Now that the trading deadline has come and gone without any significant moves, it is once again time for Benihana’s list of Reds Top Prospects. As always, Grade A usually equates to a Top 25 Prospect in the game, and potential All-Star. Grade B means the player is one of the Top 100 Prospects in the game, and projects at a minimum to a Major League starter. Grade C means they are still on the radar for most of MLB, and should have some kind of future in the big leagues. For this version, players from Billings are eligible for the list while those in the AZL, VSL and DSL are not. Players over 25 years old are also ineligible for the “Prospects” list. Without further ado…
GRADE A
1. Aroldis Chapman LHP 22 AAA – Should get a Cincy call-up in the next few weeks. Hopefully he has a David Price-like debut out of the ‘pen. ETA: 2010
GRADE B
2. Devin Mesoraco C 22 AA – His resurgence is the story of the minor league season so far. He should be ready to fill in Hernandez’s shoes after next season. ETA: late 2011
3. Yonder Alonso 1B 23 AAA – Has come on strong through the dog days. His inability to play LF makes him a likely trade chip. ETA: 2011
GRADE C
4. Yorman Rodriguez CF 17 R – Hopefully his injury isn’t too serious. Has cpntinued to impress in his second stint in Billings. ETA: after 2013
5. Juan Francisco 3B/LF 22 AAA – The enigma continues. He’s somewhere in between Wily Mo Pena and Vladimir Guerrero. Should get called up soon, especially if Rolen goes down again. ETA: 2010
6. Zack Cozart SS 23 AAA – Some experts say he’s better than Orlando Cabrera right now. Should get his shot in Spring Training next season. ETA: 2011
7. Todd Frazier 1B/3B/LF 23 AAA – Has started to hit again after an abysmal first couple months of the season. Probably a strong utility player. ETA: 2011
ON THE RADAR
8. Billy Hamilton SS 19 R – Very speedy catalyst with all the tools except for power (of which he has zero.) Will he get a chance to stick at SS is the question. ETA: after 2013
9. Donnie Joseph LHP 23 A+ - Should be ready to finish the season in Carolina, with a major league ETA sometime in 2011. ETA: 2011
10. Brad Boxberger RHP 22 AA – Has fallen off a cliff since getting promoted to Carolina and moved to the bullpen. Hopefully he regains his form as a starter in Carolina next season. ETA: 2012
11. Juan Duran OF 17 R – Has put up an .826 OPS since July 1. Extremely raw and toolsy, he is still a boom or bust type. ETA: after 2013
12. Ryan LaMarre CF 21 A – Has looked decent in Dayton. Has a lot of CF depth in the system to overcome. ETA: 2013
13. (tie) Dave Sappelt CF 23 AA – See above for the comment on system depth in CF, although he has been unreal in AA this year. Will be interesting to see who emerges between him and Perez. ETA: 2012
13. (tie) Felix Perez CF 25 AA – Has hit to his age level throughout the minors, and could be ready for his third promotion this season. Could compete for a backup position with the Reds next season. ETA: 2011
15. Neftali Soto C/1B 21 A+ - Has hit well, and his future at C will probably depend on whether Grandal signs. He needs to hit more if he is going to be a 1B.
KEEP AN EYE ON (too early to tell)
Junior Arias INF AZL
Ismael Guillon LHP AZL
Jonathan Correa RHP AZL
Ronald Torreyes SS VSL
Humberto Valor 2B/SS VSL
NOTABLE UNSIGNED DRAFTEES
Yasmani Grandal C would probably start in Lynchburg and slot in the Grade C (#7) range if he signs
Drew Cisco RHP I doubt he signs
Kyle Waldrop OF Will be another interesting player to keep an eye on in Rookie League if/when he signs
PROMOTIONS HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THE MONTH
Felix Perez to AAA
Donnie Joseph to AA
Jonathan Correa to Billings
Junior Arias to Billings
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