| By Jason A. Churchill |  | By 05-04-2011 |
The Seattle Mariners are loaded with young power arms. Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda are lighting up the big leagues and down in Class-A Clinton, there are more potential frontline starters and high-leverage relievers, including George Mieses, James Paxton, Forrest Snow, Brandon Maurer and now last year's top pick Taijuan Walker.
Walker will start Thursday for Clinton. I spoke to M's player development director Pedro Grifol about Walker Wednesday afternoon and the reason Walker was held back was simply about avoiding having a high school arm pitch from February through August.
He threw bullpens in March and was stretched out in April in extended spring training games, with the last three or four going 5-6 innings each and up to 80 pitches or so. Walker is working on a changeup, but didn't need it in XST games, so the challenge of pitching in the Midwest League beckoned the right-hander.
Walker was sitting 94-97 mph with the fastball and getting his mid-80s curveball over for strikes.
The Lumberkings rotation may get another boost later in May when right-hander Jose (Vicente) Campos joins the roster. He's also down in extended spring training and is just about ready for an assignment. He, too, is sitting mid-90s with a hard breaking ball, probably closer to a slider at this stage.
James Paxton, who made his debut last week, was schedule to go again Monday but was tagged in the back of the left shoulder over the weekend and the organization held him back for precautionary reasons. He'll be fine and get back into the rotation very soon.
I asked Grifol about Paxton's workload and timetable for promotion and it appears he'll move to High Desert when he shows he's too good for Clinton. So, maybe tomorrow he heads to Adelanto?
As for an innings limit, there is a range they'd like to keep him in -- no more, no less, and while they aren't 100 percent sure what that is just yet, it's likely between 110-140. Some of that will depend on variables.
"If he's throwing a lot of hard innings, that's different," said Grifol. "But if he has a bunch of easy ones, he's not necessarily going to get shut down."
Jordan Shipers is also working his way toward an assignment, but right now he's in Arizona working on command of the strike zone and some mechanical issues. He'll see Clinton in early June, or join a short-season club later in the month.
Jose Valdivia, who missed a chunk of time after having elbow surgery, is throwing in Arizona and working on building arm strength and finding a consistent release point. He's a bit of a mess in that manner, ranging from high three-quarter to low three-quarter, but it's somewhat normal for a TJ recipient.
Carlos Triunfel made three errors Tuesday -- two throwing, one on a pickoff play -- but is drawing solid reviews from those in and out of the organization for his improved consistency on routine plays, which was his problem coming into the season.
Grifol says Trunfel's maturity is starting work in his favor. "He comes to the ballpark to play for nine innings," said Grifol. "He's not taking his offense into the field. He gets down on himself on offense and that causes problems in the field. He's doing that less and less."
Triunfel came to camp in tremendous condition and has put in tons of extra work. An AL Central scout texted me Saturday and said "50-50" on Triunfel sticking at shortstop, but added that he can play second or third if he shores up the mistakes.
If he's not going to walk more, his bat will play better up the middle, so there's still legit hope for that.
prospect-intel:-pitching-rules
Comments
The following 46 comment(s) for this article are shown below:
| 1. By: littlelinny6 on 05-04-2011 19:06:52 Thoughts on Jabari Blash? He has started out on fire in Clinton with a great eye. Any long term potential there for the M's? |
| 2. By: Adam P. Boyd on 05-04-2011 19:22:42 Great writeup, Jason. I am excited by the number of quality arms in the system - finally. It will be nice to be able to slot one of them in and send Vargas/Fister out in a trade before they get too expensive. Obviously, all of these guys are still in Clinton or lower, but still. Walker was a nice bit of scouting by McNamara & co. I like the way Snow and Maurer have been throwing too. |
| 3. By: Jason A. Churchill on 05-04-2011 19:41:02 Love Blash as an athlete and power bat, but I have heard he's not as focused as he needs to be and the work ethic is lacking. Not that he's lazy, but that he's not a big-time worker. Hit tool is a 40, so he needs work. |
| 4. By: mjkleko on 05-04-2011 21:22:52 Just have a general question. I've been reading PI for years, JAC you've provided just about the only legit analysis of the M's farm system & team that I've been able to find anywhere. There are no rose-colored glasses here. As a poor college student though I have never upgraded to be premium content guy. Does subscription to premium content bring access to more minor league briefs such as this? 'Cause this is what I'm looking. Again, thanks you JAC and Co. for the years of great writing, hopefully soon I'll finally send ya' some monetary appreciation. |
| 5. By: Jason A. Churchill on 05-05-2011 01:05:58 This piece is a great example of what is typically premium only, yes. Thanks for the kind words. |
| 6. By: StandinPat on 05-05-2011 11:24:43 Geez Jason first you were peddling "Fast Arm" and now insider subscriptions? I'm picturing you in a short sleeve shirt and tie, with your foot on the bumper of a '78 chevette saying "what do I have to do to put you in this car" ;) Seriously though, why on earth isn't Pineda pitching around the only one or two lefties in a lineup that can actually hurt him? |
| 7. By: maqman on 05-05-2011 13:33:27 Like Adam (#2) I like Brandon Maurer and Forrest Snow. Poor Snow must get a lot of name grief like "Pitch, Forrest pitch!" Regionally appropriate though for a UW guy. |
| 8. By: xarmyguy78 on 05-05-2011 18:41:45 I know a lot can change over the course of development, but of the guys listed how many will be top or at least middle of the rotation arms? Would you rate these guys closer to Felix or Fister? |
| 9. By: Slack on 05-05-2011 19:27:10 What is the scouting report on Brandon Maurer? I haven't been able to find anything on him. |
| 10. By: Jason A. Churchill on 05-05-2011 20:41:04 Slack, I haven't seen him and I haven't asked a lot about him -- will do next time I call Pedro -- probably in a week and a half after he visits Jackson and High Desert. The general thought is No. 4 starter with outside shot at a light 3 label, but also a risk to be nothing more than a middle reliever. Question is can he miss bats in the upper levels ... xarmyguy78, Closer to Felix in terms of upside, for sure. But the risk is, they are Nuke Laloosh's. Great stuff, five cent everything else (command, control, delivery, feel). |
| 11. By: rjfrik on 05-06-2011 00:36:18 Man Smoak is killing it. He is single handedly carrying this team (at least on offense). Can you guys imagine what it is going to be like when we put a couple of players that can hit around him besides Ichiro. Imagine if he had any protection. He is going to be really really good. |
| 12. By: bavasisabum on 05-06-2011 01:40:20 Noticed Franklin's been out the last couple games. Whats up with that? Injury? |
| 13. By: Jason A. Churchill on 05-06-2011 02:20:21 You had me at "it." |
| 14. By: bunvt on 05-06-2011 09:34:08 Good stuff Jason. mjkleko, if the subscription's too much, at the very least, get the handbook every year, it's LOADED with all the goods on the M's prospects. Also, anyone else keeping tabs on the Dayton Moore youth movement? Eric Hosmer's getting the call up today, and they still have Moustakas waiting in the wings! If we can just nail the next couple of drafts....I'm hoping the M's will be on a similiar path. |
| 15. By: junglist215 on 05-06-2011 11:05:59 Jason, Any chance that all those Tampa Bay picks this year causes a player like 2B Kolten Wong to drop the M's at #62? Also what are your thoughts on Texas prep Trevor Story? Can he stay in the infield? Where might he fall in the draft? |
| 16. By: zackr on 05-06-2011 11:28:40 Hey Jason, Sorry to comment off-topic, but have you heard anything regarding Kennewick High's shortstop Trek Stemp? |
| 17. By: rjfrik on 05-06-2011 11:46:58 junglist215, Not trying to be rude or anything but have a question about your post. Why would a team, having a bunch of picks, cause a certain player to drop? I'm curious what your rationale is on this. I know I'm not Jason but I just want to better understand your question for when/if he answers it. Thanks |
| 18. By: safecochatter on 05-06-2011 11:48:47 Jackson Generals pitching staff seems to be very solid. it seems to be void of high level prospects. but as a team they are #1 in fewest walks allowed and era. and 3rd in whip. Kasparek had yet another quality start last night and Ramirez has issued just one walk in 32.1 innings. there is a nice write up today on the Generals website about their solid pitching. you think any of these guys gonna get a mid-season promotion to tacoma? and a better question,do any profile as a major league starter? |
| 19. By: junglist215 on 05-06-2011 11:58:43 rjrik, Well I realize the question is mostly speculation and wishful thinking on my part, but to answer your question Tampa has an absurd amount of picks this year. There's just no way they'll be able to keep to a draft budget and be able to draft BPA for them all. Hence, talent is going to drop. I don't think really there's any way Wong in particular makes it to us, but you never know. |
| 20. By: rjfrik on 05-06-2011 12:59:15 Thanks for the clarification. I don't know if you have insider access to ESPN baseball articles but if you do read this: http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog?name=olney_buster&id=6483881 It's from Buster Onley and talks directly about your question. The plain and simple of the entire article is that even though TB has all those picks they are going to take the best player available at each pick no matter the cost. They see this as their chance to really re-load. Not sure if they are blowing gas or not, but take it for what its worth. |
| 21. By: rjfrik on 05-06-2011 13:01:12 Safeco, From Low A ball to Tacoma? Seems like a pretty big jump. I can't recall a move like that happening recently, unless you are an elite talent (Strasburg). Maybe Paxton can do that, but thats a good question. |
| 22. By: dawgncarolina on 05-06-2011 13:35:44 rj, Jackson is Double A, not Low A. |
| 23. By: Edman on 05-06-2011 14:59:04 junglist, speculating past the first ten picks is extremely difficult to do. I would advice those who ask Jason a question about draft order, consider that it would take an extreme amount of speculation to guess who's going to be available once you get past the middle first round. I understand it's hope on your part, but how's he suppose to answer it? Anything is possible, what more can he say? And, I wouldn't assume that Tampa Bay is going to cheap out on paying draft picks. They have a rare opportunity to gather several quality players. To assume that they have a spending limit might not be accurate. They've known for a couple years that this could be a likely event. They may have squirreled away some money for this draft. And, to add to what dawg said, many pitchers have bypassed AAA, and made it to the majors directly from AA. The Mariners don't appear to be a team that overpromotes player to the majors. But, in regard to pitching, it isn't such a big jump from AA to AAA. I would prefer that every player get some time at AAA, but it's not always necessary. |
| 24. By: slamcactus on 05-06-2011 15:21:29 It's not a foregone conclusion the Rays will go cheap with their glut of picks. Friedman's on record that they've had an eye towards budgeting for this draft for several years, and the team shed $30 million from its payroll this season after a profitable year in 2010 (their playoff run netted them several million extra). I feel like they're planning on reinvesting the money they saved from losing Pena and Burrell on the draft. It's a really smart organization and the Rays know more than anyone how important it is to draft well. I don't see them doing too many huge slot-busting deals, but I don't expect them to take very many reach picks for guys who will sign below slot, either. |
| 25. By: slamcactus on 05-06-2011 15:31:57 "but to answer your question Tampa has an absurd amount of picks this year. There's just no way they'll be able to keep to a draft budget and be able to draft BPA for them all." There's definitely a way. They have a ton of picks, but the highest is #24 (last year, Gary Brown signed at #24 for a $1.45 million bonus). Paying slot to slightly above for their 12 picks in the top 80 or whatever will likely amount to something around $14-15 million, or about what the Nats guaranteed to Stephen Strasburg. Yes, teams that spend that much are usually spending most of it on one marquee guy, but there's no "usual" protocol for a team in TB's position this year. Nobody's ever had this many draft picks before, and the 2011 draft is unique both for being absurdly deep and for being possibly the last draft with the current compensation pick system (or even the last draft before hard slotting is implemented). The Rays are very committed to building from within. I really don't see them letting an opportunity like this to get a huge influx of talent into the system go to waste by popping 3rd-5th round talents in the top 100 picks. |
| 26. By: rjfrik on 05-06-2011 17:01:43 Oops. I retract my statement then. I was thinking Clinton. Forgot they switched to Jackson this year from West Tennessee. Thanks dawg |
| 27. By: rightwingrick on 05-07-2011 11:22:12 Bedard has hit 93 with a bit more regularity lately, and is constantly in the 90-92 range. Trouble is, I saw him right after the trade in spring training when he hit 98mph and his curve had sharp bite and was unhittable. That being said, Bedard's command is showing steady improvement, and we have to remember he had not pitched for 1 1/2 years, so arm strength (and very cold weather) may be limiting him a bit at the moment. How many left-handers are out there that throw 92-93 with command and a curveball that's a strikeout pitch? Not that many. So even a "less than he was" Erik Bedard may still be a "better than average" pitcher. Let's see what happens as his arm strength improves, his command improves, and the hot weather shows up. I think the M's might get lucky on this one, and both the M's and Bedard deserve that. Ether that, or he'll be on the DL before July roles around. |
| 28. By: rightwingrick on 05-07-2011 11:31:50 Dont' know how my comment on the Bedard article ended up on this article, but, oh, well..... To SAFECOChatter's question about pitchers in AA moving up to Tacoma at mid-season, I think you can expect to see RHP Erasmo Ramirez up to Tacoma reasonably soon. While he's not the big tall guy that the M's now seem to favor (5'11", 180), he's only 21, has shown great command and maturity on the mound, and the M's are high on him. Take a look at his overall history, and his stats are consistently strong across the board at all levels. |
| 29. By: marinermutt on 05-07-2011 11:51:22 Jason, Does Rendon's lack of homeruns raise any concerns. He only had 4 as of mid week and I know he is being pitched around a lot but I always considered him (maybe wrongly) that he was considered a power hitter. I know he has had a shoulder injury which could have impacted his power. But I also wonder if the switch in bats has made any differences. Thanks, |
| 30. By: slamcactus on 05-07-2011 13:57:46 He's been playing through a strained shoulder in addition to seeing absolutely nothing to hit, marinermutt. Once Jeremy Rathjen got hurt, Rice's lineup really lacked another offensive threat all season. I wouldn't worry too much about the power. Even while getting the Barry Bonds treatment from opposing pitchers he's hitting nearly .350, he strikes out hardly at all, and nearly 40% of his hits are going for extra bases. He's not a guy with 80 power, but I wouldn't worry that Rendon is going to be a slap hitter. |
| 31. By: davelee99 on 05-07-2011 16:48:55 I've been thinking about the downturn in attendance at Safeco and it doesn't seem at first glance that Felix or Pineda have much positive effect. Bobble heads, of course, are another story. Which makes me think the franchise needs an injection of excitement. If Rendon is taken by the Pirates, I would seriously think about taking Bubba Starling instead of Cole. If Felix/Pineda can't excite the fan base, neither will Cole. Risky of course, but the club needs another "Kid" ... |
| 32. By: Blowgun7 on 05-07-2011 17:23:00 Winning will excite the fanbase. Could Starling be a Jason Heyward type who draws the fans in? Maybe, but I'd rather take Rendon or Cole who could be suiting up for us by this time next year and making a legit impact. Felix/Pineda/Cole will excite many, because it means we're probably going to be winning a good chunk of ballgames and staying the AL West race. Of course I'm assuming that if Cole is the guy, we will acquire a couple of solid bats in free agency. With those three top of the rotation arms and a couple bats to help Smoak, Ichiro, Ackley, and Gutierrez.. this team can be in the mix next year IMO |
| 33. By: slamcactus on 05-07-2011 18:37:32 "Could Starling be a Jason Heyward type who draws the fans in? Maybe, but I'd rather take Rendon or Cole who could be suiting up for us by this time next year and making a legit impact." Absolutely. People talk a lot about not drafting for need, but timeline should absolutely be a factor. Part of succeeding as an organization that develops talent from within is making sure you not only have good players, but also that they line up in a way that you have multiple guys giving you good value at the same time. Also, I feel like whoever compared Starling to Griffey must be too young to remember Griffey as a teenager. Not just how exciting he was, but how good he was, immediately. When Griffey was Starling's age he split the year between High-A and Double A, and hit .325/.415/.557. The next year (you know, when Starling will be getting his first ABs in the low-minors), he played a full season in the majors,a nd was an above-average hitter. He wasn't just a great hs athlete with a super-high ceiling. He was a great athlete with a super-high ceiling who at 17 years old was more major league ready than pretty much any top college bat we've seen this decade. The only prospect since who's been anywhere near Griffey as a teenager is Alex Rodriguez, and I'd still say Griffey was the better prospect (they're #1 and 1A in the past 25 years, though, with Andruw Jones a couple steps behind them). Comparing Bubba Starling to Ken Griffey, Jr. as prospects is comparing apples to spaceships. |
| 34. By: 24fan4life on 05-07-2011 20:03:45 I think the question about who to draft comes down to whether the m's scouting department believes Cole or Rendon is better than their stats indicate. You can make all the excuses that you want for them- but they aren't performing at a high level in college. I just couldn't be more curious about what the mariners brass thinks about the draft. I hope they get it right. |
| 35. By: davelee99 on 05-08-2011 02:14:58 Well. Whoever wrote the two paragraph description of Junior's talent level as a teenager is taking my my comment about the franchise needing "another Kid" waaay too seriously. I didn't mean to imply that Junior and Bubba have the same skill set. I am thinking of fan excitement generated by a teenage phenom. Starling, as far as I can read, is almost universally described as having the highest ceiling in this year's draft. If so, I would rather have him in the system than Cole. Not just for his considerable (and potential) baseball skills, but the publicity I think he'd create for the team. I understand the problems facing Jack Zduriencik and why his draft picks have to produce quickly. That's why I said if Rendon were taken first _I_ would take Starling. And sadly, I'm old enough to remember Junior's first years in the Mariner system. Hell, I remember Senior's rookie year in Cincinatti. He was on the TV. :) |
| 36. By: Edman on 05-08-2011 04:49:13 The M's better take the player with the highest potential ceiling that's available to them, PERIOD, regardless of when they'll be a major leaguer. When you draft that high, it's about overall projectability. It should have little to do with the fact that they'd be in a Mariner uniform in 2012. If you think the average fan gives a rip about who is drafted, you're fooling yourself. We who watch prospects are in the vast minority. As was said, winning will draw in fans. Felix and Ichiro are the only to players who add butts in the seats. And, neither of them are drawing enough by themselves. I pray that they don't let other factors weigh into their decision. It has to be the second most talented player available in the draft. When they get to Seattle, shouldn't matter. |
| 37. By: rocketdawg31 on 05-08-2011 12:15:15 Fundamentally, that's impossible to argue with, Edman. But I'd like to point out that deluxe athletes like Starling come out EVERY year, all loaded with tools that someone falls in love with. I haven't seen anything about Starling to make me think that his upside is so special that it's worth waiting four-five years for, if it works out. Anthony Rendon of Rice has all the tools to be an on-base machine at the highest levels. Makeup off the charts, total baseball rat. And yes, he's closer to the major leagues than would a Starling be. Yes, please, Jack. Take him if he's there and his injury history isn't too risky. |
| 38. By: rjfrik on 05-08-2011 22:20:55 Not sure I agree with your statement that a kid like starling comes out every year. Starling is a rare breed. The kid runs a 4.3 40 and has plus power. His comps are a Carl Crawford with power and Josh hamilton. This is a special talent and it wouldn't surprise me if he is I'm the discussions for the mariners at number two. I think it's Cole, Rendon or Starling. |
| 39. By: rjfrik on 05-08-2011 22:25:51 On another note. What kind of near ready prospect do you think we could get for Bedard at the deadline. He's been pitching well as of late and I could see him being very attractive to a team in the race at the deadline. Royals or Indians or Yankees could be a good fit as all three of those teams could use a top flight arm. Would love to get a good young hitter to put next to smoak. I wonder if Chisenhall from Indians or Meyers from royals is a possibility. |
| 40. By: dawgncarolina on 05-08-2011 23:01:23 "I wonder if Chisenhall from Indians or Meyers from royals is a possibility." There's just no way. Don't think even Bavasi would send that kind of talent for a guy who can't stay on the mound. I would seriously downgrade your expectations. |
| 41. By: Edman on 05-09-2011 02:01:19 rjfrik, you spend way too much effort looking for pieces to trade. I'm not sure what Bedard would fetch. But, I don't think it's going to be any major piece. And, Seattle may elect to try to sign him for 2012-2015. It's hard to know, at this point. And, it does seem that he likes Seattle. |
| 42. By: sexymarinersfan on 05-09-2011 02:28:05 The only thing about drafting Starling is that I believe he has a full ride scholarship to Nebraska. So he might be a tough signing. Other than that, I wouldn't be mad at all if we drafted him. |
| 43. By: frozenrope on 05-09-2011 09:11:22 I'm with zackr. What do you know about Kennewick High SS Trek Stemp? I see he led the league in average for the second season in a row hitting .571 this year. 44 hits on the year with 27 bring for extra bases. |
| 44. By: rjfrik on 05-09-2011 11:27:52 Pretty good week last week in the minors. Wilson hits lights out and gets called up. Ackley is starting to turn it around and showing us some power. Shaffer continues his lights out hitting campaign and Ramirez is pitching like he wants the #3 spot in the rotation in the future. Love it. |
| 45. By: Edman on 05-09-2011 11:38:01 I would like to know more about Shaffer. I don't know much about him. |
| 46. By: JD Kickastro on 05-09-2011 15:04:15 @45 Edman, Here's a blurb from Jay Yenich last night: "One of the stories I just haven’t been able to figure out this far into the season has been the breakout of Jake Shaffer. Shaffer was a 15th-round pick in 2008 out of Northern Kentucky and got no scouting report from BA in their database at the time. In his second pro season, he was in Clinton and slugged .420, and basically looked like an org player. Last year, in High Desert, he slugged .517, but given the park factors and everything else, I wasn’t inclined to think too much of it. This season, in more neutral climes, he’s slugging .559. He’s already more than halfway to his career high in home runs, and had an inside-the-park grand slam earlier in the week. I’d gripe about the plate discipline, but this week it looks like he made an effort to clean it up, as he doubled his walk totals for the season. I don’t know how long he can keep this up, or more importantly, why he’s doing this, but it’s interesting to watch for as long as it’s going on." |
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