The long offseason is about to end with players reporting to Spring Training next week. The first actual game is in exactly two weeks, on February 26th against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Here is the Rays Spring Training radio and television broadcast schedule, which includes five televised games. The 25-man roster must be set by March 31st.
To begin the weekend open thread here is some video of our 5th round pick in the 2009 draft, Jeff Malm, working out in Las Vegas last week. Malm did not make Baseball America's Rays Top 30 prospects list this year after being ranked #19 entering the 2010 season. (I wonder if anyone will mention that we shouldn't rank draftees who have barely played pro ball?)
And here is Malm playing catch with Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies (the Flyin' Hawaiian).
Not the most interesting videos I'll admit, but the closest thing I've seen to live baseball in months. I'll finish with a question: At the end of Spring Training when affiliate rosters are announced, which player(s) are you most interested in seeing where they are assigned?
Malm threw low 90s in HS. For him to not even get a look in RF doesn't speak much of his athleticism.
ReplyDeleteVictorino looks like he has a little gut to work off.
Sorry if this is a bit of a fluff piece, it didn't start out that way. I spent two hours writing up a comparison of Chris Archer and Jeremy Hellickson, by age-to-level and performance. Went through the differences in the 2 orgs Archer has been in as far as promoting young pitchers vs the Rays way of doing it. Just as I was about to finish it crashed somewhere on the internets and... Well, I was not happy. So you get these videos.
ReplyDeleteI might try to write up the original again tomorrow or sometime, but right now I'm still... what's the word I'm
looking for? We'll see.
Very interested where some of the pitchers wind up. Ie Cobb, Barnese, Moore, Dyer etc...
ReplyDeleteAlso what about the glut of infielders......
Malms swing looks fine. I am no sure it has too much power in it, but it looks good enough.
ReplyDeleteevery swing was a ground out
ReplyDeleteAs I said previously, I'm done debating lists and who should be on them. The "lists" are what they are, and Rays Prospects has decided to be an echo and not a voice.
ReplyDeleteDoug, save early, save often!
ReplyDeleteThere are to many players to list that I'm watching where they go!
ReplyDeleteI know there are lots, just wondered if anyone was interested in any particular player. For me: Chris Archer (hence the long lost article), Enny Romero, and Braulio Lara.
ReplyDeleteI think Archer to Montgomery. Romero and Lara I'm really interested to see if they go to Bowling Green, a spot for a leftie in the rotation opened when Rosscup was traded, though they might have gone anyway.
Enny will be in Charlotte
ReplyDeleteLara will be in B.Green
Jeff H.V or B.G.
I am curious as to who may be coming to the Hudson Valley. Looking at lists, it seems as though the good Princeton players seem to be jumping over HV and going straight to Bowling Green again this year. Last year, we had, for the most part, the lower rated Princeton players and the higher rated guys went to BG. We picked up college draft choices, however, and I'm wondering if that will happen again this year. Also, I am interested in the former Renegades who seem to be taking a back seat in the TB organization---Emeel Salem, Mike Sheridan, etc...One more thing- Is there a site where we can find out if/where the many many players who were released by TB this year were picked up by other teams-whether minor league or independent? Thanks
ReplyDeleteRe: Archer, I seem to remember Callis tweeting that he would be a 2011 bullpen option for the big club.
ReplyDeleteArcher could be a late-season bullpen addition. He's got a half-season in double-A with the Cubs org, so I'd expect him back there in 2011 (like how Jeremy Hellickson finished 2008 in Montgomery, then started 2009 there) with a promotion to Durham around mid-season if all goes well. From there, he'd probably stay as a SP unless injuries force him to the majors. He's on the 40-man roster, so we could see him with the Rays as a September call-up to either help with the stretch run (if the Rays are in it) or get a look at him for 2012 (if the Rays aren't in it).
ReplyDeleteDon't you get the feeling that some of these MiLB starters have to come up as relievers before long or stagnate at AAA? You have Shields under control through 2014 (and very cheap through 2012). Price and Niemann under control through 2015. Davis and Hellickson through 2016.
ReplyDeleteEven if the Rays lose 3 to attrition, you have Archer, McGee, Cobb, Torres, Moore, Barnese all ready to go by 2012-2013.
I keep thinking that barring some kind of deal like Beckham for Soria or another established closer type, that adding two of those MiLB starters to the pen would make the most sense for competing in 2011 without damaging the pipeline.