I've had about enough of the Johan Santana rumor mill.

It's becoming increasingly obvious that he'll be there opening day with the Twins and will remain with them till at least the trade deadline.

Why?

Because it's becoming increasinly obvious that there is a lot of chatter from all sides, but no action.  Usually, the more rumors that are passed around about a player, the more unlikely it's going to happen.  It's like talking the whole night how you're going to go after the prettiest girl in the room, but at the end of the night, you're going back home to nothing but a hard drive full of porn and a full box of kleenex.

Sorry for the visual analogy, but that's what it's become in the Santana Sweepstakes, which have become nothing more than just a lot of shock jock fodder and a whole lot of New York centric media opinions (oh god, the New York media opionions!  Newsday has become unreadable!)  I swear to god, if I hear one more Hank Steinbrenner quote, I'll go up to Yankee Stadium myself and stuff his father's turtleneck in his piehole, just so he'd shut up!

BTW, is it just me, or is Steinbrenner the Younger seeming to enjoy the limelight that comes with his new job.  I think he's likely to follow in his father's footsteps, which means that the Yankees will be sucking in about five to eight years, thanks to Hank trading away the farm and signing the various Mel Hall and Danny Tartabull types on a whim.

The fact is, a trade should have already happened, as Boston, New York and New York should have pulled the trigger on a deal.

And spare me the talk about how Santana would require a huge contract extension that makes him unaffordable.  All three of these teams would be lining up to get into a money fight for Santana if he hits the market next winter.

And the Yankees are the last one's to be preaching fiscal responsibility.  Didn't they just spend $275 million on Alex Rodriguez?  They can easily afford to extend Santana, who fills a need and has more upside to any Yankee prospect with the exception of Joba.  They have $58.3 million coming off the books anyway, not counting the sunk costs of $6.95 million for paying Giambi and Pavano to go away.

Don't snicker Red Sox fans.  You all aren't any better.  You have about the same amount of money leaving the books, with Manny and Varitek's contracts coming off the books.  And you have the farm system depth to fill the holes as well. 

The Twins too also have to be reasonable.  You aren't going to get a team to completely gut their system for Santana.   It's unrealistic.  You need to get teams to agree to a reasonable set of demands and flip as soon as the best deal comes up. 

Financial reasons aside, here is what the Twins should reasonably expect to get for their ace:

• 1 High Quality Pitching Prospect
• 1 High Quality Positional Prospect
• 1 Above Average Pitching Prospect
• 1 Average Prospect Or Young Player

Here are the offers for each team:

Boston - Jon Lester (LHP), Jed Lowrie (SS/2B), Justin Masterson (RHP), Coco Crisp (CF)

I honestly don't know why the Twins haven't agreed to this deal, as it matches up with my qualifications perfectly.  I think the Twins are hoping that Boston will toss in Clay Buchholz, which won't happen.  Lester is an above average lefty who could be a number two starter.  Lowrie could start for Minnesota now and be the best second baseman they've had since Chuck Knoblauch.  Masterson has the potential to be a good pitcher in this league and Crisp helps give Minnesota a solid outfield for the first time in years.

New York (AL) - Phil Hughes (RHP), Melky Cabrera (CF), Jeff Marquez (RHP), Mitch Hillgross

This is insulting, actually.  While Hughes is very good and I like Marquez to be a solid innings eater in the NATIONAL league, the rest is just crap.  Cabrera is a average regular, not a star and I don't blame the Twins for shooing away fhe Yankees with this offer.  If you want to give me something to think about, here is what I would ask for:

Phil Hughes (RHP), Melky Cabrera (CF), Ian Kennedy (RHP), Alan Horne (RHP)

And before Yankee Fans jump on me, consider this.  Kennedy has been highly overrated since he was drafted and has been made to be a lot better than he is by the Yankee spin machine.  He is, at best, a average pitcher with excellent command and is at best a Number Three pitcher, nothing more.  He's not the second coming of Mike Mussia, who had better stuff than Kennedy at the beginning of his career.  Horne has good stuff, but is injury prone and likely a bullpen guy in the end.  Cabrera is an average regular, not a star. 

New York (NL) - Carlos Gomez (CF), Delouis Guerra (RHP), Phil Humber (RHP), Kevin Mulvey (RHP)

A good offer, it's better than what the Yankees are offering and it sends Santana to the NL, where he wouldn't haunt the Twins.  However, I would ask for Fernando Martinez, who has a chance to be a star, instead of Gomez.  That would trump the Red Sox offer and if I had that deal on the table, I'd take it and run with it.  Guerra has a chance to be a solid Number Two pitcher, Humber an inninsg eater, and Mulvey a solid 3.  That's not a bad return.

Oh, and by the way, Omar Minaya is a fool for not agreeing to trade Gomez back in November for Matt Garza, who had a chance to be the best pitcher on the Mets' roster.  The Twins should thank him, as they got Delmon Young in the deal, who is a lot better.

Unfortunately, it looks like we'll be inundated with more of the Santana claptrap, with more rantings for Hank Steinbrenner, more of us seeing Theo Epstein's Fraiser Crane impersonation with him saying "I'm listening", and more pleas from Omar Minaya for the Twins to accept his good, but not great offer. 

So sorry folks, we'll be listening to three more months of the same circlejerk till Spring Training ends.

The Rangers Report - Off-Season Edition

Rotation Set

Barring any other moves, the Rotation appears as follows:

• Kevin Millwood (RHP)
• Vicente Padilla (RHP)
• Jason Jennings (RHP)
• Brandon McCarthy (RHP)
• Kason Gabbard (LHP)

That makes for a solid, but unspecacular rotation.  However, if Millwood, Padilla and Jennings improve to their 2006 seasons, rather than their 2007's, that's a potential playoff rotation, especially if McCarthy continues to improve and Gabbard doesn't implode.  However, that's a lot to ask.  If anything, at the very least, Jennings could bring back a draft pick, or pitch well enough that when Texas is out of it by May, they could begin entertaining trade talks and get back a good player or two.

Coco Crisp Deals Are Dead

There's been a lot of rumors tossed around, and a lot of talk from Red Sox fans that the Red Sox should send Coco Crisp over to the Rangers for one of their highly regarded catching prospects.  Peter Gammons, in a recent chat, even had the Rangers (and Oakland) being the likely favorites for Crisp, seeing both teams as needing players.

They are delusional.  It ain't happening.

Back when the off-season first started, there was talk that the Rangers and Red Sox had agreed on a potential Crisp for Gerald Laird swap.  It was understandable, as it was two players who had no future in their respective organizations, had three cheap years of control left each and filled holes for each organization.  The Rangers have no centerfielder and Varitek isn't going to last forever.  It was a classic apples and oranges trade that should have worked.

However, the Red Sox instead decided A) to enter into the Johan Santana sweepstakes and B) change the offer for the Rangers, hoping to net more prospects and get a lot more value for Crisp than he was probably worth.

Texas backed out and instead got Josh Hamilton, who has some risk, but also a lot more of a ceiling than Crisp had and has more service time.

So, as you can see, there isn't room for Texas and Boston is now backed into a corner, as they have a brewing problem on their hand and the number of places they can send Crisp to is drying up fast.

So no, there will be no Coco for Texas.

Sorry.

Bottsy At First...Not A Good Idea

Jason Botts apparently is going to see time at first base and will make the team as the platoon partner for Frank Catalonotto and Ben Broussard in left and at first.

I'm not so sure that first base is a good idea.  Botts was converted to left field after back issues forced him there.  I don't have much experience as far as diamond experience  (I was a catcher in high school), but as far as first base goes, it does involve a lot of bending and leaning.  And if Botts' back is as balky as it sounds, this might not go well.

On the other hand, Texas has a fantastic medical team, so the Rangers might be able to keep him healthy.  Who knows? 

Where To Send Shelton To

With Shelton still passing through waivers, I think it's a fair possibility that he's going to get claimed.  WIth that in mind, the Rangers should look into seeing what they could get for him.

Though streaky, Shelton is a decent player that can play the four corners and he's a young alternative to some of the usual suspects (Sean Casey anyone?)  And, taking a look around the league, there are some places where he'd fit in nicely.

The most immediate fit is San Francisco, unless they want to use Rich Aurillia there.  However, in terms of prospects, I don't see much that San Fran would have to offer, as all their best prospects were either just drafted or are named Angel Villalona.  Sergio Romo, a live arm that is destined for the bullpen, would be the best fit.

Is there anything else I could do?  I don't think so.  I would say Florida, but Shelton might be too expensive for them (and I'm being serious.  Florida and Oakland seem to be racing each other to see who can get the lower payroll.)  The Yankees would be another alternative, but not only do they have too many roster spots taken up by the dead (Giambi), the rude (Duncan) and the Betemiet, but they also seem to be waiting for Mark Teixeira to inevitably hit the market so they can spend the Giambi savings on him.

So, I'd call up Brian Sabean and ask if he's willing to do a Romo for Shelton swap.  Not only would it net the Rangers something, think of the newspaper headlines in Dallas when it's announced that the Rangers have just brought in their own Romo.  It would be classic.

Rangers May Have Waited Too Long To Sell High On Luis Mendoza

I like Luis Mendoza more than most.  However, I think the Rangers may have waited too long to sell on him, as I think his value has peaked.

There's been a lot of talk about Mendoza being a potential back of the rotation starter for the Rangers, and that he could even push one of the vets out of the rotation.

Please.

Mendoza has done nothing to really merit the love he has gotten.  He's been rather inconsistent, has been released by an organization at least once (Boston) and despite a nice run here in Texas, that was only after a late surge.

Honestly, I would have let people know that Mendoza was available, and maybe have made a trade (possibly with Laird.)

Tomorrow, The First (And Last) Astros Report

A return to school and an increased workload at work due to sick leave has cut into my blogging time.  Not cool.

Ah well, time for a collective group of thoughts about baseball.

Scott Rolen and Troy Glaus Traded For Each Other

Kinda a odd deal, considering that both are high priced deals with huge landmines attached to them (Health) but overall the deal does work to the favor of each team in one way or another.

WIth Rolen, the Blue Jays gain a Gold Glove defender at third base, which would help compensate for the lead glove of David Eckstein, at the cost of some offense.  However, Eckstein is better than the shuffle at short the Jays had and there is the off chance that Rolen can prove himself to be semi-adequate with the bat.  More than anything, however, the Jays need some type of return from Vernon Wells, who disappointed last season after signing for superstar money with the Jays. 

In Glaus, the Cardinals get a big bat that is needed to help bolster the offense, which is, to be frank, pathetic outside of Pujols.  More than anything, however, the Cardinals needed to diffuse the situation between Tony LaRussa and Rolen, which was made all but irreparable after LaRussa poured gas on that particular fire this off-season.  The signing of Cesar Izturis does help improve the defense enough where the Cardinals can suffer through Glaus' hands of stone, and the move to natural grass and away from Toronto's turf should prove to be beneficial in the long run for Glaus.

All in all, it's a good gamble for both sides, but more importantly, it clears up some potential locker room disaster that would have exploded during the season had either player remained with their former teams.

Grade For Both Sides:  B

Thoughts On The Kotsay Trade

I was going to rant about how the Braves should have just offered Andruw Jones arbitration, keeping him around for one more year, as he would have accepted, and keeping the offense together.

Instead, they pull this trade.

To be honest, I gotta give Billy Beane all the credit in the world on this one, as I think Kotsay is done.  He's not the defender he once was and in terms of offense, he's not going to give you much in return.  In all honesty, the Braves would have been better off just giving the job to Josh Anderson for the season and just gone with it from there.  At least he's mostly paid for.

Oh wait.  Oakland got two prospects, one of which, Joey Devine, the Braves' first round pick from two years ago, will likely help out Oakland in the bullpen this season.  And they also got Jamie RIchmond, a right hander that could be a fifth starter.  That's quite a haul for a broken player.

Anyhow, that's my take on that.

Oakland Grade - B

Atlanta Grade - D

Lost A Bet

To my friend, who's an Astros fan, on the Cowboy Game on Sunday.

So, expect the first (and only) Astros Report sometime this week.

Ugh...

The Rangers Report - Offseason Edition

My Take On The Potential Jennings Deal

According to Evan Grant, Jason Jennings may be a Ranger in the relatively near future.

My take on that?

I figured that the Rangers would be signing a pitcher soon, as Texas has never been one to rely on a lot of youth in the rotation as far as unproven pitchers are concerned (and, despite their service time, McCarthy and Gabbard are still relatively unproven).  With Edinson Volquez now a Red, Texas was almost certain to look for a high upside vet to take over the three or four spot, depending on who it was. 

The question is, is Jennings that?

Jennings was the youngest of the broken pitchers category, having undergone surgery to fix a torn flexor tendon and was said to be ready for Spring Training.  However, Jennings doesn't have the greatest control, seeing his K to Walk Ratio over the past few years and he doesn't have a legitimate out pitch.  He was remarkably durable, however, and does do a good job of inducing groundballs.  Provided that Young and Kinsler are on their toes when he pitches, he could be effective.  He also has experience pitching in a worse pitcher's park than Texas in Colorado.

And, if the Rangers are out of it and Jennings is effective, he could be flipped for a young player ready to help the Rangers, perhaps an outfielder or a third baseman (as Chris Davis is inevitably going to move to first, in spite of the Rangers possibly looking to move him to right field.) 

The only real question is whether or not Jennings can make it in the AL.  The lineups are deeper and he doesn't have the benefit of cruising through the lower third of the lineup, which is always a problem for NL Pitchers.  Nonetheless, it's a low risk move that could pay dividends.

Catching Situation Sorting Itself Out...In A Way

It looks like the Rangers are planning on keeping Gerald Laird, at least until midseason or until the end Spring Training should someone need a starter for the simple reason that they feel his value is at a low.  It also looks like, with the recent signing of Adam Melhuse to a minor league deal with a spring training invite, that the Rangers are planning on sending Jarrod Saltalamacchia down to Oklahoma to start the season, with the intent of flipping Laird at the deadline and calling Salty back then.

In a way, it might be for the best, considering that Atlanta may have rushed Salty up to the minors and Texas kept him up here to fill in the hole left at first by Teixiera leaving town.  However, I thought that Laird would have had a lot more value around the league.  The two spots I thought might have worked out were:

Boston - Laird could have backed up Jason Varitek before being asked to take on starting catching duties.  And Texas could have netted Coco Crisp.  That was the idea that was going on until Boston reversed course and demanded Eric Hurley, Luis Mendoza and C.J. Wilson back in return.

Mets - Here was another spot that I felt would work, as Laird would have been a cheap option for Minaya, and return could have netted Texas Lastings Milledge.  Instead, Milledge was sent to Washington for Brian Schneider.  Weirdness.

Other Transactions

Jamey Wright is close to signing a Minor League deal with a spring training invite with Texas, bringing him back to the team.  Wright was mediocre as a starter, but was solid as a reliever, though his amount of walks worries me.  Still, Wright is a good guy to have in the swingman role, though a cheaper option would be to use Kameron Loe in that role, which would be a cheaper decision to use.

Another thing, the signing of Eddie Guardado (and have been for the last month, apparently), but here's the problem.  Guardado is likely going to sign a major league deal, meaning another move must be made on the 40 Man roster, which recently saw the departure of Bill White to make room for Kazuo Fukumori.  My guess is that the next to go is Nelson Cruz, followed then by either Jason Botts or Travis Metcalf.

Oakland Athletics - Prospect Report (Revisited)

Wow!

That's all I an say after Billy Beane, deciding that he had gone the distance with the club he had, decided to blow the whole thing up and start afresh.  Trading two of his most valuable commodities (Dan Haren and Nick Swisher), Beane went and traded them both for a load of prospects, many of which will be arriving at Oakland's front door within the year.

What this has done is re-energize a Athletics farm system that was shallow in terms of talent and was arguably in the bottom third of baseball and elevated it to the middle of the pack. 

So, let's take a look at how the system would rate now.  Those that made the original Oakland list are in green.  The new arrivials are standard black.  Some of these prospects you have seen before (Arizona's Prospect Report), but overall, there is some new content to check out here.

Athletics Top 15

1 - Daric Barton (1B)

• DOB: 8/16/85
• Drafted: 1st round, 2003, California High School (Cardinals)
• 2008 Club:  Oakland Athletics (MLB)
• Height/Weight: 6-0/205
• Bats/Throws: L/R
• The Skinny:  Barton was regarded, at the time of the Mark Mulder deal, to be the real centerpiece of the deal.  Since then, Barton hasn't disappointed, but with the emergence of Dan Haren as the ace of the staff, Barton is strictly a side piece that could make the entire deal a slam dunk winner for Oakland (considering that Kiki Calero also came in the deal.)  He was called up late in the year and left a good enough impression for people to be hopeful for the future.
• The Good: The gifted natural hitter was holding his own as a 20-year-old at Triple-A before breaking a bone in his elbow in a freak collision on a pickoff throw. Both his approach and his pitch recognition are above-average on a major-league level, and he can make contact on pitches of any type in any location.
• The Bad:  The biggest power potential that was once seen in Barton has never arrived, meaning that Barton is going to be a rather unconventional first baseman.  Many believe that while he's got the power to hit 30+ homers annually, he may never do so.  As far as his defense, Barton was originally drafted as a catcher, but no one thought he'd be able to stay there.  Oakland hoped to develop his bat faster, so they moved him to first base.  Because of the power outage, Barton was moved to third, where he profiled better, but his terrible fielding resulted in a move back to first.  Hence, he's awful defensively.
• Projection:  Low.  Barton has nothing left to prove and is ready to start contributing to the big league club this season, so this is likely the last year we'll see him.
• What He Can Be:  A First Baseman that will get on base and hit twenty Homers.
• 2008 Course Of Action:  The job is Barton's starting next year, and with Jack Cust now installed as the everyday DH, this will likely force Oakland to trade Dan Johnson.  That said, Barton probably isn't a player I would be thrilled to have as my everyday first baseman, but he's serviceable and in time would allow Oakland to take it's time with a better power option in Chris Carter. 

2 - Faustino De Los Santos (RHP)

• DOB: 2/15/86
• Signed:  2005, Dominican Republic (White Sox)
• 2008 Club:  Stockton Ports (High A)
• Height/Weight: 6-0/205
• Bats/Throws: R/R
• The Skinny:  Seeming to come out of nowhere, De Los Santos has dominated the American minor leagues and gave Low A Kannapolis an ace at the top of it's rotation last season.  He appeared in the Futures Game and game up a homer to uberprospect Justin Upton before a promotion to High A, where he remained until the trade for Nick Swisher.
• The Good:  De Los Santos has a neat fastball, sitting in the low 90's and touches 96 with some sinking action.  He's got a very good curve with late movement that is a plus pitch.  He's also begun work on improving his changeup.
• The Bad: The usual.  De Los Santos needs to continue building his durability in order for him to continue logging some more innings, along with work to improve his arsenal of tools.  He's also a bit overaggressive, which costs him velocity and command over his stuff.
• Projection:  High.  De Los Santos needs more experience, which could only come with time, as well as refinement.  He also needs to improve that changeup, lest he be limited to a bullpen role.  Whatever he is, he should do it well.  This is a potential All-Star talent the Athletics have gotten, a arm that rivals many of those that are in the Rangers' system, and they'll do their best to make sure De Los Santos comes to fruition.
• What He Can Be:  A Rotation Strikeout Artist
• 2008 Course Of Action:  De Los Santos was going to start in High A for the White Sox until the trade went down.  I don't see anything that would change, except that he'll be heading to the California League instead of the Carolina League, and hence going to a hitter's league instead of a pitcher's league.  I don't think it'll affect him too much, as with his stuff, he should handle the change with no problem.

3- Carlos Gonzalez (RF)

• DOB: 10/17/85
• Signed: Venezuela, 2002 (Diamondbacks)
• 2008 Club:  Sacramento River Cats (Triple A)
• Height/Weight: 6-1/200
• Bats/Throws: L/L
• The Skinny:  Gonzalez's stock is took a bit of a tumble early one, but he was able to adjust to the more advanced level of pitching in Double A and earned himself a promotion to Tucson.  All in all, it was a good season, but the emergence of Chris B. Young and Justin Upton in Arizona, plus the extension given to Eric Byrnes resulted in Gonzalez lacking a place to play.  Hence, he became an extremely attractive player to acquire and was the centerpiece of the Dan Haren trade.
• The Good: Gonzalez has some of the best tools in the system.  Gonzalez has a smooth, fluid stroke, above-average power, good range in right field.  He hits to a decent average and has a cannon for an arm.  He's got some wheels on him as well.
• The Bad: Gonzalez is a bit aggressive at the plate, leading to high strikeout totals.  There have been some concerns over his work ethic at times, but Gonzalez kicked it up a notch when competition arrived in the form of Aaron Cunningham.
• Projection: Average.  Gonzalez has the tools, the youth and some success in the upper minors, but he still needs some seasoning.  In my opinion, Gonzalez should remain in Triple A for the meantime, where he could put up some monster numbers in the Pacific Coast League next year, before allowing him to take Swisher's old place in right. 
• What He Come: An All-Star Right Fielder
• 2008 Course Of Action: I feel Gonzalez should be sent to Triple A, where he can finish his development process, but the amount of trades and lack of warm bodies to fill up the major league bench in Oakland (which consists of, right now, Travis Buck, Mark Kotsay and Jack Cust, respectively), Oakland could be tempted to promote him early and have him skip the level. 

4 - Gio Gonzalez (LHP)

• DOB: 9/19/85
• Drafted: 1st round, 2004, Florida High School (White Sox)
• 2008 Club:  Sacramento River Cats (Triple A)
• Height/Weight: 5-11/185
• Bats/Throws: R/L
• The Skinny:  After a year with the Phillies, Gonzalez was sent back to the White Sox in the Freddy Garcia deal.  His 2007 season was pretty good and has merited the trade back.  However, in Kenny William's delusion of contention, he was sent to Oakland as a part of the Nick Swisher trade..
• The Good:  Gonzalez is a K machine, pure and simple.  However, what's really special is that he has increased his groundout totals, always a plus at the Cell.  His fastball has good velocity for a southpaw, but his curve is a filthy pitch that is his out pitch.  His changeup, once a work in progress, is becoming a solid pitch as well, giving him a complete starters arsenal.
• The Bad:  Command is still and issue and will result in him getting some tough nights in the bigs.  Despite a reduction in his flyball tendancies, they nonetheless will be a concern moving forward.  His build also doesn't lend much to durability and ESPN's Keith Law has reported that Gonzalez gets rattled on the mound and doesn't respond to adversity right now.
• Projection:  Low.  Gonzalez should be a factor for the A's in a year's time after some time spent in Triple A.  He should be much better as an Athletic due to their stadium than he would have ever been with the White Sox.  Still, there seems to be a sense that Chicago sold high on Gonzalez and he might not be as good as I feel he is.
• What He Can Be:  A Number Two Starter.
• 2008 Course Of Action:  Gonzalez isn't ready to be a part of the Oakland rotation just yet, meaning he'll be a Rivercat to begin the year.  However, he should be up with the big league club come August, and should be a rotation fixture come 2009.

5 - Aaron Cunningham (OF)

• DOB: 4/24/86
• Drafted: 6th round, 2005, Everett Junior College (White Sox)
• 2008 Club: Midland Rockhounds (Double A)
• Height/Weight: 5-11/195
• Bats/Throws: R/R
• The Skinny:  Cunningham has been involved in a pair of trades now as well, as he was originally traded by the White Sox to the Diamondbacks for second base prospect Danny Richar, in order fill the hole in second base for 2008.  However, the Diamondbacks were able to develop Cunningham further from the raw product he was when he arrived, as Cunningham jumped three levels and ended the year in Double A.  He was then a part of the trade for Dan Haren, giving more outfield depth to the A's.
• The Good: Cunningham doesn't have something that he does best, but he does most things well.  He's got a great swing and makes solid contact with the ball, plus some solid power potential, possible 20 bomb potential.  He hits to all fields and he's got solid speed on him as well.  Many were wondering if Cunningham could play anywhere other than left field, but it turns out that he's not half bad in center or right field.  All in all, he's a good prospect.
• The Bad:  Cunningham's pitch recognition still needs work, as he doesn't draw enough walks. 
• Projection:  Average.  Cunningham is still developing as a player, but he's got a good tool set.  Many are divided as to how they seem Cunningham long term.  I may have overrated him originally, but I believe he's better than the fourth outfielder projection many are tabbing him with already.  Give him two years and you'll have a solid player, depending on what you want to do with Travis Buck, you could shop one of the two at a later date for something nice.
• What He Can Be:  A average left fielder.
• 2008 Course Of Action:  Cunningham will be headed to Midland for the year, with a possible promotion to Sacramento in the future if he continues to hit.  Don't expect to see him anytime soon in Oakland however, as he's got a bit to go.

6 - Chris Carter (1B)

• DOB: 12/18/86
• Drafted: 15th round, 2005, Nevada High School (White Sox)
• 2008 Club:  Stockton Ports (High A)
• Height/Weight: 6-4/220
• Bats/Throws: R/R
• The Skinny:  Carter is already looking like a late round steal, and has been mashing ever since the White Sox drafted him. However, the White Sox, under the delusion that they are close to contention, traded him for Carlos Quentin (which in itself isn't bad, as Quentin is a solid young player who filled a need), but Carter didn't stay long in the desert and was a part of the Dan Haren trade.  He was very nearly a Texas Ranger, however, as a deal for Akinori Otsuka that would have sent Carter to Texas was all but done until the White Sox pulled out due to Otsuka's medicals.
• The Good: Carter is quite simply the best power prospect in the Athletics' system.  He's got great strength and power to all fields and has improved on his plate recognition, which was good to begin with.  Now, Carter is able to draw a lot more walks while reducing his strikeouts and is able to choose his pitch to drive it out of the park.
• The Bad:  Carter is limited to first base due to limited athleticism and is a bad defender even there.  While he may eventually be a passable defender, he's a long term DH in the making.  He's also a below average runner.
• Projection:  Average.  Carter is still a very unpolished prospect, but he has the potential to be the first pure power bat Oakland has had since Jason Giambi was wearing green and gold.  He'll take some time, but he's a long term middle of the order run producer in the making and that is nothing to sneeze at.
• What He Can Be:  A Slugging First Baseman
• 2008 Course Of Action:  Carter will likely take it one level at a time and will spend the year in Stockton, where he should have plenty of opportunities to put up some impressive power numbers this season with all the small parks in the California League. 

7 - Trevor Cahill (RHP)

• DOB: 3/01/88
• Drafted:  2nd Round, 2006, California High School
• 2008 Club:  Stockton Ports (High A)
• Height/Weight: 6-3/195
• Bats/Throws: R/R
• The Skinny:  A surprise pick for the Athletics last year, Cahill had a solid senior season in high school as a first year pitcher, but fell after illness caused him to tail off.  Oakland took him and thus far, Cahill has continued the tradition of Kane County pitching dominance.  But his big coming out party was when he made a spot start for Sacramento at the end of the season and carried a perfect game and a no-hitter once the perfecto was gone until the 8th.  Now that's awesomeness. 
• The Good:  Cahill's biggest strength is his command and control, which are surprisingly good for a young pitcher.  He's able to locate the ball low and induce groundballs.  He throws in the low 90's and can touch 90's, but his best pitch is a spike curveball that has wicked break.  He's a solid athlete and is regarded to be an excellent character guy.
• The Bad:  Cahill doesn't over-power anyone.  He also needs to refine a third pitch.
• Projection:  High.  Cahill is still developing as a pitcher, as he was only pitching for a year after he was drafted, but the promise is there for him to be a capable major league starter. 
• What He Can Be:  A Number 3 starter, maybe a two.
• 2008 Course Of Action:  Cahill will be heading to the California League, where his groundball tendencies should help him survive the year in the extreme hitters league.

8 - James Simmons (RHP)

• DOB: 9/29/86
• Drafted:  1st Round, 2007, UC Riverside
• 2008 Club:  Midland Rockhounds (Double A)
• Height/Weight: 6-3/205
• Bats/Throws: R/R
• The Skinny:  Simmons was regarded to be one of the most polished pitchers in the draft and was rated as one of the closest pitchers to the majors.  After going 11-3 with a 2.40 ERA in his junior season at UC Riverside, the Athletics took him in the 1st round, where he has already reached Double A. 
• The Good:  Simmons' game is all about command and control and he has it in spades.  His stuff is okay, but not overwhelming, with a fastball that sits around 90-92, complimented by a plus changeup and an average breaking ball. 
• The Bad:  Simmons isn't overpowering and while he may be close to the majors, he's not a sure fire star or anything.  He's pretty much what I would call a right handed Joe Saunders, a guy that takes the ball every fifth day and gives you a shot to win.  He also loses speed on his fastball late in a game.
• Projection:  Low.  Simmons will rise quickly once he's assigned to repeat Double A again.  Again, he's got limited upside, which is the only thing you can really hold against him as far as his tools go.
• What He Can Be:  A back of the rotation starter.
• 2008 Course Of Action: Look for Simmons to repeat Double A this year before he gets an assignment to Triple A, where Oakland hopes he might be able to be a factor for a September call up.

9 - Kevin Melillo (2B)

• DOB: 5/14/82
• Drafted: 5th round, 2004, University of South Carolina
• 2008 Club:  Sacramento River Cats (Triple A)
• Height/Weight: 6-0/190
• Bats/Throws: L/R
• The Skinny:  Melillo's 2007 campaign is pretty much the same for what you would expect for him.  He really is just what he is, an average second baseman that could be a steady regular in the majors. 
• The Good: An offensive minded second baseman, Milillo has a short, quick swing that has suprising pop.  He works the count well, gets on base, and all the usual things that Oakland likes it's players to do.  His defensive fundamentals are good.  All in all, he's near ready for the show and could be a producer in the 6 or 7 hole. 
• The Bad: Melillo has had some minor knee issues in the past and when he falls in love with the long ball, he gets pull happy.  He also has below average range and hands, and is nowhere near the Gold Glover type defense Oakland has come to expect from it's second basemen.
• Projection: Low.  Melillo is ready for the show and with this year looking like a rebuilding one, Oakland would be wise to see what they have.
• What He Can Be: An average second baseman.
• 2008 Course Of Action: Ellis has recently had his $5 million club option for 2008 exercised, but that doesn't mean he'll remain on the team, especially now that Oakland is in full scale rebuilding mode.  Ellis is pretty attractive right now as a cheap date and could fetch a decent prize while allowing Melillo to play everyday.

10 - Sean Doolittle (1B)

• DOB: 9/26/86
• Drafted: 1st Round (S), 2007, Virginia
• 2008 Club:  Stockton Ports (High A)
• Height/Weight: 6-3/190
• Bats/Throws: L/L
• The Skinny:  Doolittle was on the rise after a year in Virginia and was projected to be picked somewhere in the lower end of the first round.  However, Porcello's fall along with some other shenanigans with the Pirates resulted in Doolittle falling into the supplemental round, where Oakland took him.  He had a pretty good debut for Oakland.
• The Good: An athletic first baseman, Doolittle makes good, consistent solid contact from the left side and should hit for average in the future.  He has an above average arm, which was seen from his days as a two way player at Virginia, plus he shows decent range and can even run a bit too.
• The Bad:  Doolittle lacks any sort of power potential at first base, which isn't what you want out of a power position. 
• Projection: Average.  Doolittle may rise quickly and while he may not have home run power, doubles power may exist within him.
• What He Can Be: A average first baseman that hits for average, but not for power.
• 2008 Course Of Action: Doolittle has the talent to be a productive major leaguer, but it won't be for Oakland.  Barton is now the Athletics' first baseman and the A's now have a stronger   but unfortunately for him, he's also blocked by both Dan Johnson and Daric Barton, meaning that in the future, Doolittle's likely value to Oakland is trade bait.

11 - Henry Rodriguez (RHP)

• DOB: 2/25/87
• Signed: 2003, Venezuela
• 2008 Club:  Midland Rockhounds (Double A)
• Height/Weight: 6-1/175
• Bats/Throws: R/R
• The Skinny: A big signing out of Venezuela a few years ago has taken a big step forward with the Cougars this year, though his record doesn't show for it.  Still, it's pretty impressive considering how raw he was last year when he was torched in the Arizona Rookie League.
• The Good: Rodriguez has the best raw stuff in the organization, as his fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and has been clocked as high as 100.  His curveball and changeup look like they could eventually be plus pitches, which could give him a potentially lethal arsenal if he's able to put it all together.  All in all, he's a project, but one that could pay off big.
• The Bad: Rodriguez is, as I've said, a raw product, and he's had some issues with control that have resulted in some ugly outings for him.  There are also maturity issues with Rodriguez, but that really isn't unexpected.
• Projection: Very High.  Rodriguez could become a beast if he continues to work on his stuff.  He's more than just an arm strength type of prospect and he's got the skill set to be a solid middle of the rotation K machine if he continues to develop on schedule.  Still, he's got a long way to go.
• What He Can Be: A middle of the rotation strikeout machine.
• 2008 Course Of Action:  With another season under his belt in Double A, Rodriguez could very well help his cause to eventually become a option for Oakland come 2009 or 2010, joining some of the other young athletics in the rebuilding effort.

12 - Ryan Sweeney (CF)

• DOB: 2/20/85
• Drafted: 1st round, 2003, Iowa High School
• 2008 Club:  Sacramento River Cats (Triple A)
• Height/Weight: 6-4/215
• Bats/Throws: L/L
• The Skinny: The former first rounder did nothing to shake his bust tag and didn't earn a late season call up, even with Chicago's less than stellar outfield situation.  Chicago was shopping him furiously and finally got to get rid of him in Swisher deal. 
• The Good: Sweeney is big, athletic, and has some offensive skills.  He has a quick swing, some power and makes good contact.  He doesn't' strikeout often and has enough wheels to play center, along with a strong arm. 
• The Bad: Sweeney was always to projected to hit for power.  That obviously haven't happened and most don't see him as a centerfielder long term.  He's also got issues against lefties as well. 
• Projection:  Low.  Sweeney may be able to stick with Oakland as a centerfielder in the short term, if they feel he might be able to be adequate in center, and he may be able to tap into that long dormant power potential with the right coaching.  I kinda doubt it, though.
• What He Can Be:  A starting centerfielder
• Timetable: While Sweeney has clearly stagnated, it's hard to see him avoiding a third year at Triple-A without a monster spring training. This next year is absolutely pivotal for him.

13 - Jermaine Mitchell (CF)

• DOB: 11/2/84
• Drafted: 5th round, 2006, UNC-Greensboro
• 2008 Club:  Stockton Ports (High A)
• Height/Weight: 6-0/200
• Bats/Throws: L/L
• The Skinny: . Taken from a small school, many felt that Mitchell would only be organizational filler, a fourth outfielder at best.  He's since proven to be potentially better than that after another solid season, this time for Kane County.
• The Good: Mitchell could be one of the latest Oakland scouting department steals if he continues to produce.  Mitchell is a solid centerfielder with a good arm, good range and solid speed.  He's also got a quick bat and some excellent plate discipline. All in all, he's a good package of tools that could really blossom into something good.
• The Bad: Mitchell's swing is complex and needs to be simplified.  The power that was thought to have been in Mitchell hasn't manifested himself.  He's also murdered by right handers and had some extreme home-away splits as well, meaning that he's got some work to do unless he wants to be a platoon centerfielder.
• Projection: High.  Mitchell took a step forward in his development, not as big as Oakland may have expected, but it's a start.
• What He Can Be: An everyday big-league outfielder.
• 2008 Course Of Action: I expect Mitchell to be the Ports' starting centerfielder this season.  Oakland eventually sees him to be a centerfielder for the future option, though at the moment, he's still got a long way to go.

14 - Brett Anderson (LHP)

• DOB: 2/1/88
• Drafted: 2nd round, 2006, Oklahoma High School (Diamondbacks)
• 2008 Club:  Visalia Oaks (High A)
• Height/Weight: 6-4/215
• Bats/Throws: L/L
• The Skinny:  Last year, Anderson was one of the more difficult high school pitchers to evaluate, and his bonus demands resulted in him falling out of the first and supplemental rounds.  The Diamondbacks were intrigued enough to pull the trigger on him, even though he wasn't a power pitcher and never will be.  His final line was 11-7 with a 3.07 ERA between Low and High A, but Arizona won't realize the returns on their investment, as he's now an A.
• The Good: The son of Oklahoma State coach Frank Anderson, Anderson's mechanics are solid and he has remarkable control of his breaking stuff and off-speed pitches.  He's got a very deep repertoire, with three solid pitches, the best being a changeup that he can throw for strikes.   He's got a good pitcher's build and could even add a little more mass.
• The Bad:  Anderson is also not very athletic and his fastball clocks in the high 80's, touching 91 on occasion.
• Projection:  Average.  Anderson still has a lot of work to do in terms of improving himself, but his ability to induce groundballs and log in innings should result in some success in the majors.  I feel he's been overrated some due to his results, which are misleading, but his stuff isn't fantastic and in the American League, he should fit in as a Number Three or Four starter.  But hey, Barry Zito was able to last for a while with less than impressive repertoire and one major money pitch.
• What He Can Be:  An innings eater.
• 2008 Course Of Action:  Anderson got hit hard in the California League and likely will repeat there to begin next year.

15 - Javier Herrera (OF)

• DOB: 4/9/85
• Signed: 2001, Venezuela
• 2008 Club:  Sacramento River Casts (Triple A)
• Height/Weight: 5-10/160
• Bats/Throws: R/R
• The Skinny: After missing a year thanks to Tommy John Surgery, Herrera had a mostly average comeback season.  While it's not pretty, it's still a promising development and should be expected form a guy coming off TJ.
• The Good: Herrera He has above-average hitting skills to go with plus power and speed, as well as good range to both sides in centerfield and an above-average arm.
• The Bad: Herrera's conditioning is a bit of an issue, as he did put on some weight during his inactivity, but he was able to drop most of it.  He's also a bit reckless on the field, plus his power potential hasn't manifested itself quite yet.
• Projection: High.  Herrera is still working to come all the way back from TJ, but so far so good. 
• What He Can Be: A above average centerfielder
• 2008 Course Of Action: Expect the Athletics to push Herrera a bit by promoting him to Triple A, where he could work well if he's finally able to get his tools together.

Final Thoughts

With the rebuilding effort now in full swing, Oakland has a good deal of prospect depth to develop to form the core of their next championship core.  With little in terms of long term contracts other than those that are immobile (Chavez, Crosby) and one major one leaving the books after this year (Kotsay), Oakland has the financial flexibility to work with to get this set of prospects going and locked up to some near term deals when the time comes.  All in all, Oakland has enough to field a contender with what they have in their system, though the pitching won't be as explosive as it once was, back in the day when the Big Three roamed MacAfee Coliseum.

One thing to note, however, is that Oakland hasn't done a particularly good job of drafting high ceiling, star level talent.  Much of their new top 15 is from outside of the organization, with 8 of the total top 15 and 6 of the top 10 being drafted by other squads.  While much kudos needs to be given to Oakland for getting them, they do need to do a better job of drafting their own star players and not always playing it safe.  Spending some more money on later round talents would be a start and revamping the international scouting system would be another way to help keep the pipeline to talent flowing to Oakland.

Sources, Scouting Reports, and Thanks to:  Kevin Goldstein (Baseball Prospectus), Keith Law (ESPN), Soxprospects.com, B.J. Medrano, Jim Callis And The Rest Of Baseball America, Jonathan Mayo (MLB.com), MiLB.com, Sam Corral and Erica Belmontes, Ernie Carlson, Lonestarball.com, Jamey Newberg (Newbergreport.com), Brewerfan.net and Mike Hindman (Rangers Farm Report)