Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - 2011 Minor League Players

2011 Minor League Players - Corner Infielders

Yesterday we looked at catchers, a position of strength for the Jays system. Today it is corner infielders where, other than Brett Lawrie, most of the players are well down the prospect lists.

Toronto

The Adam Lind experiment continues at the big league level and there will be some mix and match with Edwin Encarnacion. There is no plan B, one of these guys should work out.

It looks like Jose Bautista will man the hot corner to start the season. Bautista's talents are probably better used in right field but he is a team guy and will play third on request. EE or Johnny Mc could get some starts here too.

Las Vegas

David Cooper has spent two seasons in AA so it's time for the Jays to figure out if he can handle AAA. Cooper's hitting numbers for 2010 look weak but he did improve in the second half of the year. Also his contact rate was quite good so you could argue that he was very unlucky with his hitting in 2010. With Brian Dopirak gone Cooper or Jason Lane are the options for first base in Vegas but I think Cooper will get the starts in April at least.

Brett Lawrie is making the conversion to third base, his second move as a professional. Initially he switched from catcher to second base and now the Jays are moving him to third. Some scouts see Lawrie as a right fielder so it remains to be seen how well this move works. The other challenge is that Lawrie has the reputation of a guy who only cares about hitting. Hopefully he realizes he needs a position to play in the majors and that, along with Brian Butterfield's tutelage, will convince him to put in the effort on the defensive end. It could be argued that Lawrie should go back to AA but I don't see the Jays doing that with a player they just acquired in a big trade.

New Hampshire

Mike McDade's hitting improved in 2010 and he followed that up with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League. McDade hit 21 home runs for Dunedin in the FSL at age 20/21, an impressive feat. McDade is a big guy, he is listed at 260 lbs, and unusually for a first baseman he is a switch hitter. McDade will begin the season at age 21 and turn 22 in May, that is young for AA. If McDade can continue to develop he will become a legitimate option for the Blue Jays. Interestingly McDade has played well when challenged, he had some big hits for the Blue Jays in last years spring training and hit well in the fall league. Hopefully he will hit well when challenged by AA.

Who handles third base in New Hampshire is one of the mysteries of spring. Scott Campbell, Jon Tolisano, Marc Sobolewski and Kevin Ahrens are all options. Campbell is coming back from almost two seasons of injuries and no-one knows what kind of player he will be when he gets back on the field. Is Tolisano a third baseman? That is the position he played the most in his injury shortened 2010. When he wasn't injured Tolisano played reasonably well, he hit over .250 and showed a little power. He has played 167 games in Dunedin over two seasons so this move is not too quick based on experience and age. It might be too quick based on his performance to date. But a strong spring training could get him a spot in AA. If the Jays see Tolisano as a third baseman they might have to push him to AA based on the logjam behind him.

Sobolewski and Ahrens are long shots to make the AA squad. Both have some experience in advanced A ball but you could claim that Sobolewski doesn't have enough experience to move up, he played a half season in Dunedin and his numbers are almost the same as Tolisano's. Ahrens hasn't "earned" the promotion but his hitting was a lot better in 2010 once he abandoned switch hitting. I doubt Ahrens would be top of the list unless he too had a huge spring.

Dunedin

First base in Dunedin is another uncertain position. Jon Talley will play more first base in 2011 and he could see playing time there. But as we saw yesterday Sean Ochinko is a hitter in need of a position. With AJ Jimenez getting the majority of the catching starts and with Sobolewski and Ahrens both claiming third, Ochinko is confined to first base or DH. Balbino Fuenmayor played first in Lansing in 2010 but he didn't do enough to move up unless the Jays want to challenge him.

Marc Sobolewski and Kevin Ahrens will compete for this job. I would put Ahrens as a slight favourite due to his draft position and his potential now that he is a right handed hitter exclusively. Plus there was some suggestion last season that Ahrens might have taken things for granted until he struggled last season.

Lansing

KC Hobson was promoted to Lansing for the last few weeks of the 2010 season. That is a sign that he will be headed back that way in 2011. Hobson looks to have moved ahead of Lance Durham on the depth chart.

Matt Nuzzo is the likely third baseman, a promotion from Auburn. The other third basemen behind Nuzzo are younger high school guys. Andy Fermin is another option but his lack of size and power makes him more suited for second base.

GCL

Yudelmis Hernandez and Art Charles handled first last season in Auburn and in the GCL. They will likely continue in those roles in extended spring.

Kellen Sweeney and Chris Hawkins likewise were the primary third basemen in the GCL to end the season. They will take the jobs in extended spring. Sweeney was described as an advanced hitter when he signed so there is a small chance he could go to Lansing. The Jays tried that several years ago with Ahrens, Jackson, etc and it was a long season for those guys. I would expect Sweeney to stay in Florida for a month at least.

Tomorrow Dave Rutt checks in on the middle infielders.

Posted by Gerry on Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 07:00 AM EST.

2011 Minor League Players - Corner Infielders | 30 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

85bluejay - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 09:01 AM EST (#230041) #

As a guy without any defensive value, I don't see a blue jays future for Cooper - hopefully he rakes this year and AA can flip him.

McDade,Tolisano and Ahrens are interesting nonprospects IMO who could give the farm system a nice boost with breakout performances in areas of need.

Mike Green - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 09:12 AM EST (#230042) #

uglyone - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 10:21 AM EST (#230047) #

Clearly the weakest part of the system, IMO.

Wouldn't be surprised to see some of our great catching depth ending up on the corners as a result.

Mike Green - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 10:48 AM EST (#230048) #

I don't know. At shortstop, there is not much between Hechevarria and Thon, and Adeiny is far from a sure thing at this point. It's a lot easier to move a player to a corner IF position than to find a shortstop. And I think that I'd rather have Lawrie, Ahrens, Tolisano, Sweeney than Hechevarria, Thon.

cybercavalier - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 01:52 PM EST (#230051) #

Agree with M. Green on the ease of converting to corner IF than finding a shortstop. I have been toying mentally with converting one of the corner IF prospect into a shortstop, especially after Pastornicky went to the Braves' organization. Are there some common understanding that the organization can challenge a prospect to switch to a defensive challenged position (3B to SS) if his hitting is good enough? Other than Hech, Mayorson and Jonathan Diaz at AA, maybe toying with Tolisano at SS is not a bad idea while he is only 22.

Still I am looking for tomorrow's updates on middle infielders to answer my own questions. Anyhow, nice report, Gerry.

Mick Doherty - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 04:17 PM EST (#230056) #

There is a really fine hotcornerman on the market right now in North Texas. Former Jay property, even.

Reports are the Rangers want a versatille utinity infielder and a top prospect, and ould pick up close to half of the year's contract requirements (something like seven of 14M.). Come home, MY?

MatO - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 04:17 PM EST (#230057) #

Tolisano doesn't have a good defensive reputation which basically guarantees he can't play SS.

Mike Green - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 04:23 PM EST (#230058) #

Come home, MY?

Tom Wolfe had that one right, and if Canada Immigration won't stand on guard for us, I am sure that the fans can come up with an appropriate greeting for him at the airport...

As for Tolisano, it wouldn't surprise me if he ends up as a utility player or even an outfielder if his bat comes on as it might. With the departure of Wells and the possible departure of Bautista, there may be a medium-term opening for a corner outfielder.

MatO - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 04:30 PM EST (#230059) #

Reports are the Rangers want a versatille utinity infielder and a top prospect, and ould pick up close to half of the year's contract requirements (something like seven of 14M.). Come home, MY?

Great! Except for the part about the top prospect and years 2 and 3 of his contract.

Glevin - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 04:54 PM EST (#230060) #

"Reports are the Rangers want a versatille utinity infielder and a top prospect, and ould pick up close to half of the year's contract requirements (something like seven of 14M.). Come home, MY?

Great! Except for the part about the top prospect and years 2 and 3 of his contract."

And the fact that he's declining, has always been overrated, and has been playing his career in the hitter's haven that is Texas. Last year, his OPS was on the road was .679. He'd be a fine backup IFer, but only if Texas would pay about $40 million of his salary.

Thomas - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 06:19 PM EST (#230061) #

Young....has been playing his career in the hitter's haven that is Texas. Last year, his OPS was on the road was .679.

The home/road split for most players can be misleading, as many players hit better at home than on the road, for a variety of reasons. Huge discrepancies should be noted and the fact Young plays in Texas should not be ignored, but I'd bet Young will hit surpass .679 easily enough next year.

That being said, Young's OPS+ for the last 5 years (from earliest to most recent) have been 108, 106, 95, 128 and 105. He's a below average defensive infielder who I wouldn't want to see at SS except in an emergency. Also, clearly the money and length of his contract is another huge negative mark. As so many other posters have said, Young would be a terrible idea.

Mick, if that is the profile of a player you describe as "really fine," I'm curious what superlatives you would use for Josh Hamilton.

Lugnut Fan - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 07:16 PM EST (#230062) #

I also can't see an experiment with Tolisano at short and seeing that work. I think his future will be in the outfield ultimately. His feet aren't good enough to play middle infield in my opinion. I like everyone else am interested in seeing how the Tolisano, Ahrens, Sobolewski, Ochinko log jam plays out.

As far as MY, my understanding is that he told the Rangers to trade him, but at the moment he is willing to only go to eight teams. Cardinals, Twins, Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Yankees, Astros and Rockies are currently the only teams he will accept a trade too from reports, but I think you will see that open up as you get closer to the season.

cybercavalier - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 08:13 PM EST (#230063) #

As for MY, I don't see him coming to T.O., despite Jays fans' affection towards him. But, if he was indeed traded, I believe the Jays could get their feet wet, just like getting Anthony Gose with Brett Wallace.

TamRa - Tuesday, February 08 2011 @ 08:55 PM EST (#230064) #

too me, the relative age is a factor. Even though Sobo has less Hi-A experience than Tolisano and Ahrens, he's also about 2 and a half years older.

i definately think that Ahrens (or Tolisano) CAB leverage ST to change the dynamic but on paper, Sobo needs to be ahead of them in the system, plus being a "lesser" prospect, if one of them is going to be tried then brushed aside for another, it's probably Sobo.

He can be, if nothing else, a placeholder until things warm up and Ahrens develops some momentum.

I also wonder if Durham, even though a lesser prospect than Hobson, might be skipped over him (given that he's also 2.5 years older than Hobson) and tried at Dunedin. it's either that or write him off completely because a 23 year old has no business in short season ball. When you have Ochinko and Talley also on the roster for alternative you might as well give it a try.

cybercavalier - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 09:21 AM EST (#230067) #

Talking about placeholder, I think more time and patience could be had with a prospect with one more low level minor league team (Bluefield) than keep signing more youngsters and writing most of them off quickly.

Anders - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 09:49 AM EST (#230068) #

I don't agree that McDade, Tolisano and Ahrens are non-prospects. Ahrens appeared to me to be a capable defensive third baseman. He'll probably start 2011 in Dunedin, but I am hoping that his step-forward with the bat was for real and that he is in New Hampshire by June. McDade is actually an exciting prospect, in my view. We will have to see if he can consolidate the strike-zone gains he made in the AFL.

Well I can't say I have much faith in Ahrens. In over 1500 minor league PA he is hitting 240/310/350... not particularly inspiring. He turns 22 in April, so he's still got time to turn it around, but he's also got 120 PA above A ball. He's a propsect in the technical sense of the term, but there are probably 35 guys one would consider a better prospect. Tolisano is in roughly the same boat but six months older. McDade I don't think anyone was saying is a non-prospect, but he's huge, doesn't walk and strikes out a ton, so I wouldn't go too nuts.

Matthew E - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 10:34 AM EST (#230071) #

For some reason I had had the idea that Adonis Cardona was a third baseman. I wonder why I had thought that.

MatO - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 11:16 AM EST (#230075) #

For some reason I had had the idea that Adonis Cardona was a third baseman. I wonder why I had thought that.

Maybe you confused him with Gabriel Cenas, another high profile Venezuelan signing at the same time Cardona signed. He was listed as a third baseman.

Matthew E - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 01:50 PM EST (#230083) #

That must have been it, thanks. What's going on with Cenas, then?

MatO - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 01:58 PM EST (#230084) #

Cenas will be 16-17 so either the DSL or GCL I would guess.

Mike Green - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 03:13 PM EST (#230087) #

Well I can't say I have much faith in Ahrens. In over 1500 minor league PA he is hitting 240/310/350... not particularly inspiring. He turns 22 in April, so he's still got time to turn it around, but he's also got 120 PA above A ball. He's a propsect in the technical sense of the term, but there are probably 35 guys one would consider a better prospect. Tolisano is in roughly the same boat but six months older. McDade I don't think anyone was saying is a non-prospect, but he's huge, doesn't walk and strikes out a ton, so I wouldn't go too nuts.

Ahrens had a nice looking swing from the right and a very awkward one from the left, when he was drafted. He was only converted away from switch-hitting in the middle of 2010. Personally, I think that he's got a better shot than another disappointing first round pick, David Cooper (although I preferred Cooper to Ahrens when each was drafted).

Obviously, what McDade did in the FSL will not lead him to a major league job. The question is whether his AFL performance portends better strike zone control in 2011.

Thomas - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 03:30 PM EST (#230088) #

The Jays have reported signed former Royal Ryan Shealy to a minor league contract. You can add him to the 1B/DH mix at Las Vegas and he'll form possible insurance at 1B should Lind (and/or Encarnacion) go down with an injury.

ayjackson - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 03:40 PM EST (#230090) #

Tolisano is only four months older than d'Arnaud and neither have hit above short season ball. Tolisano was rushed a bit more. Both have had struggles with injury.

Defence alone shouldn't account for the great divide in prospect status. Obviously it's a scouting issue too, but I can't help to think that one of them is overrated and one is underrated.

MatO - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 03:58 PM EST (#230091) #

d'Arnaud was tearing it up to start the season last year in Dunedin. He then went on the DL with a back problem and when he returned he didn't hit and eventually went on the DL for good and had back surgery. The assumption is that the real d'Arnaud was the early season one and that the back issues are not chronic. Tolisano was having a nice age 20 season in Dunedin in 2009 through June, went on the DL in July and did not hit at all when he came back in August. Last season he was on and off the DL. I'm a bigger fan than most of Tolisano but he needs to stay healthy which may be a skill in itself.

Mike Green - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 04:12 PM EST (#230092) #

An assumption that a post-surgical back is not chronic? For a catcher? That is optimistic.

Joe Mauer, for instance, had back surgery after 2008 and had an MVP season in 2009, but his back required ongoing maintenance in 2010 (which may or may not have affected his performance).

MatO - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 04:24 PM EST (#230095) #

The assumption must be that it's not chronic or why would he end so high on everyone's prospect lists? I don't necessarily share in the optimism myself, I'm just assuming the prospect rankers are optimists.

Gerry - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 04:39 PM EST (#230098) #

I don't believe d'Arnaud had surgery. He worked on a rehab and core program to strengthen his back and hopefully avoid future injury.

MatO - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 04:52 PM EST (#230100) #

Sorry about that. Then I'm more optimistic!

Mike Green - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 04:54 PM EST (#230101) #

Project Prospect says that d'Arnaud had surgery for a herniated disc in August. That is pretty specific, but it might be wrong.

earlweaverfan - Wednesday, February 09 2011 @ 05:28 PM EST (#230104) #

As a guy without any defensive value, I don't see a blue jays future

Don't sweat it, 85bluejay, people speak very highly of your offensive value...

But seriously, McDade is someone who could surprise us all. Another big step up this year for him, and a less than stellar year for Lind (and of course, Cooper), and McDade could be the leading 1B option for 2012. Unless, of course, he has to fight with Pujols for a roster spot... (we can dream, can't we?)

2011 Minor League Players - Corner Infielders | 30 comments | Create New Account

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