MLB Prospect Watch

Minor Prospect Moves - Joe Mahoney and Clint Robinson

Miami Marlins Claim Joe Mahoney

In the wave of non-tenders, releases and waiver transactions that flew by over the past few days, you may have missed the claim the Miami Marlins put in on Orioles first baseman Joe Mahoney, according to The Baltimore Sun.  

At his best, Mahoney was a fringe prospect as a first baseman who never had as much power as his 6'6" frame would suggest.  He also doesn't walk enough.  In his best minor league season in 2010, Mahoney hit .307/.366/.498 between High and Double-A. He followed it up hitting .294/.354/.508 in an injury-plagued season in 2011.  

But Mahoney has never hit more than 18 home runs in a season and hit just .265/.319/.389 in his first Triple-A season in 2012, as a 25-year-old.  The Orioles were forced to give up on him this off-season and the Marlins took a chance.

There's not a lot of potential for growth left in Mahoney, but if there's a team that may give him a chance to play, it's the Marlins.

 

Pittsburgh Pirates Trade for Clint Robinson

Robinson has done nothing but hit as a member of the Royals organization, but he never got his chance and it wasn't going to come.  Like Mahoney, he's limited to first base, but unlike Mahoney, he put up remarkable minor league numbers, including a 1.035 OPS in Double-A in 2010.  Unfortunately he was already 25 that season, and his old age for his league has always plagued his status as a true prospect.

Now, coming off a season in which he was 27 in Triple-A and hit just 13 home runs (.845 OPS), the Royals traded Robinson to the Pittsburgh Pirates, says Michael Engel of KingsofKauffman.com.

The Pirates don't exactly have Eric Hosmer at first base so you'd think Robinson would have a better shot to get some playing time, but unfortunately, he fits the same profile as current Pirates first baseman Garrett Jones, who is also left-handed.  The Pirates also don't have the luxury of using Robinson as a designated hitter, probably his best "position."  Nonetheless, it's a fresh start for Robinson to get a chance in the majors.

 

Moving On Up - June 4 - 10

Hello Baseball fanatics, once again it is Jeffrey Snedden here to update you on the call-ups and rookie status changes of the week in Major League Baseball.  Welcome to “Moving On Up” for June 4 – June 10.

The New York Mets called up P Elvin Ramirez from AAA-Buffalo of the IL on June 3.  The 24-year old has pitched in relief thus far, totaling 4.0 IP with a 13.50 ERA.  He has 7 walks and 4 Ks.  The Mets are tinkering with their bullpen, so Ramirez could be in the majors for the long run.

The Oakland Athletics called up P Sean Doolittle from AAA-Sacramento of the PCL.  A converted first baseman, Doolittle has pitched in two games thus far.  In 2.0 IP he has an ERA of 9.00, however those numbers are misleading.  In his first appearance, he gave up 2 ER in 0.2 IP, then threw a 1.1 scoreless innings in his second appearance – striking out three batters.

The Detroit Tigers called up C Bryan Holaday from AAA-Toledo of the IL on June 6 to replace injured catcher Alex Avila.  He has played in two games thus far as the backup to Gerald Laird and got his first major league hit on June 6 against Cleveland.  Holaday will be up until Avila returns from the DL.

The Los Angeles Dodgers called up P Shawn Tolleson from AAA-Albuquerque on June 7.  He made his major league debut that night against Philadelphia, walking two batters and not recording an out.  Tolleson may be sent back down once the Dodgers get RP Javy Guerra back from the DL.

The Texas Rangers called up top pitching prospect and former 1^st round pick P Tanner Scheppers from AAA-Round Rock of the PCL on June 7.  Scheppers has made two appearances thus far, totaling 2.2 IP with a 3.38 ERA.  He has been used primarily as a closer in the minors, including 9 saves this season for Round Rock.  Scheppers will pitch out of the Rangers bullpen.

The Cincinnati Reds called up IF/OF Kristopher Negron from AAA-Louisville of the IL on June 7.  He has appeared in two games, and is still looking for his first major league hit.  Negron will head back down to Louisville once OF Drew Stubbs returns from injury.

The Chicago White Sox called up OF Jordan Danks from AAA-Charlotte of the IL on June 7.  Danks has played in three games and is sporting a .429 BA.  He replaced OF Kosuke Fukudome on the roster, who is out until at least June 19 with an oblique injury.

The Kansas City Royals called up INF Clint Robinson from AAA-Omaha of the PCL on June 8.  Robinson was used as an extra bat off the bench in the Interleague series against Pittsburgh.  He will remain in that spot until the Royals get through this round of Interleague play.  He had two at-bats in the Pirates series and is still looking for his first major league hit.  Robinson has been ripping apart AAA pitching throughout 2011-12 and looks to have a future with the Royals.

The Detroit Tigers called up P Jose Ortega from AAA-Toledo of the IL on June 8.  Ortega pitched in one game for Detroit, registering his first major league appearance.  He was sent back down to Toledo on June 9.

Detroit also called up 2B Hernan Perez on June 9 from A-Lakeland of the Florida State League.   Perez made his major league debut in a pinch hitting role on June 9 against Cincinnati.  There is no indication what plans the organization has for him, as he has yet to play above A-ball before his call up. 

The Philadelphia Phillies called up P B.J. Rosenberg from AAA-Lehigh Valley of the IL on June 9.  Rosenberg took the spot of RP Raul Valdes, who was sent back to Lehigh Valley.  He made his major league debut on June 9 against Baltimore, taking the loss after 1.0 IP and giving up two ER.  The Phillies continue to tinker with their bullpen, so there is no indication of future plans for Rosenberg at this time.

 

No Longer Prospects, Welcome to Your Rookie Season

These players have reached the MLB thresholds to be considered a rookie, and thus are no longer prospects.  This is your Rookie of the Year pool for 2012:

NYM OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis has 217 PA on the season.

PHL 2B Freddy Galvis has 200 PA on the season.

WAS OF Bryce Harper has 162 PA on the season. 

OAK OF Yoenis Cespedes has 145 PA on the season.

MIL OF Norichika Aoki has 144 PA on the season.

MIN SS Brian Dozier has 133 PA on the season.

 

TEX SP Yu Darvish has 72.2 IP on the season.

BAL SP Wei-Yin Chen has 67.0 IP on the season.

DET SP Drew Smyly has 60.2 IP on the season. 

TOR SP Drew Hutchison has 58.0 IP on the season.

 

The next group of prospects who will be coming up on the change-over to their rookie campaigns are as follows.  These players are a few weeks away from crossing over into rookie status. 

*A player needs 130 PA to be considered a rookie and a pitcher must accrue 50 IP.

 

BOS 3B Will Middlebrooks has 119 PA on the season.

LAD UTIL Elian Herrera has 97 PA on the season.

DET OF Quintin Berry has 74 PA on the season.

BAL UTIL Ryan Flaherty has 72 PA on the season.

 

COL SP Christian Friedrich has 36.0 IP on the season.

NYY P David Phelps has 33.2 IP on the season.

 

That’s it for the Week of June 4 – June 10. 

 

Get all of your prospect information right here at www.mlbprospectwatch.com. 

You can follow Jeff Snedden on Twitter @jeffsnedden 

 

 

SIgnings and Call-Ups - Scheppers, Robinson, Rodgers, Cecchini

• The Texas Rangers called up relief prospect Tanner Scheppers, who made his major league debut last night, allowing one run in 1 2/3 innings, reports Jeff Wilson of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  Scheppers was called up after the team placed lefty Derek Holland on the disabled list.  Working exclusively as a reliever these days, Scheppers had a 3.72 ERA in Triple-A at the time of his promotion, working as the closer in Round Rock.
• After six years slugging his way slowly through the minor leagues, Clint Robinson finally got the call to the majors, says Dick Kaegel of MLB.com.  The question remains, however, where Robinson is going to find at-bats in the Royals lineup that already features first baseman Eric Hosmer and designated hitter Billy Butler.  The team also announced that it signed third round pick Colin Rodgers for $700,000, which is $223,500 over the slot amount for that pick, according to Clint Scoles of PineTarPress.com.  Rodgers is a 6'0" 185 lb. left-handed pitcher who was ranked number 207 on Baseball America's top-500 draft eligible players.
• The Mets have come to terms with first round draft pick Gavin Cecchini, and will send him to Rookie Level Kingsport when their season begins in two weeks, reports MetsBlog.com.  Cecchini, the 12th overall pick, signed for $2.3 million, which is just below the reccommended slot value.  He will report to extended spring training until his season starts.

 

Blogs Track Teams - 5/23/12

• Orioles-Nation.com opines on the Orioles organization, including 0-fers at the plate by Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop.
• Tim Williams of PiratesProspects.com breaks down the Buccos farm system, including 0-fers by Robbie Grossman and Alen Hanson.
• Raul Alcantara turned in a solid start, notes AthleticsFarm.com, who has all of the A's action.
• PineTarPress.com recaps the Royals results, including homers by Clint Robinson and Christian Colon.
• TalkingChop.com briefs us on the Braves outcomes, including another win for Zeke Spruill.
• Oscar Taveras chimed in with a two-hit day, notes FutureRedBirds.net, who catches us up on the Cardinals farm system.
• Bill Center of The San Diego Union-Tribune has all of the Padres performances, including Jace Peterson's return to action after a DL stint.

 

Prospect Action - 5/20/12

Triple-A

• Giants prospect Nick Noonan blasted two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in eight runs, writes Andrew Pentis of MiLB.com.
• Clint Robinson's three-run double wasn't enough for him and his Royals teammates to pull out a victory on Sunday, says Mike Curto of The [Tacoma] News-Tribune.
• Cardinals prospect Joe Kelly gave up four runs in five innings on nine hits, including two apiece to Blue Jays prospects Travis d'Arnaud and Adeiny Hechavarria.

Double-A

• Back in the starting rotation, Tim Alderson is once again having success, as the Pirates prospect threw seven shutout innings, reports The Erie Times-News.
• Jonathan Pettibone got plenty of run support from fellow Phillies prospects Tyson Gillies, Jiwan James, and others, en route to picking up his third win of the season, says The Hartford Courant.
• Barret Loux earned his ninth-straight victory, giving him the minor league lead, but fellow Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar saw his 29-game hitting streak come to an end on Sunday, according to Ashley Marshall of MiLB.com.

High-A

• Indians prospect Ronny Rodriguez homered, notes Luke Erickson of NationalsProspects.com.
• David Holmberg was dominant on Sunday, as the Diamondbacks lefty threw seven scoreless innings while striking out nine, writes David Heck of MiLB.com.
• Garrett Gould earned his first win of the season, as the Dodgers prospect threw six innings, allowing two earned runs and fanning four, lowering his ERA on the season to 4.80.

Low-A

• Now that the Orioles are letting Dylan Bundy pitch into the fifth inning, he's able to pick up wins, which he did on Sunday, earning his first victory after allowing just one hit over five more shutout innings, says Andrew Pentis of MiLB.com.
• Mets pitching prospect Rafael Montero turned in one of the best starts of his career, throwing six shutout innings, notes Pentis.