MLB Prospect Watch

Prospect Injury Update - Taillon, Biddle, Buckel, Olt

Taillon Leaves Under Own Power

Jameson Taillon was forced out of his start on Tuesday after being struck on the shin by a come-backer, says Tim Williams of PiratesProspects.com.  Taillon walked off the field under his own power, but was unable to finish the game.  There is no word on whether or not the injury will affect his next start.

There is no need for the Pirates to rush Taillon back if there is any possibility that an injury could alter his mechanics, which can sometimes lead to arm injuries.  Taillon is not in line for a call-up any time soon (his earliest ETA would be for a September call-up, but even that is a slim possibility), and with the 7-day disabled list as an option in the minor leagues, it would be easy to push his next start back a few days if needed.

 

Biddle Has Excuse for Last Start

After being dominant in two straight starts, Jesse Biddle struggled badly his last time out on Saturday, facing seven batters and walking four of them.  But as PhuturePhillies.com points out, Biddle was badly under the weather during the start.

It was the first time that Biddle failed to throw at least six innings this season, but apparently he had an excuse, relieving the knee-jerk reactionary panic of Phillies fans everywhere over the outing.  In hindsight, the struggle may have been a blessing in disguise, as the Phillies had a spot in their major league rotation open up just a few days later and Biddle's poor start helped squash the call from fans to inexplicably jump the organization's top prospect to the majors.

 

Olt Injured, Buckel Battling Himself

Mike Olt, the Rangers third base prospect who was the centerpiece of trade rumors this off-season, has now missed almost two weeks of time with vision problems and still has no diagnosis, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.  Olt was hitting just .139 through 20 games this season, which is understandable if he couldn't see the baseball.  There is no timetable for his return to the field, but it should be at least another week or two until doctors are able to get to the root of the problem.

While Olt's injury is mysterious, at least he's actually injured.  Pitching prospect Cody Buckel has been sent to extended spring training to help correct his control issues, but the team insists he is not injured and that the issues are mental.  Buckel has walked 28 batters in 9 1/3 innings this season.

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These types of prospect issues help to illustrate why organizational depth is so important, and why I focus on more than just the top prospects in each system.  The Rangers are a great example of this importance, and despite issues to Buckel and Olt, and an injury to Martin Perez, the Rangers have still been able to fill their rotation with a pair of rookie starters in Nick Tepesch and Justin Grimm.  Jurickson Profar gets all of the attention, but it's their depth that has kept them competitive despite the loss of free agents over the years.

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.

 

 

Notable Roster Cuts: Castellanos, Olt, Hamilton, Baez

After a four-day trip to Arizona for spring training that resulted in lots of info and networking but little time for writing, it's time to get caught up on all the prospects that have been sent out of their respective major league camps.  As always, you can track all of the prospect movement from spring training here.

• Despite some rumors that they were considering keeping him in the majors, the Tigers have sent top prospect Nick Castellanos down to the minors, notes BlessYouBoys.com.  The reasoning that's been given has been so that Castellanos can work on his outfield defense, and it's likely that that's the team's plan as they enter the season with a platoon situation in left field and Castellanos has shifted to the position in the minors as a way to get his bat in the lineup.  As I've stated before, however, I'm not nearly as high on Castellanos as many are and believe that the Tigers may be best suited sending him to the minors to continue to raise his trade value then trade him for solutions to their holes either in the outfield or in their bullpen.
• The Rangers have stated all spring that they don't want to keep their top prospects in the majors unless they have playing time for them, and they held true to that statement when they optioned Mike Olt to the minors, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.  Olt will head to Triple-A, where he has yet to appear, and will see time at both third base and right field.
• As planned, Billy Hamilton was optioned to the minors, reports John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  The Reds had said before the beginning of Spring Training that Hamilton would start the 2013 season in Triple-A, and a crowded outfield made that almost a certainty, even if Hamilton had wowed the Reds' brass this spring.  Instead, Hamilton struggled at the plate and battled a leg injury, making the decision even easier than it already was.  Hamilton has world-class speed, but is learning to play center field and still needs work at the plate.  He should spend the majority of the season in Triple-A with a possible late-season call-up in mind as a pinch-runner in the playoffs, should the Reds make it that far.
• With neither having played above A-ball, there was no chance for either Javier Baez or Jorge Soler to make the Cubs roster this spring, but both are leaving a strong camp behind them, writes Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.  Baez was re-assigned to minor league camp while Soler was optioned to High-A Daytona of the Florida State League.

Olt, Profar Destined for Rangers Outfield in 2013?

The Texas Rangers, or anyone else for that matter, don't know what is going to happen with Nelson Cruz, given the recent news about his possible PED use.  In order to prepare themselves in case of a suspension to Cruz, the Rangers are planning on having their two top position prospects, Jurickson Profar and Mike Olt, see plenty of time in the outfield this spring, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The idea of using either of their top prospects in the outfield isn't new for the Rangers, as the Rangers have considered the outfield as a way to get both players into an already deep lineup.  The Rangers have considered Profar, a natural shortstop, at second base with a move either to first base or the outfield for current second baseman Ian Kinsler, but they have not gone through with that idea to this point.

The Rangers current center field situation includes a platoon between Craig Gentry and the unproven Leonys Martin.  Even with Cruz in the lineup, the Rangers may still be best off with Profar in center field, assuming he takes to it defensively this spring.  If the Rangers feel that Profar can handle the transition to the outfield this spring, they could choose to put his bat in center field full time, and it wouldn't be shocking to see him outperform their current platoon.

But if Cruz does have to miss time with a suspension, it may open up room for Profar and Olt to play alongside each other.  Olt, a natural third baseman, is entering the spring competing for playing time at first base with incumbent Mitch Moreland, a left-handed hitter best suited for a platoon, but Olt has spent some time in the outfield in the minors. 

The Rangers have already stated this off-season that neither prospect will be kept in the majors to begin the season if there isn't enough playing time available to justify their being there, and that stance appears to still be in effect.  They don't want to stagnate the development of either prospect by having them play part-time in the majors, nor do they want to waste their service time in a bench role, and their strategy here is sound.  Without everyday playing time, both should return to the minors until a spot for them opens in the majors.

It's important to remember that Olt and Profar aren't a package deal.  Profar could easily come into camp and win the Rangers starting job in center field while Olt struggles or simply doesn't outplay any of the guys ahead of him on the Rangers depth chart.  A suspension for Cruz would open a door for Olt in a corner outfield spot, but his case for making the team this spring is independent of that of Profar's.

Profar, on the other hand, could make the Rangers starting roster independently of anything that goes on with Cruz.  Gentry has been a nice player, but he's not an every day player and Martin is unproven.  It wouldn't shock me to see Profar come into spring training, take to center field like he's been out there his whole life, and grab a spot in the Ranges starting lineup the old-fashioned way - by earning it in the spring.

Berkman Signing Makes Mike Olt Expendable, Trade with Cubs a Fit?

The Texas Rangers have reportedly signed Lance Berkman, and in doing so, they have given themselves even fewer opportunities to see what third base prospect Mike Olt can do in the 2013 season.

No, Berkman won't be playing any third base in Arlington, but Olt won't be playing much more with the presence of all-star Adrian Beltre on the hot corner.  Before the Berkman signing, it appeared that the majority of Olt's at-bats would have come from a combination of playing first base, right field, and acting as the designated hitter.  Berkman will be getting all of his at-bats from the same place.

Regardless of the Rangers plan for Olt this season, Berkman's presence cuts into it.

Berkman is likely only in Texas for the short-term, so if the Rangers plan on having Olt as a major part of their future, then Berkman doesn't change things, but it's hard to picture the Rangers letting Olt spend the entire season as a part-time player or in Triple-A.  With a hole still in their outfield and in their starting rotation, the Berkman signing makes Olt even more expendable than he already was.

There is plenty of interest in Olt, and the Rangers could easily turn him into a major league piece they can actually use this season.  They could pair up with the Marlins, for instance, in a deal involving Ricky Nolasco.  Or they could discuss a deal with the Dodgers for one of their extra starters, Ted Lilly or Chris Capuano.

But the deal that perhaps makes the most sense is one with the Cubs, for starting pitcher Matt Garza.  

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The Cubs have made some improvements this off-season, most notably the four-year deal they signed with Edwin Jackson.  Clearly the Cubs are preparing to be good soon.  But it's not going to happen yet.

Garza has one year remaining on his deal, and has been shopped around this off-season.  He's likely not going to be around when the Cubs get back to respectability.  Additionally, the Cubs new front office doesn't appear to be too high on third base prospect Josh Vitters, who hit just .121 in a 36 game cameo at the end of the 2012 season and hasn't lived up to the billing of being the 3rd overall pick in the 2007 draft. 

Olt is a lot to give up for one year of Matt Garza, but the two teams can work out the rest of the details later to even out the deal.  The Cubs could slide Mike Olt in as their starting third baseman to begin the 2013 season and the Rangers could solidify their starting rotation.