2036-17: Talons Season Preview: Lower Minors

[jiminyhopkins]

The lower minors is still rather thin, and will remain so as the club keeps drafting well developed players that go straight to Single A or better, and the elite international talent remains at the Complex for the time being.

Short-A Daytona Beach Bikers

SP Alejandro Lopez (9/7/6 Talents)
Lopez keeps plugging along, pitching quite well as an 18 year old in his second season of rookie ball last year. Now up another level, Lopez looks to have #3 starter ceiling, even if he is still a few years away.

RF Daniel Serrano (6/6/6/5/6 Talents)
Still not much in Short A, just like last season. But Serrano is rated as a 2 star prospect, so he gets included here. Nothing really stands out, but if you squint, you might see a future as a backup corner OF in the big leagues somewhere.

R Traverse City Talons

SP Marcos Morales (8/5/5 Talents)
It's gonna be a while before those international guys move through the system. Until then, there's Marcos, who has three good pitches but also has below average movement and control potential. Might be a fringe reliever if converted.

RP Jose Rodriguez (7/6/6 Talents)
Speaking of fringe relievers...

1B Jose Villanueva (5/4/9/7/4 Talents)
Jose was signed as a minor league free agent last year because of that 9 power rating, and you know how much the Talons love that shit.

INT Casa de las Aguilas, Vega Baja PR

1B Raul Fernandez (8/10/10/7/6 Talents)
Here's where we get to the good stuff!! Fernandez looks like the prototypical Phoenix slugger, even if he has a long way to go before he gets there. But the future is tantalizing, and with projected good defense at first base, could even be a future MVP candidate if everything breaks just right.

C Roelof Klooster (9/12/7/6/7 Talents)
The Talons spent significant money in the IFA period for the first time, and they came away with a good one. Klooster looks like a future all star catcher, especially if that 12 gap talent translates into some additional home run power as he develops. Defense won't be elite, but will be serviceable.

SP Fernando Martinez (7/6/6 Talents)
Just picked up at the end of spring training, Martinez has big league upside as a #4-5 starter type, but the dreaded stuck changeup could be a limiting factor that sees him converted to relief in order to make the majors.

CF Patrick Carlier (6/11/4/5/7 Talents)
An interesting prospect. Carlier may not amount to anything, but a good bump here and there and suddenly he has a definite chance for big league success... in about half a decade.