Rays Community Prospect #6

by Brickhaus on Dec 10, 2008 8:58 AM EST

Reid Brignac takes #5 by a pretty decent margin.

DRaysBay Community Top 25:

David Price (LHP)
Wade Davis (RHP)
Tim Beckham (SS)
Jeremy Hellickson (RHP)
Reid Brignac (SS)

A list of players who may potentially garner consideration, especially if we decide to go deeper than 25 (please let me know in the comments if you think there is anyone else who should be added):

C: John Jaso, Jacob Jeffries, Mike McCormick, Matt Spring, Nevin Ashley, Mark Thomas

1B: Rhyne Hughes, Gabriel Martinez, Eligio Sonoqui, Michael Sheridan

2B: Elliot Johnson, Elias Otero, Josh Asanovich, Jeremy Beckham

SS: Neil Walton, Sean O'Malley

3B: Chris Nowak, Burt Reynolds, Greg Sexson

Corner OF: Ryan Royster, Justin Ruggiano, Sergio Pedroza, Reid Fronk, KD Kang, Jason Corder

CF: Desmond Jennings, Fernando Perez, John Matulia, Emeel Salem, Anthony Scelfo, DJ Jones, Ty Morrison

RHP: Alex Cobb, Heath Rollins, Ryan Reid, Nick Barnese, Eduardo Morlan, Greg Dupas, Wade Townsend, Matthew Walker, Richard De Los Santos, Mitch Talbot, Christopher Mason, Tyree Hayes, Marquis Fleming, Joseph Cruz, Albert Suarez, Will Kline

LHP: Jacob McGee, Matthew Moore, James Houser, Chuck Tiffany, Michael Wlodarczyk, Glenn Gibson, Kyle Lobstein, David Newmann

Poll

Who is the Rays' #6 prospect?

Desmond Jennings

38 votes

Jacob McGee

24 votes

Jeff Niemann

12 votes

Fernando Perez

13 votes

Nick Barnese

9 votes

Matthew Moore

5 votes

Mitch Talbot

1 votes

James Houser

0 votes

Heath Rollins

1 votes

Other (Please specify)

0 votes

103 votes | Poll has closed

This post was written by a member of the DRaysBay community and does not necessarily express the views or opinions of DRaysBay staff.

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Comments

Personally, I'm torn here

The first 5 are relatively easy, here’s where it gets difficult.

Obviously, Jennings has the highest upside and best tools of the bunch, but he’s shown almost no ability to stay healthy, having been hurt for large chunks of both of his first two pro seasons.

Niemann pretty well dominated AAA in the second half and could end up being a shutdown reliever or good back of the rotation arm, and despite his age he has good upside because he’s missed so much time and because of his stuff, but I don’t know whether this team will be able to put him in a position to take advantage of his gifts.

Perez didn’t have the best year in AAA and is on the old side as well, but he did pretty much what i expected in the majors, and I still think he would be a starting CF for quite a few teams, with the potential to further improve.

Moore has massive tremendous upside as a rookie ball lefty who can hit 96 and has the makings of two other plus pitches, but he’s so far away from the majors that his chances of flaming out are extremely high. Barnese is in a similar boat to Moore. Both dominated their levels more than other pitchers who have recently passed through their stops, including Davis, Hellickson and McGee.

McGee isn’t really in the picture for me. Not only is he recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he wasn’t having a particularly good year before he got hurt. It’s possible that he pitched the whole season hurt and that’s why his peripherals suffered, but I haven’t heard anything to that effect from anyone who would know. In the meantime, I’m assuming he took a small step back due to his performance, and a much bigger step back due to having major surgery.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Dec 10, 2008 9:08 AM EST reply actions

Don't forget Barnese

He’s like Hellboy a year ago.

I went with DK because I like a position player recovering from injuries more than a pitcher.

by rglass44 on Dec 10, 2008 10:06 AM EST up reply actions

Two years ago

But yes, very similar. Hellickson’s secondary pitches were more developed though.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Dec 10, 2008 2:35 PM EST up reply actions

"Jennings has the highest upside and best tools of the bunch"

cjbuet (madison, wi): is desmond jennings the next coming of eric davis?

Kevin Goldstein: Not THAT much power, no.

-Found this on an old BP chat from jan/08. I love the half hearted argument from KG in his response.

IF only Harry Carey could be arounde for Kosuke.

by CubFanRaysaddict on Dec 10, 2008 11:54 AM EST up reply actions

Went with Deezy.

by R.J. Anderson on Dec 10, 2008 9:52 AM EST reply actions

Would be the McGee spot, but I can't see him doing much this year if anything

by Tommy Rancel on Dec 10, 2008 10:53 AM EST reply actions

Oh this was close

I chose Moore

I liked Jennings, Barnese and McGee a lot also.

by joeybw on Dec 10, 2008 11:23 AM EST reply actions

If Moore has a good year

how high will his stock go up? He already was named #6 Rays prospect by BA. I can see him be a contender for a starter spot 3-4 years from now.

The Rays Party

by therayspartyleader on Dec 10, 2008 1:27 PM EST up reply actions

What's great about the Rays, in recent years,

Is we don’t have to Rush guys like Moore or Barnese. We can let these guys develop rather then rushing them up to the Major before they are ready.

The Rays lost the World Series to bad umpires, Mother Nature, and the Philadelphia Phillies.

by thebaddancingraysfan on Dec 10, 2008 1:50 PM EST up reply actions

Hooray I can finally vote for someone other than Briggy

like Brick said this is the toughest decision as 6-11 are pretty much interchangable depending on criteria (overall upside, ceiling, arrival date). I would have been more incline to go with Mcgee if it wasn’t for TJ. I wen’t with Barnese it is pretty rare to find someone at his young age that has great control and doesn’t get hit hard. As someone who hasn’t had the chance to see him pitch, I’m assuming that means he either locates extremely well or has great movement, or both. Again that being said I don’t know if there is a wrong awnser out of Niemann, Mcgee, Jennings, Barnese, Moore, or Nando

by Dbullsfan on Dec 10, 2008 11:23 AM EST reply actions

DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEJ

Brad Ziegler had a scoreless inning streak. Brad Ziegler had not met BJ Upton.

by P Brady on Dec 10, 2008 12:31 PM EST reply actions

I feel that Jake McGee could be dominant as a reliever.

Maybe a closer, anyone second that?

The Rays lost the World Series to bad umpires, Mother Nature, and the Philadelphia Phillies.

by thebaddancingraysfan on Dec 10, 2008 1:26 PM EST reply actions

Could be

Although, in terms of “stuff”, Niemann has a more traditional closer profile.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Dec 10, 2008 2:36 PM EST up reply actions

Not saying you said this but...

Niemann takes too long to warm up and reports question his ability to repeatedly warm up and sit down day after day. He has decent endurance as a starting pitcher, his health is the only thing in question, and quite frankly I would rather see him in the rotation. The McGee-Closer stuff started when injury problems did, and a big fastball never hurts in the pen, but I don’t know if grooming him to be a closer now is really the best thing for him value-wise. At the moment, yes, we have bullpen issues, but that being said, even as trade bait, he is more valuable as a starter than a reliever.

If he comes out and has a healthy stretch after Tommy John and maybe gets a decent percent of his stuff/contorl back then he could convince a team to take a chance on him in a trade. I feel he is perfect trade bait because, with the assumed success we are going to have, do we really need another boom/bust type. If he comes out and has a good 100 IP in which his stuff/control is near normal at the end he might just bring us back more than Niemann will now.

by Navi's_Navy on Dec 10, 2008 7:19 PM EST up reply actions

But there's also a reason that lefty closers are rare

If he’s to become a closer, he needs to develop a pitch that’s an out pitch against righties.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Dec 10, 2008 7:33 PM EST up reply actions

Also

Trading McGee now would be selling low. I can’t think of a single trade where an injured prospect was the centerpiece of a trade.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Dec 10, 2008 7:34 PM EST up reply actions

Just saying...

When Niemann came out of the bullpen at the Trop it took him roughly 18 mins from when he got up to when he got in the game.

Top Josh Paul Pornos- Big Navi Stroking, 2pitchers1cup, BJ to the Balls, Riggans Your Thingans
09: This one is for all the rings.

by SRQman on Dec 10, 2008 8:46 PM EST up reply actions

I hear ya

Obviously that’s an obstacle to him closing, but that’s an obstacle to him relieving in general as well, and he ain’t starting this year unless two starters get traded. He’d never been a reliever in his career before though. Hopefully he’s spending the offseason working on how to warm up quicker.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Dec 10, 2008 8:50 PM EST up reply actions

It was a pretty basic warm up from my memory

He got up with like 2 outs left with the rays fielding, we got out. Batted a little and then start of next inning he came in from what I remember. Not 100% sure but that sounds manageable.

Top Josh Paul Pornos- Big Navi Stroking, 2pitchers1cup, BJ to the Balls, Riggans Your Thingans
09: This one is for all the rings.

by SRQman on Dec 10, 2008 8:51 PM EST up reply actions

Gotcha

Well, it’s not as big of a deal if it takes a long time for a closer to warm up, since they almost always come in at the beginning of an inning. Would make it easier to use him as a reliever.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Dec 10, 2008 11:46 PM EST up reply actions