@Bronx Baseball Daily: Maybe you are the one who should read more?

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_666005.html

I can understand you want your beloved Yankees to be the one on top of trades and, yes, we’re all aware the “incident” that he rushed out of ballpark, but in this article Mr. Rob Biertempfel said it really clearly about the whole thing.

Tabata is not a franchise-saving player, and we just talk about him as regular minor leaguer who might or might not get call up soon. If you wanna show off your “in-depth” knowledge or investigating skills, I suggest you to go elsewhere.

Thanks for Peguero — looking forward to it.

Also, the reason why the Yankees traded him – he left in the middle of a game and tried to quit baseball.

His wife, about 20 years older than him, is also a convicted kidnapper. Something he supposedly knew nothing about.”

The behavior concerns you mentioned while he was playing with the Yankees seem to have gradually disappeared while playing for the Pirates. He has started to mature out – assuming he is 21. If we assume he is older, even if he’s 25, he still has value to play in the majors. However, the Yankees traded him because they wanted immediate help, he was their top prospect (or in the top three) and the NYC media hype helped their case.

I am not trying to be a Tabata apologist, just that his skills that are observable are showing he is going to be major league appropriate.

@Bronx Baseball Daily: There are those concerns too, however, until it’s proven you can make light of his Latin 21 age. However, the most recent Baseball America seemed to place the age issue as a back burner problem – more like they aren’t worried about it.

@Buddo Chezuski: You might want to punt Blanks if you can’t afford to hold him on your bench. His k’rate is ridiculous and he is nothing but a drain to your team if you are playing him. In 12 team leagues – even keeper like you said – at this point in the season you can’t start him. I think the long term he plays well, but he probably needs to refine his batting approach to become more successful in the long run.

@Adam: I thought about him for this week. Peguero will be next week. I can almost promise that.

Another thing I’ve found kind of helpful is MLB.com’s prospect preview thing…I’ll go look at the top picks from a mock draft and then go read up on them.

Hopefully I get the #1 pick and can just grab Harper!

@Matt: What do you mean “The more you know the tougher it is”? It opens avenues to trade players that the media hypes while knowing who to pick up afterward.

@GopherDay: I try to keep to the minor leagues currently because I am still learning every day. There is so much to know that I let the experts keep tabs on the draft. Check out John Sickels’ stuff here: http://www.minorleagueball.com/ ; he has some great stuff. Scan his site, about a month ago he posted a few articles about the MLB Rule-4 Draft. Keith Law(http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog?name=law_keith) has some great stuff if you have ESPN Insider.

(John Sickel’s links)

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/5/1/1454324/interesting-college-hitters-for

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/5/3/1456083/interesting-college-hitters-part

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/5/3/1456352/discussion-question-high-school

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/5/4/1457903/2010-mock-draft

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/5/4/1458018/2010-mock-draft-supplemental-round

@Black Beard: You’re welcome. My call-up time frame is usually conservative too. Especially this off-season.

@AL KOHOLIC: Smoak because he is already up and learning how to hit in the majors. He also has fewer duties and should play more. Santana would be great if Victor is hurt or you are in a dual catcher league. Also check out: http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/5/16/1473663/either-or-buster-posey-vs-carlos

@sean: You are correct. Tabata doesn’t have the speed for center or the bat for right. Ichiro doesn’t have the bat for right either though. No, Tabata isn’t Ichiro, and no, he wont play center, especially with Andrew McCutchen roaming around the entire outfield. However, what I was trying to convey with the Span comparison is someone who will hit for decent average, steal 20 bases, and become a quiet fixture to a team.Not just speedy players can steal bases. Lance Berkman stole 16 two years ago, Wright steals a ton of bases, as does Alex Rodriguez. There is definitely an art to stealing that even speedsters need to figure out. Only if he played second base, everyone would compare his frame to Dan Uggla. I honestly think he’ll be in Right or traded to a team that needs outfield help and perform at league average is not higher right away.

Still, I think he plays right and as long as he slashes for high(ish) average and stills 20 bases, all is well. He has the contact skills, plate discipline, and gap power strength to play an integral part of the Pirates future. His arm is strong enough for right and his speed is going to be league average at best. In essence, your rebuttal is correct, in practice, Tabata has value and should play. Talent forces a position to be determined – look at Dunn, Oritz, Polanco, Hudson, and most of all Span. Everyone wrote Span off in 2007 as a bust and someone who can’t hit. Well, there are now stories about his minor league journey that denote what happened.

@sean: I’d say September. He still has to work on hitting lefties, consistency and there is no reason to rush his arbitration clock.

@joe from point pleasant: Moustakas is a bit far away. I’d say Cashner is a mid-to-late June, if not July call-up. If you need a third basemen, look at Josh Bell (BAL), Brett Wallace (TOR – I don’t know if he has 3B eligibility though).

@Howie Met Your Mother: If you need the power and can handle the low average.

@Elbert: Harang and Francis – but I’m biased

@Deanjello: No

Phew.

I get: Lester, Victorino
Give up: BJ, Rasmus, Straburg, Ian Stewart

The league im in allows 2 roster spots for minor leaguers and I have needs at SP and 3B. I am looking to pick up a minor league player that will make an impact ASAP. The two guys im looking at right now are moustakas and cashner.

What are their ETA’s? and who do you think has a better shot of contributing this year?

5’11″/215 is pretty stocky for anyone not an NFL running back. If he’s not carrying the bulk of that in his upper body, he may truly become a man without a position.

Don’t know if you follow the MLB draft beforehand, but I’ve got to draft players from there June 9th, and I don’t know squat about them except for Bryce Harper!!

C Carlos Ruiz, Phi C *
1B Prince Fielder, Mil 1B *
2B Robinson Cano, NYY 2B *
3B Casey McGehee, Mil 2B *
SS Everth Cabrera, SD SS *
OF B.J. Upton, TB CF *
OF Andrew McCutchen, Pit CF *
OF Carlos Gonzalez, Col LF *
UTIL Andruw Jones, CWS DH *
UTIL Jack Cust, Oak RF *
SP Ubaldo Jimenez, Col SP *
SP Clayton Kershaw, LAD SP *
SP C.J. Wilson, Tex RP *
SP Clayton Richard, SD SP *
SP Homer Bailey, Cin SP *
SP Gio Gonzalez, Oak SP *
SP Bud Norris, Hou SP *
RP Ryan Perry, Det RP *
RP Madison Bumgarner, SF RP *
RP Clay Hensley, Fla RP *
RP Craig Kimbrel, Atl RP *
Bench Rick Porcello, Det SP *
Bench Brian Matusz, Bal SP *
Bench Stephen Strasburg, Was SP *
Bench Buster Posey, SF C *
Bench Aroldis Chapman, Cin SP *
Bench Pedro Alvarez, Pit 3B *
Bench Desmond Jennings, TB LF *
Bench Michael Stanton, Fla RF *
Bench Justin Smoak, Tex 1B *
Bench Jesus Montero, NYY C *
Bench Domonic Brown, Phi RF *
Bench Jeremy Hellickson, TB SP *
Bench Andrew Cashner, ChC SP *
DL Jordan Zimmermann*, Was SP *
DL Travis Snider*, Tor LF