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Notes in a Minor Key
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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Minor Moves

As the major league trading deadline approaches...some shuffling goes on in the minors as well.

Houston moved 2006 draftee Chris Salamida to AA, and 2007 draftee Jordan Powell to high-A. Salamida, the Most Outstanding Pitcher in the NY/P league in his debut season after going 10-1 with a 1.06 ERA, bypassed low-A completely in 2007, jumping directly to Salem, but struggled there and was converted to the bullpen in 2008. He was 4-2 with 11 saves for the Avalanche, but sported a 5.75 ERA and allowed 78 hits in 67 1/3 IP. Powell, drafted in the 35th round a year ago out of college, has also proven to be very hittable so far in his minor league career; he was 1-7 with 5 saves at Lexington but allowed 86 hits in 69 IP. The Astros also sent INF Chris Jackson and P Jose Duran from Tri-City to Lexington and added 2007 draftee Brian Wabick to the Valley Cats’ roster.

Adam Eaton was assigned to low Class A Lakewood by the Phillies; he’ll be pitching for the Blue Claws tonight.

Jerry Gil is converting to pitching. The former Arizona, now Cincinnati minor leaguer decided that he was not going to see major league time as a hitter, and went to the Reds to ask for a tryout as a pitcher. He’s in Florida with the rookie league team right now, and will show up on a full-season team at some point (probably in Sarasota).

The Mets have promoted Jon Niese to New Orleans. Niese went seven innings against Tucson in his AAA debut, allowing three hits and one run.

Lastings Milledge is rehabbing in Columbus.

Brad Penny will be starting for the Las Vegas 51s on Saturday night in Oklahoma City, and if all goes well will rejoin the Dodgers the following weekend.

KC promoted Kila Kaaihue from Northwest Arkansas to Omaha. Jimmy Gobble will join the ORoyals on rehab beginning Saturday.

Fernando Martinez is out once again at Binghamton with hamstring problems. He reinjured it a week ago, hasn’t played since, and probably won’t play for a few more days although he is taking BP and doing some running.

Mike Emeigh Posted: July 31, 2008 at 10:47 AM | 16 comment(s)
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   1. Baseballing powerhouse Crispix Attacks Posted: August 02, 2008 at 07:34 PM (#2887902)
Rudy Seanez has probably been injured for a month, is now on the DL.

Domino II: Les Walrond promoted to majors
Domino III: Carlos Carrasco promoted to AAA rotation!
   2. Mike Emeigh Posted: August 03, 2008 at 01:33 PM (#2888376)
Cameron Maybin jammed his elbow diving for a ball on Thursday night and hasn't played since. The Marlins promoted Scott Cousins, 2006 3rd-rounder who was hitting .304/.370/.513 at Jupiter, to Carolina. Cousins has been a bit injury-prone in his career so far, missing some time in each of his professional seasons including a month and a half this year after colliding with a wall.

It is very unusual for the Marlins to promote someone considered to be a top hitting prospect, as Cousins is, during the season. They prefer to leave their top hitters at one level all season. I suspect this promotion is a combination of (a) the Mudcats being in the running for the postseason and (b) Cousins's ability to play CF, so that Carolina doesn't have to run Dante Brinkley out there every day or switch John Raynor over, until Maybin recovers.

-- MWE
   3. MM1f Posted: August 03, 2008 at 01:51 PM (#2888389)
Has Raynor been playing little CF? The couple times I've seen the Mudcats he was in center and looked good. Does he have any chance of playing there at an MLB level?
   4. Mike Emeigh Posted: August 03, 2008 at 02:06 PM (#2888424)
Has Raynor been playing little CF?


Almost none. Mostly LF, occasionally RF.

Does he have any chance of playing there at an MLB level?


Yes.

Raynor is an excellent defensive OF with a strong and accurate arm. He hasn't been playing CF because of Maybin, but there's no reason to think he can't. His long-term future is in a corner, probably RF rather than LF, I'd guess. Like Maybin, he's got to do a better job at making contact.

-- MWE
   5. MM1f Posted: August 03, 2008 at 02:27 PM (#2888449)
Thanks Mike. I've thought the same thing about Raynor's D and arm for a little while now.
   6. Dingbat Charlie Posted: August 03, 2008 at 03:59 PM (#2888610)
Raynor

this is jimmy.
   7. Mike Emeigh Posted: August 04, 2008 at 11:00 AM (#2889345)
Maybin was back in the lineup yesterday, with Cousins in RF and Raynor getting the day off. The Mudcats nearly lost a 14-1 lead, settling for a 15-11 win.

Tom Gordon began a rehab assignment at Clearwater yesterday, allowing a home run to Brian Dopirak (who has been hotter than a Mexican tamale of late) in 2/3 of an inning. He's expected to throw again Tuesday. Joe Crede also began a rehab assignment at Charlotte on Friday, but he had to come out early and didn't play in either weekend game for the Knights. Jose Contreras, also rehabbing, started Sunday's game in Charlotte, allowed 3 ER in 5 IP. Charlie Haeger gave up a greand slam to John Jaso (his first bomb in AAA) but was the winning pitcher. Keith Foulke's rehab has been moved to Sacramento from Stockton.

Pittsburgh sent local boy Josh Wilson to the Red Sox for a PTBNL; Boston sent him to AAA.

The Reds promoted Robert Manuel from Chattanooga to Louisville. Tyler Pelland has been DL'd with a shoulder injury. Manuel had gone 4-3 with a 1.48 ERA and a 76/14 K/BB ratio while allowing just 41 hits in 61 innings for the Lookouts, pitching mostly in the 7th and 8th innings.

The Yankees bumped Phil Coke from Trenton to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Texas moved Ben Harrison from Frisco to Oklahoma. Harrison, a 2004 7th-rounder out of Florida, hit .300/.385/.518 for the Rough Riders with 17 HR and 66 RBI, although he still strikes out way too much.

-- MWE
   8. U-G-G-L-A you ain't got no alibi Posted: August 05, 2008 at 11:57 AM (#2890794)
I was at the Gordon rehab start. He seemed to have decent velocity (though I wouldn't know exactly how much, since Clearwater doesn't think to have a visible readout anywhere), and moved it around okay. The ball Dopirak hit was absolutely blasted. It went onto the berm in left center.

What happened to Dopirak, anyway? The last I saw him, he was in West Tennessee and on his way to the bigs, and then a combination of Micah Hoffpauir and whatever else has passed him by, condemning him to the Jays' bus leagues.

There were quite a few "oh yeah, that guy!" guys in the lineup for both teams -- Randy Boone, Kevin Mahar, etc.

Oh, and Shannon Stewart was also rehabbing in that game. He looked pretty solid at the plate and made an outstanding diving grab in left before being replaced by Chris Emanuele.
   9. MM1f Posted: August 07, 2008 at 04:31 PM (#2894501)
The Red Sox continue their purge of Georgia-born minor league third basemen in their system by cutting Chad Spann. Spann looked interesting earlier in his career but was under the Mendoza line in AAA this year.
Earlier in the year they cut Chad White and Emory grad Andrew Pinckney.
   10. Mike Emeigh Posted: August 08, 2008 at 04:12 PM (#2895571)
Marco Carrillo was promoted from Daytona to Tennessee by the Cubs. Carrillo gave up nine runs (four earned) in his first AA start but won the game anyway as Chattanooga failed on a two-point conversion in the final seconds to lose 18-16 in a three-hour, 52-minute non-classic. The 21-YO Mexican righty had gone 7-6 for the FSL Cubs with a 2.88 ERA.

Dopirak was promoted to New Hampshire, and Travis Snider was promoted to Syracuse.

The Yankees sent 21-YO RHP Jay Stephens, a 2003 draftee who's had injury problems much of his career, to Trenton. Stephens started the season in low-A ball, was promoted to Tampa in June, and is taking the next step up the ladder.

The Pirates promoted Jared Hughes to Altoona, for the second time. This might again be just a spot promotion, although Hughes pitched much better for the Curve this time around than he did the first time.

LA promoted James McDonald to Las Vegas, where he promptly fanned 10 and allowed only two hits in six innings. The Suns added Eric DuBose, whose contract was purchased from indy league Bridgeport.

Tom Glavine will rehab in Mississippi on Saturday night. He pitched four innings in a rehab outing for Myrtle Beach, his first appearance in the minors since 1987.

Milwaukee promoted Nic Ungs from Huntsville to Nashville, and Jeremy Jefress from Brevard County to the Stars.

The Mudcats DL'd Brett Sinkbeil (blister problem) and added Graham Taylor from Jupiter.

-- MWE
   11. Kyle S at work Posted: August 08, 2008 at 04:20 PM (#2895611)
Snider is in Syracuse? He was playing very well in AA considering his age but not so well that he deserved to be promoted, IMHO.

MM1f, I played little league ball with Andrew Pinckney.
   12. Mike Emeigh Posted: August 10, 2008 at 07:54 PM (#2897709)
Snider is in Syracuse? He was playing very well in AA considering his age but not so well that he deserved to be promoted, IMHO.


.262/.357/.461 with 17 HR in 98 games at New Hampshire isn't too shabby, although the strikeouts were (and are) a concern. I don't really understand the rush, either.

David Price has been promoted to Durham. He starts Wednesday night against Norfolk. I'll be there.

-- MWE
   13. Bicycle RepairMan Posted: August 11, 2008 at 01:30 PM (#2898364)
Rohrbough is up to Myrtle Beach. Might follow the Hanson schedule, a year behind if everything works out.
   14. Mike Emeigh Posted: August 11, 2008 at 01:59 PM (#2898414)
Myrtle Beach also added INF Will White, a senior free-agent sign out of Prairie View A&M;who had been at Danville.

The Giants promoted Dan Turpen to San Jose. Turpen joins former college teammate Joe Paterson on SJ's roster; both started in Augusta this year.

Philippe Aumont, the Mariners' #1 pick a year ago, was activated off the DL at Wisconsin. Aumont had been sidelined for two months with an elbow injury which kept him off Team Canada for the Olympics.

Mace Thurman, Cincinnati's 19th rounder out of Baylor, was promoted to Dayton from Billings, where he'd been blowing away Pioneer League hitters. He found the going a little rougher in the full-season league, facing four hitters in his debut, all of whom reached base and all of whom scored.

-- MWE
   15. Mark S. Posted: August 11, 2008 at 02:21 PM (#2898432)
Mets shuffle some pitchers. Robert Parnell goes to AAA and Dillon Gee goes to AA.
   16. Mike Emeigh Posted: August 11, 2008 at 05:02 PM (#2898873)
The Twins' Jose Mijares has made it back to AA. Mijares suffered a fractured elbow and a shoulder injury when he fell asleep while driving last January, and he had rehab assignments in the GCL and with Ft. Myers before returning to New Britain, where he pitched in 2007.

Oakland promoted Aaron Cunningham to Sacramento and Adrian Cardenas to Midland.

Ronald Uviedo, who was mentioned in a previous thread, was promoted from Hickory to Lynchburg by the Pirates.

The Cardinals moved 2007 #1 draft pick Peter Kozma from Quad Cities to Palm Beach and 20-YO SS Donovan Solano also went up a notch, to Springfield. Solano drew Edgar Renteria comparisons when he was signed as a 16-YO out of Colombia in 2004, but he hasn't filled out at all and really has no power to speak of.

Texas promoted Chad Tracy (not that one) from Bakersfield to Frisco. This Chad Tracy is the former catcher and son of ex-Pirate manager Jim Tracy, drafted in the third round in 2006. He is now primarily a 1B/LF/DH who had been hitting .286/.361/.471 in the Cal League with 37 doubles and 13 HRs.

2008 #1 Toronto draft pick David Cooper is now playing at Dunedin, after blasting through Auburn and Lansing at a merry clip.

-- MWE
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