Diamondbacks Prospects

Not much going on right now. The Yankees and Diamondbacks are apparently looking to finish a deal for Randy Johnson before next week, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to look at the names that are being discussed by the Daily News report. The News suggests that the Yankees are looking for 2 of the 3 following pitchers:

Dustin Nippert
Age: 25
Height/Weight: 6'8"/225
Throws: Right
Highest Level: MLB
Notes: D'Backs fans seem to like Nippert's potential a lot. He sports a low-90s fastball and a silly lollipop curve. His results at AAA and in the Majors have been shaky. He tends to give up big innings and doesn't always respond well to pressure. When his control falters he struggles. While scouts project him as a #2 or #3 starter, he hasn't shown much recently.



Micah Owings
Age: 24
Height/Weight: 6'5"/220
Throws: Right
Highest Level: AAA
Notes: This young righty features a plus fastball and slider and is of the gritty, competitive mold. Owings was very good at AAA last year. He was 10-0 with a 3.70 ERA and started the Tuscon Sidewinders' first playoff game. Owings started life as a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket before transferring to Tulane. He was a power hitting first baseman that projected to the Majors either by pitching or playing the field. He's gone the pitcher route, and he looks very good. He needs to develop a little more in his arsenal to stick as a starter at the MLB level, but the potential is there. I'd work to get him in the deal, if possible.

Ross Ohlendorf
Age: 24
Height/Weight: 6'4"/235
Throws: Right
Highest Level: AAA
Notes: Ohlendorf was a standout pitcher at Princeton. He's moved up through the D'Backs system fairly quickly thanks to great control and a great GO/AO ratio. Despite his strong points, he is hittable, and has given up more hits than innings pitched. That's the price you pay if you refuse to walk batters. He isn't among the D'Backs Top 10 prospects, but he could move up if he shows continued improvement.

While this mix of players is impressive, I think we have built quite an army of right handers at the AAA level. We could certainly tack on two more in hopes of packaging them for a proven Major Leaguer, but I'd also hope that Cashman is working on getting either Chad Tracy or catching prospect Miguel Montero. Tracy is already a Major Leaguer, and has twice posted 20+ home run seasons. His 2005 was better than his 2006, but he is a legitimate talent, and fits the Yankees needs. Here's more on Montero:

Miguel Montero (catcher)
Age: 23
Height/Weight: 5'11"/195
Throws/Bats: Right/Left
Highest Level: AAA
Notes: Montero is projected as the Arizona catcher of the future. He's young, hits for power, and is above average defensively as well. He struggles against lefties and would need to improve in that regard to be a truly elite catcher. Another of the budding young prospects from Venezuela.

If I had my wish, I'd get Montero and play him behind Posada this season. I'd have Jorge mentor him the way Girardi did some years ago, and eventually have the reigns turned over completely when the time comes. Jorge could be a very good DH for years to come if we had a solid catcher to play everyday. I'd then ask the Diamondbacks for either Owings or Ohlendorf as well. Owings may or may not make it as a starter in the Majors, but could be a very good long reliever for years to come. If he gets another solid pitch, he could fit somewhere in the middle of a Major League rotation. Ohlendorf is a sleeper to me. He's been clocked at 97 MPH and threw a two hitter in the NCAA tournament some years ago. He's got very good control at a young age, and has been called a bulldog. (He also scored a 1580 on the SAT, so Moose will have someone to talk to.)

Keep your eyes and ears peeled. This could be fun.