We finally received our STATS red, green, and blue books yesterday. I'm sure many of you probably received them a month ago, but we had to order directly from STATS to receive our Bullpen Reporter Discount. The BRD is what you receive when you score 10 games throughout the year and send in the results. Unfortunately, they lost our scored games for over a month, and our shipment was subsequently delayed.

On the bright side, my life just got a lot easier since I don't have to flip between last year's books and either the Baseball Weekly final statistics or my Excel file with 2001 stats. Hopefully this makes my analysis a little more coherent, not that this matters for most of these minor leaguers.

Minor League Free Agents and AAA/AA Prospects from the NL

National League East

Atlanta Braves
Minor League Free Agents:
Chan Perry, 28, B:R, T:R. Perry has little overall offensive ability. He lacks plate discipline, power, and speed. While he makes somewhat consistent contact, his acceptable BA is left rather empty without secondary skills. There's no reason for him to receive another cup-of-coffee until his numbers improve.
Mike Robertson, 30, B:L, T:L. Robertson has an even weaker set of skills than Perry. His plate discipline is slightly better, but he's shown even less power in several years at AAA. He's seen the majors three times with three different teams, and an additional return does not look likely at this time.

Prospects:
A.J. Zapp, 23, B:L, T:R. Zapp has a little doubles' power, but despite a drop in his strikeout rates, his plate discipline is still quite bad (21:87 BB:K in 2001). He neither possesses any speed nor the ability to make consistent contact, leaving him lucky to remain at AA for next season.

Florida Marlins
Minor League Free Agents:
Brian Banks, 30, B:S, T:R. Banks has solid power for someone who is an acceptable third catcher. He doesn't really have enough plate discipline or on-base ability to stay in the majors, but he should see more major league service time in the next couple years. Don't pick him up unless he's at least platooning, since his BA will likely hurt unless balanced by some power over a number of at-bats.
Eric Gillespie, 26, B:L, T:R. Gillespie's numbers have headed down in a rather disturbing trend since a breakout season at AA Jacksonville in 1999. He showed solid all-around ability, mixing acceptable plate discipline with power and even speed. As he approaches his peak seasons, I wouldn't trust him on my team until he proves '99 wasn't a fluke.
Kevin Grijak, 30, B:L, T:R. He's never received more than 425 at-bats in any of his eleven minor league seasons. His plate discipline appears decent and he showed very solid power for several years until 2001 in AAA Calgary of all places. I'm concerned about this sudden downturn in abilities, and while I'd normally recommend him for both MLB and roto teams, I need to see a 2002 rebound before any further speculation.

Prospects:
Jeff Bailey, 22, B:R, T:R. He's maintained his barely acceptable stats as he's risen in the organization, but he shows no signs of being able to continue his progress past AA. His upside is limited to utility work as he can play 1B, OF, and even a little catcher. With Adrian Gonzalez charging quickly, Bailey won't get a chance in Florida to show his limited talents, and you're more likely to see him as a minor league free agent after 2003 than in a Marlin uniform before then.

Montreal Expos
Minor League Free Agents:
None.

Prospects:
Talmadge Nunnari, 26, B:L, T:L. He's never really hit enough to deserve even a bench role in the majors, and will likely move on to another organization unless he really impresses the Expos' brass in 2002. Nunnari has enough speed where he might be a useful roto UT guy, but I'm too concerned by his failings in most other categories to recommend him at this time.
Terrmel Sledge, 24, B:L, T:L. Sledge slumped badly in AA compared to his outstanding season at A+ in 2000, but he still showed enough talent where I think he'll mature into at least a decent major league backup in another two years. He improved his SB% while stealing another thirty bases, and while his OPS dropped precipitously, his numbers are still solid enough to warrant advancement to AAA if Montreal wants to challenge him. If he gets a mid-season call-up, base your FAAB on his AAA BB:K ratio, and if its above about .80, gamble on him for his SB upside alone.

New York Mets
Minor League Free Agents:
Mark Johnson was reviewed with NL First Basemen.
Brett Illig, 23, B:R, T:R. Illig didn't play in 2001, and has shown neither plate discipline nor power even in A-ball. Don't expect him to even have much AA success if he continues to play professional baseball.

Prospects:
Earl Snyder, 25, B:R, T:R. This guy can flat-out rake. In the AFL, we saw him absolutely crush two balls in the same game, and he's had over fifty extra-base hits in each of the last three seasons. He strikes out too much, but he still walks enough to deserve a place in most lineups. New York dealt him to Cleveland in the Alomar deal, and there's no reason he can't be the right-handed side of either a 3B or DH platoon as soon as this September after a year in AAA. Strongly consider this guy for a mid-round minor league pick, since I can easily see him earning at least $10/year for several seasons.
Aaron McNeal, 23, B:R, T:R. After a very impressive season in A-ball in 1999 where he totaled 70 extra-base hits, McNeal's shoddy plate discipline has relegated him to two straight years at AA. Houston cut him loose after 2000, and he split 2001 between San Diego and the Mets. There's no reason to expect any real AAA success from him since he simply doesn't walk. He will kill your BA if he's called up, so avoid him until he demonstrates the capability to differentiate between balls and strikes.

Philadelphia Phillies
Minor League Free Agents:
Derrick Lankford, 26, B:L, T:R. Lankford's developed rather sudden plate discipline in the last two seasons, but he won't have much success above his current AA assignment due to a relatively lack of either power or speed tools. He might deserve a cup-of-coffee in a few years when he could theoretically find some long-ball ability, although I don't have much hope for him at the moment.
Gene Schall, 31, B:R, T:R. He's put up very solid AAA power numbers for almost a decade without Philadelphia giving him a shot to unseat Rico Brogna. His plate discipline is fairly bad, but he still deserves more than 131 major league at-bats. Schall would be a decent pinch-hitter for half the teams in the NL right now, although it appears too late for him to ever find a bigger role.

Prospects:
Gary Burnham, 26, B:L, T:L. I don't know why this surprises me, but the Phillies have left Burnham at AA Reading for three straight seasons. Apparently they've been waiting for him to show more power, and since his SLG has jumped over a hundred points over this time period, he deserves a full year at AAA. His OBP has also increased despite a small fall in his plate discipline; this shift appears due to him making more consistent contact at the plate. If he maintains these numbers in AAA, he'll be able to succeed Travis Lee for a couple seasons when Lee hits free agency.

National League Central

Chicago Cubs
Minor League Free Agents:
Chris Haas, 24, B:L, T:R. Chris Hass has returned to AA after a season-and-a-half at AAA with St. Louis, his demotion due to an excessive number of strikeouts combined with sub-.230 batting averages. His AAA numbers look very similar to what I'd expect from Aaron McNeal if given the opportunity. Haas has enough power where he'll definitely play at the upper levels of the minors for several more years, and if he can cut down his strikeouts even a little, he'll deserve at least a major league bench job. He's a perfect example of why you should wait for a prospect to show both plate discipline and either power or speed at AA before picking them up in an Ultra draft.

Prospects:
Hee Seop Choi, 22, B:L, T:L. Almost every prospect analyst loves this guy, but as with most other Cubs' offensive prospects, I see a few potential problems. He lost much of 2001 to wrist problems, an injury that originally appeared way too similar to Nick Johnson's 2000 problems. Choi's plate discipline also dropped considerably this year at AAA, and I seriously question the Cubs decision to promote him after only 122 AA at-bats, despite an OPS over 1.000 in that brief time. I'd send him back to AA and watch him tear up the league for two months, then promote him to AAA and leave him there until at least the middle of 2003. This not only gives him more time to mature into his skills, but will delay his arbitration clock by several months, a tactic Chicago studiously ignored with Corey Patterson, Carlos Zambrano, and another half dozen of their prospects. While still worth a top minor league pick, don't expect any worthwhile help from Choi in 2002.
John Roskos, 26, B:R, T:R. Roskos is just entering his peak seasons, and he definitely deserves a solid shot at a major league bench job if not even a greater role. He performs competently at first, outfield, and catcher, and has previously displayed enough offensive talent to warrant the 25th roster spot on almost any roster. His skills have slipped as he's played for four teams in the last two seasons, but there's no reason not to expect to a rebound if he can find some consistent playing time. I'd hold off on picking him up for your team until he's established in the majors since his BA might be a problem for a while.

Cincinnati Reds
Minor League Free Agents:
Tommy Davis, 28, B:R, T:R. Davis has very little plate discipline and no speed, a lack of skills that prohibit his marginal power from finding a spot above AAA. He appears decently versatile, but will be lucky to receive a second cup-of-coffee unless he finds some way to improve his walk rate.

Prospects:
Ben Broussard, 24, B:L, T:L. I've liked Broussard since the Reds picked him in the second round in 1999 and introduced him as their top pick, since he signed immediately and #1 Ty Howington waited several weeks. He tore through the minors in his first season, posting an OPS well in excess of 1.300 in both Rookie and A ball before slowing down a little at AA Chattanooga. Broussard missed half of the 2000 season with hand and wrist injuries, but rebounded incredibly strong this year with a 1.020 OPS with a 61:69 BB:K ratio in 353 AA at-bats. He'll receive a full year at AAA before he'll make the majors, and his progress gives the Reds a solid reason to deal Sean Casey if Casey can't develop some power this year.

Houston Astros
Minor League Free Agents:
Kevin Burns, 25, B:L, T:L. He's had success at AA but struggled at AAA during his years with Houston, and he'll need to improve his plate discipline if he wants to stay at AAA. Burns definitely has major league upside, but he'll be lucky to receive more than a couple hundred at-bats as a fourth outfielder in his early 30's even with some noticeable progress.
Scott Lydy, 32, B:R, T:R. Lydy received 103 at-bats way back in 1993 with Oakland, and hasn't seen the majors since then. His plate discipline has been solid for a few seasons, and he has both good speed and a little power. He certainly deserves a solid shot as a fourth outfielder, and the Astros appear clueless for bringing in Brian L. Hunter instead of just adding this guy to their 40-man roster.

Prospects:
Alan Zinter, 33, B:S, T:R. Zinter's been a utility guy in the high minors for over a decade despite solid power and normally good plate discipline. He's never seen the majors because his strikeout rates are high and his average his usually correspondingly low even though his SEC is very solid. He deserves a few months in the bigs for his tenacity in the minors, but I worry no team will take the risk even if they need an injury replacement.
Charley Carter, 25, B:R, T:R. Another guy who has some AA power but lacks the plate discipline normally necessary for success in AAA. Carter is lucky to play for AA Round Rock, a park that should let him pad his hitting stats for a couple seasons. He's young enough where he could mature into an acceptable bench player, although I don't foresee a larger role in his future.

Milwaukee Brewers
Minor League Free Agents:
David Gibralter, 26, B:R, T:R. Gibralter's shown both power and plate discipline over the course of his AA career. He'll have some AAA success if he can combine his disparate seasons into a more consistent stat line. While he has the potential to reach the majors in a few seasons, he's been stagnating at AA for five seasons now and has to be a little discouraged at his progress.
Chip Sell, 30, B:L, T:R. Sell has doubles' power and a little speed without any consistent plate discipline whatsoever. He'll need to keep his game at his best levels if he wants to avoid spending much of his time in AA. I don't see him contributing on a major league roster in the near future, but I feel the same way about Clay Bellinger, and he has two World Series rings.

Prospects:
Bucky Jacobsen, 25, B:R, T:R. Killed near the end of World War II by Baron Zemo, Bucky made a triumphant return with the Ogden Raptors of the Rookie-level Pioneer league in 1997. Bucky's spent the last four seasons battling evil opposing pitchers while continuing his ascent in the Brewers' system. Unfortunately, Bucky still doesn't have as much power as even Steve Rogers showed with the Expos before the Avengers thawed him out. Bucky will continue in the minors until he learns more discipline, a skill he's unlikely to develop without guidance from Cap.
Kevin Barker, 25, B:L, T:L. The Brewers' starting 1B as recently as April of 2000, Barker spent most of this year at AA after only managing a .578 OPS in AAA. He has the power and the plate discipline to play in the majors, but wasn't able to employ them both in Milwaukee at the same time. Fortunately for the Brewers, his failure led to a trade for the superior Richie Sexson, leaving Barker in the minors for another year until he escapes as a minor league free agent.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Minor League Free Agents:
John Wehner was reviewed with NL First Basemen.

Prospects:
Carlos Rivera, 23, B:L, T:L. Rivera does not appear to possess the ability to tell the difference between balls and strikes. He hits the ball with some power when he makes contact, but his numbers in the lowest levels of minor league ball are unacceptable. He'll be lucky to return to AA next year, and has only the longest of shots at a major league career.

St. Louis Cardinals
Minor League Free Agents:
Brant Brown, 30, B:L, T:L. All Cub fans have split feelings on Brown; he dropped an easy flyball that almost cost us a playoff appearance, but we also converted him into Jon Lieber. He has little power and on-base ability, so he should remain stuck in the minors as a poor man's John Mabry, except without all the position flexibility beyond 1B/LF. There's no reason for you to expect him to help your team, so let the other poor saps draft him when he's the only guy they recognize for their last pick.
Juan Munoz, 27, B:L, T:L. He's never even played well at the AA level, and despite occasionally acceptable plate discipline, possesses neither power nor the speed tools needed to succeed at higher levels. Unless he develops sudden longball abilitiy overnight, I don't expect him to make the majors.

Prospects:
Shane Andrews, 29, B:R, T:R. Okay, so he's not a prospect, but he still has more uses in the majors than a host of other players. He has bone fide major league power against LHP, and he walks enough to warrant at least a platoon job. There's no reason not to take a late flyer on him if he makes a roster. However, until he does, you should stand your ground while saying, "Go away, Shane. Go away and don't ever come back."

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks
Minor League Free Agents:
Ryan Jones, 26, B:R, T:R. He was back in A-ball in 2001 after finishing 2000 in the Northern League. Despite some decent power numbers and plate discipline for several years at AA, his average remained too low and he struck out too many times to ever earn more than a brief 123 AB at AAA. He has the talent to have success in the high minors, and needs and organization willing to take a chance on a veteran right-handed 1B in a AA hitters' park.
Desi Wilson, 32, B:L, T:L. Despite good doubles' power, double-digit stolen bases, and acceptable AAA plate discipline, Wilson only received a brief 118 AB in the majors. He still could help out a team in a utility role for another year or two, but his window has almost closed.

Prospects:
Lyle Overbay will be reviewed with National League pinch-hitters.

Colorado Rockies
Minor League Free Agents:
Butch Huskey, 29, B:R, T:R. There was no reason for him to waste this season at AAA when his power deserves a major league roster slot. His BA will never be wonderful due to inconsistent plate discipline, but he could certainly help out several clubs as a right-handed platoon partner at either 1B or DH. If he makes a roster, only gamble a buck or two since he's viewed as very replaceable at this point in his career.
J.R. Phillips, 31, B:L, T:L. One of the great failed prospects of his generation, Phillips' power was over-touted as nobody realized he had absolutely no plate discipline. His career major league average is .188 in 501 AB, so he's unlikely to ever get a shot to improve on that. He already had a career year in 1999 at AAA Colorado Springs, but was stuck playing for AA Carolina this year as the Rockies preferred Butch Huskey in AAA.

Prospects:
Kevin Burford, 23, B:L, T:L. Not that the Rockies need a 1B prospect with Helton signed for the rest of the decade, but Burford might eventually develop into a decent backup. His plate discipline has ranged from acceptable to excellent, he's shown good doubles' power in the low minors, and he even has a little speed. I'd leave him at AA for another full year, but he has some long-term potential, although probably not with the Rockies as he'll be a free agent after 2003.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Minor League Free Agents:
Pete Paciorek, 25, B:L, T:L. Paciorek's never played above AA, has horrible plate discipline, and doesn't even have much power. He's at least a few years away from contributing at even the upper levels of the minors, and might be better off in the independent leagues where his flaws won't be so obvious.
Dave Post, 27, B:R, T:R. Post plays everywhere except catcher and shortstop and appears to have established himself as a solid AAA utility guy. He possesses neither major league quality speed nor power, so despite excellent plate discipline, will be lucky to see more than a cup-of-coffee. He's not even a great roto pick when he makes the majors since he's all BA, and average can fluctuate too wildly in the number of at-bats that he's likely to receive.

Prospects:
Glenn Davis, 25, B:S, T:L. In his fourth year at AA, Davis has started to show the promise from 1998. His plate discipline is still very bad, but his power jumped considerably and he even added double-digit steals. I'm still not sure he'll ever be more than a borderline major leaguer, so you should probably avoid picking him up unless you're desperate for your 17th round Ultra pick.

San Diego Padres
Minor League Free Agents:
Kevin Witt was reviewed with NL First Basemen.
Jim Leyritz, 37, B:R, T:R. King has ticked off so many teams that he couldn't even find a spot in the majors this year when Boston was looking everywhere in the nation for a backup catcher. He still has great power, but his plate discipline is as bad as its been, his defense is mostly shot, and he'll be lucky to make the majors again. I just don't see him contributing to your roto team in anything other than an honorary capacity for you postseason heroics' fans.

Prospects:
Graham Koonce, 26, B:L, T:L. Koonce has excellent plate discipline along with some power at AA. He hasn't registered an OBP under .400 since 1996, although he's spent almost all of that time in either A-ball or Independent Leagues. He has the potential to develop into a very solid pinch-hitter for a few seasons, and I'd keep an eye on his progress in 2002.

San Francisco Giants
Minor League Free Agents:
None.

Prospects:
Jeremy Luster, 24, B:S, T:R. As with many SF prospects, Luster's lack of plate discipline will likely keep him from a productive major league career. He's shown good doubles' power, but I have doubts as to his continued improvement in the upper minors. Don't expect much from him and you'll be pleasantly surprised, but J.T. Snow's replacement will more likely come from the other side of the diamond.

I was more disappointed with more of these players than I expected to be, and I only think a few of them could immediately contribute next year. Much of the available replacement-level talent in the NL appears concentrated in the outfield since so many of the above guys have serious plate discipline problems keeping them out of the majors. There's not a great prospect ready for the majors on this entire list although 2003 should see very solid rookie seasons from Broussard, Choi, and possibly Sledge and Snyder. I'd look to other positions before drafting most of these guys, and you might want to deal guys like Glenn Davis if you can find a buyer.

American League First Basemen with Positive Draft Value reviewed here tomorrow.

Today's Fantasy Rx: A friendly reminder: only five shopping days left before folks will start wanting presents from many of you. Now's a great time to finish up any holiday shopping before the real crowds descend this coming weekend. Have fun buying stuff (and you can send us gifts at the address below)! Or you could just buy something for your loved ones, etc.