MLB Prospect Watch

Prospect Potent Potables - Orioles, Montero, Frazier

• The Orioles have been linked as possible trade candidates with just about every low-end veteran that's reportedly on the trading block, but as Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun points out, they don't have a lot to trade that they're willing to part with.  Connolly mentions Xavier Avery and L.J. Hoes as the only realistic trade pieces among the Orioles top prospects.  If the team can't get significant return or significant improvement in an area of need (which, for those prospects they probably can't), then I don't see how a trade makes sense.  The Orioles aren't close to competing in the AL East, and giving up a prospect with any kind of upside for a marginal starter or middle reliever isn't the way to build long-term.
• Jesus Montero's power potential is even more valuable now than it would have been a decade ago, which is why the Mariners were willing to part with such a young, talented pitcher in order to get him, says Larry Stone of The Seattle Times.  Stone quotes scouts that even say that young position players are becoming more difficult to develop than young pitching, which, if true, and given the Mariners staple of young pitchers, makes the move a good fit for the Mariners even more.
• Todd Frazier's best chance to make the Reds roster this spring is his versatility, but the team has signed other versatile players Wilson Valdez and Willie Harris, potentially bocking Frazier's path, notes Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.  While Valdez and Harris have veteran experience, Frazier can duplicate all of their versatility in one player, and has more power potential than either one.  At 26, if Frazier isn't ready for the majors, he may never be.
• I wrote a piece for MLB Depth Charts discussing which of the top prospects in the game will make their team's Opening Day roster, including Montero, Matt Moore, Bryce Harper, Jacob Turner, Shelby Miller, Mike Trout, and Trevor Bauer.

Prospect Potent Potables - Angels, Sanchez, Orioles, Cubs Invites

• Sam Miller of The Orange County Register cites a Baseball Prospectus article (subscription needed) that breaks down the things that could go wrong with the Angels top prospects.  Miller's article has the quote on Mike Trout, explaining his potential troubles against right-handed pitching, based on his struggles in the majors last season.
• Pirates C prospect Tony Sanchez apparently had another off-the-field incident, occurring during the instructional season in Florida this past fall, reports Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  Sanchez allegedly broke his jaw in a bar fight, although he was not hurt a few weeks later at a team mini-camp.  Sanchez has already had jaw issues, missing much of the 2010 season after breaking his jaw getting hit by pitches.  He also was suspended for three games last season after ripping umpires on his Twitter feed.
• The Orioles have announced their second South Korean high school signing in the past week, inking Seong-Min Kim, a 18-year-old left-handed pitcher, reports Jordan Tuwiner of Orioles-Nation.com.  Just two days ago, the team announced the signing of 17-year-old South Korean lefty Kim Sung-min.
• The Cubs have announced their spring training invites, says Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.  Among the prospects invited are outfielders Brett Jackson and Jae-Hoon Ha, and pitchers Jay Jackson, Trey McNutt, and Dae-Eun Rhee.

Prospect Potent Potables - Biddle, Smyly, Iglesias

• Jesse Biddle had a strong first full-season of professional baseball, and the Phillies former first-round pick discusses his off-season progress and a hopeful start in Clearwater in 2012, writes Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Daily News.
• David Laurila of FanGraphs.com has a Q & A session with Tigers pitching prospect Drew Smyly, discussing everything from his repertoire and mechanics to old college injuries.
• The Red Sox have some uncertainty at the shortstop position entering the 2012 season, and Brandan McGair of The Pawtucket Times asks, why not Jose Iglesias?  The Cuban prospect is already defensively ready for the majors, but questions still surround him about his offensive capabilities, and he could likely use some more time to refine that part of his game in Triple-A.

Prospect Potent Potables - Cron, Pomeranz, Orioles

• C.J. Cron tore it up at the plate in his professional debut before his season ended due to a knee injury, but as Bill Plunkett reports for Baseball America, the Angels prospect is back on track to be ready for the season.
• Unlike last spring with the Indians, this year Drew Pomeranz is entering Rockies spring training with a chance to win a spot in a big league rotation, notes Thomas Harding of MLB.com.  Pomeranz will be competing with a crowded field for a spot, but may be the most talented pitcher in the field.
• The Orioles have made their first venture into the international market under new GM Dan Duquette, signing 17-year-old LHP Kim Sung-min, reports Eduardo Encina of The Baltimore Sun.

Prospect Potent Potables - Alonso, Vitters, Mendez

• Yonder Alonso wasn't going to be your typical power-hitting first baseman in any park, and certainly won't be in PetCo Park, but as Bill Center of The San Diego Union-Tribune points out, the spaciousness of the outfield in the Padres home park should play right into Alonso's line-drive hitting strength.
• Of the top-10 picks in the 2007 draft, only two - 3B Josh Vitters and P Casey Weathers - have yet to reach the majors, points out Carrie Muskat of MLB.com, who also notes that both are now with the Cubs and that this could be the year for Vitters to make the jump.
• Roman Mendez has been with two organizations and has had up and down years, but as Mike Newman points out for FanGraphs.com, Mendez has re-established himself as a legitimate pitching prospects in the Rangers organization with a strong 2011 campaign, bouncing back from a poor 2010 season.