June 29, 2008

New Orleans Trendsetters and Canton Longshoremen

July 6th, 2008

New Orleans receives:
MR Carlos Antonio (33, ML) - $3.9/$3.9

Canton receives:
1B John Greene (25, ML) - $0.38/arbitration/arbitration/arbitration
MR Isei Imamura (24, ML) - $1.3/arbitration
3B Rubén Leal (30, AAA) - minor league contract
New Orleans' 6th round 2009 draft pick (C Pat Johnson - 20th pick)

Since Then:
Antonio went 0-1 with 2 saves and a 3.43 ERA in 39.1 innings with New Orleans in '08. He remains with New Orleans in '09 as a setup reliever and has pitched decently.

Greene played well with Canton in '08. In 49 games, he batted .302 with 4 homers and 20 RBIs. He has played the majority of the '09 season with Canton's AAA affiliate where he was selected to the 2009 Global Baseball Brotherhood All-Star Game. He has potential to be a big league starting first baseman but has yet to receive a fair opportunity at the job.
Leal played poorly for Canton's AAA affiliate and was released by Canton in the offseason (10/07/08). He signed a minor league contract with Bakersfield in the offseason (3/08/09). A '09 AAA All-Star, Leal has shown flashes of big league talent but may not receive an opportunity considering his age.
Imamura pitched poorly in 22 games with Canton in '08 and has since been reassigned to Canton's AAA affiliate in '09. He has pitched decently in the minors in '09 but appears to be a fringe big league reliever who at best will be a mop-up or long reliever.
Johnson has struggled in his first SS-A season with Canton in '09. However, he potentially grades out as a borderline big league catcher talent.

June 28, 2008

New Jersey Hitmen and Tempe Knights

June 28th, 2008

New Jersey receives:
SP Xue-qin Yuan (27, ML) - $3.4

Tempe receives:
SP Ross Hanlon (24, AAA) - minor league contract

Since Then:
Yuan appeared in only one game with New Jersey before being traded to Yuma a couple weeks later (7/14/08). He has since signed with Kentucky in '09. As of '09, he grades out as a poor pitcher who is best suited in a mop-up role.

Hanlon had a cup of coffee with Tempe in '08 appearing in 5 games. As of '09, he has yet toshow anything up at the big league level and may be better suited as a minor league pitcher.

West Virginia Coal Sox and San Antonio Calzones of Laredo

June 28th, 2008

West Virginia receives:
DH Alberto Benítez (33, ML) - $5.5

San Antonio receives:
LF Lorenzo Ramírez (37, ML) - $.4.4
C Willie Jeffries (26, AAA) - minor league contract

Since Then:
Benítez, a 2008 All-Star, played well for West Virginia in 87 games after the trade. He batted .310 with 6 homeruns and 48 RBIs. Since then, he has signed a 3-year contract extension worth $20,000,000 with West Virginia. As of '09 he remains a consistent high contact gap power hitter.

Ramírez played well with San Antonio but was traded two weeks later to Connecticut (7/14/08). He retired after the '08 season. He has had an excellent productive career in PEBA prior to retirement.
Jeffries played poorly for San Antonio in 25 games after the trade. He was traded to Canton in the offseason (11/25/08). As of '09, he has struggled in the big leagues and may be better suited as a AAA catcher.

June 24, 2008

Manchester Maulers and San Antonio Calzones of Laredo

June 15th, 2008

Manchester receives:
RF Dong-ju Yo (31, ML) - $2.6/$2.6/$2.6/$2.6

San Antonio receives:
MR Jacob Dotson (29, ML) - $2.2/$2.2
LF Luis Vélez (17, AA) - minor league contract

Since Then:
Yo batted .248 with 1 homerun and 2 RBIs with Manchester in 84 games in '08. He has played better with Manchester in '09 serving as their leadoff hitter.

Dotson appeared in 9 games with San Antonio before being dealt to Connecticut (7/14/08). As of '09, Dotson grades out as a mediocre reliever best suited for early mid-relief innings.
Vélez has been average in his young minor league career with San Antonio and projects to be a career minor leaguer at best.

June 22, 2008

Kentucky Thoroughbreds and Connecticut Nutmeggers

June 15th, 2008

Kentucky receives:
MR José Olberos (25, AA) - $0.38/$0.38/$0.38/arbitration/arbitration/arbitration

Connecticut receives:
C Maurice Kelley (27, ML) - $1.1/$1.1/$1.1

Since Then:
Olberos pitched decently for Kentucky's AAA affiliate in '08. He went 1-2 with a 3.55 ERA in 19 games. However, he has been out of baseball since the start of the '09 season.

Kelley played well for Connecticut in '08. In 41 games, he registered a .293 batting average along with 3 homers and 14 RBIs while providing solid defense. As of the '09 season, he remains Connecticut's starting catcher and provides a decent bat along with steady defense.


June 18, 2008

Manchester Maulers and Bakersfield Bears

June 1st, 2008

Manchester receives:
3B Shi-xian Qu (26, ML) - $0.38
SP Lawrence Roberson (28, AAA) - minor league contract
RF Keith Clements (22, AA) - minor league contract

Bakersfield receives:
SS Ernest Mathis (25, ML) - $0.38/arbitration/arbitration
MR Stan French (27, AAA) - minor league contract

Since Then:
Qu played horribly with Manchester in '08. In 102 games, he batted .221 with 6 homeruns and 36 RBIs. He left via free agency in the offseason to sign a 1-year deal with New Orleans.
Roberson started 14 games for Manchester in '08. He compiled a 3-7 record with 5.33 ERA. As of '09, he has historically pitched well in the minors but unable to translate the success to the big leagues.
Clements appeared in 14 games with Manchester in '08 hitting .234 with 2 homeruns and 8 RBIs in that time. He appears better suited to be a career minor leaguer.

Mathis batted .236 with 5 homeruns and 26 RBIs in 87 games with Bakersfield in '08. He was traded to Omaha in the offseason (12/15/08). He grades out as not much of an offensive threat but provides excellent infield defense and versaility.
French has pitched well in Bakersfield's farm system but has yet to receive an opportunity to pitch in the big leagues as of the '09 season.

Gloucester Fishermen and San Antonio Calzones of Laredo

June 1st, 2008

Gloucester receives:
RF Eric Olsen (22, AA) - minor league contract
1B J.J. Johnson (22, A) - minor league contract
San Antonio's 2nd round 2008 draft pick via New Jersey (C Michael Hendricks - 24th pick)
San Antonio's 3rd round 2008 draft pick via Tempe (SS Santiago Aragón - 1st pick)
San Antonio's 3rd round 2008 draft pick via Palm Springs (SP Víctor Cruz - 19th pick)
San Antonio's 5th round 2008 draft pick (SP Matt Hancock - 17th pick)

San Antonio receives:
1B Octávio Pexego (25, ML) - $3.3/arbitration

Since Then:
Olsen ranks as the #11 prospectin PEBA according to Baesball America (4/06/09). However, he has yet to fully translate his abilities and tools into results in Gloucester's minor league system. he has put up average results thus far in the '09 season with Gloucester's AAA affiliate.
Johnson has put up great numbers in Gloucester's Class-A and AA affiliates in '08. However, he has struggled mightily putting the same results at AAA. At best, he appears to be a big league bench bat.
Hendricks has posted below average offensive numbers in '08 and '09 for Gloucester's farm system but appears to have great defensive tools as a catcher. He projects to one day be a big league backup catcher and possibly a starter.
Aragón has struggled offensively in '08 and '09 for Gloucester's lower lever minor league affiliates. With development, he projects to be a serviceable infielder with big league starting potential. He has a decent bat along with solid defensive infield abilities.
Cruz has pitched well for Gloucester's SS-A affiliate in '08 and '09. If he develops properly, he projects to be a mid to backend rotation starting pitcher in the big leagues.
Hancock has progressed steadily for Gloucester. As of '09, he pitches for Gloucester's Class-A affiliate. He has a chance to develop into a backend starter.

Pexego had a stellar '08 season for San Antonio. In 111 games, he batted .323 with 21 homeruns and 77 RBIs. He was traded to Tempe in the offseason. As of '09, Pexego is currently one of the league's most feared and productive hitters.

Commentary: San Antonio responds to the trade.

June 17, 2008

Kentucky Thoroughbreds and San Antonio Calzones of Laredo

June 1st, 2008

Kentucky receives:
SP Ramón Ornelas (35, ML) - $1.5

San Antonio receives:
Kentucky's 7th round 2008 draft pick (SS Adrián Romero - 3rd pick)

Since Then:
Ornelas went 1-3 with a 5.87 ERA in 7 games with Kentucky before being traded to Duluth (7/22/08). He has been out of baseball after the '08 season.

Romero has developed steadily in San Antonio's lower level minor league systems. His strengths include excellent base stealing skills with speed to match along good infield defensive range. He grades out as average offensively. If Romero continues to develop, he projects as a backup utility infielder.

June 12, 2008

New Orleans Trendsetters and Tempe Knights

May 24th, 2008

New Orleans receives:
1B John Greene (25, ML) - $0.38/arbitration/arbitration/arbitration

Tempe receives:
MR José Ortíz (24, AAA) -$0.38/$0.38/arbitration/arbitration/arbitration

Greene played 23 games with New Orleans before being traded to Canton (7/06/08). As of '09, Greene has shown flashes of being a solid offensive player but has yet to put it altogether consistently.

Ortiz pitched well with Tempe in '08. In 24 relief appearances, Ortiz was 1-0 with a 3.98 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. Ortiz has spent the '09 season both at Tempe and its AAA affiliate where he has pitched subpar. He projects to be a fringe big league reliever and at best is suited for a long relief or mopup role.