Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, April 22, 2016 i Baseball America

» IN THIS ISSUE: We ponder if the Marlins’ Kevin Brown is the best pitcher in the majors. » ALSO: The Jacksonville Suns boast a quartet of tantalizing prospects poised to boost the Tigers’ stock. Kevin Brown burns. Often these days it’s a slow burn. A gentle heat that reminds him he’s alive and at work sending hitters home to lie restlessly in their beds, wondering what it is they might have done differently. But there are still those times when the temperature rises past the safe zone, racing past bake and then broil on its way to meltdown, building up pressure that screams for release. It’s then that it’s a bad time to be a baseball bat. Or a water cooler. Or anything else that Brown might mistake for…

PHILADELPHIA In the mid-1990s, Major League Baseball welcomed three young shortstops with enough talent and charisma to redefine the position and take the game to new heights. When scouts watched Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra appear on the landscape en masse, they considered it the greatest thing since the invention of the hotel frequent guest program. With every base hit, home run trot, doubleplay pivot and accurate throw from the hole, the three wunderkinds put their stamp on the game. Jeter won five World Series rings as a Yankee, collected 3,465 hits and set a record for SDAR (Supermodels Dated Above Replacement). Now he’s 41 years old and easing into retirement, and his main objective is landing an ownership stake in a team before he challenges Ken Griffey…

Schuerholz Steps Down As President John Schuerholz, who joined the Braves as general manager in 1990 after spending two decades in the Royals’ front office, is stepping aside as president of the Braves, but not retiring. Terry McGuirk, the Braves’ chairman and CEO, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the 75-year-old Schuerholz will take an advisory role as vice chairman. But McGuirk made it clear to the newspaper that Schuerholz isn’t retiring. “Heck no,” he said. The Braves will name two people to replace Schuerholz, the newspaper reported. Derek Schiller will be president of business and Mike Plant will be president of development. MLB Renews Int’l Broadcast Agreements MLB renewed broadcast agreements with 16 global rightsholders to show major league games from as nearby as Canada and Cuba all the way…

johnmanuel @baseballamerica.com Back in the day, roster issues were torture for Baseball America employees and perfect for BA readers. Getting all the rosters in your mailbox had to be fantastic in the pre-internet era. It truly was baseball news you couldn’t get anywhere else, and I have communicated with enough readers over the years, via email or phone calls, to know how much those are valued, even today. For us on the staff, entering in those rosters by hand was not the main reason we decided to work at this magazine, and that was especially true of November’s 40-man rosters. A long-running joke at BA is of a past staffer, who will remain nameless, calling clubs and asking, “I desperately need a copy of your 40-man roster.” His word choice…

These are the Opening Day rosters for every major league and full-season minor league team at the outset of the 2016 season. Because the majors and minors open on different dates, a player can appear on multiple rosters. The roster limits for all clubs is 25 active players, but disabled list reporting by minor league clubs is fluid. Ages are as of April 1. For each player, we have listed his organization at the conclusion of 2015, as well as the highest level he reached. Players who appeared in foreign or independent leagues are noted as such. Detailed rosters for all teams, updated throughout the season, are available at BaseballAmerica.com. * DISABLED LIST ** 60-DAY DISABLED LIST # SUSPENDED/INACTIVE/RESTRICTED LIST…

Moncada Ready For An Encore FORT MYERS, FLA. It would be difficult to exaggerate the divide between the start of Yoan Moncada’s first season as a member of the organization and the buildup to his 2016 campaign. Last February, Moncada was still in a showcase-circuit spin cycle as he worked out for teams as one of the most coveted (and the most expensive) amateur international free agents in baseball history. When he signed with the Red Sox, he knew no one. He did not know player routines of the minor leagues. He was unfamiliar with the seven-day-a-week schedule that awaited him at low Class A Greenville. And so, perhaps, it should have come as little surprise that Moncada struggled at the start of his age-20 season. He hit .200/.287/.289 with…

Olivera reaps benefits of winter work For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. The Braves got their man last July after initially losing him to the Dodgers. Now, they’re trying to find out what they have in 31-year-old Hector Olivera. After defecting from Cuba in September 2014, Olivera signed a six-year, $62.5 million deal with Los Angeles last May. Atlanta also showed strong interest. Olivera battled hamstring injuries, however, and appeared in just 13 games in the fullseason minors before the Dodgers traded him to the Braves. He made his big league debut in September. Primarily a second baseman in Cuba, Olivera saw most of his activity last year at third base before the Braves shifted him to left field last…

Enviable Catching Depth CLEARWATER, FLA. Big league manager Pete Mackanin had heard many good things about catching prospects Andrew Knapp and Jorge Alfaro over the winter. Now, he has a visual to go with the positive reports. Knapp and Alfaro both impressed the skipper during their month in big league camp. “I like what I saw from both of them,” Mackanin said as the two backstops were sent to minor league camp to get ready for the their seasons. The Phillies selected Knapp in the second round of the 2013 draft out of California. He had Tommy John surgery soon after signing but broke out in a big way in 2015, batting .308/.385/.491 in 118 games at high Class A Clearwater and Double-A Reading. The 24-year-old switch-hitter amassed 13 homers…

Danish Learning From Failure GLENDALE, ARIZ. Righthander Tyler Danish is learning how to handle failure. As a senior at Durant High in Plant City, Fla., Danish went 15-1 and didn’t allow an earned run in 94 innings while striking out 156 and walking just 16. A second-round pick in 2013, he combined to go 9-3, 1.92 at Rookie-level Bristol, low Class A Kannapolis and high Class A Winston-Salem in his first two pro seasons. Last year, Danish advanced to Double-A Birmingham and dipped to 8-12, 4.50 in 26 starts. “I never really struggled before last year, so I definitely learned from that,” said Danish, 21. “I struggled a little bit but learned a ton. I’ll take that experience into this year and go with that.” Danish was just 20 last…

Paul Impressing Twins Early FORT MYERS, FLA. There’s a misconception about “senior signs” on the second day of the draft, Mike Radcliff said. “People say you waste picks” by selecting college seniors with little leverage, in order to sign them to below-slot bonuses, said the Twins’ vice president for player personnel. “That’s never been true. We have a senior board, and it’s got a lot of guys we like. You can find good talent there, maybe some guys who developed a little late.” The Twins found one they like a lot last summer in Chris Paul, a righthanded-hitting first baseman from California who signed for $50,000 as a sixth-round pick. Paul had modest success during his first three collegiate seasons, but he stepped forward as a senior. “Numbers-wise, he got…

Scary Moment PHOENIX The Brewers had high hopes for outfielder Rymer Liriano fulfilling his potential, but his chances of making the Opening Day roster ended in frightening fashion. With less than two weeks remaining in spring camp, Liriano was hit in the face by a pitch from Dodgers righthander Matt West, suffering multiple facial fractures. Liriano had surgery a week later and was facing the possibility of a long road to recovery. Big league manager Craig Counsell knew all too well what Liriano was experiencing. While playing for the Marlins in 1998, Counsell was hit in the face by a pitch and had a broken jaw that sidelined him for the remaining two months of that season. “I think every injury has physical and mental hurdles,” Counsell said. “He’ll have…

Morgan will wear any glove necessary For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ SURPRISE, ARIZ. Josh Morgan is becoming a Swiss army knife kind of prospect. He can play three infield positions, doing so with a knack for making highlight-worthy plays, and show off his skills at the plate. The 2014 third-round pick from Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High impressed the big league coaching staff as a fill-in outfielder for Cactus League games after spending his morning trying to learn how to play catcher. Morgan’s body type, athletic ability and arm gave the Rangers the idea of trying him behind the plate, where there is no bona fide star catching prospect in the organization. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Morgan spent part of instructional league last fall getting…

New Year, New Look MESA, ARIZ. The Athletics’ trade of Josh Donaldson left fans anguished. Oakland dealt him to the Blue Jays for a package of young players, and Donaldson responded by winning the American League MVP award in 2015. The A’s, meanwhile, fell to last place. A year later, one of those prospects, shortstop Franklin Barreto, is emerging. The organization was not impressed when the 5-foot-9, 175-pound Barreto reported to spring training out of shape in 2015. That stood in stark contrast to the player who arrived in excellent condition in 2016. The 20-year-old Venezuelan still put together a strong first season with Oakland. Playing at high Class A Stockton, he hit .387/.383/.642 in the second half after returning from a wrist injury, which may well have been the…

Velocity Bump For Banda SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. Whenever the Diamondbacks defend their practice of trading away recent high draft picks, the first thing they do is point to some of the young talent they received back in other deals. Among those players is lefthander Anthony Banda, who has seen his velocity bump up this spring to levels that could change his standing as a prospect. Banda, whom the D-backs acquired as part of the July 2014 deal that sent outfielder Gerardo Parra to the Brewers, has topped out at 96 mph this spring, according to scouts and team officials. “He was probably more 89-91 (mph) and sat at 90 (in previous years),” minor league pitching coordinator Dan Carlson said. “It’s bumped up four miles an hour right now on average, which…

Improbable Recovery SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. Four years after the Giants signed him for $1.3 million, and three years after he nearly severed his right hand in a fall through a glass table, Gustavo Cabrera is playing baseball for a full-season affiliate. The 20-year-old center fielder impressed coaches this spring with his combination of tape-measure power and agility. He will suit up at low Class A Augusta. It’s a miracle he is playing baseball at all. “There’s nothing (that compares), at least for me in almost 25 years in baseball,” said Mark Gruesbeck, the club’s minor league training coordinator, who directed Cabrera’s lengthy rehab over the past 30 months. Cabrera severed 11 tendons plus every major nerve and blood vessel just above his right wrist when he slipped on spilled water and…

Throughout Kel Johnson’s career, power has been his calling card. He put on impressive displays in high school, like the time he hit 11 homers at Citi Field in the 2013 Junior Home Run Derby. It has continued to play in college, where the sophomore has 17 home runs in his first 66 games at Georgia Tech. Johnson, however, said he doesn’t go to the plate thinking about home runs. He is instead working to be the best all-around hitter he can be. “I definitely feel like every year throughout my career I’ve matured as a hitter,” Johnson said. “I’ve advanced my approach, I’ve gotten better at repeating mechanics, being able to do the same thing every day, not being sporadic, not finding success at random, but knowing why you’re…

Transactions Transactions involving minor league players, i.e. those not on 40-man rosters, covering the period March 19-31. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: Released RHPs Tyler Bolton, Jose Cisnero, Luis de la Cruz, Tom Jameson, Sam LeCure, Jose Nivar, Chris Oliver, Dan Savas, Kevin Simmons, Markus Solbach and Tim Stauffer; LHPs Matt Reynolds and Wesley Wright, 3B Ryan Wheeler, SSs Raul Navarro and Alvaro Rondon and OFs Breland Almadova and Cory Vaughn. ATLANTA BRAVES: Signed OF Drew Stubbs. Released RHPs Dakota Dill, Dustin Emmons, Sean Furney, Connor Little, Dylan Manwaring, Ethan Martin, Monte’ Reese, Ian Stiffler, Seth Webster and Jorge Zavala; LHPs Phil Coke, Yean Carlos Gil, David Holmberg, Ben Libuda, Bryan Morgado, Andy Otero, Alex Torres and Blair Walters; Cs Bryan de la Rosa, Alejandro Flores and Chris O’Dowd; 1Bs Jeff Campbell, Tanner…

Jose Miguel Fernandez took another step closer to starting his major league career on April 4, when Major League Baseball declared the Cuban second baseman a free agent. Fernandez, 27, ranked as the No. 3 player in Baseball America’s April 2014 rankings of the Top 20 players still in Cuba. Fernandez is an offensive-minded infielder with excellent plate discipline and bat control from the left side, rarely chasing anything off the plate or swinging through many pitches in the strike zone. During his final full season in Cuba (2013-14), Fernandez hit .326/.482/.456 with 65 walks and 10 strikeouts in 314 plate appearances, ranking second in the league in OBP. Fernandez is exempt from the international bonus pools, which means he can sign a major league contract, and is expected to…

CARY, N.C. When the teams for this year’s National High School Invitational were unveiled back in January, Huntington Beach (Calif.) High appeared to be the favorite. Huntington had power in the lineup, strong defense up the middle, and a pitching rotation that included three of the nation’s most polished high school pitchers. But one of those pitchers (lefthander Nicholas Pratto) was ineligible for the start of the season, and another (righthander Logan Pouelsen) injured his arm early in the season. After the Oilers lost to strong teams—JSerra Catholic and Orange Lutheran—they slid from No. 1 in the preseason high school rankings, and they were not voted into the most recent Top 25. It wouldn’t have surprised anyone if Huntington Beach struggled at the NHSI, but the team’s experience and talent…

MESA, ARIZ. It was between games of a daynight doubleheader in Pittsburgh last September, and as we sat together in the visiting manager’s office between games, Joe Maddon summed up his managerial style. “I appreciate, love and use all the analytics and scouting information that so many people work on and get to my desk, the coaching staff and everyone that prepares for each game,” he said. “Everyone knows we do a few off-thebeaten-path things, because this isn’t life-or-death; these are human beings who need to have fun, to be normal, and differentiate between down time and being in the moment. “But in reality,” Maddon said, “these guys are all human beings. And 80 percent of managing is people. They’re not numbers. They’re not making the world safe for democracy.…

Yankees send Sanchez for more polish For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ TAMPA Brian Cashman never said the backup catcher’s job was Gary Sanchez’s to lose before spring training opened. However, the general manager spoke glowingly of Sanchez, saying he had a chance to win the job and that the Yankees were high on the 23-year-old. Yet, New York optioned Sanchez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on March 24, more than a week before Opening Day. The move all but cleared the way for Austin Romine, who is out of minor league options, to back up Brian McCann. As they packed Sanchez off to the International League, where he played in 35 games last season after a promotion from Double-A Trenton, the Yankees reiterated their belief…

First-Round Picks Stay Patient PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA. Outfielder Mikie Mahtook and third baseman Richie Shaffer did what they could last year when given the chance to play in the majors for the first time. Despite making good impressions, they knew there was nothing they could do when the Rays made as series of offseason moves that caused them to be sent back to Triple-A Durham. “You can’t get caught up in the other stuff, like personnel additions,’’ said Shaffer, 25, a 2012 first-round pick from Clemson. “What are you going to do about it? You can’t get too upset about it or feel slighted or whatever. “If there’s not a spot and I’ve got to go back to Triple-A, then that’s what I’ve got to do. I’m a professional, and…

Getting Ahead With The Curve JUPITER, FLA. In some ways, lefthander Michael Mader was a 10th-year freshman when he finally enrolled at local Chipola (Fla.) JC in the fall of 2012. A native of Marianna, located on the Florida Panhandle, Mader starting “hanging around” Chipola camps at age 8. “I saw him develop for all those years,” Chipola coach Jeff Johnson said. “When he showed up as a freshman, he didn’t have much of a breaking ball, and his fastball was only 84-88 (mph). “But he has worked really hard in the weight room and has matured physically and mentally.” The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Mader has gained 20 pounds of muscle in the past 18 months. His fastball now ranges from 90-95 mph and typically sits 93. His strikeout pitch is…

Perkins Makes The Switch VIERA, FLA. Though center fielder Blake Perkins is just 19 years old, he already takes the long view on his career. The 2015 second-round pick is learning to switch-hit, a fact that doesn’t necessarily help his chances of breaking camp at low Class A Hagerstown. But Perkins said that even if he has to stay in extended spring training and wait to play at short-season Auburn in June, the learning process will be worth it. “I think it’s just where I’ll get to play the most, so that’s where I’ll be,” Perkins said. “As long as the end goal is to make it to the big leagues and help myself stay there longer, I’m all for it.” The 6-foot-1 Perkins started taking at-bats from the left…

Stamets Sees Blocked Path GOODYEAR, ARIZ. With 22-year-old Francisco Lindor just beginning what many believe will be a long and an all-star-studded career, it’s probably difficult for the other shortstops in the Indians organization to see a path to the major leagues in Cleveland. Eric Stamets is one of those shortstops. Invited to big league training camp as a nonroster player, the 24-year-old made a good impression before being sent to minor league camp. “I know he looks up and sees Lindor and (Erik) Gonzalez,” big league manager Terry Francona said, “but you can’t have too many good players.” Acquired last year at the trade deadline in a deal that sent outfielder David Murphy to the Angels, Stamets came with a reputation as a plus defender who struggles offensively. That…

Reed adopts alter ego on the mound For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ GOODYEAR, ARIZ. When Clark Kent takes off his glasses, he becomes Superman. When lefthander Cody Reed puts his on, he becomes something of a superhero himself. “It’s not fair,” muttered one Reds minor leaguer (who will remained unnamed) after his first live batting practice against Reed earlier this spring. “He’s a 6-foot-5, lefty, throwing gas, and with those glasses, you don’t know if he knows where it’s going.” While “fear” may not quite be the word to use when describing what it’s like to face Reed, perhaps “intimidation” works. The 22-year-old is a physical specimen, and he makes quite a strong first impression. Not to mention those black goggles. That’s nothing…

Funny Coincidence BRADENTON, FLA. The irony struck catcher Jacob Stallings as he was driving his father to the airport. “He beat me to Pittsburgh,” Stallings said. “I never expected that.” Kevin Stallings was hired as the basketball coach at the University of Pittsburgh on March 26 after 17 seasons at Vanderbilt. He had spent the previous week in Bradenton, watching his son participate in his first major league spring-training camp before flying to Pittsburgh for his introductory press conference. “It’s just wild that it was Pittsburgh,” said Jacob, 26. “A funny coincidence.” Stallings began the season at Triple-A Indianapolis after having the best offensive season of his four-year career in 2015. He hit .275/.313/.370 in 74 games at Double-A Altoona last season. No one has questioned Stallings’ defense since he…

Share The Knowledge KISSIMMEE, FLA. The mood remained festive as veteran Wandy Rodriguez played host to several of the Astros’ top prospects from the Dominican Republic a few nights this spring. As they all pitched in to cook, the sounds of bachata, merengue and reggaeton served as a chorus while hard-throwing righthanders Jandel Gustave and Michael Feliz washed and chopped vegetables. The dinners at Rodriguez’s apartment was one of the ways Astros veterans took in the prospects this spring. Rodriguez, Colby Rasmus and Carlos Gomez made it a point this spring to share their knowledge and checkbook with the club’s prospects, whether they were in big league camp or not. Rasmus and Gomez bought Preston Tucker, Jake Marisnick and minor league outfielders Derek Fisher, Jon Kemmer and Eury Perez and…

O’Neill Puts On A Show PEORIA, ARIZ. Tyler O’Neill might not have been invited to big league spring training as many expected. But the young corner outfielder still made a positive impression on the organization’s new management this spring. With the Mariners running a smaller, more veteran big league camp, O’Neill didn’t receive an invitation despite a solid 2015 season where he hit .260/.316/.558 with 32 homers and 87 RBIs at high Class A Bakersfield. But the 20-year-old was invited to Seattle’s hitting summit in January and their select mini-camp a month before minor leaguers were scheduled to report. This allowed him to participate in live batting practices and Cactus League games with the big league team. It was during that time when O’Neill showed his power potential. There was…

Wolters Wins Backup Job SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. Tony Wolters was unheralded and virtually unknown to the Rockies when they claimed him from the Indians on waivers on Feb. 18. Six days earlier, Cleveland had designated Wolters for assignment to clear a roster spot after signing righthander Tommy Hunter. Out of that 11th-hour shuffle came an opportunity that the 23-year-old Wolters seized. Despite never playing above Double-A, he, upon joining the Rockies, began an improbable spring rise that resulted in him opening the season as the Rockies’ backup catcher. “We knew on the field who he was in terms of his athleticism and his ability to really catch and really receive and really throw,” player development director Zach Wilson said. The lefthanded-hitting Wolters, who began his career as a shortstop, started catching…

CARY, N.C. Walton (Ga.) High entered the National High School Invitational ranked No. 2 in the national High School Top 25 and looked to be the biggest threat to California hegemony in the NHSI when it was beating Chaminade Prep on the second day of the event. A walk-off homer by Blake Solis, though, ended Walton’s championship hopes, handing the Raiders a 9-8 defeat and spurring Chaminade into the title game, where it eventually lost to Huntington Beach in an all-California final. However, Walton rallied to win its final two games and go 3-1 in the NHSI, helped in large part by shortstop Carter Kieboom. A preseason second-team All-American, Kieboom had an impressive week, even while going just 2-for-10 in four games. While Kieboom is known for his patient approach…

GREENVILLE, N.C. Modern hitters may have the idea of working counts drilled into their brains, but against Andrew Lantrip, they do it at their own peril. More times than not, that’s going to mean taking strike one, then strike two. As his coach Todd Whitting says, Lantrip simply smothers hitters with strikes. Witness the Houston righthander’s astounding 44-1 strikeout-walk ratio—not to mention his 1.69 ERA—after his first six starts of 2016. “He’s pretty efficient with his pitches,” Whitting said. “He just keeps coming at them with strike after strike after strike. He gets guys down in the count so quick, they’ve got to be ready to hit as soon as they step in there.” Lantrip had a rare bout of wildness, by his standards, April 1 in his seventh start…

There’s no level of professional baseball where the prospects carry more risk than the Dominican Summer League. Even the best players who make their pro debuts in the DSL can bomb out quickly and never make it out of Rookie ball, but the league has been the first stop for several major league stars and more up-and-coming prospects over the years. These were some of the best prospects who played in the DSL in 2015, with breakout potential heading int 2016. For a complete list of prospects from the DSL (and Venezuelan Summer League), go to BaseballAmerica.com. Daniel Brito, ss/2b, Phillies Brito, who signed out of Venezuela for $650,000 in 2014, is physically underdeveloped with an skinny, long-limbed frame, but despite his lack of strength he already shows an advanced…

CLEARWATER, FLA. You may have heard that the Pirates are thinking about moving Andrew McCutchen up to the No. 2 hole. OK, that’s totally true. Nevertheless, it isn’t totally accurate. Because what the Pirates are really thinking about is, well, everything. If you just focus on this one maneuver, you’re missing something. Something larger. Something landscape-changing. To say the Pirates are now one of the sports world’s great think tanks doesn’t quite capture it. What they’ve actually become is one of the sports world’s great RE-THINK tanks. “In our constant evaluating, we don’t just say, ‘This is the way it’s always been done,’” said their free-thinking manager, Clint Hurdle. “Tradition can be a wonderful thing. But it can be a vision-killer.” So the Pirates now find themselves in constant pursuit…

BEN FULLENKAMP, MIAMISBURG, OH There’s no doubt that scouts will have a tougher time getting a read on Lewis (ranked eighth on our latest BA Top 100 Draft Prospects list) hitting against Southern Conference pitchers than they will scouting Tennessee third baseman Nick Senzel batting against the rest of the Southeastern Conference. But it’s not the same as scouting a high school hitter. Lewis is controlling what he can control. He is fifth in Division I in slugging percentage (.843), fourth in home runs per game (his 12 averages out to .41 home runs per game). He’s also seventh in D-I in on-base percentage (.557) and fifth in OPS (1.398). Statistically he’s having one of the best seasons in Division I. He’s also shown significant improvement from last year’s excellent…

SURPRISE, ARIZ. It was a big day for Hanser Alberto. The utility infielder won the Rangers’ spring-long free-throwshooting contest, knocking off shortstop Elvis Andrus in the finals of what began with a 60-man bracket at the start of spring. Oh, and he also was informed that he will be on Texas’ Opening Day roster for the first time. A free-throw contest? At spring training? Welcome to the world of Rangers manager Jeff Banister. “It’s part of team building,” said Banister, “Putting guys in uncomfortable situations. They may not have played basketball before. Their teammates are out there to watch them, cheering and booing. There’s something about that.” OK, so it’s not Baseball by the Book. It is, however, Baseball by Banister, with an assist from Clint Hurdle, the Pirates’ manager.…

Walker Eyes New Role SARASOTA, FLA. The Orioles found a way to get Christian Walker steady at-bats at Triple-A Norfolk and improve his chances of sticking in the majors. All he has to do is learn a new position. First base is blocked in Baltimore by Chris Davis, but Walker will move even as Trey Mancini, the organization’s minor league player of the year in 2015 at Double-A Bowie, returns to Double-A. The Orioles’ plan calls for Walker to play left field on a regular basis after getting two starts in Grapefruit League games. “It’s a new experience,” said Walker, 25, a righthanded batter. “It could be an opportunity. I’ve just got to keep hitting and learn the new position.” Walker has played first base in all 377 of his…

Career-Defining Decision DUNEDIN, FLA. Prior to the 2013 season, Mississippi State associate head coach Butch Thompson (now Auburn’s coach) suggested to Chad Girodo that he drop his arm angle. The lefthander hated the idea—at the time. Girodo wanted to be a weekend starter that year. He also wanted to get drafted. “Me being young and not using my head at that time,” Girodo said, “I thought, ‘I’ll never get drafted throwing 80-poo from down here.’ ” Reluctantly, he tried it during an intrasquad game, struck out the side and quickly embraced his new life throwing from low three-quarters. The Blue Jays made him a ninth-round pick in 2013, and this spring he made it to the last week of big league camp before being reassigned. “I wouldn’t be here today…

A Mazzilli Reunion In Tampa PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. Second baseman L.J. Mazzilli and his father Lee Sr. got to experience a first in their pro baseball careers on March 22. For the first time, they were in uniform for the same game—albeit in the Grapefruit League. The Mets borrowed L.J. from minor league camp for the four-hour bus ride across the state to Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, where Lee, a Mets first-round pick in 1973, served as a special instructor for the Yankees. The father and son posed for a selfie during batting practice to capture the moment. “It’s awesome. Are you kidding me?,” said Lee, who completed a 14-year major league career in 1989. “This is probably, until he gets to the big leagues, the best day for…

Tigers want healthy new year for Hill For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ LAKELAND, FLA. The key for Derek Hill is to stay on the field. The Tigers are convinced that he can develop into a dynamic player if he does. Hill has made three trips to the disabled list and has played in just 100 games since being selected 23rd overall in the 2014 draft. But the Tigers like what they see out of the 20-year-old center fielder, especially on defense and on the bases. “Speed and defense,” director of player development Dave Owen said. “He can really run and play defense. He can change the game with his legs, and that’s pretty exciting to know that we can watch that.” Hill, who…

Fuenmayor Ready For More SURPRISE, ARIZ. Balbino Fuenmayor went from a Blue Jays bust to two seasons in the independent leagues to the Royals’ radar. Fuenmayor, who is from Venezuela, signed for $750,000 at age 16 with Toronto, but he was released on May 23, 2013, never advancing past low Class A Lansing. “When the Blue Jays released me, I almost didn’t want to play baseball anymore,” Fuenmayor said, “but my family supported me and said, ‘You need to compete for another opportunity.’ ” In 2014, he resurrected his career with Quebec of the Can-Am League, collecting a franchise-record 131 hits while batting .347 in 95 games. The Royals signed him after the season and he had a breakout 2015, hitting .358/.384/.589 in 89 games at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and…

Contreras Catches On MESA, ARIZ. If the past year is any indication, then a 23-year-old former third baseman with a vise grip of a handshake might have an even stronger grip on his place in the Cubs’ longterm catching plans. “I think he’s got as much ability as anybody at that position,” catching coach Mike Borzello said of Willson Contreras. “He’s the kind of athletic, strong-armed, powerfullegged, young catcher who you don’t come across very often.” That’s the kind of impression Contreras, who signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2009, made in his first big league camp, which followed a breakout 2015 season at Double-A Tennessee that included a Southern League batting title. “When he handles the pitchers, he’s thoughtful,” said big league manager Joe Maddon, a former minor…

No Worries For Garcia JUPITER, FLA. At the start of spring training, even the Cardinals acknowledged that their Opening Day roster was strikingly predictable, and one of those players earmarked for it was utility infielder Greg Garcia. Given time, things changed. Injuries happened. Players emerged. “He watched the ball sail out of the ballpark for (Jeremy) Hazelbaker,” big league manager Mike Matheny said, “and he knows we’re right near the end.” Garcia needn’t have worried about Hazelbaker’s emergence. The 26-year-old middle infielder earned a spot on the St. Louis roster with a solid spring, though the decision was made that much easier for the Cardinals by a series of injuries to position players in the early days of the season. Garcia was the first of three minor leaguers who saw…

Settled In TEMPE, ARIZ. Better familiarity with a new country and the rhythms of a pro baseball season should help Cuban shortstop Roberto Baldoquin develop into the prospect the Angels envisioned when they invested more than $14 million in him in December 2014. “I feel a lot more comfortable,” Baldoquin, speaking through an translator, said early in camp. “Nothing is new for me this year. Last year, I was able to get to know Mike Trout and Albert Pujols a little bit, and that helps me moving forward. It gives me the strength to keep working hard.” Asked about the major challenges he faced in his first year in the U.S., Baldoquin answered with one word: “English.” “He’d never been in an environment like this,” said Denny Hocking, who managed…

Margot wows Padres with athleticism For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ PEORIA, ARIZ. Manuel Margot is by no means the first Padres prospect lauded for his smooth actions in center field. Ruben Rivera, obtained in a 1997 trade with the Yankees, made astounding catches near or over the wall. Though his bat failed him, Rivera served as a versatile reserve on the National League-champion Padres in 1998. The sight of Donavan Tate gliding across outfields only enhanced his stock when the Padres chose the Georgia teen No. 3 overall in the 2009 draft. Injuries and substance abuse problems derailed Tate, a .229 hitter who signed with the Dodgers as a minor league free agent in November. Caveats stated, Margot had a splashy spring training.…

100 Percent Cotton GLENDALE, ARIZ. Righthander Jharel Cotton has been a man on the move over the past year, and even he didn’t realize how far he would go. “That’s a big comparison,” said Cotton, 24, measuring the distance between the state of his career in spring 2015 and this spring. “A year ago? No 40-man. I was rehabbing from an injury. Now I’m here.” “Here” is the Dodgers’ 40-man roster and his first big league spring-training camp after a 2015 season that saw Cotton rebound from a broken left wrist and progress through four levels of the farm system. Cotton said he never stopped to gauge his progress last year. “The ball is in my hand. I have to go out there and show them what I’ve got,” he…