For the second year in a row, the SYRACUSE franchise had the final pick in this year's draft. Without further adieu, we introduce this year's MR. IRRELEVANT:
Santiago Mendoza.
Santiago was chosen with the 811th and final pick of this year's draft. Mendoza is 21 years old and plays LF for the SUNY Potsdam Bears. For his JR season he hit .201 with 5 HR and 12 RBI. His biggest contribution to his college team is that he knows the quickest route to 7-11 for Bubble Yum.
Showing posts with label free agents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free agents. Show all posts
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Draft Update.....
The seventh draft day has come and gone and here is the update from BASEBALL AMERICA on the top ten picks this year.
1. NEW YORK KABOOMS -Damaso Seguignol age:20 P
Chosen with the first pick, Damaso comes with pinpoint accuracy bu has issues with velocity. His 4 seam fastball is hittable, but when he tosses in the changeup or the slider he can be downright nasty. Baseball America scribes have him listed as a potential ML pitcher within two to three years.
2. MONTERREY DESERT DAWGS - Chris Everett age: 18 P
Chris is a long term project with almost no chance of seeing the ML until at least four years from now. His velocity is a problem and left handers have been banging him all over the yard this year in HS. Monterrey's hope is that he can settle down and find himself.
3. HOUSTON COLT 45's - Ken Burns age:21 P
Ken was 7-3 with a 1.29 ERA at the Citadel this year and the scouts have all agreed that there is no reason why he can't translate his performance into professional ball. A talented three pitch hurler, Ken's only weakness seems to be his injury bug (almost 60 days missed during college) and his ability to adapt to the schedule of the pro world. As one scout remarked on draft day "Great potential, sky's the limit with dis kid."
4. TEXAS RATTLERS - Otis Tartabull age:21 SS
Picture the defense of Ozzie Smith with the power of A-Rod and you come up with Otis. His performance on defense is only enhanced by his bat. He'll put you in the lead with a mammouth HR and then make a great diving stop to save the game. Led Cal. State Poly with HR and RBI(12 45).
5. MONTREAL TRAIN WRECK - Louis Diaz age:22 RF
The University of Arkansas Fayettville was sad to see him graduate. In his four year career Louis hit .392 and dropped 90 bombs with over 220 RBI on his opponents. Leading his team to four consecutive conference championships, we here at Baseball America consider him to be the steal of the draft. This young man is ready for the big leagues now and any time spent in the minors will just be a waste of talent.
6. CHICAGO UNTOUCHABLES - Winston Spurgeon age:20 C
This pick puzzeled us as we couldn't figure out why this was the first catcher taken in the draft. Spurgeon has an excellent bat, and his batting eye will remind fans of Rod Carew. He won't strike out a lot, and he's the batter we'd love in the bottom of the ninth down by one with runners on the corners. However, he's a defensive liability. His calling is designated hitter and might as well leave the glove at home.
7. OKLAHOMA CITY LAWMEN - Valerio Abreu age:18 SS
The second SS taken in this year and with good reason. He's only a High Schooler, but he shows the makeup of a seasoned veteran. He won't impress anybody with his power but he's a student of the game and as his HS coach told us " Val spends just as much time as we do in the clubhouse studying. He believes he needs to know eveything about his next opponent." Defense and mature attitude make this pick great.
8. HELENA BULL RIDERS - Cliff Sasser age:18 P
Sasser led the Washingtoin Avengers to the Class 6A Kansas high school championship with a 6-0 0.92 record. We project Cliff to be a mid level reliever, only because he doesn't have a fastball. Cliff reminds us of a Hoyt Wilhelm who survived 20+ seasons with junk. His attitude shows greatness, but he'll need plenty of seasoning in the minors to make the jump up to the bigs.
9. DURHAM DOGSZ - Morrie Gailard age:20 2B
Morrie impressed the writing staff here at Baseball America with his unique bating style. As he stands in waiting for the pitch, the bat is all over the place like he's swatting at flies. But let him see a pitch he likes, and he'll put it into play. He'll play a decent defense but with suspect arm strength, the defense set up will have to shade the second base side. Perhaps being too rough on himself, his makeup and patience will need help. He's definatlely a project and we project him as a potential AAA starter or capable ML backup.
10. IOWA CITY INDIANS - Sparky Paul age:18 2B
Every year a pick is made that totally stumps us. I mean, like we have to sit here and wonder what the GM was smoking to make this pick. Sparky is it. Ignored by all the scouts we tried to piece together what was available. He graduated Northern HS where he was actually a sub at second. For the two years he played varsity he hit .268 with 1 HR and 35 RBI. The only plus we could find about him was the 18 SB in 19 ATT. Iowa must have some super secret scouting staff or they didn't realize that a first pick should actually make the team.
1. NEW YORK KABOOMS -Damaso Seguignol age:20 P
Chosen with the first pick, Damaso comes with pinpoint accuracy bu has issues with velocity. His 4 seam fastball is hittable, but when he tosses in the changeup or the slider he can be downright nasty. Baseball America scribes have him listed as a potential ML pitcher within two to three years.
2. MONTERREY DESERT DAWGS - Chris Everett age: 18 P
Chris is a long term project with almost no chance of seeing the ML until at least four years from now. His velocity is a problem and left handers have been banging him all over the yard this year in HS. Monterrey's hope is that he can settle down and find himself.
3. HOUSTON COLT 45's - Ken Burns age:21 P
Ken was 7-3 with a 1.29 ERA at the Citadel this year and the scouts have all agreed that there is no reason why he can't translate his performance into professional ball. A talented three pitch hurler, Ken's only weakness seems to be his injury bug (almost 60 days missed during college) and his ability to adapt to the schedule of the pro world. As one scout remarked on draft day "Great potential, sky's the limit with dis kid."
4. TEXAS RATTLERS - Otis Tartabull age:21 SS
Picture the defense of Ozzie Smith with the power of A-Rod and you come up with Otis. His performance on defense is only enhanced by his bat. He'll put you in the lead with a mammouth HR and then make a great diving stop to save the game. Led Cal. State Poly with HR and RBI(12 45).
5. MONTREAL TRAIN WRECK - Louis Diaz age:22 RF
The University of Arkansas Fayettville was sad to see him graduate. In his four year career Louis hit .392 and dropped 90 bombs with over 220 RBI on his opponents. Leading his team to four consecutive conference championships, we here at Baseball America consider him to be the steal of the draft. This young man is ready for the big leagues now and any time spent in the minors will just be a waste of talent.
6. CHICAGO UNTOUCHABLES - Winston Spurgeon age:20 C
This pick puzzeled us as we couldn't figure out why this was the first catcher taken in the draft. Spurgeon has an excellent bat, and his batting eye will remind fans of Rod Carew. He won't strike out a lot, and he's the batter we'd love in the bottom of the ninth down by one with runners on the corners. However, he's a defensive liability. His calling is designated hitter and might as well leave the glove at home.
7. OKLAHOMA CITY LAWMEN - Valerio Abreu age:18 SS
The second SS taken in this year and with good reason. He's only a High Schooler, but he shows the makeup of a seasoned veteran. He won't impress anybody with his power but he's a student of the game and as his HS coach told us " Val spends just as much time as we do in the clubhouse studying. He believes he needs to know eveything about his next opponent." Defense and mature attitude make this pick great.
8. HELENA BULL RIDERS - Cliff Sasser age:18 P
Sasser led the Washingtoin Avengers to the Class 6A Kansas high school championship with a 6-0 0.92 record. We project Cliff to be a mid level reliever, only because he doesn't have a fastball. Cliff reminds us of a Hoyt Wilhelm who survived 20+ seasons with junk. His attitude shows greatness, but he'll need plenty of seasoning in the minors to make the jump up to the bigs.
9. DURHAM DOGSZ - Morrie Gailard age:20 2B
Morrie impressed the writing staff here at Baseball America with his unique bating style. As he stands in waiting for the pitch, the bat is all over the place like he's swatting at flies. But let him see a pitch he likes, and he'll put it into play. He'll play a decent defense but with suspect arm strength, the defense set up will have to shade the second base side. Perhaps being too rough on himself, his makeup and patience will need help. He's definatlely a project and we project him as a potential AAA starter or capable ML backup.
10. IOWA CITY INDIANS - Sparky Paul age:18 2B
Every year a pick is made that totally stumps us. I mean, like we have to sit here and wonder what the GM was smoking to make this pick. Sparky is it. Ignored by all the scouts we tried to piece together what was available. He graduated Northern HS where he was actually a sub at second. For the two years he played varsity he hit .268 with 1 HR and 35 RBI. The only plus we could find about him was the 18 SB in 19 ATT. Iowa must have some super secret scouting staff or they didn't realize that a first pick should actually make the team.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
You know your team sucks.....PT. 2
Monterrey - Today Hideo Kim, Monterrey's 3rd round (80th pick overall) after weeks of dancing during negotiations has stated that ice hockey is in his future and not baseball. Monterrey GM Reigny, was quoted coming out of closed door 7 hour last ditch negotiations as saying " We are disappointed. Hideo was asking 1.6 MIL and we came back with 4.5 with immediate assignment to AAA. He unfortunatly thinks that he stands a better chance of higher endorsements through pro hockey. We wish him the best and we must now move on."
Monterrey must have known this outcome was coming as they signed international prospect Ignacio Seguiginol before negotiations broke down.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Please sign on the dotted line.......
One day after the draft and the first round signings are already starting. The reknowned sports representation agency Dewey, Screwem, and Howe has been very busy trying to collect on their percentages for the signings. As reported in SI.com here is what we can verify:
1)OK City and Donatello Waner have agreed on a 4MIL signing bonus and he was immediatly shipped to their Hi-A farm club.
2)Houston and Jake Morehead are still negotiating and his agent Abdullah Woodward says that the 3.9MIL bonus while fair, is still a sticking point.
3)Monterrey and Jaime Roberts barely let the ink dry on his 3.82MIL bonus before he was shipped out to AA.
4)Honolulu and Candy Paronto agreed on a 3.72MIL signing and as of press time he's jetting off to the Lo-A franchise to begin his career.
5)Cincinnati and Babe Radinsky still in closed door discussions with inside sources saying that he's looking for a guaranteed 3.6MIL bonus plus invitation to the ML club for spring training. Louis Watson the renowned sports agent looks to be pulling out all the stops on keeping the holdout going.
6)Sam O'Shea representing James Lee and Charleston GM KoruptKings are locked into negotiations on a 3.5MIL signing bonus. O'Shea intends to use his client's DI scholarship offer as a tool in the negotiations. Inside sources at Charleston's front office have said that they can wait out any pick and the ball is in Lee's court.
7)Alex Santiago agreed to a 3.4MIL bonus and eagerly jumped on the plane to the team's RL franchise. Alex has said that he wasn't going to hold out and thinks his best course of action was to get ready for the upcoming season.
8)Johnny Black and Louisville hammered out a 3.3MIL signing bonus minutes after he was drafted. He was shipped out to the RL team and reports say he was greeted as a conquering hero.
9)Nicholas Pagnozzi and Boston agreed on a 3.2MIL contract (he was assigned to the Rookie team) and Nicholas was quoted by Baseball America as saying " I'm happy to be joining this historic franchise. To know that they thought highly of me to make me the no. 1 pick is just awesome. "
10)Mexico City and Jamie Sikorski threw a fiesta grande after he agreed to a 3.1MIL signing bonus. The major sticking point in negotiations was placement after signing and it was eventually agreed by all to start in AA.
1)OK City and Donatello Waner have agreed on a 4MIL signing bonus and he was immediatly shipped to their Hi-A farm club.
2)Houston and Jake Morehead are still negotiating and his agent Abdullah Woodward says that the 3.9MIL bonus while fair, is still a sticking point.
3)Monterrey and Jaime Roberts barely let the ink dry on his 3.82MIL bonus before he was shipped out to AA.
4)Honolulu and Candy Paronto agreed on a 3.72MIL signing and as of press time he's jetting off to the Lo-A franchise to begin his career.
5)Cincinnati and Babe Radinsky still in closed door discussions with inside sources saying that he's looking for a guaranteed 3.6MIL bonus plus invitation to the ML club for spring training. Louis Watson the renowned sports agent looks to be pulling out all the stops on keeping the holdout going.
6)Sam O'Shea representing James Lee and Charleston GM KoruptKings are locked into negotiations on a 3.5MIL signing bonus. O'Shea intends to use his client's DI scholarship offer as a tool in the negotiations. Inside sources at Charleston's front office have said that they can wait out any pick and the ball is in Lee's court.
7)Alex Santiago agreed to a 3.4MIL bonus and eagerly jumped on the plane to the team's RL franchise. Alex has said that he wasn't going to hold out and thinks his best course of action was to get ready for the upcoming season.
8)Johnny Black and Louisville hammered out a 3.3MIL signing bonus minutes after he was drafted. He was shipped out to the RL team and reports say he was greeted as a conquering hero.
9)Nicholas Pagnozzi and Boston agreed on a 3.2MIL contract (he was assigned to the Rookie team) and Nicholas was quoted by Baseball America as saying " I'm happy to be joining this historic franchise. To know that they thought highly of me to make me the no. 1 pick is just awesome. "
10)Mexico City and Jamie Sikorski threw a fiesta grande after he agreed to a 3.1MIL signing bonus. The major sticking point in negotiations was placement after signing and it was eventually agreed by all to start in AA.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
And the Red Lantern Award goes to.....
As in the Iditarod Race we are pleased to award the coveted red lantern to this year's Mr. Irrelevant....
Duffy Jackson
Duffy is 22 years old, B/T right 5'10" 173lbs. He was born in Clayton NY and plays 2B for the Lander University baseball team.
Duffy has the distrinction of being the last pick in this year's draft which reads as
Round: 25 Pick: 813 Team: Syracuse
Calls to his agent Bing Herges provided us with the info that he's seeking a $15,000 signing bonus on top of the MILB salary of $7,650.00 which totals to $22,650.00. Calls to Syracuse GM Ewd have not been returned, but insiders say that Syracuse in all liklihood will not sign him.
Duffy Jackson
Duffy is 22 years old, B/T right 5'10" 173lbs. He was born in Clayton NY and plays 2B for the Lander University baseball team.
Duffy has the distrinction of being the last pick in this year's draft which reads as
Round: 25 Pick: 813 Team: Syracuse
Calls to his agent Bing Herges provided us with the info that he's seeking a $15,000 signing bonus on top of the MILB salary of $7,650.00 which totals to $22,650.00. Calls to Syracuse GM Ewd have not been returned, but insiders say that Syracuse in all liklihood will not sign him.
Close the window, I feel a DRAFT......
The sixth annual Amateur Draft took place this morning, and we have the first ten picks listed here .
1) OK City. Donatello Waner (20/ss/Muskegon Comm. Coll.) Waner joins OK City and brings a strong arm, with accuracy and power. Slow afoot, he makes up for it in range. Powerful, compact swing, Waner should adjust to the wooden bats and launch some mammouth HRs.
2) HOU Jack Morehead (22/2b/ Yale University) Morehead should provide adequate coverage down the middle, something Houston has been desperatly needed. Not really known for his fielding, his bat is the reason why he's no.2 in this year's draft. Showing great power against BOTH left and right hand pitchers. Look for 20-30 SB a season from him and bringing an AVG of around .290 - .300.
3) MNT Jaime Roberts (22/P/ Southeastern LA ) Roberts brins a wicked fastball that scouts have clocked at the mid 90's. Right now he's got to show he can control his accuracy and his temper needs some work, but with the right coaching and seasoning, he should become a stable 2-3 SP in the rotation.
4)HON Candy Paronto (22/LF/Campbell University). Paronto is a left fielder with some questions concerning his outfield play. Right now he might be considered more of a liability, but the Honolulu staff should be able to help him with his glove. Great batting eye combined with awesome bat strength should provide plenty of bombs for ESPN highlight reels.
5)CIN Babe Radinsky (22/ss/ Purdue) Radinsky is a true mystery in this top ten. Not ranked anywhere in the top 20 for the position, Cincinnati GM RSCaramelo believes that Radinsky has the tools to make an impact on the franchise. A quick look at Baseball America showed us that Radinsky batted .389 with 12 HRs and 45 RBI while leading the Boilermakers with a .997 fielding pct. and 18 SB.
1) OK City. Donatello Waner (20/ss/Muskegon Comm. Coll.) Waner joins OK City and brings a strong arm, with accuracy and power. Slow afoot, he makes up for it in range. Powerful, compact swing, Waner should adjust to the wooden bats and launch some mammouth HRs.
2) HOU Jack Morehead (22/2b/ Yale University) Morehead should provide adequate coverage down the middle, something Houston has been desperatly needed. Not really known for his fielding, his bat is the reason why he's no.2 in this year's draft. Showing great power against BOTH left and right hand pitchers. Look for 20-30 SB a season from him and bringing an AVG of around .290 - .300.
3) MNT Jaime Roberts (22/P/ Southeastern LA ) Roberts brins a wicked fastball that scouts have clocked at the mid 90's. Right now he's got to show he can control his accuracy and his temper needs some work, but with the right coaching and seasoning, he should become a stable 2-3 SP in the rotation.
4)HON Candy Paronto (22/LF/Campbell University). Paronto is a left fielder with some questions concerning his outfield play. Right now he might be considered more of a liability, but the Honolulu staff should be able to help him with his glove. Great batting eye combined with awesome bat strength should provide plenty of bombs for ESPN highlight reels.
5)CIN Babe Radinsky (22/ss/ Purdue) Radinsky is a true mystery in this top ten. Not ranked anywhere in the top 20 for the position, Cincinnati GM RSCaramelo believes that Radinsky has the tools to make an impact on the franchise. A quick look at Baseball America showed us that Radinsky batted .389 with 12 HRs and 45 RBI while leading the Boilermakers with a .997 fielding pct. and 18 SB.
6)CHR James Lee (18/RF/Washington HS (IA)) Lee is a definite future prospect. Coming out of HS he will need a ton of work on his fielding, but he shows great promise with the bat. His L/R ratio is above average, and his power comes from a short, compact swing. The only mark will be the fact that he goes up to the plate swinging, and with the hitting staff at CHR he should learn to sit back on pitches, and let the count work to his advantage. If signed, he's a 3-4 year player at the earliest.
7)CH1 Alex Santiago (18/P/St. John's Jesuit HS (MI)) Santiago is a 6'3" powerhouse SP. Already possessing 4 great pitches in his arsenal, his only drawback may be his control. If he signs, he probably could bypass the RL and start right in AA. Again the fact of coming out of HS might be a concern with his temper, as he showed the scouts that he can rattle easy. Comparisons have him as a younger Randy Johnson.
8)LOU Johnny Black (22/2B/U of Alabama) Another middle infielder that is a mystery to this reporter. Black seems to have jumped above some of the better rated 2B in this draft. Calls to LOU GM Bradriddell have gone unanswered. USA Today has reported that he's an average fielder, with an average bat, but his attitude makes up for his lack of talent.
9)BOS Nicholas Pagnozzi (18/P/Valley Falls HS (KS)). Pagnozzi comes to the Boston franchise with a 4 pitch arsenal, but the main concern for his managers will be the fact that he's a flyball pitcher. Almost all of his hits will see the outfield and unless he develops pinpoint accuracy in painting the corners, he might be serving up runs galore. On the plus side, his durability should insure between 150 - 200 innings per season.
10)MC Jerome Sikorski (22/P/Tenn. Tech. Univ.) Brings a five pitch arsenal to the game and his velocity has been clocked at the mid to high 90's by scouts. Not afraid to challenge hitters, and will use his fastball to set up a changeup that almost looks like slow motion. Right now lefties have a better chance against him but within 1-2 years, he's going to be a stable 2-3 slot in the ML pitching rotation.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Keeping the international terminals busy.....
Two international players signed over the past couple of days by Cincy and Helena.
Helena signed 18 yr old catcher Fernando Espinosa, who doesn't seem to have a rocket arm or the ability to call a good game, but scouting reports have his bat power above average.
Cincinnati inked 19 yr old P.T. Martin, a pitcher who relies more on control that a blazing fastball.
Both have yet to be assigned.
Helena signed 18 yr old catcher Fernando Espinosa, who doesn't seem to have a rocket arm or the ability to call a good game, but scouting reports have his bat power above average.
Cincinnati inked 19 yr old P.T. Martin, a pitcher who relies more on control that a blazing fastball.
Both have yet to be assigned.
Nah nah nah nah... say goodbye...
Leaving Monterrey is SP Bobby Williams (0-2 11.25) and C/1B Alex Branson (.327 2 6).
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
In the Army now......
Monterrey today signed two pitchers from their tryout camp. Miguel Romero (20) and Deion Dunston (21) both signed minor league contracts and are awaiting their designations. Said Rookie League pitching coach Josias Johnson " Romero has a pretty good raw fastball while Dunston is a pinpoint artist. We think that with a couple of seasons in the minors (mostly RL and Lo-A) we might have found us a couple of diamonds"
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