http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/ The Home For Baseball Insiders Fri, 25 May 2012 18:10:23 EST en-us http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/baonlinelogo4.gif http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/ 96 9 1 http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/chat/2012/2612859.html Content: Aaron Fitt: Good afternoon, everyone! I'm fired up for the college baseball season, and I hope you are too. The countdown is on. Let's kick it off with our first college chat of the year. Daniel (Seattle): Who would be your top ten non aq schools that are currently outside of the top 25? Aaron Fitt: I don't have a formal list outside the Top 25, but here are some teams we were strongly debating for spots: Mississippi State, St. John's, Jacksonville, Stetson, Cal, Virginia, UC Irvine, Baylor. Couple other sleepers: Georgia Southern, FIU, Kentucky. Bob (Texas): Thanks for the chat Aaron. I'm a huge UCLA fan but losing Cole and Bauer are two huge losses. I'm a bit wary that a team can compete like they did when those two were at UCLA. How does this team earn that #14 ranking even without those two superstar and what kind of offense can we expect? Aaron Fitt: I think it's quite a testament to UCLA's ability to reload on the recruiting trail each and every year that the Bruins enter the season ranked 14th after losing Cole and Bauer. The Bruins really did a great job preparing for the post-Cole/Bauer . . . Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:26:55 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/chat/2012/2612859.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/chat/2011/2612362.html Content: Conor Glassey: Welcome, everyone! Thanks for subscribing to Baseball America and for joining me in a draft chat on a Friday afternoon. Just filled my belly with a giant burrito, so let's get this chat rolling. . . @Jaypers413 (IL): On the 20-80 scouting scale, what does this class grade as a whole, at this point? Conor Glassey: A great place to start. I would say this draft is a little fringy in overall talent, so I'm giving it a 45. As with any draft, though, there's upside - and that's what makes it fun! Chris (KC): I've heard some noises that the draft may be June 11 next year instead of the expected June 4. If that's the case Ryne Stanek will be eligible. Where would you have him in your top 50? Conor Glassey: I heard those same dates being tossed around, but MLB released its 2012 schedule the other day and the draft is set for June 4-6, which means Stanek missed the cut by 5 days and will have to wait until 2013. If he were eligible, he would have ranked in the 7-10 range. Thomas (Mississippi): Where does a guy like Lex Rutledge fall. Starter . . . Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:02:38 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/chat/2011/2612362.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612323.html Content: Jim Callis: Hi, everyone. Glad to be back in the chat room as I am most Wednesdays. Our next issue will have our first overall Top 50 list for the 2012 draft, and we're working on minor league Top 20 Prospect lists, with the organization Top 30s just around the corner. Fire away! Grant (Chitown): You mentioned Addison Reed would likely rank "near" the top of the White Sox top 20 list. Which player gets your vote as THE top player in that barren system? Jim Callis: I did tweet that while walking my dogs this morning . . . There is no obvious No. 1 in the White Sox system. Might be one of their raw toolsy outfielders: Jared Mitchell, Trayce Thompson, Keenyn Walker. Hiawatha (HI): If Castellanos continues hitting at his current pace, could he see Detroit next September, or is that too optimistic? Jim Callis: I like Nick Castellanos as much as the next guy, but that's too optimistic by at least a year. Paul (DC): If you're the Nats, where do you start Harper off at, come April? Jim Callis: I send him back to Double-A so he can get off to a good start, and . . . Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:10:01 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612323.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612322.html Content: Moderator: Jim Callis will chat about prospects, the pennant races and the Minor League Player of the Year award beginning at 3 p.m. ET. Jim Callis: Hi, everyone. Plenty to talk about today, including our Minor League Player of the Year announcement, pennant races, any residual draft questions . . . anything you like! Moe (New York): Hey Jim, I have a question about a lesser known prospect: Vincent Catricala. The guy had a RIDICULOUS season hitting .351 in high A then .347 in Double A with a lot of pop and good SB:CS ratio. The only thing is even after he proved it in Double A I don't hear anything about him. Is he a prospect? What are scouts saying about his hit / power tools and what defensive position would he be most apt to play? Thanks Jim! Jim Callis: Catricala's numbers are a lot better than his tools, though hats off to him for having the .349/.421/.601 season he did. He's an all-bat guy who belongs at first base, and scouts aren't sold he has the bat speed to produce on an everyday basis in the big leagues. steve (york pa): Thanks for the chat. Could you . . . Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:37:54 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612322.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612267.html Content: Jim Callis: Hi, everyone. Amazing how fast the year is flying by. The draft is behind us, the minor league season is almost over and there's one month left in the big leagues. Fire some questions at me. greg (New York): Hey Jim,can you give me your top five for next years draft and where would you put Kenny Diekroeger??? Thanks.... Jim Callis: Seems like the clear top four, with no obvious favorite to go No. 1 yet, are (in whatever order): Stanford RHP Mark Appel, Arizona State SS Deven Marrero, Georgia high school OF Byron Buxton and California prep RHP Lucas Giolito. Diekroeger is in the 5-15 mix somewhere. BA will be doing an overall Top 50 for the 2012 draft in the next couple of weeks, so look for that soon. Steve (Orlando,Fl): What's your take on Desmond Jennings? In just over 130 ABs he's hitting almost .350 with 8 HRs and 14 SBs. Jim Callis: There's a reason he ranked among the best prospects in baseball the last couple of years. But don't expect that kind of power—he's not a slugger. Chris (CT): What is wrong with Stolmy Pimentel, Drake Britton and Brandon Workman this year? Jim . . . Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:54:52 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612267.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612251.html Content: Cy (Cooperstown): Gary Sanchez' first year in full-season ball: Ups, downs, suspension and now an injury. What's your assessment? Seems like he was hitting well just before he got hurt. What is his injury? Jim Callis: When he got off to a slow start, I wondered if maybe we had hyped him too much, too soon. Then he found his groove and started hitting like he was one of the elite prospects in the game. The obvious comparison is Jesus Montero: exciting bat, questions about whether he can stay behind the plate. He has a hand injury, I believe, and is done for the year. Conor (Boston): Arodys Vizcaino's future with Atlanta: In the rotation or the bullpen? Jim Callis: They have a lot of pitching options, but he's talented enough that I see him forcing his way into the rotation. The Braves will have to make room for him somehow. Tim (Pittsburgh, PA): We have heard a lot about Miguel Sano at Elizabethton this season, but what do you think of Eddie Rosario and what range will he rank as a prospect within the organization, top 10? Jim Callis: Rosario was one of my favorite sleepers in the Twins . . . Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:26:25 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612251.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612226.html Content: Moderator: Jim Callis will answer your questions beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Kyle (Fort Lauderdale): Which teams spent the most on the draft? Which teams spent the least? Were the Marlins last in terms of spending on the draft? Jim Callis: Just did a blog post highlighting some of this: http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/2011/08/teams-spend-236-million-on-11-draft/ ... The Pirates set a draft record by spending $17,005,700 on bonuses. Counting money in big league deals, the Nationals spent more than that: $17,602,100. The White Sox spent the least of any team on the draft: $2,756,300 on bonuses. The Marlins came in 23rd in bonus spending at $4,135,000. Mike (Chicago): How would you rate the cubs draft now, since they got a lot of tough signs? Jim Callis: They got the best pure HS hitter in the draft in Baez, and they essentially got an extra pick in the 14th round in Dillon Maples. I've heard very good reports on under-the-radar 13th-rounder Trey Martin. Tony Zych was a steal in the fourth round. I could go on, but in a word, yes, they had a good draft. Roger (Greenville, SC): Is Bubba Starling more likely to start 2012 in low A or in short season? Or extended . . . Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:09:24 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612226.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612214.html Content: John Manuel: First chat in a while. Be gentle. Look forward to talking draft signings, minors, majors, whatever. Jake Marisnick (Lansing): What am I still doing here? John Manuel: Understandable question, considering Marisnick is 2nd in the MWL in hitting and won Best Batting Prospect in the MWL Best Tools survey. In our latest mag issue — which you'd have by now if you subscribe to the BA Digital Edition — you could read Alexis Brudnicki's take on that, as Marisnick probably isn't actually asking that question. He sounds like he's having a blast, breaking through, winning a lot and thriving in a lineup with other prospect OFs Michael Cruse and Marcus Knecht. No need to rush him, I'd just leave him now to see if he can keep contributing to a winning team down the stretch in games with a bit more meaning. @Jaypers413 (IL): The Angels made a pretty aggressive move by jumping Richards from AA Arkansas to Yankee stadium - agree/disagree? John Manuel: Clearly it's aggressive, but I like the idea. Our timing was good because our latest issue also has a Richards feature by former staffer Kary Booher, and focused on Richards' improved efficiency, with a . . . Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:02:04 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612214.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612182.html Content: Moderator: Jim Callis will answer prospect, draft and trade deadline questions beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Christian (Houston, TX): Astros first baseman Kody Hinze is mashing this year. Do you have anything on him? Legitimate breakout or a flash in the pan? Jim Callis: More of an older guy (age 23) having a career year, helped considerably by Lancaster, though he has hit well in a brief time since his promotion to Double-A. He has some power, but it's his lone distinguishing tool, and he feasts more on mistakes and has trouble making contact against quality pitching. He's also a righthanded-hitting first baseman, and those are fairly easy to find. @Jaypers413 (IL): Your thoughts on the Doug Fister trade as a whole, especially now that Chance Ruffin has been named as the PTBNL? Jim Callis: Liked it for the Mariners to begin with, and I like it even more now. (Ruffin wasn't officially part of the trade when I ranked the top 10 prospects dealt at the deadline, but he would have been ninth on that list if he had been.) Fister is having a nice year, but he doesn't miss a lot of bats, and he's a No. 4 . . . Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:22:16 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612182.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612153.html Content: Moderator: Jim Callis will answer your questions beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET. Jim Callis: The signing deadline is at the forefront of my mind these days, and I suspect the trade deadline is at the forefront of many of yours'. All questions are fair game . . . let's go! @Jaypers413 (IL): Your thoughts on the Edwin Jackson trade that sent Zach Stewart to the White Sox? Jim Callis: Salary dump for the White Sox, who save $9 million. I like Zach Stewart some, but I think he's more of a reliever than a frontline starter. If the Jays are using Jackson to get Colby Rasmus, as rumored, it's more confirmation that Alex Anthopoulos is a tremendous GM. Jackson has not been Kenny Williams' finest moment—he gives up Daniel Hudson and Dennis Holmberg to get him, trades him for two relievers, then sees him uses to get Colby Rasmus. dylan (ks): where do the cubs stand with vogelbach & maples? Jim Callis: Rumors persists in the industry that Vogelbach is done or all but done. He was asking for $1.65 million before the draft, and if the Cubs give him that much, it won't get announced until Aug. 15. I . . . Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:58:15 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/chat/2011/2612153.html