TheCrew07

All 3 would be top 10 in our system.

From Baseball America:

I do mean to offend when I say this, but who really cares? The issue here is about getting better value than a comp pick, that's it, and preferably acquiring the best talent available. Segura isn't going to be a defensive wizard but I'll curious to see what he does both with the bat and at the plate, both AA pitchers have upside I'd put them on the same level as Peralta from a prospect perspective. If true this is like only 3rd trade Melvin has ever made that I actually like.

Lutz's unique journey began overseas German outfielder working his way through Reds' system By Benjamin Hill / MLB.com http://www.milb.com/images/2012/07/26/3W4gGe8i.jpg Donald Lutz is batting .273 with 18 homers and 58 RBIs this season. (Ricky Bassman/MiLB.com) A quick glance at Donald Lutz's MiLB.com profile doesn't reveal anything out of the ordinary. Visitors to the page learn that he's a 23-year-old first baseman (and now, outfielder) in the Cincinnati Reds organization, recently promoted to the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos after bashing 17 home runs over 63 games with the Class A Advanced Bakersfield Blaze. He's 6-foot-3, bats left, throws right and was born in Watertown, N.Y. And not only has the power-hitting Lutz recently made the leap to Double-A, but he's currently on the Reds' 40-man roster as well. With this sort of baseball pedigree, it's easy to assume that he grew up immersed in the sport -- playing on the local youth fields by day and, perhaps, rooting on the New York-Penn League's Watertown Indians at night. Except, no. Lutz was born 1989 to an American serviceman father and a German mother, and when his parents divorced the following year, he relocated with his mother to her native Germany. He grew up in Friedberg, located in the southwest portion of the country. Lutz describes Friedberg as "a small town, with about 60,000 people. Real nice place, the closest big town is Frankfurt." And in Friedberg, as with virtually all of Germany, baseball is a sporting afterthought. Lutz grew up playing handball and hockey, but playing baseball -- let alone making a living at it -- was never something that crossed his mind. Late bloomer Lutz can't remember exactly when it was that he played baseball for the first time but guesses that it was at the age of "15 or 16." The impetus was his brother, Sascha, who is five years older. Sascha had began to play baseball himself -- he is now a member of the German National Team -- and one day he invited Donald to come along and watch him practice. It was love at first sight. Almost. "They gave me a chance to start hitting, and I hit right-handed at first because I threw with my right hand," recalled Lutz. "And it just didn't feel natural. I said, 'I don't know, this is not my thing,' but then [sascha] told me to try hitting the other way. So I started swinging left-handed and crushing the ball everywhere. From then on it was a lot of fun -- hitting the ball, watching it carry, watching other people hit -- it was all a fun time. Like, 'Okay, let's do this.' ... A week later they had me on the field, and I didn't know what I was doing. They just told me to swing the bat. I remember that my first at-bat was an inside-the-park home run. The next three, I struck out." The baseball bug may have bit Lutz at a late age, but once it did, there was no going back. The next couple of years were a whirlwind of activity, as his sporting career ascended to heights that he had, quite literally, never imagined. "As soon as I started playing, I tried to learn about the game. They don't show baseball [on TV] in Germany, so I went online -- MLB.com and all that," said Lutz. "After a year of playing, I switched to the second-highest league in Germany and started swinging a wooden bat. Before I knew it, I was on the German national team. "We started traveling and playing in international competitions, and a bunch of Americans came over and ran clinics for us. ... Soon I switched to the Regensburg Academy, a baseball academy that MLB actually supports, because prospects come out of there. They have a really good program set up, and I was working on my skills every day. Before it had been practice one day a week, and then games on the weekend. Now they were teaching us the proper way, school every morning and baseball the rest of the day." But throughout most of this time, Lutz maintains that he was still playing for fun more than anything else. "I didn't even know what Minor League Baseball was," he says, and it wasn't until a scout approached him in 2006 that he realized that he might be able to play professionally. "[The scout] asked for my email, and I thought, 'Why would he want that?'" Lutz said. "He explained that there was a chance that I could play in America, and that's when I started Googling the Minor Leagues." The Mets and Twins showed interest in Lutz, but he was signed by Reds scout Jim Stoeckel on July 15, 2007, as an international free agent. The following season, at the age of 18, he returned to the country of his birth and embarked on his still ongoing professional baseball odyssey. Ramblin' man Save for one week-long family vacation, Lutz had never spent time in the United States after age 1. But the Reds have given him one heck of a thorough tour, as thus far his career has taken him from sweltering Sarasota, Fla., backlots to the wide open spaces of Billings, Mont., to the Dayton Dragons' perpetually sold-out Midwest baseball carnival to the no-frills WPA-era environs of Bakersfield's Sam Lynn Stadium. And now here he is in Pensacola, home of the Blue Wahoos. "I had to Google that one, too," said Lutz, of hearing his team was named after a fish indigenous to the region. "I got my hat and said 'Oh, what's that? A Blue Wahoo?' ... But it's real nice out here, everything's top notch -- the field, the fans and this stadium, right on the water." Lutz speaks in similarly charitable terms about all of the places he's been along the way, but there's no doubt that the American lifestyle has taken some getting used to. "Everything is so spread out here," he said. "[in Germany] you can walk or take your bike, and the public transportation is really good so you don't have to worry. It seems like here, you need a car. And the food, everyone eats fast food every day. Back home there was one Burger King, but it's not a regular thing." The level of competition has taken some getting used to as well. After dealing with some injuries earlier in the season, Lutz says that his goal now is to "finish strong" while continuing to hone his outfield skills after spending most of the year manning first base. "I like both [positions], actually, but I'm starting to like the outfield a little better," he said. "I'm getting better reads on the ball, so it's been more fun." Meanwhile, in September, Regensburg will serve as the host of the first qualifying pool of the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Lutz says that he'd like to represent Germany in the tournament, but that his main goal at the moment is to be selected for the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League. There is still much to be determined, and those interested in learning more about Lutz and his unorthodox baseball journey can follow him on Twitter at @braunerhulk. "Brauner hulk," which translates to "brown hulk" in English, has been Lutz's nickname ever since his early days of bashing baseballs out of the park. "Someone called me that when I first started playing, because I was way bigger than the other kids," he recalled. "And then, at one of the tournaments, I wore a jacket under my jersey. I looked really big, and after that everyone called me [brauner hulk]." But no matter what you call him, Lutz's current mission in life is simple. In fact, his Twitter bio explains it all: "I wanna be the first German in the big leagues!"

BA Hot Sheet Chat

I mentioned this before but damn if it doesn't piss me off that Jack Z's group has once again built a tremendous system but this time on pitching... Danny Hultzen has been a stud all year and now one my favorite RHP Taijaun Walker gets the #1 on this weeks BA Hot Sheet. Finally, if all of the Billy Hamilton love wasn't enough, the best name in baseball DiDi Gregorius has taken off. It must suck to be the Reds and have 3 legitimate SS between AA and MLB. I wonder who gets moved to a different position or team and what the return will be? No. 11 JUNIOR LAKE, SS CUBS Team: Double-A Tennessee (Chicago) Age: 22 Why He's Here: .400/.438/.800 (12-for-30) 6 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBIs, 1 BB, 7 SO, 2-for-2 SB The Scoop: Lake missed all of April recovering from a back injury and his power was slow to return. He hit four homers in his first two months, but he nearly matched that total this week by crushing three bombs. This hot week has pushed his season line to .290/.341/.430, an above-average line in the Southern League. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Lake primarily played shortstop in the lower minors, but with one of the strongest arms in the minors he's played about a third of his games at third base this season. IN THE TEAM PHOTO It's been a big year for Cubs 3B Josh Vitters. After seemingly being stuck in neutral for two years, the third overall pick in the 2007 draft has put together his best year since low Class A. The 22-year-old Vitters is walking more, hitting for more power and continuing to hit for average. This week he hit .379/.419/.759 (11-for-29) with two home runs and 11 RBIs. He may not be a star in the making, but he has a decent shot at being a productive big leaguer . . . With Zack Cozart playing a solid shortstop for the first-place Reds, there's no need for DiDi Gregorius any time soon, but the 22-year-old ought to make Cincinnati's decision interesting when he's ready. Gregorius batted .367/.406/.733 (11-for-30) with three home runs for Triple-A Louisville this week . . .

I have a hard time believing that's true, but it must be, great tidbit Nashville and MH.

I think those were my exact words last time I went to the Old Country Buffet. Hey...we may be on to something. If Melvin does a deal like that, he will forever be called Doug "Golden Corral" Melvin. That's way too nice, I don't even want to consider the possibility...

. I think he's a boom or bust prospect but I love his arm.

only because of the Greinke talk on the transaction forum Cron extends streaks with walk-off slam

having split scouting directors, one international and one domestic, seems to be paying dividends for the Cubs. Baez gets love at the bottom of the article as well MWL notes: Reed looks to renew rivalry Peoria reliever hopes to one day oppose brother in Chicago By Curt Rallo / Special to MLB.com http://www.milb.com/images/2012/07/25/OOnEwAYl.jpg Austin Reed has not allowed a run in five July appearances. (Dennis Sievers/Peoria Chiefs) It's a sibling rivalry that blossomed on high school fields in Southern California -- one that Austin Reed and Addison Reed hope eventually flourishes in Chicago. Austin, a relief pitcher with the Peoria Chiefs, and his brother Addison, current closer for the Chicago White Sox, were both drafted on the same day in 2010. Addison was taken in the third round by the White Sox; Austin went nine rounds later to the Cubs. "My brother and I have talked about that, pitching against each other in a Cubs-White Sox game," Austin said. "We hope it happens one day. That would be a great rivalry series for us. We were drafted on the same day, two Chicago teams. It couldn't have worked any better." According to Austin, the rivalry with Addison flamed up in high school. "We've always been very competitive," Austin said. "He was a senior in high school when I was a freshman. We actually went to different high schools, just so we could compete against each other. He went to Los Osos High School, and I went to Rancho Cucamonga. I went 0-for-2 against him in my career, so he has me in that edge." Austin is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-hander. He's 3-4, with a 3.83 ERA and hasn't given up a run in his last five appearances. Although they are competitive, Austin said he and Addison also help each other out. "After he pitches or I pitch, we send each other texts," Austin said. "We call each other a lot and talk about how it's going. He gives me insights about how to pitch to hitters, and just to go after them. It's an advantage to have a brother in the big leagues. He's a great resource." Addison and Austin were expected to be drafted higher than their final position, but somehow word spread that bothd had plans to attend San Diego State. "Everybody thought I was going to San Diego State," Austin said. "I don't know how that got out there. I guess they thought my brother was going to go back for his senior year, and I was going to go there so we could play together. I never said that. I always wanted to play professional baseball." Each of the Reed brothers is relatively new to pitching. "I didn't start pitching until late in my junior year," Austin said. "My brother didn't start pitching until he was a senior in high school. I think it's an advantage that my arm is fresh, because I haven't pitched my whole life. I've only pitched three and a half years. "I'm learning every day. [Peoria pitching coach] Ron Villone has helped me tremendously, getting the ball in the zone, adding a couple of ticks to my velocity, which is working on my mechanics. He's been a huge help." "Austin is a great young man," Villone said. "He works hard. He's got a great live arm. He's starting to do some things to use him arm positively, which is pitch with command." Austin was a starting pitcher last season, but he hopes he has found a home coming out of the bullpen. "I would one day like to be a closer, just like my brother," Austin said. "That would be perfect for me. Right now, I come in any part of the game -- the sixth, the ninth -- and do my job. "Last year was tough, but I learned a lot from starting. It got my arm in shape. Now I'm in the bullpen, and I'm loving it." Villone said Austin's role hasn't been determined. "I don't think his role is going to be determined so much by his season numbers or how he's throwing -- it's how he progresses in getting the whole game," Villone said. "Here in [Class A], it's a good challenge. It's the first time guys have played for a whole season. You start moving up levels, guys know a little bit more. They understand the game quicker. They understand that you can get a lot more outs by getting ground balls. Austin is buying into that." Austin has already gotten an indication of the intensity of the Cubs-White Sox rivalry. "I went up to Chicago during the Midwest League All-Star break," he recalled. "I stayed with [Addison] in his apartment for three days. That was a pretty cool experience. I went to U.S. Cellular for three games, and they were playing the Cubs. It was crazy." In brief Rare feat: Javier Baez, the Chicago Cubs' No. 1 pick in the 2011 Draft, pulled off an accomplishment that only four Minor Leagues have done in 25 seasons of play at South Bend's Coveleski Stadium: He homered to straightaway center field. At Coveleski Stadium, the center-field batter's backdrop is a structure that houses the batting cages, standing 30-feet tall and 405 feet from home plate. It's been estimated that a ball clearing this center-field "Green Monster" has to travel at least 450 feet. The only other Minor Leaguers to do so were former South Bend players Jeff Leifer (1996), John Adams (1997) and Brad Miller (2007). Power debut: Kennys Vargas put on a power display in his Beloit Snappers debut. Vargas, coming off a 50-day suspension for using a banned substance, belted two homers in a 3-0 victory against Great Lakes. Vargas was with Elizabethton of the Appalachian League when the suspension started. Because a suspension must be served with the team on which the infraction occurred, Vargas had to wait for the short-season league to start before finishing out the final 32 games of his suspension. Marathon game: Pitching dominated Sunday's game between the Burlington Bees and West Michigan WhiteCaps. The Bees eked out a 1-0 victory in 13 innings in a game that lasted four hours. Burlington pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts. West Michigan pitchers had thrown a total of 21 consecutive scoreless innings against Burlington before the Bees scored their game-winner.

Gregorius strikes again with clutch shot Reds' No. 4 prospect hits walk-off homer in 14th Triple-A game By Robert Emrich / Special to MLB.com http://www.milb.com/images/2012/07/25/xEhpuw9d.jpg Shortstop Didi Gregorius has four homers in 14 games for Louisville. (Louisville Bats) Didi Gregorius isn't normally known for hitting balls over the wall, but he's been making a habit of it for the Bats. The Reds' No. 4 prospect was 3-for-5 with a walk-off homer as Triple-A Louisville bested Buffalo, 5-4, on Wednesday. After the Bats rallied to tie the game in the eighth inning, Gregorius took the third pitch of his at-bat against Bisons reliever Pedro Beato over the right-field wall to deliver the win for the Bats. "I was just happy," Gregorius, who scored twice, told the Louisville Bats. "I wasn't looking for any particular pitch. I hit a fastball, I put a good swing on it. As a hitter, you always look for the fastball. If you get a different pitch, you have to adjust. But I got a good pitch I could handle." Since being promoted to the International League on July 12, the 22-year-old shortstop is batting .321 with four homers and nine RBIs in 14 games. To put the power numbers in perspective, Gregorius slugged a career-high seven homers in 84 Minor League games in 2011, after having one longball in 81 games for Double-A Pensacola before his promotion. "They say you have to have power to hit home runs, but for me, if I make a good swing and the pitcher throws hard, the ball can go," Gregorius said. "For me, it's just making contact." Gregorius has a five-game hitting streak with two hits in each of his last three contests for the Bats. Trailing by four entering the eighth, the Bats got RBI singles from Dioner Navarro and Felix Perez before Cody Puckett tied the game with a two-run single. J.J. Hoover allowed one hit and struck out two in one inning to improve to 4-0 for Louisville. Collin McHugh allowed five hits and struck out six over 6 2/3 shutout innings but did not figure into the decision for the Bisons.

another college reliever having success as a starter for the Reds Dayton's Allen delivers one-hit outing Cincinnati pitching prospect dominant in fifth professional start By Ashley Marshall / Special to MLB.com http://www.milb.com/images/2012/07/26/SUjpvDtc.jpg James Allen has fanned 62 and walked 25 batters over 78 2/3 innings for the Dragons. (Jeff Murwin) Reds pitching prospect James Allen has done a little bit of everything in his baseball career. He hit .448 while leading Francis Howell High School to conference and district championships in his senior year. Then at Kansas State he blossomed into one of the top closers in the Big 12, recording 31 saves in three seasons. Now in his second year of pro ball, he's excelling as a starting pitcher. The key, he says, is a new conditioning program. Allen allowed one hit over seven innings as the Class A Dayton Dragons beat the Great Lakes Loons, 3-2, on Thursday evening. "The running is a lot different," he said. "I have to prepare to get my body to go multiple innings now. My pitching coach [Major League veteran Tom Browning] and strength coach [brad Hyde] extended my running because they could see I was getting tired. "The start after that I went seven innings [against Clinton on Friday]. It's made me feel better and my endurance is up." The new conditioning program sees Allen lift weights and run for 40 minutes the day after a start. Then he runs foul pole to foul pole 15 times on Day 2, and he runs from the foul pole to the batter's eye 12 times on the third day. On Day 4, he runs eight 60-yard sprints. On Thursday, this new regimen paid off. The 6-foot-1 right-hander retired the first 14 batters he faced before Pratt Maynard drew a two-out walk in the fifth frame. Leading off the sixth, Pedro Guerrero broke up the no-hit bid with a line drive to left field. But Allen induced a ground ball from Jesus Arredondo and he retired Darnell Sweeney to escape unharmed. "The guy is a good hitter," Allen said of Guerrero. "I threw an outside fastball to get ahead in the count, 0-1. Then [i threw] a slider that he checked his swing on, then another slider down and away for a ball for 1-2. "I came in with a fastball, but he lined it to the outfield. It was a good pitch, but sometimes you have to tip your hat." Allen finished up his night by working a 1-2-3 seventh inning before turning things over to the bullpen. "My two-seam fastball had some sink to it and it was working well. I was able to command it pretty good," he said. "The first couple times through the order, I was throwing mostly my fastball and then mixing in my off-speed pitches." Allen also relied on his slider -- his go-to pitch as a closer in college -- and incorporated his changeup, which he has only thrown since instructs last year. The outing lowered the Missouri native's ERA to 3.43 through 27 Midwest League appearances, including five starts. Drafted by the Reds in the seventh round of the 2011 Draft out of Kansas State University, Allen had worked exclusively out of the bullpen until earlier this month. He went 2-0 with a 1.26 ERA and seven saves in 22 relief appearances for the Rookie-level Billings Mustangs last year, and his first 22 games of '12 all came out of the 'pen. Allen made his first pro start in Bowling Green on July 3-- a 5-1 loss in which he allowed three runs), and his next four outings were on regular rest out of the rotation. In 78 2/3 innings, he has struck out 62 and walked 25 batters. "You just have to go with your gut on pitches," Allen said. "If you really want to throw a pitch and you know you can throw it with conviction, shake off your catcher. "If you keep your work ethic and work as hard as you can between outings, everything will fall into place." On Thursday, Michael Dennhardt worked around one hit in the eighth, and Carlos Contreras picked up his 11th save despite allowing a pair of ninth-inning runs. Great Lakes starter Duke von Schamann (2-1) took the hard-luck loss. He surrendered a lone run on four hits and a walk over eight innings.

Sounds Win Third In A Row Over Memphis, 7-3 Wily Peralta Strikes Out a Career High 11 Redbirds NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Wily Peralta struck out a career high 11 batters as the Nashville Sounds handed the cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds a 7-3 defeat on Thursday night at Greer Stadium. The win gave Nashville its third victory of the series and ninth win in the 16-game season series to earn the Tennessee Lottery I-40 Cup Series. With a 48-57 record, the Sounds are less than 10 games under .500 for the first time since May 27 when they were 20-29. In his seventh quality start of the season, Peralta (6-9) gave up two runs on five hits and two walks for the win. His 11 strikeouts set a career high and were also the most by a Sounds starter in a game this season. Peralta has five victories in his last eight starts (5-1, 2.66 ERA, 12er/40.2ip). Third baseman Andy Gonzalez (2-for-4) drove in three while second baseman Eric Farris went 2-for-3 with and RBI and two runs scored to extend his hitting streak to a season-high nine games and match his best effort this season. Nashville took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as catcher Dayton Buller gave the club their first hit of the contest with a double. The backstop then hustled around to score from second base on a throwing error by the pitcher. The Sounds tacked on two more runs in the next inning to go ahead 3-0. Farris led off with a single and moved to second on a walk by center fielder Caleb Gindl to remove Memphis starter Nick Additon from the contest. Gonzalez then crushed two-run double to left-center off reliever Maikel Cleto. · AUDIO: Gonzalez Two-Run Double Memphis got to Peralta in sixth, plating two runs to cut the lead to 3-2. With no outs and runners on second and third thanks to a walk and double, Lou Montanez hit a double to right-center. Nashville batted around and plated four runs in the next frame for a 7-2 advantage. The rally began with consecutive doubles from right fielder Jordan Brown and shortstop Edwin Maysonet, followed a Farris RBI single over the third baseman's head. The speedy left-fielder later scored from an RBI two-bagger to center by Gindl. · AUDIO: Gindl RBI Double Memphis added a late run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly against reliever Mike McClendon. In his first appearance since joining the Sounds, left-hander Mitch Stetter struck out one and walked one in one inning pitched. Amaury Rivas pitched a perfect eighth. Four Memphis pitchers combined to strike out 16 Sounds on the night, as season-high for both Redbirds pitching and Sounds hitters. Additon allowed three runs (one earned) in four plus innings. The right-hander struck out nine over four plus innings and opened the contest by striking out five of his first six. The Sounds look for a sweep of the division-rival Redbirds in the four-game series finale at 7:05 pm CT Friday night at Greer Stadium. Nashville right-hander Mark Rogers (6-6, 4.72) will toe the rubber against right-hander Brandon Dickson (5-8, 3.82). Nashville Box Score Wily had it goin on through 5 innings but let the 6th get away from him a bit, still he pitched well and that's all we want to see at this point. Quite the defensive change for this game as Farris was in LF, Gindl in CF, Green at 2B, and Brown in RF with Schafer sitting on the bench. Nashville Play By Play The Memphis 6th for the curious, much like Rogers most of Wily's problems have been walk/control related. Memphis Top of the 6th Jason Jaramillo remains in the game as the catcher. Mark Hamilton walks. Steven Hill doubles (6) on a ground ball to right fielder Jordan Brown. Mark Hamilton to 3rd. Eugenio Velez grounds out, second baseman Taylor Green to first baseman Sean Halton. Mark Hamilton scores. Steven Hill to 3rd. Lou Montanez doubles (4) on a line drive to center fielder Caleb Gindl. Steven Hill scores. Pete Kozma strikes out swinging. Nick Derba called out on strikes.

Sweet I'm on ignore.

Final: DSL Angels 4, DSL Brewers 3 DSL Brewers Box Score Even though the Brewers lost Gian Rizzo was an absolute monster as he builds his pitch count back up. He went an incredibly strong 5 innings allowing just 3 hits without a run or walk while strike out 8. I don't care if he throws 85 mph, get this young man stateside already. Unfortunately Pedro Peguero didn't fare very well in his 2012 debut recording only 1 out before loading the bases and being lifted for Eliezer Montano who gave up the game winning grand slam for the Angels before he could get out of the inning. Montano then cruised the 7th before turning the game over to Joan De La Cruz who set the Angels down in order in the 8th. No Brewers had multiple hits but Juan De Leon (1-4,2B) and Natanael Mejia (1-2,2B,BB) had XBHs in the contest. Juan Ortiz did get on base twice but then was promptly picked off of 1st twice. Carlos Pena did not play after being lifted the other day, nor has Belonis returned the starting line-up. DSL Play By Play The difference... DSL Angels Bottom of the 6th Pitching Change: Pedro Peguero replaces Gian Rizzo. Ayendy Perez singles on a fly ball to right fielder Elvis Rubio. With Angel Almao batting, wild pitch by Pedro Peguero, Ayendy Perez to 2nd. Angel Almao hit by pitch. Enyelber Vivas grounds out, second baseman Alejandro Mendoza to first baseman Yunior De La Cruz. Ayendy Perez to 3rd. Angel Almao to 2nd. Ismael Dionicio walks. Pitching Change: Eliezer Montano replaces Pedro Peguero. Ranyelmy Mendoza pops out to shortstop Raphachel Colatosti on the infield fly rule. Angel Montilla hits a grand slam (2) to left field. Ayendy Perez scores. Angel Almao scores. Ismael Dionicio scores. Jose Herrera strikes out swinging. The Brewers had a mini comeback in the 8th but a PO ended the rally. DSL Brewers Top of the 8th Natanael Mejia flies out to left fielder Ayendy Perez. Raphachel Colatosti walks. With Francisco Castillo batting, wild pitch by Alexander Valdez, Raphachel Colatosti to 2nd. Pitching Change: Eduardo Paredes replaces Alexander Valdez. Francisco Castillo strikes out swinging. Wild pitch by pitcher Eduardo Paredes. Francisco Castillo to 1st. With Alejandro Mendoza batting, throwing error by Eduardo Paredes on the pickoff attempt, Raphachel Colatosti scores. Francisco Castillo to 3rd. Alejandro Mendoza hit by pitch. Juan Ortiz grounds into a force out, shortstop Erick Salcedo to second baseman Angel Almao. Francisco Castillo scores. Alejandro Mendoza out at 2nd. Juan Ortiz to 1st. With Elvis Rubio batting, Juan Ortiz picked off and caught stealing 2nd base, pitcher Eduardo Paredes to first baseman Ismael Dionicio.

The whole post was excellent as usual, but I particularly thought 2 paragraphs I quoted were spot on, somehow we have to find pitchers who can semi regularly get through more than 6 innings. Again pitchers in the bullpen are mostly failed starting pitchers, the idea should be to minimize their contribution, not maximize it. Trading away players with expiring contracts that we shouldn't resign in the first place isn't rebuilding, it's retooling, and there's a wide gulf between the 2 ideas.

Just got home so I'm catching up but I think Teheran and Perez are pretty similar boom or bust type prospects. I'm really not convinced that any of our MiLB pitchers at A+ and up will be special, I'd feel much better if we had a trio of pitching prospects like Seattle or AZ at the top. I'd honestly prefer pitching, but I also like Olt quite a bit so I'm torn. I think Olt is the safer choice, but doesn't help solve the team's major need and I just can't bring myself to see Melvin trading for him with established MLB players in front of him everywhere but 1B. With our without Andrus the competitive window comes down to pitching, he doesn't extend the competitive window either way. I like Elvis quite a bit, always have, when they were prospects the argument was always Andrus or Escobar, so I've been following him for a long time. However the Brewers have almost zero chance to retain him given his agent. I'm not into temporary solutions, I want players we'd control for at least 3 seasons, which is one of the reasons I haven't been a fan of very many Melvin trades. My problem is that if Teheran is truly available and he peaks anywhere near his physical ceiling he's going to be very good and I would definitely regret not trading for him, even if the choice was Olt and he performed admirably for us. Given that I don't think we can afford to get back a bust prospect given what we paid to acquire him in the first place I'd like to say I'd be fine with Olt and not look back. It's just that I think we really need 1-2 more young legitimate top of the rotation starters given my apprehension towards Jungmann, Peralta, Nelson, and Bradley. I'm going to say Teheran but it's way closer than I initially thought, we need to take a risk on a young pitcher if we're ever going to get over the pitching hump as an organization.

I don't think 9 out of 10 prospects considered top 1-2 in the game at any given moment end up failing. I guess I don't understand what a "top 1-2 in the game" means. I went and looked back. Out of the top 10 prospects for the last 5 years, more than not did pan out, but once you expand it to the top 20 prospects and especially top 50 prospects, more than not did not pan out. Obviously if the Brewers land a top 10 prospect for Greinke, that's awesome, but that may also be a feat. This was all already covered in a previous thread. I say again that generic throw away statements like "prospects fail more often than not" don't add anything to the discussion. Bring a legitimate concern about a specific player or there is no point in posting. Almost all prospects have warts, as do most MLB players, there are very few extremely well rounded players in the game. The 1-2 prospects in the BA midseason 50 are Bundy and Profar, the odds that Profar fails are much less than Bundy. Why? Because despite his immense talent Bundy is farther away and is a pitcher, and there is nothing ergonomic about pitching a baseball so every pitcher is a significant injury risk. If you don't know what the top 1-2 prospects in baseball for a given year means then I'm not sure what to say. However, I doubt you actually went back and looked. Here are the names of top 10 players in order of their appearance who have at least been average for their position in MLB when healthy or haven't played enough to drop a bust label on yet. Obviously we need to be farther out to evaluate a player's full career before making a definitive judgement. 2008: Jay Bruce, Evan Longoria, Joba Chamberlain, Clay Buchholz, Colby Rasmus, Clayton Kershaw, and David Price. I'd even include Homer Bailey who seems to have finally figured it out. I'll use the preseason top 100s because it can get muddle when using the mid season rankings as well. There will be repeat names... 2009: Matt Wieters, David Price, Colby Rasmus, Tommy Hanson, Jason Heyward, Travis Snider, Madison Bumgarner, and my boy Neftali Feliz. 2010: Jason Heyward, Stephen Strasburg, Giancario (Mike) Stanton, Jesus Montero (first full MLB season this year), Desmond Jennings (1st full season), Pedro Alvarez, Neftali Feliz, and Carlos Santana. Many of the names here and going forward are going to be very familiar especially those discussed at length in this thread or in the media like Harper and Trout. 2011: Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Jesus Montero, Domonic Brown (1st full season), Julio Teheran(AAA), Jeremy Hellickson, Aroldis Chapman, Eric Hosmer (good first season, struggling this year), Mike Moustakas (1st full season), Wil Myers (AAA) 2012: Bryce Harper, Matt Moore (1st full season), Mike Trout, Yu Darvish, Julio Teheran, Jesus Montero, Jurickson Profar, Shelby Miller(horrible AAA season will not be in the top 10 for 2013),Trevor Bauer, Dylan Bundy(moved to #1 on the mid season 50) All in all every year more than half are productive MLB players, are they all all-stars today? No. Will all of them be in future? No. And certainly the recent top 10s have been extremely strong compared to some, the quality of players in each top 100 is going to be fluid and it's not really all that fair to compare the #35 player in one year to the #35 in the next year. One guy might be rising, the other falling, etc... there are just too many variables. Personally I'm looking to acquire legitimate impact potential talent back. The prospect may never put it all together and end up being just an average MLB player but that's okay. That's one less position we have to worry about drafting and developing for the next 6 years. The only thing that really matters in regards to prospect failure rates in our current context is how much more likely they are to succeed than your average 1st round draft pick. How many players have been picked every year before the 2nd round and how many of those players have made MLB much less the BA top 10 for any given year? Instead of just focusing on prospect risk, I feel it's necessary to focus on the risk of the entire picture; from expensive free agents all the way through the amateur draft. There's significant risk at every level and as I've said many times my goal is establish the Brewers as perennial contenders so my focus is to stockpile as much young talent as possible. The more talent you have, the more risk you mitigate, the more options you have, and the more likely you are to be able to have a sustained run of success.

Vargas Solid As Sounds Clip Redbirds, 7-1 Halton Ties Nashville Record With Two Triples To Pace Offense NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Veteran right-hander Claudio Vargas tossed a quality start and the Nashville offense posted its highest run total in three weeks during the Sounds' 7-1 victory over the cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds on Wednesday evening at Greer Stadium. Vargas (4-1) continued to have the Redbirds' number as the veteran authored his third quality start victory in three starts against Memphis this season. The right-hander struck out a season-high seven batters while holding the 'Birds to one run on four hits in his seven frames of work. In his three starts versus Memphis, Vargas has posted a 1.42 ERA (3er/19.0ip); against the rest of the PCL, he carries a 5.52 mark in 10 outings (27er/44.0ip). The seven-run output by the Sounds marked the first time in 17 games that Nashville recorded more than five runs in a game. First baseman Sean Halton, who legged out a pair of triples, was one of four Nashville players to post two hits on the night. The slugger became the 12th player in the Sounds' 35-year history to record two three-baggers in one game and the first since Lorenzo Cain accomplished the feat in the same inning on July 26, 2010 at Albuquerque. Nashville's five through eight hitters combined to go 8-for-14 in the game; the top four batters in the order went just 4-for-18. The Sounds got off to a quick start against Memphis starter Shelby Miller, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Second baseman Eric Farris led off the Nashville first by hammering a 2-0 Shelby Miller offering over the left field wall for a leadoff home run and a 1-0 lead. It was the infielder's fourth big fly of the year and extended Farris' hitting streak to eight games, the longest active stretch on the club. Corey Patterson followed Farris with a single, stole second, and scored on Taylor Green's one-out RBI double down the right field line. Shortstop Edwin Maysonet doubled the Nashville advantage to 4-0 in the second when he slugged his second home run of the year, a two-run shot to left off Miller. Jordan Brown, who had opened the frame with a single, also scored on the blast. Nashville scored again in the third against Miller when Halton smoked a long line drive to center that struck the top portion of the 24' high batter's eye, resulting in a stand-up, two-out triple, and scored on Caleb Gindl's ensuing single to right. Miller (5-9) suffered his third loss in three starts against the Sounds this season. The St. Louis Cardinals' top prospect gave up five runs on seven hits over four innings of action. The right-hander is 0-3 with a 12.19 ERA (14er/10.1ip) against Nashville in 2012. Memphis got on the board in the fifth when catcher Bryan Anderson smashed a one-out solo homer to right-center off Sounds starter Claudio Vargas, his third dinger of the year. The Sounds increased the lead to 6-1 in the home half of the fifth against Memphis reliever Nick Greenwood when Brown plated catcher Jonathan Lucroy with a two-out RBI single to center. Nashville made it 7-1 in the seventh against John Gaub. Halton legged out his second triple of the night after his fly ball to left caromed off the top of the wall and away from both pursuing Redbirds outfielders. Gindl followed with a sharp RBI single through the right side of a drawn-in infield. Left-hander Juan Perez worked the final two innings in scoreless fashion behind Vargas for the Sounds. In his second rehab contest with Nashville, Lucroy went 0-for-3 and played seven innings. He lined out sharply to center in the first, struck out in the third, was plunked in the back, stole second, and later scored in the fifth, and grounded into a fielder's choice in the sixth. The teams continue their series with another 7:05 p.m. matchup on Thursday evening. Right-hander Wily Peralta (5-9, 2.04) will start for the Sounds to face Memphis southpaw Nick Additon (3-7, 4.66). The Famous San Diego Chicken will make his first appearance at Greer Stadium since 2010 when he entertains fans during the game with his antics. Nashville Box Score So much for Shelby Miller's mechanical adjustment, I'm always wary of stories like that... show me an extended streak of solid pitching before declaring a pitcher "fixed". Miller continues to give up HRs at an alarming rate, and it's not like Farris and Maysonet are power players by any stretch. Great win for the Sounds, it's always nice to beat up on divisional rivals with our legitimate prospects coming up clutch, hopefully Peralta keeps it going tomorrow. Nashville Play By Play

Their pitching would have to be phenomenal to overcome that terrible offense. It is great they have 3 of the top pitching prospects in the game but to assume all three are going to pan out is probably a false assumption. Felix is currently in the 2nd year of a 5 year deal. They wont compete next year. That would give them 2-years of Felix with a team capable of maybe finishing in the top 2 in their division. The Rays when they have been a top team also had bats performing really well like Longoria, Upton, and others. As I said, they have 2 FA periods to address position player needs beyond the idea that young players have a good chance to improve on their performance if you are patient with them. Many people around here couldn't wait to run Escobar out of town after a bad season he's become exactly what many of us on the minor league thought he would be. It just takes patience and a staff that's willing to coach and teach players how to play the game. Worrying about attendance and a couple of wins here and there is actually the surest way to lose your job because you'll never get over the top that way. You want attendance? Build a team that can win and sustain success like they had about 10 years ago. Sure people want to watch great players, but how many fans were going to Brewer games just to watch Ben Sheets pitch when he was all we had here in Milwaukee? Attendance picked up to current levels when the team actually started winning. Seattle has one of the best farm systems in baseball, perhaps you should go read up on their prospects before dismissing them.

It's not about attendance, it's about team building. Seattle has 3 of the top starting pitching prospects in all baseball, and all 3 will pitch for Seattle in 2013. Hultzen is already in AAA and will likely start the 2013 season in the rotation. Walker and Paxton will start in AAA next season and see the rotation at some point even if only in Sept, but all 3 will definitely be in the rotation by 2014. You don't need to develop your position players, you need starting pitching, they will have starting pitching and that will be enough, they'll win games. They can plug their position player holes through FA. You don't trade Felix because with him + the 3 prospects you get a young rotation headlined by an elite vet like the Rays have had.

MLB players cannot be a PTBNL and no you cannot trade players on the DL.

Reds’ Billy Hamilton’s Speed Hits A “Slump” The Stars are mentioned in a negative manner as Cooper points out the poor job Huntsville has done with the running game all season but then neglects to mention that Burgos picked off Hamilton last night which contributed to his streak.

What if Mark A is actually behind some of the more foolish contracts Melvin has handed out? Being a good financier doesn't mean he's a good judge of what's best for his baseball team. I would argue that evaluating pitching isn't exactly Melvin's strength and by extension nor is it a strength of the Brewers organization either. It doesn't make any sense to waste resources shoring up the bullpen in 2012. I could care less what happens from here on out, the only thing that truly matters is hitting a HR on the Grienke trade. Tha player(s) from that trade need to pan out and be productive... I wouldn't mind seeing Hand, Henderson, and Sanchez get a shot in the pen at some point, but it doesn't have to be until September. Regardless the rotation for 2013 and 2014 should be the primary concern, then worry about the bullpen. If the rotation is going to stink in 2013 then the Brewers might as well unload Hart too because what good are the 3 extra wins he'll provide if we're below .500 again?