Posts belonging to Category MLB Draft

• The start to the final week of 2010 brought the disturbing news that FIU’s Garrett Wittels had been charged with the rape of two 17-year old girls while on vacation in the Bahamas.  Wittels, who currently holds the second-longest hitting streak in NCAA history at 56 games, is headed into his senior season and has a chance to make history- he is two games shy of tying Robin Ventura’s record of 58 games.  It is too early to know, or speculate for that matter, what type of impact the allegations will have on Wittels’ eligibility.

• With Carl Crawford long departed, the Tampa Bay Rays are hoping that rookie Desmond Jennings will fill the void in left field.  Jennings, who has comparable speed but less pop than his predecessor, will have Spring Training to prove to the Rays that he is the man for the job.  If not, Matt Joyce should have no problem manning the position.  Realistically, the Rays want Jennings to be their left fielder, so I’d expect a platoon scenario…at least until one of their two youngsters shows some consistency.

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This week the Cleveland Indians signed former first round draft picks Austin Kearns and Travis Buck to one-year contracts. Kearns, who posted a .746 OPS in 461 plate appearances for the Tribe and New York Yankees in 2010, signed to a tune of $1.3 million and figures to be the team’s fourth outfielder in 2011 behind Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore, and Michael Brantley.  A former first round pick of the Reds in 1998, Kearns, now 30, has never panned out to be the well-rounded hitter that was supposed to complement Adam Dunn in the Cincinnati lineup. In fact, he’s been the exact opposite.

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On Sunday, the baseball world woke up to the news that the Kansas City Royals had traded their 2009 A.L. Cy Young winner, Zack Greinke, to the Milwaukee Brewers.  It wasn’t a secret that the Royals were asking for the farm (literally) in return for the coveted right-hander.  It was simply a matter of which organization had both the minor league depth and corresponding “all-in” mentality to justify parting with a substantial portion of its future.  Well, that team happened to be the Milwaukee Brewers.

Although the Zack Greinke trade is something that is sure to interest any fan of the game, the deal holds a special significance for the fans and followers of Illinois high school baseball. The Brew Crew parted ways with some of their best, young talent, including shortstop Alcides Escobar, outfielder Lorenzo Cain, flame thrower Jeremy Jeffress and, most notably, the 2008 Prep Baseball Report Player of the Year, Jake Odorizzi.  And as more details have been released regarding the negotiations of this blockbuster deal, we have come to learn that Odorizzi seems to have been the player that made this trade happen.

Continue reading ‘Former PBR Player of the Year Jake Odorizzi deal to Royals (Prep Baseball Report)’ >>

• ESPN’s Buster Olney finally confirmed last night’s rumor that Zack Greinke had been traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, a story that was first reported by Jim Breen of Bernie’s Crew.  The Kansas City Royals will send Greinke and another major league player – suspected to be Yuniesky Betancourt – to the Brewers, and the Royals will receive shortstop Alcides Escobar, outfielder Lorenzo Cain, flame-throwing right hander Jeremy Jeffress, and 2008 first-round draft pick, Jake Odorizzi.

• With the acquisition of Greinke, the Brewers have made it clear that the 2011 season will be do or die, especially with Prince Fielder’s looming free agency prior to 2012.  If they aren’t having the season that they expected by the All-Star break, it wouldn’t surprise me to see both Fielder and Greinke be dealt, respectively.  The 2009 A.L. Cy Young winner is set to join a Brewers’ rotation that includes Yovani Gallardo, Chris Narveson, and the recently acquired Shaun Marcum.

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Just over a week ago, the Washington Nationals and Jayson Werth reached an agreement on a seven-year/$126 million contract, making him one of the highest paid outfielders in baseball history.  Even before the 2010 Major League regular season began, rumors were swirling regarding where the soon-to-be free agent might call home in 2011.  In addition to an outstanding four-year career in Philadelphia that included a .885 OPS, 99 doubles, 120 home runs, 406 RBI, and 60 stolen bases, Werth’s abundance of postseason experience made him one the most sought after free agent this off-season.  Still, many forget that Werth is actually a product of Illinois, and frankly, I can understand why.

Continue reading ‘Jayson Werth: the greatest prep player in Illinois history?’ >>