S19 Knights preview

New York Knights

S18 record: 64-98
Finish: Third place, AL East
2010 final payroll: $59.7 million
Estimated 2011 opening day payroll: $ 75 million

Offseason action:

Gaping holes at SS and C with limited production at 3B, LF and CF. RF Doyle Twitchell at 29 will be looking for more than a 1 year deal in S19. I'm not sure NY will want to invest that in his bat. He will want close to double his 1.5M last season to return. Outside of Twitchell look for another 6M to come off the books in S19. The will come in handy to settle NY's 5 arbitration cases. Stars Fergiue Ryan and Juan Cervantes will be retained. The question with Ryan might be do you tie him up with a long term deal. It is hard to find determine the value for a guy who plays a non-premier defensive position who doesn't offer a lot of power. At 27 he still should have treads on his legs for a few more seasons. So the question will be what will NY do? Little used 1B Manuel Pineda, Defensively specialist CF Oswaldo Jacquez, and AAA SP Emilio Lee will further complicate matters for NY. Each might have value, but what value do they want and what is NY willing to give.

Reality check

RF Carlos Carrasco signed a 4 sear 24.2M deal in S18 that bought out all his arbitration seasons. He responded by batting .242 with 12hr42RBi and 16SB. New York will be looking for more production in S19 from him with the potential exit of Doyle Twitchell. Rookie 2B Stu Taylor will also be counted on more to add both offense and sneak onto base more regularly. His .258 Batting average looks better when you remove his at bats versus left handers where he looked horrible. Tandeming him with AAA Prospect Homer Eldred might be the best solution. In addition AAA SS David Gardner should get some time next season and break into the start lineup either in the OF or at 3B. He should not be the future at SS under any circumstance. What to do with super hitting prospect Tim Ross will be a huge question in the spring. He has no value except at the plate, but his bat might be desperately needed in NY this season.

Hugh Richardson New York Knights Age: 30 B/T: S/L Born: Phenix City, AL Position(s): P (SP3) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The Rotation is far from set. High Richardson is the only established pitcher on the team. Richardson struggled in S18 campaign amassing a 6-15 record with a 6.35 ERA. Expect a rebound, but not if the Knights continue to lean too heavily on his arm. Rounding out the rest of the rotation will be Christian Lim( 7-18 6.97ERA), Preston Walker(10-15 6.15ERA), and Adam James(Record 2-3 in limited action) . All could be upgraded on. Javier Mendoza should serve his time in Long relief but a desperate NY might be forced to start him. Further intrigue might be with reliever Omar Ramirez who could be started if monitored and allowed for extra time off. He might be the most skilled of the Knight pitchers and worth the investment. AAA Pitcher Emilio Lee should also get the once over and should see some time soon in the rotation.

The bullpen is headed by a recovered Diego Cruz who after a down S17 seemed to have regained form reeling 20 of 25 saves. Tony Velazquez showed mixed results in the pen walking 71 in 109 innings while striking out only 77. RP Omar Lowe might be the most overpaid guy at 4.4M for his lack of talent. A better option might be AA Reliever Lucas Hansen who put up healthy numbers in S18 and should get a few inning in the spring to earn a spot.

Summing it up With a Quote:

"All this team needs is a few big bats maybe a couple solid gloves and hell two solid arms and we will see you in October" - Diego Rivera Former AA bench coach now coaching the ML

S19 Ice Storm Preview

Burlington Ice Storm (AL)

S18 record: 66-96
Finish: Fourth place, AL North
2010 final payroll: $76.4 million
Estimated 2011 opening day payroll: $ 72 million

Offseason action:

Really need to shore up the rotation and add to the bullpen. Free Agency looms with 6 key guys potentially moving on. SS Gene Ward is a defensive god, but struggles at the plate 4M might be a good price to get him back at. 3B Jerry Robinson might never lead the league in anything, but he has a knack of getting key hits. I'm not sure he's worth his 6M price tag. SP Jarrod Everett(37), Daryle Davis (37), Del James (34) could be had for a discount, but still they might be better short term solutions than what The Ice Storm needs. RP Kevin Burke seems to have recovered his form that made him a top closer 5 seasons ago, but he's not 6.6M better. Burke should be gone, The Storm also has 6 Arbitration hearings to dig through. Of the 6 only 2, Cf Frank Yamamoto and RF Jung-Lee Suzuki really stand out as must resign.

Reality check

Offensively this team is better than they performed last season. 1B Sergio Cuddyer knocked in only 29 HR and under 100 RBI for the first time since S15. His potential is closer to 40Hr and should be able to contribute more than 100 RBI a season. At 6.5M he is a good deal. 2B Nipsey Diaz and his 5 year 93M deal signed in season 16 was questioned as a huge mistake on a guy who has always underachieved now going into the 3rd year of his deal, Diaz has continued his underachievement. He needs to step up the production this season. 2B Bartolo Ozuna is back as the lead off guy and should be expected to steal his usual 30 bags. Rookie 3B Earl Boswell should get a full season to show what he can do, but in his brief season last year batting .265 with a solid walk/strikeout split. LF Chris Dwyer should be able to recover back to his full strength in s19. AAA CF Skip McEnerney might get the call up this season and make a run at being the utility guy or maybe even steal some starts.

The rotation is long gone from the days when this team dominated the division. The Free agency departure of Everett, Davis and James puts huge holes in the Storm rotation. The rotation is left with up and comers Cory Smith, Billy Gipson, Patrick Foster and Jody Olsen. All are solid AAAA guys, but not a one of them are Aces in waiting. The rotation needs a go to guy which is lacking right now. With all the holes Burlington might consider calling up HiA star Alfredo Andujar for a look. He's close to being ML ready and could be an upgrade over what they currently feature.

The Pen is in better shape. LR Curtis Nichting should be a solid long reliever for the Storm, He might end up in the rotation, but for now he's slated here. Closer CL Miguel Mondesi is a solid late inning guy and is coming off a good year, but he needs a better supporting cast. Farm hands Tex Nelson(AA), Kelvin Shaw(HiA), Milton Lanier(AAA) could all be ready for the start of S19.

A lot of decisions to make and direction to set.

Summing it up with a Quote:

Nipsey Diaz Burlington Ice Storm Age: 30 B/T: R/R Born: Teachey, NC Position(s): 2B/CIF/OF/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

"Dog, my ride is pimped. Those are solid gold 24's with custom diamond spinners" - 2B Nipsey Diaz

S19 Train Wreck Preview

Norfolk Train Wrecks

S18 record: 58-104
Finish: Third place, NL East
2010 final payroll: $36.3 million
Estimated 2011 opening day payroll: $41 million

Offseason action:

Pitching and more Pitching would change the chemistry of this team and could quickly turn them into a winner.

Free Agents C Phil Tabaka, 37 and 3B Kevin Chaisson, 36 will look to take their games elsewhere if not retire. Both carved out nice niches in Norfolk and still could contribute but for ½ their S18 pay. On the other hand FA to be pitchers Clayton Mills and Joe Phillips were bargains at 600K and 940K respectively. Both will want to be paid to come back. If you can pull Phillips in under 3M a season why not give him a spot in the rotation. Both are far from stars, but are nice pieces to have on a rebuilding team.

Reality check.

Scot Bowman Norfolk Train Wrecks Age: 32 B/T: L/L Born: Palmdale, CA Position(s): 1B/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Nice outfield combo of 29 year old CF Brad Finnessey, 28 year old Bert Jones, and 22 year old Max Bennett. They all provide a solid offensive and defensive presence. Add in All-star 1B Scot Bowman and 3b Duffy Hudek and you have a very complete lineup. With the exception of a hole at catcher and no bat at SS. The team should be able to roll into the season with a solid blue collar lineup.

Bowman, Jones and Bennett all are capable of hitting 30+ home runs which should add some fire to the offense. If the Train wrecks can get them all swinging at the right time.

AAA catching prospect Malcolm Rogers should get a shot this season with the departure of Tabaka. In addition the Train Wrecks will want to get looks at RF Frank Kulik( AAA), CF Brett Bacsik(AAA), LF Hector Purcell(AA), LF Gustavo Figureoa(AA), SS Al Encarnacion(AA), and AAA 2B Bobby McClain. All have huge upside and are close if not already ready to be in the Show. My guess is not all will make out of spring training wearing a Norfolk uniform, watch out for a blockbuster trade to bring in some pitching help in S19.

The pitching is a little more unsettled. The one and two slot are slated with 3^rd year man Rudy Henry and 4^th year ace Trenidad O'Donnell, but the rest of the rotation is still up in the air. Henry compiled a lowly 6-20 record last season. Expect a season closer to his S17 numbers of 12-14 wins. O'donnell's season was derailed early in S18 with injury and he missed 12 starts, but still posted an 11-7 record with a 3.60 ERA. On the farm Norfolk might try to get an extended look at3rd overall pick Joshua Quinn who tore up the rookie leagues last season for a 10-1 record with 1.20 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. He averaged over a strikeout an inning. Depending how he looks in spring it's likely we see him very soon.

The Bullpen needs work; they really could use a number of upgrades. CL Frank Jackson is average at best though his stellar 20/22 conversion rate might show otherwise. It would not take much to upgrade this area as they have LoA sensation Larry High ready to go. He should get an extended look in spring training. As will Jamie Mathews who could step into the closer role.

Summing it up with a Quote:
"Put away the walker, I'm playing!" 38 year old Phil Tabaka

S19 Twains Preview

St. Louis Twains

S18 record: 56-106
Finish: Fourth place, NL North
2010 final payroll: $54.7 million
Estimated 2011 opening day payroll: $ 65 million

Offseason action:

The Twains really could use a solid catcher, a few consistent power bats, a solid 2B and 3B, Improvements at RF and LF. Hell they need all the pieces to make this team right. Speed seems to be the focus, but you still need to get those wheels on the path if you want to score.

SP Brandon Roosevelt's broken elbow limited his action in S18. He was able to post a stellar 2.64 ERA to go with an 8-5 record. With his lose the wheel came off the Twains. Bringing him back in FA might be an option, but at 36 he is no longer capable of giving a consistent 6+ innings.

Arbitration eligible pitchers Pablo Sosa and Livan Campos might be much signs this season, both over more value than their hearings should cost.

Reality check

CF Donaldo Alverez had a solid Rookie campaign and might be a solid 8 or 9 hitter. He has great speed and could be a solid .250 hitter, but he is far from the guy to build a team around. St Louis is in the middle of a huge rebuild outside of 1B tandem of Jumbo Maduro and D.J. Hoiles there is very little offense to speak of. Defensively shortstops Wes Kirwan and Kazuhiro Shigetoshi provide one of the best defensive tandems in the game, but at the plate there needs to be more around to protect these vulnerable bats. The minors hold 2 glimmers of hope AAA LF Vic Alicea who has stolen 65 bags over 3 seasons and AA 2B Jim Griffin who has racked in 365 bags in 4 seasons. Both should get an audition this season, but both are not going to drive in the runs. A few guns are needed to even of offense is St. Louis wants to be near .500

Even worse things are predicted for the pitching. As a unit the pitching for the Twains overachieved in Season 18. I would not expect to see a repeat on the ERA and wins from the same unit again. Outside of starter Pablo Sosa, the Twains will lean heavily on 2^nd year man Samuel Jackson. At 25 he held a decent 8-10 record with a 4.18 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. After those 2 the pitching staff is in flux. Frank Rivers is a solid Long Relieve, but not a game changer. On the farm the Twains could look to bring up International signee Yeico Chavez who might be able to carve his way through ML hitting. He is young and might not be ready for that push just yet. Another option is giving AAA Alvin Frank a shot again to make it in the league. Help needs to come soon to fix this team or they will be looking at another 100 losses.

Yeico Chavez St. Louis Twains Age: 21 B/T: L/L Born: Quivican, CU Position(s): P (SP2) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Summing it up with a Quote:

"That ball seems to be going… going…. going to be fielded on one hop to the second baseman" - Frank Winters ESPN Play-by-play

S19 BRAVES PREVIEW

Atlanta Braves (NL)

S18 record: 55-107
Finish: Fourth place, NL East
2010 final payroll: $77.3 million
Estimated 2011 opening day payroll: $85 million

Offseason action:
They need to address a huge hole at shortstop, adding a few defensive minded guys to the bench and targeting a solid pair of starters.
FA RP David Itou (32) Might still have some gas in the tank, but his talent is a dime a dozen and could be had for less than his 2.2M asking price. With 11 Players Arbitration eligible, Atlanta will have a lot of questions going into the off-season. Huge impact players such as Sp Tony Hujimoto, RF Theodore Grace, C Alex Delahanty, RF Kurt Tanner, and LF Edgar Nunez , all need to be evaluated and decided if they will be part of the future or should be shipped out for younger talent. Someone might be willing to sell high for some of this talent or Atlanta might be able to piece themselves a winner with a few more parts.

Reality check:
2B Gabby Sanford, 33 is coming off a huge injury and might struggle to provide the speed and hits he had in the past. At 6.6M his contract might be tough to move by itself. Atlanta has to hope he has enough in the tank to provide 20 SB and at least a .275 average (an average he has not maintained in 3 seasons).

Theodore Grace Atlanta Braves Age: 28 B/T: R/R Born: Chester, MT Position(s): RF/CIF/LF/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The days of Travis Green (19 – plays in S18) starting at SS need to end, his bat does not even come close to covering for his poor glove. A move to the bench or to the minors would better fit him. SS Kennie Ramirez met the same fate early in the S18 campaign. !b/DH Matty Evers might be a better fit for the Al , being Arbitration eligible will make keep him and giving him Ab's or dropping him a big choice. He has averaged just over 100 Abs in 5 seasons in Atlanta. He might be the best offensive weapon they have to put at 1B. For a team who starts the worst defensive SS in the Game they are cautious to start a slightly below average 1B?

The outfield unit of Evers, Grace and CF Dickie Tartabull make for a strong unit. Tartabull struggled through a down season batting .233 with dips in all his production categories. Watch for him to rebound.

The rotation is flawed, but has some talent. Everett Ritz (7M a season through S19), 30 might be one of the top NL pitchers and would be coveted if he was on another team. Instead he is saddled with being the anchor on the lowly Braves. His talent might be hard with Atlanta to part with, but I can't imagine him being here for the fruits of this rebuild. Arbitration eligible Tony Hujimoto, 25 is a must resign and should be able to build on his solid S18 campaign. John Cho might be a diamond in the rough, he has potential to perform in the right conditions and would be a solid bottom of the rotation guy with no pressure.

Theo Cooper(22), Bruce Spencer(29), and Doug Tobin(32) should comprise the LR staff and be able to solidify innings that the rotation could not complete. None though have had much success as starters and would struggle being stretched again into that role. The final 2 spots might be filed with these guys or possible AAA John Carter who had a solid AAA campaign, Another option might be AA Buck Smith, who is coming off an elbow surgery shortened S18. He was unhittable when on the mound compiling an 18-2 record with a sub 2 era.

The rest of the Pen will be the real strength Setup guys 22 year old Ricardo Martinez and 25 year old Ivan Johnson are super inning munching relievers. What they don't pitch will fall to Victor Vega and Hong-Jin Xaio. Last season Johnson served as the closer moving him out of that role might better utilize his stamina and allow for a specialist to take the closer role. A few options might be AA Prospects Antonio Vaughn, who already burns a 40 man spot or Quinn LaRocca who closed out AA games at 32/35 clip.

Summing it up with a Quote:
"Queue the Benny Hill music Green's at short today" - TBS broadcaster on Live pregame coverage before the Braves /Dolls games last season

SEASON 19 Preview BULLS

Durham Bulls
S18 record: 50-112
Finish: Fourth place, AL East
2010 final payroll: $78.5 million
Estimated 2011 opening day payroll: $73 million

Offseason action:

3B Alberto Beltre- age:33 (.244 16hr 52rbi)11.4M comes off the books through free agents.
1B Al Richards (25), 2B Jose Duran (24), C Louie Li (27), RP David Suzuki (R) will all be looking to get raises this season. Richards might be the only one worth long term value of the bunch. His injury history though has limited his value though and it is unlikely his body will be able to withstand a full season of punishment. Suzuki has never found a home in Durham and might get a chance to test free agency this season before getting arbitration with the Bulls. Li is coming off a career season, but his fit might be better at DH than calling the pitches.
Durham needs to address a weak rotation, signed a veteran catcher and sign a solid center fielder. A little more pop in the order would not hurt things either.
The season 18 preseason trade of Theodore Grace marked a new era for the Bulls. Grace was the centerpiece for the Bull's lineup but knowing they would not be able to compete and working into his 3^rd year of arbitration they decided to move him. The same fate was bestowed on Long Time reliever Pedro Ortiz.

Reality check

The Bull's have a young star corp in the making led by SS AJ Rollins, his play at Short along with his superior hitting will earn him an All-star nod soon enough. Utilityman Miguel Franco looks to be the hands down selection for 3B for S19. His bat showed flashes of potential and once he gets his batting average on track he might be a fine middle of the lineup hitter. S19 will be the real test for him. The Bulls also gave fans a preview of S16 #1 pick (#3 overall) LF Emmanuel Horton. Fans and Bull's Front Office had to like what they saw in this speedy young man. Once he gets the game figured out, he might be the premier leadoff man in the AL.

Veterans like CF Germany Barker, 28 (signed through S21 for 6M) and RF Johnny Power, 31 (signed from S19 4.4M) might be looking at trade block or position changes. Barker's contract might limit his value, but he might be a superior 2B with his weak CF defense being a huge factor.

Bulls Pitching has been horrible for the last several years. The Bulls In recent years have brought in a number of talented pitchers only to watch their careers fizzle in a Bull's uniform. This season the Bullseyes will be throwing out a rotation led by Jimmie Eusebio, 31 and Pat Wight. Both have had success in their careers in other market, but have shown poor records in Durham. Eusebio signed a 41M 4 year deal back in S16 and has compiled a 16-42 record going into his final season. He should get a little more offensive support this season, but he still has an ERA that is 2 points higher than his career ERA outside a Bull's uniform.

Pat Wight spent his career in long relief before joining the Bulls on a 3 year 15M contract in S17. He has shown flashes and does belong in the rotation in Durham, he could be better if he went with a better pitch count in S19. His 3-14 record last season disguises a player who pitched fairly well.

Damian Carter( signed through S19 4.4M) isn't the pitcher who won 18 games back in S17 anymore., But he's a solid pitcher who can pitch the win games. His confidence in Madison was lost last season where he posted a dread 9/62 ERA in 9 starts. He recovered nicely in Durham and compiled a 7-11 record in 23 starts.

The other 2 rotation spots are up for grabs between Vince Sheets (Signed s19 3.3M), who might be a great Long reliever, AAAA Trace Vitiello.

The pen is in fair shape. Long Relief seems to be an asset with Sheets, Quinn Hollins (23), Julio Vargas (33), Jesse Clark (33), AAA Joey Owens (25) and Espinosa (35) via for Innings. There might be congestion here or an opportunity to tandem a few guys into rotation. The setup had found success with waiver claim Benny Miller and old standby Jose Perez setting up for rookie closer Cyrus Siddall. Siddall will need to improve his 6.20 ERA if he wishes to keep his job.

The pitching is still saddled by bad contracts notably to Pedro Espinosa (6M through S19), but not enough to limit this teams movement in the off season.

With young talent core of prospects, along with the most skilled shortstop AJ Rollin in the AL and great promise in left field (Emmanuel Horton), third Base (Miguel Franco), and a few sparks still in the minors in OF Bonk White (AA), SS Woodie Gross (AA) the Bull are gathering momentum. Their days on 100 loss season's might be a thing of the past . With a little luck, an improved rotation, and a healthy lineup, they'll contend in a few seasons.

Summing It Up With a Quote

"100 Losses, what me worry!"- Bull's Bench Coach

NL West S18 Draft Review

Cheyenne Marmots

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	SUMMARY
1	20	Pat Berkman	SP	18	Solid potential starting pitcher with good splits and 5 solid pitches. Above average control and solid stamina should make him the ideal #2 or 3 starter.
2	77	Bob McCarthy	2B	20	Solid speed and an excellent slap singles hitter. He has no power and might spend his career treasuring the rare home runs he does get. Should be solid enough defender that he could get regular playing time
3	110	Jay Kelly	SP	18	Poor control on an otherwise solid starter. Good splits and 3 solid pitches if he can find the strike zone he would be highly valuable. Without it he's minor league fodder.
4	142	Grady Spencer	RP	18	Average across the boards, he does have 2 high level pitches to throw, but not enough else to get him a lot of ML play time.
5	174	Hal Trachsel	RP	18	Average splits and low durability limit an otherwise solid reliever. Trachsel is a great 5th round project to hope gets it and really becomes something special.

SUMMARY: I like Berkman and think he will be a great additional piece to the rotation. I just wish they got one more talented reliever or defensive threat later in the draft. They did a solid job with their picks and should reap awards sometime soon.

Grade: B-

Colorado Springs Organizational Filler

Round		Fran	Owner	Player	Pos	Age	SUMMARY
1	23	voteforlou	Ahmed Lockwood	3B	18	Solid 3B with good power and splits. Should be counted on for 30+ hrs and a .260 batting average with his fair share of strikeouts.
1	26	CSP	voteforlou	Clay Bell	SS	18	Plus defender with average offensive production, he projects to have plus speed and should steal a few bases a season on lazy catchers. He has a lot of developing to do and scouts warn he can be a notoriously slow developer. He needs to hit is defensive projections if he hopes to make the Ml someday
1	39	CSP	voteforlou	Luke Garcia	SP	18	4 pitches and great control, but average splits and low stamina will limit his uses in the ML. He might convince a team in need to give him a shot and stay around until arbitration.
2	82	CSP	voteforlou	Otis Ryan	RP	18	2 top pitches and solid control, but lack the durability to be an everyday reliever. Could be good for 50 innings a season.
3	115	CSP	voteforlou	Nolan Daly	CF	18	Dropped to the 3rd round because of his salary demands. He is an average hitter with 2B quality defense. He might be a better football player than a baseball player. Got to hope he makes the right decision.
4	147	CSP	voteforlou	Fonzie Mulder	P	18	NOT SCOUTED
5	179	CSP	voteforlou	Matty Kennedy	P	18	NOT SCOUTED

SUMMARY: Mixed feelings about the future left side of the infield. Defensively they should be fine but they will bring a lot of question marks at the plate and need a steady hand in the minors. Lou has to work hard in the minors to get some value out of this draft.

Grade: C

Colorado Mile High Club

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	SUMMARY
1	19	Luke Henderson	1B	18	HS	Good Power/contact potential slugger, he does struggle against righties more than you would like, but he should still be an everyday guy in the field and a mainstay in the lineup.
1	32	Dave Coffman	SP	18	HS	Wild thing has elite level splits but poor control of the ball. He isn't a huge power pitcher, but still could be a solid starter. Someone really has to be okay with a guy that is going to walk about of players at times. His 5 pitches should give him every opportunity to make a go at it.
1	50	Andrew Laker	3B	18	HS	Would be better at RF or LF than in the infield. HE has good power and solid splits but lacks the contact to be a guaranteed ML'er. His Batting eye and solid intangibles should be enough to get him in the league for a spell though.
2	76	Zachrey Clapp	P	18	HS	NOT SCOUTED
3	109	Dave Engle	LF	18	HS	Speedy LF with solid contact and almost no power. He will struggle against right handers but should put the ball in play almost every chance he gets. Not a bad guy for the 3rd round.
4	141	Stump Larson	SP	18	HS	Poor control on an otherwise nice pitcher. Larson features one of the better 4-seamers in the draft. He did have some injury issues in his high school career, so scouts doubt he will make it through his career without a number of DL stints.
5	173	Lazy Palmer	CF	18	HS	Solid defender with nice speed. He could hit to save his own life though. Sometimes 2 stars in the 5th round are better than a good hitter though

SUMMARY: No slam dunk from the draft, but there are a few bright spots, Henderson is a definite ML player, but has signing issues and a limited Defensive range. The question will become if he ups his offer do you take the supplemental pick next season or take a sure ML'er. Coffman is a high risk pitcher, some will not run from his lack of control others will avoid him like the plague. In Colorado, he might have a death sentence.

Grade: C

Salem Slammers

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	SUMMARY
1	18	Cristobal Ramirez	RP	21	Ramirez must be making good money as an undergrad at Columbus St. Because he is looking for 8 million reasons why he should leave. Good luck to him because no reliever is worth 8 large who will struggle against righty and some durability issues. Salem swings and misses with this pick.
1	49	Boomer Fasano	SS	21	Solid hitter and runner, but he isn't fooling anyone at SS, better suited as a weak 3B or in the outfield. He has average splits for an ML'er and might find the road to the big leagues a long one.
1	57	Dom Cosby	SS	21	Average at everything, he's a solid 3B and could be used as an injury replacement, but he is no all-star.
2	75	Ronnie Rosen	RF	22	Another ho-hum prospect. Going to burn out in AAA with no prevailing tool to offer.
2	89	Alexander Jackson	LF	19	Has a little speed, but runs the bases to poorly to constitute a threat. Look for him to patrol the AAA outfields for a long time.
3	108	Yeico Mercedes	SS	19	Very similar to Cosby but picked up 51 picks later. Either he is a great pick up here or cosby is a bad one 51 picks earlier. I think you can guess my opinion.
4	140	Dan Abernathy	2B	22	Some speed, but not enough to get him noticed. He has average contact and splits but no power.
5	172	Norm O'Brien	SS	21	Defensive guru, but he has overvalued his skills and wants 8.5 million to sign. Sorry Norm, that isn't happening.

SUMMARY: Salem walks away from this draft with one possible glimmer of hope, Ramirez doesn't sign and they can get a type D picks next season.

GRADE: D-