Down on the Farm (2015)

[LHG]

It think you take tzill's and cal's answers, put them together, and it may not be too far from the truth. With the season over, yet minor league free agents not declared yet, triple A is going to have the biggest amount of available spots due to September call ups. And while he was on the San Jose roster when playoffs began, a few guys from Augusta were brought up specifically for the playoffs, which crowded the roster. Off season minor league rosters are probably not unlike the 40 man roster, merely a place holder. In spring training, guys get reassigned from one level to another as guys get sent down from big league camp. I wouldn't be surprised if Carbonell is back either at San Jose or Richmond come opening day.

 

[LHG]

Here's a list of pending minor league free agents for the farm system, per my understanding of how seasons are counted:
Pitchers
Carlos Alvarado, rp (Aug)
Jose Casilla, rp (Rich)
Jake Dunning, rp (Sac)
Austin Fleet, sp (Sac)
Tommy Hanson, sp (Sac)
Braulio Lara, rp (Sac)
Kelvin Marte, sp (Rich)
Raymundo Montero, rp (Aug)
Armando Paniagua, rp (SK)
Curtis Partch, rp (Sac)
Edwin Quirarte, rp (Rich)
Clay Rapada, rp (Sac)
Jose Reyes, sp (SJ)
Pedro Rodriguez, rp (Rich)
Ricky Romero, sp (injured)
Eric Sim, rp (SK)
Nik Turley, sp (Sac)

Catchers
Jeff Arnold (SJ)
Fernando Pujadas (SK)
Eliezer Zambrano (Rich)

Infielders
Joaquin Arias, 2nd (Sac)
Juan Ciriaco, ss (Rich)
Gabriel Cornier, 1st (injured)
Brandon Hicks, 2nd (Sac)
Hector Mercedes, ss (injured)
Myles Schroder, 3rd (Rich)
Skyler Stromsmoe, ss (Rich)
Carlos Triunfel, ss (Sac)
Angel Villalona, 1st (SJ)
Ydwin Villegas, ss (injured)

Outfielders
Engel Beltre (Rich)
Jesus Galindo (Rich)
Darren Ford (Sac)
Devin Harris (Rich)
Chuckie Jones (SJ)
Jeff Kobernus (Sac)
Ryan Lollis (Sac)
Justin Maxwell (Sac)
Cristian Paulino (Aug)

 

[Stokes1931]

I think Casilla is worth resigning, as he did well in AA.

Tommy Hanson is intriguing. Guy can still throw hard. He was terrible in the first starts with Sacramento, but did very well in his last few starts.

1st 7 starts: 29.1 IP, 46 H, 29 ER, 19 BB, 19 K (8.90 ERA, 2.22 WHIP)

Last 4 starts: 23.2 IP, 17 H, 4 ER, 7 BB, 21 K (1.55 ERA, 1.01 WHIP)

Maybe something clicked.

He just turned 29. Maybe there is something there?

Partch throws hard but I am not sure he will turn out all that special.

Marte has drawn some attention.

I like Jones from San Jose, and Lollis, but we probably have a logjam in the OF now, unless deals are made.

 

[calsnowskier]

I suspect at least 50% of these guys will stick around. However, these are the guys I would prefer we hold on to...

Jones - Still has raw talent, but has he REALLY done anything since his first 2 months as a pro?

Lollis - As Stokes said, there is now a logjam in the OF, even at the #6/7 spots now that Parker and Mac appear ready for graduation. He can probably seriously contend for a #5 job somewhere else.

Harris - Bad '15, but big '14. He isnt ready, but I think he still has a ceiling.

Ford - Purely sentimental.

Galindo - The Giants will do almost anything (relatively) needed to keep him, I suspect.

Arnold - I dont think he has an MLB future, and the Giants tend to like consistency, so he can offer "vet" depth where needed.

Reyes - A bit low for his age, but I have heard he has potential.

Casilla - Once upon a time, it was rumored the Giants signed his brother just to get their hands on him. 5 years later, he still hasnt gotten above AA and his brother has been the SF closer for 2+ seasons.

 

[LHG]

I wouldn't mind seeing Casilla, Marte, Reyes, Rodriguez, Lollis and Paulino come back.

I don't understand why the Giants would keep Casilla and Marte in double A for 2015 and sign guys like Lara and Turley to stink it up in triple A. Marte even pitched well at the end of 2014 in Fresno and he got rewarded with a return to the Eastern League.

 

[SFGRTB]

Toolsy outfielder Charles (Chuckie) Jones has retired from baseball. There was a lot of hype for this kid after he was drafted in 2010 and crushed the ball in the AZL. Unfortunately, it didn't work out from there. He never make it past San Jose, dealing with various injuries and performance, and it culminated with a 50 game drug suspension this year. Good luck, Chuck.

Jake Dunning, Tommy Hanson, Darren Ford, Jose Casilla, Jesus Galindo, Juan Ciraco, Engel Beltre, and Gabriel Cornier have all elected free agency rather than stick in Giants minors.

 

[calsnowskier]

Toolsy outfielder Charles (Chuckie) Jones has retired from baseball. There was a lot of hype for this kid after he was drafted in 2010 and crushed the ball in the AZL. Unfortunately, it didn't work out from there. He never make it past San Jose, dealing with various injuries and performance, and it culminated with a 50 game drug suspension this year. Good luck, Chuck.

Jake Dunning, Tommy Hanson, Darren Ford, Jose Casilla, Jesus Galindo, Juan Ciraco, Engel Beltre, and Gabriel Cornier have all elected free agency rather than stick in Giants minors.

Sorry to see Chuckie go, but that feeling is pretty much entirely based on his explosion out of the gate in '10. He really hasnt dont jack since.

Of the group that has elected free agency, no big losses there. Galindo has speed, but apparently he D is questionable at best. Casilla will likely be back, though, I would guess. Ford has played out his time in the org, but the fans will always remember him fondly, and he should never have to buy a drink in a San Fran bar ever again.

 

[SFGRTB]

Sorry to see Chuckie go, but that feeling is pretty much entirely based on his explosion out of the gate in '10. He really hasnt dont jack since.

Of the group that has elected free agency, no big losses there. Galindo has speed, but apparently he D is questionable at best. Casilla will likely be back, though, I would guess. Ford has played out his time in the org, but the fans will always remember him fondly, and he should never have to buy a drink in a San Fran bar ever again.

Jose Casilla, Jake Dunning and Eliezer Zambrano have all re-signed.

 

[SFGRTB]

Ryan Lollis, Kelvin Marte, and Ydwin Villegas have all elected free agency.

 

[calsnowskier]

Ryan Lollis, Kelvin Marte, and Ydwin Villegas have all elected free agency.

I would like to see Lollis back, but the OF in the org has all-of-the-sudden gotten extremely crowded. Not sure it would be a good idea (for him) to return.

I couldn't care less about the other two.

 

[calsnowskier]

Jose Casilla, Jake Dunning and Eliezer Zambrano have all re-signed.

Those make sense. The org has done a lot for Casilla and Dunning and they have a history of getting attached to their catchers.

 

[Stokes1931]

Veteran pitcher Tommy Hanson reportedly passes away after 'catastrophic organ failure' | Pacific Coast League News

Veteran pitcher Tommy Hanson passed away at age 29 late Monday night after suffering "catastrophic organ failure," according to media reports in the Atlanta area.

 

[LHG]

Jose Casilla, Jake Dunning and Eliezer Zambrano have all re-signed.

I like the Casilla signing. The other two don't make sense. Oh well, there's always a few head scratchers in the minor league free agent department.

 

[LHG]

Ryan Lollis, Kelvin Marte, and Ydwin Villegas have all elected free agency.

I'd much rather see Marte back than Dunning. Dunning hasn't shown anything the past couple of years while Marte has pitched well wherever he was assigned.

 

[LHG]

Veteran pitcher Tommy Hanson reportedly passes away after 'catastrophic organ failure' | Pacific Coast League News

Veteran pitcher Tommy Hanson passed away at age 29 late Monday night after suffering "catastrophic organ failure," according to media reports in the Atlanta area.

I just heard about his passing this morning from a co-worker (big Angels' fan). Very sad. Praying for comfort for his wife and family. I don't think I've ever heard of cause of death being "catastrophic organ failure". Here is another article on him - Tommy Hanson's MLB Comeback Comes Up Tragically Short

 

[SFGRTB]

Okay, here's the complete list of minor league free agents. It's sad to see Hanson on this list. RIP

 

[LHG]

Okay, here's the complete list of minor league free agents. It's sad to see Hanson on this list. RIP

View attachment 50512

Comparing my list to the list of actual minor league free agents, I am puzzled as to why some of them are not free agents. Here's the ones I missed (the Giants re-signed a few guys before they became free agents. They are not on either the free agent list or my list below):
Pitchers
Austin Fleet, sp (Sac) - six full seasons in the Giants' org but missed most of 2015 with injuries
Jose Reyes, sp (SJ) - Foreign minor leagues don't count? Only 4 seasons in domestic leagues
Eric Sim, rp (SK) - does switching from position player to pitcher reset the seasons to free agency?

Catchers
Jeff Arnold (SJ) - six full seasons in Giants' org but missed significant time in 2014 and 2015 to injuries
Fernando Pujadas (SK) - three seasons in foreign league and three in domestic leagues

Infielders
Hector Mercedes, ss (injured) - three in foreign, 2 in domestic, missed all of 2015 to injury
Myles Schroder, 3rd (Rich) - drafted in 2007, began playing in 2011. Not eligible until next year?
Angel Villalona, 1st (SJ) - here's a weird case (as most of us know). Played three years in domestic (07-09), off two years for legal troubles (10-11), played 2012 in foreign league and last three (13-15) in domestic. Would think he'd be eligible for free agency, unless time off resets the clock.

Outfielders
Devin Harris (Rich) - six full seasons in Giants' org.
Chuckie Jones (SJ) - may not have been declared since he retired
Cristian Paulino (Aug) - one season in foreign league and then 5 in domestics. Never played more than 92 games in a season (in 2014) and only topped 50 in his year in foreign.

 

[MarcoPolo]

Comparing my list to the list of actual minor league free agents, I am puzzled as to why some of them are not free agents. Here's the ones I missed (the Giants re-signed a few guys before they became free agents. They are not on either the free agent list or my list below):
Pitchers
Austin Fleet, sp (Sac) - six full seasons in the Giants' org but missed most of 2015 with injuries
Jose Reyes, sp (SJ) - Foreign minor leagues don't count? Only 4 seasons in domestic leagues
Eric Sim, rp (SK) - does switching from position player to pitcher reset the seasons to free agency?

Catchers
Jeff Arnold (SJ) - six full seasons in Giants' org but missed significant time in 2014 and 2015 to injuries
Fernando Pujadas (SK) - three seasons in foreign league and three in domestic leagues

Infielders
Hector Mercedes, ss (injured) - three in foreign, 2 in domestic, missed all of 2015 to injury
Myles Schroder, 3rd (Rich) - drafted in 2007, began playing in 2011. Not eligible until next year?
Angel Villalona, 1st (SJ) - here's a weird case (as most of us know). Played three years in domestic (07-09), off two years for legal troubles (10-11), played 2012 in foreign league and last three (13-15) in domestic. Would think he'd be eligible for free agency, unless time off resets the clock.

Outfielders
Devin Harris (Rich) - six full seasons in Giants' org.
Chuckie Jones (SJ) - may not have been declared since he retired
Cristian Paulino (Aug) - one season in foreign league and then 5 in domestics. Never played more than 92 games in a season (in 2014) and only topped 50 in his year in foreign.

I believe that a '6 year free agent' actually has to have 7 years served. Bizarre, I know. (his first minor league contract was renewed six times and has spent all or any part of at least seven separate seasons on a minor league roster.)

Foreign leagues do count, so long as they are part of the MLB team's minor league affiliates. And so long as the player spent at least one day on a minor league roster, somewhere, during the year.

Villalona was put on the restricted list during his troubles - he didn't get paid, no other team could sign him, and he accumulated no service time or benefits while on the list.

 

[LHG]

I believe that a '6 year free agent' actually has to have 7 years served. Bizarre, I know. (his first minor league contract was renewed six times and has spent all or any part of at least seven separate seasons on a minor league roster.)

Foreign leagues do count, so long as they are part of the MLB team's minor league affiliates. And so long as the player spent at least one day on a minor league roster, somewhere, during the year.

Villalona was put on the restricted list during his troubles - he didn't get paid, no other team could sign him, and he accumulated no service time or benefits while on the list.

Thanks again Marco. That does explain everyone except Villalona. If you add up his seasons they come out to seven.

 

[MarcoPolo]

Thanks again Marco. That does explain everyone except Villalona. If you add up his seasons they come out to seven.

The 2012 season in the Dominican doesn't count, as he was still on the restricted list (he couldn't play in the US because of visa issues) : MLB reinstates Giants prospect Angel Villalona from restricted list - CBSSports.com

So NEXT year he will be a free agent.