FanPost

Here's some spring training names to watch this year

Not all these guys are on the 40 man roster but I believe they will all be invited to spring training and get a shot to make the team, so don’t sleep on these guys.

Lets start with some catchers:

Mario Feliciano, 24 years old, RH hitter- His defense has improved every year (according to reports from Brewers sites), he has good size, he has a strong arm, he’s athletic, and he is a decent hitter with improved power. He and the next catcher will be battling Rogers/Haas for playing time.

Julio E. Rodriguez, 25, RH hitter- His defense is a step below Feliciano but he put up a big year last year at the plate for the Cardinals. He showed some power potential as well last year. He could be a solid addition to our catching stable and a possible back up to Haas or Feliciano.

Only found 1 outfielder that caught my eye:

Diego Rincones, 23, RH- He has put up some good numbers in the minors and had a great winter league, while increasing his power at the plate as well. He had a wrist injury early on that stunted his numbers a bit early on but finished strong. Rincones has a strong arm in the outfield, but isn’t a great athlete so he won’t add much in the field. Coming fromSF, Harris knows what he has here. With our need for a RH bat, this guy could have a good spring and stick on the roster into the season.

Infielders in abundance:

Tyler Nevin, 25, RH- Nevin has a history of great hitting in the minors but much like our top prospects, he hasn’t done it in the MLB yet. His on-base percentage in the minors is a thing of beauty and he was starting to hit for more power, but all this has been stunted in the MLB so far. His defense at 3B is much better than any of the other candidates, so he should have the edge over them if he can show he can get on base in the MLB.

Ryan Kreidler, 25, RH- While he is a much better SS and 2B than a 3B, I still lump him in here for the possible 3B job. He is similar to Nevin in that he showed he could hit in the minors but not in the MLB. He showed more power but a little less OB success than Nevin in the minors and has had less time to show he can hit in the MLB than him. He and Nevin could battle for the3B job or possibly a bench job.

Andre Lipcius, 24, RH- A year younger than Kreidler and Nevin but hasn’t seen the MLB yet. He is probably the most versatile of the bunch and may have the highest batting upside, so he is my dark horse to win the 3B or utility job over the two above. If he doesn’t beat them out in spring training, it may not be long before he does take one of those jobs or the 2B job down the road.

Wenceel Perez, 23, SH- Now this is where the long wait may just pay off. Seems as if he has been with us forever and we have been waiting for him, forever. In the last two years he has been a changed player. The problem here and now is that he isn’t good at 3B, with a below .900 fielding percentage. So can you afford to put him there? I think he may be destined for a 2B or utility job during this year or next, but he could prove me wrong, that is why I include him with the others.

Lots of possible relievers for the pen:

Elvis Alvarado, 23, RH- Kid has really come around and proven to be an very effective pen arm. He can heat it up between 96-99 with sinking action and has a slider to go with it. With his big body, he seems like he could be a dominant bullpen arm for us.

Dario Gardea, 23, RH- Has a great slider and excellent control. He had a bit of a bump at AA but made it to Toledo last year. If he can keep improving and have a good spring, that slider just might put him in the pen this year at some point.

Adam Wolf, 26, LH- This 6’6" lefty has finally grown into his body and has shown huge strides since moving to the pen. If he can keep his control in order, he could just find his way into the pen as a LH option.

Sean Guenther, 27, LH- a pick up early in the off season who has some huge potential as a LH bullpen guy. If we trade away Soto at some point, this guy just might step in. He is a smaller guy but his strike out to walk ratio and era in the minors was very impressive (55/8, 72/16, 54/7), not so much once he hit the MLB for Miami (15/10). He’s a bit older for a prospect but he has a chance to make the pen in ST.



This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the <em>Bless You Boys</em> writing staff.