Lockout Baseball: 2022 Chattanooga Lookout Roster?

[Bourgeois Zee]

Looking at possible minor league rosters if the owners decide to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. No 40-man roster guys can play, so there may be some interesting choices made in terms of starters and who gets pushed up or down. Let me know where I've screwed up and who needs to be mentioned instead.

On to AA, where the Reds profile to have an interesting squad that projects to be pitching-dependent with some offensive upside and lots and lots of speed and defense.

Those in italics are top 15 prospects in the Red system.

C Mat Nelson/ Eric Yang
1B Jose Tello/ James Free
2B Francisco Urbaez
3B Juan Martinez/ Victor Ruiz
SS Matt McLain
LF Jacob Hurtubise
CF Michael Siani
RF Mariel Bautista

SP1 Lyon Richardson
SP2 Christian Roa
SP3 Carson Spiers
SP4 Eduardo Salazar
SP5 Mac Sceroler

What's to Like: The pitching should be really good-- and may look even better considering the Lookouts should start three erstwhile CF. Matt McLain headlines the hitters, but everyone else has lots and lots of questions. This lineup can be outstanding-- or it could really struggle to score runs. It will be fast-- the Lookouts might well lead minor league baseball in SBs if given a consistent green light-- but I'm not sure more than two guys will hit double figures in HR.

Under the Radar Guy to Follow: Eduardo Salazar
Salazar flew under the radar pretty much the entire season. (I'd argue the entire Dragon pitching staff did, but to at least some degree.) He doesn't give up any HR to speak of, K'ed a lot of batters (nearly 10/9), and has decent enough control to make his stuff work. So far, he's gotten a lot of production but very little pedigree out of that mix. If he does it in AA, I suspect that'll change. He's worth a look-see as the third or fourth starter behind Richardson, Roa, and perhaps Spiers (another candidate for under-the-radar prospect).

Has the Most to Prove: Michael Siani
I almost went with Mat Nelson, as there is a shot for him to get some real playing time very early in his professional career, but Siani needs to show something beyond elite glove and speed at this point. He's struggled mightily to hit the ball, simply put. And that's too bad, as he has every other tool you could want from a CF. Most posters here have given up on him, but Siani is still just 22 and had a good (though short) AFL, where he hit .300/.450/ .450 with more BBs than Ks. If he can hit .270, Siani is a first-division starter in CF.

Keep an Eye on: Francisco Urbaez
Matt McLain is an obvious choice. He's one of the few bell weather prospects in the system. But Urbaez is a fascinating follow. He looks like he's going to hit for a high BA and take a fair share of BBs. He'll probably end up with just enough power to keep pitchers from busting him with perpetual fastballs too. He plays a premium defensive position and has already shown a willingness to move down the defensive spectrum to stay on the field. He's holding his own in the Dominican League against guys five and six years older than he (though his power has largely disappered). Guys like that have a habit of staying relevant and maxing out their abilities. I could see Urbaez as a second-division starter at 2B or a premium-level utility guy.

[krazzy]

Roster Resources has Nelson in Dayton along with Vellojin. I was wondering if they might move Nelson up. He only played around 10 games in Dayton last year. Not sure they would want to push him that fast but it would be nice to separate those two catchers.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Roster Resources has Nelson in Dayton along with Vellojin. I was wondering if they might move Nelson up. He only played around 10 games in Dayton last year. Not sure they would want to push him that fast but it would be nice to separate those two catchers.

They could certainly be right. I'm totally guessing here. I think keeping Nelson in High A might be a good idea for his development. It would mean a backlog of quality catchers, however. And Nelson was drafted as a 22-year-old. At 23, he'd be old for Dayton.

[Bourgeois Zee]

C Mat Nelson/ Eric Yang
1B Jose Tello/ James Free
2B Francisco Urbaez
3B Juan Martinez/ Victor Ruiz
SS Matt McLain
LF Jacob Hurtubise
CF Michael Siani
RF Mariel Bautista

SP1 Lyon Richardson
SP2 Christian Roa
SP3 Carson Spiers
SP4 Eduardo Salazar
SP5 Mac Sceroler

With MLB Spring Training fully underway, we can now add back the guys who are part of the 40-man roster, who got released, fill in with prospects, and get a better, clearer idea of who might start the season at various minor league stops. I've already talked about AAA and made some real changes. That trickles down to AA, at least offensively:

C Chuckie Robinson/ Eric Yang
1B Drew Mount
2B Francisco Urbaez
SS Matt McLain
3B Ivan Johnson
OF Brian Rey
OF Allan Cerda
OF Lorenzo Cedrola
DH TJ Hopkins

SP 1 Jared Solomon
SP 2 Lyon Richardson
SP 3 Christian Roa
SP 4 Eduardo Salazar
SP 5 Mac Sceroler

Comment: Lots of changes up the middle here. I'm guessing the parts move all around, as just about everyone is able of playing more than one position. IMO, Lorenzo Cedrola, Drew Mount, and TJ Hopkins all belong in AAA, as they've performed well (wRC+ of at least 15% better than league average) in AA. None of them have much perceived upside or helium, however, so they get pushed down in favor of AAAA veterans. Which, in turn, stunts growth and work ethic for the extrinsically motivated. This is a solid group, likely to produce offensively. Mount can add to his appeal by learning a different position, though that could be Hopkins (who can play CF pretty well). In fact, the OF defense should be exceptional. There are four CF in this group. McLain is the reason to watch. He'll be given all the PAs and innings he can use in AA. Ivan Johnson moves to 3B to accomodate that decision. He's got pop and acquitted himself well in the Arizona Fall League. (So did Mount, to a degree.) I'd have preferred him in AAA, but again, Reds--> conservative in nature. Urbaez and Rey are quality up the middle guys with interesting skill sets. Both, I suspect, will get ignored. That's too bad. Rey can play CF and 2B and has an improving penchant for getting on base (HBP is a skill) and solid pop. Urbaez is a plus hit tool guy with patience and a solid glove. Both could be assets in a smart organization.

The rotation looks positively commonplace beside the AAA guys, but it's serviceable. Jared Solomon is back, a year after Tommy John surgery derailed his ascendance. Assuming his stuff comes all the way back, I'd really like him as a late-inning relief option in the majors this season. He throws in the triple digits regularly and has a wipeout offspeed pitch. But Cincinnati will want to see him as a starter. He's old for the level, but it's not like AAA is an option as a starter. Lyon Richardson is a good prospect, the type we'd have all have been excited about 20 years ago. He's decidedly average in this system right now. Speaking of average, Salazar hasn't any helium, but prospered last season as a pitcher. This could be an interesting year for him. Perform well, and he might see some real interest. Roa has lots of upside-- he is, I'd guess, most likely to start a game at the major league level. Might also end up a reliever.