Fantasy Baseball Advice

Welcome to the real second half. Not that 4 game H2H sprint where you lose to the last place team cause he had 3 guys carry his week, one of them named Molina. I am back from my much needed vacation funded by Razzball. Grey is so gracious to give me 52 weeks off a year, because this isn’t work, this is a hobby. The second half, albeit not exactly half which would make it more like 17/32nds, starts with a really full first week. As I was going through the probable pitchers, I wondered what 12 days rest would mean to most of these guys. In most cases, not much, but in some cases it could prove beneficiary (was the word of the day on my calender so I had to use it). In other cases, take note that some pitchers will be rusty this week, so expect a spike in the peripherals. Here’s the week 16, two start, low rent starters for fantasy baseball:

R.A. Dickey (Ari vs. Enright) (@Lad vs. Kershaw)
The gleam is off the Dickey my friends. Last 3 starts, 0-2 with a no decision. Sounds like we should bail on him. Look deeper, has only given up 4 earned runs. Mets will score runs this week. Decent first matchup.

Wade LeBlanc (Atl vs. Jurrjens) (@Pit vs. Lincoln)
Wade the White, sounds like a Wizard. No home games and I still put him up here. Is prolly going to go 1-1, with 10k’s for the week, only problem is ERA is doubled on the road.

Kyle Kendrick (@StL vs. Hawksworth) (Col vs. Jimenez)
1 good start 2 bad seems like a pattern with him, first start here would restart the cycle. Gets a tough one with his second start against Bald Jim. Low K potential, gets killed by lefties. Has lowered ERA half a run over the last month.

Dan Hudson (@Sea vs. Pauley) (@Oak vs. Sheets)
Got the first start out of his system. Gets 2 great matchups. 10.4 k/9 rate in the minors is saying something. (9.99 leads majors). Patience is the key here, is going to be a good #2 in the future.

Blake Hawksworth (Phi vs. Kendrick) (ChC vs. Gorzellany)
The best superhero real name of all time. Has lowered ERA every start since mid-June. BAA is hovering around .300, ugh. 4k’s a game is okay considering he only pitches 5 innings a start. I would stash him for the Cubs start, but that’s just me.

Jeff Francis (@Fla vs. Robertson) (@Phi vs. Moyer)
Battling is the best I can say with Francis. Hitting that first wall after injury. All-Star break suits him good. Colorado looks like a different team to me lately, ones that wants to go to the playoffs. The Padres really can’t hold on, can they?

Dave Bush (@Pit vs. Lincoln) (Was vs. Atilano)
I would still say we should run from it, but look at the matchups. Gets no stud opposing SP, can be mediocre and let the bats win him the games. 2.78 ERA in last 10 games…Hmmm, very interesting.

Chris Tillman (TB vs. Davis) (Min vs. Baker)
Was a toss up here, as both he and Arrieta double up. I like his 2 matchups better, but they are still the O’s. Comes off first win high, pitched great versus a great hitting team. Good mechanics, smooth delivery. Future rotation of Matusz, Tillman, Arrieta, Britton and Hobgood With Erbe closing, nice. Damn, AL East.

James McDonald (SF vs. Bumgarner) (NyM vs. Pelfrey)
My snoozer of the week. Your typical 3 earned in 6 innings, 6 K kinda guys. Sounds good to me. Gets the hated Giants, and the scuffling hand licker (there’s video to back this up) Pelfrey. Good roll of the dice gets 2 cozy home starts at Chavez.

Scott Feldman (@Det vs. Bonderman) (Laa vs. Pineiro)
Texas hits well. WHIP disaster. Will win games 10-7, with him giving up all 7 runs. Brother Corey is not pleased one bit. Free piece of advice, don’t chase wins.

I’m going to put the caveats up front.  Caveat #1) When I was younger, I played doctor on occasion, but I never went to med school.  Caveat #2) Trading for or grabbing injured pitchers off waivers is risky.  You get one setback and you could lose the pitcher for another month or two.  Then bam! you’re in September and shouting Emeril catchphrases.  Caveat #3)  The comparison I’m about to make may hold no weight whatsoever.  Caveat #4)  There’s no caveat #4, there never is.  Like an overworked truck driver, Jorge de la Rosa had a strain of his middle finger.  This injury is similar (this is the comparison that may be wonky) to Adam Wainwright’s middle finger strain in 2008.  When Wainwright returned, he had 6 of 7 solid starts.  Now if dlR uses his middle finger more than Wainwright or if his injury was more severe than Wainwright’s this may mean nothing.  My common sense says, “The injury is not an arm injury.  It’s your bugger off finger.”  I think Rosa can return with value, but there’s also risk attached.  So you have to weigh your pros and cons.  A big pro is the plus-sized girl at The Chicken Ranch.  Another big pro is that dlR strikes out a batter per inning.  Mmm… Strikeouts.  Anyway, here’s some more players I’d buy or sell this week in fantasy baseball:

BUY

Pedro Alvarez – Sure, he doesn’t have a 45-year-old wife with kids that he doesn’t recognize like Jose Tabata or a cool nickname like The Dread Pirate (though I may try and push The Smashbuckler like that Mean Girl tried to push fetch), but Alvarez does have a good bat and upside.  Who else are you rocking at your corner infidel spot?  Headley?  Yeah, he’s disappointing at best and playing his home games at Petco at worst.

Dayan Viciedo – Just went over my Viciedo fantasy.  Thank me later.

Delmon Young – Four long years ago, Delmon was the hottest prospect in all of baseball and flinging bats at umpires.  Well, he’s still only 24 and now wearing Stickum.  I wouldn’t expect much more than 20 homers and 10 steals, which sounds like what Pacman Jones should give you, but Delmon has that ever elusive upside.  Wait, Jones has that too.  Hmm…

Tyler Colvin – Steve Stone Piniella decided to give Colvin a chance and so should fantasy owners for pop.  Not cola.

Travis Hafner – This is not implying that I think you should trade for Hafner.  No, this is simply if you see him on waivers, I’d grab him (with one hand supporting the back of his big melon head).

Aubrey Huff – Hey, it’s Pat the Bat’s fingercuff partner.  Huff has always been better in the 2nd half and now he’s hitting in the 1st half.  You do the math!

David DeJesus – Member that guy you picked up about a month ago because he was hitting?  Let’s call him Fred Lewis.  Yeah, that’s DeJesus.  Or DeJewis.

Mike Napoli – Why are people dropping him?  You need to chillax.  He’s playing 1st base as Mathis starts behind the plate.

Bronson Arroyo – Member how his post-All-Star Break ERA last year (2.24 ERA) fooled people into drafting him in March?  Ah, we did have a laugh at them, huh?  Me and you.  You don’t remember, do you?   Oh, well.  It’s close enough to the All-Star Break that you can now grab him.

Jon Niese – He’s really not that exciting but I’m ready to take a long pull from the Niese pipe (maybe could’ve reworded that).  Right now, Metco is ranked dead last in offense.  No reason why you can’t exploit that.

Clayton Richard – Has an ERA of 2.71, 1.28 WHIP and home games in Petco.  Imagine my surprise when I saw he’s only owned in 48% of ESPN leagues.  Imagine my further surprise when I started a sentence with “Imagine my surprise.”  Sounds like I’m writing in to Dear Abby.  Imagine my surprise when they showed up at my door three hours after the housewarming started!  Empty-handed!  Some people!

Dan Hudson – Stephen just went over him in the Dan Hudson for fantasy thingamawhosie.  With Peavy’s injury, we could see him in the landmark case, Sooner vs. Later.

Jason Hammel – Went over him in last week’s Buy/Sell.  But you knew that.

Aaron Heilman – Heilman’s really not as safe as he may seem, but for right now SAGNOF!

Brandon Lyon – Don’t think Lindstrom just flat-out loses the job without a few major breakdowns (which could happen), but he has complained about a sore back a few times recently.  Lindstrom sneezes and Lyon becomes the closer in Houston.  It’s the very lazy butterfly effect.

SELL

Austin Jackson – I told you to sell Jackson back in April because that’s when his value was at its highest.  If you wait until a guy actually stops hitting, then you’re not going to be able to sell them for anything.  You’re gonna just drop him.  And that’s about all you can do with Jackson now.

Carl Crawford – Let’s look at two lines.  50/6/36/.297/23 and 44/3/22/.317/22.  That’s Crawford  and Gardner, respectively.  I could’ve also posted Podsednik or Rajai or insert SAGNOF’er.  The steals are great and I don’t think Crawford necessarily falls apart.  I think he stays on the same pace he has been his whole career, which happens to have him stealing less bases in August and September than any other months.  So if you can get cheap steals and move Crawford for a big piece, I would.  Say Crawford for Ryan Howard then grab steals off waivers?  I’d do that.  Don’t trade Crawford for a free consultation at the Don Mossi Beautification Center.

Chase Headley – I’m moving on in the leagues where I own him.  Petco is where sleeper dreams go to die.  How’s that for a turn of a phrase?  Huh?  Okay, moving on…

Andy Pettitte – I wonder if you can convince the Yankee fan in your league that Pettitte’s year is for real because it’s not.  That reminds me of a run-in I had with Buddy Hackett about fifteen years ago.  I dropped heaps of admiration and he said, “Is that a diamond in your nose?  Oh no, it’s not.”  I stared.  Buddy, “No, it’s not!”  Blank stare.  “It’s snot!”  Turned out I had to wipe my nose.

Today’s Scouting the Unknown is targeting a pitcher that is close to the majors. The hitter, well, is more likely to be up in September, if at all this year.

Dan Hudson | RHP-SP | Chicago White Sox | DOB: 3-9-87 | 6′ 4” | 220 lbs | B/T: R/R | Drafted 5th rd. 2008 from College | CHW #3 ranked prospect according to Baseball America (2010) | MiLB Player Page

Drafted out of Old Dominion after an up-and-down career, Hudson has pitched extremely well in his professional career. With three solid pitches, Hudson has kept hitters off balance since signing his contract. He throws a 90 to 94 mph fastball, a changeup that has become “excellent” during the 2009 season according to John Sickels, and a low-80s slider all from a low three-quarters arm slot. There is a curve he keeps in his toolbox, but he rarely uses it. When his arm slot drops too low, his pitches become flat. His throwing motion provides a lot of natural deception, but his delivery is actually quite “high maintenance” and often requires adjustments early in the game (according to Baseball America 2010). Although he pounds the strike zone well and is able to work his fastball successfully on both sides of the plate, he has trouble keeping the ball in the park (career .7 Hr/9, but a 1.3 Hr/9 this year and gave up three homers in 18 innings in the major leagues). Hudson has a durable, strong frame and throws strikes with excellent command (career 2.4 BB/9). How has his 2010 season gone at Triple-A (International League)? Well, take a second to glance over his numbers and then I’ll rejoin you.

2010 Stats: 10.9 K/9 | 2.6 BB/9 | 71 2/3 IP | 3.91 ERA | 3.41 FIP | 1.21 WHIP | 1.3 Hr/9 | 8.2 H/9 | .325 BABIP | 40.9 GB% | 21 LD% | 35.2 FB% | 14.5 Hr/FB%

Career Stats: 10.7 K/9 | 2.4 BB/9 | 288 1/3 IP | 2.97 ERA | 2.87 FIP | 1.04 WHIP | .7 Hr/9 | 6.9 H/9 | .296 BABIP | 43.8 GB%| 17.4 LD% | 34.2 FB% | 7.7 Hr/FB%

After an extremely rough April (9.61 ERA with 6 homers allowed in 16 1/3 innings), Hudson has been dominating opposing hitters. On May 23, he struck out 11 batters affiliated to the Colorado Rockies and walked only one. On June 8, he struck out 10 batters affiliated to the New York Yankees and walked none. His last start on June 13 wasn’t great as he allowed two home runs but only three earned runs. In his last 55 innings, covering nine starts, he has 68 strikeouts and 13 walks, four home runs allowed, and a 2.49 ERA. Hudson’s tendency to allow a lot of homers has already reared its ugly head with 10 homers allowed this year, albeit six of them were in April. This high frequency of home runs is statistically supported in his 14.5 HR/FB%, but this is a slightly above average rate, especially for him (keep in mind the small sample size).

Why should you be watching for his promotion? 342:77 strikeouts to walk ratio in 288 1/3 innings, or known as, strikeout potential with control. He’s a poor-mans Jeremy Hellickson who has won the MLB Minor League Player of the Year award in 2009 for getting promoted from Class-A, to Class High-A, to Class Double-A, to Class Triple-A, to the MLB all in the same year. His 18 inning MLB trial-by-fire didn’t go poorly, but he wasn’t nearly as dominate as he was in the minors (6.8 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in the majors compared to 10.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in the minors in 2009). With the Chicago White Sox playing poorly, especially all their terrible starting pitching, it’s only time before he is finally promoted and he gets to face the Royals and Indians. ETA? Sooner rather than later.

Koby Clemens | 1B/OF | Houston Astros | DOB: 12-4-86 | 5’11” | 193 lbs | B/T: R/R | Drafted 8th rd. 2005 from High School | HOU #20 ranked prospect according to Baseball America (2010) | MiLB Player Page

Yes, he is the son of future Hall-of-Famer Roger Clemens, and no, he isn’t a highly regarded prospect, at least not yet. Just last year, Clemens was not a ranked prospect. This year, he is ranked low in a terrible Astros farm system; John Sickels even gave him a relatively low grade (a “C”). Drafted to please his father, the younger Clemens has always been an underdog. Last year he exceeded expectations as he won the MiLB Class High-A Best Hitter of the Year Award by posting a slash line of .345/.419/.636 with 22 home runs and a 109:51 K:BB in 423 at-bats. Playing in an extreme hitters environment and home park at Lancaster and the California League, he posted great numbers at Home AND on the road (.352/.425/.662 at home and .338/.412/.610 on the road). This led Baseball America to say, “(H)as made great strides last year – shortened action in his hitting and approach … kept head still and maintained a stronger foundation … Handles pitches on outer half plate well. Projects as a doubles hitter with average power.” John Sickels was more optimistic by saying, “… [A]lways showed good power potential with decent plate discipline, but his hitting skills seemed to genuinely improve,” in 2009 (emphasis mine) , “… but his numbers in 2009 probably overstate how much he has improved.” How has he played this year at Class Double-A in the Texas League?

2010 Stats: .275/.374/.555 | 211 AB | 27 XBH | 16 Hr | .280 ISO | 6/2 SB/CS | 62:31 K:BB | .316 BABIP | 30.7 GB% | 20.7 LD% | 48.0 FB%

Career Stats: .278/.368/.472 | 1901 AB | 134 2B | 14 3B | 69 Hr | 26/10 SB/CS | 482:253 K:BB | .340 BABIP | 36.9 GB% | 15.2 LD% | 47.7 FB%

Here is what I said about Koby Clemens in the 2009 Houston Astros Minor League Review, “He will always be at least a level behind Castro as they are the same age and Castro is the better prospect. However you look at it, those numbers are hard to ignore. He isn’t a ranked prospect [2010 Baseball America ranks him 20th in the Astros farm system) as there are several players above him at the catcher position. Just wanted to point out his year as he had the highest OPS in the entire system.” At this point, he isn’t a catcher, instead, he is playing first base and possibly some outfield because his defense was sub-par at catcher and even at third base. So far this year, his Home-Away split looks like: .327/.426/.643 at home and .230/.328/.478 on the road. The power looks like it’s here to stay (in top five among all minor league players in home runs and a .280 ISO), the strikeouts are a bit too high, but the walks are fairly good although average, and his BABIP, isn’t making his numbers look lucky this year like it did last year. Oh, and even though the sample size is small, he is hitting .346/.470/.750 with RISP in 52 at-bats.

What does the Crystal ball see? John Sickels says he’ll be a .250/.340/.450 type player at Double-A. Well, Clemens is exceeding that expectation (seems like he is doing that quite a lot). Kind of like making the Texas League All-Star Game, along with some other great prospects (eight from Kansas City’s farm team alone) and receiving the 6/7/10 Texas League Player of the Week award. Double-A is generally accepted as a make-or-break level for fringe prospects and Clemens looks like he’ll pass with flying colors. A midseason promotion to Triple-A looks to be in order. With the possibility of a Lance Berkman trade in the near future and with no highly regarded prospects at first base in Houston’s farm system, Clemens may make the majors in September of this year with a shot to become involved in a spring training battle in 2011. That’s the best case scenario. He’s not as close to the majors as a few other prospects, but I’m starting this hype-train before anyone else can, especially since many don’t believe in him. I may be spitting in the wind and overly optimistic, but there is just something about Koby Clemens that says, “HEY! Look at me!” I’m looking, watching, and now waiting. Hopefully you are as patient as me.

Chicago White Sox 2009 Minor League Review
Overall farm rankings according to Baseball America (2009)
2009 (16) | 2008 (28) | 2007 (26) | 2006 (14) | 2005 (12) | 2004 (20)

Record of Major and Minor league teams
MLB: [86 – 77] AL Central
AAA: [67 – 76] International League
AA: [92 – 47] Southern League
A+: [73 – 65] Carolina League
A: [82 – 57] South Atlantic League
R: [42 – 34] Pioneer League
R: [27 – 39] Appalachian League

The Run Down
With one of the better rookies of 2009 in Gordon Beckham, and there is an argument that he should have won Rookie of the Year, the White Sox are still in desperate need to become younger. Trading away several top arms for Jake Peavy has seriously weakened the depth of the team’s minor league system. Granted, with Peavy, Buehrle, Floyd and Danks, the White Sox have a nice looking rotation in a rather weak division; especially if youngsters Dan Hudson or Carlos Torres pitch well. So the depth is poor, but the top is heavy. With Tyler Flowers, Dan Hudson, and Jordan Danks, the Sox have young studs. No, I didn’t forget about Dayan Viciedo, he is just an afterthought this year. That’s what happens when your weight may rival your batting average – granted a .280 batting average is still decently pleasant. White Sox fans, don’t look too deep or you might find out why Ken Williams is being questioned for his constant trading.

Graduating Prospects
#1 – (3B) Gordon Beckham

Arizona Fall League Players – Peoria Javelinas
Pitchers – Justin Cassel, Matt Long, Jacob Rasner, Sergio Santos
Hitters – #4 (3B) Dayan Viciedo, #7 (CF) Jordan Danks, #29 (2B/3B) CJ Retherford

Players of Interest
Hitters
#4 Tyler Flowers | C | AA/AAA | 23 | .297/.423/.516 | 353 AB | 28 2B | 15 HR | .219 ISO | 108:67 K:BB | .396 BABIP | 47.8 GB% | 18.8 LD% | 33.5 FB%
Received in Javier Vazquez trade to Atlanta last winter (What kind of scouting do the Braves have that they have so many catchers to trade (i.e. Salty and Flowers)?), Flowers is penciled in as the future catcher of the Sox. With A.J. Pierzynski’s contract ending after this season (2010), a midseason call up should be expected. He only had 105 ABs at Triple-A, but still hit fairly well (.286/.364/.433). His strikeout rates are worrisome (~30.5 K%) as is his extremely high BABIP (.396). He has a career .358 BABIP in 1267 AB in the minors. For the 2010 season, he has 2009 Miguel Montero-like potential.

#7 Jordan Danks | CF | A+/AA | 22 | .266/.359/.405 | 402 AB | 23 2B | 9 HR | .139 ISO | 12/4 SB/CS | 105:55 K:BB | .334 BABIP | 50.8 GB% | 18.8 LD% | 30.4 FB%
The little brother of John Danks, Jordan plays good defense, lacks power, and has many scouts see-sawing on his future. Some scouts believe he will be able to add more homers and power once he adds more bulk to his frame, while others completely disagree, noting specifically his sketchy swing mechanics. The 2009 scouting report said he should hit for average, and he did in 118 AB in High-A (.322/.409/.525) but struggled mightily in Double-A (.243/.337/.356 in 284 AB). His strikeout rate is worth noting, but he walks a fair amount too. He kind of reminds me of Denard Span – had a lot of hype, loses favor, and then surprises later than expected. He is more of a dark horse/sleeper after his dismal 2009 season.

#2 Dayan Viciedo | 3B | AA | 20 | .280/.317/.391 | 504 AB | 20 2B | 12 HR | .111 ISO | 89:22 K:BB | .319 BABIP | 55.2 GB% | 16.4 LD% | 28.2 FB%
Grey mentioned Dayan Viciedo in early November and I mentioned him back in mid-June. Viciedo, if you listened to the hype, was a complete flop. However, if his age is legit, he played really well at Double-A. His power numbers were not quite what everyone was expecting, but that is what happens when you hit more than half of your balls on the ground. In 2010, he needs to put a bit more lift on his swing to see more success. He didn’t walk enough, however, his strikeout rate was respectable (17.7%). Triple-A pitching is next, and if he can adjust accordingly, a late season call-up (or an injury replacement if he is succeeding) would be expected. In dynasty leagues, now is your time to buy low.

#29 C.J. Retherford | 2B/3B | AA | 23 | .297/.340/.473 | 478 AB | 46 2B | 10 HR | .176 ISO | 70:30 K:BB | .328 BABIP | 39.9 GB% | 20.3 LD% | 39.7 FB%
With Brent Morel and Viciedo looking to lock up third and first base for the future, the Sox moved Retherford to second this year. He may have been a low ranked prospect in 2009, but his play moved him into the top of the Sox farm system. With Beckham at second, Retherford will need to repeat 2009 to solidify his rising prospect rating. He doesn’t have great speed and his defense is, at best, slightly above average (and his third base defense is marginal). Truly, Retherford could eventual provide late round depth at second base in terms of fantasy if he could hit .280/.350/.425 with 10 to 15 homers a year.

Pitchers
#24 Dan Hudson | RHP | A/A+/AA/AAA | 22 | 10.1 K/9 | 2.6 BB/9 | 147 1/3 IP | 2.32 RA | 2.43 FIP | .94 WHIP | .3 HR/9 | .288 BABIP | 42.1 GB% | 18.7 LD% | 33.8 FB%
If Flowers wasn’t on this team, Dan Hudson would easily be the top prospect in the system. Rising through the entire minor leagues last year, Hudson dominated at each level. Even his BABIP wasn’t extremely low, aiding his case for prospect breakout player of the year. His worst stop in the minors was in Triple-A at the end of the summer when he saw his walk rate skyrocket (3.4 BB/9), which was the highest since Single-A (2.6 BB/9). Although, he only pitched 24 innings at Triple-A, he was called-up in September and threw 18 1/3 inning with a strikeout rate of 6.8 K/9 and a walk rate of 4.3 BB/9. He has always been a good pitcher, but his senior year of baseball (2008), he slumped and when he was drafted he pitched really well (90 strikeouts in 70 IP). Look for him to compete for the last starting rotation spot in spring training with Carlos Torres. Don’t be shocked to see him start at Triple-A to save service time. If you want the next rookie stud, look no further. He has a low 90′s fastball with tailing effects to lefties and a riding in effect to righties, an average slider, and a spotty change-up (pre-2009 scouting report).

#25 Carlos Torres | RHP | AAA | 26 | 9.1 K/9 | 3.9 BB/9 | 128 IP | 2.39 ERA | 3.04 FIP | 1.19 WHIP | .3 HR/9 | .279 BABIP | 47.6 FB% | 20.2 LD% | 28.5 FB%
He received several starts in 2009 for the White Sox (28 1/3 IP) and pitched admirably. Note that admirably doesn’t mean well. This is just a heads up mention as Torres has a good fastball, a plus cutter, and the experience to help the White Sox in 2010. He is worth a late round flier.

#11 John Ely | RHP | AA | 23 | 7.2 K/9 | 2.9 BB/9 | 156 1/3 IP | 2.82 ERA | 3.68 FIP | 1.22 WHIP | .5 HR/9 | .296 BABIP | 50.5 GB% | 16.4 LD% | 28.9 FB%
His fastball sits between 88 and 94 mph with good movement, a 12-to-6 curve that fluctuates between being an “out” pitch and a “show me” pitch. Nothing spectacular, but nothing to scoff at either. As long as he keeps his pitches down, he should be a back end pitcher. Look only for him in the majors if there is a rash of injuries to the rotation.

Honorable Mentions
Hitters
Christian Marrero | 1B | A+/AA | 22 | .308/.348/.501 | 455 AB | 30 2B | 18 HR | .193 ISO | 94:24 K:BB | .353 BABIP | 44.2 GB% | 20.5 LD% | 35.3 FB%
He laced balls all over the field (20.5 LD%) while hitting his way to gain attention in the baseball world. Splitting the year at High-A and Double-A, Marrero pounded out hit after hit. His ISO raised between his promotion (.168 to .219), as did his walk rates. He’ll start the year in Double-A. Eventually, Marrero could replace Konerko, or platoon with another first basemen. Don’t be surprised to see him, Morel or Retherford used as trade bait.

Stefan Gartrell | OF | AA/AAA | 25 | .281/.358/.513 | 474 AB | 31 2B | 23 HR | .232 ISO | 128:53 K:BB | .340 BABIP | 45.5 GB% | 18.8 LD% | 35.7 FB%
Gartrell mainly played at Double-A. His age is working against him, his strikeouts too. His power on the other hand, definitely playing in his favor. If Jones doesn’t play well, Gartrell might be an option for a rather underachieving outfield gang.

#17 Brent Morel | 3B | A+ | 22 | .281/.335/.453 | 4481 AB | 33 2B | 16 HR | .172 ISO | 25/9 SB/CS | 66:38 K:BB | .304 BABIP | 44.3 GB% | 16.8 LD% | 38.5 FB%
A level too low for a “Player of Interest” mention, Morel projects to play the opposite corner of Viciedo. With good plate discipline, above average power, and good range with a plus arm, Morel is on the fast track to the majors. Look for him to play at Double-A, and potentially Triple-A in 2010.

Pitchers
#16 Jhonny Nunez | RHP | AA/AAA | 23 | 10.1 K/9 | 3.3 BB/9 | 70 2/3 IP | 2.55 ERA | 3.36 FIP | 1.18 WHIP | .8 HR/9 | .307 BABIP | 30.7 GB% | 22.8 LD% | 40.7 FB%
Used primarily as a reliever, Nunez pitched well this year. He was once a pitcher, however, his stuff (a mid 90′s fastball and a power slider) works better as a reliever – mainly because of his inconsistencies and inability to develop a solid third pitch.

Dan Remenowsky | RHP | A | 23 | 15.5 K/9 | 2.3 BB/9 | 63 1/3 IP | 1.99 ERA | 1.63 FIP | .88 WHIP | .4 HR/9 | .319 BABIP | 39 GB% | 13 LD% | 43.9 FB%
Easily the pitcher with the numbers that jump out and poke you in the eye. He is a bit older than his competition, and he’ll need to repeat his season to gain any kind of higher ranking or notoriety.

Stephen Sauer | RHP | A | 22| 7.8 K/9 | 1.2 BB/9 | 142 IP | 3.36 ERA | 2.79 FIP | 1.28 WHIP |.3 HR/9 | .363 BABIP | 56.3 GB% | 15.8 LD% | 21.7 FB%
I like his ground ball rate, and that is why he is here (along with adequate numbers too). His BABIP was a bit high (adjusted for his lower FIP), but his control, ground ball rate, and overall solid numbers makes him someone to watch.