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When is it Time to Fold Em’?

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Houston_Astros

How do you know when to fold em’? Many people who love to gamble do not know the answer to this question. Coincidentally, some professional Major League general managers also don’t know the answer to this question. General managers do not like to wave the white flag too early in the season, while others wait until it is too late to do anything productive at the trade deadline. Even though we are only in the month of May, there are some teams teetering on the brink of folding em’ right now. [Read more…]

Rule Changes Causing Havoc on the Field

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Asdrubal Cabrera, Jason Kipnis, Chris Davis

Major League Baseball made changes to a couple of on-field rules prior to the 2014 season and after a month of play, those changes are causing a bit of havoc for managers, players and umpires alike. Now, the league has decided to change a couple of rules either back to their original state or to an edited state. [Read more…]

Top Prospects in Spring Camps: Part VI

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As our series on top prospects in spring camps comes to an end, we take a look at the best prospects who spent time in Major League Spring Training with the St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals.

With the regular season already a week old, we have seen some top prospects make an impact on their big league clubs already and some others receive call-ups just days into the season.

St. Louis Cardinals

The 2011 World Series champions have a farm system ripe with talent, with some prospects breaking through in recent years to make major impacts in the show.

From their 2013 top prospects list, the following players spent time in Major League camp with the Cardinals this past spring:

Right handed pitcher Shelby Miller, right handed pitcher Trevor Rosenthal, infielder Kolten Wong, right handed pitcher Tyrell Jenkins, first baseman Matt Adams, left handed pitcher John Gast, right handed pitcher Michael Blazek, right handed pitcher Maikel Cleto, right handed pitcher Eric Fornataro and right handed pitcher Jordan Swagerty.

From this group, Miller, Rosenthal and Adams all made the Opening Day roster for St. Louis. Miller is the team’s fifth starter and Rosenthal is pitching out of the bullpen. Adams is backing up Allen Craig at first base and provides pop off the bench.

 

 

Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wil Myers.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wil Myers.

Tampa has seen some of its top prospects graduate to the big leagues over the past handful of seasons and they have made major impacts, especially on the pitching staff.

As we continue further into the first month of the season, the Rays have quite an impressive crop of top prospects waiting in the wings. The group that spent time in Major League camp includes outfielder Wil Myers, right handed pitcher Jake Odorizzi, right handed pitcher Chris Archer, short stop Hak-Ju Lee, left handed pitcher Enny Romero, left handed pitcher Mike Montgomery, right handed pitcher Alex Colome, short stop Tim Beckham, and left handed pitcher Felipe Rivero.

Texas Rangers

Texas has some talented prospects knocking on the doors of the big leagues, including short stop Jurickson Profar, third baseman Mike Olt, left handed pitcher Martin Perez, right handed pitcher Wilmer Font, right handed pitcher Justin Grimm, right handed pitcher Roman Mendez, right handed pitcher Neil Ramirez, right handed pitcher Nick Tepesch, and infielder Leury Garcia.

From this list, Grimm, Tepesch, and Garcia are all on the Major League roster right now for the Rangers.

 

 

Toronto Blue Jays

The top prospects from the Toronto system that spent time in big league camp this past spring include left handed pitcher Sean Nolin, right handed pitcher Josh Stilson, catcher A.J. Jimenez, and infielder Ryan Goins.

This is a very underwhelming crop of prospects, especially since the first player to appear in camp hits the MLB.com list for Toronto at number eight.

Washington Nationals

Washington fans are going to be enjoying baseball in the Nation’s capital for quite a long time with the current active roster and the top prospects down on the farm.

The players on the top 20 list who spent time in spring camp include third baseman Anthony Rendon, right handed pitcher Nate Karns, outfielder Eury Perez, left handed pitcher Matt Purke, third baseman Matt Skole, first baseman Chris Marrero, right handed pitcher Christian Garcia, and catcher Sandy Leon.

 

 

Top Prospects in Spring Camps: Part V

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Philadelphia Phillies Tommy Joseph. Credit: Richmond Flying Squirrels.

Philadelphia Phillies Tommy Joseph. Credit: Richmond Flying Squirrels.

Day three of the MLB regular season is upon us and we are bringing you the fifth installment chronicling the top prospects who spent time in big league spring camps this year.

As with every baseball season, the excitement begins on day one and does not end until the final out of the World Series. This is exactly what happened on Opening Night on Sunday and Opening Day on Monday.

In today’s post, we take a look at the top prospects from the camps of the Philadelphia Phillies, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Diego Padres, the San Francisco Giants and the Seattle Mariners.

Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia saw its reign of five-straight NL East titles come to an end in 2012 when the Nationals secured the crown. The Phillies have an impressive crop of top prospects waiting in the wings and some could break into the lineup in 2013 if injuries rear their ugly head or they fall out of contention early.

The top prospects who spent time in camp with the Phillies this spring include right handed pitcher Ethan Martin, catcher Tommy Joseph, right handed pitcher Jonathan Pettibone, left handed pitcher Adam Morgan, catcher Sebastian Valle, third baseman Cody Asche, right handed pitcher Phillippe Aumont, right handed pitcher Justin De Fratus and outfielder Darin Ruf.

Aumont is the only player who made the Opening Day roster, but a handful of them already have Major League experience. De Fratus and Ruf both have spent time in Philadelphia over the past couple of seasons. Ruf could break into the lineup in the middle of the season if he continues to hit at Triple-A and figures out how to play left field. De Fratus could be the first reliever called up should an injury or ineffectiveness strike the Phillies bullpen.

Martin was acquired in the Shane Victorino trade with the Dodgers and Joseph was acquired in the Hunter Pence trade with the Giants. Morgan seems to be the starter with the best shot of reaching the majors this season in the event of an injury.

 

 

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh was in line to finally return to the playoffs, but wound up struggling over the final couple months of the season, preventing them from snapping their consecutive losing season streak. They have had 20 consecutive losing seasons after collapsing in 2012.

Their top prospects who spent time in spring camp include right handed pitcher Gerrit Cole, right handed pitcher Jameson Taillon, right handed pitcher Kyle McPherson, left handed pitcher Justin Wilson, right handed pitcher Bryan Morris, catcher Tony Sanchez and right handed pitcher Victor Black.

From this list, Wilson is the only top prospect to make the Opening Day roster. Wilson made his debut for the Pirates in 2012, pitching in eight games, spanning 4.2 innings, and recorded a 1.93 ERA. He pitched on Opening Day this season, going 1.1 innings. He allowed no hits or walks and recorded two strikeouts.

Cole could crack the Pirates rotation at some point this season if injuries strike or if the Pirates find themselves out of contention en route to a 21st consecutive losing season. Others who could join him in Pittsburgh include Sanchez and possibly McPherson.

 

 

San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres Jedd Gyorko. Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports.

San Diego Padres Jedd Gyorko. Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports.

San Diego is still trying to build a team that can contend in the NL West as the Giants have won two of the last three World Series titles and the Dodgers have markedly improved over the past two years.

Padres fans should be excited at what the future holds, especially when you look at the team’s top 20 prospects heading into the 2013 season. San Diego’s top prospects that saw time in spring camp this year include infielder Jedd Gyorko, outfielder Rymer Liriano, right handed pitcher Casey Kelly, catcher Austin Hedges, right handed pitcher Adys Portillo, right handed pitcher Joe Wieland, left handed pitcher Robbie Erlin, right handed pitcher Donn Roach, right handed pitcher John Barbato, right handed pitcher Brad Boxberger and right handed pitcher Kevin Quackenbush.

The majority of these players were already on the team’s 40-man roster, which means that they are automatically invited to Major League Spring Training. The only player who made the Opening Day roster was Gyorko.

Kelly and Wieland are both on the 60-day disabled list. If Wieland pitches this season, he could help the Padres pitching staff at some point, even if it is in September when rosters expand. Kelly will miss the season due to Tommy John surgery. Wieland is also recovering from Tommy John surgery, which he had in 2012.

 

 

San Francisco Giants

The Giants are fresh off their second World Series title in the last three years and are still considered underdogs in the NL West because of the additions the Dodgers made in the off-season and at the trade deadline last year.

Giants fans have become accustomed to being the underdog these past couple of seasons and seem to enjoy it when October arrives.

Top prospects who spent time in Giants camp this spring include outfielder Gary Brown, infielder Joe Panik, right handed pitcher Heath Hembree, outfielder Francisco Peguero, right handed pitcher Chris Heston, left handed pitcher Eric Surkamp, left handed pitcher Edwin Escobar, left handed pitcher Michael Kickham, shortstop Ehire Adrianza, catcher Andrew Susac, first baseman Ricky Oropesa and outfielder Juan Perez.

Not one of these prospects made the Opening Day roster for the Giants in 2013, but some of them could break into the lineup as early as this season. Those players include Brown, Panik, Hembree and Surkamp.

Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners Taijuan Walker. Credit: Associated Press.

Seattle Mariners Taijuan Walker. Credit: Associated Press.

Seattle fans received good news this off-season when King Felix signed an extension that will keep him with the Mariners for at least another seven years. He started his sixth Opening Day for the M’s on Monday, a 2-0 win over the Oakland Athletics.

The group of top prospects who saw time in big league camp this past spring include right handed pitcher Taijuan Walker, left handed pitcher Danny Hultzen, catcher Mike Zunino, short stop Nick Franklin, left handed pitcher James Paxton, right handed pitcher Stephen Pryor, right handed pitcher Carter Capps, short stop Brad Miller, right handed pitcher Brandon Maurer, third baseman Stefan Romero, outfielder Julio Morban, infielder/outfielder Vinnie Catricala and third baseman Francisco Martinez.

The players from this list who made the Opening Day roster include Pryor, Capps, and Maurer. All three are pitchers, with Maurer earning the fourth spot in the rotation. Pryor and Capps are pitching out of the bullpen for the Mariners.

The sixth and final installment of this series will feature the top prospects who spent time in big league camps with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Texas Rangers, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Washington Nationals.

Top Prospects in Spring Camps: Part IV

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Milwaukee Brewers Wily Peralta. Credit: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Milwaukee Brewers Wily Peralta. Credit: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

With Opening Day finally upon us, we bring you the fourth installment of our top prospects in spring camps. Since we lost a lot of time, we are bringing you comprehensive lists of top prospects who spent time in their organization’s big league camps this spring, whether or not they made the Opening Day roster.

Today, we take a look at the camps of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Minnesota Twins, the New York Mets, the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics.

Last night, the Houston Astros won their American League debut against the Texas Rangers, and this afternoon saw a full slate of games kick off the 2013 season for the remainder of the league.

As the excitement of Opening Day continues, we begin this installment with the Milwaukee Brewers, who wound up adding starter Kyle Lohse late in camp to bolster their rotation.

 

 

Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee fans are excited for the 2013 season especially since Lohse was added to the rotation late in camp. That excitement boiled over on Monday when the Brewers walked off in the 10th against Colorado on Opening Day.

The top prospects who spent time in Brewers camp this spring include right handed pitcher Wily Peralta, right handed pitcher Tyler Thornburg, right handed pitcher Johnny Hellweg, first baseman Hunter Morris, left handed pitcher Jed Bradley, second baseman Scooter Gennett, outfielder Logan Schafer, right handed pitcher Hiram Burgos, outfielder Khris Davis, outfielder Caleb Gindl, and right handed pitcher Ariel Pena.

Out of this group, Peralta, Davis, and Schafer made the team’s Opening Day roster.

Both Davis and Schafer made pinch hitting appearances on Monday afternoon against the Rockies.

Minnesota Twins

Twins fans are wondering how 2013 is going to play out after the team traded two of its starting outfielders in the off-season. Denard Span was sent to the Nationals and Ben Revere was sent to the Phillies. The Twins Opening Day starter, Vance Worley, was acquired in the Revere deal.

Top prospects who spent time with the big club during Spring Training include right handed pitcher Alex Meyer, right handed pitcher Kyle Gibson, outfielder Oswaldo Arcia, outfielder Aaron Hicks, right handed pitcher Trevor May, infielder Danny Santana and right handed pitcher Ryan Pressly.

From this group, Hicks and Pressly made the Opening Day roster. Hicks is the starting center fielder for the Twins while Pressly will be pitching out of the bullpen.

The Twins have a lot of nice prospects waiting in the wings, with some of them possibly breaking into the big leagues this season if the Twins struggle or have to deal with injuries to major pieces.

 

 

New York Mets

Mets fans still have hope for the 2013 season despite the news that Johan Santana would require season-ending surgery and the massive trade with the Blue Jays. They have a nice crop of prospects that are starting to break through onto the Mets active roster, so there is still plenty to be hopeful about this season.

R.A. Dickey, Mike Nickeas and Josh Thole were all traded to the Blue Jays for a package of prospects and catcher John Buck.

The team’s top prospects who spent time in big league camp this spring include catcher Travis D’Arnaud (acquired in Dickey trade), right handed pitcher Zach Wheeler, right handed pitcher Jeurys Familia, third baseman Wilmer Flores, right handed pitcher Rafael Montero, right handed pitcher Hansel Robles, outfielder Cesar Puello, right handed pitcher Cory Mazzoni and shortstop Wilfredo Tovar.

From this list, Familia is the only one to make the Opening Day roster. Others from the list are very close, such as D’Arnaud and Wheeler, who could be fixtures at Citi Field by the time June rolls around this season. The pitching staff is already missing four players, including Santana, who are on the disabled list. Those players are Frank Francisco, Shaun Marcum, and Jenrry Mejia.

New York Yankees

New York Yankees Gary Sanchez. Credit: The Star-Ledger-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees Gary Sanchez. Credit: The Star-Ledger-USA TODAY Sports

Yankees fans had a lot to worry about during Spring Training when news broke that Alex Rodriguez would miss a large chunk of time.

Then news broke that Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, and Derek Jeter would all begin the season on the disabled list.

Phil Hughes and Michael Pineda are also on the shelf, deflating the pitching staff.

To make matters worse, the Yankees lost their Opening Day game to the Red Sox by a score of 8-2 with C.C. Sabathia on the hill.

The team’s top prospects who made appearances this spring in big league camp include catcher Gary Sanchez, outfielder Tyler Austin, outfielder Slade Heathcott, left handed pitcher Manny Banuelos, right handed pitcher Mark Montgomery, outfielder Zoilo Almonte, outfielder Ramon Flores, right handed pitcher Jose Ramirez, left handed pitcher Nik Turley, right handed pitcher Bryan Mitchell, right handed pitcher Brett Marshall, right handed pitcher Adam Warren, catcher Austin Romine, right handed pitcher Dellin Betances and right handed pitcher Tom Kahnle.

Of all these top prospects to spent time in camp, Adam Warren was the only one to make the Yankees Opening Day roster.

 

 

Oakland Athletics

Oakland enjoyed an incredible 2012 season, claiming the AL West crown and falling in five games to the Tigers in the ALDS. They look to secure another AL West title in 2013 in what is an improved division.

Oakland’s top prospects to spend time in big league camp this spring include right handed pitcher Dan Straily, outfielder Michael Choice, outfielder Grant Green, right handed pitcher Sonny Gray, outfielder Michael Taylor and right handed pitcher Arnold Leon.

Straily is the only prospect to make the A’s Opening Day roster. He will be the fifth starter for Oakland in 2013.

The fifth installment in this series will examine the top prospects who spent time in big league camps with the Philadelphia Phillies, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Diego Padres, the San Francisco Giants and the Seattle Mariners.

Top Prospects in Spring Camps: Part III

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Credit: Bob Levey/Getty Images

Houston Astros George Springer. Credit: Bob Levey/Getty Images

In the third installment of our feature regarding the top prospects in big league camps this spring, we look at the Astros, Royals, Angels, Dodgers, and Marlins.

Even though all of the camps have ended and Opening Day is upon us, it is still interesting to take a look at the top prospects who received time in Major League camp, even if they did not make a Major League Opening Day roster for the 2013 season.

As we count down the hours until the first game of the season, between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros, one can only wonder how many of these top prospects will make an impact at some point during the season this year either for their current franchise or for another one. This will be the first American League game for the Astros.

Out of the five teams we preview in this post, the Astros have the best crop of top prospects, with almost half of them being acquired through trades over the past three-plus years.

 

 

Houston Astros

Not a single player on the Astros top 20 prospect list has Major League experience yet. This could change rather quickly if the Astros struggle this year and want to see what their future holds.

The top prospects who spent time in big league camp for Houston include outfielder George Springer, right handed pitcher Jarred Cosart, second baseman Delino DeShields, right handed pitcher Brad Peacock, shortstop Jonathan Villar, catcher Max Stassi, outfielder Robbie Grossman and catcher Carlos Perez.

Of the top prospects who spent time in Astros big league camp, Springer and DeShields are the only players Houston drafted themselves. The rest came over in trades with the Phillies, Blue Jays, Pirates and Athletics. Cosart came over from the Phillies in the Hunter Pence deal and Villar came over from the Phillies in the Roy Oswalt deal. Peacock and Stassi came over from the A’s in the Jed Lowrie deal. Grossman came to Houston from Pittsburgh in the Wandy Rodriguez deal. Perez joined the Astros in the 10-player trade with the Blue Jays last year.

Kansas City Royals

Credit: Tim Umphrey/Getty Images

Kansas City Royals David Lough. Credit: Tim Umphrey/Getty Images

The Royals have a nice crop of top prospects, some of whom could see themselves in Kansas City this year to complement an already strong lineup and no what seems to be an impressive pitching staff.

The Royals made some interesting moves in the off-season, sending a group of players, including Wil Myers, to the Tampa Bay Rays for James Shields.

The top prospects in the Royals camp this spring included left handed pitcher John Lamb, left handed pitcher Donnie Joseph, second baseman Christian Colon, left handed pitcher Chris Dwyer and outfielder David Lough. Lough is the only top prospect with Major League experience who spent time in big league camp this spring. He played 20 games for the Royals in 2012, hitting .237.

Number one prospect Bubba Starling was not invited to big league camp, but he just made his professional debut in 2012 after being drafted in 2011. In 53 games, Starling hit .275 with 10 homeruns and 33 RBIs.

The left handed pitchers on this list who spent time in big league camp are very impressive and could be called upon to pitch out of the bullpen at some point this season in Kansas City.

 

 

Los Angeles Angels

Angels fans received a pleasant surprise this off-season when former Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton joined the division-rival Angels to team with Albert Pujols and Mike Trout in an incredibly dangerous lineup. The City of Angels should enjoy an unbelievable season of baseball with the upgrades that the Angels and the Dodgers have made this off-season.

Top 20 prospects who spent time in Angels camp include third baseman Kaleb Cowart, left handed pitcher Nick Maronde, second baseman Taylor Lindsey, Kole Calhoun, third baseman Luis Jimenez, outfielder Randal Grichuk, outfielder Travis Witherspoon, right handed pitcher A.J. Schugel, shortstop Eric Stamets and second baseman Alex Yarbrough.

Maronde pitched in 12 games for the Angels in 2012, which was his first professional season after being drafted in 2011. He climbed the professional ladder quickly, going from the Class A Advanced California League to the Majors. He pitched to a 1.50 ERA in 12 appearances totaling six innings for the Angels.

Calhoun also saw time with the big club in 2012, hitting .174 in just 21 games. Maronde did not make the team out of Spring Training, but he should be one of the first callups should the Angels need a reliever during the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles is primed to win the West after major moves at the trade deadline in 2012 and a massive off-season that saw them add Zack Greinke to an already formidable starting rotation.

They have some impressive prospects waiting in the wings, with some just months away from the bigs if injuries strike outside of the one to Hanley Ramirez.

Top prospects who saw time with the big club during Spring Training for the Dodgers this year include outfielder Yasiel Puig, right handed pitcher Matt Magill, catcher Tim Federowicz, right handed pitcher Chris Withrow, left handed pitcher Paco Rodriguez and outfielder Alex Castellanos.

Two of the players on this list made the team out of camp, Federowicz and Rodriguez. Federowicz will serve as the backup catcher to A.J. Ellis. He appeared in three games with the Dodgers in 2012. Rodriguez will be a lefty out of the bullpen and he appeared in 11 games spanning 6.2 innings in 2012 for LA. He pitched to a 1.35 ERA. He was the first member of the 2012 draft class to reach the Majors.

 

 

Miami Marlins

Marlins fans will not have much to cheer about in 2013 as the team traded away Hanley Ramirez at the deadline last year along with Anibal Sanchez, Omar Infante and Randy Choate. Then, in the off-season, they shipped Jose Reyes, Emilio Bonifacio, John Buck, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson to the Blue Jays.

The only major cogs left on the roster are Giancarlo Stanton and Ricky Nolasco. They are surrounded by low-key free agent signings and prospects they received in some of those trades as well as prospects they have drafted and developed.

In camp this year were right handed pitcher Jose Fernandez, outfielder Christian Yelich, outfielder Jake Marisnick, left handed pitcher Andrew Heaney, shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, outfielder Marcell Ozuna, left handed pitcher Adam Conley, second baseman/shortstop Derek Dietrich, catcher Rob Brantly, catcher J.T. Realmuto and left handed pitcher Brian Flynn.

Of these players, Fernandez, Hechavarria and Brantly are on the team’s Opening Day roster. Fernandez will be in the rotation while Brantly and Hechavarria are in the lineup for game one versus the Washington Nationals in D.C. on April 1. In 25 starts in the minors in 2012, Fernandez had a record of 14-1 and an ERA of 1.75. He had not pitched above Class-A and was preparing to pitch at Double-A when he was called up on Sunday.

Fernandez was added when starters Nate Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez were placed on the disabled list. He is scheduled to make his Major League debut against the New York Mets on April 7 at Citi Field.

Stay tuned for our fourth installment of this series, which will take a look at the top prospects who spent time in big league camps this spring with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Minnesota Twins, the New York Mets, the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics.

Top Prospects in Spring Camps: Part II

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Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton Credit: Denny Medley, US Presswire

Reds OF Billy Hamilton Credit: Denny Medley, US Presswire

In the second segment of our feature regarding top prospects in big league camps this spring, we take a look at the White Sox, Reds, Indians, Rockies and Tigers.

All the camps have opened to date, with most teams already having full squad workouts on a daily basis.

The young crop of talent in the Minor League systems of the five teams we look at today is quite impressive, with the Reds and the Tigers boasting some of the best young prospects out of this group, including the speedster to the left. That man is Billy Hamilton, the Minor League stolen base king.

Detroit has the biggest chance of seeing some of its top prospects make a huge impact at the big league level this season.

 

 

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

White Sox Pitcher Jhan Marinez Credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox have just one of their prospects from their top 20 list found on their website that has big league experience under their belt.

That prospect is Jhan Marinez, who pitched in just two ML games in 2012.

Marinez was part of the trade package the White Sox received from the Miami Marlins for manager Ozzie Guillen.

Marinez originally made his big league debut in 2010, pitching in just four games for the Marlins. He missed an early portion of 2011 due to injury but when he returned to the bump he was stellar. He projects as a Major League setup man and White Sox fans could see him at the back end of the bullpen sometime in 2013.

Other top 20 prospects in big league camp this spring include Trayce Thompson, Carlos Sanchez, Jared Mitchell, Scott Snodgress, Keenyn Walker, Andre Rienzo, Nestor Molina, Charlie Leesman, Simon Castro, Josh Phegley, Marcus Semien, Santos Rodriguez and Tyler Saladino. This is an excellent group of talent in the pipeline for the White Sox and it is led by Phegley.

With A.J. Pierzynski no longer in Chicago, Tyler Flowers will take over the starting catching duties for the club. Should Flowers struggled, or suffer an injury, Phegley could step into the starter’s role if he is having a good season at Triple-A.

Cincinnati Reds

Out of the top 20 prospects in the Reds system, just two players have Major League experience and they are lefty Tony Cingrani, who made his big league debut in 2012, and infielder Henry Rodriguez. Cingrani pitched in three games out of the bullpen for the Reds, recording a 1.80 ERA. He was a starter in the minors after being drafted out of Rice in 2011. Rodriguez played in 12 games, putting up a .214 average.

Most of the Reds top prospects have graduated to the big leagues, with this year’s list not jumping off the page outside of Cingrani and speedy outfielder Billy Hamilton, who could see himself in the Reds outfield at some point this season should injuries rear their ugly head.

Top prospects from the Reds list in their big league camp include Daniel Corcino, Kyle Lotzkar, Neftali Soto and Ismael Guillon. Out of this group, keep an eye on Soto. Despite hitting just .245 at Triple-A in 2012, Soto did crack 14 homeruns. He is another outfielder who could reach the bigs this year.

 

 

Cleveland Indians

Cleveland is still trying to find the formula for winning and they hope that the additions of Terry Francona as manager, Mark Reynolds, Brett Myers and Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn in the outfield will help them in 2013 and beyond. The Indians, in a three-team trade with the Reds and the Diamondbacks, landed top pitching prospect Trevor Bauer.

Bauer made his ML debut with the Diamondbacks in 2012, starting four games and pitching to a 6.06 ERA. He has the makeup right now to be in the Indians rotation, but he more than likely will begin the season in the minors.

Bauer is being joined in big league camp by Danny Salazar, Jesus Aguilar, Chris McGuiness and Scott Barnes. This is one of the smallest group of top prospects in a big league camp this spring. Barnes was acquired in the 2009 trade that sent Ryan Garko to the Giants. He made his ML debut in 2012 out of the bullpen, pitching to a 4.26 ERA in 16 appearances.

Rockies Outfielder Nolan Arenado Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Rockies Infielder Nolan Arenado Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Rockies

Colorado’s system has added some solid prospects over the past couple of years due to trades and a couple of those guys are sitting on this years top 20 list.

The list is led by the number 10 overall pick in the 2012 draft, David Dahl, who was drafted out of high school.

His performance this past season made the Pirates kick themselves for selecting Mark Appel number eight overall. Appel did not sign and returned to Stanford.

Dahl had such an excellent pro debut that he catapulted straight to the number one spot on the Colorado top 20 prospects list. He is not going to be a regular in big league camp this year, but he might find himself appearing in some Spring Training games.

Top prospects in camp for the Rockies include Nolan Arenado, Chad Bettis, Kyle Parker, Tyler Anderson, Tim Wheeler, Edwar Cabrera (60-day DL), Charlie Culberson, Rafael Ortega, Corey Dickerson, Joe Gardner and Christhian Adames. With 11 of the team’s top 20 prospects in camp, first-year manager Walt Weiss will get a good look at what he has in the system in the event of injuries or struggles at the ML level.

 

 

Detroit Tigers

Detroit has possibly the best crop of top prospects in big league camp this spring out of the five teams discussed in this article. The two players responsible for this are potential big league closer Bruce Rondon and outfielder Avisail Garcia. Garcia made his Tigers debut late in the regular season and was in the lineup almost everyday during the playoffs.

The Rockies number one prospect, outfielder Nick Castellanos, will be in big league camp this spring. He will be joined by Casey Crosby, Tyler Collins, Daniel Fields, Eugenio Suarez, James McCann, Hernan Perez, Kenny Faulk, Jeff Kobernus, Melvin Mercedes and Ramon Cabrera. Kobernus hits the list at number 16 after being taken by Detroit from the Washington Nationals in the 2012 Rule 5 Draft this past December.

Garcia and Rondon should make major impacts with the Tigers in 2013. They could be joined by Kobernus, who has to remain on the active roster for the Tigers the entire season or be offered back to the Nationals.

The third installment of this series will focus on the top prospects in the camps of the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers and the Miami Marlins.

Top Prospects in Spring Camps: Part I

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MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs

Arizona shortstop Didi Gregorius Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

As we inch closer to spring camps opening in Florida and Arizona, we have put together an outlook for the top prospects of each Major League team who will be in those camps.

Will they make the squad out of Spring Training? Will they be sent to the minors knowing that they are just a month or two away from the big leagues? We cannot answer these questions, but we can provide you with a look at the top prospects who have received invites to their parent teams’ camps. This is the first installment in our six-part series.

 

 

Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona’s camp will feature some newcomers to the organization, especially top shortstop prospect Didi Gregorius, who came over from the Reds in a three-team deal that sent former top prospect Trevor Bauer to the Indians. Gregorius is considered as the team’s shortstop of the future, but is not guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster. Aside from Gregorius, who is on the 40-man roster, will be joined by a very talented group of youngsters, some who have Major League experience.

Tyler Skaggs and Adam Eaton will be battling in camp for roster spots, Skaggs in the rotation and Eaton as a regular in the outfield. Eaton could make the team as a starting outfielder with the trades of Justin Upton and Chris Young during the off-season. Skaggs made six starts in 2012 for the D’backs and could figure into this year’s rotation.

Other top prospects either on the 40-man roster or who have received invitations to camp include Nick Ahmed, Matt Davidson, Chris Owings, Zeke Spruill, Evan Marshall, A.J. Pollock and Chase Anderson. All of these players appear on the Diamondbacks’ top 20 prospect list found on their website. Of the 20 listed, half of the list will be in big league camp this year. Ahmed and Spruill were acquired from the Braves in the Upton trade.

Atlanta Braves

Julio Teheran

Atlanta Pitcher Julio Teheran Credit: Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE

Atlanta is entering a new era, post-Chipper Jones, with two Upton brothers leading the way in the outfield.

B.J. was added via free agency and Justin was added via a trade with Arizona.

In that trade, the Braves also unloaded Martin Prado, Randall Delgado, and a couple of prospects.

In Atlanta’s camp, located in Lake Buena Vista, there are still some very intriguing prospects left who will appear in big league camp this year.

 

 

Atlanta’s number one prospect, Julio Teheran, heads the list and is on the 40-man roster. Catcher Christian Bethancourt is the number two prospect and is on the 40-man roster. He could see significant playing time to begin the regular season at the Major League level if Brian McCann is not healthy enough to go on Opening Day.

Other top prospects who are either on the 40-man roster or who have received invitations to camp include J.R. Graham, Sean Gilmartin, Alex Wood, Todd Cunningham, Juan Jaime, Aaron Northcraft, Joe Terdoslavich, and Evan Gattis. Out of the top 20 list, these players account for half of it. From this group, Atlanta fans very well could see Teheran, Bethancourt, and even Gilmartin at the big league level in 2013.

Baltimore Orioles

Following a surprising 2012 season and playoff appearance, the Orioles are looking to remain competitive in the AL East in 2013. Baltimore’s crop of top prospects is very impressive and the list is led by Dylan Bundy, who made his Major League debut last year after flying up the organization’s Minor League ladder. L.J. Hoes is also on the top prospect list and he made his ML debut last year as well for the O’s.

Other top prospects in camp worth watching this spring include Kevin Gausman, Eduardo Rodriguez, Jonathan Schoop, Xavier Avery, Mike Wright, Steve Johnson and Mike Belfiore. The Orioles are loaded with excellent pitching talent in their system, with most at the lower levels, so 2013 will be a major development season for their big arms.

Boston Red Sox

The only Red Sox prospect from their top 20 list on their website to play in the Majors last year was shortstop Jose Iglesias. He struggled at the plate in 25 games, hitting .118. He might see a lot of time in the Majors this season for new manager John Farrell and some of his counterparts from the system could be fighting for playing time as well.

The rest of the top 20 list in big league camp includes Jackie Bradley, Allen Webster, Deven Marrero, Drake Britton, and Christian Vazquez. This is one of the smaller groups of prospects in big league camps so far in 2013 across the league. It is going to be interesting to see how Iglesias responds to his struggles last year and builds towards more playing time this season.

 

 

Michael O'Day/Icon SMI

Chicago Outfielder Jorge Soler Credit: Michael O’Day/Icon SMI

Chicago Cubs

Chicago saw some of its prospects graduate to the big leagues last year, one of whom is being relied on to take over the everyday catching duties in 2013 in Welington Castillo.

The Cubs have signed some interesting players this off-season in the hopes of beginning the rebuilding process under Theo Epstein. Top prospects who will be in big league camp who have Major League experience include Brett Jackson, Arodys Vizcaino (made ML debut with Braves in 2011), Josh Vitters, and Alberto Cabrera.

Other prospects from the Cubs top 20 list who will be in camp via the 40-man roster or as a non-roster invitee include Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, Christian Villanueva, Matt Szczur, and Robert Whitenack. The Cubs have a ton of impressive raw talent in their system, with a couple of the guys on the verge of breaking the starting lineup in Chicago for good in the coming years.

Keep a close eye on Jackson and Vitters this year, who could see a ton of playing time if the injury bug bites and the Cubs struggle. Vizcaino missed all of 2012 due to Tommy John Surgery, but was still included in the trade deadline deal that sent Reed Johnson and Paul Maholm to the Braves. The Cubs also received Jaye Chapman, who made his ML debut with Chicago last year, in the deal.

Stay tuned for the second installment of this series, which will look at the top prospects in the big league camps of the Chicago White Sox, the Cincinnati Reds, the Cleveland Indians, the Colorado Rockies and the Detroit Tigers.