Is it too early to say that there should be some movement within the farm? Seems like there are players that have had sustained success thus far (and vice versa) that could move up (and vice versa).
Not sure about the process, but it looks like he hadn't pitched in almost 2 weeks, so something had to be going down behind the scenes.
It's also possible that Sosa informed the organization that he had some offers from overseas that he was strongly considering.
Friday Stories OKC goes up against one of the top pitchers in all of minor league baseball. How exactly did they do against Trevor Bauer in his AAA debut? Corpus Christi's hitters looked absolutely amateurish at the plate, as they showed an appalling lack of discipline in Midland. How did Jarred Cosart fare? Welcome back, George Springer. Lexington trudges on one night after getting 1-hit. Recap OKC fell 2-1 to Reno. The Redhawks threatened in the 9th, but fell just short. The offense was stymied by Trevor Bauer, the top prospect in the Diamondbacks' system, all night. In 8 innings, he allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 11. Needless to say, that's why he's one of the top pitching prospects in all of minor league baseball. A Landon Powell solo homer (2) in the 8th was the only offense for OKC in this one. Scott Moore and Brett Wallace had 2 hits each. Aneury Rodriguez didn't do too bad in 5 2/3 innings of work, but he ran up his pitch count quite early. He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 2 on 102 pitches (63 strikes). Corpus walked off with a 6-5 loss in Midland. The Hooks managed 2 in the 8th and the 9th to tie the game at 5, but Josh Horton's sac fly in the 9th was the winner. Jonathan Singleton went 2-5 with an RBI single and a hat trick. Kody Hinze had a 2-run single in the 8th that made it a 4-3 game, and after the Rockhounds made it 5-3 in the bottom half, Jake Goebbert tied it with a 2-run single of his own. But sadly, it was for naught. Hooks batters struck out 19 times last night. They showed about as much discipline as I do while playing MLB 12: The Show. Jarred Cosart went 5 2/3, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 4, and struck out 5 on 111 pitches (57 strikes). Look, triple digits is nice, but methinks that Cosart can be a little more effective and efficient if he works at 94-97 with his heat. Jason Stoffel allowed the sac fly in the 9th, but the run was Kevin Chapman's responsibility, so therefore Chapman took the loss. Lancaster now moves into a tie for 1st, as they took down Inland Empire 5-3. After missing 4 games, George Springer made his return to the lineup. Batting 2nd and playing center, Springer went 2-5 with a double, scored twice, and stole a base. Domingo Santana went 2-4 with 2 RBI singles. Ben Heath also went 2-4 with an RBI single in the 1st. Erik Castro added a sac fly, and after a Jonathan Meyer double in the 6th, Enrique Hernandez came through with an RBI single that put the Jethawks up 4-3. Jorge De Leon went 4 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned), walking 2 and fanning 2. Zach Grimmett got the win in relief, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 2. Kirk Clark shut it down for his 5th save of the season. One night after Lexington was held to 1 hit in a 5-0 loss, the Legends came back and defeated Kannapolis 7-3. They fell behind 2-0 after the 1st, but scored 7 unanswered and allowed 1 consolation run. Luis Ordosgoitti allowed a 2-run double to Rangel Ravelo in the 1st inning, but settled down after that. In 4 innings, he allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Carlos Quevedo pitched 4 excellent innings of relief to get the win, allowing a run on 3 hits and striking out 6. Murilo Gouvea finished it by striking out 2 in the 9th. Offensively, John Hinson and Brandon Meredith led the charge. Hinson went 2-6 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI. Meredith had been making good contact with the ball since being promoted, but they couldn't find places to drop for hits. Well, he went 4-5 with a double and a 2-run single. And, Delino DeShields had a 2-run single in the 7th for the last Lexington runs. DeShields also stole his 25th base of the season. Also, a little injury news to pass along. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>I have gotten confirmation that LHP Kyle Hallock had surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. That's all I know at this point.</p>— Jayne (@whattheheck57) <a href="https://twitter.com/whattheheck57/status/203230288988471296" data-datetime="2012-05-17T21:07:31+00:00">May 17, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> The "loose bodies" in question appear to be bone spurs and some scar tissue. Follow-up from WTHB says that he'll be out 6-8 weeks. Game Scores 1. Aneury Rodriguez, Oklahoma City: 50 2. Jorge De Leon, Lancaster: 48 3. Jarred Cosart, Corpus Christi: 42 4. Luis Ordosgoitti, Lexington: 41 Three Stars 3. Carlos Quevedo, P, Lexington W, 4 IP, 3 H, ER, 6 K Solid outing out of the bullpen. With his pitch-to-contact style, I don't know if his stuff will play up in Lancaster. His excellent command should alleviate some concerns about that, however. And, his strikeout rate has made a quantum leap since making the move to the bullpen! 2. George Springer, CF, Lancaster 2-5, 2B, SB, 2 R Welcome back. He didn't miss a beat. 1 (tie). John Hinson, 3B, and Brandon Meredith, LF, Lexington Hinson: 2-6, 2 2B, 3 RBI Meredith: 4-5, 2B, 2 RBI Hinson is a legitimate hitter. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. He could move quickly through the system if he continues to hit. He probably needs to, since he's 23. Has a much better eye than his 15:1 K:BB ratio suggests. At Tri-City, he walked 17 times and struck out 26. Entering this game, Meredith was beating everything into the ground. (Small sample size alert) 2/3 of all the balls he put into play were groundballs. Literally. He was hitting almost no line drives. He had a .151 isolated power in Tri-City. It's down to .052 in his early stages at Lexington. He was in the .150s at San Diego State and posted a .196 ISO his junior year (despite a .268 average), so that should correct itself as the season goes on. Also, this is his age 21 season. He's probably not going anywhere.. A very solid game from Meredith... hopefully he can build on this performance. Honorable Mentions Domingo Santana, RF, Lancaster: He's in full gear now. The homers should be coming soon. Zach Grimmett, P, Lancaster: Lost his rotation spot, but pitched very well in his 2nd appearance out of the bullpen. Jake Goebbert and Kody Hinze, Corpus Christi: Clutch hits late. Sadly, their efforts were for naught. Goats T.J. Steele and Jose Thompson are just begging to be released. Golden sombrero for Steele and a hat trick for Thompson. RELEASE PLEASE, THANK YOU. And Kevin Chapman's control seems to be forsaking him. He now has a 1.95 WHIP on the season. I'm thinking Corpus' pitching coach is begging to be fired, too. Jason Stoffel (0.87) seems to be the only person immune to the bloated WHIPs that the Hooks pitchers are sporting at the moment. Jake Buchanan, on the other hand, is getting rocked to the tune of a .357 BABIP (.301 average). Standings OKC is in 2nd place in the Pacific Coast League's American Southern division 23-18, 1.5 games behind Albuquerque. And I'm continuing to lol @ Round Rock, who is propping up the division at 18-24. Corpus Christi is 17-24, last place in the Texas League's South division. They are 7 behind Frisco, who is 24-17. Lancaster moved into a tie for 1st with High Desert in the California League's South division at 22-20. The South continues to be very tight, as the Jethawks and Mavericks are only 1 game ahead of Lake Elsinore, 2 ahead of Inland Empire, and 3 ahead of Rancho Cucamonga, who is in last. The Jethawks and Mavericks will actually begin a series tomorrow, so things may get a little interesting were they to win tonight. Lexington, at 20-20, is tied with Greenville (also at 20-20) for 4th in the South division of the South Atlantic League. The Legends and Drive are 7 behind Charleston, who continue to set the pace. They're 2.5 and 3 (respectively) behind Asheville and Savannah, who are 2nd and 3rd respectively. Looking Ahead A very intriguing set of pitchers will take the mound for the Astros organization. Dallas Keuchel will get the start for OKC as they play game 3 of their series with Reno. First pitch 8:35. Joe Martinez, a pitcher who was drilled in the forehead by a Mike Cameron line drive as a member of the Giants in 2009, will oppose him. Ross Seaton will take the mound for Corpus against Midland, who will go with Sonny Gray, the Athletics' #2 prospect. First pitch will be at 7. R.J. Alaniz will be looking to get back on track for Lancaster after struggling against Rancho Cucamonga. He will start the series finale with Inland Empire tonight, and will be opposed by Baudelio Lopez. First pitch 7:05 Pacific. Lexington and Kannapolis play game 3 of their series at 7:05 Eastern. Mike Foltynewicz will get the start, and his counterpart on the mound for Kannapolis will be Kevin Vance.
Some more clarification from Alyson Footer: http://footer.mlblogs.com/2012/05/1...eries-throwback-jerseys-korea-and-kerry-wood/
In my opinion, improved control has really boosted Stoffel's stock. His fastball touches 96, so he works best from 92-94. His go-to off-speed pitch is a slider, but when he was at Arizona, he threw a power curve. Speed ranges from 80-84. Kevin Chapman may have the better stuff, but Stoffel's command gives him the advantage. His upside looks to be as a setup man/fill-in closer. Also, the Dominican Summer League is almost here! So exciting! <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>DSL Astros host DSL Mariners in season opener Saturday, June 2 at 9:30 am (Minute Maid Park time)</p>— Mike Tauser (@farmstros) <a href="https://twitter.com/farmstros/status/203916671524679680" data-datetime="2012-05-19T18:34:57+00:00">May 19, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>DSL Astros in Boch Chica NW with Oak., Seatt., St.L.,KC, Dodgers, TB, and Cleve.</p>— Mike Tauser (@farmstros) <a href="https://twitter.com/farmstros/status/203918215355703296" data-datetime="2012-05-19T18:41:05+00:00">May 19, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> "Boch Chica" is actually "Boca Chica."
Not to step on tellitlikeitis' toes, but George Springer went 4 for 5 last night with homer # 9. Hitting .340 now. Would think he is due for a move up to CC very very soon. Is there anyone at CC blocking his path?
I don't mind that at all. I'm just glad I'm not the only person bumping this with nothing but recaps. After missing 4 games, George Springer is ripping the California League a new one. The Astros used the 11th overall pick on him and they had expectations that he would move quickly through the system. April didn't bring too much hope to that, but he turned it around towards the end of the month and is on fire! At the moment, the Corpus Christi outfield is manned by Austin Wates, Jake Goebbert, and Brandon Barnes, with T.J. Steele (who really needs to be released) as the 4th OF. Goebbert and Barnes don't really have much business in Corpus; they've done relatively well at the level. The problem is, OKC is blocking Goebbert and Barnes, since Fernando Martinez, Justin Ruggiano, and Brad Snyder have all been pretty good. Nonetheless, I can see Springer in Corpus by the middle of June as the everyday center fielder. Check this. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>George Springer has a 10-game hit streak (20-for-38) w/Lancaster (A), with this insane line: .526/.558/1.079 with 6 HRs, 11 RBIs, 3 SBs.</p>— Steve Campbell (@CampbellChron) <a href="https://twitter.com/CampbellChron/status/204204892213084161" data-datetime="2012-05-20T13:40:14+00:00">May 20, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Saturday Stories Massacre in Reno. Good Lord, that was ugly. Corpus comes in and steals a game in the late innings. George Springer is forcing the issue in terms of a promotion. Lancaster with the... Mike Foltynewicz looks to continue his breakout season for Lexington. Recap Dallas Keuchel would probably like to forget this game, as the Reno Aces treated him as their personal BP pitcher. In a game all to reminiscent of his first AAA start last season, Keuchel allowed 12 runs on 13 hits (2-run homer) in 4 innings, walked 3, and did not record a strikeout in OKC's 14-9 loss. His ERA jumped from 2.09 to 3.75 after this catastrophe. In the wise words of WTHB: Alright, moving on from that. Jimmy Paredes went 3-5, finishing a home run shy of the cycle, and scored 4 times. Homers came from Crash Hessman (solo, 10) in the 6th, Carlos Corporan (2-run, 3) in the 7th, and Brett Wallace (2-run, 5) in the 9th. Wallace finished 3-5 with the homer and 3 RBI. One night after completely forgetting how to be disciplined at the plate, Corpus Christi got some timely hits to steal a 5-4 win in Midland. They only struck out 6 times last night, and got some good pitching from Ross Seaton. In 7 innings, he allowed 4 rums (2 earned) on 7 hits, walked 4, and struck out 5. Jason Stoffel pitched the 8th and the 9th to get his 5th save, allowing 1 hit, walking 1, and striking out 2. Jake Goebbert and Kody Hinze had 2 hits and an RBI apiece. The Hooks scored 2 in the 6th off of Hinze's single and Ryan McCurdy's sac fly to tie the game at 4, and then in the 8th, after Jonathan Singleton doubled to lead off the inning, Goebbert drove him in with a double for the go-ahead, and eventual winning, run. The Lancaster Jethawks have taken sole possession of 1st place in their division with an 8-4 victory over Inland Empire, completing a 3-game sweep. The top of the order wreaked havoc for the Jethawks, as George Springer and Ben Orloff led the charge. Orloff went 3-5 with 3 RBI. He had a 2-run single in the 4th and added another single in the 5th. Springer has been a... ...since returning from his injury, and tonight was no exception. He went 4-5 with a solo homer (9) to kick off things in the 1st. He is now on a 10-game hitting streak, with a triple slash line of .526/.558/1.079. That's a nice 1.637 OPS. The last time that he had a game with an OPS under 1.000 was on May 8, when he went 1-4 with 2 Ks against Bakersfield. Yeah, he's on a tear. Adam Bailey also added an RBI single and a sac fly. Down at the bottom of the order, Enrique Hernandez went 2-4 with an RBI double and scored twice, and Rene Garcia added an RBI double of his own. That would be more than enough support for R.J. Alaniz, who pitched 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and striking out 3. Brad Dydalewicz got touched up for 2 runs in the 9th, which resulted in a save situation for Andrew Robinson. Luckily, Dydalewicz managed to get 2 outs, so Robinson quickly defused the situation by getting the 3rd out. Lexington has taken 2 out of the first 3 games after getting 1-hit by Kannapolis, winning this one 7-5. Delino DeShields went 1-2 with a double, scored twice, walked twice, and stole his 26th base of the season. Zach Johnson went 1-5 with a 2-run double in the 5th, and Jordan Scott went 2-5 with a 2-run double in the 6th. Chan Moon went 2-3 with an RBI single, a sac fly, and scored twice. And lastly, Chris Epps went 1-4 with an RBI single in the 2nd. Mike Foltynewicz was a bit off in his 6+ innings, allowing 4 runs (1 inherited) on 5 hits, walking 4 and striking out 2. Murilo Gouvea allowed an inherited run to score in the 7th that was charged to Folty. Jason Chowning got his 7th save, this one of the 6-out variety. Mike Kvasnicka was charged with 3 passed balls in the 8th, and his 3rd one resulted in Mark Haddow trotting home with an unearned run. Haddow had reached on an error by Moon. So, Chowning got the save despite allowing an unearned run and despite the fact that he didn't allow a hit, and he didn't walk anyone either. He did, however, strike out 4. Game Scores 1. R.J. Alaniz, Lancaster: 55 2. Ross Seaton, Corpus Christi: 49 3. Mike Foltynewicz, Lexington: 44 4. Dallas Keuchel, Oklahoma City: -15 Yes, a negative game score is very possible. It's happened twice in the Majors this season. Rick Porcello's outing against Texas on April 21 netted him a -1, and A.J. Burnett on May 2 against the Cardinals got a -13. Last season, Ricky Nolasco and Jaime Garcia jointly had the lowest score, with a -6, both against the Rockies. Three Stars 3. Ben Orloff, SS, Lancaster 3-5, 3 RBI, 2 R Orloff a solid performer at short in Jio Mier's stead. I think after Jose Thompson is released, he moves up to Corpus to take the utility infielder role. 2. Jason Chowning, P, Lexington S (7), 2 IP, R, 4 K PROMOTION PLEASE, THANK YOU. 1. George Springer, CF, Lancaster 4-5, HR (9) The George Springer California League Domination Tour is in full effect. Goat It feels unfair since he's been so good this season, but Dallas Keuchel is Saturday's goat for that spectacular meltdown in Reno. A negative game score will surely improve one's chances of being named tellitlikeitis' goat of the day. Dishonorable mentions go out to Domingo Santana and Matt Duffy for getting hat tricks in their games. Looking Ahead OKC will conclude their series with Reno at 2:05 Mountain. That's 3:05 for those of us in the Central time zone. TBD gets the start for the Redhawks... he will face off against Charles Brewer. Corpus and Midland continue their series at 2. Jose Cisnero will match up with Shawn Haviland. Lancaster returns home to host High Desert in a battle for 1st in the California League's South division. The Jethawks are ahead by 1 game at the moment. First pitch will be at 2 Pacific, with David Martinez going for the Jethawks and Anthony Fernandez for the Mavs. Lexington faces Kannapolis in their series finale at 5:05 Eastern. TBD, who I presume will be Luis Cruz, will get the start for the Legends. He will be opposed by Miles Jaye.
Promotions I want to see: Folty, Tropeano, Chowning to AA by midseason Alaniz, Springer to AA by mid season (possibly earlier) Wates, Singleton, Cosart to AAA by midseason F-Mart to the Bigs ASAP Parades, Wallace, Keuchel Sept. Call ups
I agree 100% with all of these except maybe Wallace. He is heating up now so if it continues def bring him up at some point but it really bothers me that this guy has had every opportunity to take a hold of 1b OR 3b and just hasn't produced. It's taken him a hot streak just to get to .259 and he's turning 26 in August....clock is ticking....
I think movement will be difficult this year. There just aren't that many guys that deserve to be released or moved down. I think we could be looking at September before we see any major moves.
Unless something dramatically changes in a hurry, I think Fernando Martinez should be in the majors and quite soon... I'd consider that major. None of the current corner OFs even has an OPS above .700. Time to give one that's dominating AAA his shot.
