Minor League Update - Omaha Storm Chasers

Through the season’s first 18 games, the Storm Chasers are 9-9 and are in a three-way tie for second place in the PCL American Northern Division, trailing Oklahoma City (HOU).

The Chasers have played an astonishing 15 of 18 games at home to start the season, but will leave for an eight game road trip to New Orleans (MIA) and Iowa (CHC) following Tuesday’s morning game against Nashville (MIL).

Through eighteen games, Omaha ranks third with a .299 team batting average, but are middle of the road in the 16-team league with a .356 on-base percentage and .411 slugging percentage, including just 11 home runs (fourth worst in the PCL). The team does not rank any individuals among the league’s leaders in any major offensive categories.

The club is one of three teams with a sub-4.00 ERA, sitting third at 3.96. However, the Chasers rank third from the bottom with 119 strikeouts.

Individual Hitting

MiLB.com

Who’s Hot:

Outfielder Brett Eibner took a big step forward April 9 when he went 5-for-5, including two home runs and nine RBI. The 25-year old scored three times in the game as Omaha beat Memphis (STL) 20-3. Eibner added a four hit game and a three hit contest over the next week and now sits at .333/.395/.500 with 12 RBI and 12 runs scored on the season. He has excelled against right-handed pitching to the tune of .340/.435/.566 with all three of his homers, which is tied with Francisco Pena for the team lead in round-trippers.

Matt Fields has held the everyday first base duties for Omaha and has responded offensively. Fields hit safely in his first 14 games, and was hitting a white-hot .459/. 524/.622 on April 11. Despite being held hitless through his last three ballgames, the 28-year old is hitting .361/.437/.475 with one homer and 10 RBI in 67 plate appearances.

Paulo Orlando hit safely in 10 of his first 12 ballgames and sits at .328/.371/.345 in 17 games. The Brazilian outfielder has four multi-hit games in early April.

Infielder Johnny Giavotella spent nine days in the big leagues, but returned to Omaha on a hot streak. In his first four games back, Giavotella had seven hits and has compiled a line of .368/.429/.526 in ten Triple-A games.

Who’s Not: 

Prospect Christian Colon has five multi-hit games this season, but sits at just .230/.275/.338 in 18 games. He has one home run, nine RBI and has scored 13 runs, but only four walks, in 78 plate appearances.

Individual Pitching

Who’s Hot: 

Spencer Patton is 1-0 with three saves and a 1.04 ERA in five appearances this season. In 8.2 innings, the 26-year old right-hander has nine strikeouts and allowed four hits and four walks.

Fellow reliever Buddy Baumann has yet to allow a run in ten innings across five appearances. The lefty has surrendered nine hits, four walks and has hit one batter.

Columbian starter Sugar Ray Marimon is 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA in two starts this season. He collected a win in his first appearance, five scoreless innings against Nashville on April 11.

Who’s Not:

John Lamb has allowed five home runs, which is the third most in the Pacific Coast League. The lefty is 0-4with a 5.31 ERA, has surrendered at least two runs in every start this season, and has allowed a .333 batting average across 20.1 innings. With runners on, Lamb hitters have posted a line of .368/.429/.632.

Lefty reliever Donnie Joseph has had two rough outings, in which he allowed a combined eight runs (five earned) across two innings. In 22 plate appearances, left-handed hitters are posting a staggering .357/.609/.357, which includes eight free passes. Not very good for someone that hopes to get lefties out in Kansas City this season.

Omaha Storm Chasers 2014 Preview

*Omaha debut

Position Players:

LF - Brian Fletcher

CF - Brett Eibner*

RF - Paulo Orlando

3B - Jimmy Paredes*

SS - Christian Colon

2B - Johnny Giavotella

1B - Matt Fields*

C - Jesus Flores*

Rotation

Chris Dwyer

Danny Duffy

Justin Marks

Ryan Verdugo

John Lamb

Bench

C - Francisco Pena*, IF - Brian Bocock*, OF - Gorkys Hernandez, OF - Melky Mesa*

Bullpen

Buddy Baumann, Aaron Brooks*, Donnie Joseph, Michael Mariot, Clayton Mortensen, Spencer Patton*, Wilking Rodriguez*, Everett Teaford, Brett Tomko*, Ramon Troncoso*, Cory Wade*, P.J. Walters*

Notes:

• A variety of position players and pitchers will make their Omaha debuts this season (14 total), including OF Jimmy Paredes and former Royal Brett Tomko. 
• CF and former Arkansas Razorback Brett Eibner makes his Triple-A debut after spending the past year in NW Arkansas.  Posting career highs in BA, HR, and OPS in 113 games for the Naturals, Eibner started off 2013 on a cold spell (1-32 to begin the season), his future seemed to be on the path towards destruction, but he began to heat up.  At the end of May, he was hitting .208.  In June, he batted .245 with 4 HR, then July he hit .270 with 8 HR.  Come August, he cooled off again, but the fact that he bounced back from such a poor start shows that he worked hard to improve his approach at the plate.  Eibner will impress the crowd at Werner Park with a strong arm and solid range in center field.
• One of the more unfortunate stories of this spring involved a fan favorite: Danny Duffy.  The 25 year old lefty, trying to bounce back from Tommy John surgery in 2012, could not overcome his command issues during his time in the Big League camp.  In 11 innings, Duffy gave up 16 H, 14 ER, 6 HR, and 6 BB.  Both Duffy and Yordano Ventura were vying for the final spot in the Royals' rotation, but in the end, Duffy's struggles and Ventura's dominance made the decision too easy.  Rather than stick Duffy in the bullpen, he will remain as a starter for Omaha to get some innings while working on his control issues.
• Omaha will return a pair of infielders that helped lead them to a Triple-A Championship.  Both Johnny Giavotella and Christian Colon will man second base and shortstop, respectively, for the Storm Chasers.  The two, much like Duffy, were fighting for a spot on the big league roster when newly acquired 2B Omar Infante started having some soreness in his throwing elbow.  Throughout Spring Training, the front runner for a back-up middle infielder was Pedro Ciriaco, who already had Big League playing time with the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals.  With Infante likely starting the '14 season on the disabled list, Ciriaco seems to have the spot locked down.
• Brett Tomko was an intriguing acquistion this spring.  Turning 41 in April, Tomko has 14 years of ML experience under his belt and last pitched for the Texas Rangers in 2011, only toeing the rubber in 8 games.  Tomko pitched for the Royals in 2008, appearing 16 games, 10 of those were starts.  He logged 60 innings, a 2-7 record with 6.97 ERA, 40 K's, 13 BB, and allowed 49 ER.  In mid-March, Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reported that Tomko was consistently hitting 91-93 mph on his fastball, while showcasing good command with his changeup and curveball.  A true journeyman of the game, Tomko just isn't ready to hang up the ol' cleats.

Prospect Countdown: #18 Donnie Joseph

18. Donnie Joseph Left Handed Reliever

mlb.com

Age: 26
Height: 6'3" 
Weight: 190
B/T: L/L
Acquired: Via trade along with RHP J.C. Sulbaran from the Cincinnati Reds for reliever Jonathon Broxton in July 2012

2013 Rank: 15

Landon Adams (17): When the Royals acquired Donnie Joseph with J.C. Sulbaran for Jonathan Broxton in 2012, many pointed to Sulbaran as the primary piece to the deal. A season and a half later, Joseph will be competing for a bullpen spot, while Sulbaran has been a dumpster fire since his arrival in the Royals system. This is not to say that at the time of the trade their wasn't interest in Joseph and some even suggested that at the time of the deal, Joseph was a better reliever than Broxton. 

Joseph features good stuff with a low 90s fastball and a filthy slider. He is a two pitch monster that hasn't had any difficulty in striking out opposing hitters throughout his career. In 280 Minor League innings, the former 3rd round pick has rung up 382 hitters. He's even kept up the pace at the big league level with 7 Ks in 5.2 innings. 

As a professional, Joseph had has trouble with command. He holds a career walk rate of 4.5 batters per 9 innings. It should also be noted, that Joseph is much more effective against left handers than he is righties. Over the last three Minor League seasons, left handers have hit .181/.287/.302 against him, while he has posted a 3.09 K:BB ratio. On the other side of the coin, against right handed hitters, Joseph has allowed a .267/.368/.394 line with just a 1.97 K:BB. 

Given his skillset, it seems a safe bet that Joseph will carve out a decent career as a lefty specialist. However, he has yet to shown the ability to be a full inning guy out of the bullpen. If he can't be a full inning guy, then instead of having the upside of a set up man or closer, he is more limited to a future as a LOOGY.
Paden Bennett (NR): I didn't put Joseph in my prospect ranks because I see him as major league ready.  I think Joseph has the stuff, the demeanor, and the out pitch to be a big league reliever.  I think Joseph should start the year in Kansas City; although I could see him starting in the minors.  I think Joseph could be more than just a LOOGY.  He has great stuff as evidenced by his 84 K's in 54 innings for Omaha last season.  I really like this kid, and I hope to see him on the opening day roster in KC.

Joe Cox (29): When the Royals traded Jonathan Broxton for J.C. Sulbaran and Donnie Joseph during the 2012 season, I thought that Sulbaran was a nice up and coming arm and Joseph was a major league ready LOOGY.  Since then, Sulbaran has had problems with staying on the field, and being effective when he is, and Joseph has pitched just 5.2 innings in the major leagues.  

Joseph, 26, has always been known as having below average control, but it has gone from bad to worse since he was traded.  Joseph pitched in 55 innings (47 games) last year in AAA, walking 40 batters, good for 6.59 BB/9.  Even for a LOOGY who will come in and face majority of same handed batters, this won’t cut it at the major league level.  What could lead to major league success, however, is his ability to miss bats, as Joseph had a 13.83 K/9 last year in AAA.  

I think that ability gives him a good shot at making the major league roster next year out of spring training, even with the plethora of bullpen arms the Royals have.  Given a defined role as a lefty specialist, I think he has a shot of being in some high leverage situations next year for a competitive Royals team.  But this won’t last if he continues his two year trend of walking 6+ guys per nine.

Dan Ware (15): Joseph had somewhat of a better showing for the Storm Chasers in his 2nd season with the club. Although his ERA was barely below 4 and his command still has some issues that need worked on, a positive note to look at is that he posted a career high K/9 rate with 13.8 for the Storm Chasers. The 26 year old can be labeled as a lefty-specialist out of the 'pen. 

He has a 92-95 mph fastball and an above average slider that is almost unhittable if he keeps his control in check.  Donnie managed to get the call to the Royals for his ML debut, but luck simply wasn't on his side last season, as far as duration.  In 3 separate promotions to Kansas City, he threw 5.2 innings in 6 appearances with 7 K, 4 BB, allowing 4 hits, while not giving up any runs.  Joseph could very well earn a spot in the bullpen come Spring Training to start the season pending injuries or failed expectations from other candidates.

Nicholas Ian Allen (--): We will see more of Donnie Joseph in Kansas City soon. The 6’3” reliever throws very hard for a lefty - up to 95 with movement, and features a plus-plus slider that can be unhittable. Unlike many big league pitchers, Joseph has been a reliever since day one and has never started a game in the Minor Leagues. 2013 was great for Joseph, and he made his Major League debut on July 11. The Texan will be 26 in 2014, and has an opportunity to make the club out of spring training.

Joseph’s calling card is his ability to get left-handed hitters out. Though he has closing experience (62 career saves), he projects as a LOOGY. In the minors, he has held left-handed hitters to a .181/.287/.302 line. In 2013, lefties hit just .160 against him. Of course, no one hit him well in Omaha in 2013. He struck out 13.82 per nine innings, including 34.9% of all the hitters he faced - which believe-it-or-not is just the second best mark of his career (40.2% in 30.1 IP for Pensacola in 2012). Prior to his call up in July, of the 59 hitters that had struck out against Joseph, 52 did so swinging. When hitters managed to make contact, it was not usually solid, as Joseph held them to a 9.6 LD% in 2013. While he will be utilized most often against lefties, Joseph is not a one-trick pony. He still had a 10.16 K/9 against right-handers, good for a 24.7 K%. He also kept the ball on the ground: 48.7%.  

When looking at Joseph, he reminds me of Pittsburgh’s Justin Wilson. They are certainly different, as Wilson was a starter in college and in the minors and pitches multiple innings when necessary. However, both are hard throwing lefties that get plenty of swings and misses. Both also have had some command issues. Because he has options, expect Joseph to start the year in Omaha, but see plenty of time in KC.

Total Points: 42

Davis to Deliver Child; Joseph Called Up

#Royals place RHP Wade Davis on paternity leave, recall LHP Donnie Joseph from Class AAA Omaha.
— Bob Dutton (@Royals_Report) July 11, 2013

What a convenient time for Wade Davis to become a father, now hopefully he will be needed at the hospital for the next four months.

Donnie Joseph as I'm sure many of you know is the strikeout machine acquired along with that flaming pile of crap J.C. Sulbaran (I can;t believe Royals top scout Eric Hosmer missed again) on the Jonathan Broxton trade. In his minor league career, Joseph has struck out 12.2 batters per 9 innings with a WHIP of 1.261.

Since 2011, the former 3rd round draft choice has been particularly dominate against let handers striking out 30.1% of the lefties he has faced. During that time he has also limited them to a .178/.264/.278 line. If there is one thing the Royals bullpen has lacked over the last couple of years it is a weapon that can be deployed to shut down a lefty hitters.

I would expect Joseph to at least stay with the club through Sunday. Once the All-Star break ends room will need to be made for Davis to return to the roster. Hopefully, Joseph performs well because he would serve more value in the bullpen than J.C. Gutierrez, who has pitched fine, but might as well be Waldo in high leverage situations.

Follow me on Twitter @Landon_Adams

Prospect Countdown: #15 Donnie Joseph

15. Donnie Joseph Left Handed Pitcher

milb.com

Age: 25
Position: LHP
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 190
B/T: L/L
Acquired: Drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2009 Amateur Draft
From: San Marcos, TX



Paden Bennett (16):  Donnie Joseph is a filthy lefty who is more than capable of getting that big strikeout when you need it.  Every bullpen in the majors is looking for lefties, whether that be in the bullpen or as a starter.  Donnie Joseph in 3 seasons in AA pitched 95 innings and struck out 119 batters.  If he can have a good spring training he could be in the bullpen and be a factor this season.

Joe Cox (18): Donnie Joseph was a part of the trade last season that sent Jonathan Broxton to the Cincinnati Reds.  Joseph is a 6-3 hard throwing left handed relief pitcher that has never made a single start in professional baseball since being drafted in 2009.  We probably would have seen Joseph in a Royals uniform last September if he were more productive in Omaha, but he lacked command after pitching spectacularly between AA and AAA in the Reds organization.  As a whole, Joseph struck out 87 batters in 69 minor league innings.  After only allowing 17 batters in 52 innings with the Reds organization he walked 13 in his first 17 innings in Omaha.  Joseph is a valuable asset being a lefty that should be able to be a productive major league bullpen piece.  While KC does not lack big arms in the pen, his service time and skills give the Royals a lot of flexibility in the case that they decide to trade a bullpen arm or in the case of an injury.

Damion Mandalas (20):  At the time of the Jonathan Broxton trade, most viewed JC Sulbaran as the more intriguing prospect. However, there were also several people that at the day of the trade they would have rather had Donnie Joseph in their bullpen than Broxton. Joseph combines a plus 91-96 mph fastball with a dominating slider and has K-ed over 1.1 batters per inning throughout his Minor League career. Due to his minor league options, Joseph will have to continue to dominate this Spring in order to break camp with the big league club. Even if he doesn't break camp, it is safe to say that he has taken a good first step towards playing an integral role in the Kansas City pen moving forward.

Dan Ware (20):  I would have to say most of us, if not all of us, were delighted to see the arrival of Donnie Joseph and J.C. Sulbaran from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for the man who gave us all panic attacks, Jonathon Broxton.  Needless to say, the ol switcheroo gave us some fresh air.  Joseph, 25, comes to Kansas City with a low 90's fastball and a plus slider, which makes him a viable candidate for the pen this season, if he impresses during the Spring, which so far, I would say that he's done just that: 2 IP, 6 batters faced, 6 K's.  While playing in three separate leagues last season at both Double-A and Triple-A, he amassed a 9-3 record, a 2.33 era in 55 games, 87 K's to 30 BB in 69 IP.  I think it's a no-brainer that if he continues to flourish throughout ST, he'll likely be in Kansas City on Opening day, although starting off in Omaha isn't a bad thing.

Total Points: 50

Royals Trade Broxton

I woke up this morning truly believing that the Royals deadline would end quietly. Instead, the Royals did the wise thing and flipped Jonathan Broxton to the Reds. In the trade the Royals acquired two minor leaguers and in the opinion of some made off like bandits. Here's a collection of information in each of the two prospects that are coming to Kansas City.

Juancarlos Sulbaran: Entered the season ranked as the 12th best prospect in the Reds' system according to Baseball America as well as having the system's top curveball. At this point some considered Sulbaran to be the fifth best prospect in the system. Also, John Sickels graded Sulbaran as a C+ prospect, but also considered him a potential sleeper. Sulbaran typically sits in the low 90s, and has been clocked as high as 95. He is also said to show flashes of a plus curveball and changeup, although both still need consistency.

Last season, Sulbaran took a huge step forward in the California League recording 155 strikeouts to 50 walks. This season, the former 30th round selection has improved his ERA to 4.06, despite his K:BB dropping down around 2. Sulbaran is said to have the upside of a #3 starter with a high amount of risk.

Donnie Joseph: Entered the season ranked as the 27th best prospect in the Reds system. He is said to have two plus pitches in his fastball and slider. As of this moment Joseph could probably hold his own as a lefty specialist. Long term, Joseph could very well find a spot in the late innings as a set up man. Also, John Mayo provided us with the opinion of a scout who believed that Joseph as of right now would have been just as good of an option as Broxton to set up for Cincinnati. That same scout also said that he viewed Joseph as a future closer.

I can't imagine any educated Royals' fan being disappointed with this deal. If nothing else, moving Broxton saves the Royals $1.8 million and allows the team to use the remaining two months as a dress rehearsal for newly anointed closer Greg Holland.

As for the prospects, I would have been happy if the Royals would have grabbed just one of the two aforementioned players. The fact that the Royals were not able to grab a near Major League ready starter as well as a Major League ready reliever is even better. Of course, on a day when the Cardinals traded a former first round draft pick for an average reliever, it shouldn't come as too big of a shock that former Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak gave up two quality prospects for a couple months of a reliever.

The Broxton signing should go down as the Dayton Moore's top offseason acquisition. In an offseason that required perfection in order for the Royals to jump the gap, the Broxton signing was one of the few positives. However after Soria went down, Broxton absolutely provided the Royals with what they needed. A few months later the one year deal has now turned itself into potentially 6 seasons of control for a set up man, and 6 more for a mid rotation starter. But like I said, even if neither prospect pans out, the two months of closer experience for Holland should make the whole thing worthwhile.