Although I like to organize and follow stories from the top league to the bottom of this space, I feel compelled to start Red Sox C Franklin Primera (18, CPX) this week, partly because I like puns more than I should but also because he’s so fast climbing the league that he’s traded to one of my 15-team pedigree leagues this week (shout out to the 23 Jump Street team). The team that traded him sat in first place most of the season paired with Marlins LHP Robby Snelling to catch Nation 2B Nasim Nunez and his 31 stolen bases. Well, not 31 in particular but it’s possible that he can match that number in the second half of the season. It’s a good trade for both sides, I think. Nunez is slashing a preposterous .426/.471/.553 with seven stolen bases over his last 14 games, pointing to an incredible dream in his age-25 season. We haven’t seen this type of player in a long time for years of bat speed and exit velocity, so Nunez just burst onto the scene with his added defense and upside of 70 steals. It’s no big surprise that he might pitch in his second major league season while the weather heats up in the kind ballpark. I wish I had picked him when I was mapping out trade plans in Prospect News: Three Royal Trade Targets at Every Position while fumbling for second base options.
Well, we were talking about Primera. This kid is smooth, and is hitting .461/.581/.798 with eight home runs and four stolen bases in 28 major league games. He also walks (17.8%) more than he strikes out (10.2%) while playing catcher most days. The bat looks ready to run, and the kid is already listed at six feet and 179 pounds. I wish I had him in every league. I pumped the brakes on him at first because he only signed for $10,000. It’s against all my norms of human development to hold that kind of thing against a guy, but I thought I had time. Instead, he came up in all but the Highlander league, which has a goaltender shallower than the Royals. Annoying fumbling on my part. On the silver-lining front, courses always come at some kind of expense, and I feel like I learned something valuable here.
Sometimes I’ll write a sentence and read it to myself and believe my words in such a way that it affects my free agency bids during the next cycle. It’s amazing to see your writer put your own thoughts in such a way that you say “oh, yeah, that makes sense.” Like, is this my mind or what? Why am I the last person to find out what I think?
Anyway, this article is why I have it Fans of Samad Taylor in all but one group. Here are my excerpts from the June 7 Prospect News: Groovy Summer Assignments or Whitman Jumps:
“San Diego remembered OF Samad Taylor and released BY Nick Castellanos. Taylor, 27, was slashing .319/.406/.500 with seven home runs and nine stolen bases in Triple-A. He figures to join left field to share with Jase Bowen and Bryce Johnson and may even meet at second base. At 5’8″ 160 pounds, Taylor has had to make the most of every opportunity he’s seen in the lineup. Here’s hoping his four games in the majors are a little longer than his four games and three games the past two seasons.”
There’s not much there, really, but it took me a long time to write those few lines. Taylor has been a favorite of mine for a few years now, but he got caught up in being labeled a 4A player with the team’s draft control expiring on his contract, making him a mercenary to be passed around between teams with back-and-forth space to vacate. I hope I’ve conveyed all of that to the reader in some way because I’ve been moving Taylor up on my wish list at the moment. It’s nice to be with your favorite players. I released Ryan Kreidler from the Razz30 a few weeks ago because the Twins didn’t seem to care that he was on their roster, and I resent that decision more than any I’ve made in the past month or so. I think that’s why most fake players don’t often release their guys.
Angels RHP Ryan Johnson it’s not fun for the batsmen. He reminds me a bit of Brandon Webb in the sense that everything seems heavy and difficult, but somehow he repeats this quickdraw delivery that can’t be traced and releases slow dividers that can cause problems in the back for everyone. Even you, dear reader, if you lean forward a little too soon when Johnson’s divider stops time. Can he throw strikes? Sure, sometimes. He did on Tuesday, though.
Kahlil Watson Guardians (23), once an untouchable pedigree, may be circling your waiver wire as he enters his first major league opportunity. The former first-round pick returned Tuesday night and should keep his roster spot as long as he can contribute. He hit 12 home runs and stole 15 bases in 56 Triple-A games.
Blue Jays 3B Sean Keys (23, AAA) posted a 158 wRC+ through 49 Double-A games to earn his promotion to Triple-A, where he ended the party with a 166 wRC+ through 14 games. Toronto is in a weird spot, at least where the corner bat is concerned. Kazuo Okamoto and Vladimir Guerrero have those shutdown spots, so Keys will have to develop his own style of play as long as those guys stay healthy.
Take a quick break from your leagues Cardinals SS Sebastian Dos Santos (18, A). You are probably subscribed to many but may be found here and there. St. Louis recently promoted him to Low-A after posting a 142 wRC+ in 27 games at the complex. He has seven stolen bases in just five Low-A games and a 153 wRC+. You are on an interesting path.
Thanks for reading!
