Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, December 23 2016 i Baseball America

JANUARY 31, 1999 » IN THIS ISSUE: Lefthander Bruce Chen is poised to lead the next generation of Braves pitchers. » ALSO: A star-studded roundtable at the Winter Meetings breaks down the future of the amateur draft. From the Draft Roundtable: Alan Schwarz: How would you describe the concerns of MLB and small-market teams specifically about the state of the draft? Scott Boras: We have to look at this game in a very broad sense . . . We can’t look at this game at the entry level as a system to compensate small-market clubs. We have to look at our game as bringing in the best available athletes in the entire sports system to our sport. If we focus on the narrow issue of compensating the clubs or are…

Baseball Writer, ESPN.com NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. While Major League Baseball was putting the finishing touches on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in late November, Royals manager Ned Yost was living in a state of blissful oblivion on his farm in LaGrange, Ga. Technology ranks well down the list of creature comforts when Yost’s days are filled with working the land and going on hunting trips with old buddy Jeff Foxworthy. “Where I live in Georgia, I don’t have WiFi,” Yost said. “So I have to walk outside and get 3G, and I’ve already burned up all my data twice. I have to pick and choose what I look at, and I didn’t study the collective bargaining too well.” A big packet of information awaited Yost upon arrival at the Royals’…

Bud Selig, credited for shepherding baseball into a new modern era as commissioner from 1992-2015, and John Schuerholz—who helped build the Royals and Braves into World Series champions–were elected to the Hall of Fame by the Today’s Era Committee. Selig’s legacy includes the introduction of interleague play and instant replay, as well as the 1994-95 strike in which he canceled the 1994 World Series and the rise of performanceenhancing drugs. The Today’s Game Era Committee considers candidates from 1988 onward, including executives, players, managers and umpires with at least 10 years in the game. Seventy-five percent of the vote from a 16-member panel was needed for election, and the panel included owners such as Bill DeWitt (Cardinals) and David Glass (Royals), and executives such as Andy MacPhail (Phillies), Kevin Towers…

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. No one has ever dominated a Rule 5 draft like the Padres and general manager A.J. Preller did this year. But then, maybe no one has ever tried. The Rule 5 draft is an opportunity for teams to take a chance on a high-risk developmental prospect or find a low-cost, low-ceiling addition to the 25-man roster. San Diego used it to restock for winter. The Padres arrived at this year’s Rule 5 draft with a wide-open roster (just 33 players on the 40-man roster), needs and the draft’s third pick. But they had also already lined up deals with the Twins and Reds to trade for the top two picks in the draft. It was an unprecedented move. For the first time in at least 50 years,…

Travis Jewett’s decision this offseason to leave Vanderbilt, where he had been the recruiting coordinator and hitting coach for four years, to become the head coach at Tulane, created a rare job opening. For just the fourth time in 14 years as head coach of the Commodores, Tim Corbin had to hire an assistant coach. Being Corbin’s recruiting coordinator and hitting coach is one of the best assistant jobs in the country. Not only has Corbin built Vanderbilt into one of the best programs in the country, he has also fostered a successful coaching tree. Corbin could have again looked for a talented assistant coach in the college ranks, as he had done previously when he had openings on staff. Instead, he went outside the college game to hire D.J.…

NEW YORK METS Giants ace Madison Bumgarner ended the Mets’ season with a shutout in the National League Wild Card Game, but even the disappointing finish to 2016 did not obscure a successful season. The Mets, one year after they advanced to the World Series, qualified for the postseason in consecutive years for just the second time in franchise history. While the Mets failed to defend their NL pennant in 2016, they overcame long odds to even make the postseason. They finished play on Aug. 19 with a 60-62 record before winning 27 times in their final 40 games. Before Bumgarner vanquished them, the Mets contended with an equally formidable foe: the disabled list. New York played the majority of the season without third baseman David Wright, first baseman Lucas…

NEW YORK | Yankees For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ NEW YORK When the Yankees assessed their chances of losing four pitchers in the Rule 5 draft it wasn’t so much wondering if they would be taken. Instead, the organization feared not getting any of them back. “You take a risk of having them taken,’’ GM Brian Cashman said “But do you think you will get them back? We didn’t feel comfortable getting them back.’’ So righthanders Giovanny Gallegos, Ronald Herrera and Yefrey Ramirez joined lefty Dietrich Enns on the 40-man roster, which took them out of the Rule 5 draft pool. Of the four, Gallegos is the closest to the big leagues, as the 25-year-old from Mexico pitched very well in stops…

ST. PETERSBURG Austin Pruitt doesn’t seem like the type of pitcher to wow you with his numbers. Until you look at the bottom line, and see how good they are. Pruitt, 27, made his fourth pro season his best, posting an 8-11, 3.76 mark in 28 starts for Triple-A Durham. He ranked second in the International League with 149 strikeouts in 162.2 innings and fourth with a 1.19 WHIP. Baseball America tabbed him as the owner of the IL best control in its annual Best Tools survey, evidenced by logging just 27 walks. The performance was good enough to earn him midseason all-star recognition and the Durham MVP award, but most importantly a spot on the Rays’ 40-man roster and the potential to compete for an open spot in the…

ATLANTA With teams increasingly carrying at least 12-man pitching staffs, the need for versatility is at an all-time high at the major league level. That reality is a major reason why the Braves added Johan Camargo to their 40-man roster in November. The Panama native spent most of his first five seasons of professional baseball at shortstop before proving last year at Double-A Mississippi he can also be an aboveaverage defender at second and third base. Camargo shifted to second base last season for the first time in his career and played the keystone for all but five games through the first three months. He then spent the next six weeks as the M-Braves’ third baseman before making his final 18 starts at shortstop. “Johan showed the ability to play…

WASHINGTON As 7 a.m. phone calls go, Matt Skole was more than all right with the one he received while he was with Hermosillo in the Mexican Pacific League. Skole had waited three offseasons to get word that he was on the 40-man roster, and at age 27, it finally came. “I felt like I had a pretty good year, especially since I was able to stay healthy—I was most excited about that,” Skole said. “But it was still kind of a shock to get that call. A little bit of weight is off my shoulders. I had to work hard to get there (on the 40-man roster), and I’ll have to work hard to stay there.” Skole, a fifth-round pick in 2011, didn’t have to wait out the Rule…

DETROIT Righthander Sandy Baez went 7-9, 3.81 in 2016 during his first season at the low Class A level. But the Tigers liked what they saw enough to add him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. “Sandy had a good year,” Tigers farm director Dave Owen said. “He had a very good development year. He showed really good signs. He made some good strides as far as more consistent delivery and better secondary stuff.” Baez struck out 88 and walked 28 in 113.1 innings spanning 21 starts in 2016 for low Class A West Michigan. That inning total represented a major increase in workload for the 23-year-old, who pitched 61.1 innings in 2013, 62.2 in 2014 and 65.1 in 2015. The Tigers are convinced…

PITTSBURGH | Pirates For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ PITTSBURGH The Pirates made a sizeable investment in Clay Holmes following his senior year of high school and the righthander is getting closer to making it pay off. Holmes was selected in the ninth round of the 2011 amateur draft after being the valedictorian of his class at Slocomb (Ala.) High. He received a $1.2 million signing bonus, the record for that round, to pass up a scholarship to Auburn. More than two years removed from Tommy John surgery, Holmes was placed on the 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 Draft. That came following a season in which the 23-year-old went 10-9, 4.22 at Double-A Altoona in 136.1 innings with 6.7 strikeouts…

MILWAUKEE The Brewers haven’t forgotten about Taylor Williams, so they figured other teams would remember him as well. With that in mind, the Brewers added the 25-year-old righthander to their 40-man roster to protect him in the Rule 5 draft despite the fact that he has not thrown a pitch since the 2014 season. Williams missed the past two years while recovering from an elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery. The Brewers made the decision after Williams, once one of their top pitching prospects, resurfaced in instructional league throwing the ball as well as ever. His fastball was regularly clocked above 95 mph and though his slider was somewhat erratic, it still had the bite that made him a pitcher to watch before getting injured. While the Brewers…

HOUSTON Lefthander Reymin Guduan signed with the Astros as a 17-year-old out of the Dominican Republic in September 2009. He is now 24, a seven-year minor leaguer who reached Triple-A only last May, but the team still felt his value was high enough to add him to the 40-man roster in November. Lefthanded relievers with the ability to throw 100 mph don’t come along all that often, and despite shoddy results the Astros didn’t want to lose this one to another organization. When they selected Guduan’s contract on Nov. 5, they did so with the expectation he would reach the major leagues in 2017. “He’s a guy that, being lefthanded and throwing as hard as he does, has shown glimpses of being able to help us in the big league…

SEATTLE General manager Jerry Dipoto wasn’t certain whether first base prospect D.J. Peterson would be claimed in the recent Rule 5 draft, but that’s not why he put the former first-round pick on the Mariners’ 40-man roster. Despite having never really reached the level of a No. 12 overall pick (2013), the Mariners haven’t given up on Peterson. “At the end of day we had the (roster) space,” Dipoto said. “He is a first-rounder. He did make progress last year. D.J. has always been able to hit. Where our roster was at, at that point, it made sense for us.” After hitting .223/.290/.347 in a 2015 spent mostly with Double-A Jackson and ending on the disabled list, Peterson was sent back there for repeat showing. In 73 games, he posted…

DENVER Reliever Rayan Gonzalez has always had a daunting cutter, but its lack of consistency prevented the righthander from turning it into a reliable weapon. “At times it was too big, at times it was real short and quick,” pitching coordinator Doug Linton said. “And you never knew from game to game or pitch to pitch when he was throwing this pitch where it was going to end up, just because he didn’t know what it was going to do.” That all changed last season at Double-A Hartford and then in the Arizona Fall League, resulting in Gonzalez, 26, being added to the 40-man roster for the first time along with righthanders Yency Almonte, Shane Carle and Zach Jemiola and lefthander Sam Moll. Gonzalez, a 2012 21st-round pick from Bethune-Cookman,…

SAN DIEGO Two questions hovered over the Padres farm system going into this offseason. Would general manager A.J. Preller get back to making trades after he returned from the 30-day suspension in October stemming from the organization’s trade-related actions this past summer? And, would Preller finally trade the team’s major league catcher, Derek Norris, so touted youngster Austin Hedges could take over? The answer to each question arrived on Dec. 3, when Preller dealt Norris to the Nationals. In return, the Padres got a pitching prospect, Pedro Avila, 19, who has good pitchability and an intriguing arsenal. “We’re excited for a couple reasons,” Preller told the team’s website. “We’re getting another quality pitching prospect in Pedro—I think our scouting group is fired up about that. And the other thing that…

Baseball Analyst, Senior Writer ESPN.com NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. The class was held in Professor Bud Selig’s classroom at the University of Wisconsin. The topic of the day, in the professor’s “Baseball in American Society” curriculum, was a whopper: steroids and baseball. Oh, if only there had been a camera rolling in that classroom that day. It was not Professor Selig’s most comfortable lecture of the school year. He’s the first to admit that. His students weren’t easy on him, baseball’s commissioner emeritus said the day after learning he’d been elected to his sport’s Hall of Fame. In fact, they kept raising their hands to grill him at every turn. “Did they ever,” Selig told ESPN, in a candid conversation on one of his least favorite subjects. “They were tough.” And…

STAFF REPORT Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association continued baseball’s quarter-century run of labor peace, reaching accord on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that will run through the 2021 season. MLB and the union announced the fiveyear agreement in early December, and both sides ratified the pact shortly after the Winter Meetings. Key provisions of the agreement include a rise in the luxury tax threshold from its current $189 million to $195 million in 2017 and up to approximately $210 million in the final year of the agreement. Tax rates for those whose payrolls exceed the threshold will increase to 20 percent for first offenders, 30 percent for second offenders and 50 percent for third offenders. While significant proposals such as an international draft ultimately were left out…

Major League Baseball and its Players Association have agreed to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Naturally, there are plenty of questions surrounding its specifics. BA’s Hudson Belinsky asked MLB how the CBA would affect the draft. Dan Halem, the league’s chief legal counsel, provided the answers. Q: Which pitchers are eligible for these voluntary MRIs? Are there any incentives for the players to voluntarily give MRI results to teams? A: The Commissioner’s Office will select the top 50 draft-eligible pitchers each year who will be invited to participate in the MRI program. If a player participates and subsequently fails a club-administered physical exam for an issue that was revealed in the pre-draft MRI, the club must offer the player 60 percent of his signing bonus value in order to retain…

Editor in Chief Baseball America johnmanuel@baseballamerica.com NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. Coordinating an awards show, even a modest one like the Baseball America Awards Gala, isn’t easy. I have a small role to play; BA general manager Will Lingo and marketing manager Abagail Langdon do the hard part, the logistics of setting it all up. Mostly, I make a phone call here or there or send an email to let award winners know they’ve won and to let them know when the Gala will happen. I love the event, which had its third renewal this year after a hiatus, but which first originated in 2001 with BA’s 20th anniversary. I wanted to do my part to make sure this one lived up to its predecessors. So when Abbey texted me to say…

The new Collective Bargaining Agreement includes significant changes to the international signing rules. There is no international draft, as Major League Baseball had initially proposed, but teams will now have bonus pools with hard caps. Gone are the days of teams being allowed to blow past their bonus pools, pay an overage tax and be limited to signings for no more than $300,000 the following two signing periods. Bonus Pools Under the new system, beginning for the 2017-18 signing period that starts on July 2, most teams will have a bonus pool of $4.75 million. The clubs that receive a competitive balance pick in round A of the June draft get a $5.25 million bonus pool. The clubs that get a competitive balance pick in round B get a $5.75…

ATLANTA BRAVES At first glance, a 93-loss season would not seem to be cause for celebration. Yet the air of optimism in the Braves’ front office and the sense of progress for the organization go far beyond the imminent christening of a new ballpark in suburban Cobb County in 2017. The 2016 campaign started on a sluggish note in Atlanta, and manager Fredi Gonzalez was fired after the Braves opened the slate with a major league-worst 9-28 record. Noticeable improvements did not happen immediately after Triple-A skipper Brian Snitker was promoted to interim manager on May 17, though baby steps led to bigger strides. Atlanta finished strong by winning 20 of its final 30 contests, beginning on Aug. 30, which was 13 days after shortstop Dansby Swanson, the No. 1…

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES After five straight seasons without a playoff appearance, the Phillies are staring ahead at another year that’s unlikely to yield a postseason spot. At least in 2017, however, there will be tangible signs of hope in Philadelphia. The Phillies have one of the game’s best farm systems, with much of that talent congregated at the upper levels of the minors in the form of position prospects. That’s a welcome sign for a team that scored the fewest runs in the majors in 2016. Center fielder Odubel Herrera (an astute Rule 5 draft pick from the Rangers in 2014) second baseman Cesar Hernandez and third baseman Maikel Franco all could be a part of the next Phillies team to reach the playoffs, but they will need a lot more…

BALTIMORE The Orioles weren’t taking any chances with 21-year-old righthander Jesus Liranzo in the weeks leading up to the Rule 5 draft. Liranzo was added to the 40-man roster to protect him despite having thrown just 52 professional innings coming into 2016. He went 1-1, 1.87 in 53 innings with low Class A Delmarva and Double-A Bowie. Liranzo bypassed high Class A Frederick and made such a solid impression that the Orioles didn’t want to risk losing him in the Rule 5. “Jesus Liranzo has a power arm, as well as a sinker and slider with strikeout potential,” executive vice president Dan Duquette said. “He advanced quickly through our minor league system this past year by limiting walks and hits.” It’s becoming quite a comeback story for Liranzo, who in…

TORONTO Highly touted prospects Anthony Alford and Richard Urena made for obvious additions to the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster, but the inclusion of Ryan Borucki was somewhat less expected. The 22-year-old lefthander selected in the 15th round of the 2012 draft earned notice this past season at low Class A Lansing. In combination with a 6-foot-4, 175-pound frame, that was enough to prompt the Blue Jays to protect him from exposure at the annual Rule 5 draft. “Obviously very talented, had flashes of average to above-average major league pitches objectively and subjectively,” general manager Ross Atkins said. “Athletic, above-average changeup, he’s what we’re looking for in a Toronto Blue Jay.” He threw just six innings in 2012 after he was drafted before he had Tommy John surgery that cost him…

NEW YORK The Mets have Asdrubal Cabrera under contract for 2017, with a team option for the following season. But don’t look for that to be a major impediment to 21-year-old shortstop Amed Rosario reaching the majors when he is deemed ready. “He’s moved pretty quickly and steadily and excelled at each level—knowing when we did this Cabrera deal last year that the timing would work and we wouldn’t have to rush him,” assistant general manager John Ricco said. “And if he’s ready, Asdrubal can probably move to one of the other spots if we need to.” Rosario highlighted the list of prospects added to the organization’s 40-man roster in November. He hit a combined .324/.374/.459 with five home runs and 19 stolen bases with high Class A St. Lucie…

CLEVELAND | Indians For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CLEVELAND In his three years in the Indians organization, outfielder Greg Allen’s numbers have improved every year, and he’s been just as impressive off the field as on it. “His greatest attribute may be in the clubhouse,” assistant GM Carter Hawkins said. “He’s willing to do anything to get better, and sets the bar for his teammates in work ethic and a selfless approach.” On the field, Allen’s star is clearly rising. A sixth-round selection in the 2014 draft out of San Diego State, the speedy, switchhitting Allen has methodically marched up the minor league ladder. His average, on-base and slugging percentages have all gone up every year, capped by a terrific 2016 season…

KANSAS CITY, MO. Andrew Edwards has gone from a 19th-round pick in 2013 to being added to the Royals’ 40-man roster. A fastball that has touched 100 mph and a combined 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings at Double-A and Triple-A in 2016 earned Edwards the spot. “His fastball is in the mid-to-upper 90s,” Royals vice president J.J. Picollo said. “His slider is his best secondary pitch and (he) uses a changeup as well. His stuff is tremendous. He’s done a good job repeating his delivery and that is an area he needs to continue his improvement.” Edwards began last season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and dominated the Texas League. He struck out 23 and walked four in 18 innings, while allowing one earned run. After striking out four of the…

CHICAGO As the Cubs spend the winter stockpiling lefthanded relievers, they’ll head to spring training with one who’s been waiting in the wings for the past year—and who could be ready to make an impact by the time their championship defense gets heated next summer. Consider Jack Leathersich, 26, the wild card in the Cubs’ 2017 efforts to replenish a lefty bullpen corps that disappeared quickly after the World Series (Mike Montgomery is heading to the rotation; Aroldis Chapman signed with the Yankees and Travis Wood became a free agent). “When he’s healthy, his numbers have been really good, and he’s ideal for our bullpen,” farm director Jaron Madison said. Leathersich, who was added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, was signed after the…

ST. LOUIS The Cardinals kept Breyvic Valera, 24, from reaching the free agent market by placing him on the 40-man roster despite risking losing others in the Rule 5 draft. “I do feel like there was this maturing curve that we saw this year,” general manager John Mozeliak said. “The type of effort and work ethic certainly changed when you look at how he performed. Rather than try to go out and replace him, we simply promote someone who had earned it.” Valera asserted himself with a strong performance in his first taste of Triple-A Memphis. Moved there when depth was thinned by injury and major league need, Valera hit .341/.417/.415 in 73 games (217 at-bats). True to his reputation, he walked more (31) than he struck out (22), and…

ANAHEIM The Angels added 21-year-old reliever Eduardo Paredes to the 40-man roster because “he could impact the big league team next year, and we didn’t want to risk losing that,” farm director Mike LaCassa said. “I think he has a chance to be a winning piece to our bullpen.” Paredes, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound righthander who signed out of Venezuela in 2012, features a lively fastball that averages 94-95 mph and touches 98 mph. He delivers the pitch, which has some running and sinking action, out of a lower arm slot that adds deception. Paredes split last season between high Class A Inland Empire and Double-A Arkansas, going a combined 1-5, 3.33 with 12 saves in 54 games, striking out 75 an walking 20 in 70.1 innings. “He sets up in…

SAN FRANCISCO | Giants For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ SAN FRANCISCO Two numbers jump off of Reyes Moronta’s stat line for 2016: 93 and 59. The righthander struck out 93 batters in 59 innings for high Class A San Jose. In explaining why the Giants added Moronta to their 40-man roster last month, protecting him from being taken in the Rule 5 draft, general manager Bobby Evans offered two more numbers: 98 and 99. As in, the mph readings from radar guns that Moronta’s fastball often hits. “He can deliver it,” Evans said. “The high velo is compelling.” A 23-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, Reyes signed with the Giants as an international free agent in September 2010. His strikeout numbers this…

LOS ANGELES In the summer of 2015, the Blue Jays had their eye on a power-hitting prospect out of the Dominican Republic with impressive bloodlines. But before they could sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Jays traded a pair of minorleaguers to the Dodgers for an additional $1 million in international bonus slots in order to avoid penalties for giving Guerrero $3.9 million. Eighteen months later, it looks like money well spent for both teams. The 17-yearold Guerrero is already the Jays’ top-ranked prospect—and one of those minor leaguers acquired by the Dodgers has moved closer to reaching his own potential. The Blue Jays’ second-round draft pick in 2012, righthander Chase De Jong passed on a commitment to Southern California to sign with them. In parts of four seasons in the…

Warren Goodrich, a shortstop who played two seasons in the minors from 1954-55, died June 8. He was 83. Marty Kaelin, who played five seasons in the minor leagues from 1948-52, died April 14 in Louisville. He was 89. Jacob Oaks, a freshman righthander at the College of Charleston, died Dec. 12 in South Carolina. He was 19. Oaks was on his way home to Greer, S.C., when he stopped to assist a stranded motorist along Interstate 385. His car was then struck by a tractor-trailer and he died at the scene. Oaks pitched his high school ball at Southside Christian School in Simpsonville, S.C., before heading to CofC in the fall. Cougars coach Matt Heath released a statement on Oaks’ passing: “Jacob was a good kid. He was very…

With the trades the White Sox have made, can we see what a revised White Sox Top 10 would look like? J.P. SCHWARTZ, @JAYPERS413 No team has rebuilt its farm system this season as completely and as quickly as the White Sox. In the span of the Winter Meetings, the White Sox went from a team filled with significant stars but lacking in the depth and upper-level minor league talent to compete in the American League Central, to one that is much worse in the big leagues but dramatically improved in the minors. There were likely even more trades to come with valuable veterans like David Robertson, Jose Quintana and Todd Frazier still on the big league roster, but the moves to trade Chris Sale to the Red Sox and…

MIAMI MARLINS The Marlins’ season of promise and progress came to an abrupt end in the early morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 25. The awful news that morning—that ace righthander Jose Fernandez and two friends were killed in a boating accident off Miami Beach— rocked all of baseball. It cast a pall over a 2016 season in which the Marlins remained in the wild-card chase until August and clouded the future of the franchise. Fernandez was in the midst of a terrific season after Tommy John surgery cost him parts of 2014 and 2015. In 29 starts he went 16-8, 2.86 with 253 strikeouts and led the majors with 12.5 whiffs per nine innings. He took pride in a revamped changeup and struck out 12 Nationals in what ended up…

WASHINGTON NATIONALS After a disappointing 2015 season that ended with them missing the playoffs and firing manager Matt Williams, the Nationals bounced back strong in 2016. With Dusty Baker at the helm, they won 95 games and topped the National League East for the third time in five years. But the Nationals again lost in the Division Series, felled this time by the Dodgers. Though Washington again exited the playoffs early, it has maintained an impressive standard of success over the last five years under general manager Mike Rizzo. The Nationals have posted winning records for five straight seasons, the longest streak in the franchise’s 48-year history, and finished no worse than second place in the division. Washington benefitted from key acquisitions by Rizzo. In the offseason, the Nationals signed…

BOSTON In college, Kyle Martin’s identity on the mound was subjected to ongoing redefinition, particularly as a senior at Texas A&M. Entering the 2013 draft, the 6-foot-7 righthander shuttled between the rotation and bullpen, while shifting from a conventional arm slot to a sidearmer. Uneven results and inconsistent stuff were unsurprising. Nonetheless, the Red Sox saw a big righthander who showed the ability to throw strikes with three pitches and create leverage when working from a standard arm slot. They took him in the ninth round and signed him for just a $10,000 bonus, a sum that quickly started to look like a bargain as he forged a 1.25 ERA over 36 innings in his pro debut in short-season Lowell and low Class A Greenville. Martin’s stuff—a 92-94 mph fastball…

MIAMI | Marlins For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ MIAMI Triple-A shortstop Austin Nola wants to make the majors so badly that this past August he asked an open-ended question to his hitting coach, Paul Phillips: “How can I add value to my game?” Nola, who also plays third base and second base, got an answer he wasn’t expecting. Phillips, who played parts of seven seasons in the majors as a catcher, introduced Nola to a face mask, shin guards, a chest protector and a catcher’s mitt. Then, in the Arizona Fall League, Nola got in some games as a catcher. “It started out as an emergency thing, having that in my back pocket,” said Nola, whose younger brother Aaron pitches for the…

PHILADELPHIA As Phillies officials watched Drew Anderson pitch at low Class A Lakewood early in the 2014 season, they couldn’t help but get excited. “His fastball velocity jumped a full grade from 90-92 (mph) to 93-95 (mph),” farm director Joe Jordan said. “It was just a matter of physical maturity, his body getting stronger, and we were really excited.” Anderson did not make it through the season, however. He suffered an elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery and missed all of the 2015 season. Anderson came back strong in 2016, so strong that the 22-year-old righthander, a 21st-round draft pick in 2012, earned a spot on the 40-man roster in November. “To some it might have seemed like, ‘Wow, you’re going to protect this guy?’ But to the…

CHICAGO A big man at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Brad Goldberg has a big fastball to match. “I know everyone is kind of infatuated with velocity,” said Goldberg, who can run his fastball up to 99 mph. “I try to use it to my advantage but at the same time, you’ve got to get people out. No one cares how hard you throw if you’re not getting people out.” Goldberg, the White Sox’s 10th-round pick in 2013 out of Ohio State, made a steady climb through the system his first three seasons. After adding a split-finger fastball last spring, the righthanded reliever took off. Crediting J.R. Perdew, Richard Dotson and other coaches in Chicago’s system, Goldberg was promoted from Double-A Birmingham to Triple-A Charlotte after just four relief appearances. The 26-year-old…

MINNEAPOLIS Felix Jorge’s ability to retire hitters consistently has had its share of doubts. Not in the minds of Twins scouts and coaching staffs, though. In Jorge’s. “He sometimes gives the league a little too much credit, especially at first,” vice president of player personnel Mike Radcliff said. “He’ll try to nibble too much, won’t throw it over. He turns a little afraid of contact. But once he gets comfortable, he’s a strikethrower. His stuff is plenty good enough.” It happened in 2014 at low Class A Cedar Rapids, a cold-weather slump that got him demoted back to rookie ball. And it happened last July, when Jorge was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga and had his ERA balloon to 4.12 in 11 starts. The Twins hope the skinny Dominican righthander can…

CINCINNATI Righthander Barrett Astin always expected to return the bullpen, but ever since the Brewers drafted him in the third round of the 2013 draft, he’d been used as a starter. A closer in college at Arkansas, Astin moved from the rotation to the bullpen at Double-A Pensacola this past season and could find himself in the bullpen at Great American Ball Park in 2017 after being added to the 40-man roster in November. Astin, 25, and fellow reliever Kevin Shackelford were acquired in the trade deadline deal that sent Jonathan Broxton to the Brewers in 2014. The deal not only saved the Reds more than $9 million in 2015, but also brought them two players who could be part of the bullpen this upcoming season. Shackelford was 2-2, 2.03…

TEXAS | Rangers For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ARLINGTON The addition of Ronald Guzman to the Rangers’ 40-man roster came as no surprise after the towering first baseman backed up his breakthrough 2015 season with a better campaign in 2016. Judging by the uncertain state of first base in the big leagues at the start of the offseason, Guzman could be closing in on the majors. Drew Robinson didn’t come as much of a surprise, either. Not if you look at his 2016 season, though he has had a sometimes bumpy journey through the minors. But his uptick in power from the left side and his ability to play multiple positions made him too valuable to leave unprotected from the Rule 5…

OAKLAND Every year, outfielder Jaycob Brugman came to spring training with a plan to learn more about baseball, and every year he did. “I had to figure out the patterns of the game,” the outfielder said. “It’s not about guessing, but knowing what the pitcher was going to do in certain situations. Baseball just works in a funny way.” The more he learned, the better he became. That all culminated after a promotion to Triple-A Nashville, where he hit .295 with seven homers, 67 RBIs and 50 runs scored in 94 games. The surge caused the A’s to place him on the 40-man roster, a nifty achievement for a 17th-round pick in the 2013 draft. “Once he came to Nashville, he helped create their winning ways,” A’s farm director Keith…

PHOENIX For the fourth time in five years, the Diamondbacks appear to have turned to the independent leagues to uncover a potential big league contributor, this time in the form of infielder Ildemaro Vargas, who was added to their 40-man roster in November. The switch-hitting Vargas, 25, was plucked from the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League a month into the 2015 season, and after a strong showing in low Class A last year he hit a combined .305/.360/.400 during stints with the Diamondbacks’ top three minor league clubs this season. “We’re excited,” Diamondbacks scout Chris Carminucci said. “He’s one of those guys you find off the scrap heap and you throw back in there and see if he can run again, if the car drives. I think this one…