MLB Prospect Watch

Prospect Action - Torres, Parker, Montero, Wimmers

• Alex Torres struck out nine batters in his first Triple-A start for the Rays affiliate in Durham, says Danny Wild of MiLB.com.
• Joe Savery went 2-for-3 on Monday night, and his batting average dropped, notes Joe Berkery of the Philadelphia Daily News.
• In a game that could only happen in the California League, Jaff Decker led his fellow Padres prospects to a 23-10 victory behind a home run, a triple, and a stolen base, reports Josh Jackson of MiLB.com.  In that same game, Rockies OF prospect Tim Wheeler homered twice.
• Jerry Sands homered for the third straight game on Monday, making his case to the Dodgers that he's more ready for the majors than previously anticipated, notes Robert Emrich of MiLB.com.
• Jarrod Parker's first start back in a real game didn't go as he had hoped.  The Diamondbacks top prospects, was hit all over the park, giving up seven earned runs in 3 2/3 innings pitched, notes Josh Jackson of MiLB.com.
• In other prospect action...
  • Braves C prospect Christian Bethancourt was a single short of the cycle and drove in three runs.
  • Cubs OF prospect Michael Burgess hit two home runs, an even more impressive feat once you realize he did it in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League.
  • After a rough spring, Jesus Montero has broken out in Triple-A, as the Yankees top prospect went 3-for-5 on Monday to raise his batting average to .450.
  • Blue Jays 3B prospect Brett Lawrie homered and doubled, raising his average to .381.
  • Twins 2010 first round pick Alex Wimmers had a meltdown of a performance on Monday, walking all six batters he faced to start the game, and threw three wild pitches.

 

Cubs Acquire Burgess, Others from Nats for Gorzelanny

UPDATE 5:00 PM:  A.J. Morris is one of the two previously unnamed minor leaguers heading to Chicago, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com.  Morris was a 4th round pick by the Nationals in 2009 and had been used exclusively as a starter until a promotion to the Carolina League to start the 2010 season.  He pitched in both starting and relief roles this year with moderate success, but at 23 was old for High-A ball.

The Chicago Cubs have traded pitcher Tom Gorzelanny to the Washington Nationals in exchange for three minor leaguers, reports Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com.  One of the three prospects heading to Chicago is outfielder Michael Burgess, according to Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports.

Burgess was the Nationals first round draft pick in 2007 and has played primarily right field throughout his minor league career.  His power has never been in question, but his consistency and ability to limit his strikeouts have kept him from reaching elite prospect status.  Despite hitting 72 home runs over four seasons, Burgess has yet to slug .500 in a full season.

The two additional minor leaguers involved in this trade have yet to be announced, but stay tuned to MLB Prospect Watch for more details.

 

 

Notable Prospect Performances - 7/9

• Christian Friedrich struck out 12 batters as the Rockies' top pitching prospect celebrated his 23rd birthday.
• Giants' pitching prospect Eric Surkamp did two better, fanning 14 batters in his latest California League start.
• Nationals' OF Michael Burgess was 4-for-5 with a home run and a double.
• Cody Scarpetta struck out 11 batters over 7 scoreless innings, dropping the Brewers' prospect's ERA to 3.94 on the season.
• Devin Mesoraco continued his hot hitting this season with a 3-for-4 performance that left him just a single short of the cycle.
• Phillippe Aumont gave up 4 runs in his first start since his demotion to High-A ball, but only two of them were earned, and he struck out 13 batters.

Prospect Potent Potables - 6/30

• Michael Burgess's power is down but his plate discipline has improved, an adjustment the Nationals wanted him to make to help him become a better all-around hitter, reports Pete Kerzel of MLB.com.
• In addition to impressing on the mound, Jordan Lyles has shown the Astros that he is an impressive all-around athlete and no slouch with a bat in his hands either, says Todd Traub of MLB.com.
• With all the success Jonathan Singleton has had this season, it's easy to forget that the Phillies kept him in extended spring training to start the season, J.J. Cooper of Baseball America reminds us.
• Sean Ratliff is making the most of his opportunity since the Mets called him up to Double-A, reports Ryan Isley of MiLB.com.
• Hector Noesi threw a complete game shutout in his latest outing on Tuesday night, making it five straight starts of at least 7 innings for the Yankees' pitching prospects, according to Mike Ashmore of ThunderBaseball.com.  Fellow pinstripe pitching prospect Dellin Betances is re-learning how to pitch after narrowly avoiding Tommy John surgery last season, but the results thus far have been very promising, says Lee Diekemper of MiLB.com.
• Orioles' 3B prospect Josh Bell broke out of a 1-for-15 slump in a grand way Tuesday night.

Organizational Update - Washington Nationals

Time to get caught up...

The Nationals once barren system is now beginning to bear fruit.  For simplicity's sake here, I'll assume you already know all about Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen.

Michael Burgess - Stats

The problem with Burgess has always been consistent contact.  His second go-round in the Carolina League seems to have solved that problem for now, but Burgess is going to have to prove he can lower his strike out numbers without repeating a level.  This year's K-rate has dipped below the 20% sign, and his OPS has risen to .814 as a result, which could result in a promotion to Double-A and the next test for Burgess.

Paul Demny - Stats

Demny is repeating the Sally League largely because of his 5.14 ERA last season, but in spite of his 3.78 FIP.  The Nationals are probably thrilled with his "improvements" this season and his 2.77 ERA, despite his FIP of 3.81.  In other words, Demny is about the same pitcher he was last year, but a lot luckier.

Danny Espinosa - Stats

After a season flashing both power and patience, and the corresponding promotion to Double-A this season, Espinosa has struggled slightly against tougher competition, but no more so than a 25-point drop in his BABIP would suggest.  He's still displaying decent plate discipline and some power, so he's far from a lost cause, and may just take some time to adjust to Double-A pitching. 

Destin Hood - Stats

Hood is creeping up on his career high in games played in a season already in 2010, which signals part of the problem.  The other is his plate discipline, as his K/BB ratio through 144 career minor is 146/37.  This season's respectable .290 batting average is a product of his unsustainable .404 BABIP and 22% line drive rate, and even with a bit of good luck, his OPS still stands at just .693.

Jeff Kobernus - Stats

More was expected out of last year's second round pick than his current .235/.260/.261 line.  He's simply not displaying any power or plate discipline (26 K's against 4 BB's).  It's a surprising performance from a college draft pick, but if improvement isn't seen by the time short season ball opens up, a demotion could be in line.

Stephen Lombardozzi - Stats

The son of a former big leaguer, Lombardozzi has been the model of consistency throughout his professional career.  This season, the 2B has maintained his plate discipline while displaying slightly more extra base power, but still no home run ability.  Still, his .384 OBP alone will be enough to keep him around.

Chris Marrero - Stats

Finally in Double-A but still just 21-years-old, Marrero hasn't developed into the complete hitter the Nationals thought they were drafting in 2006, but he does have good power that plays in games.  His free-swinging tendencies may be his demise at the higher levels of the minors, but his .274/.322/.434 line this year at Harrisburg is enough to think that he may still be able to be an everyday player in the majors at some point.

Jack McGeary - Stats

McGeary has managed to get his control back to respectability after an extremely wild 2009 season, but still isn't missing quite enough bats to be truly effective.  He is also averaging less than 5 innings per start, which is due to the Nationals restrictions on him, but is also a bad sign for a pitcher in his 4th professional season, regardless of the educational commitments that made him a part-time player his first few seasons.

Derek Norris - Stats

The best prospect the Nationals have left in the minors after Strasburg and Storen's promotions, Norris has continued to display his impeccable plate discipline this season, but has seen his power zapped due to various injuries.  Even without power, his .277/.440/.369 line is impressive, even if it is only in 20 games.