MLB Prospect Watch

Cardinals Notes

• Allen Craig, who is competing for a roster spot as a backup corner infielder/corner outfielder, will attempt to make his first spring appearance today, reports Matthew Leach of MLB.com.  Craig has been out of spring action with a strained left quad.
• Leach also reports that the Cardinals are looking for a spot to debut last year's first-round draft pick, Shelby Miller.  Miller, an 19-year-old right-hander drafted out of high school, clearly isn't competing for a big-league job, if they can fit him in, the Cardinals would like to see what he can do against advanced competition.

Prospect Injury Update - 3/4

We're getting far enough into Spring Training that a few players are getting banged up, and prospects are certainly not immune to the wear and tear of playing baseball every day.  

The St. Louis Cardinals have announced that Allen Craig, who is competing for a roster spot as a 3B or LF, will sit out the weekend with a left quad injury, reports Matthew Leach of MLB.com.  Another NL Central 3B candidate, Mat Gamel of the Milwaukee Brewers, was left out of Thursday's lineup with a sore right shoulder, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

Neither injury is considered serious and both should be back to full activity by the end of the weekend, but for prospects competing for a job, any setback can be devistating.

Prospect Potent Potables - 3/1

Today's links are brought to you by green beer, chocolate money, and all of the other wonderful things March brings us...

• Chad Jenkins' sinker is what got him drafted in the first round last year, but as Morgan Campbell of the Toronto Star explains, it's his new diets that may allow the Blue Jays to reap the benefits.
• The Cincinnati Reds will have an intrasquad game on Thursday, and Aroldis Chapman will get to throw an innings, reports Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
• In the Orioles intrasquad game today, manager Dave Trembley listed the inning thrown by Brandon Erbe as one of the highlights, notes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
• First Doc, now Mo?  We've officially gotten carried away with Jenrry Mejia this spring.
• David Freese had a rough off-season, and it was primarily his own doing, but the Cardinals are pleased with his progress since then, reports the Associated Press.
• Josh Bell continues to impress in Orioles camp, according to Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com, and is continuing to work on his hitting from the right side of the plate.
• Starlin Castro is getting a lot of praise this spring, but when it comes from Lou Piniella, you know it's deserved.  Piniella is so anxious to see to see the 19-year-old that he is considering batting him leadoff in the Cubs' first spring game, reports Gordon Wittenmyer on the Inside the Cubs Blog.
• Pedro Alvarez's image may have taken a hit during his contract negotiations with the Pirates, but you would never know he's a future star, according to Jennifer Langosch of MLB.com.
• Buster Posey is saying all the right things about being blocked from the Giants for another season, notes the San Francisco Chronicle.

Prospect Potent Potables - 2/24

• Chalk their dedication to the huge investment they made, but the New York Yankees haven't given up on Andrew Brackman just yet, notes John Harper of the New York Daily news.
• A lot of respected baseball minds are gushing over the defensive prowess of Red Sox Cuban prospect Jose Iglesias, says Alex Speier on his WEEI.com blog.
• It is sounding more and more like Kyle Drabek is maturing the way the Blue Jays are hoping he has, according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star.
• It may be cliche to play the "turning the page" card, but it's the best that Red Sox' 1B prospect Lars Anderson can do until he gets out on the field again, notes Steve Buckley in the Boston Herald.
• The St. Louis Cardinals brought 2009 first round draft pick Shelby Miller up from minor league camp to throw a bullpen with the big boys, and he turned some heads, reports Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

<

Any Help in a Thin Cards' System?

There may not be a ton of talent on the St. Louis Cardinals' farm system after last season's trades for Matt Halladay and Mark DeRosa, but Derrick Gould of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has five names for us that could play a role for the big league club in 2010.  Gould mentions a few names you may know (David Freese, Allen Craig, and John Jay), and a few you may not (Eduardo Sanchez and Pete Parise).

The Cardinals don't have many holes on their big league roster, but 3B, LF, and in the bullpen are spots where prospects could earn a shot in Spring Training.