 |  |
 |
| Thursday, January 17 Expos minor-league report By John Sickels Special to ESPN.com |
||||||||||
|
System overview Although contraction is all but called off for 2002, it remains to be seen what happens to the Montreal Expos in the long run. A "caretaker" administration to run the team in the interim seems likely, waiting for either contraction in '03 or a possible move to Washington D.C. once new ownership is lined up. Whoever runs the team will find a farm system in decent condition. Although the Expos are not as chock-full-o'-talent as they were in the early 1990s, the system has some interesting players, especially pitchers. They have a good stockpile of southpaws in particular, and a solid mixture of hard-throwers and finesse types. There is considerably less talent with the bat, though they do have one of the best infield prospects in baseball in Brandon Phillips. If the Expos are run by a caretaker in '02, it will be very interesting to see what they do, not just with trades, but with the draft. How does an organization in suspended animation go about drafting and signing amateur players? We may get to find out. 2001 Minor League W-L Percentage: .435, (ranked 29th) 2001 amateur draft Looking to add to their stable of pitching, the Expos drafted hurlers with five of their first seven picks. The first, and most advanced of the group, is first-rounder Josh Karp, from UCLA. He signed late, and was erratic in college due to inconsistent command, but scouts like his 93-mph fastball, and project him to pitch better as a pro than he did in college. High school pitchers were the theme in rounds two, three, and four. The second-round pick was Texan Don Levinski, a projectable right-hander who throws hard but also has reasonable polish for his age. The same can be said for third-rounder Mike Hinckley (LHP, Oklahoma) and fourth-round choice Nick Long (RHP, Georgia). All have reasonably bright futures ... if they stay healthy, always the hard part for young moundsmen. The draft was very high school heavy, and weighted towards the mound. It did little to address the system-wide shortage of hitting talent. Top prospects Players in the "Will Help Soon" section could see major-league action in 2002. Players in the "Will Help Someday" section shouldn't reach the majors until '03 or later, though of course that can change. No 2001 draftees are listed. Players are listed alphabetically. WILL HELP SOON Donnie Bridges, RHP: 2001 was a lost season for him, due to shoulder trouble that limited him to 80 innings. He throws hard, and if healthy he could rebound quickly. Zach Day, RHP: Acquired from Indians for Milton Bradley. Throws 91-94 mph, and usually throws strikes. Has trouble with his mechanics, and will need some Triple-A time after posting 6.34 ERA in six starts for Ottawa. Brandon Phillips, SS: Tools guy who made tremendous progress last year, polishing up the strike zone while showing improved power. Needs better defensive consistency, but intelligent and works hard. Look for him in September. Justin Wayne, RHP: 2000 first-rounder, passed Double-A test by going 9-2 with 2.62 ERA in 14 starts. Doesn't have tremendous fastball, but is polished, confident, and intelligent. Could be up by midseason. Brad Wilkerson, OF: Struggled in action for the Expos, but will get another chance in '02. Great strike zone judgment, and should show good power. WILL HELP SOMEDAY Eric Good, LHP: Three-pitch lefty, including 90 mph fastball, curve, and change. Throws strikes, will face Double-A test in '02. Cliff Lee, LHP: Similar to Good. Throws strikes, throws hard enough to survive. I like him a bit better than Good due to his higher strikeout rate (129 in 110 innings at Class A Jupiter), but many experts prefer Good. Luke Lockwood, LHP: Let's see ... similar to Lee and Good. Throws 88-90, has good breaking stuff, throws strikes. Posted 2.70 ERA in 26 starts for Class A Clinton. Rich Rundles, LHP: Acquired in Ugueth Urbina trade with Red Sox. Throws 88-90, throws strikes with his breaking stuff. See a pattern here? Grady Sizemore, OF: Drew 81 walks, stole 32 bases for Class A Clinton, just a year out of high school. Lefty stick, runs well, very good with the glove, and may develop some power. Looks like a breakout candidate to me. KEY SLEEPER Terrmel Sledge, OF-1B: Won batting title in the California League in 2000, then was traded to the Expos. Hit just .277 in Double-A last year, but was hampered by a shoulder injury that kept him confined to first base most of the year. Stole 30 bases, and if the shoulder really was the problem last year, he could be a surprise contributor. Other names to know Ron Calloway, OF; Ron Chiavacci, RHP; Josh Girdley, LHP; Jason Bay, OF; Matt Cepicky, OF; Scott Hodges, 3B; Albenis Machado, 2B; Henry Mateo, 2B; Josh McKinley, 2B; Val Pascucci, OF; Cristobal Rodriguez, RHP; Wilken Ruan, OF; Luis Torres, RHP; T.J. Tucker, RHP; Brandon Watson, OF; Matt Watson, OF. John Sickels is working on the 2002 STATS Minor League Scouting Notebook. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com, or you can visit his homepage at hometown.aol.com/jasickels/page1.html. |
|
|||||||||
