MLB Prospect Watch

Tigers Cut Bruce Rondon

The Detroit Tigers have cut rookie closer Bruce Rondon, according to Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk.com.  Instead, they will operate with a closer by committee.

For the Tigers, this is an anti-Mike Trout move.  In 2012, the Angels just missed the post-season while seeing MVP candidate Mike Trout spend the month of April in the minors.  Did this make the only difference?  Of course not, and too much has been made declaring Trout's time in the minors as the sole reason the Angels missed the playoffs.  But it didn't help, and it's caused a shift of opinion among many when it comes to whether or not rookies should begin the season in the majors.

The Tigers are taking the opposite approach with Rondon.  They anointed him as the temporary closer at the beginning of the spring, with the caveat of seeing how he pitched in spring training.  He did not pitch well, and the Tigers have decided that they will be better with him figuring things out in Triple-A rather than struggling in the majors and potentially costing them wins.  If Trout had struggled in April, it wouldn't have been nearly as claring as a rookie closer struggling and directly costing a team wins it thinks it has put away.

Rondon's struggles this spring were attributed to his lack of command and his control, but his issues weren't any worse than his minor league numbers.  Rondon walked seven batters in 11 2/3 innings (5.4 BB/9) which is too high, but is also on par with his career rate of 5.1.  The general consensus is that when Rondon can limit the walks, he'll dominate, and the Tigers were hoping he made that adjustment this spring.  He didn't, and he's in the minors.

Sometimes these decisions make themselves.

The Tigers have the pieces in place to get by with a committee for a little while.  Joaquin Benoit and Phil Coke are both quality late-inning relievers, and if used in the proper match-ups, can be as effective as many closers.  The move weakens their middle relief, but outside of the closer's role, the Tigers bullpen is actually an area of strength.

For those wondering when they'll see Rondon again, its very simple - when he gets the walks down.  Rondon is going to be in the majors at some point this season, and the Tigers hope here is that he can continue to work on his mechanical adjustments from spring training during the first month in Toledo.  There's no doubt the Tigers are eyeing an early-season call-up (barring a trade for a "proven closer"), and if Rondon has success early in the season, he could be up and at the back of the Tigers major league bullpen in a month.

Locke, Tepesch Win Final Rotation Spots for Pirates, Rangers

Locke Grabs Pirates' 5th Spot

The Pittsburgh Pirates made their final round of cuts on Wednesday, the most notable of which was sending down pitching prospect Kyle McPherson, essentially handing the final spot in their starting rotation to fellow prospect Jeff Locke, notes Tim Williams of PiratesProspects.com.

Locke's stint in the rotation could be short-lived, as off-season signing Francisco Liriano is scheduled to return sometime during the first month of the season and will take a rotation spot from someone.  The Pirates rotation also includes non-roster invitee Jonathan Sanchez, and Liriano's spot will likely come from one of those two players.

Locke has struggled in the majors in two brief stints in 2011-12, going 1-6 with a 5.82/5.19/4.47 pitcher slash (ERA/FIP/xFIP).  His minor league numbers suggest, however, that he should be able to serve as a back-end starter in a big league rotation, having a career 3.60 minor league ERA, including 2.44 in 29 Triple-A starts, and a career K/9 rate of 8.3 in the minors.

The Pirates haven't said how close the race was between Locke and McPherson, but it's possible that the tie-breaker was that Locke is left-handed, giving the Pirates three left-handed starters in a park that greatly diminishes right-handed hitting power.

 

Tepesch Lands Rangers Final Spot

Who had Nick Tepesch about a month ago in the pool for the Rangers final rotation spot?  Anyone who says they did is a liar.

Tepesch needed some help to win a major league roster spot, but also earned it himself, says T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.  Justin Grimm pitched terribly and Martin Perez broke his arm, and the Rangers elected not to pursue free agent Kyle Lohse, all opening the door for Tepesch, who actually posted a 6.50 ERA this spring.  The Rangers liked enough of what they saw, however, and Tepesch will be the Rangers 5th starter, at least until Colby Lewis returns in two months.

The odds are against Tepesch having success this season, and it's hard to believe that the best option for the Rangers was a 14th round pick with low strikeout rates who is making the jump from Double-A.  That's not a knock on Tepesch, who could turn into a fine pitcher, but his raw stuff isn't enough to make up for his lack of experience.  He does, however, have two above-average secondary pitches, and those, combined with a lack of a scouting report on him, could allow him to have some early season success before coming down to earth.

Tepesch isn't an overpowering pitcher, striking out 7.3 batters per nine innings in his minor league career.  The 2010 14th round pick out of Missouri has yet to appear above Double-A, where he spent half of the 2012 season, making this a significant jump to the majors and pitching in the competitive AL West and in a tough ballpark.

 

Injuries to Headley, Forsythe Open Door For Jedd Gyorko

The spring began with speculation that Jedd Gyorko could play his way into the Padres starting lineup via second base, a position he hadn't played regularly in the minors until playing there in about one-third of his games in 2012.  I broke down the Padres second base situation in February, determining that:

Unless Logan Forsythe can turn things around against right-handed pitching, he's destined for a utility role, and Gyorko will be knocking on the door, taking advantage of the PCL to put up inflated numbers.  With a good spring, he could be the Padres Opening Day second baseman, but either way, he should be up by the start of summer.

Well, Gyorko didn't knock anybody's socks off this spring, hitting .286/.308/.508 in regular playing time between second base and his more natural third base position, but thanks to a strong track record and injuries to two starters, it looks like Gyorko will crack the Padres starting lineup.  The only question at this point, is at what position.

The first door opened for Gyorko when Headley fractured his thumb.  Headley will be out until the middle of April, allowing Gyorko to slide back to his more familiar position at third base for the time being.  But now, as Corey Brock of MLB.com reports, Forsythe is dealing with foot pain and could land on the disabled list as well, which opens a second door at second base.

For Gyorko, this means he is going to get at least two weeks of at-bats in the majors, likely at third base with Alexi Amarista getting the starts at second.  Headley is due back a few weeks into the start of the season, but there's currently no timetable on Forsythe, who is dealing with plantar fasciitis.

Forsythe hadn't played in a spring training game since March 7th when he played three innings on Tuesday and left due to injury.  That's not a good sign, especially when dealing with a foot injury that has a history of nagging and hanging around unless surgery is involved.  It's possible that Forsythe misses substantial time (at least more time then Headley), opening up a door for additional at-bats for Gyorko even after Headley's return.

Gyorko's bat is needed in the Padres lineup, especially with the injury to Headley and Yasmani Grandal's suspension.  He probably won't put up the crazy offensive numbers he's put up in the California and Pacific Coast Leagues, but he should hit enough to profile as an above-average offensive second baseman.

Prospect Roster Moves: Terdoslavich, Gose

Terdoslavich Cut, WIll Be Back Soon

Joey Terdoslavich proved this spring that he can play the outfield, but it wasn't enough to land him a spot on the Braves bench, reports Mark Bowman of MLB.com.  After struggling to make the jump from High-A to Triple-A last season and ending up back in Double-A, Terdoslavich will attempt to tackle the minors' highest level once again this season and could be in Atlanta by mid-season.

Terdoslavich has always been able to hit, but keeping him as a bench option this spring would have been a risk, given his extreme struggles last time he was asked to jump a level (.180/.252/.263 in Triple-A last season).  His ability to play the outfield in addition to first base partially makes up for his inability to play third base, but he's still limited in his ways to help a team outside of the batter's box.

With a crowded young outfield and Freddie Freeman at first base, the Braves may not have a spot in their future for Terdoslavich, but his bat will find a way to get at-bats someway, somehow.  He profiles as a poor-man's Allen Craig, and that's a bat that someone will find a way to get into a lineup.  Terdoslavich could be a bench player down the stretch if he proves himself at Triple-A, or could be a nice piece of trade bait if the Braves try to add a piece at the deadline.

 

Gose Back in Minors to Work on Offense

The Blue Jays essentially sealed Anthony Gose's fate for the start of the 2013 season when they signed Melky Cabrera this off-season, but the move became official when Gose was optioned to Triple-A, notes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.  Despite the possible disappointment, it's a decision that is best for both Gose and the Blue Jays.  I discussed why Gose needs to be in the minors earlier this off-season.

Gose can already play defense in center field as well as anyone in the game, and he has a hose of an arm.  Those are two good tools.  His plus speed gives him a third.  But he can't hit major league pitching - specifically major league lefties - and until he does, he'll continue to be nothing more than a nine-hole hitter on a good offensive team that can afford to have an no-hit/all-glove center fielder.

The good news is that Gose is still just 22 and will be for most of this season.  He's had a ton of minor league plate appearances (literally over a ton - 2,253 to be exact) but has actually shown the ability to progress with more experience, especially in terms of his plate discipline.  A few more months of Triple-A baseball could be just enough for Gose to get to the point where he can be more than just a glove.  He'll never be an offensive force, but if he can get on base enough to leadoff, he could be a catalyst for a potent Blue Jays lineup someday soon.

Roster Decisions: Profar, Turner

Profar Likely Destined for Minors

With a significant decision looming all spring, the Texas Rangers have taken the stance all spring that they would only keep Jurickson Profar in the majors if he could play every day.  With that situation failing to present itself, the Rangers appear to be sticking to their original plan, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.  Credit the Rangers for avoiding the temptation that comes with seeing a talented player like Profar play every day, especially the way he's been playing this spring, and sticking with a plan that was thought out under less tempting circumstances.  

Profar needs to play every day.  There is a ton of excitement surrounding Profar, but he's still just 20 years old, struggled in his major league cameo last season and hasn't played in Triple-A.  Profar is excellent, but he still needs at-bats.  If he can't get them consistently in the majors, he needs to get them in the Pacific Coast League.

 

Final Start May Seal Turner's Fate

The Marlins were already considering sending Jacob Turner to Triple-A to start the season, despite having penciled him into their starting rotation at the start of spring training, and his final start of the spring didn't do anything to convince them to keep him around, notes Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald.  It is now more likely than not that Turner begins the season in the minors.

Turner has gotten rocked this spring, but more importantly, his control has abandoned him, and that's the real problem.  Turner doesn't have overpowering stuff, but he has displayed strong control rates both in the majors and the minors.  His struggles with the Tigers last season were coupled with increased walk rates, but when he threw strikes with the Marlins after being traded, he found success.

If Turner needs to get his control back then the place to do that is Triple-A.  He shouldn't be there for too long, but without low walk rates, he's going to get rocked in the majors.