Monday June 15th Minor League Updates

[mth123]

Perhaps. Its going to be interesting to see how it plays out, but if Alonso remains in the organization, I just don't see anywhere for Frazier to play LF if that happens. However it does still leave open the option for Frazier at 3B. Maybe the Reds see a much larger plan than I do, but I just can't find a way that it all makes sense unless they have no intentions of keeping Yonder Alonso.

Personally, I still like EdE at 3B until hopefully Soto takes the job. In the meantine the corners will be Alonso at 1B, EdE at 3B, Votto in LF and Bruce in RF. Frazier will be the Mark Derosa style, suppersub who backs all of them up in addition to occassional time at SS and 2B. With Frazier a RH bat and 3 of those corners lefties, it seems like a pretty good plan IMO. The offense should be ok with that plan. Add some combo of Dickerson/Stubbs'Heisey for CF, Phillips at 2B and only need an answer at SS and a tandem partner for Hanigan. Janish for defense and Danny Dorn or Juan Francisco as the Matt Stairs clone may even complete a pretty strong bench with the second catcher, Frazier and the odd man out in CF. The present really sucks, but if they don't screw it up, the future is still very bright IMO.

[fearofpopvol1]

Personally, I still like EdE at 3B until hopefully Soto takes the job. In the meantine the corners will be Alonso at 1B, EdE at 3B, Votto in LF and Bruce in RF. Frazier will be the Mark Derosa style, suppersub who backs all of them up in addition to occassional time at SS and 2B. With Frazier a RH bat and 3 of those corners lefties, it seems like a pretty good plan IMO. The offense should be ok with that plan. Add some combo of Dickerson/Stubbs'Heisey for CF, Phillips at 2B and only need an answer at SS and a tandem partner for Hanigan. Janish for defense and Danny Dorn or Juan Francisco as the Matt Stairs clone may even complete a pretty strong bench with the second catcher, Frazier and the odd man out in CF. The present really sucks, but if they don't screw it up, the future is still very bright IMO.

While it's good for Frazier to play multiple positions...I think his defense is better than EdE's at 3B. I think his bat is or will be similar. Frazier might actually hit for a better average than EdE too.

[GOYA]

Huntsville is up 3-0 over Jacksonville in the 2nd. I'm not sure what the "magic number" is for Huntsville. They are currently 2 games up on Carolina.

Huntsville won the first of a double header, 7-2

They are losing 3-0 early in the 2nd game.

The guy doing radio for Hunstville, is not good.

[Caveat Emperor]

And all the talk about Frazier at third forgets that EE will be back and, according to Jocketty last week, EE is the third baseman.

So Frazier probably has a better chance of playing in LF. EE will play third when healthy.

Really, if the team insists on having Edwin play on a regular basis (and I'm not convinced that he should be anything other than a bench bat, at this point), he should be the one transitioning out to LF on his rehab assignment to make room for Frazier, not the other way around.

Playing Edwin at 3rd is a surefire way to bleed runs and increase pitcher workload due to errors and missed plays. The fact that the brain trust believes he is anything approaching acceptable-ML level at 3b is astounding to me.

And that's not even getting into his complete lack of any sort of plate approach when hitting.

[mth123]

While it's good for Frazier to play multiple positions...I think his defense is better than EdE's at 3B. I think his bat is or will be similar. Frazier might actually hit for a better average than EdE too.

Frazier may be better at 3B. I fear he's a tweener though. I like his bat well enough, I'm just not yet convinced its enough to be a day in-day out corner player in the major leagues though. He's a bit of a hacker up there (though better than Valaika, Francisco and Soto) and his power looks good but still is not a certainty. EdE hit 26 HR in the major leagues in 2008. If the power/hitting continues at the big league level, he'll win the job and EdE will be dealt or let walk. I'd love to see him take the job, but I wouldn't build a plan with him already penciled in.

There is also an element of wanting a good team with good players on the bench. The team is maximized with EdE starting and Frazier providing solid depth at lots of spots than if EdE is sent packing, Frazier plays 3B and the team has no reasonable depth at the corner spots. I don't really see EdE being a reasonable option as a bench player. Usually teams don't get players with such promise in the back-up spots unless they are young and cheap. Frazier fits.

[TRF]

Sure, the Reds should stick with him. The question is whether he should be playing in AA or back in Sarasota where he could be working on improving the biggest weakness in his game that unless it improves greatly, will not allow him to even be a major league regular thats average.

My understanding of the FSL, and correct me if I am wrong, is it is an extreme pitcher's league. big parks, lots of foul territory. Do I have that right? I'm asking, especially about the foul territory. Francisco dominated a league that suppresses power. He didn't win any awards for BA or even OBP, but powerwise, he owned that league, and power is his game. AA RIGHT NOW is a better league for him. better pitchers, true, but it's good for his development to go a league a year. Maybe he does repeat AA. I'd be ok with that, but he's earned his spot. And he's adjusting. his OPS has gone up every month this year, and for June he's sporting an .870 OPS. not bad for a 21 year old kid. (22 in 9 days).

Again, unlike a few others, he's eaned his promotion. Frazier might be the better prospect, but the Reds don't envision him at 3B. They see him as a LF. I don't think that's going to change because anyone THINKS he could play 3B.

[mth123]

Josh Felhauer (7th Rd) is 2 for 3 with a single and line shot double in the CWS today. Its the 5th inning.

[OnBaseMachine]

Josh Felhauer (7th Rd) is 2 for 3 with a single and line shot double in the CWS today. Its the 5th inning.

Baseball America really likes Fellhauer. He's supposedly one of the best defensive center fielders in college baseball according to BA's scouting report on him. They project him as an average to above-average hitter and a potential big league starter.

[mth123]

Baseball America really likes Fellhauer. He's supposedly one of the best defensive center fielders in college baseball according to BA's scouting report on him. They project him as an average to above-average hitter and a potential big league starter.

I'm no expert and I'm seeing him for the first time today, but he looks really good to me. Hard to judge with those awful metal bats though.

[redhawk61]

Baseball America really likes Fellhauer. He's supposedly one of the best defensive center fielders in college baseball according to BA's scouting report on him. They project him as an average to above-average hitter and a potential big league starter.

Everything about him reminds me of Heisey

[HokieRed]

Re Francisco, it's easier to learn the zone against better pitchers.

[Mario-Rijo]

Frazier may be better at 3B. I fear he's a tweener though. I like his bat well enough, I'm just not yet convinced its enough to be a day in-day out corner player in the major leagues though. He's a bit of a hacker up there (though better than Valaika, Francisco and Soto) and his power looks good but still is not a certainty. EdE hit 26 HR in the major leagues in 2008. If the power/hitting continues at the big league level, he'll win the job and EdE will be dealt or let walk. I'd love to see him take the job, but I wouldn't build a plan with him already penciled in.

There is also an element of wanting a good team with good players on the bench. The team is maximized with EdE starting and Frazier providing solid depth at lots of spots than if EdE is sent packing, Frazier plays 3B and the team has no reasonable depth at the corner spots. I don't really see EdE being a reasonable option as a bench player. Usually teams don't get players with such promise in the back-up spots unless they are young and cheap. Frazier fits.

Frazier a part time player and hacker? I don't agree at all. Besides his sample size at AA this year in which he is a shade under his career norms, he's always been just the opposite of a hacker. 1006 Career minor league PA's 94 BB's. He's roughly about 7 total walks off his normal pace this year which would put him at right about 100 BB's in 1000 PA's or 10% of the time which is a good % for someone his age. Maybe his pop won't play as well as we had hoped at one point but I still expect a very solid all around starting 3B and #5-6 place hitter. I too can see Edwin type numbers from him with better defense. He's playing LF IMO because he can a lot more adequately than Francisco.

[GOYA]

Player AVG
Hopper RF .277
Stubbs CF .309
Sutton 1B .253
Barker DH .227
Bnkstn 3B .252
Dorn LF .226
Griffin 2B .232
Richar SS .292
Tatum C .243

Jukich P

As a starter, Jukich is 3-0 with an ERA of 1.00

The Bats were swept in an earlier 4 game series at Norfolk. We scored 4 runs total in the 4 games.

[GOYA]

Jukich's ERA as a starter is not 1.00 anymore.

4-0 Tide

[GOYA]

Barker jacks one.

4-1 Tide