Summer is officially heading out the door when the Arizona Fall League rumbles to life. Syracuse manager Marty Pevey has been rewarded for suffering through a brutal Skychiefs campaign with the reins of the Peoria Saguaros. Pevey should be considered a prospect himself: managerial stints in the AFL are often considered auditions for big-league positions. The AFL gets underway in the first week of October: for those of you who'll be in the 48th state this autumn, here's the Saguaros' home schedule. For those of you wondering what a saguaro is, we offer these tantalizing choices:
A) cigar
B) cactus
C) Padre Armand Saguaro, founder of a famed 19th-century Jesuit mission near present-day Peoria
D) scorpion
The AFL rosters have now been finalized, and as you'll see, the Jays have sent six players into the desert. Here's a brief rundown.
Jason Arnold: Running out of time to make an impact, Arnold suffered through an injury-plagued 2004 campaign that saw him pitch for three different Toronto farm teams; his strikeout rates have been unremarkable. His AFL stint will allow him to get more innings and show the team he really has made progress.
Adam Peterson: This trip to the AFL feels like a do-over for Peterson, who needs to forget most of his nightmarish outings in Toronto and Syracuse, and to gain better command of his powerful stuff. A strong performance here could move him into contention for a bullpen assignment at Skydome next year; a weak one might ticket him back to Double-A.
Francisco Rosario: Unlike Arnold and Peterson, Rosario is here to build on recent success, more than to put a bad year behind him. After struggling early in 2004, Rosario put it all together his last two months at New Hampshire, especially in the playoffs. Now he needs innings and experience in order to accelerate. It was in the AFL two years ago that Rosario tore up his arm.
Vito Chiaravalotti: Big Vito put up good but not great numbers at Dunedin, and some said a wrist injury and the heavy Florida heat were to blame. After batting just a dollar and change in August, Chiaravalotti needs to prove he's OK and to show off his raw slugging power. The Blue Jays could certainly use some good first-base options.
John Hattig: The swag in the Terry Adams deal, Hattig posted terrific on-base and slugging numbers at Double-A this season. This AFL stint could be a chance for Pevey to study the guy who likely will bat cleanup for the Skychiefs next season, and perhaps to check out his defence too. Did we mention that the Blue Jays could use first-base options?
Aaron Hill: The star attraction, Hill is among the organization's best prospects. He may be a little worn down at the end of his first full-season campaign, so don't be alarmed if his numbers in Peoria aren't great. But the Jays are in a hurry to see what Hill can deliver with the bat and the glove. Note this: Russ Adams made this trip last fall, and he was in Toronto by September.
Oh, yeah ... here's your saguaro. Think of it as a southwestern cuttlefish.
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