2001 Shoeless Joe League Minor League Reports: Southern Division
October 2000
by Ron Cox (except for Florida, which was written by Dr. Skidmore-Hess)
CARACAS POLAR BEARS
GM Ron Young inherited a mess when he took over the Ft. Lauderdale Crocodile
franchise. Looking for aspiring investors, he tapped into his business
connections in Venezuela to make a few offers that could not be refused.
Relocating the franchise has provided for more stability and time to
rebuild, and Young has not wavered much from an organizational philosophy
that looks for promising skills players that, if properly developed, could
help make this franchise successful in a few years. Virtually the entire
minor league nucleus is a product of Young's accumulation of loads of draft
picks and his willingness to dump veterans to get better over the long haul.
The youthful rotation of Matt Clement, Tony Armas, Rob Bell, Jim Parque
combine with the veteran James Baldwin to hold down the fort for another
crop of young arms to come. If some pitchers don't pan out, which is
inevitable, the club has plenty more on the way. The offense, on the other
hand, has more question marks without immediate answers in sight: can SS
Alex Gonzalez (the young one) ever learn to hit? Will Carlos Guillen become
a consistent performer at either 3b or 2b? Will Joe Crede be able to
provide some offensive firepower for a team sorely in need of a big bat?
Can the rumored trade with the Panthers produce future offensive
contributors in Aubrey Huff and Russell Branyan? Will Ryan Klesko still
insist on taking long rides with SWAT teams between away games?
STRENGTHS
There has been a careful attention to acquiring long-term prospects at every
position. So far, Young has acquired a potential OF of the future in Alex
Escobar, Josh Hamilton and Jackson Melian; a future IF that will include
soon arriving Joe Crede, fresh from a very strong AA campaign, and, down the
road a bit: Miguel Cabrera, whose middle infield and bat skills light up the
eyes of most scouts. The accumulation of pitching prospects Wes Anderson
and Roy Oswalt that has helped Young prearrange a trade with the Panthers
after the expansion draft. The trade is designed to give the club more
offensive insurance by adding every sabermatrician's favorite: Aubrey Huff,
along with a more traditional tools OF in Russell Branyan. For Young, it
seems a risk worth taking, as he has youthful pitching at the major league
level, plus being able to retain strong prospects in Francisco Rodriquez,
Wilfredo Rodriquez and Carlos Zambrano. At catcher, the organization has
landed the current young starter, Ramon Hernandez, and has potential coming
in the 18 year-old prospect Jose Salas.
WEAKNESSES
There are a lot of good-looking prospects here, but none that rank an A in
this critic's opinion. What's more, the team has a lot of holes to fill
offensively that may require more than a stable of good to league-average
caliber performers. The key to the future success of this franchise will
rest with Young's ability to know who to keep and who to trade, while being
able to add veteran players the mix when the time is right. Whether or not
SS Alex Gonzalez will develop is an important question for this franchise,
which has to hope that his early inability to recognize a ball from a strike
is simply a case of learning on the job and not a terminal disease.
Organizational Grade: B
Prospects:
Alex Escobar B+
Josh Hamilton B+
Joe Crede B+
Roy Oswalt B+
Wes Anderson B
Francisco Rodriquez B
Wilfredo Rodriquez B
Carlos Zambrano B
Jose Salas B
Miguel Cabrera B
Jackson Melian B-
Jared Sandberg C+
Corey Lee C
Adam Pettyjohn C
Javier Colina C
Pat Manning C
FLORIDA PANTHERS
This organization has either produced or acquired a very exciting lineup of
young talent: Derek & Carlos Lee, Hidalgo (now an MVP candidate), Huff,
Lugo, Schneider, LeCroy, Berkman, and Branyan. None of those names can be
considered prospects anymore but they all have lots of upside left to their
careers. By contrast, the pitching staff is filled with uncertainty
(Mantei), heartburn (Loaiza), and faded glory (Cone). The farm system is
offering no immediate help in this area, unless John Patterson returns to
health and makes the jump to the big time.
STRENGTHS: The prospects here have high-ceilings that could, if all goes
well, produce more future stars to add to the recent crop. Felipe Lopez has
trinity-like tools for a shortstop and reached AA by age 19. McClendon and
Patterson are power pitchers who should arrive before too long. Pat Strange
has an impressive arsenal of pitches and is developing fast. Outfielders G.
Wright and J. Sosa have no obvious missing pieces in their tool kits either.
WEAKNESSES: These tools players seem to lack good table manners (i.e. plate
discipline/command of the strike zone). Only Oscar Garcia shows good eye
ratio (bb/k) as a hitter and he's a punchless third baseman in the low
minors. The pitchers have been too susceptible to injury to expect help for
next season's pennant run. Unless Jorge Nunez suddenly discovers good plate
judgement, GM Ron Cox will not be likely see another regular infielder
emerge from his farm clubs before 2002.
Organizational Grade: C+
Prospects:
Felipe Lopez B
John Patterson B
Pat Strange B
Matt McClendon B-
Jovanny Sosa B-
Gavin Wright C+
Jorge Nunez C+
Robert Pugmire C
Winston Abreu C
Oscar Garcia C
KANSAS CITY WHIRLWIND
One of the twin juggernauts, this franchise has had one of the most glorious
histories of minor league development, turning out SS as if they were an
afterthought. Having developed the premier SS in the SJL in AROD, GM Nils
Samuels was far from satisfied, as he drafted Edgar Renteria, Rafael Furcal,
Adam Everett, Antonio Perez, Brandon Phillips and Cesar Izturis to prepare
further for the end-of-SS-as-we-know-them millennium. Meanwhile, the team
has a stable of young star talent in its contemporary infield that should be
winning or contending for pennants for a very long time, e.g., Alfonzo,
Furcal, AROD and Renteria. The catching duo of Jason Kendall and Ivan
Rodriquez represents the best complement of stars reserved for one team
that this league has seen. Even the much questioned pitching staff has been
able to make enough additions and fill enough holes to emerge with one
of the better rotations and bullpens in the league, anchored by Scott Elarton,
Livan Hernandez and Dustin Hermanson, with youthful vigor in Mark Mulder and
the soon-to-be emerging Grant Roberts. The only gaping holes appear to be
in the same place: the outfield, with no help to be sighted in the minor
league system. Still, with Ken Griffey, Jr. anchoring your CF slot,
how serious can this problem be?
STRENGTHS
GM Nils Samuels has followed a straightforward rule of late in acquiring
minor league talent: scoop them up at the most valuable of positions. Of
course, that position is SS, and this organization has a bounty full of
prospects, good and moderate, at this position, with the best being Antonio
Perez, who was wisely protected in the first round of the expansion draft.
To go along with Perez, the club has a number of potential big league
starters in Adam Everett, Cesar Izturis, and Brandon Phillips, although all
three are highly unlikely to reach the status of any of the crop of major
leaguers that the Whirl can trot out there, and clearly rank a notch below
Perez in the organizational depth chart.
WEAKNESSES
The poor minor league performances of catchers Josh Phelps and Guil Quiroz
this past season mean that the club is very fortunate to have two stars in
the majors. Like his brother from the Northern Division, GM Nils Samuels
does not care to risk picks on minor league pitchers, preferring to pick up
the veteran breeds once they prove their mettle in the majors. So virtually
no one is on the farm, and last year's intriguing prospect, Junior Hernandez,
did what pitchers mostly seem to do: fall apart rather unexpectedly. The
exception in this organization is Grant Roberts, who thus far has continued
his steady track toward the big leagues (AAA, 3.18 ERA, 115 Ks, 63 BB, 157 IP).
The minor league outfield situation is pretty barren, especially considering
the pressing needs at the big league level. Wily Mo Pena's young tools
have shown no signs of refinement yet, although at 18 he still has time, and
Juan Rivera, four years older and also lacking strike zone judgment, is
not someone the organization can count on either. After years of outstanding
ratings that helped lead to one championship after another, the Whirlwind
have slipped a couple of notches in their current minor league status.
Organizational Grade: C+
Prospects:
Antonio Perez B+
Grant Roberts B
Willie Bloomquist B
Adam Everett B
Cesar Izturis B-
Brandon Phillips C+
Josh Phelps C
Guillermo Quiroz C
Wily Mo Pena C
Juan Rivera C
Jae Wong Seo C
LEONES de MIAMI
GM Carlos Barrera made some key additions prior to the 2000 trading deadline
that make him a strong contender for a Southern Division playoff spot in
2001, maybe even the favorite to take the division title away from Kansas
City. A lot will depend on the stability of the starting rotation of
Maddux, Glavine, Dreifort and Cordova, especially the health of the later.
But the rotation will not have to be perfect, but only good enough to
complement one of the premier young infields in the SJL, anchored by Eric
Chavez and Miguel Tejada, acquired while still minor league prospects from
the New York Mastiffs (now the Baltimore Hons) for Randy Johnson (now a
Savannah Carpetbagger), and solidified by the right side of 2b Luis Castillo
(acquired from Caracas) and Frank Thomas (acquired from the Panthers). The
outfield is now anchored by an emerging superstar in Jermaine Dye, together
with CF Jose Cruz, Jr. Although the trade of Lance Berkman has Barrera
looking for additional outfield help for the 2001 season and, with cash to
burn, look for him to be able to fill that spot. In getting geared up for a
championship run, the Leones have sacrificed their best prospects, so the
current minor league system is not as good as in the past.
STRENGTHS
The club has a couple of solid pitching prospects in hardthrowing Jeff
Austin and Luis Torres, and a mid-level prospect in T. J. Tucker, but
otherwise the philosophy has been to add young pitchers who have some major
league mileage (Dreifort and Cordova, both acquired in trades), with the
theory that minor league hurlers are a big risk to load up on. The catching
situation looks deep at the major league level with both veteran Todd
Hundley and emerging Bobby Estalella. With the idea of taking a chance on
someone who has shown good plate discipline combined with solid defensive
skills in the minors, Barrera acquired catcher Jason Werth from the
Carpetbaggers prior to the 2000 trading deadline. The organization also
has a couple of good outfield prospects, although probably not stars, in
Eric Valent and Mario Valenzuela.
WEAKNESSES
The organization lacks prospects at middle infield positions. Although with
youngsters Tejada and Castillo representing the double play combination for
the distant future, this is not a pressing concern. More significantly,
there are no projected stars in the system, as Carlos Pena and Vernon Wells
have been traded away. 3b Willin Aybar could be very good, but with only a
season of rookie ball behind him, it's simply too early to tell. 1b Calvin
Pickering, along with Ofers Alex Sanchez and Darnell McDonald, are now all
just mediocre prospects.
Organizational Grade: C+
Prospects:
Jeff Austin B
Luis Torres B
Willin Aybar B
Eric Valent B
T.J. Tucker B-
Jason Werth B-
Mario Valenzuela B-
Matt Holliday C+
Darnell McDonald C+
Calvin Pickering C
Alex Sanchez C
Cesar King C-
SAVANNAH CARPETBAGGERS
This organization has taken an about face the past year, anchored by the
acquisition of veterans Randy Johnson and Mark McGwire with an eye toward
contending for a Southern Division playoff spot in 2001. The basic building
blocs for getting a playoff berth are in place, especially with a solid
looking starting rotation in Johnson, Eric Milton, Jeff Weaver, and Scott
Williamson. The offense depends a lot on old guys, and whether they will be
healthy next season represents a calculated risk of GM Skidmore-Hess. But
armed with organizational sabermatrician, Merritt Skidmore-Hess (yes,
nepotism is a fact of life in southern livin'), the club has managed to
develop some solid minor league prospects, albeit only one that currently
projects as a star in 1b Nick Johnson. Ownership hopes that the veterans
can provide the club with strong seasons in the next couple of years,
counting on the bats of Robin Ventura, McGwire, Kenny Lofton, coupled with
the young and rising star Bobby Abreu to power them along. Where Albert
Belle fits in all of this is a good question. Another one is whether the
club has found their SS answer for the short-term in Damian Jackson.
Catcher Jason Varitek, thought to be a steal by some, has struggled mightily
the past season.
STRENGTHS
This organization spells their future Nick Johnson, and despite his missing
a year due to injury, the firstbaseman's status has not dropped in the minds
of major league scouts. He should be a bona fide star to anchor this franchise
after McGwire retires. After that, the most noteworthy name is an outfield
prospect, Austin Kearns, who is coming off a very solid year in A ball at age
20 (.306, 37 2B, 27 HR, 90 BB, 93 K), showing impressive power and plate
discipline that has vaulted him to second place on the Carpetbaggers prospect
list. A range of other good prospects include SS Gookie Dawkins, and several
pitchers, most notably Randey Dorame, Chad Hutchinson, who bounced back in AA
after early struggles in AAA, and Greg Miller.
WEAKNESSES
The other prospects are all marginal, making the Carpetbaggers future
heavily dependent on the performance of the current veterans and GM
Skidmore-Hess' ability to continue to add missing pieces via trades or free
agents. Pitchers Terry Byron, Clayton Andrews and Victor Alvarez either
have injury problems (Byron), have been woefully inconsistent (Andrews) or
need considerable seasoning (Alvarez) before they are ready to help the big
league club. There are some potentially useful outfield prospects,
including George Lombard and DeWayne Wise, but they may only be 4th
outfielders at best in the big leagues. The infield prospects here are
littered with similar mid-level credentials, although Jason Repko, who has
the most potential of the bunch, has missed the past season with an injury.
There is some potential here at catcher in Brandon Inge, but he has yet to
show significant signs of fulfilling it at the minor league level.
Organizational Grade: B
Prospects:
Nick Johnson A
Austin Kearns B+
Gookie Dawkins B
Randey Dorame B
Chad Hutchinson B
Greg Miller B
Alex Fernandez B
Terry Byron C+
Asdrupal Oropeza C+
Jason Repko C+
George Lombard C+
Brandon Inge C
Victor Alvarez C
Clayton Andrews C
Enrique Cruz C
Brian Roberts C
DeWayne Wise C
Todd Sears C-
ST LOUIS SPROCKETS
The club that teaches the art of the whip and chain to all clubhouse
employees has improved considerably in their stock of minor league talent
over the past year, thanks to two good supplemental drafts. Now there are
several young outfielders primed to replace aging vets such as Ron Gant and
Derek Bell, including current major leaguers Mark Kotsay and Steve Cox and
minor league prospects Milton Bradley, Chin-Feng Chen, and Brian Cole. The
offensive holes to fill are considerable, however, including noticeable gaps
at SS, where Walt Weiss has seen better days and Ozzie Guillen is only
pretending to play out his career. Add aging Scott Brosius to the list and
this team has plenty of areas that call for minor league prospects or for
the acquisition of free agents. Although lacking a dominant starter, the
pitching staff was quite respectable through stretches of the 2000 season,
led by Aaron Sele, Kirk Reuter, Jesus Sanchez, and Garrett Stephenson, with
additional starts provided by Terry Mulholland, Jason Schmidt (until
sidelined with shoulder problems) and Ron Villone. The most important tasks
for the years ahead include: getting better on the left side of the infield,
adding to the thin catching position (where Eli Marrero has struggled, and
Einar Diaz does not seem to be enough), and reinforcing the pieces of the
starting rotation–clearly all requiring a long-term strategy.
STRENGTHS
What was once a glaring weakness of this organization is a new-found strength,
due to productive recent drafts that have netted top prospects Milton Bradley,
Chin-Feng Chen, and Brian Cole. Expect to see a future outfield that includes
some combination of these three. The only top infield prospect is Luis Rivas,
and his worth declines a bit with the shift from SS to 2b. Still, given the
injury history of Quilvio Veras, and the potential of Rivas, this is a nice
young prospect to have in the Sprocket system. St. Louis boasts three intriguing
pitching prospects, including lefty Carlos Hernandez, who has impressed in A ball
this past season, Geoff Geotz, who made the jump to AA after excelling as a closer
in A ball, and Fernando Rodney, who put together a strong campaign in A ball.
But the pitchers are young, and, as we know, anything can happen as they move to
higher levels. Even in the best case scenario, they are well away from the majors.
WEAKNESSES
The organization needs prospects to fill holes on the left side of the
infield, but the cupboard is very thin, including a couple of marginal SS
prospects in Mike Young, who at 24 in AA is old for his level, and Jay
Woolf, who is coming off a poor year at both AA and AAA, with poor plate
discipline and past injury problems marring his development. At catcher,
there are simply no solid prospects on the way, and that doesn't bode well
for a major league club that is also thin at this position.
Organizational Grade: B-
Prospects:
Chin Feng-Chen B+
Milton Bradley B+
Luis Rivas B
Brian Cole B
Carlos Hernandez B
Geoff Goetz B-
Fernando Rodney B-
Mike Young C+
Jay Woolf C
Brennan King C
Ryan Langerhans C
Josh Kalinowski C-
LEAGUE HOME