5 Tampa Bay Rays prospects to watch
Written by Rob Smith, Aug 29, 2011, 0 Comments
The Tampa Bay Rays have a reputation for skillfully developing minor-league talent and replacing their big-name stars that become too expensive to retain. They’ve eschewed the immediate gratification of splashy free-agent signings, choosing instead to invest in draft picks whose limited team contributions could span a number of years, if ever.
This strategy has paid off, and the team’s savvy drafting has allowed Tampa Bay to remain competitive year to year, despite the unmatched bare-bones payroll, compared with the deep-pocketed Red Sox and Yankees. Since being called up in July, Desmond Jennings has been outstanding, posting an OPS of 1.013 while providing many of the same attributes that Crawford did at a fraction (roughly 1/43) of the price.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the top prospects currently in the Rays’ minor-league system and how they might eventually fit in with the big-league club.
Matt Moore, SP
Entering the 2011 season, ESPN’s Keith Law ranked Moore as the Rays’ second-best prospect behind fellow starter Jeremy Hellickson, who has since established himself as one of the better young pitchers in baseball. Moore appears to be on a similar path. After finishing the 2010 season in high-A ball, Moore has vastly improved his command en route to dominating both AA and AAA hitters this year.
A K:BB ratio of 5:1 indicates that Moore’s time in the minors is nearing its end. Moore will likely get a September call-up, and is a leading candidate to take Wade Davis’ (8-7, 4.60 ERA) spot in the rotation in 2012. With David Price (11-10, 3.59 ERA), James Shields (11-10, 2.83 ERA), and Hellickson (10-8, 3.22 ERA) already entrenched, Moore’s addition would give the Rays arguably the best young pitching staff in MLB.
Hak-Ju Lee, SS
Lee, who was recently promoted to AA Montgomery, has been so impressive that he’s probably surpassed 2008 No. 1 overall pick Tim Beckham on the organizational ladder. One need only compare their numbers at high-A Charlotte (Lee’s 2011 BA/OBP/SLG splits of .317/.389/.442 dwarf the .256/.346/.359 posted by Beckham in 2010) to see that Lee has outperformed Beckham who, to be fair, has re-established himself as a legitimate prospect in the past year.
Lee came over from Chicago in the Matt Garza trade deal that looks better and better for the Rays as Lee continues to develop. While Beckham, who is a year older than Lee, might be the first of the two to appear on the Rays roster, Lee has a higher ceiling and is the more likely long-term solution at shortstop for Tampa Bay.
Alex Torres, SP
Torres, who was acquired from Anaheim in the Scott Kazmir trade in 2009, is a starter who projects as a potential closer at the major-league level. His ability to miss bats will fit well in a bullpen that will likely lose closer Kyle Farnsworth to free agency after the 2011 season.
Torres has the repertoire to be an effective starter, but the already-crowded Rays rotation and Torres’ lack of command will probably land him in the ‘pen, which isn’t a bad thing. Relievers have become an expensive commodity in the trade and free agent markets, so the ability to develop late-inning options from within the organization will benefit a frugal-by-necessity team like Tampa Bay. He does need to limit his walks, though, which have been a problem for Torres throughout his career.
Taylor Guerrieri, SP
Guerrieri, a lanky, hard-throwing righty, projects as a front-of-the-rotation starter down the road. He slipped in the draft due to character concerns regarding an underage-drinking incident this past year, but the team believed the whole ordeal to be severely overblown and was comfortable selecting the hurler, who Baseball America ranked as the 10th best prospect in the draft. Like any pitcher drafted out of high school, Guerrieri will not sniff a big-league paycheck for at least three to four years. However, his mid-90s fastball and projected physical development should add yet another power arm to an organization rife with elite pitching.
Drew Vettleson, OF
A couple of the Rays’ projected top position players, catcher Justin O’Conner and third baseman Josh Sale, have struggled early in their pro careers, but Vettleson is thriving. His high steals total is due more to sharp base running instincts rather than flat-out speed. His plate approach far exceeds his age, as Vettleson is a disciplined hitter who can spray the ball to all fields and draw a walk, too.
Like Guerrieri, Vettleson won’t contribute to the big-league club for a while, and other outfielders in the organization will get opportunities before him. But he projects as an above-average bat, and his veteran makeup and approach will help him climb through the minors faster than his fresh-out-of-high-school contemporaries.
