MLB Prospect Watch

Prospect Potent Potables - 7/27

• Don't expect the Tigers to part ways with Jacob Turner, Andy Oliver, or Charlie Furbush in order to get a two-month rental, says Jason Beck of MLB.com.
• Wilmer Flores has been receiving rave reviews for his advanced hitting approach for a teenager, and the latest installment comes from rehabbing Mets' star Carlos Beltran, reports Steve Popper for Baseball America.
• Yet another case for J.P. Arencibia's impending arrival in the majors, this one courtesy of Brad Johnson of The Hardball Times.
• Despite the A's struggles, Billy Beane remains non-committal on placing a timetable on the arrival of Chris Carter and Michael Taylor, reports Alex Espinoza of MLB.com.  He also notes that Chris Sale is very much on the White Sox radar as a potential reliever down the stretch.
• Kyle Weiland is doing his best not to get lost in the impressive mix of Red Sox' prospects.  And don't read too much in to the team's demotion of Michael Bowden, as Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald points out that manager Terry Francona still thinks highly of the young righty and is willing to rely on him in the near future.
• Michael Pineda is doing more than that, as he continues to shoot up the prospect lists and impress even the highest levels of Mariners' officials and scouts, says Mike McCall of MLB.com.
• Don't forget about Aroldis Chapman, the Reds' major off-season free agent signing who is now working in a relief role and just worked back-to-back days for the first time as a professional, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.

Prospect Potent Potables - 7/16

• The Chicago White Sox have promoted their first round pick from this year, LHP Chris Sale, to Triple-A, reports Scott Merkin of MLB.com.  The Sox hoping to get a good look at Sale to gauge the possibility of him being a part of their bullpen down the stretch.
• John Lamb extended his streak of not allowing an earned run to 30 innings on Thursday night, as the Royals' pitcher continues to rise up the prospect lists.  Also streaking is Phillies OF Jiwan James who has extended his hit-streak to 22 games.
• Dustin Ackley's Triple-A career got off on the right foot when the Mariners' prospect homered in his first at-bat, but the rest of his night was not as successful and he ended up with a 1-5 performance in his debut.
• The success Jordan Lyles is having this season can be attributed to an improved curveball and a more consistent cutter, says Ben Badler of Baseball America.  The improved arsenal has allowed the Houston prospect to dominate Double-A hitters despite being in his teens.  Fellow Astro pitcher Ross Seaton isn't having as much success trying to adjust, notes Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle.  Also struggling is Jiovanni Mier, the team's top pick in 2009, but the 19-year-old shortstop appears to have benefited from a drop in the lineup, says Bill Ballew for MLB.com.
• Jose Iglesias and Adeiny Hechavarria have a lot more in common than just being Cuban shortstops, and their friendship dates back a long way, reports Morgan Campbell of the Toronto Star.

Prospect Potent Potables - 7/9

• We're not big into rumors here, but Michael Engel of Kinds of Kaufmann makes quite a case for why he thinks Mike Moustakas could be heading to Triple-A soon.
• Mike Trout isn't just having a great season, he's emerging as one of the game's top prospects, says Jeff Johnson of Baseball America.
• We hear that phrase "top prospect" a lot, but now that we are at the mid-season point, Baseball America has released their updated list of the top-25 prospects in baseball, which does not include any players who have graduated to the majors.
• Despite being a two-time first round pick, Aaron Crow is struggling in Double-A, and Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star tries to figure out why the Royals' prospect can't seem to find his old self.
• The Red Sox have begun to prepare Michael Bowden for life as a reliever, likely signaling a major league call-up sometime in the near future, reports Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.

Prospect Potent Potables - 7/8

• The Houston Astros have made a major financial committment in Latin America, signing 6'4" Dominican OF Ariel Ovando to a significant contract, reports MLB.com.
• Phuture Phils.com has some unique insight on some of the pitchers in the Phillies organization with quotes coming directly from Phillies' minor league pitching coordinator Gordan Heimueller, including info on Trevor May, Matt Way, Jonathan Pettibone, and Brody Colvin.  Meanwhile, Lee Diekemper of MLB.com reports that Austin Hyatt's success this season can be attributed to the resurgence of his plus change-up.
• No official total has been anounced yet, but if Ben Badler of Baseball America's sources are correct, the $2.8 million the Blue Jays have reportedly given to Adonis Cardona would be a record for a Venezuelan amateur.  Badler also provides a more in-depth scouting report on Cardona.
• The Cubs have promoted pitcher Mitch Atkins, who will provide relief in their depleted bullpen, reports Andrew Pentis of MLB.com.
• Domonic Brown may not be in Triple-A very long, says David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News.
• Red Sox prospect Oscar Tejada has taken nicely to his new position at 2B after shifting over from SS at the start of the season, notes Pete Kerzel of MLB.com.

Prospect Potent Potables - 6/29

• Mets' GM Omar Minaya says Jenrry Mejia's shoulder injury won't affect his trade value, according to Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog.com.  Of course, what else would Minaya say?
• Andrew Lambo is back in Double-A after his 50-game suspension, reportedly for marijuana, says Guy Curtright of MLB.com.
• Oscar Tejada is re-establishing himself as a prospect within the Red Sox organization, reports Alex Speier of Baseball America.
• Phillippe Aumont has responded nicely to extended relief duty since the Phillies demoted him to the Florida State League, says Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.  The team would still like Aumont to be a starter down the road, but at the moment would like him to pitch more often in order to make adjustments between appearances more easily.
• The Reds need an extra starter this Thursday, and it will be either Travis Wood or Matt Maloney, says John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  Fay thinks it will be Wood.
• Dayan Viciedo hasn't seen much action since his promotion to Chicago, and given the White Sox succes lately, it's understandable, reports Samuel Zuma of MLB.com.  The question remains, however, if he's not going to play, wouldn't he be better served in the minors?