Tuesday
Mar032009
Ask Professor Parks: Open Thread
Jason Parks
Have a question about the Rangers' minor league system? Have a question about the prospects on the farm? Would you like to see a particular player interviewed while I am in Surprise? Would you like to know why The Beatles were the greatest band of all time? Post your questions in the comments section and I will answer them throughout the day. Anything goes.
A few quick notes:
● I was on Minor League Notebook Radio yesterday discussing the Rangers' farm system. Listen here.
● If you haven't read Joey's excellent look at Brandon McCarthy's disappearing curveball, I encourage you to do so. Lots of great info there.
● Special shout-out to my good friend Jamey Newberg, who is celebrating a birthday today.
Reader Comments (57)
Kasey Kiker: Is he going to be the minor league pitching surprise of 2009? Why or why not?
JDolla$: Possibly. He has the arsenal to have success in AA, but talent hasn't been Kiker's issue. Now that he is in shape and mentally prepared for the challenges ahead of him, I think he could have a good '09 season.
That said, I don't think Kiker will be the big pitching surprise in '09. I'm just not a big fan of diminutive pitchers with good, but not great stuff. It's a personal preference.
JP: Is Arias the surprise in ST so far? Also, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da should automatically disqualify The Beatles from any greatest band of all-time discussions.
Rob: Arias might be the biggest surprise so far. I haven't seen him make the throws yet, but I'm looking forward to it.
Every band produces questionable material at some point. While I'm certainly not a fan of Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, the production is still impressive. The songwriting is Paul being Paul. Maxwell's Silver Hammer is another one of Paul's little corny creations that I could do without.
Saltalamacchia is finally swatting the ball as advertised in ST. Do you see this as increased confidence from his winter ball plus being named starter, or just a lucky small sample size?
have you seen kevin millwood and b-mac yet? do they actually look considerably bulkier/thinner, or is that just something to get fans excited?
Texasdoc: Salty certainly appears to be finding his groove at the plate. Confidence is always a factor in baseball, so his status with the team and his winter league performance are factors in that. If Salty continues to rake I think his value will be at an all-time high and could result in a blockbuster March trade. Did someone say Hughes for Salty? Would ya?
Levi: I'm leaving for Surprise in the morning. I will make sure to get good pics of both players.
What do you think of Brennan Garr? Will he make it to Arlington this year?
Salty for Hughes? In a word- yes.
Does Arias have improved arm strength this spring? In reading box scores he is spending time at short and I read that he made a strong throw from the 5-6 hole in a recent game.
Kinslerhomer: I like Garr. His command needs to improve, but he misses bats. I think he spends most of the year in OKC with a chance to reach Arlington if injuries hit the pen. He has the stuff to pitch in the 7th/8th inning at the next level, but he needs to refine a bit more to have continued success.
Texasdoc: Several reports indicate that Arias does in fact have more arm strength this spring, but I'm still skeptical. I'm leaving for Surprise in the morning, so I will get to see this returned strength up-close.
Which players do you want to see in the minor league camp and when does it start?
Glad to hear we will have a professor observing soon.
Does Andruw Jones continue to struggle and get cut at the end of the month or does he hit enough to impress and make the team?
Rob: I believe minor league camp starts on March 9th. The players I'm looking forward to seeing are Fabio Castillo, Wilmer Font, Wilfredo Boscan, Miguel De Los Santos, Martin Perez, and Kennil Gomez. I guess I have a thing for LA arms.
Texasdoc: If Byrd and Murphy are 100%, I think Jones has to impress to make the team. Personally, I think Jones starts to heat up and flashes enough to make the team.
Wilfredo Boscan - what could his ceiling ultimately be? I like what I see with the stats, but I don't know a ton about him and couldn't get to it yesterday in the show because we ran out of time.
Doug. First of all, thanks again for having me on your show. I think Boscan's ultimate ceiling is a middle of the rotation starter similar to Jair Jurrjens. He has really impressive command for a young pitcher and his stuff should continue to tick up as he matures.
thanks the pics of mill and b-mac would be great!
do you think it would be best for the team to just release cat and pay that money for nothing or keep him on the roster?
Levi: Good question. According to Cot's, the Rangers owe Cat $4 million for '09 and hold a $5 million club option for '10 with a $2 million buyout. The financials involved make it difficult for the Rangers to justify eating that much salary. At this point, I think he is going to be on the 25 man roster for '09.
The Rays talked about having a canopy over the proposed ballpark in St Pete, which would cover the fans. What would you say to the Rangers using a series of "arches" over TBIA which would allow canopy's to shield the fans and reduce the wind? The "arches" idea to have something in contrast to the Cowboys new stadium.
Would you like to see a particular player interviewed while I am in Surprise? I'd like a Julio Borbon interview.
What would Marcus Lemon have to OPS as the youngest player on his Frisco team this year to start getting mentioned as an actual honest to god prospect by someone other than me and maybe his parents? .750? .800? 1.025?
Frank: I'm for anything that adds to the overall comfort of the fans in attendance as long as it doesn't have a negative affect on the play on the field. I'm not really sure about "Arches", though.
TBIA is I think one of the best ballparks. The enhancements made with the displays will increase the fan experience. Something unique architecturally would enhance the marketability of the team and the stadium. There is no doubt that in 15 years "stadium experience" has dramatically changed with enhancements to the stadiums.
DIrk: A high OPS would certainly go a long way towards legitimizing Lemon as a prospect, but I think the problem is that most scouts/prospect writers, etc. don't see the tools necessary to categorize Lemon as a legit prospect. Numbers are nice, but the 'how' behind the numbers is just as important.
If Lemon can produce at a high level at AA he will get more prospect recognition.
So if Cat takes up a roster spot for '09, who does that leave out, especially if Jones makes the team? Boggs? Byrd? If MaxRam is the starting catcher at AAA, do we keep Melhuse?
Any idea on realistic first round draft targets for the Rangers at this point? I know it's early, but...
Also, is there another AL team that will allow more runs than the Rangers this season? Maybe Baltimore?
What does lefty Joe Torres throw? Is he a legimate ML bullpen candidate?
Beattles are a great band, but who would you consider the greatest rock and roll band ever?
Do you have any breakout candidates from around the league? Any other organization's prospects that you have observed and feel that they are a little under the radar right now?
Texrollie: If Jones and Cat both make the team Marlon Byrd could be the odd man out. Boggs will start in AAA and Melhuse could end up being released.
Tricer
The Eagles
Hey JP: What do you think of Josh Geer on the Padres? He's only 25 and seems like a pretty good pitcher and he's from Dallas. Would there be any chance of a trade with them?
Todd:
1. It's a little too early for me to speculate on draft targets.
2. I think Baltimore will allow the most runs in the AL in '09.
3. Torres has good stuff, but his command is erratic at best. I think he has a chance to make this team, but I'm not so sure how effective he can be over the course of a season.
4. In my opinion, the greatest rock 'n' roll band of all-time is Led Zeppelin.
5. Let me think about some potential breakout guys. I'll post some candidates in a few hours.
What do you expect from Blake Beavan this year? Can he end the year in Frisco?
Where does Justin Smoak start the year?
Section 339: Geer is a decent arm, but he has a limited projection and doesn't miss enough bats. I think he is a back of the rotation arm if he stays healthy. I think Texas has plenty of starting pitchers with that ceiling, so I think a trade for Geer would be highly unlikely.
Peachygc_1: I think Beavan will have a solid, but not spectacular season in Bakersfield (tough environment for pitchers) and will end the season on the Frisco roster.
I think Smoak will start the season for AA Frisco. Some people think Bakersfield is the likely destination. We will find out very soon.
Texrollie: You consider the Eagles to be a rock n roll band? Where's the rebellion in their music? Where's the danger? :)
How old is Newberg today?
Since it is a slow news day and there is no game, do you take off-the-wall, hypothetical questions?
I would advocate a savings account so that the Rangers can trade for a young stud pitcher after the 2009 season. Let's say the target is John Danks, who will be arbitration eligible after the 2009 season.
If I were to put two prospects per half-season and $2M per month in a savings account (to go along with the $10M when Padilla departs after the season), which four prospects should I set aside for Danks?
Rooster: Interesting question. I think it would take a few high end prospects to land Danks in a trade. How about Beltre, Boscan, M. Ramirez, and C. Young?
Have you interviewed Thomas Diamond before, Jason? I'd like to hear from him about the curveball/slider switch, and of course what you think of both his and McCarthy's new sliders.
Re: what you mentioned about Salty's strong spring possibly leading to a trade above: yeah, I think anyone around here would do Salty for Hughes in a heartbeat (that's pretty much the equivalent to Salty for Buchholz, IMO)... but do you really think the Rangers would trade him if he continues his strong start to the spring? I would think it would only make Max Ramirez more likely to be dealt, myself.
Oh, and one more thing: the Eagles rule.
Jon: I have not interviewed DIamond for BBTiA, but I have spoken with him several times. I'll definitely catch up with him in Surprise.
This is just my opinion, but I think the Rangers would jump all over a Salty/Hughes trade. Teagarden could take over as the starter and Hughes could go to either AAA or to the major league rotation. Max Ramirez just doesn't have tremendous value right now.
The Eagles might rule (I don't believe so), but they aren't rock 'n' roll. Bands that sing about peaceful easy feelings on a regular basis aren't what I consider to be rock 'n' roll. Semantics I guess.
Professor: Does The Who pass your "rebellious and dangerous" litmus test?
RangerMad: Big time!!!. I absolutely love The Who. One the best bands in the history of music.
Jason that was god stuff on the MLNR (not to be confused with NMLR?)
Enjoyed that.
Jason, that trade package for Danks is not going to get it done unless you mean Adrian Beltre is acquired and flipped. If the Chi Sox are going to trade a rotation cog like Danks they need at least one solid major leaguer in return. Danks is young, cheap and good and a few prospects will not even get your call returned.