Yesterday we looked at the potential middle infielders that the Cardinals have drafted in the Jeff Luhnow era. With neither of their first round shortstop picks (Tyler Greene and Pete Kozma) developing to the point that they project as more than a fringe bench players, it’s difficult to argue that the Cardinals have made an effort to target players to try and fill the gaping hole of the middle infield within the farm system.
What follows is an attempt to identify middle infield prospects that the Cardinals did not draft but were likely on their radar during the last 6 drafts. This is largely a subjective exercise and is not intended to be definitive. In hindsight, it will be easy to say that the Cardinals should have drafted Jed Lowrie rather than Mark McCormick. I expect to revisit some of these picks more specifically in later posts. For now, I’ve combed the first five rounds of the 2005-2009 drafts looking for players that have had success and project well in the middle infield. I will also list the Cardinals pick which occurred immediately prior to that player.
| Year | Round | Pick # | Player | Position | Cardinal Pick # | Player |
| 2005 | 1s | 45 | Jed Lowrie | 2B | 43 | Mark McCormick* |
| 2005 | 2 | 75 | Yunel Escobar | SS | 70 | Josh Wilson |
| 2006 | 1s | 36 | Chris Coghlan | 3B | 30 | Adam Ottavino |
| 2007 | 1s | 34 | Todd Frazier | 3B | 18 | Pete Kozma |
*Cardinals also had pick 46 with which they selected Tyler Herron.
I have to admit that I expected something more . . . damning. These are the only picks that, in retrospect, even look like arguable misses to me. The Jed Lowrie pick strikes me as the one I’d most like to have a do-over on. Combined with the fact that the Cardinals selected Herron just three picks after McCormick and it just doesn’t look like a good draft approach. I think another informative exercise will be to look at each team’s top SS/2B prospect in the 2011 Baseball America Prospect Handbook as well as the origins of the middle infielders in the majors now. Simply put, this needs some more exploration. In the meantime, I’d like Jed Lowrie please.
Entries (RSS)
I don’t see the McCormick draft as a “miss,” rather as a gamble that didn’t work out. That happens with pitchers with big-time power arms and control issues. Most will never solve the issues, and never have a serious big-league career. Some will, and they become Randy Johnson or Tim Lincecum. If you don’t draft guys with that profile, you don’t waste draft slots, true, but you also don’t give yourself a chance to pick up a Big Ugly or a Freak. Arguing for Lowrie instead of McCormick is at best arguing for apples over oranges, and at worst, results mongering.
The more interesting question is: was there anything knowable at the time of the draft that should have caused the organization to prefer Lowrie over GREENE? Does anybody have access to scouting reports from the day that might shed light on that question?
I’ll dig up old scouting reports in later posts. Just didn’t have time while writing this one.
Great great last two posts, I come to the site all of the time but this is actually my first post and I’d like to say great work on all of this and I love the site/posts/comments.
On the topic of middle IF’s, why isn’t Delasco getting more of a look for 2B in 2011?? He put up solid numbers (which I would assume would translate into what Skipper will put up on the big club this year, with a little extra pop in his bat and a little better speed on the bases), BUT MOST importantly, play solid defense.
Two years ago I wouldn’t have said this, but it is time for Larussa to go! I’m not sure if he doesn’t work well with the kids or just simply refuses to give them a chance (i.e. a young stud named Colby). Any thoughts on this as well??
I think most of the reason he’s not getting much of a look at 2B is because he, like Skip, bats lefty; so he won’t work in a traditional platoon arrangement. This, combined with the fact that TLR still sees Skip as the long-term solution at 2B, means that he likely won’t get much overall playing time there.
I’m sure he’ll see time there during ST, but sadly not much more. It’s unfortunate, because he will likely replicate Skip’s peak expected offense of ~100 OPS+ while also providing average to plus defense at the keystone.
I have never understood this line or reasoning. Why is it assumed that likely exceed Shumaker? Its a big jump and adjustment to the major league level, and also very optimistic to think he would out perform skip in his first year.
I do see him being blocked by skip next year, but is that really a bad problem to have? As long as you can still hold on to Daniel Descalso and let him develop (162 games in memphis), I see no need to rush him to the majors at the extent of losing a guy like skip off the roster. I think this team is bette off with both in the organization, especially since Daniel Descalso is not an obvious upgrade.
It would be a different story if they were to let Daniel Descalso go.
I disagree. He seems to do very well with the “young” studs. Wainright, Pujols, Molina are stars on the roster who seem to have responded well.
The ones who don’t respond well seem to be those who are not really destined to succeed or fail to reach their potential. The JD Drews, the Anthony Reyes, etc.
I am not sure how you consider that Rasmus has been given a chance. But remember, Rasmus has had his run in with Pujols as well as LaRussa. Which seems to be that its maybe more of a Rasmus issue.
LaRussa has had multiple ROYs as manager and did a good job last year as well. Who expected that much from Jay and Garcia? I think the problem is people over look the success and assume every player that is brought up is destined for greatness. Every young player is not going to be a major league player, so its not really fair to blame LaRussa if they do not work out. Besides Haren, not sure who has really taken off elsewhere.
The inclusion of JD Drew as someone who didn’t reach their potential is baffling to me. I’m not sure how you can call his career anything other than a rousing success.
Don’t get me wrong. Drew has had a nice career, but he has been an inconsistant player.
The problem with Drew is that he is not actually one of the elite players of the game, though he had the talent. That said, he is still a great player. He is among that second tier of players. Good, not great. However, Drew always demanded to be paid as that elite.
The trade at the time was seen as controversial and panned by many. I think LaRussa and the cards made out OK on that one.
nice job, very interesting
the top prospects per team and where they came from would also be interesting
the draft is sure a gamble
AZ, nice posts. It’s something I’ve been thinking about. I come up with three explanations:
1. The Greene pick was one the Cards thought was brilliant at the time. Following the draft, Greene played 35 games in the Ny-P, hitting a modest .261/.352/.370, when the Cards jumped him all the way to the FSL, where he hit a not-horrible .271/.326/.388. (Palm Beach won the FSL championship that year, w. Greene at SS.) I vaguely remember quotes at the time suggesting they expected him to get to the majors in just 2-3 years. Of course we know it didn’t work out that way.
2. The Cards thought they could find and sign middle infielders in Latin America. The first, Jose Martinez, looked like an immediate payoff for the new investments the team was making. But then injuries and tragedy struck, and who knows if he’ll come back. Nobody else has panned out so far.
3. Dan Descalso might still be underrated. He’s been a TOPPS all-star at both AA and AAA. I’m not sure who votes on that or what the criteria are, but people who see him play are clearly impressed. He could be a solid major-league regular starting in 2011.
As AZ points out in these posts, I think it’s really hard to find good middle infielders right now. The Cards used to have a surplus that they gladly gave up in trades (Jack Wilson, Pablo Ozuna, Adam Kennedy), but those days are long gone. In a couple years we may be really happy we have solid but unspectacular guys like Descalso and maybe even Solano.
I personsally have always thought that the Greene pick was the right kind of pick for the Cards to make. We’ve often been critical of them for not drafting players with high ceilings but Greene was a real exception. Speed, power, good defense. Had he developed some genuine plate discipline he’d be a special player.
It makes you wonder if he, as well as Kozma and other infield prospects, would have developed more in another system. It will be interesting to see if the recent restructuring produces better results.
I too am a bit more hopeful about DD. Things to like about Descalso.
1. Just turned 24–hasn’t torn up MiLB, but never really stalled.
2. Displays a good knowledge of the strike zone (AAA OBP is .067 pts higher than his AVG)
3. Showed significant improvement offensively in his second go-round at Memphis in 2010.
ie, he seems to be getting better at hitting a baseball, which he needs to do, because he’s probably indifferent defensively. But the good news is that a defensively indifferent DD at 2B is likely a dramatic improvement over Schumaker.
How similar are they offensively? At AAA, Schumaker posted a .348/.409/.757 OPS line as a Redbird after turning 25. Descalso is at .344/.396/.740.
DD won’t make us think of Chase Utley, but come 2011 he’s a good bet to replace Cobbler’s offensive production and be a league-average defender for the bargain price of ~$400k.
Nice comparison with Schumaker. If we look at DD as Schu with better defense, better place discipline, and a player who doesn’t make $2.7 mill per year, then there is something to like about DD. The Pujols money has to come from somewhere. Exchanging Descalso for Schu in 2012 makes sense.
I’ve also liked DD’s chances to become a good player. I read somewhere, maybe it was Strauss, that the Cards thought he didn’t have enough range to stay at 2b and that’s why he played 3b in his late season cup of coffee. Kind of odd to move him there (I believe he was a 3b in college),leave him there all the way through AAA and then decide that he doesn’t have the range to stay there. It isn’t like he’d be replacing Joe Morgan if they gave him a chance.
A reasonable comp for DD, or at least what DD might become if things work right (yet reasonably), is Blake DeWitt. Their age-23 AAA seasons were fairly comparable, and perhaps even slightly in DD’s favor given that Memphis is somewhat less of a launching pad that Albuquerque. At age 24, DeWitt was more or less a league average second baseman in the NL, both offensively (somewhat above average for LA, about an equal amount below for the Cubs) and defensively. Compare the older Skippy, who was a bit below average offensively and hideous defensively. I’d take DeWitt over that, and if DD can get to that level, I’d see it as a no-brainer.
Speaking of DeWitt, read and weep: very high on his comparables list at baseball-reference for 2010 is … Ruben Gotay.
I never understood why Gotay didn’t get at least a look last year at 3B after Freese went down. Does he have the plague or something?
these things run in cycles for positions. Look at the late 70′s/early 80′s for 3rd basemen. Schmidt, Pendleton, Wallach, Fryman, Boggs, Cey, Gruber, Gaetti,… there were very capable 3rd basemen who never got a sniff of an all star game due to the level of talent at the position. find that number today, can’t do it. since the steroid home run era, every kid wants to hit home runs. power and strength are sought out before flexibility and speed and glove. Look at the Card’s signing Berkman. can you imagine Whitey wanting a 1st baseman in right field? the game has changed, the money is in power, so fewer kids want to be slick fielding, quick, slap hitting middle infielders with good gloves. homers pay now, and you can’t find those Latin shortstops as easily. they want to hit homers.
+1
Tough comparison. First, the cards played on turf when whitey managed so speed was more important than it is on grass. Plus it was much tougher on the knees so you couldn’t put a guy out there like berkman.
But left field is made for butchers. There is no value in speedy left fielders with sub .320 obp.
Although Astroturf was prevelant in the 1970s and early 1980s, not everybody had it. A total of 12 baseball stadiums did–in addition to Busch and, of course, the Astrodome, there was Cominsky, Riverfront, Three Rivers, Veterans, Candlestick, Kaufman, Kingdome, Exhibition, Olympic, and Metrodome. That means the Cardinals, Astros, White Sox, Reds, Pirates, Phillies, Giants, Royals, Mariners, Blue Jays, and Expos. On top of that, Cominsky and Candlestick flirted with turf through the early 1970s, then went back to grass. I think dan’s main point–that these things go in cycles caused by what kids generally focus on as they develop into ballplayers.
And honestly…the Whitey’s Cardinals were always looking for a first baseman after they traded Hernandez. Jack Clark was about the closest they came to. They always had outfielders. Had very little to do with turf and simply finding the talent.
I want to start this by simply stating that I am the biggest Cardinal and Pujols supporter alive, but from what I’ve read, he is going to take at least 27M AAV over 8 years MINIMUM….. I know he has the no trade clause now, but I’m sure he would be willing to be traded to at least a few teams. I love him, however, he is going to cripple us for years to come if we give him that. I have a few questions to get an opinion on…..
#1 Does anyone else agree with me that trading him now for 3 or so high quality prospects/MLB ready players is the best idea to have a great team over the next 10 years? I know he’s the best in baseball, but DeWallet won’t raise payroll over 110M in the near future IMO.
#2 If we were to trade him, and obviously the new team would want to make sure they lock him up first, any ideas on what we could get for him? I see the Angels being a perfect fit…. willing to spend, prospects, etc. I think something along the lines of Morales, Trout and two other solid pitching prospects sounds perfectly fair…… (and I’d love to give Hamilton some kind of a shot or at least trade him for something while he’s still under 50)
#3 Call me crazy, but I would much rather see a 1st place team without Albert, than a 2nd or 3rd place team with him, I know he’s our “BRAND” name, but I think Cardinals fans are “true birds on the bats fans first” and Pujols fans 2nd and we, as loyal fans, would still fill the seats, watch the games on TV and buy the gear esp. if we are in 1st or highly competitive….. If you google the “Forbes Baseball Franchise value list” out of the top 10 teams in baseball, 7 out of 10 spend almost exactly 61% (kind of creepy how close to 61% it was) on “players” as of 2009, the Cards spend only 56%, I know we have the 20M per year going into the stadium investment, but shouldn’t they pony up and give us the little pieces that we need….. OR sign at least 2 – 4 guys per year, maybe even in the International draft like Carlos Matias/Martinez (this guy is rock solid, read every scouting report on the guy and he could be a future #1 starter and then some) that could turn out to be somewhat cheap superstars in the future??
To Dewalt……. Winning team = Fannies in the seats, Losing team with a few superstars = Lost Money
Any and all thoughts are greatly appretiated
To answer your question about poning up…no.
The forbes list is not very accurate. For instance, I do not beleive the Marlins are more profitable than the Yankees.
Also, you are assuming that spending = wins, which isn’t true either.
Somthing to consider is that the cardinals have one of the lowest operating incomes in the majors. So basicly, they make less money than other teams.
Also, investing in global players are not equated into salaries and the cards have been huge players the last few years. So they are going after top latin players.
The cards have been one of the most successfull franchises since DeWalt has taken over. I think they have a pretty solid business model.
I still think the problem is La Russa.
If your proof that he can recognize young talent is Wainwright, Pujols and Molina, i remain unconvinced.
Wainwright did not play in Peoria but the other two did. We all in Peoria recognized that Pujols would be a star, and we all knew that Molina would play. I was comparing him to Mauer and telling everybody that Molina was the superior defensive player. If i can recognize their talent, then anyone can.
Descalso is a good example. He was voted defensive player of the year in the Texas League. He hit in Memphis and he hit reasonably well in St Louis, but he was assigned to third base. He can’t hit enough to play third. Why wouldn’t you want to know if he can play second? There is no reason to believe that he can’t hit enough to be as mediocre as Schumaker while supplying far better defense. Given that the Cardinals always budget only a Million or so for second, then reliably mediocre is about what they are seeking. Why would you not try him?
Or, why not try Ruben Gotay who also plays second and hit .325 in Memphis? He’ll never be a star, but again, they would be improved with mediocrity.
I think the real problem is that La Russa hates Luhnow so much that backstabbing him has become more important than trying to improve. I think that also explains, and is the only explanation, for Winn and Feliz.
I thought Descalso was playing second at Memphis, was he not?
I agree, pending somthing better to come along, I can see him replacing skip in 2012.
I do disagree that young players should be back ups in the majors. It serves them best to get playing time in the minors vs. limited at bats in the majors. For instnace, Descalso was better off playing in mepmphis vs. the 10 abs a week Aaron Miles was getting.
Bacbored, I grew up about an hour and 15 min south of Peoria actually and saw those guys play back then to. I really wish we could package Ryan with Skippy and get something decent out of them and hand the job to DD. Won’t happen, but a wish is a wish.
Are we all in agreement that TLR needs to be gone after this year so we can let some of these young cheep guys have a chance? It will never happen with him, although I highly agreed with them shutting down Garcia, but that was probably more of Dave Duncan than TLR
So wern’t Ryan the Skip the young guys who needed a chance a few years ago? So now they are playing you want to replace them with “organizational young guys who need a chance”?
Sorry, not following your logic on this one.
I hear your point, but not in my opinion actually, they obviously didn’t work out, so let’s give someone else a chacne to do better. If something doesn’t work, try something different. If you try the same thing over and over and you don’t get results, why do you think it would work the next time around?
I just hope they give Zach Cox a chance at 2nd and keep him there, his D can’t be worse than Skippy. I think everyone should agree that he could be a better AVG less HR guy than Uggla?
Got it.
I just think its a bit too early to make such a move. Unless for some reason somebody offers somthing significant for Shu.
Intead, I think the cards are best off holding on to both players with the plan on having Descalso probably take over in 2012. I don’t like the idea of extending Shu as the long-term second baseman, which I don’t think will happen. I do see Shu sticking with this team for a while as a lefthanded suber sub.
Zuke, I get your logic, but from several things that I read they want to move Cox to 2nd and I’m all for that. He’s obviously going to win the job over DD and probably will be ready in 2012 (Keith Law is saying we will see him in 2011, but I doubt that).
It looks like Theriot is without a doubt our SS for 2011, but any ideas out there on what we could possibly do in 2012…. With a Pujols extension looming, we won’t be able to sign anyone decent after that. Ideas?
I like Theroit because he gives flexibility. If you can at some point get a better shortstop…do it and move him to second. If you can get a better second baseman, do it.
I think the cards can go up to $30 on Pujols, so he will get resigned. I think you budget him differnlty though. So set a salary budget, but only consider 2/3 of what you pay him as “salary”. The rest is a franchise investment as Pujols will be added value to the team after he retires. For instnace, how much is Stan still worth to the cards? So even at $20 million of payroll for Albert…Still have alot of flexibility.
So as long as the avoid overpaying for second baseman and back of the rotation starters (Lohse), I think they will be fine.
Since this is a “Futureredbirds” site…. how about some thoughts on an updated top 10 prospect list…..
Mine would be this, and I’m using future potential much much higher than MLB ready fyi
1) Mr. Miller – Needs no intoduction if you are on this site, and I would probably be banned if I didn’t have him #1. Seriously
2A) Carlos Matias – Anyone know what his name will actually be when he gets here in ST??? I personally love this guy….. Tore up the DSL (which is a bad sample size), but he destroyed it, everything I have read says he easily would have been a top 10 guy in the draft. Matias was 3-2 with an 0.76 ERA, striking out 78 in 59 innings and only 28 hits in the DSL….. anyone want to fight with me putting him at 2?? IMO, could end up better than Miller… THAT is a big could be, but at least we don’t just have a bunch of “fillers” in our system now.
2B) Zach Cox – I sure hope they give him a solid chance at 2B, I see Uggla with a few less HR’s, a better BA, and maybe even a little better D. Since he’s on the 40 man roster, I see them moving him along much quicker than they should, Keith Law sees him making it to the big show in 2011….. doubtful, but who knows….
4) Oscer Tavarez – Doubtful anyone else in the Cardinal world would have him this high, everyone likes him but I might be a little high on him. HOWEVER, keep in mind the upside statement before, very solid tools and still 18. 8-43-.322 in 211 AB’s with 8 SB’s…. and a solid CF…. Let’s take it slow with him and by the time 2015 rolls around we could have a better Colby that we don’t have to give 100M + to.
5) Matt Carpenter – I might be disagreed with here, but after Freeze get’s hurt again this year, I’d love to see this guy at 3rd for a while, great OBP and solid D. Just no Pedro Feliz this year please.
6) Eduardo Sanchez – It sickens me to put a RP this high, BUT…. he is our future closer which means something, great lines all around and my personal hope is we hold him in AAA till June or so, save a year and then he comes in, is our main set up guy from June till end of Oct (WS) and takes over for Franklin next year and then the next 6 years……
7) Tyrell Jenkins – Great young pitcher, loads of talent. Has never simply focused on baseball and is so athletic he could have been Baylors QB in two years. Let’s see what this kid can do now that he’s fully commited to baseball. Reports look great so far…. “I have a dream” of a 2015 Rotation of Waino, Garcia, Miller, Matias and Jenkins, and if they all live up to potential, that would basically guarantee a WS….. They won’t all pan out, but a man can dream right…..
8) Danny Boy Descalso – I don’t really see him being a star, but for the simple fact of the Cards need of IF help, I feel that he deserves to be this high. I really hope Larussa gives him a long look for the 2B gig in ST. I think he could be better than what Skippo will do with the bat next year (with a little extra speed and power) and play a far better 2B. Sadly, TLR loves Skippo so I doubt that happens.
9) Mark Hamilton – Ok, I might have him ranked higher than most but hear me out, so he’s in his late 20′s and totally blocked by AP, but common, TRADE HIM FOR SOMETHING, “Dear J MO…… There are several teams about to sign a DH for $7M or more…. LIGHT BULB, TRADE HIM to an AL team that needs a DH, his AAA stats transfer to about 25+ HR and 85+RBI and about a 270 avg over 550 PA……. that’s what the 7M guys are going to do at best. I hear we need MI help fyi”
10A) Matthew Adams – In QC, he hit .310 in 121 games with 22 homers and 41 doubles with 88 RBI’s. If Albert doesn’t come back, at least we have Hamilton and this guy in waiting so we don’t have to give a guy like Carlos Pena 10M….. Yes, the Cubs did that earlier……
10B) Bryan Martinez – This guy has pitched amazing and young still, AND, one more time I’m going to say, this is based on potential to be a star, not MLB ready
No offense to Seth Blair, Lynn, Koooooz, Swags, Adron Chambers, D. Jones, etc….. I just don’t see you being stars. Feel more than free to prove me wrong though.
Interesting list.
I think you are too high on Matias. The raw talent is there, but it is still a long-long way away.
I would probably put Descalso high as he seems to be the only one really close to contributing.
Hamiliton…AAA is actually filled with those guys.
Agreed a little on Matias, however, I was simply going off of “potential to be a superstar” over MLB ready type players who will be everyday fill in’s and bench players. I think Cox will have a solid career with us, but I don’t think he’ll ever be a true superstar.
Do you fully agree we need to trade Hamilton for something now vs. letting him just sit in Memphis? If he’s going to sit at AAA, I think we should just throw up in RF and see if he somehow works this year and then maybe take over for Berkman in 2012 if nothing else, his bat is better than Craigs IMO
Might as well let him sit. He doesn’t have much value.
He probably has the same bat as craig, but craig is a bit more versitile
Not a bad list. Mine would probably go something like this…
1-S Miller, SP: Not much explaining needed here. He has shown no reason to not consider him a future ace (or #2 at least)
2-Zack Cox, IF: Like everyone knows, I think his value would surge if he were a 2B. As it is, he has a playable big league bat. His AFL showing was unspectacular, but I think we should see a great season in 2011.
3-Eduardo Sanchez, RP: This position is primarily due to his proximity to STL. I think his ceiling is major ML contributor, which is a very darn high ceiling.
4-Lance Lynn, SP: He still has a fairly high ceiling to me. He showed a bit down the straight in 2010 to prove himself a sustainable workhorse. An unsexy prospect that will probably have a nice big league career.
5-Carlos Matias, SP: The viral videos of his warm-ups are something to dream on. He might have a great big league career…or might flame out rapidly. I will list him here on potential.
6-Tyrell Jenkins, SP: A lively arm and sound delivery, Jenkins could cruise through the low levels.
7-Matt Carpenter, 3B: A nice surprise last year, Carpenter could see som big league time sooner rather than later.
8-Nick Longmire, OF: A little old for where he is stationed, but he produced pretty well. He has a very toolsy baseball body.
9-Daryl Jones, OF: I just can’t quite close the book on the artist formerly known as DJ Tools. If Carl Crawford can be handed $20 million/per, I think there exists a place for this type of player in the bigs.
10-Scott Gorgen, SP: He has been a favorite since they drafted him. Gorgen has competitive secondary stuff. I think he is the type of guy that would flourish under DD’s tutelage on the big club.
If Jones is truly in our top 10 then it is definitely seen as a weak system by other teams when a top 10 prospect can pass through waivers unclaimed!
For the most part, our lists are basically similar. My pick on Matias was strictly based on potential. I would however, replace Jones with Oscer Tavares though. He is looking quite Crawfordish so far. But let’s be honest, with the exception of a few, who the hell knows where/what will be going on with these guys a year from now.
This is probably something we’ll do a lot of later in the off season so it may be premature now. I am surprised though that neither of your lists included Tommy Pham. Yeah, I know he seems predestined to break our hearts but, had he not broken his finger and had he stayed as hot for the last three weeks of the season as he was at the point he got hurt, he might be second on a lot of our lists.
Yes, we’ll do a lot more of it later, but actually, I think there’s value in doing some of it now as well, to see how things evolve. Events over the winter could change many things. Being able to sit in mid-March and look back on the way things were has value.
Having thus justified writing a list now, here’s mine:
1. Shelby
2. Zack
3. Matt Carpenter — I’m higher on him than most, but high-OBP guys at 3B or (better) 2B don’t grow on trees
4. Lance Lynn
5. Carlos Matias/Martinez
6. Eduardo Sanchez
7. Adron Chambers — has shot up this list in the last 12 months
8. Daniel Descalso
9. Bryan Anderson — has kind of become the forgotten man, but letting Pagnozzi walk and taking Hill off the 40-man says something
10. Tony Cruz — comment would be half Chambers, half Anderson
Pham is a good “sleeper” candidate; he’s fallen off a lot of people’s radar screens but could still be very interesting if everything falls into place.
Other candidates: Deryk Hooker, Cody Stanley, Bryan Martinez, Tyrell Jenkins (too early to have him on the top 10, but he’ll be fun to watch), Oscar Taveras (I believe that is the correct spelling), Sam Freeman (he should be back mid-season, right?), Steven Hill, Jordan Swagerty (assuming he’s not shut down for too long), Seth Blair (also too early, maybe not as interesting as Jenkins but more polished), Matt Adams, Nick Longmire, John Gast, Dan Bibona, Koz. I still haven’t given up on Rob Stock but am not sure he ranks as a prospect any more. Mark Hamilton will never be as much as an adequate 1B, and Daryl Jones just seems to be missing something.
This is a REALLY deep system when it comes to guys who might get at least a cup of coffee in the Show. I just wish there were more impact players, where there’s basically Shelby Miller and Good Luck.
Oops, add Samuel to the “other candidates” list. I should proof-read before I click…