6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog

PITCHERS (7)

• Dusty Bergman (LHP); will be 33 when spring training starts. 13.50 ERA with the Angels in two forgettable innings, otherwise a very respectable 2.85 ERA in 72.2 innings; a relatively mediocre strikeout rate (6.66 K/9) but excellent control (4.15 K/BB) make him a possibility for a role in the pen. An AFL invitee, his 2-0, 7.00 ERA was ugly to look at, but as always, sample size (18 IP) and high elevation conspire to make those numbers nearly meaningless anyway.
• Eric Cyr (LHP): was a starter at AA Arkansas this year and again for Salt Lake. Like his teammate, Dusty Bergman, Cyr has bounced around a lot since being drafted in 1998 (30th round, by the Padres). Cyr was recovering from arm surgery (Tommy John?) as late as October, 2003, and only pitched 63 innings at AA (54 IP) and AAA (8.1 IP) this year. His AA record -- 4-3, 3.17 ERA, 7.29 K/9, 2.93 K/BB -- were all pretty good. Jim Callis in his 2003/4 Angels chat said he saw Cyr as "fifth starter or a middle reliever" whose good 2003 was likely "an aberration". At 26, he could be running out of time, but in an Angels system suddenly devoid of impact pitching talent, he may be given a little while longer to develop.

  Cool factoid: Like another, more famous Eric, he too hails from Montreal, and somehow also ended up at Seminole JC in Oklahoma. Maybe the Angels should make him their closer if Frankie doesn't cut it...

• Delvin James (RHP) -- another cuspy guy, James will be 25 at the start of spring training. In the minors since 1996 -- Tampa Bay drafted him in 1996 -- he's got 34.1 innings of major league experience, and none of it very good (0-3, 6.55 ERA). A minor league free agent at the end of last season, he apparently elected to stay with the Angels. Used mainly as a starter, he barely pitched (34.1 IP) in 2004. Very likely a longshot.
• Greg Jones (RHP) -- Jones's 2003 campaign at Salt Lake was brilliant enough that the Angels gave him some playing time at the end of the big club's failed campaign. His 4.88 ERA in 27.2 IP was enough to make it clear he wasn't ready for the show. He has not started above AA, and only pitched 53.1 innings at Salt Lake this year. With decent strikeout rates and control, he'll be 28 when pitchers and catchers report, and is another guy running out of time.
• Cory Lee (LHP) -- Pretty much the same story as with Jones, albeit Lee's even older -- 30 -- and had bad (2-6, 4.27 ERA) and worse (0-1, 7.64) seasons at Arkansas and Salt Lake, respectively. A former first-round pick of the Rangers, you can hear Mike Scioscia's toe tapping on this one.
• Joel Peralta (RHP) -- the 24-year-old reliever spent some time in rehab last year (you don't go down two levels to single-A for no reason). His strikeout rates returned to double-digit (10.89 K/9) levels last season, and his control was just as good (3.77 K/BB). Might turn into something interesting in the pen.
• Evan Thomas (RHP) was a former Phillies, Blue Jays, and Indians farmhand, he spent some time playing for the Atlantic League Camden Riversharks, indicating he at least had a hard time staying in affiliated ball. He has problems missing bats, and in recent years, mediocre strikeout rates. Another guy whose career is on fumes.

• Ryan Budde -- when you have a .235/.235/.265 line at Salt Lake after skipping two levels, it's not unexpected. However, the 25-year-old looks too much like organizational filler, not having hit well at any level. His best year was last year, with a .251/.313/.407 line at Rancho.
• Tom Gregorio -- a fringe-y backup catcher, Gregorio is offensively challenged, as well. Organizational filler, and likely to go soon if somebody else interesting shows up first.
• Mike Napoli -- reading about players born after I graduated from high school shouldn't cause me to check my gray hair quotient, but it does anyway. 25-year-old Napoli played in the AFL last year, and hit credibly (.284/.415/.433) enough to earn him an NRI slot. Napoli was über-prospect Jeff Mathis's backup at AA Arkansas. John Manuel in his 2004 Rule 5 Draft preview said of Napoli that he's "better at first base than at catcher... has holes in his swing and won't hit for a high average... has game-changing raw power and has shown aptitude defensively behind the plate, though he'll never be more than average."
• Bobby Wilson -- though he's only 21, he's been in the minors two years, hitting .286/.320/.386 for single-A Cedar Rapids; two years ago, he led the Pioneer league in RBIs. A former high school teammate of Casey Kotchman, he garnered the compliment "a very promising hitter" from Jim Callis in his 2003 chat on the Angels system.

• Erick Aybar -- Aybar is on or near the top of a lot of prospect lists, placing fourth best at shortstop overall and third best prospect in the Angels system, Alan Matthews thought Aybar would take over shortstop in 2006, but now that the Angels have long-termed Orlando Cabrera, that's over with. His .330/.370/.485 line for Rancho was impressive; look for him to be shopped for an outfielder or starting pitcher.
• Howard Kendrick -- the owner of an eye-popping .367/.398/.578 line in Cedar Rapids, the 21-year-old second baseman was selected as the Midwest League's postseason All-Star second baseman. Kendrick did so well he cracked BA's top ten Angels prospects at 8th.
• David Matranga -- the 28-year-old Matranga left the Astros system as a six-year free agent. He hit reasonably well in 2001 (.302/.391/.478) but never again as well.
• Zach Sorensen -- another six-year free agent, the weak-hitting Sorensen was a former Indians minor leaguer.

• Brian Gordon -- a six-year free agent from the Diamondbacks, Gordon put up middling numbers (.259/.305/.465) at Salt Lake.
• Nick Gorneault -- Gorneault had good enough numbers at Arkansas in 2003 that he was considered a sleeper prospect. In some wise, he still is; the Angels sent him to AFL, where he posted a disappointing .230/.297/.387. Still, he has good walk totals, and given the competition for the fifth outfielder job, a good showing in spring training could get him on the big club. Update: I have to amend that because, when I wrote this -- late -- I forgot that the Angels are presently awash in spare reserve type outfielders, in particular, Kendry Morales, who might just end up pushing DaVanon down the depth chart to the fifth outfielder slot.
• Tommy Murphy -- Murphy doesn't have the hitting skills to make it on a contending team, says Alan Matthews, as his .263/.313/.383 line at Arkansas attests. Still, he had a very good AFL showing (.329/.400/.430), enough to get him the NRI gig.
• Curtis Pride -- Pride is possibly the most likely to win the fifth outfielder job this year, but I'm not certain of it given his age. Update: ... but see comments above on Gorneault.
• Chris Prieto -- Bouncing around, variously, the Padres, Dodgers, Astros, Cards, and A's minors, as well as the Mexican League, he's never hit all that well; this is the longest of longshots.
• Reggie Willits -- the 23-year-old was drafted in 2003, and earned "best defensive outfielder" in BA's 2004 system overview. That's not much of a compliment, considering how thin the Angels' system is in outfielders now. .283/.373/.363 at Rancho tells you all you need to know about his bat.

// posted by Rob @ 11:34 PM link  //  2 comments