Ryan Westmoreland Update

"The Providence Journal reports that Red Sox OF prospect Ryan Westmoreland could begin facing live pitching soon. “They know I’m ready, and I know I’m ready,” he said. “I’m physically and mentally ready — whether I hit the ball or not — to get in the batter’s box again. To see a pitcher throw a ball at me from 60 feet away is going to be pretty special.” As soon as the Red Sox staff gives him the go-ahead, based on his health and the way he’s handling batting practice, he’ll hit real pitches from a real pitcher for the first time since his surgery (CBS Sports)."

It will be shocking if Westmoreland every plays in a minor league game, let alone an MLB game, but these steps are impressive. He has basically had to learn how to walk, talk, and so on since the surgery. Now he is swinging a bat well enough that he will be able to go against live pitching. I really hope somehow this kid does pull off a miracle and makes it all the way back. What an incredible story it would be. You do have to remember he was the Sox #1 prospect not too long again, and although it is unlikely he will ever make it, it's great to hear these kinds of updates.

Fallout From Vernon Wells Going Down

"The Los Angeles Angels are stretched for outfielders after placing Vernon Wells on the 15-day disabled list with a strained groin suffered in Monday's loss to the White Sox (ESPN)."

This is kind of a big deal for the Angels, as Abreu doesn't really play the field that much anymore and is 37 years old. So, the Angels are going to need to bring in someone else. That person could be 19-year old Mike Trout, who was ranked as the top prospect coming into the 2011 season. It seems like the perfect idea, until Mike Scioscia shot the idea down. For now the Angels are going to go with a combo of Abreu, Amarista, and Trumbo. I am thinking this is because the last time they rushed one of their prospects up (Brandon Wood) it didn't go so well, as he is now on the Pirates. Kind of sucks, as it would've been real interesting to see Trout up in the big leagues.

Royals Future Beginning To Take Over

If you are a crazy person like the people who are in our 10 person AL only keeper league with a 4 round minor draft every year, then you know the Royals had the most hyped minors system in the entire MLB.

Well this minor system is beginning to show it's faced as they have called up their most prized hitter Eric Hosmer. Yes, he is on my team, but that is not what this post it's about. It's about keeping your eyes on the Royals over the next 2 years. Hosmer's call up is really the first big sign that the Royals are about to turnover their roster to their young guys.

So far this season the Royals have been a pleasant surprise. They are currently 17-14, which is good enough for 2nd place in the AL Central (4.5 games behind the Indians). The move to bring Hosmer up though has very little to do with jumping in a playoff race. Actually their plan was to get Hosmer at least 200 at bats at AAA before calling him up, but Hosmer forced the issue hitting a .439 average in 26 games this season, and with Kila Ka'aihue showing that he is nothing but a minor leaguer the Royals decided it was time to look to the future.

People have called Hosmer the AL's Joey Votto, which is pretty damn high praise. Yet, Hosmer is not alone, and here are some players that you are going to be hearing a lot about over the next 2-3 years.

1. Mike Moustakas, 3B - Was unreal in the minors last year, has cooled off this year, but should be the Royals third baseman for years to come. Hit .322 with 36 HRs and 124 RBI between AA and AAA last year.

2. Wil Myers, OF/C - Another fantastic hitter, but it looks like he is going to be an OF instead of a catcher. Still, this is a special guy at the plate.

3. Mike Montgomery, LHP - Big left hander who isn't far away since he is already in AAA, but probably needs another year to build up some arm strength since he isn't ready to pitch a full season in the MLB.

4. John Lamb, LHP - Current in AA, and is another big left hander. Also, this is another player listed in the top #20 prospects in all of baseball (according to Baseball America), and so is everyone I mentioned so far (including Hosmer).

5. Danny Duffy, LHP - Seeing a trend yet? Yet another left hander who is currently in AAA and is kicking ass 2.08 ERA in 5 starts (2-0) with 33 Ks in just 26 innings.

6. Jake Odorizzi, RHP - Came over in the Grienke trade, and although he is only in single A most people think he will quickly move up the ranks.

7. Chris Dwyer, LHP - Hey what do you know another good left hander who is currently in AA.

What do all these players have in common? They are all in the top 100 prospects as ranked by Baseball America and they all play for the Royal. This isn't including the guys we are already seeing (Billy Butler, Tim Collins, Aaron Crow, Joakim Soria, ect). Basically what I am trying to explain to you is that this will be the next "Tampa Bay Rays" with a seemingly unending amount of good young talent.

Red Sox Farm System Still Has A Some Life

After the Adrian Gonzalez trade it was obvious that the Red Sox farm system would have to rebuild. Here he is a quick look at what is left.

Jose Iglesias - SS - He might never be a fantasy stud, but the Red Sox love his defensive skills. It has been rumored for 2 years now that he will take over the starting SS job in the near future. It won't be this year, but it should be either next year or the year after. With all the offense the Red Sox have it is ok to have a great defensive player arguably the most important position in the infield.

Anthony Ranaudo - RHP - I really like this kid. He throw hard (around 95-97), and is built to pitch a lot of innings according to scouts. He is a couple years away, but this LSU product has a real high ceiling. The one worry is his health, he had an elbow problem in the past, but the Red Sox threw a lot of money at him, so if they aren't worried about it neither should we.

Drake Britton - LHP - He came off Tommy John last year, but looked like he recovered nicely. His velocity improved (up to 95-97), and has a solid curve and change up. Keith Law says he is at least 3 years out, which is fine, because he is still only 21 years old. They will keep an eye on his innings again this year, but this kid has the talent if he can stay healthy. Plus it never hurts to be a lefty.

Those are the 3 top guys. Of course there are guys like Lars Anderson, but I feel like he is never going to do very much, especially after the Sox signed Gonzalez. Felix Doubrount I feel like play a big role with the Sox this year, not as a starter, but he proved last year he could be very affective out of the pen.

2011 MLB Prospects

So Keith Law finally came out with his top 100 MLB prospects for 2011. DP and I have referenced the fact that we are in an AL Only fantasy baseball league in which each team also has a minor league. So, when this comes out it is a big day. Here is the link if you want to take a look...

Keith Law Top 100 MLB Prospects (You do need Insider).

The reason I am bringing this up, is because he also breaks down how many players each team has in the top 100. The Royals were one of the top teams with 6, which is why over the next couple of years you will hear a lot of people start picking them to be a "surprising team".

KC:

1. Eric Hosmer, 1B (5)
2. Wil Myers, C/RF (8)
3. Mike Moustakas, 3B (23)
4. Mike Montgomery, LHP (28)
5. John Lamb, LHP (41)
6. Danny Duffy, LHP (98)

On top of that they have two guys that are just outside of the top 100 (LHP Chris Dwyer, and RHP Jake Odorizzi). Lot of people think the Royals are going to be the new Rays, by that I mean they are so loaded in the minors that they should have a window of being a really good team before they have to actually pay these guys.

Speaking of the Rays, you might think that they are about to fall apart after loosing so many prospects, but they shouldn't be down fro very long considering they have 8 prospects in the top 100.

1. Jeremy Hellickson, RHP (14)
2. Matt Moore, LHP (16)
3. Desmond Jennings, CF (20)
4. Chris Archer, RHP (40)
5. Hak-Ju Lee, SS (49)
6. Alex Torres, LHP (77)
7. Alex Colome, RHP (89)
8. Jake McGee, RHP (97)

Hellickson and Jennings we should see this year, and if they are as good as advertised the Rays should be able to rebound very quickly from a tough offseason.

In case you were wondering here is how Keith Law ranks the top 10 minors programs throughout the MLB...

1. Kansas City Royals
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Atlanta Braves
4. Toronto Blue Jays (really like what they are doing)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (amazing considering how good their team is already)
6. Los Angeles Angels (#1 prospect Mike Trout)
7. Minnesota Twins
8. Cincinnati Reds
9. New York Yankees (been awhile since we've seen them on any list)
10. Seattle Mariners

Red Sox are #11.

Baseball America Ranks Red Sox Top 10 Prospects

It's funny that this list used to mean nothing, but with guys like Pedroia, Youk, Lester, Buchholz, Papelbon, Ellsbury, and Bard coming through the system it has suddenly become a very important part of this organization.

Here is the Rankings....

1. Casey Kelly, RHP
2. Jose Iglesias, SS
3. Anothony Rizzo, 1B
4. Anthony Ranaudo, RHP
5. Drake Britton, LHP
6. Reymond Fuentes, OF
7. Josh Reddick, OF
8. Felix Doubront, LHP
9. Stolmy Pimentel, RHP
10. Garin Cecchini, 3B

A lot of these guys DP and I have posted about before. Kelly is the obvious prize, and even though he struggled this year he has the stuff to be an ace in the future. Plus you have to remember that this was his first full year pitching. Jose Iglesias not only has a cool name, but also is expected to be the Red Sox starting shortstop in 2012.

Anothony Rizzo hit 25 HRs and 100 RBIs, but I question if he fits the Red Sox mold, since he doesn't have a great batting average (around .250), and his OBP is nothing special (.333). Anthony Ranaudo could prove to be the best of all these guys. He hasn't played professionally yet, but absolutely torched the Cape Cod league going 3-0 and limited opposing hitters to a .101 batting average.

Josh Reddick is a good backup outfielder. I think Felix Doubront is going to be something special for the Red Sox out of the bullpen. Reymond Fuentes is the cousin of Carlos Beltran. He isn't close to the majors, but has the bloodlines and speed to maybe turn in to something special if he can fill out a bit more (remember he is only 19). Drake Britton rebounded nicely from Tommy John last season. He has a really high ceiling, but his mechanics are really going to have to improve.

Your Car Doesn't Go As Fast As Chapman's Fastball

Aroldis Chapman may be called up to the big leagues next week when rosters expand and thrust right into a pennant race, but Friday he did something most fans, managers, players and even scouts had never seen.Chapman hit 105 mph on the radar gun, which was also the same number that flashed on a scouts gun. And it was no fluke, either, because the readings of his other heaters all registered between 100 and 104 mph. Price quoted one scout saying Chapman's four-seamer was the "best fastball I have ever witnessed (ESPN)."

Hey Red Sox, remember when we had a shot at this guy?

Anyways, this is fucking silly. Chapman is going to be amazing and if the Reds can get in the playoffs he could be one hell of a closer for him. With Strasburg out for the rest of the season, and next year, everyone should turn their attention to this kid, and the Cincinnati Reds. When was the last time you could say that?

MLB Pick Signings

Well the most important player Bryce Harper was able to reach an agreement with the Nationals by signing guarantees him $9.9MM over five years - more guaranteed money than any position player in draft history. Of the $9.9MM, $6.25MM is a bonus. Not bad.

Other important people:
The Indians agreed to sign fifth-overall selection Drew Pomeranz on a $2.65MM dea

Dodgers Sign Zach Lee. The Dodgers signed Lee, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. Lee spurned LSU to be their QB and decided baseball was the way to go.

The Red Sox agreed to terms with supplementary first rounder Anthony Ranaudo, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Ranaudo gets a $2.55MM bonus.

The Blue Jays agreed to sign first-round pick Deck McGuire for $2MM

The Padres did not sign ninth-overall pick Karsten Whitson according to Baseball America. Whitson, 19 next week, is a right-handed pitcher out of Chipley H.S. in Florida

Pirates Sign Jameson Taillon. Taillon's bonus is worth $6.5MM, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.

Orioles Sign Manny Machado. The Orioles, who announced the deal via press release, agreed to a $5.25MM deal with Machado, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com

The Rays agreed to sign first-round pick Josh Sale and supplementary first-rounder Drew Vettleson.

Who I'm high on in this draft. Yassir Grandal C, Reds, Manny Machado SS Baltimore, Drew Pomeranz P, Indians, Anthony Ranaudo P Red Sox. Obviously Harper too.

Mariners Looking To Deal Lee To Yankees

There are a couple reports going around today saying that the Mariners are quickly approaching sell mode, and one of the first guys to go will be Cliff Lee. The Mariners are already scouting the Yankees farm system, and it seems that the Yankees do have some pieces the Mariners would like to get their hands on.

The Yankees already have a rotation of C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, and Javier Vazquez, and though it is not clear who would be bumped out my guess could be Vasquez (or Pettitte if he gets hurt). In return the Mariners want Triple A shortstop Eduardo Nunez and either Austin Romine or Jesus Montero (both catcher prospects).

I think Seattle could get more then that for a guy like Lee, but this scares the shit out of me, because if the Yankees land Lee that rotation is just too good.

Stephen Strasburg To Debut June 8th

The Nationals have finally announced that Stephen Strasburg will make his MLB debut against Pittsburgh on June 8 at Nationals Park. Going against the Pirates is a great way to break Strasburg into the major, since they are basically a AAA team anyways.

There is so much hype around this kid that you have to get nervous, but from everything I have seen and heard this kid is the real deal. I expect that he will be a top 10 pitcher in the NL by the end of this year, and will be in the Cy Young race starting next year. Yea, the kid is just THAT good.

Strasburg, the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, is 3-1 with a 1.27 ERA in five Triple-A starts. In 10 minor league starts, including five with Double-A Harrisburg, Strasburg is 6-2 with a 1.43 ERA, with 60 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings.

Incredible. Who would have thought I'd ever be pumped about seeing a Washington Nationals game?

Strasburg Finally Lets Up A Run

Strasburg, who had not allowed a run in winning his first three Triple-A starts for the Syracuse Chiefs, went five innings Monday night against the Toledo Mud Hens, allowing five hits and two runs, one earned. He left with the score tied at 2, but his team won 6-3. There is so much hype around this kid that you would think he is going to be the best pitcher ever. Well, I'm actually buying into the hype. I hope the Nationals are careful with him and don't rush him too much, but it does seem like he is MLB ready.

Most pitchers have very up and down years their first time in the majors, but this kid is going to pass right through that. I think if the Nationals brought him up now that he could get 12 wins. I know, crazy right? On the fucking Nationals, but Strasburg just is THAT good.

Lars Anderson The Answer For Red Sox?

First baseman Lars Anderson was rewarded for his hot start with Double-A Portland by today being promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket. If you can remember this guy was one of the Red Sox best prospects, but last season he sucked hitting only .233 with a .328 on-base percentage and 9 home runs for Portland.

This year he has been on fire hitting .355 and has a 1.086 OPS through 17 games with 5 doubles and 5 home runs (he also had 15 RBIs). Now there are some people out there that think he will take over for Ortiz within the next couple of months. If he stays hot that could be true, but I see this move as more of an audition to be traded. If interest around the league gets a little higher maybe this will be one of the pieces the Red Sox can move to land a big bat (Cabrera/Gonzalez). There will obviously be a lot more in that deal (Kelly?), but I think the Sox would prefer to move a guy like Anderson rather then an Ellsbury.

A Look At The Red Sox Farm System

It has been a slow news day, so I thought why not take a look at what the Sox have coming up over the next couple of years. Theo has come out and said the the are in kind of a gap between young guys who are currently up (Buchholz, Lester, Pedroia, Youk, ect) and the next round of prospect. Here's a look at who those players might be.

Ryan Westmoreland (OF) - 5 tool player, that some scouts say could be the next Grady Sizemore. His biggest problem is staying healthy. If he is able to do that, and add the power a lot of scouts think is coming, then this guy could be something special. This could be the reason the Sox seemed to be shopping around Ellsbury earlier in the offseason.

Casey Kelly (P) - This guys name got a lot of press this offseason. The Sox were completely unwilling to trade him. He was once a SS prospect too, but has decided that pitching is his future. Has a plus arm, and locates the ball well for someone who hasn't spent a full season just pitching yet. You'll be hearing his name a lot, but don't expect him in the Sox uniform for another 2-3 years.

Lars Anderson (1B) - We heard so much of this guy last offseason. He was supposed to be the next Red Sox first baseman, and take over Ortiz's spot in the lineup, but after an injury plague, very forgetting 2009 season a lot of people are giving up on him. He still has tons of power potential, but this is a make or break year for him.

Michael Bowden (P) - At best this soft throwing pitcher will be the next Jeff Suppan. I don't believe it, I have been saying for over a year now that this guy will never make it. I don't trust soft throwing guys at Fenway. The Sox really should have traded him when his stock was much higher (before the start of last season).

Junichi Tazawa (P) - Should never have been in the majors last year. He had a couple of decent starts, but also got rocked. I really hope the Sox haven't fucked this kid up by bringing him up too fast. He locates well, doesn't overpower anyone, but could be a nice 5th starter down the road. I am really interested to see how he progress this season.

Josh Reddick (OF) - Another guy that should have never had to be on the Sox last year. He is solid all around, but he is projected to be a corner outfielder, and I am just not sold that he will have the power to be an every day starter. If nothing else he is great depth to have.

Ryan Kalish (OF) - A lot of people like this guy more then Reddick, but to me they are the same player, but Reddick has a little more power. He can play the field, and runs the bases well, once again I think of him more as organizational depth, then a possible future star.

Jose Iglesias (SS) - He's Cuban, DP will love him. Right now he is not much of a hitter, but that could come in time, as he is at least 2-3 years from making a push for the MLB. Iglesias is one of the best defensive prospects in all of baseball, and since the Sox go through SS like hotcakes you might actually see him get a chance at that starting job one day (think Omar Vizquel).

There are obviously a lot more, but these are the names you will heart thrown around if the Sox get into trading rumors, plus it is always good to know what is coming through the system.

Lastest On The Race for Chapman

"According to Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel, the Marlins are still in the hunt and have increased their initial $13 million offer to the Cuban defector.

A few teams were notably linked to the Chapman chase last week.

ESPN The Magazine's Jorge Arangure Jr. reported that the Blue Jays held a private workout for the highly touted Chapman on New Year's Eve morning in Florida and then met with his representatives.

A day earlier, Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com reported that the Angels could have an edge in signing the left-hander because Chapman has become a close friend of Angels first baseman Kendry Morales, a fellow Cuban refugee who recently helped convince him to switch agents (ESPN)."

Their are rumors going around that he is going to sign in the next 10 days. It is odd, because not one seems to have any idea where he might go. Some people think with the Marlins increasing their offer that he will head there, since there is just a high Cuban population in the area, but who the fuck knows? I really hope the Sox get him, since they do a great job developing young pitching (Papelbon, Lester, Buccholz, ect).

Red Sox Top 10 Prospects

John Corneau / Lowell Spinners took this picture

(According to Baseball America)

1. Ryan Westmoreland, of
2. Casey Kelly, rhp
3. Josh Reddick, of
4. Lars Anderson, 1b
5. Ryan Kalish, of
6. Junichi Tazawa, rhp
7. Reymond Fuentes, of
8. Anthony Rizzo, 1b
9. Jose Iglesias, ss
10. Derrick Gibson, 2b/ss

This is an interesting list. It is funny to see that Bowden isn't even on it anymore, and guys like Josh Reddick have passed the overhyped Lars Anderson. You would think Jose Iglesias would be higher on that list, since he is supposed to be the SS of the future. Anyways, I found that interesting, and it is always good to see who is coming up the ranks.

As the season draws closer I will do a breakdown of all the major Red Sox prospects.

Top 25 Under 25: #23 Tommy Hanson

Tommy Hanson

Born: 08/28/86

In 2005, Hanson was selected in the 22nd round (Pick 677) by the Atlanta Braves. Before the 2007 season began, Hanson was named the best pitching prospect in the South Atlantic League, and the Braves fans started going crazy over the thoughts of what he might be. This is an organization that has seen pitchers like Glavine, Smoltz, and Maddux, so when a player like this gets that kind of hype you know he has to be something special.

Hanson was promoted to AA after only allowing 15 hits in 40 innings with a 3-1 record and 0.90 ERA. He didn't stop making noise when he was moved up, as he pitched a no-hitter in only his 9th start (he also threw 14 K's in that game). The legend only grew as he was invited to the Arizona Fall League to showcase his pitching. He compiled a 5-0 record with a 0.63 ERA while racking up 49 K's in 28.2 innings. Hanson was named the Arizona Fall League's MVP, which was the first time a pitcher had ever won that award.

Hason was almost traded for Jake Peavy in the beginning of this year, but the deal fell through and Hanson finally got his shot as a full time starter when the Braves cut ties with Tom Glavine. So far this year he is 5-1 with a 2.95 ERA, and looking more and more like he will be the ace for the Braves for years to come. At only 22 years old Tommy Hanson has a chance to really climb this list in the coming years...


THE LIST:
#25: Derrick Rose
#24: Matt Kemp
#23: Tommy Hanson

Matt Holliday To Cardinals?

It has been very quiet on the matt Holliday trade front. Well, until today...

"The St. Louis Cardinals and Oakland Athletics have been talking about a possible swap of All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday and top prospect Brett Wallace, according to sources, and one person familiar with the talks places the odds of a deal at 50-50 (ESPN)."

The A's need to trade Holliday as he s eligible for free agency after this season, but he is not helping them out with a very average season hitting .287 with 11 homers and 54 RBI. The good news is that he is hitting much better of late and the Cardinals really need another bat in their lineup. I think this deal will get done, because both sides are very motivated. This Wallace kid makes a lot of sense for the A's since they are loaded with young pitching, but don't really have a lot of bats comign up. Wallace, 22, is a former first-round pick who is hitting .292 in the minors this year, with a .372 on-base percentage.

Lars Anderson Update

A lot was made over Red Sox prospect Lars Anderson. He is only 21 years old, but he was unreal last year and seemed to be the inevitable starting first baseman for the Sox in a couple year. Yet this year we don't hear that much about him. Well it's because he really hasn't been all that great. He has slowed to .260 in Double A with 8 homers and 41 RBIs, yet if you look at the number more closely he really isn't that far off. In May he hit just .194. He hit .293 April and a .298 June, so if you cut out May he really isn't having that bad of a season. At some point most prospects hit a bump in the road, and I think this is what is going are with Anderson. Remember he is 21 years old, so I really wouldn't expect this kid to be a full time MLB player for at least another 2-3 years.

Top Cuban Prospect Defects

As a result DP can't get his hands to the keyboard...nuff said.

"Aroldis Chapman, a Cuban considered by many scouts to be the best left-handed pitching prospect in the world, has defected from the national team, several sources have confirmed to ESPN The Magazine. Chapman, 21, walked out of his hotel in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where Cuba was participating in a tournament, and never returned, according to the Spanish-language Web site cubaencuentro.com, which first reported Chapman's defection (ESPN)."

Well there is a lot of hype around this kid. He is known for his 100 MPH fastball, but he is still very, very raw. Other then his fastball his secondary pitches are basically average. There is no word on who will get their hands on him, but it will be expensive. It could be worth it with the right coaching.

My biggest question is how old he actually is, because honestly you just never know with these guys....my guess is 24.

Sox Sign 2nd Round Pick

"Alex Wilson, a righthanded pitcher from Texas A&M chosen by the Red Sox in the second round of the recent First-Year Player Draft, was among 11 players whose signings were confirmed by the club today. Wilson, the 77th overall selection, went 6-6 with a 4.22 ERA and two saves in 24 appearances, including eight starts in 2009. The 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound junior limited opponents to a .237 average and struck out a team-high 120 batters compared to just 25 walks, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention honors (Boston.com).

Good to see the Sox get this out of the way, so they can start this kid on his minor league journey. Here is the list of the other players that signed...

14th-round pick Willie Holmes of Chaffey (Cal.) College

15th-rounder Michael Bugary, a lefthanded pitcher from Cal

19th-rounder Tom Ebert, a righthanded pitcher from Florida International

22d-rounder Jordan Flasher, a righthanded pitcher from George Mason

23d-rounder Chris Court, a righthanded pitcher from Stephen F. Austin

41st-rounder Kyle Rutter, a righthanded pitcher from NC State

47th-rounder Jordan Sallis, a second baseman from Arkansas-Fort Smith

50th-rounder Drew Hedman, a first baseman from Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.)