July 16^th, 2012 – 2:49 PM
Jacksonville, Florida

Tempe Bodes Well for Florida All-Stars
Serving as a fountain of youth for players like Roberto Rodríguez and Orlando García, Florida’s own All-Stars gained some of that magic.  First-time All-Star Digger Torres proceeded to hit five home runs and collected 10 RBI in a three-game sweep of San Antonio following the All-Star Game.  Torres hit a pair in the opener and another deuce in the rubber game.  Two-time All-Star, Kevin McNeill hit two home runs in the middle game of the San Antonio series.  Five-time All-Star Yoshino Miyata batted a mere .455 in the series.  First-time All-Star Kwang-chih Zhu smacked a home run and scored five runs in the three-game set, as well.  Keitaro Kodo will look to continue the streak when he takes the mound tonight against the Coal Sox.

Chasing Down Charleston
Heading into tonight’s game, the Featherheads are only one game back of the division-leading Charleston Statesmen.  Like last season, the Featherheads appear to be gearing up for another hot summer.  Last season, Florida was in a similar situation.  Trailing Charleston for the majority of last season, Florida kicked it into gear during the dog days of summer.  Last August, the Featherheads went 26-3 with a 23-game winning streak.  This year, the Jacksonville boys appear to be at it again.  Thus far in July, Florida has compiled a 9-1 record.

A large part of Florida’s recent success has been the return of their little spark plug, Dan Jamison.  The speedster is batting a cool .412 in July.  Overall, Jamison is having one fine season and his numbers show that.  Manager Jaime Sánchez has been extremely pleased with Jamison’s growth – particularly with his ability to get on base.  Jamison has raised his on base percentage nearly 50 points this year.

Trade Rumors
With the deadline only a few weeks away, the trade winds are certainly swirling.  Below are the players we should keep an eye on:

RHP Tu-an Sima
I just have heard hours ago that last year’s PEC hero is heading west to Tempe.  Details are sketchy at the moment but it the deal appears to be Sima for one of Tempe’s minor league catchers.  The widely popular submariner has struggled this season in the role of long relief.  Sima blossomed last year as an impromptu starter after the struggles of Chris Saunders and Mike Vaughn.  Primarily used as a starter in the second half of the season, Sima compiled a 10-3 record and 3.37 ERA.  Possessing a 1.04 WHIP, the opposition batted a measly.188 off him.

Quietly, Sima has expressed his desire to be a starting pitcher in the PEBA.  Over the past few weeks, there have been rumors that Kevin Lewis is conscientious of that fact and wishes to accommodate him.  As an organization, Florida has made it a policy to take care of its players – even if it means trading them to give them a better opportunity elsewhere.  It appears that Sima will now get his chance.

RHP Darwin Craft
Craft has been a victim of a crowded bullpen.  The “Gold Mine” thrived in his rookie and sophomore seasons, serving as one of Florida’s primary relievers.  In his rookie year, he pitched a whopping 107 innings and followed that up with 70 innings the next year.  Since then, Craft has seen the bullpen strengthened by the addition of quality arms and, subsequently, his role diminished.  A former closer in the minor leagues, Craft has been unaccustomed to the lack of pressure innings.  Given the fact that he is only 28 years old and armed with a plus fastball and splitter, Craft could be an attractive reliever to teams in need.

RHP Dustin Moyer
I know… I know… it is surprising to put Moyer on this list.  Moyer has been outstanding this season.  The 30-year-old is experiencing his best season since his rookie year.  Sporting a 10-3 record, Moyer is currently riding a hot streak in his last five outings.  During this stretch, Moyer is a perfect 5-0 with a miniscule 0.84 ERA.  Despite his success and the fact that the Featherheads are in the midst of challenging for the Dixie crown again this season, Moyer presents an interesting situation for the Featherheads.  Moyer has been a highly regarded pitcher within the baseball fraternity.  Considering that he is still in his arbitration years, his performance certainly gives any general manager good bang for the buck.  The Featherheads were rumored to have sent him to Duluth prior to the season and I wouldn’t be surprised if general managers come calling for Moyer again this trading deadline.

It’s been no secret that Florida brass have been pressured by the club’s beloved fans regarding the call-up of Danny Williams.  Williams has nothing left to prove in AAA and the fans are anxious to see the southpaw pitch in Jacksonville.  With a current pitching rotation of Mosley, Rivera, Kodo, Browne and Moyer, there has not been a rush to push the talented Williams.  The former fifth rounder will have to wait his turn.  For the fans, they believe it is his turn now.  Do Kevin Lewis and company feel the same way?  We shall see once the trading deadline hits…

OF Luis López
Like Sima, López has been used mostly in a spot duty role.  Last season, López proved his worth by posting an OPS of over .800.  López was extremely valuable in help carrying the load during Zhu‘s DL stints last year.  López’s success was rewarded with a three-year extension worth $2.15 million.  With Roberto Holguín‘s success down in AAA and brief stints in the big leagues, it has been rumored that the veteran López could be placed on the block.  With Florida’s talented outfield, there has not been much of an opportunity for López to get consistent playing time.  It would seem like a trade to a less crowded outfield would be beneficial for López’s personal career.

The chances of López being traded now, though, are unlikely.  Holguín suffered an elbow injury last Wednesday while performing a relay throw.  After consulting with doctors, it has been confirmed that Holguín will undergo radial nerve decompression surgery.  He is expected to miss three months.  With Holguín out for practically the remainder of the season, the Featherheads do not have the depth to trade away López at this time.

3B Glen Harris
Similar to the Williams situation, Florida has a talented prospect waiting in the wings at AAA.  Acquired in the Ronald Harmon deal, prospect Larry Martin has put together a wonderful season down in Chesapeake Bay.  Known for his patience, the former Buccaneer is getting on base at a near 50% clip!  He is batting close to .400 against southpaw pitchers.  With Harris a pending free agent in the upcoming offseason, Martin is certainly the third baseman of the future for the Featherheads.  The only uncertain fact is when does the future start?  Next year?  Or maybe this year in August after the trading deadline?

3B José González
A Rule 5 draftee from New Jersey, González currently plays for a team that has a collection of infield talent consisting of Morimoto, McNeill, McGinnity and Martin.  The team also has relies heavily on the veteran, utility infielder Taisuke Endo.  With a crowded infield, the 24-year-old González is a good candidate to be on the move.  Known for his promising bat, González should prove to be an attractive player for any team looking to groom a young infielder.

Unearthing the Farm’s Hidden Gems
We already know about the likes of Larry Martin, Danny Williams, Roberto Córdova and Javier Cruz – so it’s time to look at some unfamiliar names that may one day crack the big league roster.

The first player we will highlight is Beaufort Loggerdogger Brian Duke.  Originally drafted in the ninth round of the 2010 amateur draft, Duke’s strength coming out of college was his defense.  Duke’s ability to play all four infield positions proficiently improves his chance of latching on with the big league ballclub as a utility infielder some day.  Praised for his defense, Duke has made significant strides with his bat.  Batting above .300, Duke has shown some decent pop.  If he continues to progress accordingly, Duke should be in AAA by next season.  His versatile defense and ability to handle the bat decently should bode well for his chances of cracking the big leagues one day.

Next on our list is Duke’s teammate Jorge Rodríguez.  Acquired in a minor league trade with Tempe, Rodríguez had a forgettable season last year.  Joining Florida’s organization last July, Rodríguez made six uninspiring appearances before tearing his triceps.  Apparently, the injury was a blessing in disguise.  The injury forced Rodríguez to work harder in his rehab process.  His hard work has paid off this season.  A minor league All-Star this season, Rodríguez is 10-2 with a 2.01 ERA on the year.

Despite his success, scouts still wonder if Rodríguez’s abilities will translate to the big league level.  Scouts rate Rodríguez’s fastball as below average and his ability to locate the changeup is inconsistent.  On the plus side, Rodríguez possesses above average movement on his pitches.  It is this movement that has helped Rodríguez be successful this season.  Can Rodríguez continue to prove that he can be successful without a 95 MPH fastball?  We’ll have to see as he continues progressing through the farm system.  One thing is for certain, though; his success (or failure) will be not be due to a lack of hard work or dedication.

Next year’s backup catcher could very well be this year’s Chesapeake Bay starting catcher, Ward Davis.  Current backup catcher Charles Jeffries and his agent have yet to conduct extension talks with Kevin Lewis.  Barring any significant changes, it appears Florida will need a new backup next season.  Davis is far from being an elite prospect but he has shown signs of being a respectable catcher.  Davis’s assets are his strong arm and overall defensive game.  AAA manager Shinsui Sato has praised Davis for his handling of the pitching staff.  The Oysters currently rank second in team ERA and first in runs allowed.  A big part of this has been Davis ability to call a game.  Davis’s cannon arm has deterred base runners from running.  Amongst AAA catchers, base runners have run the least on Davis (22 stolen base attempts in 71 games).  The only weakness to Davis’s defensive game has been his inexplicable high passed ball count.  Davis dubiously leads all AAA catcher with seven passed balls.  Offensively, Davis is average at best; he will have to rely on his defense in order to contribute at the next level.  Luckily for him, defense is one of the more important aspects required of a catcher.