With the Arizona Fall League wrapping up, the MLB.com Pipeline team broke down the top players at each position. Perhaps no single prospect impressed to the extent of Gleyber Torres, the Yankees shortstop who was acquired in the Aroldis Chapman trade. Live-armed Red Sox righty Michael Kopech and Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer were among the other high-profile young players who impressed, but a variety of lesser-known names also drew attention.
Here are some more prospect and international notes from around the game:
- Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper broke down the top Rule 5 draft candidates. Teams always have to balance roster needs with their assessments of young players who are eligible for the draft, and every year at least a dozen or so players who aren’t added to a 40-man roster will be plucked by another organization. This time around, as usual, many of the most plausible Rule 5 options are pitchers. But two position players warranted mention from Cooper as well:Â Pirates third baseman Eric Wood and Mets utility infielder Phillip Evans. Both have posted much better numbers of late, but apparently did not do quite enough to convince their organizations of their value — or, perhaps, of their ability to stick on another team’s active roster for a full season.
- The first player that Cooper notes, Padres righty Yimmi Brasoban, seems an intriguing candidate for the Rule 5 since he possesses a big fastball and quality slider that could make him a useful bullpen piece. But San Diego’s decision to leave him unprotected may well be due to elbow issues, as Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports on Twitter. The young reliever is undergoing stem cell and platelet-rich plasma treatments, suggesting he may be trying to stave off a surgical option. We have seen injured players go in the Rule 5 before; if they aren’t able to meet the active-duty requirements in the season following the draft, they can reach it in future campaigns.
- Ben Badler of Baseball America argues that Major League Baseball would be better served to increase its current bonus pool limitations for international players than to institute an international draft. Low-revenue clubs are able to compete for top talent in the current system, he explains, so there’s no compelling reason in that regard to move to a draft. The problem, per Badler, is that the current signing levels are just too low, which has led many teams in baseball to exceed the limitations and accept future bonus limitations. His solution is to significantly boost the overall pool bonus amounts, make them equal for all teams, and increase the penalties for exceeding the pool. That — or some other hypothetical system — would still allow for cost containment while also serving other interests, Badler argues, including competitive balance and equal opportunities for all teams and players.
- There are new details in the human trafficking case against agent Bart Hernandez, as Jose Pagliery of CNN.com reports. Hernandez was allegedly involved in a scheme with a violent smuggler, the government alleges, with tens of millions of dollars flowing to the masterminds after Cuban ballplayers such as Jose Abreu and Yoenis Cespedes landed large bonuses with major league organizations. While the players were treated more humanely than the average citizens who were also being moved in the alleged conspiracy, they were nevertheless treated like prisoners and coerced into signing with Hernandez, per the charges.
Stedson
Happy to hear Kopech is doing well!
Weighed
Is it pronounced Ko-Peck or Ko-Pesh?
jvjc1233
Ko-Peck
Bald Vinny
Gleyber is definitely a top 5 prospect in the majors now.
theo2016
probably not, his defense was miserable. looking more like 2b future.
cubsfan2489
Here we go, this guy thinks he knows everything. Was starting to think you finally got banned since I haven’t seen idiot comments in a while
aff10
I mean, he’s not wrong. Scouts questioned his defense there, and calling him a definite top 5 prospect is quite a stretch, especially if he can’t stay at SS
User 4245925809
Boston had several discards whom could have been removed from the 40 man roster. 1 in particular probably won’t even get tendered a contract (Bryan Holaday). Really don’t see how Haley has enough upside to stick on a MLB roster an entire year. A lower celing, RH version of Brian johnson if anything.
BoldyMinnesota
He’d probably be put in the bullpen for a year where he could excel.
YourDaddy
Padres could lose 2 in Brisoban and Kelley and pick up 3 in Chirinos, Guillon and Haley.
66TheNumberOfTheBest
Does Ben Badler work for the Dodgers? On what planet are low revenue clubs able to equally compete for international talent?
The same 6 teams get 98% of the high profile international players.
And his solution is to give those teams more money to spend…so they get 99% of those players instead.
No thanks.
Out of place Met fan
That isn’t exactly what he states, nor should it be interpreted that way. By raising and leveling the limits, all teams could invest more. Low revenue teams generally do not surpass the current threshold because the penalties will have a disproportionate affect to them. By increasing the penalties, it should help alleviate teams going over a spending limit.
66TheNumberOfTheBest
All players should enter MLB via ONE UNIFIED draft. Or as undrafted FA’s after they have submitted to a draft.
takeyourbase
Agreed. But I think the only way that would work is to go in stages. The first one being implementing an international draft then at some point combine the 2
petrie000
The Rays have exceeded their spending limits twice, and Atlanta landed the no. 1 overall rated prospect this year simply by being willing to spend the money for him. So there is reason to believe the system could be fixed by giving all teams more room to work with beneath the penalty cap, because at that point it’s a question of who’s willing to spend as opposed to who’s able.
and a unified draft would also leave the teenagers that currently qualify as IFAs as little more than slave labor to be drafted in the late rounds and then signed for next to nothing… because their only options would be to take whatever the team’s willing to offer or leave baseball entirely because there are no college leagues where they come from
and because there’s no high school leagues either, by the time they’re 18 they’re years in development behind americans of the same age, because the only way the can currently get high level training is from the agent/trainer ‘buscones’ who would go out of business under a unified draft system because there’d be no money, and thus no point, in continuing to train the kids. an international draft would achieve little but strangling the talent flow into the majors the league currently clearly benefits from.
so yeah, understanding what you’re railing against before you start making up stats to be outraged about might be a better way to approach things in the future….
tim815
Largely, spot on.
I figured this deserved a comment, instead of cricket sounds.
davidcoonce74
The Twins are a high-revenue team? The Padres are? Hmmm…
tim815
Pretty much any team ought to realize that a steady flow of international talent would be helpful. The goal should be to find what that number is. And an apt punishment for busting over the limit.
I’m guessing most teams could spend $8 million a year on the draft, or internationally, if that was the standard.
I’m in favor of a swift and harsh punishment for violating the cap. Suspend the top three team executives for a decade each for busting the limit. However, the limit should be in the range of $8 million per year to make that a reasonable punishment.
If ownership isn’t willing to spend 8 per annum internationally, there may be a problem.
matthewalan09
If youre that desperate for attention your analysis’ and oppinions cant possibly be that creditable.
Doc Halladay
This whole international draft issue seems like it could be easily solved, at least in my opinion. Why not institute a draft but keep eligibility at 16? Players 22 years old and older are classified as FA. If a player is drafted and isn’t signed by April of the next year, he can re-enter the draft. The draft would also be 5-7 rounds and borrowing from the Rule 5 draft, teams are allowed to skip a pick but would forfeit any remaining picks if they do so. Undrafted players would need to wait until the following year to be drafted.
Each team gets an allotted bonus pool and if a team exceeds it in a given year, they can not participate in the draft the following year. Draft order would be determined based on the current standings as of July 1st with the draft taking place on July 5th.
MatthewBaltimore23
Good idea. They should just leave it at 16.
tim815
I’d prefer that to an 18 year old age limit. Though I’d prefer it similar to now, with an $8 million or so limit per year. With an aggressive punishment for busting the cap.
Doc Halladay
I agree I’d rather just leave it as is with minor tweaks but if it’s a make or break issue with owners, this seems like a good compromise to me.
therealryan
How would those players be found? Latin America doesn’t have the amateur infrastructure built up like they do in the US and if local trainers and MLB teams aren’t going to be getting any benefit from running a complex why would they continue?
I think the only way an international draft would really work and continue to get the top athletes would be if MLB went to all the different countries and set up schools with baseball academies. The problem is MLB is trying to limit their spending and I have to think this would be an enormous expense.
tim815
MLB isn’t going to do that.
Scouting will be done by the 30 clubs. Like always. And all 30 might not prioritize drafting in the same fashion.
Rob Manfred won’t pay a dude or six to go ferret talent out of Maracay, Venezuela. Teams would do that, if they think they can gain an edge by doing so.
The same as ever.
Academies almost have to be run by teams. At least, to be at all effective.
Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA
There in lies the problem which makes the idea international draft as much of a joke as the current system. No significant infrastructure wth does a draft matter. You change the age range you nullify an already greater range of players that are currently weeded out in the DSL. There’s no amateur system so they simply do not play like kids from America or Asia. So now you only extend the 6-8 year range. You want to keep academies well doesn’t change the flow of talent because a majority of these players can’t afford to leave there regional area so there is still skewed talent in certain regions. Also makes it more likely and easier for teams to hoard and hide players. Imagine players from Pittsburgh could only being drafted by the pirates and Californians could only be drafted by California teams I think we see the major talent skew there. You also don’t change the fact they have absolutely no recourse if drafted. Their only recourse for a majority would be going back to works fields in poverty.
tim815
I’d prefer the club-run academies to not be considered an evil. Especially on a baseball board.
If the Tarantulas ownership wants a better organization, upgrading overseas scouting is a way to do that. Increase spending by $300,000 or $3 million. Per season. Ever three years. Whichever.
The Diamondbacks poached a key Cardinals international scout. The DBacks may finally be starting to do things well.
Push expansion to other spots on the globe. Have more academies, if teams want them.. Have more countries with MLB affiliates. Encourage teams to be more active in Brasil, China, or Africa. Expose more youngsters to the game.
With some sort of limits, so not all the same six teams get all the talent. It would be nice to hear in 15 years that the Brewers or Tigers poach the African scouting executive from the Royals or Giants.
Timely expansion is generally a good thing.
Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA
@DocHolladay if you are going to institute a draft internationally you have to give them the same freedoms received domestically. If a player goes undrafted he’s free to sign anywhere. Now if he chose not to sign that’d be a different story. Some sort of compensation beyond signing bonus: paid high school education
Doc Halladay
I originally had undrafted FA in there but can’t remember why I took it out. Give the player the option to either re-enter the draft or he can become an undrafted FA but the catch about undrafted FA, teams can only spend a max of 100K per undrafted player and can only sign 3 or 5 undrafted players per year.
metseventually 2
Anyone else get the feeling that Torres is becoming yet again another overrated Yankees prospect?
BoldyMinnesota
Well he was what, a top 20 prospect with the Cubs, and then ripped up the minors and the AFL with the Yankees.
davidcoonce74
What would give you that impression? He’s been terrific everywhere he’s played and scouts love him. Only slight knock is defense but he should be fine at second.
mvpetro
Anyone else get the feeling you’re just a sad mets fan
petrie000
no. he was a really, really good prospect with the Cubs
however i don’t think a lot of the Yankees boosters have yet realized he’s more “good at everything’ than ‘great at 1 thing’, so he’ll likely never produce the kind of jaw-dropping numbers that propel a player into superstardom.
tim815
Which is a really nice return on a three-month rental. With added pieces being added, as well.
It isn’t “first-ballot HOF or Bust. A guy can be a good player without the demanded excesses.