White Sox Minor League Update: I just want to say one word to you - just one word.... 'prospects'.

Brent Morel has shot past Dayan Viciedo as the White Sox’s third baseman of the future. He’s a natural hitter, which he showed when he joined the Arizona Fall League at midseason and hit .372 in his first 12 games, including an 8-for-11 showing in three games last week.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-16-rogers-whispers-nov16,0,4524518.column

Hudson 40
Flowers 50
Mitchell 100

He was in one game I saw but I didn’t really focus on him. Scout buzz about him was fairly positive

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/11/14/1157404/open-q-a-thread#25696141

cj 1-4

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2009_11_16_perwin_surwin_1

White Sox third baseman Brent Morel wasn’t originally ticketed for the AFL, but the White Sox sent him to the Peoria Javelinas when Dayan Viciedo left the league due to injury.

Morel only has one extra-base hit in 17 AFL games, but he put on an impressive power display in batting practice on Saturday. He’s also a good defensive third baseman with an above-average arm. During the minor league season, several Carolina League managers praised Morel for his solid all-around tools and approach to the game.

“Man, I can see why everybody likes him,” said Javelinas manager Kevin Bradshaw, the Tigers’ roving infield coordinator. “He can do it all. I can see him hitting for a high average, he’ll have some power and the best thing I like is, you put him at third and you hit a ground ball down there, you’re out. He’ll show you range both ways and a good arm, so he’s a fun player to watch.”

While Morel could stand to show a little more patience at the plate, he also doesn’t strike out much.

“He’s an everyday player, a solid big league player,” said a National League scout. “He has a compact swing and he connects for power. He’s got good gap power and he’s a solid line-drive type hitter that’s going to develop into a guy with better than big league average power.”

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=6963

Chicago White Sox (10)
RHP: Dylan Axelrod (Hi A), Fernando Hernandez (AAA), Kelvin Jimenez (AAA), John Van Benschoten (AAA), Ehren Wassermann (AAA)
C: Justin Knoedler (AAA)
SS: Eider Torres (AAA)
OF: David Cook (AA), Josh Kroeger (AAA), Michael Restovich (AAA)

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=6994

danks 3-6, 2 2B, BB, SB
morel 4-6, HR

santos 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2009_11_17_perwin_peswin_1

Danks:
http://www.vimeo.com/7672940

Morel:
http://www.vimeo.com/7674477

Retherford:
http://www.vimeo.com/7676286

Original Link:
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/11/16/1159918/arizona-fall-league-2009-video

Along with Gartrell, the White Sox could lose center fielder John Shelby III and pitchers Brian Omogrosso, Matt Long and Justin Cassel if they aren’t protected.

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2009/11/gartrell-heads-white-sox-roster-candidates.html

friday deadline for adding players to 40 man to protect from rule 5 draft.

Working on the #WhiteSox top 10 for Baseball America. C Miguel Gonzalez could be the surprise guy. Lots of respect for P Carlos Torres.

http://twitter.com/ChiTribRogers/status/5835241510

he’s only 18, phil

danks 3-5
morel 3-5, HR
cj 0-2, HBP, BB

cassell 3 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K
rasner 2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K
bellamy 2 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2009_11_18_perwin_pddwin_1

White Sox outfielder Jordan Danks has been solid for the Peoria Javelinas, hitting .322/.445/.467 in 24 games. Danks is a patient hitter who can work the count well, walking 19 times in 110 plate appearances. He’s also struck out 24 times, showing some struggles against offspeed pitches and fastballs on the inner half. Though Danks is 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, some scouts question whether he’ll ever hit for much power, and he hasn’t shown much ability to pull the ball for power in the AFL. While he doesn’t have classic plus-plus speed in center field, he has shown good instincts reading fly balls off the bat, athleticism and a solid throwing arm.

“I hear he’s a center fielder, yet I’ve had to play him in right field a little bit and he’s made spectacular catches against the walls, so he’s adjusted well to the corner position,” said Javelinas manager Kevin Bradshaw, the Tigers’ roving infield coordinator. “He runs the bases very well—he gets the best leads out of anyone we have—and he’s been hitting the ball for power the other way.”

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=7052

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091118&content_id=7684462&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

danks 2-4, HR, BB
morel 3-4, 2B, BB
cj 1-3

santos 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2009_11_19_scowin_perwin_1

pussy

Santos’ numbers might not stand out, but he’s touched 97 mph while pitching in the Arizona Fall League over the past month and has shown improvement

“Sergio has a plus arm, and he’s someone who is drawing attention out there,” said Kirk Champion, the White Sox Minor League pitching coordinator.

Champion also said Santos’ slider is around the plate more than when he first transitioned and he has an outstanding changeup.

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091120&content_id=7694506&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws

1. Tyler Flowers: If he can stay at catcher, an All-Star-level bat could be in the works. He combines good patience with the ability to hit for average and power. If he is moved to first base, which seems more and more likely, his bat may get lost in the crowd. He will be above average at best as a first baseman.
2. Dan Hudson: Hudson had a breakout campaign in 2009, but he is not a blue-chip, powerhouse pitcher. Nevertheless, he has the potential to be a No. 2 starter with his consistent low-90s fastball to go along with a strong repertoire of secondary offerings, highlighted by his potentially plus slider.
3. Brent Morel: If his bat development continues to go well, Chicago may have a very solid major league third baseman on its hands in Morel. I cannot envision his stolen base and home run numbers translating to higher levels, but he does have good speed and some power to supplement it. The key will be whether or not the rest of his offensive game takes the next step.
4. John Ely: Ely isn’t an ace in training, but he isn’t completely a smoke-and-mirrors guy either. He has a consistent low-90s fastball with good movement, supplemented by a plus change-up. He won’t miss a lot of bats, but he will keep hitters off-balance, even in the majors.
5. Jared Mitchell: In my mind, Mitchell was not a first-round talent in the 2009 draft, but Chicago saw potential in him and selected him at No. 23 overall. Until he proves me wrong, I will be skeptical of his bat. He is way too raw for a college hitter, and his power and stolen base potential are not what they are cracked up to be. He is a first-round pick, though, so he has to be on the radar screen.
6. Jordan Danks: Defensively, Danks is quickly becoming a great center fielder. His bat is not where it needs to be, however. He has a little bit of power, some decent speed and a solid approach at the plate, but his swing still has holes that need to be ironed out, causing his batting average to suffer.
7. Dayan Viciedo: The hype surrounding Viciedo was ultimately unwarranted. He still could become a solid major leaguer, but he is not a star in waiting. His approach at the plate is too undisciplined, and his power/speed combination falls short of the initial scouting reports.
8. David Holmberg: Holmberg brings a great mix of pitches to the mound, including a curveball and change-up that have the makings of plus pitches. His fastball falls flat right now, but further velocity is expected as his frame fills out. He’s the most intriguing pitching project in Chicago’s system.
9. Josh Phegley: His bat speed is lacking and littered with holes, but Phegley has a nice line-drive swing. His defense isn’t anything special, but he should stick behind the plate. If everything works out right, Phegley could be an average all-around major league catcher.
10. John Shelby: Shelby has a nice power/speed combination and some solid contact skills to back it up, but his stats don’t back up his skill set. He’s at the age where he needs to start picking it up, as his prime is quickly approaching. Overall, it’s hard to know what to make of Shelby.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/top-10-prospects-for-2010-chicago-white-sox-and-detroit-tigers2/

http://www.matthagen.com/zengallery/index.php

i’m sure you can guess who was first.

santos: average of 95.95 mph and max of 98.8 mph.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=7107

What are your thoughts on Brent Morel? Is he the real deal with Ventura type qualities?

Jim Callis

He’s one of the best prospects and perhaps the most underrated one in the White Sox system. Wouldn’t hang a Ventura tag on him yet, but he has that type of potential.

Jonathan (Chicago)

Jared Mitchell, is he closer to Carl Crawford or Brett Gardner?

Jim Callis
  (2:49 PM)

Carl Crawford, easily.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/majors/espn-chat/2009/269197.html

“That’s something we hadn’t done much of in the past,” Bell noted. “Before I got here, most of the players we took were more from the college level. But by design, we wanted to get higher-ceiling guys out of high school who we could project.”

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091124&content_id=7714948&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws

Although Santos, 26, is out of options and must make the Sox’s Opening Day roster or be exposed to waivers, his quick ascent is one of the more remarkable achievements in the organization.

A veteran scout for an American League team said he would have recommended his team pay $50,000 to select the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Santos in the Rule 5 draft on Dec. 10 if he had been left unprotected.

The scout said he was more impressed with Santos’ fastball and hard slider that produced 20 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings than his 6.14 ERA for the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League, the final test that determined Santos’ placement on the 40-man roster.

It also validated Santos’ decision to convert to the mound after failing to reach the majors as a shortstop with three organizations, even though the Diamondbacks had made him a first-round draft selection in 2002.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/chi-27-white-sox-sergio-santos-nov27,0,2752781.story

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/chicago-white-sox-draft-review

He struggled really badly the first two or three months this season and was terrific the last two months," White Sox farm director Buddy Bell said. “That’s a great sign. But I don’t think we want to drop Omar Vizquel (comparisons) on him just yet.”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-29-rogers-inside-baseball-nov29,0,7878474.column

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/chicago-white-sox-top-10-prospects/

white sox not a bottom five system. 16-25, baby.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/12/01/farm.systems/index.html?eref=twitter_feed