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03/30/2006 8:00 AM ET White Sox not weakened by championship grind Chicago has pieces in place for call-ups or deals By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com A star QB and infielder at Oklahoma State University, Josh Fields is working hard to fast-track himself to the South Side's hot corner. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images) Related Links Anderson adjusting Owens, Sox clear air Plan a Knights night MiLB Headlines Liriano in Twins' bullpen mix Good news, bad news for Olsen Phils' Floyd named No. 5 starter Shoppach makes Indians' roster Tijerina takes Tides' helm Gall, Duncan head to Redbirds Petagine safe among M's cuts Dominguez, Volquez sent down Logan among Tigers' roster cuts Freeman makes Rockies' roster Pirates trim five from spring roster Marlins' Johnson will make roster ADVERTISEMENT Print this page • Catch a game in Charlotte • Have yourself a Knights cap • Fields unlikely to fumble around • Young Sox get back to baseball The future success of every Major League team lies in its Minor League system. With that in mind, MLB.com takes a top-to-bottom look at all 30 organizations, from top prospects to recent draft picks. More organizational previews ¬ New York Yankees Boston Red Sox Toronto Blue Jays Tampa Bay Devil Rays Baltimore Orioles St. Louis Cardinals Houston Astros Chicago Cubs Milwaukee Brewers Cincinnati Reds Pittsburgh Pirates Texas Rangers Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners Los Angeles Dodgers San Francisco Giants San Diego Padres Colorado Rockies Arizona Diamondbacks Atlanta Braves New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies Washington Nationals Florida Marlins Kansas City Royals Detroit Tigers Minnesota Twins Cleveland Indians Chicago White Sox After winning a World Series, it's quite common to see the champions disappoint the following year. This is why dynasties, or even repeat winners, are so hard to come by. The White Sox, however, think they have it covered, and much of it is a result of a strong farm system. They don't use the system quite the way some other teams do (especially rivals in their division like the Indians and Twins). Rather than having to bring up prospects to fill the Major League roster, the depth in their system has allowed GM Kenny Williams to make the moves he felt necessary to build a winner. Obviously, last year it worked. He was at it again this offseason, dealing from the organizational strengths (left-handed pitching and outfield) to bring in Jim Thome and Javy Vazquez to make another run at a title. At the same time, the farm system is providing some help to the White Sox roster. Brian Anderson's big-league readiness made it possible for the team to deal Aaron Rowand, and it's not often you see a World Series champion hand the center field job to a rookie. Just one level below, in Triple-A, there's another wave of talent knocking on the door. Some will don White Sox uniforms this season, or by next year at the latest. And it's a safe bet that some will be used as trade bait to bring in big-league talent to help keep this thing going. Five faves Five prospects whose names you should know: Ryan Sweeney, OF While the wrist problem that plagued him throughout 2005 sapped his power (he hit one homer), it may have turned him into a more complete hitter. Even with the bad wrist he managed to hit .298 and gritted it out for the entire season. Now completely healthy, Sweeney had his annual strong big-league camp, hitting .324 while rapping three homers. This time, though, he's auditioning for a possible big-league gig, or at least being in line for a call up if the need arises. As he heads to Triple-A Charlotte at age 21, he brings to mind a Wally Joyner type, a good Major League hitter who will eventually develop more power. Brian Anderson, OF Anderson is exactly the kind of player you look for in every draft, an advanced college player who can run and throw. Anderson is the quintessential skill position player who has all the tools. How good a player he becomes is up to him. He has the skills to be an All-Star-caliber player, and the only thing to keep him from reaching that potential would be himself. We'll start finding out just how good he is as the White Sox rookie center fielder this year. Brian Anderson doubles for Charlotte Josh Fields, 3B As good an athlete as Fields is, he's a better person. All he needs to be ready for the big leagues is more at-bats, as he's just a few years removed from being a two-sport college star. He's got 25-homer, 100-RBI potential once he refines his hitting approach. His defense may be a touch behind his bat, but he shouldn't have any problems staying at third. He'll spend the year in Charlotte, knowing that Joe Crede's contract is up at the end of the year. 2005 Organizational Record LEVEL AAA AA A (Adv) A R R LEAGUE IL SL CAR SAL APP PIO TEAM Charlotte Birmingham Winston-Salem Kannapolis* Bristol Great Falls TOTAL: W 57 82 77 74 30 32 352 L 87 57 64 59 36 44 347 PCT .396 .590 .546 .556 .455 .455 .504 * Won South Atlantic League Championship Jerry Owens, OF Owens is all about speed, and he's got plenty to spare. The 2003 second-round pick has stolen 68 bases in his two full seasons of pro ball. While he's got a .312 career average, he still has some things to work on with the bat. He jumped from the South Atlantic League up to Double-A and won the Southern League batting title. While he does make consistent contact, he gets a lot of hits based on his speed, something that may not work in Chicago, and that showed a little bit this spring. He's a capable center fielder, thought not in the same category as the departed Aaron Rowand or Anderson. His speed makes up for his shortcomings in the outfield. He'll continue to refine his game in Charlotte. 2005 Organizational Leaders Average Home Runs RBIs Stolen Bases ERA Wins Strikeouts Saves .332 31 120 52 2.02 134 163 22 Noah Hall Leo Daigle Leo Daigle Robert Valido Ray Liotta C. Haeger, D. Haigwood Gio Gonzalez Matthew Zaleski Complete MiLB statistics Ray Liotta, LHP The 2004 draftee has all the tools to succeed as a left-hander at the upper levels. His curve has the potential to be a Major League out pitch, Liotta just needs to find more consistency with it. His fastball is at least Major League average for a lefty, maybe a tick above. His development last year made it easier for the White Sox to deal two other talented lefties in the Jim Thome trade. He'll continue his quick march to the big leagues by starting the year in Double-A Birmingham. Others to watch: Charles Haeger, RHP; Francisco Hernandez, C; Pedro Lopez IF; Taylor Lumsden, LHP; Casey Rogowski, 1B; Chris Stewart, C; Sean Tracey, RHP; Robert Valido, SS Casey Rogowski discusses his game and his situation Chris Stewart talks about trade rumors and dealing with asthma Sean Tracey chats with Jonathan Mayo last summer Cinderella story Chris Carter, 3B/1B When you draft a 6-foot-5 corner infielder out of high school in the 15th round of the draft, he'll automatically be labeled a "project." With Carter's pro debut last summer, however, he may have upgraded to a new description: prospect. Playing against mostly older talent in the Class A Short-Season Appalachian League, Carter hit 10 homers, far exceeding expectations. Then he showed up for Spring Training. When drafted, Carter weighed 210 pounds. Now he's up to 225 and has a body much like former White Sox star Frank Thomas. He's been launching balls like a big leaguer in camp this spring and he's just 19 years old. He's got very quick hands at the plate and simply needs time to iron out all the rough edges. If everything comes together for him, he has more upside than just about anyone in the organization with his ceiling being a future home run champion. He'll get going on that chase as a teenager with full-season Kannapolis. Primed for breakout Robert Valido, SS Just 20 years old, Valido is entering his third full season of pro ball and appears ready to take off. He's improved steadily each year and had a terrific 2005 campaign, despite drawing a 15-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. He put that behind him by finishing strong and performing well in the Arizona Fall League. He got a lot of action in big-league camp this year as he prepares to move up to Birmingham. He's a top-of-the-order hitter with good speed and a tremendous defender up the middle. He could be ready to step into the White Sox infield very soon. Robert Valido triples in a pair of runs for the Saguaros Daniel Cortes, RHP The high schooler taken in the seventh round of last year's draft showed a lot in his Appy League debut, primarily by striking out a batter an inning. He's 6-foot-5 and can crank it up to 95 mph. Just 19, he's got the potential to have plus-plus stuff. More than the stuff, the White Sox have been impressed with his poise and maturity. As a result, they're sending him to full-season Kannapolis. He'll spend the first part of the year in the bullpen, then move into the rotation in the second half, where he could really start taking off. 2005 draft recap 1. (15th overall) Lance Broadway, RHP 1-3, 4.58 ERA, 55 IP, 20 BB, 58 K The fastest riser in last year's draft, the White Sox were thrilled to get the Texas Christian product at No. 15. He reported to camp this spring the same pitcher they saw during a terrific stretch run in college, with the bonus of some added velocity after an offseason. That velocity could come in handy, considering how good Broadway's command is. He got a taste of big league camp this spring and came away knowing what he needed to work on to be ready for that level full-time. A confident, polished pitcher, the White Sox will do with Broadway what they've done with their last several first-round picks: send him all the way to Double-A Birmingham (he debuted in Winston-Salem last summer) to see how he handles the challenge. 3. (95) Ricky Brooks, RHP 1-4, 6.38 ERA, 42.1 IP, 45 H, 14 BB, 44 K A draft-eligible sophomore from East Carolina, the White Sox were able to come to terms with Brooks fairly easily and he spent time in the Appy (2.89 ERA) and South Atlantic Leagues (9.13). The ball comes out of his hand nice and easy and he throws three pitches that grade out about average. His fastball sits in the 90-mph range, and he commands it well. Despite his struggles during a brief stint in Kannapolis, the White Sox feel he can handle the jump to Winston-Salem. 4. (125) Chris Getz, 2B .307 AVG, .401 OBP, .395 SLG Getz represents a new kind of player coming in via the draft, guys who can fill super-utility roles right off the bat. One of the best pure hitters in the draft, Getz spent most of last summer with Kannapolis, where he hit .304 and drew 35 walks vs. only 10 strikeouts. Mostly a second baseman at Michigan, Getz can also play short, third, even center field, where he can use his plus speed to be a Chone Figgins type. If he doesn't end up being an everyday player at one spot, he could be a guy who gets 450 ABs moving around the field. He's impressed his organization so much that they plan on jumping him all the way to Birmingham to start the year. 5. (155) Ryan Rote, RHP 3-4, 2 SV, 7.33 ERA, 23 1/3 IP, 25 H, 13 BB, 32 K The White Sox have found a lot of talent from their area-code teams (Getz played for them as well), and Rote is another find. The former Vanderbilt closer has a plus fastball that was back up to 95 mph last year. He's progressing with his secondary pitches, mostly a curve. His delivery needed some reworking, and that will continue when he heads to Kannapolis. 6. (185) Aaron Cunningham, OF .294 AVG, .373 OBP, .411 SLG Taken from a community college in the state of Washington, Cunningham is a toolsy outfielder whose best tool is his bat. He's got a short, quick stroke that generates tremendous bat speed and power, both of which he showed as an Appy League All-Star last summer. He's above average in the speed and arm-strength departments, as well. He's been playing left field this spring, his likely spot when he heads to Kannapolis this year. Best of the rest: LHP Clayton Richard (8th round) went 2-1 with a 2.85 ERA in 41 Pioneer League innings before earning a late promotion to Kannapolis . . . RHP Derek Rodriguez (13) had a 3.82 ERA, 36 K's and just seven walks in 35 1/3 IP for Bristol . . . 3B Chris Carter (15) hit .283 with 10 homers as a teenager in the Appy League. Predictions Organizational MVP: Sweeney or Fields. Fields or Sweeney. You could flip a coin, because both should have outstanding years in Charlotte. We'll give the nod to Fields, who'll build off a red-hot spring to put himself in place to take over at third in Chicago in 2007. Cy on the farm: Liotta. Cool name aside, you have to go with the lefty. The fact that he led the organization in wins and ERA last year while finishing third in strikeouts (behind the two departed southpaws) makes this a no-brainer. Go-go White Sox: Robert Valido and Jerry Owens will battle it out for the organizational stolen-base crown. Both will steal more than 40 bags, with Valido winning the race by topping the 50 mark for the second straight season. Quotable Duane Shaffer, senior director of player personnel, dicussing the impact that winning a World Series can have on a farm system: "It filters down through the system with a lot of pride in the other departments. I'm proud of the scouting staff, if you look at all the trades we made to put us into the position to win. We acquired a lot of guys other teams couldn't because we had the prospects. We could out-offer other clubs. I still think that's the case. Now you've got a guy to replace Aaron Rowand, and hopefully you don't lose anything. That's a great testament to our system. It gives Kenny [Williams] the free hand to do what he needs to do. I'll put our prospects we have left up against anybody. We may not be the best in the business, but we're far from the worst, even after losing all these guys." Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs. Print this page MLB.com Sites MLB.com Angels Astros Athletics Blue Jays Braves Brewers Cardinals Cubs Devil Rays Diamondbacks Dodgers Giants Indians Mariners Marlins Mets Nationals Orioles Padres Phillies Pirates Rangers Red Sox Reds Rockies Royals Tigers Twins White Sox Yankees MLB Español MLBP Alumni Contact Us | Jobs | Links | Terms of Use | Help Copyright © 2006 Minor League Baseball. Minor League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are the property of Minor League Baseball. All Rights Reserved. Use of the Website signifies your agreement to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G&T Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Chris Carter, 3B/1B If everything comes together for him, he has more upside than just about anyone in the organization with his ceiling being a future home run champion. He'll get going on that chase as a teenager with full-season Kannapolis. That's something to watch for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodAsGould Posted March 31, 2006 Share Posted March 31, 2006 Im happy Chris Getz is getting his chance in AA its time to find out if he is truly a prospect or was just a man among boys last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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