Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, January 15, 2016 i Baseball America

DECEMBER 19 2004 􀀀 IN THIS ISSUE: Righthander Adam Miller leads the way for what the Indians hoped would be a new wave. » ALSO: Elsewhere in the AL Central, Curtis Granderson, Billy Butler, Joe Mauer were ready to bloom. Teams shied away from high school righthanders in the first round of the 2003 draft, with only Jeff Allison (Marlins, No. 16 overall) and Chad Billingsley (Dodgers, No. 24) getting picked. Miller went with the top pick of the supplemental first round, and he and Billingsley quickly have established themselves as two of the top pitching prospects in the game. A sore shoulder and strict pitch counts limited Miller in his pro debut, though he was still an easy choice as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Appalachian League.…

Baseball Writer, ESPN.com Most Hall of Fame voters, historians and fans will remember January 2016 as the crowning achievement for a former prodigy and embodiment of baseball grace. One day we looked up and Ken Griffey Jr. was 46 years old, and ready to glide effortlessly into the gap and stick a Hall of Fame plurality of 98 or 99 percent in his back pocket. Amid the wall-to-wall Junior love, I’ll remember this round of voting as the year I dismounted my high horse, acknowledged reality and took the plunge on baseball’s home run king and a seven-time Cy Young Award winner. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens won’t appear on the stage with Griffey in July. But they’re on my 10-man ballot after several years with an unchecked box. Scratch…

MLB.TV CHANGES? Are you a Pirates fan stuck in California, unable to watch your Buccos without shelling out $130 for MLB.tv’s streaming package? You might be in luck. MLB.tv could be offering single-team packages as soon as next season. A court filing in lawsuit over MLB’s blackout rules (Garber et al v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball) revealed that “beginning next season MLB will make single-team, out-of-market streams available for purchase (alongside the out-of-market package) on MLB.TV.” That inclusion of that provision in the lawsuit was first reported by FanGraphs.com. The NBA unveiled a single-team option this season. It’s unclear how much streaming one team would cost, but MLB.tv’s package last year cost $130 for the entire season, or $25 a month. ANOTHER CHANCE Matt Bush, the 2004 No.…

Editor in Chief Baseball America johnmanuel@baseballamerica.com All of baseball seemed to have bullpens on the brain this winter. Trevor Hoffman will get plenty of Hall of Fame votes from Baseball Writers Association of America voters, and he deserves them. I’d say Billy Wagner, who’s also on this year’s ballot, is just as deserving as Hoffman if not moreso, because he was more dominant at his best. As ballots kept being posted online in December by voters—who have an extremely difficult task—I started wondering if Wagner would even get the 5 percent of votes needed to stay on the ballot. Closers also dominated the offseason trade market. Aroldis Chapman (New York Yankees), Ken Giles (Houston) and Craig Kimbrel (Boston) all have new addresses, new bullpens to call their own and likely…

National Writer Baseball America bbadler@baseballamerica.com With an exodus of Cuban talent from the island, most of the top players of interest to major league teams are position players. Yet there are still several intriguing Cuban pitchers available or soon to hit the market teams are carefully monitoring. Norge Ruiz, rhp Ruiz, 21, was the centerpiece of a showcase game in the Dominican Republic on Nov. 30, with Cubs president Theo Epstein among those in attendance, no surprise given that the Cubs are targeting Cuban pitchers and are already over their 2015-16 bonus pool. Ruiz, who ranked as the No. 8 prospect in Cuba in our April rankings and as the top pitcher on the island overall, threw three innings in a game against mostly amateur teenagers from the Dominican Republic.…

CHICAGO WHITE SOX While the White Sox improved their record by three games in 2015, they didn’t come close to meeting preseason expectations and did not spend one day with a winning record after mid-May. Chicago ended its season at 76-86 and on the outside of the postseason for the seventh straight year. What’s worse, the White Sox watched as yet another Central Division rival flew the American League pennant. The Royals represented the AL in the 2014 and 2015 World Series after the Tigers had done the same in 2012. The White Sox positioned themselves for contention in 2015 based on a number of positive developments in 2014. Ace lefthander Chris Sale recorded his lowest ERA and highest strikeout rate, while Cuban import Jose Abreu mashed 36 homers and…

KANSAS CITY ROYALS In the summer of 2011, Royals general manager Dayton Moore and scouting director Lonnie Goldberg were in a car riding back from a meeting with their most recent firstrounder Bubba Starling. As they drove away, Moore described to Goldberg his dream: one day he wanted to see kids walking down Kansas City, Mo., streets wearing Bubba Starling jersey T-shirts, Eric Hosmer jerseys and Royals caps. He was dreaming of the day that the Royals would capture the city, the area and the region the way they had when Moore, born in Wichita, was a kid. Mission accomplished. An estimated 800,000 attended the Royals’ World Series victory parade in November. Now, manager Ned Yost has gone from giving a false name at Starbucks early in his Royals career…

Travis Makes An Impression BOSTON Sam Travis made a striking impression on his Arizona Fall League manager, Indians assistant coach Matt Quatraro, before his first game for Scottsdale. “The main thing that stood out right from day one was his intensity. He wanted to win more than I expected guys to have that desire in that league,” said Quatraro. “Early on, I asked a question of the group: ‘What makes you feel good after a game if you don’t get two hits or don’t strike out two guys?’ He kind of looked at me, in front of the team, like, what are you, nuts? ‘Win the game.’” By that measure, Travis had a lot to enjoy for a Scottsdale team that won the AFL title. In 104 plate appearances, Travis…

Jays Take Biagini In Rule 5 TORONTO The Blue Jays’ search for bullpen help and pitching depth extended into the Rule 5 draft when they selected Double-A righthander Joe Biagini from the Giants. A 25-year-old with an average fastball, solid changeup and curveball, he’ll head to spring training with a chance to make the big league club as a reliever. In 23 games he posted a 2.42 ERA over 130 innings, allowing 112 hits and 34 walks with 84 strikeouts with Richmond of the Eastern League. The Blue Jays, who haven’t had a Rule 5 pick make the team since Randy Wells in 2008, used the 21st pick in 2015 on Biagini. “He was really high on our board,” general manager Ross Atkins said. “Powerful righthanded pitcher that potentially we’ll…

Callup Looms For Esch MIAMI In 2010, the Mets drafted a college middle infielder named Jacob in the ninth round and converted him to pitcher. In 2011, the Marlins drafted a college middle infielder named Jacob in the 11th round and moved him to the mound. The Mets’ selection has worked out well— Jacob deGrom won 17 games in 2015, including three in the postseason, helping New York reach the World Series. Miami’s pick, Jake Esch out of Georgia Tech, has yet to make his major league debut, but the Marlins added him the 40-man roster for the first time in his career in November. The 25-year-old Esch is two years younger than deGrom, so there’s still time for him to make an impact. And Andy Haines, who managed Esch…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports CLEVELAND While first-round picks Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier get most of the attention among the position players in the Indians system, third baseman Yandy Diaz led all of the organization’s full-season minor leaguers in hitting in 2015. Diaz, 24, hit a combined .309 at Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. He spent most of the season at Akron, where in 476 atbats he hit .315/.412/.408 with seven home runs and 55 RBIs. The righthanded-hitting Diaz was signed out of Cuba in September 2013 for $300,000. “Yandy has made solid progress over his two years,” Indians farm director Carter Hawkins said. “Offensively, he has a knack to find the barrel and has the strength to drive the ball to all…

Pounders Finishes World Tour KANSAS CITY, MO. Brooks Pounders had a nomadic 2015, pitching in five different leagues and three countries. Pounders, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound righthander, began his itinerary with five starts in the Rookie-level Arizona and Pioneer Leagues. He advanced to high Class A Wilmington and finished with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, posting a 2.08 ERA in his final four starts . Overall, he had a 2.50 ERA in 15 starts. After the season, Pounders made three Arizona Fall League starts, where in 12 scoreless innings he struck out 14 with no walks. “I see a lot of great things next year for him,” said Saguaros pitching coach Carlos Reyes, who is a Royals minor league pitching coach. “He’s really throwing the ball well. He’s growing into a great pitcher.”…

The Next Zobrist? CHICAGO Between manager Joe Maddon’s first impressions of him, and the front office’s major moves this winter, Javier Baez might have his best chance yet in 2016 of sticking in the majors. And he doesn’t even have a position available to win. Dovetailing with that irony is this one: The free agent signing of Ben Zobrist by the Cubs could help turn Baez into the next Zobrist— in other words, a super-utility option. Baez is expected to move around the diamond in 2016 under Maddon, the madscientist manager. The 23-year-old will be the primary backup at both second base (Zobrist) and shortstop (Addison Russell), and he tried center field in the Puerto Rican League this winter. That could make him an option there if the Cubs need…

Plucked Redbirds ST. LOUIS On the eve of the Rule 5 draft, general manager John Mozeliak said he didn’t expect to lose a player. He was right. The Cardinals lost eight. It was an unprecedented pilfering for the organization, who in the span of 60 minutes lost power-armed righthander Luis Perdomo to the Padres in the major league phase and on-base-oriented outfielder Mike O’Neill to the Cubs in the minor league phase. During one stretch in the Triple-A portion of the draft, the Cubs selected O’Neill and the Cardinals, jousting with Chicago all winter for players, selected lefty reliever Michael Heesch from the Cubs. “When you look at the opportunity of the Rule 5, that’s exactly why that is,” Mozeliak said after the draft. “That’s why it exists. It’s to…

Back Where It All Began OAKLAND After 22 years roaming the country, teaching hitting and developing players, Jim Eppard has returned to where he began. The former Angels hitting coach accepted the position of minor-league hitting coordinator for the Athletics, filling the position that became available when Greg Sparks took a big-league coaching job with the White Sox. Eppard, 55, started his pro career as a 13th-round pick of the A’s in 1982 out of California. He went on to play four seasons in the majors, then began a coaching career with the Rockies and Angels before re-joining the A’s organization. “Jim played for me and I have followed his career and always have been impressed with the quality hitters that have been developed under his tutelage,” A’s farm director…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ SAN DIEGO As he restocks a prospect pool from which he dealt heavily last offseason, general manager A.J. Preller has used several avenues to acquire young talent. He acquired seven prospects in offseason deals involving Yonder Alonso, Joaquin Benoit and Craig Kimbrel. He set himself up to get two 2016 draft picks by extending qualifying offers to free agents Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy. In addition, Preller went big at the Rule 5 draft, selecting two players in the major league phase and then trading for two others and adding all four to the 40-man roster. The top-ranked prospect of the four is 22-year-old righthander Luis Perdomo, a product of the Cardinals system whom San Diego purchased from the…

Waiting In The Wings LOS ANGELES Free agency broke up the dynamic pairing at the front of the Dodgers’ rotation with Zack Greinke leaving for the Diamondbacks. But the Dodgers could still have one of the best rotations in baseball in 2016—at Triple-A Oklahoma City. As their part of a three-team trade with the Reds and White Sox, the Dodgers acquired three prospects: outfielder Trayce Thompson, second baseman Micah Johnson and righthander Frankie Montas. The 6-foot-2 Montas is one of the hardestthrowing pitching prospects in baseball with a fastball that reaches 100 mph and a power slider . He made his major league debut with two starts for the White Sox in September and is considered major league-ready if the Dodgers want to move him to the bullpen. That is…

At the beginning of a historic trip this December to Cuba, an island Major League Baseball hasn’t visited since 1999, was a question. Tony Clark, the players’ union chief, leaned forward into a microphone at an introductory press conference asked it, in Spanish: “La pelota es vida, si or no?” Baseball is life. It may also be a link between Cuba and the United States. Eight active players, including four from Cuba, joined Clark and Major League Baseball officials Joe Torre and Dan Halem on a three-day goodwill tour of Cuba that was first for the leagues and the country since the United States announced a plan to reestablish diplomatic relations. The returns of Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig and White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu to Cuba just a few…

Brandon McIlwain, the No. 16 prospect in the 2016 high school class, announced on Dec. 17 that he will forgo the 2016 MLB draft and enroll early at South Carolina, with plans to play for the Gamecocks in the spring. McIlwain is also one of the nation’s top quarterback recruits, and will play football as well. “I’ve decided to forgo the MLB draft and enroll early to play baseball and football at (South Carolina),” McIlwain tweeted. McIlwain is one of the more explosive athletes in this year’s high school class, and his decision to attend South Carolina removes an intriguing wrinkle from this year’s draft. McIlwain’s two-sport potential figured to make him difficult to sign, but several teams believed McIlwain’s upside on the diamond warranted a high pick. South Carolina…

Columnist, MLB Network BOSTON One of the many reasons Pat Gillick is arguably the most respected executive since Branch Rickey is that as he moved from building the Blue Jays franchise from scratch to taking the Orioles to first place from wire to wire in 1997 to winning 116 games in Seattle to taking the Phillies to a world championship, is that he always adapted to the city and organizational environment. “Pat had few people that went everywhere with him,” said Gordon Lakey, one of the rare scouts who connected dots from Toronto to Philadelphia. “He never went to a team and wiped it clean. He always worked with whomever was there when he arrived. That’s one of the many things that makes him so rare. He respects people, he…

It’s not lost on Tyler White that, despite being the longest of long shots, he’s on the precipice of the major leagues. Or that a player drafted 971 picks ahead of him now sits behind him on the Astros’ organizational depth chart. He’s just decided to focus on the next step. Coming out of Western Carolina, White said he didn’t hear from any teams and only talked with one scout, a Giants scout whom he knew personally. That he didn’t attract a lot of attention wasn’t all that surprising. At 5-foot-11, 225 pounds, White didn’t cut a figure in a baseball uniform in the way the sleek Byron Buxton or behemothian Giancarlo Stanton do. He played first base and third, but not particularly well, and didn’t profile as a corner…

CLEVELAND INDIANS Any thoughts the Indians had about entering the 2015 season as an under-the-radar contender were discarded in spring training when Sports Illustrated put Corey Kluber and Michael Brantley on the cover and picked Cleveland to win the World Series. The Indians managed to remain in the wild card race deep into September and finished 81-80, but ultimately it was the division-rival Royals who broke a long World Series drought. The Indians’ mediocre record in 2015 was disappointing, but the franchise ushered in a new era on June 14 when Francisco Lindor reached the big leagues. Though he had been the organization’s top prospect since he was drafted eighth overall in 2011, the shortstop managed to exceed the hype in his debut and was the runner-up to Carlos Correa…

MINNESOTA TWINS Ending an embarrassing run of four straight seasons with 92 losses or more, the Twins chased a postseason berth until the final weekend of the 2015 season before ultimately falling short. An 83-win debut for rookie manager Paul Molitor was encouraging on many levels and earned him a third-place showing in American League manager of the year voting. Rookie third baseman Miguel Sano, called up from Double-A Chattanooga on July 2, also finished third (behind stud shortstops Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor) in voting for AL rookie of the year. First-year pitching coach Neil Allen, hired from the Rays’ Triple-A Durham affiliate, guided a significant turnaround on the Twins’ big league staff, which saw rookie righthanders Tyler Duffey and Trevor May make solid contributions amid the pressure of…

Smith, Mullee Open Eyes NEW YORK One was taken in the 24th round of the 2010 draft and immediately converted from a shortstop to pitcher. The other watched the 2012 draft begin and end without hearing his name. Entering the 2016 season, Conor Mullee and Alex Smith aren’t knocking on the Yankees’ door but the righthanders have provided hope for late picks and others who don’t get picked and put themselves in position to some day pitch in the big leagues. Mullee has had to battle after being a late pick, going through the conversion from player to pitcher and two Tommy John surgeries that sidelined him from 2011-2012. “It’s been pretty impressive the way he has come back and pitched,” Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer said of the Saint…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ PHILADELPHIA For the second year in a row, the Phillies picked an outfielder and a lefthanded reliever in the Rule 5 draft. They hope the results are as good as they were last year. Philadelphia selected outfielder Tyler Goeddel from the Rays with the first pick in the major league phase and plucked lefty Daniel Stumpf from the Royals with the first pick in the second round. The Phils batted .500 in 2015 with outfielder Odubel Herrera and lefty reliever Andy Oliver. Herrera became the regular center fielder, hitting .324 with a .832 OPS after June 1, while Oliver did not make the club. “Goeddel stood out right away,” pro scouting director Mike Ondo said. “He excited us with…

Winningham Shapes Up NEW YORK First baseman Dash Winningham spent the winter after the 2014 season working out at Innovative Athletic Performance Institute in his hometown of Ocala, Fla. By the time he arrived at 2015 spring training, he had shed 30 pounds, dropping to 225 pounds. “It definitely showed in spring training,” said Winningham, an eighth-round pick in 2014 out of Trinity Catholic High in Ocala. Winningham hit .266/.310/.479 in 66 games at Rookie-level Kingsport in 2015. His 12 homers matched Pulaski’s Allen Valerio for the Appalachian League lead. Winningham also had a league-best 51 RBIs . Now the goal for the 6-foot-2, lefthanded-hitting slugger is to advance to low Class A in 2016. “I had a good year overall, going to Kingsport. I had good power numbers,” Winningham…

Trade Opens Door For Turner CHICAGO After acquiring Todd Frazier in a three-team trade from the Reds, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn acknowledged paying a high price for the slugging third baseman. “It’s never easy to give up homegrown or quality young talent,” Hahn said. “At the same time, we certainly are very aware that you have to give up something to get something.” To land Frazier from the Reds, the Sox sent outfielder Trayce Thompson and second baseman Micah Johnson to the Dodgers. Righthander Frankie Montas also went to Los Angeles . Chicago was able to include Montas in the Frazier deal because it has some impressive righthanded pitching depth, including Erik Johnson and Carson Fulmer, the Sox’s first-round pick (No. 8 overall) last year, who is scheduled…

Prospect Discovery In Moldova MINNESOTA Twins scout Cary Broder wasn’t paying much attention when Vadim Balan stepped on the mound at a baseball academy in the Czech Republic last May. Broder had watched Balan a year earlier in Italy, and barely made note of the righthander’s 89-mph pitches. This time was different. “He looked much more athletic as he starts throwing. 91 (mph). OK. Then 93. That’s pretty good. Don’t see that much in Europe,” Broder said. “Then 95. Whoa—95? And 96, 96, 95, 96. You get the idea.” Broder had an idea, too. After watching Balan throw a few sliders, pitches “with a wicked tilt to them, impressive,” he contacted Minnesota. A day later, Balan had a $15,000 contract and the Twins had their first player ever from Moldova,…

Niche Picks MILWAUKEE As they crank up what has the makings of a massive rebuilding program, the Brewers have made it clear that Milwaukee will be the land of opportunity for young players seeking to carve a niche in the majors. With that in mind, the Brewers filled half of the six open spots on their 40-man roster within a span of a few minutes on the morning of Dec. 10. First, they selected second baseman Colin Walsh from the Athletics and righthanded reliever Zack Jones from the Twins in the major league Rule 5 draft, the first time they made multiple selections since 2002. Shortly after the draft, the Brewers purchased third baseman/outfielder Garin Cecchini from the Red Sox, who had designated him for assignment. Once considered one of…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ANAHEIM The Angels doubled down in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft, selecting not one but two players, reliever Deolis Guerra from Pittsburgh Pirates and Korean first baseman Ji-Man Choi from the Baltimore. Asked if he felt they would make the bigleague club next spring, Mike LaCassa, the Angels’ new director of minor league operations, said, “Yeah, how often do you see a team, especially one with the expectations we have, take two guys in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft?” Guerra, 26, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound righthander, had a 6.48 ERA in 17 major league innings last season, but he did strike out 17 and walked just three. Though it was a small…

M’s Add More Scouts SEATTLE The Mariners and scouting director Tom McNamara have made some changes to that department. Area scouts Ben Collman, Chris Pelekoudas and Mike Moriarty earned promotions to supervisor roles. Collman, who is based in Texas, takes over as Midwest supervisor. Pelekoudas, who works out of Arizona, was promoted to West supervisor. He has worked for the Mariners since 2003, earning the organization’s professional scout of the year in 2009. He is the son of longtime Mariners executive Lee Pelekoudas. The New Jersey-based Moriarty was promoted to Northeast supervisor. He played for 11 professional seasons with a stint with the Orioles in 2002. The Mariners made waves by hiring Amanda Hopkins as an area scout, believed to be the first female scout working full time since the…

Well Traveled PHOENIX Lefthander Gabe Speier does not keep a suitcase packed at all times. It only seems that way. Speier changed organizations for the third time in less than a year when the Diamondbacks acquired him as part of the Shelby Miller trade with the Braves at the Winter Meetings on Dec. 9. The 20-year-old southpaw already had been involved in one major trade since being a Red Sox 19th-round pick out of high school in Goleta, Calif., in 2013. Boston dealt Speier, prospect Alex Wilson and Yoenis Cespedes to the Tigers for Rick Porcello in December 2014. The Tigers flipped him to the Braves for Cameron Maybin in November 2015. “Our scouts like his strike-throwing ability and command of the bottom of the zone,” director of player personnel…

Coonrod On The Rise SAN FRANCISCO With his mid-90s fastball, fistpumping competitiveness, max-effort delivery and notably short warmup sessions prior to his starts at Southern Illinois, righthander Sam Coonrod looked like an obvious shortrelief prospect to most scouts. Between those reports and stats that didn’t jump off the page in his junior year, Coonrod slipped to the fifth round of the 2014 draft. The Giants saw a fastball that couldn’t be taught, and an honor-roll student who had the aptitude to learn the rest. Coonrod’s first full season couldn’t have gone much smoother. The 23-year-old won the low Class A South Atlantic League’s pitcher of the year award after recording a 3.14 ERA in 23 games while finishing third in the SAL with 114 strikeouts in 112 innings. Why didn’t…

Transactions involving minor league players, i.e. those not on 40-man rosters, covering the period Dec. 11-22. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: Signed RHPs Matt Buschmann, Jose Cisnero, Julio Perez, Paul Smyth and Tim Stauffer; LHP Scott Rice, SS Joaquin Arias and OF Jason Bourgeois. ATLANTA BRAVES: Signed 1B Nate Freiman. Re-signed SS Sean Kazmar. Traded RHP Ryne Harper to Mariners as player to be named for RHP Jose Ramirez. Traded C Christian Bethancourt to Padres for RHP Casey Kelly and C Ricardo Rodriguez. BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Signed OFs Xavier Avery and Alfredo Marte. Resigned RHPs Bobby Bundy and Terry Doyle. Acquired C Zach Kapstein from Red Sox for cash. BOSTON RED SOX: Signed C Ali Solis, 3B Chris Dominguez and OFs Ryan LaMarre and Rainel Rosario. Re-signed RHP Anthony Varvaro. Released RHPs Carlos Caceres,…

TEDDY ELEY, @TEDDYELEY Each level brings its own challenges, but in conversations with scouts the biggest, most difficult jumps are the leap from high Class A to Double-A and (obviously) the jump from Triple-A to the big leagues. The jump to the big leagues is the most difficult for reasons that are self evident. It’s simply the best caliber of baseball played anywhere. Pitchers find that they have to have better control and command than they ever needed in the minors. Hitters discover that the mistake pitches are fewer and farther between in the majors. If the majors is the biggest jump, the second biggest is the leap from high Class A to Double-A. For a hitter, Double-A is the level where pitchers are (normally) capable of throwing their secondary…

Columnist, MLB.com DENVER It’s been four years since Matt Bush, who will turn 30 on Feb. 8, has played a professional baseball game. However, he can’t avoid the spotlight. Bush signed a minor league contract with the Rangers on Dec. 18—though he wasn’t extended an invite to their big league camp in the spring—and it wound up being another major story. Bush is receiving the opportunity to return to pro ball after 51 months of incarceration following a 2011 accident in which he was driving under the influence and fled the scene after hitting a 72-year-old man who was riding a motorcycle. The incident occurred while Bush was in spring training with the Rays. Earlier in Bush’s career, the San Diego Padres suspended him following a fight outside a Peoria,…

It’s been a busy offseason of deals. New Mariners general manager Jerry DiPoto kept making trade after trade—eight in all since he was hired in September—to remake the periphery of his 25-man roster. And the Braves’ rebuilding effort reached a new level of intensity with the trades of Shelby Miller and Andrelton Simmons. With that in mind, here’s a ranking of the top 20 prospects who were traded in the last two months of 2015. 1. DANSBY SWANSON, SS, BRAVES (ACQUIRED FROM DIAMONDBACKS) Players of Swanson’s caliber are rarely traded while they are still in the minors. Swanson was traded faster than any No. 1 overall draft pick ever before, thanks to the Trea Turner rule, which changed the time when a drafted player could be traded, from a year…

DETROIT TIGERS After winning the American League Central division four years in a row, the Tigers plummeted to last place with a 74-87 record in 2015. Where they go from here remains uncertain. The World Series-champion Royals are now the favorites in the AL Central, and while the rest of the division isn’t insurmountable, the Tigers look like a team whose window for contention has closed, without the young talent on the farm system to help turn things around. Since 2010, the highest the Tigers’ farm system has placed on the talent rankings is No. 22, so a thin prospect crop has never hampered them before. Shrewd trades and one of the game’s top payrolls were key during the organization’s stretch of division titles from 2011-14, but the architect of…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ BALTIMORE The Orioles remained active participants in the Rule 5 draft, selecting outfielder Joey Rickard from the Rays’ organization with hopes that he can compete for a backup role. Playing for three teams over the summer, Rickard hit .321/.427/.447 with 28 doubles, eight triples, two home runs and 55 RBIs. The Las Vegas prep product stole 23 bases and scored 62 runs, bringing an element of speed and on-base capabilities that are missing from the Orioles. Rickard batted .360/.437/.472 with six doubles, two triples and 11 RBIs in 29 games with Triple-A Durham. The Rays selected Rickard, 24, in the ninth round of the 2012 draft out of Arizona “This kid has had a great year,” Orioles general manager…

Rays Deal With Rule 5 Losses ST. PETERSBURG Losing two players in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft, including the top overall pick for the second straight year, suggests the Rays are either good at producing prospects or bad at deciding which to protect. In reality, it may be a bit of both. “I think it is the cost of doing business,” executive vice president Chaim Bloom said. “I think we go into this with our eyes open. We know that some players might get taken. We have to be comfortable with that risk. In some ways it falls out of a good problem to have in that we have a lot of appealing players and we can’t protect them all.” In 2014, the Rays were somewhat…

Braves Add Lefty To Mix ATLANTA The Braves’ rebuilding effort continued to employ every possible tactic when for the second straight year they selected a pitcher in the Rule 5 draft . After taking righthander Dan Winkler from the Rockies in December 2014 while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, Atlanta nabbed lefthanded reliever Evan Rutckyj from the Yankees with the third overall pick in 2015. The 23-year-old Canadian recorded a 2.63 ERA in 36 outings at high Class A Tampa and Double-A Trenton in 2015 while notching 82 strikeouts and walking 21 in 62 innings. General manager John Coppolella said the 6-foot-5 Rutckyj impressed the Braves with his 92-95 mph fastball and above-average slider that sits in the low 80s. He also noted that Rutckyj struck out 40…

Estevez Back In Action WASHINGTON In 2015, the supposed offseason served as the season for righthander Wirkin Estevez. The 23-year-old from the Dominican Republic was out all year until joining the instructional league roster and then throwing four innings as a taxi-squad player in the Arizona Fall League. Estevez never has pitched above low Class A Hagerstown, and he also missed the 2013 season after having Tommy John surgery, so the fact he allowed six runs on six walks and five hits in the AFL in 2015 doesn’t concern organization officials. “We wanted Wirkin to continue throwing to strengthen his arm and pitch additional innings,” farm director Mark Scialabba said. High Class A Potomac manager Tripp Keister, who guided Estevez’s team, said the righty benefited from being around a crop…

Strong Start For Smith DETROIT The Tigers drafted Drew Smith in the third round of the 2015 draft, so they have not seen that much of him since he joined the organization. But they certainly like what they see. Smith turned in impressive numbers in 13 outings in the low levels of the minors in 2015 after the Tigers selected the righthander out of Dallas Baptist. “His stuff ’s alive,” Tigers farm director Dave Owen said. “He’s got really good stuff: plus fastball, really hard curveball . . . We just really like his arm.” Smith, 22, pitched almost exclusively in the short-season New York-Penn League but did make one appearance for low Class A West Michigan. His combined line for the season: 31 innings, 17 hits, two runs (one…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CINCINNATI In Walt Jocketty’s final Winter Meetings in charge of the Reds, the team’s president of baseball operations made his first major league Rule 5 pick in his eight seasons in charge of the team. And it took just a couple minutes before he made his second. The Reds selected two players in the 2015 Rule 5 draft, something that didn’t come as a surprise considering the team came into the meetings with just 35 players on its 40-man roster and facing what Jocketty and new general manager Dick Williams have labelled a “transitional” year in 2016. That roster flexibility allowed the Reds to take center fielder Jake Cave from the Yankees and lefthanded reliever Chris O’Grady from…

Blooming Meadows PITTSBURGH Austin Meadows reached Double-A Altoona during the final week of the 2015 season as a 20-year-old, but the talented center fielder’s ascension to a spot in the major league lineup may not be so rapid. Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen is signed through 2017, and the Pirates hold a reasonable $14.75 million club option for 2018. Meanwhile, left fielder Starling Marte is under contract through 2019, with club options for 2020 and 2021, and right fielder Gregory Polanco doesn’t become eligible for free agency until after the 2020 season. While Meadows knows the Pirates’ outfield is going to be tough to crack, he tries not to think that far ahead. “I don’t really try to worry about the future,” said Meadows, whom the Pirates selected ninth overall…

Astros’ New Mindset HOUSTON After spending their first three years rebuilding the farm system, Astros owner Jim Crane and general manager Jeff Luhnow are now clearly willing to give up prime prospects for proven major-leaguers in hopes of returning to the playoffs in 2016. Less than five months after giving the Brewers their 2014 minor league pitcher and player of the year—outfielder Brett Phillips and lefty Josh Hader —the Astros unloaded 2013 first overall pick Mark Appel, Vince Velasquez, lefthander Brett Oberholtzer and minor-league righthanders Harold Arauz and Thomas Eshelman to the Phillies for closer Ken Giles and 17-year-old shortstop Jonathan Arauz. After reaching the postseason for the first time in a decade, Crane is clearly eager to make another run at it with proven big leaguers. “Mark was one…

Growing Up Fast ARLINGTON Dillon Tate spent three years at UC Santa Barbara, living off campus with grownup responsibilities over his final two years. Despite that and even after his first halfseason of professional baseball, the fourth overall pick of the 2015 draft decided he has more growing up to do. To that end, Tate picked up from Southern California and moved to Dallas-Fort Worth all by his lonesome this offseason. All aspects of being an adult fell into the 21-year-old’s lap, in addition to having to solve how to get to the major leagues. “It’s just helping me grow up a little bit more, to be honest,” Tate said. “Moving away from my home in California and just starting to be an adult a little bit more. Everything was…

Making Up For Lost Time DENVER The year began with frustration in spring training for lefthander Kyle Freeland but ended with satisfaction in the Arizona Fall League. Shoulder fatigue relegated Freeland, the eighth overall pick in the 2014 draft, to extended spring training, where he experienced swelling and discomfort in his left elbow. On April 29, Freeland had bone chips removed from the elbow. It was July 24 before he made his 2015 debut. After two scoreless outings at Rookielevel Grand Junction, Freeland went to high Class A Modesto and went 3-2, 4.76 in 40 innings. He headed to the AFL with two objectives: polish command of his 92-96 mph fastball and focus on his changeup. “I wouldn’t say it’s completely back,” player development director Zach Wilson said of Freeland’s…

Baseball Analyst, Senior Writer ESPN.com PHILADELPHIA How downright illogical was the everunpredictable sport of baseball in 2015? So illogical that one of our favorite pitchers “played” for three teams without ever throwing a pitch . . . So illogical that a National League pitcher found himself DH-ing in an American League park—and batting against a position player disguised as a pitcher. So illogical that a 35-year-old pitcher who started the year in the Atlantic League ended up with more doublefigure strikeout games than Felix Hernandez . . . And so illogical that a team had to suspend one of its star players not because of insubordination—but because of Instagram. But frankly, we’re as grateful as ever that all of that stuff really happened because it makes it possible for us…