Jim Callis: Greetings, everyone. Three of the first six questions deal with when Hernandez would make it to the majors, so let's get that one out of the way immediately. The Mariners would like him to spend some time in Triple-A, so odds are against him making the Opening Day roster. But I suspect we'll see him starting for the Mariners by the second half of the season.

Jim Callis: Lots of things. He has great stuff: plus-plus fastball, plus-plus curveball, plus changeup. His plus-plus slider might be his most devastating pitch, but the Mariners won't let him throw it. He's young, durable, throws strikes and loves to compete. There's no apparent chink in his armor.

Jim Callis: I agree with Rob. We're talking about a club that won 63 games in 2004. Signing Beltre and Sexson, as impressive as that might be, isn't going to be enough to turn the team around. It's a step in the right direction, but there's more work to be done.

Jim Callis: Thanks for the holiday wishes, Jim. I don't think it's that the Mariners have little or no interest in giving Strong a shot. Remember, the regime that signed and developed Strong isn't the same regime that extended Winn's contract last offseason. Strong has been hurt in each of the last two years, costing him a chance at some big league playing time. He has no apparent opening in Seattle and I like his leadoff potential, but the Mariners won't just give him away.

Jim Callis: That's the big question. Ichiro obviously can handle right field and Shin-Soo Choo would be fine in left, but whether Jeremy Reed can handle center field remains to be seen. He can do better job with his jumps and routes, and maybe that will make the difference. But if he's a merely adequate center fielder, merely adequate won't cut it at Safeco Field.

Jim Callis: Uhlmansiek had Tommy John surgery after blowing out his elbow at Wichita State this spring. I agree, assuming he regains his good stuff and good command, that's a nice 12th-round steal for the Mariners.

Jim Callis: Not sure Nebraska 3B Alex Gordon is the definitive favorite for the Mariners, but the Beltre signing shouldn't change things. Teams draft for the future, not the immediate present, and a lot of scouts aren't sold on Gordon staying at the hot corner anyway.

Jim Callis: I think Lopez (who no longer qualifies for the Top 10) already was the favorite at shortstop. And yes, Reed has a good chance of starting in center field. I like him better, offensively and defensively, than Randy Winn.

Jim Callis: Nope. No whispers at all. Furthermore, he's Venezuelan, and almost all of the bogus ages have come out of Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

Jim Callis: Why wouldn't he be? He still has one of the best sliders in baseball and an above-average fastball. His less-than-scintillating major league debut doesn't change that.

Jim Callis: I can honestly say I've been so swamped with the Prospect Handbook and the holiday season that I haven't looked ahead to our Top 100 Prospects list yet. That said . . . In my mind, he's the top pitching prospect in baseball, and I believe my BA cohorts at the Durham headquarters agree. I'd take Hernandez over Delmon Young or whoever else might be the top minor league hitting prospect. But Joe Mauer still qualifies for our list, and I might have to go with Mauer.

Jim Callis: Out of that group, Jones might be the only true major league shortstop. Matt Tuiasosopo definitely projects as an everyday player with his bat, most likely as a third baseman or corner outfielder. If Michael Morse keeps hitting, he could play regularly as well.

Jim Callis: Yes, they do have a clear plan. I wrote a column about this during the summer, as they limited his pitch counts and innings during the season and wouldn't let him throw his slider. Had San Antonio made the playoffs, the Mariners still wouldn't have let Hernandez pitch. Also, they persuaded him and the winter club that held his rights that it would be in his best interests to rest this offseason. They realize how rare and valuable his arm is, and they're doing everything they can to protect it.

Jim Callis: I don't remember what I said last year, Russ, but at this point, I don't see much hope. He hit .229 in high A before he hurt his wrist this year. It's just not happening with his bat.

Jim Callis: Simply that the consensus of scouts and front-office officials I talked to believed Jimenez had the best changeup. He also has an 87-91 mph fastball and a developing curveball, and he might be able to handle a starting assignment if given one.

Jim Callis: Jensen had some health issues, since overcome, that affected his stuff. That didn't enhance his prospect status, but he's still very much a prospect. No reason he shouldn't return to throwing in the low 90s with a good slider now that he's 100 percent again. I haven't heard any plan for Soriano, but I would guess they'll bring him back as a reliever, at least initially, just to save some wear and tear on his arm.

Jim Callis: Lopez still has a lot of offensive potential for a middle infielder but will need a better approach. He would have ranked anywhere from 2 to 4 on the Top 10 if he were still eligible. Baek still does qualify and will be in the 11-20 range. No real plus pitch, but he throws four of them for strikes.

Jim Callis: I have no question that Snelling can hit, but it's hard to have much faith that he'll stay healthy. If he can stay in one piece, he could help the Mariners as a fourth outfielder or DH. He's still young and I still think he can hit .300 with 15 homers a year once he gets going.

Jim Callis: Hadn't heard the "Texas" nickname before . . . Oldham did have a nice year. His changeup is his best pitch, he threw 87-91 mph and his curveball got better. He's under consideration but not a lock for the list, as the Mariners have a lot of lefties with the same profile, and most of the others are younger and just as talented.

Jim Callis: Thanks to Paul, who tipped me off earlier this year that Scott Atchison was the first signed 49th-rounder to reach the majors in baseball history. (I did an exhaustive story on the best picks ever from each round, and Atchison made his debut a few weeks later.) That's an accurate assessment, Paul. Justin Leone and Strong could be regulars and Baek could be a starter in the right situation, but more realistically they'll be very good reserves. Atchison fits best as a sixth- or seventh-inning reliever.

Jim Callis: The best defensive infielders in the system are, in order, Oswaldo Navarro, Asdrubal Cabrera and Adam Jones. Jones has more offensive potential, so he's got the best chance. But Jose Lopez, who doesn't qualify for the list any longer, is the best all-around shortstop of any of them.

Jim Callis: The Mariners still see him as a starter, but most of the other clubs I've talked to think he should head to the bullpen pronto. He doesn't throw his changeup enough and doesn't have a great approach as a starter, but he could be a closer or top-notch setup man. His slider is just nasty.

Jim Callis: There's no comparable "super-five" status. Felix Hernandez and everyone else needs six full years of service time before becoming a free agent. So if they promote him at midseason, the Mariners still would control his rights for the next six seasons. I guess Seattle fans have to prepare for the inevitability of their superstars leaving town, but isn't this a bit early?

Jim Callis: He hasn't needed it thus far, and the Mariners have no immediate plans to let him start throwing it. They'd rather not risk an injury.

Jim Callis: I compared Choo to Mark Kotsay when Choo was in the low Class A Midwest League in 2002, and I still think that comp fits. Former pitcher, line-drive hitter, modest power but good on-base skills, very good baserunning instincts. Choo has a stronger arm but lacks Kotsay's defensive instincts. Funny thing is, I also see a lot of Kotsay in Jeremy Reed.

Jim Callis: In no particular order: outfielder Wladimir Balentien; catcher Rene Rivera; lefties Cesar Jimenez, Bobby Livingston and Tom Oldham; and third baseman Jesus Guzman.

Jim Callis: The Mariners have so many middle-infield prospects that they may put some of them on the same club and expose them to other positions besides shortstop. They did that with Cabrera and Oswaldo Navarro at short-season Everett in 2004, and Tuiasosopo joined that club at the end of the season. I think you'll see Adam Jones and Navarro together in high A, and Tuiasosopo and Navarro together in low A.

Jim Callis: I can only speak for myself, but I look at toolsstuff, performancetrack record and the player's age relative to his league. In this case, I'd go with Livingston over Nottingham because they have very similar stuff, but Livingston has succeeded in high A at age 21, whilt Nottingham has succeeded in short-season ball at age 19.

Jim Callis: I'll go off the board and go with Ryan Feierabend as the second-best lefty in the system. All those guys have the same stuff, but Feierabend has the most projection.

Jim Callis: I've lost count of Ryan Anderson's shoulder surgeries . . . He hasn't pitched in a game since 2000, so I think you can write him off.

Jim Callis: Impressive year for a teenager in high Class A, but has to prove he can do more than just hit for average. His power and defense still have quite a ways to go. Definitely worth watching, though.

Jim Callis: Yes, that's safe to say, and I agree with your explanation as to why I ranked him No. 5 on the Top 10.

Jim Callis: I think Choo will have more power, but he needs to change his approach first.

Jim Callis: The only way Hernandez makes the club out of spring training is if he's just unbelievably good in big league camp. Which isn't out of the realm of possibility.

Jim Callis: Let's begin the lightning round, because the Prospect Handbook and holiday season continue to beckon . . . Asdrubal Cabrera is the next up-and-coming Venezuelan in the system.

Jim Callis: Miller is close to Hernandez and might be the second-best pitching prospect in the minors. Miller doesn't have Hernandez' changeup and hasn't proven himself in Double-A.

Jim Callis: Flaig has the bat to break out. Hopefully, his shoulder injuries are behind him.

Jim Callis: Cabrera stands out more defensively at this point, Chen more offensively. In time, Cabrera will be the better all-around player, and he's 2 12 years younger than Chen.

Jim Callis: In the 11-20 range. I'll say no more: Buy the Prospect Handbook!

Jim Callis: I think Leone will play a utility role in Seattle, seeing time just about everywhere but pitcher, catcher and center field. Don't forget, Greg Dobbs is now blocked as well, though he was far from certain as a third baseman.

Jim Callis: More worried about his declining stuff than his ugly stats, but they believe he'll bounce back.

Jim Callis: Just because someone doesn't make the Top 10 doesn't mean he's not a prospect or we hate him or something. Rich Dorman will make the Top 30 list. But he was 25 in Double-A and his stuff isn't very consistent. Sometimes he's in the low 90s with a good curve, and sometimes his stuff flattens out. Strikeout rates alone don't make a Top 10 Prospect.

Jim Callis: His stuff is more fringe average than fairly average. He's going to have to live and die with his command, with little margin for error. Craig Anderson pitched very well in high Class A but struggled at higher levels. We'll have to wait and see on Livingston, but in my mind he has to keep proving himself every year.

Jim Callis: Jose Reyes, though I might want to transplant Lopez' hamstrings in him.