Reds Top Prospects Below AAA- April Edition

[Benihana]

Perhaps the best prospect in baseball? Yeah, Santana is not going to be traded.

Up on the ORG, another poster advised a similar trade for Buster Posey- only this one included Ryan Hanigan and Matt Maloney. Good times!

[REDblooded]

Up on the ORG, another poster advised a similar trade for Buster Posey- only this one included Ryan Hanigan and Matt Maloney. Good times!

I believe the suggestion was Hanigan, Maloney, Alonso, and Francisco. Looks a bit better than Klinker/Mes/Alonso for Santana...

[Sea Ray]

Because so many of the Reds top prospects are currently in Louisville (Chapman, Wood, Frazier, Heisey, Francisco, etc.) and will most likely be ready to stick in the majors by the end of this season, I thought it would be an interesting activity to examine and analyze the Top Prospects below the AAA level.

GRADE B

1. Yonder Alonso 1B/LF Carolina
2. Yorman Rodriguez CF Billings
3. Brad Boxberger RHP Lynchburg

GRADE C

4. Matt Klinker RHP Carolina
5. Devin Mesoraco C Lynchburg
6. Neftali Soto C Lynchburg
7. D.D. Gregorious SS Dayton
8. Miguel Rojas SS Lynchburg
9. Henry Rodriguez 2B Dayton
10. JC Sulbaran RHP Dayton
11. Matt Fairel LHP Lynchburg
12. Josh Fellhauer OF Lynchburg
13. Juan Duran OF Billings
14. Juan Silva OF Billings
15. Billy Hamilton SS Billings

Keep an Eye On:

Kyle Lotzkar RHP
Daryl Thompson RHP
Dallas Buck RHP
Donnie Joseph LHP
Mace Thurman RHP
Phillipe Valliquette LHP
Jacob Johnson RHP
Daniel Tuttle RHP
Junior Arias SS/CF
Humberto Valor SS
Ismael Guillon LHP

FIRST PROMOTION PREDICTION
Maloney to Reds, Klinker to Louisville, Fairel to Carolina

Where's Jordan Smith? Did he show up on any top prospect lists?

I find it curious that this kid slipped under the radar. How did that happen?

[mdccclxix]

Where's Jordan Smith? Did he show up on any top prospect lists?

I find it curious that this kid slipped under the radar. How did that happen?

I don't know, but I remember when asked last year before the season, Buckley listed him as a player that would be in the majors really soon. I guess it's clear why, as he's a big boy.

[Benihana]

Where's Jordan Smith? Did he show up on any top prospect lists?

I find it curious that this kid slipped under the radar. How did that happen?

He was an average to mediocre starter who had just been converted to reliever and was spending his THIRD year in AA with a 5.08 ERA. Usually when that happens, especially if a player is 24 years old, he is not considered a top prospect.

We've always known about him. It's just that no one thought much of him as a starter, so there was no reason to LOVE him as a reliever before he had made an appearance. That said, I did predict here that he'd have early success in the big leagues.

[GIDP]

Where's Jordan Smith? Did he show up on any top prospect lists?

I find it curious that this kid slipped under the radar. How did that happen?

Jordan Smith has been injured a lot, and was viewed as a starter prior to the season, if I recall.

[Sea Ray]

He's sure been a nice find. Maybe I missed it but I never remembered even hearing his name mentioned around here before his callup

[dougdirt]

He's sure been a nice find. Maybe I missed it but I never remembered even hearing his name mentioned around here before his callup

You must have missed it then. He was a former quality prospect, ranking as high as #13 ( I think) on BA's Top 30 Reds list.

[Sea Ray]

You must have missed it then. He was a former quality prospect, ranking as high as #13 ( I think) on BA's Top 30 Reds list.

I easily could have. When was that?

[dougdirt]

I easily could have. When was that?

Post 2008 I believe.

[Sea Ray]

Kudos to the Reds front office for recognizing this kid had the stuff to play in the majors and was willing to move him up from AA. He was rarely mentioned as major league material around here

[mdccclxix]

He does have some wicked sink on some of his pitches. Having seen Marmol last week and Smith as well, i thought there was some comparison on their breaking pitches. Not going too far with that comparison, but I thought it was worth mentioning.