Kevin Goldstein’s Future Shock [subscription only] series hit the NL Central today and he gave an update on what his Top 11 Cardinals prospects have been up to. I know that no matter what he does, someone will complain - and it is nice that he covered a lot of ground, talking about more prospects for the Cardinals than the other clubs, but the one sentence summary for each player really left me a bit unsatisfied.
Kary Booher has a profile of Justin Fiske. Interesting story - left handed relievers are a weak point in the Cardinals organization, so it is nice that they were able to pluck a successful one from the Independent League.
Springfield was off and Johnson City played a double header, so the system had five teams playing six games and they went 2-4. All the details are after the jump.
- Clayton Mortensen did not have his best outing. He followed his M.O., getting a bunch of groundballs (7-1 gb to fb) and striking out another four, but he also gave up bunches of hits, nine to be exact. He was touched for eight runs over 4.1 innings, including two dingers. Mortensen apparently came out in the fifth inning due to injury - the last batter he faced reached on a “line drive to Mortensen” according to the game recap. Hopefully he’ll be ok.
- Matt Clement was brought in to relieve for Mortensen and he allowed an inherited runner to score and another run of his own in the two thirds of an inning that he pitched. It was really a neat trick, as he did it all without allowing a hit. He hit two batters and walked another.
- Nick Stavinoha was 1-5 with a home run, which makes three in the last two games or three since Az wrote that Nick has no power. My guess is that he read what Az wrote and has extra motivation now - good job, Az! Stavinoha also made an error in the outfield and had an outfield assist.
- Uncle Rico Washington was 2-4 with a bomb.
- Bryan Anderson was 2-5.
- Donovan Solano and Charles Kingrey each homered this afternoon, providing the power. Solano was 2-4 with a walk and Kingrey was 3-4 with a double and a walk.
- Daryl Jones was 1-4 with a walk and his seventeenth stolen base of the year.
- The Cardinals were a little sloppy in the field with errors from Solano, Eddie Degerman and Daniel Descalso.
- Shaun Garceau had a nice start, going six scoreless innings, scattering four hits and two walks while striking out two.
- Degerman struck out three in his two scoreless innings of relief.
- Kenny Maiques was the only Cardinals pitcher to struggle today. He walked a pair of batters and gave up a hit and an unearned run while only retiring one batter.
- Francisco Samuel was called in to clean up the mess and he retired the final two batters to earn the save.
- Richard Castillo pitched six solid innings, giving up a pair of runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four.
- Matt Spade followed Castillo with two perfect innings, striking out one.
- Brandon Garner pitched a scoreless ninth, giving up only a walk.
- The offensive player of the game was Roberto Espinoza, who went 2-4 with a double and three rbi.
- Nicholas Peoples and Oliver Marmol each also went 2-4. Peoples also doubled and Marmol also stole a base.
- Pete Kozma and Brett Wallace were each 1-4. Wallace also walked.
- Aaron Luna was 1-3 with a walk.
- Thommy Pham was 0-2 with a walk and an outfield assist from center field.
- Charles Cutler was 2-3, but he had a passed ball and a throwing error behind the plate.
- Shane Peterson was 1-4 with a double.
- Jon Edwards was 1-3 with a walk.
- Jose Garcia was 1-4 with a stolen base.
- Zachary Pitts took the loss, but he didn’t really pitch that bad. He gave up a pair of runs over five innings on six hits. He didn’t walk anyone and he struck out a pair.
- Hector Cardenas, on the other hand, was terrible. He gave up three runs on three hits and a walk and only managed to retire one batter.
- Rigoberto Lugo (no, I did not just make that name up) didn’t do Cardenas any favors, allowing one of two inherited runners to score on a couple of walks. He got a pair of outs without giving up any runs that are attributed to him in the boxscore.
- Arquimedes Nieto (who, if I’m not mistaken, is Tom Nieto’s fourth cousin, thrice removed through his maternal grandfather - but I could be wrong about that) came in after the Cardenas-Lugo disaster and struck out three over three scoreless innings.
Pulaski 5, Johnson City 2 (Game 1)
- The Cardinals only managed five hits in the first game and a double by Osvaldo Morales was the only extra base hit.
- Deryk Hooker had a nice start, giving up one run on five hits over five innings. He also struck out four.
- Samuel Freeman and Jorge Rondon let the game get away from the team in the sixth inning, allowing four runs and only retiring one batter between them.
- Santo Maertz came in and put out the fire, allowing a hit and two walks, but not allowing a run or letting either of his inherited runners to score. He pitched the final 1.2 innings and struck out a pair.
Pulaski 8, Johnson City 5 (Game 2)
- A bit more offense for Johnson city in Game 2, but not enough.
- Nico Vasquez was 2-4 and was thrown out trying to steal.
- Osvaldo Morales was 2-3 with a pair of doubles.
- Paul Cruz, Curt Smith and Jairo Martinez were all 1-3.
- Michael Blazek only lasted four hitters into the game. The first reached on an error, then Blazek threw away a pickoff attempt, then he walked a batter before giving up singles to the next two batters. Then he was removed. Ouch.
- Carlos Gonzales followed with an erratic performance. He allowed two runs on three hits and two walks, but he struck out eight in only 3.2 innings.
- Joel Pichardo then gave up three runs on three hits in 2.1 innings, but he only struck out a pair.
- Jose Mateo finished off the game with a perfect inning, striking out one.
Filed under: Daily Farm Reports, Justin Fiske
erik
azruavatar
fewgoodcards
roarke49
theredbaaron
according to leach if mulder goes on the DL (which seems very likely) garcia is probably the guy that comes up
I swapped notes with Kevin G regarding that column, and it is my impression (not from the exchange of messages) that he couldn’t find someone to get eyes-on feedback on the most interesting Future Redbirds, so he fell back on a straight statistical analysis of the guys he called his Top 11 pre-season. That explains why Jess Todd was missing. He describes Todd as, quote, “pretty damn interesting,” whether he was one of the pre-season Top 11 or not.
I also ribbed him gently for his analysis of “right-handed” pitcher “Jamie” Garcia. He says he’s going looking for the new BP editor with violence on his mind.
Count me among the Kevin Goldstein fans. He knows his stuff and is willing to talk about it.
If Garcia gets called up, I wonder if he joins the rotation or the pen.
Today Solano hit his first homerun in over 1150 AB’s
Pierce- My guess would be pen, with Thompson or Boggs going back in to the rotation.
ugh — Garcia isn’t ready for the bigs. I’d rather have Boggs come up or even Reyes. Garcia’s control isn’t there and his changeup is still well below average.
Quite honestly, you guys probably know much more about Cardinals prospects than Kevin Goldstein - tracking them every day, interviews, eyewitness reports, multiple perspectives. I take a Future Redbirds recommendation of a player in higher regard than an outside group or person. You guys really do a great job here.
I think I’d rather see Todd called up than Garcia at this point.
Garcia is going up and will be joining the rotation.
Scott, where did you hear the part about him joining the rotation?
I read on another board this morning that he’d be used in the bullpen. Would that be the LH “acquistion” for the bullpen?
Rocky, I don’t think I totally agree about who knows the prospects. We here have a tendency to look at prospects through rose (or if you wish, Cardinal red) colored glasses, simply because they are OUR prospects. Goldstein has access to some professional scouts, whose whole job is to look at these people from a detached point of view. That has value. Yes, we spend a lot more time thinking about Cardinals prospects than Kevin does. The compensation is that his thinking is more “efficient” because of his network.
Whatever happened to Amaury Marti, and why is there still a tab on top of you site devoted to him?
Per Jim “The Cat” Hayes….Garcia is coming up to make a few starts until Wainwright is ready.
My guess is that they skip Wellemeyer’s turn before the break.
if Jess Todd will desroy us all ever threw a pitch to Amaury Marti would the universe explode?
just curious: why the making fun of Amaury Marti?
rasrick - it’s less in making fun of him, and more in showing respect for his physical prowess. He’s somewhat of a cult hero among Cardinal minor league faithful.
I’m ambivalent about Garcia getting a few starts–but anything that keeps Parisi & Boggs (& iyeee! Mulder) from starting ever again for the big club is OK by me.
Congrats to Donovan Solano for that 1st professional longball! He and Tony Cruz are two fine under-the-radar prospects.
I don’t get all this disgust over Boggs, he had 3 ok starts, one really good one and one really bad one. So that is enough to banish him to AAA forever???
Boggs did a fairly solid job in 75% of his outings. What more can we ask of a guy considered by many to be a ‘non-prospect”? I dislike the blind hatred. It’s just like Aaron Miles. All Miles has ever done is provide us a very serviceable backup middle infielder and yet about 80% of Cards fans hate him. I just don’t understand Cardinal Nation sometimes.
Boggs had a FIP and xFIP both over 5.75, I think it’s fair to say he isn’t ready just yet. Although I don’t really think Garcia is that ready yet either, but I think Garcia has more talent than Boggs, so could succeed
Who takes Garcia’s rotation spot @ Memphis? Tood? Hope so. As much as I think they are rushing Garcia to the ML, I don’t think it damages him that much if we are talking 4 starts. Boggs was less ready in my opinion and fared OK, no major damage to his psyche in limited exposure. D. Duncan just might help Garcia’s approach. As long as he doesn’t absorb an absolute shelling, I think a taste of the bigs could be a boost to Garcia’s development. It’s a calculated risk.
^
Boggs, Parisi, Reyes, PJ, Mort
I don’t expect Duncan to help Garcia at all. Here’s the left-handed starters we’ve had since Duncan came to St. Louis:
Donovan Osborne
Kent Mercker
Darren Oliver
Rick Ankiel
Bud Smith
Mark Mulder
Add Chuck Finley and Mike Maroth.
I’m not sure what to think of this. The Cards have a chance at the playoffs this year if they can procure a bat and a pitcher. But that will cost us some good minor leaguers (the future of the franchise). But in sports, you win now. I know I am paying for tickets now, and I expect them to win. Maybe it is time to cash in Rasmus and Anderson for Holliday and Fuentes.
Does a correlation exist between being LH/RH and Dave Duncan’s ability to help them? Osborne had ERAs of 3.93 and 4.09 in 2 of the 4 years under Dunc. The one where he was not injured (of the 4) was the good one BTW—so sample size is not the issue.
Bud Smith threw a no hitter under Dave Duncan. However, he didn’t make it with the Cards because he was dealt. It had nothing to do with Duncan.
Osborne was decent his first year under Duncan (13-9) before he got hurt, just like Mulder. Coincidence?
Bud Smith threw a no-hitter in Sept soon after being called up. Then at the beginning of the next season he was 1-5 6.74 under Duncan before we unloaded him for Rolen.
Oliver was a .500 pitcher with a 4.26 ERA under Duncan. Mercker’s ERA was over 5.00 both years he started for Duncan.
CJ:
Here is my theory on the debate you are contemplating: if the team can position themselves as a favorite to make the playoff and win the WS this year by making a move, then you do it. But you’ve got to be pretty confident. Personally, I don’t think adding Holliday/Fuentes makes the Cardinals a favorite (or really even gives them much of a better chance than they have now), so I wouldn’t trade Rasmus and Anderson for them. The Cardinals have been playing above their heads all season and still find themselves looking up at the Cubs and Matt Holliday isn’t going to make enough of a difference, marginally over what we have, to change the situation.
First, I think Boggs did a very nice job while up. Many will dog him because he was asked to take a beating when he didn’t pitch well. If we didn’t need to spare the bullpen from innings, he wouldn’t have given up as many runs. He convinced me that with a little more seasoning he can be productive for the Cards.
Second, I have neve rheard anyone suggest Duncan can’t coach LHP. Where is this coming from? I have wondered if he and LaRussa can manage a young staff and develop young pitchers. Our two most prominent have been Reyes and Ankiel. Morris was successful for a long time for the Cards so I would have to count that one as a notch in his belt, but otherwise I think the jury is out.
Last, how old is Richard Castillo?
I’m not sure I want to be the favorite, St. Louis did a nice job in 2006 as the underdog, and Colorado in 2007. I think you do everything you can to get Pujols in he playoff in the prime of his career. We are luck to have a player of his calaber on this team, and management needs to realize they are in a unique situation with Pujols and need to win now.
Here’s my take on Matt Holliday - if the Cards can get him without giving up prospect 1-A (Rasmus), and only have to give up one of either Anderson or Garcia, along with a secondary asset or two, then I think it’s worth the gamble. Best case scenario - Matt helps us get into the playoffs, and his 3-4 months with the Redbirds are such a positive experience that he tells Boras to make a deal happen with StL. Worse case scenario - his home/road splits expose him as a Coors fraud, and we let him walk away and we haven’t given away our top young prospect in the deal. Under that second scenario - there is still a silver lining. . .Cards fans will have known the organization took their best shot to win in 2008.
CJ:
While you are right that the Cards did great in 2006 as the underdog, I would not want to trade away our best minor league assets only to get to an underdog’s chance at the title.
I really don’t think that Matt Holliday is the best way to improve this team. We have limited assets to spend in this pursuit. If we are to use them, let’s use them towards fixing a problem that we have, not adding talent to an area that is already solid.
I’m with those puzzled by the dumping on Boggs. A reasonable case can be made that he wasn’t “major-league ready” when he was called up this year. That, however, is a very different statement than “he’ll never make it.” This is a guy who’s still fairly young, still learning his craft, gives every reason to believe he’ll eventually be a competent major-league starter, if not a star.
That said, I think he’s also attractive trade bait. Better starters are in the pipeline, so he’s expendable, yet he’s shown enough to be worth something in trade. If he’s pitched his last game in a Cardinals uniform because he’s traded to get something we need more, that’s OK.
Boggs could quite possibly have a fine career as an MLB reliever (same for Parisi). However, there is no chance whatsoever that he will have a fine career as an MLB starter (same for Parisi).
I make this strong generalization based on the sum total of Boggs & Parisi’s minor league careers. I don’t believe there is a *single* halfway decent established MLB starter whose career minor league profile is a good match for Boggs or Parisi. Honest; not one that I know of.
But I’d love to be wrong about that.