June 28, 2012

Future Shock Blog

Minor League Update: Games of June 27

by Kevin Goldstein

Printer-friendly

Contact Author

Yasel Puig, OF, Dodgers

With the July 2 deadline rapidly approaching, there was no time for a long, drawn out process, so just days after working out for clubs in Mexico, Puig has reportedly signed a $42 million, seven-year deal with the Dodgers, as first relayed by Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, who is becoming the go-to source for breaking Latin America signing stories. This has led to an understandable plethora of questions about Puig in my inbox and via Twitter, but there's still much we don't know about the 21-year-old Cuban.
His workout in Mexico was really just an extended batting practice, as he never ran and barely did anything in the outfield. His previous attempts to defect left him on the sidelines in last season's Serie National in Cuba, so overall, he just hasn't been seen that much. Puig has plus-plus raw power, but reviews on every other tool vary wildly for the 21-year-old. Some think he has speed, some think he's merely an average runner, and there are definite concerns about the stiffness of his swing and a history of swing-and-miss. No matter what exactly he is, talk of this as a desperation move to help a woeful Dodgers offense seems more than a bit foolhardy, and the Dodgers have to get him into the country first, and they'll be lucky to get six weeks of minor league time out of someone who has barely played the game in the past 12 months.

Others Of Note:

• Jeremy Baltz, OF, Padres (Short-season Eugene): 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB. Second round pick's best tool is hit bat; 9-for-20 in last four games and .375/.394/.469 in seven games.
• Barrett Barnes, OF, Pirates (Short-season State College): 4-for-5, 2 R, RBI, SB. Supplemental first-round pick has yet to show power; .303/.368/.303 in first nine pro games.
• Bobby Borchering, OF, Diamondbacks (High-A Visalia): 2-for-5, HR (15), R, 3 RBI, 3 K. Formal first-round pick is repeating level but unlocking power; 39 of 77 hits for extra bases and .270/.336/.516 overall.
• Jed Bradley, LHP, Brewers (High-A Brevard County): 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K. Best start since April; 4.68 ERA in 14 starts.
• Tony Cingrani, LHP, Reds (Double-A Pensacola): 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 15 K. Has struck out 38 in 29.1 Southern League innings and 109 in 86 overall; fastball and changeup are plus, but scouts wonder how far he'll get with below-average breaking ball.
• David Dahl, OF, Rockies (Short-season Grand Junction): 3-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, SB. First-round pick is 8-for-12 in last three games; .387/.441/.613 in first seven.
• Jedd Gyorko, 2B/3B, Padres (Triple-A Tucson): 3-for-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, K. 11-for-22 with 19 total bases in last five games and up to .337/.375/.581 overall.
• Austin Hedges, C, Padres (Low-A Fort Wayne): 3-for-4, HR (6), R, RBI, CS. Defense has been as good as advertised and offense has exceeded expectations; .273/.333/.455 in 51 games.
• Travis Jankowski, OF, Padres (Rookie-level AZL Padres): 2-for-6, R, 3 RBI. Pro debut for supplemental first-round pick; plus runner and defender.
• Marc Krauss, OF, Diamondbacks (Double-A Mobile): 3-for-5, HR (11), 3 R, RBI, BB. Size and game is like a poor man's Adam Dunn; .294/.419/.528 in 77 games.
• Ryan Lavarnway, C, Red Sox (Triple-A Pawtucket): 3-for-4, 2B, R. 19-for-35 (.543) during nine-game hitting streak and up to .320/.405/.489 overall; a big trade chip next month?
• Hak-Ju Lee, SS, Rays (Double-A Montgomery): 3-for-5, K, SB. 15-for-39 (.385) in last eight games to lift OPS 35 points; still at just .258/.323/.331 overall.
• Zach Lee, RHP, Dodgers (Double-A Chattanoogs): 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K. Double-A debut after dealing with groin issues in first half; upside hasn't changed despite lack of dominating performances.
• Manny Machado, SS, Orioles (Double-A Bowie): 2-for-4, HR (6), R, 2 RBI, K. Home runs in back-to-back games and up to .260/.341/.408 overall; could be primed for big second half.
• Shelby Miller, RHP, Cardinals (Triple-A Memphis): 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 K. First good start since mid-May; 5.70 ERA in 15 starts.
• Wil Myers, OF, Royals (Triple-A Omaha): 1-for-5, HR (12), R, 2 RBI, 2 K. Your new minor league home run leader with 25 overall; .309/.397/.638 at Triple-A.
• Kyle Parker, OF, Rockies (High-A Modesto): 2-for-5, HR (7), 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 K. Three home runs in last six games and 1020 OPS in 22 June games; .285/.402/.481 overall.
• Andre Rienzo, RHP, White Sox (Double-A Birmingham): 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K. 24-year-old Brazil native has plus fastball but secondary pitches still need work; one ER over 18.1 innings in three Southern League starts.
• George Springer, OF, Astros (High-A Lancaster): 2-for-4, HR (15), 2 R, RBI, BB. Numbers look good until you realize he's hitting .244/.311/.385 away from Lancaster.
• Matt Szczur, OF, Cubs (High-A Daytona): 3-for-6, 2B, HR (2), 2 R, 4 RBI. Could move to Double-A soon, as much because of age as performance; .280/.376/.401 in 54 games.
• Josh Vitters, 3B, Cubs (Triple-A Iowa): 2-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, RBI, BB. 18-for-38 in last ten games and up to .293/.344/.500 overall; suddenly a favorite for a September look.

Kevin Goldstein is an author of Baseball Prospectus. 
Click here to see Kevin's other articles. You can contact Kevin by clicking here