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

Angels

• Clayton Andrews: 27-year-old with a 6.31 ERA and an 8-8 record at Salt Lake. Showed promise at high-A Hagerstown in the Blue Jays system but got found out and never really recovered. Played indy league ball for three years before the Angels signed him in 2005 as a free agent.
• Eric Cyr: like Eric Gagné of the Dodgers, a francophone Canadian who somehow ended up playing baseball in Seminole Junior College in Oklahoma. Excellent strikeout-to-walk ratio, but not much else to recommend him. Spent time in the Padres and Reds systems as well.
• Justin Dowdy: from Moneyball's "factory", Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego. Never played in any league over high-A, he's forgettable; had decent strikeout rates but gave up far too many taters.
• Delvin James: 27-year-olds in AA are not prospects.
• Jason Olson: a reliever for the Dodgers in AA Jacksonville, he was part of a late-season trade. Olson had okayish strikeout rates in AA Jacksonville but got hit hard in limited service with AA Arkansas and AAA Salt Lake. Missed 2003-4 from an elbow injury. Had a 2.66 ERA with a 7.06 K/9 rate, meaning he was probably pitching over his head.
• Alex Serrano: a Venezuelan player, Serrano was a July pickup after he was released from the Colorado Springs Sky Sox' roster. Has had double-digit K/9 rates twice in his career, but guys who spend four years in Rookie-A ball and are 24 are at best fringe-y.
• Evan Thomas: Brendan Donnelly's feel-good story aside, the number of 31-year-old guys who pitch well in the Show after spending five years at AAA between five different organizations is vanishingly small. Thomas won't be one of them most likely.
• Francisco Villegas: This could be a screwup on BA's part; Baseball Cube shows him as part of the Yankees organization.
• Mark Watson: another 31-year-old, in seven organizations, never accomplished anything worthy of note.

Emmanuel Santana: not sure this is correct, as the Cube says he's only been in the Angels system for a year. But then, their data is known to have holes.

Infielders:

Ivan Reyes: weak-hitting third baseman, formerly with the Yankees. Played some in indy ball. Beyond cheap/free/replacement.

Outfielders:

• Luke Allen: fringy fifth outfielder type; depth at most.
• Brian Gordon: 25, can take a walk sometimes, but strikes out about four times as often. Has some pop (hit 22 home runs last year at Salt Lake).
• Curtis Pride: 36, has no business occupying a major league uniform anymore. Time to see what Nick Gorneault can add to this role.
• Chris Prieto: nothing special, 32, two major league at bats under his belt.

Dodgers:

• Alfredo Gonzalez: 25, working his way into suspect category, probably 3/4 there. Earned "best changeup" in Baseball America's 2004 Dodgers system ranking. Had strong strikeout rates in lower levels that declined somewhat as he went through the system. Principally used as a reliever now, had a 4.91 ERA with Las Vegas, but a 5.86 K/9. Beware.
• Thomas "T.J." Nall: despite his nickname, he doesn't seem to have missed any time due to injury. The best thing you can say about him is he throws strikes; the bad thing is, they turn into hits (12.83 H/9 in 108 IP at Las Vegas).
• Mike Neu: had phenominal early years in the Reds organization, Neu was the Miami Hurricanes closer in college. Selected in the 27th round, he had outstanding strikeout rates until he was traded to Oakland; ever since, he's walked a lot of guys.
• Beltran Perez: former Diamondbacks prospect, he was part of the return in the Shawn Green trade. Posted the best ERA and K/9 of his career at the AA level, which may not be saying much since this was his third tour at that level. Baseball America named him one of the top 20 players in the AZL in 2000.
• Victor Perez: can't find a match for him in the Baseball Cube or Baseball America.
• Dimas Reina: 23-year-old in single-A ball. Nope.
• Ryan Rupe: 31, never been better than adequate at any level, and lately topping 6.00 ERA in Las Vegas. Just Say No.
• Mike Venafro: 31 and left-handed tell you all you need to know. Professional baseball is littered with guys like him. Not appearing on any upper-division team and certainly not on a contender.

Edwin Bellorin: weak-hitting, poor eye, must have some defensive value, else the Dodgers wouldn't have held on to him for so long. 23, so he's probably got some value in a system deprived of catching depth, if nothing else as an organizational player.

Infielders:

Jose Flores: infield depth purchased early on by DePodesta from the Oakland organization, he was the subject of some early bad doggerel around these parts. A 4-A type, he's never going to see a significant number of at bats, and probably will scurry off to whatever club needs a sixth infielder in their AAA club just in case.

Outfielders:

• Todd Donovan: six-year veteran of the Padres system, has never hit well outside of hitters' leagues/parks.
• Nick Theodorou: 30, pretty much the same story as Donovan: no pop, weak hitter. Former Bruin.

// posted by Rob @ 12:59 AM link  //  0 comments