September Call ups are a coming
August 26th 2010 21:47
All right guys this is a great article by Mayo.
By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com
The calendar is about to turn to the season's final month. For no fewer than a dozen teams, that means fighting it out for postseason spots. For the others, it's about finishing the season on a high note and perhaps evaluating for the future.
The expansion of rosters that comes every September can be beneficial for teams in either situation. Contenders can get a huge lift from a September callup -- think David Price in 2008 or Francisco Rodriguez in 2002 -- and those out of the race can get a head start on discovering the next great star -- Carlos Beltran with the '98 Royals or Mike Piazza getting a taste with the Dodgers in 1992.
This year will be no different, with an influx of young talent getting a look-see for the season's final weeks. When trying to determine who might get the call, certain variables do need to be taken into account: if there's a need at the big league level; if the prospect's team is in the Minor League playoffs, and the organization feels that's a better developmental environment; if a pitcher has reached an innings limit and/or if he's already on the 40-man roster.
With all that in mind, here's a list of 20 Minor Leaguers who potentially could get a call on Sept. 1. Those currently on the 40-man roster are noted:
Dustin Ackley, 2B, Mariners (40-man): The 2009 first-rounder shook off a very slow start in his pro debut but has since turned it around and has hit .289/.354/.447 in 40 Triple-A games. His Tacoma club might be playoff bound, so his call might come after that.
Jonathan Albaladejo, RHP, Yankees (40-man): He's spent some time over the past couple of years in the Yankees bullpen, but he's really taken off as a closer in Triple-A, leading the Minors with 42 saves along with a 1.31 ERA, .168 batting average against and 80 K's in 62 innings.
Yonder Alonso, 1B, Reds (40-man): Yes, Joey Votto is blocking the 2008 first-rounder at first base. But Alonso has played some left field this year and now that he's shaken off the effects of a hand injury, he's hit .351/.430/.576 since the All-Star break.
Rocco Baldelli, OF, Rays: OK, so the 28-year-old isn't exactly a prospect, but what a comeback story it would be, wouldn't it? Started out the season as a special assignment coach and he seems to be shaking the rust off just fine in Triple-A.
Brian Bogusevic, OF, Astros (40-man): The pitcher-turned-outfielder (he was a two-way standout at Tulane) was a Pacific Coast League All-Star this year and is hitting .285/.372/.428 for the season while going 23-for-24 in stolen-base attempts.
Carlos Carrasco, RHP, Indians (40-man): One of the key prospects in the Cliff Lee deal a year ago, Carrasco didn't exactly set the world on fire during his Major League debut in 2009, but he's been solid in Triple-A in 2010,
especially recently, with a 2.21 ERA and .193 BAA in the second half.
Chris Carter, 1B, A's (40-man): Yes, going 0-for-19 in your first big-league stint isn't great, but let's not write Carter off just yet. He's appeared in 10 games since being sent back down and homered in four of them. That gives him 31 for the year, putting him in a tie for third in the Minors and giving him 98 homers in the past three seasons.
Aroldis Chapman, LHP, Reds (40-man): The flame-throwing lefty has been dominant in relief, with a 2.48 ERA, .160 BAA and 46 K's in 29 IP. He's been even tougher lately, with 21 K's and a .095 BAA in 12 1/3 August innings. Think the Reds could use some of that from the left side out of the pen down the stretch?
Freddie Freeman, 1B, Braves: This one might be wishful thinking, since he's not on the 40-man and won't need to be put on the roster for another year, not to mention the fact the Braves are in the middle of a pennant race. But the young first baseman is hitting .317/.378/.522 and is hitting .402 this month. Clearly, he's ready for his shot, but it might not come until 2011.
Mat Gamel, 3B, Brewers (40-man): A torn shoulder muscle cost him the chance of being on the 25-man roster out of Spring Training, but he's worked to get himself back to being ready to contribute. He's spent 77 games in Triple-A and has hit .318/.395/.531 in that time. The Brewers could use the month to see if he's reaedy for a job in 2011.
Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, Rays (40-man): He's been up and down a couple of times this month and shown he can get Major Leauge hitters out. Now he's down turning himself into a reliever so he can come back up and help the club during the stretch drive.
Desmond Jennings, OF, Rays (40-man): The two-time Futures Game participant might not play a ton if he gets called up, but having his wheels (35 steals) and his glove on the bench certainly could help put him in a position to challenge for an everyday spot in Tampa's outfield in 2011.
Cory Luebke, LHP, Padres: Room on the roster would have to be made, but San Diego might be willing to do it to have Luebke's left arm for the final month, where perhaps the starter could make a David Price-like impact from the 'pen. Luebke's gone 5-0 with a 2.97 ERA in his nine starts with Triple-A Portland.
Craig Kimbrel, RHP, Braves (40-man): The power righty has shown what he can do in the big leagues in two brief stints this season. While down in the Minors, the closer-in-training has saved 22 games, held hitters to a .153 batting average and posted a 1.74 ERA while racking up 76 K's in 51 2/3 innings. That could come in handy as the Braves try to hold off the Phillies.
Jake McGee, LHP, Rays: Whether the Rays would make room on the roster for him remains to be seen, but it's pretty clear he's all the way back from his 2008 Tommy John surgery. After making 19 starts in Double-A, McGee moved up to Triple-A to work on being a reliever, perhaps for just such a callup. The southpaw has yet to give up a run in 10 2/3 innings, yielding just four hits and one walk while striking out 19.
Jesus Montero, C, Yankees: This is another roster decision, and perhaps the Yankees won't want to start his clock for him to only be a bat off the bench. That being said, having a third catcher who shook off a slow start and is hitting .361/.418/.672 in the second half might not be a bad thing.
Mike Moustakas, 3B, Royals: Add this one to the wishful thinking list as the Royals' roster is at 40 and they'd have to remove somene to make room for their 2007 first-round pick. Not that the 21-year-old doesn't deserve it after hitting .318/.368/.594 with 28 homers and 99 RBIs and holding his own following a promotion to Triple-A 40 games ago.
Michael Pineda, RHP, Mariners: Based on merit, Pineda deserves the call after going 11-4 with a 3.05 ERA and 149 K's in 135 2/3 innings across two levels. But he's not on the roster, he's approaching his innings limit and Tacoma might be playoff bound. Plus, he's just 21, so there's plenty of time.
Tanner Scheppers, RHP, Rangers: The plan all along was to have Scheppers relieve to start his pro career, then move into a starting role to build out his innings before putting him back in the pen to potentially get him ready to help out the big league staff in September. Overall, it's gone well and Scheppers has been dominant as a short reliever, but he's been roughed up a bit lately, making one wonder if the Rangers would rather err on the side of caution and shut him down, perhaps after Oklahoma City's playoff run is over.
Justin Smoak, 1B, Mariners (40-man): He hasn't shown much at the big league level, including a .159/.169/.270 line in 16 games with Seattle following the trade. And he's scuffled with Tacoma, hitting .222/.339/.464 in 24 games since being sent down. Even so, the key to the Cliff Lee deal should get another opportunity to show he's ready to take the first-base job in 2011.
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