Colton Cain, Zack Von Rosenberg, Mel Rojas Jr. Top West Virginia Power Roster
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 4, 2011 12:54 PM EDT
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PrintHere's the West Virginia Power roster:
CATCHERS
Elias Diaz
Kawika Emsley-Pai
Jairo Marquez
INFIELDERS
Eric Avila
Matt Curry
Justin Howard
Drew Maggi
Kevin Mort
OUTFIELDERS
Dan Grovatt
Mel Rojas Jr.
PITCHERS
Colton Cain
Brandon Cumpton
Kevin Decker
Zack Dodson
Zach Foster
Zach Fuesser
Brooks Pounders
Trent Stevenson
Jason Townsend
Zack Von Rosenberg
Tyler Waldron
Notes by WTM: Victor Black was expected to open at Bradenton and Jeff Inman somewhere in class A, so hopefully they'll both be with the Marauders. I have to think 2B/OF Adalberto Santos will be there, too.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Ngoepe and Maggi alternate between the two middle infield spots. I haven't seen much of Maggi, but Ngoepe is a legitimate shortstop.
The only players repeating the level are Rogelios Noris, who had major problems making contact, and Zach Foster and Jairo Marquez, who appear to be primarily organizational players.
It's good to see Eric Avila make the jump from rookie ball and disappointing to see OF Exicardo Cayones not make it. My sense is that Cayones is turning out not to have the kind of ceiling the team hoped when it signed him. I was hoping LHP Joely Rodriguez would open in WV, too.
Notes by Charlie: The Marauders roster is supposed to come out tomorrow around lunchtime. Here was my West Virginia roster projection from a couple months back. It looks like Joey Schoenfeld will start the year in extended Spring Training, which is no surprise given that Kyle Stark recently said pretty bluntly that the Pirates simply like Diaz better. Cayones is MIA, which is too bad, and Wesley Freeman is too. The pitching staff is, pretty much, as expected (with Jameson Taillon starting the year in extended Spring Training, as was announced a few days ago), although Stark also said that Waldron and Cumpton would have a chance to start the year at Bradenton. It's possible, as Tim points out, that the Bucs could promote someone like Waldron when Taillon is ready.
WTM also points out in the comments that there don't seem to be any injury surprises so far, which is noteworthy given the number of very young pitchers and the number of injuries last year.
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Well, you beat me by less than a minute. Feel free to delete whichever one you want.
You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.
Yeah, sorry about that. It’s a great problem to have. I pasted your notes here.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 4, 2011 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Okie dokie.
You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.
by WTM on Apr 4, 2011 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Any chance at all
Cayones makes it to A+ to start instead of WV????
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
I doubt that very much – he’s only 19, and he played in the GCL last year.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 4, 2011 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions
just thought maybe they could go with some advanced placement. cayones not playing in A ball this year is def the biggest let down in the lower minors so far….for me at least.
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
Somebody at OBN is saying he was hurt and just recently got back. That may not be why he’s not on the roster, though.
You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.
by WTM on Apr 4, 2011 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Adalberto Santos is hurt, too. Don’t know where he was slated to go.
You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.
by WTM on Apr 4, 2011 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Btw, it’s noteworthy that all those HS pitchers appear to be healthy to start the season. I would’ve given odds that that wouldn’t happen.
You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.
Yeah, there isn’t a single guy who’s definitely supposed to be there who isn’t, is there?
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 4, 2011 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Not really, assuming Black and Inman are at Brad.
You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.
by WTM on Apr 4, 2011 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Where I think this probably leaves the Bradenton roster something like . . . .
C: Ramon Cabrera, Travis Scott (Carlos Paulino?)
1B/OF/DH: Aaron Baker, Calvin Anderson
IF: Jarek Cunningham, Elevys Gonzalez, Benji Gonzalez, Kelson Brown, Greg Picart
OF: Robbie Grossman, Evan Chambers, David Rubinstein, Adalberto Santos
SP: Nate Baker, Quincy Miller, Brett Lorin, Phil Irwin, Kyle McPherson
RP: Gabriel Alvarado, Matt McSwain, Vic Black, Duke Welker, Eliecer Navarro, Jhonathan Ramos, Jason Erickson, Maurice Bankston
You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.
Casey Erickson was, maybe that’s who you’re thinking of.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 4, 2011 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions
bleh
not a whole lot of upside in that roster.
where's Kelson Brown?
also, i have another question- assuming the Bucs worked out all the rosters before releasing any of them, why not publish them at once?
Possibly just to goose coverage a tiny bit?
It all pales in comparison to Opening Week coverage, so I don’t know if that would matter. At least as likely is that it gives the FO a bit more breathing room, just in terms of dealing with press requests and such. Each roster announcement = ~25 guys to (potentially) answer questions about, so better not to have to talk about 100+ guys in a single day.
Announcements
I think this has more to do with the peculiar breakdown of duties between parent and affiliate. The affiliates do all admin. stuff, like PR.
You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.
by WTM on Apr 4, 2011 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions
I know that in the case of Bradenton, there’s a media guy who deals with the Marauders, and they’re announcing it at some sort of banquet tomorrow. One possible reason the Pirates don’t announce them all at once because they want to give the host cities the chance to have some role in announcing their rosters.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 4, 2011 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions
There you go
I was thinking about how it might benefit the locals, but hadn’t quite put it together. Makes perfect sense.
Foster
I’m just relieved that, even with ZF not working out, we still have 3 legit Zac[k] prospects.
And three Zachs right in a row, alphabetically. I felt like I had entered the twilight zone as I was typing it.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 4, 2011 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Although
it would be much cooler if his name was David (DVR) and we could scream “rewind yourself!” every time he K’d someone
by Mr. E on Apr 4, 2011 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
ha
and look who makes an appearance at the bottom of that Q & A. Calling out Littlebrain before I even knew what Baseball America was.
by Mr. E on Apr 4, 2011 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
nice find! WTM was a shrewd judge of talent even back then...
2005 draftees Brad Corley (second round), James Boone (third) and Jeff Sues (fifth) never made it past AA, and only Sues played anywhere in 2010.
Just don’t anybody look up anything I said about Mike Crotta more than a year ago.
You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.
by WTM on Apr 4, 2011 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Free your ass and your mind will follow.
by cocktailsfor2 on Apr 5, 2011 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions
So who is going to be joining me at Appy Power Park for a gam eor two
mostly to see the toast man, but also to watch the future of the Pirates
Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Jack Butler, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, Andre Reed and Jerry Kramer
"Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand." Wes Westrum
Canal Street Chronicles resident Steelers Fan
I already sent a note to a buddy
Do they ever come any closer? Nothing against Charleston, but that’s a long drive to see low-A ball.
The only thing Hagerstown is close to is Sharpsburg. Antietam Creek is a couple blocks from the ballpark. Interesting ballpark if you have a sense of humor.
You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.
by WTM on Apr 4, 2011 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Not the battle, the ballpark. It’s . . . weird.
You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.
by WTM on Apr 4, 2011 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ll drop you a note when I come down.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 4, 2011 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions
I hope to make a couple of trips
It’s about 3 hours for me. (Although Indy is only half an hour farther, and that rotation is awfully tempting,)
And Charlie, if you ever want to come to Lexington to see the greatness that is the Astros’ minor league system, let me know.
I get all my orthopedic advice from Dr. Rob Dibble
I'm real excited from the early reports on Mel Rojas Jr...
heard some really nice reports on him. I’m hoping for big things from him this season.
WTM/Charlie – did you get a chance to see much of Rojas?
I saw Rojas play two games late last year and he looked very tentative at the plate. Not getting badly fooled exactly, but taking weak swings and hitting little grounders over and over. I saw him again in a couple games in camp last month and he looked fine. Drove a couple balls pretty well.
You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.
by WTM on Apr 4, 2011 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I saw him in camp and was impressed. He got good swings and was very athletic. Folks who had seen more of him than I had were raving about him.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 4, 2011 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions
god to hear
He didn’t look that good.
You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.
by WTM on Apr 4, 2011 8:53 PM EDT up reply actions
wasn't drafting Rojas
something that was questioned heavily?
by insane_sanity on Apr 5, 2011 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions
eh
Not necessarily no the amateur side.
I just recall there being some uproar over the Rojas signing — I think there were some pretty big names still available. I could be mistaken…can anyone shed some light on this?
by insane_sanity on Apr 5, 2011 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Not really...
Keith Law thought it was a great pick in the 3rd round. Many scouts were split on Rojas though.
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