pittsburgh dealt a player who was part of their present for a southpaw they feel has a chance to be part of their future. The Pirates acquired Stephen Tarpley and a player to be named from the Orioles in a trade that sent outfielder Travis Snider to Baltimore. Snider appeared to be next in line in right field if Gregory Polanco failed to show improvement following an up-and-down rookie season. “There are some things to like here,” general manager Neal Huntington said of Tarpley. Being a lefty is one of them because Cody Dickson, who pitched at low Class A West Virginia, was the only southpaw to rank…

Typically Atypical OAKLAND It only seems right that the atypical Athletics would seek out an atypical first-base prospect. As part of the Jeff Samardzija trade with the White Sox, Oakland acquired Rangel Ravelo, an on-base demon who doesn’t profile as a masher in the mold of a classic first baseman. Instead, Ravelo uses all fields and racks up doubles, mixed with a healthy dose of walks. “Rangel Ravelo is an intriguing bat trending north,” director of player personnel Billy Owens said. “He’s shown strong characteristics of a productive bat at every stop, while being young for every league in which he has participated.” As for Ravelo, he’s excited about the opportunity with the A’s. “I’m going to play hard. It’s going to be good for me,” he said with translation…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ LOS ANGELES Heading into the 2014 draft, most scouting reports on Alex Verdugo focused on his ability as a pitcher. Teams saw a lefthander with a mid-90s fastball, an above-average slider and an athletic build that projected well for a career on the mound. But Verdugo had his own scouting report. “To me, it wasn’t that difficult really,” he said. “For me, it was always hitting. I loved pitching and I loved hitting—but hitting was always better to me.” The Dodgers selected Verdugo in the second round out of Sahuaro High in Tucson and gave him what he wanted—a chance to make it as a hitter. After signing for $914,600, he jumped into the fray in the Rookie-level…

International History SAN DIEGO With results ranging from poor to mediocre, various Padres front offices have targeted baseball’s international talent markets for more than 20 years. Will the new administration succeed to a greater extent? Optimism is warranted based on their experience, starting with new general manager A.J. Preller, hired last July. “We have definitely expanded our international focus under A.J.,” executive chairman Ron Fowler said. Working for the Rangers, Preller was more active scouting Latin America and Asia than any of several men who preceded him as Padres GM since 1993. Though it’s not clear to what extent Preller was responsible for the Rangers’ many successes in Latin America and the signing of Japanese ace Yu Darvish, his former boss, Rangers GM Jon Daniels, has praised his international acumen.…

PHILADELPHIA As the 2014 Triple-A season wound down, Phillies officials were on the fence about whether to bring up Maikel Franco for a September look. Franco ended up making the decision easy by hitting .393 with five doubles, a triple, four homers and 14 RBIs over the final 15 games at Lehigh Valley. “In a lot of ways he forced our hand,” general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “He showed he deserved it by playing good baseball in the second half.” Franco went just 10-for-56 (.179) for Philadelphia, but he resumed hitting with authority this winter with Cibao in his native Dominican Republic. He hit .272/.335/.469 with seven homers and eight doubles in 147 at-bats during the regular season, then went on a tear and hit .337 with six doubles,…

After it was all over, after the 12th inning ended, after the 1,000 fans at Pioneer Park in Marietta, Ohio, had rejoiced, the father and the son shared a cathartic hug. It was June 1, 1981—the day Marietta head coach Don Schaly won his first Division III national championship and the day his son John was named tournament MVP. “That was probably the sweetest moment,” John said. “Ever.” Seven years later, the father and son shared a field again— this time, as opposing coaches. The mother, Sue, sat directly behind home plate, half of her long-sleeve T-shirt supporting her husband’s team and the other half supporting her son’s team, Berry (Ga.). Marietta won, 25-3. “He kicked our butt,” John said, laughing. “They crushed us.” Another 17 years—March 9, 2005—a different…