Over the last few years, the Cardinals have been know for developing and promoting power arms, including such standouts as Shelby Miller, Trevor Rosenthal, Michael Wacha, Joe Kelly and Carlos Martinez.
With those pitchers having already graduated to the majors, it appears that the Cardinals system strength is now their outfielders.
In addition to major league regulars Matt Holliday, Allen Craig, Jon Jay and Peter Bourjos, 3 of the Cardinals top 10 prospects, according to Baseball America are outfielders, headed by top prospect Oscar Taveras, as well as spring standout Stephen Piscotty (#4) and up-and-coming James Ramsey (#8).
In addition, BA lists Mike O'Neill as having the "best strike-zone discipline", Charlie Tilson as the "fastest baserunner", C.J. McElroy as the "best athlete" and Tommy Pham as the "best defensive outfielder".
Now, let's consider the Cardinals bullpen.
The Cards pen ranks 13th in the NL with a 4.47 ERA. Manager Mike Matheny has leaned heavily on Pat Neshek and Kevin Siegrist, who have both appeared in half of the Cardinals 20 games, as well as rookie Carlos Martinez who has appeared in 9 games.
Some help may be on the way in the form of Jason Motte, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and could return sometime in May. However, its obvious that Matheny could use another reliable arm (or two) if only to lessen the burden on Neshek, Siegrist and Martinez.
So, with an obvious need and an obvious surplus, it would only make sense for the Cards to trade one of their outfield prospects for a reliever. The only problem is that there probably aren't any pitchers on the market right now.
The Cardinals have had success the last two years trading for struggling relievers in July and helping them get back on track. It worked with Edward Mujica, who the Cards acquired from the Marlins in 2012 for Zack Cox and it worked with John Axford, who the Cards got from the Brewers for Michael Blazek last July.
Expect a similar move this July, with an outfielder at the center of the deal. It likely won't be one of the top 3 guys, but I certainly could see someone like Mike O'Neil being moved for a reliever.
Showing posts with label Mike O'Neill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike O'Neill. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Catching up with the Cardinals
Well, as often happens with 3 kids and a demanding job, life got in the way of blogging the last couple weeks, so let's all catch up on what's happened during that time.
First, the Cardinals finalized their opening day roster, with the Spring Training Battles being decided, as follows:
5th Starter
Despite having a superior spring, Carlos Martinez was relegated to the bullpen, where his power arm was more desperately needed. Joe Kelly "won" the 5th starter job, more on last season's performance than this spring's results, which is probably how it should be.
Bench
Thanks in part to an injury to Mark Ellis, both Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma made the opening day roster, along with 4th outfielder Shane Robinson.
One of Descalso or Kozma will have to go when Ellis is healthy and, if the recent trade rumors are any indication, it will probably be Kozma.
As for Robinson, he's likely just keeping the seat warm until Oscar Taveras, Stephen Piscotty or even Mike O'Neill is deemed ready to take over the 4th outfield spot.
Bullpen
The battle for the last bullpen slot came down to Jorge Rondon and Keith Butler, with Butler winning the job. However, with Jason Motte expected back in early May, it will be interesting to see what the Cards do.
Will they send Martinez down to stretch him back out as a starter or will they keep him in the pen and jettison Butler? My hope is that Martinez will be sent down, but the team may keep him up out of necessity, as it already appears that Mike Matheny has few relievers he trusts in the pen.
The Season so Far
With the roster set, the Cardinals have faced the Reds and Pirates in their first 6 games and come out of the road trip with a 3-3 record. They return home to face the Reds and Cubs this week.
While not a bad road trip, the lack of offense so far is a little bit of a concern. The Cardinals have scored only 17 runs in those 6 games, including 4 games where they have scored two runs or less. Hopefully their bats will warm up with the weather.
Overall, not a bad start, but not great either. Hopefully the Cardinals can make some noise on this 6-game home stand and carry the momentum going forward.
First, the Cardinals finalized their opening day roster, with the Spring Training Battles being decided, as follows:
5th Starter
Despite having a superior spring, Carlos Martinez was relegated to the bullpen, where his power arm was more desperately needed. Joe Kelly "won" the 5th starter job, more on last season's performance than this spring's results, which is probably how it should be.
Bench
Thanks in part to an injury to Mark Ellis, both Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma made the opening day roster, along with 4th outfielder Shane Robinson.
One of Descalso or Kozma will have to go when Ellis is healthy and, if the recent trade rumors are any indication, it will probably be Kozma.
As for Robinson, he's likely just keeping the seat warm until Oscar Taveras, Stephen Piscotty or even Mike O'Neill is deemed ready to take over the 4th outfield spot.
Bullpen
The battle for the last bullpen slot came down to Jorge Rondon and Keith Butler, with Butler winning the job. However, with Jason Motte expected back in early May, it will be interesting to see what the Cards do.
Will they send Martinez down to stretch him back out as a starter or will they keep him in the pen and jettison Butler? My hope is that Martinez will be sent down, but the team may keep him up out of necessity, as it already appears that Mike Matheny has few relievers he trusts in the pen.
The Season so Far
With the roster set, the Cardinals have faced the Reds and Pirates in their first 6 games and come out of the road trip with a 3-3 record. They return home to face the Reds and Cubs this week.
While not a bad road trip, the lack of offense so far is a little bit of a concern. The Cardinals have scored only 17 runs in those 6 games, including 4 games where they have scored two runs or less. Hopefully their bats will warm up with the weather.
Overall, not a bad start, but not great either. Hopefully the Cardinals can make some noise on this 6-game home stand and carry the momentum going forward.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Latest Trade Rumors: Cardinals actively looking to trade David Freese and Rangers' shortstops may no longer be an option
Things are heating up on the David Freese front while Texas' trade of Ian Kinsler has many wondering where the Cardinals will find a shortstop, as the Hot Stove Heats up.
David Freese
Reports surfaced yesterday that the Cardinals were talking to the Angels about a possible David Freese trade (first reported by Ken Rosenthal via Twitter). Rosenthal further reported that the Cardinals were looking for outfield depth and that the sides were still in the "discussion phase". The Angels have young outfielders, such as Peter Bourjos, J.B. Shuck and Kole Calhoun that could interest the Cards.
I find it somewhat puzzling that the Cardinals would be looking for additional outfielders, when the have some talented youngsters of their own, such as Oscar Taveras, Stephen Piscotty and even Mike O'Neill waiting in the wings.
Perhaps its an indication that the Cardinals may be looking to move someone like Matt Adams or Jon Jay in another trade to acquire a shortstop.
In any case, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register indicated that the Cardinals would not trade Freese for Bourjos straight up and that some more pieces need to be involved, but they are still working on it.
Update: The Cardinals have traded Freese and Fernando Salas for the Angles' Peter Bourjos and Randal Grichuk. I will post details later...
Shortstop
The Cardinals search for a shortstop hit an unexpected roadblock this week when the Rangers traded second baseman Ian Kinsler to Detroit for Prince Fielder. Although Ken Rosenthal indicated that the Rangers are still open to trading either Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar, it seems less likely now.
With Andrus and Profar off the table, Bernie Miklasz breaks down the other options for the Cards, with J.J. Hardy listed as his "best fit".
While Hardy won the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove last year, it appears that he has his drawbacks as well. For one thing, he is only signed through the 2014 season and it appears that the Orioles asking price (Shelby Miller) is pretty high.
I, for one, do not want to give up Miller for a one-year rental, however, as Miklasz points out, there doesn't appear to be a lot of other great options.
Perhaps the Cardinals can find some way to pry Erick Aybar away from the Angels while they are working on the Freese trade or perhaps the Rangers might be more willing to trade Andrus or Profar if the Cardinals include Kolten Wong (to replace Kinsler at second). However, that won't happen if the Cards trade Freese.
In any case, it looks like Freese could be on the move soon and we might have to wait a while before the shortstop position is filled.
David Freese
Reports surfaced yesterday that the Cardinals were talking to the Angels about a possible David Freese trade (first reported by Ken Rosenthal via Twitter). Rosenthal further reported that the Cardinals were looking for outfield depth and that the sides were still in the "discussion phase". The Angels have young outfielders, such as Peter Bourjos, J.B. Shuck and Kole Calhoun that could interest the Cards.
I find it somewhat puzzling that the Cardinals would be looking for additional outfielders, when the have some talented youngsters of their own, such as Oscar Taveras, Stephen Piscotty and even Mike O'Neill waiting in the wings.
Perhaps its an indication that the Cardinals may be looking to move someone like Matt Adams or Jon Jay in another trade to acquire a shortstop.
In any case, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register indicated that the Cardinals would not trade Freese for Bourjos straight up and that some more pieces need to be involved, but they are still working on it.
Update: The Cardinals have traded Freese and Fernando Salas for the Angles' Peter Bourjos and Randal Grichuk. I will post details later...
Shortstop
The Cardinals search for a shortstop hit an unexpected roadblock this week when the Rangers traded second baseman Ian Kinsler to Detroit for Prince Fielder. Although Ken Rosenthal indicated that the Rangers are still open to trading either Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar, it seems less likely now.
With Andrus and Profar off the table, Bernie Miklasz breaks down the other options for the Cards, with J.J. Hardy listed as his "best fit".
While Hardy won the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove last year, it appears that he has his drawbacks as well. For one thing, he is only signed through the 2014 season and it appears that the Orioles asking price (Shelby Miller) is pretty high.
I, for one, do not want to give up Miller for a one-year rental, however, as Miklasz points out, there doesn't appear to be a lot of other great options.
Perhaps the Cardinals can find some way to pry Erick Aybar away from the Angels while they are working on the Freese trade or perhaps the Rangers might be more willing to trade Andrus or Profar if the Cardinals include Kolten Wong (to replace Kinsler at second). However, that won't happen if the Cards trade Freese.
In any case, it looks like Freese could be on the move soon and we might have to wait a while before the shortstop position is filled.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Cardinals set 40-man roster before next month's rule 5 draft. Who did they leave exposed?
Wednesday was the deadline for major league teams to set their 40-man rosters prior to the December 12th Rule 5 draft. As such, the Cardinals made a series of moves to protect their key prospects.
First, they tried to clear some extra space by putting Ryan Jackson on waivers, however he was claimed by the Houston Astros. Despite the Cardinals struggles with Pete Kozma and Daniel Descalso at short, Jackson never seemed to be an option, at least in the minds of Cardinals management, thus clearing him off the roster makes sense.
Second, the Cardinals removed pitcher John Gast and infielder Jermaine Curtis from the 40-man roster. Gast is a question mark for 2014 after undergoing shoulder surgery and Curtis is not in the Cards long range plans.
Finally, the Cardinals added Oscar Taveras, outfielder Mike O'Neill and infielder Greg Garcia to their 40-man roster.
Taveras was a no-brainer. The Cardinals would have never left him exposed to the Rule 5 draft.
O'Neill has been proving critics wrong for years, by his ability to hit for average and get on base (career .328/.435/.405 line in the minors). He has little power or speed, but if his skills translate to the majors, he can be at least a quality 4th or 5th outfielder.
Garcia is a quality middle infield prospect who started getting some work at third this year. He has a career .281/.386/.403 line in the minors and should prove to be at least a good utility infielder in the majors.
Yesterday, Derrick Goold provided a pretty comprehensive list of players eligible for the Rule 5 draft in the Cardinals organization, based on that and the above moves, here are the players I think could potentially be drafted next month.
John Gast
I was a bit surprised that the Cardinals dropped Gast from the 40-man roster. Although he underwent surgery to repair a torn lat in July, he still is a quality prospect and any team that drafts him can stash him on the DL until he's healthy. In my mind, he's the most likely Cardinal to get selected next month.
Boone Whiting
An 18th round pick in 2010, Whiting has decent minor league numbers (3.13 ERA in 345 innings) despite the lack of overpowering stuff. His fastball sits in the 89-91 mph range, but he has a quality slider to go with it. Some team could select him as a bullpen arm.
Seth Blair
A first round pick (46th overall) in 2010, Blair has dealt with control issues, inconsistency and injuries in his minor league career. He posted a 5.07 ERA at AA this year and still has a mid-90's fastball, but may be better suited for relief.
Jordan Swagerty
A second round pick in 2010, Swagerty has a nice minor league debut in 2011, posting a 1.83 ERA in 93.2 innings. However, he had Tommy John surgery in April 2012 and pitched just 10.2 innings in 2013.
He has a mid-90's fastball and an excellent curve and could be another guy that a team could select and stash on the D.L. while he works his way back.
Robert Stock
Stock was drafted as a catcher but was converted to a pitcher in 2012. He pitched for USC in college and flashed a low-to-mid-90's fastball and an average slider. He's still pretty raw (4.20 ERA in 109.1 innings in the minors), but could be stashed in a major league bullpen.
Overall, you will notice that all of the above players are pitchers, mainly because teams usually select pitching in the Rule 5 draft, as its easier to stash a pitcher in a major league bullpen, and because the hitters the Cardinals left unprotected are not so special.
I think that Gast is likely to be chosen and possibly even Whiting, which will greatly hurt the Cardinals depth.
First, they tried to clear some extra space by putting Ryan Jackson on waivers, however he was claimed by the Houston Astros. Despite the Cardinals struggles with Pete Kozma and Daniel Descalso at short, Jackson never seemed to be an option, at least in the minds of Cardinals management, thus clearing him off the roster makes sense.
Second, the Cardinals removed pitcher John Gast and infielder Jermaine Curtis from the 40-man roster. Gast is a question mark for 2014 after undergoing shoulder surgery and Curtis is not in the Cards long range plans.
Finally, the Cardinals added Oscar Taveras, outfielder Mike O'Neill and infielder Greg Garcia to their 40-man roster.
Taveras was a no-brainer. The Cardinals would have never left him exposed to the Rule 5 draft.
O'Neill has been proving critics wrong for years, by his ability to hit for average and get on base (career .328/.435/.405 line in the minors). He has little power or speed, but if his skills translate to the majors, he can be at least a quality 4th or 5th outfielder.
Garcia is a quality middle infield prospect who started getting some work at third this year. He has a career .281/.386/.403 line in the minors and should prove to be at least a good utility infielder in the majors.
Yesterday, Derrick Goold provided a pretty comprehensive list of players eligible for the Rule 5 draft in the Cardinals organization, based on that and the above moves, here are the players I think could potentially be drafted next month.
John Gast
I was a bit surprised that the Cardinals dropped Gast from the 40-man roster. Although he underwent surgery to repair a torn lat in July, he still is a quality prospect and any team that drafts him can stash him on the DL until he's healthy. In my mind, he's the most likely Cardinal to get selected next month.
Boone Whiting
An 18th round pick in 2010, Whiting has decent minor league numbers (3.13 ERA in 345 innings) despite the lack of overpowering stuff. His fastball sits in the 89-91 mph range, but he has a quality slider to go with it. Some team could select him as a bullpen arm.
Seth Blair
A first round pick (46th overall) in 2010, Blair has dealt with control issues, inconsistency and injuries in his minor league career. He posted a 5.07 ERA at AA this year and still has a mid-90's fastball, but may be better suited for relief.
Jordan Swagerty
A second round pick in 2010, Swagerty has a nice minor league debut in 2011, posting a 1.83 ERA in 93.2 innings. However, he had Tommy John surgery in April 2012 and pitched just 10.2 innings in 2013.
He has a mid-90's fastball and an excellent curve and could be another guy that a team could select and stash on the D.L. while he works his way back.
Robert Stock
Stock was drafted as a catcher but was converted to a pitcher in 2012. He pitched for USC in college and flashed a low-to-mid-90's fastball and an average slider. He's still pretty raw (4.20 ERA in 109.1 innings in the minors), but could be stashed in a major league bullpen.
Overall, you will notice that all of the above players are pitchers, mainly because teams usually select pitching in the Rule 5 draft, as its easier to stash a pitcher in a major league bullpen, and because the hitters the Cardinals left unprotected are not so special.
I think that Gast is likely to be chosen and possibly even Whiting, which will greatly hurt the Cardinals depth.
Friday, September 27, 2013
The St.Louis Cardinals Top 7 Prospects
For our September United Cardinals Bloggers project, we were asked to rank our Top 7 Cardinals prospects.
For this, I eliminated any player who had exhausted their rookie eligibility (130 at bats or 50 IP) and based my rankings on this year's performance as well as the views of scouts from various websites.
My picks are below. Be sure to check out the United Cardinals Bloggers page for links to the other lists and a composite ranking.
1. Oscar Taveras
Despite a season marred by injuries, Taveras remains the Cardinals top prospect. He hit .310/.348/.471 with 5 homers and 5 stolen bases in just 47 games on the season. He will likely head back to AAA to start next year, but should be called up by mid-season.
2. Carlos Martinez
The Cardinals top pitching prospect, who has yet to use up his rookie eligibility, Martinez got a late start to the season due to visa issues, but put up an impressive 6-3 record with a 2.49 ERA in 16 starts between AA Springfield and AAA Memphis. He also has a 2-1 record with a 5.47 ERA at the major league level. He should battle for a rotation spot next year. If he doesn't earn a spot in the rotation, he could become a late-inning guy in the bullpen.
3. Kolten Wong
Although he hasn't had much success at the major league level (.151/.196/.170 in 53 at bats), Wong looked pretty impressive at Memphis, hitting .303/.369/.466 with 10 homers and 20 stolen bases. It will be interesting to see how the Cardinals sort out the David Freese/Kolten Wong/Matt Carpenter logjam at second and third in the offseason.
4. Stephen Piscotty
The Cardinals' "other" compensation pick in 2012 for losing Albert Pujols (Michael Wacha being the first), Piscotty put up some nice numbers in his first full season in the minors. He hit .295/.355/.464 with 15 homers and 11 stolen bases and finished the year at AA Springfield. He could earn a September callup in 2014 and be in the outfield mix come 2015.
5. John Gast
One of the Cardinals less-heralded prospects, Gast was dominant at AAA Memphis to start the year. He posted an obscene 1.16 ERA in 7 starts before earning a promotion to St. Louis. He made just 3 starts with the Cards, going 2-0 with a 5.11 ERA, before a shoulder injury ended his season. Its unclear if he'll be ready for the start of the 2014 season, but he should be a factor at the major league level before the year is through.
6. Rob Kaminsky
I had a hard time choosing between Kaminsky and fellow 2013 first-rounder Marco Gonzalez for this spot, but eventually went with Kaminsky. While Gonzalez has a higher floor than Kaminsky, Kaminsky has more upside and he showed off those skills in the rookie league striking out 28 batters in just 22 innings. As a high schooler, he will likely move slowly through the Cardinals system and may not make the big leagues until 2016 (at the earliest).
7. Mike O'Neill
He may not be a "sexy" prospect, but O'Neill is one of my personal favorites. While he does not have much power (just 3 homers in 341 games) and his speed is just average, O'Neill has arguably the best "eye" in the Cardinals farm system. This year he put up an incredible 91/37 BB/K ratio while hitting .314/.424/.369 between Springfield and Memphis. His .431 OBP at Springfield was second only to Oakland A's "moneyball" prospect Anthony Aliotti (.452). He should earn at least a bench role with the Cardinals at some point in 2014.
For this, I eliminated any player who had exhausted their rookie eligibility (130 at bats or 50 IP) and based my rankings on this year's performance as well as the views of scouts from various websites.
My picks are below. Be sure to check out the United Cardinals Bloggers page for links to the other lists and a composite ranking.
1. Oscar Taveras
Despite a season marred by injuries, Taveras remains the Cardinals top prospect. He hit .310/.348/.471 with 5 homers and 5 stolen bases in just 47 games on the season. He will likely head back to AAA to start next year, but should be called up by mid-season.
2. Carlos Martinez
The Cardinals top pitching prospect, who has yet to use up his rookie eligibility, Martinez got a late start to the season due to visa issues, but put up an impressive 6-3 record with a 2.49 ERA in 16 starts between AA Springfield and AAA Memphis. He also has a 2-1 record with a 5.47 ERA at the major league level. He should battle for a rotation spot next year. If he doesn't earn a spot in the rotation, he could become a late-inning guy in the bullpen.
3. Kolten Wong
Although he hasn't had much success at the major league level (.151/.196/.170 in 53 at bats), Wong looked pretty impressive at Memphis, hitting .303/.369/.466 with 10 homers and 20 stolen bases. It will be interesting to see how the Cardinals sort out the David Freese/Kolten Wong/Matt Carpenter logjam at second and third in the offseason.
4. Stephen Piscotty
The Cardinals' "other" compensation pick in 2012 for losing Albert Pujols (Michael Wacha being the first), Piscotty put up some nice numbers in his first full season in the minors. He hit .295/.355/.464 with 15 homers and 11 stolen bases and finished the year at AA Springfield. He could earn a September callup in 2014 and be in the outfield mix come 2015.
5. John Gast
One of the Cardinals less-heralded prospects, Gast was dominant at AAA Memphis to start the year. He posted an obscene 1.16 ERA in 7 starts before earning a promotion to St. Louis. He made just 3 starts with the Cards, going 2-0 with a 5.11 ERA, before a shoulder injury ended his season. Its unclear if he'll be ready for the start of the 2014 season, but he should be a factor at the major league level before the year is through.
6. Rob Kaminsky
I had a hard time choosing between Kaminsky and fellow 2013 first-rounder Marco Gonzalez for this spot, but eventually went with Kaminsky. While Gonzalez has a higher floor than Kaminsky, Kaminsky has more upside and he showed off those skills in the rookie league striking out 28 batters in just 22 innings. As a high schooler, he will likely move slowly through the Cardinals system and may not make the big leagues until 2016 (at the earliest).
7. Mike O'Neill
He may not be a "sexy" prospect, but O'Neill is one of my personal favorites. While he does not have much power (just 3 homers in 341 games) and his speed is just average, O'Neill has arguably the best "eye" in the Cardinals farm system. This year he put up an incredible 91/37 BB/K ratio while hitting .314/.424/.369 between Springfield and Memphis. His .431 OBP at Springfield was second only to Oakland A's "moneyball" prospect Anthony Aliotti (.452). He should earn at least a bench role with the Cardinals at some point in 2014.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Latest Matt Garza rumors: Cubs asking for "last and best offers"
As his next scheduled start is creeping ever nearer, the Cubs are asking for the "last and best offers" from the teams involved, according to Buster Olney.
Ken Rosenthal feels that the Rangers have the most motivation to acquire Garza and while they don't want to move Martin Perez, per Olney, they have other pitching prospects, such as C.J. Edward and Luke Jackson, that could entice the Cubs.
If the Rangers do not acquire Garza, rival executives feel that either the Cardinals, Red Sox, Diamondbacks or Dodgers would be the likeliest destination, according to Jeff Passan.
So its put up or shut up time for the teams involved. However, as far as the Cardinals are concerned, I do not think they'll make an aggressive bid for Garza. As Jim Bowden puts it:
In any case, we should know for sure by Monday, at the latest, as that is the day the Garza is next scheduled to pitch.
Ken Rosenthal feels that the Rangers have the most motivation to acquire Garza and while they don't want to move Martin Perez, per Olney, they have other pitching prospects, such as C.J. Edward and Luke Jackson, that could entice the Cubs.
If the Rangers do not acquire Garza, rival executives feel that either the Cardinals, Red Sox, Diamondbacks or Dodgers would be the likeliest destination, according to Jeff Passan.
So its put up or shut up time for the teams involved. However, as far as the Cardinals are concerned, I do not think they'll make an aggressive bid for Garza. As Jim Bowden puts it:
"The Cardinals are reviewing their options but at this point are not pursing anything specifically or aggressively. Can't blame them, as they are arguably the most well-rounded club in the league."Perhaps if other teams back off, the Cardinals can win Garza with a low-ball offer of say Tyrell Jenkins, Jordan Swagerty and Mike O'Neill, but its doubtful.
In any case, we should know for sure by Monday, at the latest, as that is the day the Garza is next scheduled to pitch.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Mike O'Neill is what "Moneyball" is all about.
If you want to see Moneyball in action, all you have to do is go to Springfield, MO and watch Mike O'Neill play.
By most scouts' standards, O'Neill would not be a prospect. He stand only 5'9", has no power and little speed. But what he does have is the uncanny ability to get on base.
Through 25 games this year, O'Neill is hitting .338 with a .490 OBP (tops in the Texas league). Lat year in 418 at bats, split between high A and AA, O'Neill hit .359 with a .458 OBP (tops in all of the minors).
Quite frankly, O'Neill knows how to get on base. If Kevin Youkilis is Moneyball's "Greek God of Walks", then O'Neill is his Irish counterpart.
In Moneyball, Billy Beane went against conventional scouting and sought out players with high OBP, as baseball as a whole generally undervalued these type of players. It is why, during the 2002 draft, the A's picked lightly regarded and heavy set catcher Jeremy Brown with the 35th overall pick. At 5'10", 228 lbs., Brown didn't have the look of a top prospect, but he did hit .320/.493/.566 in his final year of college.
While Brown showed good on base skills in college, O'Neill's college stats were pretty pedestrian by comparison. In his career at USC, O'Neill hit .320 with a .407 OBP. Not bad, but certainly not overly impressive, which is probably why he lasted until the 31st round of the 2010 draft.
After a knee injury limited him to just 50 games in 2011, O'Neill had a breakout year in 2012. However, despite his success, scouts still have their doubts. Baseball America lists him as the Cardinals 28th best prospect with the upside of a 4th outfielder, saying he doesn't have the range to play center, the arm to play right or the power to play left.
However, if he can carry over his mad on base skills to the majors, the Cardinals will have to find a place for him. Or perhaps they can just use him in a trade with Oakland.
By most scouts' standards, O'Neill would not be a prospect. He stand only 5'9", has no power and little speed. But what he does have is the uncanny ability to get on base.
Through 25 games this year, O'Neill is hitting .338 with a .490 OBP (tops in the Texas league). Lat year in 418 at bats, split between high A and AA, O'Neill hit .359 with a .458 OBP (tops in all of the minors).
Quite frankly, O'Neill knows how to get on base. If Kevin Youkilis is Moneyball's "Greek God of Walks", then O'Neill is his Irish counterpart.
In Moneyball, Billy Beane went against conventional scouting and sought out players with high OBP, as baseball as a whole generally undervalued these type of players. It is why, during the 2002 draft, the A's picked lightly regarded and heavy set catcher Jeremy Brown with the 35th overall pick. At 5'10", 228 lbs., Brown didn't have the look of a top prospect, but he did hit .320/.493/.566 in his final year of college.
While Brown showed good on base skills in college, O'Neill's college stats were pretty pedestrian by comparison. In his career at USC, O'Neill hit .320 with a .407 OBP. Not bad, but certainly not overly impressive, which is probably why he lasted until the 31st round of the 2010 draft.
After a knee injury limited him to just 50 games in 2011, O'Neill had a breakout year in 2012. However, despite his success, scouts still have their doubts. Baseball America lists him as the Cardinals 28th best prospect with the upside of a 4th outfielder, saying he doesn't have the range to play center, the arm to play right or the power to play left.
However, if he can carry over his mad on base skills to the majors, the Cardinals will have to find a place for him. Or perhaps they can just use him in a trade with Oakland.
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