Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, March 13, 2015 i Baseball America

APRIL 10 1990 IN THIS ISSUE: Rangers boast best system with 20-year-old Juan Gonzalez and “wonderfully named catcher Ivan ‘Pudge’ Rodriguez.” » ALSO: Scout John Young creates Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program, beginning in Los Angeles Crank up the hot tub and dial the time machine back 25 years to spring training 1990, when young outfielders like Juan Gonzalez, Larry Walker and Bernie Williams were attracting attention. Two elderly gents manned the sourvenir stand just beyond field No. 1 at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa. Business was slow, so they spent the mid-March afternoon watching minor league intrasquad games through the chain-link fence. “You know who’s going to be a good one is this Bernie Williams kid,” one of the men said, sitting under a tent some…

Baseball Writer, ESPN.com SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. Rumor has it that Madison Bumgarner wakes up at 5 or 6 each morning during the offseason to tote bales of hay, tend to the horses and cows and do all the other necessary chores at his farm in Hickory, N.C. So it was a bit ironic when he completed his first throw session at Giants’ spring training camp, then answered a bunch of questions about whether he’s prepared to handle his upcoming workload. It’s been almost four months since Bumgarner was equal parts Randy Johnson, Terminator and Paul Bunyan in San Francisco’s four-week run to a title. His amazing performance earned him the Sports Illustrated sportsman of the year award, an honor that elicits a genuine surge of emotion from him because of the…

PACE OF PLAY CHANGES COMING Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association agreed to changes aimed at slicing into the time of game, which has averaged longer than three hours since 2012 and has increased by more than a half-hour since 2004. The sides decided against instituting—at least this year—the changes it experimented with in the Arizona Fall League, such as the 20-second pitch clock. However, batters will be required to keep at least one foot in the batter’s box and pitching changes and between-inning breaks will also be timed. For instance, when a reliever leaves the bullpen and reaches the field, the timer will be activated—starting at 2 minutes, 25 seconds on local TV games, 2:45 on national games. The new rules will be in place at the…

Draft lists can change quickly, and the draft doesn’t happen until June. No one is drafting off offseason rankings, or February draft lists. Fans love them, though, and Baseball America likes to do them. We did a Top 50 overall draft rankings last issue, and in this issue we bring back our Top 50 players by class. As the editor who oversees those lists, let me say they aren’t 100 percent consistent, because the players—and the perceptions of the players—can change very quickly. Duke righthander Michael Matuella entered the spring as the top four-year college player on our list, with the caveat that Matuella had a different, shorter track record than the average college pitcher who has ranked at the top of our lists in the past. However, he’s also…

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST 1. WASHINGTON NATIONALS BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Free agent gem Max Scherzer rounds out the best rotation since the mid-1990s Braves. Ryan Zimmerman’s shift to first goes flawlessly, and Matt Williams manages October like it’s October as Washington wins its first championship since the Senators in 1924. WORST-CASE SCENARIO: The Nats have few obvious holes, but Williams has to handle expectations better than then-manager Davey Johnson and the Nats did in 2013. The Nats’ bullpen stands as the team’s biggest weakness. BIGGEST OFFSEASON ACQUISITIONS: Scherzer, SS/2B Yunel Escobar, RHP Casey Janssen BIGGEST OFFSEASON LOSSES: 1B Adam LaRoche, RHP Tyler Clippard, LHP Ross Detwiler NEXT FIRST-TIME ALL-STAR: 3B Anthony Rendon 2. NEW YORK METS BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Matt Harvey shows no rust from his Tommy John surgery and fronts a boffo…

Margot On The Go BOSTON Since they signed center fielder Manuel Margot out of the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old in 2011, the Red Sox have viewed him as perhaps their foremost five-tool talent. He is more than willing to set his sights on being just such a player. “I like Adam Jones because he’s a five-tool guy,” Margot said through a translator. “That’s who I look up to.” Margot doesn’t feature Jones’ power, but in 2014 his across-the-board skills transformed from an impressive package of tools to ingame production that gave him a chance to be an everyday player. He spent most of his age-19 season at low Class A Greenville, where a big second half propelled him to a .286/.355/.449 batting line with 10 homers, 39 steals and…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ATLANTA Long-time Braves scouting director Paul Snyder noted during a scout-day evaluation of Justin Jackson that if his career didn’t pan out at shortstop, then he would get a long look on the mound. The infielder displayed that kind of arm strength on his throws, even as a senior at Roberson High in Asheville, N.C. Snyder’s forecast is about to unfold in the Braves organization. Jackson, a supplemental first-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2007, signed as a minor league free agent with Atlanta in mid-November. “Signing with the Braves was the best fit for me because of location and the opportunities they have there,” said Jackson, 26. “It’s one of the best pitching organizations in baseball.…

A Fast-Track Guy PHILADELPHIA Advance praise for first-round righthander Aaron Nola described him as one of the most polished talents in the 2014 draft, a pitcher who could move quickly toward the big leagues. Selected seventh overall by the Phillies, Nola lived up to that billing during his first pro summer, impressing observers at high Class A Clearwater and Double-A Reading, where he finished with five starts. Many thought the former Louisiana State ace might be invited to big league spring training in 2015, but after giving the matter much thought, Phillies officials decided against the idea. “We just didn’t feel like it was necessary,” general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “We need to take a look at some other guys. He’s not one of those kids who we need…

Large Presence CLEVELAND At 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, outfielder Jordan Smith is the kind of player that tends to get people’s attention. “He’s got that physical presence,” Indians farm director Carter Hawkins said. “When he walks into a room, he’s the type of guy you could see in a major league clubhouse.” That’s exactly where Smith found himself at the start of spring training—in a major league clubhouse. The Indians invited him to big league camp as a non-roster player. “It’s very exciting, a blessing. I’m looking forward to it,” said Smith, 24 A righthandedhitting outfielder selected by Cleveland in the ninth round of the 2011 draft out of St. Cloud State (Minn.). In two seasons at St. Cloud, he hit .420 with 22 home runs and 135 RBIs. Smith spent…

Wipeout Pitch MINNEAPOLIS One pitch isn’t enough, not even at the big league level. Even Mariano Rivera had a repertoire of complementary pitches to his famous cutter. The Twins are confident that righthanded reliever Jake Reed understands that his slippery-sideways fastball alone isn’t going to make him a successful big leaguer. Still, “when you’ve got a pitch like that one, you can understand why he’s reluctant to throw anything else,” vice president for player personnel Mike Radcliff said. Not as reluctant as righthanders are to face it, though. Reed, Oregon’s converted closer who was drafted in the fifth round in 2014, punished same-side batters in his first season as a pro, holding them to four singles and a double in 61 plate appearances. He also limited lefthanders to a .130…

Brewers Cut AWOL Delmonico MILWAUKEE Because third base has been a position of need in their organization, the Brewers were excited to get Nick Delmonico in a trade with the Orioles in July 2013 for righthanded reliever Francisco Rodriguez. Delmonico, a sixth-round draft pick by the Orioles in 2012 out of Farragut (Tenn.) High, was the fourth-rated prospect in their system heading into 2013 and immediately was placed high on the Brewers’ list. But it took only a year and half for the Brewers to decide to release the 22-year-old Delmonico. A red flag went up last spring when Delmonico missed minor league camp for what the Brewers only would say were “personal reasons.” He later reported to extended spring training and was assigned in-season to high Class A Brevard…

TEXAS | Rangers For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ARLINGTON The scenario that is playing out on the Rangers’ roster with Yovani Gallardo, raised some 20 miles west of Globe Life Park, is playing out on the minor league side with Jake Thompson. Thompson is back home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the organization he grew up watching after the Tigers traded him, along with fellow righthander and native Texan Corey Knebel, for reliever Joakim Soria. Thompson, the Tigers’ second-round pick in 2012, spent the offseason making the 45-minute commute from his home in Rockwall for workouts with many veterans. The offseason was all about learning for the 21-year-old Thompson, who saw from Derek Holland the kind of work ethic it takes to…

A Cutter Above OAKLAND When you go to Florida, you expect to find a few alligators and some strong Cuban coffee. Kendall Graveman found something that has served him much, much better. The 24-year-old righthander “found” a cutter last year. He was not really looking for it, it just started hopping out of his hand, and he decided to ride with it. Ride he did, from low Class A to the majors in one season. Even before he found the cutter, Graveman got off to a good start last year with the Blue Jays. In his first four games at low Class A Lansing, he went a 2-0, 0.34. That earned a promotion to high Class A Dunedin and started the life-changing chain of events. “One day I was pitching…

Back In Control DENVER Confident he had overcome the control problems that marred his 2014 season, Ryan Warner left for spring training one month before the start of minor league camp. He was eager to leave the cold of his Colorado Springs home and throw for coaches. “I feel a lot better than I did at the end of last season,” the 6-foot-7 Warner said. “But it’s always different when that hitter gets in there. But all I got to do is almost erase the hitter and just keep throwing to the catcher like I have been.” A third-round supplemental pick in 2012 out of Pine Creek High in Colorado Springs, Warner went 1-4, 6.20 in 11 starts for Rookielevel Tri-City last season, averaging 8.4 walks and 5.3 strikeouts per…

Mac The Knife Feeling Better SAN FRANCISCO Outfielder Mac Williamson and righthander Derek Law were roommates in Arizona this offseason, both working to come back from Tommy John surgery. In terms of their rehab schedule, though, they were the odd couple. “Being a position player, it has its own set of challenges,” said Williamson, a power-hitting right fielder, who had surgery last April. “For pitchers, they’re on a program that’s been done so many times. They know exactly how much exercise to do and how many pitches to throw every day. They warm up on the mound and can stay warm in the dugout, whereas I might stand out there and go 30 minutes between throws.” It’s been much longer since Williamson made his last throw from the outfield. He…

LOS ANGELES Baseball has a way of connecting people through its strategy, sights, sounds and smells. Whether it’s a father and son playing catch in the yard or a group of people watching from the stands, baseball has a way of captivating one’s senses. Often, though, the greatest connection happens on the field, where players ply their craft and form a brotherhood that extends well beyond the diamond. For a pair of Southern California’s top draft-eligible high school prospects, their connection is rooted on baseball fields around the region. Chris Betts, a catcher from Long Beach Wilson High and Kyle Molnar, a righthander from Aliso Niguel (Calif.) High, have been playing together on the travel ball circuit for seven years, and that familiarity has led to their unbreakable bond. “I…

For most fanbases, replacing a 73-year-old ballpark with a brand-new, state-of-the-art stadium located just six miles down the road would sound like a dream come true. But that’s not necessarily the case in Pawtucket, where the charm of McCoy Stadium outweighs any limitations it creates while watching the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox play. That was a philosophy held by the International League franchise’s owner, Ben Mondor, who made-do at McCoy for 33 years before he died in 2010. That era, however, is now officially over. The sale of the team was completed in late February for a reported $20 million to an ownership group headed by Red Sox president Larry Lucchino, Providence attorney James Skeffington and the Boston Red Sox parent company Fenway Sports Group. The bigger news of the…

Baseball was always a family endeavor for Chuck Murphy, the longtime Florida State League president who died in February at the age of 83. Murphy kept his family close. His late wife Emo served as his unofficial lieutenant after he landed his first baseball gig with the Evansville Triplets in 1976 following a 21-year career in the Army. Daughter Laura worked by his side in the Florida State League office, and Murphy’s son in-law Tim pitched in as the Daytona Cubs’ public-address announcer. But he also opened his arms to the baseball community, so many of whom considered themselves part of Murphy’s extended family. “All of the league presidents would say they were close with Chuck, and I was not different,” International League president Randy Mobley said. “He made us…

FORT MYERS, FLA. The day Hanley Ramirez arrived here in February, he went to find an old hotel 15 years in his past. “I wanted to go see it, because it was the first place I lived when I had signed and came to this country to begin my baseball career,” Ramirez said as he worked out at the Red Sox new complex. “It was a good reminder of where I came from.” Ramirez is 31 now. He is no longer a shortstop, he is a left fielder who looks as if he were Bill Belichick’s middle linebacker at 6-foot-2, 240 pounds. Not long after he arrived in Fort Myers as a teenager from the Dominican Republic, he was on the cover of Baseball America, a prospect thought to be…

The biggest storyline of 2015 will be? John Manuel: The Nationals, who should (a) be a 100-win team, baseball’s first since the Yankees in 2009, (b) have baseball’s best rotation, and (c) still need to figure out which starter will go to the bullpen come playoff time. J.J. Cooper: The addition of the second wild card has already added a lot of interest in markets around the country. This year it could get even more interesting because so few teams are clearly looking to next year as the season begins. Some teams will falter, but at the trade deadline, the Royals and Giants’ examples from last year should inspire a lot of teams to go for it, since 87-88 wins can lead to postseason glory. Matt Eddy: The stable of…

Yoan Moncada, one of the top young Cuban players to leave the island in recent years, agreed to terms with the Red Sox on a $31.5 million bonus. Moncada, 19, is a 6-foot, 210-pound switch-hitter who projects as a second or third baseman in the big leagues, though he will start his career in the minors, with a Class A assignment most likely. His has several tools that grade out now or project to be a 60 or better on the 20-80 scale. His speed, raw power and arm strength are all plus tools, and he projects as a future plus hitter. Once Moncada passes a physical and his contract becomes official, he will rank as the No. 10 prospect in baseball, making him Boston’s new No. 1 prospect. Since…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA. Nearly seven years after the Rays made prep shortstop Tim Beckham the No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft—ahead of Buster Posey, among others—he has his first, and best, chance to make the big league roster. With starting shortstop Yunel Escobar and second baseman Ben Zobrist both traded in the offseason, Beckham attends spring training with the opportunity to compete for the starting shortstop job or, failing that, a role as backup infielder. Part of the decision will be based on whether free agent import Asdrubal Cabrera is best suited for second base or shortstop, but Beckham is working hard to convince the Rays he belongs. That process started when he came down from his…

No Substitute For Experience NEW YORK Right fielder Aaron Judge and righthander Luis Severino will have plenty of eyes on them in their initial exposure to big league spring training camp. Judge’s immense raw power and 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame can be intoxicating to watch. Severino is the system’s No. 1 prospect and has an outside chance of reaching the majors this season. The Yankees have more than exhibitiongame evaluations in mind when they bring high-end prospects to camp for the first time. “We want them exposed to the major league staff, and to be exposed to big league players,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “(We want to show them) what a major league clubhouse is like, and how the right way to go about their business. “We want them to…

One Step Forward FORT LAUDERDALE Righthander Matt Milroy opened 2014 at low Class A Greensboro with a pair of five-out relief appearances. He gave up a combined seven runs on six hits, three walks and a hit batsman. That was the low point of what was a brief, but fruitful two-and-a-half months in the South Atlantic League. Milroy over his remaining 60 innings logged a 1.95 ERA, yielding 38 hits and striking out 83. “I think it was a combination of having a really good, experienced catcher in Chad Wallach and then a great coaching staff,” said Milroy, 24. “I had a few good outings and really got comfortable, and just let that take its course.” That course took Milroy south to high Class A Jupiter in late June. He…

Continuity Is Key WASHINGTON After another successful year on the farm, the Nationals decided not to make any changes to their managerial lineup. Players and coaches require no meet-andgreet when minor league camp opens, not with Billy Gardner Jr. managing Triple-A Syracuse, Brian Daubach at Double-A Harrisburg, Tripp Keister at high Class A Potomac and Patrick Anderson at low Class A Hagerstown. Combined with the short-season Auburn and Rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliates, Washington’s six domestic clubs had a .514 winning percentage in 2014, which ranked 10th in baseball. Farm director Mark Scialabba said the continuity allows the vice presidents of player development (Doug Harris) and player personnel (Bob Boone) and general manager Mike Rizzo to count on a high standard of play. “Having consistency in the organization really helps…

Mercedes Seeking Movement DETROIT At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, righthander Melvin Mercedes does not normally get lost in the crowd. But Tigers fans will be hard-pressed to find him during spring training this year. Mercedes struggled during the 2014 season, his first at Triple-A Toledo, and is no longer on the team’s 40-man roster. He also is not among the 17 non-roster players the Tigers invited to spring training. Instead, Mercedes will spend this spring in minor league camp. The 2014 season proved to be bittersweet for Mercedes, whom the Tigers signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2008. He struck out two and threw two perfect innings on Aug. 15 during his major league debut—but he did not perform while at Toledo. Assistant general manager Al Avila said Mercedes…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CHICAGO By now everybody knows how loaded the Cubs farm system is, with six players landing on the Top 100 Prospects list—including four in the top 20 and two of the top three. But the ultimate success of Theo Epstein’s fourth-year rebuilding process—if history (and/or the St. Louis Cardinals’ track record) means anything—will be in what the organization gets out of the less-heralded guys. Three of those guys to watch this year, based on early signs, include: Third baseman Jeimer Candelario, 21. Despite a down year offensively, the Cubs are still high on the strong-armed, switchhitting infielder. “He has all the tools to be an impact third baseman, with a great swing from both sides of the plate,”…

Relating Well PITTSBURGH When Neal Huntington went about hiring special assistants in the offseason, the general manager looked for people who could relate to managers, coaches and players throughout the organization. That is why he hired three men well-regarded in baseball circles—Grady Little, Kevin Young and Jamey Carroll. Little, 64, returns to the major leagues for the first time since resigning as the Dodgers manager following the 2007 season. He spent two years each as manager with the Dodgers and Red Sox (2002-03), compiling a 358-290 record in the four years and never recording a losing season. He was fired by the Red Sox after the team lost a seven-game ALCS to the Yankees. “Grady brings years of in-the-dugout experience,” Huntington said. “He’ll be a great mentor for our minor…

Backstop Backlog HOUSTON During a team meeting early in big league spring training, Astros manager A.J. Hinch highlighted catcher Roberto Pena’s 2014 minor league Gold Glove Award while introducing him to the pitchers and catchers. Pena is part of an impressive crop of catching depth in the Astros farm system—joining Max Stassi, Tyler Heineman and Luis Flores, who was picked in the Triple-A portion of the Rule 5 draft last June. “Yeah, definitely it’s awesome,” Heineman said. “It’s challenging but it’s also awesome to be with other catchers of that caliber. It’s very nice to be with a great group of catchers, including the major league guys like Castro and Conger and even Evan Gattis. They’re a little more experienced. They teach us and I think we’re pretty good of…

Free Delivery SEATTLE Danny Hultzen is just normal pitcher this spring. A year removed from left-shoulder surgery to repair damage to the labrum, rotator cuff and anterior capsule, the 2011 No. 2 pick overall pick out of Virginia is back on the mound, pitching without limitations. “It feels completely normal,” he said. “I feel like I’m back. I have no idea what a game will be like. I haven’t been in a full-game situation in a long time. But as far as how my arm feels and letting it go without thinking about it, I’m definitely back to before.” His bullpen catcher for the first bullpen session of the spring—John Hicks—saw the same thing. Hicks was Hultzen’s primary catcher at Virginia. “He looked pretty much like the old guy,” said…

Catcher Or Infielder? LOS ANGELES Whether Austin Barnes is an infielder in catcher’s gear or a catcher who moonlights as an infielder, the Dodgers feel they added an intriguing prospect when they acquired Barnes from the Marlins this winter. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman called Barnes’ skill set “a bucketful of really interesting qualities— nothing that you’d watch in a workout and would jump out at you but a culmination of a lot of different skills and tools.” The Dodgers are most intrigued by Barnes’ offensive abilities. Over four minor league seasons since the Marlins made him their ninth-round draft pick out of Arizona State, Barnes has hit .298/.390/.431 with more walks than strikeouts. “He has really good decision-making skills at the plate,” Friedman said. “He’s elite at…

A frame sits on the desk of Braden Bishop’s childhood bedroom. There’s no picture in it. Just three words, typed in heavy font. Bishop framed them himself, as a teenager, in San Carlos, Calif., not long after he heard his travel ball coach say them for the first time: “Adversity breeds strength.” Bishop has always thrived on those sorts of simple phrases, ideas that he can lock onto with unrelenting focus, to the point that they become embedded within him, like pieces of genetic code. They’re perpetual reminders, constant calls to action, self-charging motivators. They’re more than words. They’re batteries. Gasoline. “I’m pretty big with words,” Bishop says. “I think for myself to have ones that are significant in my life and applied to my life directly, it’s just kind…

Transactions Transactions involving minor league players, i.e. those not on 40-man rosters, covering the period Feb. 6-19. ATLANTA BRAVES: Signed RHPs Matt Capps, Todd Coffey and Jose Veras and OF Eric Young Jr. Released RHP Joe Gardner. BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Signed 2B Jayson Nix and OF Nolan Reimold. BOSTON RED SOX: Signed RHPs Deryk Hooker and Jess Todd. CHICAGO CUBS: Signed SS Ryan Dent. Re-signed 2B Jonathan Mota. CHICAGO WHITE SOX: Signed C Sean O’Connell and 3B Nick Delmonico. CINCINNATI REDS: Signed RHPs Daniel Cabrera and Kevin Gregg and 3B Chris Dominguez. CLEVELAND INDIANS: Signed LHP Bruce Chen and SS Michael Martinez. COLORADO ROCKIES: Signed C Aaron Munoz. DETROIT TIGERS: Signed OF Casper Wells. HOUSTON ASTROS: Signed RHP Roberto Hernandez. KANSAS CITY ROYALS: Signed RHPs Joe Blanton and Derek Gordon. Released…

MIKE VOLBERDING, DANVILLE, CA The easiest answer is scouts look for clean deliveries, strong frames and two secondary pitches to go with the fastball. Pitchers likely to end up in the bullpen are those who can’t develop a breaking ball, or struggle to repeat their delivery and release point, or are shorter than 6 feet or have a skinny frame. But let’s take it a step further. It’s an anecdotal look, but there’s value in looking at past results. Let’s look at the 30 pitchers from the 2009 Top 100 Prospects list still pitching in 2014. Of that group, 14 were starters last season, 10 were relievers and six bounced between the bullpen and the rotation. If you looked deeper into the team Top 30s, you would find more prospects…

DENVER The Tigers have been aggressive in recent seasons in an effort to end a 30-year championship drought. They have advanced to the postseason the last four seasons, even getting to the World Series in 2012, where they were swept by the Giants. Is their window to win a title about to close? The Tigers head to spring training with every reason to feel they can win the AL Central this year, but also with a roster that will force management to make tough decisions by season’s end. The Tigers have six potential free agents among their key players for 2015, plus closer Joe Nathan, who does have a club option for 2016 worth $10 million. The potential free-agent list includes outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, projected starting pitchers David Price and…

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST 1. BOSTON RED SOX BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Free-agent signees Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval provide new punch. The Red Sox hit their way to first place, then make a trade-deadline splash for an ace en route to their second worst-to-first turnaround in four years. WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Father Time is undefeated—when does he catch up to the 39-year-old David Ortiz? Its rotation may not have an ace to help it break through for a playoff spot. BIGGEST OFFSEASON ACQUISITIONS: LHP Wade Miley, RHP Rick Porcello, OF Hanley Ramirez, 3B Pablo Sandoval. BIGGEST OFFSEASON LOSSES: RHP Rubby de la Rosa, RHP Burke Badenhop, 3B Will Middlebrooks, OF Jonny Gomes. NEXT FIRST-TIME ALL-STAR: OF/2B Mookie Betts. 2. BALTIMORE ORIOLES BEST-CASE SCENARIO: The underrated rotation keeps performing like one of baseball’s best.…

Even several weeks before minor league spring training officially began, there was a lot of prospect news coming out of Florida and Arizona. Most notable was the presence of shortstop Trea Turner in Padres camp. The Padres’ 2014 first-round pick is the player to be named in the three-team offseason trade that sent Wil Myers to the Padres and Steven Souza to the Rays, and eventually Turner to the Nationals. Turner’s portion of the trade cannot be completed until June 13, a year after his first contract was signed. When the trade happened, Turner’s agent Jeff Barry told FoxSports.com that it was “unconscionable” that Turner would have to remain for six months with a team that would eventually be shipping him elsewhere. But Turner told reporters at spring training that…

How Low Can You Go? BALTIMORE Mychal Givens is becoming more than a curiosity as he enters year three of the transition from shortstop to pitcher. The 24-year-old went a combined 1-2, 3.53 in 36 appearances last season, striking out 55 batters in 59 innings, between high Class A Frederick and Double-A Bowie. The Orioles brought Givens to their January minicamp in Sarasota, Fla., and continued to tinker with his delivery while envisioning him as a potential late-inning reliever in Baltimore. He needs to improve his control after walking 6.0 batters per nine innings last year. Big league manager Buck Showalter wants Givens to further lower an arm slot that alternates between sidearm and low threequarters and produces a fastball that touches the mid-90s. “I’m focusing on just trying to…

In Good Hands TORONTO Mike Mordecai is the latest coordinator of instruction for the Blue Jays, taking over the critical player-development role that’s served as a stepping stone for his three immediate predecessors. The highly regarded 47-year-old, promoted after five years as infield coordinator, replaces Clayton McCullough, who left in January for a promotion to field coordinator of the Dodgers. McCullough took over from Tim Leiper, who was promoted to big league first-base coach in Toronto, and he replaced John Mallee, who is now the hitting coach for the Cubs. This succession underlines the type of coaching talent that has overseen Blue Jays farmhands. “We’ve had some really good ones in that spot,” said Tony LaCava, the assistant general manager and farm director, “but I don’t think any are any…

Ynoa Has The Knack PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. Righthander Gabriel Ynoa issued just 25 walks in 148 innings last season between high Class A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton. Yet what really impressed St. Lucie pitching coach Phil Regan was the 21-year-old’s composure on the mound. “Nothing bothers him. He’s not afraid,” Regan said. “Plus, he’s got some pretty good pitches. He throws hard enough, and he’s got a good breaking ball and good offspeed pitches. “But the thing I really like about him is he doesn’t rattle when he’s on the mound.” Ynoa, who signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2009, went a combined 11-4, 4.07 in 25 starts in the Florida State and Eastern leagues. He did surrender 169 hits, though, which seemingly is a product of…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CHICAGO The results were only too predictable for third baseman Trey Michalczewski in 2014, as he spent his first full season in the South Atlantic and Carolina leagues. The 19-year-old performed well at low Class A Kannapolis, hitting .273/.348/.433 with 10 home runs and 70 RBIs in 116 games. “Being at Kannapolis, that was the best I’ve felt in a long time,” Michalczewski said. “A lot of it was because of the coaches we had there. They were great. “(Manager) Pete Rose Jr. helped me out a lot, mentally, just relaxing. He always told me, ‘Be 19 years old. You don’t have to be anything else.’ That really kind of helped me put things in perspective, and it…

Second In Class KANSAS CITY The Royals selected Scott Blewett in the second round of last year’s draft, taking the 6-foot-6 righthander from Baker High in Baldwinsville, N.Y. He was not the highestdrafted athlete out of the cozy Syracuse suburb in 2014, however. Alex Tuch went 18th overall to the Minnesota Wild in the NHL draft a couple of weeks after the Royals chose Blewett. “He’s actually one of my good friends,” Blewett said. “I grew up with him from the age of 5 on. We’ve always been pretty close. He lived just down the street from me.” Blewett said he played hockey for eight years, stopping when he was 13. He also played basketball but quit after his sophomore season to concentrate on baseball. It paid off when the…

Staying The Course CINCINNATI Ryan LaMarre is a semester short of a degree in kinesiology from Michigan, but he feels like his career the last couple of years has been a graduate course. The 26-year-old outfielder’s case study began in 2012, when he had what he thought was a heel bruise. That was later diagnosed as plantar fasciitis in his left foot. That, he said, flattened out his arches, and after training, it seemed to lead to what he thought were shin splints. That changed the way he ran, and he ended up with two hernias. Then, last season, when he finally got those treated, an MRI exam showed that he’d suffered a stress fracture in his left tibia, requiring surgery to put in a nine-inch steel rod in October.…

Tall Order For Ohlman JUPITER, FLA. If he hasn’t yet folded his 6-foot-5 frame into the uniform he wears to work every day, Michael Ohlman and his jangling limbs often get mistaken walking through clubhouse for a pitcher. And then he grabs a mitt. “Oh, you’re tall for a catcher,” he said, recreating the moments. “I get that all the time.” Ohlman 24, arrived at spring training more than five inches taller than the next closest catcher in camp. The only catcher around the Cardinals who could understand the heights at which he played the position was the team’s major league manager, 6-foot-3 and former Gold Glove-winner Mike Matheny. It’s no wonder then that early in spring training, Ohlman gravitated to the manager and welcomed an invitation to get some…

Catching Eyes ANAHEIM When the Angels traded catcher Hank Conger to Houston for pitcher Nick Tropeano and catcher Carlos Perez last November, Perez seemed like a throw-in, a strong-armed defender who provided depth. But Perez, 24, emerged as a legitimate prospect, his stock boosted by a strong Venezuelan League showing. “We’ve probably received more calls and hits on Carlos Perez than any player we have, because he’s a young catcher who has made a lot of progress with the bat,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said in December. Perez, who played seven minor league seasons for Toronto and Houston, batted .329/.365/.500 for Caracas, with four homers, 11 doubles and 24 RBIs. He had 19 strikeouts and 10 walks in 146 at-bats. The Venezuelan native has thrown out 226 of 637 basestealers…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ PHOENIX While growing up in Cuba, righthander Yoan Lopez had friends in the hotel industry with access to the internet. They downloaded information, pictures and statistics on the Diamondbacks, and Lopez followed closely. “It was actually my favorite team,” Lopez said. “This is a dream that came true.” The 22-year-old Lopez gave them something to dream about in his first bullpen session of the spring on Feb. 20. Seven days after landing in Arizona, Lopez showed a four-pitch arsenal to Tony La Russa, Dave Stewart and other brass watching. There were no radar guns that first day on Lopez, who is said to sit at 95 mph and has touched 100 mph, not that it mattered. “Here he…

Padres Add Alou SAN DIEGO Not satisfied with adding several righthanded sluggers to the major league roster, Padres general manager A.J. Preller found another decorated righty slugger to help bring along San Diego’s farm system. Moises Alou, a six-time National League all-star, joined Preller’s staff as special assistant of player development. The former outfielder also serves as GM of the Leones del Escogido in the Dominican League, a job he’s held since 2009. “I had a lot of offers to work with different teams over the years,” Alou told UTSanDiego.com. “For some reason, me and A.J. clicked. I wanted to be part of what’s going on in San Diego. It got to the point that I felt with the things I learned playing the game, being a GM during winter…

Get a head start on preparing for the draft in June—and for years to come—with a look at the top 50 college prospects in each class. The senior class list has become even more important in recent years as many teams have taken to drafting college seniors in the top 10 rounds to save money for later picks. All college juniors and seniors are eligible for the 2015 draft. Asterisks (*) denote freshmen and sophomores who are drafteligible, either because of their age or because they’re attending junior college or a post-secondary school. SENIORS JUNIORS SOPHOMORES FRESHMEN…

CLEARWATER, FLA. Whew. What an offseason. Give us a second while we catch our breath and try to digest what just happened. Did the Padres trade for every available outfielder except Dave Winfield? Was the most humongous contract in professional sports history really handed out by the Marlins? Did the Orioles nearly trade their general manager? Did James Shields take longer to find a home than the “Beverly Hills Chihuahua?” Well, we polled 35 team officials from around baseball. Here are the results: Most Improved Teams (NL) Padres 29 votes, Cubs 11, Marlins 11, Nationals 4 We’re getting a little worried about new Padres GM A.J. Preller. He hasn’t made a deal in the past half-hour. After a winter in which he pulled off seven trades (three of which brought…