Prospects to Watch

[TKOSpikes]

Missed out on Jose Fernandez. He's not being moved now. The first offer sent to me about a month ago was Fernandez, Aaron Crow (we have Holds), Neil Walker and two bum arms I would have dropped right away... for Lance Lynn, Brandon Phillips, Morse, Grilli, and CC. Hindsight, I'm probably an idiot for rejecting.

 

[TKOSpikes]

I tried to take Lynn and Grilli out in a counter, but he wouldn't budge... and now, nobody wants CC and I don't blame them.

 

[Philabuster5]

Grilli was the best RP in game at that time. Reasonable to want more at the time.
Fernandez less "sure" as well.
That's why this game is so great though.
The worst trades sometimes turn into the best.

 

[TKOSpikes]

Was just offered Mike Minor for Bogaerts. I turned him down, but Minor is nice. I can't win this year as much as Minor would help my staff.

So far, my keepers will be...

Bogaerts
Sano
Springer
Gomez

...then two of

Brandon Phillips
Travis D'Arnaud
Zack Wheeler


trade deadline this week, I'm trying to move Phillips, and CC for a SP keeper or a 1B keeper... no bites... other than Singleton (who I do not like at all), I'm not aware of any 1B prospects high enough to worry about right now.

Compared to Ramirez, how is Walker and/or Hultzen? More so for career than 2014.

 

[Philabuster5]

I'd be keeping Wheeler. He really has amazing stuff. He could "go off" like Harvey..his stuff is that good.
Walker has an ace ceiling, Hultzen more of a 3/4 imo...so I'd definitely jump at Walker. He could be a late call-up in 2014. I'm not sure what Ramirez you're referring too (I'm guessing Erasmo or Neil?) , but either way, I can only think of Hanley that I'd prefer over Walker
I'd be hard-pressed throwing Phillips back over d'Arnaud, and I like d'Arnaud. I see what you're doing though, and sometimes you have to go with your plan 100% all-in for it to be successful. 2B prospects are tough to find though. A future top 10 prospect (haha I'm speculating) one year from today could be Texas 2B Rougned Odor, but other than him and maybeeee Deshields, there's not much there. (Saying that, I don't think Odor is a keeper any time soon....he could be had in leagues that keep 50 minors still, I'd suppose)
Second is a spot where prospects often move to, down the road to fit team needs, so always tough to speculate. Kipnis is a prime example of a decent prospect that just really took off AND got moved to 2B. It's still hard for me to buy into him haha.
Out of the guys you listed, Gomez and Springer might be the guys to net you a bigger gain, and they might be the 2 that I prefer to gamble losing on. (remember, I'm wrong at least half the time ha)
But Walker over Hultzen (huge) and Walker over any Ramirez not named Hanley imo

And kudos for turning down Minor!! I turned down J.Upton haha, though I wouldn't suggest that.

 

[Philabuster5]

As far as 1B prospects, Singleton is the #1 guy. He's got typical 1B power too.
Domonic Smith of the mets is someone to watch, but not at a level worth considering yet either.
But....Jose Abreu will be everyone's #1 pick next year in minor's drafts. But he's not listed anywhere, and at least in my league, all minors adds are locked now too. If your rules allowed, he'd be worth gambling a keeper spot on EASY.

 

[tlance]

Aside from Springer, what other bats might be able to help me come September? I need 1 player who could make a dent for me in HR and RBI without hurting my average.

 

[TKOSpikes]

If your rules allowed, he'd be worth gambling a keeper spot on EASY.

my rules aren't very tough... the league is losing it's charm for me, inactivity is getting larger (there's a team with Pujols at 1st and Kershaw on the bench for the last 3 weeks!).. we only keep 6 players so there's no minor league rules or anything, just have to be in the database... which is Yahoo, so...

 

[Philabuster5]

I might guess Singleton for pop tlance.
Castellanos up there too as far as bats that are near. (though he's not a big power guy)
D'Arnaud might be surprising.
Sorry, not a lot of other great ideas off hand.

And TKO... that sucks. I wish I had a spot in my league for you (heck, for all of you haha)
If something comes up I'll be asking!! I wonder if I can sell expansion from 14-24 teams? Haha I wish!

 

[TKOSpikes]

It's not so bad, it's a free league, but I'd rather more keepers and more activity that's all...

It was Erasmo I was referring to... I'll keep an eye on Walker, probably get him very late like I did with Matt Moore last year. Traded him for Gomez earlier this year. Bradley and Syndergaard aren't available yet. Taillon is there....

Walker vs Taillon?

I was thinking keeping Wheeler too, especially after his last few starts.
Probably have to send D'Arnaud back and keep Phillips.
And yes, I'm trying to move Gomez, his latest injury isn't helping matters.

 

[tlance]

As far as 1B prospects, Singleton is the #1 guy. He's got typical 1B power too.
Domonic Smith of the mets is someone to watch, but not at a level worth considering yet either.
But....Jose Abreu will be everyone's #1 pick next year in minor's drafts. But he's not listed anywhere, and at least in my league, all minors adds are locked now too. If your rules allowed, he'd be worth gambling a keeper spot on EASY.

Thanks. I have never had a roto team finish outside of the top 3 in HRs. This year I have 2.5 points. It is kind of embarrassing.

You thing Singleton ahead of Springer?

 

[Philabuster5]

You thing Singleton ahead of Springer?

Yep

(I wouldn't put money on it though ha)

 

[da55bums]

some that may interest you, in very deep dynasty leagues...

Mejia-Brean
Micah Jonson
Preston Tucker
Vincent Velasquez
Miguel Almonte
Jayce Boyd
Greg Bird
Tim Cooney

Some that may be on some lists after this year anyway.

 

[da55bums]

sorry, Micah Johnson....

 

[BigDDude]

Here is both an who, and a where, you can see 11 of the top guys. In the upcoming Arizona Fall League.

Here are those 11 in order of their rank on the Baseball Prospectus list.

Byron Buxton, CF, Twins
Glendale Desert Dogs
BP Rank: 1
The 19-year-old Buxton, the second overall pick in last year’s draft, has hit .330/.424/.492 with 21 stolen bases since being promoted to High-A in late June. On the season, he has 12 homers, 18 triples and 53 steals at a solid 76-percent success rate. He’s a five-tool monster and the best prospect in baseball. Look for him to start 2014 in Double-A and possibly finish it in the majors.

Addison Russell, SS, A’s
Mesa Solar Sox
BP Rank: 11
Russell, the 11th pick in last year’s draft, is also 19 and has also thrived in High-A, where he’s spent the entire season and is hitting .277/.373/.514 with 17 homers and 18 steals at an 86-percent success rate. He’s an offense-first shortstop, but concerns about his defensive abilities are fading, causing his stock to rise. Jason Parks, who compiled the Baseball Prospectus list, thinks he could be a top-five prospect heading into next season, though he may not reach the majors until 2015.

Austin Hedges, C, Padres
Peoria Javelinas
BP Rank: 13
A second-round pick in 2011, Hedges just turned 21 and has struggled at the plate in 16 games since his promotion to Double-A at the start of the month. Fortunately, his elite status hinges largely on his spectacular play behind the plate, where he is considered to be not just good, but the best defensive catcher in the minor leagues.

Albert Almora, CF, Cubs
Mesa Solar Sox
BP Rank: 15
Almora, the sixth-overall pick in 2012, won’t turn 20 until next April and has hit .329/.376/.466 in full-season A-Ball this year. A five-tool talent, he is more raw than fellow teenagers Buxton and Russell, but he has similar potential.

Javier Baez, SS, Cubs
Mesa Solar Sox
BP Rank: 17
The ninth-overall pick in 2011 will turn 21 in December. He earned mention in this space in early June when he became just the second player in the High-A Florida State League’s 95-year history to hit four home runs in a single game. Not surprisingly, Chicago promoted Baez to Double-A one month later. In 49 games at that level, he has hit .302/.353/.643, with 18 home runs; his combined line on the season: .285/.344/.578, 35 HR, 105 RBI, 20 SB (at an 83-percent success rate). His aggressive approach at the plate has caused many evaluators to hedge their bets regarding his potential, but his walk rate has improved with each promotion, and his immediate success in Double-A, considered the second-hardest jump to make (after the jump to the majors), speaks volumes about his pure hitting ability.

Aaron Sanchez, RHP, Blue Jays
Salt River Rafters
BP Rank: 24
He was drafted in 2011 with the compensation pick acquired when Marco Scutaro signed with the Red Sox. The lanky 21-year-old Sanchez throws easy mid-90s gas, has a sharp nose-to-toes curveball and a potentially above-average changeup. But he also lacks control, walking 90 batters in 169 2/3 innings over the last two seasons (4.8 BB/9), and his strikeout rate dropped below a man per inning with his promotion to High-A this year. Still, with Travis d’Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard having gone to the Mets in the R.A. Dickey trade, he’s the Blue Jays’ best prospect, and Parks thinks he has the potential to be a number-two starter in the majors.

Jorge Soler, RF, Cubs
Mesa Solar Sox
BP Rank: 31
Soler is likely going to draw countless comparisons to Baez, Almora, and Yasiel Puig as he approaches the major leagues. Baez and Almora are fellow Cubs prospects (and Solar Sox teammates). Puig, like Soler, is a powerful right fielder with a strong arm who defected from Cuba last year and landed a big contract. Puig signed with the Dodgers for seven years and $42 million on June 27, three days before Soler signed with Chicago for $30 million over nine years. Soler, who will turn 22 in February, is a little more than a year younger than Puig and has spent this season hitting .281/.343/.467 for High-A Daytona, a solid showing for a 21-year-old adjusting to his first full year of pro ball in a new country. Scouts think there’s a ton of potential in his bat.

Corey Seager, SS, Dodgers
Glendale Desert Dogs
BP Rank: 35
The younger brother of Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, Corey was drafted with the 18th pick last year and won’t turn 20 until late April. He hit .309/.389/.529 with 12 homers in 74 games in A-ball earlier this season, but he has struggled since his promotion to High-A at the start of the month. An offense-first prospect, he should thrive in the hitting-friendly AFL, but he may ultimately need to change positions.

Garin Ceccini, 3B, Red Sox
Surprise Saguaros
BP Rank: 39
The older brother of Mets minor league shortstop Gavin Ceccini, 22-year-old Garin was a fourth-round pick in 2010. He has hit .311/.416/.455 across four minor-league levels, including a .350/.469/.547 performance in 62 games at High-A earlier this year. Ceccini has struggled to hit for power since a late June promotion to Double-A, and there are questions about his defense, which, combined with the possibility of Xander Bogaerts having to move to third, could cloud his future.

Alex Meyer, RHP, Twins
Glendale Desert Dogs
BP Rank: 44
Acquired from the Nationals in the Denard Span trade, the 23-year-old Meyer was the 23rd pick in 2011 after playing college ball at Kentucky. His 6-foot-9 frame and a nasty fastball/slider combo result in a lot of strikeouts but also have led some to wonder if he isn’t best suited for the bullpen, where he would have potential as a closer. Meyer complained of a sore arm after a June 1 start and spent the next two months on the disabled list. After three rehab starts in the Gulf Coast League, he made a triumphant return to Double-A this past Saturday with five scoreless innings of one-hit ball. His time in the AFL should serve to replace the innings he missed and could prepare him for a possible major league debut next season.

Andrew Heaney, LHP, Marlins
Glendale Desert Dogs
BP Rank: 45
The ninth pick last year out of Oklahoma State, Heaney dominated the Florida State League earlier this year, posting a 0.88 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 3.88 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 12 starts and one relief appearance. His strikeout rate has dipped since his late-July promotion to Double-A, but he has excelled in four of his five starts at the level. Heaney has a live, mid-90s fastball, a big breaking curve and a developing changeup. What’s more, unlike Meyer and Sanchez, he has shown consistent control and received high marks for his approach. The 22-year-old Heaney is generally regarded to have less upside than Meyer or Sanchez, but he might be the best pitcher of the three right now.

 

[TKOSpikes]

What do the Cubs plan on doing with there infield? Would Baez come in to 3rd base, ala Machado? (assuming Castro sticks around in Chicago and becomes relevant again)

 

[TKOSpikes]

As of now, my 6 keeper probabilities are:

Phillips (2b)
Gomez (CF)
Bogaerts (SS, 3b?)
Springer (CF) (league doesn't penalize K's)
Eaton (LF,CF)
Leonys Martin (LF,CF,RF)
D'Arnaud (C)
Wheeler (SP)
Walker (SP) (just picked him up)
Alex Wood (SP,RP)

I put the positions in to remind that we use the actual outfield positions. Also, Wood is intriguing if he keeps the RP status next year. 18 team leagues can have a shortage of closers, so punting is sometimes a must.

 

[Philabuster5]

That would be my guess...
Baez to 3B, Bryant to LF. (with Almora CF, Soler RF...wow!!)
Castro of course is the wild card.
I don't think Olt becomes more than a utility guy.
Jmho

 

[da55bums]

thanks BigDDude...nobody could have looked up a top prospects report...anyone have names that aren't on everyones radar?

Check out Dakota Bacus, washington just traded for from Oakland...washington knows pitchers.

 

[Philabuster5]

The idea of BigDDude's post was to point out which of the top prospects were going to be playing in the AFL. This is pretty important news to those of us that love our prospects
And yes, it could be info that we could find elsewhere, but it's nice having it here, and it starts some great conversations.

As far as Bacus goes, he's a reliever with a set up man ceiling, though likely a middle relief guy.
A very good return for a month of Suzuki, but even if he becomes fantasy relevant, he's likely replaceable on the wire even in deep leagues. A good get for the Nats though, I agree.