Went back up to Sac again on Saturday to catch the River Cats. The pitching left a lot to be desired, so I won't comment on that. But here are my observations on the (young) hitters out there:
Cardenas - Steady bat. Although he's a natural Infielder, he started in LF on Sat. Batting .300 this season, but getting platooned at this stage. Would rather see him in Oakland than Sogard. (Sogard must be Beane's relative or something). Cardenas might be a victim of a logjam. Kinda the "forgotten man" Not sure what he has to do to crack the big league lineup. More power perhaps?
Rosales - Funny. He started in Toronto on Thurs. Got into the Texas game late on Friday night. Started in Sac on Sat night.
Miller - The most exciting player to watch in Sac this season. Hit his 28th HR on Sat. (29th on Sunday) Although he K's A LOT, he should get a Sept call-up. Decent range in CF.
Carter - I'm now starting to lose patience/faith.
Brett Tomko (YES, THAT Brett Tomko), had him completely fooled in 3 AB's. (Sidenote: Tomko was DEALING...mid 90's with movement for at least 7 innings, but anyway, back to CC) Can this kid hit? I've yet to see him get hot at either level, like most "can't miss" prospects do. If
Brandon Allen can show something significant during the last few weeks, Carter could be trade bait again.
Taylor - I like this kid. Not a lot of power, as previously mentioned. But, he's shortened up his swing and looks pretty good. Made a nice defensive play, throwing a bullet home to get a runner from 3rd, late in Sat's game. Such a big guy. Hoping that he gains some power over the offseason.
Recker - Played 1b on Sat. Not sure if he'd do that or Catch in the Bigs. Seemed like he could be a nice player, as he'd matured a bit. Made some strides this season. Then again. he could be nothing more than a AAAA guy.
Donaldson - See the last sentence of my "Recker" observation. The A's always have a fair amount of these guys, laboring throughout their system.
Kouz - Ok, I'll admit. He's hitting pretty well in Sac. Seems to have fixed his defensive issues. He'll definitely get the call-up in a few weeks, but he's got a ton to prove. Entering the prime of his career. He's gotta have a great Spring Training 2012 and continue to make adjustments along the way. Obviously, there are no guarantees for him at this stage.
La Roche - Meh. Won't be with the organization after this season, whether he's called up in September or not.
