MLB Prospect Watch

Prospect Potent Potables - Hamilton, Story, Catricala

• Billy Hamilton broke his hand sliding into second base early into his winter ball season, but he's fully healed now and is already at full strength to prepare for this season, notes John Fay of Baseball America, who adds that the Reds will likely start Hamilton at High-A Bakersfield this season.  It remains to be seen if Hamilton will have the same freedom to run next season in the offensive-friendly California League where home runs are much easier to come by, but as a huge part of Hamilton's game, the Reds would be foolish to hold him back.
• MinorLeagueBall.com has a write-up on Rockies shortstop prospect Trevor Story, discussing a possible position switch and projecting his eventual offensive output.  Story is expected to outgrow shortstop defensively as he fills out, which should warrant a move to either second or third base, or a possible shift to the outfield.
• Mariners 3B prospect Vinnie Catricala had a monster offensive season in 2011, but his defense lagged behind his bat.  But as Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times reports, Catricala went to college as a strong defender at the hot corner, and admits that he "got lazy" playing on turf at Hawaii.

Prospect Potent Potables - Rockies Invites, Brentz, Cosart, Galvis, Concepcion

• The Colorado Rockies have announced their non-roster invites to spring training, notes Thomas Harding of MLB.com.  Position players Nolan Arenado, Tim Wheeler and Kent Matthes will be in attendance, as well as pitchers Alex White and Drew Pomeranz.
• Mike Newman of FanGraphs.com breaks down Red Sox OF prospect Bryce Brentz, who had a monster 2011 season but doesn't profile as a dynamic player at the next level.
• Jarred Cosart should begin the 2012 season in Double-A, but he's been working out this off-season in the big-league park of his new organization, the Houston Astros, having grown up practically in it's back yard, reports Brian McTaggart for HoustonAstros.com.
• Now that the Phillies have re-signed Jimmy Rollins to a long-term deal, Freddy Galvis' path to the big-leagues is blocked, points out Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.  But that still gives the Phillies the option of using him in the majors this year as a back-up infielder, a role best suited to his current abilities, or sending him back down to the minors to see if his bat develops.
• The Cubs have signed Gerardo Concepcion, an 18-year-old LHP who defected from Cuba last June, reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.  The team has reportedly signed a multi-year major league deal with the club.

Prospect Potent Potables - Cron, Pomeranz, Orioles

• C.J. Cron tore it up at the plate in his professional debut before his season ended due to a knee injury, but as Bill Plunkett reports for Baseball America, the Angels prospect is back on track to be ready for the season.
• Unlike last spring with the Indians, this year Drew Pomeranz is entering Rockies spring training with a chance to win a spot in a big league rotation, notes Thomas Harding of MLB.com.  Pomeranz will be competing with a crowded field for a spot, but may be the most talented pitcher in the field.
• The Orioles have made their first venture into the international market under new GM Dan Duquette, signing 17-year-old LHP Kim Sung-min, reports Eduardo Encina of The Baltimore Sun.

The Rockies and Quarterbacks

Two major college quarterbacks have dabbled in professional baseball to varying degrees the past couple of seasons, and both just happen to be property of the Colorado Rockies.

Kyle Parker walked away from the gridiron to play baseball this past season, with mixed results.  His .285/.367/.483 line looks good on paper, but his 2.75 K/BB ratio suggests that he could struggle at the next level, notes Mike Newman of FanGraphs.com, who also notes that his athleticism from football doesn't completely translate to the diamond.  Parker does have good raw power, but he must learn how to use it.

Heading the opposite direction, from baseball to football, was fellow Rockies prospect Russell Wilson.  You know Wilson from his exploits this season as the quarterback for the Big Ten champion Wisconsin Badgers.  His 2011 football season went significantly better than his 2010 baseball season with the Ashville Tourists (Low-A), where he hit just .228 as a second baseman.  Given the differences in his successes in each sport, it's not surprising that he's giving up baseball, at least for the time being, to focus on football, according to Jon Star of MLB.com.

Prospects LeMahieu and Weathers Swapped in Stewart/Colvin Deal

The Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs matched up on a deal, sending big-league 3B Ian Stewart to the Windy City in exchange for OF Tyler Colvin, but included in the deal were Cubs INF prospect D.J. LeMahieu, who will join the Rockies bench, and reliever Casey Weathers, a former Rockies first-rounder, notes Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.

Weathers, a 2007 first-rounder, had Tommy John surgery in 2008 and has struggled with his control upon returning to the mound, walking over a batter per inning in Double-A in 2011.  Before the surgery, his fastball sat in the mid-90's with heavy sink, and reports are that his velocity is back to where it was, but he was never a big command guy even before the surgery, and that is typically the last thing to return.

LeMahieu is an interesting player because he doesn't fit into most of the particular molds that we put players in.  At 6'4" 205 lbs, you'd expect him to have at least a little power, yet he's hit just seven career home runs in 284 minor league games.  He's a utility player defensively, but he can't play short stop, which limits his value on a bench, and he's a right-handed hitter so he's not as valuable off the bench.  The Cubs really liked LeMahieu, so they must have seen something in him, but at the moment he appears to be a poor-man's Mark DeRosa without the power.