2011 Dayton Dragons

[camisadelgolf]

This is just how I see next year's Dragons team shaping up. Needless to say, they will be better than this year's team. The talent will be significantly upgraded, and I imagine they could even have a shot at the playoffs.

Projected starting lineup:
2B Billy Hamilton
SS Devin Lohman
CF Yorman Rodriguez
DH Donald Lutz
1B Robert Maddox
LF Dayne Read
RF Stephen Hunt
C Tucker Barnhart
3B Oliver Santos

Bench:
C Chris Berset
1B Donald Lutz
IF Adam Muenster
OF Theo Bowe

Starting rotation:
Kyle Lotzkar
J.C. Sulbaran
Jonathan Correa
Tanner Robles
Jake Johnson

Bullpen:
Dan Corcino
Blaine Howell
Joel Ernst
Drew Hayes
Kevin Arico
Drew Cisco
Dan Renken
Lucas O'Rear
Dan Wolford
Pat Doyle

Catcher: Chase Weems should be cut. Jordan Wideman could get the same fate since Chris McMurray took over his role. If Yasmani Grandal starts in Lynchburg, don't be surprised to see Mark Fleury repeat.

First base: Dominic D'Anna and Robert Maddox have about equal chances here, but if Chris Richburg is sent to Carolina, then I suspect D'Anna gets the call to Lynchburg. Jaren Matthews may be a better hitter than both of them, but he's very raw and should get some extra attention in Arizona. I expect Tommy Nurre and Jonathan Kaskow to get cut. I could see Donald Lutz getting a lot of playing time in Dayton as well.

Second base: Billy Hamilton and Devin Lohman are interchangeable in the middle infield. Could we see Samuel Diaz or Ronald Torreyes given a chance here? I don't see that happening unless Lohman or Hamilton earns a quick promotion. But if that happens, they'll be stealing playing time from Brodie Greene, Henry Rodriguez, and Didi Gregorius in Lynchburg.

Third base: There isn't much room for Frank Pfister in the organization, so he could repeat Dayton. Then again, Oliver Santos is better defensively and has much better plate discipline, so maybe it's time to give him a try. If Pfister isn't cut, I could see him getting playing time at first base in Lynchburg.

Shortstop: Like I said, Hamilton and Lohman are interchangeable. Brandon Dailey and Junior Arias are probably both not ready for full-season ball.

Left field: I'd love to see Juan Duran here, but realistically, it's not going to happen. Cam Satterwhite could be retained, but A+ and AA are desperate for outfielders, so I think he'll get moved up. I expect Dayne Read to get most of the playing time here.

Center field: Raw as he is, Yorman Rodriguez is probably the best bet because you want him getting at-bats and learning plate discipline. If for some reason Rodriguez isn't the one, it would have to be Kurt Muller, who is having an excellent debut in Arizona.

Right field: This will probably come down to Stephen Hunt or Carlos Silva. Hunt is older, so I suppose he's the favorite, but Silva has been in the organization longer.

Reserve outfield: I'd say Sean Conner would have a chance at a corner outfield spot, but he's been so bad at the dish that he's a candidate to get cut. Alex Oliveras has had a terrible year, and I don't think he'll stick around. Theo Bowe will probably be the guy who is counted on to spell all three of the starting outfielders.

Starting rotation:
There are a lot of questions here. J.C. Sulbaran is young and might benefit from the Josh Ravin Treatment (AKA the Phil Valiquette Treatment). I expect Kyle Lotzkar to return to Dayton unless he blows away the competition in spring and goes straight to Lynchburg. Jonathan Correa and Tanner Robles have to get strong consideration for spots. Has Dan Corcino shown enough to earn a promotion so soon? Clay Shunick's age says he belongs in Lynchburg, but he's barely pitched above rookie ball. What will happen with Brian Pearl and/or Tim Crabbe? Is Jake Johnson going to stay in Dayton? Dan Renken has been a reliever this year, but will he go back to starting? Will Mitch Clarke be given a chance? What about Dan Corcino?

Bullpen:
There are lots of good arms available here. Tony Amezcua, Drew Cisco, Dan Renken, Blaine Howell, Lucas O'Rear, Dan Wolford, Kevin Arico, Drew Hayes, and Tyler Cline are many of the early draft picks under consideration. Joel Ernst, Pat Doyle, Jose Marizan, Matt Leonard, Mike Henry, Ryan Smith, Porfirio Martinez, Nate Driessen, and El'Hajj Muhammed are all in the mix as well. Could Tzu-Kai Chiu, Ricky Bowen, Jamie Walczak, or Josh Smith repeat?

Let me know what you all think. If you like my review, maybe I'll do more of the other affiliates.

[Heath]

Looks great.

I will add one thing - there will be a lot of openings on the ticket front. I don't see many people shelling out the season tickets costs anymore.

There should be plenty of seats available.

[mace]

Like it. Very informed and thorough.

At first blush, I thought you'd maybe neglected the inevitability of some guys repeating the level. But looking further, I can only add Gregorius--if Cozart doesn't make the Reds and everybody else is frozen in place--and Josh Garton. Meanwhile, it seems to me that Corcino has earned the chance to remain as a starter; and I think he's a well-regarded prospect. I also don't see a guy like Cisco in the Dayton bullpen, but that's just nitpicking.

Great job, and I'd love to see more.

[fearofpopvol1]

I really hate the idea of Lohman starting SS over Hamilton.

[JayBruceFan]

I may be wrong but I don't see Jamie Walczak coming back next year.

He has to be a candidate to be released. His stuff isn't that good and he has been hit hard every time I have seen him pitch for Dayton

[camisadelgolf]

I may be wrong but I don't see Jamie Walczak coming back next year.

He has to be a candidate to be released. His stuff isn't that good and he has been hit hard every time I have seen him pitch for Dayton

Really? What don't you like about his stuff? He has two nice pitches from what I've seen (fastball and curveball), but he's still learning how to use his curveball. He's fairly new to pitching, so I think the Reds need to be patient with him.

[camisadelgolf]

Like it. Very informed and thorough.

At first blush, I thought you'd maybe neglected the inevitability of some guys repeating the level. But looking further, I can only add Gregorius--if Cozart doesn't make the Reds and everybody else is frozen in place--and Josh Garton. Meanwhile, it seems to me that Corcino has earned the chance to remain as a starter; and I think he's a well-regarded prospect. I also don't see a guy like Cisco in the Dayton bullpen, but that's just nitpicking.

Great job, and I'd love to see more.

I could see Gregorius repeating. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense from an organizational perspective.

Dayton
2B Billy Hamilton
3B Devin Lohman
SS Didi Gregorius

Lynchburg
2B Henry Rodriguez
3B Frank Pfister & Shane Carlson
SS Brodie Greene

But in order for Josh Garton to stay in Dayton, which would push some important talent down to short-season ball, I think the organization will have to bring in an outfielder or two from outside the organization. Unfortunately, they are really thin when it comes to outfielders in Lynchburg and higher.

As for Corcino, I think he deserves to stay as a starter, but based on his stuff, I could see a move to the bullpen being inevitable for him. The same could be said for Sulbaran, so maybe those two will share a spot in the rotation for each half of the season.

[mth123]

I really hate the idea of Lohman starting SS over Hamilton.

I thought that at first as well, but I think Cozart is the SS for the next few years and Phillips has one more expensive year and then an expensive option. If they could have Hamilton ready to slide in at 2B in 2013 it would work well. That may be moving a little quickly, but some times these tools guys get it like a switch going on and off and move quickly afterwards.

I really am not excited about the thought of Valiaka, Frazier, Jake K, Puckett or Buchholz at 2B. Hamilton has a chance to be a top notch defender and those other guys will struggle to be average.

[cinreds21]

Great article on AOL about the Dragons and their sellout streak.

[RiverRat13]

I haven't been to a Dragons game since '06, but with that potential roster I'm already planning on going multiple times next year. I can't wait to watch Hamilton and Rodriguez.

[mdccclxix]

Bumping this thread as well to start some talk about the Dragons. There is a lot going on down there in A ball, and now the draft is finished it will get even more interesting. I'd like to here from some Dragons fans about the goings on.

What's up with Lohman? Turns out he's at 2b and Billy Bases is at SS. His pro career has gotten off to a slow start. OPSing .527 this year.

I kind of like the power Vidal has been showing from 3b, is it for real?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with how Duran is bouncing into his role this year. A .762 OPS is a fine step, knowing he still needs to cut down on K's. In fact, that K/BB ratio is an epidemic in Dayton.