Baseball America always gives a scouting report online of a team’s 31st prospect, ie, the guy who just failed to make their annual prospect handbook. Ballestas, a RHP, is the Phillies choice this season

Freddy Ballestas, rhp, Phillies

Born: Oct. 4, 1986. B-T: R-R. Ht: 6-3. Wt: 180. Signed: Venezuela, 2004. Signed by: Sal Agostinelli.

A product of the Phillies’ Venezuelan academy, Ballestas has spent his first three pro seasons in his home country, posting the best numbers of his career in 2007. After working on his mechanics to have better overall balance over the rubber last offseason, he was the top pitcher in the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League. He led the VSL in ERA (1.26) and strikeouts (98 in 100 innings) while ranking second in wins (9-3). Ballestas’ top pitch is a 90-93 mph fastball that touches 94 and has plus late life. He improved the command of his heater last year, missing more bats as a result. He also has a slurvy breaking ball and good feel for a changeup. Though he wasn’t viewed as much more than a middle reliever when he signed, Ballestas could become more than that if he can hone his secondary pitches. Philadelphia will bring him to the United States in 2008 and he could land an assignment to low Class A if he performs well in spring training.

Sounds promising, especially if he’s bumped to Lakewood to start.

I hate to post this, because it seems like we’ve debated this to death, but I guess it’s worth a look. From a Jim Callis chat at BA yesterday

Mike (Lancaster, PA): Can Cardenas play third?

Jim Callis: Yeah, he should be able to.

Hmm. Most people generally think Cardenas doesn’t have the arm for 3B. It’s not a secret that the best athletes on high school teams normally play shortstop. Lots of guys get drafted as shortstops (like Cardenas) and then get moved off the position immediately in pro ball. The Reds drafted Todd Frazier as a shortstop out of Rutgers and immediately moved him to 3B. It’s a common practice. But the guys who get moved to 3B normally go there because they have strong arms. If they can’t make it at 3B because of poor hands or reactions, they usually end up in RF, again because of their arm. If the arm isn’t good enough, they go to LF, for obvious reasons. All the talk about Cardenas has been that he might end up in LF, which seems to indicate that the Phillies don’t think much of his arm. Or could it be that they thought 2B would be easier for him to adjust to while he was also adjusting to pro pitching for the first time? He held his own at Lakewood as a 19 year old, and will move to Clearwater at age 20. Did anyone see him at Instructs taking balls at 3B? Will the Phillies gamble and try him there at Clearwater? We have no other legit 3B prospects in High A that would be blocking him.

Jim Callis is far from the trumping voice on Phillies prospects, but this could be an interesting plotline to watch.