A bunch of random things on my mind this morning, let’s get to it.

* The Lakewood rotation is in shambles. This article a few days ago mentions that Kyle Drabek is on the DL (why?) and Jarrod Freeman was sent back to extended spring training….presumably because he was having trouble getting guys out. Ben Pfinsgraff, a personal favorite of mine, is back in action after some time on the DL, and could move back into the rotation for the time being. He’s been lights out as a reliever, and I wonder if he will be fast tracked once the new crop of guys from the draft make their way to Lakewood in July.

* Paul Hagen has a little puff piece on Adrian Cardenas, with a mention of Kyle Drabek. I’ll admit, I haven’t been wowed by Cardenas yet this season, but for a 19 year old in Low A, he’s holding his own. His average has consistently been in the .260-.270 range all season, if he gets hot for a month, he can easily bring it up around .300. The power hasn’t really translated yet, but he has shown some pop, and that’s probably the last part of his game to develop anyway. Also mentioned was the start by Kyle Drabek. The article mentions his composure, his professional work ethic, and how hard he is competing. For those who wrote him off as a “bad seed” last year and said he was already a bust after a handful of innings in the GCL, you might want to hold off on the obituary for now.

* I’m still firmly in draft mode, and I came across an interesting tidbit this morning on my drive to work. I was catching up on podcasts from the last few days and I had a chance to listen to the Baseball America podcast on Friday. Not surprisingly, they were discussing the draft, and where the prep pitchers might go. They mentioned Matt Harvey is “probably outside the top 10”, but they also mentioned that he appears much more signable now than had been previously thought. He’s a Boras guy, but his stock has dropped this season, and it appears he’d rather turn pro than attend college. As mentioned in the Q/A with Jim Salisbury yesterday, the Phillies don’t go over slot much, but if they can land Harvey at 19 and it only costs them an extra $250,000, you’d think they’d consider it.

Harvey has been linked to the Texas Rangers, who pick at #17 and #24. If they don’t take him at 17, only the Cardinals pick before us, so he could very well be there. Here is a nice article on Harvey and his rise to prominence in the last three years.