MLB Prospect Watch

Prospect Moves: Iglesias, Soler, Dahl

Iglesias Sent Down

We all saw this coming once Stephen Drew returned, but the Red Sox have sent shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias down to Triple-A, reports Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald.  Iglesias hit .450 while serving as the Sox starting shortstop in the first week of the season.

The offensive production from Iglesias was a bit of a surprise, but it just proves that anything can happen in the short time span of one week of baseball.  Despite the hot week, Iglesias needs more time to work on his offensive approach, and that will best come in Triple-A.  He's already proved he's ready for the majors defensively, but his career .626 minor league OPS means he isn't ready for the majors, and one hot week in April doesn't do anything to change that.

Iglesias will continue to serve as a security blanket for Drew for this season, and given Drew's injury history, there's a good chance we see Iglesias back in the majors at some point.

 

Soler Suspended

For his actions earlier this week, which included reportedly attacking the opposing dugout with a bat, Cubs prospect Jorge Soler has been suspended for five games by the Florida State League, reports MiLB.com.

The details of this incident have been pretty well documented, so I won't hash them out here, other than to say that it feels like Soler is fortunate that he only got five games.  Brawls happen in the minors all the time, and the suspensions aren't typically much less than the five games Soler received, so the league must have deemed that whatever he did wasn't significantly worse than most incidents.

Having not been there or seen video, I can't judge whether or not the suspension is an appropriate length, but given the attention it received for being different than most fights, it seems shorter than I had expected.

 

Dahl Removed from Team

David Dahl, the Colorado Rockies first-round pick in 2012, was removed from the Low-A Asheville Tourists roster last week after just one game with the team, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post.  The Rockies wouldn't comment much, other than to say that the move was not baseball related.

It's easy to forget when following prospects that we are dealing with teenagers who make off-the-field mistakes.  Whatever Dahl did, it doesn't appear to have been law-breaking, so it seems like something the Rockies are planning to deal with internally, which is probably the right decision.  And give them credit for making a strong point with a top prospect, something many teams look the other way on.

There is no timetable for his return, but given his domination of short-season ball last year, it would seem unlikely that Dahl returns to action in any place lower than Asheville, even if the Rockies do want to keep an eye on him, as the Arizona Rookie League would provide him little challenge.

Prospect Action: 4/8/13

Triple-A

• Billy Hamilton was dominant on Monday, as the Reds top prospect went 4-for-5 and stole three bases.
• Jake Odorizzi did a good job of impressing his new organization as the Rays newest pitching prospect threw 6 2/3 shutout innings in his debut with his new team, notes Danny Wild of MiLB.com.
• Melky Mesa hit his first home run of the 2013 season after a spring training in which he was considered to take Curtis Granderson's place on the Yankees big league roster.
• Jeff Kobernus collected three more hits and is now batting .579 on the spring.  His offensive production was in support of fellow Nationals Rule V returnee Danny Rosenbaum, who threw five scoreless innings.
• Phillies prospects Cody Asche and Darin Ruf recorded a pair of hits each with Asche's being a double and a home run, both of which came off of Red Sox starter Rubby de la Rosa.
• Chris McGuiness, who had a strong Arizona Fall League season and was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the Rule V draft this winter but was returned to the Texas Rangers, hit a pair of home runs on Monday night as part of a three-hit, six-RBI day.
• Mike Zunino went 3-for-4 and hit his third home run of the young season on Monday, showing the Mariners once again that he is ready for any assignment they throw at him.

Double-A

• Matt Barnes lasted just one inning in his Double-A debut, striking out three in the frame, but also allowing a pair of runs and throwing 33 pitches, which was enough to end his night early, notes Glenn Jordan of The Portland Press Herald.
• Yasiel Puig has carried his red-hot spring over to the regular season, as the Dodgers outfield prospect went 2-for-3 with a double on Monday to raise his batting average to .538 on the young season.
• George Springer reached base four times, as the Astros center fielder of the future drew a pair of walks to go along with two hits.  Much of the offense came off of Rockies pitcher Tyler Matzek, who walked five batters in four innings to carry his extreme control issues over from last season.

High-A

• Prospects Deven Marrero and Garin Cecchini led the offensive attack in Salem on Monday night, as the left side of the infield combined to reach base seven times with four doubles.
• Taylor Naquin collected two more hits to raise his batting average to .375 on the year while fellow Indians prospect Francisco Lindor reached base three more times as well.

Low-A

• Light-hitting Tigers shortstop prospect Danry Vasquez went 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs scored in his team's 11-run outburst on Monday.
• Power-hitting prospect Joey Gallo did what he does best on Monday, hitting his first home run of the season as part of a three-hit night.
• Converted Pirates pitcher Stetson Allie hit his second home run of the season.

 

Prospect Action - 4/5/13

Triple-A

• After homering on opening day, Mike Zunino went 0-for-4 with two strike outs in game two, but the Mariners top prospect did throw out a runner attempting to steal, reports Mike Curto of The Tacoma News-Tribune.
• Kyle Gibson threw five innings in his first start of the 2013 season, as the Twins prospect struck out four while allowing one run.
• Chirs Archer allowed just a run over five innings in his 2013 debut.  Archer returns to Durham for a second season solely because the Rays have so much organizational pitching depth.
• Gerrit Cole wasn't sharp in his first start of the season, as the Pirates top prospect allowed three runs over four innings of work.
• After a rough spring in which he was unable to win the final spot in the Rangers rotation, Justin Grimm earned a win in his first start at Round Rock, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing just one run.
• Nolan Arenado hit his second home run in as many games as part of a 3-hit day for the Rockies third base prospect.

Double-A

• Brandon Workman put together a solid start on Friday, as the Red Sox starter struck out nine batters over five innings of work, says Mike Ashmore of Thunder Baseball.  
• Phillies left-hander Jesse Biddle had no issues in his Double-A debut, throwing six solid innings of one-run baseball while striking out six.  
• Xavier Avery went 5-for-7 as part of a 20-hit outburst by the Orioles Double-A affiliate in Bowie.
• Cody Buckel got roughed up, allowing seven runs without getting out of the third inning.  Buckel's control left him as he walked five batters.
• Yasiel Puig went 2-for-3 in his Double-A debut, and more notably, drew a walk in support of the Dodgers top pitching prospect Zach Lee, who struck out five over four innings.

High-A

• Perci Garner was impressive in his return to the Florida State League, striking out seven in six scoreless innings.
• Cubs shortstop Javier Baez hit his first home run of the season as part of a 2-for-5 effort.
• The Indians' Carolina League affiliate in Carolina got a pair of three-hit days from two of the organization's top prospects Francisco Lindor and Tyler Naquin.  Lindor had a triple while Naquin had a double and a homer.
• Archie Bradley was strong in his California League debut, striking out nine in 5 2/3 innings, but did walk three in the outing.  Control was an issue for the Diamondbacks prospect last season and is the only real flaw in his game.  

Low-A

• Royals pitching prospect Bryan Brickhouse struck out seven batters over four shutout innings, notes the Lexington Herald-Ledger.  Brickhouse is repeating Low-A after struggling there last season, posting a 5.61 ERA in 10 starts at the level in 2012.
• Lance McCullers threw five scoreless innings in his full-season debut, striking out five and didn't walk a batter.  The Astros 2012 supplemental first rounder spent last year in short-season ball.

Prospect Action - Opening Day, 4/4/13

Triple-A

• Twins outfield prospect Oswaldo Arcia may have had the best all-around game of the night, going 2-for-4 with a double and a home run at the plate and also throwing out two runners at second base.  
• Tony Cingrani was the pitcher of the night, as the Reds lefty struck out 14 of the 19 batters he faced over six hitless innings.
• Hunter Morris got off to a good start in his attempt to replicate his impressive 2012 numbers, as the Brewers first base prospect went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run in support of Tyler Thornburg, who struck out seven over five innings of one-run ball, according to Tim Grubbs of The New Orleans Times-Picayune.
• Jurickson Profar was unfazed by his first taste of Triple-A, as the Rangers top prospect went 2-for-3 in his Round Rock debut, and managed not to be one of the 11 strikeout victims of Royals lefty Will Smith.
• Diamondbacks prospect Matt Davidson did on Thursday night what Matt Davidson does best, hitting a ninth-inning two-run home run to lead Reno to a 5-4 victory, despite a home run earlier in the game from fellow hot-corner man and Rockies top prospect Nolan Arenado.  
• Zack Wheeler struggled in his Pacific Coast League deubt as the Mets top prospect allowed two earned runs and walking three while taking 86 pitches to get through 3 1/3 innings.  He got plenty of run support from Travis d'Arnaud, who collected a pair of doubles in the game.
• Danny Hultzen had no such trouble in his 2013 debut, as the Mariners lefty fanned seven batters over six innings of work.  His control issues, which plagued him after his call-up to Triple-A last season, were no where to be found, as Hultzen walked just 2 batters.

Double-A

• The Double-A debut of Mets pitching prospect Rafael Montero couldn't have gone much better, as the right-hander struck out eight over 5 2/3 innings of one-run baseball.
• Taijuan Walker wasn't as sharp in his 2013 debut, striking out eight batters of his own over five innings of work, but also walking four and allowing four earned runs and a pair of home runs to Marlins prospects J.T. Realmuto and Derek Dietrich.
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  After emerging as a prospect last season, Aaron Northcraft was able to carry his success over to his first start of 2013, also striking out eight over six innings of shutout baseball.
• Astros center fielder George Springer hit his first home run of the season in support of Ross Seaton, who threw five solid innings.

High-A

• Justin Nicolino turned in an uneven performance in his Marlins debut, allowing four runs (three earned) over five innings of work.
• Tigers first base prospect Aaron Westlake hit his first home run of the season as part of a 2-for-3 day at the plate.  Yankees catching prospect Gary Sanchez went 2-for-4 in the victory.
• The Pirates pair of breakout prospects from last season, Alen Hanson and Gregory Polonco, combined to go 0-for-8 in their Florida State League debuts.
• The A's jumped Addison Russell all the way to the California League in his first full season but the 2012 first-rounder struck out three times in his debut.  He also singled and walked.

Low-A

• After posting a 6.26 ERA in the Midwest League last season, Padres pitching prospect Joe Ross got off to a much better start to the 2013 season, throwing five scoreless innings on Thursday night while striking out four.
• Reds prospect Robert Stephenson was dominant at times but erratic at others en route to racking up six strikeouts over five innings, but also allowing three runs.
• Byron Buxton did his job as a leadoff hitter in his full-season debut, getting two hits, scoring two runs and stealing a base for the Twins new affiliate in Cedar Rapids.
• 2011 first-rounder Brandon Nimmo made his full-season debut with a two-hit game.

Pacific Coast League Preview

Albuquerque (LAD)

Yasiel Puig is the big name but keep an eye on Chris Withrow as a potential bullpen arm who could be in the majors by the end of the season.  Watch Puig's plate discipline (not just walks, but his BB/K ratio) to see how ready he is for the majors.

Colorado Springs (COL)

Just like in the majors, it's all about offense in the Rockies Triple-A affiliate, with Nolan Arenado pushing Ryan Wheeler over to first base.  Arenado was beat out in spring training by Chris Nelson, but if he returns to his 2011 form, he should force his way to the majors by mid-season, no matter what Nelson is doing.

Memphis (SF)

Gary Brown could be up for a big offensive season, much like he had in the offensively similar California League in 2011.  The center fielder struggled last season as Richmond and has one last chance to prove that he's an everyday player and not a fourth outfielder.  Left-hander Mike Kickham leads the pitching staff after a strong season in Richmond in 2012.  He skipped the Cal League on his way through the Giants system, so this will be his first test in an extreme hittter's environment.

Iowa (CHC)

Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters are the names everyone knows and this is their final chance in the minors to prove they should be a part of the Cubs rebuilding process.  Both should be in the majors at some point this season, but both need to give the Cubs some reason to believe they can be regular players at the next level.

Las Vegas (NYM)

The new Mets affiliate are headlined by pitching phenom Zack Wheeler, who won't be in the desert for too long.  He should be in the majors by June.  The 51's also feature Travis d'Arnaud and Wilmer Flores, giving them the best collection of top prospects in the PCL.

Memphis (STL)

Oscar Taveras will be the best player in the PCL and will only be there as long as the Cardinals still have him blocked in the majors.  2012 first-rounder Michael Wacha could be close behind him, and should be the PCL's best pitcher once Wheeler joins the Mets.

Huntsville (MIL)

The Brewers system isn't deep, but Johnny Hellweg, who came over in last summer's Zack Greinke trade, is a flame thrower and almost made the Brewers bullpen out of spring training.  He'll work as a starter in the minors.

New Orleans (MIA)

The Zephyrs thought they were getting Jose Fernandez at some point this season, but instead will have to settle for Jacob Turner and Kyle Skipworth, which is not a close consolation prize.  Christian Yelich will join them eventually, but not yet.

Oklahoma City (HOU)

Jarred Cosart, Rudy Owens and Paul Clemens highlight a rotation of prospects the Astros have acquired over the past two seasons, while the lineup is led by Robbie Grossman, Marc Krauss and Jonathan Villar.  None of these players were drafted by the Astros, a testament to their rebuilding process, but none are high-end prospects.

Omaha (KC)

Once a Triple-A team that could almost rival the worst big league teams, Omaha now features midling prospects like Christian Colon and Chris Dwyer.

Reno (ARI)

Tyler Skaggs didn't make the Diamondbacks roster this spring, which is a gain for the Aces rotation that will also feature Randall Delgado, Charles Brewer and Chase Anderson.

Round Rock (TEX)

The headliner is Jurickson Profar, but he'll be flanked by Mike Olt in the lineup and Justin Grimm on the mound.  Profar could also be spending the majority of his time at second base now that the Rangers have locked Elvis Andrus up long term.

Sacramento (OAK)

Sonny Gray and Grant Green give the RIver Cats a pair of first rounders still trying to gain some traction within the A's organization.  Either could move quick if they have success or they could spend the whole season in the PCL.

Salt Lake (LAA)

The least prospect-laden team in the PCL offers Kole Calhoun in the outfield, but even he could be in the majors soon.

Tacoma (SEA)

There are prospects galore on the Rainers roster, including Danny Hultzen and Erasmo Ramirez in the rotation and Nick Franklin in the middle infield.  Taijuan Walker and Mike Zunino should both be there at some point as well.

Tucson (SD)

Jaff Decker continues to try to defy expectations, but needs to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2012 season.  Brad Boxberger will stay sharp in the bullpen until he's needed in the majors.