Innholdsfortegnelse for December 11, 2015 i Baseball America

JANUARY 15 2007 IN THIS ISSUE: Barry Bonds, Scott Boras recognized at BA Awards Gala as fans’ choice for most influential people in the game over last 25 years. ALSO: Peter Gammons, recovering from brain aneurysm, accepts BA Lifetime Achievement Award. It’s that time of year when Rule 5 fever sweeps through the BA office, turning our attention to the offseason’s best bargain-shopping event. J.J. Cooper previews this year’s draft on Page 44 (his full 4,000-word opus can be found online), but let’s first look back at the 2006 draft, when Joakim Soria and Josh Hamilton were tabbed. Two days before the event, a scout from a National League club alluded to Josh Hamilton, the first overall pick of the 1999 draft, as a possible Rule 5 pick. But even he didn’t…

Baseball Writer, ESPN.com PHILADELPHIA It shouldn’t take a whack upside the head with a Louisville Slugger to alert teams to the appeal of Yoenis Cespedes. In these power-deprived times, any free agent outfielder capable of hitting 35 homers and slugging .500 should be a welcome sight in the middle of a batting order. Cespedes brings an additional “oh my gosh” factor to the proceedings with his ability to summon a Yasiel Puig, Bryce Harper or even a Bo Jackson-caliber moment during lulls in the action. His showmanship is manifested in laser throws from the warning track, home runs that intrude upon casual conversations on the outfield concourse, and a demeanor that suggests he’s comfortable stepping in the batter’s box in high-leverage situations (that .150 World Series average notwithstanding). At age…

SCOTTSDALE WINS AFL CHAMPIONSHIP In a game in which the two teams combined for seven errors, the Arizona Fall League championship game ended on one of the best defensive plays of the fall. The sliding catch in foul territory by shortstop Christian Arroyo (Giants) preserved the 6-4 victory for the Scottsdale Scorpions over the Surprise Saguaros. Western Division champion Surprise was the odds-on favorite coming into the game, primarily because of its deep pitching staff featuring many of the league’s best prospects. But East Division champs Scottsdale didn’t follow that script. Instead, Scottsdale starter Taylor Rogers (Twins) hurled three scoreless innings and the Scorpions scored three times in the fourth and went on to the victory. Rogers’ Twins teammates Jake Reed and Nick Burdi helped close out the win, although…

Editor in Chief Baseball America Wally Kincaid didn’t invent bunting, baserunning or an aggressive style of baseball. It only seemed that way, at least in college baseball on the West Coast. Kincaid, a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame and Baseball America’s Junior College Coach of the 20th Century, died Nov. 16 at age 89, according to Cerritos (Calif.) JC. Kincaid coached at Cerritos from 1958-1980, and his teams won six California state championships in that span, more than any other team. A detail-oriented coach, Kincaid helped pioneer the pitching-and-defense, bunting-and-baserunning, pressure-packed style that many West Coast schools adopted. He also spawned and influenced many of the college game’s top coaches. “A lot of it starts with Wally Kincaid,” Cal State Fullerton coach Rick Vanderhook said last January.…

Dave Oster was strolling through Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport a few years ago when he saw a miniature version of his Lake Elsinore Storm heading his way. The Storm president stopped the team of Storm Little Leaguers from St. Louis, who shared with him what he has heard many times: Lake Elsinore’s “eyes” logo is the coolest. “The coach told me that they had been a Storm team for a couple of years,” Oster said, “and that every time they go up a level they take the Storm name.” It’s true that the eyes peering over the brim of Lake Elsinore’s cap gives the Storm arguably the most unique look in minor league baseball, one Oster adapted after his first year on the job as GM in 2000 and…

SALT LAKE CITY If baseball is a game of inches, then running a successful minor league baseball franchise is an enterprise of details. Marc Amicone, who has been the vice president and general manager of the Salt Lake Bees (Pacific Coast) for more than a decade, knows this. That’s why the most important questions he asks in meetings he holds with his staff before and after homestands are the small ones. Did fans get greeted in the parking lot? Was the food up to snuff? What can we put on the video board to keep fans more engaged? How about the grass—was it green? Did we like the pattern etched into it? A business model based on getting those details right over and over has borne fruit for the Bees.…

Grand Junction Rockies general manager Tim Ray has a guiding principle when dealing with sponsors of the Rookie-level club in the Pioneer League: under promise and over deliver. That mindset, coupled with Ray’s gregariousness and drive, are reasons the team has become a community fixture in four seasons on Colorado’s Western Slope. “That organization needs to have a life insurance policy on that guy,” said Ron Bubar, owner of Grand Junction Subaru, a sponsor since the team’s 2012 inception. “He’s been fantastic for the Grand Junction Rockies, and he’s been just a great alderman in our community since arriving.” That was in October 2011. Ray drove a moving truck from Casper, Wyo., where the Rockies had an affiliate for 11 seasons, to Grand Junction. Late in the 2010 season, the…

PHOENIX Paul Goldschmidt could stand as a poster guy for player development. He went from eighth-round pick to perhaps the best all-around first baseman in the game. If only the narrative would play along. The Diamondbacks wish they could take credit for smoothing Goldschmidt’s rough edges after he arrived in the 2009 draft. They really do. In truth, farm director Mike Bell would tell you, Goldschmidt came to them from Texas State almost fully formed, his foundation of tools and makeup already in place. Goldschmidt begs to disagree. As one of five homegrown position players who started for Arizona in 2015, he is not shy about crediting the time spent and the lessons learned coming up through the Arizona system as integral to his place as a three-time all-star and…

LOS ANGELES DODGERS For as much focus as the Dodgers’ payroll receives, their farm system is among the strongest in the game, something that has little to do with their financial advantages. They built that pipeline without the luxury of picking high in the draft and instead have done it through astute scouting and coaching . Corey Seager is one of baseball’s future stars, something he showed in flashes during his September callup. The Dodgers preferred other international pitchers on the market in 2012, but they ended up signing Mexican lefty Julio Urias, who is on the cusp of the big leagues at 19. Seager and Urias are the best one-two prospect punch in baseball, but the depth behind them is impressive, too . Righthanders Jose De Leon and Grant…

BALTIMORE | Orioles For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ BALTIMORE As the Winter Meetings approach and the Orioles prepare for the Rule 5 draft, they had to decide whether to protect Double-A Bowie lefthander Chris Lee. The 23-year-old figured to draw attention from other teams, so the Orioles placed him on their 40-man roster. They also added righthanders Parker Bridwell and Andrew Triggs. The Orioles acquired Lee from the Astros in May for two international signing bonus slots, which were valued at a total of $655,800. The move barely gained notice in the industry, but Lee recorded a 3.07 ERA in 21 starts at high Class A Frederick and Double-A Bowie, with 74 strikeouts and 49 walks in 114 innings. Opponents batted .232 against him…

Romero Ready To Contribute ST. PETERSBURG Lefthander Enny Romero experienced a lot of the same ups and downs as many other rookie pitchers in 2015. But the fact that he got better along the way left the Rays quite optimistic about what lies ahead. “Enny Romero, the strides he’s made, you could put that at the top with anybody, any guy on our club,’’ manager Kevin Cash said. Romero started the season on the shelf, sidelined with a muscle strain in his back. He split much of the next few months bouncing back and forth between Triple-A Durham and the majors, while transitioning to a relief role. By the time he permanently joined the Rays in late August, his improvements were obvious. “That inning was pretty telling,’’ Cash said after…

Olivera To Left Field? ATLANTA The rebuilding Braves seemed to have third base settled for the immediate future, but that scenario appears subject to change now that Hector Olivera is playing left field with Caguas in the Puerto Rican League. The Braves sent outfield instructor Bo Porter and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer to Puerto Rico for the first week of November to work with and observe Olivera. The early returns were positive, though president of baseball operations John Hart said the Braves “haven’t abandoned third base.” “He has a chance to be an impact bat, regardless of where he’s playing,” general manager John Coppolella said. “This guy was a star in Cuba and should be an impact player for years to come.” Atlanta officials believe the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Olivera, who…

Bacus Goes Back To Basics WASHINGTON With the success righthander Dakota Bacus experienced as a reliever in the Arizona Fall League, he finally came to terms with letting go of a pitch from his repertoire. “It’s time to put my curveball in my back pocket,” said Bacus, 24. “Coaches have been telling me that in two organizations for years, but I’ve been stubborn.” Bacus still has a plus slider and an effective sinker and changeup. That mix helped him record six strikeouts and allow six hits through his first seven innings with Salt River. His AFL manager was Tripp Keister, who had Bacus on his teams at low Class A Hagerstown in 2013 and at high Class A Potomac the past two seasons. “As he becomes more used to the…

Gerber Grabs Attention DETROIT Mike Gerber had plenty of success swinging the bat in the summer of 2015. So he went to the Arizona Fall League and had some more. Gerber, 23, has hit the ball consistently well in two seasons since he was selected in the 15th round of the 2014 draft. The Tigers named him the organization’s minor league player of the year in 2015 after he stood out offensively at low Class A West Michigan. “I always knew that I could perform at the professional level,” Gerber said. “My goal coming into this year was to really turn some heads and I think, for the most part, I was able to do that.” Gerber, an outfielder, hit .280/.371/.440 in 20 Arizona Fall League games and was a…

CINCINNATI Neither outfielder Phillip Ervin nor second baseman Alex Blandino started the Arizona Fall League all-star game, but both made the presence known in the Fall Stars Game showcase. Blandino hit a two-run home run, while Ervin went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base. Ervin’s overall numbers in the AFL won’t garner much attention—.209/.299/.313 in 67 at-bats—and the Reds were happy to see him draw seven walks after drawing 66 in the regular season, in line with their expectations for the 2013 first-round pick from Samford. “He’s shown some markers that we were looking for—improved strikeouts to walks, quality of at-bats,” director of player development Jeff Graupe said. “We’re pretty happy with what he’s done out there. “It’s a really small sample, so a hit here or…

Williams Will Be Close By PITTSBURGH Trevor Williams won’t fill the hole left in the rotation by the retirement of A.J. Burnett when next season begins. However, the righthander figures to be a phone call away at Triple-A Indianapolis after the Pirates acquired him Oct. 24 from the Marlins in a trade for Colombian righthander Richard Mitchell, who pitched in relief in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2015. The Marlins drafted Williams, 23, in the second round of the 2013 draft from Arizona State. The two parties agreed to the lopsided trade because Miami agreed to compensate Pittsburgh for hiring away two special assistants, Jim Benedict and Marc DelPiano, this offseason. Williams spent most of 2015 at Double-A Jacksonville before making three starts at Triple-A New Orleans . He…

Freeman Blasts Off HOUSTON It took almost three years before the first player drafted by the Astros under Jeff Luhnow reached the majors, beginning an impressive flow of 2012 prospects heading to the majors in 2015 with Preston Tucker and Lance McCullers Jr. arriving in May and shortstop Carlos Correa in June. All Astros prospects drafted under Luhnow and scouting director Mike Elias have spent at least two years in the minors. So it’s quite telling that Astros officials believe Mike Freeman, a 2015 draft pick, has a chance to reach the majors in 2016. Freeman—a 6-foot-8, 235-pound lefthander drafted in the seventh round out of Oklahoma State—cruised through three stops in his first summer of pro ball. The Big 12 conference’s pitcher of the year in the spring, he…

McKay’s Road Less Traveled SEATTLE Andy McKay’s path to the Mariners’ front office didn’t follow a typical route. But under new general manager Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners are doing things a little differently, and the hiring of McKay as director of player development is a prime example. McKay comes to the Mariners from the Rockies, where he had served as “Peak Performance Coordinator” since September 2012. The job was akin to sports psychologist. “I did all the mental skills work with our big league team down to our affiliate in the Dominican Republic,” he said. “I did a lot of one-on-one work with the players and coaches .” McKay devoured books on the mental side of sports after reading the “The Mental Side of Baseball” by Harvey Dorfman, developing a…

Nunez Embraces Change DENVER The first half of his first full professional season league was an epic struggle for low Class A Asheville catcher Dom Nunez— no homers, 13 RBIs and a .531 OPS. Nunez roomed with second baseman Forest Wall and outfielder Drew Weeks, and talked hitting extensively with them during Asheville’s three-day all-star break in June. “It was just frustrating because I knew I was a lot better than what (numbers) I was putting up,” said Nunez, who hit .216/.280/.251 in 167 at-bats during that stretch. The slump was a far cry from lefthandedhitting Nunez’s previous season at Rookie-level Grand Junction, where he hit .313/.384/.517 in 176 at-bats with eight homers and 40 RBIs while converting from second base to catcher. But he was unable to carry that…

The 2014 Rule 5 draft class was a historic one. It will be hard for this year’s group to come close to matching the success of last year’s group. Last year’s 10 successful Rule 5 picks (with an 11th still possible) were the most successful Rule 5 picks of any draft since the new eligibility rules were put in place in 2006. Over the previous eight Rule 5 drafts under the current eligibility rules, just 37 players were retained by their new teams, an average of less than five per season. Teams are doing a better job of realizing which types of talents are more likely to stick, but beyond that last year was a historically good year for prospects, something that was apparent from the epic rookie class that…

Despite the long, thorough showcase circuit, many questions about the 2016 high school class remain unanswered. This ranking includes countless promising athletes, many of whom could leap forward in the spring. This is merely a snapshot of where these players line up at this point in time. The class has three clear strengths: pitchers, outfielders and left-side infielders. New Jersey lefthander Jason Groome ranks as the top prospect in the class. He draws comparisons to Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw at the same age, thanks to his physicality and electric three-pitch mix, which is highlighted by arguably the best curveball in the class. Kansas righty Riley Pint is also in the mix to be the first prep player drafted. Pint has the raw materials to develop into a frontline starter, with…

Baseball Analyst, Senior Writer ESPN.com PHILADELPHIA The 2016 Hall of Fame ballot is out. And I know a lot of you think that filling it out ought to be as easy as making out a grocery list. Oh, really? Well, here’s the part that’s easy: Ken Griffey Jr.—Hall of Famer; Randy Winn—not a Hall of Famer. But now it’s time for a 21st-century reflection on what’s not so easy. What does a Hall of Fame relief pitcher look like? What does a Hall of Fame designated hitter look like? Does anybody know? No? Well, we’d better start figuring it out. We’d better start figuring it out because Trevor Hoffman and Billy Wagner are two of the most important first-year candidates on this ballot. We’d better start figuring it out because,…

TOKYO Two days after stunning host Japan in the semifinals, South Korea—led by Byung-Ho Park’s three-run homer—blanked Team USA 8-0 to win the inaugural Premier 12 championship. It’s Korea’s first baseball title in a senior-level tournament since the 2008 Olympics. The Koreans started quickly against U.S. starter Zack Segovia. RBI doubles by Yong-Kyu Lee in the first inning and Hyoon-Soo Kim in the third gave Korea a 2-0 lead. Kim made it 4-0 in the fourth with a tworun double and Park—who could soon be Twins property—blasted a three-run homer off reliever Brooks Pounders to make it 7-0 and ice the game for the Koreans. The Twins submitted the winning bid after Park was posted by his Korean Baseball Organization team, the Nexen Heroes. Lefthander Kwang-Hyun Kim was the winning…

MILWAUKEE You never know what might happen simply by being named a team’s batboy. Tom Flanagan, who took his first job with the Brewers as a batboy at age 17 in 1990, was named the organization’s farm director by general manager David Stearns in November. Flanagan replaces Reid Nichols, who was fired after Stearns took over as GM. A native of Milwaukee, Flanagan had been serving as senior director of baseball operations, a position he held for 10 seasons. “I’m excited to get going,” said Flanagan, who hoped he’d be considered for the job when it opened. “I think it’s a good fit for where we are as an organization with my knowledge and past experiences.” Stearns said he went through “an extensive search process,” including several qualified candidates from…

Columnist, MLB Network BOSTON He spent nearly three years as David Arias in the Mariners organization until Seattle sent him to the Twins in 1996 in a waiver deal for Dave Hollins, then was released by the Twins in December 2002 as David Ortiz. A month later, he was signed by then-Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein, who believed all he needed was a chance to hit in Fenway Park. Ortiz began that 2003 season splitting DH time with Jeremy Giambi and Kevin Millar, and on April 27 gave Red Sox fans a glimpse of who he was when he hit a 14th-inning, two-run homer off current Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway in Anaheim for a 6-4 win. Come October, he prolonged that 2003 season with an eighth-inning double in…

Fresno’s Triple-A franchise had a new affiliation in 2015, joining the Astros after 17 years as a Giants affiliate. The geography worked with the Giants, and with the parent club having won three World Series championships in five seasons, Fresno didn’t want to stop being a Giants affiliate. But when the Triple-A musical chairs stopped, the Grizzlies wound up with the Astros, which meant they would get Pacific Coast League veteran Tony DeFrancesco as their manager. He wasted little time in making a positive impression, declaring before the season that the Grizzlies would make the playoffs. He knew what a Triple-A playoff team looks like; he’d managed in the league since 2003, winning three league championships with the Athletics’ Sacramento affiliate and winning a division title in 2013 with the…

When owner Lou DiBella was planning to move his minor league franchise from Norwich, Conn., to Richmond after the 2009 season, he hired Chuck Domino to oversee the franchise. Domino, a longtime minor league team operator, knew he wanted only one man next to him as he wrote his latest chapter, going to a city the Braves left after 40 years: Todd Parnell. The two had worked together with the Reading Phillies and Domino said it was the best time he’s had in baseball. “I told him, ‘If we ever have the opportunity to work together again, let’s do it.’ So we put the band back together.” Parnell had been in Richmond only once before, passing through on a college road trip. But the man who insists you call him…

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS The Diamondbacks had nowhere to go but up in 2015 after finishing with the worst record in baseball the year before. Arizona put a better product on the field in 2015 and was more competitive in the National League West, finishing the season at 79-83 and 15 wins better than the 2014 club. Still, they finished 13 games behind the first-place Dodgers and never did put together the push needed to make up ground . The D-backs ranked second in the NL in runs scored in 2015 and did so with strong showings in on-base percentage (.324, third) and slugging (.414, second), so they should again have one of the top offenses in the league in 2016. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt and center fielder A.J. Pollock form an…

SAN DIEGO PADRES Few teams entered 2015 with expectations as high as the Padres following a whirlwind winter. New general manager A.J. Preller, hired in August 2014, used the final two months of that season to assess the San Diego big league roster and farm system. Then he tore it down in the span of two weeks in December. Gone were major leaguers Yasmani Grandal, Carlos Quentin, Seth Smith, Cameron Maybin, Chris Denorfia, Jesse Hahn and top prospects such as Trea Turner, Joe Ross and Max Fried. The new faces brought to Petco Park included Matt Kemp, James Shields (a free agent signing who cost the Padres their 2015 first-round pick), Justin and Melvin Upton, Wil Myers, Derek Norris and Craig Kimbrel. The addition of high-salaried players and the trade…

Ball Keeps Bouncing Along BOSTON In many ways, conversations about Trey Ball’s present and future are inseparable from his past. It’s difficult to avoid looking at the lefthander through the prism of his selection as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2013 draft. Ball speaks frequently about a “process” in his player development, the idea that he’s building toward something. Yet the idea that, as a two-way player drafted out New Castle (Ind.) High, from a cold-weather region, he was drafted primarily for his projectability and upside rather than polish. That he might require a lengthy minor league apprenticeship, proved challenging at times to explain to friends and onlookers. “They don’t really know that there’s six levels to go through before you reach that step,” said Ball, 21. “It’s…

Blue Jays Confident In Farm TORONTO The system will remain a top priority for the Blue Jays under Mark Shapiro, though the unexpected departure of Alex Anthopoulos as general manager left uncertainty over whether some change may be coming. The new president and CEO stressed the importance of player development during his introductory news conference, praising the club’s current collection of prospects, even though the pool was drained by a flurry of trade-deadline deals. Still in possession of emerging talents like Anthony Alford, Conner Greene and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., some in the organization believe the system remains among baseball’s top 15. “It’s still a good farm system,” Shapiro said, “but I think every farm system needs to be better. Upper-level talent is going to be an area of focus, but…

Two-Way Threat At Third MIAMI Third baseman Brian Anderson hit .300 with 11 home runs in 59 games, mostly at low Class A Greensboro, in his 2014 pro debut season. The 22-year-old hit “just” .235/.304/.340 with eight homers in 132 games at high Class A Jupiter in 2015—but don’t interpret that as a slip in performance. At least that’s the opinion of Brian Schneider, who managed the former Arkansas standout in the Florida State League. Schneider estimates that Anderson would have hit at least 20 homers if he had spent 2015 in the lower minors. The hitting conditions at Jupiter—and in the FSL, in general— favor pitchers to a huge extent, but Anderson still finished inside the league top 25 with his 32 extra-base hits. “He hit against more advanced…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CHICAGO Center fielder Jacob May is back up and running, and that is very good news for the White Sox. May was having a standout season with Double-A Birmingham this year before he collided with shortstop Tim Anderson during a June 2 game against Biloxi. While Anderson missed just two game with a sore shoulder, May was sidelined more than six weeks with concussion symptoms and he had to miss the Southern League all-star game. When he returned to the Barons’ lineup on July 18, May wasted little time making an impact. He went 11-for-36 and scored nine runs in his first eight games. For the season, May hit .275/.329/.334 while ranking second in the league with 37 stolen…

Mondesi Gets His Ring KANSAS CITY Raul A. Mondesi was playing in instructional league before no crowds, honing his skills as a 20-year-old shortstop, when the Royals summoned him to Kansas City to work out after defeating the Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series. Surprisingly, the Royals placed Mondesi, who had never played above Double-A Northwest Arkansas, on their World Series roster. On Oct. 30, he pinch-hit for Danny Duffy and struck out on four Noah Syndergaard pitches before 44,781 screaming fans at Citi Field. Mondesi is the first player to make his major league debut in a World Series. His father, by the same name, played 1,525 games over 13 years in the majors, but never advanced past a division series in three postseasons. “Many people have…

Heavy Heart For Happ CHICAGO In some ways the Cubs were as impressed with No. 9 overall draft pick Ian Happ’s first half-season of pro ball as they were with super prospects Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber each of the two seasons before him. The 21-year-old Happ, a product of Cincinnati, didn’t put up the same off-thecharts numbers, and he might not look like he’s on the same accelerated path as Bryant and Schwarber, who shot from college to the majors for a playoff team in 22 and 12 months, respectively. “But he dealt with a lot of adversity,” vice president of player development and scouting Jason McLeod said of Happ. “He’s a confident kid. That’s one thing about him,” he said. “Man, he’s really confident.” Happ, who hit .283/.408/.491…

Reyes Forced To Slow Down ST. LOUIS The rapid ascent of righthander Alex Reyes hit what one Cardinals official called a “large speed bump” in November with his second positive test for marijuana and a 50-game suspension. “I think ‘disappointment’ sums it up,” general manager John Mozeliak said. “You look at how well he was pitching this past year and having the success he was having in the (Arizona) Fall League (and) his opportunities at the major league level would have been very high. This is definitely a setback.” The suspension will force Reyes to do something he rarely has. He must slow down. Reyes, 21, was set to appear in the AFL’s Fall Stars game when he and the team received word of the positive drug test. He missed…

High Price To Pay ANAHEIM The Nov. 12 acquisition of Andrelton Simmons from the Braves filled a pressing long-term need for the Angels, securing baseball’s best-fielding shortstop through 2020 for a very reasonable $53 million. But the trade hit one of baseball’s thinner farm systems hard, as the Angels sent bluechip pitching prospects Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis, along with veteran shortstop Erick Aybar, to the Braves for Simmons and Class A catcher Jose Briceno. The loss of Newcomb—a 6-foot-5, 245-pound lefthander who has drawn comparisons to Jon Lester—will be particularly painful. Newcomb, the 15th overall pick in 2014, combined to go 9-3, 2.38 in 27 games for low Class A Burlington, high Class A Inland Empire and Double-A Arkansas this season, striking out 168 and in 136 innings. No…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ LOS ANGELES Jacob Scavuzzo has already taken some wild swings in his professional career. Scavuzzo had a breakout debut in 2013 after being drafted in the 21st round out of Villa Park High in Orange, Calif., (Mark Trumbo’s alma mater) one year earlier, hitting .307/.350/.578 with 14 home runs in 63 games for Rookie-level Ogden. He moved up to low Class A Great Lakes in 2014 but hit just .209./.277/.311 in 402 at-bats before getting sent back down to Ogden. Motivated by that failure, Scavuzzo, 21, re-established himself as a prospect in 2015, hitting .286/.337/.500 with 18 home runs between Great Lakes and high Class A Rancho Cucamonga, where he had a .945 OPS in 61 games and played…

Youth Movement SAN DIEGO The Padres pushed Luis Urias to low Class A Fort Wayne this season, where the 18-year-old infielder made his 2015 debut in June as the youngest player in the Midwest League. Not only did he pass the test by hitting .290/.370/.326 in 193 at-bats with the TinCaps, Urias offered hope for a system short on middle-infield prospects at the upper levels. Urias teamed up with fellow 18-year-old shortstop Ruddy Giron in Fort Wayne soon after the Padres sent shortstop Trea Turner to the Nationals to complete a three-team trade from a year earlier. Urias held his own at the plate, where he showed off a tremendous eye and bat control with an 18-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 193 at-bats; and in the field, as he’s versatile enough…

PHOENIX Perennial Arizona Fall League observers noted a decline in the quality of prospects this year, although that drop wasn’t reflected in the number of interesting pitchers populating the staffs of the six AFL teams. Especially intriguing was the unprecedented number of power arms touching or coming close to 100 mph velocity with their fastballs. To determine eligibility for the list, we used our usual standard of one plate appearance per team’s games played for hitters and one inning for every three games for pitchers. We also normally don’t include players who have lost rookie eligibility, but made an exception this year by listing Texas Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar as the 11th prospect with an asterisk. Philadelphia shortstop J.P. Crawford was the biggest name with insufficient playing time with just…

The Dodgers reached have an agreement to sign 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Yusniel Diaz for $15.5 million and another agreement to sign 17-year-old Cuban second baseman Omar Estevez for $6 million. Because Diaz and Estevez are subject to the international bonus pools, the total price tag for the Dodgers will be $43 million, since they will have to pay a 100 percent overage tax on their pool signings. Even before these agreements, the Dodgers were already over their bonus pool, which means they won’t be able to sign any pooleligible players for more than $300,000 for two years once the 2016-17 signing period begins on July 2. Diaz, who ranked No. 17 on Baseball America’s Top 20 Cuban player rankings in April, is 6-foot-1, 185 pounds with a lively, athletic frame…

MATT HICKMAN, ..WHO_PHD If I was going to pick a team whose most likely to lose multiple prospects in this year’s Rule 5 draft, it would be the Astros. Houston has a number of intriguing names on the unprotected list, led by lefthander Reymin Guduan, catcher Roberto Pena, righthander Chris Devenski and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. This could be the second consecutive year the Astros are the team most raided. It’s pretty common to see a team have two of its players picked in the Rule 5 draft, but it’s rare for a team to lose three, which is what happened to the Astros last year. Houston lost outfielder Delino DeShields to the Rangers and lefthander David Rollins to the Mariners. Righthander Jandel Gustave was also picked by the Red Sox,…

Columnist, MLB.com DENVER George Genovese was 41. After a 12-year playing career that included getting into three big league games—two as a pinch-hitter and one as a pinch-runner— he had spent 10 years managing in the minor leagues, and was coming off his second losing season in the eight previous years. A friend offered him some advice.  “Managers always get fired,” Genovese would later recall. “If you become a scout, you’ll have a job as long as you can see to drive.” Or in Genovese’s case, longer. At the age of 93, Genovese was still at the ballpark last summer, a special scouting consultant for the Dodgers. He won’t, however, be showing up to evaluate players in the coming season. A man whose resume for finding talent is unchallenged in…

Upon leaving Major League Baseball to become general manager of the financially wobbly Mets in October 2010, Sandy Alderson assembled a dream team of front-office executives, including former GMs Paul DePodesta and J.P Ricciardi and interim GM John Ricco. Five years later, having championed a disciplined, buildfrom-within approach, Alderson now has guided the organization to the National League pennant and created a foundation that should lead to sustainable success. He also is the Baseball America Major League Executive of the Year. “Sandy is the best leader I’ve ever been around,” Ricciardi said. “He lets you do your job. He respects you. And he wants your input. In the world today, his ‘yes’ means yes and his ‘no’ means no. That’s one of the best things about him. He’s always in…

BILOXI, MISS. The inaugural campaign for Double-A Biloxi always will be associated with a 54-game road trip that began the season, but there was so much more to the Baseball America Minor League Team of the Year. The story of the Shuckers started as a team without a home. Then it became quickly apparent that the 2015 squad wasn’t simply another novelty, but a group of talented players who could provide hope for a struggling Brewers franchise. Once the season finally came to a close with a 4-0 loss to Chattanooga in Game Five of the Southern League championship series, the Brewers called up a whopping six Biloxi players. The man widely considered the best of the bunch, 21-year-old shortstop Orlando Arcia, wasn’t even among the group to be promoted.…

Andy Milovich has guided the Myrtle Beach Pelicans to attendance gains in each of his three seasons as general manager of the Carolina League franchise. He launched a successful debut campaign in 2015 as a Cubs affiliate, boosted the team’s digital presence with a variety of unique initiatives and launched a lineup full of creative promotions. Yet for all of that success, Milovich may forever be remembered as the guy who turned prostate exams into a fad. In 2014, as part of a dare by local sports talk radio hosts and as a way to raise attention and money for a young fan battling cancer, Milovich took the team’s prostate awareness promotion to another level. He took an exam in the team’s press box during the seventh-inning stretch of a…

When your dad wore No. 23 before LeBron James at St. Vincent-St. Mary High in Akron, Ohio, and then led Ohio State football to a national championship as its quarterback in 1957, the bar for family athletic achievements has been set high. Mike Kremblas is doing his best to match his father Frank’s accomplishments. Kremblas is the recipient of the 2015 Ripken Baseball Youth Coach of the Year Award for his stewardship of the Knoxville Stars baseball team. The award is a joint venture of Ripken Baseball and Baseball America and is given to the youth coach who represents traits of The Ripken Way—character, commitment, community, family, fun, integrity, passion, perseverance and teamwork. A catcher at Ohio State from 1995-98 and an eighth-round pick of the Blue Jays in 1998,…

COLORADO ROCKIES The day was going to come eventually. The Rockies knew it and so did the rest of baseball. On July 28, 2015, in the midst of a fifth straight losing season, the Rockies shipped 30-year-old shortstop Troy Tulowitzki—a perennial all-star and the face of the franchise—to the hungry Blue Jays, ending the Tulo Era in Denver and signaling a full rebuild. The move, which also sent reliever LaTroy Hawkins to Toronto and shortstop Jose Reyes to Colorado, helped catapult the Blue Jays to their first postseason appearance since 1993. The Rockies, meanwhile, freed themselves of roughly $50 million they owed Tulo through 2020, while fortifying an already deep farm system. The three pitchers the Rockies acquired— righthanders Jeff Hoffman, Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco—neatly slide into the organization’s…

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS When Buster Posey quickly rose from draft pick to MVP candidate, it was easy to explain. Posey was the College Player of the Year and one of the best players in his draft class. Players with his pedigree—he went fifth overall in 2008—are supposed to provide impact, especially if they marry athleticism and an advanced understanding of the game. When Brandon Belt went from fifth-round pick to middle-of-the-lineup fixture, the Giants’ scouting department earned praise for its acumen. When Joe Panik (first round, 2011) and Brandon Crawford (fourth, 2008) turned into one of the best middle-infield combos in baseball, the Giants earned more credit for excellent player development. But when Matt Duffy (18th, 2012) goes from slugging .289 in three years at Long Beach State to seamlessly…

System Improves Under Denbo NEW YORK The 2015 season was the first that Mark Newman wasn’t in charge of Yankees player development. He ended a 26-year stint with the organization—18 of them as farm director—after the 2014 season when he retired. Following Newman was Gary Denbo, a longtime Yankee employee who moved into the farm director role and started his 21st year in the organization. It was the beginning of Denbo’s third stretch with the Yankees, an organization for which he served as big league hitting coach (in 2001), minor league manager, minor league hitting coach and coordinator, scout and player-development consultant. “Gary did a good job,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “He continued the progress Mark had started. The players in the system got better. Our system was good…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ NEW YORK The Mets traded eight minor league pitchers this summer while making a flurry of in-season deals, but pitching talent remains in the upper levels of the system. Team officials are particularly high on 22-year-old righthander Robert Gsellman, whom the organization selected as minor league pitcher of the year. Gsellman went a combined 13-7, 2.89 in 24 starts at high Class A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton. He allowed only one home run in 51 innings in the Florida State League and walked just 37, against 86 strikeouts, in 143 innings between the two levels. A 13th-round pick from Los Angeles’ Westchester High in 2011, Gsellman began using a two-seam fastball in 2014 while pitching at low Class…

Fast Track To Philly PHILADELPHIA Shortstop J.P. Crawford’s year ended as it began: with an injury. The system’s top prospect was knocked out of the Arizona Fall League after just five games when he suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb on a tag play. Chase Utley and Cesar Hernandez both suffered similar injuries at the big league level in recent seasons and required surgery. Crawford’s injury is not nearly as serious, and surgery was not required. “It’s a very slight tear, so slight they had to read the MRI three times to find it,” director of player development Joe Jordan said. “He will be immobilized for three to four weeks and 100 percent healthy well before for spring training.” Crawford missed the first month of 2015 after straining…

House Work CLEVELAND A year ago at this time T.J. House was coming off an impressive end to the 2014 season, and he seemed to be positioned to be a member of the Indians’ rotation at the outset of 2015. He accomplished that goal, but not for very long, and his status for 2016 is much less defined than it was a year ago. The 26-year-old lefthander finished 2014 with a 2.20 ERA in his last seven starts, and the Indians won all seven of those games. House began the 2015 season in the rotation. He made four starts in April and had a 13.15 ERA. He was removed from the rotation at the end of April, then went on the disabled list on May 1 with left shoulder inflammation,…

Burdi Makes AFL Progress MINNESOTA Terry Ryan begins rolling his eyes the moment he hears the question: Is Nick Burdi still throwing 100 mph? “He throws hard, fine. I don’t know the radar readings, because that’s not important right now,” the Twins’ general manager patiently explains. “I’m not worried about his throwing. I’m concerned about his pitching.” The 22-year-old righthander, a former Louisville closer drafted 46th overall by the Twins in 2014, pitched eight scoreless innings in the Arizona Fall League with 11 strikeouts, one walk and just two hits allowed. “He’s clearly started to figure it out. It was very evident, and that’s good to see,” Ryan said. “He’s got three pitches now, and they’re all quite good. His fastball is his best pitch, we all know that, but…

Rivera Ready For Anything MILWAUKEE The Brewers expect Orlando Arcia, on the heels of a breakout season at Double-A Biloxi, to be the starting shortstop in Milwaukee—and before too long. But where does that leave Yadiel Rivera? Even before Arcia rose to No. 1 prospect status , Rivera had been celebrated for his defensive prowess at shortstop. “We’ve got pretty good shortstops,” said Rivera, 23, including big league incumbent Jean Segura. “I’m just trying to get ready for whatever they need me to play—second, third—and just be there for when the team needs me. I just try to learn something every day at every position.” Rivera’s bat has held him back, however. He hit just .253/.298/.331 in 133 games at Biloxi and Triple-A Colorado Springs this season, so given the…

ARLINGTON None of the 30 teams thought Ryne Slack was worth a draft pick in 2012. Maybe someday, after more seasoning in college, a team would take him. Those teams never got another crack at the lefthander from the cozy South Carolina town named Ninety Six. He eighty-sixed another year of college by signing a professional contract with the Rangers a month after the draft, and found himself pitching in the Arizona Fall League to close out his 2015 season. “That’s a lot for a nondrafted free agent,” Slack said. “Somebody’s got to do it.” He earned the invitation to pitch for the Surprise Saguaros, limiting the damage that comes with pitching for high Class A High Desert and flourishing in over 11 appearances at Double-A Frisco. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound…

Determined To Beat The Odds OAKLAND When the Athletics called Seth Brown’s name in the 19th round of the 2015 draft, everyone knew he would be a long shot. He was already 23, and from a small school. He did not have the splendid tool set scouts so love to see. And, yet, all he has done is go out and put on a show . He made the New York-Penn League all-star team, then won the team MVP award at short-season Vermont by hitting .289/.356/.431 with 19 doubles, three triples and three home runs. He followed that with a trip to instructional league, where he was named “baserunning king,” in a camp where a focus was on teaching the prospects how to improve their baserunning. “It’s a learning game…

Lopez Comes A Long Way PHOENIX To say righthander Yoan Lopez had a long year is stating the obvious. From Cuba to Arizona to Alabama and back again, Lopez pitched through a persistent blister, forearm soreness and an errant fastball that concussed a teammate and stressed him out. Out the other end, Lopez seems to have his velocity and his confidence intact. “It’s a learning process and an adapting process— first adapting, then learning and then executing,” Lopez said through interpreter Larry Pardo, the D-backs’ Arizona League pitching coach who was working with Lopez in the Arizona Fall League. “It’s made me mentally tougher to get through this.” Lopez, who signed for an $8.25 million bonus last winter after leaving Cuba, sat in the mid-90 mph range for the Salt…

A Prospect At Any Position SAN FRANCISCO When you blister top pitching in the Arizona Fall League, as Christian Arroyo just did, you can earn yourself a label like “shortstop of the future.” Except for this: just a few days after Arroyo appeared in the AFL’s Fall Stars game, the Giants signed shortstop Brandon Crawford to a six-year, $75 million contract extension. Maybe that’s why Arroyo played second base in that Fall Stars appearance—and why experience at more positions will be in the works in 2016. “I’ve seen him play second base and that’s not going to be an issue, third base is not a stretch, and down the road, we’ve got to look at left field,” Giants farm director Shane Turner said. “He’s not a speedster but he’s far…

Transactions involving minor league players, i.e. those not on 40-man rosters, covering the period Oct. 31-Nov. 20. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: Signed RHP Kyle Drabek, LHP Adam Loewen, 2B Anthony Seratelli, 3Bs Carlos Rivero and Ryan Wheeler and OFs Kyle Jensen and Ericson Leonora. Re-signed RHP Edgar Garcia and SS Raul Navarro. Traded RHP Jeremy Hellickson to Phillies for RHP Sam McWilliams. Traded OF Daniel Palka to Twins for C Chris Herrmann. ATLANTA BRAVES: Signed RHPs Joel de la Cruz and Connor Little, LHP Bryan Morgado, C Willians Astudillo, 1B Brandon Snyder and 3B Jordy Lara. Re-signed C Matt Kennelly and SS Emerson Landoni. Released RHPs Steve Borkowski, Daniel Cordero and Mitchell Osnowitz and 2B Ronny Guillermo. Traded C Jose Briceno and SS Andrelton Simmons to Angels for RHP Chris Ellis, LHP…