SF Giants Press Clips Thursday, August 23, 2018

SF Giants Press Clips Thursday, August 23, 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Giants lose to Mets, McCutchen address trade repports John Shea NEW YORK - This is a time of transition for the Giants, who could lose at least two key players in the near future, a scenario that would trigger a shift in focus to 2019 and provide opportunities for other players. A day after The Chronicle reported Buster Posey likely will undergo season-ending hip surgery, the catcher was back behind the plate for Wednesday night s 5-3 loss to the Mets. Andrew McCutchen was omitted from the lineup, a rare breather for the right fielder, fueling speculation that he was about to be traded to a contender for prospects. According to a report by the Athletic in Pittsburgh, McCutchen cleared waivers. That would mean no team claimed him and that he could be traded anywhere before the end of August. It also would mean he could finish the season in an orange and black uniform (no, not the Orioles), putting the Giants on the hook for the remainder of his $14.75 million salary, roughly $3 million. Until somebody calls or something happens, cool, McCutchen said. But I try to keep it simple and don t even focus on what that stuff means and just play baseball. If you start thinking about all that other stuff, then you lose focus on what s important and what s in front of you. 1

What s important is being here and playing and trying to win. McCutchen leads the team in games played, so it was unusual he wasn t in the lineup and additionally odd that he wasn t in the clubhouse during the media availability or on the field during batting practice, but he was in the dugout during the game and was on deck as a pinchhitter when the game ended. Manager Bruce Bochy said it was a planned day off and that McCutchen would return to the lineup for Thursday s series finale. If McCutchen is traded, he said, it would be easier than leaving the Pirates after 10 years, five All-Star seasons and an MVP award. Being traded by Pittsburgh probably will be the hardest thing I ve ever done, regardless of what happens after this, he said. I don t think anything will be more difficult. Nothing s going to outweigh that. Asked about the report he cleared waivers, McCutchen said, I don t really understand that process. I don t get it. I don t know waivers or clearers or revocables. I don t know what that stuff means, man. I have a better chance understanding trigonometry. While McCutchen is considered trade bait because of his pending free agency and the Giants position in the standings they entered play Wednesday a season-high 8 1/2 games out of first place, 7 1/2 back in the wild-card race teams haven t lined up to acquire him. He s hitting.255 with a career-worst.765 OPS. Does McCutchen anticipate he ll stick with the Giants the rest of the season? I anticipate where I am right now, he said. Live for today. Once Posey, management and the medical staff decide he ll have his surgery, the Giants would need another catcher to complement Nick Hundley, and Triple-A Sacramento s Aramis Garcia is a likely candidate as the lone minor-league catcher on the 40-man roster. Garcia might have been called up anyway when rosters expand Sept. 1. As for September callups, the Giants aren t planning for a big group if only because they ve already brought up several players during the season including Austin Slater (who was in the lineup in McCutchen s absence and hit his first homer of the season), Steven Duggar, Alen Hanson, Dereck Rodriguez and Andrew Suarez. The callups will be more need-based than opportunity-based. 2

Expect bullpen help, but it s possible outfielder Chris Shaw wouldn t be called up because he could get limited playing time with other young outfielders in the fold, especially if McCutchen stays. The Giants maintain they ll stay under the $197 million threshold for the competitive balance tax even if no one from the current roster is traded. That was assured July 8 when the Giants traded Austin Jackson and Cory Gearrin to the Rangers. San Francisco Chronicle Andrew McCutchen s absence from Giants lineup fuels trade speculation John Shea NEW YORK - When Wednesday night s Giants lineup was posted, Andrew McCutchen wasn t in it, which led to massive speculation in the social media universe. Was he being traded? Where was he headed? What are the Giants getting for him? Which young player will replace him in right field? McCutchen wasn t seen in the clubhouse during the media availability nor on the field during batting practice, which fueled the trade speculation. Any trade in August would involve the waiver wire, and McCutchen was put on waivers early this week, it was confirmed Wednesday. Well, manager Bruce Bochy said it s simply a regular day off for the right fielder. Just getting a day, Bochy said. I talked to him. We ve been playing him, grinding him pretty hard. He hasn t had a day off in a while, so he was going to get today or tomorrow off. We decided to take today off. He ll be back in there tomorrow. He s fine. He s just getting a needed day. Things could change in a hurry. McCutchen wouldn t be in Thursday s lineup if the Giants cut a deal for prospects before the series finale. 3

He s trade bait because of the Giants position in the standings a season-high 8 1/2 games out of first place, 7 1/2 back in the wild-card race and his upcoming free agency. His contract expires after the season, and he s owed the remainder of his $14.75 million salary. McCutchen, 31, is hitting.255 with a.353 on-base percentage and career-worst.765 OPS. But he leads the Giants in RBIs, runs, walks and extra-base hits. San Jose Mercury News McCutchen receives much-needed day, reportedly clears waivers Kerry Crowley NEW YORK No player has started more games for the Giants this season than Andrew McCutchen, but the regular right fielder was nowhere to be found at Citi Field Wednesday. Amid speculation McCutchen could soon head to a contending club through a waiver wire trade, manager Bruce Bochy is giving McCutchen what he termed as a much-needed day off. He s just getting a day, Bochy said. I talked to him. With these extra inning games we ve been playing, we ve been grinding him pretty hard. He hasn t had a day off in awhile. In the fourth inning of Wednesday s game, The Athletic reported McCutchen cleared revocable waivers, meaning he can be traded to any team at any time before the August 31 waiver deadline. McCutchen was not in the Giants clubhouse during the 60-minute period it was open to the media Wednesday and did not warm up on the field prior to a game against the Mets. Bochy said he told McCutchen to take the full day off and that he could be available to pinch hit, but McCutchen s absence was rather unusual, especially at this point in the season. The Giants began the day a season-high 8.5 games back and could use the month of September to evaluate younger outfielders instead of continuing to start McCutchen, a pending free agent, over the final weeks of the season. McCutchen leads the Giants in home runs (14), RBIs (53) and stolen bases (11), but by moving McCutchen, San Francisco could allow young outfielders like Austin Slater and top prospect Chris Shaw to play on an everyday basis. 4

McCutchen is typically available to reporters pregame and many Giants players take pregame batting practice on the field even when they re given a day off. Though San Francisco could save about $2-3 million by trading McCutchen in the next few days, team executives have indicated the franchise will remain under the $197 luxury tax threshold even without completing any deals for the remainder of the season. San Jose Mercury News Giants sink to depth they haven t hit since may with loss to Mets Kerry Crowley NEW YORK The Giants entered Wednesday s game with the lowest batting average (.220) and the worst slugging percentage (.312) in the National League during the month of August, and elected to play with their top power hitter on the bench. But while manager Bruce Bochy said he just wanted to give Andrew McCutchen a muchneeded day of rest, the off day was anything but typical for the Giants right fielder. McCutchen didn t make an appearance during the Giants 5-3 loss to the Mets, but he was spotted at the top step of the dugout in full uniform at the start of the game. It was the first time McCutchen was seen at Citi Field Wednesday as he was not available to reporters in the visiting clubhouse prior to the game and did not take pregame batting practice with the Giants. Get San Francisco Giants news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Giants HQ newsletter. His afternoon absence fueled speculation the Giants were looking to execute a waiver wire trade for McCutchen, but according to a report from The Athletic, McCutchen went unclaimed on revocable waivers. Though 29 clubs passed on an opportunity to acquire McCutchen, the Giants can still trade the pending free agent through the August 31 waiver deadline. Doing so could free up opportunities for San Francisco to evaluate young, homegrown outfielders in starting roles in September, including Austin Slater who finished with two hits and his first home run of the season Wednesday. Slater was one of only a few bright spots for the Giants (62-66), who guaranteed a losing road 5

trip and fell four games below.500 for the first time since May 30. Slater s solo shot to lead off the seventh inning cut the Mets 4-2 lead in half, but the early advantage New York staked out was too difficult to overcome for the Giants. The Mets scored three runs in the second against Giants starter Casey Kelly including two unearned runs after shortstop Brandon Crawford committed his second error of the game. Crawford misplayed a two-out grounder hit by Mets right fielder Jose Bautista, which extended the inning for rookie second baseman Jeff McNeil. McNeil s single on a 3-0 pitch marked his seventh hit in seven at-bats against the Giants in the series and set the table for Todd Frazier who doubled home a run. Kelly made his second start for the Giants and lasted six innings while allowing just two earned runs in an outing that could earn him an opportunity to pitch again even after rookie Dereck Rodríguez returns from the disabled list Friday. The Giants began an immediate comeback bid as Slater led off the third inning against Noah Syndergaard with a single and scored on a groundout by fellow rookie Steven Duggar. A Joe Panik RBI single cut the deficit to 3-2, but the Mets led the rest of the night. Because the Giants are now free to trade McCutchen to any team, Slater, Duggar and top hitting prospect Chris Shaw could earn extended time in the outfield in September if general manager Bobby Evans is able to execute a deal. Failing to trade McCutchen before the waiver deadline could stunt the development of the Giants younger talent as the team may be less inclined to audition outfielders in starting roles if McCutchen continues to play in right field. Samardzija starts rehab Right-hander Jeff Samardzija began another rehab assignment Wednesday as he attempts to return from a shoulder injury that has forced him to the disabled list three separate times this season. Samardzija threw four scoreless innings and allowed one hit for Double-A Richmond and is expected to make one additional rehab start before returning to the Giants rotation. 6

MLB.com Slater homers, but Kelly hurt by miscue in loss Joe Trezza NEW YORK -- Long before the Giants jogged onto the diamond at Citi Field on Wednesday, the lineup pinned to their clubhouse wall spoke as much to the state of the team as their 5-3 defeat to the Mets would later. Absent from that bulletin was the name of Andrew McCutchen, the Giants' leader in games played this season, whose tenure in San Francisco, according to reports, could be nearing its end. Now nine games back in the National League West, pending Arizona's game against the Angels, and 8 1/2 behind in the NL Wild Card hunt, the Giants' actions moving forward figure to come with an eye toward 2019, above all else. That likely means surgery, at some point, for Buster Posey. That likely means moving an expiring contract like McCutchen, who reportedly cleared waivers Wednesday. It likely means getting younger, healthier and less expensive, wherever they can. View Full Game Coverage That Austin Slater helped create two-thirds of the Giants' offense in place of McCutchen only underscored the timing of such a shift. It's the likes of Slater and Alen Hanson, or perhaps even other prospects, who moving McCutchen would free up playing time for come September. Slater singled and scored off winning pitcher Noah Syndergaard in the third inning, and he cleared the left-center-field wall off Mets reliever Drew Smith in the seventh. Both times, the runs inched the Giants closer from a deficit their defense played a big part in creating. After Kelly allowed a solo home run to Dominic Smith, National League Gold Glove Awardwinning shortstop Brandon Crawford's second error of the night opened the door for two more Mets runs off Casey Kelly, who took the loss despite allowing two earned runs (four total) in six innings. But the other two he allowed, unearned or not, count all the same. After Crawford's error extended the second inning for the Mets, Kelly surrendered consecutive RBI hits to Jeff McNeil and Todd Frazier, who later answered Slater's solo homer with one of his own against Hunter Strickland in the seventh, which stretched New York's lead. 7

MLB.com Bumgarner: degrom deserving of Cy Young Joe Trezza NEW YORK -- Last weekend in Cincinnati, Madison Bumgarner reclined in the visitor's clubhouse, craned his neck, and witnessed the end of a masterpiece. On the TV was Jacob degrom, whom Bumgarner will face in a marquee matchup on Thursday at Citi Field, delivering his latest gem in a season full of them. Bumgarner paid attention because the entire baseball world is paying attention to degrom, whose 1.71 ERA is building him a legitimate case for the National League Cy Young Award despite an 8-7 record. Bumgarner has had seasons, he admits, where his win-loss record didn't reflect how he felt he'd pitched. What pitcher hasn't? That's part of the reason why Bumgarner welcomed a discussion about it prior to Wednesday's game at Citi Field, during which he expressed his admiration for the Mets' right-hander. View Full Game Coverage "It's impressive. Going into tomorrow, you know you probably can't give up a run," Bumgarner told MLB.com. "It's so close with degrom, [Max] Scherzer and [Aaron] Nola, too, but if I had a [Cy Young] vote, [degrom is] probably where I'd go with it." Bumgarner is in something of a unique position to speak on the subject. His Giants teams have always been built around pitching and defense. Not even the three World Series championship clubs were the type to outslug opponents. Four times in his career, the Giants' offense has ranked lower than the Mets rank this season entering Wednesday's game (21st in runs scored in the Majors). During those seasons -- 2011, '13, and '17-18 -- Bumgarner sits seven games under.500 (32-39) despite a 3.06 ERA. "I know we get the wins and losses by our name, but you're not winning games without the help of your team," Bumgarner said. "You can lose them [yourself]. But the whole deal is a team effort. I don't think there is any one answer to it. It's not always your fault." Then there are times, Bumgarner makes sure to point out, when pitchers win because their offense provides in droves. The last time Bumgarner and degrom matched up, the lefty beat degrom despite allowing four earned runs in five innings. That game, Aug. 18, 2016, in San Francisco, "wasn't the game either of us were looking for," Bumgarner said. It ended in a 10-7 Giants win. 8

degrom, of course, has rarely been afforded such fortune this summer. He's held opponents to three runs or less in 23 straight starts but is 6-7 in those games. "In his case, I don't think [the record] should affect his candidacy at all," Bumgarner said. "If anybody disagrees with that, they clearly aren't watching the games. I don't think it should, but there is no doubt that it will cost him." NBCsportsbayarea.com Amid Giants skid, McCutchen addresses trade rumors: It makes sense Alex Pavlovic NEW YORK Andrew McCutchen was in the on-deck circle when the Giants lost 5-3 on Wednesday night. He was taking his warm-up swings, preparing to possibly tie the game, because that s all you can do in this situation. If McCutchen was bothered by the stress of this week, it didn t show. He smiled 30 minutes later when asked about going through waivers. The trade from Pittsburgh was the hardest thing I ve done, he said, lending some perspective. McCutchen was the franchise player for the Pirates but spent his final couple years there caught up in rumors. You can understand, then, if he s not refreshing his phone too often right now. He was put on waivers this week and cleared, meaning the Giants can trade him anywhere over the next week. He s trying not to think much about the whole situation. I don t really understand the process. I don t get it, he said, smiling. Waivers cleared and revocables, I don t know what that stuff means. I don t get it. I ve got a better chance of understanding trigonometry. For now, McCutchen said he s focused on being here until someone tells him he s not. He worked out after getting the night off and will be in the lineup Thursday against Jacob degrom. The Giants will continue to try to trade their right fielder, although things might be murkier now that McCutchen cleared waivers. The pool of teams is much bigger, but it also appears there s little interest in McCutchen at this price point. Perhaps the Giants will eat some money to facilitate a deal. Perhaps McCutchen will spend the rest of the season in San Francisco, after all that. It s part of the game sometimes, McCutchen said. It makes sense when things like this happen. It s not something I m stressed about. 9

NBCsportsbayarea.com Giants Notes Alex Pavlovic NEW YORK As the Giants took batting practice at Citi Field earlier this week, Bruce Bochy talked at length about young outfielder Austin Slater, who has shown an ability to get on base and have good at-bats, but was looking for his first homer. I do like his aggressiveness, Bochy said. I think with more time he s going to get the ball in the air more and the homers will come. He s got plus power. Slater finally showed it Wednesday. He provided one of the only highlights of a 5-3 loss, hitting a 425-foot homer off Drew Smith in the seventh to get his first of the year. Slater got a 2-0 fastball on the inner half and blasted off. Afterward, Bochy said he wants Slater to just stick to this approach. Just do what he s doing, throw out good at-bats, find the barrel on a consistent basis, Bochy said. He showed tonight he s got power. He can hit the ball out of the park. Slater hit three homers as a rookie last year and showed some pop, but he entered Wednesday s game with a.318 slugging percentage. He didn t flash that much home run power across the minors but did hit 18 homers at two levels in 2016. - Jeff Samardzija s first rehab start was a good one. He allowed just one hit in four shutout innings for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, walking one and striking out one. Samardzija could be back in the big league rotation by the end of next week. - Down in Triple-A, Chris Shaw was reinstated from the disabled list. Shaw s September plans may depend on what the Giants do with Andrew McCutchen. At the moment, the team feels there are an awful lot of outfielders in the mix in September already, but a McCutchen trade could clear some at-bats for Shaw, who has 22 homers this season but has battled strikeout issues with the River Cats. NBCsportsbayarea.com Long balls, errors doom Casey Kelly, Giants in 5-3 loss to Mets Alex Pavlovic NEW YORK The Giants have had plenty of rough road trips the past two seasons, but this journey has turned particularly painful. Amid speculation about the timing of Buster Posey s season-ending surgery and Andrew McCutchen s status as a Giant, the team went out and lost for the sixth time in seven games. 10

This one was a 5-3 loss to the Mets with many of the same storylines. The Giants walked off the field a season-high nine games out of first place, with just 34 to go. Here s what you need to know about this one --- Casey Kelly continues to do a pretty good job. In his second start, Kelly gave up four runs over six innings but just two were earned. He struck out four and walked none. --- Brandon Crawford made two errors in the first two innings, and one of them was costly. Crawford booted a two-out grounder in the second and the Mets would go on to score two runs. The multiple-error game was Crawford s first since he made three against the Yankees on July 22, 2016, also here in New York. --- Noah Syndergaard hit 100 mph with his third pitch of the game and was dominant early, but the Giants got a pair off him in the third. Austin Slater, Gorkys Hernandez and Joe Panik had singles in the frame. Those were the only two runs Syndergaard allowed in his six innings. He threw 25 pitches at 99 mph or above. --- Slater hit his first homer of the year in the seventh, temporarily getting the Giants within one. The blast was estimated at 425 feet. The Athletic Bowden: Grading the farm systems of all 30 MLB teams after the trade deadline Jim Bowden The backbone of every organization is its farm system. When you re building a skyscraper, the penthouse is the most expensive real estate, but the foundation is the most important part of the structure. Without the foundation, there is no penthouse. And without a solid farm system, there is no major-league team. When we look at baseball s most recent championship teams over the last four years, they all had one common thread: The cores of these teams were built through their farm systems. The defending World Champion Houston Astros were built around homegrown players such as José Altuve, George Springer and Carlos Correa. The 2016 Chicago Cubs were constructed around prospects like Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras and Javier Báez, and the 2015 Kansas City Royals core included first-round draft picks like Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Alex Gordon. Go back to the 2014 San Francisco Giants and you ll find much of that team came from the farm system too, including Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt and Tim Lincecum. I communicated and consulted with all 30 teams before grading every team s farm system, and these grades come with no bias. The top prospects in every organization are weighted more 11

heavily than any other factor, because history shows us it s usually those players who eventually help lead a team to championships as described above. However, teams like the San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays, which have so many quality prospects, get an additional bump because of the incredible trade value that deep farm systems have when building championship-caliber teams. Depth allows teams to make trades for proven majorleague players to add to a young core, as when the Astros traded from their prospect depth to acquire Gerrit Cole in the offseason without giving up any of their top elite prospects. Based on the input from all 30 front offices and many of the game s top evaluators, here are grades and rankings for all 30 farm systems as of August 2018: 1. San Diego Padres: A 2. Atlanta Braves: A 3. Toronto Blue Jays: A 4. Tampa Bay Rays: A 5. Chicago White Sox: A- 6. Cincinnati Reds: B+ 7. Houston Astros: B+ 8. Minnesota Twins: B+ 9. Philadelphia Phillies: B+ 10. Detroit Tigers: B+ 11. Los Angeles Dodgers: B+ 12. Oakland Athletics: B 13. New York Yankees: B 14. Los Angeles Angels: B 15. Colorado Rockies: B 16. Washington Nationals: B 17. St. Louis Cardinals: B 18. Pittsburgh Pirates: B- 19. Chicago Cubs: B- 20. Arizona Diamondbacks: C+ 21. Baltimore Orioles: C+ 22. Texas Rangers: C+ 23. Milwaukee Brewers: C+ 24. Miami Marlins: C+ 25. San Francisco Giants: C 26. New York Mets: C 27. Cleveland Indians: C- 28. Boston Red Sox: D 29. Kansas City Royals: D- 12

30. Seattle Mariners: D- AL EAST Baltimore Orioles Grade: C+ Rank: 21 of 30 Top 8 Prospects: 1. Yusniel Diaz, OF; 2. Ryan Mountcastle, 3B; 3. D.L. Hall, LHP; 4. Keegan Akin, LHP; 5. Grayson Rodriguez, RHP; 6. Luis Ortiz, RHP; 7. Dillon Tate, RHP; 8. Austin Hays, OF The Orioles had one of the worst farm systems in baseball until they decided to go with an allout rebuilding program at the trade deadline. The trades of veterans Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, Zach Britton, Kevin Gausman and Brad Brach provided enough prospect return to give the Orioles at least an average farm system. Yusniel Diaz, the outfielder acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Machado trade, becomes the team s best prospect. Diaz has a chance to develop into a middle-of-the-lineup impact bat. The Orioles in all probability will get the first overall selection in the 2019 draft, and ownership s intent to get heavily involved in the international talent pool bodes well for their blueprint. The farm system is trending upward, and with a solid plan in place, they might just end up with one of the game s better farm systems as early as 2021. Boston Red Sox Grade: D Rank: 28 of 30 Top 6 Prospects: 1. Michael Chavis, 3B; 2. Triston Casas, 1B; 3. Bobby Dalbec, 3B; 4. Jay Groome, LHP; 5. Nick Decker, OF; 6. Bryan Mata, RHP The Red Sox have the best record in baseball, thanks to the development of what was once the best farm system in the game with the graduation of Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr. Boston used its farm system wisely, trading several elite prospects to make significant improvements to the major-league club, including the acquisitions of star players like Chris Sale and Craig Kimbrel. The now-thin Red Sox farm system also took a hit this year when their top position prospect 13

Michael Chavis was suspended for half a season for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs and their top pitching prospect, Jay Groome, had successful Tommy John surgery which ended his year prematurely. Boston went from one of the top farm systems in baseball to one of the worse in a short period of time, making it imperative that they rebuild it this offseason so that, when this window of winning at the major-league level ends in three to four years, they ll be prepared to replenish the roster. New York Yankees Grade: B Rank: 13 of 30 Top 9 Prospects: 1. Justus Sheffield, LHP; 2. Estevan Florial, CF; 3. Clint Frazier, OF; 4. Albert Abreu, RHP; 5. Chance Adams, RHP; 6. Jonathan Loaisiga, RHP; 7. Garrett Whitlock, RHP; 8. Deivi Garcia, RHP; 9. Roansy Contreras, RHP The Yankees have a good chance of having the top two American League rookie of the year candidates this year in third baseman Miguel Andújar and second baseman Gleyber Torres. They ve also been able to give major-league opportunities to several of their top pitching prospects like Domingo Germán, Jonathan Loaisiga and Chance Adams, albeit with mixed results. It s also only a matter of time before they promote their top pitching prospect, Justus Sheffield. New York is high on center-field prospect Estevan Florial and Clint Frazier, but both were derailed this year by missing significant time with injuries. The Yankees are loaded with pitching prospects, but developing young arms in a market like New York has never been easy and takes time. The Yankees did deal from their prospect and talent depth to acquire pitchers J.A. Happ, Lance Lynn and Zach Britton at the trade deadline, but did so without giving up any of their top 10 prospects. Tampa Bay Rays Grade: A Rank: 4 of 30 Top 13 Prospects: 1. Wander Franco, SS; 2. Brent Honeywell, RHP; 3. Brendan McKay, 1B/LHP; 4. Vidal Brujan, 2B; 5. Austin Meadows, OF; 6. Jesus Sanchez, OF; 7. Ronaldo Hernandez, C/DH; 8. Nick Solak, 2B; 9. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B; 10. Shane Baz, RHP; 11. Shane McClanahan, LHP; 12. Matthew Liberatore, LHP; 13. Brandon Lowe, INF. 14

The Tampa Bay front office has done a tremendous job over the last three years of stockpiling prospects from the draft, international pool and trades. They ve been acquiring position players who are athletic, can hit and play defense, and pitchers with high upside and, for the most part, clean deliveries. All of this recent success is already being felt at the major-league level, but it s soon going to get a lot better. They have quickly put together one of the best farm systems in the sport. Wander Franco, at age 17, has quickly developed into their top prospects by passing Brent Honeywell, who missed the year because of Tommy John surgery, and Brendan McKay. There is very little precedent for what Franco is doing right now. Another top prospect who has emerged this year is Vidal Brujan, a switch-hitter who hits for average, power and plays with energy and enthusiasm off the charts. The Rays also have a trio of bats on the way, including outfielders Jesus Sanchez and Austin Meadows (acquired in the Chris Archer trade) and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. The future is bright in Tampa Bay. Toronto Blue Jays Grade: A Rank: 3 of 30 Top 8 Prospects: 1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B; 2. Bo Bichette, SS; 3. Kevin Smith, INF; 4. Cavan Biggio, 2B; 5. Nate Pearson, RHP, 6. Jordan Groshans, SS; 7. Eric Pardinho, RHP; 8. Danny Jansen, C. The Blue Jays have the best prospect in baseball in Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has a chance to do something no one has ever done over the last century and that s to hit.400 for an entire minor-league season. Guerrero needs some developing defensively, but the bat is major-league ready now and he s already my pick for the 2019 American League rookie of the year award. Guerrero is not the only top prospect the Blue Jays have, fellow infielders Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio are also tearing it up in the minors and both are expected to join Guerrero in Toronto sometime next season if not this September. The Blue Jays infield prospect depth is staggering because infielders Kevin Smith and Jordan Groshans are also considered elite prospects. The Blue Jays, after promoting pitching prospect Sean Reid-Foley to the majors recently, can now point to 17-year-old Eric Pardinho and Nate Pearson as their top two pitching prospects, both who profile out to top-of-rotation type potential. The Blue Jays have been building their farm system in earnest since team CEO and President Mark Shapiro arrived, and now it s only a matter of time before their success is translated to the major-league level. 15

AL CENTRAL Chicago White Sox Grade: A- Rank: 5 of 30 Top 11 Prospects: 1. Eloy Jiménez, OF; 2. Michael Kopech, RHP; 3. Luis Robert, OF; 4. Nick Madrigal, INF; 5. Dylan Cease, RHP; 6. Blake Rutheford, OF; 7. Dane Dunning, RHP; 8. Luis Alexander Basabe, OF; 9. Zack Collins, C; 10. Luis Gonzalez, OF; 11. Ian Hamilton, RHP. The White Sox farm system has had significant success recently, which has more to do with recent trades than with their drafting or international signings. The trades of Chris Sale to Boston, José Quintana to the Cubs, Adam Eaton to the Nationals and David Robertson to the Yankees are why their farm system is so strong. Eloy Jiménez, acquired in the Quintana trade, is the Sox s top hitting prospect, profiling out to be a.300 average, 30 home run, 100 RBI type middle-of-the-order bat. Michael Kopech, the team s top pitching prospect, throws over 100 mph, he came over in the Chris Sale transaction. This year they did an excellent job in the draft, especially with their first overall pick, perhaps the best hitter in this year s draft class: middle infielder Nick Madrigal, who quickly has become their system s fourth-best prospect. Cleveland Indians Grade: C- Rank: 27 of 30 Top 7 Prospects: 1. Triston McKenzie, RHP; 2. Nolan Jones, 3B; 3. Noah Naylor, C; 4. Sam Hentges, LHP; 5. Ethan Hankins, RHP; 6. Luis Oviedo, RHP; 7. Raynel Delgado, INF. The Indians window to win a World Championship might just be limited to the next few years, which was the main reason they traded their top position prospect, Francisco Mejía, to the Padres for bullpen help. However, that deal, along with the promotion of top pitching prospect Shane Bieber to the majors, has left the Indians farm system the thinnest it s been during the Chris Antonetti era. Triston McKenzie becomes their top pitching prospect, with tremendous upside, and Nolan Jones, the Indians second-round pick in 2016, their top position player. Fortunately for the Tribe, both are having banner seasons. 16

Detroit Tigers Grade: B+ Rank: 10 of 30 Top 12 Prospects: 1. Casey Mize, RHP; 2. Daz Cameron, OF; 3. Matt Manning, RHP; 4. Alex Faedo, RHP; 5. Beau Burrows, RHP; 6. Willi Castro, SS; 7. Franklin Perez, RHP; 8. Parker Meadows, OF; 9. Christin Stewart, OF; 10. Isaac Paredes, SS; 11. Kody Clemens, 2B; 12. Jake Rogers, C. The Tigers are developing a strong young core of starting pitchers, led by the industry s first overall pick in this year s draft class, Auburn s Casey Mize, and fellow first-round picks Matt Manning, Alex Faedo and Beau Burrows. As for position players, the Tigers are loaded with outfielders, including Daz Cameron, the son of former major-leaguer Mike Cameron, who is having a breakout season, along with outfielders Christin Stewart and Parker Meadows. The Tigers also have a strong depth of infield prospects led by Willi Castro, Isaac Paredes and Kody Clemens. The Tigers rebuilding program is trending in the right direction, so much so that they presently have the second-best farm system in the division, behind only the Chicago White Sox and that gap is narrowing rapidly. Kansas City Royals Grade: D- Rank: 29 of 30 Top 6 Prospects: 1. Brady Singer, RHP; 2. Seuly Matias, OF; 3. Nick Pratto, 1B; 4. Nicky Lopez, INF; 5. Jackson Kowar, RHP; 6. Khalil Lee, OF. The Royals made back-to-back World Series appearances in 2014 and 15 under the leadership of Dayton Moore, who did a tremendous job in his first round picks, including Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Alex Gordon. He made shrewd internationals signings like catcher Salvador Pérez, and smart trades, including the Zack Greinke move that landed outfielder Lorenzo Cain and pitcher Jake Odorizzi. The rebuilding resulted in a World Championship banner in 2015. However, the Royals waited too long to knock down and rebuild, and the result is that it will probably take five to seven more years before we see the Royals back in the postseason. Kansas City s farm system is thin outside of the high-risk, high-reward power bat of outfielder Seuly Matias and this year s college draft picks, including first-round starting pitcher Brady Singer. The Royals look to have changed their philosophy, switching their focus from high-end high school talent to lower-ceiling college picks, which is something of a head-scratcher considering 17

that their last rebuilding efforts led to so much success. Minnesota Twins Grade: B+ Rank: 8 of 30 Top 15 Prospects: 1. Royce Lewis, SS; 2. Alex Kirilloff, OF; 3. Nick Gordon, INF; 4. Brusdar Graterol, RHP; 5. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP; 6. Trevor Larnach, OF; 7. Brent Rooker, 1B; 8. Blayne Enlow, RHP; 9. Jorge Alcala, RHP; 10. Luis Arraez, INF; 11. Wander Javier, SS; 12. Lewis Thorpe, LHP; 13. Akil Baddoo, OF; 14. LaMonte Wade, OF; 15. Gilberto Celestino, OF. The Twins, under the leadership of chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and GM Thad Levine, have done a tremendous job of revamping Minnesota s system into one of the game s deepest. Although they don t have the elite quality at the top like the Blue Jays, Padres or White Sox, they do have the special depth of teams like the Rays, Astros and Tigers. The best part of the Twins farm system remains their recent high draft picks, which include shortstop Royce Lewis, outfielder Alex Kirilloff and first baseman Brent Rooker, all of whom are succeeding at expected levels. The team s recent trades at the deadline which included sending Lance Lynn to the Yankees, Fernando Rodney to the Athletics, Brian Dozier to the Dodgers and Eduardo Escobar to the Diamondbacks quickly expanded the depth of the system. Although the moves were unpopular in the clubhouse, they were the smart play, and have helped make Minnesota s system the strongest it s been in several years. AL WEST Houston Astros Grade: B+ Rank: 7 of 30 Top 11 Prospects: 1. Kyle Tucker, OF; 2. Forrest Whitley, RHP; 3. Yordan Alvarez, OF; 4. Corbin Martin, RHP; 5. J.B. Bukauskas, RHP; 6. Josh James, RHP; 7. Freudis Nova, SS; 8. Brandon Bielak, RHP; 9. Jairo Solis, RHP; 10. Myles Straw, OF, 11. Seth Beer, OF. Astros GM Jeff Luhnow was well known in St. Louis for helping to build a strong and deep farm system for the Cardinals and he s done the same since joining the Astros. What s been impressive is that he s used the farm system depth to acquire such players as Gerrit Cole and Ken Giles in multi-player trades, but then was able to quickly replenish his system through the draft and international signings so that he can keep making those kinds of quantity trades in the future. The Astros best position prospect remains Kyle Tucker who should develop into a middle-of- 18

the-order impact bat and Forrest Whitley remains their best pitching prospect despite his suspension that cost him half the season because of a positive drug test. However, don t expect the Astros to trade either one, because their philosophy is to hold on to all of their top elite prospects and only trade those next-level prospects instead. The Astros system is once again loaded with power arms, speed, athleticism and power bats and it s the reason the Astros are not just built for the short term, but should be legitimate contenders for most of the next decade. Los Angeles Angels Grade: B Rank: 14 of 30 Top 9 Prospects: 1. Jo Adell, OF; 2. Brandon Marsh, OF; 3. Griffin Canning, RHP; 4. Jahmai Jones, 2B; 5. Jordyn Adams, OF; 6. José Suárez, LHP; 7. Taylor Ward, C/3B; 8. Matt Thaiss, 1B; 9. Luis Rengifo, INF. Jo Adell is one of the most exciting outfield prospects in baseball, and the entire industry is looking forward to an Adell-Trout-Upton outfield, which could come to fruition sometime as early as 2019. The Angels also have a pair of starting pitchers who could move quickly through their system in right-hander Griffin Canning and southpaw José Suárez. The Angels farm system has been improving steadily over the last few years, and has finally reached the level of respectability. Oakland Athletics Grade: B Rank: 12 of 30 Top 5 Prospects: 1. Jesus Luzardo, LHP; 2. A.J. Puk, LHP; 3. Kyler Murray, OF; 4. Sean Murphy, C; 5. Dustin Fowler, CF; 6. Austin Beck, OF; 7. Lazaro Armenteros, OF; 8. Jorge Mateo, INF. The Athletics have been the surprise team of 2019, and a lot of the credit for that can be spread around, from Billy Beane to David Forst to the entire scouting and development staff, who have done a great job of player acquisition through trades, drafting and international signings and just as importantly, the actual development of those players, which has helped them reach their potentials. The A s farm system remains strong thanks to additional trades and first-round selections. Oakland s best prospect remains left-handed starter Jesus Luzardo, who profiles out to be a top-of-the-rotation starter. Luzardo was acquired from the Nationals along with impact closer Blake Treinin at the 2017 trade deadline in the deal that sent both Sean Doolittle and Ryan 19

Madson to Washington. A.J. Puk underwent Tommy John surgery back in April but still, like Luzardo, has the potential to be a No. 1 or No. 2 starter. The most dramatic draft pick in this year s draft was the A s selection of outfielder Kyler Murray, who is presently the QB at Oklahoma. His baseball tools are off the charts and so is his potential. Sean Murphy is one of the game s best catching prospects. Seattle Mariners Grade: D- Rank: 30 of 30 Top 6 Prospects: 1. Julio Rodriguez, OF; 2. Evan White, 1B: 3. Kyle Lewis, OF; 4. Logan Gilbert, RHP; 5. Noelvi Marte, SS; 6. Josh Stowers, OF. The Mariners don t have quality nor quantity in their farm system, which is amazing when you consider the number of successful trades the Mariners have made under the leadership of GM Jerry Dipoto. Those include the acquisitions of Dee Gordon, Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger, Ryon Healy, Marco Gonzalez and Alex Colomé, almost all of which ended up being lopsided in the Mariners favor. However, trades are going to be more difficult to make in the future, at least until the Mariners are able to rebuild their farm system, which presently ranks at the bottom of all 30 teams. Seattle s front office has recently made changes at six different scouting positions, moves made in an effort to improve their evaluations of both amateur and professional players. Outfielder Julio Rodriguez, first baseman Evan White and outfielder (and first-round pick) Kyle Lewis remain their top three prospects. Texas Rangers Grade: C+ Rank: 22 of 30 Top 8 Prospects: 1. Leody Taveras, OF; 2. Julio Pablo Martinez, OF; 3. Cole Winn, RHP; 4. Hans Crouse, RHP; 5. Taylor Hearn, LHP; 6. Joe Palumbo, LHP; 7. Tyler Phillips, RHP, 8. Bubba Thompson, OF. The Rangers are deep in pitching prospects, led by Cole Winn, Hans Crouse and Taylor Hearns, and have outfield depth that includes Leody Tavares, J.P. Martinez and Bubba Thompson. Texas is in the middle of the pack more because of their lack of quality depth than anything else. In fairness, the Rangers farm system was hurt by injuries this year, including shortstop Chris Seise and pitcher Cole Ragans, who are both out for the season. 20

NL EAST Atlanta Braves Grade: A Rank: 2 of 30 Top 12 Prospects: 1. Kolby Allard, LHP; 2. Austin Riley, 3B; 3. Kyle Wright, RHP; 4. Mike Soroka, RHP; 5. Ian Anderson, RHP; 6. Luiz Gohara, LHP; 7. Cristian Pache, OF; 8. Touki Toussaint, RHP; 9. Drew Waters, OF; 10. Joey Wentz, LHP; 11. Kyle Muller, LHP; 12. Bryse Wilson, RHP. The Braves have more high-ceiling pitching prospects than any team in baseball thanks to years of utilizing their first-round draft picks and trade returns on starting pitchers. The Braves have been committed to hanging on to all of their top prospects rather than trading some of them for immediate major league help, which could change this offseason. The Braves window of contending is just starting this year, and thanks to their deep and strong farm system, are in a solid position for the next several years. The Braves top pitching prospects, Koby Allard and Kyle Wright, have both had solid seasons while pitchers like Kyle Muller, Joey Wentz and Bryse Wilson have all made significant steps forward as well. Third baseman Austin Riley and outfielder Cristian Pache remain the Braves best position player prospects. The Braves farm system has taken a small hit at the lower levels because of the recent MLB sanctions for rule violations, but still have one of the best overall farm systems in the National League. Miami Marlins Grade: C+ Rank: 24 of 30 Top 8 Prospects: 1. Monte Harrison, OF; 2. Sandy Alcántara, RHP; 3. Isan Diaz, 2B; 4. Jorge Guzman, RHP; 5. Nick Neidert, RHP; 6. Connor Scott, OF; 7. Will Banfield, C; 8. Jose Devers, SS. The Marlins improved their farm system over the last year and a half with their wheeling and dealing of star players that included the deal of Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees, the trade of Marcell Ozuna to the Cardinals, the Christian Yelich move to the Brewers and the Dee Gordon trade to the Mariners. However, the prospects acquired in those deals, for the most part, have not put up the numbers in the minor leagues that you d expect after being traded for that type of talent. The Marlins have done a great job of collecting power arms, athletes and players with physical tools, but the system overall does lack professional hitters and pitchers with solid secondary 21

pitches, command and pitchability. Under the leadership of Derek Jeter, they are definitely heading in the right direction, but it s going to take a lot more time than they were expecting. New York Mets Grade: C Rank: 26 of 30 Top 6 Prospects: 1. Andres Gimenez, SS; 2. Justin Dunn, RHP; 3. Peter Alonso, 1B; 4. Ronny Mauricio, SS; 5. Jarred Kelenic, OF; 6. Franklyn Kilome, RHP. The Mets have three special prospects at the top of their prospect list led by shortstop Andres Gimenez, who is one of the best overall shortstop prospects in the game. Former first-round pick Justin Dunn continues to develop at an expedited rate and should make it to the majors sometime in 2019. Peter Alonso has a chance to be a middle-of-the-order impact bat capable of 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in with the only question being if he can become adequate enough defensively to play first base or if he ll end up being traded to an American League team to be a designated hitter. The Mets are getting really positive returns on their first-round pick from this year in outfielder Jarred Kelenic and opposing scouts are raving about teenage shortstop phenom Ronny Mauricio. The Mets don t have a lot of depth in their farm system. Philadelphia Phillies Grade: B+ Rank: 9 of 30 Top 10 Prospects: 1. Sixto Sanchez, RHP; 2. Luis García, SS; 3. Alec Bohm, 3B; 4. Adonis Medina, RHP; 5. Adam Haseley, OF; 6. Jhailyn Ortiz, OF; 7. Mickey Moniak, OF; 8. JoJo Romero, LHP; 9. Enyel De Los Santos, RHP; 10. Spencer Howard, RHP. The Phillies were in pursuit of Manny Machado at the trade deadline, but they refused to part with any of their top elite, prospects, which cost them their chance. Philadelphia is committed to long-term success, and with a top third farm system from which to trade, and money to spend on major-league free agents over the next two years, the organization is in great shape. The farm system is highlighted by starting pitcher Sixto Sanchez, who has been off-limits in all trade discussions because of his incredible ceiling as a possible ace down the road. The Phillies selection of third baseman Alec Bohm and outfielder Adam Haseley with their last two firstround picks gives them two legitimate All-Star caliber prospects, both of which should be part of their core by 2020. 22

Shortstop Luis Garcia might end up being the best of all their prospects, and he is presently dominating in the Gulf Coast League. The switch-hitter controls the strike zone, and has power and major-league defensive actions. In addition, first-round pick Mickey Moniak, who struggled last year, just turned 20 and is really starting to turn the corner in the Florida State League. The Phillies minor-league system is filled with prospects from floor to ceiling. Washington Nationals Grade: B Rank: 16 of 30 Top 6 Prospects: 1. Victor Robles, OF; 2. Carter Kieboom, SS; 3. Mason Denaburg, RHP; 4. Luis Garcia, INF; 5. Wil Crowe, RHP; 6. Seth Romero,LHP. The Nationals farm system has been well used over the last few seasons for trades to help the major-league club, as well as the promotions like outfielder Juan Soto and shortstop Trea Turner to the big leagues. These moves have taken a toll on the system s depth, as you would expect. However, they still have some elite prospects, led by outfielder Victor Robles. His path to the big leagues has been derailed by injuries, but he should be a favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year in 2019. Carter Kieboom and Luis Garcia provide top notch prospects for the middle infield, and as usual, the Nationals pipeline of pitchers is still heavy with Mason Denaburg, Wil Crowe and southpaw Seth Romero next on their prospect list. NL CENTRAL Chicago Cubs Grade: B- Rank: 19 of 30 Top 9 Prospects: 1. Miguel Amaya, C; 2. Alex Lange, RHP; 3. Nico Hoerner, SS; 4. Brailyn Marquez, LHP; 5. Adbert Alzolay, RHP; 6. Justin Steele, LHP; 7. Aramis Ademan, SS; 8. Brendon Little, LHP; 9. Duane Underwood Jr., RHP. The Cubs have used their farm system extensively for trades to help at the major-league level over the last several years, including outfielder Eloy Jiménez and pitcher Dylan Cease, who they traded across town last year for pitcher José Quintana; and second baseman Gleyber Torres, who they traded to the Yankees for Aroldis Chapman the year before. In addition, the constant promotion of homegrown talent like Kris Bryant, Javier Báez, Willson Contreras and Albert Almora to the major leagues has left their farm much thinner, as expected. However, the Cubs still have a solid and deep farm system, led by catcher Miguel Amaya and pitchers Alex Lange, Brailyn Marquez and Adbert Alzolay. 23

The Cubs have one of the best scouting and player development departments in baseball, so it won t be long before they re able to replenish their system and rejoin the elite. Cincinnati Reds Grade: B+ Rank: 6 of 30 Top 9 Prospects: 1. Nick Senzel, 3B; 2. Hunter Greene, RH; 3. Taylor Trammell, OF; 4. Jonathan India, 3B; 5. Tony Santillan, RHP; 6. Tyler Stephenson, C; 7. Vladimir Gutierrez, RHP; 8. Mike Siani, OF; 9. Jeter Downs INF. The Reds farm system is especially strong at the top, with four elite prospects in Nick Senzel, Hunter Greene, Taylor Trammell and Jonathan India. The only problem is that two of them Senzel and India are third basemen, and one of their best players at the major-league level is Eugenio Suárez also a third baseman. They have already tried Senzel at shortstop, second base and left field; he can flat-out hit, and the power is coming. He battled injuries this year, but should be major-league ready next year, depending on where they decide to play him. Trammell impressed me at the Futures Game, and there is no doubt he can be another elite corner outfield hitter. India was Cincinnati s first-round pick this year, and they ve already started playing him at shortstop along with third base. The Reds also have a strong inventory of pitching arms up and down their system, with the main question being how many the player development department can turn into successful major-league pitchers. Milwaukee Brewers Grade: C+ Rank 23 of 30 Top 7 Prospects: 1. Keston Hiura, 2B; 2. Corbin Burnes, RHP; 3. Corey Ray, OF; 4. Brian Turang, SS; 5. Zack Brown, RHP; 6. Jacob Nottingham, C; 7. Tristen Lutz, OF. The Brewers farm system has taken a dip over the last couple of seasons, partly because of trades for major-league help like those for outfielder Christian Yelich, second baseman Jonathan Schoop and third baseman Mike Moustakas over the past year, and partly because of prospects regressing, like outfielder Tristen Lutz. Keston Hiura is clearly their best prospect; he s going to hit. However, his defense has not improved much at second base, he s not a good baserunner and he doesn t have the power to play left field, if they decide to move him off of second base. The good news is that top outfield prospect Corey Ray s power arrived this year. He has belted 25 home runs already for Biloxi, the Brewers AA affiliate in the Southern League, with 33 stolen bases in 38 attempts despite hitting 24