Nathan Rode: Greeting everybody and thanks for coming out for my BA Chat debut. Before Chris Kline can brand me the Dave Matthews addict, I'll have you know I'll be listening to some U2 for today's event. Let's get started.

Nathan Rode: Couple of Rosales questions so far. He's a sinker-slider type guy that pitched well in his short time in the Appy. He has upside as a major league pitcher but isn't a front of the rotation hurler unless he can add more secondary stuff and gain some velocity.

Nathan Rode: It's not really my place to say where someone is headed nor did any managers really give me an idea, but with the history of college relievers I would think he'll be fast tracked. Especially being a side arm guy. They always seem to get a chance.

Moderator: Based on scouting reports for the draft and that he came out of the gates well I probably would have had him in the Top 10 no question.

Nathan Rode: You're right. He does have a great name and I think seeing someone surpass the heights of Randy Johnson, Chris Young and Jon Rauch would be fun. He had some difficulty repeating his delivery this year, but its better. He's surprisingly coordinated for how tall he is and he has shown improvement.

Nathan Rode: A couple of players were mentioned when I was doing some research. Antonio Jimenez is a young third baseman that could be worth looking after. He could add some weight, but that should come with getting older and filling out. David Lough was an interesting guy to watch too. He was a college pick in the Appy League which can be disconcerting, but he packed a punch for a little guy. He needs to stay healthy though. He was sidelined twice this year and never really got a chance to get going.

Moderator: I wouldn't sell your allegiance on eBay just yet. Remember that the O's have a short-season team and GCL. Your top picks from last year were in at least Low A and guys like Wieters this year signed late as you know. The GCL has 16 teams with an overwhelming amount of talent as evidenced by Chris Kline's rankings. I think you'll be a little happier in the next few weeks, if not later on when Top 30s come out.

Nathan Rode: Both. The Twins and Braves don't have a short-season team like many others. Basically, the Appy League is their advanced Rookie team where guys go if they're too good for GCL, but not quite Low A ready. The other teams have that advanced team to play with. That's why you see Elizabethton and Danville dominate so much. That doesn't take away from other prospects. It's just a matter of concentration of players in a league.

Nathan Rode: Being an experienced pitcher had a little bit to do with it. I'm not ready to rest solely on that because McCardell did not fully concentrate on pitching as an amateur. He also had offensive duties where he lit up opposing pitchers. His fastball is average in the 90 mph, but with his command he has the chance to go far.

Moderator: I liked Romero and De Los Santos more because they are slightly younger. Only slightly though. Lewis was interesting as a college pick, but he needs to have more of a plan at the plate and shy away from being pull happy. The other two also offer more on the defensive side as left-side infielders. Romero led the league's third basemen in fielding and De Los Santos frustrated a couple of managers with some plays they still see in their nightmares.

Nathan Rode: It certainly does. He's 6-4, a hair under 200 right now. A little added muscle can't hurt him, but right now his body contributes well to his power.

Nathan Rode: Kozma is a slick infielder that will take his defense a long way. In talking with managers, he profiles as a possible No. 2 type hitter or down at the bottom in the seven to nine holes. I'm a big fan of defense and Kozma has it. I think he'll be a good asset for the franchise.

Nathan Rode: Unfortunately he was shipped off to Texas before I got a chance to see him, but with his fastball's velocity and how little effort he gives he sounds like a good prospect. Ceiling is a tough call right now because he's young and working on secondary pitches. If he stays as a starter you could see a No. 3 starter, No. 2 at best. But if he can't develop secondary stuff, then that's a nice power arm for the bullpen. It's up in the air at this point, but I think Texas should be happy with what they picked up.

Nathan Rode: I think you can contribute it to development. Compare his numbers to last year and you'll see the difference. The strikeouts spiked. Again, ceiling is tough to put on a 19-year-old, but Bromberg could be in the back of a rotation.

Nathan Rode: He went from Danville to Rome late in the season so I would say the chances are pretty good. The Braves always draft well and in a year or two I think we'll see another great group make their way, especially with a guy like Heyward.

Nathan Rode: Rohrbough is a favorite of mine and Ben Badler who will do some chatting tomorrow. There was some speculation that mabye Rohrbough's velocity could get another mile per hour or so since he had a heavier load as an amateur in the spring. Either way, 90 mph for a lefthander isn't bad considering what his curveball can do. Right now it's hard to slap a No. 1 label on him because the idea of what an Ace is makes it thin pickings. But, could he be one of the top starters in the team's rotation in several years? I don't see why not.

Nathan Rode: Good question. If Romero can progress like managers think he will then that could be a legit argument. But, that's speculation for now. He'll be on the depth chart for the organization with a good chance to be considered as one of the top corner guys.

Moderator: I mentioned a little about him before, but Andres Rosales has some upside. He didn't play poorly but didn't throw a whole lot in the Appy this year so got squeezed by others.

Nathan Rode: I know very little French, and my Spanish has worn off over the past couple of years, however, with Olmstead's body and age I probably would have had him in the second half.

Nathan Rode: I had a hard time with it too. After my rough draft I went back several times to make sure I wasn't being biased or missing information. But if you look at track record and this year's standings, it's fairly evident that these two teams are the best in the league. Danville finished 10 games in front of the closest division contender and E'ton was 15 games up.

Moderator: Very good question Todd. That's something we've been talking about since July 31. I think your top 3 is a fair assessment, but I also believe Jason Heyward might make a push for that area. There a couple of Danville players that may make the top 10, but based on age I think it would be safer to put others in the 10+ range.

Nathan Rode: You can't say anything bad about the numbers but he was 23-years-old. That's more advanced for the league than others we saw.

Nathan Rode: Sorry for the short delay. Temporary computer malfunction. Cory Gearrin made a strong case. Dustin Biell has good speed. So does Beau Riportella. But a couple more Danville pitchers like Osuna and Ortegano were very close.

Nathan Rode: He got a little bit of talk. Later part of the next 10 probably.

Moderator: Eckstein iswas so special that you probably won't see another like him, unless you make the argument for Dustin Pedroia. Kozma has some gap power and is bigger than Eckstein, but I wouldn't complain if it were Part II. Part I was a pretty good contributor and was a World Series MVP.

Nathan Rode: No word here. There are plenty of towns that would want some sort of professional team, but its a question of what franchise wants the affiliate?

Nathan Rode: Depends on what you want. Right now I'll take Locke with his stuff. Ten years down the road? Evarts has a larger frame so I would probably take him, but they're in the same system so fortunately you don't have to choose right now.

Nathan Rode: Riportella's tool was speed. Not to mention a cool name. He hit very well for the first few weeks but trailed off toward the end. He gets consideration for his speed, but I would like to see another tool develop.

Nathan Rode: Another one that probably just missed. His numbers were great. A little advanced and he didn't get much talk.

Nathan Rode: That'll do it for me. Thanks for the good experience on my first crack at a chat. I look forward to doing more. Keep up the great questions and make sure you think of some for Ben Badler. He debuts tomorrow with the Pioneer League. Have a good one.