A Hypothetical Offseason Plan for the Oakland Athletics

The Oakland A's SB Nation site, athleticsnation.com, is holding an exercise for readers to take control of the team in the offseason and write up a scenario in which they would like the off season to plan out. This is my take on how it would go.

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My offseason plan is centered around the assumption that while the A's would like to compete in 2016, it is not an absolute necessity and it would be a year to develop the young players such as Billy Burns, Mark Canha, and Marcus Semien while transitioning in the new influx of talent. It will include several buy low candidates in free agency as well as acquiring some young talent and selling high in trades.

Arbitration-eligible (with projected salaries from MLBTR):

• Ike Davis, $3.8MM - non-tender
• Sam Fuld, $2.0MM - non-tender
• Jesse Chavez, $4.7MM - tender
• Josh Reddick, $7.0MM - tender
• Craig Gentry, $1.6MM - non-tender
• Danny Valencia, $3.4MM - tender
• Fernando Abad, $1.5MM - tender
• Eric Sogard, $1.7MM - tender
• Brett Lawrie, $3.9MM - tender
• Felix Doubront, $2.5MM - non-tender
• Fernando Rodriguez, $1.3MM - tender
• Jarrod Parker, $850K - tender
• A.J. Griffin, $508K (league minimum) - tender
• Evan Scribner, $700K - tender

Explain the toughest calls if necessary:

Eric Sogard should be tendered to a contract, as the $1.3 million should not make much of a difference. He is a viable bench option and, at that price, may still be cheaper than free agent options such as old friend Cliff Pennington. Remember that the FO once gave Nick Punto a two-year deal. Sogard, a fan favorite, at $1.3 million should at least be given a shot in spring training. Sam Fuld and Craig Gentry are both basically extra pieces for the A's and should be deemed unnecessary. Ike Davis is coming off a serious injury, and while it wouldn't hurt to see him come back to get a look in ST, $3.8 million is a steep price to pay for a try out with Ravelo, Olson, Nunez, and Healy on the way. Evan Scribner will cost barely over the league minimum, and it wouldn't hurt to give him and his elite K/BB ratio another shot to cut down the HRs.

Impending free agents (re-sign, let go, or qualifying offer?):

• Edward Mujica: Made $4.75MM in 2015 - Thank you for everything you have done for us. Your services are no longer needed.

Extensions

No. 1: Josh Reddick (4 years, $52 million). Reddick has more value to the Oakland A's then he does on the trade block, as the A's highly value his glove and bat. At an annual value of 11-12 million an year to stay with the A's, it is likely just as much or even more than he might get on the open market. He is expected to earn about 7 million on arbitration this season, and 13 million is a hefty raise.

No. 2: Brett Lawrie (5 years, $42 million). Lawrie is a breakout waiting to happen, with so much physical projection and power to be unleashed. He can hit, he can play defense, and is just 25 years old. He may have struggled with an OBP hovering around .300, but he is a few adjustments away form being an absolute monster for the Oakland A's.

Free agents

No. 1: Wei-Yin Chen (4 years, $50 million). Chen has been a consistent part of Baltimore's rotation the last four years, getting his fair share of strikeouts and limiting walks. As a fly-ball pitcher whose only major concern is home runs, he would be a great fit in the spacious O.co, and a lefty pitcher who can occasionally run the fastball up to 96 mph with a good slider is a welcome fit to this rotation. He would cost the A's their Competitive Balance pick though, as he will surely be extended a QO by the Orioles.

No. 2: Greg Holland (3 years, $14 million, split $1 mil in 2016, $6 mil 2017, $7 mil 2018 with $9 million mutual option for 2019). Greg Holland has been one of the most dominant relief pitchers in baseball the last 5 years with the Royals, being a big part of their shutdown bullpen. Unfortunately, he damaged his elbow and now requires Tommy John surgery and was non-tendered since he was projected to earn $11 million in arbitration. It is very likely that the Royals already have a deal in place that would allow him to rehab in 2016 before returning to the bullpen, but with this offer Oakland could blow them away. It is a high risk contract, but the A's have been willing to pull the trigger in the past as with Eric O'Flaherty. TJ is not a guaranteed recovery, but even this season he has shown the ability to pitch injured with diminished velocity. Doesn't a bullpen of Doolittle and Holland sound nice to you?

No. 3: Austin Jackson (2 years, $13 million). While Jackson has been largely inconsistent over the course of his career, with too many strikeouts and not enough walks, he is a reasonably cheap option for the A's to pick up and fill the hole in left field. He will likely produce a .260/.320/.410 slash line with 10 HRs and 10 stolen bases, which is decent value and upside for more at the young age of 28.

No. 4: Jerry Blevins (2 year, $8 million). An old friend of ours and key cog in the 2012 playoff run, Blevins is coming off a series of freak injuries. He may have struggled a bit the last two seasons but has kept his peripherals intact and should help bridge the gap to Doolittle, Dull, and hopefully Greg Holland.

No. 5: Jimmy Rollins (1 years, $6.5 million). Rollins offensive production fell off a cliff this season with the Dodgers, but the veteran shortstop can still produce. He still has some speed and pop left in him, and with his hometown team Oakland, he could possibly have a late career renaissance. At worst, he fills in the utility infield role, rotating between short, second, and DH.

No. 6: Cliff Lee (1 year, $2.5 million with incentives running up to $9 million). Cliff Lee has been hurt the last few years in Philadelphia, and with his $12.5 million buyout of the club option the Phillies paid him, there's no guarantee that he will even pitch this season at 37 years of age. An incentive-laden deal gives the A's an option to who can still rack up strikeouts while keeping the walks down exceptionally well. He may not be the ace he was once, but a pitcher of his status can still be better than many of our back of the rotation options.

No. 7: Domonic Brown (MiLB deal with ST invite). Brown, a former #1 overall prospect, has scuffled with the Phillies throughout his career. He has been the poster boy for everything that has gone wrong for the organization, as he was the major hope, the sure thing that didn't pan out. Still just 28, Brown has some power upside that the A's could use, and he is just 2 years removed form a season where he slashed .273/.324/.494 with 27 home runs and could be a viable platoon bat 4th outfielder to take a flyer on.

Nos. 8 and 9: Ernesto Frieri and Bobby Parnell (MiLB deal with ST invite). Frieri and Parnell are both former top relievers who have recently fallen upon top times. Frieri has been bitten by the home run bug as his career 55.2% fly-ball rate finally caught up to him. Parnell needed Tommy John and rehabbed for most of 2014 and the beginning of this season, with diminished velocity and increased walk rate when he did take the field. Both relievers could be lottery tickets to benefit from the spacious O.co and shore up the bullpen that was a hot mess this past season.

Nos. 10 and 11: Chris Parmelee and Conor Gillaspie (MiLB deal with ST invite). Both hitters are just 28 years old with upside remaining. Parmelee is a patient power hitter who fits the A's mold. If you are looking for another Brandon Moss, this guy may be it. Gillaspie is more contact-oriented, and he can play second and third, possibly spelling Brett Lawrie every once in a while, and he is just a year removed from posting a 110 wRC+.

Trades

No. 1: Trade Jesse Chavez and Bruce Maxwell to the Dodgers for Jharel Cotton and Willie Calhoun. Jesse Chavez is a rumored favorite of Farhan Zaidi, and he could be a good fit as a starter or swingman for a loaded Dodgers team. The Dodgers may be the only team in baseball who could ride his strong starting for the first half then convert him to a reliever in the second half and keep dominating. They also show a trend of acquiring good defensive catchers who can pitch frame and have some offensive upside, and that is something that Bruce Maxwell can appeal to the Dodgers. Jharel Cotton is a favorite of many on AN, and for a good reason too. He combines a good strikeout rate with low walk rate and three above average pitches. He would probably start the season in Nashville before moving up later with Sean Manaea. Calhoun was the Dodgers fourth rounder this season after bashing 31 HRs in junior college this season. He has proved in the low levels in his debut that he can really hit, but where to place him defensively would be a challenge that the A's could readily accept.

No. 2: Trade Danny Valencia to the White Sox for J.B. Wendelken and Nate Jones/Jake Petricka. Jones and Petricka are two entirely different styled pitchers, but they would serve the same purpose. Both are hard throwing set-up men, although Jones lives by the strikeout and is coming off TJ and Petricka is a ground ball machine with lower K-rate. Wendelken is a near big-league ready hard throwing righty in the minors who has a good stuff and can get K's with a reasonably low walk-rate. They could help shore up the bullpen that struggled mightily last year.

No. 3: Trade cash to the Blue Jays for Steve Delabar. Delabar is coming off a bad season, but he can still throw hard and get strikeouts. He should be a viable candidate to acquire cheap and help the pen.

Final 25-man Roster

C: Stephen Vogt, Josh Phegley

1B: Mark Canha

2B: Joey Wendle, Brett Lawrie, Jimmy Rollins

3B: Brett Lawrie, Marcus Semien

SS: Marcus Semien, Jimmy Rollins

LF: Austin Jackson, Coco Crisp

CF: Billy Burns

RF: Josh Reddick

DH: Billy Butler

Bench: Josh Phegley, Coco Crisp, Jimmy Rollins, Eric Sogard/Dominic Brown/Conor Gillaspie/Chris Parmelee

Rotation: Sonny Gray, Wei-Yin Chen, Jesse Hahn, Kendall Graveman, Cliff Lee

Depth: Chris Bassitt, Sean Nolin, A.J. Griffin, Jarrod Parker, Aaron Brooks, Jharel Cotton, Sean Manaea

Bullpen: Sean Doolittle, Nate Jones/Jake Petricka, Ryan Dull, Drew Pomeranz, Jerry Blevins, Fernando Rodriguez, Steve Delabar/Ernesto Frieri/Bobby Parnell/Sean Nolin/J.B. Wendelken

Summary

According to this plan, the A's will try to develop their young talent while keeping the core intact and attempting to compete. This lineup is well rounded and solid defensively as well, with more help on the way inform of Matt Olson, Renato Nunez, Chad Pinder, and others. Of course, no one knows what Beane, Forst, and co. have up their sleeves, so let's just close our eyes and hope for the best.

CPBL: A Historic Game 7 for the Ages

When thinking of Asian import players during the offseason, most tend to search the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) of Japan or the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), and for good reasons too. The NPB has produced talents such as Ichiro and Masahiro Tanaka, with many fans in the States with their eyes on current Japanese aces Kenta Maeda and Shohei Otani. The KBO has made waves this year, with Jung-ho Kang making a successful transition and the possible posting of slugging third baseman Jae-gyun Hwang this winter. However, one major Asian league on par with the two other leagues and not nearly as well scouted is the CPBL in Taiwan. The acronym stands for the Chinese Professional Baseball League, which is kind of misleading since it is the baseball league in Taiwan with no ties to mainland China. But this blog is about baseball, and not politics, so let's carry on. While Taiwan has produced multiple successful major leaguers such as lefty Wei-Yin Chen, the CPBL has produced just one player in the MLB, former left handed reliever Fu-Te Ni, who had one solid season before his elbow gave out and required Tommy John. The Taiwan Series, or the CPBL equivalent of the World Series, however, holds some of the top CPBL talent who could make the transition to the MLB soon.

The high-offense Lamigo Monkeys (think the Blue Jays) had a lineup loaded with power up and down. They boasted the CPBL's first 30-30 player this season, infielder Chih-Sheng Lin, a soon-to-be free agent due for a big payday who also won the Home Run Derby this year at the age of 33. He slashed a ridiculous .380/.469/.689 with 30 stolen bases, blowing away his career highs and tying a career high 31 home runs. He was protected by Hong-Yu Lin, a catcher/DH who also set career highs with a .353/.443/.581 with 24 home runs and rookie sensation Po-Jung Wang, who hit .324/.377/.640 and 9 home runs in just 111 at bats, including this one (skip to 1:00) where he went opposite field 12 rows up the stands. The Monkeys also had Yen-Wen Kuo, a former Reds prospect, who despite an unorthodox swing has great bat to ball skills, slashing .297/.349/.418 including a league record 34 game hit streak, and Chun-Hsiu Chen, a big Indians prospect a few years back who swatted 25 long balls this year. The pitching was led by Pat Misch and Jared Lansford, who had a 2.96 and 4.15 ERA, respectively. One of the better native pitchers on the island, lefty Yi-Cheng Wang, struggled for the first time in his young career, with a 6.13 ERA, but he would later come up huge in this series.

The Lamigo Monkeys hype video:

The Chinatrust Brothers are a storied franchise, one of the original teams in the CPBL known as the Brother Elephants before Chinatrust bought the team this past offseason. The pitching was lead by former Brewer Mike McClendon and Victor Garate, as well as a lock-down bullpen with top set-up man Ta-Yuan Kuan and former Cubs prospect and current closer Hung-Wen Chen. The heart of the lineup had former superstar Cheng-min Peng, a 15-year veteran who, despite the drop-off in power production still managed to maintain his contact skills and excellent plate discipline. It also included veteran outfielder Szu-Chi Chou, who hit .349 with 15 home runs, bouncing back from a bad 2014 where he OPS'd just .686. The big threat in the lineup though, was second-year corner infielder Chi-Hong Hsu. With his solid arm, plate discipline, plus raw power and bit of swagger, he hit .319/.432/.535 with 13 home runs, earning the nickname "Taiwanese Manny Machado."

Chi-Hong Hsu going opposite field:

The Taiwan Series began with the Monkeys rallying behind former Giant and Met Pat Misch, who scattered eight hits and three runs over seven solid frames. Rookie of the Year candidate Po-Jung Wang (more on him in a later post) and Hung-Yu Lin both homered off Brothers' Victor Garate, beating them 8-6. But the Chinatrust Brothers came back, winning Game 2 behind a late rally, Game 3 with an 11 inning walk-off by shortstop Sheng-wei Wang, and a Game 4 12-7 slugfest. Yet the Monkeys then came back with a complete game by Yi-Cheng Wang in Game 5 to send the series back to Taoyuan, the home of the Monkeys. Game 6 was a thriller, with the Monkeys starting Cesar Valdez, who lost game 2, and the Brothers countering with Bryan Woodall. The Brothers led 3-2 in the top of the third and two outs when Lamigo manager Yi-Chong Hong made a pivotal decision. He brought in Game 3 starter Jared Lansford on just three days rest, and he pitched 5 gutsy innings while Lamigo rallied back, taking a 5-3 lead in the eighth when Lansford loaded the bases. Manager Hong then made one more big decision. He brought in Pat Misch, who started Games 1 and 4, in on two days rest to face the lefties. He walked in a run, but then struck out Chi-Hong Hsu to end the threat and keep the lead at 5-4, which is how the game ended.

This set up an epic Game 7, one that will be remembered in CPBL history for years to come. Having used Valdez and Lansford the night before and Wang two games ago, the Monkeys brought back Pat Misch to start the championship game after starting Games 1, 4, and relieving in Game 6. The tall lefty sat at 86-88 mph with a changeup at 82-83 and a 77 mph slider. He pounded the zone all night long, striking out the side in the second, mixing fastballs and changeups down and away against lefties, a sequence that worked for him the whole game. He retired the first 12 batters he faced before he walked Cheng-min Peng, but quickly erased him with a double play ball. The Monkeys were on offensively all game long. A first inning opposite field home run from MVP candidate Chih-Sheng Lin started the offense, and they exploded for 5 runs in the bottom of the third for a 7-0 lead. Lin started the rally again as the Brothers pitched around him, walking him with 2 outs in the third. This proved costly when Hong-Yu Lin followed up with a rocket line drive to right to put runners on first and second. Yen-Wen Kuo then doubled them both home with a gapper to left center, which chased Brothers starter Ping-Rei Chiu. The Brothers made the interesting decision to pitch spot starter Chiu in this big game 7 over scheduled starter Victor Garate, who was hit hard over two starts in the Series but solid overall. A reliever came in but the Monkeys were not done. Po-Jung Wang then lined an RBI single to right, setting a single-series record 14 hits. After yet another single by Chun-Hsiu Chen, the Monkeys scored 2 more when De-Long Yu, a fan-favorite village kid known for his speed and defense, hit an RBI double over the left fielder's head, making the score 7-0.

The Chinatrust Brothers, down 7-0 and still without a hit, tried to get something started off Misch with a bunt attempt to start off the 6th, but it went foul. Misch continued to stay in control with his fastball and changeup and mixing in his slider, getting ground balls and strikeouts as he threw another 1-2-3 inning. The Monkeys, in the bottom of the eighth, leading 9-0, decided to pinch hit Chin-Feng Chen, a CPBL legend who will likely retire at the end of the season. Back in 2000, Chen was the top prospect in the Dodgers farm system, rated  the #17 overall prospect in the MLB. After several excellent campaigns in AAA from 2002-2004, the Dodgers never gave him a shot, and he returned to Taiwan to play in the CPBL and be closer to family. He is arguably the best Taiwanese hitter of all-time, but injuries and age have slowed him down. He received just 52 plate appearances all year, but he made the most out of his possible final stand. He ripped a line drive single to right center, and later scored on a sac fly. Meanwhile, on the defensive side, Misch was still dealing. Having faced the minimum through eight with just a walk to blemish his record, he faced the 7-8-9 part of the Brothers lineup. After retiring the first hitter on a groundout, Sheng-wei Wang gave him his first real scare on the night. He drove the ball to deep right, but Po-Jung Wang raced back easily and made the catch. On his 99th pitch off the night, pinch hitter Jian-Yu Kuo hit into a 6-3 groundout, giving Pat Misch the first postseason NO-HITTER in CPBL history. He was in control all night long, retiring the minimum 27 batters with 7 strikeouts. This series was truly the epitome of baseball: anything can happen to any team, anywhere, at any time. The Game 7 performance by Pat Misch and the collective effort of the Lamigo Monkeys to come back in this series will forever be etched in CPBL history books.

State of the Farm: Houston Astros

Hello Everybody! The Astros, with their strong draft position in the last few years coupled with the trade acquisitions by general manager Jeff Luhnow, currently possess one of the best farm systems in the MLB. Along with the young core in the major leagues right now, the Houston Astros may be scary for years to come.

Houston Astros

TOP THREE PROSPECTS

1. Alex Bregman, SS, 6'0" 186 lbs. R/R
Alex Bregman, the Astros top draft pick in the 2015 draft at number two overall, is a polished shortstop out of LSU. He provides an above average hit tool and good plate discipline with a short, sweet stroke tailor-made for spraying line drives to all fields. Power might not be the biggest part his game right now, but he could be a doubles machine with room to mature into some more pop as he develops and moves up the organizational ladder. He possesses slightly above average speed and good fielding instincts at shortstop to go with his strong arm. Scouts describe his game with the cliché scrappy and gritty, a grinder that hustles and puts in plus plus effort and work ethic. Bregman could develop into a .280/.360/.410 hitter that, with his athleticism, could play all around the field with Carlos Correa ahead of him at shortstop.

2. A.J. Reed, 1B, 6'4" 240 lbs. L/L
Standing at 6'4" 240 pounds, A.J. Reed is a big, big, man. He has some of the best pure power out of anyone in the minor leagues, bashing 12 home runs in just 68 games after the 2014 draft, then following that up with an astounding 34 dingers in his first full pro season in 2015. While he may not replicate the insane .340 batting average he posted this past season, he has a solid hit tool that won't be completely exposed by big league pitching and avoid striking out at an extreme clip. As a former pitcher who could sit 88-91 on the mound in college, Reed also possesses a good arm, although he won't get too many chances to show it off at first base. While he is an average defender at first with a strong arm, he is limited to first base due to left-handedness and lack of mobility. His bat alone will make him a fine major leaguer, and any good defensive showing at first base will just be the cherry on top. It is not unreasonable to expect Reed to put up a .260/.340/.520 line in his prime.

3. Mark Appel, RHP, 6'5" 220 lbs. R/R
Mark Appel's struggles in the minor leagues are tough to explain. While he is not the greatest athlete, his arsenal contains a 98 mph fastball and a plus slider than can put major league hitters away. He also has an above average changeup. Appel has solid control and can throw all three pitches for strikes, as evidenced by his reasonable 2.9 BB/9 throughout his minor league career. What his problem might be however, is not control, but command. There have been rumors, both by scouts and fans who witness his starts, that while he throws in the strike zone, he has trouble hitting corners and making quality pitches within. He has been inconsistent throughout his career, sometimes dominant yet often hittable, and much of this could be attributed to his inability to command the zone. His stuff however, has always been maintained, and is seemingly one simple fix away from contributing to the Astros playoff runs in Houston.

THE REST OF THE FARM

There are several other hard-throwing right handers in the farm system deserving a mention in the top 3 such as Francis Martes, Joe Musgrove, and Michael Feliz. Martes was a throw-in from the Jarred Cosart deal with Miami that emerged this season as possibly the top piece of that deal, pitching at three levels to the tune of a 2.04 ERA and an 8.7 K/9. Musgrove, the Astros minor league pitcher of the year, is another rising name, with 99 strikeouts to just 8 walks in 100 2/3 innings to go with a miniscule 1.88 ERA, also at three different levels. Feliz has been a big name for some time and making his major league debut this season. He is a power arm who can run the fastball up to 96 mph with quality slider and changeup, and you can expect him to play a big role for an MLB team very soon. One other fast riser this season is Akeem Bostick, who gets groundballs and limits the walks, and his projectable frame suggests more velocity and strikeouts to come. Keegan Yuhl, who has a similar profile to Bostick, had one of the greatest seasons in high-A Lancaster history, posting a 1.74 ERA on the season. Several power arms to keep an eye on are David Paulino and relievers Jandel Gustave and Reymin Guduan, each of whom can hit 100 mph. Some finesse right handers include changeup specialist Chris Devenski, strike-throwing Brady Rodgers, sinkerballers Mike Hauschild and Kyle Westwood, and Asher Wojciechowski. The big names for immediate relief options include power righties James Hoyt, Jordan Jankowski, Tyson Perez in AAA and Tyler Brunnemann, Travis Ballew, and Aaron West in AA. Lefty relievers in the upper levels of the farm system include Luis Cruz, Chris Cotton, and Tommy Shirley.

Aside from Bregman and Reed, the Astros system includes plenty of other intriguing bats, including two college bats drafted along side Reed, power hitting third baseman J.D. Davis and toolsy outfielder Derek Fisher, both of whom have 25 home run pop. Some other names with loud tools include Teoscar Hernandez and his plus speed and power combo, sweet-swinging outfielder Danry Vasquez, and Jason Martin, the plus defender with a potential-laden bat. On the other end of the spectrum, the system possesses some lumbering mashers who aren't the top athletes. Lefty Jon Kemmer, who hit .327/.414/.574 in AA and righty Tyler White, who slashed .325/.442/.496 in AA and AAA combined. Another prospect from the Cosart deal is third baseman Colin Moran, who has arguably the best hit tool in the system. On the other side of the diamond is former Vanderbilt first baseman Conrad Gregor, another line-drive bat with developing power. Some defense first players to note include catchers Tyler Heineman and Roberto Pena, outfielder Andrew Aplin, Korean infielder Chan Moon and former first-rounder shortstop Jio Mier. One name who could be poised for a 2016 breakout is middle infielder Nolan Fontana. Fontana has some of the best plate discipline in all of baseball, leading to extremely high OBPs with just enough power so pitchers won't challenge him right down the middle. Expect him to start next season in AAA Fresno, but a strong start could force his name into the discussion for the utility role in Houston.

In the lower levels of the minors, there are more intriguing bats to note. Chase McDonald and his gigantic frame quietly smashed 30 HRs in high-A Lancaster. OBP machine Jamie Ritchie may be the best catching prospect in the system, and Ronnie Mitchell and Ramon Laureano have some big tools that have been hidden with the depth of the system. Centerfielders James Ramsay and Bobby Boyd have had solid seasons both at the plate and defensively, and Nick Tanielu had a huge season in low-A Quad Cities, spraying doubles all around the field. Some younger Latin American kids to follow include Kristian Trompiz, who spent the entire season in Quad Cities at the age of 19, Hector Roa and his raw power potential, and former bonus babies Wander Franco, Joan Mauricio, Bryan De La Cruz, and Reiny Beltre. Some of the interesting arms include Elieser Hernandez, who dominated the competition with his 94 mph fastball, slider, and changeup, and Cuban defector Rogelio Armenteros. Further down the pipeline there are high ceiling guys such as Franklin Perez and Juan Robles, who at 17, ended the season at low-A Quad Cities against hitters 5 years older than him.

THE 2015 DRAFT

This season's draft may go down in history as one of the top draft classes by any team in history if it all pans out. Alex Bregman is an obvious top talent, but the Astros also nabbed two of the top 5 outfielders in the draft with high-ceiling high schoolers Kyle Tucker and Daz Cameron. Tucker has an unorthodox swing, yet he has great bat-to-ball skills and plus raw power to match, as well as the ability to play solid defense and even steal some bases. Cameron's calling card is his speed and plus defense, which plays well with his solid hitting ability and developing power. The Astros also nabbed Thomas Eshelman, one of the best control pitchers in college baseball history. Other picks that could move quick include third-rounder fireballer Riley Ferrell, and lefty reliever Michael Freeman. A very intriguing player in this year's class is 12th-rounder Myles Straw, a centerfielder that possesses 80-grade speed and could soon become the Astros version of Terrance Gore. The highest ceilings of this class, excluding the first rounders, are outfielder Nestor Muriel and left handed pitcher Patrick Sandoval. Some strong performers to note include pitchers Trent Thornton, Alex Winkelman, Steve Naemark, and Chris Murphy, and hitters Drew Ferguson, Aaron Mizell, Johnny Sewald, and Brooks Marlow. The strongest performer of the class however, is former Arkansas third baseman Bobby Wernes, who batted .346 en route to a NYPL batting title.

Bonus Video: Nestor Muriel showing off his defensive tools and sweet swing.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any comments feel free to let me know!

WELCOME TO THE BLOG!

Welcome to Baseball: More Than Just A Game! On this blog, we will explore the many parts of the baseball world, from current MLB to the minors, the amateur ranks, the international studs waiting for a transition, and maybe even some independent league noteworthy news. This is your site for baseball opinion, projections, and players to keep an eye on the future. If you would like to contribute to writing for the blog and muse your thoughts, feel free to comment or contact me at jteng.baseball@gmail.com if you would like to publish your content here. Thank you!