March 25, 2014

Minor League Update

Spring Training Games of March 24

by Jeff Moore

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• David Hale, RHP, Braves: 5 1/3 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 K. Allowing 12 hits in a spring training game has to be close to a record. Pitchers aren’t usually left around long enough to approach a total like that. Hale was supposed to serve as pitching depth for the Braves this year, but with each passing injury or release notice for a starting pitcher, the team’s reliance on him gets stronger. There’s nothing flashy about Hale, who can be a helpful pitcher on a major-league staff but may be over-extended having to pitch every fifth day all season.
  
  
• Jake Marisnick, OF, Marlins: 2-4, 2B. Even rain in Jupiter and a delayed start to the afternoon couldn’t slow down Marisnick, who is now hitting .442 this spring. I’ll still argue that both he and Marcell Ozuna belong in Triple-A to start the season, but if he really was invited to camp to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster, it’s hard to do much better than Marisnick has this month.
  
  
• Stephen Piscotty, OF, Cardinals: 1-3, R. Piscotty finished strong in Double-A last season and is off to a hot start this spring before likely returning to Springfield. Piscotty is just a flat-out good hitter who controls the strike zone incredibly well. If the power develops, he could be extremely productive. Just don’t get caught in the group of people who think he’s better than Oscar Taveras. At least not yet.
  
  
• Erik Johnson, RHP, White Sox: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K. The White Sox handed Johnson a spot in their rotation before the spring even started, a move rarely seen with inexperienced prospects who have only moderate ceilings. Johnson has not rewarded the club’s confidence thus far; his ERA sits at 6.35 after Monday’s outing. Still, he’ll be a part of the White Sox rotation this year, for better or worse.
  
  
• Courtney Hawkins, OF, White Sox: 0-1, K. Zach Mortimer isn’t surprised.
  
  
• Joe Savery, LHP, Athletics: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, K. Savery has pitched well for the A’s after being claimed on waivers from the Phillies, and despite a poor outing on Monday, he still has an ERA of just 2.08 this spring and is in the running for a relief role. Of course, considering Oakland’s reclamation abilities of late, they’ll probably manage to turn the former two-way player into an all-star reliever and hitter.