jays4life19

^ Did not read the study

Your post seems to imply that Montreal would be a bad city to have a baseball team. ____ https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/consultations-show-strong-support-for-the-return-of-major-league-baseball-to-montreal-702691542.html The Montreal TV market ranks in the top half of all MLB TV markets: For the total size of the TV market, Montreal would rank 12th out of 27 markets. Montreal is the strongest market among potential expansion or relocation candidates: with regard to other expansion team or relocation candidate cities, Montreal ranks 1st in population, 1st in size of television market, 1st in size of corporate base and 2nd in median household income. Montreal ranks 15th out of 27 MLB markets for metropolitan population size, 18th out of 27 with regards to median household income and 19th out of 27 in terms of corporations with annual sales of at least $5M and at least 25 employees.

^ Did not read the article

This was a pretty good read about baseball coming back to Montreal. Thought i would share. _____ Stephen​ Bronfman,​ it would​ appear,​ is​ taking​ things to​ a new level. The lead investor​ of a group​ looking to bring Major League Baseball​​ to Montreal — a group that identified itself officially for the first time Thursday — has had a decent run of good news over the past eight months or so, basically ever since Bronfman expressed some frustration over how slowly the process was moving in late March. “We have a window of opportunity, and the further that we go down the path with nothing, the window starts to tighten a little bit,” Bronfman said then. “I mean, I’m super positive and excited about this idea, but we’re at a bit of a tipping point where if there’s no real concrete anything in the next little while, I don’t know how excited we can keep people. I don’t know how excited I can keep the people that are around me, or even myself … I’m a realist. I’m an optimist, but a realist. You can only keep that flame burning for so long.” That flame is now burning brighter than ever. Since saying those words, Bronfman met with Montreal mayor Valérie Plante and came out of the meeting with a positive endorsement from City Hall, an important step in the process considering the political capital that was believed to be lost from the project when former mayor and die-hard baseball fan Denis Coderre lost his re-election bid to Plante. Then on Thursday, Bronfman’s group released the results of a market study conducted by U.S. firm Conventions, Sports & Leisure, or CSL, that concluded “Montreal has the market characteristics to support an MLB team effectively over the long term.” But it was the timing of that release that was so intriguing, because it came two days after Rays owner Stuart Sternberg declared his team’s plan to build a new ballpark in Ybor City to be dead, and in so doing put the future viability of the Rays in Tampa Bay into serious doubt. It was apparently a coincidence; or, as Bronfman called it, “kismet.” But Bronfman got the blessing of Major League Baseball before releasing the study when he did, about 10 days after it was completed and delivered to the ownership group. Coincidence, kismet, whatever you want to call it, the timing of the release made the impact of that study far greater and extended its reach all the way down to the Gulf Coast of Florida. “We try and do things quietly and not step on toes, so from a distance — and I’m not in daily contact with anyone in Tampa or Oakland or in New York, for that matter,” Bronfman said Thursday evening. “At the end of the day, it’s not disastrous in Tampa. They’ve got a stadium, they’ve got a 10-year lease, they’ve got a good television contract, it doesn’t mean all that much. It just means that they don’t have the chance to build a nice, swanky new ballpark that they need. I don’t know what their business looks like. So is their television contract strong enough to keep them going regardless of fan attendance? Maybe, that could be, because this is a media business. “But optically it doesn’t look good and I’m sure that their revenue share number is pretty high. But these are all just assumptions, it’s me looking at it the same as you. I read the paper, I look at what’s happening, it’s not good but it’s not the end of the day for them, right?” Of course, Bronfman is not looking at the situation in Tampa Bay the same as anyone else, except maybe his fellow investors in Montreal. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said on numerous occasions — something he has specifically said to Bronfman as well — that expansion will not happen until the stadium situations in Tampa Bay and Oakland are resolved. So the longer those situations drag on, the longer Montreal or any of the other potential landing spots for an expansion team will have to wait. The one advantage Montreal currently has on places like Portland or Las Vegas or other interested cities is that there is a stadium ready to welcome a team right now until a new downtown ballpark can be built in the event of a sudden relocation. Olympic Stadium is far from an ideal building to host baseball games, but it can work on a temporary basis. The Rays, with the number of years left in their agreement tying them to Tropicana Field until 2027, don’t appear to be a candidate for anything sudden. But while Bronfman acknowledges he is not looking at the situation from the same perspective as everyone else, he is connecting many of the same dots. “What I meant is I read the papers like you, so you make your own assumptions out of what’s going on, so the assumption that you’re making is the same assumption that I’m making is the same assumption that Guy Caron in Bagotville is making, that all this stuff could be positive for a movement to Montreal,” Bronfman said. “So you sit back and say, ‘OK, maybe something like that will happen.’ But again, not wanting to step on toes and wanting very much for Major League Baseball to make these decisions, we go about our business and prepare for hopefully, what we feel is an eventual return of Major League Baseball to Montreal. How that’s going to pan out, I don’t really know. But this might be one of the ways.” The findings of the market research are obviously encouraging in the way the investors group spelled them out here (the group has decided not to release the full report from CSL). But aside from the positive news release, two other things happened Thursday that were arguably more significant. The first came at the bottom of that release with a list of names, marking the first time the potential ownership group revealed itself in any official way. Many of the names on the list were already known, but most of them were never tied in black and white to the project like they were Thursday. This is important. The group is not keeping quiet anymore. The project is optically moving out of the shadows. “I think it’s important because I think things are starting to get more and more serious,” Bronfman said. “I think it’s time for people to understand who the group is. We’re trying to be as transparent as we can. “It’s a great mix of successful Montrealers that I think adds a lot to what we’re talking about. I don’t have some sort of PR machine behind working it saying we’ve got to release this then, this is done all just discussing together. We just feel it’s time we come out and show at least our hands of who we are and to come out in concert with all this really positive news and just hope these trends continue and we’re able to keep on providing more and more updates as we’re climbing up this big hill.” The second came via a tweet from Quebec Premier Francois Legault showing him meeting with Bronfman on Thursday and saying, “Good meeting with Stephen Bronfman to talk about the possible return of Major League Baseball to Montreal.” View image on Twitter View image on Twitter François Legault ✔ @francoislegault Bonne rencontre avec Stephen Bronfman pour discuter du retour possible du baseball majeur à Montréal.#PolQc 704 2:18 PM - Dec 13, 2018 297 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy Again, much like the meeting with Plante earlier this year, this was a significant meeting. And, just as he did after meeting with the Montreal mayor, Bronfman came away from his meeting with Legault very encouraged. “It’s the first time we’ve met (since Legault was elected,” Bronfman said. “Everyone has always told me if the CAQ get elected, this is really good for your project because every time Legault speaks about it, it’s all very, very positive and he’s very supportive. So meeting with him today, just the two of us, it was indeed that. It was a very, very positive meeting. It wasn’t me going to him with a specific ask dollar-wise or whatnot. It was sort of just giving him an overview of what’s gone on, where we are and what kind of role he could play either as a possible partner or someone who could help realize the project. There are lots of things where the province can help, the city can help, and all these are pieces in the puzzle that are going to make this project work.” Bronfman has never denied that the project will need governmental assistance, but he has been very careful to make it clear the ownership would not be seeking massive public investment in a new Montreal ballpark. But the group will need some help from the city, province and perhaps even the federal government. The task is now convincing each level of government that having a Major League Baseball team in Montreal is economically beneficial. “[Legault] is a businessman who is focused on growth and visibility of the city and the province,” Bronfman said. “So he said it several times during our meeting, what’s really important to him is if there is a business case where there’s enough of an economic impact that it makes sense for them to be involved. Look what it does for visibility. He’s a brand guy, he’s directing a brand and that’s the brand of Montreal and Quebec, so what could be better than putting yourself on the pedestal of another major-league sport? If we weren’t in hockey, half the world wouldn’t look our way. We’re not in baseball, but if we are in baseball then a lot more faces turn our way, a lot more people come to visit, a lot more attention, a lot more serious thought maybe on the business side. “There’s all kinds of potential pluses, of course. And then it’s an easy business deal because players come and they pay taxes, tourists come and they insert money in. That’s why the government decided they should step up and support Formula 1. Just look at the couple of years Montreal didn’t have Formula 1, look what happens to Montreal when we’re not in the playoffs, people’s faces are grey. I think that we’re all in the business of making our place a better place, and this is one of those things that can do that.” The burden of proof on whether the return of MLB would be economically beneficial falls on Bronfman’s group, and he said they are putting together numbers to make their case, though they are not prepared to do so just yet. There is certainly some doubt on the economic impact of professional sports teams on a city, and there will be skepticism as soon as a single dollar of public money is committed to the project. Bronfman knows this and is ready for it, but before getting into that he wants to make it clear that he and his fellow investors are doing this for the right reasons. “We are going to present numbers and present a hypothesis that in our eyes is real,” Bronfman said. “We’re not a bunch of promoters, we’re not guys that are in for a quick flip. We’re guys who care, who are civic-minded and who are not here to make out like bandits. This isn’t the business deal of the century where we’re going for the great big swindle. This is something that all partners involved are very civic-minded, we’re all very involved in our city, our province, our country and we understand the importance of what another major league sport for our city can do. If this does happen, I’m going to go up against plenty of naysayers, and that’s part of the gig.” The next step, Bronfman said, is to finalize the location of a new ballpark in downtown Montreal, something he hopes to be able to announce as early as this winter. That is when this thing will start to get really serious. In that sense, Bronfman and his group find themselves in a very similar position to Sternberg and the Rays, with each of them looking for a baseball home. The big difference is momentum. Both cities have some, but it is moving in opposite directions.

Pfft.

Mackenzie Gore is about 17 spots too low. (give or take)

haha

Weird with Urias ready to go.

James Reimer is not good at this hockey thing

He sounds Russian so this makes sense.

Touche. Might need to start betting on them more often. Or at least bet heavy in the playoffs

What's happening to the Leaves here Spankyboy?

Keep me updated Spanky.

He went 1st overall

Me thinks Will Holland will be one of the biggest risers this year.

Spanky wins

Hunter Greene is such an Abom pitcher.

Tony Santillan and Jesse Winker would be an interesting return for Stroman.

Touche. _____ Rule 5 Preview: Pitchers Scott Delp December 11, 2018 SHARE: MLB’s Rule 5 Draft takes place this Thursday to wrap up the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. More and more, this is becoming an avenue for teams who are not expecting to be in contention to fill out the back end of their 25-man roster with inexpensive players who might be useful down the road. Of the 18 players taken in the Major League phase of last season’s draft, at least seven stayed with new teams. In recent times, Odubel Herrera of the Phillies is probably the most famous success story of the Rule 5 draft, but there have been several players just as successful in years past, including Johan Santana and Roberto Clemente. The rules of the draft are simple, players signed at age 18 or younger are eligible for the draft if they are not added to the 40-man roster by the end of their fifth pro season while players signed at age 19 or older are eligible after just four pro seasons if they are not added to the 40-man. Teams may only make selections in the draft if they have space available on their 40-man rosters. The catch is that the players chosen must remain on the 25-man roster of the drafting team for the entire season or they must be offered back to the original team. You can read a more detailed description here. While there are a number of places where you can find the names of more high-profile players available, like Oakland’s Richie Martin, Boston’s Josh Ockimey, the Braves’ Travis Demeritte, Junior Fernandez and Max Schrock of the Cardinals or Tyler Jay of the Twins, we are going to look at some less visible players who may hold some intrigue to the right team. Yesterday, we discussed several hitters who might be useful. Today, we will look at pitchers. Pitchers may be a bit more likely to be able to stick with new teams for several reasons as they can be used in some softer spots and can sometimes find themselves on the DL for part of the time without jeopardizing their status with their new teams. We will be looking largely for players with an ability to become part of the new approach to bullpen usage as that might make for the easiest and most efficient way for a pitcher to remain on the roster throughout the season. Player Name, Age (as of July 1, 2019), Highest Level in 2018, Current Organization Travis Radke, 26, Triple-A, San Diego Padres The AFL serves a number of purposes for MLB teams. Some players go there to see how they might perform against slightly tougher competition. Some go because they need extra work because they missed some time due to injury. And then there are guys that organizations need to make decisions on for Rule 5 purposes and they want to get one more look. Radke fits in this latter category as the Padres had a tough decision to make on him. Chosen in the 25th round of the 2014 draft, Radke made it to High-A by the end of 2015, though he missed all of the next season and a good bit of 2017 after having Tommy John surgery. He came back strong this season, pitching across four levels and finishing in Triple-A. He performed well in the AFL as a multi-inning reliever but didn’t do quite enough to find a spot on San Diego’s 40-man roster. Radke is a bit unusual in that he is an over the top lefty with a fringy fastball and an elite changeup. While he may not fit in the Padres’ plans, he seems just about MLB ready and he may well be able to use that changeup to get out enough MLB hitters to be of use in one of today’s bullpens. Conor Lillis-White, 26, Triple-A, Los Angeles Angels The Angels chose Lillis-White in the 32nd round of the 2015 draft and his career could have been over rather quickly. Due mostly to injuries, he spent all of his time in rookie ball until he was 25. He persevered through that and the Angels gave him the room to do so, and it began to pay off in 2017 when he finished in High-A and pitched 67 innings on the season. His 10.88 strikeout percentage opened some eyes but staying healthy for a full season was the biggest accomplishment. Lillis-White is another lefty without a big fastball. His out pitch is a plus curve that is equally effective against batters from both sides. In 2018, he used his sinker more often and generated more ground ball contact. In 72 innings, he struck out 98 batters, but the extra ground balls found a few more holes, especially at Triple-A. He could be an asset in the bullpen of a team that has strong infield defense as the combination of sinker and curve could create a lot of quality outs. Justin Donatella, 24, Double-A, Arizona Diamondbacks A 15th-rounder in 2015 out of UC-San Diego, Donatella is a right-hander who fit right into what seemed to be a Diamondbacks’ plan to accumulate a bevy of tall starting pitching prospects. At 6-foot-6, he was able to get good downward plane on his fastball and that made it play up in spite of a lack of premium velocity. Donatella is simply a guy who has gotten the job done at every level as he has made his way through the Arizona system. In 2017, he pitched the whole season in the California League and fared well for a pitcher with just average stuff. He moved to a more favorable pitching environment in Double-A in 2018 and continued to have good success. Donatella throws a fastball that will touch the low 90s occasionally and he adds a changeup that is a tick above average. He has good command that helps him limit hard contact. It seems that Donatella might be able to function in a major league role well enough to make him an intriguing pick, and if he were moved to a bullpen role, his limited repertoire might play up even more. Harold Arauz, 24, Triple-A, Philadelphia Phillies Signed as a 16-year-old by the Astros and traded to Philly in the deal for Ken Giles, Arauz is a righty who has advanced commensurate to his age. He had decent success in the Astros’ organization, but took a step forward after moving to the Phillies. The raw numbers make it look as if he regressed a bit in 2018 but it is important to realize that he spent the season in Reading, which is one of the more favorable hitting environments in the minor leagues. Arauz is another pitcher with a slightly below average fastball, a slightly above average second pitch (in his case a curve), no consistent third pitch and good command. This makes him pretty much the norm for guys available in the Rule 5 draft. If we were looking at him from a prospect point of view, we would not be particularly impressed. We would not give him a second thought from a fantasy standpoint either. He could, however, be a useful bullpen piece or swingman in today’s game and picking him up to use him as a reliever this season, which could make his velocity tick up and negate the need for a third pitch, could be a wise move. Jordan Guerrero, 25, Triple-A, Chicago White Sox Guerrero has had his ups and downs since being selected by the White Sox in round 15 of the 2012 draft. The lefty was a top-10 prospect in the organization for a couple of seasons after pitching well in 2014 and 2015. A promotion to Double-A to start 2016 proved to be a speed bump as Guerrero’s previously solid control suffered. He throws an average fastball that sits in the low 90s with some movement. He complements that with a plus changeup that has given him an ability to get right-handed batters out with some consistency. A lot of his struggles over the last year or so have been due to Guerrero’s over-dependence on his change and his inability to find a reliable third pitch. A promotion to Triple-A in the second half of 2018 turned out to be a positive change. He seemed to use his sinker more, generating more ground ball contact than at any time since rookie ball. He also seemed to rely more on an improved slider as a possible third pitch. Guerrero won seven of his 12 Triple-A starts and posted an ERA of 3.46 in 65 innings. He could very well fill a swingman role for a rebuilding team. Two More of Note All of the above pitchers have a chance to be at least somewhat helpful this season. Beyond that, some could develop into back-end, 5/6 starter types or middle relievers. Also, there are a couple of guys who might be worth a pick to see if they can develop into something more down the road. These are lower level guys who we’ve found to be interesting who may not be very good this season, but if a team can find a way to keep them on the roster, there may be some value in the future. The Yankees’ Reiver Sanmartin pitched at four different levels in 2018 and walked just four batters in 67 1/3 innings overall. The Yankees acquired Sanmartin last November from the Rangers, who had signed him as a 19-year-old IFA in 2015. He is a low-slot lefty who seems to have a chance to be more than just a lefty specialist as he has three pitches that can be average or better. His fastball is only 88-91, but he has a changeup and slider that both show promise. He can work the fastball around the zone with some movement and deception. Turning 23 next April, he just needs experience. He has thrown just over 200 innings as a pro, but If he can become more consistent with his changeup to give him a weapon to use against righties, he could turn into a useful 4/5 starter. Another pitcher acquired in a trade, Alejandro Requena of the Phillies was slowed this season by injury. He is still just 22 but has only pitched as high as High-A. He came to Philadelphia from Colorado in the deal for Pat Neshek in 2017. Requena had pitched at Asheville for most of 2017 and performed very well in a park that greatly favors hitters. He didn’t get started at Clearwater until late-June of this season, but he showed many of the skills that brought him success at Asheville. He throws a fastball that he can sink and run and that sits 91-93. He also has a curve with good late movement that he throws at 79-81 and a changeup at 82-83. If Requena can get his command back to where it was in Asheville and firm up his change a bit to get a better velocity separation between it and his curve, there is some mid-rotation upside here.

Damn that's quite the wall of text

1. Sam McWilliams, RHP, Rays McWIlliams has already been traded twice. A Phillies draft pick, he was shipped to Arizona in the Jeremy Hellickson trade and then was one of the players to be named acquired by the Rays in last offseason's three-team Steven Souza-Brandon Drury trade. McWilliams is a big (6-foot-7) righthander who has always had a firm fastball (90-94 mph) and a solid slider, but he's been improving his changeup to the point where it's a viable third pitch. His stats at Double-A Montgomery were hurt by a ballooning home run rate, but at his best he shows the traits of a back-of-the-rotation starter. 2. Riley Ferrell, RHP, Astros Ferrell had a rocky return this season in his second year back from shoulder surgery, but he has the same swing-and-miss stuff he had when the Astros drafted him in the third round in 2015. What he doesn't have is the control to know where that stuff is going--he walked nearly six batters per nine innings this season. When they were rebuilding years ago, the Astros had success nabbing Josh Fields in the Rule 5 draft with a similar profile (big stuff, poor control). Now someone could try to do the same thing to the Astros. 3. Richie Martin, SS, Athletics Martin has long faced questions about his bat, but he's shortstop with excellent hands and a plus arm. And in his third stint at Double-A Midland, he hit .302/.370/.442. As a shortstop with some success hitting in Double-A, he immediately becomes a very interesting Rule 5 candidate. Some scouts question his range, as they say he's less athletic than he used to be and his body is slowing down. Ray-Patrick Didder, SS/OF, Braves Didder is a backup, but he's a very versatile backup. Everyone got to watch him play second, third and shortstop in the Arizona Fall League and he's shown in the past that he can be an above-average center fielder. Didder is a plus runner with a plus arm, excellent versatility and an ability to help as a pinch runner, utility infielder/outfielder and a low-impact pinch hitter who makes contact but doesn't have much power. He has a lower ceiling than what many teams look for in a Rule 5 pick, but he can help a big league team in 2019, which is something many Rule 5 candidates can't say. Jairo Beras, RHP, Rangers Beras converted from the outfield to the pitching mound and immediately showed exceptional arm speed. He's touched 100 mph and in his better outings he'll sit 95-98. His velocity does vary from outing to outing, but he showed surprisingly impressive feel for someone so new to the mound and he struck out 12.5 per nine innings in 54 innings with high Class A Down East while holding opponents to a .180 average. Jackson McClelland, RHP, Blue Jays McClelland spent most of 2018 in a return to high Class Dunedin before a late-season bump up to Double-A New Hampshire. He also pitched in the Arizona Fall League where he held righthanders to a .125 batting average and slugging percentage but a frightening .417 on-base percentage. McClelland throws harder now than he did in college at Pepperdine as he now sits 97-98 and touches 100. His delivery hides the ball well, but he does face control issues. brewers-900x635 Troy Stokes Jr. Shows Power-Speed Combo The 2014 fourth-rounder out of high school cemented a place on the 40-man roster with a strong showing at Double-A and then the Venezuelan League. Kean Wong, 2B, Rays Wong is a lefthanded-hitting second baseman who had two productive years at Triple-A Durham. He hit .282/.345/.406 this past season while playing second base, third base, left field and center field. What hurts Wong as a Rule 5 candidate is his below-average arm. For teams who like to shift, Wong struggled to make those throws from short right field when he was shifted at second. But he can hit and is big league ready and his hands work well at second base. Jake Gatewood, 1B/3B, Brewers A torn ACL that required surgery may actually make it easier for Gatewood to be a Rule 5 pick. Because of the injury, Gatewood could begin the year on the disabled list, head out in June for a injury rehab assignment in the minors and join the big league club in July. By doing so, he could still fulfill Rule 5 requirements by being on the active roster for 90 days. Outfielder/first baseman Anthony Santander followed a similar path for the Orioles as a Rule 5 pick in 2016 following shoulder surgery. Gatewood has some of the best power potential among eligible players, but his home runs have come with plenty of strikeouts and a .302 on-base percentage last season at Double-A Biloxi. A team picking him would be wise to view Gatewood as a four corners player (left, right, third and first) rather than the first baseman he's primarily been with Milwaukee. The former shortstop is a much better athlete than most first baseman and has a strong arm. Reed Garrett, RHP, Rangers Garrett took a nice step forward in 2018 as improved control paid off in excellent results as he both threw more strikes and did a better job of keeping the ball in the ballpark. Garrett now has more than 200 innings of Double-A/Triple-A experience with a mid-90s fastball and a hard slider. Zach Thompson, RHP, White Sox Thompson spent the previous two seasons getting rocked around the Carolina League as a starter. But a move to the bullpen paid off as Thompson was much more effective and simply a better pitcher in 2018. He now can rely heavily on his 93-94 mph fastball and an at least average cutter. He proved hard to hit at high Class A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham and struck out more than a batter an inning. Others To Watch Power Hitting Corner Bats Teams rarely look or find sluggers in the Rule 5 draft. For National League teams, the idea of carrying a bench power bat has become tougher and tougher unless they can provide some defensive versatility. The path is a little easier in the American League, but teams are often reluctant to turn over the DH role to a rookie. Josh Ockimey, 1B, Red Sox It's understandable that the Red Sox left Ockimey unprotected--the club's biggest strength in the minors is corner infield power bats, and two of the prospects ahead of him on the depth chart can play first and third base while Ockimey is stretched at first base. But Ockimey has a track record of hitting for reasonable power and he gets on base. A rebuilding team could decide that he's worth a look as a first baseman/DH with power and walks. Roberto Ramos, 1B, Rockies Ramos' power will play in the big leagues He hit 32 home runs last season between high Class A Lancaster and Double-A Hartford. Ramos posts consistently excellent exit velocities and draws plenty of walks to go with his power. Working against him getting picked is his lack of upper-level minor league experience (only 199 at-bats at Double-A) and his lack of versatility. It's very hard for teams to carry a backup who is limited to playing first base only. Drew Ward, 3B, Nationals Ward was unprotected and unpicked last year and the same will likely be true this season. He returned to Double-A Harrisburg for a second consecutive season. He did show some modest improvement, but he isn't showing the power production that would be expected from his raw power. He has timing issues and strikes out too much. Also, he played more first base than third base this year as he faces more questions about his glove at third. Lewin Diaz, 1B, Twins A year ago, Diaz named bounced around the lobby at the Winter Meetings as a potential pick who could be stashed by a rebuilding team even though he'd yet to play above low Class A. In the end no one decided to take that chance. A year later, it's harder to make a case for him to be picked. Diaz missed the final two months of the season with a thumb injury, but he posted a .224/.255/.344 line with high Class A Fort Myers before his injury. Lefty Relievers Around baseball in general there is less demand for left-on-left specialists and trying to find such a player in the Rule 5 draft has generally been an exercise in futility--they best recent success story is Tigers lefty Daniel Stumpf, a two-time Rule 5 pick who failed to stick. Because he was a two-time Rule 5 pick, by rule he could opt for free agency, which he did and then re-signed with the Tigers. Most of the lefty specialists on this list have at least some ability to handle righthanded hitters as well. Rob Kaminsky, LHP, Indians Kaminsky has had trouble staying healthy recently. He sprained his elbow ligament in 2017, although he was able to rehab it without surgery. He then missed the first half of the 2018 season with an abdomen strain. But he was back on the mound to pitch effectively at high Class A Lynchburg, Double-A Akron and in the Arizona Fall League after he shook off some initial rust (he walked seven of 11 batters he faced over two late-June outings and then allowed only 13 walks over his next 35 innings. The Cardinals' 2013 first-round pick now throws from a low slot that makes his low 90s fastball and mid-80s slider effective in same-side matchups. He held lefties to a .188/.250/.271 line at Akron. D.J. Snelten, LHP, Orioles Snelten had a brief and unsuccessful stint with the Giants last season before being waived and claimed by the Orioles. Snelten's stuff is fringy, but he was quite effective in 2017 when he held lefties to a .158 average. Snelten depends on deception and funkiness. Ryan Sherriff, LHP, Rays Sherriff will miss at least half the season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, which led to the Cardinals waiving him off the 40-man roster. The Rays signed him to a minor league contract. The injury makes it unlikely he'll get picked, but he's a lefty with some MLB experience (20 innings between 2017 and 2018). Chris Lee, LHP, Orioles Lee was considered one of the better pitching prospects in the Orioles system not that long ago, but his 2018 season got off to a late start because of a shoulder injury. He's battled injuries throughout his stint with the Orioles, making him a risky pick, but if he's healthy his fastball has plenty of sink. Luis Gonzalez, LHP, Orioles Gonzales above-average fastball-cutter combo was effective at Double-A Bowie where he struck out 58 in 45.2 innings. It was less effective in a late-season bump to Triple-A. Josh Smoker, LHP, Dodgers Smoker threw 56 innings for the Mets in 2017 and had brief stints with the Pirates and Tigers last season. He has more value as a reliever who can be brought up as needed than one to be carried all season on the big league roster, but it only takes one team who thinks differently. Middle Infielders Max Schrock, 2B, Cardinals Schrock is well-traveled (he's been traded twice) and he's coming off of his worst year in pro ball, but until last season he'd hit wherever he'd played. He's a fringy defender at second base and doesn't have much defensive versatility (he can't play shortstop) which hurts his case as a Rule 5 pick, but a team who believe he's a plus hitter could be enticed. Hard-Throwing Relievers Nowadays almost all relievers are hard-throwing relievers, but the allure of drafting a 100-mph fireballer is less than it used to be. Nowadays every team has numerous relievers with a mid-to-high 90s fastball and sometimes a second pitch. That said, teams still will at least consider the chance to land a power arm. Junior Fernandez, RHP, Cardinals Fernandez didn't throw as consistently hard in 2018 as he has in the past. He's also had a long list of injuries and has yet to develop the secondary pitches to give him survival skills in the major leagues. All of that makes it unlikely he'll get picked and less likely he'll stick, but he does have a very good arm. Roel Ramirez, RHP, Cardinals Ramirez was sent to the Cardinals in last season's Tommy Pham trade. He has had modest Double-A success (2.95 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 9.8 K/9) to go with massive stuff that includes a high-90s mph fastball. Ronald Pena, RHP, Nationals Pena has been a late-bloomer, but he made significant strides in 2018 as he pitched in the high Class A Carolina League all-star game and was promoted to Double-A for the second half of the season. He's touched 100 mph and generally works in the high 90s with a power slider that earns average and above-average grades. Pena's control suffered after his bump to Double-A, but he continued to strike out more than a batter an inning, so the 27-year-old might entice a team, although his still fringy control will urge caution. Jose Moreno, RHP, Mets Moreno missed all of 2016, so his development has been slowed, which explains why he's Rule 5 eligible before he's ever reached full season ball. He has an excellent arm and a good frame, but pitchers don't jump from the Appalachian League to the big leagues, even in the Rule 5 draft. Jordan Guerrero, RHP, Padres There are two Rule 5 eligible Jordan Guerrero's which will make for some significant confusion. The righthanded Guerrero is a 22-year-old righthander who was a sixth-round pick of the Padres in 2015 out of Polk State (Fla.) JC. Guerrero has long had a high-octane fastball, but he has zero upper-level experience. Guerrero struggled with his control in a return to low Class A Fort Wayne (and was suspended for a national anthem staredown). He's massive (close to 300 pounds), but he finished the season by throwing 22 scoreless outings for short-season Tri-City as he allowed only nine hits in 22.1 innings. He sits in the upper 90s and has touched 100 mph while trying to blow hitters away. Diogenes Almengo, RHP, Orioles Almengo was released by the Astros last winter after four seasons in rookie ball and short-season. The Orioles picked him up, held him back in extended spring training but then watched him graduate from the New York-Penn League to the South Atlantic League, where he finished the season by striking out 19 in 14.1 innings. He has a big high-90s fastball and a quality changeup but he's far, far away and doesn't have a usable breaking ball. Aneurys Zabala, RHP, Reds Acquired from the Dodgers in last July's Dylan Floro trade, Zabala has long lit up radar guns but he hasn't had results to match the velocity. He's yet to pitch above low Class A and he has control issues (5.7 BB/9 and only 7.3 K/9 in 2018). Johan Quezada, RHP, Twins Quezada has 9.2 innings of experience in full season ball, so he's a reasonable risk to leave unprotected. But Quezada has a big arm and is showing signs of figuring out his control. It's hard to see him being picked or sticking on an MLB roster even as a stashed player, but he's a promising arm. Stetson Allie, RHP, Dodgers A 2010 first-round pick of the Pirates, Allie switched from pitching to hitting in 2012, leaving a trail of dented backstops in his wake. But when being a power hitter didn't work out, he moved back to the mound in 2017. He still has near bottom-of-the-scale control, but Allie does have one of the best arms in baseball. He can sit 98-99 mph with his fastball and mixes in a hard slider. He actually has some feel too, as he'll mess with hitter's timing, but his best weapon is the fear batters have because his scattershot control means any pitch could accidentally be heading right at them. Hector Lujan, RHP, Twins Lujan hasn't pitched above high Class A, but he has had success (5-5, 2.65 with 8.5 K/9, 2.8 BB/9) and he showed a 94-96 mph fastball and a hard slider in the Arizona Fall League. Starters/Relievers With Length And Feel Cy Sneed, RHP, Astros Sneed has long been a productive pitcher, but he's developed into a slightly harder-throwing, well-rounded pitcher who profiles as a Rule 5 pick as a multi-inning reliever who can fill in as a spot starter. He mixes a fastball, curve, split and change while touching 93-94 mph. His control and command waver, but he has a track record of getting outs. Matt Blackham, RHP, Mets Blackham has a lengthy medical history (ulnar transposition surgery and an elbow fracture), but he's been healthy for the past two seasons and he's been extremely effective. He held hitters to a .170 average last season between high Class A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton with an effective fastball-knuckle curve-changeup combination.while striking out 11.7 batters per nine innings. Chris Ellis, RHP, Cardinals Acquired by the Cardinals in 2016's Jaime Garcia trade, Ellis has bounced between starting and relieving and he's bounced between being a finesse pitcher and more of a power arm. His velocity has spiked into the mid-90s when working out of then bullpen but his slider is not the swing-and-miss pitch scouts expected it to develop into. Ellis is durable and he's tamed some of the control problems he faced earlier in his career. He went 10-4, 3.93 with a 1.17 WHIP in 2018. Casey Meisner, RHP, Cardinals Meisner was once a key part of the A's haul when they sent Tyler Clippard to the Mets. His career has somewhat stagnated since then and he was traded again last spring. Meisner has a plus changeup to go with an average fastball, but he has yet to develop a quality breaking ball. A team picking Meisner would likely be betting on their ability to get a little more from a lanky 23-year-old who still has potential to grow. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Pirates Waddell is a back-of-the-rotation starter/long reliever. The former Virginia star mixes a fringe-average fastball and an above-average changeup with a fearlessness that makes it work. He doesn't have a lot of margin for error, but he has upper-level minor league experience and has generally been durable. Fourth Outfielders It's unrealistic to think that any outfielder picked in the Rule 5 draft is going to step in and be a regular (although it has happened in the cases of Odubel Herrera and Josh Hamilton). So usually Rule 5 outfielders are versatile outfielders who can play a variety of positions as a backup. Alec Keller, OF, Nationals Keller hit .337/.393/.446 between high Class A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg last season. He's primarily a corner outfielder, although a team picking him is likely going to want to try to see if he can play center well enough to be a true outfielder. Keller's tools are a little limited compared to some of the other guys on this list, but he has 400 Double-A at-bats and has consistently gotten on-base, albeit with very little power. Michael Gettys, OF, Padres Gettys still has the power and speed that enamored the Padres when they took him in the second round in 2014. But those positives have been buried under an avalanche of strikeouts. Gettys can play an excellent center field and his plus arm holds baserunners at bay. When he connects he can also drive the ball. But he has never connected enough to let his outstanding tools play. A team in need of a backup center fielder could sniff around, but there are players with similar profiles on the edges of 40-man rosters at the end of spring training. Drew Ferguson, OF, Astros A fractured wrist cost Ferguson two months last year, but when he was on the field he did what he usually does by hitting for average and getting on-base. Ferguson doesn't match the upside of some other players on this list, but he does a lot of little things well. He can play all three outfield spots, does an excellent job of working counts and generally fits the profile of a fourth outfielder. The 26-year-old has nearly 700 at-bats at Double-A and Triple-A. Rafael Bautista, OF, Nationals If not for a significant knee injury, Bautista would have a decent case for a team looking for a backup outfielder to play defense and pinch run. Bautista has actually filled that role briefly in D.C. before in 2016 and 2017. His talents are less useful to a Nationals team that already has Victor Robles, and Bautista has plenty of injury issues on his resume. But when healthy, he's been an outstanding basestealing threat with three seasons of more than 40 steals and he covers plenty of ground in center field. Catchers It's always hard to carry a catcher as a Rule 5 pick because the player picked either has to be the team's primary backup, which is a tough assignment for any Rule 5 pick, or he has to be carried as a third catcher, which ruins roster flexibility. Neither approach has worked all that well in recent years. The Reds carried Stuart Turner primarily as a No. 3 catcher before designating his for assignment at the end of the season. Oscar Hernandez and Luis Torrens are examples of team's taking a developmental catcher. It didn't work with Hernandez, but the jury is still out on Torrens. Jhonny Pereda, C, Cubs The track record for RUle 5 catchers without upper level minor league experience is an ugly one, and Pereda has yet to play above high Class A. But he has a future backup catcher profile with some strength and athleticism to go with the drive and determination teams like in their catchers. He has some solid power potential although his bat speed may limit his ability to hit for average. Brett Sullivan, C, Rays Sullivan was caught in a little bit of a numbers game with the Rays. They had a full 40-man roster and they also had a couple of Triple-A catchers in Michael Perez and Nick Ciuffo who are already on the 40-man roster with similar skill sets. A former shortstop who the Rays converted to catcher, Sullivan has made excellent strides to develop into a solid defender. The lefthanded hitter has a light bat, which is the biggest question he faces as to whether he fits a backup catcher profile. David Rodriguez, C, Rays Rodriguez is not ready for the big leagues, but he's more ready than Oscar Hernandez did when the D-Backs picked the then-Rays catcher in 2014. Rodriguez is a solid defender with some offensive potential. But he hit .230/.286/.337 at Double-A Mongtomery and the 22-year-old could use some more seasoning. Ali Sanchez, C, Mets Sanchez was voted the best defensive catcher in the Mets system last year. He calls a good game and is an excellent pitch presenter who can steal strikes. He's in no way ready to hit in the major leagues (he posted a sub-.300 on-base percentage in Class A) but if a team is looking for a glove-only backup, he could be enticing. QUARTERBACKS Russell Wilson, 2B/QB, Yankees Wilson has been picked twice in previous minor league Rule 5 drafts. It's actually a semi-useful gambit. Wilson shows up during spring training and provides an interesting fan boost for a spring training home game. In essence, the $12,000 minor league Rule 5 price is an appearance fee. And then, when someone else picks him in a year or two, you get your $12,000 back. Jeff Driskel, QB/OF, Red Sox Driskel has never played a game for the Red Sox, but he did sign a contract, so the Bengals current starting quarterback is also Rule 5 eligible. Minor League Rule 5 Picks Predicting Minor League Rule 5 picks is very difficult, but we actually have a couple of names that make some sense. There's actually a lot of interest among scouts in scouring through the eligible lists to find a useful player in the minor league phase. There have even been rumors bouncing around that teams have contacted the Orioles trying to trade for the No. 1 pick in the minor league phase of the draft. Players in the minor league phase do not have any further roster requirements. As soon as they are picked, they are part of their new organizations and do not have any situations where they are offered back. Taylor Grover, RHP, Reds Grover recently signed with the Reds after an excellent season pitching in independent ball in the American Association and Atlantic League. Grover can touch 100+ (he's touched 102). He's a little wild, but he has an intriguing fastball-slider combination. Sam Moll, LHP, Blue Jays Moll pitched in the big leagues for the Athletics in 2017. It was a brief stint and an ineffective one, but it's not often a team can pick up a recent big leaguer in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Last winter Moll was waived and claimed on three separate occasions. He's since had an elbow injury, but he's back on the mound and throwing this winter, making him a potentially useful MiLB Rule 5 pick.

So apparently he wants to play for Oakland.

Yusei Kikuchi suxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Just so everyone is warned i will be starting the Will Holland BJMB hype train sometime in February.

Holy smokes his forehead is HUGE