2008 Spring Training invites

Other Stuff

I’m still sick as a dog, but saw this and wanted to post it. Article here.

Carlos Carrasco
Mike Cervenek
Ron Chiavacci
Vic Darensbourg
Jason Donald
Greg Golson
Tuffy Gosewisch
Tim Gradoville
Paul Hoover
Brennan King
Gary Knotts
Lou Marson
Brian Mazone
Josh Outman
Valentino Pascucci
Joe Savery
Casey Smith
Andy Tracy
Brandon Watson 

An interesting array of prospects and non-prospects. Discuss.

15 thoughts on “2008 Spring Training invites”

  2. Valentino Pascucci is a very interesting case. He can clearly mash the ball, but also has a good eye. His OPS tends to be in the .900 to .1000 range. As a right-hander, he may be useful off the bench, but it would be more helpful if he was a lefty as he could then be a platoon option with Werth. I’m keeping my eye on him however – he could be a sleeper, just as Dobbs was last year.

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  3. Living in Nationals country, I got to see Brandon Watson last year during his brief tenure in DC. He looked good during his week with the big club, but got caught up in a numbers game. He was the starting CF for the Nats on Opening Day 2006, so there is potential (probably as a 4th or 5th OF). He’s a much better option than Chris Snelling, IMO.

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  4. About Brian Mazone from a June article at nctimes.com:

    Mazone has no regrets about going to Korea
    By: JOHN MAFFEI – NC Times Staff Writer

    Brian Mazone made it perfectly clear: His goal always has been to pitch in the big leagues.

    “But there comes a time when a man has to think about his family,” said Mazone, the former San Dieguito High and University of San Diego star left-hander. So the 31-year-old Mazone, fresh off his best professional season and pitching well again this season, asked the Philadelphia Phillies for his release so he could sign a contract with the Samsung Lions, the New York Yankees of the Korean League.

    “The Phillies never made it clear where I stood,” said Mazone, who was 13-3 with a 2.03 ERA at Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre last season and was 3-2 with a 2.21 ERA after six starts this season with Triple-A Ottawa. “The Samsung team approached me last season, but I waited. I wanted a shot at the big leagues.” And he got it. The Phillies called him to the majors to make a start against Houston on Sept. 5. Rain in Philadelphia that night washed out the game, however, and Mazone was shipped back to the minors without ever officially being added to the big-league roster. “There will always be that question of ‘what if’ in my mind,” Mazone said. “But all you can do is laugh it off. It was a Mother Nature thing.”But with Father Time working against him, Mazone decided to take the money and run to Korea. He wouldn’t reveal his signing bonus, but said “I was able to buy a home in San Elijo Hills and put a nice chunk in the bank.” “It was significant, a life-changing amount,” Mazone said. “It was time to repay my family.”That family includes wife Amber and sons Braden (3 1/2) and Blake (15 months).

    “This deal allowed me to purchase a home and assure my family will be on solid ground for the rest of our lives,” Mazone said. “Plus, they rolled out the red carpet for us in Korea with a luxury three-bedroom apartment five minutes from the ballpark.”

    Mazone is repaying Samsung’s faith in him.

    In his second outing, he allowed just two hits over eight innings, settling for a no-decision.

    “I’m not giving up on the big leagues, but I needed to do this now,” Mazone said. “The boys aren’t in school yet, so this is an adventure for them. We’re together as a family, experiencing something completely new.

    “If I pitch well here, who knows what will happen? It’s a one-year deal, so I could go back to the states if I get an invitation to a big-league camp. Or I could get a deal in the Japanese Leagues.

    “It’s in my hands now. I have no regrets.”

    http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/06/03/sports/professional/21_57_436_2_07.txt

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  7. The most interesting choice to me is Donald. Carrasco and Outman are there as top prospects that the coaching staff would want to look at in case they get called up later in the year. Golson and Savery are there as former number one choices. Marson is probably there as an extra catcher.

    Donald, on the other hand, is a rare non-catcher, non-number one choice single A selection. I wonder if this is a sign that they think he could move quickly this year in the event of an injury in the middle infield.

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  8. I second those…looking forward to watching Mazone (and feel better!).

    I would have liked to take at least a look at Cardenas.

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  9. Yeah, I’m surprised Cardenas didn’t get a shot, he’d definitely be interesting to see play — especially against big-league pitching. I’d have liked to see him instead of someone like Gary Knotts or Mike Cervenek.

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  10. I’m with Rob. I won’t get to watch the games but it would be interesting to see if Cardenas can handle MLB pitchers already. But I guess they are looking out for his confidence. Who knows if he’d deflate if they blew him away.

    I hope they let the pitching prospects compete for the #5 spot. I know they have Eaton under contract for two more years but it’d be nice to see another young face on the team.

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  11. Just wondering who the players are that the FO has forgotten this time to invite to 08 ST and are currently in the organization? In 07 ST Kendrick and Zagurski were not invited and were forced to rotate among the diamonds with the farmhands at the Carpenter Complex and were not able to go near Bright House Networks Field to work out with the 60 or so big boys who were invited. But that did not stop Kyle and Mike to go on to combine for an 11-4 record for the NL East Division champs during the regular season. Not many other organizations could brag about a record better than that for minor league non roster farmhands for the 07 ML season. My Carpenter Complex sleeper this year, if starting pitching again breaks down at CBP, is Carlos Monasterios. He is an innings eater who has already pitched 188 innings this year between the Sally and the VWL and keeps the ball on the ground a la Kendrick.

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  12. Call me crazy, but I think Andrew Carpenter should have been invited. He had immense success last year, college pitcher who could move fast just like Kendrick last year.

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  13. anyone know where cardenas will be in 2008, do you think he will still be at lakewood for a month then get called up ?

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  14. Cardenas will probably be in Clearwater as he is only 20 or so and was in Low A last year at Lakewood. I am looking forward to seeing Savery, Carrasco and Outman throw in camp. The last two mentioned could both see time in Citizens Bank Park if this year is anything like last year.

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