Gästebuch » Help us choose prospect #8!"Former #1

Twinkie Town prospect Stephen Gonsalves wins a close round seven. There will be a short break after this round while I go somewhere warmer for a week.2019 Twinkie Town Prospect Voting ResultsRoyce Lewis 52% (Kirilloff 44% Jim Palmer Jersey , Graterol 4%)Alex Kirilloff 90% (Graterol 4%, Gordon 4%, Larnach 2%)Brusdar Graterol 56% (Gordon 19%, Larnach 12%, Thorpe 8%, Gonsalves 5%)Trevor Larnach 42% (Thorpe 25%, Gordon 21%, Gonsalves 12%)Lewis Thorpe 31% (Gordon 30%, Rooker 14%, Javier 13%, Gonsalves 11%)Nick Gordon 39% (Rooker 20%, Gonsalves 18%, Javier 17%, Alcala 5%)Stephen Gonsalves 35% (Rooker 28%, Javier 28%, Alcala 5%, Baddoo 4%)I am replacing a left-handed starting pitcher with another left-handed starting pitcher for this round.Wander Javier, SS 2019 Age: 20 2017 High Level: Elizabethton (Rookie)The Twins signed Wander Javier as an international free agent in the summer of 2015. He was ranked by Baseball America as the #9 international prospect and #8 by MLB.com. The Twins gave him a $4M signing bonus which was their entire 2015 international free agent budget. He hit .299/.383/.471 at Elizabethton in 2017 and was named the #2 prospect in the Appalachian League. Scouts love his righthanded power and ability to play shortstop but a move to third base is possible considering the quality infield prospects the Twins have. He was set to debut at Cedar Rapids last spring but suffered an injury to his non-throwing arm. He had shoulder surgery last spring and missed the entire 2018 season. Expect him to make his Cedar Rapids debut this spring. A Twins debut in 2021 is possible but 2022 is more likely.Brent Rooker Mark Trumbo Jersey , LF/1B2019 Age: 242018 High Level: Chattanooga (AA)Brent Rooker was drafted in the supplemental first round of the 2017 draft (35th overall) out of Mississippi State. He was drafted as a redshirt sophomore in the 38th round of the 2016 draft by the Twins but decided to return for his junior season. He improved his draft stock considerably with a terrific junior year culminating in being named SEC player of the year among other honors. The Twins sent him to Elizabethton and he hit so well (.282/.364/.588) that they skipped over Cedar Rapids and promoted him to Fort Myers. Rooker hit .280/.364/.552 for Fort Myers against competition roughly the same age. In Double-A Chattanooga last summer he saw his first struggles hitting as a professional with a lousy April and underwhelming May due to a drop in batting average. He made adjustments and was outstanding in June and July (1000 OPS). He ended the season in a slump but still put up a respectable .254/.333/.465 batting line for the year. Even when he wasn’t hitting for average he continued to draw walks and hit for power but his strikeouts piled up to 150 for the summer. Rooker is seen as a competent LF and can play 1B but it is his bat that will get him to the big leagues. Look for a promotion to AAA in 2019 and a potential September callup if he continues to hit.Jorge Alcala, P 2019 Age: 23 2018 High Level: Chattanooga (AA) Jorge Alcala was signed by the Houston Astros from the Dominican Republic in 2014. He made his stateside debut in 2016 and was dominant at two levels of rookie ball. In 2017 he continued that dominance in the Midwest League and earned a mid-year promotion to the high-A Carolina League. He began 2018 at that level but impressed with a high strikeout rate (10.5 K/9) while proving nearly unhittable (5.8 H/9) and limiting HR (0.5 HR/9). That earned him a promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi where he maintained his impressive production. He was acquired by the Twins at the trade deadline as half of the return for reliever Ryan Pressly. The scouting report leads with a dominant fastball clocked as high as 98MPH. His slider can be terrific or flatten out and become hittable and his changeup is just mediocre. Limiting walks has also been an issue throughout Alcala’s minor league career. If he is able to more consistently show his good slider he could dominate as a fastball/slider pitcher in the bullpen. If he is also able to refine the changeup he profiles as a mid-rotation starter. He is likely to start the season at Double-A Pensacola but could move quickly to the major leagues.Akil Baddoo, CF 2019 Age: 20 2018 High Level: Cedar Rapids (A) Akil Baddoo was drafted in the second round in 2016 and was considered a toolsy work in progress with exceptional athletic talent (comparisons to Carl Crawford and Jacque Jones) but in need of refinement at the plate. Not unexpectedly, he hit .178 that summer in rookie ball. In 2017 it all came together in a hurry. He improved to .267/.360/.440 playing for the Gulf Coast Twins and was promoted to Elizabethton where he did even better. He hit .357/.478/.579 with more walks (27) than strikeouts (19) at Betsy and drew rave reviews for his approach at the plate. In 2018 he spent the summer at Cedar Rapids and thrived in a leadoff role. His batting average dipped (.243) but he did well getting on base (.351 OBP) and maintained his power (44 XBH) while showcasing his speed (11 triples, 24SB, 4 CS). The chink in the armor was a rise in strikeouts (124) and his struggles against more advanced left-handed pitching (.220/.304/.339) but considering his age he performed admirably. His grade 70 speed allows him to cover CF but his arm might keep him in LF in the majors. Expect to see him in Fort Myers in 2019 but by 2021 he might be making his debut in the spacious LF of Target Field.Blayne Enlow, SP 2019 Age: 20 2018 High Level: Cedar Rapids (A) Blayne “Sweet” Enlow was picked in the 3rd round of the 2017 MLB draft out of high school but was signed for an overslot $2M bonus similar to the level of a low first round pick. The scouts use the word “projectable” often when describing Enlow which usually means the kid has a big frame (Enlow is 6’4”) and he should be able to put on enough muscle to make it as a starting pitcher. Scouts also love Enlow’s curve ball which was rated as one of the best in the draft. Enlow was sent to the Gulf Coast Twins after signing and he had a good summer posting an 8.4 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and 1.77 Run Average in six games. In 2018 he skipped over Betsy and spent the year with Cedar Rapids pitching 94 innings with a 3.83 Run Average, 6.8 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9. He was 3 years younger than average for the level and battled through an ankle sprain and sore back in his first full professional season but still held his own. Enlow should spend the 2019 season in single-A as he continues to build stamina to maintain his fastball velocity around 94 MPH. The major leagues are not likely before 2022. Ohtani’s rehab curve could get him back into the lineup in May. Emphasizing could, there."I know it’s only the DH/baserunning genius of Shohie Ohtani’s skill set, but having him back in the lineup just feels like it has more upside than Albert Pujols of Justin Bour at DH. This isn’t me dissing Pujols. it’s me admitting that I get a lot more excited and engaged to watch when Ohtani steps into the box. Like Mike Trout, Ohtani At Bats are must see. They are ‘get the hell out of my line of sight, Mr. peanut vendor waiting for change from soccer mom!’ moments. Or, if at home, they are my wife saying ‘so I was talking with...blah...blah...blah...blah...wait, is she still talking?’ moments.Opening Day for the Angels is March 28, up in Oakland. The first game of May is May 1st, a home game against the Blue Jays. That will be Game #32. The last game of May is May 31st Chris Tillman Jersey , up in Seattle. Game #58. Somewhere in there Skipper Brad is hoping that Ohtani in back in uniform.That would be anywhere between 20% of the way into the season, and 36%. 1/5th to 1/3rd. Now it feels like November all over again.But for you, you are already behind because I am drowning you in ST-HaloLinks:A Little Bit Of Angels NewsShots fired. If an MLB team is like any other human organization to which I have been exposed, there are tiers among the membership based on how closely each member aligns with the leadership. The further down the membership stack, the less aligned with leadership one happens to be. And the leadership rarely cares, because they don’t see their success or failure hinging on those distant members. Conversely, the higher up the stack, the greater the odds of being named “captain”. So you read this (if LAA and MLB allow it to remain posted) and immediately think “Hmmm, lower-level guy during the Scioscia era”. I think differently. As a former leader myself, I took pains to prevent such tiering within my department. It was tough, because my 27 reports were spread around the globe. Therefore, when I read this I think “Hmmm, Sosh was not quite the leader I had always presumed him to be.” In any case, Brad Ausmus is here to serve youth, and set them free. If MLB ain’t gonna pay ‘em, let’s make ‘em as happy as we can.............(h/t reddit) In the latest twist to that ongoing saga of Disney trying to sell of the FOX RSN’s (which I have been following at the bottom of the Everywhere In Baseball section for months now, and this will teach you to stop ignoring them!) Fox Business is reporting that Arte Moreno is looking into the possibility of buying up some of those RSNs. Building a TV broadcast empire would grant Arte an outside revenue stream to match that of the Yankees. Not that he would spend it all on payroll, but it could easily fund a Mike Trout...........Ok. I can be as silly and giddy as the next guy when it comes to the Halos. But Taylor Ward is the next Josh Donaldson??.........Everywhere In BaseballThe Giants players http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-j.j.-hardy-jersey , ironically, have risen to become one of the loudest voices showing frustration over the off-season. I say ironically because, as I pointed out yesterday, they are the poster children for franchises blowing it out on payroll with nothing to show for it (2nd highest payroll, 9th worst record). But at least Jeff Samardzija is coming to the table with suggestions. And at least those suggestions are not all about players at his seniority level.............Derek Jeter is getting the band back together..........So now Verlander and Bumgarner and now Yelich can be pissy about TWO baseball players not paying baseball players..........Tim Tebow, you are missing out on your athletic career hail mary..........FanGraphs updates the kids the forecast on upcoming draft classes. Third in their series this week...........J.T. Realmuto got traded. You knew that. I already linked to a stat review of the haul that Derek Jeter got back and that POV was less than enthusiastic. The older-school, human eyeball, pro scout POV (at least from one scout), thinks that the Marlins did real good. This is a good litmus test on the state of the art for both methodologies. Let’s follow............This should be enlightening. Showtime is going to be broadcasting a 4-part documentary on the legalization of sports gambling. It starts way out at the end of March, too far out for me to set my DVR (yet). But it sounds like a great way to learn a few things..........Hot StoveSorry Giants. Thanks for playing but, no, Bryce Harper shall not be entertaining shorter-term deals. Jon Heyman Scott Boras will not allow it...............And this happened right after Vegas put the Giants as odds-on faves to land Harper. Somebody betting against the Giants yesterday early is going to make an awful lot of money..........Is there any leverage for Scott Boras in telling the world that Manny Machado’s offer from the White Sox is probably lower than rumored? No? I didn’t think so. So maybe this report from Heyman is trustworthy..........But if Manny Machado IS getting a rich offer from the Padres, and Boras feels that Harper deserves even more, then this stare down between megastars is going to keep dragging on.....For his part, Machado is doing a good job of trolling social media. If I were that famous and in such demand, I would enjoy having sport with the idjits of Twitter just as much!.........Back in December Trader Jerry was in the middle of a huge 3-team deal that moved 5 players and lots of cash around the American league. In all that, Edwin Encarnaci贸n ended up in Seattle. Encarnaci贸n was receiving MVP courtesy votes as recently as 2017. But it ain’t 2017 any more and Edwin is set to cost somebody almost $22 million in 2019. Dipoto did not want that to be him, not when he has taken the Mariners into full tank mode (why do I capitalize the names of teams that are tanking? I need to stop showing them that level of respect). But http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-j.j.-hardy-jersey , ha! Nobody wants to bail Trader Jerry out of his obligation. So I guess the fallback plan is to hope that Encarnacion busts back to his 2012 - 2015 form and draws some trade deadline love from a team just outside the playoff race (typing that with sweat on my brow)...........Finally. I have been skewing this section with jabs about MiLB deals all month. Instead of crying about how many guys remained unsigned (since nobody is filtering out the guys who should be considering a change of venue), we should be noticing how many guys HAVE been signed, but to shitty contracts. Maybe having so many members potentially subject to the lifestyle that the MLBPA has allowed for minor league players will get the union to wake up and help out the farm players..............Jacob deGrom is laying down the law. Sign me now or watch me follow in the glorious footsteps of HarpChado..........Gerrit Cole goes to arb. This is how a tanking team’s window begins to close, when all those salaries start to pile up without having a plan for rebuilding planes in the air, success becomes hard to sustain. Let’s see how well Houston compares for the years following their WS title, versus how the Halos did through 2009...........Sergio Romo signed a 1-year deal for $2.5 million plus incentives. But the REAL news is who signed him. The Marlins?..........This is why the A’s are looking into using an Opener this season. They can’t shed Brett Anderson. It’s not that Anderson is horrible, it’s that he is not proven durable. He’s a starter who has faced as many as 700 batters in a season only twice. Oakland should sign Romo and use him as Anderson’s Opener..........When BVW (or any FO person) opens their mouth to explain away a strong pursuit of HarpChado they do themselves no favors. Eppler and Moreno may want to fume when I write stuff like this but, truly EVERY SINGLE MLB FRANCHISE HAS THE FINANCIAL POWER TO AFFORD WITHER GUY. Every. Single. One. Most franchises have the wealth to afford BOTH. They choose to not spend their money that way. The players don’t like it, and I can understand. But they chose not to have a CBA in place that helps their cause and the owners are running their businesses in accordance with the opportunities granted to them. Saying, instead, that one’s roster is full is just stupid talk. Only the Red Sox, Brewers and Yankees have a better deal going on out in RF that Harper could bring, and every one of them would see an enormous upgrade at either SS or 3B with Machado. The Mets calling onJed Lowrie as the reason that they aren’t interested in Machado?? The Red Sox saying they are happy to be competing without a bullpen? That’s like chum in the waters of collusion to union lawyers and agents. So just stop it, you guys. Just say it like it is: those players and their agents want to lock us up at a roster position for much longer than we want to be locked up. Happy to pay the millions, unhappy to be constrained for a decade at any of our 25 precious roster slots. Simple as that...........The Duffle BagThe big news out of the MLB Front Office yesterday is that the official MLB 150 year anniversary logo will feature the...er...um...official MLB logo...............If Bartolo Colon doesn’t hook up with anybody, the Montreal Expos finally died..........Simba find in MLB The Show..........I used to work in a 54-story building. I know this fear..........