Prospect Headlines: Longoria, Maybin, Nix and more
Posted by basebal5 on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Delwyn Young (OF-LAD) – Young is out of options this year and therefore should open the season with the Dodgers as a reserve outfielder. He hit .382 with 2 HR during a brief 34 AB stint with the club last season.
Gerardo Parra (OF-ARZ) – The Diamondbacks have invited their top OF prospect to Spring Training. Parra will likely start ’08 in Hi A Visalia where he hit .284 in 103 AB’s last season.
Cameron Maybin (OF-FLA) – Marlins manager Freddie Gonzalez expects to hit Maybin in the leadoff spot, if he can win the starting CF job during Spring Training. Maybin has the speed/power combo that could cause havoc atop a batting order, but he will need to improve on the 21 K’s in 49 AB’s he posted in his MLB debut for the Tigers last year.
Jason Nix (2B-COL) – The Denver Post reports Nix is the leading candidate for Colorado’s 2B job. Nix hit .292 with 11 HR’s for AAA Colorado Springs last year, then went on to win MVP honors for Team USA during the World Cup. Nix brings a better glove than bat to Spring Training and would likely bat 8th for the NL Champs. Also helping his cause to earn a spot is that he is out of Minor League options.
Adam Miller (SP-CLE) – According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Indians GM Mark Shapiro is not willing to give Miller the chance to make the club out of Spring Training as neither a starter nor a reliever. Expect Miller to start 2008 in AAA Buffalo.
Brad Lincoln (SP-PIT) – Lincoln, the 4th overall pick in 2006, threw his first bullpen session since having Tommy John surgery in April. He threw 25 pitches and is on schedule to pitch this upcoming season according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Shelley Duncan (DH/1B-NYY) – Duncan has reported early to Spring Training and appears fully recovered from off-season treatment for a blood clot. He worked at first base and took some BP with catcher Jorge Posada. Duncan appears set to play 1B and hit 9th for the Yankees.
Manny Parra (SP-MIL) – The Sports Xchange is reporting that Parra will compete with Claudio Vargas, Dave Bush and Chris Capuano for the 5th starter spot in the Brewers rotation. If Parra can’t crack the rotation he will probably begin the season at AAA Nashville, where he threw a ‘Perfect Game’ in 2007.
Evan Longoria (3B-TB) – MLB.com predicts Longoria as the Opening Day third baseman for the Rays and to hit sixth in the lineup. Predicted Lineup: 2B Iwamura, LF Crawford, 1B Pena, CF Upton, RF Floyd, 3B Longoria, DH Gomes, C Navarro and SS Bartlett.
Troy Patton (SP-BAL) – Roch Kubatko of The Baltimore Sun is reporting that recently acquired Troy Patton is the front-runner for the last rotation spot for the Orioles. Others looking to compete with Patton includes: Matt Albers, Hayden Penn and Garrett Olson. Radhames Liz seems destined for AAA Norfolk.
