Juan Silverio Scouting Report

Position:  3B

Height/Weight:  6'1/175

Bats/Throws:  Right/Right

Birthday:  April 18th, 1991

Hometown/School:  Santiago, Dominican Republic

STATS

Silverio was signed by the White Sox in 2007 as a free agent.  Once ranked as a top 10 player in the organization, Silverio hasn't lived up to the hype and has been somewhat forgotten.  Despite being in the minors since 2008, Silverio is still young at the age of 21.

Silverio has been up and down, promoted and demoted throughout the years.  He had a good year in 2009 and the beginning of 2010, but struggled later in 2010 after he was promoted to Kanny as he batted .200/.237/.336.  He then had a bounce-back year in 2011, batting .285/.335./.453 combined with Kannapolis and Winston-Salem.  After it looked like he turned his career around, he batted .243/.285/.443 in 2012.

As mentioned above, he is still young, but he is teetering on the edge of being an actual prospect and 2013 may be a make or break year.

Silverio was once a shortstop, but after gaining some weight, he was moved to third.  He has alright power, hitting 8 bombs last year in 78 games last year.  He has had strikeout problems with a K% above 20% every year of his career and a relatively low walk-rate.  Defensively, Baseball America in their 2013 White Sox prospect list, gave him the award of the best infield arm.

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Trevor Reckling Signs With White Sox

Late last night, the White Sox signed minor league free-agent LHP Trevor Reckling.  Reckling was once LA's top pitching prospect and #3 overall in the system.  He also pitched in the 2009 Futures Game.  However, after a dismal start to 2012, the Angels let him go.  In 2012, in A+ ball, he gave up 14 earned runs in only 6.2 innings.

Below is an excellent report from Scott Allen of MonkeyWithAHalo.com:

T-Rex enters 2012 as a relatively forgotten prospect, which just goes to show exactly how quickly the minor league world will forget about you.  After a brilliant 2008 and 2009 campaign, Reckling was shelled in AAA in 2010 as a 21 year old.  He returned to AA in 2011 and was solid enough to earn his way back to AAA for 2012.  Now the trick is to show scouts he’s ready to make that jump back into the plans of a major league team.  He has the talent to do it too.  Despite such an unorthodox delivery, Reckling’s doesn’t require a great deal of effort.  He’s getting better at repeating it every year, which has led to better control.  Reckling’s fastball won’t impress anyone at 89 mph, but because of his delivery it really jumps on hitters.  As his body fills out and he finds the right workout routine, it’s possible Reckling could hit the low-90’swith his heater, which with his mechanics would actually make it a plus pitch.  His best two pitches however are his curve and changeup though, both of which grade out as above average pitches.

Many people believe that Reckling's struggles affected his head.  Hopefully, by changing organizations, Reckling can get a fresh start and rediscover his talent which made him a top prospect with the Angels.

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Top 5 White Sox Catcher Prospects

Josh Phegley (WhiteSox.com)

This list, only five players, took me hours to make.  Catcher may be the weakest/thinnest position in the entire White Sox system.  Only the top two have really proven anything in the minors and the third has barely played.  Agree or disagree?  Comment below.

1. Josh Phegley - Opinions seem to be unanimous that Phegley is the top catcher in the White Sox system.  The 24-year has spent four years in the minors after being drafted 38th overall in 2009 out of Indiana University.  Phegley improved on his 2011 campaign and batted .266/.306/.373 last year while driving in 48 RBIs in 102 games.  Another positive sign is Phegley has reduced his strikeout percentage through the years and different levels.  However, his BB% in 2012 was the lowest of his career.  Also, Phegley lacks power as he has only hit 8 homers in 124 games in his AAA career.

Phegley is pretty good defensively.  Last year, he had a CS% (caught stealing) of 46% which helped him earn a MiLB Gold Glove last year.

If Hahn and the White Sox don't sign A.J. Pierzynski or another catcher, Phegley could be the backup next year.

2. Kevan Smith - Also 24-years old, Smith was taken in the 7th round in 2011 out of Pitt.  In 2011, Smith absolutely dominated rookie ball, batting .355/.448/.626 combined with Great Falls and Bristol.  Last year, he came back down to Earth, but still batted .281/.338/.434 in A and A+ ball.  Defensively, Smith had a CS% of 33% last year.  He was named a South Atlantic League All-Star last year.  While those rookie league numbers are impressive, he was 23 years old at the time.  He is still somewhat old for A+ ball.

3. Sammy Ayala - There is really no reason besides faith to put Ayala here.  Despite being drafted in the 500s in 2012 by the White Sox, Baseball America listed him as a top 200 prospect.  Ayala, 18, is obviously very raw.  Hopefully, Baseball America is right and Ayala can become a solid prospect in the future.

4. Martin Medina - Medina plays a little bit of everything.  Last year, he played first, third, and DH, but spent most of his time (54 games) at catcher.  With Kanny last year, he batted .252/.318/.332 and had a CS% of 40%.  Medina had a high strikeout percentage in 2012 at 23.7%.

5. Miguel Gonzalez - This last spot was truly a toss up (was going to go with Michael Blake for awhile).  While Gonzalez has struggled recently batting, he has been named Baseball America's 

best defensive catcher for the past four years.  He is also three years younger than Blake which gives him the nod over him.

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Jhan Marinez Scouting Report

Position:  RHP

Height/Weight:  6'1/200

Bats/Throws:  Right/Right

Birthday:  August 12th, 1988

Hometown/School:  Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

STATS

Marinez was signed by the Marlins as a amateur free agent back in 2006 and spent the next six years with the organization.  He was acquired by the White Sox as compensation from the Marlins for Ozzie Guillen.

Marinez's greatest asset is his fastball which is in the mid-90s and it also has nice movement according to scouts.  Baseball America named it the best fastball in the Marlins system in 2010 and 2011.  In 2011, he earned a trip to play in the Futures Game.

As with a lot of big fastball pitchers, Marinez has had a history of control issues.  In 2011, he was walking 6.5 batters per 9 innings.  His control improved last year (4.3 BB/9), but his strikeout rate declined.

Marinez appeared in a pair of games late in the season last year for the White Sox (2.2 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K).

Below are a couple other scouting reports (they are from last year and haven't been updated for this year yet).

ScoutingBook.com

A Dominican who will probably be most-remembered for being one of the prospects traded for new Miami manager Ozzie Guillen, Jhan Marinez is a bit of an under-the-radar sleeper prospect now in the White Sox system who doesn't get as much attention as he probably deserves, despite his appearance in the Futures Game last season. Marinez is a slight player with a power fastball that can touch 98, but he has more success with his two-seamer, a 92mph offering with exceptional movement. His change and slider still need to improve before they're ready for the big stage, but he has so much raw talent that he's bound to make it sooner or later.

FanGraphs

Marinez is your typical White Sox pitcher in the sense that he’s a hard thrower… but doesn’t always know where the ball is going. He had a breakout season in 2010 but took a step back in ’11 when his control deserted him and he posted a walk rate of 6.52 BB/9. He has the potential to be an eighth-inning stalwart.

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AFL Review: The Pitchers

Andre Rienzo

Rienzo solidified himself as a top White Sox pitching prospect after a good AFL season.  There were some concerns entering the fall whether he could come close to repeating the numbers he was putting up early in the season before testing positive for PEDs.  

At first glance, Rienzo's stats aren't anything to get excited about (1-1 record with a 4.74 ERA), but if it wasn't for one disastrous inning against Peoria earlier in the month (6 ER in bottom of the the 4th), his numbers would be much, much better.  That inning accounted for almost half of the total earned runs he would allow in 24.2 innings.  Rienzo was Salt River's workhorse as he led the team in innings pitched and was second on the team in strikeouts.  According to reports, Rienzo's fastball is still very impressive and he still needs to develop a second pitch to be a big league starter.

Salvador Sanchez

Sanchez, statistically, had a great AFL season.  Sanchez appeared in 11 games, pitching 11.2 innings, and only giving up 3 ERs.  His ERA was the second-lowest on the Rafters pitching staff.  However, he still had a WHIP of 1.80 mostly because of the amount (12) of walks he gave up.  This is somewhat expected considering he is still making the change to being a pitcher.

Taylor Thompson

Thompson posted a record of 1-0 and an ERA of 3.38 in his 10 relief appearance.  Thompson struck out 10 and only walked 4 this fall which is encouraging.

Santos Rodriguez

Rodriguez and Salvador Sanchez had similar seasons.  Both had 0-1 records, both had WHIPS around 1.80, and both had control issues.  Rodriguez did strike out 13 in 11.1 innings, but did walk 10 which was the second-most for a reliever behind Sanchez.

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AFL Review: The Hitters

Trayce Thompson

Trayce Thompson - OF

The most important thing White Sox fans wanted to see was Thompson improve his plate discipline.  He drew just as many walks (17) as he did strikeouts this fall which is encouraging.  His strikeout percentage went down a little bit from 28% this year in the minors to 25% in the AFL.  

With the increased walks came a higher OBP which was .424, much higher than the .328 mark in the minors last year.  However, his AVG, SLG, and OPS were all down in the fall.  He had 10 hits,  2 HRs, and knocked in 7.  A stat that is a little concerning is that Thomspon was caught stealing 3 times compared to his 2 SBs.  In the minors this year, he was caught stealing 3 times in 24 attempts.  Something worth noting.

Overall it was an average fall for Thompson.  The walks were up which is probably the most important thing to take away from his season in the AFL, but the majority of his other stats were down.

Carlos Sanchez - 2B

Sanchez continued his great 2012 year with a solid performance in the AFL.  His stats were pretty much the same as his year in the minors as he batted .299/.367/.368.  He had 26 hits, 4 doubles, a triple, and 16 RBIs.

Going into the AFL, I knew that Sanchez had great speed, but I was worried at the rate at which he was being caught at.  He improved on that as he led the AFL in stolen bases this year (11) and was only thrown out 3 times.

It was a very productive fall for Sanchez and it opened some eyes nationally.  He solidifies himself as one of the top prospects in the White Sox's system and will likely make his MLB debut sometime in 2013.

Andy Wilkins - 1B

Wilkins, who was a little bit under the radar coming into the AFL season, had an alright year.  He hit for a .239 in the minors this year and improved it by .31 points in the fall.  Wilkins got off to a very, very hot start but slowed down as the year winded down.  In his last 10 games, Wilkins only batted .171/.261/.293.  In the beginning of the season, Wilkins was as hot as anyone and was one of the top hitters in the league.  Although it had a disappointing end, it was still a nice year for Wilkins and something to build on as he heads into 2013.

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Daily White Sox Farm Report - 11/18

Salvador Sanchez (Chicago Tribune)

The 2012 Arizona Fall League wrapped up on Saturday.  In the championship, the Peoria Javelinas beat the Salt River Rafters by a score of 4-3.  Below is how the White Sox prospects fared in the game.

Carlos Sanchez, 2B, was 2 for 4 with a strikeout.
Andy Wilkins struck out in a pinch-hit appearance.
Santos Rodriguez pitched 1.1 innings in relief, giving up 2 hits, a walk, and also striking out one.

Throughout the next week or so, I'll be recapping each prospect's performance this year in the Arizona Fall League.  Make sure to check back for that.

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Keenyn Walker Scouting Report

Position:  OF

Height/Weight:  6'3/195  

Bats/Throws:  Both/Right

Birthday:  August 12th, 1990

Hometown/School:  Salt Lake City - Central Arizona CC

STATS

Walker was selected by the White Sox in the supplemental first round (47th overall) in 2011.  Keenyn Walker's biggest strength is speed.  Keith Law and others have given him an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale.  Last year, Walker successfully stole 56 bases on 71 attempts.  Baseball America has named Walker as the White Sox's fastest baserunner in the past two years.

Walker is still very raw and has some untapped power that should give him many doubles and triples over the next seasons.  However, he still suffers from a large strikeout-rate which is the biggest reason for concern surrounding him.  As a projected leadoff hitter, this obviously needs to change.  Here are a couple opinions and reports on Walker:

ScoutingBook.com:

A young, tools-heavy outfielder picked up in the 2011's A-round, White Sox prospect Keenyn Walker broke out quickly at Rookie-level Great Falls, slashing .333/.441/.483 and looking like a loaded weapon with eleven steals in only fifteen games. He struggled hard when moved up to low-A ball, however, squeezing out only a .228/.296/.259 line while looking overmatched by even average breaking pitches. 

But, and you know how this part goes: he's young, and has a lot to learn and a lot of time to learn it. Still only 20 years old, his plus plus speed should manifest itself into better defense and better on-basery in the years to come, and some good guidance and coaching should help him get there. He won't ever develop massive power, but he should be capable enough of doubles and triples, once he learns to swing at the right pitches. He's several years away from MLB useful.

John Sickels:

Drafted in the supplemental first round last year out of Central Arizona Junior College, Walker is a switch-hitter with top shelf speed (at least 70 on the 20-80 scale), premium athleticism, and a strong throwing arm. He has some power potential as well, although he hasn't tapped into that yet. Main worry here is contact: he fans more than once per game, but he'll take a walk too.

Daily White Sox Farm Report - 11/16

The Rafters played their last game before Saturday's AFL Championship Game against Peoria.  Salt River beat Surprise by a score of 7-3 yesterday.  Also, Andre Rienzo started for the Brazilian National Team in a World Baseball Championship Qualifier.

Andy Wilkins, 1B, went 0 for 3 with a K and BB.

Carlos Sanchez, 2B, went 2 for 5.

Salvador Sanchez went an inning, striking out one and giving up a walk.

Andre Rienzo pitched 3.2 innings in the qualifier, giving up 1 ER on 4 hits and 5 walks.  He also struck out one and didn't get a decision.

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Daily White Sox Farm Report - 11/14

 

The Rafters fell 16-6 to Scottsdale in AFL play yesterday.  They are now 15-13 on the year.

Andy Wilkins, 1B, was 1 for 5 with a HR and 2 RBIs.
Carlos Sanchez, 2B, had a rough day going 0 for 5 with 2 Ks.
Salvador Sanchez went 1.1 innings, giving up a run on 3 hits and a walk.  He struck out a pair.
Taylor Thompson went 2 innings, allowing a run on 2 hits.

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Daily White Sox Farm Report - 11/12

Courtney Hawkins

Baseball America released their 2013 Top 10 White Sox prospects list today.  Here is the list:

1.  Courtney Hawkins

2.  Trayce Thompson

3.  Carlos Sanchez

4.  Erik Johnson

5.  Keenyn Walker

6.  Scott Snodgress

7.  Andre Rienzo

8.  Keon Barnum

9.  Jared Mitchell

10.  Chris Beck

Also, the Arizona Fall League continued as the Rafters, behind Carlos Sanchez, beat Mesa by a score of 8-4.

Carlos Sanchez, 2B, had a great day going 2 for 4 with 4 RBI.

Trayce Thompson, LF, went 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks.

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Daily White Sox Report - 11/11

The Rafters beat Phoenix 11-5 yesterday with Andre Rienzo picking up the win for Salt River.

Andy Wilkins, 1B, was 0-4 including a K, also walked once.

Andre Rienzo pitched 5 innings, giving 2 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks.  He struck out 4.

Santos Rodriguez had a rough inning in relief, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk.  He struck out 1.

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Daily White Sox Farm Report - 11/9

Taylor Thompson (Dashboard.mlblogs.com)

In the past two days, the Rafters have dropped both of their games.  Below are the stats of the White Sox prospects participating in the games.

Thursday's game:
Andy Wilkins, 1B, went 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Carlos Sanchez, 2B, also went 1 for 4 with a K.
Trayce Thompson, LF, went 2 for 3 with a walk.
Salvador Sanchez went an inning, only giving up a hit.

Friday's game:
Carlos Sanchez, 2B, had a tough day, going 0 for 4 with 3 Ks.
Taylor Thompson pitched 2 innings, giving up a hit, walking one, and striking out a pair.

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White Sox Trade For OF Blake Tekotte

The White Sox have traded RHP Brandon Kloess for OF Blake Tekotte.  By reading different sources, it seems like Tekotte is a decent prospect (top 20 in the San Diego's system), but injuries have slowed down his career.  Tekotte can play all three outfield positions and has good speed as he stole 36 bases in 2011.  Below are a couple different excerpts on Tekotte.

Padres Prospects Midseason Top 25 Rankings:

20) Blake Tekotte – Tekotte remains an extremely interesting power/speed option in the outfield, but injuries have limited his availability this season.  He can provide a lot of value as a bench player to a contending team as Tekotte is able to play all three outfield spots. 

MLBTR:

Tekotte, 25, has hit .163/.226/.224 in 55 plate appearances for the Padres over the last two years. He's a .269/.355/.445 career hitter at the minor league level. Baseball America ranked Tekotte as San Diego's 15th best prospect before the season in their Prospect Handbook, saying he "makes enough contact against lefties and fields well enough to remain relevant as a potential center-field regular"

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Daily White Sox Farm Report - 11/7

Pitching wasn't a strength yesterday as the Rafters beat Scottsdale by a score of 14-12.  Thankfully, no White Sox prospects pitched last night.

Carlos Sanchez, 2B, went 5 for 5 including a double, and scored each time hey got on base.

Andy Wilkins, 1B, went 1 for 5 with a pair of RBIs.

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Keon Barnum Scouting Report

Position:  1B

Height/Weight:  6'5/225

Bats/Throws:  Left/Left

Birthday:  January 16, 1993

Hometown/School:  Tampa, FL - King HS

STATS

The White Sox spent their second-round pick in 2012 on Keon Barnum.  Barnum's biggest asset is his strength and power.  The player that Barnum is often compared to is Ryan Howard.  Below are scouting reports from different sources.

ESPN:

Barnum is a man-child at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds and generates good bat speed and big power from the left side of the plate. The swing path, which creates good loft, is natural, suggesting he’ll hit for power, but he has problems making consistent contact. He's committed to Miami, but he has a chance to go in the first 100 selections to a team that believes they can teach him to hit for average. 

Coast2Coast Prospects:

In a draft class generally devoid of 1st baseman, Barnum is the prototypical slugger that normally comes in droves. He brings unquestioned left-handed power to the table and his raw power is certainly the center of his appeal for most teams. He is a big, physically imposing presence at the plate and is a threat to put a charge into a ball any time he steps into the box. His swing generates well above-average bat speed that shows in games and BP. His pure hitting tool, however, is well behind in development and despite good pitch recognition and discipline, he struggles to make consistent hard contact. When he does, though, the ball absolutely flies.

ScoutingBook.com:

A pure hitter drafted 48th overall by the White Sox in 2012, Florida native Keon Barnum is already capable of putting on tentpole exhibitions in batting practice. With a big, strong bat from the left side with a stroke that might be a bit too long, we see a lot of longballs and an even larger number of strikeouts in his future. Chicago is a good place to showcase those skills.

Daily White Sox Farm Report - 11/5

Taylor Thompson (dashboard.mlblogs.com)

Andre Rienzo has probably been the White Sox's best performer this year in the Arizona Fall League.  However, he was roughed up in the bottom of the fourth today as the Rafters suffer a 10-7 loss to Peoria.

Carlos Sanchez, 2B, went 1 for 3 with a BB.

Trayce Thompson, LF, went 0 for 3 with a K.

Andre Rienzo pitched 3 innings, giving up 6 ER on 6 hits.  He struck out 3 and gave up a pair of walks.

Salvador Sanchez pitched an inning, giving up a hit and a walk.

Taylor Thompson also pitched one inning, giving up a run on a pair of hits.

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