Arizona Fall League ‘06
With the Cubs season not going too well, I just can't help but look forward to the 2006 Arizona Fall League. There is nothing like consortium baseball to get the juices flowin'!
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) will be celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. It began play in 1992 (Derek Jeter was the AFLís first MVP) as an alternative to Latin American Winter Ball, where a hyper-competitive playing environment and occasional violent crimes against players off the field made assigning top prospects to Latin Winter clubs an increasingly scary option. Also, many players (especially young players) playing in Latin Winter ball would sometimes be discouraged from trying to improve some aspect of their game (with the possibility that they might struggle and maybe fail in the process) while their team was ìunder the gunî to win. And scouts were sometimes hard-pressed to cover all the games, what with having to trek across the back-roads of Hispanola and Venezuela in order to see some of the games.
Along with the Hawaiian Winter Baseball League (which was in operation for five years 1993-97, and which will be reactivated this year), the AFL was created to allow young players to compete against tougher competition without the accompanying win-at-any-cost mindset and threat of violence sometimes encountered in Latin America, and to enable teams to be located in the same geographic area to allow scouts easier access to the games. (BTW, in its new format beginning this year, the reactivated Hawaiian Winter Baseball League will have fewer teams and smaller rosters than the AFL, and the HWBL will also be inviting players from professional leagues in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan to participate, in addition to prospects from MLB).
Although it might seem odd, not all players assigned to the AFL by an MLB club are necessarily that organizationís best prospects. Sometimes an AFL team needs a certain organization to furnish a shortstop or a catcher or a lefty pitcher, and that organization just doesnít have a true ìprospectî available for the AFL at that position. So the MLB club might have to contribute a journeyman ìorganizational playerî to the AFL team instead.
The AFL was designed primarily for AA players who are expected to move up to AAA the following season (hence its informal ìAA+î classification), but it also is a place for ìhot shotî prospects from Class-A to get some experience against more-advanced competition, and also for older AAA players looking to get noticed and MLB rookies looking to improve some aspect of their game that needs work (like Matt Murton, who was sent to the AFL mainly to work on his outfield defense last year).
The AFL season runs only about six weeks (it was cut back to 32 games from 38 last season). Games are played Monday through Saturday, with no games on Sunday. There is a single ìAFL Championship Gameî played between the two division winners on the Saturday immediately following the close of the AFL regular season.
AFL games are heavily-attended by scouts (a typical AFL game has about 70 or 80 ìfansî and about 15 or 20 scouts), and if a ìborderlineî AA or AAA player does well in the AFL, it could mean heíll get added to his clubís 40-man roster (as happened somewhat unexpectedly with Russ Rohlicek and Geovany Soto a couple of years ago), or possibly get selected in the Rule 5 Draft (as happened with potential N. L. Rookie of the Year Dan Uggla last year).
And if a hot-shot youngster from ìAî-ball handles himself well in the AFL, it could mean that he will be able to skip a level (as happened with Corey Patterson a few years ago), and maybe even get an NRI to the big clubís Spring Training.
HEREíS HOW IT WORKS:
1. The six AFL teams are located at various Spring Training sites in the Phoenix area. The six teams are divided into two divisions, three teams in each division. Each one of the six AFL teams is a consortium of five MLB clubs. The Cubs are presently associated with the AFL team known as the ìMesa Solar Sox,î and the Solar Sox play at HoHoKam Park in Mesa (where the Cubs play their Spring Training games). The other four MLB clubs that will be associated with the Solar Sox this year are the Houston Astros, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Minnesota Twins. Last year, the White Sox, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (and the Cubs) were associated with the Solar Sox, so the consortiums change from year-to-year. (In 2004, the Solar Sox were an amalgam of the Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, and Detroit Tigers, and in 2003 the Solar Sox received players, coaches, and trainers from the Cubs, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Colorado, and Baltimore). Because they play at HoHoKam, the Cubs usually are associated with the Mesa Solar Sox, but in three of the first 14 AFL seasons, they were not.
In addition to providing players, each of the clubs in the consortium contribute either a manager, a pitching coach, a bench coach, or a trainer (there are two trainers per AFL team), and these assignments rotate each season. This year, the Cubs get to provide the manager, and so AA West Tenn skipper Pat Listach will be at the helm of the Solar Sox. Six current MLB skippers managed in the AFL before getting big league gigs, including Terry Francona, Mike Scioscia, Bob Melvin, Ken Macha, Grady Little, and our very own Dusty Baker.
2. Each AFL club has a 30-man roster, with each of the five parent organizations furnishing six players. MLB clubs may add additional position players to their AFL team, but the additional players are assigned as ìreservesî to a so-called ìtaxi squad,î and they are eligible to play on Wednesdays and Saturdays only (again, there are no AFL games on Sundays). A member of the ìtaxi squadî can be elevated to ìfullî roster status to replace an injured player. Not all MLB clubs take advantage of the "taxi squad" option, but the Cubs usually do.
3. Sometime this month, the Player Development Directors from each of the five teams assigned to a given AFL consortium will engage in a conference call, where they will ìhash outî their AFL teamís rosters. (Up until a couple of years ago, rosters were established by a more-formal ìdraft,î where farm directors from each of the parent MLB clubs would be able to place players on the roster one at a time in order of preference).
The primary 30-man AFL rosters (not including the ìtaxi squadî) usually consist of three catchers, one or two players for each of the other positions (not including pitchers), and at least 13 pitchers. (And for the pitchers, ìpitch countsî are strictly enforced!).
4. ELIGIBILITY:
To be eligible to play in the AFL, a players must:
A) Have accumulated less than one year of active MLB service time (not including time spent on the DL) as of September 1st, or no more than two years of accrued MLB service time (including time spent on the DL in previous seasons).
B) Be on a AA or AAA minor league roster or MLB 25-man roster as of August 1st.
C) Be activated from Disabled List prior to the last 45 days of the MLB regular season.
D) Be on the parent MLB clubís major league or minor league off-season ìReserve Listî at the beginning of the AFL season and continuing through to the end of the season (ìFree-Agentsî are NOT permitted to play in the AFL).
5. EXCEPTIONS/RESTRICTIONS:
A) Each MLB club is permitted to place no more than one player who was not on a AA or AAA roster or MLB 25-man roster as of August 1st on its AFL team. (That is, either one Class-A or Rookie League player, or one player selected in the June Rule 4 Draft who has yet to play a pro game, or one player signed as a free-agent out of a foreign country but who has yet to play in MLB or in a National Association--AKA "Minor League Baseball"--league, or one player acquired from an independent professional league).
B) Each MLB club is permitted to place no more than one ìforeignî player on its AFL team. (NOTE: ìForeignî is defined as being from Australia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, or Venezuela, but does not include Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Canada, EU countries, Colombia, Panama, the Bahamas, or Cuba).
C) Each MLB club is permitted to place no more than one player selected in the previous Rule 5 Draft on its AFL team.
D) Clubs can assign a player to the AFL more than one time, as long as the player continues to qualify.
---------------------------------------------------------
Depending on whether the individual player is interested and/or invited, the potential 2006 AFL (and HWBL) candidates from the Cubs organization should come from this list:
David Aardsma, RHP
Thomas Atlee, RHP
Federico Baez, RHP (Foreign)
Justin Berg (from Class ìAî)
Bobby Brownlie, RHP
Freddie Bynum, OF
Matt Craig (from Class ìAî)
Rocky Cherry, RHP
Brian Dopirak, 1B
Mike Fontenot, 2B
Jake Fox, C
Sam Fuld, OF (from Class ìAî)
Sean Gallagher, RHP
Angel Guzman, RHP (Foreign)
Ryan Harvey (from Class îAî)
Rich Hill, LHP
Micah Hoffpauir, 1B
Lincoln Holdzkom, RHP
Mark Holliman, RHP (from Class ìAî)
Richard Lewis, 2B
Carlos Marmol, RHP (Foreign)
Sean Marshall, LHP
J. R. Mathes, LHP
Casey McGehee, 3B
Scott Moore, 3B
Miguel Negron (Foreign)
Ryan Norwood, 1B (from Class ìAî)
Ryan O'Malley, LHP
Angel Pagan, OF (Foreign)
Eric Patterson, 2B
Isaac Pavlik, LHP
Felix Pie (Foreign)
Clay Rapada, LHP
Jose Reyes (Foreign)
Tony Richie, C
Carlos Rojas, SS (Foreign)
Jae-kuk Ryu, RHP
Chris Shaver, LHP
Andy Shipman, RHP
Geovany Soto, C (Foreign)
Jemel Spearman, IF-OF
Ryan Theriot, INF
Donald Veal, LHP (from Class ìAî)
Chris Walker, CF
Randy Wells, RHP
NOTE: Any player eligible to be a six-year minor league free-agent on October 15th (like Buck Coats, Nic Jackson, or Luis Montanez, for instance) who re-signs with the Cubs prior to the start of the AFL seasonóas happened with Brandon Sing last yearówould also be eligible to play in the AFL (or HWBL).
------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the Cubs who have played in the AFL over the past 14 seasons:
x - injured
t- Taxi Squad
1992:
John Gardner, RHP
Mike Grace, 3B
Jeff Hartsock, RHP
Jesse Hollins, RHP
Jim Robinson, C
Dave Swartzbaugh, RHP
NOTE: Before Kerry Wood, there was a time when Jesse Hollins was the Cubs #1 pitching prospect.
1993:
Matt Franco, 3B
Mike Hubbard, C
Brooks Kieschnick, OF
Geno Morones, RHP
Dave Stevens, RHP
Turk Wendell, RHP
NOTE: Stevens (Twins) and Wendell (Mets and Phillies) had success as MLB closersóbut not with the Cubs, Franco (Kurt Russell's nephew) went to the Mets and became an ace PH, and 1993 #1 draft pick Kieschnick ended up in Milwaukee as a quirky hybrid RHP-PH for a while.
1994:
Terry Adams, RHP
Mike Carter, OF
Doug Glanville, OF
Brooks Kieschnick, OF
Chris Petersen, SS
Ottis Smith, LHP
NOTE: Adams was thought at one time to be a future Cubs closer, but he just didnít have the stomach for it, and 1994 #1 draft pick Glanville was a better architect than baseball player.
1995:
Mike Hubbard, C
Robin Jennings, OF
Jason Maxwell, SS
Jon Ratliff, RHP
Wade Walker, LHP
NOTE: Ratliff was a top pitching prospect who turned out be a bust, Maxwell would eventually become an MLB utility INF for a couple of seasons in Minnesota, and Jennings turned out to be a decent 1B-OF-PH for a while with the Reds.
1996:
Pat Cline, C
Brandon Hammack, RHP
Jason Maxwell, SS
Scott Moten, RHP
Kevin Orie, 3B
Marc Pisciotta, RHP
Steve Rain, RHP
x - Brian Stephenson, RHP
NOTE: Rain was a closer, and like Rich Hill, put up awesome numbers in AA and AAA, but never could cross the threshhold to the big leagues. Orie looked like he would be a good MLB 3B, but he flopped after being traded to Florida in the Felix Heredia deal, and Cline was a power-hitting catcher who struck out way, way, WAY too much.
1997:
Richie Barker, RHP
Marty Gazarek, OF
Terry Joseph, OF
Jose Nieves, SS
Steve Rain, RHP
t - Brad Ramsey, SS
Justin Speier, RHP
NOTE: A converted shortstop, Speier was still learning how to pitch when the Cubs sent him to the AFL (and then he got traded), and Nieves was (at one time) the Cubs sure-fire shortstop of the future.
1998:
t - Roosevelt Brown, OF
Chad Meyers, 2B
Chad Ricketts, RHP
Jay Ryan, RHP
Nate Teut, LHP
Danny Young, LHP
Julio Zuleta, 1B
NOTE: Ryan was a decent pitching prospect whose stock soared after pitching in the AFL, and he was eventually traded (along with Kyle Lohse) to MIN for Rick Aguilera, Chad Meyers was the Cubs 2B of the future in 1998 (he is still playing, BTW, in the Mexican League), the power-hitting Zuleta looked (for a while) like he might be the heir to Mark Grace at 1B (but he wasnít), and Roosevelt Brown went to Japan, came back to the U. S. and had a shot with the Braves, but got released.
1999:
t - Pat Cline, C
Eric Newman, RHP
Corey Patterson, OF
Chad Ricketts, RHP
Brian Stephenson, RHP
Jeff Yoder, RHP
Julio Zuleta, 1B
NOTE: As a result of tearing up the AFL after the 1999 season, C-Pat got jumped directly from Lo-A Lansing to AA the next season. (Maybe he should have played a year at Daytona first?).
2000:
t - Hee Seop Choi, 1B
Jeff Goldbach, C
Eric Hinske, 3B
Will Ohman, LHP
Jaisen Randolph, OF
Jason Smith, SS
Nate Teut, LHP
NOTE: Goldbach was a supposed top catching prospect who flamed out at Hi-A, Hinske got traded to OAK for Miguel Cairo and the rights to Rule Fiver Scott Chiasson and eventually won the A. L. Rookie of the Year Award in Toronto, Jason Smith was traded to TB for Fred McGriff and is now in AAA with the Rockies after going back-and-forth between AAA and the majors for several seasons while playing in the Devil Rays & Tigers organizations, Choi was traded to FLA for Derrek Lee and is currently unemployed (recently released by the Red Sox after hitting .207 at AAA), lightin' fast base stealin' fool Jaisen Randolph got traded to the Mets where he went into the Witness Protection Program, and Ohman is a member of the Cubs bullpen and is a pretty decent LOOGY.
2001:
x - Scott Chiasson, RHP
x - Chris Gissell, RHP
Nate Frese, SS
Bobby Hill, 2B
Nic Jackson, OF
Ryan Jorgensen, C
David Kelton, 3B
Mike Meyers, RHP
NOTE: Hill, Jackson, and Kelton were each rated Top 100 prospects by Baseball America at this point in time, but Hill never really recovered from his torn hamstring (ST '03) and was traded to PIT in the Aramis Ramirez & Kenny Lofton steal deal, Jackson tore his labrum and is just now this year getting back to playing OF again (and he is playing very well, albeit at AA), Kelton was a head case who couldnít make throws from 3B to 2B without throwing the ball into RF who is now unemployed after getting released by Atlanta's AAA Richmond club, Chiasson never came back from TJ surgery (but before he got hurt he was a definite closer prospect), Jorgensen went to FLA in the Willis/Clement deal and is presently a AAA back-up catcher, and Mike Meyers was thought to be dead, but resurfaced as a member of Team Canada in the WBC.
2002:
Hee Seop Choi, 1B
Ryan Gripp, 3B
Ferenc Jonjegan, LHP
Jon Leicester, RHP
Ray Sadler, OF
Todd Wellemeyer, RHP
NOTE: Gripp was traded to MIL for Paul Bako after the 2002 season, Sadler was traded to PIT for Randall Simon in August í03, and the once-promising Leicester and Wellemeyer were both traded prior to the 2006 after they ran out of minor league options. (BTW, the pitcher the Cubs got from TEX for Leicester--LHP Clint Brannon--recently retired from baseball).
2003:
David Cash, RHP
x - Ben Christensen, RHP
Jason Dubois, OF (AFL MVP)
Brendan Harris, 3B
Casey Kopitzke, C
Jason Szuminski, RHP
t - Ryan Theriot, INF
John Webb, RHP
NOTE: Dubois won the AFL MVP Award and after a fine year in AAA in 2004 was expected to be the Cubs everyday LF in 2005, but he struggled and got traded to CLE for Jody Gerut. Szuminski looked good in the AFL and so the Padres took him in the ë03 Rule 5 Draft (although the Cubs got him back), but the Cubs released him earlier this seasonÖ last heard from, he is a Captain in the USAF on active duty at Edwards AFB. Harris was thought to be the Cubs 3B of the future at one point, but then got traded to MON in the Nomar 4-way and has since been traded again (to CIN) where he remains in AAA. Cash was the replacement for damaged goods (Jeff Verplancke) in the Bill Mueller deal with the Giants in í02 and just got released by the Cubs a couple of months ago after failing to comeback from TJ surgery. Christensen suffered a torn tendon in his elbow and then a torn labrum in his shoulder (bad karma maybe?), and Webb was never the same pitcher after he broke his leg while walking his dog during the off-season the year the Cubs placed him on their 40-man roster. Ryan Theriot is presently on the Cubs 25-man roster.
2004:
Ronny Cedeno, SS
Brian Dopirak, 1B
t - Jake Fox, C
t - Adam Greenberg, OF
Sean Marshall, LHP
Russ Rohlicek, LHP
Jae-kuk Ryu, RHP
Geovany Soto, C
NOTE: Cedeno has been the Cubs everyday SS and has been moved to 2B, Marshall is a Cubs rotation starter currently on the DL with a strained oblique, Ryu got a chance to start a game for the Cubs this season but soon found himself back in AAA, Dopirak suffered a broken foot on Opening Night in AA and has been struggling at the plate since he got reactivated, Fox was demolishing FSL pitching and was promoted to AA where he is struggling at bat and his defense is still pretty bad, and Soto and Rohlicek looked good enough in the AFL that the Cubs placed both on their 40-man roster to keep from losing them in the í04 Rule 5 Draft (Soto could be the Cubs back-up catcher as early as next season, but Rohlicek was released this past ST). And of course Greenberg got beaned in his very first big league AB (very first pitch!), never really recovered, was released by the Cubs a couple of months ago, and now is a 4th OF in AA with the Dodgers.
2005:
David Aardsma, RHP
t - Buck Coats, IF-OF
Angel Guzman, RHP
John Koronka, LHP
Matt Murton, OF
Eric Patterson, 2B
Brandon Sing, 1B
NOTE: Aardvark is on the Des Moines-Chicago shuttle but needs to develop some constency, Guzman is a rotation starter at Iowa who (if he stays healthy and doesnít get traded) could very well be in the Cubs starting rotation next season, Koronka was traded to TEX for Fredie Bynum and is a rotation starter for the Rangers, Murton is the Cubs #1-A LF but has struggled off-and-on at the plate this season, E-Pat is possibly the Cubs 2B of the future (2008?) and is having a fine offensive year (but just so-so defensively) in AA, and Coats and Sing will be six-year minor league FAs after this season and while Coats MIGHT be retained (becoming less likely as time goes by), Sing will almost certainly not be.
Comments