UPDATE: Makes sense for two reasons.  1 – he’s already on the 40 man roster.  2 – he’s a middle infielder like Punto.  3 – He’s the only infielder left in Memphis on the 40 man roster.  1+ 2 + 3 = callup.

Kozma has a 220/284/284 slash line so far this year.   Kozma will wear number 47.

And of course, congrats to Mr. Kozma.  His first major league appearance will be a huge milestone in his life.

DEVELOPING.

In 2007, Pete Kozma was selected by the Cardinals as their first overall pick. There was much wailing and gnashing of the teeth (including here) due to Rick Porcello, who was widely regarded as the best high school arm, still being available.  Even though Pete Kozma was no Rick Porcello, I doubt anyone predicted or hoped his time in the minors would be so thoroughly mediocre.

Kozma generally received good reviews at the time of the draft. He was considered a late first round pick or sandwich pick at the worst. The lack of middle infielders in the draft led some to believe that teams could reach a little. Baseball America said the following in 2007:

Kozma has no true standout tool, but he also has no glaring weakness. He grades out as average to slightly above-average in every tool except power, and he does have pop. His instincts help him play above his physical ability at bat, on the bases and in the field. He has good plate coverage and uses the entire field, projecting as a future No. 2 hitter in a big league lineup. Coming into the spring, some scouts questioned whether he’d be a long-term shortstop, but he has no doubters now. A Wichita State recruit, Kozma draws raves for his consistency and energy as well.

Drafted out of high school, Kozma started in Johnson City and Batavia in 2007. He was aggressively promoted through the system reaching Palm Beach in 2008 and Springfield in 2009 despite only having modest success at the plate.

With OPS that just squeaked over .700 in both 2008 & 20010, Kozma’s offense has been consistently tepid throughout the minors. Power was never his calling card but the inability to make consistent contact or draw a higher number of walks has left him with little to offer at the plate.

Billed as a true shortstop, Kozma has the physical abilities to field the position. Mentally, he’s been inconsistent and, at times, mistake prone. Questions of whether his struggles at the plate were spilling into the field are plausible if impossible to substantiate.

At 23, Kozma isn’t quite a lost cause. He’s still age appropriate for his level and perhaps even a touch young. Matt Carpenter who has enjoyed a good deal of praise and success at AAA is 25.  It’s hard to argue, however, that his professional career hasn’t been a disappointment thus far.  With Ryan Jackson performing well at Springfield, Kozma may face increased pressure in the near term to live up to his draft day potential.  Time is no longer on his side and the Cardinals have a viable competitor rising through the ranks.

Tommy Pham - This is an easy one because he is “poised” to break out every year.  We thought we were seeing it last year after his impressive Spring Training, but it has not yet come together for Pham.  He hit well in Springfield in 121 at bats after finally graduating from the pitchers-haven of Palm Beach. He ended the year on the DL, which also did not help him.  A full year in Springfield in his age 23 season should assist Pham’s break out in 2011.

Pete Kozma – Kozma’s jump to Springfield for a full season did not bring much success, but he is in line to repeat AA as a 23 year old.  If he is going to have any success at the major league level, he will need to break out this season when he repeats in Springfield.  That’s more of a “must break out” than “poised”, but I think it still applies.

John Gast – Gast put up great numbers as a lefthanded starter in Batavia.  This season, I think he will take those great numbers up to Quad Cities and possibly Palm Beach.  In Batavia, he increased his strikeouts and limited his walks compared to his college career.  He should have a break out season by continuing his good numbers at higher levels and against better competition.

Who do you think is ready for a break out season?

Some of the others, like Blake King and Pete Kozma, are out playing in Arizona to win a spot on the 40-man roster or impress another team enough to take them in the Rule 5 draft.

As I’ve said previously when asked about the situation, it just doesn’t make sense to me that Pete Kozma is being auditioned for anything.

The question that immediately comes to mind is what are the other options at SS in the upper levels of the minors. The club has Tyler Greene under control; Donovan Solano can play there in a pinch and Kozma got most of the time at that position in AA. In Palm Beach, Ryan Jackson received the share of PB laying time after an in season promotion.

My read on the organization is that there isn’t a player behind Kozma who is clamoring for a promotion. Tyler Greene would seem to slot in nicely on the big league club (at least hypothetically) leaving a lack of competent fielding shortstops between AA and AAA.

I’m not part of the Pete Kozma fan club by any means but it seems obvious to me that there’s a positional need at SS within the farm system. Even if you think Kozma never amounts to a major leauge player, in 2011, he’s vital to fielding teams in the minors. So it’s unclear to me why he’s perceived as being on the 40-man roster bubble.

If there’s any wild card here, it’s whether some other club will try to snag him as a backup. Potentially, the Cardinals could be trying to “sneak” him through the process without adding him to the 40-man roster. I find it difficult to believe that an opposing club is going to 1) Rule V draft him after an anemic 2010 performance or 2) be able to stash him on a major league roster for a full season. This isn’t a reliever you can toss into low leverage situations. This is a shortstop position player who, unless you want to play with a 24-man active roster, needs to be capable at the major league level.

Pete Kozma is in the AFL to work on something. Maybe it’s his swing, maybe it’s his throwing motion or maybe it’s something else. I don’t see a scenario where this is an audition, of any kind, for Kozma for big league clubs. The Cardinals need him in the organization for 2011. Whether he’s in their plans long term is another question entirely.

Brian Walton has a lengthy post at the Globe-Democrat regarding Evan MacLane. MacLane is great for organizational depth but it’s unclear to me that he figures into any potential callups should the major league rotation suffer an injury.  For Memphis, he’s a welcome stalwart of the rotation though.

At the bottom of the article, Walton notes the sad news of PJ Walters’ daughter passing away. A very sad situation to which I can’t fathom the tragedy and can only offer condolences to the family.

Kary Booher is back at the Springfield News-Leader after spending some time with Baseball America.  He’s a top notch reporter and I’m thrilled to see him chronicling the S-Cards again. (Matt Baker, who was a good guy that I had the opportunity to meet, departed after covering the team last season.) Booher notes that Francisco Samuel is out for three weeks with shoulder pain. No reason to panic yet but if three weeks become four. . . well we’ve seen this injury progress in unfortunate ways before.

Booher: Can Daryl Jones breakout this year? Goodness, I hope so.

Booher: Kozma at AA and working with Pop Warner. We’ve seen several players in the past have real success at AA (Joe Mather, Jarrett Hoffpauir) and while some of that is park effects, the coaching staff at Springfield is the best in the system, imo.

There’s been a lot of back and forth on this site about Kozmanaut and Rick Porcello.  I’ve tried to stay in a middle ground of sorts — Kozma was never the worst draft choice but I was never excited by his talent or thought it was first round caliber talent.  It’s not a pleasant position to take because it leaves both flanks open for assault.  The Kozma-lovers say I’m underrating his tools/overall package and the Kozma-haters say that I’m not coming down hard enough on a guy who looks like a utility player right now.

One things for sure, Pete Kozma and Rick Porcello are inextricably linked in the minds of Cardinal prospect followers.  I think the reason for that linkage is important to decipher.  It’s about more than just those two prospects; it’s about the often underwhelming nature of the Cardinal drafts.  Jeff Luhnow and Co. operate from a different playbook than we might like.  They aren’t going to pick the flashy draftee to appease the hardcore fanbase and I’m certain they have good reasons for the picks that they’re making.  That doesn’t make it any less frustrating for us fans though.  When an instance comes along that so precisely mimics the macrocosm in micro, well, Pete Porcello and Rick Kozma is born.

After the jump there’s a few quotes from Baker’s piece I want to look at.

Despite the uproar, St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak defended the pick in an interview with the News-Leader earlier this year.

“One of the things we were trying to address at the time was talent at the middle infield. We were looking to draft what we perceived was a legitimate need, and we accomplished that.”

I don’t want to read too much into this quote because it’s defending a specific pick and not an overall philosophy, at least that’s my hope.  It’s a dangerously incorrect strategy, imo, to look at the big league club and say in 4 years we need to have middle infield talent ready and, therefore, draft a middle infielder.  The perception that I’m left with after reading the quote is that the Cardinals may not be drafting the best available player.  Now, Brett Wallace in 2008 would seem to quell those fears but I really find that quote troublesome.

“Did you ever look at all the players who went after him (Kozma)? Not too many have come back to bite anybody,” Mozeliak said.

Without looking up their stats, there are 3 players that I was higher on than Kozma at the time of the draft. JP Arencibia was a catcher drafted by the Blue Jays.  He’s put up some decent offensive numbers but nothing world beating.  I’ll take a miss on that one.  If the Cardinals weren’t going to draft Porcello though, the real problem for me, was that there was other pitchers still on the board with top notch stuff in Michael Main and Tim Alderson.  These are the high risk, high reward players that I would have preferred to see the Cardinals gamble on and exactly the kind of player they are habitually reluctant to take.    So I think Mozeliak is being a little defensive here and you can make a decent case for several of the players after Kozma and before Mortensen being better draft picks.

“Solid,” Springfield manager Pop Warner described Kozma. “A solid all-around player. And that’s what you want.”

I agree with Warner and it’s important to reiterate.  Kozma is young and there’s still room for growth.  He is a solid all around player and you do want guys like that on the team.  He’s a good prospect and he’ll remain on the top 20 for next year baring something unforeseen.  That said, if you asked me if that was what I wanted from a first round draft pick #18 overall. . .I think that might lead to a slightly different answer.

At the end of the day, there shouldn’t be any lingering resentment over this because 1) it’s a decision made that can’t be changed and 2) Kozmanaut is our prospect now.  Everyone, even the skeptics, should want him to succeed.  Bandage up the wound, bury the hatchet and whatever other cliche analogy you need to read. . .Kozma is ours and his success is part of St. Louis’ success.

Kary Booher left some big shoes to fill, leaving the News-Leader to a full-time gig at Baseball America. Is it exciting, nerve-wracking, stepping in his role covering the Springfield Cardinals?

It’s definitely exciting, regardless of whose shoes I’m filling. I’m a youngun a year out of college, so I’ve been excited to show what I can do. I’ve been a lot more places than you’d expect for someone my age, and I’ve enjoyed my time on the beat so far, breaking news, finding stories and watching prospects develop.

Kary’s a good guy and a great reporter. He set the bar high for our readers in Springfield — and all over Cardinal Nation, for that matter. His work speaks for itself. As for following in his footsteps, I’m going to sum that up with my all-time least favorite sports cliche: It is what it is. I’ve just got to go out there and do what I do, and the rest will take care of itself.

But seriously, it’s been awesome.

You had a strong opinion on why Wallace not only doesn’t belong in the majors this year, nor AAA. Care to elaborate on that a little?

For the record, I only said that Wallace doesn’t belong in St. Louis this year – not Memphis. I received a little flak about it from people afraid I was bashing Wallace. That’s not the case at all. I saw him start the season with two massive home runs…and hit walk-off home runs on back-to-back nights. He’s got a tremendous amount of talent. With Rasmus in St. Louis, I think Wallace is the top prospect in the system.

That said, he had holes in his game during the time I watched him. I thought the promotion to Memphis was too soon, but Freese’s injury forced it. That’s a moot point.

His defense remains an issue. And his swing had flaws when Texas League pitchers threw around him. If he couldn’t pull the ball, he wasn’t as effective. Pitchers threw him outside or wayyyy inside, and, based on what I saw, he hadn’t figured out how to get around that.

A few days before the promotion, Wallace apparently found problems with his swing. And he’s fixed them. The numbers in Memphis show that. But he’s not ready for St. Louis. He needs to struggle. He needs to go through slumps. And he needs to learn from them. Slumps happen to everyone, even Pujols. It’s better for him to go through them in the minors where the pressure (and money) aren’t as big. If he found the flaw in his swing and corrected it, then I’ll give him props for that. It’s a sign of maturity and shows that he’s closer to St. Louis than I thought.

There’s also the money aspect. I think the club would like to keep him off of the 40-man roster this year and give him the chance to compete for the starting 3B job in spring training.

Wallace is an extremely hard worker. He spent a lot of time with Derrick May and others working on his swing. And he’s put in time working on his glove and range, too. Because of his body type, he might not ever become an average MLB defender. If that’s the case, it won’t be because of a lack of effort. I just think he needs a full season in the minors before he’s in the discussion to replace Troy Glaus.

There are some pretty impressive offensive numbers we’re seeing from some of the S-Cards. Since you get to see the team play more than any of us probably do, how much of this would you say is Hammons Field/Texas League-inflated and how much of this would you say is the real deal?

It’s a little of both. When Curt Smith hit his first home run here the other day, he only got one arm on it. But, with the wind blowing out of Hammons Field, it carried over the left-field wall. “Welcome to Springfield,” Steven Hill told Smith after the game.

But this lineup definitely has some pop. Hill, Smith, Henley, Jones and Descalso have powerful bats, as does a healthy Mark Hamilton. Tyler Herron told me this spring that he knows the team’s offense will be there. If its pitching is solid, there’s no reason to think they can’t compete for the Texas League title. I agree.

What have you seen from the Cards’ supplemental first rounder Lance Lynn so far? What do you feel his upside is?

Unfortunately, I haven’t seen very much. He’s only pitched one game at home, so I’ve only seen that plus a few bullpen sessions. His fastball is solid (up to 93), and his curve is better than I heard. Didn’t see enough of the change or slider to give a scouting report.

One thing I did see: composure. The defense collapsed around him when Hamilton didn’t charge a grounder and Pete Kozma made an error. Lynn kept his cool and pitched 6.2 solid (but unspectacular) innings. Plus he’s a fellow Indiana boy. Nice to have another native Hoosier around.

Best-case scenario: No. 3 starter. Worse-case scenario: A bulldog in the bullpen, capable of spot starts.

Daryl Jones has been viewed with some skepticism because of his previous struggles, but it seems to me he’s now doing it two years running. Give me some of your impressions of Jones.

Last year definitely wasn’t a fluke. His bat is definitely there, although the power is down from last season. He said that’s because he’s shortened his swing, which means fewer strikeouts but also fewer home runs. That’ll help him as he continues to move through the system. His glove is fine, and I do think he has a below-average LF arm.

He’s a little flashy with a great personality. One of the best guys in the clubhouse to talk to and a pretty hard worker who puts in the swings he needs to. The front office is very high on him, and I expect him to be in Memphis after the All-Star break, if not before.

The biggest question from scouts is about his speed. Most scouts I’ve talked to have him at average or below-average speed from home to first. That’s a major problem for a guy with a game built around his wheels. He can turn his speed off and on. I saw him sneak into home Monday with a great heads-up play, so I know he has wheels. It’s just a matter of using them — and the rest of his tools — all the time. But consistency is the biggest thing most guys need to work on in the minors, so let’s put that in proper context.

Trey Hearne was the Viva El Birdos approved sleeper prospect a few years back, and is back putting up some strong numbers in AA. What’s been the key to his success?

Throwing strikes, plain and simple, as he’s told me repeatedly. He locates his fastball well, and he’s got a plus curveball. One scout told me that’s been the biggest reason for his success — not a lot of hitters at this level can hit really good curveballs. And he has a really good curveball.

A better sign — he’s put his team in a position to win even when he doesn’t have his best stuff. See, Sunday: 6 IP, 4 H, 4 BB 2 ER and only 2 K. He didn’t look great, but he left with the team was in a position to win. It helps that Hearne doesn’t get flustered and doesn’t sweat the small stuff. He’s a very laid back guy, which helps him on the mound.

I didn’t see Hearne’s breakout coming. I thought that when Mura came back from the DL, Hearne would go from the rotation back to the pen. But the way Hearne is pitching, I think it’s more likely for him to earn a promotion to Memphis than a trip back to the bullpen.

Mark Hamilton looked poised for a break out and before hitting the DL. What’s his status?

He’s on the DL, obviously, after pulling a muscle running out a grounder Friday. Which means I regularly get to ask the most awkward question in all of sports journalism: So, how’s the groin?

Hamilton said he’s felt better each of the last few days and will be back in about a week. The rest also gives him time to heal a foot injury that’s been nagging since spring training.

I think he’s figured out Double-A pitching. He was great in his first game here after extended spring training (2 for 5 with two doubles) and hasn’t slowed down (7 home runs and a .333 average in May). When he comes back, he’ll be fine and continue to hit well until he gets a chance to move up.

I’m going to go all James Lipton on you (hopefully sans the freakiness) and just say a name, and you give me what pops into your head.

Daniel Descalso. Scrappy. Hard worker, blue-collar ball player with a plus glove and a much-improved bat. Some scouts wonder if he can be an everyday second baseman in the majors…and I think he can.

Steven Hill. Chicken-fried. Hill is one of the many Texans in the clubhouse, and he looks and acts just like you’d picture someone from Stephen F. Austin State. His walk-up song is “Chicken Fried” by Zac Brown — a stark contrast to the rap that guys like Rapoport and Descalso prefer. As far as his game? Good bat (although he’s been struggling over the last week or so, hitting .178) with plenty of pop. He’s got work to do behind the plate, but he’s making progress.

Tony Cruz. Steven Hill’s alter ego. Lame, I know. They entered the year with similar enough scouting reports: good bats trying to find a position. Now they’re opposites. Hill’s bat is definitely there (overlooking this mini-slump), but the glove needs work. One scout told me Cruz has the defense to become a backup catcher, but his bat hasn’t been great this season.

Tyler Herron. Improved. He struggled here last year and, from what I’ve heard, wasn’t impressive in spring training (I didn’t get to see him pitch much when I was in Jupiter, Fla.). Now he’s looking like a first-round pick with four ER in his last four starts. Average to slightly above average fastball and a plus curveball.

Kenny Maiques. Oy. One scout used the dread four-letter word — wild — when he saw Kenny up here. He struggled, to say the least. I saw him face two batters one game, throw eight consecutive balls — including a pitch-out that sailed into the backstop. Obviously he’s going through a tough time right now with his drug suspension, and I wish him the best.

Curt Smith. Hitter. Dude can hit, plain and simple. Lightning-quick bat with some power. Fielding needs to improve, but his bat can play. Plus, the major leagues need more Curacao natives who became 39th-round draft picks out of Maine and speak four languages. Right?

Tyler Henley. Football player. He looks, acts and talks like a running back from a big high school in Dallas, and that’s the mentality he brings to the ballpark. I’ll add another thought: Underrated. He’s hitting a very quiet .333. But after his grand slam and a 3-for-4 game this homestand, he’s not under the radar anymore.

Francisco Samuel. Good Sammy/Bad Sammy. One game, he’s lights-out. 100-mph fastball. SICK 90-mph slider. Unhittable.

The next? He’s all over the place with no command whatsoever. And, dare I say, that four-letter word. Wild.

I will say this about Sammy: I think he’s the best prospect in Springfield. One scout said he could be a major-league All-Star closer. Others willingly and easily project him as an MLB closer. I’ve heard that one scout said he’d take Sammy on his major-league club by the end of the year. If he gets his fastball command down, he’s got the stuff to be a star. And I think between guys like Dyar Miller and (eventually) Duncan, he’ll iron those problems out.

Eddie Degerman. Catapult. Or someone throwing a grenade. Or someone giving someone a pie in the face. Take your pick. But he’s looked better in his last few appearances, regardless of what you think about his motion.

Jeff Luhnow. Northwestern Wildcats. Bet you didn’t see that one coming. Luhnow got his MBA at Northwestern — my alma mater. Regardless of how you feel about his number crunching, draft picks and willingness to take players like Degerman and Joe Williams whom others wouldn’t touch, the guy’s brilliant. I don’t think anyone will argue that.

Ron Warner. Competitor. Winning is something that gets overlooked a lot in the minors, where developing prospects is (understandably) the goal. Pop is a good teacher and can help young guys along the way…but deep down he’s a competitor who hates to lose.

Can you tell me why Pete Kozma is in AA?

I can try. This organization believes in promoting top prospects aggressively, and the front office thinks Kozma is a top prospect. The Cardinals have already invested a lot in him ($1.395 million signing bonus), and they want to see what kind of return they’re going to get on their investment. That means moving him up and letting him struggle, if that’s what happens.

Kozma’s numbers haven’t been great, but he’s not a lost cause, like some fans seem to think. He’s made some sensational plays in the field, and he’s got a good arm — once he settles down, takes a breath, sets his feet and fires. When he rushes his throws and tries to force things, he has problems. He said that was his biggest problem in the field in Palm Beach, and it’s been an issue here in Springfield, too. His bat is OK, but he hasn’t always been able to find holes in the field so far. It’s a long season, so that’ll balance out. There’s also the age factor: Koz just turned 21 and is in Double-A.

Kozma is certainly taking his lumps (.214 average, 7 errors). But he’s struggled in the past, too. He hit .130 in Palm Beach last year, worked in the off-season and boosted his average to .315 there to start this season. Who’s to say he can’t do the same in Springfield this year?

Players will struggle, either in the course of a long season or in a long career. That goes for first-round picks and for undrafted guys, for All-Stars and for players who won’t make it out of A-ball. The key is to see how they react when that happens. Do they try to force things (as Kozma said he’s done in the past)? Do they try to fix things that aren’t broken? Do they learn from their mistakes?

I expect him to spend the full year in Springfield with the expectation that he’ll be in Memphis at the start of next year (or shortly thereafter). It’s fine for him to make mistakes now. As Pop Warner said recently, you’ve got to make mistakes in order to get better. If he’s making these same mistakes in two months, then it’s time for Cardinals fans to worry. But not yet.

Any passing thoughts on the Joe Williams experiment?

I respect anyone who bar tends to pay the bills and refuses to give up on his/her dream. Extra props for anyone who gets a baseball contract just before they were supposed to ship out with the hopes of becoming a Navy Seal. Too bad he couldn’t cut it on the field. So it ends with this epitaph: It was fun while it lasted.

Shameless plug — make sure to check our Cardinals blog at the News-Leader and you can follow me on Twitter (MattBaker31). I’m always happy to hear from readers, and I answer questions as quickly (and honestly) as I can.

• Pete Kozma from Palm Beach to Springfield
• Donovan Solano from Springfield to Memphis
• Kyle Mura to the DL
• Trey Hearne from bullpen to rotation
• Marco Gonzalez demoted from Memphis to Springfield
• Fernando Salas off the DL(?)

I’ve been thinking about Pete Kozma controversy for a while lately, what with Bird Land’s Reader Top 30 ignoring him every week. I think AZ perfectly encapsulates how many fans feel about Kozma.

#16: Right where he should have been. Great start to the season earned him much acclaim in the blogosphere and much finger pointing at detractors. Things evened out by the end of the season to show that he’s a decent prospect but still not a great choice for a first round pick.

I’ve waffled back and forth on Kozma, but now I have to respectfully disagree.  It’s true, he started hot this season, fizzled, came back strong enough to earn a promotion to FSL, and there proceeded to lay a big, fat stinky egg over 94 plate appearances.

Allow me to cherry pick a little and throw out the aforementioned doorknob. What happened in Florida will stay in Florida, after all, it was the end of a long season. Let’s look at the bigger picture of his MWL season. If I butcher some numbers, then tell me so.

Kozma’s Peak Translated EqA was .269. The average EqA for a major league shortstop is .255. Michael Young (a player to whom Kozma has drawn a few comparisons) had .267 EqA, which is a down year for him. For his career, Young has a .273 EqA. Looking at another SS: Yunel Escobar, who many fans are clamoring that Mozeliak make a move for even at the expense of Ryan Ludwick, had a .271 EqA. Ryan Theriot, the scrappy lead-off hitter for the NL Central champs (that hurt to think, let alone type) posted a .263 EqA.

I’m not saying Peak Translations are the perfect prophet for every prospect and prospect wannabe, but the numbers are basically agreeing with Kozma’s scouting report, which is that he is nothing flashy, but above average in about every category other than power.

Let’s look at another metric. I don’t pretend to completely understand wOBA or EqA, but I think I get their drift from what I’ve read about them. Anywho, Kozma’s wOBA+ was 109; BA’s Top Midwest League prospect Mike Moustakas was 110. I’m not trying to say something outrageous like Moustakas is just a teeny bit better than Kozma, but I am saying Kozma was the best everyday shortstop in a pitcher’s league just a year removed from high school, and had a lot better of a season than most people give him credit for.

Looking in hindsight, is there someone else in the 2007 draft the Cards should have rather drafted? I’m not sure you can make a airtight argument for any player. Rick Porcello? Of course, but we all know the Cardinals will never pay a high school pitcher that kind of money, and a little more than twenty teams passed on him for the same reason. Ben Revere had a monster season (wOBA+ 129), but his selection was picked on by the pundits far more so than Kozma’s. J.P. Arencibia hit very well, but he’s a 1B or a DH in the making, not a catcher.

Back then, I personally wanted Todd Frazier and Brett Cecil. Frazier did his best shortstop impression last year, but no one believes he’ll stay there and there’s already talk the Reds will be moving him to right field. We really don’t need yet another corner OF. Brett Cecil is someone that was linked to the Cardinals and they could have picked over Mortensen, and now passing him twice over is looking like a big mistake. A college reliever converted to the rotation, he gets gobs of grounders and a goodly amount of K’s. He looks like a solid #3 or possibly a closer. Oh, and he’s left-handed and he finished in AAA to end the season. I think he’d be the best argument against Kozma, but they could have had both!

The bottom line is good middle infield prospects are hard to find. Kozma may do anything exceptional, but does a lot of things quite well, and maybe that’s why he gets overlooked. A merely good SS is a very good #1 pick in a draft like 2007′s, and Kozma did more than just hold his own in his first full professional season. Just think about the Cardinal’s present day needs: the best free agent shortstops available are declining and overpriced, and names we hear most often in trade rumors are Julio Lugo and Jack Wilson. Bleh. It’ll be nice to have a cost-controlled SS for a change.

Sneak preview of my top prospects, and this is subject to change and your arguments will be taken into consideration, but—

1. Rasmus
2. Wallace
3. Perez
4. Anderson
5. Jones
6. Kozma

I suppose when I boil it all down, give me the above average SS over some of the iffy mid-rotation starters, set up relievers and averagish corner outfielders in our system. If Jaime Garcia were fully healthy, then I’d bump Koz down a notch.

Pete Kozma ranked a spot behind Justin Jackson, who also plays shortstop and was the 45th pick overall in the same 2007 draft. Kozma had better numbers, but the scouts whom BA talked to took to Jackson’s overall tools. While scouts do like Kozma, he’s more of an acquired taste. In a nutshell, BA’s synopsis on Kozma is that he remains spectacularly unspectacular, but the tools that he does possess play so free and easy that he can and at times does play above them.

Their synopsis on Wallace is pretty much the same types of things we’ve been hearing: Great hitter, iffy range. Will hit well enough to make up for iffy range. I am tempted to debate that he belongs above Revere, but when you hit nearly .400 as a 19 year old for an entire season, it sort of takes away that argument.