Comments on: Alex Castellanos Traded to Los Angeles Dodgers for Rafeal Furcal

By: Brian B

Brian B — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 02:59:57 +0000

Sad to see him go. Dodgers got a great potential player who can play multiple positions and has an outstanding arm, great speed and can hit for power. All around player. Just looked up his stats and he”s batting 340i, with 6 doubles. 3 triples and a HR in just a couple of weeks with the Dodgers. Even has 8 Walks. Wish you well Alex (Casty) Castellanos.

By: Lou Schuler

Lou Schuler — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:55:08 +0000

I agree on both of your opening points: the guys we have aren’t proven, and there’s no obvious long-term solution at center or left.

Still, I look forward to seeing what Craig can do in a full season in right, assuming that the Cards will sign either Pujols or Berkman for 2012 and beyond, but not both, leaving Craig as the top guy in right.

The top corner outfield prospects in terms of pure upside might be OT in QC and Capellan in the DSL. The best-case scenario for OT might be late 2013, and Capellan is so far away (2015?) it’s not even worth thinking about.

That’s why I have the strange and unlikely hunch that Cox might end up in right field. He pitched his freshman year at Arkansas and reportedly could crank it up above 90 mph. So he has the arm for RF, even if he doesn’t have the power you expect. But if I’m right about his high-average potential, he can be a useful player.

Freese looks more and more like our long-term solution at third, with the potential for above-average power. Craig may or may not be our long-term guy in right. If Cox is going to fit in anywhere, I could see him in right as easily as third, or as a lefty platoon guy splitting time at both positions.

By: azruavatar

azruavatar — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:49:48 +0000

The thinking is that there are a handful of players that Castellanos would have to jump on the depth chart. Without digging into the specifics of the Dodgers organization, it’s certainly possible that he has a clearer path to the majors.

By: Indiana Cardinal

Indiana Cardinal — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:48:20 +0000

Last night Castellanos 0-4 one walk, 3 K’s

By: cariocacardinal

cariocacardinal — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:08:33 +0000

I don’t understand the thinking that Castellanos has a better chance to see the majors in another organization. I’d say the STL outfield that is returning next year is far from proven and there is no true heir apparent in the wings. A player liked Castellanos who steppped up his game just a notch could easily get a shot here (see Andrew Brown); probably much more so than in most other organizations.

By: Hugecardsfan

Hugecardsfan — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 05:27:21 +0000

Castellanos was indeed a trade we needn’t lose sleep over.

I did like his speed. My guess is that he should get a little more than a cup of coffee in the majors, but his chances improve somewhere else rather than St Louis.

By: jjray

jjray — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 04:30:18 +0000

I wish Alex well with the Dodgers. He might have an easier path in that organization given the blood letting currently in progress. It’s a testament to our minor league system that we were able to acquire Furcal for a position player not ranked in our top 20 prospects. I know Furcal has warts but in years past we would have only had right handed relief pitchers to offer outside of our top prospects and unless the trading partner wanted a right handed relief like Carpenter or Hawksworth then we couldn’t close a deal. Our organizational depth is broadening beyond pitching … which needed to happen.

By: jjray

jjray — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 04:21:17 +0000

I don’t understand how Hendry continues to be employed as an MLB general manager. It boggles my mind. We may complain about JMo from time to time … but Hendry is in another universe.

By: Indiana Cardinal

Indiana Cardinal — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 01:00:33 +0000

I would certainly be one of the last people to support a Cub pronouncement (although if that kept Hendry in their GM seat that might be a good thing), but I think he is correct in that they received very little for Fukadome, and unless he wanted to trade Marshall, and until Ramirez (now a quad injury) decides to waive his no trade, he only had the type of player and long term contracts that generate virtually nothing player wise.

I would only reiterate what others have said that being that Toronto’s farm system is so good that even one or more of their lesser prospects might actually be helpful either long term for the Cards or another trade chip like Castellanos or Walters. They have a very good Latin American program. If I were the Cards that is where I would look. If you go deep enough you might get lucky.

By: IllinoisCardinalFan

IllinoisCardinalFan — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:44:44 +0000

Cubs GM Jim Hendry’s explanation for not making any trades was that the players he would get back would not be any better than the players they already had in their minor league system and it would just block the progress of the players they already had. I guess when you have a top minor league system like the Cubs do (sarcasm intended) you don’t need any more minor league players. It does however beg the question when you have a trade where 3 PTNL are included. Can those players even be C prospects? Seems unlikely.