OPENING DAY ROSTER NEWS

Friars closer Jason Motte has been sidelined by a serious elbow injury and is attempting to rehab his arm without having surgery.   It is believed that if Motte is forced to have surgery, he will be lost for the season.   The Friars had rather prudently obtained some veteran insurance, signing RHP Fernando Rodney through the 2013 Draft and adding former Yuma setup man Rafael Soriano as a free agent.  Still, Motte's departure (even if only temporary) means that St. Francis will continue to pursue bullpen arms on the trade market.

One arm not making its way to opening day:   former Brooklyn prospect Daniel Schlereth.   The journeyman left-hander did not pitch well enough this spring to earn a roster spot, despite openings in the pen, and he has been optioned to AAA St. Michel after agreeing to a minor-league split contract that raises his salary $250,000.   "We can afford this penalty to obtain some insurance," remarked team president Scott Hatfield.

Veteran Bronson Arroyo, despite a mediocre 2012 BARB campaign (10-10, 6.75), has earned the nod for Opening Day starter.   He will be followed in the rotation by 2013 Draftee Wade Miley, veteran LHP Clayton Richard, rookie hurler Matt Harvey and last year's #2 starter, LHP Derek Holland .   Waiting in the wings: RHP Shelby Miller (who had a great spring and will being the year at AAA St. Michel) and former Brooklyn RHP Clay Buchholz, signed off the scrap heap as a free agent.  RHP Henderson Alvarez, who showed flashes at times in 2012, will begin the year on the disabled list, while prized prospects Danny Hultzen and Dylan Bundy are returning to AA Georgetown for more seasoning.   All three could eventually play a role with the parent club, or serve as trade bait.

The glut of young pitching meant that neither RHP Edinson Volquez or LHP Travis Wood would get a rotation spot, but instead would begin the year in the St. Francis pen, while veteran RHP Aaron Harang (actively shopped by management) would be the club's spot starter and primary long man for now.  "We are in an unusual position for any club, much less St. Francis, " Hatfield mused.  "Virtually all of our starters are healthy and had decent springs, and we have as a result tremendous depth in the rotation.   We expect to be active in the trade market precisely for that reason."

In other news:   C Jesus Montero will go north again despite a disappointing spring, and the Friars will (for now) carry three catchers.   Montero's main role, however, will be as a DH against left-handers and veteran Kelly Shoppach is expected to get most of the playing time off the bench to back up starting catcher Salvador Perez.

During the spring, observers were surprised to see slugging RF Jose Bautista play occasional innings at both 1B and 3B, as Bautista is still dealing with injuries from last season and hasn't played regularly in the infield since 2010.   "I thought it would be good for my workout to make sure I was using all my skills," Bautista said, "and maybe it will come in handy for the team, as well." Bench strength is a concern for the club, with no left-handed hitters available and only one player (IF Todd Frazier) likely to play a utility role, so perhaps Bautista's unusual prep will in fact become part of the club's style of play in 2013.

Meanwhile, three other infielders (Aaron Hill, Pedro Alvarez and Ike Davis) are expected to get most of the playing time at 2B, 3B and 1B.   All three run-producers came over last August as part of a blockbuster trade with the Arizona franchise in a swap for Shawn Marcum, which is now looking like one of the most one-sided exchanges in league history.   Marcum, who battled injuries last season, is now once again sidelined to start the year and when he returns he is expected to be no better than a #3 starter.

PEREZ ON THE BLOCK

In a shocking development, prized young catcher Salvador Perez has been suspended from the team and informed that management is trying to decide whether he is part of their future, or not.

At issue are these comments by Perez, recorded by the Kansas City Star-Herald:

"Our schedule, who drew it up?   Nothing but night games, never any games off, it is hard to see how any one can squat, squat, squat day and night.  I may have to take some days off."

Management interpreted Perez's remarks to refer to this year's BARB schedule, which (unlike previous years) should be balanced, and not provide teams with periodic intervals of 4-6 straight games off, when (among other things) veterans were fond of visiting the buffet, playing 18 holes or going on fishing trips.

GM Scott Hatfield explained Perez's likely demotion this way: "Amazingly, Perez Resists Innovative League scheduling.  Fans Of Offense Love Salazar, but we can't overlook this.  This is no laughing matter."

FRAZIER DOMINATING PREPS

How often does it happen that an amateur player, a teenager, shows such potential that they become the subject of a Yahoo News! article before the comparable professional league gets underway, months before their respective sport's Draft?    Not too often, and when they do, it's usually basketball after one of the invitational prep tournaments.   In the last five years, only Bryce Harper has merited this kind of attention well ahead of Draft Day....until now.



Did you notice how quickly his teammates gathered at home plate?  The kid hadn't even reached first when they piled out, in what was obviously a no-doubter in a respectable (330 foot down the LF line) park.  Oh, and it was a three-run shot to put his team ahead.  Oh, and in hitting it he essentially "outdueled" the other big-name prospect that over 70 scouts came to see at this game between Louisville and Grayson, Austin Meadows.   Don't believe me?   This is Baseball America's absolutely-GUSHING account of the exploit.  Oh, and in the next six games he hit five more out.  And, entering his senior year, he's already broken the previous career mark for HR at his alma mater,  which was set by a current active major-leaguer (Brandon Moss).

What has brought this young man this sort of attention?  Click on the Yahoo link above, which has many pics and multiple videos.   Suffice to say is that, before the prep season began, he was already either the number-one or number-two ranked prep player in the country.  Now, with his season just seven games old, it might just be that Frazier has a chance of being the number-one ranked prospect, period.

Gentlemen, behold the projectable body and quick hands of 6' 1", 190-pound high school senior Clint Frazier.  So quick, that in the video below he clearly tomahawks what would eventually go out over the LF wall.  In, uh, the Metrodome.


But wait, there's more. This video shows Frazier on a West Coast jaunt. The last minute is shot at Petco Park. I like it when he hits a line drive off the Western Supply Building, and also a big fly ball that goes out to dead-center...and out. Petco, even in the daytime, not too favorable for power hitters. So, yeah, I think the kid can really hit. And I don't think he's going to end up playing OF for Georgia, either:

FROM THE SPRING SEATS

FRIARS ACQUIRE CARLOS BELTRAN

St. Francis, looking for outfield depth, has obtained veteran flychaser Carlos Beltran from last year's most improved club, the New England Yankee Stompers.  At age 35, Beltran managed to avoid any extended absences due to injury and hit .284 with 20 HR and 88 RBI for a club that came within one game of winning the league title in 2012.   But, with a big contract and a need to rebuild their club, New England felt it was probably better to move Beltran now while his value was up.

To obtain Beltran, St. Francis parted with defensive whiz Hak-Ju Lee, who draws comparison with (among others) Cesar Izturis and Ozzie Guillen for the way he takes charge on the infield.   Lee could be New England's starting shortstop by 2014 if he continues his development with the bat, but with the Friars having obtained veteran SS J.J. Hardy (still only 30 and with plenty of pop) to back up incumbent Alexei Ramirez, and with free agency still to play out, this move made some sense for the Friars.

FARM SYSTEM READY TO CONTRIBUTE?

So far, not so much.   The parent club has added veterans on the long side of 30 this off-season, and has yet to either trade for or develop the ace starter the rotation needs to move into the upper-tier of BARB clubs.
So far, the vaunted list of phenom pitchers hasn't made a dent in the parent club's decisions.   In the last 48 hours, Danny Hultzen, Casey Crosby and ultra-phenom Dylan Bundy have all been notified they will open the year at AAA.   Shelby Miller still has an outside chance of breaking camp with the Friars, but so far it's been a quiet spring without a lot of battles.

But then there's this kid.   He's got no chance of making the roster barring an unbelievable run of injuries.  But the bat speed, the wrists have people talking about Javier Baez, who has drilled four no-doubt bombs in the last two days:

FRIARS IN DISARRAY, THROW IN TOWEL

In a bitter news conference, St. Francis Friars owner Scott Hatfield confirmed that the monk-operated franchise had thrown in the towel on a 2012 season that had begun with a "fire sale" and ended, for all practical purposes, with the injury to slugger Jose Bautista.

"With Bautista, we are an elite team in terms of scoring runs," Hatfield said ruefully.  "Without him, we move back to the middle of the pack, offense-wise....and despite improvements to our bullpen, our starting pitching has not been good enough to keep us competitive with Jose out."

Noticeably absent: longtime "acting" GM Jack McKeon, who has returned to the racetracks and boardwalks of his Florida retirement community, and who apparently no longer even advises management on player movement.  "Jack served the Friars very well in a transition period," said Hatfield when asked about McKeon's absence. "Jack was the inspiration for our 2011 team that shocked the Central Division and made the playoffs, but I think if he was here he would understand the direction we feel forced to go."

Hatfield was red-faced during the brief and bitter moments that followed.  "As you know, I feel that our division rivals in Arizona have been extraordinarily fortunate in making the playoffs last year, and don't think too much of their organization's moves the last year.   But personal feelings shouldn't blind thoughtful people to opportunities, and so, no matter how much it hurts to swallow this pill, I'm here to report that the Rattlesnakes have essentially caught us in the standings with their pile of free agents, and they....that is to say, their GM, Ronald Melkonian, seems to feel that acquiring a pitcher can make them a contender for a playoff spot.   After last season's improbable chain of events, I can see where they might think that."

"I therefore announce that Arizona has agreed to take on the contract of injured RHP Shawn Marcum, who is currently rehabbing in the minors, along with left-handed hitting 2B Kelly Johnson.   In return, St. Francis will receive IF Aaron Hill, LHP Zach Britton and two minor-leaguers to be named later.    Ironically, both Hill and Johnson have been traded for each other in reality.....and, more painfully, both Marcum and Britton were previously swapped between the two teams.   I don't see this as a blockbuster, but just another building block.   Perhaps if Arizona rattles off ten straight wins and gets back in contention, this will be considered their turning point."

OSWALT RELEASED

Due a $16,000,000 payday if he was on the spring training roster, veteran RHP Roy Oswalt was non-tendered by the Friars for the purpose of cutting the club's "franchise player."

Oswalt had been with the club since 2010, after being acquired in a trade along with prospects from the Brooklyn Moabs, a trade that in retrospect seems to be key step in a series of moves that laid the ground work for last season's playoff run. Oswalt was effective at points in the season, going 9-4 with a 2.78 ERA, but was often dinged up. Observers speculated at times as to whether or not Oswalt would retire in mid-season, not just after the campaign. But, despite all the doubts, Oswalt pitched credibly in the playoffs and talked up his desire to return for another season of BARB baseball.

Management, however, looked at the tea leaves and decided that $16 M was too much to risk for a 34-year-old who had made only 17 regular-season starts for the Friars, who signaled their intention to go in another direction in the last week, dealing away veterans Paul Konerko, Kevin Youkilis and Heath Bell. The move lowered the Friars payroll to $126 million prior to the Draft.

Oswalt can now be signed by any team other than St. Francis through this year's impending Draft.

WILD DAY FOR FRIARS

In what is likely his final month on the job, GM "Trader" Jack McKeon made the "fire sale" rhetoric in St. Francis a reality, trading away three high-priced veterans from last season's playoff club: 1B Paul Konerko, 3B Kevin Youkilis and stretch-drive closer Heath Bell in separate deals with (respectively) Pottsylvania, Los Angeles and Casselton.


That all of these deals were with divisional rivals far better-positioned to make a run at a playoff spot did not escape the media's attention, nor the nearly $23 million sliced from the salary cap. Of all the deals, McKeon seemed most depressed by the loss of Konerko, a team leader who had been with the club since the middle of the 2011 season. "The guy is a leader," sighed a groggy McKeon over breakfast at a local diner that the Friars GM evidently preferred over the hotel buffet. "He led by example, never got too high, too low. A great influence on our younger players, and a solid hitter. Pottsylvania will be happy to have him."

To get Paul Konerko, the Creepers parted with three prospects not expected to be impact players in 2012: LHP Sean West (who missed all of last season with injury), RHP Jason Knapp (returning to A ball after surgery) and 3B Tommy Mendoca, an original draft pick of the Friars. Mendoca, who was hitting .347 in AA at mid-season, tumbled back to Earth after a tragic car accident claimed the lives of two of his best friends from high school.

To get Heath Bell, the Casselton Horned Toads sent a veteran reliever (Mike Adams), along with a pair of former prospects on hard times (1B Matt LaPorta and SS Reid Brignac) who are no longer seen as sure things to become big-league regulars. LaPorta will face intense competition in spring to make the roster, McKeon confirmed, while Brignac seems assured of a backup role.

To get Kevin Youkilis, the Los Angeles Isotopes dealt veteran starter Aaron Harang, along with a Grade B pitching prospect (RHP Zach Stewart) and highly-touted minor-league IF Hak-Ju Lee. The Isotopes also picked up an extra seventh-round pick in this year's Draft while sending their eighth-rounder to the Friars. Stewart could conceivably get some starts this season and gives the club some minor-league insurance against injury, but Lee is unlikely to appear in a Friars uniform until 2013, at the earliest.

The acquisitions of Brignac, Harang and Adams were believed likely to trigger other decisions on players deemed too expensive for the club's future plans, but McKeon (signing baseballs for fans with a somber expression) refused to comment further. "Look, pal," McKeon said gruffly to one reporter, "It's like when you're sending your kid away to college. You know that they've got a good future ahead of them, but they're moving away, and they won't be living with you anymore, and that's just all you can say about it. We have high hopes about the players we're getting, but how that affects everything else right now, just to soon to say, OK?"