Baseball in Fort Wayne

Posts Tagged ‘Prospects’

Coming into the 2007 season, the hot name on the Wizards roster was prospect, Cedric Hunter. He arrived with a glint of excitement that many thought was sure to signal a second coming of Wizard from more than a decade-and-a-half ago with the same last name. The comparison was to that of none other than Torii Hunter, who ranks right up at the top of any list of most successful careers that have been posted by former Wizards.

In 1994, Torii Hunter hit .293 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI’s while scoring 57 runs and stealing 8 bases. In 2007, the Hunter Cedric posted a .282 average with 7 home runs and 58 RBI’s while scoring 53 runs and stealing . . . you guessed it, 8 bases. That looks like a pretty good comparison to me. But we also have to consider the playing time. What Torii did in 91 games, it took Cedric 129 – which also is 161 more at-bats (seems pretty high for just 38 more games, but that’s what the stats say, Torii must have come out more often too).

Still, the modern era of the Midwest League is that of a tough hitter’s league, so don’t discount Cedric’s achievements simply because of a few more at-bats. Let’s also not forget, he was a mere 19-year-old last season.

Today, and now all of 20 years, he’s still among the youngest players in the California League, he’s having a solid season at Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore. In fact, Grady Fuson, San Diego’s vice president of scouting and player development, made it a point to go out and personally congratulate Hunter on his performance thus far.

“It was one of the best feelings in the world,” said Hunter, who had a hit in two at-bats during last week’s California/Carolina All-Star Game. “Grady came up to me personally right before the [All-Star] break and told me how happy he was with my defense. I was happy that he did that. It’s nice to be able to show them that you’re working hard. My main purpose in being here is to play every day, get known out there and be the best player I can be.”

As of July 4, Hunter was hitting .303 over 82 games with 105 hits, 64 runs scored 4 home runs, 42 RBI’s and drawing 33 walks to 29 strike-outs in 347 at-bats. He’s stolen 7 bases too.

In his Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual, Geoff Young comped Hunter to Sean Green, Kenny Lofton and Shane Victorino. After pointing out that Hunter may have lost a little luster with his MWL performance, he admitted that his status as a prospect didn’t falter for holding his own at a young age in a league that stiffles hitter’s performances. “The only questions with Hunter,” Geoff says, “are whether he’ll have to move to a corner spot at higher levels and how much power he’ll develop.”

While Hunter isn’t a prototypical center fielder, he continues to do what the position calls for with few miscues in the field, so he’ll probably remain there until he proves he doesn’t belong there or an opening at a higher level becomes available at one of the corner slots.

Some folks are suggesting that Cedric will hit the Padres’ lineup as early as 2010, but there are no plans to rush his climb up the ladder and Hunter isn’t too worried about his upward mobility right now either.

“I’m not going to think about what’s going on with that . . . if I stay here the whole year, I’m happy with that. I’m still young. I’m just thinking about playing every day and having a good year.”

I’m still pretty hopeful we’ll see him excelling at the Big League level in a few years. There’s a few too many players I have to continually answer the “Whatever happened to…” question. Methinks Cedric Hunter will someday give us the level of play that will make sure none of us forget or ever have to answer the “whatever happened to…” question.

Photographs by Chad Gramling.

We’ve reached the half way point of the 2008 MLB season. I think that’s just cause to take a look at some of the seasons that former Fort Wayne Wizards are producing thus far. First up, the Estranged Friars. These former Wizards are no longer playing in the Padres organization but are still active in Minor League Baseball.

• 2002
  • Cassel, Jack (Astros AAA): The former Wizards pitcher has spent 2008 up and down between Triple A and the MLB level. He’s been at Triple-A Round Rock since June 1, and currently is on the disabled list. Interesting trivia: Cassel’s brother, Matt, is a backup quarterback for the New England Patriots and his brother, Justin, is a pitcher in the Chicago White Sox organization.
  • Knott, Jon (Phillies AAA): The former Wizards outfielder is currently with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs as they enjoy their inaugural season. He’s put together a .295 batting average with 8 home runs, 35 runs batted and scoring 29 runs over 190 at-bats.
  • Trzesniak, Nick (Tigers AAA): The former first round pick of the Padres (51st overall)in 1999 made it as high as AAA-Portland with the Friars before they released him in 2005. Since that time, the catcher has sojourned to Texas, to Florida, to Detroit, back to Texas, and currently is back in Detroit organization with Toledo. He’s got a .224 average with 3 dingers and 16 RBI’s over 32 games. He is currently on the disabled list.
• 2003
  • Cruz, Luis (Pirates AA): Playing for the Altoona Curve, Luis Cruz is hitting .263 with 3 home runs and 34 runs batted in over 274 at-bats. He’s struck out just 23 times despite only drawing 14 walks.
  • David Freese (Cardinals AAA): Thanks to David Freese, the Cubs were able to sign Jim Edmonds after the Padres released him. An odd way to pull a three team trade, but the Cubs are happy with how it worked out. Freese has spent the 2008 season at Triple-A Memphis where he is hitting .265 over 75 games with 12 home runs, 42 runs batted in and 22 walks. Maybe the Cubs would have taken him too; he’s hitting .426 in day games.
  • Guzman, Freddy (Tigers AAA): Guzman is another former Padres prospect who is getting renewed life in the Tigers organization. Guzman (who has appeared at the MLB level) is hitting .275 with 3 home runs and 22 RBIs over 77 games. He’s scored 69 runs and stolen 20 bases on the season that has seen him split time between Toledo (his current club) and Erie.
  • Hamilton, Clayton (Rangers AA): Following a promotion to AA Frisco, Hamilton has had a rough go of things. He’s appeared in 3 games, taken two losses and has a 27.00 ERA. He’s given up 9 runs, 6 of them earned in just two innings pitched. This follows on the heals of a 1-1 performance and 3.13 ERA at High-A. So maybe he’ll settle in.
  • Huber, Jon (Mariners AAA): He’ appeared in 29 games and has a bloated 6.03 ERA over 37.1 innings pitched. He’s struck out 27 and walked 13 for the Tacoma Rainiers.
  • Jones, Kennard (Orioles AA): The outfielder has a .257 batting average with 1 home run, 16 RBI’s and 6 stolen bases on the season.
  • Pauley, David (Red Sox AAA): He had a taste of MLB action in 2006 and finally got back for a bit this year. On the season at Pawtucket, Pauley is 10-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 16 starts. He’s struck out 59 and walked 26 while allowing 35 earned runs. He is on Boston’s 40-man roster and likely will see more MLB action before the season is up.
  • Thayer, Dale (Rays AAA): Playing in his second season with the storied Durham Bulls, the relief pitcher is putting together a solid season and is on the Triple-A All Star Roster (I’ll be there and I’ll get pictures). He’s got a 1.48 ERA with 1 win and 9 saves over 33 games. In 42.2 innings pitched, he has 53 K’s to just 14 walks. If the Rays continue to have bumps and bruises in their pitching staff, we might see him make his debut before the year is out. The Rays acquired him as the PTBNL in the deal that sent Russell Branyon to the Padres in 2006.
• 2004
  • Bonine, Eddie (Tigers MLB): Made his Major League debut on June 14 and looked pretty solid until today. For more info on Bonine, see my earlier post.
  • Bonvechio, Bret (White Sox A): After toiling in the indy circuit, he’s back with a MLB organization and playing at Class-A Charlotte for the Chicago White Sox. For more on Bonvechio, see my earlier post.
  • Chick, Travis (Mariners AA): Pitching for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, Chick has compiled a 4.72 ERA with a 2-4 record over 21 games; five of them starts. He’s struck out 47 and walked 28 over 61 innings pitched. Chick was drafted by the Marlins in 2002 and traded to the Padres in 2004, who traded him and Justin Germano to the Reds for Joe Randa in 2005. The Reds then traded Chick to the Mariners in 2006 in the deal that Eddie Guardado to Cincinnati. (Germano, also a former Wizard was later picked up off waivers from the Phillies, who traded Rheal Cormier to the Reds for him.)
  • Ciriaco, Juan (Giants A+): The shortstop is hitting just .176 with 15 hits, six RBI’s and five runs over 36 games for Class-A San Jose.
  • Kottaras, George (Red Sox AAA): The former Wizards catcher is hitting .233 with 16 home runs and 45 RBI’s over 253 at-bats for Pawtucket, his second season at Triple-A. He came into the Red Sox organization in 2006 as the PTBNL that sent David Wells to San Diego.
  • Rosales, Leo (Diamondbacks MLB): Leo Rosales made his MLB debut earlier this season. For more on Rosales, see my earlier post.
  • Wells, Jared (Mariners AAA): Wells was the first former Wizards player to debut in 2008. However, he was sent down to Triple-A Portland a short while later before being traded to the Mariners for Cha Seung Baek. He has since remained at Triple-A.
• 2006
  • Burke, Kyler (Cubs A). Haven’t heard much from this once promising prospect. After being traded to the Cubs in the Rob Bowen deal that also sent Michael Barrett to the Padres, Burke has pretty much dropped off the radar. He is currently playing in Class-A Short-Season Northwest League for the Boise Hawks. He has a less than stellar .139 average in 36 at-bats.
    
  • Link, John (White Sox AA): With the Birmingham Barons, Link is 4-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 31 strike-outs over 32 innings pitched; all of them in relief, where he has picked up 22 saves on the season. The White Sox acquired Link from the Padres last year for Rob Mackowiak.
  • Ramirez, Yordany (Astros AAA): Ramirez was an interesting signing by the Astros in the off-season that enabled Houston to make a trade with the Atlanta Braves to acquire Oscar Villarreal for center fielder Josh Anderson. On the season, he’s hitting .229 in 73 games with the Round Rock Express. He has 4 home runs, 25 RBI’s and 15 stolen bases.
• 2007
  • Pickett, Justin (Rangers A): Wizards fans didn’t see much of the catcher since he appeared in just two games. He was released by the Padres in spring training this year and signed by the Rangers, where he’s split time between Clinton of the Midwest League and Spokane of the Class A Short-Season Northwest League. Though he has appeared in just 18 games, he’s hitting .359 with 3 home runs and 19 RBI’s in 64 total at-bats. His 6 walks has help to inch his OBP up to .429. More on Pickett here.

If you’re looking to keep up with some of your favorite former Wizards, here’s some links you’ll enjoy, courtesy of SignOnSanDiego.

• Chase Headley: “The jewel of the Padres’ minor-league system, the player that every other major league team mentions first when San Diego’s looking to make a trade, Headley’s a big-time ballplayer in the making and likely not much longer for Triple-A.” [See Also: "Headley's Portland apprenticeship is a matter of dollars and sense" by Tim Sullivan]
• Will Venable: “Desperate for a center fielder who can handle the spaciousness of Petco Park, the Padres think that guy could very well be Venable, whose gait is built more for chasing down fly balls and legging out triples than stealing bases.”
• Matt Antonelli: “Even with his batting average under .200, Antonelli is among the PCL leaders in walks (28). His patience at the plate belies the belief that Antonelli put way too much pressure on himself the first several weeks of the season.”
• Luke Carlin: “I wanted to call my dad (to tell him about the call-up), but he’s a civilian contractor in Iraq. The funny thing was we were in Omaha when I was promoted. We were headed for Iowa and my wife and daughter were coming down from Wisconsin. I called Kim and when I said `There’s a change in plans,’ she was silent for a moment.”
• Paul McAnulty: Fun short Q/A where McAnulty, an American retro car buff, reveals his five favorite machines.

A while back, I suggested the Padres throw in the towel. It’s time for prospects to show what they can do, and some of them have hit their strides at the right time.

The most obvious is one that many had predicted would have a roster spot coming out of Spring Training. Yes, Chase Headley. The number of headlines I have seen that have included his name over the last several days is quite impressive.

Baseball America recently named him to the top of their prospect hot sheet.

For the record, Headley is hitting .471/.550/.647 in 34 May at-bats. And if he keeps that up, it’s precisely the type of bat-wielding the offense-starved Padres could use.

Headley, led the Padres in slugging percentage at the time of his demotion – an area that the Friars could certainly use help. After starting slow in Triple-A Portland, the converted outfielder has performed well. Over the first 38 games he batted .288 with 12 doubles, six home runs and 42 strikeouts; his overall OPS was .839. Oh, and he’s a switch hitter. That’s gotta account for something.

Portland Manager, and former Wizards skipper, Randy Ready thinks he might be ready:

He’s been swinging that bat well as of late, driving the ball, slugging a little bit right now. He’s doing the same thing he was doing at the beginning of the year except for all of a sudden he’s getting the count in his favor and his swing has smoothed out. He’s letting the ball travel a lot longer than he was earlier this season.

Yet, despite his improvement, when the Padres shed Jim Edmonds from their roster, they didn’t call up Headley, they called up Jody Gerut instead. And Headley took being bypassed like a professional:

“To be honest, Jody didn’t belong here,” Headley said. “In the time he was here, he was pretty dialed in. He deserved a callup before I did. When things started to pan out, it was obvious what was going to happen. It didn’t bother me one bit” [source: MLB.com].

Don’t worry Chase. You’ll get your chance soon enough.

While the Colorado Rockies were playing in the 2007 World Series, the Padres hired Felix Feliz away from the Rox with the hope that he would help them emulate their success in locating and signing talent in Latin America. As a player, Feliz, 40, was a career minor-league second baseman in Pittsburgh’s farm system. He later managed a Dodgers club in the Dominican Summer League and he was a top aide to Rolando Fernandez, Colorado’s director of international operations while with the Rox.

The Padres don’t have any Dominicans on their 25- or 40-man rosters and have just one Latin American player who is on their 40-man roster that began his professional career within the organization.

But the Padres are serious about their efforts in Latin America. In addition to hiring Feliz, they built an $8.5 million 15-acre facility, which opened this month in the city of Najayo, San Cristobal. Feliz says it is better than any other complex in the country. It can host up to 70 players, but they are currently at about half that with others there for tryouts. In addition to Dominican players, there are plans to house players from Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Colombia.

Acquiring international talent is different from the typical draft that occurs throughout Major League Baseball. June 2nd is the international signing day for players who have turned 16 during the previous year. According to Grady Fuson, the Padres’ Vice President of Scouting and Player Development, players can expect to spend about 1-3 years at the complex before coming to the Unites States.

“It’s very important for a player to spend at least one year at the complex. Coming to the United States early can be an ordeal. And just because a player might spend two or three years at the complex doesn’t mean he’s not a prospect. The six-year clock (for minor leaguers) doesn’t start ticking until they come to the United States. While most players are gifted skillwise, a lot of them are raw when it comes to mechanics. And remember, they’re very young” [source: SignOnSanDiego].

Players started moving into the facility on April 6 and began working out two days later. Instruction began April 12. It will operate 8 1/2 to nine months a year. Tomorrow, the complex will celebrate its grand opening.

n addition to setting new standards for Major League Baseball facilities and their operation in the Dominican Republic, the Padres have already made a significant commitment to the local Najayo community. The club entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with ENTRENA, a Dominican education company, along with USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic to work collaboratively to improve the quality of basic primary school education in the country.

This year’s Wizards squad sees some solid Latin prospects, like Luis Durango and Yefri Carvajal. Over the next couple years, provided the Wizards remain a Padres affiliate, we can probably expect to see more on the field in Fort Wayne.

Further Reading: SignOnSanDiego | ESPN | MadFriars

Here’s some news on two former Wizards pitchers; Dirk Hayhurst and Wade LeBlanc. Both are at similar stages of their journeying through the Padres’ farm system.

Both are with Triple-A Portland. Dirk Hayhurst saw his first action of the season Sunday against the Fresno Grizzlies. He allowed two runs on three hits over two innings in a game that saw the Beavers lose 9-1. Over at Mad Friars, they have a good interview with Hayhurst. I can’t help but post a wonderful quote from that segment here:

I write for Baseball America. I write their non-prospect diary. Everybody else writes this thing called a prospect diary, which is what it’s like to be cool and awesome and hitting real well and drinking protein shakes. But, that’s not real, that’s not the minor leagues. The minor leagues are getting off a bus at 3 am to eat at a gas station or fighting over seating arrangements on a bus in A ball. What’s it like to bicker about who’s going to do the ball bucket, that kind of stuff, real stuff. [read the full piece at Mad Friars]

On the other hand, Wade LeBlanc dazzled in his Triple-A debut. The former Wizards pitcher tied a Beavers record with a career-high 11 strikeouts over just six innings of work to lead Portland to a 9-1 win over the visiting Sacramento RiverCats on Monday (yes, Hayhurst really did lose in a game 9-1 while LeBlanc won a game 9-1).

LeBlanc’s strikeout record ties other former Wizards pitchers Oliver Perez (2003) and Steve Watkins (2004) in single-game strikeouts for Portland. There was speculation during Spring Training that Leblanc had an outside shot at the fifth starter spot before being assigned to Triple-A. Methinks we may see him a time or two before the season is over.