General Minor League News, Discussion

[allentown]

And prospects tend to be rated higher than they otherwise might be, when the team with the 1.1 pick is clearly head-over-heels in love with him. With that hype gone and Moniak being exposed by professional play, every recent scouting report I've read sees a guy with no plus-plus tool and most see no plus tool. In other words, they don't see a guy with big skills, who just needs more repetitions to succeed, they don't see a high-ceiling, greater than average risk prospect, they simply don't see a high ceiling. If things go well from here out, they see a second-division starter type guy, if things go less well, a 4th or 5th OF in MLB.

[andyb]

Let's try putting this here since there are really no minor league threads other than transactions. A little report from the Phillies LHV site:

Taxi Ball: What’s Going On at the Alternate Site? [Phillies, IronPigs]

The author has also posted some more on Twitter. One observation was that Christopher Sanchez had not given up a hit yet in these games. In this post Suarez seems like he is getting closer and both JD Hammer and ELDS are both supposedly looking good. Who knows of course, but we are grasping for minor league news. Here is hoping we get some sort of Fall or Instructional league this year. We are almost in September, so have to figure they are close to figuring out what they want to do there.

[teabag259]

Man...in hindsight Moniak being labeled as a Steve Finley while being talked about as a 1-1 should have been a massive red flag.

[zambonir]

Wow. MLB issued a memo today informing teams that fall instructional programs are a green light.

Organization's minor league players will be able to start facing other organizations in exhibitions in the coming weeks.

These games can happen at an ATS or ST facilities.

— Joe ( @JoeDoyleMiLB ) September 2, 2020

This does NOT mean that minor league baseball is back. What this means is players can train at spring training facilities and play exhibitions against other organizations.

-Not organized MiLB
-Not Arizona Fall League

...simply instructional league ball. Still, very positive.

— Joe ( @JoeDoyleMiLB ) September 2, 2020

And if you have BA

MLB Allows Instructional Camps To Proceed

[andyb]

I think there are still plans for the Arizona Fall League. Whether it gets expanded to Florida also is a question.

[zambonir]

I would be surprised if they had the AFL as it usually works, with players from multiple organizations playing for a mix of managers and coaches from other organizations. The start date for these camps is the same as the start date would have been for AFL.

[andyb]

Yeah. I was kind of expecting them to do a 1 team per organization schedule in both FL and AZ with divisions regionally like the instructional league. They still keep dropping hints that they are doing it.

[zambonir]

Seems like the big x factor is they are also allowed to do it at their alternate sites. If you're a playoff team, especially one that isn't flush with cash, that seems like an easier scenario, at least on the East Coast.

[zambonir]

Details haven't changed much but things are moving towards the unpleasant finish.

I'm sure this is fairly convenient for the Phillies, business-wise. They were already pretty tight with (and in some cases actual owners of) their affiliates.

Why baseball's minor leagues are changing forever

MLB's plan, cemented in a proposal delivered to MiLB last week, reaffirms a new reality: The two organizations no longer operate as partners, if they ever were. They are superior and subordinate. And the months leading to this point have been a lesson in economics, politics and efficiency, but mostly power.

The minor league system as it has existed for decades will effectively end when the current agreement between MLB and MiLB expires Sept. 30. MiLB's offices in St. Petersburg, Florida, will be shuttered, an MLB source told ESPN, and the minors will be run out of MLB's headquarters in New York City....

Talks continued Wednesday on a new Professional Baseball Agreement, but under MLB's proposal, first reported by Baseball America:

There will be only 120 affiliated teams, four per major league team. At least 42 teams will lose their affiliations, while some independent teams could become affiliates. Minor league owners don't know which teams are on the cut list.

There will no longer be rookie and short-season Class A levels. Lower-level players will train in their major league club's spring training facilities in Arizona or Florida, but scores of paying jobs in the game will be lost.

MLB will take over merchandising, broadcast and sponsorship rights, splitting revenues 50-50 with the minor league clubs.

It wasn't detailed in MLB's proposal last week, but several MLB sources told ESPN that teams losing affiliation will be encouraged to join either amateur summer "wood bat" leagues populated by college players or become independent professional clubs. A proposal detailing those options is expected next week.

[andyb]

Sounds like they just decided they wanted to do this. Then enlisted the minor league teams to save their minimum wage and anti-trust exemptions.

I still think there will be some sort of complex leagues. Just different. More for players in the organization before the draft rather than after.

Interesting to see that 2 or 3 independent teams are angling to be part of the 120. My company is in MN and we helped the St. Paul Saints get their ballpark. They could not afford to pay us so they gave us 2 season tickets for life. Now it looks like they will be season tickets to the Twins Midwest League franchise potentially.

[zambonir]

Maybe things have changed, but last I read the Saints didn't actually want in...more like MLB wants to do away with that unaffiliated competition, and their ballpark would be up to standards. Sugarland was more eager.

Given the history of the Saints' ownership group I would hope that they sit it out and help strengthen indy ball. They also stand to lose their NY-Penn league team, and also own Charleston so maybe all of that is leverage somehow.

I'm sure there will still be complex leagues, but those are already wholly owned and operated by the teams and don't have employees (or charge admission) right? Like, the mayor of Clearwater isn't gonna care either way, they have what they have regardless, and Roly De Armas is probably going to have a job however they do it or whatever they call it. Though maybe not if he worked for a cheap team.

[andyb]

I think the question on complex leagues is whether teams feel that they get more out of the extended Spring games and instructional league. These are real games against other teams. Not sure if there are real umpires there or just coaches. Now they are somewhat loose in the rules (like the Summer Camp games) and stats are not kept, but the big question out there is whether teams feel the experience of playing in these games is as good as the GCL games, especially if new draftees went straight to Instructional League which might end up being a little longer and starting in August.

Games can be useful to MLB teams. Annoying of course for fans if no stats are reported. We will not be able to tell how prospects are developing until the year after they are drafted (and maybe 2 years for International and HS prospects).

[Jeff05]

Following on from andyb's Aug 25 post, another noisenation report. This one provides a little insight as to how some of the Phillies prospects, such as Stott, Marchan and Moniak, are performing at the Alternate Site.

Alternate Training Site All-Stars [Phillies]

[zambonir]

Very funny that the Iron PIgs policy and this one blogger created that whole situation.

[Jeff05]

And a shame that there's no "highlights" packages or something from the Alt Site. God, I miss not being able to follow the minors - always a good distraction when the senior team falters!

[el-pietro]

Thankfully the Major League lineup has been competitive in 2020!

[zambonir]

It's a little odd that Service Electric is being allowed to show the games and gather all that footage but no one is doing anything with it. There seems to be a "secrecy" element to it, like an NFL practice or something, but it also makes it harder to do trades which is why the scouts were unhappy. Two-way street: if we are in fact considering multiple players as PTBNLs from those trades, we won't have much information about them (though in most cases those players probably aren't even at the alternate sites either).

I assume if we were to make some off-season deal that might include Moniak they'd be throwing together a very flattering highlights package but quick!

[andyb]

Some NL East prospect notes:

Keeping Up with the NL East’s Prospects

Views on Howard and Bohm have not changed much. Still more in the good player rather than star projections. For Bohm he raised his hit tool grade but also lowered the power a bit because of his approach to end up in the same place. The 2-2.5 WAR projection is probably as much about the defense subtracting from his offensive value.

He likes the reliever version of Jojo. His secondary pitches were not developing as much as expected and if this is the way he sustains velocity then he thinks he can be a significant bullpen piece. He also equates Marchan now to something like a late first round college catcher (solid on defense, mediocre offense). That is good.

He seems to have been watching the cable telecasts (isn't Longenhagen from the Philly area?)

[el-pietro]

He is, used towork for the Iron Pigs front office. Is living in Arizona these days which gives him access to fall leagues/spring training facilties etc.

[zambonir]

Someone must be DVRing it for him.