Minor Notes: Monday, July 3

But first, a word from our sponsor:

SABR36 was the best organized convention that I have attended. The LCC (chaired by Anthony Salazar, who I saw for all of about 30 seconds in Seattle) deserves a TON of credit for the job that they did.

I’m catching up with an overload of stuff, and won’t be back on my regular schedule until Wednesday. But I did notice a number of things while I was away, which I’ll comment on here.

2006 Draft Update

24 of the first rounders have signed, and I expect that Miller (#6) and Bard (#28) will sign fairly quickly once they wind down from the CWS. The other unsigned picks are Hochevar (#1), Scherzer (#11), Drabek (#18), and Kennedy (#21) - three of whom are represented by Boras. Scherzer might be the toughest sign. Lincecum, at #10, signed for $2.025 million, which appears to be a bit above slot for #10, and Kiker, at #12, went for $1.6 million, which appears to be below slot (Snider, at #14, and Marrero, at #15, made more). I’d guess that Boras will ask for something closer to Lincecum’s deal and the D’backs will try for something closer to Kiker’s.

Of the first rounders who have debuted so far:

Evan Longoria shredded the NY-P League for eight games (.424, 4 HRs) before being promoted to Visalia (Cal, Adv A, bypassing SW Michigan, as expected), where he’s off to a bit of a slow start (3-13, two doubles).

Drew Stubbs, who signed for below-slot money with the Reds at #8, is having a few problems at Billings (NWL, SS-A), hitting just .250 over his first 13 games and fanning once per game. His walk rate has been good (7 BB in 55 PAs), he has three triples among his 12 hits so far, and he’s 5/5 in SB.

Clayton Kershaw (#7) made his professional debut in the GCL with two solid innings, allowing no runs on two hits, walking one and fanning three.

Kasey Kiker (#12) has struggled with Spokane (NWL, SS-A), mostly because of control and poor defense. He’s pitched just 3 1/3 innings in three games, allowing four hits and walking 5 while allowing 10 runs (4 earned). Kiker failed to get out of the first inning in his last start, a 17-4 loss to Eugene in which he started walk-walk-single-single-dropped fly ball-walk.

Tyler Colvin (#13) has five hits in four games with Boise (NWL, SS-A) but has also fanned eight times against one walk in 19 PAs.

Matt Antonelli (#17), the Wake Forest 3B who some thought might go higher, is hitting .328 for Eugene (NWL, SS-A), with a 13-4 BB/K ratio in 56 PAs and 6-6 SB. He has just 2 EBH so far, however.

Brett Sinkbeil (#19) has made three starts for Jamestown (NY-P, SS-A) so far, fanning nine in 10 innings and posting a 2.70 ERA. His control could stand some tightening (5 walks), but his H/IP is good and two of his three outings were scoreless efforts.

Max Sapp (#23) is struggling with the bat for Tri-City (NY-P, SS-A), delivering just 4 hits (1 2B) over his first 27 ABs. Hank Conger (#25), the other first-round HS catcher, is off to a fine start with the AZL Angels, .389/.450/.556 (although it IS the Arizona League and it IS a level lower than Sapp).

Bryan Morris (#26), the draft-and-follow from a year ago who the Devil Rays failed to sign, pitched three scoreless innings in his first start for Odgen (NWL, SS-A), then was cuffed for four runs in the first inning of his second outing against Orem. He does have 9 Ks in five innings, but has also walked four.

Jason Place (#27) is playing for the GCL Red Sox, and has five singles in his first 16 ABs, along with two walks and just three Ks. He’ll need a bit more pop, but it’s early yet.

Most of the top pitchers - Reynolds, Lincoln, Lincecum (who just signed) - have yet to pitch.

Movement

As expected, there has been quite a bit of movement around the minors over the past week. Some quick notes:

The Mets promoted Willie Collazo from Binghamton to Norfolk, releasing Jason Scobie (who hooked up with Syracuse after going 1-11 with Norfolk). Collazo fanned nine without a walk in his first start for the Tides over 5 1/3 innings, and was the winning pitcher in an 8-4 decision over Columbus. Lastings Milledge was also sent back to Norfolk from the big club over the weekend.

The Tigers sent Nook Logan down to AA Erie from Toledo. Logan spent a significant amount of time on the DL earlier, playing in just 19 games for the Mud Hens and hitting just .185. Toledo signed Dustan Mohr (released by the Red Sox).

Shannon Stewart completed a rehab assignment at Rochester, and Rondell White is there now. Jason Michaels is rehabbing in Buffalo.

Twins’ prospect P J.D. Durbin has been DL’d with a strained biceps muscle. The hope is that he’ll be back sometime next week.

Chad Bentz, the one-armed reliever, was released by Charlotte.

Colorado promoted Manny Corpas and Ubaldo Jimenez from Tulsa to Colorado Springs. Corpas has pitched twice in relief, while Jimenez, after opening walk-single-single-triple to be down three runs before he got an out against Portland, settled down, retiring 12 of the next 14 hitters before Jon Knott’s second triple plated a couple more runs in the fifth. Jimenez was lifted in the sixth with a deceptive 5 1/3 IP/6 ER line. The Rockies also promoted C Chris Iannetta to Colorado Springs. Iannetta had hit .321/.418/.622 for the Drillers before his promotion.

The Padres promoted John Hudgins, acquired from Texas, from Mobile to Portland (PCL). Hudgins, who had started the season with the Rangers’ AAA affiliate in Oklahoma before being sent to AA and then traded to San Diego, pitched five innings in a 13-7 win over Colorado Springs, allowing four runs (two earned). San Diego also called up Cla Meredith, returning Mike Thompson to the Beavers.

The Marlins promoted Anibal Sanchez from Carolina for a spot start against the Yankees, which he won, then kept him there for a relief appearance against his old organization in Boston, in which he was hammered. The effort against the Yankees was a typical Anibal performance; he threw 96 pitches in 5 2/3 IP, was in constant trouble, yet kept wiggling out of it.

The Angels, auditioning their top prospects, called up Erick Aybar from Salt Lake when Dallas McPherson’s back went out, then called up Jered Weaver when they gave up on brother Jeff.

Kevin Barry is riding the roller coaster. One day after being optioned back to Richmond, the Braves called him back up when Chris Reitsma went back on the DL.

Indianapolis activated Chris Duffy from the restricted list. Duffy had refused to report to the Indians when the Pirates sent him out in May, but eventually relented.

Toronto promoted 2005 #1 pick Ricky Romero and Jesse Litsch from Dunedin to AA New Hampshire. Romero sailed through three innings against Binghamton in his AA debut but was torched for five runs in the fourth. Romero didn’t give up another run, but picked up the loss, allowing the five runs over six innings. Litsch fared better, allowing three hits and a run over six innings with 5 Ks and no walks, but the BMets rallied in the seventh and eighth against the Fisher Cat bullpen to take a 7-2 win.

Kevin Slowey was promoted from Fort Myers to New Britain, joining former teammate Matt Garza. In two starts, Slowey is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 10 Ks in 13 1/3 IP. Garza, meanwhile, keeps trucking allong (5-2, 2.92 in nine starts with a 59/14 K/BB ratio in 49 1/3 IP).

More later.