Miami Marlins Prospect Arquimedes Caminero is
Shutting Down the Dominica Winter League

It's fairly clear the Arquimedes Caminero is the most inconsistent, yet interesting and talented Marlins pitching prospect. Standing 6'4'', Caminero has a nasty fastball that can touch up to 98 MPH, but he's been held back by injuries his entire career. Caminero had a very impressive but short 2012 season in which he pitched for High-A Jupiter and Double-A Jacksonville. Now, at the age of twenty-five, Caminero is proving to Dominican hitters how consistent he can be.

Caminero's 2012 season officially started on June 2nd in Jupiter. Coming off of a season in which Caminero pitched in only one inning in rookie ball, few thought Caminero could make it through a whole season without getting injured. After all, he hadn't done that since 2010, the only time Caminero pitched for the majority of a year since being since by the Marlins in 2005. Well, Caminero did it. In a season when one major injury could end his professional baseball career in the United States, Caminero stayed healthy and resurrected his career.

So far, in 12.1 innings pitching for the Toros del Este, Caminero has allowed six hits, and only one earned run. He has a 10/4 K/BB ratio. Simply put, in a limited amount of time, Caminero has left his mark on the Dominican Winter League. I'm not sure as to whether or not to hope that Caminero gets more innings or more rest. With more innings, he could develop his offspeed pitches. On the other hand, he probably has not thrown this many innings in one calendar year before in his life. Hopefully, the Marlins are in contact with the Toros del Este and making sure Caminero is getting the right amount of work.

If everything goes right, Arquimedes Euclides Caminero could be pitching in the Marlins' bullpen by the All-Star break. He will likely start out the year at Double-A Jacksonville. Caminero has always had a ton of talent; whether or not he can stay on the field and learn to develop one of his offspeed pitches is what will determine whether he will be successful or not. Caminero's impressive numbers in the DWL is a good sign that he is going to continue the consistency he had in 2012 into the next year.

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Astros Exploring Other Options For Wilton Lopez;
Phillies Deal Appears Dead

From Brian McTaggarts Blog:

Lopez, who was in Philadelphia on Wednesday for a physical, remains with the Astros on Thursday. The two teams were working on a deal to send Lopez to Philadelphia in exchange for a pair of Minor League prospects, but the Astros are exploring other options.

Word on the street (Twitter) is that Wilton Lopez's elbow may have gotten it in the way. It's no secret that Wilton Lopez as one of the few reliable relievers in the Astros bullpen has been ridden hard the last few years. Since being plucked off waiver from the San Diego Padres by Ed Wade, Lopez has pitched 223.2 innings for the Astros in 4 seasons. His first season with the Astros he only pitched 19.1 innings, but the last three years he's pitched no less than 66 innings for the Astros.

Two Phillies prospects names had emerged as being the potential pieces coming to the Astros, Tyler Cloyd (a name David had already discussed) and Sebastian Valle a 21 year old catcher who has hit .268/.314/.420 and thrown out 28% of base runners in his minor league career. Not the most inspiring offer from the Phillies, but it may have been what they had been pushing based on Lopez's physical.

At this point I think it's safe to say the Lopez to Phillies deal is dead, which isn't necessarily a bad thing Lopez is a valuable member of the bullpen and he's cost controlled until 2016 and there's value in that. I would rather have that then two prospects who may never contribute as much to the Astros.

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Jim Abbott Fab Five Card #2 1989 Upper Deck
Rookie Card

Jim Abbott ?Fab Five? ? Card #2 – 1989 Upper Deck Rookie Card Now that my Jim Abbott player collection is complete, it is time to show of my favorite five cards from the set. Card #2 – 1989 Upper Deck In Upper … Continue reading →

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http://bapple2286.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/jim-abbott-fab-five-card-2-1989-upper-
deck-rookie-card/

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Madson, Angels finalize $3.5 million, 1-year deal
(Yahoo! Sports)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Madson finalized a $3.5 million, one-year deal on Wednesday with the Los Angeles Angels, who believe the right-handed reliever will make a strong comeback from elbow ligament replacement surgery.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2012/11/29/madson-angels-finalize-3-5-million-1-year-d
eal-yahoo-sports/

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BJ Upton, Braves finalize $75.25M, 5-year deal
(Yahoo! Sports)

ATLANTA (AP) — Free agent outfielder B.J. Upton and the Atlanta Braves have finalized a $75.25 million, five-year contract.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2012/11/29/bj-upton-braves-finalize-75-25m-5-year-deal
-yahoo-sports/

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Thursday Off-topic

Fess up, who's a Freemason?

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Lopez Deal Not Done Yet, Could Be Shopped To
Other Teams

There's not much new news on the possible Wilton Lopez trade this morning, outside of a few Ken Rosenthal tweets:

Status of trade between #Phillies, #Astros unclear. One source insists deal not done and multiple teams remain in mix for Wilton Lopez...

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 29, 2012

Another source says deal would be 2-for-1. RHP Tyler Cloyd could go to#Astros. Teams also have discussed #Phillies' young catchers.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 29, 2012

Let me say that the first source is probably Jeff Luhnow. Well, it would be if Luhnow and the Astros front office ever leaked anything. Which they don't. But, it is a good negotiating ploy on Houston's part to act like things are open again, maybe to force Philly to give up a higher price.

As for the second tweet, we finally get a prospect name to talk about. It's not exactly inspiring, but could be a Luhnow-esque choice. Right-hander Tyler Cloyd is a 25-year old who made his MLB debut this season, starting six games for the Phillies. Cloyd had a 4.91 ERA in 33 innings with 30 strikeouts and seven walks. He also allowed eight home runs, which is a huge number for so few starts.

Of course, that could be because of his scouting reports, here courtesy of John Sickels:

He can top out at 92 on his best days, but usually works in the 86-89 range. Scouts rate his slider and changeup as merely adequate, but the combination of the three pitches has worked well in the minors since he throws strikes and locates his pitches well. If his location is off, he usually misses high, which can result in excessive home runs.

There you go. Someone called Cloyd J.A. Happ 2.0 on Twitter, which is certainly not encouraging. But, Cloyd could fit the Kyle Weiland part of this trade, with a more significant piece coming next. Is that Tommy Joseph? Probably not. If it's Sebastian Valle and Cloyd for Lopez, it'd be a little disappointing haul, but still pretty good for a reliever. Maybe we just got spoiled by the Melancon trade.

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Atlanta Braves 2013 Top 25 Minor League
Prospects: 6-10

Prospects 6-10 include a pair of promising shortstops, and defensively gifted but offensively raw catcher, the Braves best Minor League pitcher in 2012, and an older slugger who does nothing but hurt baseballs.

6: Jose Peraza, SS

The Skinny: Venezuelan teenager who was the DSL Player Of The Year in 2011. Made his US debut in 2012, splitting the year between the GCL, where he was the Player Of The Year, and Danville.

The Good: Top notch athlete. Well above average speed. Makes a ton of contact. sneaky pop. Good fielder with great range and a strong, accurate arm. Only 18 years old.

The Bad: Doesn't walk enough for a leadoff hitter. Will never have much power. Still very raw.

...in a perfect world...Peraza develops into an above average top of the order, middle of the diamond every day Major Leaguer.

ETA: 2017. He'll move up to Low A Rome in 2013.

7. Christian Bethancourt

The Skinny: Perennial prospect who struggled mightily in 2012 with Mississippi before his season ended with a broken hand. Played in the Futures Game in Kansas City. Added to the Braves 40 man roster after the season.

The Good: Arm is a true 80 on the scouting scale. Excellent defender with Gold Glove potential. Blocking and game calling skills were question marks but they've caught up to the rest of his defense. Surprisingly good at making contact. Still only 21 years old.

The Bad: All potential, no production at this point in his career. Has shown no power or ability to take walks. After 4 seasons as a professional is still incredibly raw as a hitter.

...in a perfect world...Bethancourt hits well enough to be an every day catcher, allowing him to become a perennial Gold Glove winner. In a less perfect world, his outstanding defense will always allow him to have value as a backup catcher.

ETA: Late 2015. He'll head back to AA Mississippi to start 2013.

8. JR Graham, RHP

The Skinny: College reliever immediately converted to starting. After a dominating debut with Danville in 2011, but up an outstanding 2012 with Lynchburg and Mississippi.

The Good: Top notch fastball that sits in the mid 90s but can touch 100. Slider is a solid second pitch. Above average control. Strong, thick body. Fierce, unflappable competitor. Hard worker with a strong desire to learn. Natural leader. Pretty sure bet as a prospect.

The Bad: Strikeout stuff didn't translate to strikeouts this season. Shorter than most starting pitchers. Little to no room for projection left in his body.

...in a perfect world...Graham continues his dominance and becomes an above average Major League starter with occasional seasons of excellence. In a less perfect world, his fastball makes him a dominant reliever.

ETA: 2014. He'll likely head back to AA Mississippi to start 2013, but with a good Spring Training he could begin at AAA Gwinnett.

9. Nick Ahmed, SS

The Skinny: After a solid debut with Danville in 2011, the 2nd round draft pick skipped up to Lynchburg in 2012 and had a very good year, leading the league in doubles and steals.

The Good: Does everything well. Outstanding knowledge and instincts. Natural leader. Above average speed. Great doubles power. Solid fielder with adequate range. Strong, lean body. Consistent player who will likely always get the most out of his ability.

The Bad: Needs to work on making more contact. May need to change positions to get the most value out of his talent. No real projection left. Unlikely to ever become a star player.

...in a perfect world...Ahmed becomes a solid all around Major League regular and a clubhouse leader.

ETA: Late 2014. He'll move up to AA Mississippi in 2013.

10. Evan Gattis, LF

The Skinny: Slugger who came out of nowhere to craft an outstanding 2011 with Rome before absolutely dominating with Lynchburg to start 2012. Moved up to Mississippi midway through 2012 and put up great numbers despite a position change and missing 2 months with a broken hand.

The Good: Absolute masher at the plate. Big time power. Willingness to choke up and cut down on his swing allows him to consistently hit for a high average. Doesn't strikeout much for a slugger. Huge, strong body with outstanding strength. Strong, accurate throwing arm. Capable of playing left field, catcher, and first base. Makeup is off the charts. Eminently coachable. Loves the game.

The Bad: Already 26 years old. Missed 4 years of playing after high school while finding himself. Below average defender regardless of position. Limited range in left field. Unrefined mechanics behind the plate.

...in a perfect world...Gattis becomes a middle of the order slugger whose offense more than makes up for his defensive miscues.

ETA: 2013. He'll likely start 2013 with AAA Gwinnett, but he could be given a shot to earn a job on Atlanta's roster in Spring Training.

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B.J. Upton More Than Just Potential

B.J. Upton is the Braves’ new centerfielder, agreeing to a five-year, $75.25 million deal on Wednesday.  There are flaws in Upton’s game and he’s been a somewhat inconsistent player.  But he’s young, talented and he’s[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.atlantabaseballtalk.com/b-j-upton-more-than-just-potential/

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Mike Schmidt 1987 Topps

Mike Schmidt 1987 Topps 1987 was the year that I really got into collecting full-time.  And as a 12-year old, I was a pretty ruthless collector.  Topps was my primary target, primarily due to the availability of the packs - found … Continue reading →

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http://bapple2286.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/mike-schmidt-1987-topps/

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