Upton Added To Stone Crabs

Rays OF BJ Upton has been added to the Stone Crabs roster for an MLB rehab assignment. Upton is scheduled to join the Stone Crabs for their road series in St. Lucie. Upton has been on the DL since his collision with Desmond Jennings during spring training.

Scores and Highlights from 4/8

Durham Bulls 7, Gwinnett Braves 4
Backed by a strong effort on the mound by Chris Archer and fueled by a big five run second inning, the Bulls defeated the Braves 7-4 in the series finale. The Bulls jumped out to an early lead in the first inning on an RBI double by Matt Mangini to give them a 1-0 lead. The Braves tied the game an inning later on a solo homer. Then the Bull offense broke out for the big five run second. The Bulls loaded the bases with no outs then Shawn O'Malley, Will Rhymes, Jesus Feliciano and Brandon Guyer plated some runs to put the Bulls in from 6-1. O'Malley went deep to left in the sixth to push across the Bulls final run of the afternoon. The Braves would post two runs in the seventh and another in the ninth but the Bulls held to grab the victory. Archer picked up the win, striking out 8 in 6 innings pitched. Dane De La Rosa notched his first save of the season.


Pensacola Blue Wahoos 7, Montgomery Biscuits 5
The Biscuits rallied late but fell short in Sunday's loss to Pensacola. The Blue Wahoos took a two run lead in the third inning. Then the Biscuits scored in the top of the fourth to cut the lead in half. It was Brad Coon scoring on a sac fly by Kyeong Kang to put the Biscuits on the board. Pensacola scored another run in the fourth and four more in the seventh to take a large lead. But the Biscuits started their comeback in the eighth inning as they pushed across three runs. The Biscuits got things stated by loading the bases. Coon picked up an RBI the hard way by being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Then Omar Luna followed with a two run double to bring the score to 7-4. The Biscuits offense carried the momentum into the ninth as Tyler Bortnick doubled home a run. But the Biscuits rally fell short as they stranded the tying run on base and suffered the 7-5 defeat. Joe Cruz suffered the loss for the Biscuits.

Future Considerations Podcast (Episode 19: Minor League Preview)

In this week's episode, Scott and Kevin preview the minor league season, discussing what's in store for the Durham Bulls, the Montgomery Biscuits, the Charlotte Stone Crabs, the Bowling Green Hot Rods, and the system's top prospects.


Questions or comments? E-mail podcast@raysprospects.com

Music is from Isle of Q

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Preview: Minor League Breakdowns 2012

Based on last year's series of Minor League Breakdowns I'm going to do a similar series this year again. The intention is to monitor the development of our minor league players throughout the year. Each post will firstly take a look at the stats before pointing out some risers as well as fallers. A deeper look at one specific prospect will round out each post.

1) Based on your requests, I'm this year looking at all minor league players (who have had at least one PA/IP).

2) In one post (approximately every two weeks) I alternative focus on either MiL-pitchers or -hitters.

3) I'm looking at the following stats from FanGraphs. There will be a summary and an explanation of the stats used at the end of every post. In order to know what they mean, please follow the links for every stat. Thank our very own Steve Slowinsky for those explanations.

Hitting Stats:

• Batting Average (AVG)
• On-Base Percentage (OBP)
• On-Base plus Slugging (OPS)
  
• Isolated Power (ISO)
• BB% and K%
  
• Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA)
  
• Weighted Runs Above Average (wRAA)
  
• Batted-Balls in Play (BABIP)
  
• a Speed/Baserunning indicator (Spd)
• Out of the underlying data I also calculate the wRAA per PA.

Pitching Stats:

• BB% and K%
• K/BB-ratio (K/BB)
  
• HR/9
• Batting Average Against (AVG)
  
• Walks plus Hits per IP (WHIP)
• Earned Run Average (ERA)
• Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP)
• Batted-Balls in Play (BABIP)
• Left-on-Base-Percentage (LOB%)
  

Example table (Hitters, Durham Bulls 2011)

(click on the image for a better view)

2012 season outlook: Bowling Green Hot Rods

The minor league rosters are (nearly) set, which makes it about time to talk about the 2012 outlook for each of the Rays full season affiliations. Therefore, I've graded each roster part (rotation, bullpen, catching, infield, outfield) on a scale from A (best) to F (worst). Fourth and last in-line are the Bowling Green Hot Rods (check our depth chart for the current roster). Feel free to share your thoughts about the outlook in the comment section.

Rotation (Grade: B-)

Despite potential candidates like Jeff Ames or Matt Spann not making the jump to full season ball, the rotation in Bowling Green is stacked. Jake Floethe, Felipe Rivero, Parker Markel, Ryan Carpenter, Roberto Gomez (these 5 form the rotation at the start of the season), Andrew Bellatti and Jason McEachern make at least 7 viable candidates for a starting pitching gig. Especially Parker Markel, Ryan Carpenter and Felipe Rivero could emerge as new top-pitching prospects in the Rays system.

Bullpen (Grade: D)

Next to Austin Hubbard (whom I'm very surprised not to see on Port Charlotte's roster) and Andrew Bellatti I don't see anybody dominating in '12. Charlie Cononie was excellent with the Renegades, though, and Jacob Partridge could profit from a move to the pen. Overall, though, this group seems to be average at best. By the way: Did I miss it, or what happened to David Kubiak?

Catching (Grade: C)

Despite Justin O'Connor and Jake DePew expectadly staying in XST, the catching group in Bowling Green is one to look out for. Matt Rice played very solid upon being drafted and adds leadership to the Hot Rods team. International prospect Alejandro Segovia is slated in behind Rice. Segovia, who dominated in the Liga Paralela this off-season, is a very interesting prospect to follow.

Infield (Grade: A-)

The Hot Rods infield is the one with the highest upside in the Rays minor league organisation. It's filled with high '11 draft picks (Tyler Goeddel and Jake Hager), two excellent '11 mid-round picks (Cameron Seitzer and Taylor Motter) as well as one early round draft pick each of the '10 (Ryan Brett) '09 (Jeff Malm) draft and international signee Juniel Querecuto. The combination of long-term upside as well as present skill in this group is excellent. And while most of the players are more in one of these corners, Ryan Brett is a great example of a prospect who, despite his young age, already has transformed lots of his "stuff/projectability" into skills.

Outfield (Grade: B+)

I nearly like the Hot Rods' outfield as much as their infield. Todd Glaesmann, Kes Carter and especially Drew Vettleson are very interesting prospects to follow in the coming years. All three, more or less, project as quality corner outfielders with above average power and solid speed. And while Kes Carter could even develop into a solid center fielder, Drew Vettleson is the prospect with the highest upside of this group.

Overall (Grade: B)

The Hot Rods' roster is full with projectable, high-end prospects. Therefore, nearly everybody raves about this roster. The lack of much pro-experience for some of these prospects, however, makes me think that the start of the season could be difficult for this team (especially for the offense). But, I expect the in-season progress of this roster to be remarkable. I see this team, barring roster changes, play on a much higher level at the end of the season than at the beginning.

Scores and Highlights from 4/5

Durham Bulls 4, Gwinnett Braves 3 (12 innings)
The Bulls picked up an exciting extra-innings walk-off win to kick of the 2012 season. The Bulls jumped out to an early lead by scoring a run in the first on an RBI single by Matt Mangini. They added to their lead an inning later on an RBI single by Chris Gimenez to put the Bulls ahead 2-0. The Braves cut the lead in half in the third and later tied the game in the eighth. The game would remain tied until the top of the 12th inning when the Braves scored a solo run. But the Bulls rallied in the home half of the 12th to avoid the loss. Tim Beckham drove home the tying run on a ground ball to the pitcher. Then Shawn O'Malley reached on an error to score Will Rhymes and give the Bulls a 4-3 win. The Bulls pitching staff notched 18 strikeouts on the night with Alex Cobb leading the way with eight of them. Ryan Reid picked up the win for the Bulls.


Pensacola Blue Wahoos 3, Montgomery Biscuits 1
The Biscuits fell to the Blue Wahoos 3-1 in the Blue Wahoos inaugural year home opener in Pensacola. The Blue Wahoos took the lead right from the start by scoring in the first inning. The Biscuits battled back to tie the game in the third by opening the inning with back to back doubles. Isaias Velasquez doubled to left to lead off the inning and was then drove home on an RBI double by Hak-Ju Lee. The game would remain tied 1-1 until the eighth inning when the Blue Wahoos pushed across two runs. The Biscuits couldn't recover in the ninth as they took the loss. Shane Dyer provided a strong start, pitching 5 innings and only giving up an unearned run. Frank De Los Santos was charged with the loss.




Charlotte Stone Crabs 8, Fort Myers Miracle 6
The Stone Crabs defeated their neighbor to the south 8-6 on opening day. The Stone Crabs jumped out to an early lead by scoring two runs in the first inning. Mikie Mahtook and Phil Wunderlich reached picked up an RBI to give the Stone Crabs a 2-0 lead. The Miracle bounced back to take the lead by scoring a run in the first and two in the second. But the Stone Crabs used a three run fourth to go in front to stay. Derek Dietrich pushed across two runs with a double to right and Mahtook recorded his second RBI of the night with a double to center to put the Stone Crabs ahead 5-2. The Stone Crabs added to their lead in the seventh on an RBI single by Cody Rogers and again in the eighth as Dietrich and Wunderlich each drive home a run. The Miracle managed a late rally, scoring three runs in the ninth but the rally fell short and the Stone Crabs held on for the 8-6 win. George Jensen picked up the with for the Stone Crabs and Chris Rearick the save. Every hitter in the Stone Crabs lineup with the exception of Luke Bailey recorded a hit on opening day with 5 of the team's 15 hits being for extra bases.




Bowling Green Hot Rods 3, South Bend Silver Hawks 0
The Hot Rods picked up a 3-0 shut-out win on opening day. The Hot Rods got on the scoreboard in the third when Jake Hager led off the inning with a double to left and then later scored on an RBI single by Todd Glaesmann to make it 1-0. The Hot Rods added two more runs in the eighth on a two run double by Kes Carter to score Jeff Malm and Tyler Motter to give the Hot Rods a 3-0 win. Jake Floethe picked up the win by pitching 5 shut-out innings and recording 6 strikeouts. Austin Hubbard notched the save by striking out 2 of the three hitters he faced in the ninth. The offense was led by Jake Hager who was a perfect 3 for 3 at the plate and Kes Carter who knocked home 2 of the three runs.

2012 season outlook: Charlotte Stone Crabs

The minor league rosters are (nearly) set, which makes it about time to talk about the 2012 outlook for each of the Rays full season affiliations. Therefore, I've graded each roster part (rotation, bullpen, catching, infield, outfield) on a scale from A (best) to F (worst). Third in-line are the Charlotte Stone Crabs (check our depth chart for the current roster). Feel free to share your thoughts about the outlook in the comment section.

Rotation (Grade: B+)

I'm very much looking forward to the '12 Stone Crabs rotation. Enny Romero is the most intriguing pitching prospect in full season ball. Albert Suarez and Wilking Rodriguez may finally be injury-free and (again) ready to produce according to their talent levels. Braulio Lara has a ton of potential and Grayson Garvin is the most polished college pitcher the Rays have drafted since David Price. And when you consider that there is no place for C.J. Riefenhauser (2.31 ERA, 6.8 H/9, 8.8 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 in '11) in the opening-day rotation, you know that there is depth as well.

Bullpen (Grade: C)

Chris Rearick, Jimmy Patterson, Eliazer Suero (better suited for the pen?) and Nate Garcia will share the duties in high-leverage situations. To see how those pitchers handle the move to the FSL will be very exciting. George Jensen, C.J. Riefenhauser and Victor Mateo add exceptional depth to the rotation and are very much capable of pitching more than one inning every other day. Pending an assignment of Lenny Linsky to Port Charlotte after his DL-stint, this group might clearly become above average.

Catching (Grade: C-)

The solid minor-league backups Keith Castillo and Mayobanex Acosta will share duties behind Luke Bailey. Bailey was even projected as a mid-1st round pick before undergoing TJS in his draft year. Since then, he firstly was slow to come back and he secondly didn't do that well after coming back. Nevertheless, I still believe in him and hope he breaks out in '12.

Infield (Grade: B-)

The Stone Crabs infield group is a very intriguing one. Led by Derek Dietrich and Robby Price, it also posts solid first baseman Phil Wunderlich, the very young and exciting Hector Guevara as well as the '11 4th round pick Riccio Torrez. While I don't project the '12 FSL-league hitter of the year coming out of this group, I could see at least league average production by everyone of those players. Therefore they grade out as above average.

Outfield (Grade: B)

Fastest outfield in the minors? Ty Morrison, Kevin Kiermaier, Cody Rogers and '12 1st round pick Mikie Mahtook will provide lots of speed in the field and on the basepaths for the Stone Crabs. In addition to that, at least Morrison and Rogers, but especially Mahtook have considerable potential with the bat as well. Mahtook projects as a can-do-it-all outfielder (20 HR, 20 SB, solid approach) in the majors.

Overall (Grade: B/B-)

With an above average rotation and (nearly)-as-good-as-hoped performances by Mikie Mahtook, Derek Dietrich and Luke Bailey I can see the '12 Stone Crabs contending for the FSL-title. The pitching staff has enough depth while the lineup boasts exceptional speed paired with solid power.

2012 season outlook: Montgomery Biscuits

The minor league rosters are (nearly) set, which makes it about time to talk about the 2012 outlook for each of the Rays full season affiliations. Therefore, I've graded each roster part (rotation, bullpen, catching, infield, outfield) on a scale from A (best) to F (worst). Second in-line are the Montgomery Biscuits (check our depth chart for the current roster). Feel free to share your thoughts about the outlook in the comment section.

Rotation (Grade: D-)

"Alex Colome (R), Jacob Thompson (R), Joseph Cruz (R), Kyle Lobstein (L), Shane Dyer (R), Frank de los Santos (L)
Alex Colome is the big name here in the rotation. It will be interesting to see whether he can take the next step in his development (offspeed pitches). Joseph Cruz is coming off an injury plagued season while showing solid results and stuff in years past. Kyle Lobstein has transformed into a nice pitchability guy. We'll see whether he'll hit the AA-wall. Jacob Thompson, Merrill Kelly and Alex Koronis seem to be better suited for the pen. Nevertheless, I think at least Thompson will be tried out in the rotation at the beginning of the season. Shane Dyer and Frank de los Santos are a bit older and could be slated into the end of the Bulls rotation as well. Overall, I don't see this rotation dominating the Southern League in 2012. Come midseason, though, help could be on its way to Montgomery (especially Albert Suarez and Wilking Rodriguez)." That's what I wrote back in December about Montgomery's rotation, and it still looks pretty accurate to me.

Bullpen (Grade: C-)

I am glad to see Merrill Kelly and Alex Koronis back in the pen as I can picture an MLB future as a reliever for both. Nevertheless, Kirby Yates and Scott Shuman seem to be the best relievers in Montgomery and they, together with Kelly, Koronis and also Neil Schenk, form a solid core for high-leverage situations. Overall, the pen is filled with experienced guys who should perform well at this level.

Catching (Grade: D)

Mark Thomas is one of the most intriguing prospects of the Biscuits' 2012 roster. He made great strides defensively and he has exceptional power for a catcher. If his hit-tool improves, he could climb up on the catching depth chart real fast. Craig Albernaz and David Wendt are excellent team players with limited upside. They seem to share the back-up catching duties.

Infield (Grade: B)

Hak-Yu Lee and Tyler Bortnick could very well be one of the best middle-infields in AA after dominating the Florida State League in '11. Cole Figueroa, Henry Wrigley and Gregory Sexton have experience in AA and should be critical contributors to this year's club. These five together combine skill and experience in order to lead this club in 2012.

Outfield (Grade: C)

I could have seen everyone of Kyeong Kang, Isaias Velasquez and Emeel Salem start the season in Durham. These three, however, form the starting outfield for the Montgomery Biscuits until Brett Nommensen comes back from injury. Velasquez and Salem bring defensive prowess and speed to the table while Kang's balanced mix of skills and tools should once again play very well in AA.

Overall (Grade: C-)

The Biscuits were mediocre over the last 4 years and I don't see that changing in 2012. With solid average hitting and a tad below average pitching they seem to finish, once again, in the middle of the bunch. With big years from the likes of Enny Romero, Wilking Rodriguez, Albert Suarez, Mikie Mahtook, Ty Morrison, Derek Dietrich, ... , by mid-season, help could be on the way.

2012 season outlook: Durham Bulls

The minor league rosters are (nearly) set, which makes it about time to talk about the 2012 outlook for each of the Rays full season affiliations. Therefore, I've graded each roster part (rotation, bullpen, catching, infield, outfield) on a scale from A (best) to F (worst). First in-line are the Durham Bulls (check our depth chart for the current roster). Feel free to share your thoughts about the Bulls in the comment section.

Rotation (Grade: B)

Alex Cobb, Alex Torres and Chris Archer are three of the best young starters in the Rays organisation. At least Cobb and Torres (despite their question marks: Is Cobb the pitcher he was before the injury?, Can Torres improve his control and command?) would start the season in the bigs for a number of major league organisations. Matt Torra and especially Bryan Augenstein are (more) veteran starters who should complement the younger pitchers very well. Together, they form an above average AAA rotation for the Bulls.

Bullpen (Grade: B)

The bullpen might change a bit till opening day as Kyle Farnsworth's injury seems to cause a DL stint and therefore one of Brandon Gomes/Cesar Ramos/Dane De la Rosa/Josh Lueke might open the season in the majors. Nevertheless, the Rays once again have excellent bullpen depth in AAA, giving the Bulls lots of high-quality late inning options. The quartett mentioned above and Romulo Sanchez, who was impressive in spring training, have the potential to dominate AAA hitting in '12. Johnny Nunez (good potential), Ryan Reid and Marquis Fleming are all solid options to round out the pen. Overall, this group should be above average despite the substraction of flame-thrower Matt Bush.

Catching (Grade: C)

Despite Robinson Chirino's DL stint, the Bulls have solid options behind the plate with Nevin Ashley and Chris Gimenez. While Gimenez' success at the AA level hasn't translated to the AAA (and MLB) yet, his bat still is his calling card. On the other hand, while being solid offensively, Nevin Ashley's main asset is his top-notch defense. Together they form an average catching tandem which could become above average when Robinson Chirinos returns.

Infield (Grade: C)

Of the 10 best Bulls hitters in '11 according to OPS, only Brandon Guyer is with the team on '12 opening day. And while the Rays brought in some bats who should be above average (Juan Miranda, Will Rhymes, Matt Mangini and Jeff Salazar), the power of IL-player of the year Russ Canzler and Dan Johnson is missing. The infield, nevertheless, should at least be average with solid starting options at the corner (Miranda and Mangini) and with a major league proven second basemand in Will Rhymes as well as a hopefully-again-improving Tim Beckham at short. Shawn O'Malley (hopefully injury-free) and Leslie Anderson are solid backups.

Outfield (Grade: D)

While I'm very much rooting for Stephen Vogt in the majors, I'm a bit disappointed Brandon Guyer didn't get the call. He could have proven himself as the most-days RFer while also backing up DJ and Matt Joyce. Then, Ben Zobrist (at least every 2nd game or so) could have stayed at second with Jeff Keppinger playing the other half. Be as it is, Brandon Guyer is the bright spot in a Bulls outfield which lacks fire-power. Jeff Salazar is solid offensively and excellent defensively and therefore an excellent pickup by the Rays. Kyle Hudson provides some OBP, defense and speed while lacking in other departments and Jesus Feliciano doesn't project as much more as a 4th outfielder in AAA.

Overall (Grade: C+)

In the minor leagues, especially in AAA, the roster fluctuation during one season is enourmous. And despite solid depth in AA in some areas (infield with Lee, Bortnick, Figueroa and Wrigley; outfield with Velazquez and Kang; rotation with Colome), injuries in the majors as well as AAA will have a negative influence on the performance of the team. Therefore, and due to the lack of offensive power, I think that the '12 Bulls won't reach the exceptional results they reached in the last 3 years. I believe that they will be average or a tick above average with a 70-80 wins total.

Rays Full-Season Starting Rotations

Here are the starting rotations for the Rays and the four full-season affiliates to begin the season. Of the 25 named starters, 16 are right-handed and 9 are left-handed. Links take you to their BBREF stats page, and age is as of today.


Tampa Bay Rays
1. James Shields - 30.2
2. David Price* - 26.6
3. Jeremy Hellickson - 24.9
4. Matt Moore* - 22.7
5. Jeff Niemann - 29.0

Durham Bulls
1. Alex Cobb - 24.4
2. Alex Torres* - 24.3
3. Bryan Augenstein - 25.7
4. Chris Archer - 23.5
5. Matt Torra - 27.7

Montgomery Biscuits
1. Shane Dyer - 24.0
2. Alex Colome - 23.2
3. Kyle Lobstein* - 22.6
4. Joseph Cruz - 23.7
5. Jake Thompson - 22.6

Charlotte Stone Crabs
1. Grayson Garvin* - 22.4
2. Enny Romero* - 21.1
3. Albert Suarez - 22.4
4. Wilking Rodriguez - 22.0
5. Braulio Lara* - 23.2

Bowling Green Hot Rods
1. Jake Floethe - 22.8
2. Felipe Rivero* - 20.7
3. Parker Markel - 21.5
4. Ryan Carpenter* - 21.6
5. Roberto Gomez - 22.6

Rays Top Prospects Opening Day Assignments

Here is a breakdown of where our Top 30 Rays Prospects will begin the 2012 season. By quantity the Bowling Green Hot Rods are the clear winner with eight of the top thirty players in the Rays organization. By quality the Durham Bulls lead with four of the top ten prospects. Third place goes to the Charlotte Stone Crabs, and the Montgomery Biscuits round out the full-season affiliates.


Tampa Bay Rays: 1 (#1 Moore)

Durham Bulls: 4 (#4 Torres, #8 Archer, #9 Beckham, #10 Guyer)

Montgomery Biscuits: 4 (#2 Lee, #11 Colome, #26 Barnese (DL), #27 Bortnick)

Charlotte Stone Crabs: 4 (#3 Romero, #5 Mahtook, #20 Dietrich, #25 Garvin)

Bowling Green Hot Rods: 8 (#7 Vettleson, #12 Goeddel, #13 Markel, #14 Brett, #16 Hager, #18 Linsky (DL), #21 Carpenter, #24 Rivero)

Extended Spring Training: 7 (#6 Guerrieri, #15 Sale, #17 Martin, #19 Hernandez, #22 Eierman, #23 Goetzman, #30 O'Conner)

Other: 2 (#28 Canzler, #29 Bush)


1. Matt Moore - Tampa Bay Rays
2. Hak-Ju Lee - Montgomery Biscuits
3. Enny Romero - Charlotte Stone Crabs
4. Alex Torres - Durham Bulls
5. Mikie Mahtook - Charlotte Stone Crabs
6. Taylor Guerrieri - Extended Spring Training
7. Drew Vettleson - Bowling Green Hot Rods
8. Chris Archer - Durham Bulls
9. Tim Beckham - Durham Bulls
10. Brandon Guyer - Durham Bulls

11. Alex Colome - Montgomery Biscuits
12. Tyler Goeddel - Bowling Green Hot Rods
13. Parker Markel - Bowling Green Hot Rods
14. Ryan Brett - Bowling Green Hot Rods
15. Josh Sale - Extended Spring Training
16. Jake Hager - Bowling Green Hot Rods
17. Brandon Martin - Extended Spring Training
18. Lenny Linsky - Bowling Green Hot Rods (DL)
19. Oscar Hernandez - Extended Spring Training
20. Derek Dietrich - Charlotte Stone Crabs

21. Ryan Carpenter - Bowling Green Hot Rods
22. Johnny Eierman - Extended Spring Training
23. Granden Goetzman - Extended Spring Training
24. Felipe Rivero - Bowling Green Hot Rods
25. Grayson Garvin - Charlotte Stone Crabs
26. Nick Barnese - Montgomery Biscuits (DL)
27. Tyler Bortnick - Montgomery Biscuits
28. Russ Canzler - Other (Cleveland Indians AAA)
29. Matt Bush - Other (Restricted List)
30. Justin O'Conner - Extended Spring Training

Future Considerations Podcast (Episode 18: American League Preview)

This week, Scott and Kevin run down the American League and give their playoff picks.


Questions or comments? E-mail podcast@raysprospects.com

Music is from Isle of Q

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2012 Rays Minor League Rosters

Here are the official 2012 minor league rosters, updated via various sources the past few days, with final confirmation of the last few players from Stacy Long.

2012 Charlotte Stone Crabs Roster

Here is the 2012 opening day roster for the Charlotte Stone Crabs

Pitchers
Chris Andujar (DL)
Jay Buente (DL)
Nate Garcia
Grayson Garvin
George Jensen
Braulio Lara
Victor Mateo
Jimmy Patterson
Chris Rearick
CJ Riefenhauser
Wilking Rodriguez
Enny Romero
Albert Suarez
Eliazer Suero

Catchers
Mayo Acosta
Luke Bailey
Keith Castillo

Infielders
Derek Dietrich
Robi Estrada
Hecto Guevara
Robby Price
Riccio Torrez
Phil Wunderlich

Outfielders
Kevin Kiermaier
Mikie Mahtook
Ty Morrison
Brett Nommensen (DL)
Cody Rogers

Manager: Jim Morrison
Pitching Coach: Steve Watson
Hitting Coach: Joe Szekely
Trainer: Scott Thurston

2012 Durham Bulls Roster

Here is the 2012 Durham Bulls roster:

Pitchers
Chris Archer
Bryan Augenstein
Alex Cobb
Dane De La Rosa
Marquis Fleming
Brandon Gomes
Josh Lueke
Jhonny Nunez
Ricky Orta (DL)
Cesar Ramos
Ryan Reid
Romula Sanchez
Matt Torra
Alex Torres

Catchers
Nevin Ashley
Chris Gimenez
Stephen Vogt

Infielders
Leslie Anderson
Tim Beckham
Matt Mangini
Juan Miranda
Shawn O'Malley
Will Rhymes

Outfielders 
Jesus Feliciano
Brandon Guyer
Kyle Hudson

Manager: Charlie Montoyo
Pitching Coach: Neil Allen
Hitting Coach: Dave Myers
Trainer: Mike Sandoval

2012 Montgomery Biscuits Roster

Here are the 2012 Biscuits:

Pitchers 
Nick Barnese (DL)
Alex Colome
Joe Cruz
Frank De Los Santos
Richard De Los Santos (DL)
Shane Dyer
Merrill Kelly
Alex Koronis
Adam Liberatore
Kyle Lobstein
Jim Paduch
Zach Quate (DL)
Neil Schenk
Scott Shuman
Jake Thompson
Kirby Yates

Catchers
Craig Albernaz
Mark Thomas 

Infielders 
Tyler Bortnick
Cole Figeroa
Hak-Ju Lee
Omar Luna
Mike Sheridan
Henry Wrigley

Outfielders
Brad Coon
Kyeong Kang
Emeel Salem
Isaias Velasquez

Manager: Billy Gardner
Pitching Coach: RC Lichtenstein
Hitting Coach: Ozzie Timmons
Trainer: Kris Russell

2012 Bowling Green Hot Rods Roster

The Bowling Green Hot Rods have posted their 2012 roster. Here are the 2012 Hot Rods:

Pitchers 
Andrew Bellatti
Ryan Carpenter
Charles Cononie
Jairo De La Rosa (DL)
Jake Floethe
Roberto Gomez
Austin Hubbard
Lenny Linksy (DL)
Parker Markel
Jason McEachern
Jacob Partridge
Felipe Rivero
Trevor Shull
Stayton Thomas


Catchers
Matt Rice
Alejandro Segovia

Infielders 
Ryan Brett
Tyler Goeddel
Jake Hager
Jeff Malm
Taylor Motter
Juniel Querecuto
Cameron Seitzer

Outfielders 
Joel Caminero
Kes Carter
Todd Glaesmann
Drew Vettleson

Manager: Brady Williams
Pitching Coach: Bill Moloney
Hitting Coach: Manny Castillo
Trainer: Jeremy Spencer
Strengh Coach: Paul Jones

Open Thread: Roster Talk

We don't know when affiliate rosters will be announced, but they will be posted as soon as they are received. The final minor league Spring Training games are tomorrow against Baltimore, with the A/A+ squads at home and AA/AAA on the road. Opening day for all four full-season affiliates is Thursday.

The last official roster moves were the releases of OF John Shelby (Montgomery in 2011) on Tuesday and 3B Julio Cedeno (Bowling Green in 2010-11) on Wednesday. Oh, and RHRP Matt Bush has been placed on the restricted list and removed him from the 40-man roster, which is now at 39.

Updates will be added here or in the comments.

UPDATE: Here are the career minor league stats for OF Kyle Hudson, acquired Saturday evening from the Rangers for future considerations. He was drafted by the Orioles in the 4th round in 2008 and signed with the Rangers this January. He also had 28 major league at-bats for the Orioles last September. Note his SB and HR numbers:

Year Age      Team   Level(s)  AB   R   H 2B 3B HR RBI  SB CS  BB  SO   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS
2008  21  Aberdeen        A-   37   5   8  1  0  0   5   4  3   8  12 .216 .356 .243 .599
2009  22  Delmarva         A  398  61 113  8  2  0  21  31 16  49  85 .284 .365 .314 .679
2009  22 Frederick        A+   20   4   5  0  0  0   0   3  0   4   6 .250 .400 .250 .650
2009  22 '09 TOTAL      A/A+  418  65 118  8  2  0  21  34 16  53  91 .282 .367 .311 .678
2010  23 Frederick        A+  516  83 134 17  3  0  28  40 15  62 129 .260 .348 .304 .652
2011  24 Frederick        A+   86  12  24  3  0  0   2   8  6  10  16 .279 .354 .314 .668
2011  24     Bowie        AA   91   9  28  3  1  0  10   7  2  10  24 .308 .376 .363 .739
2011  24   Norfolk       AAA  246  39  73  7  1  0  11  26  8  33  55 .297 .382 .333 .715
2011  24 '11 TOTAL AAA/AA/A+  423  60 125 13  2  0  23  41 16  53  95 .296 .375 .336 .711
TOTALS OVER 4 SEASONS        1394 213 385 39  7  0  77 119 50 176 327 .276 .362 .314 .676

2012 Rays Prospect Predictions: Predict Anything

Every year here at RP, we send a survey around to Rays bloggers around the net to get their predictions on the upcoming season. This year's panel: Steve Slowinski, Jason Collette, rglass44, and mr. maniac from DRaysBay, John Gregg from Rays Digest, Tommy Rancel from ESPN Florida, Sandy Kazmir from OTTOTD, and Doug, BurGi, Scott, and myself from RaysProspects.

Today's question: Wildcard prediction! Predict... just about anything. Another breakout, a surprise MLB contributor, it can be anything you want.

Steve Slowinski: By the end of the 2012 season, Tim Beckham will have started 20 or more games for the Rays at shortstop. Although to be entirely honest, this will probably have more to do with the Rays' lack of shortstop depth at the major league level, and with the continued success of Hak-Ju Lee. I'm curious about if Beckham will bring his strikeout rate down this season; a 20% strikeout rate in the high minors is not necessarily a good sign for a middle infielder.

Jason Collette: Lenny Linksy finishes the year in Durham helping them win their 7th straight southern division title.

mr. maniac: I think the Rays will indisputably have the #1 farm system at the end of next year. Josh Sale will hit 17 homeruns, Oscar Hernandez will have an up and down year, Matt Bush will record a save at the MLB level, and Chirinos will hit a critical walk off homerun for the Rays late in the year.

Ryan Glass: 2011 draftees have good success. We don't need all of them to exceed expectations, but if half have success and show good tools it could go a long way in getting this system to the front of the league. Looking at the top 30 it is littered with talent from that draft (and even outside of it), and they'll play a huge role in the franchise going forward. 2 guys in particular I see surprising are Carter and Garvin.

Sandy Kazmir: The Princeton Rays go down as the most exciting team to watch in theentire minor league organization.

John Gregg: After Mikie Mahtook answered some questions about his bat during the Arizona Fall League, I am more convinced than ever that his rise through the Rays system will be meteoric. I fully expect him to be added to the 40 Man roster at some point this season and to be playing at Tropicana Field no later than September. Whether it is due to injuries, a trade of B J Upton or a September call-up, I think that Mahtook will be showing Rays fans his nice all-around game this season and potentially be in the Rays starting outfield in 2013.

Tommy Rancel: I'm not sure he will have an impact on the Rays' big league roster, but I'll go out on a limb and project that Matt Mangini follows in the footsteps of Dan Johnson and Russ Canzler to complete the three-peat of Durham Bulls winning the  International League MVP; maybe even earning a #freemangini campaign in September.

BurGi: Luke Bailey will finally find his stride and look solid on the plate. He'll bat .260 - .346 - .420 and reduce his K-rate to about one per inning. He'll be between #10 and #15 on the consensus prospect lists in '13.

Doug Milhoan: In the 2012 draft the Rays will pick and sign a player who they have previously drafted.

Scott Grauer: The Rays will select Washington prep catcher Clint Coulter 25th overall in the 2012 MLB draft.

Kevin Gengler: Cameron Seitzer will lead the system in OPS. Jason McEachern finally breaks out. Shawn O'Malley hits .320 and OBPs .400. Todd Glaesmann hits 15 home runs and shows improvement in his K/BB. Jeff Ames' K/BB ratio is above 4.50.

2012 Rays Prospect Predictions: Next Year's Top 10 List

Every year here at RP, we send a survey around to Rays bloggers around the net to get their predictions on the upcoming season. This year's panel: Steve Slowinski, Jason Collette, rglass44, and mr. maniac from DRaysBay, John Gregg from Rays Digest, Tommy Rancel from ESPN Florida, Sandy Kazmir from OTTOTD, and Doug, BurGi, Scott, and myself from RaysProspects.

Today's question: What will next year's top 10 prospect list look like?

Steve Slowinski:
1. Hak-Ju Lee
2. Enny Romero
3. Taylor Guerrieri
4. Alex Torres
5. Mikie Mahtook
6. Drew Vettleson
7. Alex Colome
8. Chris Archer
9. Josh Sale
10. Tyler Goeddel

Jason Collette:
1 - Hak-Ju Lee
2 - Mikie Mahtook
3 - Taylor Guerierri
4 - Alex Torres
5 - Alex Colome
6 - Chris Archer
7 - Enny Romero
8 - Drew Vettleson
9  - Jake Hager
10 -  Blake Snell

mr. maniac:
(1) Hak-Ju Lee
(2) Enny Romero
(3) Mikie Mahtook
(4) Tim Beckham
(5) Josh Sale
(6) Taylor Guerrieri
(7) Drew Vettleson
(8) Luke Bailey
(9) Chris Archer
(10) Jake Hager
(11) Alex Colome
(HM) Tyler Goeddel

Ryan Glass:
1. Hak-Ju Lee
2. Tim Beckham
3. Enny Romero
4. Mikie Mahtook
5. Taylor Guerrieri
6. Drew Vettleson
7. Chris Archer
8. Alex Colome
9. Jake Hager
10. Granden Goetzman

John Gregg:
1) SS Hak-Ju Lee
2) LHP Enny Romero
3) RHP Taylor Guerreri
4) OF Mikie Mahtook
5) OF Drew Vettleson
6) 2B Ryan Brett
7) RHP Alex Colome
8) 3B Tyler Goeddel
9) 2B Tyler Bortnick
10) 1B Jeff Malm

Tommy Rancel: I expect Hak-Ju Lee to take over as the top overall prospect followed by these names in some order: Chris Archer, Taylor Guerrieri, Alex Torres, Alex Colome, Wilking Rodriguez, Enny Romero, Mikie Mahtook, Tim Beckham, Drew Vettleson

Sandy Kazmir:
1) Taylor Guerrieri (Really think he'll shine in short season ball)
2) Tim Beckham (First chance to repeat a level he shows that he's
ready for prime time)
3) Alex Torres (If he can lop a walk per nine off then he's ready to
be Rays #5, #3 anywhere else)
4) Hak Ju-Lee (He can't hit any worse, right?  Right?)
5) Ryan Brett (Continues to do his thang by taking his talents to full
season ball)
6) Drew Vettleson (Helps Brett lead the league in excitement with his
blend of power and speed)
7) Enny Romero (Tantalizing lefty can look like good Kazmir on Monday
and bad Kazmir by Saturday)
8) Mikie Mahtook (Should advance quickly if his stick can play in a corner)
9) Derek Dietrich (Should move to 3B soon where the bat still plays nicely)
10) Tyler Goeddel (Good chance he hits for both power and average,
just need to see it)
+1) Matt Rice (Josh Thole-type Catcher signed quick and immediately hit)

BurGi:
1. Hak-Ju Lee (He will be MLB ready in '13)
2. Enny Romero (one of the best LHP-prospects in baseball after '12)
3. Mikie Mahtook (an OPS of .850 in A+)
4. Taylor Guerrieri (will show his talent while being inconsistent)
5. Chris Archer (will continue to improve upon his 2nd half in '11)
6. Tim Beckham (will improve in the field and on the mound)
7. Drew Vettleson (after struggling initially he shows his advanced approach and power in A-ball)
8. Alex Colome (Continues to be solid)
9. Derek Dietrich (Continues to show power and improves his plate discipline)
10. Felipe Rivero (my breakout candidate has to be on the list)
11. Tyler Goeddel (will struggle initially but show his potential in the 2nd half)
Matt Moore, Alex Torres, Brandon Guyer not eligible any more.

Doug Milhoan:
1. Hak-Ju Lee
2. Mikie Mahtook
3. Jake Hager
4. Taylor Guerrieri
5. Drew Vettleson
6. Brandon Martin
7. Alex Colome
8. Ryan Carpenter
9. Enny Romero
10. Albert Suarez
Matt Moore, Alex Torres, and Brandon Guyer aren't listed because they will use up their eligibility in 2012.

Scott Grauer:
1. Hak-Ju Lee
2. Mikie Mahtook
3. Enny Romero
4. Taylor Guerrieri
5. Parker Markel
6. Drew Vettleson
7. Tim Beckham
8. Brandon Martin
9. Alex Colome
10. Tyler Goeddel

Kevin Gengler:
1. Enny Romero - I'm really hitching myself to his bandwagon, but I see him dominating the FSL.
2. Hak-Ju Lee - I'd expect a similar season line as 2011.
3. Mikie Mahtook - Should hit well wherever he goes, but his tools aren't quite elite.
4. Tyler Goeddel - Big season, may even play with Bowling Green.
5. Drew Vettleson - Another solid year, not dominant.
6. Taylor Guerrieri - He'll flash good stuff but his numbers might not be where they should.
7. Ryan Brett - Same deal as Vettleson, a nice season in Bowling Green.
8. Tim Beckham - Another similar season, won't definitively answer any questions.
9. Chris Archer - Still struggles with control.
10. Ryan Carpenter - Top pitcher in Bowling Green.