10/22 Arizona Fall League Report

Posted by Jeremy on October 23, 2009 under Market Watch | Be the First to Comment

Stephen Strasburg’s second outing went much differently than his first as three Peoria Javelinas took him deep and he was touched up for eight runs in his 2.2 innings of work.  Talented as Strasburg is, he is not immune from the steep learning curve that major league baseball imposes on virtually every young hurler.  In other action, Oakland A’s OF prospect Grant Desme continues his power onslaught, hitting his 6th dinger and fellow outfield mate Corey Brown chimed in with his 3rd.  Mike Stanton racked up three more hits, as did Cole Gillespie, Pedro Ciriaco, and Chris Marrero.

Today’s top prospect is Detroit Tigers OF prospect Casper Wells.  Yesterday’s grand slame off of Strasburg proved to be the punctuation point on the #1 overall pick’s outing yesterday.  The former 14th rounder out of Towson University had a fair, but not spectacular year at AA Erie, hitting .260 with 15 HR and 41 RBI.  He’s bunched up with a glut of low to mid upside outfielders within the system and is in dire need of a standout AFL showing to elevate his status within the organization.  So far so good.  Wells currently hitting at a .476 clip with 2 HR 11 RBI.  If he can continue his torrid pace, the organization may be more apt to give more credence to his ‘08 numbers (.269 27 HR 79 RBI 25 SB) as to their expectations of Wells going forward.

AFL Player of the Day—CASPER WELLS

Other Notable AFL Peformances:

  Peoria Javelinas 9

• Casper Wells—2-5 HR(2) 5 RBI BB
• Russ Mitchell—1-4 HR(4) 2 RBI
• C.J. Retherford—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2R
• Jordan Danks—2-4 2R
• Taylor Green—1-2 R 2 BB

  Phoenix Desert Dogs 6

• Chris Marrero—3-5 2B HR(2) 2 RBI 2R
• Grant Desme—1-4 HR(6) 2 RBI
• Corey Brown—3-5 HR(3) RBI 3B

  Surprise Rafters 3

• Mitch Moreland—2-4 HR(2) RBI 2R
• Ike Davis—1-3 2B BB
• Blake Wood—3 IP 4H BB 2K
• Tanner Scheppers—2 IP 2K

  Peoria Saguaros 2

• Matt McBride—1-3 HR(1) 2 RBI BB
• Lance Zawadzki—2-3 2 BB
• Josh Judy—1.2 IP BB 4K

  Scottsdale Scorpions 11

• Cole Gillespie—3-5 2B 2R BB SB(2)
• Brandon Allen—2-5 HR(1) 3 RBI 2B
• Thomas Neal—2-5 2B 2R
• Darin Holcomb—2-4 3R BB
• Pedro Ciriaco—3-6 2B
• Domonic Brown—2-4 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Hector Gomez—2-5 2 RBI
• Brian Friday—2-5 2B R RBI

  Mesa Solar Sox 1

• Rene Tosoni—2-4 R 3B
• Mike Stanton—3-4
• Andrew Cashner—3.2 IP 3H Er K L (0-2)

Brian Matusz to Make His MLB Debut Tonight

Posted by Jeremy on August 4, 2009 under Market Watch | Read the First Comment

We’ve been musing about it for a while now and, while I expected this move to happen in September, the Baltimore Orioles have called up their prized southpaw and #4 overall pick from last year Brian Matusz to make his MLB debut on the road against the Detroit Tigers.  Matusz has been lights out this season at both High-A and AA going 11-2 with a 1.91 ERA and 31 BB/121 K in his 113 innings of work.  Given his workload to date, it seems improbable that the O’s will keep Matusz up for the rest of the season. 

Even more intriguing to me is how the eBay market will respond to Brian Matusz’s various Razor cards.  Remember, Razor notched an exclusive deal with Matusz and, outside of his assortment of UD Team USA cards, the company has cornered the market on his cards.  To date, the baseball collecting world has not warmed to Razor’s offerings to the same degree that they have with the larger manufacturers.  However, Matusz’s debut marks the beginning of several other impending debuts from top ‘08 draftees that they have exclusive deals with like Justin Smoak, Pedro Alvarez, Brett Wallace and Yonder Alonso. 

My gut tells me that the market will not respond with the same voracity that it would if these cards were issued by a Topps, Donruss, or Upper Deck brand, but the demand for these cards will grow as these young future stars start to don their first MLB uniforms.

Pirates/M’s and Cliff Lee Trade Analyses

Posted by Jeremy on August 3, 2009 under Market Watch | Be the First to Comment

The Cardboard Connection has posted my article I wrote in the wake of the Matt Holliday deal.  While the trade is now old news, here’s the link to the article for your viewing pleasure.

I also stayed up late last night tapping out similar articles for the Pirates/M’s trade and the Cliff Lee to Philly deal.  I think the Pirates added some significant depth to their system as did the Indians.  The M’s filled a couple of holes in their roster, but not spectacularly so.  The Phillies may have purchased a couple more trips to the World Series while keeping their trifecta of elite prospects (Kyle Drabek, Dominic Brown, and Michael Taylor). 

I will link to the Pirates/M’s trade article and Cliff Lee to Philly articles once they are posted on the Cardboard Connection.  If you haven’t checked out that site yet, do so today.  It is rapidly becoming one of the best sports card info sites on the web.

Market Implications of Wednesday and Thursday’s MLB deals

Posted by Jeremy on under Market Watch | Be the First to Comment

Pardon my delay in getting this out.  I have been dealing with a wicked ear infection over the past three days that has affected my use of anything brain-related.  I have been following the trade deadline transactions with great intrigue and will continue to bring you analysis either on this site or the Cardboard Connection over the next couple of days.

Multi-player swaps between the Phillies/Indians and Mariners/Pirates gobbled up the headlines over the past 24 hours, but there were several smaller deals that have popped up during that time that should has some short and long term implications on the eBay baseball card market.  Let’s knock them down one by one…

WEDNESDAY:

San Francisco aquires Pittsburgh Pirates 2B Freddy Sanchez for AA RHP Tim Alderson

On the surface, it seems that the Giants overpaid for the former All-Star second baseman.  Alderson was ranked by Baseball America as San Francisco’s #4 overall prospect for 2009.  After a solid start at High-A San Jose, the Giants promoted Alderson to AA Connecticut where he has compiled a 6-1 record with a 3.47 ERA in 13 starts.  However, his last handful of starts have not been without struggle as he has allowed 17 earned runs on 36 hits in just 28 innings.  Add that to the fact that the Giants’ rotation seems to be stacked for the long term with Lincecum, Cain, Zito, Bumgarner, and Jonathan Sanchez.  That stockpile of talent, along with the emergence of Henry Sosa made Alderson expendible, but several, including this sportsfan, feel that the Giants could have gotten more in return for him.  From a market perspective, Alderson’s move to Pittsburgh converts him from being a future mid-rotation starter to becoming the Pirates’ best pitching prospect.  This should accelerate his path to the major leagues and, in turn, offer a potential bump in the values of his various 1st year cards.  Currently, Alderson has autos in the 2007 Bowman Chrome Draft, Bowman Sterling and Donruss Elite Extra (#/719) sets that currently sell for $17-22 each right now.  There is a lot to like about Alderson as a prospect.  At 6-6 220 lb., he’s got projectible stuff and command that not many 20 year olds can match.  However, he’s had his difficulties dominating hitters during his first couple of seasons in the same way that his former counterpart Madison Bumgarner has.  In 99 innings this season, Alderson has a 17 BB/66 K ratio.  In addition, hitters from both the California League and Eastern League have had a significant amount of success against him combining to hit .272.  Alderson, like Bumgarner, is one of the youngest pitchers in the AA ranks right now and there’s reason to believe that some of his recent struggles could be attributed to a lack of experience over a decrease in stuff.  He’ll likely stay in the minor leagues this season before challenging for a rotation spot next spring.

As for Sanchez, his consistent offensive production in Pittsburgh has gone largely unnoticed with collectors as the Pirates have been perennial cellar dwellers for much of his career.  Now a member of the Giants and in the thick of a pennant chase, Sanchez’s 2002 autos are beginning to summon an increased amount of market appeal.  Sanchez is not the focal piece of the Giants’ lineup, but his bat will fit nicely in the #2 spot of the order and he should contribute immediately.  As the Giants go, so will the demand for Sanchez’s cards.  Unless they make the World Series, though, I think the most pronounced bounce in value will come in the the first few days following this trade. 

Ryan Garko traded to the San Francisco Giants for high class A LHP Scott Barnes

Again, the Giants surrendered a high potential power arm for a solid but not spectacular infield bat.  Garko has put up decent numbers this year, hitting .280 with 11 HR and 39 RBI this season for the Indians.  Like Sanchez, the fetch for Garko’s 2005 first year cards and various autos will depend largely upon his and the Giants fortunes down the stretch. 

Scott Barnes is a 6-4 195 lb. lefty that has tamed the rampant bats of the California League this season to the tune of a 12-3 record and 2.85 ERA.  What makes this even more impressive is the fact that Barnes is a flyball pitcher in a league that usually eats them alive.  The key to Barnes’ succes?  A 91-94 MPH fastball with wicked movement that has limited hitters to a .227 batting average.  He also features a curveball with good bite and improving command.  To date, the former St. John’s standout doesn’t have a first year card, but should in the near future.

Orioles trade LHP George Sherrill to the Dodgers for 3B Josh Bell and RHP Steven Johnson

This deal is all about the prospects.  Sherrill is going to be a set-up man for the Dodgers and has no market value.  From a baseball standpoint, the Dodgers have to shore up their bullpen depth with a quality veteran southpaw.  As for the youngsters, Josh Bell has long been a favorite sleeper prospect of mine.  He struggled through injuries last season and was shut down early to rehab his knee.  He’s been nothing but healthy and productive this year, though, hitting .296 with 11 HR 52 RBI 30 doubles and 47 runs scored in 94 games.   What’s more is that his BB/K ratio continues to get better and better.  This season, Bell has walked 50 times while striking out 70.  At 6-3 235 lb., and just 22 years old, there is a vast amount of power potential in the youngster’s game, as he possesses wicked bat speed from both sides of the plate, but there are also some concerns about his ability to stay at 3B for the long term.  Bell has committed 17 errors this season and has a decent .929 fielding percentage.  The organization has little definitive depth at the hot corner but features promising sluggers Brandon Snyder and Brandon Waring at 1B.  Bell’s first year cards in the 2005 Bowman Chrome Draft set sell for less than $1 each and his first autographed cards in the 2008 Bowman Chrome set can still be had for $5-7.50 each.  Bell’s probably a year away from being ready for major league competition, but with Melvin Mora’s contract option likely not being picked up, there is a chance that Bell competes for the third base job in spring training 2010.  I know that I’ve said this before, but the Orioles are a season or two away from being a really good team.

Steven Johnson has had a nice bounce back at High-A Inland Empire this season going 8-4 with a 3.82 ERA and a 42 BB/102 K ratio in 97 innings.  He continued to look sharp in two AA outings with Chatanooga going 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 15 K’s in just 10 innings of work.  Johnson can get his fastball up to 92 MPH and also works with a fringy changeup and solid average curveball.  He’s an extreme flyball pitcher who probably would benefit more by being in a more spacious ballpark than Camden Yards.  At 21 years old, there’s some upside for Johnson as a back of the rotation starter, but the Orioles are an organization loaded with pitching talent which should spell “long reliever” as Johnson’s future role in an O’s uniform.  The eBay market for Steven Johnson’s only cards, 2005 Bowman Draft and Chrome, is limited to the oft-overvalued eBay store items.  There aren’t any deals to be had on his chromes which are frequently on sale for $1.00-1.50 each.  Cheaper alternatives can be found on Beckett’s Marketplace or Sportsbuy.com where prices fall into the more appropriate 25-50 cent range.

6/15 Low-A Minor Legue Report

Posted by Jeremy on June 16, 2009 under Market Watch | Be the First to Comment

After a long absense, I’ve taken a gander at the progress of today’s Low-A prospects and have a few things to report.  Toronto Blue Jays OF prospect Johermyn Chavez hit his 11th HR of the season, driving in four runs and scoring twice.  At 20 years old, the 6-3 220 lb. Venezuelan is serving his second season with Lansing putting up better results.  Strike zone judgement that was abysmal last season (25 BB/128 K) is vastly improved through the first half of this season (19 BB/54 K).  This has been the key cog for the 60+ point jump in his batting average and 100 pt. jump in OBP.  Chavez has the power potential to be a 25-30 HR hitter at the major league level and his arm is strong enough for right field.

The Boston Red Sox have a rich farm system, but quality catching prospects has been an area of weakness in recent history.  ‘08 draftee Tim Federowicz is a breath of fresh air.  Yesterday’s 4-5 two RBI, two run outing was just the most recent in what has been a hitting barrage for the 5-10 213 lb. receiver.  The former Tar Heel has torn the cover off of the ball during the first half, hitting .342 with 9 HR 32 RBI and 17 doubles.  Despite his lofty accomplishments, the stocky backstop was not included in Baseball America’s Top 30 Red Sox prospects list, an oversight that will assuredly not be repeated in 2010.

Today’s top prospect is Daniel Brewer, a 21 year old OF from the New York Yankees farm system.  Brewer was perfect at the plate, going 4-4 with two doubles, two triples, two RBI and four runs scored.  For the season,  the ‘08 eighth rounder is hitting a robust .342 with two HR 25 RBI and 18 doubles.  He has a firm grasp of the strike zone walking 30 times versus 41 strikeouts.  As polished as Brewer is at the plate, he displays average to below average tools across the board.  He doesn’t have much power, yet his fringy speed relagates him to a corner outfield spot.  This season, he’s been a DH for Tampa, which doesn’t bode well for his opportunities going forward.   That said, he is a gamer who gets the most out of his abilities.  That desire, matched with his grit at the plate may propel him into a major league lineup someday.

High-A Player of the Day—DAN BREWER

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Eric Morrison—2-3 2B 2R 2 SB(5) (Game 1)…..2-3 2B R 2 RBI BB (Game 2)
• Jeremy Synan—3-4 HR(10) 2 RBI
• Kevin Mattison—2-3 HR(10) 2 RBI 3R BB
• Anthony Gose—2-3 2 RBI SB(41)
• Tim Federowicz—4-5 2B 2R 2 RBI BB
• Anthony Rizzo—3-5 2B 2r 2 RBI
• Mitch Dening—2-4 2B R 4 RBI
• Peter Hissey—2-4 R RBI SB(11)
• Abner Abreu—3-4 2 2B R RBI
• Dan Brewer—4-4 2 2B 2 3B 4R 2 RBI SB(8)
• Melky Mesa—3-5 2B 2 3B 2R RBI
• David Adams—2-4 2R RBI BB
• Ryan Flaherty—1-3 2B R 3 RBI
• Junior Lake—2-4 2B R (Game 1)…..2-3 2R HR(3) 2 RBI (Game 2)
• Jose Garcia—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R
• James Darnell—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• Justin McClanahan—3-5 HR(7) 2 RBI 3R
• Johermyn Chavez—2-4 HR(11) 4 RBI 2R BB
• Mike McDade—2-4 HR(7) 3 RBI
• Brian VanKirk—4-5 2B 2R RBI
• Brett Lawrie—3-5 2B RBI
• Nick Van Stratten—3-4 3B R
• Eric Hosmer—1-4 3B R 2 RBI
• Gabe Jacobo—1-3 3B R 2 RBI 2 BB
• Nate Tenbrink—2-5 HR(5) RBI
• Jacob Shaffer—2-4 3B 2R 2 RBI BB

Pitching:

• Will Smith—8 IP 5H ER 2 BB 7K W (4-2)
• Nick Schmidt—6 IP H Er 3 BB 5K
• Chase Lirette—6 IP 3H 2 ER BB 5K W (3-3)
• Yoon-Hee Nam—4 IP 6H 2 Er BB 8K
• Michael Lee—5 IP 2H BB 5K W (1-1)
• Alexander Perez—6 IP 4H ER BB 8K W (5-2)
• Dimaster Delcado—6 IP 4H 6K W (1-0)
• Chris Carpenter—7 IP 3H K W (3-3)
• Jason Knapp—5.1 IP 2H 4 UER 5 BB 7K L (2-5)
• David Phelps—5.2 IP 8H ER BB 6K W (7-1)

Giant Trio Earns Big AA Promotion

Posted by Jeremy on May 9, 2009 under Market Watch, Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

The San Jose Giants will start Thursday night’s game minus a significant amount of talent as LHP Madison Bumgarner, RHP Tim Alderson, and SS Brandon Crawford were promoted to AA Connecticut Wednesday evening. 

Bumgarner, the headliner of the list, seemingly hasn’t missed a beat since last season’s remarkable performance, going 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA and a 4 BB/23 K ratio in 24.1 IP.  The Giants have been conservative with Madison’s workload as he is averaging just five innings per start, perhaps in an effort to save him for a September call up to San Francisco.  Bumgarner pitched very well this spring in limited action for San Francisco, but I don’t know if he will be adaquately prepared to make his big league debut this season.  Bumgarner has pitched well at High-A, but has not dominated in the same fashion that he did last season.  Of the 10 runs that he has allowed this season, only 4 of them have been earned and, while his BB/K ratio has been excellent, he is not striking out hitters at nearly the same pace that he did last season.  Watch his first couple of outings against AA hitters as I believe that it will give a sound bearing on where he is developmentally and may help the Giants better determine their September plans.

Tim Alderson has exhibited excellent control as well with a 3 BB/20 K ratio, but has not been nearly as effective as Bumgarner, going 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA.  California League hitters are batting .292 against Alderson and he has surrendered 4 HR’s in 5 outings.  Alderson remains an uber-bright talent, but this promotion may be premature.  Like Bumgarner, his first couple of AA starts will be a good indicator of his development to this point.  Unlike his left-handed counterpart, he has virtually no shot at making the Giants’ roster at any point this season.

Brandon Crawford has exceeded several scouts’ expectations thusfar this season, hitting .371 with 6 HR 17 RBI and 21 runs scored through his first 28 games.  The one knock on him is the same knock that scouts had when he was drafted last season.  His 10 BB/32 K’s is a prime indicator that the high batting average may well be a misnomer that could be subject to change significantly following his promotion.  Couple that with the fact that he is vacating the friendly hitting environments of the California League for the less generous Eastern League and it spells out D-E-C-L-I-N-E.  Crawford has promising power potential, especially as a shortstop, but don’t expect the batting average to threaten the .300 level after his promotion, and don’t be surprised if it dips below .260.

San Jose lost some nice talent, but there is still plenty more primed for a promotion later this summer.  Buster Posey, Angel Villalona, Connor Gillaspie, Thomas Neal, and Roger Kieschnick have all played exceptionally well this spring and have given Rice-A-Roni Nation several reasons to be excited for what should be a prosperous N.L. West run for many years to come.

Tommy Hanson Shuts Out Charlotte

Posted by Jeremy on April 9, 2009 under Market Watch | Be the First to Comment

The Braves’ top pitching prospect continues to prove that he is too good to be in the minor leagues as he absolutely dominated the Chicago White Sox AAA club Charlotte on opening day.

Hanson threw 84 pitches over 4.1 innings surrendering 3 hits, 2 walks and striking out 10 Knights.  He was quite impressive this spring, lighting up radar guns at 99 MPH and showing good command of his nasty curveball.  The Braves opted to send Hanson down near the end of spring training as off season additions Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez, and Kenshin Kawakami are currently impeding his progress.  Hanson should stay at AAA just long enough for the Braves to delay his arbitration elibility, but his stuff is just too good to keep him down beyond the month of June. 

The market for his cards cooled slightly following his demotion, but outings like this are sure to draw notice amongst the collecting community and will assuredly keep the market for his very few cards humming all spring. 

Ebay prices for his 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospects cards run from $4-6 each and refractors (#’ed to 500) are selling in the $27-30 range. 

Note: Future Braves closer Kris Medlen was also dominant, hurling 3.2 perfect innings striking out four earning the victory. The market for his 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft cards is virtually non-existant right now, but this kid has outstanding stuff.  His fastball sits at 92-94 MPH, but it explodes on hitters and seems even faster.  His curveball is a true strikeout pitch and his changeup is at least an MLB average pitch.  The Braves traded Joey Devine last season, perhaps in expectation that Medlen will be able to handle the closing role within the next couple of seasons. 

Closers don’t command the lavish prices that power hitters or frontline starters do, but the market does respond to ones that can dominate at the end of games.  If you can get a bulk lot for 50 cents or less apiece or a serial #’ed refractor for a couple of bucks, you could be very pleased in the future.

Good Bye Josh Anderson….Hello Jordan Schafer!

Posted by Jeremy on March 31, 2009 under Market Watch | Be the First to Comment

HGH free and still hitting

The battle for the centerfield slot in Atlanta got a bit clearer on Monday as speedster Josh Anderson was traded to the Detroit Tigers for right-handed relief pitcher Rudy Darrow.  Anderson struggled with consistency this spring earning a .263 OBP in 19 games while 21 year old phenom Jordan Schafer has stung the ball, hitting .373 with 5 SB and 13 runs scored.

Despite his lofty upside, Schafer has yet to win the job outright as last year’s starter Gregor Blanco still figures to be in the mix.  However, if I were a betting man, I would readily throw my support behind Jordan’s chances to land the opening day job.

First year cards for Schafer can be found in the 2005 Bowman Chrome Draft ($3.50-5.00 each) and Bowman Heritage ($2.00-3.00 each) sets.  His first certified autos in the 2008 Bowman Chrome set command prices ranging in the $17-20 range and his Donruss Threads autos (#/275) can be found for $10-12.50 on eBay.

Schafer has a skill set similar to St. Louis’ Colby Rasmus and Indians all-star Grady Sizemore, but the refinement of them is still a work in progress.  Schafer has earned a 3 BB/16 K ratio in his 17 games this spring and averaged more than one punchout per game in his suspension-shortened 2008 season.  Additionally, he has never played a game above AA and his .269 BA last year at Mississippi hardly set the Southern League ablaze.

He may not be ready….but talent has a way of trumping polish sometimes.  Schafer has an abundance of talent and it is increasingly looking like the Braves are quite anxious to see it manifest itself in their opening day lineup and throughout the 2009 season.

Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson: Closing in on a Roster Spot

Posted by Jeremy on March 26, 2009 under Market Watch | Be the First to Comment

The Oakland A’s made a concerted effort this offseason to shore up an offense that was one of the worst in all of baseball in 2008.  Highlighted by the trade for Colorado Rockies All-Star OF Matt Holliday, Oakland also made waves with free agent signings of veterans Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera, and Nomar Garciaparra.  The pitching staff, however, has been largely unchanged from last season with Dana Eveland, Dallas Braden, Gio Gonzalez, and Sean Gallagher all battling to slot themselves behind ace Justin Ducshcherer. 

Enter Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson…

Cahill has been as good as advertised this spring going 2-0 with a 3.94 ERA and 3 BB/10 K in 16 IP.  Anderson, for his part, has impressed as well, garnering a 1-1 record with a 1.54 ERA and 4 BB/2 K in 11.2 IP.  Rotation hopefuls Gallagher, Eveland, Gonzalez, and Josh Outman have had up and down performances this spring, further muddyinig the waters, making manager Bob Geren’s decision more difficult.

Anderson starts today against the Chicago White Sox, and Cahill should get one more start later this week.  Their performances should go a long way toward dictating the odds of either or both of them snagging a spot on the opening day 25 man roster.

The market has responded favorably to Cahill’s strong spring with his 2007 Bowman Chrome Draft Auto selling for $27-30 each.  A more wallet-friendly purchase can be found with his ‘07 Bowman Heritage cards which can be had for $1-2 each.  Anderson has 1st year cards in the 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospects set that sell for $1-2 each and autographed cards in the ‘07 Donruss Elite Extra set (#/549) available for $25-28 each.

My Take: Both of these kids are just 21 years old and have fully wound arbitration clocks.  Pennants are not won in April, and the A’s have enough talent to stay in contention in the A.L. West.  I think the prices for their autos are peaking right now in expectation that one or both of them will earn a spot in the A’s’ rotation.

I don’t think so.

Once either Anderson or Cahill (or both) get sent down to AAA Sacramento, the demand for their cards will subside significantly.  Odds are that they will be back by June, and so will the clammoring for their cards.  If you can land a chrome lot of Anderson or a Heritage lot of Cahill at around $2.00 each, it should be a good value buy right now.

Current Trevor Cahill Auctions:

Current Brett Anderson Auctions

Yu Darvish Scouting Report

Posted by Jeremy on March 24, 2009 under Market Watch | Be the First to Comment

I just finished writing a brief overview of the electrifying young Team Japan right hander Yu Darvish for Hot-Prospects.net.  It hasn’t been posted as of yet, but should be at some point this afternoon.  After his envigorating performance in the WBC, it is going to be quite interesting to see how things pan out for him in 2009 and beyond.

Currently his ‘09 eTopps cards are selling for $15-20 and his first issued cards from the 2005 BBM RC Edition are also hot at $12-15 each.  Coming soon are his first Bowman cards featuring him in WBC Team Japan garb. 

Enjoy the sneak preview!

H/W:  6-5  190 lb.     B/T:  R/R     DOB:  8/16/86

Already a pop culture icon in Japan, the 22 year old Darvish has already made waves in the U.S. after a dazzling performance in the World Baseball Classic which saw him strike out 20 hitters in 12 innings and earning the win for Team Japan in the championship game against Team Korea.  Last season for the Nippon Ham Fighters, Darvish went 16-4 with a 1.88 ERA and 208 K’s in 200 IP.  Reports of Darvish’s fastball velocity varies from 91-97 MPH, but it is unanimously known that the pitch has exceptional movement and he commands it well.  Even better is his slider which has been rumored to hit 91 MPH with a wicked two plane break.  Though he is a media sensation (he’s even posed nude in a Japanese magazine), Darvish is reported to be an intense competitor, excellent teammate and hard worker.  Darvish is not eligible to be a free agent for another 5 seasons, though he does have the ability to request the Nippon Ham Fighters to make him available to be purchased by an MLB team.  Interested parties engage in a silent auction to pay Nippon Ham for the right to negotiate a contract with Darvish.  This situation happened with Daisuke Matsuzaka who then signed with the Boston Red Sox after they posted a $51.1 million fee to the Seibu Lions for his services.

2009 Projection:  His stock has risen considerably in a short period of time, but the economic climate may make it difficult for even the deepest MLB pocket books to open as widely as they did for Dice-K.  That should leave Darvish to continue to pitch in Japan until things change.  However, the odds are long that he will leave Japan as a free agent.  Whether it be this season or a couple down the road, the bidding process will be feverish for Darvish.  Once Yu leaves Japan, expect the Scott Boras-muddled contract negotiations to be as unpleasant as a glimpse at his photo spread.

Key Yu Darvish Baseball Cards:

• 2005 BBM RC Edition
• 2009 eTopps
• 2009 Bowman WBC Redemption