August call ups

Yankee pitcher Severino just made his MLB debut this week. Got me thinking.......

Who are the other prospects who might be called up in the next couple weeks?

There will be bunches in September. Always difficult to say who because minor league playoffs can impact the decision as well as whether a team is in pennant race or who a team is willing to give major league service time to when they do not have to. But I am not thinking about September when players get a cup of coffee taste of MLB.

I am talking players like Severino who teams decide is ready and need to be called up now to help in a pennant race or make sure they are eligible for postseason rosters.

What prospects are most likely to get called up and why? Why that prospect over another? Why do they deserve to be called up? What impact will they likely make if called up.

What prospects maybe have earned a call up but will not get it and why? Why have the earned a chance? What are the good baseball reasons they will spend all of August in minors despite deserving a chance.

And after that if bored also answer who is most likely to get a cup of coffee in September? Why?

Outside of a team having a specific need, it's difficult to determine if a player will be called up in August or September. Here, however, are my ten most intriguing and/or best prospects who are will likely or possibly be called up in August or September:

1. Corey Seager, 3b-Ss, Dodgers. The best prospect in baseball, Seager has a smooth stroke and keen batting eye that, coupled with his 6-4, 215 lb frame could produce numerous .300/30 hr seasons. A shortstop in the minors, his limited range will push him to 3b. So, the question is whether LA thinks he is a better option than Turner, or having his power off the bench is worth starting his clock.

2. Josh Bell, 1b, Pirates. Another of MLB's top power-hitting prospects, the Bucs have been anticipating his arrival since spending 5 mil to lure him away from football. Alvarez has had another disappointing year, and Bell could be a superior option.

3. Tyrell Jenkins, Sp, Braves. Already thrilled to have stolen Shelby Miller from STL, the Braves are also excited about Jenkins from the same trade. A pitcher who hits 95 regularly, and has gone 3-2, with a 3.02 ERA in AAA. With Miller, Banuelos, and Wisler, Jenkins should be another excellent Hart pitching acquisition to join ATL.

4. Robert Stephenson, SP, Reds. The Reds top prospect and their hoped-to-be future ace, Stephenson is pitching very well in AAA and should be called up soon. With his hard fastball and plus curveball, he'll give some hope to Reds fans.

5. Trea Turner, Ss, Nationals. One of A.J. Preller's big mistakes, he gave away Turner (and Joe Ross) in the unfortunate Wil Myers trade. Although he has an average arm, Turner is a plus hitter with plus speed who has hit extremely well at both AA and AAA. The Nats might not want to start his clock, but Desmond's dismal year might force their hand.

6. A.J. Reed, 1b, Astros. One of the best college hitters in the nation last year, Reed dropped out of the first round because of poor pitch selection. He has improved that flaw considerably this year, producing crushing power and high average in HiA and AA. Some in HOU may not want to start his clock, but their terrible production at 1b this year might speed it up.

7. Steven Moya, Of, Tigers. The Tigers are now in full audition mode with recently-acquired Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd already pitching for them. Moya is an all-or-nothing power hitter in the vein of a Chris Young, but Detroit could want to see if he could make enough contact to make it.

8. Aaron Blair, Sp, Diamondbacks. A big right-hander with solid #3 starter potential, Blair should be a likely call-up for a Diamondbacks team hurting for offense. With his mid-90's fastball and solid curve, he could lead their rotation soon.

9. Jose Berrios, Sp, Twins. With Sano already flourishing in Minnesota, and Buxton also up, the Twins should call up their best pitching prospect, Berrios, soon. Berrios sits in the low 90-s, but can dial it up to 97 and could become their staff ace.

10. Sean Manaea, Sp, A's. Acquired for Zobrist in a great deal for the A's, Manaea could become the top lefty starter in Oakland to replace Kazmir. Considered a possible #1 overall pick, Manaea tore his labrum and dropped to 34th. But he is back throwing in the mid-90's and the A's could very likely want to see if he's ready for the bigs.

6. A.J. Reed, 1b, Astros

An interesting selection. Carter does not seem to have worked out with that low BA. Singleton was called up for a spell but disappointed for second straight season. In last game I attended when Houston was here earlier this week they started Marwin Gonzalez at first. According to Astro website Reed is not on the 40 man roster so turning to him in August could require some creativity. But given the vacuum that position appears to be you could turn out to be right on this one. That would be an interesting move if he jumps from AA past Singleton.

I still like Singleton long term, but you're right, he just doesn't have it yet.

I'm not sure if he meets your definition, but I just read today that one writer thinks that Abraham Almonte will get a lot of playing time for the Indians. He looks like he might be a pretty good player.

He's carded in 2014, so he might be a nifty pickup for a keeper league where you can still get him. It will depend how much he plays, and how well he plays, of course.

I still like Singleton long term, but you're right, he just doesn't have it yet.

Interesting to read your thoughts on Singleton. I have him in a keeper league, so I think I'll make sure he stays on the roster in 2015. Thanks for your thoughts Steve!

I also have Corey Seager on my prospect list for one keeper league, so this makes me excited for that team! I can use him at 3b. I also have Addison Russell as a prospect in 2014, and I hope he develops into the shortstop role.

An interesting, complimentary article on Russell:

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/142601624 ... p-for-cubs

BTW, I made a trade this year in a keeper league, trading Joc away pederson in exchange for Addison Russell. Even with the great year Pederson has had, I think I still feel pretty good about that trade, long term. I'm partial to good fielding infielders!

I'm not sure if he meets your definition, but I just read today that one writer thinks that Abraham Almonte will get a lot of playing time for the Indians. He looks like he might be a pretty good player.

He's carded in 2014, so he might be a nifty pickup for a keeper league where you can still get him. It will depend how much he plays, and how well he plays, of course.

Well, Almonte made a huge splash last night, going 4 for 5 with a home run. That being said, he's more of a journeyman, now with his 4th team in 3 years, than future starter material. While he has some speed and pop, he is more of a future 4th outfielder for the team than a starter. The fact the Tribe is counting on him now speaks more of the state of their team than his talent.

Their outfield of the future is definitely Brantley, Bradley Zimmer, and Clint Frazier.

A more interesting call-up is the Yankees call-up of 1b Greg Bird, their #3 prospect. Bird is kind of the opposite of Teixeira. Where Teixeira is a smooth fielding 1bman with a meh hit tool, but enormous power, Bird is a mediocre fielder, with average power, but a smooth stroke and a promising hit tool. So, while he won't see much starting playing time, being blocked by Teixeira and Rodriguex, he will get some starts and pinch-hitting opportunities, and should take over at 1b in 2017...unless NY picks up MT's option.

With Severino (their future ace) already up and pitching very well, and the titanic Aaron Judge probably soon to follow in September, the Yankees are nicely rejuvenating their big league roster. They can only hope it stops Toronto.

5. Trea Turner, Ss, Nationals. One of A.J. Preller's big mistakes, he gave away Turner (and Joe Ross) in the unfortunate Wil Myers trade. Although he has an average arm, Turner is a plus hitter with plus speed who has hit extremely well at both AA and AAA. The Nats might not want to start his clock, but Desmond's dismal year might force their hand.

The Nationals are planning to call up Trea Turner today, and he will see time at both Ss and 2b, as well as be used as a pinch runner to maximize his plus speed. Since being officially acquired from the Padres, after being in limbo in SD as the PTBNL, Turner has torn it up, hitting .359 in a brief stop in AA Harrisburg, and producing a .314/.353/.431 line with 14 sbs at AAA Syracuse. The original thinking was Turner would replace Desmond as SS this year. However, Desmond has improved this season after a slow start and has a stronger arm than Turner. So, the Nats could keep Desmond and replace Espinosa with Turner at 2b, keep Rendon at 3b, and probably let Escobar sign with another team.

Either way, Turner should be an excellent added sparkplug to a team in desperate need of it.

In lesser news, the Milwaukee Brewers called up Rf Domingo Santana, who was recently acquired in the Fiers-Gomez trade. Santana has always impressed with his power potential, but his poor bat-control and strike-zone discipline has held him back. However, he was having an excellent season at AAA Fresno before the trade, and dominated at AAA Colorado Springs after it with a .380/.426/.582 line in 20 games. With Khris Davis' star fading in Milwaukee, Santana could feasibly take over in Rf and push Braun back to Lf.

So, with Josh Hader also flourishing since the trade--a 2.29 ERA and 0.97 Whip in 4 AA games--the Brewers have to be happy with it so far. The main player of the trade--Brett Phillips--has started slower, but he has a 5-tool skill set that could make Milwaukee forget Gomez.

^^^ Thanks for all the great info !