Other Prospects Around Baseball

[sinctybldh]

This guy is going to be a good one for Cleveland. He is right up there with Hughes but he has had health problems.

Scout's View: Adam Miller

By Chris Kline
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March 27, 2007 Print this article


FORT MYERS, Fla.—With Cliff Lee on the disabled list to start the year, the Indians have once again turned to righthander Fausto Carmona as the club’s fifth starter.

The Tribe tried that last year, reaching for Carmona over more polished arms in lefthander Jeremy Sowers and righthander Adam Miller.

Cleveland could be criticized for coddling Miller since he went down with a strained ligament in his elbow in spring training in 2005, but it seems the club is coming closer to giving the ball to their 2003 supplemental round pick in the big leagues.

It’s just going to take more time, as Carmona—who struggled as both a starter and reliever in Cleveland last year—moves into that final rotation spot.
Meanwhile, Miller is ticketed for Triple-A for the first time—but he might not last there very long.

We caught up with an American League scout who saw Miller’s final start in big league camp to get one opinion on where the 22-year-old stands developmentally.

"His fastball was up to 97 (mph) and he throws it real easy from a three-quarters motion with easy stride. He just looks real confident and comfortable out there. Fastball and slider are the two main pitches.

"His slider’s been anywhere from 85 (mph) to 89 and that’s just an out pitch—probably grades as a 65 (on the 20-80 scouting scale). His fastball’s been anywhere from 92 (mph) to 97 . . . The third pitch is the changeup and I’ve only seen a few of them. You could still see that’s the final weapon—he’s still trying to get consistent feel for it.

"But I thought they were all right. I thought (the changeup) was average now and has a chance to be slightly above average.

"He had good control and command—very, very poised. When I saw him he was throwing on a Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd against a big league lineup, so yeah, he was very composed. He just looked like a guy who could step in right now and give you a chance to win. I haven’t seen (Fausto) Carmona, but it’d be hard for me to believe that he’s any more ready than Miller.

"I just think Miller is a real special talent . . . great body . . . kind of like Kevin Brown. He’s durable, he’s got that fastball/slider combo—and it’s a heavy fastball. He’ll just kind of cruise along at 93-94, but when he needs it he can grab 97.

"I think he could be a No. 1 starter. I haven’t seen many guys better than him . . . maybe (Tigers righthander Jeremy) Bonderman. And Miller and Bonderman are similar. Bonderman’s a little bigger and stronger and he’s got a better changeup, but I think he’s going to be one of the best young pitchers in the game for a long time. I’d love to have him."

[sinctybldh]

More info on Miller, and info on Brewers Third Baseman Ryan Braun and Pirates Catcher turned Third Baseman Neil Walker.

Stop the presses: Indians righthander Adam Miller hit 100 mph on Saturday, but reaching that mark has little to do with whether or not the 22-year-old phenom is back from the elbow strain that sidelined him early in 2005.

“Am I back? I feel like I’ve been back for a while now,” Miller said. “When they told me I hit a hundred, it wasn’t a big deal or anything. I know I was up to 97 or 98 (in the spring), so it wasn’t that much of a surprise. I didn’t know it until afterwards.”

Miller has been back since right around the all-star break last season, regularly hitting the mid-90s with his fastball and complementing his heater with an upper 80s slider and developing changeup.

But the addition of a two-seamer under the supervision of Double-A Akron pitching coach Scott Radinsky has been the magic key, as the depth to Miller’s changeup and the bite on his slider have both improved since developing a sinker.

“It’s really made everything else better,” Miller said. “It’s more than giving me another pitch or another weapon to attack hitters with–(having a two-seamer) gives me the confidence just to throw everything else the way I need to throw it.”

• Scout’s Take No. 1: on Brewers third baseman Ryan Braun: “Braun has had trouble throwing the ball in the area code of first base, but the bat is lethal. He’s still prone to above-average stuff in, but if you miss your spot, it’s not coming back. I still think he’s going to be a destructive middle-of-the-order guy as a corner outfielder–and not a third baseman.”

• Scout’s Take No. 2: on Pirates catcher-turned-third-baseman Neil Walker: “Good hitter, but not a catcher by a long shot. Catching would have always been a struggle. And third base might still be, but he might be B.J. Surhoff when all the dust clears.”

[sinctybldh]

Here is an article on a potential impact pitcher for the Mariners: Brandon Morrow.

PEORIA, Ariz. — What strikes Pat Rice most about Brandon Morrow is his sense of comfort in a major-league clubhouse, which borders on a sense of entitlement. And that's a good thing.

"It's like he's thinking, 'It just seems like this is where I'm supposed to be. I wasn't supposed to be anywhere else,'" said Rice, the Mariners' minor-league pitching coordinator.

"I think he came in here with the impression, 'I'm not just here because I'm here. I'm here because I want to make this team.' "

He couldn't really, could he? Morrow couldn't crack the Mariners' pitching staff a mere nine months after they picked him out of California with the fifth overall pick of the amateur draft?

Reason, and reality, say no. Not with just 16 innings of professional experience, none higher than Class A Inland Empire.

Most likely, Morrow will start the year at Class AA West Tennessee, the Mariners' new affiliate in the Texas League. If they get really giddy, he could even start at Tacoma, a step away from the big leagues.

But Seattle? Not likely, though Morrow has pitched well enough this spring to at least inspire that discussion.

"I don't know what they're planning on doing, but the way he's throwing, he sure is making people think," said Rice.

Rice compares it with Ken Griffey Jr.'s arrival as a 19-year-old in 1989.




"Here's this kid, 'Hey, he's just going to get some at-bats, and we're going to send him out.' Then he's hitting .500, and you couldn't help but leave him there," Rice said.

"It's a little different situation with Brandon, not ever playing pro ball and having some things to learn. But boy, his stuff sure has been good."

Tell Mike Hargrove about it. The Mariners manager practically salivates talking about Morrow's 98 mph fastball, his killer split-finger, and the poise that belies his age of 22.

"We've always thought this kid had the ability to come quick," Hargrove said. "He's done nothing in this camp to make us think otherwise. Is he real close? Yeah, he's real close."

If Morrow continues to blow away the Cactus League competition — in five innings this spring, Morrow has allowed two hits and no runs while striking out six — would the Mariners have to rethink their plans to farm him?

"Sure," Hargrove replied.

Has he reached that stage yet? "No comment."

Considering that the Mariners' current organizational philosophy is to push their prospects through the minor-league system as rapidly as is feasible, challenging them at higher levels, Morrow's stay in the minors could be brief.

Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi said that the Mariners' sink-or-swim outlook is no different than that of most teams.

"We're going to move Morrow pretty quickly, but is he going to move any faster than Lincecum [Giants first-round pick Tim Lincecum]? Look around. Look at the premier guys, [Ryan] Zimmerman, [Alex] Gordon.

"Those guys are moving, man. It's not because those are clubs in dire straits and they have to have those guys. They're kids that should be moved."

The competing philosophy, of course, is that prospects thrive on success and need to be nurtured slowly up the system, dominating competition along the way. The Mariners, and many others, no longer see it that way.

"The idea they spend a whole year just blowing a league away ... that doesn't get you anywhere," said Bavasi. "Most all of our young guys, we've kind of pushed. Not in an abnormal way at all. It's more abnormal to hold them back. That's harder on the kids."

Morrow, meanwhile, says he's trying not to think of where he might start — or even end — the season.

"I don't want to get myself excited for one thing, and have another happen," he said.

Then he added with a smile, "Of course, I think I could be pitching in the big leagues tomorrow. But it's all up to them. We'll see."

[sinctybldh]

New Prospect of the Day:

Scout's View: Homer Bailey

By Chris Kline

March 28, 2007


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—Reds righthander Homer Bailey might be the most interesting elite pitching prospect in the minors today.

He threw nothing but fastballs during his one-inning appearance in last year's Futures Game, rarely likes to use his changeup and off the field, he prefers hunting rather than baseball.

In interviews, Bailey has no qualms for telling anyone what he's thinking at any given moment. His talent combined with his charisma has Reds fans everywhere salivating about his arrival in Cincinnati.

And while that won't happen on Opening Day, it won't be long. We talked to one scout who gave us a slightly different perspective on the Reds' 20-year-old phenom.

"Bailey is interesting, but he's a different guy for me. His raw stuff is better than any other of the elite pitching prospects I've seen. I've seen (Yankees righthander Philip) Hughes a bunch of times, I've seen (Phillies lefthander Cole) Hamels, I’ve seen (Mets righthanders Mike) Pelfrey and (Philip) Humber, and Bailey’s stuff—as far as fastball/curveball combination is the best.


Homer Bailey
"He doesn’t have a third pitch. I think he out thinks himself sometimes. His stuff is so overpowering . . . when I saw him the last time, he started just about every hitter out with curveballs. He’d get behind guys 2-0, 3-0—guys that are hitting eighth in the lineup—and you kind of think to yourself, ‘Why isn’t this guy just going right after these guys and do it?’

"He's been a guy since he was a freshman in high school, but there are some concerns with him. I just think that when he gets up (to Cincinnati) in that ballpark that he's not going to have the same success as these other guys. He might have better stuff, but if there's one guy to be wary of in terms of will stuff exceed performance, I think this is a guy who might do it.

"I know everybody loves him, he's fun to watch and I love his stuff too, but when you see Hughes or Miller you just know those are guys that will give you a chance to win every day. Bailey might go out one day and throw a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts, but then he might get knocked out in the third the next time out.

"He tends to work some long counts and he's been a little bit rushed—it's a good thing he's going back to Triple-A. But there are a lot of people waiting and looking to him as the savior, I just don't think he's going to be that for a couple years. I think he's going to have to take his lumps a little bit."

[philinla]

Bailey over throws the shit out of his fastball and really has to wind up to generate velocity. I think he's gonna have serious arm issues, probably pretty soon.

[sinctybldh]

Devil Rays future-Brignac and Longoria. IMO DRays are going to be a team to be reckoned with by 2010. They have got pitching on the way and about 4 hitters with all star potential.

A Winning Pair

Devil Rays next wave of prospects led by Brignac and Longoria

By Chris Kline

March 29, 2007


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—It wasn't long after Reid Brignac signed that he began to show the Devil Rays he was different.

A tall, lanky second-round pick in 2004 out of a Louisiana high school, Brignac played just 25 games at Rookie-level Princeton in his debut, ultimately finishing the season at low Class A Charleston—a move that was more a reward for his play in the Appalachian League than anything else.


Reid Brignac
"I don't want to compare him to Cal Ripken, but Cal Ripken was a big guy size-wise and he was a pretty good shortstop," field coordinator Jim Hoff said. "Brignac is Cal Ripken-like in that he's a very bright player, always ahead of the game you might say and that's the way Brignac is.

"He can do things mentally that just set him apart from other players. And you love to see that too, because the physical tools are there and when you can do it mentally, then you're on a road that's been seldom traveled in this game."

And Brignac showed those skills early and often, with Hoff clearly remembering the first moment the young teenager opened Hoff's eyes.

In 2005—Brignac's first full season—he showed instincts beyond his 18 years. With the game on the line, up a run with one out in the ninth and a runner on second base, Class A Southwest Michigan manager Joe Szekely flashed the intentional walk sign.

Brignac recognized the sign, but also noticed how much of a lead the runner on second was taking. He called for a pickoff play at second . . . and pulled it off.

"Game over," Hoff said. "You can't teach that. He just saw what was going on, realized he could do something, he did and the pitcher didn't have to throw another pitch. Those kinds of things, when you see a young guy do those kinds of things you say, ‘Whoa, this guy's got pretty good instincts.' But beyond that, you realize this guy's not afraid to try things.

"He doesn't have much fear of trying things and just the good instincts with the ability, you have a good combination."

After a season in the Midwest League, Brignac jumped from high Class A to Double-A with an all-star appearance in Visalia along the way. Even though he added to his huge raw power by growing two inches and adding 15 pounds this offseason and is now 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, the Rays feel like he can stay at shortstop.

"There is some concern in that, but he still shows enough range and he's always going to have the arm strength," Hoff said. "He should be eventually the total package.

Different Guys, Similar Tools

The Rays feel like they have a similar package in Evan Longoria as well. Only Longoria let his presence be known much quicker and much, much louder.

After signing for $3 million as the third overall pick last year out of Long Beach State, the third baseman jumped from short-season Hudson Valley to high Class A Visalia to Double-A Montgomery. During that span, he batted .315, hit 21 home runs (including the Southern League playoffs) and wound up slugging .597.

"It all happened so quick," Longoria said. "I took two weeks off (after the draft) and then I was in Hudson Valley and it seemed like before I knew it I was in Montgomery. It seemed like it was just a blur."

But Longoria was considered one of the most advanced bats in the 2006 draft, and there are few shortcomings to his overall game, so his debut didn't exactly shock the world.

"I'd say (his performance) was a little surprising as to how quickly he took off, but we knew he was a winning player when we drafted him," Rays farm director Mitch Lukevics said. "He proved pretty quickly he could do a little bit of everything and do it well."

Longoria's quick adjustments in Double-A put the Devil Rays in a somewhat precarious position. The club went out and spent $7.7 million (not to mention the $4.55 million posting fee) on Japanese third baseman Akinori Iwamura in the offseason, giving Longoria more development time.

The general line of thinking seems to point to eventually moving Iwamura to second base, and even with Longoria's impressive pro debut, more development time is exactly what the doctor ordered. He hit just .167 in big league camp this spring.

"He was just pulling off everything (in spring training)," one scout from an American League organization said. "I don't want to say totally overmatched, but it was close. The guy made quick adjustments last season, but this is a whole different world.

"I think it was good for him to get a taste, but his ability to control the strike zone, his defense in certain situations, and his pitch recognition all need more work. He's no project, though. He's close—and will be an impact-type player because of his skill-set and his makeup."

Heady Approaches

That's one area that's certainly not lacking from either future member of the left side of the Rays' infield. Anyone who comes in contact with either Brignac or Longoria has nothing but praise for the way they approach the game.

"He really brings a lot of intangibles you just don't see in kids his age," said high Class A San Jose manager Lenn Sakata, who managed against Brignac in the California League last year, then coached him during the California-Carolina League all-star game last June. "His package . . . is very rare."

Then there is the friendship. Longoria first ran into Brignac when he was promoted to Visalia, and then, after essentially a month together, the two were both called up to Montgomery, a club that was positioning itself for a playoff run.

"It gets to a point where me and Reid . . . he could be behind me 20 feet and to my left and I know exactly where he's at," Longoria said. "It's just like in basketball when you have two guards or a guard and a center that are on exactly the same page—it's that kind of chemistry.

"When we're on the field together, we know pretty much what the other guy's going to give you on the field every day. I hope I get to stay with him as long as possible playing together."

There is no questioning the impact the two had on the Biscuits last year, and more than one member of that team points in their direction as a turning point of sorts.

"We were getting great pitching from everybody, it seemed like," righthander Jeff Niemann said. "But those guys . . . those guys took us to a whole other level."

Montgomery went on to win the Southern League title, knocking off Huntsville in four games. And Longoria had a championship ring after playing for two and a half months.

"It was really cool because me and Reid really got along well when we were in Visalia," Longoria said. "So for us to go from one clubhouse to the next we just meshed. It was the best possible feeling. You could just feel it in the dugout—everybody wanted everybody else to succeed.

"It was weird just for us to walk into a clubhouse and automatically feel like we belonged. It was hard, mainly because we had a lot of veterans. We had four, five guys that had been playing pro ball longer than I played in college."

But forget about the Double-A championship. It was only Double-A after all, and they'll both begin the 2007 back in Montgomery to leave more of a lasting impression on the minds of Biscuits fans.

Brignac and Longoria are focused on what they're doing now, but they also are cognizant of what the future holds—which might be the best news for Rays fans.

"You never, ever have to talk to Longoria or Brignac about working hard," Hoff said. "They understand the value of it and yet they see the bigger picture. They know what's in store for them. That really to me, separates them from other good players, that focus they have."

And it's just one more reason why the Devil Rays farm system has become the envy of many other organizations in baseball. With premium talent like this stacked up in the minors, it seems just a matter of time before Tampa Bay sees the same winning ways that fans in Montgomery enjoyed last year.