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Top Minor League Prospects: Detroit Tigers

By on February 2, 2012 | Comments { 2 }

It’s not hard to find a list of any MLB team’s top prospects, but will any of those prospects be ready to contribute in 2012? We’re here to help you prepare for the unexpected by ranking each team’s top five minor league prospects from a fantasy perspective. While they may not be the team’s brightest stars (though many of them will be) they’re the names you’ll need to know when the unexpected happens. Make sure to check out our other top minor league prospects posts for each of the 30 teams.

Potential roster vacancies: OF, SP

With the signing of Prince Fielder, the Detroit Tigers have officially announced their candidacy for the 2012 AL Pennant. Miguel Cabrera has agreed to shift to third base, solidifying what might be the most fearsome three-four duo at the heart of any lineup in baseball. The Tigers are going for it all this season, and that means they’ll likely rely heavily on veterans to get the job done instead of turning to unproven minor leaguers. Jhonny Peralta had a throwback season last year and will be the team’s shortstop, and despite failing to cash in on a starting job in 2011, Ryan Raburn should see the majority of the at-bats at second base. And, when Raburn’s out of the lineup or roaming the outfield, Ramon Santiago will be at second. Alex Avila is one of the best offensive catchers in baseball, so there’s little reason to expect anyone else to see time behind the plate.

The outfield is a little more fluid. Austin Jackson will be the everyday starter in center, but Brennan Boesch hasn’t proven he can put a complete season together yet. He still goes through stretches where “cold” might be too generous a description, and 26-year-old Andy Dirks has all of 235 plate appearances of major league experience. Don Kelly has been Detroit’s bench outfielder for the last three seasons, but the Tigers will likely need more than his mediocre bat (though above average defense) at some point this season.

In the rotation, it doesn’t get much better than Justin Verlander, but one man does not a rotation make. Max Scherzer is an effective innings eater, and I’m very high on Doug Fister, but Detroit’s rotation depth will be made or broken by Rick Porcello‘s continued development. If they can go four strong in the rotation, it will lessen the pressure on top prospect Jacob Turner, who right now is the Tigers’ likely fifth starter. Turner has good minor league numbers and has demonstrated great control, but he’s unproven. Even though he’s technically a rookie, I’ll leave him out of the list below since he’s projected to break camp with a rotation spot.

After going 49-for-49 in save chances last season, Jose Valverde enters 2012 with one of the most secure closing jobs in the league. Some would caution he’s not as good as those save totals indicate (and I would be inclined to agree), but if he’s healthy, he’s Detroit’s closer.

Detroit Tigers Top 5 Minor League Prospects for Fantasy Baseball

1. Drew Smyly, SP

Smyly is a control-first left-hander, but he’s also struck out over a batter an inning in his short minor league career. The Tigers tend to be pretty aggressive with their pitching prospects (just ask Porcello and Turner), so it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that we see Smyly this season. Assuming Turner graduates to the big club out of spring training, Smyly would be the team’s top rated minor league pitcher according to Baseball America, and I always give a prospect with great control rates a chance because they’re already making things easier for themselves by not issuing free passes.

2. Adam Wilk, SP

Wilk doesn’t rate near the top of many people’s prospect lists, but he has great control (Baseball America rated his the best control in the Detroit system) and he’s already debuted with the Tigers (5.40 ERA in 13 1/3 innings last season). There are definitely more talented pitchers for the Tigers to choose from, but almost all of them walk too many people to be effective this early in their careers. I doubt Wilk will ever be a standout if given an opportunity, but I think he has a great chance to be a serviceable spot starter for your fantasy team.

3. Matt Young, OF

Young is 29 years old and didn’t get his first taste of big league ball until last season with the Braves, but Detroit’s minor league system is almost completely devoid of major league-ready outfield prospects. There are other outfielders the Tigers may turn to first — Clete Thomas and Eric Patterson for example — but Young is the only one that qualifies as a “prospect.” And you know what? Young could actually have value. I love his walk and strikeout rates, almost one-to-one actually, and he’s stolen 30-plus bases three times in the minors. Call me crazy, but I think Young could bat near .280 and be a baserunning threat if he gets playing time.

4. Andrew Oliver, SP

Oliver has major league experience, but I’m not his biggest fan. The Tigers pushed the 2010 second round draft pick to the majors after just 23 minor league starts in 2010, but neither of Oliver’s two big league stints has gone particularly well (6.32 ERA in 33 1/3 major league innings). Admittedly, the sample size is small. I’m not a fan of Oliver from a fantasy perspective because his walk rate is so high, over 4.00 BB/9 in his minor league career, but Detroit clearly thinks he can be of use. I don’t think he’s ready to be a solid contributor, and that’s why he lands at number four.

5. Jamie Johnson, OF

Johnson was voted as having the best strike zone discipline by Baseball America, and that’s enough for me to rank him among the top five most fantasy relevant prospects in the Tigers’ system. His walk and strike out rates are impressive, and he played a full season at double-A last year. Johnson should be a high-OBP style player, and he has enough speed to steal at least 10-15 bases. That could mean a good number of runs in a strong Detroit offense.

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Top Minor League Prospects: Colorado Rockies

By on January 29, 2012 | Comments { 0 }

It’s not hard to find a list of any MLB team’s top prospects, but will any of those prospects be ready to contribute in 2012? We’re here to help you prepare for the unexpected by ranking each team’s top five minor league prospects from a fantasy perspective. While they may not be the team’s brightest stars (though many of them will be) they’re the names you’ll need to know when the unexpected happens. Make sure to check out our other top minor league prospects posts for each of the 30 teams.

Potential roster vacancies: OF, SP, RP

It looks like the Rockies are pretty much set in their lineup. Todd Helton will be their first baseman, Marco Scutaro will play second base, Casey Blake is at third base and Troy Tulowitzki is at shortstop. All of them are reliable starters who are going to be in the lineup almost everyday barring injury. It’s the same story behind the plate, with the newly signed Ramon Hernandez, and in the outfield, with Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler, and the newly signed Michael Cuddyer.

In the event that someone does get hurt (as a group they are rather injury prone) the Colorado bench provides an incredible amount of positional flexibility. Eric Young Jr. plays both second base and outfield, Tyler Colvin is a reliable fourth outfielder and first basemen and provides a power bat off the bench, Jonathan Herrera is a utility infielder who played second, third and short last season, Jordan Pacheco is the backup catcher who also played first, second and third last season, and they still have Jason Giambi. By my count that means the Rockies have one backup catcher, three backup first basemen, three backup second basemen, two backup third basemen, one backup shortstop and two backup outfielders. None of these players are really any good and could easily be uprooted, but there’s a lot of flexibility here.

The rotation is a different story. In fact, it’s pretty much a disaster. I’m a big fan of Jhoulys Chacin, but he disappointed me last season and is now expected to be the Rockies’ ace. That’s not a good thing. Jason Hammel is their number two, and Juan Nicasio, Alex White and Guillermo Moscoso round of their starting five. That’s terrible. Tyler Chatwood and Josh Outman are both in the system, but they’re beyond prospect status. They should get the first few cracks.

And things don’t look much better in the back of the bullpen. Closer Huston Street was traded to the Padres, and right now the job will likely be either Rafael Betancourt‘s or Matt Lindstrom‘s. Lindstrom has closing experience, but this is one of those closing jobs that will likely be in flux all season. The Rockies are rebuilding, and you can really see it in their pitching staff.

Colorado Rockies Top 5 Minor League Prospects for Fantasy Baseball

1. Drew Pomeranz, SP

Pomeranz is the prize of the Rockies’ minor league system. He started four games for Colorado last season and posted a 5.40 ERA, but his FIP was just 2.59 and he walked only 2.45 batters per nine innings. Granted he only pitched 18 1/3 innings, but he was able to induce ground balls 47 percent of the time, and that will go a long way toward helping him succeed in the thin Colorado air. He only has 101 innings of minor league experience, but in that time he has a 10.6 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9.

2. Charlie Blackmon, OF

Blackmon saw some everyday playing time for the Rockies last season until he got hurt. His worst strikeout rate in the minors was 13.5 percent, he walks about eight percent of the time and he should bat near .300. In a full season of at-bats he could be a 15-20 homer, 25-30 steal player at best, which means you could get the power and speed without the hit in average. Colorado’s current outfield is packed, but it’s not beyond the realm of possibilities that Fowler plays poorly and they look to promote Blackmon.

3. Chris Nelson, 2B/3B

The Rockies bench is flexible, but it’s not exactly good. Nelson could provide some offense if the team is in need of a good bat. He’s rather old for a minor leaguer, 26, but he’s a career .281 hitter in the minors who’s seemed to figure things out these last two seasons (.313 in 2010, .329 in 2011). He strikes out a good amount and doesn’t walk much, but there’s the potential for double-digit homers and steals.

4. Jamie Hoffman, OF

For a team with so many rotation questions, I sure am listing a lot of batters, but Colorado’s system is chock full of major league ready bats and doesn’t have a lot of arms available. Hoffman is on the older side as well, 27, but at Triple-A last season he hit 22 homers, stole 14 bases, scored 91 runs, tallied 84 RBI and slashed .295/.355/.495 in 133 games. That kind of production could be useful in fantasy leagues if he gets an opportunity.

5. Tommy Field, SS

Tulowitzki isn’t completely without injury concerns, and if he hits the DL it could be Field that gets a chance. Last season Field played 16 games for the Rockies and batted .271 without much else, but, if his minor league numbers mean anything, he’s capable of batting .270 with 15-plus homers and 10-plus steals. Given how shallow shortstop is, he could be a surprisingly valuable contributor in the short term.

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Top Minor League Prospects: Cleveland Indians

By on January 23, 2012 | Comments { 0 }

It’s not hard to find a list of any MLB team’s top prospects, but will any of those prospects be ready to contribute in 2012? We’re here to help you prepare for the unexpected by ranking each team’s top five minor league prospects from a fantasy perspective. While they may not be the team’s brightest stars (though many of them will be) they’re the names you’ll need to know when the unexpected happens. Make sure to check out our other top minor league prospects posts for each of the 30 teams.

Potential roster vacancies: C, 3B, OF, SP

The Cleveland Indians have done a nice job trimming payroll in the wake of their ALCS berth a few seasons ago, and now they’re a young squad teeming with talent. In the infield, Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis, Asdrubal Cabrera and Lonnie Chisenhall all have All-Star potential and likely won’t be going anywhere. Chisenhall is the only unproven one of the bunch (Kipnis is semi-proven) but he does have a nice track record of power in the minors. One would imagine they’d be willing to cut the youngster some slack as he undergoes early growing pains (the Indians figure to be on the outside looking in this season), but exceptionally poor play could open the door for someone else. Jack Hanahan is the team’s backup corner infielder. Lou Marson will catch, though Santana should play here as well.

The outfield is where there may be plenty of available playing time. Grady Sizemore is just downright terrible these days and will surely miss plenty of time due to injury. Even if he does stay healthy, he’ll still miss a lot of time trying to prevent an injury. Shin-Soo Choo and Michael Brantley probably aren’t going anywhere. Shelley Duncan will come off the bench, and right now it looks like veteran journeyman Aaron Cunningham will hold the last bench spot. There’s plenty of room for improvement here.

Believe it or not, the Indians actually have a solid rotation. Ubaldo Jimenez and Justin Masterson are a solid top two (pending Jimenez’s rebound), and Derek Lowe, Josh Tomlin and Kevin Slowey should be decent enough all year to avoid getting the boot. I’m not a big fan of Lowe these days, but I think Tomlin is very underrated.

Chris Perez signed a one-year deal to avoid arbitration and will close games again. He’s a middle-of-the-road closer. The rest of the bullpen is made up of potential stopgap closing candidates should Perez get injured, falter or get traded. Vinnie Pestano and Tony Sipp are two names that stand out.

Cleveland Indians Top 5 Minor League Prospects for Fantasy Baseball

1. Zach McAllister, SP

I went back and forth deciding who to name the number one fantasy prospect for the Indians, but in the end I settled on McAllister. He’ll likely be the third backup option the team turns to in case of injury (Jeanmar Gomez and David Huff being the other two) but he’s a good prospect with a great walk rate (2.2 BB/9 in the minors). McAllister threw  17 2/3 innings for the Indians last season and struggled badly, particularly in getting hit hard despite a moderate walk rate, but his second time around should go much better.

2. Ezequiel Carrera, OF

Carrera will likely be the first outfielder called up, and he has a lot of speed. Last season he stole 10 bases in 226 plate appearances for the Indians on top of 35 steals in 82 minor league games (332 PAs). Carrera has solid walk and strikeout rates that translated well to the majors last season, and with his speed I think he could post BABIPs of .315-plus. That could/should equals a .270-.280 average. All that said, there’s very little pop in his bat.

3. Cord Phelps, 2B

Phelps is probably ready to be a low-end starting second baseman for some unlucky major league team out there, but that’s more than you can say for most minor leaguers. He’s currently blocked by Kipnis and probably won’t see any semblance of consistent playing time while Kipnis is healthy, but in the event of injury (or trade) Phelps could get at-bats and do something positive with them. He batted .294 with 14 homers and 63 RBI in 97 Triple-A games last season, and his strikeout and walk rates are more than acceptable.

4. Scott Barnes, SP

Barnes has a higher strikeout rate than McAllister, but he also has a higher walk rate. He’ll probably get a chance to start after McAllister does, and that’s why he ranks after him on this list.

5. Nick Weglarz, OF

Assuming for a minute that Santana shifts to catcher on a more permanent basis and Marson sits on the bench, that will leave a gaping hole at first base. Duncan is a possibility, but what about Weglarz? He’s been injured for much of his minor league career, but he has power and patience, two attributes that can lead to a player gaining rapid fantasy significance. He played at triple-A in 2010 but only saw action at double-A last season. I wanted to rank the left-handed Nick Hagadone somewhere on this list, but he projects as a left-handed specialist this season and probably won’t be fantasy relevant for a few years.

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Top Minor League Prospects: Cincinnati Reds

By on January 22, 2012 | Comments { 2 }

It’s not hard to find a list of any MLB team’s top prospects, but will any of those prospects be ready to contribute in 2012? We’re here to help you prepare for the unexpected by ranking each team’s top five minor league prospects from a fantasy perspective. While they may not be the team’s brightest stars (though many of them will be) they’re the names you’ll need to know when the unexpected happens. Make sure to check out our other top minor league prospects posts for each of the 30 teams.

Potential roster vacancies: C, 3B, SS, OF, SP

I hesitated before putting shortstop on the list of potential roster vacancies because the Reds have Zack Cozart, a nice looking rookie, penciled in as their opening day starter. Reds manager Dusty Baker is known, and often mocked, for his general disdain towards rooks, which is why shortstop inevitably does find its way onto this list, but it likely won’t be a vacancy unless the Tommy John surgery performed on Cozart’s non-throwing arm (I know, it’s not just for pitchers) doesn’t heal as expected. At that point, former starter Paul Janish is waiting in the wings. As for the rest of the infield, Ramon Hernandez is gone and Ryan Hanigan and Devin Mesoraco will split time. Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips are studs on the right side of the infield, and Scott Rolen is an injury waiting to happen at third base.

In the outfield, Drew Stubbs and Jay Bruce aren’t going anywhere, but the same can’t necessarily be said for Ryan Ludwick. In the even someone is hurt or trade, Chris Heisey will fill in, though he’ll likely find a good number of at-bats regardless because he has some scary power. Beyond those four, Miguel Cairo can play some outfield, but there’s not much else on the major league roster. That’s when they’ll start mining the minors for outfield help.

The Reds rotation is much improved over recent seasons when Bronson Arroyo was the staff’s ace. Now Arroyo finds himself slated at number four behind Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos and Mike Leake but before Homer Bailey. I like all of these starters, but injuries do happen. You’ll probably find “SP” listed as a potential roster vacancy for every single team we look at.

In the bullpen, the signing of Ryan Madson ends the discussion over who’ll supplant Francisco Cordero. Madson has been a setup man/fill-in closer for most of his career and will finally get a chance to rack up some saves. With Sean Marshall, Nick Masset and Logan Ondrusek also on the opening day roster, Cincinnati has one of my favorite bullpens in baseball.

Cincinnati Reds Top 5 Minor League Prospects for Fantasy Baseball

1. Devin Mesoraco, C

Maybe it’s cheating to put him on this list, but he’s appeared in just 18 games in his major league career. He’ll battle Hanigan for playing time in the wake of Hernandez’s departure, and he’s already getting drafted in fantasy leagues as a potential top 15 catcher. Given his good discipline at the plate and moderate strikeout numbers, Mesoraco could hit .270-.280 with 20 homer pop, though we’ll see if that comes right away.

2. Todd Frazier, 1B/OF

Frazier will be 26 this season so eventually the Reds are going to have to give him a chance. He probably won’t play at first base, but outfield is a distinct possibility. He walks a decent amount, though not necessarily impressive, and strikes out a lot. Barring luck, I’ll cap his batting average at  .260 since it’s unlikely his skills drastically improve at such an advanced age. He has enough power to hit 15-plus homers over a full season.

3. Pedro Villareal, SP

Aroldis Chapman might be the first guy to crack the rotation in event of injury, but after him there aren’t many/any good prospects on the cusp of the major leagues. Villareal is probably the first. He played at double-A last season and had a very nice walk rate (under 2.00 BB/9), which bodes well for immediate success, but he’s not an elite strikeout pitcher. That’s OK with me, though. He could be useful in spot starts.

4. Neftali Soto, 1B

I’ll admit I don’t know where Soto would play if he made the team, but he hit 30 homers last year in just 379 at-bats at double-A. He barely ever walks, maybe every 20 plate appearances or so, and does strike out in about one of every five at-bats, but there is so much power potential here. Plus, the Reds shipped two of their more major league ready prospects, Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal, to the Padres for Mat Latos. Someone has to rank fourth.

5. Henry Rodriguez, 2B

This last spot came down to Rodriguez and a shortstop prospect named Didi Gregorious (coolest name ever). While shortstop was listed as a potential roster vacancy and second base wasn’t, I elected to go with Rodriguez because his skill set seems more major league ready (offensively at least, there are reports of issues with his defense/focus) and he has higher offensive upside. Unless you’re in one of those weird (maybe they’re revolutionary?) leagues that tracks defense, offense is all you care about in fantasy. Rodriguez could hit .280 in the majors with 20 steal speed and enough pop to maybe hit a few homers.

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Top Minor League Prospects: Chicago White Sox

By on January 17, 2012 | Comments { 1 }

It’s not hard to find a list of any MLB team’s top prospects, but will any of those prospects be ready to contribute in 2012? We’re here to help you prepare for the unexpected by ranking each team’s top five minor league prospects from a fantasy perspective. While they may not be the team’s brightest stars (though many of them will be) they’re the names you’ll need to know when the unexpected happens. Make sure to check out our other top minor league prospects posts for each of the 30 teams.

Potential roster vacancies: OF, 3B, SP, CL

Paul Konerko aside, the White Sox disappointed just about everywhere last season. In the infield, Gordon Beckham failed to play as expected (again), Alexei Ramirez posted lower totals in four of the five main fantasy categories (he had the same number of RBI) and Brent Morel batted just .245 with 10 homers, though he’s known more for his glove than his bat anyway.

Alex Rios, Juan Pierre and Carlos Quentin manned the outfield, and none of them has what could rightly be termed “good” seasons. Pierre and Quentin were serviceable at times, but they’re now gone. Alejandro de Aza and Dayan Viciedo will likely replace them in the starting lineup, and both have a lot of question marks. Adam Dunn is still the DH, but it’s hard imagining them taking his bat out of the lineup unless he parties like it’s 2011. I don’t see how that’s even possible. Despite the struggles of many of these players, they’re all pretty much here to stay.

Mark Buehrle, the pitching staff’s anchor for the last decade, followed Ozzie Guillen to Miami, and now the rotation is in a state of flux. John Danks (who signed a long-term extension this offseason) Gavin Floyd (who has been cited in many trade rumors), Jake Peavy (who’s always injured), Phil Humber (who broke out last year) and Chris Sale (who has a reliever in 2011) make up the projected 2012 rotation. I see plenty of opportunities for some lucky minor leaguer to make an impact.

In the bullpen, Sergio Santos was traded to Toronto for a minor league pitching prospect who many scouts claim has limited upside, and that’s freed up the ninth inning. Will Matt Thornton reclaim the role and hold it this time or will someone else step up?

Chicago White Sox Top 5 Minor League Prospects for Fantasy Baseball

1. Addison Reed, RP

There’s a really good chance that Reed wins the closer’s job right out of spring training. If that happens, look for him to become of the best closers in baseball. He has Craig Kimbrel/Carlos Marmol strikeout potential but doesn’t come with the same control concerns both of those guys did/do. There isn’t much else to say here. Reed could be special.

2. Dylan Axelrod, SP/RP

Axelrod was a reliever when he began his professional journey in the minor league, but last year the White Sox made him a starting pitcher at Triple-A. He’ll likely begin 2012 as a long reliever in the Chicago bullpen, but he’s just one injury away from a spot in the rotation. Last year Axelrod appeared in four games for the White Sox, including three starts and posted a 2.89 ERA and 3.29 FIP. He has solid strikeout potential (think 7.0 K/9) and has always been in the 2.0-2.5 BB/9 range in the minors. That’s the stuff reliable, low-end fantasy starters are made of.

3. Osvaldo Martinez, SS/IF

Martinez doesn’t have much in the way of offensive talent, but he does have opportunity. He came over to Chicago in the “trade” that sent Guillen to Miami, and right now he’s projected to start the year on Chicago’s bench. With the amount of potential disappointing in the White Sox’s infield (Beckham and Morel mainly), Martinez could sneak some at-bats.

4. Nestor Molina, SP

Molina was acquired by the organization in exchange for Santos, and I really like his potential. He’s probably more of a September call-up type, which limits his potential value for 2012 alone, but he’s demonstrated great control with potentially above average strikeout rates.

5. Jordan Danks, OF

Danks will probably start the year on Chicago’s bench but will find himself behind Brent Lillibridge on the team’s outfield depth chart. There aren’t a lot of major league-ready bats in Chicago’s minor league system so, like Martinez, Danks jumps into the top five based on potential opportunity. He played full time at Triple-A in 2010 and 2011 and showed 15-homer, 15 steal potential, but his batting average will likely be around .240.

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Top Minor League Prospects: Chicago Cubs

By on January 12, 2012 | Comments { 0 }

It’s not hard to find a list of any MLB team’s top prospects, but will any of those prospects be ready to contribute in 2012? We’re here to help you prepare for the unexpected by ranking each team’s top five minor league prospects from a fantasy perspective. While they may not be the team’s brightest stars (though many of them will be) they’re the names you’ll need to know when the unexpected happens. Make sure to check out our other top minor league prospects posts for each of the 30 teams.

Potential roster vacancies: 1B, OF, C, SP

Last season the Chicago Cubs won just 71 games en route to the second worse record in the National League. The Houston Astros, victors just 56 times in 2011, were so bad that the NL owners got together and decided the club was an embarrassment and had to go. Despite the lack of wins coming from the north side of Chicago (actually, the south side finished with a losing record as well), there isn’t a lot of room for minor leaguers to make an impact in the coming season. Geovany Soto will be the team’s catcher, Darwin Barney and Starlin Castro will man the middle of the infield, and Ian Stewart stands responsible for third base.

Until the team can find someone to take Alfonso Soriano, his poor contract and moderate production will be stuck in left field. Marlon Byrd will once again patrol center, and the Cubs acquired David DeJesus this offseason to play right. Utility guys Jeff Baker, Blake DeWitt and Reed Johnson are stashed on the bench, so by my estimation that leaves just one position in flux: first base. Bryan LaHair, a career minor leaguer, will keep first base warm until the recently acquired Anthony Rizzo is ready to be an everyday major leaguer. Aside from that, injury seems to be the only way someone is getting a chance.

As of now, Matt Garza is the team’s ace, but there’s plenty of trade talk surrounding the 197 strikeouts and 3.32 ERA from a year ago. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that the Cubs trade Garza for prospects. That leaves the team with Ryan Dempster, Paul Maholm (just signed), Randy Wells and Chris Volstad (acquired in the Carlos Zambrano trade) as the team’s other rotation arms. But lo! They also added Andy Sonnanstine to the mix this season, a guy who split time in Tampa Bay between the bullpen and rotation. I actually like a lot of the arms that the Cubs have, but without Garza (heck, even with Garza) they lack front of the rotation starters and have no proven rotation depth after Sonnanstine. This rotation is ripe for the picking.

Carlos Marmol will be the team’s closer, but he’s prone to control problems and even lost his job for a short time last season. After him there’s a few names we’ve seen before (James Russell, Manny Corpas, Jeff Samardzija) and a few many of us haven’t (Chris Carpenter, Scott Maine, Lendy Castillo). If Marmol goes down, who steps up?

Chicago Cubs Top 5 Minor League Prospects for Fantasy Baseball

1. Anthony Rizzo, 1B

Rizzo was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. Then the Red Sox collapsed, Theo Epstein went to Chicago and one of his first moves was to re-acquire Rizzo. Rizzo played 49 disastrous games with the Padres last season, and scouts said his bat looked slow. Many wondered if he actually had what it takes to make it as a big leaguer. In fact, they’re still wondering that since Rizzo hasn’t had a chance to prove doubters wrong. Epstein and Cubs executives say they know what’s wrong with Rizzo and they can fix him. Rizzo has (had?) .300/30/100 potential, so assuming the Cubs can the cure for his ailing swing, he’s the most important guy to keep an eye on in this organization. If LaHair plays well he can buy Rizzo some time to work things out in Triple-A, but the job will soon be Rizzo’s.

2. Brett Jackson, OF

Jackson split time last season between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting 20 homers and stealing 21 bases across the two levels, but he actually performed better at the higher stop…or did he? His .297 average topped anything he’d done since Single-A ball back in 2010, but he struck out more and walked less to do it. That doesn’t quite jive. It’s assumed that Jackson will soon supplant Byrd in center field, and the Cubs have already made some room out there by shipping Tyler Colvin to Colorado for Stewart, so when the team feels Jackson is ready, he should get the lion’s share of at-bats. Be warned, though. His strikeout rate is generally very high and it will most likely be a rocky transition.

3. Wellington Castillo, C

Castillo is projected to be the backup catcher on the major league roster, so if something happens to Soto we’ll see a lot of Castillo. Last season in 61 games at Triple-A he batted .286 with 15 homers, but he strikes out over 20 percent of the time and walks just under 10 percent. He could be another one of those low average, moderate power catchers you can find late in your fantasy draft.

Bonus prospect: Another catcher to keep an eye on Steve Clevenger. He could bat near .280 with a strikeout rate half of Castillo’s, but he doesn’t have the same kind of pop. He’ll likely begin the year in Triple-A.

4. Casey Coleman, SP

Coleman started 17 games for the Cubs last season and appeared in two more in relief, so he’s not a rookie this year, but he’s their most major league-ready pitching prospect. Most think Trey Mcnutt is the team’s top pitching prospect — you may have heard his name rumored to be part of Boston’s yet-to-be-decided-on compensation package for Epstein — but Coleman will get the first crack. With a 5.5 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in his minor league career, I don’t like his chances at success in the least. However, in the event of injury, someone has to pitch the innings.

5. Chris Carpenter, RP

Carpenter is part of the Cubs’ projected opening day bullpen and could be in line for some saves if Marmol ever loses his job. He probably won’t be the first option, but he could be the second. Or the first. There’s really no way to know with so few proven arms out there. It’ll all depend on who’s pitching the best at the time Marmol hypothetically implodes. Carpenter was a starter in his first three minor league seasons, last year transitioning to the bullpen. For that reason I’ll evaluate him on his 2011 rates alone: a 7.2 K/9 and a 5.7 BB/9. Gross.

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Top Minor League Prospects: Boston Red Sox

By on January 11, 2012 | Comments { 0 }

It’s not hard to find a list of any MLB team’s top prospects, but will any of those prospects be ready to contribute in 2012? We’re here to help you prepare for the unexpected by ranking each team’s top five minor league prospects from a fantasy perspective. While they may not be the team’s brightest stars (though many of them will be) they’re the names you’ll need to know when the unexpected happens. Make sure to check out our other top minor league prospects posts for each of the 30 teams.

Potential roster vacancies: SP, RP, OF, C, SS

The Red Sox are the reigning run scoring champions. Their 875 runs, 1,600 hits and .810 team OPS all led the majors. With everyone but J.D. Drew returning to the starting lineup, there won’t be much opportunity for a minor leaguer to step in and produce with two possible exceptions: outfield and catcher. Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford will be everyday starters, but Ryan Sweeney and Darnell McDonald are currently tasked with manning right field. McDonald struggled last year, and who knows what you’ll get from Sweeney in his first year in the Boston spotlight. Behind the plate, Jarrod Saltalamacchia did a serviceable job for Boston last year. The Red Sox signed Kelly Shoppach, who initially began his career with Boston, to replace Jason Varitek as the team’s backup catcher. Marco Scutaro is the team’s shortstop, but if he gets hurt they lack a definite replacement.

Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz are the stars of the rotation, but who starts after them is anyone’s guess. Daniel Bard will begin the season in the rotation, likely as the team’s fourth starter, but he’s been a power reliever for years now. It remains to be seen how the transition goes. The last rotation spot is a battle between any of a number of veterans which, right now, includes Alfredo Aceves, Carlos Silva and Aaron Cook. Andrew Bailey will be closing games in Boston, but he’s an injury waiting to happen. Who takes over ninth inning duties when it does? Probably Mark Melancon, but a single injury to the Boston bullpen will throw the whole team in flux. There’s opportunity for someone to step up here, but probably not in a fantasy impactful way.

Boston Red Sox Top 5 Fantasy Minor League Prospects

1. Ryan Kalish, OF

For a few years, Kalish and Josh Reddick were battling each other for the right to be Boston’s primary injury replacement. With Reddick now in Oakland, that honor falls upon Kalish. He had shoulder surgery in November and won’t be ready to play until June or so, but Sweeney and McDonald are his only obstacles once he gets back. Of the three, Kalish is the guy they want to take the job. He has solid power and speed with a 20/20 season a distinct possibility.

2. Ryan Lavarnway, C

The book on Lavarnway has been all bat, no glove, but last season he developed well behind the plate. In late September games, important games when Tampa Bay was charging up behind the Red Sox, Lavarnway was getting starts at DH and behind the plate. That’s how much they love his bat. If Saltalamacchia gets hurt, Lavarnway will get called up and split time with Shoppach. Considering he hit 32 homers in 116 minor league games last season, that’s an exciting bat to have in your catcher’s spot.

3. Jose Iglesias, SS

Iglesias is the Red Sox’s shortstop of 2013. He has a big time glove but a very weak bat. If Scutaro goes down, the team lacks a true backup option (Nick Punto and Mike Aviles can play the position in a pinch but aren’t true solutions) so maybe the team turns to Iglesias. My thought is they’ll wait until September to call him up, but even if he gets a chance, he’s not someone I’d add.

4. Will Middlebrooks, 3B

If/when Youkilis gets hurt, the Red Sox have a couple replacement options on their major league roster: Punto and Aviles. It will take a lot for Middlebrooks to get a chance, but he’s regarded as one of the teams top two or three prospects and he’s nearing major league ready. Last season he rose all the way to Triple-A, batting .161 with two homers and three steals in 16 games. Middlebrooks strikes out a good amount, over 25 percent of the time, so he’s probably not ready, but he has the skills to be a force in small sample sizes.

5. Alex Wilson, SP

The Red Sox have a lot of washed up veterans vying for rotation spots. After the three definite starters, Bard, Aceves, Silva, Cook and Andrew Miller, Wilson could be the team’s ninth starting pitcher. That seems like a long shot, but more often than not, team’s exhaust their pitching depth and are forced to rely on arms that aren’t ready. This happened just last season in Boston when Kyle Weiland made more starts than Red Sox fans would have liked. Wilson started four games at Triple-A last season, posting a 3.43 ERA with a nice 10.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. He won’t strike out that many batters at the pro level (it was a small sample size), but he could be effective if given the chance.

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