7/16 AAA Minor League Report
Posted by Jeremy on July 17, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | 
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Wow, I go away for a week and return to a bevy of changes. Chicago White Sox 1B prospect Brandon Allen was traded to the Diamondbacks for relief pitcher Tony Pena Jr. and the promising trifecta of Michael Taylor, Tyler Flowers, and Buster Posey all made their AAA debuts last night. Taylor and Posey were hitless in their four AB’s, but Flowers hit his 1st HR for the Charlotte Knights in his debut.
The influx of talent back into the AAA ranks makes it an interesting level to report on once again. A battle for future Texas Rangers 1B duties is taking place between former 1B Chris Davis and future All-Star Justin Smoak. Currently, the recently demoted Davis is winning the battle handily, hitting .364 with 1 HR and 7 RBI for Oklahoma City in 8 games. He has cut back on his K’s and seems to be working on taking more walks. After a dreadful 17 BB/117 K showing, this is positive news. Meanwhile, Justin Smoak has had trouble adjusting to his AAA promotion, hitting just .139 with 1 HR and 3 RBI in his first 10 games, but his four hits in the last three games and 7 BB/9 K ratio shows promise of better numbers to come. Davis has been playing at 3B since being sent down and all indications point to Justin Smoak being the front runner as next year’s regular 1B. Where does that leave Davis? The Rangers are in playoff contention for the first time in a long time and are assuredly looking for another arm for their rotation. There haven’t been any definitive rumors of dealing Davis at this point, but the value that a 23 year old, left-handed hitter with 30+ HR power is certainly intriguing. Davis could also return next season as the Rangers’ DH. Both Andruw Jones and Hank Blalock have performed admirably in the role this season, but the price tags for each of them are considerably higher than Davis’ MLB minimum pay. The Rangers are a team in financial turmoil and cutting payroll will be a popular offseason activity for sure. Regardless of Davis’ future, the key for him right now is that he rediscovers his pitch recognition and adjusts his approach to the ball. He seems to be a kid with excellent makeup who has taken well to the demotion and is working earnestly to make his way back to the big leagues.
Today’s top AAA prospect is St. Louis Cardinals 3B/1B/OF prospect Allen Craig. The former University of California standout went 3-5 yesterday with a double, triple and three runs scored. I was high on Craig as a sleeper this past offseason, as his first year cards in the 2006 Bowman Draft and Chrome set were selling for next to nothing. His numbers at Memphis have been solid this season (.270 8 HR 32 RBI 34 runs scored), but not to the levels of his AA numbers from a year ago. While he’s not been able to duplicate his power numbers or OBP numbers, he still remains a solid future role player who has the versatility to play both infield corners and outfield corners with decent offensive production. The Cardinals don’t have any room on their roster for him to earn any considerable playing time this season, but I think that a September call up is likely. Marketwise, Craig’s first year cards are still at rock bottom prices (a 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft Gold Refractor recently sold for just $12.50) and many active listings reside in the highly overpriced storefront areas. I think his card values apexed in 2007 when he broke out at High-A ball, but there could be another brief spike in value if he produces during his September cup-o’-coffee or if a trade to another franchise opens up future opportunities.
AAA Player of the Day—ALLEN CRAIG
Other Notable Performances
Hitting:
- Shelly Duncan—2-3 HR(22) 2 RBI BB
- Shelby Ford—3-5 HR92) RBI 2 2B 3R
- Steven Pearce—3-5 2 2B 2 RBI
- Danny Valencia—3-4 2B RBI
- Michael Brantley—3-4 2 2B 2 RBI BB
- Matt LaPorta—2-4 2B R
- Scott Sizemore—1-4 2B R 2 RBI
- Wilkin Ramirez—2-4 HR(10) 2 RBI
- Tyler Flowers—1-4 HR(14) RBI
- Jon Jay—2-6 2R RBI
- Allen Craig—3-5 2B 3B 3R
- Donovan Solano—2-4 2R BB
- Cole Gillespie—2-4 HR(8) RBI
- Chris Davis—2-6 2B R RBI BB
- Jose Vallejo—2-6 2B R RBI
- Joaquin Arias—3-7 R SB(10)
- Justin Smoak—2-7 2B R RBI
- Tommy Manzella—2-6 GS HR(4) 4 RBI
- Brandon Allen—1-3 HR(10) RBI BB
Pitching:
- Fabio Castro—7 IP 4H ER 2K W (6-4)
- Lucas Harrell—7 IP 2H UER 2 BB 4K W (10-4)
- Matt Maloney—6.2 IP 7H BB 8K L (6-6)
