During his tenure with Baseball Prospectus, current Chicago Cubs scout Jason Parks wrote a regular column titled “Prospects Will Break Your Heart.” As it pertained to his home state Rangers, the headline eerily foreshadowed the unfortunate collapse of Jurickson Profar. Parks wrote this about the highly-touted prospect in February 2013:
Profar earned an 85-game cup o’ coffee with the Rangers in 2013, hitting .234 with six homers, 30 runs and 26 RBI. However, shoulder injuries – which include a torn labrum - have placed him on the shelf for most of the last two seasons. He’s still not ready to start in the field at SS/2B, but penciled in as an Arizona Fall League designated hitter, Profar has smacked the ball around the yard over the last month:
2015 AFL Stats: .260 / .344 / .500 with 2 HR / 8 R / 16 RBI
So, what’s next? Well, fellow prospect Rougned Odor impressed the Rangers (and fantasy owners) with 16 homers, 54 runs and 61 RBI last season. He’s probably got second base on lock moving forward. Shortstop Elvis Andrus, 27, enters the second year of an eight-year, $120-million contract. Profar could be on the move and trade bait for the Rangers. He turns 23 years old in February.
Gary Sanchez – Yankees / Catcher
At Double and Triple-A in 2015, Sanchez hit .274 / .330 OBP / .485 SLG with 18 HR / 50 R / 62 RBI / 7 SB.
Adam Brett Walker II – Twins / Outfield / DH
Nick Travieso – Reds / Starting Pitcher
Dylan Bundy – Orioles / Starting Pitcher
He was shut down for most of the 2015 minor league season. The Orioles wanted to get Bundy a handful of Arizona Fall League starts to A) get him some competitive work before 2016 B) check the health of his arm. He was just shut down, again, after two innings of AFL work with forearm tightness. Sad.
Top Prospects In The Timeout Chair
If you’re a fan of the MLBPipeline.com, you probably know they rank Alex Reyes – he of the St. Louis Cardinal starting pitcher factory – the top prospect in the organization. He graded out as a 60 overall and is ranked the third-best right-handed pitchers in the minors behind the Nationals Lucas Giolito and Pirates Tyler Glasnow. If only Reyes didn’t like weed. He’s currently serving part of his 50-game suspension during the AFL after a second positive test for marijuana.
The 21-year-old Reyes finished 5-7 with a 2.49 ERA and K/9 rate north of 13.50 splitting time between Single and Double-A. With Lance Lynn out for 2016 (Tommy John), you wonder if Reyes had a chance to earn a spot in the rotation.
The Pirates traded JaCoby Jones to the Tigers in exchange for Joakim Soria this past season. The 23-year-old shortstop hit 23 homers in 2014 (Single-A) and 16 homers in 2015 (Double-A), but the .250 average and .320 OBP with a high strikeout rate shows there is room to grow. The problem is Jones, too, is suspended 50 games for a second positive drug test. Second positive drug tests mean recreational and not performance enhancing. He was named to the AFL All-Star team before the punishment was handed down. Jones hit .280 (.333 OBP) with two homers in 50 at bats. He’s ranked 10th overall prospect in the Tigers farm system.
@danconnollysun can't be good.
— Dave Robbins (@ye_olde_tweeter) June 29, 2015
