Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, June 17, 2016 i Baseball America

NOVEMBER 23 1997 » IN THIS ISSUE: The Diamondbacks and Devil Rays assemble their first teams in the expansion draft. » ALSO: Baseball America makes its projections for the 1998 expansion draft that helped start the two newest franchises. Expansion once conjured images of the lovable, bumbling Mets, whose MVP for years seemed to be the sign man. No longer. With expansion comes instant expectations, fair or not, because of the early success of the latest round of newcomers. Those include the Marlins and Rockies and the NFL’s upstart Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Rockies set a MLB standard by reaching the postseason in 1995, their third season . . . Florida set another by making the World Series in year five. While the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays got…

BOSTON Jackie Bradley Jr. forged a bond with the South Carolina Gamecocks’ faithful through three years of understated leadership, fence-climbing defense and College World Series highlights amid team forays to Omaha, Neb., steakhouses. So it’s no surprise that when he encountered some growing pains in his transition to the Red Sox’s outfield, his former mentor tried to extend a helping hand. During Bradley’s lengthy stretch of sub-.200 hitting in 2015, former South Carolina coach-turned-athletic director Ray Tanner reached out with regular texts and phone calls to inquire on the kid’s mental state. He was always available with an encouraging word or an offer to listen in the event that all those 4-3 rollovers and soft pop flies were preying on Bradley’s emotions. True to character, Bradley dismissed the overtures with…

ALABAMA LEADS PACK OF COACHING CHANGES Alabama announced that Mitch Gaspard resigned after seven years as head coach. Alabama’s season ended with a 5-4 loss to Florida in the Southeastern Conference tournament. With a record of 32-26 and a 15-15 mark in conference play, but an RPI of 62, the Crimson Tide were not selected for NCAA regionals. Gaspard had earlier informed Alabama athletic director Bill Battle of his decision to resign. Battle accepted on the condition it would not become official until Alabama’s season was complete. HENDERSON OUT AT KENTUCKY Gary Henderson, who led Kentucky to regionals in 2012 and 2014 and won a schoolrecord 45 games in 2012, also resigned, in his case after eight seasons. Henderson, an assistant and pitching coach under John Cohen from 2004-08, became…

johnmanuel @baseballamerica.com Time is undefeated. College baseball’s coaching immortals are finding that out the hard way. It’s a hard time to be an older coach these days. Texas’ Augie Garrido, the winningest coach in college baseball history at any level, acknoledged as much when he stepped aside on Memorial Day, becoming a special assistant to the athletic director for the final year of his contract. “Trails end, baby, they all end,” Garrido told reporters after his final game, a loss to Texas Christian at the Big 12 Conference tournament. This one ended after a 32-loss season, matching the most in school history. Don’t weep for Garrido. He’s 77, has five national championships and a legacy that goes beyond his highest points and his biggest mistakes. Garrido was more than the…

While there are no guarantees in baseball, information is power when it comes to the draft, and since the Matt Kelntak-led Phillies will lean heavier on precedent and analytics than the previous regime, we can process some of the same information the club is considering. Or in the words of first-year Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins, as quoted by correspondent Shi Davidi: “We try to value what history tells us, and try to connect the dots backward to determine what has worked in the past, what has been indicative of future success and how do we create the most value in this draft.” Let’s look closer at the various draft demographics. Here we consider only the first player off the board in each draft from each peer group. High…

Orioles Add Pitching Depth BALTIMORE Executive vice president Dan Duquette made his latest attempt at improving the organization’s pitching depth by completing two deals on May 23 that netted a trio of 23-year-old pitching prospects. The Orioles acquired righthander Brandon Barker and lefthander Trevor Belicek from the Braves for lefthander Brian Matusz and their supplemental second-round pick, which transfers $838,900 from Baltimore’s draft bonus pool to Atlanta’s. Soon after, the Orioles acquired righthander Franderlin Romero from the Reds for two international bonus slots that are valued at $693,300 and now belong to Cincinnati. Baltimore assigned Barker to Double-A Bowie. Belicek and Romero joined high Class A Frederick. “With today’s moves, we have added to the pitching depth of our organization,” Duquette said. “The pitchers we have acquired today are very…

Blue Jays Tweak Their Process TORONTO The Blue Jays are looking to meld the old with the new in their first draft under general manager Ross Atkins, and things are clearly going to be different for scouting director Brian Parker. New club president and CEO Mark Shapiro, assistant GM Tony LaCava, director of baseball operations Mike Murov and farm director Gil Kim are all contributing to the process, while the club’s new highperformance department is also taking part. To ensure all the new parts integrate smoothly on draft day, the Blue Jays recently ran a six-round mock draft to develop their board and identify gaps in information, but also, as Atkins puts it, “to learn one another, our styles and what we’re accustomed to, what we’re not accustomed to.” “What…

Not-So-Secret Castillo MIAMI Luis Castillo didn’t begin the season as one of the Marlins’ top prospects, but his right arm is telling a different story. “We’ve seen 101 (mph),” high Class A Jupiter pitching coach Jeremy Powell said. “He routinely reaches 100 and averages 96-97 every time out.” The Marlins acquired Castillo, a 23-yearold native of the Dominican Republic, from the Giants as part of the Casey McGehee deal in December 2014. Castillo began his Marlins career as a reliever last year at low Class A Greensboro before moving to the rotation in June and then to Jupiter in July. Back in the Florida State League this season, Castillo went 5-2, 2.22 through nine starts, recording 7.3 strikeouts and 1.0 walks per nine innings. “He took right to the change…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CHICAGO When lefthander Matt Purke reported to spring training with the White Sox as a non-roster invitee, he had one goal. It wasn’t showing a new organization he was a starter with major league potential. No, Chicago viewed Purke, who had made 44 starts in 49 pro appearances, as a reliever capable of retiring lefthanded hitters or throwing multiple innings. The Nationals selected Purke out of Texas Christian in the third round of the 2011 draft and signed him to a major league deal that included a $2.75 million bonus. The role didn’t really matter to Purke. He just wanted to make it to the majors. On May 13, Purke realized his dream when Chicago called him up…

Experience Helps Alexander KANSAS CITY When the Royals moved Danny Duffy from the bullpen to the rotation in mid-May, they wanted to promote a lefthander to replace him. The choices available to them at Triple-A Omaha included veterans Brian Duensing and David Huff, who have combined for 1,037 big league innings, and 26-year-old Scott Alexander, who had six. Kansas City chose Alexander, who had an impressive spring training. He pitched eight scoreless innings in the Cactus League, walking two, striking out two and inducing two groundball double plays. Big league manager Ned Yost said Alexander has good stuff, but this year he is more “composed” on the mound. Alexander attributes that to his September 2015 callup, when he made four relief appearances. “Honestly, I think it had a lot to…

Cubs Have Arm Urgency CHICAGO After five consecutive years drafting in the top 10 overall, the Cubs will sit out the first day of the draft this year before making their first pick at No. 104 overall. “Very weird,” said president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, whose Cubs have drafted sixth, second, fourth and ninth overall in his first four drafts. But just because they lack a top pick (they had five of the top 101 as recently as 2012) doesn’t mean the Cubs lack urgency as they prepare for what could be an important draft for the organization. “The big thing for us is starting pitching,” Epstein said. “We’re supremely confident about our ability to identify and develop position players, and waves of position players. “We have not done…

Hanson Embraces New Role PITTSBURGH Most players have an interesting story to tell about getting their first call to the majors. Second baseman Alen Hanson has a better one than most after the Pirates called him up from Triple-A Indianapolis on May 16 to spend a three-day stint with the Pirates when left fielder Starling Marte went on the paternity list. The first thing the 23-year-old Hanson did after his promotion was call his mother in the Dominican Republic. There was silence on the other end of the phone for nearly 10 minutes, and Hanson became concerned she might have been so overwhelmed with the news that she passed out. It turned out that in her excitement to relay the news to everyone else in the house that she accidently…

Healy Finds Missing Power OAKLAND It would have been easy for Ryon Healy to sulk when he learned that an all-star season at Double-A Midland in 2015 earned him only a trip back to the Texas League. Instead, the first baseman decided to make himself a better player, and he earned a May promotion to Triple-A Nashville. “I guess I kind of had a chip on my shoulder, and I wanted to prove them wrong,” said Healy, 24. The Athletics are stacked with cornerinfield prospects at the higher levels, with Renato Nunez and Matt Chapman at third base, and Rangel Ravelo and Matt Olson at first base. Plus, Max Muncy has tread a lot of the same ground as Healy. “He refused to be forgotten, and he just forced the…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ DENVER Increased velocity and a vastly improved slider have helped 20-year-old righthander Ryan Castellani more than hold his own at high Class A Modesto against older competition. The 2014 second-round pick from Brophy Prep in Phoenix, Castellani went 1-4, 3.02 through nine starts for a last-place Modesto team. He had struck out 57 in 57 innings. Castellani still lives in Phoenix, not far from the Rockies’ complex where he worked out diligently in the offseason. The payoff came in spring training, where he sat 92-95 mph with his fastball, which was up from the 90-93 range the past couple years. He has a low three-quarters arm slot that meshes well with his delivery and results in an extraordinary…

Young Arms Blossom On Farm SAN DIEGO Several prospects age 20 or younger had pitched well through the first two months of 2016 at low Class A Fort Wayne. The organization is pleased with how 66-year-old pitching coach Burt Hooton is bringing along a slew of hard throwers in his fourth season with the TinCaps. Hooton doesn’t teach the knuckle-curveball that he popularized during a 15-year big league career, but “he’s got a great way with young pitchers” and is “a great teacher,” assistant general manager Josh Stein said. Righthander Austin Smith, the Padres top pick last year (second round) out of high school in Lake Worth, Fla., sat at 95 mph in the fourth and final inning of a one-run performance in May. He went 0-3, 4.45 through nine…

Augie Garrido, the winningest baseball coach in NCAA history, accepted a position as special assistant to the athletic director, stepping down as Texas’ head baseball coach after 20 seasons. After winning the Big 12 Conference tournament to make regionals last year, Garrido entered the 2016 season on the hot seat in the minds of most college baseball observers. Texas was never able to get on track this year, and finished 25-32 and in seventh place in the Big 12. Its season ended with a loss to Texas Christian in the Big 12 tournament semifinals. While Texas has scuffled by its lofty standards in recent years—it reached the College World series in 2014, but has not hosted a regional since 2011—Garrido’s career has been exemplary. One of five coaches to have…

NEW YORK Julio Urias’ much-anticipated big league debut in the Big Apple did not receive rave reviews. The 19-year-old Mexican lefthander lasted just 22⁄3 innings against the Mets on May 27, allowing three earned runs, five hits and four walks while striking out three. Urias threw 81 pitches, just 42 for strikes, and departed with the Mets holding a 3-1 lead. At 19 years, 289 days, Urias was the youngest Dodgers starting pitcher since Dick Calmus (19, 228) on Aug. 23, 1963. Urias, signed as a 16-year-old from the Mexico City Red Devils, entered the game riding a 27-inning scoreless streak with Triple-A Oklahoma City, but became the first Dodgers pitcher to throw 80-plus pitches in fewer than three innings since Clayton Kershaw on June 10, 2009. Pitching before 43,462…

petergammons @baseballamerica.com BOSTON Prospects are like sophomore college quarterbacks. Play them. Now. It was that way in 2013 when Jackie Bradley Jr. tore up spring training, and talk shows howled for him to go north for Opening Day. An injury opened the door, and when he put up a .189 average and went back to the minors, it wasn’t until two years later that he regained his approach and became the player Chad Holbrook at South Carolina thought he’d be. It was that way with Francisco Lindor last spring, and even after he struggled in Cleveland for a month after his June recall (which was to stabilize the defense) and finished the season strong, the Indians were asked why he wasn’t up sooner. We see it in Luis Severino, who…

You know that Baseball America is obsessed with the draft. It’s part of our DNA. The obsession grows out of that of our founding editor, Allan Simpson, who made shining a light on the baseball draft part of Baseball America’s mission from the time the magazine started in 1981. It is impossible to overstate how secretive baseball was about its draft at the time, and for at least 20 years after that. It goes without saying that there was no broadcast of the draft, but baseball didn’t even release the full list of picks until weeks or months after the draft—and for a long time, the list came out alphabetically, so no one would know what round a player was drafted in. Simpson stepped into that information vacuum and decided…

Much like Charlie Brown and the football, the Hartford Yard Goats just keep having their stadium pulled out from under them. And with each deadline that passes without Dunkin Donuts Park being ready, the situation becomes more frustrating for everyone involved. DoNo Hartford LLC and Centerplate Cos., the developers of the still-unfinished ballpark, failed to turn the stadium over to the city on May 17 as scheduled. As a result, the Hartford Stadium Authority put in a claim on its surety bond with Arch Insurance on May 27. On that date, Hartford mayor Luke Bronin released a statement that read, in part: “This afternoon, the city formally notified the surety, Arch Insurance Co., that the developer has failed to perform their obligations, and that the surety has a duty to…

Mateo Adds Versatility NEW YORK It might be too early to project a future infield of Starlin Castro at third base, Didi Gregorius at shortstop, Jorge Mateo at second base and Greg Bird at first base. However, the Yankees are looking at Mateo, their top prospect, at second base. Getting him a taste of the keystone was important because the Yankees were ready to promote Mateo from high Class A Tampa to Double-A Trenton, where Tyler Wade plays shortstop. “If they are on the same team, we will do it,” general manager Brian Cashman said of moving Mateo to second, where he debuted in late May. Wade hit .255/.351/.342 through his first 43 games at Trenton. New York selected him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft out of…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ PHILADELPHIA The Phillies have added a number of quality prospects through trades over the past year, but the most talked-about youngster in the system remains 21-year-old J.P. Crawford, the team’s top pick in the 2013 draft from Lakewood (Calif.) High. Crawford projects as the team’s shortstop of the future, and fans are eager to know when the future will arrive. It got a little closer in mid-May when Crawford graduated to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. “We sent him back to Double-A (Reading) to start the season because we wanted him to work on a few things,” general manager Matt Klentak said. “He has done that. “He’s ready for the next stage in his development, ready for a new challenge. Hopefully,…

Conlon Continues To Deal NEW YORK P.J. Conlon lacks an Irish accent, but the Belfast-born lefthander is bidding to become the first major league player born in that country since 1945. A 13th-round pick in 2015 out of San Diego, Conlon opened the season at low Class A Columbia by going 7-0, 1.06 through eight starts. He recorded 7.6 strikeouts and 1.1 walks per nine innings. This performance comes on the heels of a sizzling pro debut last season, when Conlon didn’t allow an earned run in 17 relief innings at short-season Brooklyn. The 22-year-old Conlon grew up in California, but only became a citizen as a high school senior. He was born in Northern Ireland and moved to the U.S. at age 2. “I’ll say I was born in…

Nervous Energy CLEVELAND Righthander Mike Clevinger’s major league debut was, in his own words, “fun, indescribable, something I won’t forget.” It was also a little messy. Asked if he was nervous or composed prior to the game, Clevinger said: “Thirty minutes of puking from nerves got me really composed.” The 25-year-old’s debut in Cincinnati on May 18 was a mixed bag. He pitched 51⁄3 innings, giving up four runs on five hits, with five strikeouts and one walk. In his seven starts at Triple-A Columbus prior to his callup, Clevinger went 5-0, 3.03 with 36 strikeouts and 36 innings. “It’s pretty exciting,” big league manager Terry Francona said. “Everyone is talking about him. There’s a lot to like about this kid.” The Indians acquired Clevinger from the Angels in a…

Position Change MINNEAPOLIS A.J. Murray’s father Michael trained both of his sons to be catchers, well enough that Mike Jr. manned the position in the Giants system for a couple of seasons. A.J., though, became a first baseman at Georgia Tech—and a good one. He served as the Yellowjackets’ team captain as a senior and started virtually every game for three seasons. Murray did something else as a senior, something that’s paying off today: He reminded Tech coach Danny Hall that he could catch. “That was really smart, because it makes him a lot more intriguing if that’s doable,” vice president for player personnel Mike Radcliff said. “And our guys think it is. “His bat is what will determine his future, but he’s more of a doubles guy than a…

Diaz Makes Large Statement CINCINNATI Not only did righthanded reliever Dayan Diaz make a name for himself this spring, but he also earned a nickname: Jumbito—or little Jumbo. “I think we’re all Jumbito, comparatively speaking,” big league manager Bryan Price noted of being smaller than Reds reliever Jumbo Diaz, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 278 pounds. Dayan Diaz is noticeably smaller, checking in at a 5-foot-10, 195 pounds. The smaller Diaz, a 27-year-old who signed as minor league free agent last November, impressed the Reds during spring training and almost made the team. Cincinnati brought him to Great American Ball Park for the team’s workout day before Opening Day, then sent him to Triple-A Louisville. When asked about how he reacted to being so close to making the team…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ HOUSTON Within the first five days of righthander Joe Musgrove’s tenure at Triple-A Fresno, he witnessed teammates Tony Kemp and Colin Moran called to the majors on back-to-back days. In the near future, the Astros’ prospect starter closest to the majors will likely find himself getting the same call. Musgrove made his Pacific Coast League debut on May 13, and on his current trajectory could reach Minute Maid Park this summer. The 23-year-old Musgrove earned his promotion to Fresno by dominating to the tune of a 0.34 ERA over 26 innings at Double-A Corpus Christi. His main focus this season, he said, is throwing each of his five pitches for strikes. “The mindset I think is the biggest…

Mariners Set New Goals SEATTLE After spending the first month and a half of the season at extended spring training, right fielder Alex Jackson joined low Class A Clinton on May 19. In his first game, the 20-year-old belted a towering solo homer—but Jackson’s initial success had been subsumed by a prolonged slump. In his next 10 games, he went 3-for-33 (.091) with two home runs, eight walks and 14 strikeouts. The sixth pick in the 2014 draft from high school in San Diego, Jackson also began last season in the Midwest League. He hit .157 with no homers in 28 games as he struggled with strikeouts and an aching shoulder from an injury in spring training. The Mariners demoted Jackson to shortseason Everett to finish 2015. Under new general…

Shipley Shapes Up PHOENIX Righthander Braden Shipley hasn’t been lighting up radar guns this year, but he said that might be for the best. “It’s not really important to me anymore,” Shipley said. While Shipley says he can still reach back for the occasional 94 mph, he mostly sits in the 89-91 range, which had been plenty for him to pitch effectively at Triple-A Reno. Despite working in one of the most hitterfriendly home parks and in the Pacific Coast League, one of the game’s more hitter-friendly circuits, Shipley went 3-2, 2.98 through nine starts, allowing only one home run. He recorded 7.0 strikeouts and 1.2 walks per nine innings. “I think one of the things that’s really helped me is I’ve learned who I am as a pitcher, and…

Stratton Learns To Adapt SAN FRANCISCO Righthander Chris Stratton had the same visions that go through the mind of every first-round pick on the day he is drafted. He imagined what his major league debut would be like. He did not imagine back in 2012 that it would take four years—or that when the day finally came, he would be so close to home. Stratton, the former Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year while at Mississippi State, debuted in the heart of the South. He came out of the bullpen to throw a shutout inning against the Braves on May 30. “I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I was going to be,” said Stratton, 25, after striking out Nick Markakis and Kelly Johnson. “Having two days here to mentally…

KANSAS CITY By any measure, the level of prep baseball talent in the Kansas City area–and even reaching into Kansas itself–is absurd for a Midwestern region. The two best players in Kansas City are both potential top 20 picks in this year’s draft–a rare feat for anywhere other than Texas, California or Florida. Riley Pint, a flame-throwing righthander out of Kansas City’s St. Thomas Aquinas High, is likely to be taken in the top 10. Joey Wentz, a lefthander out of Shawnee Mission East High, could also go in the first round. But the 2016 class doesn’t rely on two singular talents to buoy the city’s baseball reputation. Four from the Kansas City metro area are included in the BA 500: Pint at No. 2, Wentz, Tyler Benninghoff (Rockhurst High)…

PHILADELPHIA Maybe baseball games are just destined to take three hours to play. No matter what clocks are ticking. No matter what rules are changed. Maybe. Just don’t tell that to the commissioner. “I’m not prepared to accept the fact that we’re always going to play three-hour games,” commissioner Rob Manfred said. “I think we need to continue to think about creative ways to make sure that the game moves along as quickly as possible.” Yeah, apparently. At this exact stage of last season, the average nine-inning game was zipping along in a mere 2 hours, 53 minutes, 33 seconds. That was down more than eight minutes from the year before. But here we are just one year later, and guess what? That average has crept right back above the…

MADELINE JOLIE, @MAXYJPRIME I followed up with Madeline to confirm that we are talking about the Diamondbacks’ lefthander Cody Reed. I’d say Cody A. Reed to separate him from the Reds’ lefthander Cody Reed, but Cincinnati’s lefty is also Cody A. Reed. The Diamondbacks’ Reed has dominated this year. He had a 5-2, 1.82 record with an exceptional 55-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 40 innings with low Class A Kane County and was recently promoted to high Class A Visalia. But as was noted in the question, Reed is succeeding on the basis of an excellent changeup and some funk in his delivery. Reed has a high-80s/low-90s fastball that plays up because of a deceptive delivery and excellent location, a plus changeup and a below-average breaking ball. That assortment can work…

DENVER On his 40th birthday last Nov. 18, David Ortiz announced his plans to retire following the 2016 season, which included the admission, “I wish I could play another 40 years.” Maybe he can. Hope he doesn’t. The numbers would certainly be an endorsement if Ortiz were to change his mind and decide to hang around another year or two. He again has been a catalyst to a Red Sox revival, helping them take over first place in the American League East with a season-opening effort that is reminiscent of prime-time Big Papi. Ortiz did drop a hint he might reconsider, telling Yahoo Sports, “Hopefully nobody comes to me and offers $25 million.” Stranger things have happened. Ortiz, after all, has become a celebrity since his arrival in Boston in…

Texas A&M entered the NCAA Tournament as the top-ranked team in the country, and the Aggies also lead all teams with four players on our three All-America teams. First-teamers Ryne Birk and Boomer White, the Southeastern Conference player of the year, lead the group. The SEC put a total of 11 players on the teams, second only to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Ten ACC teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament, the most of any conference, and that talent was also reflected with 13 All-Americans. Both of the last two ACC players of the year—2016 honoree Seth Beer and 2015’s winner Will Craig—are first-team All-Americans. In additon to Texas A&M, six other schools produced multiple All-Americans. Clemson, Louisville and Virginia, the defending national champions, all had three players honored. Florida, Mississippi…

The Phillies hold the first pick in the draft this year and have been linked in Baseball America mock drafts at various points to California high school outfielder Mickey Moniak, Florida lefthander A.J. Puk and— back on March 30—New Jersey high school lefthander Jason Groome. They might be associated with Kansas prep righthander Riley Pint, too, if taking high school righties at No. 1 overall had any precedent. Of course, the Phillies sport one of the National League’s most anemic offenses this season, so perhaps the organization’s new brain trust, led by general manager Matt Klentak, will favor a college position player, such as Mercer outfielder Kyle Lewis, Tennessee third baseman Nick Senzel or Louisville outfielder Corey Ray. Not surprisingly, position players selected first among their high school or college…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ BOSTON Power represented the primary draw that put first baseman Josh Ockimey on the map at his Philadelphia high school. His ability to park the ball into the right-field bullpen at a Fenway Park workout crystallized his upside for the Red Sox, who took him in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. Yet, even as Boston believed that Ockimey had the hand-eye coordination and bat-to-ball skills to emerge as a solid hitter, it didn’t envision the 20-year-old’s dominant start to the 2016 season. Through 41 games, the lefthanded-batting Ockimey hit .288/.438/.554 with eight home runs at low Class A Greenville. He had improved his walk rate from 11 percent at short-season Lowell in 2015 to 20 percent in…

Motter Makes His Mark ST. PETERSBURG It’s hard not to notice utilityman Taylor Motter. His long, flowing blonde locks, that he hasn’t done more than trimmed in about three years, make his presence known. “The hair’s my thing,” said Motter, 26. “I’m trying to make a statement with that.’’ But Motter, who has started games at shortstop and third base for the Rays, is worth noticing for much more than his hair. “I’m going to play hard, come out and get my jersey dirty every game and give it my all to help the team win,” he said. “Whether it’s a defensive play, an at-bat, a bunt, a hit-andrun, a stolen base—something. I’m going to do everything I can to help.” The Rays added Moter, a 17th-round pick in 2011…

Fried Makes Strides In Return ATLANTA Lefthander Max Fried knew that some days would be better than others once he finally returned to the mound. While he had run up a 4.98 ERA through nine starts at low Class A Rome, the 22-yearold is excited about simply having the opportunity to pitch after nearly two years on the shelf. A Los Angeles high school product and the seventh overall pick in the 2012 draft, Fried pitched just 11 innings in 2014 and missed all of 2015 after having Tommy John surgery. Traded from the Padres to the Braves during his rehab, he has shown signs of re-emerging as the pitcher he was prior to the injury. Fried mixed good starts with bad at Rome this season, allowing 39 hits in…

Goodwin Gets Back On Track WASHINGTON For a player who has had his share of ups and downs in his career, Triple-A Syracuse center fielder Brian Goodwin has managed to maintain an equilibrium. “He knows where he wants to go,” Chiefs manager Billy Gardner Jr. said the day after Goodwin hit his first career grand slam in a win against Norfolk. “One of his strengths is that he doesn’t get on that roller-coaster. He stays even-keeled no matter how he’s going.” Two seasons after Goodwin struggled so badly in the International League that the Nationals demoted him back to Double-A Harrisburg, the 25-year-old has been one of Triple-A’s most impressive hitters. The 2011 supplemental first-round pick is hitting lefthanders like he never has before. After the grand slam off southpaw…

Sure Shortstop DETROIT A lot of players enter pro ball as shortstops. Most of them end up playing elsewhere down the road. The Tigers expect A.J. Simcox to stay put. They think Simcox, a 14th-round pick in 2015 out of Tennessee, has what it takes to remain a shortstop over the long haul. “He does for me,” director of player development Dave Owen said. “He sure does. From what we’ve seen so far, he’s not a guy you move off of shortstop. He’s got range. He’s got quickness. He reads balls well. He’s really in a good place right now as far as his development.” The 21-year-old Simcox split his 2015 pro debut at short-season Connecticut and low Class A West Michigan. At the latter stop, he hit .400 (34-for-85)…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ST. LOUIS Once, the Cardinals put together a group of players so that they could develop as a group and win in the minors as a group, and when they arrived in the majors as a group, they contributed to a World Series championship in 2011. The approach worked so well with Allen Craig, Jon Jay, Daniel Descalso and others that the Cardinals followed the same model in 2016 with a nucleus at Double-A Springfield. Center fielder Harrison Bader might force a rewrite. “I think we’ll be forced to make a tough decision in the second half of the season with what we do,” general manager John Mozeliak said. “He’s obviously having a lot of success at the…

Jungmann Needs A Repairman MILWAUKEE Righthander Taylor Jungmann is broken, and the Brewers are trying to find a way to fix the 2011 first-rounder from Texas. When the 26-year-old finally began fulfilling his promise last year as a big league rookie, the Brewers thought they had a piece to add to their rebuilding project. Jungmann faded over the final month of 2015 but nevertheless went 9-8, 3.77 in 21 starts, solidifying his spot in the rotation at the outset of this season. He never got on track, however, and went 0-4, 9.15 in five starts, when Milwaukee optioned him to Triple-A Colorado Springs to reboot. After his final big league outing— a dismal 32⁄3-inning stint against the Cubs—Jungmann talked about “searching” for answers to the mechanical issues he was fighting…

Adams Proves He’s No Fluke ANAHEIM It’s not a chiseled-in-stone organizational philosophy, but farm director Mike LaCassa said the club prefers its prospects to “conquer” the level they’re at before being promoted to the next level. If that’s the case, it shouldn’t be long before 23-year-old corner outfielder Caleb Adams is bumped from high Class A Inland Empire to Double-A Arkansas. A 10th-round pick out of Louisiana-Lafayette in 2014, Adams split 2015 between low Class A Burlington and Inland Empire, hitting .298/.390/.438 with eight homers in 116 games at the two Class A stops. He walked a healthy 11 percent of the time but also struck out 28 percent of the time—too high for a player without plus power. Adams returned to Inland Empire this season, and through 49 games…

Bush Finally Makes The Show ARLINGTON Righthander Matt Bush became a big leaguer on May 13, a dozen years after he was the first overall pick in the 2004 draft and just more than four years after he was arrested for a drunken hit-and-run accident that led to three and a half years in prison. His debut was a perfect inning in which he retired Blue Jays all-stars Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Two days later, he plunked Bautista and became a focal point in the aftermath of a benchesclearing brawl. Rangers fans who didn’t know his back story rallied behind him, while those who watched him pitch wanted him to be the team’s closer. It was a whirlwind five days for Bush, 30, who opened the season…

Bellinger Keeps Opening Eyes LOS ANGELES First baseman Cody Bellinger certainly made a good impression this spring. “The more you see, the more you like,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after watching the organization’s top position prospect hit .393 in 18 spring games. But then the Dodgers didn’t see much of Bellinger. The 20-year-old opened the season on the disabled list with an impingement in his right hip and didn’t make his season debut at Double-A Tulsa until April 30. “It was really crazy. It just came out of nowhere,” Bellinger said of the hip issue that began bothering him late in spring training. “I just thought my hip was super tight, but it gradually got worse.” Bellinger, a fourth-round pick in 2013 from high school in Chandler, Ariz., dealt…

When the 2016-17 international signing period opens on July 2, at least five teams are expected to blast through their bonus pools. Here’s a look at those five teams and the top prospects they’re targeting for July 2. Atlanta Braves Venezuelan shortstop Kevin Maitan is a player teams have scouted for years. Many scouts consider Maitan the top player in this year’s class and one of the best 16-year-old Venezuelan prospects to come along in years. At 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, Maitan is a switchhitter with power, athleticism, above-average speed and a strong arm. While some scouts expect Maitan to outgrow shortstop and end up at third base, he should start his career at shortstop and some believe he can stick there. Overall, Maitan is one of the most exciting 16-year-old…

jjcooper @baseballamerica.com Female managers? Indy ball will lead the way Write it down: The first female manager in pro baseball is coming. And it will happen in the independent leagues. It simply makes too much sense. Women have made significant strides in baseball in recent years. USA Baseball has a women’s national team. Amanda Hopkins is working as a full-time scout for the Mariners. Mo’Ne Davis starred in the Little League World Series in recent years. Justine Siegal was the first female coach in affiliated baseball when she worked at the Athletics’ instructional league camp last fall. The idea of women in baseball will take another step forward this fall when Fox rolls out “Pitch,” a drama about the first woman to play for a big league team. The show…