Eye Black

The AZL Brewers were off tonight, but for those looking for their daily fix check out some recently posted videos in the Your 2015 Helena / Maryvale Brewers thread. Videos include an inning pitched by Nash Walters and at-bats by Gilbert Lara and Nicolas Pierre. Thanks to ESPN draft writer Eric Longenhagen (Twitter: @longenhagen) for continuing to provide some great video content from the desert.

More Brewers AZL player videos provided courtesy of the YouTube channel of ESPN draft contributor Eric Longenhagen... : RHP Nash Walters outing vs. AZL Athletics (6 minutes of video) : SS Gilbert Lara at-bat vs. AZL Athletics : SS Gilbert Lara at-bat vs. AZL Angels : OF Nicolas Pierre at-bat vs. AZL Angels

Demi Orimoloye will make his professional debut batting 2nd and playing in LF with the AZL Brewers tonight. This Arizona squad continues to provide "must see" Link Report content.

I'm counting like 30.5mil on the Dodgers signings if all true.....They just traded one of their slots to Toronto for I don't know what. But yeah You have about 3mil to spend...nah we'll trade some 100ks only have 2mil to spend....And still spend 30+mil. Wow such a joke and again Milw isn't trading their slots to this moment. Spend in 2016 Team trade everything you have in 2015. GM can't pull the trigger! So afraid to look bad in the outcome apparently. In addition to the sale to the Blue Jays, the Dodgers also just sold another international bonus pool slot to the Braves for two prospects in return. They absolutely could not care any less about the system or the tax penalties. Andrew Friedman is a Sabermetric Honey Badger.

AZL Brewers on the wrong side of a perfect game with two out in the 9th inning... BUT manage two hits (thank you Daniel Leonardo and Joantgel Segovia)! The two pitchers they faced tonight, rehabbing Zach Lee (23 years old) and Jairo Heredia (25 years old), have been in pro ball for a combined 14 years, so not exactly your typical AZL level hurlers.

Well not to ruin the suspense for you, but here (LINK) is a sneak peak of where and what amount guys are expected to sign for tomorrow.

Mets' Badamo allows one hit in first win Long Island native brushes off long night, dazzles in front of family By Danny Wild / MiLB.com http://www.milb.com/assets/images/6/7/0/134118670/cuts/Tyler_Badamo_qg49y77a_jmph0m81.jpg Tyler Badamo ranks fourth in the New York-Penn League with a 0.66 WHIP in three starts. Tyler Badamo and the Brooklyn Cyclones pulled into Dutchess County around sunrise on Wednesday morning, but the right-hander wasn't about to let a rough night of sleep ruin a start in front of his closest family and friends. "This is now three starts in a row I've had 15-plus people in the crowd," he said. "It's nice to be home." In spite of the long night of travel, the Mets prospect allowed one hit over seven dominant innings in his third start of the year Wednesday night as Class A Short Season Brooklyn blanked Hudson Valley, 7-0. Badamo, a 24th-round Draft pick last year, faced the minimum and held the Renegades to a leadoff single in the third from Nic Wilson, who was erased on a double play. He retired his final 14 batters and Craig Missigman worked around a hit in the eighth before Carlos Valdez fired a 1-2-3 ninth to finish off the Cyclones' second shutout of the season. "I felt pretty good out of the gate," Badamo said. "I had all four pitches working, I kept everything down in the zone. My changeup was breaking well, I kept them off-balance -- I don't think they knew what was coming any time in the game. I felt good strength-wise. Apparently, four hours of sleep works for me." Badamo said his mother, sister, fiance, daughter, aunt, a cousin and a group of friends made the two-hour trek from Long Island to Dutchess Stadium and none left disappointed. He needed only 63 pitches to cruise through seven innings, throwing 46 strikes and inducing nine ground balls from the 21 Renegades he faced. In fact, he was about 30 pitches under his limit when manager Tom Gamboa made the call to the bullpen. "He came up to me, said I was done and said I did a great job," Badamo said. "He said we have two guys coming in that needed work who hadn't thrown in seven days. I asked about my pitch count, but I shouldn't have asked. I realized I was at 63 pitches." It was an efficient performance that followed a long 24 hours in which Brooklyn played in Auburn on Tuesday night, departed the hotel at 1 a.m. and arrived close to Wappingers Falls, New York, around 5:30 a.m. "We drove through the night," he said. "I surprised myself a little. I thought I would be a little more tired, but I kept the ball down and it worked out pretty well." Brooklyn gave Badamo a lead in the first when Jeff Diehl followed Mike Katz's bases-loaded walk with an RBI single. Dave Thompson added a sacrifice fly in the third and an RBI single in the fifth, Natanael Ramos hit a two-run homer in the sixth and pinch-hitter Pedro Perez capped the night with his first blast in the ninth. Badamo -- drafted out of Dowling College -- a Division II school on Long Island -- signed with the Mets last June and spent the summer in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, going 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 31 innings in 10 games, including four starts. He was at extended spring training this year until the Mets shipped him north to Coney Island, where he debuted on June 19. The right-hander allowed two runs over six frames in his first start at Staten Island before taking his first professional loss on June 25, when Connecticut reached him for a pair of runs over 6 2/3 frames. Badamo said he's finally getting used to the environment of the New York-Penn League, a big jump from the empty practice fields in Florida. "The prep is a little different. You try to keep the fans and atmosphere out of your head as long as possible, but you let that all soak in when you get on the mound," he said. "We have fun in the locker room, I talk to teammates, I'm not one of those guys who avoids talking. I try to be as unfocused for that part of it as possible, but then I get into my routine and get up on the mound." Badamo throws a fastball, changeup, curveball and slider but said typically he only has three of those offerings to rely on. Wednesday was different. "Tonight I had all four. I was keeping them off-balance and throwing all four pitches in any count, so it worked well," he said. "First-pitch curve or slider, it was a good night for my stuff. I was locating my fastball and kept everyone off-balance, so it made it fun for me." Badamo said the Mets worked with him on refining his pitches at extended spring training for the first few months of the season. "It's a grind," he said. "They worked with me on locating my changeup early in the count and developing more movement with my two-seamer. I became pretty good with it." The other big challenge Badamo has faced was his New York baseball loyalty. He said he was a Yankees fan growing up a short drive from the Bronx but has since clarified his rooting interests. "I was more of a 'Core Four' fan," he said, referencing former Yankees stars Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada. "But I told myself, once Jeter retires, I would fully devote myself to the Mets. He happened to retire the same year I got drafted, so it worked out to be pretty cool. It's a great opportunity [getting drafted by the Mets], I wouldn't change it for the world." http://www.milb.com/assets/images/5/7/8/134156578/cuts/badamo_2b59orgp_9lrxw29z.jpg

Much more analysis in Chris' Twitter timeline tonight as he attend the AZL Brewers BP session about an hour ago. Use the link Mass Haas provided for plenty of informative tweets as well as Demi Orimoloye and Trent Clark sightings' (the latter with two black eyes apparently). Also mentions Clark will be cleared tomorrow. EDIT: Demi Orimoloye is not in the starting lineup tonight, so the wait continues.

Nathan Kirby experiences storybook ending to UVa career By Mike Barber / Richmond Times-Dispatch CHARLOTTESVILLE – Nathan Kirby’s remarkable college baseball career could have ended in the most unremarkable of fashions. Instead, it concluded in a spectacular style, with Kirby at the bottom of a dog pile celebrating Virginia’s first baseball national championship. “It was a very humbling experience to be out there with my teammates, to be the guy they called on to finish it off,” Kirby said last week, after the team returned to Virginia from Omaha, Neb., where it beat Vanderbilt two games to one to win the College World Series. Kirby, the former James River High School star and two-time all-American, walked off the mound in the third inning of a regular-season game against Miami on April 17 and felt discomfort on his left side. He had strained a lat muscle and would sideline him for nearly three months. That could have been it. Had U.Va. not turned in one of the most improbable postseason runs in NCAA history, earning an at-large bid to the tournament, then winning five straight games to sweep through a regional and super regional to reach the College World Series for the second straight year, Kirby’s last college game would have been that Miami game. “I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t think about that,” Kirby said. But in this storybook season for the Cavaliers, it was only fitting that Kirby would be toeing the pitching rubber to author the final few sentences. And what an ending he penned, recording the final six outs, five by strikeout, to save the 4-2 victory in the decisive Game 3. “You could just see the determination in that guy’s face, that he wasn’t going to be denied,” U.Va. coach Brian O’Connor said. “He was in complete control of the game. You could tell he really wanted it for his teammates.” You could make even more of the story, if you feel the need to. You could consider Kirby’s past failures in the College World Series, and view his triumph as a redemption story, the star pitcher setting Omaha straight before heading off to pro ball. Kirby did have an awful outing to start last year’s championship series, taking the loss in Game 1 after giving up eight runs, five of them earned, in 2 1/3 innings of work. He only allowed two hits but have walked five batters. U.Va. went on to lose the series, also against Vanderbilt, in three games. And Kirby’s return to the mound following this season’s injury came in the Cavaliers’ 10-5 loss to Florida. He gave up four runs in 2 2/3 innings in the only game U.Va. Lost in the entire NCAA tournament. With each diving slider, it was as if Kirby was telling Omaha, "This is the pitcher I really am." “I was just throwing as hard as I could,” he said. “Whatever pitch was called, I was just throwing as hard as I could and hopefully it would be over the plate.” But Kirby, who was drafted 40th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers in this year's MLB draft, insists he didn’t take the mound at TD Ameritrade Park to exorcise any personal demons. “No, I pitch for the guys in our dugout and the guys on our team,” Kirby said. “It’s nothing more than that. Each year is a different year, it’s a new year and you’ve got to turn the page. If you go out there and make it more than it is, I think that’s where people get caught up in the future and the past. Baseball’s a game where you have to be in the present. I just wanted to win.” His teammates could tell. “It was well deserved, but I don’t think it was much of a redemption game,” junior starting pitcher Brandon Waddell said. “They’re two different teams. I think he took that approach. I think if he took it as a redemption game, he would have been a little crazy, a little too pumped up for that. I think he kind of came in there really relaxed and just confident.” Behind him, the Cavaliers were plenty confident, too. It had been Josh Sborz, the series’ Most Outstanding Player, who closed out U.Va.’s Game 2 by throwing four dominant relief innings in the 3-0 win. But Sborz had thrown 77 pitches. He was spent. He and O’Connor both knew it. But Virginia had an ace – its ace – still up its sleeve. “My coach said, if we’re in a spot to win, I want you out there,” Kirby said. The week before, Kirby had been drafted by the Brewers. He hasn’t signed yet but fully expects his next pitch to come in the minor leagues. His U.Va. career is over. Instead of ending early because of an injury, it ended perfectly, with a championship.

From Jon Morosi, wondering if Parra or Lind are among the several players the Halos have checked on.

Brewers 12th round draft pick LHP Drake Owenby is on his way to join the Helena Crew per his TWEET.

Strange 2nd inning exit for Tyrone Perry in Maryvale tonight... AZL Rangers Bottom of the 2nd -Curtis Terry walks. -Chad Smith walks. Curtis Terry to 2nd. -Xavier Turner singles on a ground ball to center fielder Joantgel Segovia. Curtis Terry scores. Chad Smith to 2nd. -Nick Kaye singles on a line drive to center fielder Joantgel Segovia. Chad Smith to 3rd. Xavier Turner to 2nd. -With Josh Altmann batting, wild pitch by Connor Baits, Chad Smith scores. Xavier Turner to 3rd. Nick Kaye to 2nd. -Josh Altmann reaches on a fielder's choice out, third baseman Jonathan Oquendo to catcher Beau Wallace. Xavier Turner out at home. Nick Kaye to 3rd. -Jhonniel Alvarez singles on a line drive to right fielder Nicolas Pierre. Nick Kaye scores. Josh Altmann to 3rd. Defensive Substitution: Yerald Martinez replaces first baseman Tyrone Perry, batting 4th, playing left field. Defensive switch from left field to first base for Juan Ortiz. Pitching Change: Orlando Torrez replaces Connor Baits. -Antoan Richardson out on a sacrifice fly to left fielder Yerald Martinez. Josh Altmann scores. -Luis Terrero walks. Jhonniel Alvarez to 2nd. -Jose Almonte pops out to first baseman Juan Ortiz in foul territory.

I agree, Zimmerman's contract and lack of positional flexibility are significant road blocks. I still wonder if acquiring Lind is a risk the Nationals are willing to take since I would assume they have some concern about Zimmerman's chances to both stay healthy and regain his past productivity. I know the financial commitment to Zimmerman is a huge consideration especially since, as you mentioned, there is no DH fallback. From the Nats side of things though I would be concerned about putting too much faith in Zimmerman who has had an awful lot of shoulder issues for a guy that is 30 years old. I also can't imagine they want to use Espinosa at 1B for anything more than an occasional spot start. If they did acquire Lind (although he is not necessarily without his own injury concerns), he would provide a nice security blanket in case Zimmerman continues to struggle with either injuries or declining performance. If Zimmerman does return healthy and regain some of his past production levels, at the very least Lind could provide a valuable platoon partner both late season and into the post-season when expanded rosters would decrease the burden of carrying two first base only players. It does seem the fact that the Nationals are likely to run away with the NL East makes it less probable they will feel the need to make a move like this. Still, I don't think it is completely out of the realm of possibility since I think it would provide a nice boost to their lineup.

I am pulling the below comments out of the "Lind to Pirates" trade thread because the idea of the Nationals as a potential trade partner seems to merit its own discussion. I do think Adam Lind (plus maybe a bullpen piece) would make sense as a target for the Nationals. My concern with them as a trade partner is they seem to have a lot of prospects with red flags. Their top tier of prospects (Lucas Giolito, Trea Turner, Reynaldo Lopez, Erick Fedde) have huge upsides, but I am not sure if the Nationals would realistically move one of them for Lind. Fedde just recently returned from TJ surgery, and he might be the guy in that top tier they would be most willing to deal. A guy I could see the Brewers possibly asking the Nationals for is "veteran prospect" A.J. Cole. Cole seems to be in that category where a slight amount of his top prospect shine has worn off, but he is still young and talented enough to maintain plenty of attractiveness as a trade chip. Another young Nats arm is Joe Ross, but he seems destined for a permanent spot back in their rotation at some point in the future. If the Nationals aren't willing to entertain the idea of moving any of the players listed above, it starts to get harder to find a good match. Wilmer Difo is a middle infielder which isn't a position of need for the Brewers and just based on his stats I would be concerned that his success last season at age 22 in A ball was aided by being slightly old for the level and a statistical outlier from his previous production. Curious what others think, what could Lind reasonably bring back from the Nationals?

The quotes from Dave Stewart in this Ken Rosenthal ARTICLE are astounding. I can't believe that it is coming from a major league GM. He admits that they did not "shop" Touki, so he doesn't really know what Touki's value was among other teams. If the D-Backs got rid of Touki because they didn't believe he was very good then I have no problem with that. My issue is that clearly other teams still think he has significant value so why not strive to receive the maximum value in exchange for trading him. EDIT: Fangraphs' Dave Cameron (ARTICLE LINK) does a more complete and articulate job than I am capable of in his criticisms of Dave Stewart.

In 2007, the average signing bonus for picks 13-18 was $1.5M. In 2006 it was $1.58M, and in 1998 it was $1.34M. Assuming 5% inflation of bonuses per year, that would equate to 2015 signing bonuses of $2.33M, $2.57M, and $3.23M. My point was draft signing bonuses are not an accurate indication of a players open-market value. If the entire draft was auction style with no caps or penalties, and allowed players to negotiate with all 30 teams, a bonus that falls within the range between the 13th to 18th highest bonuses given out would be considerably higher than $3 million. Especially in a year like last year that was arguably more talent laden then the average draft, I think it is possible that 15 to 20 of the players drafted last year would have gone for more than $8 million on the open-market. If the day after Touki signed with the D-Backs they were allowed to sell him to the highest bidder it would have certainly resulted in a much greater amount than what they had paid him.

Congrats to your alma mater, dlk9s! LINK: Video of the final strike of the 2015 College World Series.

Gilbert Lara with his fourth hit of the night, a single. Impressive performance in just his fourth AZL game.

Gilbert Lara now 3-for-3 with a single, double, and triple (4 RBI) in a game that is only in the 5th inning. Should have a couple of opportunities to complete the cycle. EDIT: Looks like the official scorer changed Lara's double to a single. Either way, very nice night for Lara.

LINK: Video highlights of Nathan Kirby striking out the side in the 8th inning.

Wow five strikeouts for Kirby in two innings of work, and a National Championship. Congrats, now stay healthy at the bottom of that pile.

Nathan Kirby with one walk and three strikeouts in the 8th inning including a strikeout of 1-1 draft pick, Dansby Swanson on a check swing attempt. Kirby showed a couple of impressive sliders and is expected to stay in the game for the 9th in an attempt to pick up what would be the first save of his career, and oh yeah a national championship.

***Nathan Kirby Alert*** With Virginia up 4-2 in the 8th inning of the final game of the College World Series the Brewers draft pick is about to enter the game in relief. Talk about a high pressure situation for a guy that has only pitched in a game once in the past 67 days.

Virginia ties up the championship series at 1-1, which means tomorrow night is the College World Series' version of Game 7. With the winner take all game set, early indications are the Cavaliers will start Brandon Waddell with Nathan Kirby coming out of the bullpen.

And now some slightly better news via this TWEET update on Trent....