Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, July 29, 2016 i Baseball America

» IN THIS ISSUE: Twins phenom Joe Mauer showcases tremendous allaround skills to become our Minor League Player of the Year. » ALSO: Our team looks back at the toughest 1-2 decisions in the history of the draft. The Twins couldn’t be more delighted by the progress Joe Mauer has made since they drafted him No. 1 overall in 2001 and diverted him from playing quarterback at Florida State. Baseball America’s 2003 Minor League Player of the Year is on his way to becoming Ivan Rodriguez, with A-plus makeup to boot. Next spring, Mauer likely will sit atop our annual Top 100 Prospects list and make a strong bid to unseat A.J. Pierzynski. It’s a classic case of hometown boy makes good. But while the Twins spotted him first, they…

Baseball Writer, ESPN.com SAN DIEGO Theo Epstein’s most admirable trait as a baseball executive is his willingness to surround himself with intelligent, motivated people and push them to be better, as they simultaneously challenge him. This collaborative partnership is readily apparent during the June first-year player draft, when Epstein bunkers in with the Cubs’ scouting contingent over takeout sandwiches and spirited debate. “He’s not one of these general managers or presidents of baseball operations who sits there for an hour and listens to the top two round guys and then leaves,’’ said Jason McLeod, who has worked for Epstein in Boston and Chicago. “He’s there every minute of every single day, the entire time we’re in the war room. “We’ll be talking about college senior filler guys in the 15th…

FREE AGENT STANLEY SUSPENDED 162 GAMES Former Cardinals catcher Cody Stanley was suspended 162 games by Major League Baseball on July 8 for a second violation of the league’s policy against performance-enhancing drugs. The former Cardinals product, who made his major league debut on April 26, 2015, and recorded his first big league hit the same day, tested positive for Turinabol, the same drug for which he was previously suspended. Moreover, FoxSports.com reported that Stanley was again caught using Turinabol while awaiting an appeal of his second suspension and is now facing a lifetime ban for a third positive test. If that happens, he would join former Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia as the only players to be permanently barred from the sport for repeated use of PEDs. Stanley has not…

Editor in Chief Baseball America johnmanuel @baseballamerica.com SAN DIEGO Dansby Swanson prefers playing alongside Alex Bregman to playing against him. “You know how nice it is to have someone like him on your team?” said Swanson, the Braves farmhand who started at shortstop for the U.S. in the Futures Game, with Bregman to his right as the starting third baseman. “Great competitor, understands the game, top-notch guy— add all that together and you have nothing to complain about. “But when he was at LSU? I hated playing against him, because he’d always kill you, because he’s so good.” Bregman was good enough at Louisiana State to be the Southeastern Conference’s first-team shortstop in 2015; Swanson, who was the reigning College World Series Most Outstanding Player for Vanderbilt, was relegated to…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ BOSTON For a moment, outfielder Andrew Benintendi stumbled on the fast track. The Red Sox promoted the 2015 firstrounder to Double-A Portland in mid-May, just 88 games into his career. There, he encountered his first struggle of any meaningful duration. In his first 13 games with the Sea Dogs, he hit .196 with 11 strikeouts. “When guys get promoted, they try to do a little too much,” Portland manager Carlos Febles said. “They try to prove to themselves and to other people that they belong here, and things sometimes get out of whack. That happened with him in the early going.” It didn’t last. Over a 32-game stretch that started on June 2, Benintendi laid further credence to…

Garton Takes The Weight ST. PETERSBURG Righthander Ryan Garton’s promotion to the majors led to a lot of firsts. Not only did the reliever make his first appearances, but in his first 13 games he picked up his first major league win and his first save. Equally notable was his path, as a 34thround pick in 2012 out of Florida Atlantic, he was the first player drafted that low by the Rays to play for them since righthander Chad Gaudin, a 34th-round selection in 2001. Garton is also the first product to make the majors from the Rays’ training program designed to increase velocity by throwing weighted balls. The program, launched in 2014 by minor league coordinator Dewey Robinson, targets pitchers in need of a velocity boost and puts them…

Garcia Realizes A Dream MIAMI Double-A Jacksonville manager Dave Berg had angry words for 23-year-old lefthander Jarlin Garcia. “Get the (bleep) out of my office,” Berg said. “We don’t want you around.” Garcia was startled . . . until he saw Berg and the other coaches laughing. As it turned out, this was Berg’s humorous way of telling Garcia the words he had yearned to hear for so long: He had been called up to the majors. Brought up as insurance for an overtaxed bullpen, Garcia was not used in his brief fourday stay with the Marlins. But he learned a lot from watching the big leaguers and also pocketed about $10,000, a virtual fortune for his family in the Dominican Republic. And it’s that family—especially his little sister Genesis…

A Change Of Pace WASHINGTON Despite working with less margin for error than most of his fellow Eastern League all-stars, 24-year-old Tyler Mapes has more than held his own at Double-A. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound righthander went 7-6, 3.40 through 16 starts at Harrisburg. For the first half of the season, he often started between Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito, a pair of teammates with electric fastballs. “With their stuff, they can get away with a lot,” said Mapes of Lopez and Giolito. “I can’t do that. I’m not going to overpower anyone, but I’ve been kind of a nice change of pace.” Mapes struck out 50 and walked 23 through 98 innings. While the Nationals promoted Lopez to Triple-A Syracuse and Giolito to the majors, Mapes was still focusing on…

Relief In Sight DETROIT Righthander Joe Jimenez throws strikes. That sets the reliever apart from the vast majority of young flame-throwers. Exceptional fastball control has been a major reason Jimenez has succeeded this season, which he began at high Class A Lakeland prior to a late-May bump to Double-A Erie. “Right now, he has plus fastball control,” assistant general manager David Chadd said. Jimenez, who owns a career walk rate of 2.5 per nine innings, starred in 2015, his first season at low Class A West Michigan. He made 40 appearances and recorded a 1.47 ERA, 61 strikeouts in 43 innings and a microscopic 0.79 WHIP. Jimenez has made two steps forward already in 2016. The 21-year-old began the year with 17 scoreless innings—with just five hits allowed—at Lakeland to…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ MILWAUKEE Though righthander Jorge Lopez won the Southern League pitcher of the year award in 2015 at Double-A Biloxi, the Brewers knew he would be challenged by moving to Triple-A Colorado Springs. After all, few pitchers find hitter-friendly Security Service Field an inviting place to work. Not even the Brewers expected the 23-yearold Lopez to struggle to the extent he did, however. Through the first three months, he went 1-5, 5.97 with an alarming 1.87 WHIP through 14 starts and 66 innings. Lopez’s struggles couldn’t be attributed solely to the environment at Colorado Springs, where he recorded a 6.16 ERA, because he also went 0-5, 6.51 on the road. A 2011 second-round pick from high school in Puerto…

Heredia Thrives In New Role PITTSBURGH Righthander Luis Heredia is working in a seemingly more difficult role this year as a high-leverage reliever at high Class A Bradenton. As a result, the 21-year-old is feeling more confident than when he worked as a starter during his first five pro seasons. In fact, Heredia could feel the difference as soon as he began working out of the bullpen last winter while pitching for Mazatlan—his hometown team—in the Mexican Pacific League. “I was feeling more comfortable on the mound—relaxed,” Heredia said. Heredia was pitching so well in his new role that he has again put himself on the prospect radar after looking like he would go down as a major bust. Signed in 2010 for $2.6 million— which remains a franchise record…

Injury Ends Cameron’s Season HOUSTON Center fielder Daz Cameron had already made three stops during the first few months of 2016, his first full year as a pro. His final move will, unfortunately, be his last for the season. He went on the disabled list on July 7 with a broken left index finger, which is a season-ending injury. Cameron had settled into his role as a table-setter at short-season Tri-City, where the 19-year-old hit .278/.352/.418 through 19 games. The Astros selected the son of former all-star Mike Cameron in the supplemental first round of the 2015 draft out of high school in McDonough, Ga. Cameron’s solid start at Tri-City was an encouraging sign for the Astros, who assigned him to low Class A Quad Cities to begin the season.…

O’Neill Takes Control SEATTLE Before the season began, Tyler O’Neill set a personal goal of representing Canada and the Mariners in the Futures Game. “It gave me goosebumps when I got the call,” the 21-year-old right fielder said. O’Neill didn’t treat it as an exhibition. He worked furiously during pre-game batting practice. “I guess it’s a little thing us Canadian guys have,” he said. “We’ve got some fire in our belly. I always come out to the field energetic every day. I love being there.” It’s that mindset that has carried O’Neill quickly through the system as a 2013 thirdround pick out of high school in Maple Ridge, B.C. At Double-A Jackson, he hit .304/.372/.545 with 17 home runs, 20 doubles and 68 RBIs through 82 games. He led the…

A Double-A Breakthrough DENVER Right fielder Dillon Thomas, a sixthyear pro, has elevated his stock with a breakthrough season at Double-A Hartford. Farm director Zach Wilson singled out the 23-year-old Thomas as one of the hardest workers in the system “When you work like him and then you start to find some success, people start looking at you differently,” Wilson said. “He’s put himself in a very good position this year.” Selected to the Eastern League all-star team, Thomas hit .302/.361/.434 through 75 games at Hartford with a career-high 26 doubles, two homers and 34 RBIs. “His outs, more often than not, they’re loud outs,” Harford hitting coach Jeff Salazar said, “and the ball just makes a different sound coming off his bat.” Thomas entered July in ascent, his OPS…

SAN DIEGO Yoan Moncada very rarely disappears into the background. Moncada has power. He has speed. He has a $31.5 million contract (that came with a $31.5 million, 100-percent overage tax penalty for the Red Sox). And he has a swagger to his game that the top prospects often have. But in the batting practice before the All-Star Futures Game at Petco Park, the Red Sox second baseman did fade from view a bit. While other World and U.S. hitters reached upper decks and hit moonshots, Moncada worked on his lefthanded and righthanded swings. He hit no long drives, did nothing that drew any attention. But once the game began, the game’s best prospect grabbed the spotlight again. After Astros shortstop Alex Bregman stole the show in the early innings…

ANAHEIM Alex Faedo doesn’t like to talk about the draft. His second cousin Lenny was a first-round pick of the Twins in 1978, and Faedo is considered a top prospect in next year’s class, but the Florida righthander and his family have placed a moratorium on any draft talk. With more outings like the one he had in Anaheim on June 30 though, the rising junior might find it increasingly difficult to avoid the topic of his looming pro career. Faedo faced one batter over the minimum over four scoreless innings in his first start for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, paving the way for a four-hit shutout and a 5-0 win over the Urban Youth Academy Barons of the California Collegiate League at Angel Stadium. Faedo allowed just two…

Major League Baseball handed down unprecedented penalties to the Red Sox in July, removing prospects from their organization and banning the team from signing any international players during the current international signing period. According to the commissioner’s office, the Red Sox circumvented the international bonus pools by signing several Venezuelan players in “package deals.” As a consequence, five Red Sox signings became international free agents again, including 17-year-old outfielders Albert Guaimaro and Simon Muzziotti. Guaimaro ranked as Baseball America’s No. 15 international prospect last year and Muzziotti ranked No. 24. Shortstops Antonio Pinero and Eduardo Torrealba and righthander Cesar Gonzalez also became free agents. All five players signed with the Red Sox last year on July 2 for $300,000 each, the maximum bonus the Red Sox were allowed to pay…

SAN DIEGO The pending litigation over minor league player compensation has the attention of both commissioner Rob Manfred and Players Association executive director Tony Clark. Manfred and Clark addressed the suit and other issues at their annual all-star press conference with the Baseball Writers Association of America before the All-Star Game. The pending class-action lawsuit filed by former minor league players charges the current pay system violates federal minimumwage requirements. Running opposite to that lawsuit is a bill recently introduced into Congress called the “Save America’s Pastime Act,” which calls for the Fall Labor Standards Act to be amended to explicitly exclude minor leaguers from the current minimum wage laws. The bill was originally sponsored by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.). After the bill drew widespread…

Columnist, MLB Network BOSTON No one knows what Fernando Rodney will mean to the Marlins. Incumbent closer A.J. Ramos has been successful and David Phelps has blossomed into a prime set-up man throwing 98 mph. But Miami manager Don Mattingly will worry about the interplay between Rodney and Ramos later. The bullpen is an important factor for the Marlins because their starters get spotty after Jose Fernandez, who has an innings restriction. And by getting Rodney, Miami now has two experienced relievers, which will allow righthanders Brian Ellington (who has hit 101 mph) and Kyle Barraclough (60 strikeouts in 36 innings) to develop without eighth-inning responsibilities. Do the Fish need free agent import Wei-Yin Chen to pitch better than a 4.83 ERA? Of course. Do they hope Jarred Cosart gets…

For the first time in more than 20 years, the Carolina and California leagues will hold separate all-star games next season. Since 1996 the high Class A leagues have combined for one midseason spectacle, which had rotated between leagues. This year’s version was held in Lake Elsinore, Calif., the home of the Storm, and featured a home run derby that took place on the deck of the USS Midway, a decommissioned aircraft carrier. The Carolina League announced late in June that its all-star game next year will be in Salem, Va., home of the Red Sox. The same day, the California League announced its allstar game would take place in Visalia, Calif., home of the Rawhide. California League president Charlie Blaney cited the complicated nature of putting together such an…

Hays Starts His Career Strong BALTIMORE The professional side of baseball has come easily to outfielder Austin Hays in his first week. Hays, a third-round pick this year out of Jacksonville, went 5-for-9 with three stolen bases in his first two games at short-season Aberdeen. He hit .310/.394/.448 with two doubles, a triple and three walks through eight games. At this rate, he won’t stay in the New York-Penn League for long. The 91st overall selection, Hays found out that the Orioles drafted him while he vacationed with family in Daytona Beach, Fla. “They have a time-share there,” said Hays, 21. “Every single year, they stay there in the first week of June. It just lined up that they’d be there during the time of the draft, and I was…

Taking It Slow With Vlad Jr. TORONTO Third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. opened his first pro season at Rookie-level Bluefield, an assignment designed to balance his natural ability, the rawness to his game and his young age. Where the 17-year-old Dominican, who signed last July for $3.9 million, would open was the subject of some intrigue given his capabilities at the plate. But rather than put too much on Guerrero too fast by placing him at short-season Vancouver, the Blue Jays played it safe. “He’s definitely one of the more advanced players we had in extended camp,” farm director Gil Kim said, “but we were cautious that he just turned 17 in March and it’s his first professional season, and (we) wanted to make sure that we were putting him…

McGeorge Finds Role In Relief NEW YORK Austin McGeorge focused on third base for most of his prep career at Canyon High in Anaheim. Then he got serious about pitching his senior year. That resulted in a chance to walk on at Long Beach State. And that resulted in the Mets selecting the 6-foot-2 righthander in the seventh round last month. The 21-year-old McGeorge made his pro debut at short-season Brooklyn on June 25. He throws a four-seam fastball, sinker and slider. He’s also working on a changeup. He relies on his sinker, which sits at 88-91 mph and tops out at 92. “The changeup is slowly coming in,” McGeorge said. “I’m learning a lot here from the pitching coach (Billy Bryk Jr.), and a lot of the guys are…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CLEVELAND One year after selecting him with their first pick in the draft, the Indians are very happy with the progress of Brady Aiken. The Indians selected the high school lefthander with the 17th overall pick in 2015 despite the knowledge that he was only three months removed from Tommy John surgery and wouldn’t pitch competitively for at least another year. That year has passed, Aiken is pitching again, and Indians officials like what they see from the 19-year-old. “It’s still early, but the returns from his outings have been very positive,” farm director Carter Hawkins said. “He’s commanding the ball, spinning his breaking ball well, and his velocity is in a great spot.” Aiken made his pro…

Webb’s Signing Has A Nice Ring KANSAS CITY, MO. The next time Nathan Webb steps on the Kauffman Stadium field, he would like it to be on the mound, with a ball in his right hand instead of a rake. Webb has been on the Kansas City turf more than 100 times the past three years as a member of the Royals’ grounds crew. He started working when he was 16. A product of Lee’s Summit North High in Lee’s Summit, Mo., Webb owns a fastball that reached 96 mph as a senior. The Royals selected him in the 34th round this year. In addition to pitching in high school, Webb also served as starting quarterback on the football team the past two years. He had committed to play baseball…

Happ Focuses On Progress CHICAGO When 2015 first-rounder Ian Happ reported to short-season Eugene last summer with orders to play in the outfield, he introduced himself and told manager Gary Van Tol: “I’m a second baseman.” Confused, Van Tol checked up the chain of command. “I assured him Ian was just going to play outfield,” farm director Jaron Madison said. “He was amazing. It’s a little bit different when guys are getting acclimated to pro ball and get their first taste, but he stayed committed to wanting to be a second baseman.” He had to wait a few months, but the keystone was always the Cubs’ long-term plan for Happ. And when the versatile Cincinnati product got his chance to focus on the position last offseason and into 2016, he…

Cardinals Splurge On July 2 ST. LOUIS For a long time, the Cardinals had dangled their toes in international waters, testing the temperature, sometimes hooking a talent or two, and waiting for the right moment to plunge in. They knew this July it was time to make a splash. The Cardinals funneled millions in cash and invited future limits on their spending with one of the most active and expensive July 2 international signing periods ever for the organization. The Cardinals signed players out of Cuba, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, offering up some of their largest signing bonuses since re-entering the Latin market—and they weren’t done spending yet by mid-July. “We saw it as an opportunity for two reasons,” general manager John Mozeliak. “A lot of the bigger players…

Well Disciplined ANAHEIM Sherman Johnson, a 14th-round pick out of Florida State in 2012, was drafted during the Jerry Dipoto regime, when the former general manager put a heavy emphasis on controlling the strike zone for both pitchers and hitters. First-year GM Billy Eppler values the same attributes in amateurs, which is why the club is so high on Johnson, the 26-year-old second baseman who dominated for three weeks at Double-A Arkansas and is starting to hit his stride at Triple-A Salt Lake. “His plate discipline is off the charts,” farm director Mike LaCassa said. “It’s one of the best parts of his game.” Johnson struggled at Arkansas in 2015, hitting .204 with seven homers, 29 doubles, 102 strikeouts and 89 walks in 135 games, so the Angels sent him…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ SAN DIEGO The day catcher Austin Hedges signed his contract with the Padres, he displayed power that surprised even the man who drafted him two months earlier. “He’s gotten stronger since we drafted him. He’s a better hitter now,” Jason McLeod, now with the Cubs, said in August 2011 after the just-drafted teenager blasted batting-practice pitches out of Petco Park. Hedges, a second-round pick in 2011 who signed for $3 million, largely for his defensive ability at catcher, is now making the Pacific Coast League look like batting practice. During one 15-game stretch beginning in mid-June, the righthanded hitter struck 12 home runs and four doubles while driving in 30 runs at Triple-A El Paso. He went 30-for-57…

Brock And Roll LOS ANGELES Righthander Brock Stewart’s fast rise to the big leagues was going really well. Until it wasn’t. Just two years after being drafted in the sixth round out of Illinois State—where he was primarily a third baseman, not a pitcher— Stewart received a June 29 callup to take the mound against the Brewers. Stewart had gone a combined 8-3, 1.47, with an 0.83 WHIP and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings while climbing from high Class A Rancho Cucamonga to Triple-A Oklahoma City in just three months. The Dodgers’ need for starters made Stewart the club’s best option. “He’s performed,” big league manager Dave Roberts said. In his first inning against big league hitters, Stewart struck out the first two and retired the side in order. He…

SAN DIEGO The Futures Game always leaves us with memorable moments and standout performances. This year’s game was no different, with big home runs, over-the-fence catches, plays at the plate and memorable offensive performances from some of the game’s premier prospects. In our annual Futures Game superlatives, these were some of the biggest moments and players who stood out. BEST HITTER Two players’ swings stood out in batting practice. One was Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi, who has extremely quick hands and a compact lefty stroke. At 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, Benintendi can walk down the street without anyone thinking he’s a professional athlete, but despite his limited stature, there weren’t many hitters who sent balls farther in batting practice than Benintendi, whose snappy bat speed and strong forearms help him…

Baseball Analyst, Senior Writer ESPN.com SAN DIEGO There once was a time when every team in baseball deserved to have an allstar to call its own. Unfortunately, that time was, oh, about 1957. Not now. So when the 2016 all-star teams were announced, Eduardo Nunez wound up on this team—as the Twins’ mandatory rep—but Carlos Correa didn’t. And Alex Colome was on this roster —as the Rays’ designated all-star—but Aroldis Chapman wasn’t. The Phillies had to have an all-star, too, so Odubel Herrera jetted to San Diego. Not that he hasn’t had a nice year. But Starling Marte wasn’t added until the last minute. And his Pirates teammate, Gregory Polanco wasn’t there. And that’s just crazy. Now before I go on here and set the Twitterverse ablaze, I want you…

TOP 100 CALIBER? Which 2016 draftees would have made the Midseason Top 100 Prospects list if draftees had been eligible? ROGER MUNTER, WASHINGTON, D.C. This was not a great year for draftees to crack the Top 100. There was no clear top prospect in this year’s draft. There were widely varying opinions on a number of the top players picked. Because of all that uncertainty, there are no players from this draft likely to jump right into the Top 25. When it comes to who would crack the Top 100, it’s also a pretty short list. Last year, 10 2015 draftees ended up making the 2016 Top 100 Prospects list. At this point, I’d guess we’ll see eight or nine 2016 draftees make next year’s Top 100. A quartet of…

Columnist, MLB.com DENVER Major League Baseball gets it. The game has tinkered with the methods for selecting all-star teams over the years. Well, take a bow, MLB. It can’t get much better than this year. The fans get to pick the All-Star Game starting lineups. It is, after all, their game. The players get to pick the backups at each position. They do, after all, have an insight into whom they fear. And if that doesn’t cover all the bases, what does? Sometimes the two sides even agree. Eight of the nine starting position players on the American League team finished atop the fan and player voting. The only exception was the fans’ choice of first baseman Eric Hosmer of the Royals. The Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera was the choice of…

National Writer Baseball America benbadler @baseballamerica.com In the draft, teams don’t go over their bonus pools, at least not to the extent where they will lose draft picks as penalties. Internationally, it’s another story. With 10 teams already limited to signings of no more than $300,000 this year as a penalty for exceeding their pools in a previous signing period, another seven teams went over their international bonus pools when the 2016-17 signing period opened on July 2. The Padres signed three of the top six international prospects (and eight of the top 50) on Baseball America’s top-50 board. That doesn’t even include Cuban lefthander Adrian Morejon, who signed for $11 million, or Cuban outfielder Jorge Ona, who still hasn’t been cleared to sign but is expected to end up…

Adams Has A Chance To Start NEW YORK When the Yankees selected Chance Adams in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, they projected the righthander from Dallas Baptist to the bullpen because he threw a 96 mph fastball and a wipeout slider. After 14 relief appearances at three levels in 2015, the player-development people suggested the 6-foot, 215-pound righty try starting. After 15 starts at high Class A Tampa and Double-A Trenton this season, the conversion from bullpen to rotation has been seamless. “He had a really good arm and a really good slider,” scouting director Damon Oppenheimer said. “We thought he was going to be a reliever, but our player development people did a nice job with him. They thought he had starter’s stuff. So far, so good.”…

statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ATLANTA The Braves decided to go back to the future at the end of June when they united middle infielders Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson at Double-A Mississippi. “We’re getting those two guys together because (they might be) playing shortstop and second base in the big leagues,” Mississippi manager Luis Salazar said. Albies, whom the Braves signed out of Curacao in 2013, spent most of April at Mississippi and torched Southern League pitchers with a .954 OPS in 22 games. The 19-year-old struggled after a promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett, hitting .248/.307/.351 in 56 games, and he moved from shortstop to second base in early June. Albies’ bat responded to the return to Mississippi by going 10-for-24 (.417) with two…

Ramos Learns From Time Away PHILADELPHIA A look of amazement flashed across righthander Edubray Ramos’ face as he walked up the dugout steps at San Francisco’s AT&T Park and let the sights and sounds of his first day in the majors sink in. “I never imagined this,” the 23-year-old reliever from Venezuela said. “I was out of baseball and did not know if I’d ever get another opportunity. This is a beautiful moment for me.” Ramos earned his way to the Phillies’ bullpen in late June by recording a 1.16 ERA in 39 innings at Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He gave up just 24 hits, one home run and four walks. He struck out 41. Big league manager Pete Mackanin immediately began using Ramos in high-leverage situations and…

Debut Interrupted CHICAGO Called up from Triple-A Charlotte on June 30, Matt Davidson couldn’t wait to play in his first game for the White Sox. “I’m excited to be here, and this was my goal, to be here,” said Davidson, 25. “It’s a long ride, but I’m glad to be here. “The past couple years I haven’t really had a good reason to be impatient. I’ve struggled, so I kind of knew I wasn’t getting called up.” Davidson indeed struggled with Charlotte in 2014-15, batting a combined .201 while striking out 31 percent of the time. The third baseman led the International League with 23 home runs last season, but he also led the way with 191 strikeouts. Davidson hit .268/.349/.444 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs through 75…

Slegers Gains Control MINNEAPOLIS A radar gun isn’t sufficient to judge the speed of Double-A Chattanooga righthander Aaron Slegers’ fastball, Mike Radcliff believes. For that, a scout probably needs a protractor. “I couldn’t sit here and explain all the math behind it, the angles and everything,” the player personnel director said. “But I know this: The higher a pitch is coming from, the faster it appears to a batter.” That’s one factor in Sleger’s steady march toward the big leagues, the Twins believe, because the 23-year-old is 6-foot-10 with the broad wingspan and intimidating frame of a college-basketball center. And also: His fastball normally tops out around 92 mph. “You look at the gun and you think he can’t blow it by many guys,” Radcliff said, “but he’s got a…

Reds Gamble On Rodriguez CINCINNATI The Reds gambled nearly $9 million that 22-year-old Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez is the safest bet on the international market. They signed Rodriguez for $7 million during the July 2 international signing period, and they will pay a little less than $9 million total when including the penalties for going over their bonus-pool allotment. Only one other international free agent had signed for more than $7 million nearly two weeks into the signing period. Rodriguez’s age and experience convinced the Reds to sign the 2014 Cuban rookie of the year. “Most importantly, we just look at it as a value proposition for ourselves,” president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty said. “And if this guy is a future everyday major league shortstop—and our scouts are confident…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ARLINGTON No player in the Texas League was hotter longer to start the 2016 season than Ryan Cordell was for Double-A Frisco. Naturally, the outfielder was the MVP of the league’s all-star game. Cordell, 24, collected a home run and four RBIs to lead the Southern Division to an 8-5 victory. The performance capped a big first half for Cordell, who reached base in 32 consecutive games earlier in the season. He hit .269/.322/.506 with 17 home runs and a TL-leading 58 RBIs through 86 games. The strong first half served as an encore to his first big league spring training, during which he impressed Rangers coaches with his athletic ability and put himself on the prospect radar…

Marincov Finds His Power OAKLAND Had life gone the way he planned, Tyler Marincov would be playing football someplace, perhaps even the NFL. He entered his senior year at Timber Creek High in Orlando with a stack of college recruiting letters in his hands, just waiting for the scholarship offer. It never came. Instead, North Florida wanted him to come play his other sport: baseball. He found the right fit and the right sport. Now the Athletics are grateful for how it has all worked out for the 2013 eighth-rounder. Marincov, 24, has emerged as one of the organization’s top outfield prospects. After starting the year at high Class A Stockton, he earned a mid-May promotion to Double-A Midland, where he hit .294/.363/.422 with five homers through 51 games. He…

Sherfy Heeds Wakeup Call PHOENIX Righthander Jimmie Sherfy couldn’t seem to settle on just one or two reasons he’s been able to turn in the best season of any reliever in the Diamondbacks system. He credited pitching coaches Brad Arnsberg and Dan Carlson for their sage advice. He pointed to mechanical changes that have helped him maintain his stuff from outing to outing. Sherfy also has a newfound focus on baseball, on and off the field, after heeding the wakeup call delivered by his struggles in 2015. Whatever the reasons, Sherfy has a good thing going. After tossing two scoreless innings in his Triple-A Reno debut, he had given up just two runs in 37 innings across three levels, with 14 walks and 60 strikeouts. A 10th-round pick out of…

Suarez’s Long Road SAN FRANCISCO Righthander Albert Suarez arrived in Giants camp this spring as a lightly heralded 26-year-old minor league free agent who hadn’t pitched above Double-A. In just a few months, he claimed a meaningful role on a team that had baseball’s best record at the all-star break. Suarez received an opportunity because he happened to be the most rested starting pitcher at Triple-A Sacramento when Matt Cain pulled a hamstring. With his ability to throw four pitches for strikes and attack hitters, Suarez not only performed well in six spot starts but has carved out a place for himself as a long reliever. “Long relief ” might also describe Suarez’s emotions at finally making it to the big leagues. The Venezuelan signed with the Rays as a…

CHARLOTTE The Triple-A all-star game has always been a mix of former big leaguers and fast-rising prospects. But the 2016 version in Charlotte saw the roster thin out of prospects in the two weeks leading up to the game. Four of the top hitting prospects scheduled to participate in the game did not make it, as Josh Bell (Pirates) and Trea Turner (Nationals) were each called up, Aaron Judge (Yankees) got hurt, and Orlando Arcia (Brewers) missed the game for personal reasons. The lack of high-level bats was evident in the game, as the teams combined for just 11 hits in the International League’s 4-2 win over the Pacific Coast League. “We saw a lot of good arms and some good defensive plays,” said International League manager Chris Tremie of…

There was no drama when it came to the will-he or won’t-he decisions that usually come with the draft signing deadline. This year, just two players selected in the top 10 rounds, and only one high school player, opted not to sign with their selecting teams. Pirates supplemental first-round pick Nick Lodolo, a lefthander, opted to attend Texas Christian. Astros seventh-round pick Tyler Buffet, also a lefthander, chose to return to Oklahoma State. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS 1s. Anfernee Grier, of, Auburn 2. Andy Yerzy, c, York Mills Collegiate Institute, Toronto 3. Jon Duplantier, rhp, Rice 4. Curtis Taylor, rhp, British Columbia 5. Joey Rose, 3b, Toms River (N.J.) North HS 6. Mack Lemieux, lhp, Palm Beach State (Fla.) JC 7. Jordan Watson, lhp, Science and Arts of Oklahoma 8. Ryan January,…

TRIVIALITY It’s only trivial if you don’t know the answer. Mark Teixeira is one of just three active players to win a home run title and a Gold Glove at first base in the same season. Name the other two. »MET NEGATIVE: Baseball is a crazy game. Last year at the all-star break, Daniel Murphy had five homers for the Mets. This year, he had seven homers AGAINST the Mets . . . I have a strange urge to play 6-6-6-6 in the lottery! The Angels’ C.J. Cron and Wilmer Flores of the Mets became the first players ever to go 6-for-6 on back-to-back days. But, Wee Willie Keeler and Jack Doyle once did it on the same day for the same team, on Sept. 3, 1897 (for the old…