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Oakland Likes College Middle Infielders Early?
One thing that perked my attention during the 2009 draft was Oakland Athletics’ pick of USC shortstop Grant Green with the 13th overall pick. The selection drew my interest for a number of reasons. First, Green had been rated much higher in the weeks before the draft, but fell as the draft neared. Chin Music has a little more on the A’s draftee. Secondly, it immediately made me think of the middle infielders in their system and how they’ve drafted middle infielders with their early picks recently.
Here is a list of their more recent infielder selections:
2009 - 13th pick: Grant Green – USC
2008 – 12th pick: Jemile Weeks 2B – U. of Miami
2007 – 90th pick: Joshua Horton SS – UNC
2005 – 21st pick: Cliff Pennington SS – Texas A&M
Additionally, the A’s have 2B Eric Patterson (although he doesn’ t profile defensively at 2B very well)and SS Adrian Cardenas (a former first round pick) that they have acquired through trades.
Pennington has fallen into the utility role, playing three different positions in Oakland. His bat hasn’t been all that impressive as he is hitting only .279 at Triple-A this season, but he does have a nice .372 OBP and has stolen a career high 24 bases so far.
Horton seems to be falling into the same mold. He’s held a better batting average through the seasons than Pennington, but doesn’t have his speed on the basepaths.
Jemile Weeks is currently destroying opposing pitchers in High-A Stockton, hitting .381/.464./.691 in 97 AB. He’s even hit seven home runs in those 97 AB. The Midland Rock Hounds probably already have a locker with his name on it.
The Athletics recent middle infield picks in the draft haven’t fared that well. But Weeks looks like he has the ability to make an impact in the majors. With many draft projections having Grant Green at the #2 draft spot before the 2009 draft, we could see a nice middle infield combination of Weeks and Green in the future.
What is Huntington Up To?
Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington has been pretty busy over the past month. Essentially, he has revamped the majority of his outfield in just a few weeks. First to leave was center fielder Nate McLouth to the Atlanta Braves. Then, earlier this week, Nyjer Morgan was shipped off to the Washington Nationals. But Huntington didn’t stop there. Now Eric Hinske is with the New York Yankees and Craig Monroe has been released.
That’s four of the team’s outfielders from their opening day roster that are no longer with the club.
The latest two moves are worth only a minor mention though. Hinske hasn’t been worth as much to the Pirates this year as he was to the Rays in 2008. Although he’s hitting for a better average (.255 vs. .247), his power has dropped considerably as he only has one home run in 106 at-bats, whereas he had 20 in 381 ABs last year. His slugging percentage is down nearly 100 points from 2008.
Hinske was traded to the New York Yankees after the Morgan trade this week. In return, they received two minor leaguers, Casey Erickson and Eric Fryer. Neither is expected to contribute at the major league level though. Although they are paying for a portion of his salary in the trade, Huntington is clearing the rest of his pay from the books, assuming that he can get similar production from a cheaper player.
Craig Monroe has hit .215/.287/.354 in limited duty after smacking eight home runs in spring training. He was an obvious candidate to go, yet he was the last to go out of the four.
Replacing them is Arizona Diamondback castoff Jeff Salazar, former LA Dodger Delwyn Young, former Minnesota Twins prospect Garrett Jones, and the homegrown Steven Pearce. For now it looks as if Young and Pearce will get the bulk of the playing time. Delwyn’s more suited for a bench role, but he’s playing well enough right now for the lackluster Bucs that he could remain a decent option until Milledge or even Jose Tabata is ready. Pearce hit .290 in June at Triple-A with a .950 OPS and five home runs in 60 at-bats. His problematic plate discipline seems to be starting to come around with a .363 OBP during his time in Indianapolis.
Garrett Jones may be a decent fourth outfielder as he has put up a .307/.348/.502 line in 277 ABs in Triple-A this season. His 18/47 BB/K ration is a little troubling, but an .850 OPS shouldn’t be overlooked. Salazar was hitting .265/.323/.415 in the minors, but he may still hit better off the bench than Monroe was.
Huntington’s mid-season overhaul of the Pirates outfield looks rather interesting. We won’t see the real impact of all his moves for another couple seasons as we await the development of Jose Tabata and Gorkys Hernandez. But it may be interesting compare the production of the pre- All-Star break outfield with the one that will play a majority of the time after the break.
Neal has made quite a few trades in the short time that he’s been in office. Are we looking at the next “Trader Jim” (except that he actually appreciates pitching)?
Trade Bait: Nationals Free at Last…ings
The trade actually took place. Yesterday the Washington Nationals are sending outfielder Lastings Milledge and reliever Joel Hanrahan to the Pittsburgh Pirates for outfielder Nyjer Morgan and reliever Sean Burnett.
The dysfunctional Milledge orginally came up in the Mets organization and labeled as a top prospect before being traded to Washington. He had a world of talent, but his attitude often got in the way of his success at the major league level. Although he showed signs of coming around last seasson as he hit .268/14HR/61RBI with 24 stolen bases, his defense was still lacking. After an ugly start in Washington this season, he’s played most of the year in Triple-A, sporting a .253/.277/.316 line. If the Pirates can deal with his attitude, Lastings may be a good fit in a corner outfield position and possibly blossom into a 15HR/30SB guy in the majors. But it’s the attitude that will be the biggest concern.
Righty Joel Hanrahan has good stuff and started showing signs of being the team’s closer for the forseeable future when he gave up only 73 hits and struck out 93 in 84.1 innings in 2008. But 2009 has been an absolute disaster for him. Joel has a 7.71 ERA and has blown five of his 10 save opportunities after he was handed the job to start the season. Joel had already lost his spot as closer, lately he’s been trying to just stick with the team. If the Pirates are able to turn him around, Hanrahan could return to being a decent option in the late innings.
In Morgan the Nationals received a speedy outfielder with good defensive abilities. Some compare his to a poor man’s Juan Pierre, but from what I’ve ascertained, he at least has a better arm than Pierre. Morgan and his usefulness to the Nationals has already been disected further in a previous post.
Lefty Sean Burnett is a former first round pick. Last season he was moved from starting to the bullpen and is starting to settle in as a lefty specialist. So far this season Sean has held left-handed hitters to a 0.86 WHIP.
Although the Pirates landed two players with more upside than what the Nationals received, it looks as if the Nationals may win this trade. Pirates GM Neal Huntington is making not just one big gamble, but two on the players that he traded for.
Nationals want Nyjer Morgan?
There have been rumors flying around recently that the Washington Nationals have expressed interest in Pirates outfielder Nyjer Morgan. Although there’s much speculation as to who he’d be traded for, you also have to wonder why the Nationals would be so interested in trading for him.
Going into the 2009 season, the Washington Nationals had a few candidates that they were considering (hoping) would fill the centerfield void. A few candidates have turned into seven different players getting time in center. None of them have hit that well this season. Here’s what FanGraphs has for these outfielder while they were playing center:
| Name | AB | R | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | BB% | K% | OBP |
| Austin Kearns | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.429 | 12.50% | 42.90% | 0.500% |
| Willie Harris | 95 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 0.242 | 12.80% | 18.90% | 0.360% |
| Elijah Dukes | 130 | 12 | 14 | 34 | 2 | 6 | 0.231 | 9.70% | 26.20% | 0.306% |
| Lastings Milledge | 22 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0.136 | 16.00% | 42.90% | 0.240% |
| Corey Patterson | 8 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0.125 | 4.30% | 40.90% | 0.208% |
| Justin Maxwell | 21 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0.095 | 0.00% | 0.625% | 0.125% |
| Roger Bernadina | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.00% | 33.30% | 0.000% |
Their many tries to fill the void have not been very successful. Although Morgan has played mostly left field with the Pirates, he’d be a welcome addition to the Nationals outfield. Not just because his mediocre bat is a somewhat better option than current centerfielder Willy Harris (.233/.348/.406), but because his defense will be a solid presence in center. Whygavs.com has recently discussed his defene at length.
Although Morgan currently has his lowest batting average since 2005 when he was in A-ball, a rebound is possible, making him a viable everyday option in center (expecially in Washington). But many believe that his best role is a fourth outfielder type that shouldn’t get over-exposed with everday play. Regardless the Nationals need something better than what they have been trotting out there this season.
Most of the rumor that have swirled about include the problematic Lastings Milledge in the deal. If the Pirates can move his lackluster centerfield defense to a corner and he actually appreciates getting another chance at the majors, the Pirates might make out well if the trade takes place. But the Bucs should hopefully get a mediocre minor league prospect to make this potential trade look a little better as the chances of Milledge actually playing a decent amount of time in the majors are dwindling fast.
Trade Bait: DeRo going to St.Lo
Mark DeRosa’s name has been thrown about in trade rumors heavily over the past couple months. The Indians have been a disappointment this season and the Indians have been interested in moving Jhonny Peralta to third for some time. With shortstop-to-be Asdrubal Cabrera coming back off the disabled list, the time was appropriate to deal him. Several teams had apparently voice interest in the super-utility player, but the St. Louis Cardinals offered the right package in reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named later.
DeRosa will immediately improve the team’s offense at the hot corner. With Troy Glaus unable to play the position the rest of the season, the team can no longer rely on fill-in help at a position known for offensive output. The fill-in help hasn’t been all that good while manning 3rd base this year. The following statistics from FanGraphs show how well the players that have played the hot corner in St. Louis have fared with the bat while playing the position:
| Name | G | AB | HR | R | RBI | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Brian Barden | 45 | 91 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 4.50% | 14.30% | 0.238 | 0.304 | 0.714 | 1.019 |
| Khalil Greene | 7 | 21 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6.20% | 19.80% | 0.253 | 0.310 | 0.418 | 0.728 |
| Tyler Greene | 9 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11.70% | 17.50% | 0.217 | 0.313 | 0.322 | 0.635 |
| Joe Thurston | 45 | 143 | 1 | 20 | 15 | 0.00% | 28.10% | 0.219 | 0.219 | 0.281 | 0.500 |
| David Freese | 5 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6.70% | 21.40% | 0.143 | 0.188 | 0.214 | 0.402 |
In 278 at bats with the Indians this season, Mark has 13 home runs. The players at third base in St. Louis…8. Tyler Green and his 9 games played at the position has the closest OBP to DeRosa’s, but his .310 mark is 32 points lower than Mark’s. Other than Brian Barden, his OPS is also besting the group by a wide margin. Barden’s 1.019 OPS while at the hot corner is somewhat of a fluke as he is hitting .238 while there and overall, he has a .677 OPS on the season.
Chris Perez has electric stuff with a mid-90s fastball and a hard biting slider. He profiles as a future closer if he can keep his control in check. Major League hitters have hit just .195 off of him and he’s posted 30 strikeouts in 23.2 innings. But his control issues are evident as he has walked 15 over those 23.2 innings for an ugly 5.7o BB/9. With
We’ll have more on the PTBNL when he is announced.
This looks like a good trade for both sides right now. DeRosa makes a good improvement in the team’s lineup and his ability to play multiple positions helps Tony LaRussa as well. The Cardinals have other possible future closer prospects in Jason Motte and Jess Todd to groom while current closer, Ryan Franklin, provides a solid presence right now.
Mark Shapiro and the Indians may have finally found their future closer that they’ve been needing and were going to loose DeRosa to free agency this coming off-season anyway. But the bigger question we are all dealing with is, with Shapiro pulling the plug on the season, who else will be traded away from Cleveland?
Pinella fed up with Bradley’s Blow Ups
After yet another blow up by Milton Bradley, Chicago Cubs manger Lou Pinella got fed up with his childish tantrums. After sending him to the showers, Pinella confronted him and they got into a verbal confrontation in the clubhouse.
According to sources noted by the Chicago Sun-Times, Piniella shouted at Bradley, ”You’re not a player! You’re a piece of sh–!”
Who didn’t see this coming when Bradley signed his contract with the Cubs? I specifically wrote to this aspect when he signed the contract.
The real question is, “Can Lou control him from here on out?” I’m guessing Bradley is like a teenager, the more you try to control him, the more he’ll fight it. Will we see another rumble in the locker room like Lou had with Pinella? Doubtful, but Bradley definitely isn’t winning any brownie points with his teammates.
Save the Catchers….Again!
It has happened again. Something must be done to stop this and save the catchers! Earlier this season Jason LaRue was nearly trampledto death in a sausage stampede in Milwaukee. This time it was Bengie Molina of the San Francisco Giants.
Bengie and other catchers who wonder onto the ball field in the midst of a sausage race, there needs to be quick, concise action taken. It it the belief of The Baseball Opinion that following sign should be posted outside of major league dugouts during sausage races and other possible tramplings by league mascots.
LSU Tigers are National Champions
A hearty congratulations goes out to the LSU Tigers for winning the College World Series. They are a very deserving team for the title.
Of the several impressive things about the Tigers, one notable aspect was the defense on the left side of the infield. Third baseman Derek Helenihi and shortstop Austin Nola both made impressive plays throughout the series. Leon Landry, who often came off the bench as a defensive replacement in left field, made a great diving catch on Tuesday night and has shown his defensive prowess in throughout the series as well.
Right fielder Jared Mitchell won CWS Most Outstanding Player. But this award would’ve been a tough one to hand out. There were a few different players with notable performances in the CWS. Texas outfielder Russell Moldenhauer tied a CWS record with four home runs during the series. Texas pitcher Taylor Jungmann tied a CWS record with three wins and held a 0.59 ERA during the series. One could even point to LSU second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who was a great presence at the top of the lineup and seemed to be in on every pivotal scoring play as a hitter or as a runner. But Mitchell was also in on many plays and his three-run homer sparked the LSU offense early in the final game. Mitchell has great speed, great bat speed, and just a great overall presence.
CWSOmaha.com had quotes from several players about the game. Here’s one from Jared Mitchell: (about if there was a better way to finish his career): “If there is a better way, write the story for me. It’s been so much fun … to accomplish something like this with these players.” Throughout the series we had interviews and soundbites fed to us from Jared. He seems well-rounded, well-spoken, and it seems like he definitely has fun.
Congrats Tigers!
Jungmann is a Stud Mann
After Augie Garrido used five pitchers in the first game of the championship series, he obviously needed the game 2 starter to pitch longer into the game. Taylor Jungmann stepped up to the task Tuesday night. The tall right-hander pitched a masterful complete game, giving up only one unearned run on five hits. Jungmann also struck out eight on the night as he baffled hitters.
Although Taylor doesn’t have mid-90s heat regularly on his fastball, his two-seamer sat at just under 90mph all night long. Once in a while, he did dial it up higher with his 4-seam fastball though. Jungmann also has good movement on his breaking pitches and kept them in or near the strike-zone all night long. While in Omaha, Jungmann is 3-0 with a 0.59 ERA, pretty dominating against the top teams in the country.
Outfielder/DH Russ Moldenhauer has also stepped up. As noted by many, he now has tied the College World Series record of four home runs, after not having hit a home run all season long.
But the defensive play of Texas Michael Torres 3B should definitely be noted as well. On top of a few good plays during the game, he made a play on a tough soft grounder in 9th to keep Jared Mitchell off the base paths.
LSU Leads Series Heading into Game 2 of CWS Championship
If the first game of the National Championship series of the College World Series is any indication of how good this series will be, you can bet I’ll be on the edge of my seat the entire time.
Just as Texas looked as if they were striding towards a win with a 6-4 lead with two outs in the ninth inning, LSU kicked into gear and tied up the game. LSU second baseman DJ LeMahieu (2nd round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs) ripped a two-out RBI double down the leftfield line.
In the 11th inning, center-fielder Mikie Mahtook pounded a two-out RBI single to give LSU a 7-6 victory over Texas. It wasn’t so much the hit itself that was interesting, it was the pitch selection. Texas pitcher Brandon Workman, who has a dominating mid-90s fastball, was clearly overmatching Mahtook in the at-bat. Every fastball that Mahtook hit in the at-bat was slapped foul, most of them ended in the stands as Mikie obviously couldn’t catch up to Workman’s fastball. But for some reason Workman threw a breaking ball as a gift offering that Mahtook could easily handle.
Freshman right-hander Matty Ott (4-2) earned the win for LSU. He three dominant shutout innings from the ninth to the end of the game, allowing no hits and striking out three. The Tigers’ closer, Ott showed why he excelled in that role this year.