rusty2 wrote:Spoken by guys that have never made a mistake. No team has ever had a high draft pick with a drug problem. Stupid to think it was a scouting error. Scouts are paid to calculate current and future major league potential. Executives decide the risk factor in drafting odd personalities and citizenship.

Things dont change much around here. Rusty stepping up to defend the indefensible. Rusty you said a mistake. I would like them at some point to get one right. Is that too much to ask?

On another note this forum was quite dead until I decided to start posting again.

At least when Manny did roids he either had already left us or he didnt get caught but we didnt need him anyway.

You are welcome Civ.

Morimando sound like he's doing pretty well.

Anthony Santander is one Indians prospect who is poised to perform.

Five Indians prospects primed for a breakout season

Tony Lastoria

FOX Sports Ohio

MAR 18, 2014 3:00p ET

Last week, I took a look at the pitching prospects and position player prospects who could impact the Indians roster this season.

This time around, we take a look at some prospects that are not necessarily close to playing in Cleveland or even a high-level prospect, but who have the upside and potential to really take a large step forward this season and establish themselves as some of the best prospects in the Indians farm system.

Every year, there are players that break out and move from an unheralded unknown into a legit prospect. Infielder Jose Ramirez did this in 2012 as he was a complete unknown going into the season and was a top 10 prospect by the end of it. Last season, right-handed pitcher Cody Anderson went into the year as a good pitching prospect but really established himself last season and finished the year as the organization's best pitching prospect yet to pitch in the big leagues.

Identifying breakout candidates can be tough, so you just look for the upside and incremental improvement that points to a player slowly putting things together and bound to have a big season. Here are my five breakout candidates:

Joseph Colon, right-handed pitcher

Colon, 24, has really come into his own the last three seasons and had three good statistical seasons in a row, most recently going 5-4 with a 3.23 ERA in 17 starts between Low-A Lake County and High-A Carolina last season. He is a sinkerballer with the size and frame to log innings, and showed a spike in his velocity and overall quality of his stuff last season. Injuries have held him back his entire career so if he can have a complete healthy season, he could be in line to put it all together and have a breakout season.

Caleb Hamrick, right-handed pitcher

Hamrick, 20, is still young and growing as a pitcher, but had a nice season last year going 3-6 with a 3.20 ERA in 15 starts for short season Single-A Mahoning Valley. He shows a knack for throwing strikes at a young age and has a solid three pitch mix that entails an 89-93 MPH fastball, solid average slider and developing changeup. The Indians took two high-profile pitchers earlier in the 2011 Draft by the name of Mitch Brown and Kieran Lovegrove, but to date he has outperformed them, ahead of them on the development curve, and might be in line to jump them for good on the prospect totem pole.

Ryan Merritt, left-handed pitcher

Merritt, 22, had a nice season last year going 6-9 with a 3.52 ERA in 26 combined starts between Low-A Lake County and High-A Carolina. He is a command and control specialist who has impeccable strike-throwing ability, knows how to pitch and is not afraid to challenge hitters. In a lot of ways, he is a left-handed version of Josh Tomlin as a pitcher who won't blow a ball by a hitter or fool them but instead just gets consistent results because of his aggressiveness with his fastball, trust in his stuff and ability to limit damage.

Adam Plutko, right-handed pitcher

Plutko, 22, missed his pro debut last season because of a shoulder blade injury he suffered in a team pileup after his UCLA team won the College World Series. He is a highly successful college pitcher who has advanced pitch ability and a solid mix of four pitches -- a fastball, changeup, slider and curveball -- that all project as at least average offerings. He is a bit of a wildcard coming off of injury and yet to make his pro debut, but because he is so polished, he could move fast and really climb up the rankings as a result.

Anthony Santander, outfielder

Santander, 19, is already a high-profile prospect, but he is a position player who has the goods to vault himself firmly into top 10 discussion. He missed the start of last season because of a hamstring injury and hit .242 with 5 homers, 31 RBI and .672 OPS in 61 games for Low-A Lake County before a bicep injury prematurely ended his season in late July. The injuries greatly affected his season and if healthy this year, he has the athleticism and physical gifts to really break through as a special run-producing bat for the Indians.

Joe Colon was my breakout pitcher last year, I think!! Maybe two years ago??

I think Tony is all wet with Colon on that list; he's 24 and he's not established himself beyond Class A, and is n't know for hard stuff. Hamrick's stats impressed me last season as a young pitcher in the NYPL, but his velocity also is uncertain for projection. Merritt had a decent 2013. Lots of potential among the many pitchers drafted high last year; Plutko clearly ranks high among them; no one is saying much about Kime who was the highest pick of the group. College picks are cheaper than high school kids like Howard (and Denham a few years ago) so the downside risk is lower.
Santander was my breakout last year; I'll repeat with this season in tandem with whoever I mentioned previously but can't recall!

Anthony Santander, outfielder

Santander, 19, is already a high-profile prospect, but he is a position player who has the goods to vault himself firmly into top 10 discussion. He missed the start of last season because of a hamstring injury and hit .242 with 5 homers, 31 RBI and .672 OPS in 61 games for Low-A Lake County before a bicep injury prematurely ended his season in late July. The injuries greatly affected his season and if healthy this year, he has the athleticism and physical gifts to really break through as a special run-producing bat for the Indians.


Where does this guy come out with this stuff. A 242 BA and a 672 OPS does not sound special. Maybe I am missing something.

He's got "tools" and the scouts and "experts" (and me!) have been impressed with him as a long-term prospect. He was very effective 2012 in Arizona and scored among top league prospects. 2013 was not a good debut for him at the full season level. But he's very young so has plenty of time to prove (or disprove) himself. We have little OF talent (Naquin i and Frazier and Moncrief) so he's worth keeping an eye on for awhile.

2014 Minor League Spring Game Recap: March 24th

By Tony Lastoria

March 25, 2014

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The Indians squared off with the Cubs on Monday, with Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron going to Mesa and High-A Carolina and Low-A Lake County playing in Goodyear. Here is the recap of how all of the Indians hitters and pitchers did on the day, with some notes on some of the performances below each game.

There were no releases on Monday that I am aware of, but another round of cuts or two are expected before camp wraps up in five days. The final cuts are going to be the toughest and often contain a surprise or two.

Clippers 2, Iowa 7

CLIPPERS BATTERS
Jose Ramirez (3B): 0-4, R, K
Tyler Naquin (CF): 0-2
Ollie Linton (CF): 0-1, R, BB
Giovanny Urshela (DH): 1-4, 2B, 2 K
Jesus Aguilar (1B): 0-2, 2 K
Chun Chen (DH): 0-2
Carlos Moncrief (RF): 1-4, K
Jordan Smith (LF): 2-4, 2B, SB
Ronny Rodriguez (SS): 0-3
Audy Ciriaco (SS): No plate appearance, late sub
Joey Wendle (2B): 0-3, 2 K
Roberto Perez (C): 0-1, K
Jake Lowery (C): 1-1
Charlie Valerio (C): 0-1
Tyler Holt (DH): 1-3

CLIPPERS PITCHERS
Danny Salazar: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Brett Brach: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Colt Hynes: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Shawn Armstrong: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Preston Guilmet: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 0 K
Daniel Carela: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Notes: Ramirez has still played very little shortstop this spring. Justin Sellers was informed on Monday that he will be the primary shortstop at Columbus and obviously Francisco Lindor will be at Akron in waiting, so it makes sense to play Ramirez mostly at second base and some third base. … The Indians are not showing their hand with the catching setup in the higher levels. We know Luke Carlin will be at Columbus, Roberto Perez is likely to be at Columbus too, and Tony Wolters will probably be at Akron, but beyond that it is tough to figure out where all of the other catchers will slot at the outset of the season. … The Carela experiment looks to be all but over. He’s struggled with his command all spring and even though he throws hard there is a reason he was released previously by other organizations.

RubberDucks 5, Tennessee 2

RUBBERDUCKS HITTERS
LeVon Washington (LF): 1-3, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Erik Gonzalez (SS): 2-4, RBI, BB
Tony Wolters (C): 0-4, 2 K
Eric Haase (C): 0-1
Yandy Diaz (3B): 1-3, 3B, K
James Roberts (3B): 0-2
Anthony Gallas (RF): 1-4, 2B, K
Joe Sever (1B): 0-4, R, K
Alex Monsalve (DH): 2-3, 2 R, 2B, BB
Logan Vick (CF): 1-3, R, 2 K
Brian Ruiz (CF): 0-1, K
Todd Hankins (2B): 1-2, R, RBI, BB
Zack MacPhee (2B): 0-1

RUBBERDUCKS PITCHERS
Will Roberts: 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
Gabriel Arias: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Jacob Lee: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Francisco Valera: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Notes: Washington continues to have a strong camp offensively. Most important for his is staying healthy when the weather shifts from the warm dry air in Arizona to the cooler air on the East Coast. Thankfully, the weather impact should not be as great as he should start at Carolina which should be much warmer than Lake County. … Akron pitchers had a heck of a day as they did not allow a single walk. … The most impressive performance came from Will Roberts who was perfect in his four innings of work and he piled up six strikeouts – and did all that on just 49 pitches. … Arias threw 38 pitches and three innings so it looks like he is being considered for a rotation sport or swing starter role at Akron, which may be a result of Matt Packer coming up lame on Sunday (more on that in my notebook tomorrow).

Carolina 2, Daytona 5

MUDCATS HITTERS
Dorssys Paulino (SS): 0-2
Yhoxian Medina (SS): 1-2, R, K
Bryan LaHair (LF): 0-3
Jorge Martinez (LF): 0-1, BB
David Cooper (1B): 1-2, 2B
Leonardo Castillo (1B): 1-2, RBI
Nelson Rodriguez (DH): 0-4, 4 K
Jeremy Lucas (C): 0-2
Ryan Battaglia (C): 1-2, K
Grant Fink (3B): 2-2, R, 2B, HR, RBI
Paul Hendrix (3B): 0-2, 2 K
Cody Ferrell (CF): 0-3, 2 K
Richard Stock (DH): 2-3, 1 K
Josh McAdams (RF): 0-2, K
Juan Romero (RF): 0-1, 1 K
Robel Garcia (2B): 1-1, 2B
Ivan Castillo (2B): 1-2, K

MUDCATS PITCHERS
John Axford: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB 3 K
Frank Herrmann: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Justin Brantley: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R/ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Rob Nixon: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Alexis Paredes: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Carlos Melo: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Louis Head: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Notes: David Cooper saw his first minor league game action of the spring and is slated to open the season at Columbus. He absolutely turned on the double as it short hopped the right field wall on a line. … Nellie Rodriguez gets the Golden Sombrero. That’s something you don’t see often in a minor league spring box score. … Grant Fink will probably play a combination of first base, third base and designated hitter at Lake County, and he showed his good power as he blasted a high towering home run to deep left center. … Rob Nixon was at 93-95 MPH with his fastball, but just had trouble locating and commanding the zone. He needed 39 pitches over his 1.2 innings and his line might have been worse if the inning was not flipped because of pitch count.

Captains 2, Kane County 2

CAPTAINS HITTERS
Ordomar Valdez (3B): 0-2
Grofi Cruz (3B): 0-1
Garrett Smith (3B): 0-1, K
Claudio Bautista (2B): 1-2
Yonathan Mendoza (2B): 1-1, R
Victor Cabral (LF): 0-3
Anthony Santander (DH): 1-3, 2B, RBI
Yu-Cheng Chang (SS): 0-2
Willi Castro (SS): 0-1, K
Francisco Mejia (DH): 1-2, R, HR, RBI
Peter Dolan (DH): 0-1, K
Sicnarf Loopstok (C): 0-1
Juan De La Cruz (C): 0-1
Gerald Bautista (C): 0-1
Emmanuel Tapia (1B): 0-3, K
Junior Soto (CF): 0-3, 2 K
Joel Mejia (RF): 0-2, K
Shane Rowland (PH): 0-1

CAPTAINS PITCHERS
Clayton Cook: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Matt Whitehouse: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Luis DeJesus: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Dace Kime: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 6 K

Notes: Francisco Mejia had a borderline strike called against him in his first at bat, wasn’t happy about it, and on the next pitch lined a laser shot home run over the right field wall. … Yes, Peter Dolan is the son of Indians owner Paul Dolan. He has been working out in minor league camp – like he did last year – and is a senior baseball player at Gilmore. … Clayton Cook is still shaking off the rust after not pitching last season and had some command issues and needed 24 pitches to get through his inning of work. … Whitehouse and DeJesus were both in the upper 80s but very effective and really had a good pace to the game and efficient as they totaled 46 pitches in their four innings of work. … Kime is on track to open in the season in the starting rotation, likely Lake County. He entered the last inning with a 2-1 lead but had a ball hit to third that should have been fielded, an error by the shortstop on the next play to put runners at second and third with no outs and then a passed ball by the catcher to plate a run. Even still, he showed some toughness to work out of the jam as he stranded the leading run at third with no outs.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

2014 IBI Positional Rankings: The Second Basemen

By Tony Lastoria

March 25, 2014

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On Sunday we kicked off our positional rankings with a look at the first basemen in the Indians system, and today we continue on with the ranking of all of the second basemen throughout the Indians player development system.

There is no doubt that the Indians biggest strength in the minor leagues is their middle infield depth as they have a few everyday options at the position and have other infielders not included in this ranking (but will be ranked at other positions) that could factor into things at the position as well. On top of that they have a franchise second baseman in Jason Kipnis who is already at the Major League level and is just beginning to establish himself in the game.

With Kipnis established in Cleveland this allows the Indians to be patient with their second base alternatives and consider them at other positions in order to improve their versatility or add to their trade value. It also gives them a chance to be patient with the development of some of their second baseman by allowing them a chance to dig around and find a few diamonds in the rough.

Here are the second baseman...
1. Jose Ramirez

Age: 21 – Height: 5’9” – Weight: 165 – Bats: Switch – Throws: Right
2013 Stats: .272/.325/.349/.674, 78 R, 16 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 38 RBI, 39 BB, 41 K, 38 SB

Ramirez was signed by the Indians as an undrafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic in November of 2009. He is a small sized middle infielder who brings a lot of electricity to his game with the reckless abandon in which he plays. His is not an imposing figure as he is undersized but he gets every ounce of ability out of his small frame and just has a special feel for the game at his age. His game is predicated on playing very good defense, being a catalyst on the basepaths with his energy and speed, and consistently putting the bat on the ball. He is a switch hitter with natural ability from both sides of the plate and low maintenance swing who just knows how to hit and has such good hand-eye coordination to make good, hard contact. Probably most impressive about him is his approach and unbelievable ability to limit strikeouts even though he is aggressive with his swing on pitches inside and outside the strike zone. He has the skills to be a solid defensive shortstop in addition to a very good defensive second baseman, and shows impressive instincts as a defender with good lateral movement to his left and right, good hands and footwork, quick feet, and a solid average arm that is accurate. One of his greatest assets is that versatility to handle a premium defensive position at shortstop and play anywhere in the infield, which only increases his value as an everyday Major League player or a utility infielder. While he is such a good hitter, he needs to be a little more patient and selective at the plate. He hits for a high average but he does not walk much and his on-base percentage is not as good as it probably could be. He is in the mix for a utility role for the Indians over the next few seasons and if an opportunity arises could even start at second base or shortstop in Cleveland. To read his full, detailed scouting report go here.
2. Joe Wendle

Age: 23 – Height: 5’11” – Weight: 190 – Bats: Left – Throws: Right
2013 Stats: .295/.372/.513/.885, 73 R, 32 2B, 5 3B, 16 HR, 64 RBI, 44 BB, 79 K, 10 SB

Wendle was selected in the 6th round of the 2012 Draft out of West Chester University (PA). He is an interesting offensive oriented second baseman who has a very good, professional approach at the plate, shows good discipline, an advanced feel for hitting, and some solid power to shoot the gaps and occasionally pound the ball over the fence. He is really comfortable in the batter’s box and can flat out hit. He makes consistent contact thanks to some good hand-eye coordination, good hands at the plate and a natural feel for the bat head. He displays solid defensive skills with a solid average arm and the instincts to be an average Major League defender at second base. He lacks much versatility at the moment though has played a little third base and has the athleticism, body and bat where he might be able to handle first base or left field down the road if the Indians wanted to experiment with him there. He is a slightly below average runner though has good instincts which allows him to take an extra base from time to time. He has natural leadership abilities and a natural work ethic, and is the consummate gamer. There is some upside in his defense to get him up to an average defender there, so he needs to really work to improve his lateral quickness and range, get quicker at turning the double play, and just improve his overall consistency. As a former Division II player he is an example of scouting at its best, and one where the Indians may have found an undervalued draft commodity that could end up being a star in the minors and potentially a good Major League player. To read his full, detailed scouting report, go here.
3. Claudio Bautista

Age: 20 – Height: 5’11” – Weight: 170 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right
2013 Stats: .252/.306/.389/.695, 42 R, 18 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 23 BB, 69 K, 3 SB

Bautista signed as a minor league free agent out of the Dominican Republic in May of 2011. He is a smaller sized player but is a very aggressive offensive oriented athletic middle infielder who can swing the bat. He is an aggressive hitter who shows a good feel for the strike zone and has an approach that is conducive to driving the ball gap to gap and using the entire field. He has some deceiving natural power for his size thanks to some good strength, bat speed and quick wrists. He is a solid average defender with an average arm who profiles best at second base as an everyday player because of his limited range. He does have the athleticism and versatility to handle third base and shortstop on an occasional basis, and could even play first base or some outfield if needed. He is a tick above average as a runner with the ability to steal a base. He is still refining the mechanics in his swing to cut down on some of his effort and is developing his approach, so his performance lacks consistency as a result and he is prone to big slumps and short bursts of hot streaks. He is yet another interesting middle infield prospect for the Indians in the lower levels and should continue to get starting opportunities.
4. Todd Hankins

Age: 23 – Height: 5’9” – Weight: 175 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right
2013 Stats: .220/.322/.318/.641, 45 R, 6 2B, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 34 BB, 73 K, 31 SB

Hankins was selected by the Indians in the 15th round of the 2011 Draft out of Seminole Community College (FL). He transferred schools two times in college as he played his freshman year at the University of Georgia and was also enrolled at Jacksonville University. His greatest asset is his versatility as he has a lot of athleticism and can move all over the field and handle any position on the diamond except catcher. His game is centered on his plus speed and the way he impacts a game on the basepaths by being a nuisance to pitchers when he is on base and always working to take the extra base. His bat-to-ball is inconsistent and he has trouble with breaking balls, so he needs to refine his approach and pitch recognition skills to be more patient and also not be so jumpy swinging at the first pitch he sees. He needs to stay within himself so that he doesn’t get himself out chasing balls out of the zone and swinging at pitches he can’t handle. He is just a scrappy, heady player that is a grinder-type who is a good makeup guy. He suffered a right wrist fracture in April last season when he was hit by a pitch, which was an unfortunate injury since he had an opportunity to play every day at High-A Carolina and lost it due to the injury.
5. Zack MacPhee

Age: 24 – Height: 5’9” – Weight: 175 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right
2013 Stats: .215/.326/.282/.608, 27 R, 13 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 49 BB, 61 K, 6 SB

MacPhee was selected in the 13th round of the 2011 Draft out of Arizona State University. He was originally drafted by the Tigers in the 22nd round of the 2008 Draft, and was the 2010 Pac-10 Player of the Year as a sophomore at Arizona State. He is a patient hitter with a line drive up the middle approach and can hit the ball to all fields. Although he has little power he has some above average bat speed to drive balls into the gaps. He has some athleticism and is a scrappy player who gets dirty and plays hard and has a good makeup. He doesn’t play a position particularly well and lacks much versatility. He came in as a second baseman-only who was an average at best defender, so the Indians experimented with him in 2012 in the outfield - though it did not go well so they moved him back to the infield last season. While he moved around the diamond last season and logged games at third base (49), second base (28), shortstop (6) and outfield (6), his below average arm really limits him only to second base and left field if he moves up into the higher levels of the system.
6. Yhoxian Medina

Age: 23 – Height: 5’10” – Weight: 165 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right
2013 Stats: .266/.345/.341/.686, 41 R, 14 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 23 RBI, 32 BB, 52 K, 8 SB

Medina was selected in the 38th round of the 2011 Draft out of Southeastern Community College (IA). He is from Caracas, Venezuela but came to the United States a few years ago and enrolled in a small college to improve his chances to play professional baseball. He played well in his time at Lake County last season (.278 AVG, .743 OPS), though used his older age to his advantage against less experienced pitchers. Nonetheless, it served as a confidence builder for him at the plate where he shows the makings of a good approach with an ability to get on base by drawing walks, but has no power at all and the bat is limited. His best asset is his versatility as he can play anywhere in the infield at third base, shortstop and second base, so he fits in well as a utility infielder. He is a solid defender who has some athleticism, a solid arm, and plus running ability, but his small size, lack of any strength, and very questionable bat limit the chances for him to get any real playing time in the upper levels. As an organizational player he will probably bounce around the organization filling an infield need at several places all season.

7. Ordomar Valdez

Age: 19 – Height: 5’9” – Weight: 150 – Bats: Switch – Throws: Right
2013 Stats: .279/.329/.388/.717, 20 R, 9 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 12 BB, 24 K, 8 SB

Valdez was signed as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic in August of 2010. He shows an advanced approach at the plate with a good feel for the strike zone and a knack for getting on base. He has good bat-to-ball ability, a little pop in his bat, and has a plus run tool. He is a small sized versatile, athletic defender who knows how to play his game and can move around the diamond and play almost any infield position well. That versatility is going to provide him value as he moves up the system, although he may be limited to second base as he moves higher into the system because his arm strength is fringy average.

8. Takuya Tsuchida

Age: 19 – Height: 5’8” – Weight: 165 – Bats: Switch – Throws: Right
2013 Stats: .176/.282/.176/.459, 6 R, 0 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 5 BB, 20 K, 3 SB

Tsuchida was signed out of Japan in October of 2012. He went undrafted in the Nippon Professional Baseball Draft, so he was available for the Indians and other teams to sign him. He is small and has limited power, but he has a developing approach and contact skills. He has some athleticism and decent speed, and has some versatility where he can play a few positions. He only played second base last season, but the Indians are still experimenting with him and what position he fits best at and believe he could even be a center fielder.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

civ ollilavad wrote:He's got "tools" and the scouts and "experts" (and me!) have been impressed with him as a long-term prospect. He was very effective 2012 in Arizona and scored among top league prospects. 2013 was not a good debut for him at the full season level. But he's very young so has plenty of time to prove (or disprove) himself. We have little OF talent (Naquin i and Frazier and Moncrief) so he's worth keeping an eye on for awhile.

This tools business is why I am a firm believer in analytics-old fashioned scouts have no idea what they are doing.

Well, tools means he can hit, he can run, he can throw, he can field, he has power. Those should be significant measures. Throw in his pitch selection and I'm not sure what the analytics can show behind these baseball skills. But then I never read Moneyball, or watched the movie.

I think analytics would try to show whether a guy can hit or whether he just looks good in the uni.

Prospect Kyle Crockett with another shutout inning yesterday, he is virtually untouched in his minor league and spring training career. The lefthanded Cody Allen could reach the majors less than 12 months after he was drafted.