Archive for the ‘Red Sox Prospects’ Category
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
The Red Sox recalled top SS prospect Jed Lowrie from Triple-A on Thursday to fill the slot vacated by the injured Mike Lowell. However, Sox skipper Terry Francona elected to play Sean Casey at first and shift Kevin Youkilis to third as an immediate solution, so Lowrie’s been forced to watch the games from the bench.
That may change after his performance in his big league debut today. Lowrie went 1-4, but his first career hit was a 2-run single in the 7th inning. Lowrie finished the game batting in 3 of the Red Sox 5 runs in a comeback victory over the Cleveland Indians. Unfortunately, with Casey already in competition and Lowell set to return in the not so distant future, Lowrie is really limited to a utility role. Unless the Sox are rocked by injury, don’t expect Lowrie to have too much fantasy value this season. He’s their SS of the future though, so don’t forget this name.
Tags: Jed Lowrie, MLB Prospects, Red Sox
Posted in Jed Lowrie, MLBPN Top Prospects, Red Sox Prospects, SS | No Comments »
Monday, March 24th, 2008
A few notes of interest from ESPN legend Peter Gammons latest chat:
- From the sound of things, Gammons thinks Clayton Kershaw is certain to be a factor for the Dodgers this year. Their main concern is limiting his inning early so he finishes in the 150-160 IP range.
- Tigers manager Jim Leyland thinks Detroit’s first pick in the 2007 Draft, Rick Porcello, will be with the big league club some time this season.
- Gammons also notes that players like Porcello, the Yankees Austin Jackson, Andrew Brackman, and Ian Kennedy, the Red Sox Lars Anderson, Ryan Kalish, Anthony Rizzo, David Mailman, and Will Middlebrooks, will have a serious impact on this year’s draft. Of course these players are all now top prospects who were drafted way above slot in later rounds.
- Picking player comparables is always tricky business, but Gammons thinks the best comparable he’s heard for Yankees SP Ian Kennedy is the Blue Jays SP Shaun Marcum.
Tags: Andrew Brackman, Anthony Rizzo, Austin Jackson, Clayton Kershaw, David Mailman, Dodgers, Ian Kennedy, Lars Anderson, MLB Prospects, Red Sox, Rick Porcello, Ryan Kalish, Tigers, Will Middlebrooks, Yankees
Posted in 1B, 2008 Fantasy Draft Sleepers, 2B, 3B, Andrew Brackman, Anthony Rizzo, Austin Jackson, Clayton Kershaw, David Mailman, Dodgers Prospects, Ian Kennedy, Lars Anderson, MLBPN Top Prospects, OF, P, RP, Red Sox Prospects, Rick Porcello, Ryan Kalish, SP, Tigers Prospects, Top 5 Prospects, Will Middlebrooks, Yankees Prospects | No Comments »
Monday, March 24th, 2008
- The Red Sox love Jacoby Ellsbury, writes Michael Silverman. Manager Terry Francona likes that he is driving the ball a little more, imparting more backspin on the ball to help it carry. Ellsbury got the start in center field on Saturday, playing all 9 innings (although he was moved to left field in the 7th when Coco Crisp came in to pinch run for Mike Lowell). Ellsbury is expected to start opening day and bat somewhere at the bottom of a stacked Boston lineup.
- Clay Buchholz has yet to secure the 5th rotation spot, and getting lit up for 4 runs in the first 2 innings of his start against the Hanshin Tigers didn’t help his cause. His command wasn’t there, and he left a lot of pitches up in the zone, although he did recover to retire the side in the third.
Tags: Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, MLB Prospect News, Red Sox Prospects
Posted in 2008 Fantasy Draft Sleepers, CF, Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, MLBPN Top Prospects, OF, P, Red Sox Prospects, SP, Top 5 Prospects | No Comments »
Thursday, March 13th, 2008
- After hitting two long balls yesterday, Cameron Maybin came through with another home run today. Looks like the youngster is making a push for that CF job. Maybin had come into the game as a pinch runner earlier in the game.
- Kosuke Fukudome wowed fans with his defense today, making a spinning acrobatic catch to save an extra base hit. Piniella also batted Fukudome in the 5 hole today, wanting to put a solid bat behind Aramis Ramirez.
- As we reported a few days ago, David Price has been cut from the big league squad. It was announced today that Price will be starting the season at Class A. This is pretty standard for first year players, but Price proved this spring that he isn’t a standard prospect. It had been speculated that Price might start a little higher than Single-A ball. Regardless of where he starts, Price should end up at the big show in no time.
- Jonathan Mayo of MiLB.com released his list of the top five farm systems. Mayo had the Rays at #1 (no surprise there), the A’s at #2 (okay, that’s surprising), the Rangers at #3, the Reds at #4, and the Red Sox rounding it up at #5.
- The Giants are trying speedster Eugenio Velez at 3B. Two weeks into March and the Giants still don’t really have a leading candidate for the 3B spot, so Velez definitely has a shot. The Giants have been reported to be surveying the trade market for a third basemen, but if Velez wins this job, look out. With a little bit of playing time Velez is definitely a fantasy sleeper to watch for his SB totals.
- Twins RHP Nick Blackburn finally gave up a run. The youngster hadn’t given up a run this spring, until surrendering 3 ER in 3 IP today.
Tags: A's, Cameron Maybin, Cubs, David Price, Eugenio Velez, Giants, Kosuke Fukudome, Marlins, MLB Prospects, Nick Blackburn, Rangers, Rays, Red Sox, Reds, Twins
Posted in 2008 Fantasy Draft Sleepers, 2B, 3B, A's Prospects, CF, Cameron Maybin, Cubs Prospects, Daily Pepper, David Price, Eugenio Velez, Giants Prospects, Kosuke Fukudome, MLBPN Top Prospects, Marlins Prospects, Nick Blackburn, OF, P, RF, Rangers Prospects, Rays Prospects, Red Sox Prospects, Reds Prospects, SP, Twins Prospects | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
- Jacoby Ellsbury ran down a deer. In related news, The Boston Globe reports that the Cubs are interested in Coco Crisp, although the Red Sox are not enamored by Cubs’ offer of pitcher Jason Marquis or minor league outfielder Sam Fuld. If Crisp does get traded it could obviously have huge implications for Ellsbury’s upcoming fantasy season.
- Bill Chastain of MLB.com writes that Evan Longoria has done enough to earn the starting job at third base, and batting him further down in the order would allow him to settle in at the beginning of the season with less pressure.
- Lisa Winston of MiLB.com reports that 2007 #1 overall draft pick out of Vanderbilt, David Price, hit the first batter he faced, then struck out the side in the left-hander’s first appearance with the Rays. Tampa manager Joe Maddon and pitching coach Jim Hickey are all about this kid:
“He’s handled himself so well that regardless of what he does on the mound, we just want him to get out there and enjoy himself in his first ‘big league’ game,” Maddon said Friday. “He’s got a lot of self-confidence, he’s very motivated and directed and has a tremendous amount of poise about him. We just want him to pitch and be a Ray.”
“He’s extremely well-armed with a plus-plus fastball and an extremely sharp slider,” Hickey said. “[He has] a very good feel for a good changeup and a nice delivery, but to me, the thing that is most impressive about him is the type of person he is. He’s a first-class citizen, he’s an extremely hard worker, he’s very coachable. He comes early, he stays late.”
- Rays rookie Jeff Neimann, their first pick in the 2004 draft, went 3 no-hit innings with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts; he has a 0.00 ERA so far this spring. Neimann was 12-6 with a 3.98 ERA with Triple-A Durham last year and could be considered for a spot in Tampa’s rotation.
- Updating an earlier post: the Twins’ Carlos Gomez, acquired in the Johan Santana trade, went 2 for 5 with an RBI triple, a stolen base, and 2 runs scored. He’s got plenty of speed, and confidence to go with it.
Tags: MLB Prospect News, Rays Prospects, Red Sox Prospects, Twins Prospects
Posted in 3B, CF, Carlos Gomez, David Price, Evan Longoria, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jeff Niemann, MLBPN Top Prospects, P, Rays Prospects, Red Sox Prospects, Twins Prospects | No Comments »
Monday, March 10th, 2008
Most teams have made their final cuts of spring training over the past few days. This means that the remaining players not cut will more than likely spend the remainder of the spring with their respective teams. We’ve listed below the more noteworthy prospects who have been sent back to the minors:
- Wade Davis, RHP, Rays
- Jake McGee, LHP, Rays
- Adam Miller, RHP, Indians
- Chuck Lofgren, LHP, Indians
- Mike Aubrey, 1B, Indians
- Danny Moskos, LHP, Pirates
- Collin Balester, RHP, Nationals
- Tyler Clippard, RHP, Nationals
- Garrett Mock, RHP, Nationals
- Ross Detwiler, LHP, Nationals
- Greg Reynolds, RHP, Rockies
- Casey Weathers, RHP, Rockies
- Max Ramirez, C, Rangers
- Chris Davis, 1B, Rangers
- German Duran, 2B, Rangers
- Elvis Andrus, SS, Rangers
- Justin Masterson, RHP, Red Sox
- Michael Bowden, RHP, Red Sox
- Deolis Guerra, RHP, Twins
- Jordan Walden, RHP, Angels
- Matt Wieters, C, Orioles
Tags: Adam Miller, Casey Weathers, Chris Davis, Chuck Lofgren, Collin Balester, Dan Moskos, Deolis Guerra, Elvis Andrus, Garrett Mock, German Duran, Greg Reynolds, Jake McGee, Jordan Walden, Justin Masterson, Matt Wieters, Max Ramirez, Michael Bowden, Mike Aubrey, MLB Prospects, Ross Detwiler, Tyler Clippard, Wade Davis
Posted in 1B, 2B, Adam Miller, Angels Prospects, C, Casey Weathers, Chris Davis, Chuck Lofgren, Collin Balester, Danny Moskos, Deolis Guerra, Elvis Andrus, Garrett Mock, German Duran, Greg Reynolds, Indians Prospects, Jake McGee, Jordan Walden, Justin Masterson, MLBPN Top Prospects, Matt Wieters, Max Ramirez, Michael Bowden, Mike Aubrey, Nationals Prospects, Orioles Prospects, P, Pirates Prospects, RP, Rangers Prospects, Rays Prospects, Red Sox Prospects, Rockies Prospects, Ross Detwiler, SP, SS, Twins Prospects, Tyler Clippard, Wade Davis | No Comments »
Monday, March 10th, 2008
- The Rockies have two vacant spots in their starting rotation and left hander Frankie Morales is pitching like he wants to fill one of them. Morales threw 3 innings Wednesday, allowing 1 earned run and walking 2 in a respectable outing against a solid White Sox lineup, and went 4 innings on Sunday giving up 1 run, 3 hits, and a walk against the Giants. He felt good about his command and feels like his secondary pitches (changeup and curve) are rounding into form. Catcher Yorvit Torrealba and Manager Clint Hurdle are please with the 22-year-old’s development, although he has a tendency to get a little energetic when he’s ahead in the count. The extra effort he exerts to finish hitters off tends to elevate his pitches in the zone, something Morales has been working on with veteran Torrealba. One would expect that a few more starts will help him temper his two-strike exuberance.
- Clay Buchholz has been working to correct his mechanics, specifically straightening out the arch in his back on delivery. Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell seems to think that this, and maybe some first inning jitters, are causing him to leave pitches up in the zone. Whatever the reason, in his last two outings, Sunday and Friday, the young right-hander has been knocked around for 7 total runs, including home runs on consecutive pitches to the Twins’ Justin Morneau and Craig Monroe. Still, the kid has stupendous stuff, and that is likely to get him through a period where he finds out how mistake pitches are punished by major league hitters. If he doesn’t start the season in the Red Sox rotation, it won’t be long before earns his spot.
- Sometimes you just have to put conservative attitudes aside and look at what’s right in front of you. 19-year-old Clayton Kershaw has all the makings of a future star: high 90s heat, a power curve, and a changeup that he really only needs to use 4 or 5 times a game… and he’s left-handed. Dodgers catcher Russell Martin’s praise begins to answer questions about the risks of turning the kid loose in the big leagues sooner than later. If his mechanics are so sound and his delivery is so relaxed, there doesn’t appear to be much of an injury risk. Combine that with his pitch arsenal, and there’s not a whole lot of downside. In his first appearance with the big league ST camp yesterday Kershaw faced three players, and he retired all three of them. Ken Gurnick of MLB.com says it’s a three way race for the 5th spot in the Dodgers’ rotation, with Esteban Loiaza as the clear front-runner.
Tags: Clay Buchholz, Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers Prospects, Franklin Morales, MLB Prospect News, MLB Prospects, Red Sox Prospects, Rockies Prospects
Posted in Clay Buchholz, Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers Prospects, Franklin Morales, P, Red Sox Prospects, Rockies Prospects | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
Outfield prospect Jacoby Ellsbury isn’t as driven by the competition with CoCo Crisp as he was at the end of last season, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. With a guaranteed roster spot he is instead simply focusing on preparing for the upcoming season. Part of the reason for this lack of motivation is that Manager Terry Francona said he wouldn’t be naming an outright starter. Francona says:
“I usually feel like these things work themselves out or have a way of working themselves out, but the guy who doesn’t play on Opening Day, it’s not like he’s relegated. We wouldn’t let that happen. It won’t happen. I don’t want it to happen. I wouldn’t let it happen.”
If I read that correctly, I think what Francona’s trying to say is that he won’t let it happen. Fantasy owners who reached for Ellsbury in the draft should be a little worried . There is nothing like a good position battle to bring out the best in players, like batting .360 with four doubles, four RBIs, eight runs, three walks, and two stolen bases in 11 postseason games. Ellsbury might not play as out-of-his-mind as everyone is predicting this year when he doesn’t have as much pressure on him, especially since he knows the BoSox have been trying to trade of Crisp anyway. If spring training is any indication, he doesn’t have a hit in his first 8 ABs through the first 3 games. At this point, be weary of overvaluing him and don’t let your fantasy team depend on him. However, he does have significant upside if you draft him later as a backup outfielder as he should hit for average and give you stolen bases, with no real power so to speak of.
Tags: baseball prospects, Fantasy Sleepers, Jacoby Ellsbury, MLB Prospect News, MLB Prospects, Sleepers
Posted in 2008 Fantasy Draft Sleepers, Jacoby Ellsbury, LF, Red Sox Prospects | No Comments »
Monday, March 3rd, 2008
- Mike Phillips of the Miami Heral that the rise to stardom as been lightning fast for Jacoby Ellsbury, who hit .353 in September while going 9-for-9 in stolen bases, then hit hit .438 in the Series when he replaced CoCo Crisp in the postseason. The speedy outfielder should reward fantasy owners with 100+ runs and 35-40 SBs.
- Short stop phenom Jed Lowrie, who last year hit .297 in 93 games at Class AA Portland and then .300 in 40 games at Class AAA Pawtucket, hopes to make the major league squad by 2009. Julio Lugo still has three years left on his deal but Lowrie is still considered by many to be the short stop of the future.
- Pitching prospect Clay Buchholz is the front runner for the fifth starting spot but knows that he still has to prove himself, especially after a shaky debut yesterday where he allowed hits to his first five Twins batters in a 28 pitch, 4-earned-run 3rd inning. If Buchholz doesn’t keep it together he could lose out to Bartolo Colon (who just signed a minor league contract with the BoSox) or Julian Tavarez, who are also competing for the job.
Posted in Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, OF, P, Red Sox Prospects, SS | No Comments »
Thursday, February 28th, 2008
Brandon Funston of Yahoo Sports put together his list of the top 10 rookies to make a fantasy impact this year. We’ve summarized the basic information for you. He says he didn’t include Kosuke Fukudome even though he’s technically a rookie, and if he had Fukudome would be in his top 3.
- 1. Jacoby Ellsbury, Bos, OF
If CoCo Crisp is out of the picture and Ellsbury bats lead off, could have 40 SBs and 100+ runs
- 2. Clay Buchholz, Bos, SP
Will get babied by BoSox for 125-150 IP, 10 wins, and a k/ip
- 3. Joba Chamberlain, NYY, RP
Will be starting in the bullpen, limited to 140 IP or less, probably will make the rotation at some point
- 4. Evan Longoria, TB, 3rd Base
Funston predicts .280/20/75/75/0, if he starts
- 5. Geovany Soto, ChC, Catcher
Probably won’t be a top 100 fantasy player, but could have good value if drafted late
- 6. Joey Votto, Cin, 1st Base
Stuck behind 38 year old Scott Hatteberg but could get 20 HR and 10-15 steals with 450 ABs
- 7. Andy LaRoche, LAD, 3B
It’s between him and Nomar Garciaparra for the starting 3B role, has 20-25 hr power if he gets the job
- 8. Jay Bruce, Cin, OF
Norris Hopper/Ryan Freel will limit his chances of starting in the majors, but with the talent he has he should be up before the All-Star break
- 9. Colby Rasmus, StL, OF
Could be a 20/20 guy if he surpasses one of the current outfielders: Chris Duncan, Rick Ankiel, or Ryan Ludwick
- 10. Ian Kennedy, NYY, SP
Has held hitters to under .190 in 168 minor league innings. With the Yankees bat support he could reach double digit wins.
Tags: Andy LaRoche, baseball prospects, Baseball Sleepers, Clay Buchholz, Colby Rasmus, Evan Longoria, Evan Lonoria, Fantasy Sleepers, Geovany Soto, Ian Kennedy, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Kosuke Fukudome, MLB Prospect News, MLB Prospects
Posted in 1B, 2008 Fantasy Draft Sleepers, 3B, Andy LaRoche, C, Cardinals Prospects, Clay Buchholz, Colby Rasmus, Cubs Prospects, Dodgers Prospects, Evan Longoria, Geovany Soto, Ian Kennedy, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jay Bruce, Joba Chamberlain, Joey Votto, Kosuke Fukudome, OF, RP, Rays Prospects, Red Sox Prospects, Reds Prospects, SP, Yankees Prospects | 1 Comment »
