Sources: O’s calling up Kevin Gausman

Guys, the Orioles have pitching prospects not named Dylan Bundy!

The Baltimore Orioles hope this year’s high-profile midseason call-up is as good as last year’s high-profile midseason call-up.

The Orioles will promote right-hander Kevin Gausman from Class-AA Bowie to make his major league debut Thursday against Toronto, major league sources told FOXSports.com.

Gausman is reaching the majors less than one year after the Orioles selected him in the first round of the 2012 draft. He is 2-4 with a 3.11 ERA in eight starts for Bowie. Sources say the Orioles are comfortable with the move because of Gausman’s ability to throw three pitches for strikes, as evidenced by his otherworldly ratio of 49 strikeouts to five walks.

Draft Features Rarest of Prospects: Redheads

The issue of redheadedness and athletic performance took center stage before the 2011 NFL draft, when Sports Illustrated’s Peter King interviewed an anonymous head coach who questioned Texas Christian University product Andy Dalton’s ability to lead a team from the quarterback spot. The scout’s objections were based less on Dalton’s arm strength, pocket presence and his Wonderlic score than his hair color.

“Has there ever been a redheaded quarterback in the NFL who’s really done well?” the coach said. “It sounds idiotic, but is there any way that could be a factor? We’ve wondered.”

The coach may not have heard of Sonny Jurgensen, who made the Hall of Fame in 1983, or Archie Manning, Carson Palmer or Jeff Garcia, who carved out successful NFL careers in spite of their inherent gingerness.

SI MLB Mock Draft: Gray looks like best bet at No. 1—for now

Do any of these guys have ugly girlfriends?

This year’s MLB Draft is unusually difficult to handicap.

The best player available, Georgia high school outfielder Clint Frazier, will probably not be the first pick. He’s a little undersized and that fact, coupled with his being a prep position player, is historically a bad combination for players hoping to go first overall. If Frazier were a little bigger, he would be a slam dunk as the first choice.

The best pitcher available, righthander Mark Appel of Stanford, will probably not be the first selection either. He is represented by Scott Boras, meaning contract negotiations figure to be contentious, consummating in the last minute of the last hour of the July 12 signing deadline. Last year, similar contentiousness over his contract prevented Appel from signing with the Pirates, who had taken him eighth overall.

If all this sounds like the plot to a Quentin Tarantino film, don’t worry. Predictability is often a bore, and unlike this year’s NFL Draft, which featured a seemingly endless parade of obscure offensive tackles, the 2013 MLB Draft promises to be exciting and packed with unexpected developments.

Glassey: Wannabe Scouts: Show Some Respect

Conor Glassey explains the difference between what writers do and what scouts do:

Yes, we often will write about players we’ve seen and we’ll tell you how fast a pitcher was throwing, what kind of offspeed pitches he throws, or how fast an outfielder got from home to first. That’s not scouting, that’s just reporting. Anybody can sit at a game and hold a radar gun or click a stopwatch.

However, there’s a growing number of people online who think the opposite. It’s baffling to me how many blogs are popping up where writers try to come off as if they’re scouting players. This is a trend that needs to end.

Just because you have a radar gun or a video camera, that doesn’t mean you’re a scout. If you don’t work for a professional team, you’re not a scout. And frankly, calling yourself a scout is just plain disrespectful to the men out there putting their name on the line every day.

In addition to the daily schedule and grueling travel of a professional scout, there are many more elements that set the real guys apart. Watching players is only part of their job. They have to develop relationships with coaches, players, parents and agents. They have to gauge signability, research medical history and get a good feel for the player’s makeup. This is as important to scouting as the evaluation of a player’s tools and it can’t be done by seeing a player once.

Jake Odorizzi, three Bulls relievers no-hit Pawtucket

Jake just made it look easy. Odorizzi.

Jake Odorizzi and three Durham Bulls relief pitchers combined on an historic Sunday performance.

The four Durham pitchers combined to throw just the second no-hitter in the team’s International League history as the Bulls defeated the Pawtucket Red Sox 2-1 at McCoy Stadium.

Odorizzi (3-0) pitched the first seven innings, before Frank De Los Santos, Taylor Yates and Jeff Beliveau kept Pawtucket hitless over the final two innings despite allowing one run.

In the ninth, Beliveau fired a third strike past Jeremy Hazelbaker to catcher Craig Albernaz to preserve Odorizzi’s stellar start.

A native of nearby Providence, Beliveau was summoned with two out in the bottom of the 9th as Durham’s fourth pitcher. Pitching to Albernaz, a Fall River, Mass. native, he inherited Pawtucket’s Mark Hamilton, who represented the tying run. Beliveau’s final pitch, resulting in his fourth strikeout against as many batters in the series, sealed the Bulls’ first no-hitter since Jason Hamel and Juan Salas combined to beat Columbus, 2-1, on July 16, 2006.

It also marked the first time the PawSox were no-hit in a nine-inning game since Toledo’s Jose Lima blanked them, 3-0, on Aug. 17, 1994. The game nearly ended in a far different outcome immediately before Beliveau entered and picked up his first save of the season.

NY Mets monitoring Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton

In other news, I am monitoring Kate Upton. Up in a tree. With binoculars.

When the Marlins traded Jose Reyes and Josh Johnson to Toronto last November, Mets officials began asking one another questions that remain in their minds today: Can we get Giancarlo Stanton?  Would we trade Zack Wheeler to do it?

According to three team sources, the Mets then spent time at the winter meetings debating whether to make Wheeler available in a variety of trades, including for Arizona’s Justin Upton and Kansas City’s Wil Myers.  Neither of those outfielders seemed worth the organization’s top pitching prospect, but Stanton is in a different category.

Although they do not know if the Marlins will move him (Miami declined to shop Stanton even after the outfielder Tweeted about being “pissed off” after the Reyes trade), the Mets continue to monitor the situation, fully realizing that any deal would almost certainly have to include Wheeler and top catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud.

Would you trade those blue chippers for a guy who might become the premier slugger of his generation?  I say, hell yes, duh, no brainer, but let’s hear from people whose opinions actually matter.

“In a heartbeat,” said one Mets official, who is not in Alderson’s inner-circle of decision-makers, but has a voice in discussions. The guy then snapped his fingers.  “Nothing against those kids, but it’s Giancarlo.”

David Dahl sent to extended spring training after just one game

David Dahl has been a bad boy, a baaaaaaaaad boy.

Wait ‘til Next Year

The Red Sox have started out 2-1 this year, on the road, against the Yankees. Height of optimism, right? Yes, let’s bask in the glow, and live in the moment.

Or, if your thoughts are already focused on the future, the good folks at soxprospects.com have compiled projected rosters for 2014 at every level in the Red Sox system, from the majors all the way down to the Dominican Summer League. (Tangent: They’ve listed for the DSL an outfielder who might get nannied.)

At the MLB level, they’ve listed 30 players, but some are highlighted as potentially being traded away before next season.

Prospects on Top 100 list ready to show off skills | MLB.com: News

A listing of where the Top 20 MLB.com Prospects will begin their seasons.

Injuries prompt Miami Marlins to add pitching prospect Jose Fernandez, 20, to opening day roster

Kevin Slowey? Donovan Solano? John Maine? Alex Sanabia? I’ve never heard of half these guys, and the ones I have heard of are way past their primes!

The Miami Marlins knew their young pitching staff would be a work in progress this season. But no one expected major changes a day before the season opener.

The Marlins this morning announced that 20-year-old super-prospect Jose Fernandez, a right-hander, will be on the opening day roster because of shoulder injuries to starters Nathan Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez.

Fernandez, who finished last season with Class A Jupiter, will start next Sunday’s game against the Mets in New York.

The pitching matchup for Monday’s opener at Washington (1:05 p.m., FSN) is Ricky Nolasco — the only veteran in Miami’s rotation — against Stephen Strasburg.

Eovaldi and Alvarez are on the disabled list. The other pitcher joining the staff is minor leaguer Alex Sanabia, who was 5-3 with the Marlins in 2010.

Fangraphs Top 100 Prospects

24. Michael Wacha, RHP, St. Louis: The first real big shock on this list, in part because he’s ranked so high and in part because he’s ranked ahead of the likes of Shelby Miller (albeit one spot) and Trevor Rosenthal. Wacha has dominated in pro ball – both in 2012 and during this spring. Critics will say it’s because of his small sample size, as well as his limited innings due to pitch counts (rarely turning the lineup over). If you watch him pitch, though, it’s not hard to envision him dominating in longer stretches.

1. Profar
2. Taveras
3. Bundy
4. Myers
5. Bogaerts

FanGraphs Top 15 Prospects Lists – A Recap | FanGraphs Baseball

Fangraph’s 2013 Top 15 Prospect Reports.

Gordon: Transition year looming for Cards? : Sports

The Cardinals are stacked in the minors. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them peddle some of their surplus for a good young shortstop. The Cardinals and Texas could definitely be a good trade match-up.

Flush with talent, Houston Astros’ future brighter than ever | astros.com: News

Hope for Astros fans!

While fans will have to be patient, they don’t have to look too far into the horizon to see hope and excitement. While Springer, Cosart, Singleton and Villar are among those knocking at the door to reach Houston, another wave is coming.

“The most reliable estimate for all those guys to reach the big leagues is 2014,” Luhnow said. “Just because they’re good prospects doesn’t mean they’re going to have an immediate impact on the big league level. It’s a substantial step, and it takes very good players a year or two to get used to the big league level. Next year will be a good opportunity.”

Edit: Link fixed. Sorry. Jim.

Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland retires from baseball

Ryan Westmoreland announced his retirement from professional baseball in an email to several members of the media on Wednesday.

“With a clear mind and heart, as well as the unwavering support and friendship of my family, friends, agent(s), doctors, therapists and the Boston Red Sox, I have decided to voluntarily retire as a professional baseball player,” Westmoreland wrote. “Although it is a very difficult decision for me, it has become clear that the neurological damage caused by the most recent cavernous malformation and surgery leaves me with physical challenges that make it impossible to play the game at such a high level.”

A former star at Portsmouth High School, the 22-year-old Westmoreland emerged one of the top prospects in the Red Sox organization shortly after he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2008 draft, signing a $2 million contract to forgo a commitment to Vanderbilt.

Red Sox’s Britton arrested for DUI after reportedly going 111 in 45 zone

Yeah, but with the stadium gun’s inflated numbers, he was probably only really around 107 or so.

2013 MLB Prospect Rankings - FantasyRundown.com

Here’s a great resource for prospect aficionados. I found it very helpful when prepping for my sim league’s minor league draft.

Baseball Prospectus | Prospects Will Break Your Heart: Top 101 Prospects

Here’s their Top Ten:

1. Jurickson Profar, SS, Rangers
2. Oscar Taveras, OF, Cardinals
3. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Pirates
4. Dylan Bundy, RHP, Orioles
5. Zack Wheeler, RHP, Mets
6. Jose Fernandez, RHP, Marlins
7. Wil Myers, CF, Rays
8. Byron Buxton, CF, Twins
9. Taijuan Walker, RHP, Mariners
10. Francisco Lindor, SS, Indians

Baseball America: 2013 Top 100 Prospects List

1. Jurickson Profar, ss/2b, TEX
2. Dylan Bundy, rhp, BAL
3. Oscar Taveras, of, STL
4. Wil Myers, of/3b, TB
5. Jose Fernandez, rhp, MIA
6. Shelby Miller, rhp, STL
7. Gerrit Cole, rhp, PIT
8. Xander Bogaerts, ss, BOS
9. Miguel Sano, 3b, MIN
10. Byron Buxton, of, MIN
11. Zack Wheeler, rhp, NYM
12. Tyler Skaggs, lhp, ARI
13. Carlos Correa, ss, HOU
14. Trevor Bauer, rhp, CLE
15. Christian Yelich, of, MIA
16. Javier Baez, ss, CHC
17. Mike Zunino, c, SEA
18. Taijuan Walker, rhp, SEA
19. Jameson Taillon, rhp, PIT
20. Billy Hamilton, of/ss, CIN

Thanks to Butch.

Baseball America: International Reviews: Tampa Bay Rays

As a result, the Rays won’t be able to sign anyone next year for more than $250,000 and probably won’t make any major international splashes until July 2 either because of the tax. Going well beyond the bonus pool is a curious move, but the Rays did pull in a considerable amount of talent, including arguably the two best 16-year-old pitchers on the market. Given that their 90-win season last year will give them one of the lower bonus pools for the 2013-14 signing period, which many scouts believe is shaping up to be a down year for international talent, perhaps it will be a worthwhile gambit.

This is interesting, I had no idea the Rays had been blowing past the international spending cap like this. I believe a primate recently asked why a team wouldn’t spend excessively one year on international free agents to load up on top-end talent and then accept that the next year they would be very limited in what they could do. The Rays haven’t gone massively over budget but it appears they are making use of that suggested strategy.

Red Sox prospect suffers gun related injury

More than a few eyebrows were raised when Boston Red Sox outfield prospect Bryce Brentz wasn’t one of the 19 non-roster players invited to this year’s spring training. As it turns out, his exclusion was for good reason, as he recently suffered a gun-related injury.

WEEI’s Alex Speier first reported that, earlier this offseason, Brentz suffered an injury to his leg when cleaning a gun at his home.

Boston general manager Ben Cherington clarified to Speier exactly what happened:

  He was cleaning a gun and it accidentally went off. The bullet went into his leg and out the other side. I guess you could say he got lucky relative to what happened.

  Fortunately for him it’s something he’s going to recover from and be fine and won’t affect his baseball career.

The Providence Journal’sTim Britton reported that Brentz had a bullet pass completely through one of his legs. He was fortunate to not strike any bone or muscles that would have required much longer recovery time.

Angel Villalona Gets Visa, Will Be In Giants Big League Camp

Villalona had been charged with the September 2009 murder of 25-year-old Mario Felix de Jesus Velete in the Dominican Republic at a bar in La Romana, where Villalona is from. Villalona eventually settled with de Jesus Velete’s family, reportedly for around $139,000. A prosecutor was planning to move forward with the case, but the charges were dropped.

Mayo: Breaking down MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospects

It’s the moment everyone has been waiting for: MLB.com’s 2013 Top 100 Prospects list is now available for perusal and dissection. Let the debate begin!

Lists like this are made to get people talking and arguing. Every year, discussions have been passionate about who’s on the list, who’s not, who’s too high and who is too low. Don’t worry, those responsible for putting tthis together welcome it.

There’s no better place to start that discussion than at the top. The top four prospects separated themselves a bit among the scouts polled for the rankings. Jurickson Profar, Dylan Bundy, Oscar Taveras and Wil Myers were the clear choices for the 2013 prospect version of Mount Rushmore. The overall tally at the top was close, but more than 70 percent of those polled picked the Rangers shortstop as their choice for No. 1.

Thanks to Drew.

John Sickels: 2013 Baseball Farm System Rankings

Best Farm System flags fly forever. Just ask the Royals.

1) St. Louis Cardinals (ranked #5 last year): Strengths: Everything. They have pitching, hitting, high upside, and depth. They have a proven track record of player development. Weaknesses: none really. They could use a shortstop with a better bat but so could most teams.

2) Seattle Mariners (#4 last year): Strength: Good balance between hitting and pitching, strength up the middle with Zunino, Miller, Franklin; potential ace arms; good knack for finding underappreciated college hitters. Weaknesses: Persistent problems with Latin American prospects showing poor strike zone judgment and contact issues.

3) Tampa Bay Rays (#7): System was already strong and trade with Royals just adds more. Strength: considerable pitching depth; good mix of players who will be ready now/soon (Myers, Archer, Odorizzi) plus guys at lower levels with high upside. Weaknesses: upper level hitting other than Myers….

30) Detroit Tigers (23): Very thin in all respects. Strengths: Nick Castellanos and Avisail Garcia could help soon, and there are some potential role players behind them. Bullpen arms. Weaknesses: lack of depth almost everywhere, particularly hitting.

HBT (Calcaterra): Fernando Martinez and the Astros show why the WBC still has so far to go

I understand that we’re supposed to be all-in on the World Baseball Classic and that players who don’t take it seriously have the wrong attitude and are otherwise “idle heroes,” but I’m sorry: if a general manager for a baseball team is saying that participating in it is going to have negative implications for you, you should not be playing in the WBC. If I’m Martinez’s agent I have him call the Spanish manager, say “smell you later,” and make sure my client’s butt is in Osceola County Stadium from the first day of Spring Training until the team breaks camp so as to give him the best chance to win a job.

Calcaterra makes a lot of good arguments. Read also the quote from Jeff Luhnow via astros.com writer Brian McTaggart:

“The big challenge is … a guy like Fernando Martinez, who’s trying to make our club, [being] gone for an extended period of time. I think that potentially hurts him, even if he does well in the Classic,” Luhnow said. “It hurts him because he’s not there with our coaches, being seen firsthand. It makes it a little bit more difficult. The fact he’s playing for Spain means he’s not going to be gone the whole month. Nothing against Spain, but they’re not likely to make it past the first round.”

The WBC is Bud Selig’s baby, but no matter how badly he wants it to work, his modus operandi has always been to take what he can get and push for more later. And in this case, “what he can get” equates to the situation we have now where it is in most players’ best interest not to play in the WBC.