All Things Valley League

Player Movement

After a few large posts, let's get caught up with some player movement.

• Baltimore's Chris Ray (New Market 01) was traded to the Texas Rangers along with a player to be named later for Kevin Millwood and cash.

• Juan Pierre (Harrisonburg) was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Chicago White Sox for John Ely and Jon Link.

• Logan Kensing (Harrisonburg) was signed to a minor league contract by the Washington Nationals.

• Marcus McBeth (New Market 99) was signed to a minor league contract by the Oakland A's.

• Adam Everett (Winchester 96) signed a 1-year, $1.55 million contract with the Detroit Tigers.

• Bobby Hernandez (Staunton 07) was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bobby was drafted in the 28th round in the 2009 draft- he was given a whopping 14 1/3 innings in rookie ball- the Arizona League- before he was gone. True, he walked 7 batters in those innings, but he also struck out 12!

• Brett Smith (Harrisonburg 03) was released by the New York Yankees. Brett pitched for four seasons in the Yankees' minor league system, going 22-31, 4.23, with a 1.348 WHIP, 3.4 BB/9 and 6.4 K/9 in 451 innings.

McCurry in Baltimore Chat

As Baseball America is nearing the home stretch with their top 10 prospects lists, ATVL keeps tuning in to catch information about former Valley Leaguers.

No VBLer made the Orioles' top 10 list, but Cole McCurry (New Market 05) showed up in Will Lingo's chat (subscription required). Here's his question:

Mark (NC): Do you Cole McCurry as a prospect or organizational guy after a solid year at Delmarva which included 13 k's in a seven inning game (first game of doubleheader) ?

Will Lingo: More of an organizational guy, crafty lefthander with below-average stuff, a profile that often succeeds against lower-level hitters but runs into a brick wall at the higher levels. He's in the 86-88 mph range with a curveball and changeup.

While the answer to this question is not the "He's going to be a #1 starter in the major leagues" we were looking for, it IS true that Cole had a super season at Delmarva. While only going 6-9, Cole had an excellent 2.71 ERA, 3.0 BB/9 and 9.3 K/9 in 139 2/3 innings.

Schimpf in Toronto Chat

LSU's Ryan Schimpf came to the Luray Wranglers late in 2008, but he ended up being a huge reason the team went on to the championship. He started hitting when he arrived, and continued straight through the playoffs. By the end of the championship series with Covington, he was one of those guys who made everything stop when he came up to hit- like a Valley League version of Albert Pujols or Barry Bonds from a few years ago. Even though he didn't have enough at-bats to qualify for ATVL's top hitters list, he received a "special recognition."

Ryan was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 5th round of the 2009 draft, and made his professional debut, batting 4 times in the Gulf Coast League, and playing 34 games in Auburn of the New York-Penn League. At the two stops, he hit 293/381/444 with a 17/24 BB/K ratio. He did not make the Blue Jays' top 10 prospect list, but he was mentioned, briefly, in the chat held by Nathan Rode (subscription only).

This is what went down:

Roger (Baton Rouge): Where does Ryan Schimpf fit in the top 30? Is he a future organizational player or does he have a major league ceiling?

Nathan Rode: He and [Ryan] Goins have some similarities. Schimpf can be an offensive second baseman but also showed versatility in college with the ability to play the outfield. I think he can be a solid major leaguer with that.

Any time the reports have "solid major leaguer" included, that's a good sign. I think Ryan will punish low-A pitchers in 2010, and carve a quick path to the upper levels of the minors!

Raynor Taken in Rule 5 Draft

The Rule 5 draft: every team looking for the next Joakim Soria or Johan Santana...

Well, usually, the Rule 5 draft means a chance for a player that might be stuck behind other players in a talented system, or even someone that is viewed more kindly by a different front office. This is whaqt ATVL wrote about the draft last year: Players taken in the major league phase cost $50,000. If the player does not stay on the major league roster for the entire upcoming season, the player is offered back to the original owning team for half price.

Last year, Rocky Cherry (Harrisonburg 01) was selected. This year, former New Market Rebel John Raynor (04) was plucked by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Florida Marlins. Baseball America listed all the players drafted- and included this tidbit about Raynor: At least a 70 runner, Raynor fits as an extra outfielder if his defense in center is serviceable. (That number "70" comes from the 20-80 scouting scale. A 70 is another way of saying that John is really, really fast.)

So Raynor will need to stay in the major leagues (barring injury, of course) with the Pirates all season, or be offered back to the Marlins.

Cowgill #9 Arizona Prospect

One of the most intriguing prospects with Valley League lineage is Collin Cowgill, a Covington Lumberjack in 2005. Drafted in the 5th round in the 2008 draft, Collin had an excellent pro debut, hitting 264/366/479 with 16 doubles, 4 triples, and 12 home runs at two levels.

Because of injury, he played in only 61 games in 2009, but still hit 277/373/445 in 220 at-bats.

In an admittedly weak Arizona Diamondback minor league system, Collin was ranked at #9 overall by BA writer Matt Forman. Here's his writeup (subscription only):

Background: Cowgill missed the entire 2007 season at Kentucky with a broken hamate bone in his left hand, and he didn't play after June 14 last season because of a hamstring injury. In between, he led the Northwest League with 11 homers in just 20 games in his 2008 pro debut, and opened his first full pro season in high Class A. The Diamondbacks considered sending him to the Arizona Fall League but kept him in instructional league instead.

Strengths: For an undersized player, Cow­gill has surprising power. He has great bat speed and takes advantage when pitchers make mistakes. One team official called Cowgill a gamer and compared him to Aaron Rowand with a better swing. Others compare him to Cody Ross. Cowgill has average speed and uses his instincts to steal bases and chase down balls in center field. His arm is solid.

Weaknesses: Already 23, Cowgill can't let injuries slow his development further. While he holds his own in center field, he ultimately projects as a right fielder. He can get overly aggressive at times and will chase pitches out of the zone, especially with two strikes.

The Future: Cowgill earned the right to open 2010 in Double-A after hitting well in his two months at Visalia. On a contender, he profiles as a fourth outfielder who can provide righthanded pop and constant energy.

Congratulations, Collin!

Professional Alumni List, Updated

During each offseason, ATVL spends an inordinate amount of time updating his professional player spreadsheet, adding the draft picks from that year, and taking out retired and released players.

ATVL has decided to share this info with anyone who wants it- does anyone else out there collect lists like this? Click here to Download Pro players 2010 VERSION.

Last	First	Position	Team	Year	Round	Draft	Organization	Team	Level
Oxendine	Matt	SS	Front Royal	2003	15	2006	Arizona	South Bend	A
Cowgill	Collin	OF	Covington	2005	5	2008	Arizona	Visalia	A
Woodall	Bryan	P	Winchester	2007	21	2008	Arizona	South Bend	A

(This is a sample of what the spreadsheet looks like.)

Enjoy!

Tekotte in San Diego Chat

Another ATVL favorite, Blake Tekotte, is beginning to make some waves in San Diego's minor league system. (Any of ATVL's interview subjects tend to turn into favorites...) He didn't make the top ten, but he was named in Matthew Eddy's chat (subscription only). Here's the question:

Lloyd (Carlsbad): What kind of future do you see for Blake Tekotte? Thanks Lloyd

Matthew Eddy: A best case scenario: Solid starting center fielder who contributes across multiple categories. Tekotte can sting the ball, but his quickest path to the big leagues might be as a table-setter, someone who hits for average, draws walks and steals bases. The down side: A speed-oriented, lefty-hitting reserve outfielder.

Blake had a solid 2009 season in Fort Wayne. He finished 258/345/396 in 530 at-bats, with 24 doubles, 5 triples, and 13 home runs. He added 30 stolen bases and a 68/97 BB/K ratio. Good luck reaching that best case scenario, Blake!

Jay in St. Louis Chat

In Baseball America's 2007 Prospect Handbook, Jon Jay (Staunton 04) came in at #5 in the Cardinals' system. He fell to #11 in 2008, and then #12 in 2009. He did not make the top 10 for the 2010 list, either, but he was named in the Derek Goold chat (subscription only).

Jon Jay (My Computer): How far off the Top 10 did I fall this year, and how can I get back in your good graces?

Derrick Goold: Never fear, Jon Jay. You didn't fall that far, and while your start to the season was cause for concern the strong finish and a good turn in winter ball so far (.323/.418/.431) has buoyed your place in the rankings. A spot on the 40-man roster says it all. Follow Skip Schumaker's lead, save for that whole changing positions to second base thing.

Those numbers are what Jay still has in the Winter Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional.

Since ATVL helped with the Waynesboro Generals last year, he learned what can happen what a roster suddenly changes. For example, Matt Adams, from Slippery Rock, was recruited by Lawrence Nesselrodt to be the big batin the middle of the Generals' lineup. Adams, however, was drafted by the Cardinals, and turned pro instead. He went on to hit 355/400/547 in 245 at-bats at two levels. As a bonus, here is the question about Matt in Goold's chat:

Michael Stern (Rochester NY): Is Matt Adams considered a legit prospect? He had a great year with the bat in Rookie ball at 2 stops. Can he play anywhere else besides 1B? - because you might say he's blocked there if he wants to play in St. Louis.

Derrick Goold: You might say? Nah, you can go ahead and say it. Adams is a monster of a first baseman. The pride of Slipper Rock U led the nation in hitting this past season and fits the profile of the college player the Cardinals find under a Slippery Rock — excuse me, it had to be done — by sifting through and normalizing a cagillion stats from college baseball around the country. Adams can hit. But he's got to hit above rookie ball to move onto the prospect radar. It's too early in his career to start thinking that he's blocked in this organization. See what he does at a higher level this year and check back.

So, although Adams isn't technically a Valley League alum, I thought I would include some info on him here.

Kratz in Pittsburgh Chat

In scouring the John Perrotto chat on Baseballamerica.com about the Pittsburgh Pirates' system, I came across this nugget:

cliff jordan (chicago, il): Who will be the Garrett Jones of 2010?

John Perrotto: How about Eric Kratz, who was re-signed as a six-year free agent? He is a catcher with some pop and the pitchers at Indianapolis loved the way he handled them last season.

Well, now.

Erik Kratz (Waynesboro 00-01, Harrisonburg 01) is an ATVL favorite. He helped get this website off the ground with a monster two-part interview back in December, 2006. Seeing his name mentioned as a possible break-out/surprise major league player is a good thing!

To put this in perspective, Garrett Jones exploded onto the major league scene in 2009 in Pittsburgh, hitting 293/372/567 with 21 home runs in 82 games. If Erik can do that, there will be some serious celebrating in Harrisonburg!

(For the record, I ran into Erik at Eastern Mennonite School's homecoming, where his sister-in-law was receiving an alumni award. He is cautiously optomistic about the upcoming season!)

Have I Mentioned that Yonder Alonso is a Top Prospect?

Yeah, I know, ATVL covers Yonder Alonso (Luray 06) to an excruciating extent, but there he is, once again named to a top 10 prospect list- this time the Arizona Fall League top prospect list (subscription only).

Baseball America's Ben Badler named Alonso the #8 prospect in the AFL, with the following writeup:

Like [Freddie] Freeman, Alonso has been difficult for some scouts to evaluate in the AFL due to injury. Alonso hasn't been the same hitter since missing two months in the second half of the minor league season because of a broken hamate bone. Alonso hasn't been able to drive the ball with as much authority as he recovers from the hamate injury, and he seemed visibly frustrated at times in the AFL.

When healthy, Alonso has above-average power and good bat speed, allowing him to let the ball travel deep in the zone and wear out the gaps. His plate discipline helps him get into good hitter's counts and get on base at a high clip. All of his value should come from his hitting, as he's a well below-average runner and a limited fielder.

Alonso hit 267/353/395 in 86 at-bats in the AFL; he's currently playing winter ball in Puerto Rico.