Carlos Quentin traded to Padres

The Chicago White Sox traded Carlos Quentin to the San Diego Padres on December 31, 2011. In exchange the White Sox receive minor league players Simon Castro and Pedro Hernandez.


Quentin is an outfielder who played six seasons with the White Sox and Diamondbacks. In 2011 he hit .254/.340/.499 with 24 home runs, 77 RBI, 53 runs and one steal in 118 games. For his career he has hit .252/.346/.490 with 121 home runs, 383 RBI, 321 runs and 16 steals in 616 games. He was originally drafted by the Diamondbacks with the 29th pick of the first round in 2003.


RHP Castro split the 2011 season between Double A and Triple A. He was 5-6 with 4.33 ERA, 73 strikeouts and 1.24 WHIP in 89.1 innings over 16 games at Double A and was 2-2 with a 10.17 ERA, 21 strikeouts and 2.14 WHIP in 25.2 innings over six games at Triple A. He originally signed with the Padres as an amateur free agent in 2006 out of the Dominican Republic.


LHP Hernandez split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced, Double A and Triple A. He was 5-0 with a 2.70 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 1.02 WHIP in 56.2 innings over 15 games at Class A Advanced, was 3-2 with a 3.48 ERA, 43 strikeouts and 1.18 WHIP in 41.1 innings over nine games at Double A and was 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA, seven strikeouts and 1.89 WHIP in18 innings over four games at Triple A.

2011 Where are they now 2007 MLB draft picks 21 to 30

It is year end and I'm checking how picks 21 to 30 of the 2007 draft did this season. Traditionally players drafted out of college advance faster than those drafted out of high school and pitchers usually advance faster than position players. Some players might also be traded to help their team get an established player that can help their team improve immediately.


The Toronto Blue Jays drafted catcher J.P Arencibia 21st out of Tennessee. He played 2011 with the Blue Jays. He hit .219/.282/.438 with 23 home runs, 78 RBI, 47 runs and one steal in 129 games.


The San Francisco Giants drafted RHP Tim Alderson 22nd out of Horizon High School in Arizona. He was traded to the Pirates in 2009. He pitched 2011 at Double A. He was 0-4 with a 4.12 ERA, 57 strikeouts and 1.30 WHIP in 74.1 innings over 42 games.


The San Diego Padres drafted LHP Nick Schmidt 23rd out of Arkansas. He split 2011 between Rookie ball and Class A Advanced. He was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA, nine strikeouts and 1.37 WHIP in 8 innings over two games at Rookie ball and was 3-5 with a 3.84 ERA, 58 strikeouts and 1.34 WHIP in 63.1 innings over 12 games at Class A Advanced.


The Texas Rangers drafted RHP Michael Main 24th out of DeLand High School in Florida. He was traded to the Giants in 2010. He pitched 2011 at Class A Advanced. He was 2-4 with a 6.84 ERA, 46 strikeouts and 1.86 WHIP in 52.2 innings over 22 games.


The Chicago White Sox drafted LHP Aaron Poreda 25th out of University of San Francisco. He was traded to the Padres in 2009. He pitched 2011 at Triple A. He was 4-3 with a 5.43 ERA, 79 strikeouts and 1.84 WHIP in 69.2 innings over 41 games.


The Oakland Athletics drafted RHP James Simmons 26th out of University of California-Riverside. He split 2011 between Rookie ball and Class A Advanced after missing 2010 with a shoulder injury. He was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA, four strikeouts and 0.20 WHIP in 5 innings over two games at Rookie ball and was 3-2 with a 5.48 ERA, 36 strikeouts and 1.45 WHIP in 42.2 innings over 13 games at Class A Advanced.


The Detroit Tigers drafted RHP Rick Porcello 27th out of Seton Hall Preparatory School in New Jersey. He pitched 2011 with the Tigers. He was 14-9 with a 4.75 ERA, 104 strikeouts and 1.41 WHIP in 182 innings over 31 games.


The Minnesota Twins drafted outfielder Ben Revere 28th out of Lexington Catholic High School in Kentucky. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Twins. He hit .303/.338/.364 with one home run, nine RBI, 15 runs and 8 steals in 32 games at Triple A and hit .267/.310/.309 with zero home runs, 30 RBI, 56 runs and 34 steals in 117 games with the Twins.


The San Francisco Giants drafted outfielder Wendell Fairley 29th out of George County high School in Mississippi. He split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced and Double A. He hit .245/.329/.317 with two home runs, 21 RBI, 28 runs and 3 steals in 60 games at Class A Advanced and hit .365/.321/.337 with zero home runs, seven RBI, 11 runs and 2 steals in 34 games at Double A.


The New York Yankees drafted RHP Andrew Brackman 30th out of North Carolina State. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Yankees. He was 3-6 with a 6.00 ERA, 75 strikeouts and 1.63 WHIP in 96 innings over 33 games at Triple A and was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA, zero strikeouts and 1.71 WHIP in 2.1 innings over three games with the Yankees.

2011 Where are they now 2008 MLB draft picks 21 to 30

It is year end and I'm checking how picks 21 to 30 of the 2008 draft did this season. Traditionally players drafted out of college advance faster than those drafted out of high school and pitchers usually advance faster than position players. Some players might also be traded to help their team get an established player that can help their team improve immediately.


The Detroit Tigers drafted RHP Ryan Perry 21st out of Arizona. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Tigers. He was 3-0 with a 3.03 ERA, 30 strikeouts, 1.01 WHIP and 7 saves in 32.2 innings over 20 games at Triple A and was 2-0 with a 5.35 ERA, 24 strikeouts and 1.62 WHIP in 37 innings over 36 games with the Tigers.


The New York Mets drafted shortstop Reese Havens 22nd out of South Carolina. He split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced and Double A. He hit .273/.385/.455 with zero home runs, two RBI, one run and zero steals in three games at Class A Advanced and hit .289/.372/.455 with six home runs, 26 RBI, 37 runs and 2 steals in 58 games at Double A. 


The San Diego Padres drafted first baseman Allan Dykstra 23rd out of Wake Forest. He played 2011 at Double A. He hit .267/.389/.474 with 19 home runs, 77 RBI, 57 runs and one steal in 121 games


The Philadelphia Phillies drafted shortstop Anthony Hewitt 24th out of Salisbury School in Connecticut. He played 2011 at Class A. He hit .240/.281/.405 with 14 home runs, 55 RBI, 62 runs and 36 steals in 119 games. 


The Colorado Rockies drafted LHP Christian Friedrich 25th out of Eastern Kentucky University. He played 2011 at Double A. He was 6-10 with a 5.00 ERA, 103 strikeouts and 1.49 WHIP in 133.1 innings over 25 games.


The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted LHP Daniel Schlereth 26th out of Arizona. He was traded in 2009 to the Tigers. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Tigers. He was 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA, 18 strikeouts and 0.94 WHIP in 11.2 innings over eight games at Triple A and was 2-2 with a 3.49 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 1.37 WHIP in 49 innings over 49 games with the Tigers.


The Minnesota Twins drafted RHP Carlos Gutierrez 27th out of Miami. He pitched 2011 at Triple A. He was 2-3 with a 4.62 ERA, 57 strikeouts and 1.46 WHIP in 62.1 innings over 43 games. 


The New York Yankees drafted RHP Gerrit Cole 28th out of Orange Lutheran High School in California. He went unsigned and pitched at UCLA. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the first overall pick in 2011.


The Cleveland Indians drafted shortstop Lonnie Chisenhall 29th out of Pitt Community College. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Indians. He hit .267/.353/.431 with seven home runs, 45 RBI, 45 runs and zero steals in 66 games at Triple A and hit .255/.284/.418 with seven home runs, 22 RBI, 27 runs and one steal in 66 games with the Indians.


The Boston Red Sox drafted RHP Casey Kelly 30th out of Sarasota High School in Florida. He was traded to the Padres in 2010. He pitched 2011 at Double A. He was 11-6 with a 3.98 ERA, 105 strikeouts and 1.40 WHIP in 142.1 innings over 27 games.

2011 Where are they now 2009 MLB draft picks 21 to 32

It is year end and I'm checking how picks 21 to 32 of the 2009 draft did this season. Traditionally players drafted out of college advance faster than those drafted out of high school and pitchers usually advance faster than position players. Some players might also be traded to help their team get an established player that can help their team improve immediately.


The Houston Astros drafted shortstop Jiovanni Mier 21st out of Bonita High School in California. He split the 2011 season between Class A and Class A Advanced. He hit .245/.354/.380 with five home runs, 29 RBI, 39 runs and 6 steals in 57 games at Class A and hit .233/.335/.306 with two home runs, 23 RBI, 35 runs and 5 steals in 57 games at Class A Advanced.


The Minnesota Twins drafted RHP Kyle Gibson 22nd out of Missouri. He pitched the 2011 season at Triple A. He was 3-8 with a 4.81 ERA, 91 strikeouts and 1.43 WHIP in 95.1 innings over 18 games.


The Chicago White Sox drafted outfielder Jared Mitchell 23rd out of LSU. He played 2011 at Class A Advanced. He hit .222/.304/.377 with nine home runs, 58 RBI, 74 runs and 14 steals in 129 games.


The Los Angeles Angels drafted outfielder Randal Grichuck 24th out of Lamar Consolidated High School in Texas. It was a compensation pick. He split the 2011 season between Rookie ball, Class A and Class A Advanced. He hit .333/.357/.458 with zero home runs, six RBI, two runs and zero steals in seven games at Rookie ball, hit .230/.267/.402 with two home runs, 13 RBI, 12 runs and zero steals in 32 games at Class A and hit .283/.316/.491 with one home run, six RBI, 13 runs and zero steals in 14 games at Class A Advanced.


The Los Angeles Angels also drafted outfielder Mike Trout 25th out of Millville Senior High School in New Jersey. It was another compensation pick. He split the 2011 season between Double A and the Angels. He hit .326/.414/.544 with 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 82 runs and 33 steals in 91 games at Double A and hit .220/.281/.390 with five home runs, 16 RBI, 20 runs and 4 steals in 40 games.


The Milwaukee Brewers drafted RHP Eric Arnett 26th out of Indiana. He split the 2011 season between Rookie ball and Class A. He was 4-2 with a 5.19 ERA, 49 strikeouts and 1.40 WHIP in 52 innings over nine games at Rookie ball and was 0-4 with a 5.00 ERA, 28 strikeouts and 1.44 ERA in 27 innings over five games at Class A.


The Seattle Mariners drafted shortstop Nick Franklin 27th out of Lake Brantley High School in Florida. He split the 2011 season between Rookie ball, Class A Advanced and Double A. He hit .091/.091/.091 with zero home runs, zero RBI, one runs and zero steals in three games at Rookie ball, hit .278/.356/.411 with five home runs, 20 rBI, 50 runs and 13 steals in 64 games at Class A Advanced and hit .325/.371/.482 with two home runs, six RBI, 13 runs and 5 steals in 21 games at Double A.


The Boston Red Sox drafted outfielder Reymond Fuentes 28th out of Fernando Callejo High School in Puerto Rico. He played 2011 at Class A Advanced. He hit .275/.342/.369 with five home runs, 45 rBI, 84 runs and 41 steals in 124 games.


The New York Yankees drafted outfielder Slade Heathcott 29th out of Texas High School in Texas. He split the 2011 season between Class A and Class A Advanced. He hit .271/.342/.419 with four home runs, 16 RBI, 36 runs and 6 steals in 52 games at Class A and hit .600/.600/1.200 with one home runs, one RBI, two runs and zero steals in one game at Class A Advanced.


The Tampa Bay Rays drafted second baseman LeVon Washington 30th out of Buchholz High School in Florida. He played the 2011 season at Class A. He hit .218/.331/.315 with four home runs, 20 RBI, 35 runs and 15 steals in 79 games.


The Chicago Cubs drafted outfielder Brett Jackson 31st out of California. He split the 2011 season between Double A and Triple A. He hit .256/.373/.443 with 10 home runs, 32 RBI, 45 runs and 15 steals in 67 games at Double A and hit .297/.388/.551 with 10 home runs, 36 RBI, 39 runs and 6 steals in 48 games at Triple A.


The Colorado Rockies drafted outfielder Tim Wheeler 32nd out of Sacramento State University. He played 2011 at Double A. He hit .287/.365/.535 with 33 home runs, 66 RBI, 105 runs and 21 steals in 138 games.

2011 Where are they now 2010 MLB draft picks 21 to 32

It is year end and I'm checking how picks 21 to 32 of the 2010 draft did this season. Traditionally players drafted out of college advance faster than those drafted out of high school and pitchers usually advance faster than position players. Some players might also be traded to help their team get an established player that can help their team improve immediately.


The Minnesota Twins drafted RHP Alex Wimmers 21st out of Ohio State. He split the 2011 season between Rookie ball and Class A Advanced. He was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA, one strikeouts and 1.00 WHIP in one inning in one game a Rookie ball and was 2-3 with a 4.20 ERA, 39 strikeouts, 1.23 WHIP and one save in 40.2 innings over 12 games at Class A Advanced.


The Texas Rangers drafted catcher Kellin Deglan 22nd out of R.E. Mountain Secondary School in Canada. He played the 2011 season in Class A. He hit .227/.320/.347 with six home runs, 39 RBI, 39 runs and 2 steals in 89 games.


The Florida Marlins drafted outfielder Christian Yelich 23rd out of Westlake High School in California. He played the 2011 season at Class A. He hit .312/.388/.484 with 15 home runs, 77 RBI, 73 runs and 32 steals in 132 games.


The San Francisco Giants drafted outfielder Gary Brown 24th out of Cal State Fullerton. He played the 2011 season at Class A Advanced. He hit .336/.407/.519 with 14 home runs, 80 RBI, 115 runs and 53 steals in 131 games.


The St Louis Cardinals drafted third baseman Zack Cox 25th out of Arkansas. He split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced and Double A. He hit .335/.380/.439 with three home runs, 20 RBI, 22 runs and 2 steals in 42 games at Class A Advanced and hit .293/.355/.432 with 10 home runs, 48 RBI, 54 runs and zero steals in 93 games at Double A.


The Colorado Rockies drafted outfielder Kyle Parker 26th out of Clemson.  He played the 2011 season at Class A. He hit  .285/.367/.483 with 21 home runs, 95 RBI, 75 runs and 2 steals in 117 games. 


The Philadelphia Phillies drafted LHP Jesse Biddle 27th out of Germantown Friends High School in Pennsylvania. He pitched the 2011 season at Class A. He was 7-8 with a 2.98 ERA, 124 strikeouts and 1.28 WHIP in 133 innings over 25 games.


The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted RHP Zach Lee 28th out of McKinney High School in Texas. He pitched the 2011 season at Class A. He was 9-6 with a 3.47 ERA, 91 strikeouts and 1.22 WHIP in 109 innings over 24 games.


The Los Angeles Angels drafted RHP Cam Bedrosian 29th out of East Coweta High School in Georgia. He pitched in Rookie ball in 2010 but did not play in 2011. 


The Los Angeles Angels also drafted outfielder Chevy Clarke 30th out of Marietta High School in Georgia. He played the 2011 season at Rookie ball. He hit .226/.285/.400 with three home runs, 27 RBI, 33 runs and 5 steals in 51 games.


The Tampa Bay Rays drafted catcher Justin O'Conner 31st out of Cown High School in Indiana. He played the 2011 season at Rookie ball. He hit .157/.234/.354 with nine home runs, 29 RBI, 18 runs and 4 steals in 48 games. 


The New York Yankees drafted shortstop Cito Culver 32nd out of West Irondequoit High School in New York. He played the 2011 season at Class A short season. He hit .250/.323/.337 with two home runs, 33 RBI, 40 runs and 10 steals in 69 games.

2011 Where are they now 2007 MLB draft picks 11 to 20

It is year end and I'm checking how picks 11 to 20 of the 2007 draft did this season. Traditionally players drafted out of college advance faster than those drafted out of high school and pitchers usually advance faster than position players. Some players might also be traded to help their team get an established player that can help their team improve immediately.


The Seattle Mariners drafted RHP Phillippe Aumont 11th out of Ecole Du Versant in Quebec. He was traded to the Phillies in 2009. He split 2011 between Double A and Triple A. He was 1-5 with a 2.32 ERA, 41 strikeouts, 1.10 WHIP and 4 saves in 31 innings over 25 games at Double A and was 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA, 37 strikeouts, 1.54 WHIP and 3 saves in 22.2 innings over 18 games at Triple A.


The Florida Marlins drafted third baseman Matt Dominguez 12th out of Chatsworth High School in California. He split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced, Double A, Triple A and the Marlins. He hit .167/.250/.167 with zero home runs, two RBI, zero runs and zero steals in four games at Class A Advanced, hit .133/.316/.133 with zero home runs, one RBI, one runs and zero steals in four games at Double A, was .258/.312/.431 with 12 home runs, 55 RBI, 47 runs and zero steals in 87 games at Triple A and hit .244/.292/.333 with zero home runs, two RBI, two runs and zero steals in 17 games with the Marlins.


The Cleveland Indians drafted first baseman Beau Mills 13th out of Lewis-Clark State College. He split the 2011 season between Double A and Triple A. He hit .300/.358/.522 with 11 home runs, 49 RBI, 37 runs and zero steals in 61 games at Double A and hit .269/.326/.496 with seven home runs, 18 RBI, 13 runs and zero steals in 35 games at Triple A.


The Atlanta Braves drafted outfielder Jason Heyward 14th out of Henry County High School in Georgia. He played 2011 with the Braves. He hit .227/.319/.389 with 14 home runs, 42 RBI, 50 runs and 9 steals in 128 games.


The Cincinnati Reds drafted catcher Devin Mesoraco 15th out of Punxsutawney Area High School in Pennsylvania. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Reds. He hit .289/.371/.484 with 15 home runs, 71 RBI, 60 runs and one steal in 120 games at Triple A and hit .180/.226/.360 with two home runs, six RBI, five runs and zero steals in 18 games with the Reds.


The Toronto Blue Jays drafted shortstop Kevin Ahrens 16th out of Memorial High School in Texas. He played the 2011 season at Class A Advanced. He hit .242/.334/.389 with 13 home runs, 54 RBI, 59 runs and zero steals in 121 games. 


The Texas Rangers drafted RHP Blake Beavan 17th out of Irving High School in Texas. He was traded to the Mariners in 2010. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Mariners. He was 5-3 with a 4.45 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 1.48 WHIP in 93 innings over 16 games at Triple A and was 5-6 with a 4.27 ERA, 42 strikeouts and 1.25 WHIP in 97 innings over 15 games with the Mariners.


The St Louis Cardinals drafted shortstop Peter Kozma 18th out of Owasso High School in Oklahoma. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Cardinals. He hit .214/.280/.289 with three home runs, 47 RBI, 48 runs and 2 steals in 112 games at Triple A and hit .176/.333/.235 with zero home runs, one RBI, two runs and zero steals in 16 games with the Cardinals.


The Philadelphia Phillies drafted LHP Joe Savery 19th out of Rice. He split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced, Double A, Triple A and Phillies. He was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA, one strikeout and 1.00 WHIP in 2 innings over one game at Class A Advanced, was 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA, 14 strikeouts and 0.78 WHIP in 9 innings over six games at Double A, was 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA, 26 strikeouts, 1.16 WHIP and 2 saves in 25 innings over 18 games at Triple A and was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA, two strikeouts and 0.37 WHIP in 2.2 innings over four games with the Phillies.


The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted RHP Chris Withrow 20th out of Midland High School in Texas. He pitched 2011 at Double A. He was 6-6 with a 4.20 ERA, 130 strikeouts and 1.45 WHIP in 128.2 innings over 25 games.

2011 Where are they now 2008 MLB draft picks 11 to 20

It is year end and I'm checking how picks 11 to 20 of the 2008 draft did this season. Traditionally players drafted out of college advance faster than those drafted out of high school and pitchers usually advance faster than position players. Some players might also be traded to help their team get an established player that can help their team improve immediately.


The Texas Rangers drafted first baseman Justin Smoak 11th out of University of South Carolina. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2010. He played the 2011 season with the Mariners. He hit .234/.323/.396 with 15 home runs, 55 RBI, 38 runs and zero steals in 123 games.


The Oakland Athletics drafted second baseman Jemile Weeks 12th out of Miami. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Athletics. He hit .321/.417/.446 with three home runs, 22 RBI, 30 runs and 10 steals in 45 games at Triple A and hit .303/.340/.421 with two home runs, 36 RBI, 50 runs and 22 steals in 97 games with the Athletics.


The St Louis Cardinals drafted third baseman Brett Wallace 13th out of Arizona State. He was traded to the Athletics and later to the Blue Jays in 2009. He was traded to the Astros in 2010. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Astros. He hit .356/.437/.481 with one home run, 24 RBI, 16 runs and one steal in 28 games at Triple A and hit .259/.334/.369 with five home runs, 29 RBI, 37 runs and one steal in 115 games with the Astros.


The Minnesota Twins drafted outfielder Aaron Hicks 14th out of Woodrow Wilson High School in California. He played the 2011 season at Class A Advanced. He hit .242/.354/.368 with five home runs, 38 RBI, 79 runs and 17 steals in 122 games.


The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted RHP Ethan Martin 15th out of Stephens County High School in Georgia. He split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced and Double A. He was 4-4 with a 7.36 ERA, 61 strikeouts and 1.85 WHIP in 55 innings over 16 games at Class A Advanced and was 5-3 with a 4.02 ERA, 43 strikeouts, 1.49 WHIP and 2 saves in 40.1 innings over 21 games at Double A.


The Milwaukee Brewers drafted catcher Brett Lawrie 16th out of Brookswood Secondary School in Canada. He was traded to the Blue Jays in 2010. He split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced, Triple A and the Blue Jays. He hit .125/.364/.125 with zero home runs, one RBI, zero runs and zero steals in 4 ganes at Class A Advanced, hit .353/.415/.661 with 18 home runs, 61 RBI, 64 runs and 13 steals in 69 games at Triple A and hit .293/.373/.580 with nine home runs, 25 RBI, 26 runs and 7 steals in 43 games with the Blue Jays.


The Toronto Blue Jays drafted first baseman David Cooper 17th out of  University of California-Berkeley. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Blue Jays. He hit .364/.439/.535 with nine home runs, 96 RBI, 77 runs and one steal in 127 games at Triple A and hit .211/.284/.394 with two home runs, 12 RBI, nine runs and zero steals in 27 games with the Blue Jays.


The New York Mets drafted first baseman Ike Davis 18th out of Arizona State. He played the 2011 season with the Mets before it ended with an ankle injury. He hit .302/.383/.543 with seven home runs, 25 RBI, 20 runs and zero steals in 36 games. 


The Chicago Cubs drafted RHP Andrew Cashner 19th out of Texas Christian University. He split the 2011 season between Double A, Triple A , the Cubs and the DL. He was 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA, six strikeouts and 1.12 WHIP in 2.2 innings over three games at Double A, was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA, two strikeouts and 0.00 WHIP in 2 innings over two games at Triple A and was 0-0 with a 1.69 ERA, eight strikeouts and 0.66 WHIP in 10.2 innings over seven games with the Cubs.


The Seattle Mariners drafted RHP Josh Fields 20th out of Georgia. He split the 2011 season between the Mariners Double A and Triple A teams and the Red Sox Double A team after being traded. He was 1-2 with a 2.77 ERA, 26 strikeouts, 1.38 WHIP and 3 saves in 26 innings over 20 games with the Mariners Double A, was 0-0 with a 6.23 ERA, 13 strikeouts and 1.85 WHIP in 13 innings over nine games at Mariners Triple A and was 3-0 with a 3.12 ERA, 25 strikeouts, 1.15 WHIP and one save in 17.1 innings over nine games with the Red Sox Double A.

2011 Where are they now 2009 MLB draft picks 11 to 20

It is year end and I'm checking how picks 11 to 20 of the 2009 draft did this season. Traditionally players drafted out of college advance faster than those drafted out of high school and pitchers usually advance faster than position players. Some players might also be traded to help their team get an established player that can help their team improve immediately.


The Colorado Rockies drafted LHP Tyler Matzek 11th out of Capistrano Valley High School in California. He split the 2011 season between Class A and Class A Advanced. He was 5-4 with a 4.36 ERA, 74 strikeouts and 1.48 WHIP in 64 innings over 12 games at Class A and was 0-3 with a 9.82 ERA, 37 strikeouts and 2.42 WHIP in 33 innings over 10 games at Class A Advanced.


The Kansas City Royals drafted RHP Aaron Crow 12th out of University of Missouri via the Fort Worth Cats. He pitched the 2011 season with the Royals. He was 4-4 with a 2.76 ERA, 65 strikeouts and 1.39 WHIP in 62 innings over 57 games.


The Oakland Athletics drafted shortstop Grant Green 13th out of University of South California. He played the 2011 season at Double A. He hit .291/.343/.408 with nine home runs, 62 RBI, 76 runs and 6 steals in 127 games.


The Texas Rangers drafted LHP Matt Purke 14th out of Klein High School in Texas. He went unsigned and enrolled to pitch at Texas Christian University. In 2011 he was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the third round. 


The Cleveland Indians drafted RHP Alex White 15th out of North Carolina. He split the 2011 season between Double A, Triple A, the Indians and then with the Rockies after being traded. He was 1-1 with a 1.65 ERA, 10 strikeouts and 0.67 WHIP in 16.1 innings over four games at Double A, was 1-0 with a 1.90 ERA, 28 strikeouts and 1.01 WHIP in 23.2 innings over four games at Triple A, was 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA, 13 strikeouts and 1.53 WHIP in 15 innings over three games with the Indians and was 2-4 with a 8.42 ERA, 24 strikeouts and 1.76 WHIP in 36.1 innings over seven games with the Rockies.


The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted third baseman Bobby Borchering 16th out of Bishop Verot High School in Florida. He played the 2011 season at Class A Advanced. He hit .267/.332/.469 with 24 home runs, 92 RBI , 80 runs and 4 steals in 135 games.


The Arizona Diamondbacks also drafted outfielder A.J.Pollock 17th out of Notre Dame. It was a compensation pick. He played the 2011 season at Double A. He hit .307/.357/.444 with eight home runs, 73 RBI, 103 runs and 36 steals in 133 games.


The Florida Marlins drafted LHP Chad James 18th out of Yukon High School in Oklahoma. He pitched the 2011 season at Class A Advanced. He was 5-15 with a 3.80 ERA, 124 strikeouts and 1.50 WHIP in 149.1 innings over 27 games.


The St Louis Cardinals drafted RHP Shelby Miller 19th out of Brownwood High School in Texas. He split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced and Double A. He was 2-3 with a 2.89 ERA, 81 strikeouts and 1.13 WHIP in 53 games over nine games at Class A Advanced and was 9-3 with a 2.70 ERA, 89 strikeouts and 1.21 WHIP in 86.2 innings over 16 games at Double A.


The Toronto Blue Jays drafted RHP Chad Jenkins 20th out of Kennesaw State University. He split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced and Double A. He was 4-5 with a 3.07 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 1.26 WHIP in 67.1 innings over 11 games at Class A Advanced and was 5-7 with a 4.13 ERA, 74 strikeouts and 1.20 WHIP in 100.1 innings over 16 games at Double A.

2011 Where are they now 2010 MLB draft picks 11 to 20

It is year end and I'm checking how picks 11 to 20 of the 2010 draft did this season. Traditionally players drafted out of college advance faster than those drafted out of high school and pitchers usually advance faster than position players. Some players might also be traded to help their team get an established player that can help their team improve immediately.


The Toronto Blue Jays drafted RHP Deck McGuire 11th out of the University of Texas-Arlington. He split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced and Double A. He was 7-4 with a 2.75 ERA, 102 strikeouts and 1.21 WHIP in 104.2 innings over 19 games at Class A Advanced and was 2-1 with a 4.35 ERA, 22 strikeouts and 1.31 WHIP in 20.2 innings over four games at Double A.


The Cincinnati Reds drafted catcher Yasmani Grandal 12th out of Miami. He split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced, Double A and Triple A. He hit .296/.410/.510 with 10 home runs, 40 RBI, 47 runs and zero steals in 56 games at Class A Advanced, hit .301/.360/.474 with four home runs, 26 RBI, 20 runs and zero steals in 45 games with Double A and hit .500/.667/.667 with zero home runs, two RBI, two runs and zero steals in four games at Triple A. He was traded to the Padres after the season.


The Chicago White Sox drafted LHP Chris Sale 13th out of Florida Gulf Coast University. He pitched the 2011 season with the White Sox. He was 2-2 with a 2.79 ERA, 79 strikeouts, 1.11 WHIP and 8 saves in 71 innings over 58 games.


The Milwaukee Brewers drafted RHP Dylan Covey 14th out of Maranatha High School in California. He went unsigned and enrolled at the University of San Diego.


The Texas Rangers drafted outfielder Jacob Skole 15th out of Blessed Trinity High School in Georgia. He played the 2011 season at the Class A level. He hit .264/.366/.389 with nine home runs, 62 RBI, 76 runs and 21 steals in 124 games.


The Chicago Cubs drated RHP Hayden Simpson 16th out of Southern Arkansas University. He split the 2011 season between Rookie ball and Class A. He was 0-4 with a 8.15 ERA, 11 strikeouts and 2.09 WHIP in 17.2 innings over 11 games at Rookie ball and was 1-6 with a 5.72 ERA, 46 strikeouts and 1.68 WHIP in 61.1 innings over 16 games at Class A.


The Tampa Bay Rays drafted outfielder Josh Sale 17th out of Bishop Blanchet High School in Washington. He played the 2011 season in Rookie ball. He hit .210/.289/.346 with four home runs, 15 RBI, 24 runs and 4 steals in 60 games.


The Los Angeles Angels drafted third baseman Kaleb Cowart 18th out of Cook High School in Georgia. He played the 2011 season in Rookie ball. He hit .283/.345/.420 with seven home runs, 40 RBI, 49 runs and 11 steals in 72 games.


The Houston Astros drafted RHP Mike Foltynewicz 19th out of Minooka Community High School in Illinois. He pitched the 2011 season at the Class A level. He was 5-11 was with a 4.97 ERA, 88 strikeouts and 1.49 WHIP in 134 innings over 26 games.


The Boston Red Sox drafted second baseman Kolbrin Vitek 20th out of Ball State. He played the 2011 season at Class A Advanced. He hit .281/.350/.372 with three home runs, 43 RBI, 78 runs and 12 steals in 123 games. 

2011 Where are they now 2007 MLB draft top 10

It is year end and I'm checking how the top 10 players of the 2007 draft did this season. Traditionally players drafted out of college advance faster than those drafted out of high school and pitchers usually advance faster than position players. Some players might also be traded to help their team get an established player that can help their team improve immediately.


The first player drafted in 2007 was LHP David Price by the Tampa Bay Rays out of Vanderbilt. He pitched the 2011 season with the Rays. He was 12-13 with a 3.49 ERA, 218 strikeouts and 1.14 WHIP in 224.1 innings over 34 games.


The Kansas City Royals drafted shortstop Mike Moustakas second out of Chatsworth High School in California. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Royals. He hit .287/.347/.498 with 10 home runs, 44 RBI, 38 runs and one steal in 55 games at Triple A and hit .263/.309/.367 with five home runs, 30 RBI, 26 runs and 2 steals in 89 games with the Royals. 


The Chicago Cubs drafted third baseman Josh Vitters third out of Cypress High School in California. He played 2011 at Double A. He hit .283/.322/.448 with 14 home runs, 81 RBI, 56 runs and 4 steals in 129 games.


The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted LHP Daniel Moskos fourth out of Clemson. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Pirates. He was 1-1 with a 3.43 ERA, 29 strikeouts, 1.21 WHIP and 3 saves in 42 innings over 30 games at Triple A and was 1-1 with a 2.96 ERA, 11 strikeouts and 1.56 WHIP in 24.1 innings over 31 games with the Pirates.


The Baltimore Orioles drafted catcher Matt Wieters fifth out of Georgia Tech. He played the 2011 season with the Orioles. He hit .262/.328/.450 with 22 home runs, 68 RBI, 72 runs and one steal in 139 games.


The Washington Nationals drafted LHP Ross Detwiler sixth out of Missouri State. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Nationals. He was 6-6 with a 4.53 ERA, 63 strikeouts and 1.49 WHIP in 87.1 innings over 16 games at Triple A and was 4-5 with a 3.00 ERA, 41 strikeouts and 1.26 WHIP in 66 innings over 15 games with the Nationals.


The Milwaukee Brewers drafted outfielder Matt LaPorta seventh out of Florida. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2008 and played  the 2011 season with the Indians. He hit .247/.299/.412 with 11 home runs, 53 RBI, 34 runs and one steal in 107 games.


The Colorado Rockies drafted RHP Casey Weathers eighth out of Vanderbilt. He pitched the 2011 season at Double A. He was 2-2 with a 5.32 ERA, 48 strikeouts and 1.75 WHIP in 45.2 innings over 44 games.


The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted RHP Jarrod Parker ninth out of Norwell High School in Indiana. He pitched most of the season at Double A plus one game with the Diamondbacks. He was 11-8 with a 3.79 ERA, 112 strikeouts and 1.28 WHIP in 130.2 innings over 26 games at Double A and was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA, one strikeout and 0.88 WHIP in 5.2 innings in his one game with the Diamondbacks. After the season the was traded to the Athletics.


The San Francisco Giants drafted LHP Madison Bumgarner tenth out of South Caldwell High School in North Carolina. He pitched the 2011 season with the Giants. He was 13-13 with a 3.21 ERA, 191 strikeouts and 1.21 WHIP in 204.2 innings over 33 games. 

2011 Where are they now 2008 MLB draft top 10

It is year end and I'm checking how the top 10 players of the 2008 draft did this season. Traditionally players drafted out of college advance faster than those drafted out of high school and pitchers usually advance faster than position players. Some players might also be traded to help their team get an established player that can help their team improve immediately.


The first player drafted in 2008 was shortstop Tim Beckham by the Tampa Bay Rays out of Griffin High School in Georgia. He split the 2011 season between Double A and Triple A. .275/.339/.395 with seven home runs, 57 RBI, 82 runs and 15 steals in 107 games at Double A and hit .255/.282/.462 with five home runs, 13 RBI, 12 runs and 2 steals in 24 games at Triple A.


The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted third baseman Pedro Alvarez second out of Vanderbilt. He split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced, Triple A and the Pirates. He hit .187/.381/.375 with one home run, two RBI, two runs and zero steals in six games at Class A Advanced, hit .256/.365/.432 with five home runs, 19 RBI, 16 runs and zero steals in 35 games at Triple A and hit .191/.272/.289 with four home runs, 19 RBI, 18 runs and one steal in 74 games with the Pirates.


The Kansas City Royals drafted first baseman Eric Hosmer third out of American Heritage School in Florida. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Royals. He hit .439/.525/.582 with three home runs, 15 RBI, and 3 steals in 26 games at Triple A and hit .293/.334/.465 with 19 home runs, 78 RBI, 66 runs and 11 steals in 128 games with the Royals.


The Baltimore Orioles drafted LHP Brian Matusz fourth out of the University of San Diego. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Orioles. He was 2-3 with a 3.06 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 1.21 WHIP in 64.2 innings over 11 games at Triple A and was 1-9 with a 10.69 ERA, 38 strikeouts and 2.11 WHIP in 49.2 innings over 12 games withe the Orioles.


The San Francisco Giants drafted catcher Buster Posey fifth out of Florida State. He played his 2011 season with the Giants before a season ending injury. He hit .284/.368/.389 with four home runs, 21 RBI, 17 runs and 3 steals in 45 games. 


The Florida Marlins drafted catcher Kyle Skipworth sixth out of Patriot High School in California. He played the 2011 season at Double A. He hit .207/.273/.331 with 11 home runs, 49 RBI, 35 runs and zero steals in 106 games.


The Cincinnati Reds drafted first baseman Yonder Alonso seventh out of Miami. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Reds. He hit .296/.374/.486 with 12 home runs, 56 RBI, 46 runs and 6 steals in 91 games at Triple A and hit .330/.398/.545 with five home runs, 15 RBI, nine runs and zero steals in 47 games with the Reds. After the season he was traded to the Padres.


The Chicago White Sox drafted shortstop Gordon Beckham eighth out of Georgia. He played the 2011 season with the White Sox. He hit .230/.296/.337 with 10 home runs, 44 RBI, 60 runs and 5 steals in 150 games.


The Washington Nationals drafted RHP Aaron Crow ninth out of Missouri. He went unsigned and was drafted by the Kansas City Royals the following year. In 2011 he pitched for the Royals. He was 4-4 with a 2.76 ERA, 65 strikeouts and 1.39 WHIP in 62 innings over 57 games. 


The Houston Astros drafted catcher Jason Castro tenth out of Stanford. He missed the entire 2011 season after a knee injury in spring training.

Fantasy Baseball Managers Hold Breath

The off season in Major League Baseball can be exciting, frustrating or both for fantasy baseball managers in keeper leagues. All the transactions being made through trades and free agency can affect your roster either directly or through the addition or subtraction of another player. These moves usually don't affect established players but can greatly change the future of up and comers. I made some late season transactions the last month of our season and hoped for the best.


One move was to pick up Daniel Bard of the Boston Red Sox. I gambled that Jonathan Papelbon would no longer be with the team. When Papelbon signed with the Phillies I did a little happy dance and figured Bard was a lock. Then reports came out that the Red Sox were looking at other closers and were looking to give Bard a shot at the starting rotation in the spring. Since starters are generally more valuable than closers I was happy about the possible upgrade. If Bard can correct his late season control issues I can hope he's the next C.J. Wilson. Then yesterday the Red Sox closed the door on their closer position by trading for Andrew Bailey. Bailey is also one of my players under contract for one more season and the move from Oakland to Boston is a definite upgrade. Time for another happy dance.


Another player I made a reach for was Bryan LaHair of the Chicago Cubs. I figured that Carlos Pena would be gone through free agency and LaHair could get a shot. Pena is still there but his name is still being mentioned by a few teams. Where Pena lands likely depends on Prince Fielder and where he takes his talents. Unfortunately it has been mentioned that Fielder could end up with the Cubs which would block my LaHair move. There have been positive vibes from Theo Epstein that the Cubs would be willing to give LaHair the chance it they don't bring in a bigger name.


He wasn't a late season pick up but a player I've long had high hopes for is Eric Young Jr of the Colorado Rockies. I had him on my roster at the beginning of the season when I carried him over from the previous year at $7, then dropped him and picked him back up a few weeks later for $5. Young is a base stealing machine and just needs a chance. Yet now he is at the back of a log jam at second and the Rockies are stock piling outfielders too with the addition of Michael Cuddyer and some talent waiting to burst on the scene from the minors. I think Young's best hope is to be traded to a team willing to give some playing time.

It's only a few months away until our draft and we have to set our final keeper rosters. Plenty can happen between now and then as witnessed by the many off season deals. At that time I will finally exhale.

Andrew Bailey traded to Red Sox

Andrew Bailey was traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Boston Red Sox along with Ryan Sweeney on December 28, 2011. In exchange the Athletics receive Josh Reddick and minor league players Miles Head and Raul Alcantara.


RHP Bailey pitched three seasons with the Athletics. In 2011 he was 0-4 with a 3.24 ERA, 41 strikeouts, 1.10 WHIP and 24 saves in 41.2 innings over 42 games. For his career he is 7-10 with a 2.07 ERA, 174 strikeouts, 0.95 WHIP and 75 saves in 174 innings over 157 games. He was originally drafted by the Athletics in the sixth round in 2006.


Sweeney is an outfielder who played six seasons with the Athletics and White Sox. In 2011 he hit .265/.346/.341 with one home run, 25 RBI, 34 runs and one steal in 108 games. For his career he has hit .283/.342/.378 with 14 home runs, 169 RBI, 202 runs and 17 steals in 472 games. He was originally drafted by the White Sox in the second round in 2003. He was originally drafted by the Red Sox in the 17th round in 2006.


Head is a first baseman who split the 2011 season between Class A and Class A Advanced. He hit .338/.409/.612 with 15 home runs, 53 RBI, 61 runs and 4 steals in 66 games at Class A and hit .254/.328/.405 with seven home runs, 29 RBI, 27 runs and zero steals in 63 games at Class A Advanced. He was originally drafted by the Red Sox in the 26th round in 2009.


Reddick is an outfielder who played three seasons with the Red Sox. He split 2011 between Triple A and with the Red Sox. He hit .230/.333/.508 with 14 home runs, 36 RBI, 37 runs and fours steals in 52 games at Triple A and hit .280/.327/.457 with seven home runs, 28 RBI, 41 runs and one steal in 87 games with the Red Sox. For his career he has hit .248/.290/.416 with 10 home runs, 37 RBI, 51 runs and two steals in 143 games.


RHP Alcantara split 2011 between Rookie ball and the Class A short season teams. He was 1-1 with a 0.75 ERA, 36 strikeouts and 0.60 WHIP in 48 innings over nine games at Rookie and was 0-3 with a 6.23 ERA, 14 strikeouts and 1.79 WHIP in 17.1 innings over four games in the Class A short season. He originally signed with the Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 2009 out of the Dominican Republic. 

2011 Where are they now 2009 MLB draft top 10

It is year end and I'm checking how the top 10 players of the 2009 draft did this season. Traditionally players drafted out of college advance faster than those drafted out of high school and pitchers usually advance faster than position players. Some players might also be traded to help their team get an established player that can help their team improve immediately.


The first player drafted in 2009 was RHP Stephen Strasburg by the Washington Nationals out of San Diego State. He pitched for the Nationals in 2011 and was 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA, 24 strikeouts and 0.71 WHIP in 24 innings over five games.


The Seattle Mariners drafted Dustin Ackley second out of North Carolina. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and with the Mariners. He hit .303/.421/.487 with nine home runs, 35 RBI, 57 runs and 7 steals in 66 games at Triple A and hit .273/.348/.417 with six home runs, 36 RBI, 39 runs and 6 steals in 90 games with the Mariners.


The San Diego Padres drafted outfielder Donavan Tate third out of Cartersville High School in Georgia. He split the 2011 between the Class A short season and Class A levels. He hit .283/.406/.409 with zero home runs, 20 RBI, 24 runs and 17 steals in 33 games in the Class A short season and hit .316/.435/.421 with zero home runs, two RBI, three runs and two steals in six games at Class A.


The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted catcher Tony Sanchez fourth out of Boston College. He played the 2011 season at Double A. He hit .241/.340/.318 with five home runs, 44 RBI, 46 runs and 5 steals in 118 games. 


The Baltimore Orioles drafted RHP Matthew Hobgood fifth out of Norco High School in California. He split the 2011 season between Rookie ball and the Class A short season levels. He was 0-0 with a 4.35 ERA, nine strikeouts and 1.26 WHIP in 10.1 innings over five games at Rookie and was 0-6 with a 10.46 ERA, 13 strikeouts and 2.40 WHIP in 26.2 innings over eight games at Class A short season.


The San Francisco Giants drafted RHP Zack Wheeler sixth out of East Paulding High School in Georgia. He split the 2011 season between the Giants Class A Advanced team and with the New York Mets Class A Advanced team after he was traded. He was 7-5 with a 3.99 ERA, 98 strikeouts and 1.38 WHIP in 88 innings over 16 games with the Giants Class A Advanced team and was 2-2 with a 2.00 ERA, 31 strikeouts and 1.15 WHIP in 27 innings over six games with the Mets Class A Advanced team.


The Atlanta Braves drafted LHP Mike Minor seventh out of Vanderbilt. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and with the Braves. He was 4-5 with a 3.13 ERA, 99 strikeouts and 1.19 WHIP in 100.2 innings over 16 games at Triple A and was 5-3 with a 4.14 ERA, 77 strikeouts and 1.49 WHIP in 82.2 innings over 15 games with the Braves.


The Cincinnati Reds drafted RHP Mike Leake eighth out of Arizona State. He split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Reds. He was 0-1 with a 9.82 ERA, five strikeouts and 1.64 WHIP in 7.1 innings over two games at Triple A and was 12-9 with a 3.86 ERA, 118 strikeouts and 1.18 WHIP in 167.2 innings over 29 games with the Reds.


The Detroit Tigers drafted RHP Jacob Turner ninth out of Westminster Christian Academy in Missouri. He split the 2011 season between Double A, Triple A and the Tigers. He was 3-5 with a 3.48 ERA, 90 strikeouts and 1.18 WHIP in 113.2 innings over 17 games at Double A, was 1-0 with a 3.12 ERA, 20 strikeouts and 1.04 WHIP in 17.1 innings over three games at Triple A and was 0-1 with a 8.53 ERA, eight strikeouts and 1.66 WHIP in 12.2 innings over three games with the Tigers.


The Washington Nationals drafted RHP Drew Storen tenth out of Stanford. He pitched the 2011 season with the Nationals. He was 6-3 with a 2.75 ERA, 74 strikeouts, 1.02 WHIP and 43 saves in 75.1 innings over 73 games.

2011 Where are they now 2010 MLB draft top 10

The year is coming to a close and I decided to check where the top draft picks of the more recent drafts stood in their careers. I'm starting with the 2010 draft since that would have allowed each player one full season after being drafted. Traditionally players drafted out of college advance faster than those drafted out of high school and pitchers usually advance faster than position players. Some players might also be traded to help their team get an established player that can help their team improve immediately.

The first player drafted in 2010 was outfielder Bryce Harper by the Washington Nationals out of the College of Southern Nevada. Harper split the 2011 season between the Class A and Double A levels. He hit .318/.423/.554 with 14 home runs, 46 RBI, 49 runs and 19 steals in 72 games at Class A and hit .256/.329/.395 with three home runs, 12 RBI, 14 runs and 7 steals in 18 games at Double A.

The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted RHP Jameson Taillon second out of the The Woodlands high school in Texas. He pitched the 2011 season at the Class A level. He was 2-3 with a 3.98 ERA, 97 strikeouts and 1.20 WHIP in 92.2 innings over 23 games.

The Baltimore Orioles drafted shortstop Manny Machado third out of Brito Miami Private School in Florida. He split the 2011 season between Class A and Class A Advanced. He hit .276/.376/.483 with six home runs, 24 RBI, 24 runs and 3 steals in 38 games at Class A and hit .245/.308/.384 with five home runs, 26 RBI, 24 runs and 8 steals in 63 games at Class A Advanced.

The Kansas City Royals drafted shortstop Christian Colon fourth out of Cal State-Fullerton. He played the 2011 season at Double A. He hit .257/.325/.342 with eight home runs, 61 RBI, 69 runs and 17 steals in 127 games.

The Cleveland Indians drafted LHP Drew Pomeranz fifth out of Ole Miss. He pitched at the Class A Advanced and Double A levels in the Indians organization before being traded to the Colorado Rockies and he split the rest of the season between Double A and the Rockies. He was 3-2 with a 1.87 ERA, 95 strikeouts and 1.14 WHIP in 77 innings over 15 games at Class A Advanced. was 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA, 17 strikeouts and 1.14 WHIP in 14 innings over three games with Cleveland's Double A team, was 1-0 with 0.00 ERA, seven strikeouts and 0.20 WHIP in 10 innings over two games with Colorado's Double A team and was 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA, 13 strikeouts and 1.31 WHIP in 18.1 innings over four games with the Rockies. 

The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted RHP Barret Loux sixth out of Texas A&M. He failed his physical and was not offered a contract and later signed with the Texas Rangers as a free agent. He pitched 2011 at the Class A Advanced level. He was 8-5 with a 3.80 ERA, 127 strikeouts and 1.28 WHIP in 109 innings over 21 games.

The New York Mets drafted RHP Matt Harvey seventh out of North Carolina. He split the 2011 season between Class A Advanced and Double A. He was 8-2 with a 2.37 ERA, 92 strikeouts and 1.20 WHIP in 76 innings over 14 games at Class A Advanced and was 5-3 with a 4.53 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 1.36 WHIP in 59.2 innings over 12 games at Double A.

The Houston Astros drafted outfielder Delino DeShields Jr eighth out of Woodward Academy in Georgia. He played the 2011 season at the Class A level. He hit .220/.305/.322 with nine home runs, 48 RBI, 73 runs and 30 steals in 119 games.

The San Diego Padres drafted RHP Karsten Whitson ninth out of Chipley High School in Florida. He went unsigned and enrolled to pitch for the Florida Gators.

The Oakland Athletics drafted outfielder Michael Choice tenth out of the University of Texas-Arlington. He played the 2011 season at the Class A Advanced level. He hit .285/.376/.542 with 30 home runs, 82 RBI, 79 runs and 9 steals in 118 games.

Sean Marshall traded to Reds

Sean Marshall was traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Cincinnati Reds on December 23, 2011. In exchange the Cubs receive Travis Wood, Dave Sappelt and minor league player Ronald Torreyes.


LHP Marshall pitched six seasons for the Cubs. In 2011 he was 6-6 with a 2.26 ERA, 79 strikeouts, 1.10 WHIP and five saves in 75.2 innings over 78 games. For his career he is 32-40 with a 3.96 ERA, 439 strikeouts, 1.33 WHIP and seven saves in 530 innings over 292 games. He was originally drafted by the Cubs in the sixth round in 2003.


LHP Wood pitched two seasons for the Reds and split the 2011 season between Triple A and with the Reds. He was 2-3 with a 5.33 ERA, 47 strikeouts and 1.55 WHIP in 52.1 innings over 10 games at Triple A and was 6-6 with a 4.84 ERA, 76 strikeouts and 1.49 WHIP in 106 innings over 22 games with the Reds. For his career he is 11-10 with a 4.18 ERA, 162 strikeouts and 1.29 WHIP in 208.2 innings over 39 games. He was originally drafted by the Reds in the second round in 2005. 

Sappelt is an outfielder who split the 2011 season between Triple A and with the Reds, He hit .313/.337/.458 with seven home runs, 29 RBI, 40 runs and 4 steals in 74 games at Triple A and hit .243/.289/.318 with zero home runs, five RBI, 14 runs and one steal in 38 games with the Reds. He was originally drafted by the Reds in the ninth round in 2008.


Torreyes played second, third and shortstop at the Class A level in 2011. He hit .356/.398/.457 with three home runs, 41 RBI, 53 runs and 12 steals in 67 games. He originally signed with the Reds as an amateur free agent in 2010 out of Venezuela.

Gio Gonzalez traded to Nationals

Gio Gonzalez was traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Washington Nationals along with minor league player Robert Gilliam on December 23, 2011. In return the Athletics receive Brad Peacock, Tommy Milone and minor league players Derek Norris and A.J. Cole.


LHP Gonzalez pitched for four seasons with the Athletics. In 2011 he was 16-12 with a 3.12 ERA, 197 strikeouts and 1.32 WHIP in 202 innings over 32 games. For his career he is 38-32 with a 3.93 ERA, 511 strikeouts and 1.41 WHIP in 535.1 innings over 95 games. He was originally drafted by the White Sox with the 38th pick of the first round in 2004.


RHP Peacock split the 2011 season between Double A, Triple A and with the Nationals. He was 10-2 with a 2.01 ERA, 129 strikeouts and 0.86 WHIP in 98.2 innings over 16 games at Double A, was 5-1 with a 3.19 ERA, 48 strikeouts and 1.25 ERA in 48 innings over nine games at Triple A and was 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA, four strikeouts and 1.08 WHIP in 12 innings over two games with the Nationals. He was originally drafted by the Nationals in the 41st round in 2006. 


LHP Milone split the 2011 season between Triple A and with the Nationals. He was 12-6 with a 3.22 ERA, 155 strikeouts and 1.03 WHIP in 148.1 innings over 24 games at Triple A and was 1-0 with a 3.81 ERA, 15 strikeouts and 1.23 WHIP in 26 innings over five games with the Nationals. He was originally drafted by the Nationals in the 10th round in 2008.


Norris is a catcher who played at Double A in 2011. He hit .210/.367/.446 with 20 home runs, 46 RBI, 75 runs and 13 steals in 104 games. He was originally drafted by the Nationals in the fourth round in 2007.


RHP Cole pitched at the Class A level in 2011. He was 4-7 with a 4.04 ERA, 108 strikeouts and 1.25 WHIP in 89 innings over 20 games. He was originally drafted by the Nationals in the fourth round in 2010.


RHP Gilliam pitched at the Class A Advanced level in 2011. He was 12-7 with a 5.04 ERA, 156 strikeouts and 1.30 WHIP in 164.1 innings over 28 games. He was originally drafted by the Athletics in the eighth round in 2009.

Luis Martinez traded to Rangers

Luis Martinez was traded by the San Diego Padres to the Texas Rangers on December 21, 2011. In exchange the Padres receive minor league player Ryan Kelly.


Martinez is a catcher who split the 2011 season between Triple A and with the Padres. He hit .323/.379/.434 with one home run, 28 RBI, 24 runs and 2 steals in 58 games at Triple A and hit .203/.309/.305 with one home run, 10 RBI, seven runs and one steal in 22 games with the Padres. He was originally drafted by the Padres in the 12th round in 2007.


RHP Kelly pitched at the Class A Advanced level in 2011. He was 3-6 with a 3.95 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 1.18 WHIP in 82 innings over 40 games. He was originally drafted by the Pirates in the 26th round in 2006.

Is Aoki the Next Ichiro?

The Milwaukee Brewers had their bid accepted by the Yakult Swallows and they began negotiating with outfielder Norichika Aoki. There has been some speculation that Aoki might be the player to best fill the big shoes of Ichiro Suzuki. Both players are two of only four players that have reached the 200 hit mark in a season in Japan.


There are a more than a few differences between the two and their careers in Japan. Aoki is making the jump to the MLB three years behind where Suzuki was in his career. Aoki will be 30 when he takes the field and Suzuki was 27 in his first season with the Mariners. Suzuki played for the Orix BlueWave in the Pacific League while Aoki played in the Central League where four fields are greatly under sized. While in Japan Suzuki played third base and made the transition to the outfield after joining the Mariners. Aoki has played outfield his whole career in Japan. In his 210 hit season in 1994 Suzuki amassed that total in 130 games. Aoki had his 209 hit season in 2010 over 144 games. Aoki's best average was .358 also in 2010. Sukuki matched or bettered that mark three times hitting .385 in 1994, .358 in 1998 and .387 in 2000. Even playing in more small fields Aoki managed to reach the 20 home run mark once in 2007 when he hit 20. Suzuki surpassed the mark twice when he hit 25 in 1995 and 21 in 1999. Aoki passed the 30 steal mark twice with 41 in 2006 and 31 in 2008. Suzuki passed the mark three times with 49 in 1995, 35 in 1996 and 39 in 1997. 


While Aoki is still very talented his career in Japan did not measure up to the great Ichiro. Ichiro took his game to another level when he joined the Mariners and Aoki would need a major transformation to reach that level.

Texas Rangers win right to negotiate with Yu Darvish

I was among the many to bite on the misinformation worm that the Toronto Blue Jays had submitted the winning bid for the right to negotiate with Yu Darvish. It has now been confirmed that the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters accepted the highest bid by the Texas Rangers. The Rangers are on the clock and have thirty days to sign Darvish to a Major or Minor League contract. Considering his elite status it is likely it will be a Major League contract. 


As speculated in my previous post on Darvish it will be interesting to see how Darvish adjusts to the balls used by the MLB. If he signs with the Rangers he will be going to the number one hitters' park in MLB that ranked first in both runs and home runs. Considering that all the ballparks in the Nippon League are smaller it shouldn't be that difficult an adjustment. One thing that should help in the transition is Darvish played in the Pacific League which also uses the DH like the American League.

Did Yu Darvish dominate in down year for league?

The next great pitcher from Japan is on the horizon. The Toronto Blue Jays are reported to have submitted the highest bid to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters for the rights to negotiate with RHP Yu Darvish. Darvish is coming off the best season of his career where he was 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA, 276 strikeouts and 0.82 WHIP in 232 innings over 28 games at the age of 25. 


That started me wondering how well the hitters in the Nippon League in Japan measured up this season. I compared this season's statistics to the previous two seasons. In comparing the qualifiers for the batting championship I found that the number of hitters that had an average at or above .300 was down in both the Central League and the Pacific League. In the Central League there were only four batters to reach the .300 mark in 2011 compared to 14 in 2010 and seven in 2009. In the Pacific League there were only five hitters to reach the .300 mark in 2011 compared to 13 in 2010 and 10 in 2009.


So then I had to check whether the pitchers in general were posting better numbers in 2011. In comparing the qualifiers for earned run average I found that the number of pitchers below the 3.00 mark greatly increased over the previous two seasons in both leagues. In the Central League there were 13 with an ERA below 3.00 with two below 2.00 compared to three below 3.00 in 2010 and eight below 3.00 with one below 2.00 in 2009. In the Pacific League there were also 13 with an ERA below 3.00 with four below 2.00 in 2011 compared to four below 3.00 with one below 2.00 in 2010 and six below 3.00 with one below 2.00 in 2009. Darvish pitched in the Pacific League and his ERA was 1.78 in 2010 and 1.73 in 2009.


Three of the major differences between baseball in the United States and Japan are the fields, balls and strike zones. The playing fields in Japan are smaller than in the United States and four are still undersized even after makeovers. The balls in Japan had been smaller in size and wound tighter than the balls in Japan. The strike zone in Japan is higher and narrower than in the United States so it is a smaller zone. 


It turns out that an equipment change took place in 2011 where Mizuno became the only company to supply the Nippon League with baseballs compared to previous years where multiple manufactures where accepted. The new balls are reported to be low impact due to a lower elasticity rubber that surrounds the cork center. Many players point to this change as the main reason to lower averages and fewer home runs. It appears to be similar to the results from the lower impact bats introduced in NCAA baseball this year in the United States.


As a result Darvish benefited from the equipment change along with the other pitchers.  Yet it is clear that he has been one of the elite pitchers in Japan since he was among the leaders in ERA and strike outs each of the past three seasons. If he does end up with the Blue Jays it will be interesting to watch how he adjusts to the different baseball in MLB. Plus he will have to pitch in a hitter's park since Rogers Centre in Toronto ranks fourth in runs and sixth in home runs against all other MLB parks. No matter what I look forward to seeing if he measures up the the hype.

Mat Latos traded to Reds

Mat Latos was traded by the San Diego Padres to the Cincinnati Reds on December 17, 2011. In exchange the Padres receive Edinson Volquez, Yonder Alonso and minor league players Brad Boxberger and Yasmani Grandal.


RHP Latos pitched for three seasons with the Padres. In 2011 he was 9-14 with a 3.47 ERA, 185 strikeouts and 1.18 WHIP in 194.1 innings over 31 games. For his career he is 27-29 with a 3.37 ERA, 413 strikeouts and 1.15 WHIP in 429.2 innings over 72 games. He was originally drafted by the Padres in the 11th round in 2006.


RHP Volquez split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Reds. He was 4-2 with a 2.37 ERA, 83 strikeouts and 1.16 WHIP in 87.1 innings over 13 games at Triple A and was 5-7 with a 5.71 ERA, 104 strikeouts and 1.57 WHIP in 108.2 innings over 20 games with the Reds. He originally signed with the Rangers as an amateur free agent in 2001 out of the Dominican Republic. 


Alonso is an outfielder and first baseman who split the 2011 season between Triple A and the Reds. He hit .296/.374/.486 with 12 home runs, 56 RBI, 46 runs and 6 steals in 91 games at Triple A and hit .330/.398/.545 with five home runs, 15 RBI, nine runs and zero steals in 47 games with the Reds. He was originally drafted by the Reds with the seventh pick of the first round in 2008.


RHP Boxberger split the 2011 season between Double A and Triple A. He was 1-2 with a 1.31 ERA, 57 strikeouts, 0.84 WHIP and 4 saves in 34.1 innings over 30 games at Double A and was 1-2 with a 2.93 ERA, 36 strikeouts, 1.12 WHIP and 7 saves in 27.2 innings over 25 games at Triple A. He was originally drafted by the Red with the 43rd pick of the first round in 2009.


Grandal is a catcher who split the 2011 season between the Class A Advanced, Double A and Triple A levels. He hit .296/.410/.510 with 10 home runs, 40 RBI, 47 runs and zero steals in 56 games at Class A Advanced, hit .301/.360/.474 with four home runs, 26 RBI, 20 runs and zero steals in 45 games at Double A and hit .500/.667/.667 with zero home runs, two RBI, two runs and zero steals in four games at Triple A. He was originally drafted by the Reds with the 12th pick in the first round in 2010.

Aaron Cunningham traded to Indians

Aaron Cunningham was traded by the San Diego Padres to the Cleveland Indians on December 16, 2011. In exchange the Padres receive minor league player Cory Burns. 


Cunningham is an outfielder who has played four seasons with the Padres and Athletics. In 2011 he split the season between Triple A and the Padres. He hit .329/.398/.532 with nine home runs, 63 RBI, 65 runs and 4 steals in 87 games at Triple A and hit .178/.257/.367 with three home runs, nine RBI, 12 runs and one steal in 52 games with the Padres. For his career he has hit .231/.290/.375 with six home runs, 44 RBI, 42 runs and 4 steals in 150 games. He was originally drafted by the White Sox in the sixth round in 2005.


RHP Burns pitched at Double A in 2011. He was 2-5 with a 2.11 ERA, 70 strikeouts, 1.04 WHIP and 35 saves in 59.2 innings over 54 games. He was originally drafted by the Indians in the eighth round in 2009.

MLB committee to study international draft

One result of the new collective bargaining agreement of Major League Baseball is the formation of a committee that will determine whether baseball should have an international baseball draft. The committee will consist of Sandy Alderson, Tony Clark, Andrew Friedman, Stan Javier, Rob Manfred, Kim Ng, Rick Shapiro and Michael Weiner. Many facets of baseball are represented as Clark and Javier are retired players, Alderson is the Mets GM, Friedman is a Rays VP, Ng is from the commissioner's office, Manfred is the MLB executive VP, Shapiro is from the player's association and Weiner is the union head. Manfred and Weiner are the co-chairs. Their first meeting is set for January 15, 2012.


The major issues involved start with whether international amateur players should be subject to a draft or remain under the current system where they sign as amateur free agents. If it is determined that they should be subjected to a draft it would then be decided whether they should be part of a single worldwide draft where they would be included in the draft held in June or drafted in a separate international draft. Players from Puerto Rico are currently part of the Rule 4 draft in June so it would need to be determined which draft they should be in if there are two drafts. Standards on how to deal with Cuban players would also need to be set. Establishing the age for signing international amateurs is another issue.


I believe that the international players should be in their own draft since they CBA already established a new system of allocating funds for international players. Starting next year each team will have bonus pools of only $2.9 million to draw from to pay all their new international players. Then starting the following year the bonus pools will be allocated in a range of $4.5 million down to $1.7 million starting with the team with the worst record and going in order from there. Since that financial system will be in place it makes sense to have a draft that corresponds to it while the other draft will have a different bonus pool to draw from. 


Currently some teams heavily rely on their international scouting and free agent signing as a cost saving alternative to pursuing high priced free agents each year. Those teams may initially balk at the new system but in the long term it should help even the playing field. Two drafts with the same draft structure of drafting worst to best could help struggling teams stock their farm systems and improve the Major League club faster than the current system.

Mark Melancon traded to Red Sox

Mark Melancon was traded by the Houston Astros to the Boston Red Sox on December 14, 2011. In exchange the Astros receive Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland.

RHP Melancon has pitched for three seasons with the Astros and Yankees. In 2011 he was 8-4 with a 2.78 ERA, 66 strikeouts, 1.22 WHIP and 20 saves in 74.1 innings over 71 games. For his career he is 10-5 with a 3.21 ERA, 98 strikeouts, 1.26 WHIP and 20 saves in 112 innings over 106 games. He was originally drafted by the Yankees in the ninth round in 2006.

Lowrie played second, third and shortstop in four seasons with the Red Sox. In 2011 he hit .252/.303/.382 with six home runs, 36 RBI, 40 runs and one steal in 88 games. For his career he has hit .252/.324/.408 with 19 home runs, 117 RBI, 110 runs and 3 steals in 256 games. He was originally drafted by the Red Sox with the 45th pick of the first round in 2005.

RHP Weiland split 2011 between Triple A and with the Red Sox. He was 8-10 with 3.58 ERA, 126 strikeouts and 1.27 WHIP in 128.1 innings over 24 games at Triple A and was 0-3 with a 7.66 ERA, 13 strikeouts and 1.66 WHIP in 24.2 innings over seven games with Boston. He was originally drafted by the Red Sox in the third round in 2008.

Burke Badenhop traded to Rays

Burke Badenhop was traded by the Miami Marlins to the Tampa Bay Rays on December 12, 2011. In exchange the Rays receive minor league player Jake Jefferies.


RHP Badenhop pitched four seasons for the Marlins. In 2011 he was 2-3 with a 4.10 ERA, 51 strikeouts, 1.40 WHIP and one save in 63.2 innings over 50 games. For his career he is 13-15 with a 4.34 ERA, 190 strikeouts,  1.37 WHIP and 2 saves in 250.2 innings over 151 games. He was originally drafted by the Tigers in the 19th round in 2005.


Jefferies is a catcher who split 2011 at the Class A Advanced and Double A levels. He hit .235/.281/.333 with two home runs, 29 RBI, 18 runs and one steal in 59 games at Class A Advanced and hit .263/.300/.263 with zero home runs, three RBI, three runs and zero steals in six games at Double A. He was originally drafted by the Rays in the third round in 2008.

Casey McGehee traded to Pirates

Casey McGehee was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Pittsburgh Pirates on December 12, 2011. In exchange the Brewers receive Jose Veras.


McGehee played second and third for three seasons with the Brewers and had a brief nine game stint with the Cubs in 2008. In 2011 he hit .223/.280/.346 with 13 home runs, 67 RBI, 46 runs and zero steals in 155 games. For his career he has hit .265/.320/.426 with 52 home runs, 242 RBI, 175 runs and one steal in 437 games. He was originally drafted by the Cubs in the tenth round in 2003.


RHP Veras has pitched six seasons for the Pirates, Marlins, Indians and Yankees. In 2011 he was 2-4 with a 3.80 ERA, 79 strikeouts, 1.24 WHIP and one save in 71 innings over 79 games. For his career he is 14-13 with a 4.11 ERA, 249 strikeouts, 1.32 WHIP and four saves in 247.1 innings over 255 games. He originally signed with the Rays as an amateur free agent in 1998 out of the Dominican Republic.

Ben Francisco traded to Blue Jays

Ben Francisco was traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Toronto Blue Jays on December 12, 2011. In exchange the Phillies receive minor league player Frank Gailey.


Francisco is an outfielder who has played five seasons for the Phillies and Indians. In 2011 he hit .244/.340/.364 with six home runs, 34 RBI, 24 runs and 4 steals in 100 games. For his career he has hit .260/.332/.430 with 45 home runs, 174 RBI , 181 runs and 30 steals in 460 games. He was originally drafted by the Indians in the fifth round in 2002.


LHP Gailey pitched at the Class A Advanced and Double A levels in 2011. He was 4-2 with a 1.84 ERA, 38 strikeouts, 0.82 WHIP and 2 saves in 44 innings over 26 games at Class A Advanced and was 1-4 with a 5.70 ERA, 23 strikeouts and 1.43 WHIP in 30 innings over 19 games at Double A. He was originally drafted by the Blue Jays in the 23rd round in 2007.

Say it ain't so

It's happening again. Another baseball super star is on the verge of disappointing a nation of young fans. Depending on how the appeals process goes Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers may be guilty of using performance enhancing drugs. He would just be the latest in a growing number of the sports top tier players to have run foul of the rules.


These are already gifted athletes that decide they want that extra edge to put them over the top to the next level. Whether the motivation is performance based, monetary driven or a combination these athletes made the choice to do something deemed illegal by those that govern the sport. It is nothing new to the sport as players have been trying to make themselves better for years with sometimes questionable methods. Yet the recent Steroid Era put many players and their accomplishments in question.


Yet another consequence of their actions is breaking the hearts of their many young fans who held these players up as heroes. They tried to emulate that players stance and swing when they took to the sand lots. A baseball card or signed glove was cherished because it was their bond with their favorite player. Then the scandal breaks and it is revealed the player is more man than super. A price of growing up? It shouldn't have to be.


The infamous Black Sox scandal brought one of the great lines in baseball lore as a young fan said to Shoeless Joe Jackson "Say it ain't so Joe". That line has been repeated many times in recent years to many fill in the blank ball players. Say it ain't so ...Mark...Sammy...Rafael...Barry...Roger...Alex...Manny...and Ryan?

2011 Rule 5 Draft Triple A Phase

After the Major League phase of the Rule 5 draft there is also a minor league draft. One part is the Triple A phase where teams have the option to draft players from Double A level teams or lower to play for their Triple A teams. The cost is $12,000 for each player. 


The Houston Astros selected RHP Marco Duarte from the Colorado Rockies. In 2011 he pitched at the Triple A level of the Mexican league where he was 12-4 with a 4.94 ERA, 93 strikeouts and 1.76 WHIP in 109.1 innings over 23 games. He was originally signed by the Colorado Rockies as an amateur free agent in 2007 out of Mexico.


The Minnesota Twins selected RHP Marty Popham from the Cleveland Indians. In 2011 he pitched at Class A Advanced, Double A and Triple A. He was 6-2 with a 4.19 ERA, 95 strikeouts and 1.15 WHIP in 96.2 innings over 22 games at Class A Advanced, was 0-1 with a 7.24 ERA, nine strikeouts and 2.05 WHIP in 13.2 innings over four games at Double A and was 0-0 with a 5.40, two strikeouts and 1.80 WHIP in 1.2 inninga in one Triple A game. He was originally drafted by the Indians in the 20th round in 2008.


The Baltimore Orioles selected LHP Andrew Loomis from the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2011 he pitched at the Class A Advanced level and was 1-2 with a 1.14 ERA, 39 strikeouts, 1.17 WHIP and 3 saves in 31.2 innings over 28 games. He was originally drafted by the Marlins in the 16th round in 2008.


The Kansas City Royals selected Thomas Melgarejo from the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2011 he pitched at the Triple A level of the Mexican league and was 4-2 with a 3.55 ERA, 32 strikeouts and 1.53 WHIP in 38 innings over 49 games. He was originally signed by the Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 2005.


The Chicago Cubs selected third baseman Ricky Alvarez from the Los Angeles Angels. In 2011 he played at the Class A level where he hit .257/.292/.388 with 10 home runs, 64 RBI, 54 runs and 2 steals in 126 games. He was originally drafted by the Mets in the 37th round in 2007.


The San Diego Padres selected shortstop Michael Wing from the Los Angeles Angels. He played 2011 at the Class A Advanced level and hit .317/.365/.502 with 11 home runs, 54 RBI, 50 runs and one steal in 73 games. He was originally drafted by the Angels in the 26th round in 2007.


The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Aaron Poreda from the San Diego Padres. In 2011 he pitched at Triple A and was 4-3 with a 5.43 ERA, 79 strikeouts and 1.84 WHIP in 69.2 innings over 41 games. He was originally drafted by the White Sox with the 25th pick of the first round in 2007.


The Miami Marlins selected outfielder Donnie Webb from the Cleveland Indians. In 2011 he played at Double A and Triple A. He hit .214/.289/.298 with two home runs, 24 RBI, 34 runs and 14 steals in 85 games at Double A and hit  .129/222/.129 with zero home runs, one RBI, two runs and zero steals in 11 games at Triple A. He was originally drafted by the Indians in the tenth round in 2008.


The Cincinnati Reds selected shortstop Travis Mattair from the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2011 he played at the Class A and Class A Advanced levels. He hit .268/.308/.395 with two home runs, 18 RBI, 15 runs and zero steals in 33 games at Class A and hit .207/.279/.236 with six home runs, 26 RBI, 19 runs and 4 steals in 57 games at Class A advanced. He was originally drafted by the Phillies in the second round in 2007.


The Washington Nationals selected catcher Beau Seabury from the Colorado Rockies.  In 2011 he played at the Class A Advanced level where he hit .274/.328/.406 with two home runs, 20 RBI, 21 runs and zero steals in 31 games. He was originally drafted by Rockies in the 13th round in 2007.


The Toronto Blue Jays selected RHP Javier Avenado from the St Louis Cardinals. In 2011 he pitched at the Class A level where he was 1-2 with a 3.14 ERA, 19 strikeouts, 1.33 WHIP and 2 saves in 14.1 innings over nines games. He originally signed with the Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 2007 out of Venezuela. 


The San Francisco Giants selected RHP Luis Rojas from New York Mets. In 2011 he pitched at the Class A level where he was 1-5 with a 4.87 ERA, 26 strikeouts and 1.74 WHIP in 44.1 innings over 29 games. He originally signed with the Mets as an amateur free agent in 2006 out of the Dominican Republic.


The St Louis Cardinals selected LHP Barret Browning from the Los Angeles Angels. In 2011 he pitched at Triple A where he was 2-1 with a 4.61 ERA, 47 strikeouts and 1.54 WHIP in 66.1 innings over 50 games. He was originally drafted by the Angels in the 28th round in 2006.


The Boston Red Sox selected catcher Gerardo Olivares from the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2011 he played at the Class A level where he hit .298/.355/.488 with two home runs, 18 RBI, 11 runs and zero steals in 24 games. He originally signed with the Rays as an amateur free agent in 2007 out of the Dominican Republic. 


The Milwaukee Brewers selected shortstop Domnit Bolivar from the St Louis Cardinals. In 2011 he played at Class A Advanced and Double A. He hit .276/.341/.424 with eight home runs, 41 RBI, 40 runs and 7 steals in 88 games at Class A Advanced and hit .298/.333/.447 with one home runs, nine RBI, five runs and one steal in 16 games at Double A. He originally signed with the Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 2005 out of Venezuela.


The Texas Rangers selected LHP Fabian Williamson from the Oakland Athletics. In 2011 he pitched at the Class A Advanced and Double A levels. He was 3-5 with a 7.53 ERA, 40 strikeouts and 1.82 WHIP in 49 innings over 12 games at Class A Advanced and was 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA, 17 strikeouts and 1.98 WHIP in 22.2 innings over 10 games at Double A. He was originally drafted by the Mariners in the 22nd round in 2006.


The Pittsburgh Pirates selected catcher Francisco Diaz from the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2011 he played at the Class A level where he hit .211/.315/.257 with zero home runs, seven RBI, 17 runs and 3 steals in 36 games. He originally signed with the Phillies as an amateur free agent in 2006 out of Venezuela.


The Toronto Blue Jays selected outfielder Gabriel Jacobo from the Los Angeles Angels. In 2011 he played at Double A where he hit .270/.309/.419 with 10 home runs, 49 RBI, 40 runs and 2 steals in 86 games. He was originally drafted by the Angels in the tenth round in 2008.


The St Louis Cardinals selected RHP Shooter Hunt from the Minnesota Twins. In 2011 he pitched at the Class A Advanced level where he was 2-0 with a 7.38 ERA, 46 strikeouts, 2.37 WHIP with one save in 42.2 innings over 28 games. He was originally drafted by the Twins with the 31st pick of the first round in 2008.


The Texas Rangers selected outfielder Efrain Nunez from the Seattle Mariners. In 2011 he played rookie ball where he hit .291/.367/.507 with six home runs, 23 RBI, 23 runs and 3 steals in 44 games. He originally signed with the Mariners as an amateur free agent in 2007 out of the Dominican Republic.


The Pittsburgh Pirates selected catcher Charles Cutler from the St Louis Cardinals. In 2011 he played at Double A where he hit .333/.398/.475 with five home runs, 34 RBI, 37 runs and zero steals in 62 games. He was originally drafted by the Cardinals in the 14th round in 2008.


The Toronto Blue Jays selected catcher Hector Alvarez from the New York Mets. In 2011 he played rookie ball where he hit .229/.326/.289 with zero home runs, six RBI, six runs and zero steals in 27 games. He originally signed with the Mets as an amateur free agent in 2007 out of Venezuela. 


The Texas Rangers selected shortstop Alexander Buchholz from the Cincinnati Reds. In 2011 he played at the Class A Advanced level where he hit .284/.335/.404 with eight home runs, 42 RBI, 47 runs and  6 steals in 92 games. He was originally drafted by the Reds in the sixth round in 2008.