Rule 5 Draft
This was written before the MLB lockout.
The Rule 5 Draft is scheduled for Tuesday, December 9. The Dodgers added James Outman, Jacob Amaya, Jorbit Vivas, Eddys Leonard and Michael Grove to the 40-man roster to protect them from the draft.
Last Year pitchers Brett de Geus and Jordan Sheffield were taken in the Rule 5 Draft and kept on the MLB rosters by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies respectively.
It is a bit difficult to see any of this year’s Rule 5 eligible Dodger minor league players being taken in the draft next Tuesday. For me Justin Yurchak is a possibility.
For Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra with MLB.com the most intriguing prospect on the Dodgers Rule 5 eligible list is No. 15 prospect shortstop Leonel Valera.
In their opinion Valera may be the best prospect the Dodgers landed in their $166.9 million splurge on international players in the 2015-16 class, though he cost just $50,000 out of Venezuela. They conclude that he is an extremely physical for a shortstop, he offers 20-20 potential as well as plus arm strength, and the versatility to play all over the diamond.
They expect that the Dodgers are exposing Valera in the draft as they are betting that after he hit .224/.305/.436 with 16 homers and as many steals in 95 High-A games, other clubs won’t think he’s ready to make the jump to the Majors.
The 22-year-old right-handed hitting Valera, in his MLB.com scouting report, is described as being more physical and has more raw power than most shortstops, though there are questions about how much he’ll tap into it. He has a quick right-handed swing and drives the ball to all fields, but he also has an extremely aggressive approach that compromises his ability to make consistent contact. He makes good use of his solid speed to beat out infield hits and steal bases.
The report concludes that at 6’2”/200-lb. with smooth actions and one of the stronger arms in the system, Valera is considered to have the tools to play a solid shortstop. He also has spent time at second and third base, and his quickness and arm fit well at those positions too. Their projection is that he has the upside of a regular if he hits and his combination of power, speed and versatility could make him a useful bench piece if he doesn’t.
Minor League Housing
In mid-November, Major League Baseball announced that teams will begin to provide housing to more than 90 per cent of minor league players in the 2022 season.
The announcement came following changes implemented ahead of the 2021 season, including increases to player salaries, improvements to team facilities and reduction of travel.
This is a long overdue change for minor league players.
“For most minor leaguers in the past, nearly 100% of our paychecks have gone straight to paying for housing during the season, leaving no room to pocket any money and making it nearly impossible to invest in yourself off the field or provide for your family,” Pirates minor league catcher Joe Hudson said.
“With housing being paid for (or being provided a stipend) players will now be able to actually make some money during the season and more comfortably provide for themselves and their families. This is an enormous win for MiLBers.”
MLB says the policy covers players at the Player Development Level (triple-A, double-A, high-A and low-A) as well as players playing out of Spring Training Complexes including Extended Spring Training and the Arizona Complex League, among others.
Under the 2022 Minor League Housing Policy, teams must provide housing located a reasonable distance from the ballpark. The accommodations must include a single bed per player and no more than two players can be assigned to a bedroom at all levels. Furniture must be included in the accommodations and the teams are responsible for covering basic utility bills. If rental homes, apartments or host families are not available, teams are permitted to house players in hotels.
Life After Baseball or in Place of Baseball
Perhaps few will remember right-hander James Carter who was selected by the Dodgers in the 21st round of the 2016 draft out of UC Santa Barbara. That was the same draft that spawned Will Smith, Gavin Lux, Tony Gonsolin, Mitch White and Dustin May.
Carter had some success in his three minor league seasons. However, after a promising 2017 campaign in which he posted a 2.37 ERA in 21 games, the right-handed reliever went 2-1 with a 5.96 ERA in 13 appearances between two levels in 2018 with the Great Lakes Loons and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
At the end of the season he walked away from the game announcing his decision to then Loons manager, John Shoemaker.
“It’s a tough decision for anybody, to know that they’re going to have to go in another direction in life,” Shoemaker says. “Most kids, when they get released or move on, don’t have an idea of what they’re going to do next. But I think he had an idea.”
His Plan B was perhaps always in his mind as he has an aunt who is well known in the fashion business. In fact, his aunt Christy Turlington, is a model best known as a face of the cosmetics company Maybelline and the Calvin Klein fashion house.
James Carter’s middle name is Turlington, and he now uses Turlington as his surname in his present career.
Carter had been used in Calvin Klein advertisements as a toddler, appearing as Christy Turlington’s son as the two look so much alike.
James Turlington (Carter) is now a male fashion model appearing on magazine covers. Instead of sharing a clubhouse with his A-ball teammates, he’s found himself rubbing elbows at parties with famous athletes, movie stars, musicians and, of course, many, many models.
His aunt points out that he has more going for him than a name and model’s good looks.
“He has a strong work ethic and a focus that he learned from all those years in baseball,” she says. “He is so disciplined about his workouts and nutrition, too. He is used to performing in front of crowds and even being under scrutiny sometimes, which is a definite advantage. … More important, James is a nice guy and a team player, which is the stuff that matters most, no matter what industry you’re in.”
Turlington misses baseball and has kept in touch with his minor league friends. He is also taking online courses to complete his degree.
Discussion (17)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Drat, Fed-ex retired. Showalter is set to interview with the Mets. Guy is marginal at best. Got fired in Arizona after 3 seasons because he was too dictatorial. Did not sit well with guys like Johnson and Shilling. 7-11 in the post season, just barely over .500 in his career. I hope they hire the jerk and go right in the tank.
{dead germans}
Jeff–scouting reports floating around the internet grade his fastball as a 60 [reaching 98] and his slider the same [60]. His curveball is just a notch behind [55].
Due to his age/inexperience, there’s a good chance he never reaches his ceiling, but it exists nonetheless.
I like you and am not trying to pick a fight. You can put Pepiot/Knack/Duran/Stone/Heubeck above him if you like.
I’m a Baseball America guy myself. You are right to be skeptical of what a rando on the internet says.
Cheers
I keep seeing Correa and the Dodgers in the same sentence. There, it just happened again.
I’m open to it, especially at Baez money. Maybe 3rd base with Trea at short and Lux at second.
Kurkjian going into the hall.
Two different sources in New York are saying that although Eppler is in charge of the manager search, both Scherzer and Cohen have made it clear to him that they want Buck Showalter.
Bob Geren is also getting an interview but it seems as though the job is Buck’s to lose at this point.
https://theathletic.com/3001740/2021/12/07/bobby-miller-might-be-the-next-success-story-for-a-dodgers-organization-that-gets-the-most-out-of-pitching-prospects/
It is sounding more and more like the Dodgers believe Bobby Miller will be in the rotation next year.
Here’s a snippet:
It’s certainly true that the sky isn’t falling around the 22-year-old Miller, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound right-hander whom MLB Pipeline ranks as the No. 4 prospect in the Los Angeles system. He throws 99 mph, holding his velocity late into starts, and features three offspeed pitches. Stacked up against his 10 poor innings this fall are 56 1/3 between High A and Double A in which he recorded a 2.40 ERA and struck out 70 batters. He’s likely to hit the big leagues next season, and the Dodgers happen to have some open rotation slots at the moment.
If Miller winds up filling one of them, either to start the season or more likely sometime midway through it, it will be thanks to a variety of factors. One is the competitive drive that doesn’t allow for satisfaction with the status quo and propels him to keep getting better. Another is a Dodgers player development apparatus that is now practiced at taking pitchers like Miller — lots of raw ability, drafted in the late first round or lower — and getting the absolute most out of them.
It is the morning of December 7, 2021. 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The attack strikes a personal note with me since my dad was there aboard the USS Nevada and was wounded when the Arizona blew up. So the day takes a special meaning in my family. RIP to all those who lost their lives that day and in the 4 bloody years of fighting that followed.
I just got around to reading yesterdays excellent article on baseball dying. I found it personally ironic, because baseball has replaced the NFL and NBA as my favorite sport to follow within the last five years, but that’s neither here nor there. The article didn’t dive into a cross comparison with the other major sports. It’s interesting that the NBA and NFL, while not descending at the rate of the MLB, have basically flatlined over the last 5-7 years. Which suggests a declining interest in sports in general, or at least the major ones.
Baseball still has a lot going for it. Its still inherently the best game for statistical analysis, which I believe would be a strong attraction to the tech savvy younger generation. It’s still the cheapest option, which I think they should embrace further. I’m sure the bean counters have determined a team can make more money charging more even with lower overall sales, but taking a hit by drawing more ticket sales might invite more new fans. Just takes some risk and foresight. Maybe most importantly, and I know it’s partly what brought me back, it represents an alternative to the NFL and NBA which have become stale over the last decade.
The speed is a major flaw right now. I don’t think a lot of the tweaks are necessary and actually take away from some of the historical character of the game that makes it so appealing. I think addressing two things would go a long way. Speeding up the pitch delivery first and foremost. I wouldn’t impose a penalty, but there are abiding codes of conduct in baseball such as not showing up players or avenging a hit teammate. Playing quickly should be adopted as proper form, like anything longer than 10 seconds between pitches. Taking 30 seconds to re-adjust batting gloves or routinely walking off the mound to re-gather should be discouraged both by umpires and managers and the players. I think it would catch on quickly if everyone bought in, and I do think umpires and players alike wish the game was faster. The TV timeouts have to be curtailed, but maybe they could start split screening the TV running an ad between batters changing or during delays. I’m sure those don’t sell as well with advertisers, but the other major sports do it at times and it’s not as distracting as you’d expect. Mind commonly tunes out or suspends anyway when the game is not in action.
I’d like to see the Dodgers give out all 1 or 2-year deals when free agency returns. Clear the decks for the next wave of prospect talent and prioritize locking up our core (Buehler, Urias, Smith).
Hallelujah! Gilbert Raymond Hodges was finally elected into the HOF. I know that this happened yesterday, but I just found out. I have stated on this site before that I had resigned myself to the fact that he would never get in. So this is really a pleasant surprise. Gil is my favorite player of all time. Thank you to the Golden era committee and to anyone else that helped, especially Vin Scully.
Not to beat a dead horse, but about time Gil was put in the Hall. What would make it awesome is if Vin Scully were to be the presenter at the ceremony next year. If Vin were healthy enough to make the trek to Cooperstown, it would only be fitting since I believe one of the reason’s Gil finally got in is because of Vin’s strong message just a few days before the vote. His insight carries a lot of weight.
Thank you Harold. It’s great how much you care about these young players, and amazing how you are able to keep up with so many of them, especially those who have left the game.
I appreciate all the writers here, but especially you and Jeff because I grew up in the 50s in Indiana, not close or wealthy enough to attend MLB games (we didn’t even have a car), and my baseball world was made up of American Legion, industrial league, semipro, and low minor teams.
So, I know it is strange, but I would have no problem if my team never signed free agent players other than their own. I love to see the players who are signed and developed by my team grow and become accomplished major league players. Guys like that used to care about the fans, their communities, their teammates and their team. It was so enjoyable to watch them grow together and then achieve success together.
The history of the game and the finding and various confirmations over time that MLB was exempt from anti-trust is a complex history. I have read quite a bit about it just because it’s interesting to me, and one thing that really messes with my head is that it was declared at one time that baseball was a sport, not a business. That argument would certainly not pass the test of time.
So, I’ll stop rambling now. Thank you again for sharing your passion for these young players. I greatly appreciate your time and effort.
Great stuff DC. Minor leaguers have been baseball’s 2nd class citizens for way too long. I though the MLB portion of the rule 5 was postponed until they have an agreement. Well what the hell do I know. One of my best friends from way back passed yesterday. Guitar and steel guitar player Buddy Merrill. Buddy played with Lawrence Welk for about 20 or so years. Used to see him on TV long before I met him playing steel guitar for Danny Michaels at George’s Round-Up in Long Beach. He was still doing studio work on the side then. RIP my friend, you and your talent will be missed.
Good article on Milb matters.
It is nice to see the MLB provide housing to minor league players as they pursue their dream of playing MLB baseball.
I believe David Price generously provided donations to minor league players last year as well.
But it seems to me that the MLB Union and players generally do very little to help minor league players. For all the complaining about MLB player salaries by the union, they ignore that AAA players not on 40 man roster make about $700 per week or about $15,000 per season. And this is after a significant raise in MILB salaries last year. These players are very close in talent to the MLB minimum players who make $570,000 per year plus generous benefits.
I realize that all drafted players get signing bonuses, and legitimate prospects get hefty bonuses, but many MILB players grind it out as organizational players and could benefit from modest increases in their pay.
I would prefer to see the players and their representatives take a bigger interest in the minor league players than making sure that Max Scherzer gets $43 million per year instead of $42 million per year (and Boras fee is $4.3 million instead of $4.2 million).
Do you think Noda or Mann has a chance to be picked?
Sad that minor leagers can’t even afford to start a Roth IRA.