Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, April 08, 2016 i Baseball America

MAY 1 1994 » IN THIS ISSUE: No. 2 overall prospect Chipper Jones, set to make the Braves out of spring training, tears the ACL in his left knee. » ALSO: Todd Van Poppel, the No. 14 overall pick in 1990, is out of options. Will the A’s keep him? In this issue, J.J. Cooper writes about a Braves team going through a massive rebuild but perhaps on the precipice of turning the corner back toward contention. In 1994, Bill Ballew wrote about a Braves team fronted by its Fab Four starters, not to mention the best major and minor league talent. While the Braves have been winning three straight National League West titles, they have been just as successful stockpiling prospects. How successful? Last issue, Baseball America rated both…

Baseball Writer, ESPN.com SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. Outfielder David Dahl, a rising star in the Rockies chain, peppers his conversations with the word “sir” when addressing authority figures. It’s a courtly and respectful gesture that reflects his Alabama upbringing and validates the notion that he was raised properly. Dahl’s abundant tools give the Rockies hope that he is one of several young players who can rescue the organization from its altitude-enhanced haze in a competitive National League West. But in the short-term, projections about his career WAR are dwarfed by a sense of gratitude that he’s still here. On May 28 of last season, while playing center field for the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats in Connecticut, Dahl was involved in a serious collision. He endured some harrowing moments before arriving by…

SURGERY FOR POTENTIAL FIRST-ROUNDER Florida high school lefthander Jesus Luzardo had Tommy John surgery on March 22. Luzardo’s surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews. “Jesus had a very successful Tommy John surgery, for his throwing elbow and as an elite thrower, we expect a speedy recovery and a short interruption in his baseball career,” Dr. Andrews said in a statement. Luzardo was moving up draft boards this spring, with his fastball sitting in the low 90s and touching as high as 97 mph. Prior to this spring, the southpaw was known among the amateur scouting community for his excellent pitchability and offspeed stuff. His velocity increase had put him in first-round consideration. “While I am disappointed that I suffered this injury, I believe God has a plan for me,”…

Editor in Chief Baseball America johnmanuel @baseba llamerica.com The very nature of BA’s Minor League Player of the Year award makes it difficult to predict. However, it’s also fun to predict. Two years ago, if you’d given me Kris Bryant versus The Field, I would have taken Bryant. He’d won our College POY award and was coming off a pro debut that included a MVP turn in the Arizona Fall League. Last year, we had no obvious favorite. My picks in this space last year included favorites Byron Buxton, Addison Russell and Joey Gallo; two candidates with strong cases, Carlos Correa and Lucas Giolito; and “dark horses” Aaron Judge and Franklin Barreto. As it turned out, Russell and Correa didn’t stick around in the minors long enough, with Correa winning…

ORLANDO When the Braves front office came to take shortstops Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies away from big league manager Fredi Gonzalez in spring training, he begged for more time. The Braves hadn’t started to play games on the minor league side yet when Gonzalez made his pitch. He promised that he could give the dynamic duo at-bats they couldn’t get yet in minor league camp. He wanted to give them a greater taste of big league camp. Really, he just was having too much fun watching them play. “They let me have them a week later than they wanted to,” Gonzalez said. “I joke all the time: There are times I can’t wait to get the veteran guys out (of the game) to watch those guys play. They energize…

BALTIMORE | Orioles BY ROCHKU BATKO For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ SARASOTA, FLA. Outfielder Joey Rickard projects as the latest Rule 5 draft pick to break camp with the Orioles. The 24-year-old Rickard has impressed the right people in camp and would bring value to a roster devoid of speed. He would join a growling list of Rule 5 selections in the organization that includes utility infielder Ryan Flaherty (a 2012 rookie), lefthander T.J. McFarland (2013) and righthander Jason Garcia (2015). The Orioles snagged Rickard from the Rays, in part because of his lifetime .390 onbase percentage in four pro seasons. Factor in his ability to play all three outfield positions, and he has a chance to head north. Rickard has continually drawn…

Rays Ready For Next Wave PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA. Righthander Jacob Faria and lefty Blake Snell, a pair of Rays pitching prospects who joined the 40-man roster in November, got noticed for the wrong reasons on the first day of workouts this spring Ace Chris Archer called out the duo for not coming early enough to the clubhouse. But since then, those two, plus prospect righties Taylor Guerrieri and Jaime Schultz, have opened eyes with how they have pitched and how they have handled themselves in their first big league camps. “I don’t know if I can recall seeing four guys (as impressive),” big league manager Kevin Cash said. “That’s not to discredit anybody, but those four guys have stood out.” As much as they Rays are known for developing starters,…

Expanding His Arsenal LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. Matt Marksberry learned the definition of “euphoria” last July. The lefthander from Campbell was headed to the gym on an off day when Triple-A Gwinnett manager Brian Snitker called. With the trade deadline looming, Marksberry thought he may be packing his bags. As it turned out, he was correct, only he was headed to Philadelphia to pitch for the Braves at the game’s top level. “I didn’t expect it,” said Marksberry, 25. “In fact, I was shocked. I was having a pretty good season, but I thought I was going to spend the rest of the year in Triple-A, so they could feel me out down there.” Marksberry, a 15th-round pick in 2013, had opened the season at high Class A Carolina before…

Arm Strength And Athleticism VIERA, FLA. As hard as 6-foot-5, 225-pound reliever Koda Glover throws his fastball and slider, it could take a while before the righthander has to worry about a second career. Still, he already knows he would like to be a strength-and-conditioning coach. “In the offseason, I show kids how to work out without getting themselves hurt,” said Glover, 22. “It’s a hobby of mine.” Early in spring training, Glover also had to concern himself with his own strength, which was zapped by a virus that left him in Oklahoma during the first couple days of minor league camp. He said he lost 16 pounds in a five-day stretch, but that he was working his way back to his normal weight. Glover, an eighth-round pick last year…

More Time Needed GOODYEAR, ARIZ. It didn’t take long for 24-yearold Giovanny Urshela to become the odd man out in the competition to be Opening Day third baseman. Viewing Juan Uribe as an ideal stopgap option, the Indians signed the 37-year-old to a one-year deal at the start of training camp. The move will likely bump Urshela off the big league roster, allowing him more time to develop at Triple-A Columbus. Urshela last year had his moments, both good and bad, as a midseason callup. The good: Urshela’s plus glove helped tighten what had been a leaky Indians defense in the first half of the season. The bad was Urshela’s bat. In 81 games, he hit .225/.279/.330 with six home runs. Indians officials spent the offseason considering potential upgrades at…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ MESA, ARIZ. Third baseman Jeimer Candelario, whose breakout 2015 season caught the attention of the organization, has done the same in his first big league camp. But how far can it get him, with Kris Bryant, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, locked in at third base for the Cubs? Switching to first base is not an option, not with Anthony Rizzo there, and Kyle Schwarber on standby. As the Cubs’ young position-player core becomes established, Candelario won’t be the only blocked prospect. “We all like him. It’s no big secret,” big league manager Joe Maddon said. “Sometimes you look at a position and you say, ‘That’s really a thick position. When does this guy get…

A Quick Riser BRADENTON, FLA. Much changed for Harold Ramirez from one spring training to the next. The right fielder arrived to minor league camp out of shape last year. As a result, he was held back in extended spring training and did not play his first game at high Class A Bradenton until May 26. This spring, Ramirez took part in his first major league camp and was a Grapefruit League phenom with nine hits in his first 14 at-bats. Though ticketed for Double-A Altoona to begin the season, the 21-year-old made an impression on big league manager Clint Hurdle. “I like the man in the box,” Hurdle said. “He’s what I call a ‘bone collector.’ He gets base hits. He can play three outfield positions. He’s learning things.”…

Learning Experience KISSIMMEE, FLA. Though their results were dramatically different, hard-throwing Dominican righthanders David Paulino and Juan Minaya impressed the big league coaching staff. Paulino gave up two hits and four runs in two brief relief appearances, while Minaya threw two scoreless innings to earn two saves in his two Grapefruit League appearances. “Those guys have tremendous arms,” general manager Jeff Luhnow said. “This is the first time either has been in big league camp. They’ve learned a lot. They now have a plan on what things they need to work on to get to the big leagues.” Minaya, who signed in September 2008, made 35 combined relief appearances at Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Fresno in 2015, recording a 2.80 ERA and strikeout rate of 9.7 per nine innings.…

Guzman Learns And Advances SURPRISE, ARIZ. First baseman Ronald Guzman put himself back on the prospect map last season, the best of his career after batting injuries and underperformance since he debuted at low Class A Hickory in 2013. But he might have boosted his stock by the way he played early in spring training as a backup from minor league camp. Guzman collected eight hits in his first 17 Cactus League at-bats, including a walk-off single March 7 to beat the Giants. He hit .283/.324/.434 with 12 homers and 87 RBIs in 131 games last year, spending most of the season at high Class A High Desert. Guzman also showed the Rangers enhanced maturity in the wake of his involvement in a fatal car accident near his hometown in…

No Slowing Down Segedin GLENDALE, ARIZ. If Rob Segedin could take a hint, he probably wouldn’t be playing professional baseball anymore. The third baseman acquired by the Dodgers this winter has endured a series of physical challenges, beginning during his college career at Tulane, that might make a career as a pro athlete seem like a mismatch. Segedin didn’t realize this until his sophomore season at Tulane. That’s when a lower back injury led to a CAT scan, which revealed he had been born with Pars Defect. “It’s a birth defect,” said Segedin, 27. “From what I understand . . . your spine isn’t completely fused together, bone on bone. So my (spinal segments) never completely fused together. So your body creates these microfibers that kind of glue it together.…

Donnie Walton has seen film—highlights from the decade of dominance— when Oklahoma State went to eight College World Series from 1981-1990. He’s watched the clips of Cowboy legends Pete Incaviglia and Robin Ventura in their college days. Walton has even watched his own father, Rob, dressed in orange and black, dealing on the mound in Omaha. Impressive, sure, but Donnie still thinks he could’ve hit him. “I think I’d get a piece of him,” the younger Walton said, laughing. “A little bit.” Donnie is now in his fourth year as Oklahoma State’s shortstop, and his father is in his fourth year as the Cowboys’ pitching coach. Both are securely stitched into the fabric of Oklahoma State baseball—members of its past and present. Donnie’s parents met at Oklahoma State, and he…

Transactions involving minor league players, i.e. those not on 40-man rosters, covering the period March 4-18. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: Signed RHP Drew Muren and OF Cory Vaughn. Released RHPs Kyle Bogese, Ryan Doran, Cody Geyer, Felipe Perez, Scott Schultz, Brett Shankin and Johnny Shuttlesworth; LHP Lawrence Pardo, Cs Dylan Kelly and Elvin Soto and OFs Anthony Cheky and Jake Peevyhouse. Traded RHP Brandon Sinnery to White Sox for cash. ATLANTA BRAVES: Signed LHP Phil Coke. Released RHPs David Carpenter, Ryan Kelly, Kyle Kendrick and Chris Volstad. Returned Rule 5 selection LHP Evan Rutckyj to Yankees. BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Signed 1B Mike Carp and OF Felix Perez. Resigned OF Julio Borbon. Released LHP Bennett Parry. BOSTON RED SOX: Signed LHP Roberto Cancio. Released RHP Karsten Whitson. CHICAGO WHITE SOX: Signed RHP Chris Volstad.…

BOSTON Paul DePodesta was accustomed to being one of baseball’s most prominent executives. He could walk through the lobby at the Winter Meetings or show up to an amateur showcase and be one of the most recognizable people there. At the NFL combine in February, however, DePodesta was cloaked in anonymity, despite his high-ranking title of chief strategy officer for the Cleveland Browns, who hired him in January. So anonymous that, when he was standing in line at the Indianapolis airport leaving the combine, he heard officials from other NFL teams talking about him—quite literally—behind his back. “I was standing right in front of them in line and I could hear them in back of me and they were talking trash about me and the Cleveland Browns,” DePodesta said at…

FROM STAFF REPORTS As if the Rays’ visit to Cuba—the first by a major league team since 1999 when the Orioles traveled to Havana—wasn’t historic enough, the appearance of a dignitary only increased the scrutiny. No, not Derek Jeter—although the retired Yankees star did cause a fuss when he showed up in Havana the Sunday before the game. President Obama had an official visit scheduled to the island to coincide with the game. Obama was the first sitting American leader to set foot on Cuban soil in 88 years, and his appearance caused a stir as thousands of Cubans packed the streets to get a glimpse. “It’s a historic opportunity to engage directly with the Cuban people and to forge new agreements and commercial deals,” Obama told employees of the…

Columnist, MLB Network SURPRISE, ARIZ. It was a year ago in Jupiter, Fla., that Dee Gordon outlined his spring training plan. “My game has to be leadoff,” Gordon said. “Now, I realize why people want me to take a lot of pitches and walk more. But what pitcher even thinks about walking me? That’s giving me my game. The last couple of years I’ve come to realize that I have to hit fastballs, because that’s what I’m going to get. I have to work on hitting the first fastball I see, whether it’s the first pitch or ahead in the count.” And on first pitches last season, Gordon amassed a .402/.398/.552 line after coming over from the Dodgers to the Marlins. He led the league in batting at .333; his…

Prospects defined the 2015 minor league season, from Kris Bryant’s seven-game Triple-A Iowa stint before he took Chicago by storm, through Blake Snell and A.J. Reed battling for the Minor League Player of the Year award. In between, such prospects as Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, Kyle Schwarber and many more poured through the minors en route to starring in the major leagues. Even the World Series was full of prospects, from Steven Matz and Michael Conforto to Raul Adalberto Mondesi. What can the minors do for an encore? On the prospect side we’re unlikely to see another year with such a bounty of big league talent. That’s why minor league operators rely less on on-field talent to draw fans and rely more on promotions and the overall experience of going…

BRADENTON, FLA. With Jim Benedict’s departure to the Marlins, it’s a new era for the Pirates’ pitching development. But the new era looks an awful lot like the old one. Benedict’s title was assistant to the general manager, but more accurately he could be described as a pitching guru. He helped rebuild Charlie Morton’s delivery. He worked with Francisco Liriano to help him return to form, and he has played a significant part in the development of young Pirates pitchers like Gerrit Cole. With Benedict’s help, the Pirates have been very successful with pitchers. Without any big-money, long-term free agent acquisitions, Pittsburgh has finished second, fifth and third in the National League in ERA in the past three seasons. They took home the BA Organization of the Year award in…

A Swing In Fortune FORT MYERS, FLA. Shortstop Marco Hernandez didn’t object when the Cubs asked him to try switch-hitting. Anything to help him reach the big leagues, he thought at the time. But after the 2013 season, when Hernandez batted .254/.287/.338 in 111 games at low Class A Kane County, he returned to his natural lefthanded swing on a full-time basis. “I’m a natural lefty,” said Hernandez, 23. “I talked to the coaches and I said, ‘Hey, I want to hit just from the left side. I want to develop my skills as a lefthanded batter.’ “Robinson Cano hit well against lefties. I saw how he approached lefthanded pitchers, and I said, ‘I can do that, too.’ ” That decision to master one swing, rather than try to learn…

A Leadoff State Of Mind DUNEDIN, FLA. At the beginning of the 2015 season, Kenny Graham sat top prospect Anthony Alford down for a chat. The Blue Jays wanted the uber-talented center fielder to bat leadoff, and Graham, then the hitting coach at low Class A Lansing, gave his pupil a full rundown of the job description. “He was talking to me about the role of a leadoff hitter, what your job is and what your team expects of you,” said Alford, 21. “I took that into the season last year, kept that in my mind and continued to work the count my first at-bat (and) see what pitches they have. “If they showed me all their pitches in my first at-bat, I felt like I had a really high…

Growing Into His Body JUPITER, FLA. One day before flying to south Florida for spring training, righthander Jordan Holloway took a two-mile hike— virtually straight up in the air—at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Holloway, his parents and a friend woke up at 4 a.m. to make the trek to Dream Lake, which was frozen. “There are these two giant pillars,” Holloway said, “and when the sun comes up, these pillars turn golden- and fire-red. It’s really cool.” Holloway took pictures of Dream Lake, but it’s now back to living the dream as a baseball player. A 20th-round pick in 2014 out of high school in Arvada, Colo., Holloway turned down a scholarship to Nebraska-Omaha and signed for an over-slot bonus of $400,000. Now he is one of the…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports SURPRISE, ARIZ. Third baseman Hunter Dozier met the enemy last season and it was himself. The eighth overall selection in the 2013 draft from Stephen F. Austin State, Dozier hit .213/.281/.349 last season at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He opened 2015 with a double and home run in his first game, and then hit safely in seven of first eight games. “And then I got into a little slump,” said Dozier, 24. “When the slump started, I think I was thinking too much. In my opinion, I was looking at video way too much, trying to change my swing, and trying to do something to fix it. “For the whole year, I was just in my head, thinking more…

Quiet Leader LAKELAND, FLA. Every organization wishes it had more depth at catcher. The Tigers think they’ve found a good young one in Kade Scivicque. The Tigers drafted Scivicque out of Louisiana State in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. He carried a good-sized workload for low Class A West Michigan last year as the Whitecaps made their way to the Midwest League championship. Scivicque hit .269/.333/.381 with five home runs and 18 RBIs in 51 games, most of them with West Michigan. “He really looks like he’s a bulldog-type kid,” said farm director Dave Owen of Scivicque, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 223 pounds. “He handles the pitching staff. Really, he has a lot of things that you like to see in young catchers and has the ability,…

Red Scott GOODYEAR, ARIZ. It didn’t take long for the Reds to notice outfielder Scott Schebler this spring. Even before position players officially reported to camp, he announced his presence with authority. As pitchers and catchers worked out on the main fields in Goodyear, Schebler and other early arrivals to big league camp took batting practice. The 25-year-old lefthanded hitter peppered the minor league parking lot with baseballs. On that first day of BP, Schebler put at least six balls into that parking lot, then hit a home run in his first Cactus League game of the year. The Reds acquired Schebler in the threeteam offseason deal that sent Todd Frazier to the White Sox. “Our scouting reports on him were off the charts as far as makeup, effort, hustle,”…

Diaz Rebuilds His Standing JUPITER, FLA. On the first day Aledmys Diaz had a chance to stake his claim to a starting job with the big league club, the Cuban shortstop went 4-for-4. A few weeks later, as a nod to such success, he was optioned to Triple-A Memphis. Few players in the organization have rewritten their place on the depth chart more significantly than the 25-year-old Diaz. Less than a year after being removed from the 40-man roster, he has emerged as a priority prospect for the Cardinals, one whom they want to feature at Memphis so that he’s ready for a prominent role at some point in 2016 or by 2017. “Talk about what we saw a year ago compared to what we witness this spring, (and) it’s…

Choi Sticks With What Works TEMPE, ARIZ. An intriguing candidate for a bench job caught the eye of manager Mike Scioscia early in camp, and it had nothing to do with his catchy name: Ji-Man Choi. The South Korean first baseman, whom the Angels selected in the Rule 5 draft, has shown good mobility and soft hands around the bag, a solid approach at the plate and the instincts and adaptability to play left field. Choi, who batted lefthanded for the first five seasons of his pro career, also impressed the Angels early in camp with his ability to hit from the right side after taking up switchhitting in the middle of 2015. “I was talking with my batting coach and said, ‘Why don’t I try (to switch-hit) to increase…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. First-round picks Jon Gray, Jeff Hoffman and Kyle Freeland quickly get mentioned when Rockies pitching prospects are discussed. Righthander Antonio Senzatela is a comparative afterthought. “Not to us, but in the global prospect world, he gets lost a little bit,” player development director Zach Wilson said. “But he shouldn’t.” A first-year member of the 40-man roster, Senzatela made his Cactus League debut against the Dodgers, allowing one hit and striking out four in two scoreless innings while throwing 20 of 28 pitches for strikes. “There’s power to his fastball, there’s angle to his fastball, and there’s command,” big league manager Walt Weiss said. “And you put those three things together, and you got something.” Senzatela, a…

Showing Patience With Blash PEORIA, ARIZ. The Padres seem willing to tolerate outfielder Jabari Blash’s growing pains, in light of home runs such as the opposite-field drive the Rule 5 draftee hit on March 7. Though he didn’t get all of the fastball from Brewers righthander Taylor Jungmann, the chiseled, 6-foot-5 Blash still lined it over the right-field wall. “When he runs into a baseball, it’s a lot of damage,” big league manager Andy Green said. “He didn’t even square (the ball) up completely, so you realize how much power he has inside of himself.” At the time, Blash was hitless through six Cactus League at-bats, with four strikeouts and three walks. He carried a .207 average through 18 spring games. The Padres have an opening in left field after…

Baseball Analyst, Senior Writer ESPN.com LAKELAND, FLA. He’s one of the biggest X factors in the National League East. And he has never thrown a pitch above Double-A. But one of these days, Lucas Giolito is going to show up on a mound in Washington, D.C. And when he does, it’s possible that everything about the NL East is going to change. “If he’s not up by June, something would have to go wrong,” said one scout who has seen a lot of the No. 5 prospect in baseball. “You know what (Noah) Syndergaard and (Steven) Matz did for the Mets when they came up? This guy is in that same category.” We’re talking, you understand, about a fellow who is only 21 years old, with just 254 innings on…

You’re No. 31 You’ve produced the Prospect Handbook supplement for eight years now. Since you started the supplement, which No. 31 prospects have had the best careers? ANDREW HAYNES, FRESNO, CALIF Beginning in 2009, Baseball America has compiled a 31st prospect for each team for a supplement that we send to readers who purchase the Prospect Handbook directly from us. Several prospects have leapt from a No. 31 ranking to become significant players in future years. Here are some of the best No. 31s. The year they were in the supplement is included in parentheses. The full team is at http://www.baseballamerica.com/tag/ask-ba/. 3B—JORGE POLANCO, TWINS (2010): Polanco had yet to play a pro game when he became the Twins’ 31st prospect in 2010. He has since made it to the big…

Columnist, MLB.com MESA, ARIZ. Coco Crisp was the center fielder for Oakland when Bob Melvin took over as the manager in 2011. Crisp is still wearing the green and gold of the Athletics, albeit in a more limited role as a concession to age and ailments. Melvin is still filling out the lineup card, his 747 games in uniform the third longest in franchise history since Connie Mack’s 50-season run ended at the end of 1950, back when the club was in Philadelphia. Most everything else about the team on the field, however, has changed for the A’s, who have seen 120 different players appear in a game since the arrival of Melvin. Two weeks away from breaking camp in Arizona and heading to the Bay Area for their annual…

A Speedy Ascension TAMPA Shortstop Jorge Mateo was among a group of Yankees minor leaguers who, in 2015, appeared in a few games as extra players in big league spring training games. Because of split-squad games, though, big league manager Joe Girardi didn’t get to see the organization’s No. 1 prospect last spring. That changed considerably this spring, because New York invited Mateo to big league camp. He turned heads from the start. “He is exciting, and I like the way he has gone about his business,” Girardi said of the 20-year-old Mateo, who homered off the scoreboard in left-center field at Steinbrenner Field in the first week of exhibition games. “He has not played like he is in awe of anything or intimidated or nervous. He just goes out…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CLEARWATER, FLA. Center fielder Roman Quinn has a simple goal for 2016. “Play a full season,” the speedy 22-year-old said with an eager smile. A 2011 second-round pick from Port St. Joe (Fla.) High, Quinn had enjoyed his best pro season in 2015 before he was struck down by a torn hip flexor in June. He hit .306/.356/.435 with 29 stolen bases in 58 games at Double-A Reading. Earlier in Quinn’s career, injuries to his wrist and Achilles tendon had prevented him from playing a full season. He is 5-foot-9, 175 pounds of pure speed. Leg injuries can be killer to a player like Quinn, but he showed no slippage during a stint in big league camp this…

Crowded House PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. The Mets entered spring training with a well-defined outfield hierarchy. From left field to right, Michael Conforto, Yoenis Cespedes and Curtis Granderson will start, and reserves Alejandro De Aza and Juan Lagares will support the starting trio. That alignment left no room for 27-yearold Travis Taijeron, a right fielder coming off a strong season at Triple-A Las Vegas. Taijeron hit .274/.393/.536 in 127 games last season and ranked fourth in the Pacific Coast League with 25 home runs and third with 65 walks. He also struck out 147 times to rank second in the PCL. “His power that he has is legitimate power,” Las Vegas hitting coach Jack Voigt said, “and probably his best power is to right-center field. So when he stays through…

First Spring GLENDALE, ARIZ. Less than two weeks before the 2012 draft, outfielder Jason Coats wrapped up his playing career at Texas Christian. In his final regular season game with the Horned Frogs, Coats hit a grounder to third base, and when the throw to first sailed high, he acted accordingly. “I crossed the bag at first, and when I planted and tried to go to second base, (my knee) just gave out on me,” Coats said. “Just a freak thing.” Coats wound up tearing the ACL in his right knee, and his draft stock plunged. The White Sox grabbed him in the 29th round, but Coats wasn’t able to play until 2013. “Things happen, but I feel like I’m in a good place right now,” Coats said at his…

Premium Athlete FORT MYERS, FLA. Travis Blankenhorn was Steph Curry when he played basketball in high school. He dominated games with his scoring ability, collected 1,588 career points and led Pottsville (Pa.) High to 28 straight wins his senior year. Blankenhorn was an ersatz Richard Sherman, too, as a smart ball-hawker who became a starter in the football team’s defensive backfield while a freshman—and an all-state receiver when Pottsville had the ball. No wonder vice president for player personnel Mike Radcliff brags that the Twins “have some pretty lofty comparisons” for their young third-base prospect. He’s talking about baseball players, but it’s clear the Twins were impressed with Blankenhorn’s talent for other sports when they made him their third-round pick last June. “High school kids are all projection,” Radcliff said,…

Lesson For Lefty PHOENIX It didn’t take long for lefthander Nathan Kirby to get a lesson in mental toughness as a professional. Selected 40th overall in the 2015 draft out of Virginia, Kirby blew out his elbow after five outings at low Class A Wisconsin and had Tommy John surgery in September. He has been rehabbing ever since at Maryvale Baseball Park. “It’s going very well,” said Kirby, 22, who helped Virginia win the College World Series last year despite missing much of the season with a lat strain behind his pitching shoulder. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve been throwing. It feels like forever. I’m still at 45 feet (off flat ground), about to graduate to 60 feet. My arm feels great.” As for having Tommy John surgery…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ MESA, ARIZ. As the top prep pitcher in the state of Georgia for the 2015 draft, righthander Dakota Chalmers generated first-round buzz, yet the Athletics were able to call his name in the third round. The lanky, 6-foot-3 Chalmers refuses to second-guess the scouts. “I don’t think I pitched like a first-rounder my senior year (at North Forsyth High),” said Chalmers, 19. “A lot of guys were pitching with a little more quality stuff than I was. I felt like I was a little raw. “I was drafted exactly where I should have been, by the right team.” Chalmers turned down a scholarship offer at Georgia to sign with Oakland for $1.2 million, a little more than double…

Hultzen Soldiers On PEORIA, ARIZ. Lefthander Danny Hultzen can only watch, wait and work out this spring. On backfields in Peoria, the 26-year-old watched lefthander James Paxton throw in a minor league game to prepare for the upcoming season. Not long ago, he and Paxton and righthander Taijuan Walker were expected to be the foundation of the Mariners’ rotation. Three lost years, countless setbacks and a reconstructive shoulder surgery later, Hultzen has yet to join his friends in Seattle. With each new problem, he gets a little further away. After a solid start to spring training and relishing his new role as a reliever, Hultzen was shut down again with shoulder tightness following a live batting-practice session. “It’s just a setback,” said Hultzen, the second overall pick in the 2011…

Taylor Learns From Big Unit SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. Not that long ago, Josh Taylor was an undrafted lefthander with a so-so fastball and not much in the way of career prospects. Less than two years later, he’s in camp with his hometown Diamondbacks, getting tips from his boyhood idol Randy Johnson and getting talked up as an under-the-radar pitching prospect in a system that could use one. “It’s unbelievable,” said Taylor, 23, who is from nearby Peoria, Ariz. After two years at Scottsdale (Ariz.) CC and another at Georgia College & State, Taylor was with the St. Cloud Rox of the summercollegiate Northwoods League in 2014 when pitching coach J.P. Martinez suggested a mechanical tweak. The 6-foot-5 Taylor said his fastball velocity immediately jumped from 88-90 mph to 92-95, and the…

Blach Dazzles With Glove SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. The Giants organization celebrated when shortstop Brandon Crawford earned the National League Gold Glove award in 2015. But he’s not the only one who will be receiving a gilded trophy in April. Lefthander Ty Blach has one coming his way, too. “I’ve seen the trophy, and it’s a real glove, but maybe a little smaller,” said Blach, 25, who was singled out among all minor league pitchers by Rawlings and Minor League Baseball as the award recipient. “I played with (second baseman) Ryan Cavan when he won it. I have no idea when it’ll arrive, but it’s great to say the least.” Fielding is only one way that Blach demonstrates control on the mound. He issued just 31 walks while leading the Pacific Coast…