BETTING the FARM a New Landscape in Baseball
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C M Y K H5 SPECIALSPT 03-28-07 EZ EE H5 CMYK The Washington Post x R Wednesday, March 28, 2007 H5 1 2 3 4 5 BETTING THE FARM DAISUKE PHILIP HOMER ANDREW TIM MATSUZAKA HUGHES BAILEY MILLER LINCECUM Baseball America’s top pitching prospects for 2007 Red Sox, RHP Yankees, RHP Reds, RHP Tigers, LHP Giants, RHP Orioles’ Top Prospects Nationals’ Top Prospects Nationals’ Minor 1. BILLY ROWELL, 3B, 18 League Teams First-round pick in 2006 hit .328 last 0 250 Vermont Lake year after graduating from high MILES Monsters school. New York-Penn Columbus League (A) 2. BRANDON ERBE, RHP, 19 Clippers MAINE International League (AAA) VT. The Orioles persuaded this 2005 N.Y. N.H. third- round pick from Maryland to MASS. stay home instead of honoring his PA. Harrisburg oral commitment to the University OHIO W.VA. Senators of Miami. Eastern KY. VA. League (AA) 3. HAYDEN PENN, RHP, 22 TN. N.C. Hagerstown Suns Should be ready to step into the South Atlantic rotation anytime now. S.C. League (A) GA. 4. GARRETT OLSON, LHP, 23 Potomac Atlantic Nationals Ocean Carolina Finesse pitcher, below, has one of FLORIDA League (A) the best breaking balls in the system. Gulf Coast Nationals Gulf Coast League (R) BY GENE THORP — THE WASHINGTON POST BY TONI L. SANDYS — THE WASHINGTON POST BY JOE HERMITT — THE PATRIOT NEWS Right-hander Collin Balester is making his best pitch — the curveball — to The time is now for Kory Casto, who will start the 2007 season in left Orioles’ Minor one day join the big league rotation. He’ll likely start the year in Harrisburg. field for the Washington Nationals. He can also back up at third and first. League Teams NORFOLK TIDES 1. COLLIN BALESTER 2. CHRIS MARRERO 3. COLTON WILLEMS 4. KORY CASTO 5. ESMAILYN GONZALEZ (AAA) International League RHP, 20 OF-1B, 18 RHP, 18 LF-3B-1B, 25 SS, 17 BOWIE BAYSOX Mechanical adjustments led One Nationals official watched He joined Marrero as a When will the organization’s He signed for $1.4 million from (AA) Eastern League him to a shaky start at Class A him blast bomb after bomb in a first-round pick last year. two-time minor league player the Dominican Republic last FREDERICK KEYS Potomac last year, but by the batting practice session this Willems dropped his slider in of the year be ready? “Now,” summer. Soft hands, quick bat (A) Carolina League BY JONATHAN NEWTON — THE WASHINGTON POST spring and likened him to Mike order to master a curveball. He Manager Manny Acta said. The and unusually patient approach time player development guru DELMARVA SHOREBIRDS Bob Boone saw him in August, Piazza. A high school third can reach mid- to upper-90s Nationals have moved him from at the plate. His best tool? “His (A) South Atlantic League 5. RADHAMES LIZ, RHP, 23 he was overpowering. Boone baseman, the Nationals are with his fastball. At 6 feet 4, he position to position, but he head,” Nationals special sent him to Class AA tinkering with his position, but has an excellent frame. projects to a .280 major league assistant Jose Rijo said. ABERDEEN IRONBIRDS Hard thrower could be switched to Harrisburg, where he likely will are clear on one thing. “I want hitter with some gap power. — Barry Svrluga (Short Season) New York-Penn League reliever. start the season. Scouts love him to play ‘bat,’ ” Boone said. BLUEFIELD ORIOLES — Jorge Arangure Jr. his biting curveball. (Rookie) Appalachian League A New Landscape in Baseball BASEBALL, From H4 same trend likely has kept closer did not have to give up draft picks Chad Cordero in Washington. As to sign them. model in 2007, as the Nationals un- recently as a couple of years ago, In the meantime, the Yankees’ dertake a difficult rebuilding — fea- the Boston Red Sox might have giv- payroll has actually decreased in turing a payroll that will fall from en the Nationals what they wanted each of the past two years, from a $60 million in 2006 to around $33 for Cordero — multiple top pros- high of around $204 million to million this year — that is predicat- pects — but this time the Red Sox about $175 million — still the high- ed upon their farm system. Seven of held firm. est in the game, but moving ever the top 10 prospects in the organi- And it isn’t just the Nationals closer to the rest of the pack. Stein- zation, as rated by Baseball Amer- who have witnessed the new para- brenner may appreciate that, but ica, have been acquired since new digm since last summer. It seems Cashman’s plan will never be seen ownership took over last summer, relatively clear now that the days of as a success by The Boss until it and the team spent a total of $5.3 the blockbuster superstar-for-pros- produces the Yankees’ first World million in draft bonuses to get its pects deal at the trade deadline — Series title since 2000. picks signed, the 10th-highest fig- think: David Cone from the Blue “Those are more examples of ure in the majors. Jays to the Yankees in 1995, or what I’ve been publicly saying for However, the Marlins of 2006 Johnson from the Mariners to the two years,” Cashman said. “We’re had a healthy advantage over the Astros in 1998 — are over. going to build from within. We’re per Nationals in 2007, in that their farm Of the 35 trades made last July, going to lower our payroll, get flex- Brand New month 2007 BMW $ system already was in good shape, only seven involved a player ranked ible. We haven’t been big-game 328i from:319 36 MO. and that they had premium major among an organization’s top 10 hunters on the free agent market. league stars available to trade. prospects, and only two of those But at the same time we’re going to per Brand New 3.0si month Their trade of Beckett to the Bos- prospects were ranked in the top continue trying to win champion- Passport BMW 2007 BMW $ X3 from:365 24 MO. ton Red Sox, for example, netted five. ships. People heard what I said, but 5050 Auth Way, Marlow Heights, Md them both shortstop Hanley Rami- This winter, a few more top pros- I don’t think they really believed it.” per rez, who wound up being named pects, including pitchers, changed But folks believe Cashman now, Brand New month 1-866-813-6848 2007 BMW $ the NL rookie of the year, and right- hands. Most prominently, the after a winter in which the Yankees 525i from:429 36 MO. hander Anibal Sanchez, who won Houston Astros sent No. 1 prospect moved into a bizarro world — 10 games in 2006. Jason Hirsh in a package of players where they kept their top pros- Plus tax, tags and security deposit due at inception. All leases with 10k miles per year and must qualify through BMWFS. 2007 models: 328i (36mo lease with $2859 down), x3 (24mo lease with $2865 down), Of course, the Nationals did have to Colorado for veteran pitcher Ja- pects, dumped high-salaried stars 525i (36mo lease with $2929 down). Financing available through BMWFS; Offer Ends 3/31/2007 one premium player to trade last son Jennings — but that deal was and telegraphed to the rest of base- summer — left fielder Alfonso Sor- widely criticized in Houston and ball that the Sugar Daddy Era offi- iano — but they failed to do so, elsewhere. cially was over. much to the chagrin of some fans And in another notable trade last and analysts, and instead allowed November, the Detroit Tigers him to walk away via free agency, shipped three pitching prospects, receiving two extra draft picks as a including two top 10s — Humberto compensation. Sanchez (rated No. 6) and Kevin In their inability to find a palat- Whelan (No. 10) — to acquire Shef- able offer for Soriano, the Nationals field from . found themselves face-to-face with The New York Yankees. the new paradigm in baseball: That trade, like the similar one Teams are no longer willing to give two months later that sent Johnson Watch the nationals up their top pitching prospects in to the Arizona Diamondbacks for trades, particularly for what would three prospects, represented a com- have amounted to a two- to three- plete 180-degree turn for baseball’s month rental of a player on the onetime sugar daddies. The Yan- from your living room skybox verge of free agency. kees used to trade away their pros- “They had a view of the market pects for aging stars, not the other from the past,” Phillips said, “and way around. the game has evolved to the point According to Cashman, the Yan- where that’s not the market any- kees’ shift in philosophy began in more.” May 2005, when Cashman respond- When the ump yells Play Ball, you’ll be there! Because right now you can move into a luxurious, amenity- Here is how the market works ed to a public challenge from owner now: One of the teams the Nation- George Steinbrenner — irked by fi lled home, close to the new ballpark and steps from Capitol Hill. Enjoy everything from a workout in the als spoke with extensively last sum- the team’s slow start, he said the re- mer regarding Soriano was the sponsibility for fixing the team rest- fi tness center and a swim in the year-round pool to a ruthless poker game in the clubroom.