Graduated from Stash List #4: Boston Needs A New Mayer: Marcelo Mayer, Jac Caglianone, Carson McCusker, Daylen Lile
Note: Anyone promoted during the current season is ineligible for the stash list.
1. Red Sox OF Roman Anthony (21, AAA)
I had speculated about a Jarren Duran trade in this space before, and the team has made comments over the past week about their willingness to trade both Duran and Wilyer Abreu. Seems like Anthony might be stuck in Pawtucket until such a deal clears his path.
2. Reds RHP Chase Burns (22, AA)
Has surrendered just six runs across seven Double-A starts, throwing six scoreless innings his last time on the mound. Rhett Lowder is injured again, so maybe Burns can slide by him on the pecking order by the time the next chance presents itself.
3. Giants 1B Bryce Eldridge (20, AAA)
Has a home run and seven RBI through three Triple-A games. San Francisco released LaMonte Wade this week in favor of Dominic Smith. Whatever you’d call the opposite of blocked, that’s the situation for Eldridge, who has a case to be number one on this list given the combination of 80-grade power and open runway.
4. Nationals 3B Brady House (22, AAA)
Jose Tena is hitting okay lately, but he makes an error every time I watch him, usually of the throwing variety. Perhaps he can figure that piece out, but I don’t see why the club would let him do that at the major league level when it has such an obvious upgrade ready to roll. At 6’4” 208 lbs, House may not have the lateral quickness of a guy like Tena, but he can throw the ball straight and is slashing .300/.353/.526 with 12 home runs through 58 games.
5. Angels 2B Christian Moore (22, AAA)
Slashing .328/.405/.469 with two home runs and three stolen bases through 16 Triple-A games. Probably not long now.
6. Orioles C Samuel Basallo (20, AAA)
Starting to look like O’s plan to let Basallo simmer for most of this season. He’s getting to his power (10 HR in his last 26 games) but striking out almost 30 percent of the time in what looks like a lost season on the major league side.
7. Pirates RHP Bubba Chandler (22, AAA)
Got binged for three earned runs in two innings his last start. Has a 1.58 WHIP over the last month. Meanwhile, Mike Burrows threw 5.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts and zero walks against the Astros this week.
8. Brewers RHP Jacob Misiorowski (23, AAA)
J-Miz walked six batters and allowed five earned runs over two innings in his last start. I’m not really dropping him for that reason here. That’s just one bad outing, but the Brewers are something like eight deep in the starting rotation right now, depending on the health of Brandon Woodruff and skill of Quinn Priester and Tobias Myers. What was once a pretty clear path to playing time has become cluttered with the successes of a smart organization.
9. Phillies OF Justin Crawford (21, AAA)
32-year-old Max Kepler is slashing .213/.300/.372 as a below average defender in left field. His 89 wRC+ isn’t the worst thing you could buy for $10 million, but there’s a chance they’d have gotten better production from a combination of Edmundo Sosa, Otto Kemp and Johan Rojas until Crawford was ready to step up. Hindsight is 20/20, in case you haven’t heard, but that ten mill could have brought in a reliever or two. With Bryce Harper hitting the injured list, Kemp has been recalled on the strength of a 163 wRC+ with 14 home runs and 11 stolen bases through 58 games. Crawford has a 134 wRC+ with one homer and 23 steals through 52 games. He’s reportedly dealing with a quad injury at the moment or he might’ve been called up by now.
10. Athletics OF Colby Thomas (24, AAA)
Slashing .302/.365/.566 with 14 home runs and two stolen bases through 56 Triple-A games. Has cut his strikeout rate from 30.3 percent in 73 games at the level last year to 26.2 percent so far this year. The way Oakland is churning through their high minors, Thomas won’t be waiting by the phone for much longer.
Thanks for reading!
Burns at #2 – I like it! Got him in a sneaky late season trade to a contender.
What are your thoughts on these guys, and when they may actually be able to make an impact in MLB?
Carson Williams
Lazaro Montes
I also have Sasaki and had high hopes, even if a bit tempered early in the season. I’m not encouraged, but are you still a fan long term?
Thoughts on St Lewis SP Mike McGreevy? Logan Henderson type pitcher/results?
Long term, I like him a little better than Henderson. More weapons to work with. Though I suppose the Milwaukee magic org piece complicates the issue.
Hey Itch – assuming the O’s want to make sure they are eligible to get an extra pick NEXT YEAR for Basallo, what is the earliest he might be called up in 2025? They would need to make sure he remains eligible for the 2026 ROY award I think….
If that’s the plan, have to wait for late August or even September.
Love to see it! Just faab’d Eldridge [Blast] and Burns last night. Here’s hoping they’re both up sooner rather than later.
Fingers crossed. Super fun players.
Ryan Ritter. Does he have this sort of power? Is he sacrificing a part of his game to sell out for more power, or has he bloomed?
I think he can hit. Extremely tough to evaluate Colorado prospects for a whole bunch of reasons, but his plate skills have made leaps the past few seasons. I’d say it’s an approach-based blooming that looks pretty sustainable if he can apply that to the big leagues. Trouble is the level is so much higher these days, it takes most guys a month, and most prospects don’t have that kind of time to figure it out.
In deep leagues and have to chance at any of these guys due to having minors so…..
Spencer Jones is hard to figure out. People think Joey Gallo or bust true outcome.
I think this is who he is. A guy with 35k% and 50 homers. If that ls true, can his batting average ever be stable at .250 ish?
Or it’s realistically impossible?
If he gets a ton of at bats, he could improve his contact rate, and most players take more pitches as they age, so I wouldn’t say .250 is impossible for a couple seasons in his prime. I’m not confident he’ll get playing time in step with his physical peak. Just turned 24. Might not debut this season. Might not get any real playing time as a Yankee in general. I can see him coming up and crushing for a few days and then slumping and getting sent back down for a calendar year or so before he resurfaces on a new team.
That’s a pretty dang good list! Kayfus or DeLaughter have to be close to making it to Cleveland. Man their OF sucks, outside Kwan. Right?
What is JJ Wetherholt still doing at AA?
Your stuff is always a greatly anticipated read, sir. Best to you.
Thanks, John, Best to you as well!
Wetherholt has played really well: 148 wRC+ with more walks than strikeouts. Probably doesn’t need much more time at the level.
In Cleveland, I think they’d like to be DeLauter, but he’s not in rhythm yet and Kayfus has earned the next chance in my opinion. I think he’s more likely to stick than the parade of corner bats they’ve been trying.
Ian Seymour – been keeping an eye on him but I prefer your take on him – I know Tampa is cheap so not sure if they will bring him up anyway – I am in a keeper league so unless he makes it to the Major Leagues and looks good he will not be on my list but I can draft him next year – thank you Sir Itch – am I wasting my time with him
They called him up today as lefty BP help. Seems dumb since he is great as a starter in AAA and now he is missing a start in Durham for a bullpen assignment.
TB has a ton of arms in minors that look good that they need to decide on. Seymour and Boyle especially as they are getting old at 26 and 25 (not sure if they turned or will turn this year 27/26).
I wouldn’t say you’re wasting your time with him, but today’s call-up is an indication of his likely role on this club: a swingman with three years of options remaining.