The Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics completed a trade yesterday, with Major League reliever Mike Wuertz headed to Oakland to help solidify the bullpen. The Cubs received back to minor league prospects: shortstop Justin Sellers and outfielder Richie Robnett.

Sellers is the better prospect of the two players. The 23-year-old middle infielder will help to fill the void left by the trade of middle infielder Ronny Cedeno, who is now a Seattle Mariner. Sellers’ batting average has taken a bit of a roller coaster ride in the past three years, while playing at A-ball, High-A, and Double-A. It has gone from .241 to .274 to .255. His line at Double-A in 2008 was .255/.333/.367 with an ISO of .112 in 439 at-bats. His rates included a 9.7 BB% and a 17.5 K%. Sellers also has the ability to steal 10-15 bases a season. Defensively, he has all the actions needed to be a successful shortstop and possesses good range. His arm, though, is average and could lead to him moving to second base on a full-time basis down the road. Right now, Sellers is a defensive-minded middle infielder who needs to get stronger and looks like a future utility player.

Robnett, a former No.1 draft pick out of Fresno State, will likely head to Triple-A to provide depth for the Cubs. With more than 10 outfielders on the club’s 40-man roster, Oakland could afford to part with the 25-year-old, left-handed hitter. Injuries took their toll on Robnett’s 2008 season and he appeared in just 82 games, split mostly between Double-A and Triple-A. In 208 at-bats at the senior level, Robnett hit .236/.307/.351 with an ISO of .115. His rates included a 9.2 BB% and a 29.3 K%. In 2007, at Double-A, he hit .267/.316/.465 with an ISO of .198. Although he’s shown some power (including massive raw power), Robnett failed to get on base at a regular rate in the upper minors, which certainly made him expendable in Oakland.

It’s a good trade for both clubs because Oakland gets a proven reliever with MLB experience and Chicago gets some much-needed depth.

The New York Mets organization received key offensive contributions from two rookies in 2008, which helped the club finish second in the National League East division. Neither Daniel Murphy nor Nick Evans was considered amongst the club’s top prospects. Murphy checked in on Baseball America’s Top 30 Mets prospect list at No. 15 and Evans sat at No. 20 (This list was compiled prior to the Johan Santana trade, which cost the organization four of its top seven prospects).

Last season, Murphy appeared in 45 games for the Mets and hit .313/.397/.473 with an ISO of .160 in 131 at-bats. The 23-year-old left-handed batter posted a reasonable walk rate of 12.1 BB% and a strikeout rate that was on the high side for his skill set at 21.4 K%. Murphy, a Florida native, was originally selected out of Jacksonville University in the 13th round of the 2006 draft and played mostly at the hot corner in the minor leagues. His power, though, is below average for the position. Murphy spent his MLB debut in left field for the Mets.

Despite his solid build (6’3” 210 lbs), his bat does not profile well in a corner outfield spot, either, with a career minor league line of .290/.352/.444. The Mets organization realized this and sent Murphy to the Arizona Fall League (AFL), after the 2008 season, to learn second base. Defensively, he had some hiccups (four errors in 15 games) but Murphy also showed enough promise to give incumbent second baseman Luis Castillo reason to be worried about playing time in 2009. Offensively in the AFL, Murphy hit .397/.487/.619 in 63 at-bats.

Evans also has a chance to play regularly in 2009, despite modest debut numbers last season. Only Carlos Beltran and, perhaps, Ryan Church are assured of 500-plus plate appearances in 2009, if healthy. Evans, a right-handed hitter, was a surprised call-up in 2008 and hit .257/.303/.404 with an ISO of .147 in 109 at-bats (50 games). The 22-year-old Arizona native was originally drafted in the fifth round out of high school in 2004 and spent the first half of 2008 in Double-A.

Evans has raw power, but he is still learning how to tap into it. He also does not walk much (8.1 BB% in Double-A, 6.0 BB% in the Majors). The big problem with Evans, offensively, is that fact that he hit just .135/.150/.189 against right-handed pitching, which is downright awful. He killed southpaws, though, with a line of .319/.380/.514. Evans is going to have a hard time playing everyday if he cannot improve that – and it’s something that haunted him in the minors too, although not as dramatically.

Defensively, Evans spent the majority of his time in the minors at first base (284 games out of 313). However, all but three of his appearances in the Majors came in left field. Despite his inexperience, he displayed average range and did not make an error. Evans has a higher upside than fellow sophomore Murphy, but the latter is more Major-League ready.

Murphy certainly appears ready to play everyday at second base for the Mets, and could be one of the biggest surprises of 2009. Evans, though, could use some more time in the minors to work on his approach at the plate (as well as against right-handed pitching) and log some more innings in the outfield. He may be pressed into regular duty, though, if players like Cory Sullivan, Jeremy Reed, and Bobby Kielty underwhelm in spring training.

A couple of weeks ago, I took a look at the impressive pitching depth that has been compiled by the Boston Red Sox, mostly at the Major League level. The New York Yankees organization, a division mate of the Sox, also has some nice depth on hand in case injuries strike the Major League starting rotation.

With a few weeks to go until spring training, the Yankees’ rotation currently includes free agent signees C.C. Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett, holdovers Andy Pettitte, and Chien-Ming Wang, as well as Mr. Can-Do-It-All Joba Chamberlain. That is a pretty formidable rotation if everyone is healthy and pitching up to their potential.

But as we all know, in the game of baseball no organization is safe from the injury bug – especially when it comes to the pitching staff. We also need to keep in mind that Chamberlain has never pitched more than 118.2 innings in a season – and that was at the University of Nebraska in 2005.

Luckily, the Yankees have at least five young starting pitchers who will be a phone call away at the organization’s Triple-A affiliate in Scranton-Wilkes/Barre: Phil Hughes, Alfredo Aceves, Phil Coke, Ian Kennedy, and Eric Hacker.

Hughes has been, in a word, disappointing. Injuries and general ineffectiveness have taken a toll on his reputation amongst fans in New York but there is good news. He’s only 22 years old, which is something that is easy to forget. And although he posted a 6.62 ERA in 34 big league innings in 2008, Hughes’ FIP was just 4.34 and he may never have actually been healthy last season. He also had a 4.46 ERA (4.35 FIP) in 72.2 MLB innings at the age of 21. The projection systems for 2009, including Bill James, CHONE and Marcel, vary somewhat, but they all suggest reasonable production for a 23-year-old starting pitcher.

Kennedy, like Hughes, faced pretty high expectations after being selected out of USC with the 21st overall pick of the 2006 draft. A number of teams avoided the right-hander in the draft because his success in college came despite dominating stuff. The same can be said for his minor league success, which includes an eye-popping 1.99 ERA in 226 innings. Kennedy has been a different pitcher at the Major League level. He sports an 8.17 ERA (5.45 FIP) and has allowed 50 hits in 39.2 innings. With a little more experience (and possibly a little more use of his breaking ball), he should become a pretty successful No. 4 starter, if nothing more.

Aceves appeared out of nowhere in 2008, after previously being expunged from the Toronto Blue Jays Dominican Summer League team. In one season, the right-hander rose from High-A ball to the Majors. The problem, though, is that Aceves pitched far more innings in 2008 than he ever had before, having played in short-season leagues. His 170.2 innings could be seen as a warning sign for 2009. As well, his 2.40 ERA does not look quite as rosy after looking at his FIP (4.80) and strikeout rate (4.80 K/9).

Marketing opportunities abound with Phil Coke. The 26-year-old left-handed pitcher has put up some nice minor league numbers. He had a solid Major League debut in the bullpen for the Yankees and allowed just eight hits in 14.2 innings. He also posted a 0.61 ERA (1.63 FIP) in those 12 games. There are not a lot of southpaws that can average 93 mph.

Hacker, 25, was a recent addition to the Yankees’ 40-man roster and he follows along the same path as Kennedy, as a starting pitcher who has posted nice minor league numbers despite lacking an awe-inspiring fastball. You can also lump southpaw Chase Wright into that category. After making a forgettable MLB debut in 2007, Wright spent all of 2008 in the minors and was recently removed from the 40-man roster. Both Hacker and Wright could develop into middle relievers at the Major League level.

Obviously the Yankees’ Big Five in the rotation look pretty good on paper going into the 2009 season. The Live Five (plus one) don’t look too shabby, either.

It is never easy to project the future for a prospect. It is even harder to predict a Major League career for a Los Angeles Angels’ minor league player due to the large number of offense-friendly environments that the club’s minor league affiliates play in.

Sean Rodriguez has put up some interesting power/speed numbers in the minor leagues, including 24 home runs and 16 stolen bases in High-A ball at the age of 21. His triple-slash line was .301/.377/.545. Those numbers placed him onto the prospect radar, but he was playing in an excellent hitter’s environment in Rancho Cucamonga.

The next season, the former third round draft pick hit just .256/.348/.427 with 15 home runs and 17 stolen bases in Double-A. He posted mediocre walk rates in both 2006 and 2007 of 9.4 BB% and 9.7 BB%. The strikeout rates were disappointing at 27.3 K% and 25.6 K%.

Rodriguez rebounded at Triple-A in 2008 and hit .306/.397/.645 in 248 at-bats. He banged out 21 home runs, but stole just four bases. The shortstop-turned-second-baseman earned a promotion to the Majors but he looked lost as his approach and plate discipline let him down. He managed a line of .204/.276/.317, along with rates of 7.7 BB% and 32.9 K%. His BABIP was .284 and his line-drive rate was 11.7%.

Defensively, Rodriguez made just two errors at second base in 423.2 innings. He showed average range for a second baseman and could improve as he becomes more comfortable with the position.

He is not going to hit for a high average in the Majors, but Rodriguez has the potential to hit 15-20 home runs and steal as many bases. From a comparison standpoint, he is not all that different from former Blue Jays and Cubs (along with a collection of other teams) shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who retired in 2006. He managed 10 or more home runs in eight of his first nine seasons and also stole 10 or more bases four times. Gonzalez’ 14-year career line was .243/.302/.391, with rates of 9.1 BB% and 25.0 K%.

That’s about what you can expect from Rodriguez, with perhaps slightly higher on-base and slugging percentages, unless he does something Gonzalez never did – make adjustments. With some instability in the Angels’ infield, it is a great time for Rodriguez to make a play for a regular gig. The club has no set regular at shortstop or third base, and second baseman Howie Kendrick has not played more than 92 games at the Major League level in the past three seasons. That said, Rodriguez has his work cut out for him; he is noticeably absent from the organization’s depth chart, which makes one wonder just how valued he is in the system.

Former Atlanta Braves prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia has a little more press behind his name but, when the dust settles, Taylor Teagarden could very well be the Texas Rangers’ No. 1 catcher for the 2009 season.

Teagarden, 25, burst upon the Major League scene in 2008 by powering out six home runs in only 47 at-bats, which helped him achieve a slugging percentage of .809 and an ISO of .489. This is also the same catcher that maintained a .300 batting average while hitting 27 home runs between High-A and Double-A in 2007.

The most encouraging part about Teagarden’s potential is that he used to be considered a poor offensive player who would make a living in the Majors based solely on his work behind the plate. Don’t believe me? Take a look at his scouting report from Baseball America, which was written prior to the 2005 draft:

“The best defensive catcher in the draft, Teagarden has exceptional skills behind the plate… The consensus is that he could handle defensive responsibilities in the Majors right now… The question with Teagarden always has been how much he’ll produce at the plate, and he picked up the tag of a light-hitting catcher in high school.

Teagarden laid those concerns to rest almost immediately after being taken in the third round of the amateur draft out of the University of Texas. He hit .281/.426/.635 in 96 short-season at-bats after signing late in the year (He was a Boras client).

Unfortunately, Teagarden blew out his elbow and had Tommy John surgery in the winter of 2005/06 and missed the majority of the 2006 season. He returned in 2007 and jumped up to High-A ball where he spent a fair bit of time as the team’s designated hitter. He hit .315/.448/.606 in 292 at-bats and earned his promotion to Double-A where he hit .294/.357/.529 in 102 at-bats.

Back behind the plate full-time in 2008, Teagarden’s bat slipped a bit at the upper levels of the minors – at least in terms of average. In 16 Double-A games, he hit just .169/.279/.305. Promoted to Triple-A, Teagarden improved to .225/.332/.396 in 187 at-bats. His undoing at Double-A and Triple-A has been his strikeout rates. In 2007 at Double-A his rate was 38.2 K% and it was 39.0 K% in 2008. At Triple-A, his strikeout rate was 31.6 K% and, despite his small-sample-size success, it was 40.4 K% at the Major League level.

Obviously those rates are not going to lead to success with the batting average. On the plus side, the power has improved and he has continued to take his fair share of walks. Teagarden had a walk rate of 18.9 BB% in High-A in 2007 and 13.0 BB% at Triple-A in 2008.

He may only hit .260-.270 at the Major League level, but Teagarden will get on base and will provide power. In fact, his power could be even more impressive than another top college catcher, who was known more for his bat. Here is what BA had to say, again before the 2005 draft:

Southern California’s Jeff Clement is the best-hitting college catcher in this year’s draft crop, and Teagarden outhit (.309 to .275) and outslugged him (.473 to .435) with wood bats on Team USA last summer.”

As for the defensive side of things, Teagarden’s abilities were slowed by his Tommy John surgery in 2005/06 and his inability to play regularly behind the dish in 2006. He also missed about three weeks early on in 2008 due to elbow soreness. However, he is still an above-average defender and he threw out 50 percent of base stealers (five of 10) at Double-A in 2008 and 36 percent (20 of 55) at Triple-A. Teagarden also made just one error and allowed two passed balls in 57 games at the senior level.

Teagarden is definitely a better defender than Saltalamacchia and he could very well top the former Braves’ career offensive line of .261/.327/.399.

The Pittsburgh Pirates organization is considering Ross Ohlendorf for one of the club’s vacant starting pitcher slots. The Pirates’ best starter in 2008 – Paul Maholm – managed just nine wins on the year but amassed a club-leading 206.1 innings with 201 hits allowed. The next closest innings total was 185, by Zach Duke (who also gave up 230 hits). Ian Snell also contributed a disappointing season, as did Tom Gorzelanny.

Ohlendorf spent the majority of the 2008 season at the Major League level in the bullpen with the New York Yankees. He was then inserted into the starting rotation for five starts with the Pirates after coming over in the Xavier Nady/Jose Tabata swap. The right-handed pitcher was originally selected out of Princeton University by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fourth round of the 2004 amateur draft. He was sent to New York in a deal for Randy Johnson prior to the 2007 season.

In 2008, Ohlendorf made 12 minor league starts – five for the Yankees and seven for the Pirates. He also made 25 relief appearances in New York and allowed 50 hits in 40 innings (more than 11 hits per nine innings). His strikeout rate was good at 8.1 K/9 but he struggled with his control and posted a walk rate of 4.3 BB/9.

In five starts with Pittsburgh, Ohlendorf allowed 36 hits in 22.2 innings of work. His rates were even worse in the starting rotation, as his strikeout rate plummeted to 5.2 K/9 and his walk rate rose to 4.8 BB/9. Combined on the season, he allowed a BABIP of .373 and a line-drive rate of 23.5%.

Given that it was Ohlendorf’s first significant season in the Majors, he could be given a bit of a break. A lot of players struggle in their first MLB season and then go on to have great careers. But the truth of the matter is that Ohlendorf’s minor league numbers were never that great. He’s shown good control with a walk rate of 2.3 BB/9, but he’s allowed 562 hits in 520.2 minor league innings. The 6’4” hurler has not allowed fewer hits than innings pitched in a single season since his debut in short-season ball in 2004.

Ohlendorf has good stuff – his fastball averages out around 93.5 mph and he throws a good slider and an occasional change-up – but he is still learning how to pitch and he’ll turn 27 in 2009. Working in his favor for 2009 is that the Pirates don’t have any clear help in the upper minors, aside from Daniel McCutchen, who also came over from the Yankees in the Nady trade. The biggest threats to his starting aspirations, with MLB experience, are Phil Dumatrait and Jeff Karstens. Dumatrait, a southpaw, spent the 2008 season acting as a swingman for Pittsburgh and was not effective. He allowed 82 hits in 78.2 innings and posted rates of 4.81 BB/9 and 5.95 K/9. Karsten, another acquisition from the Yankees, pitched OK for the Pirates in nine starts but his success came from smoke and mirrors. He is also suffering from elbow soreness, which could delay his 2009 season.

Ohlendorf is as deserving of a shot at starting as any other pitcher in the Pirates system. But that speaks more to how poor the other options are, than it does about his chances of success.

It’s been almost a year since the Minnesota Twins traded ace Johan Santana to the New York Mets for a collection of prospects. The trade probably hasn’t gone as well as the Twins had hoped it would go. Only one prospect, out of four, has had any kind of impact in Minnesota: Carlos Gomez. The 23-year-old outfielder hit .258/.296/.360 with 33 stolen bases in 153 games in 2008.

Beyond Gomez’ contribution, though, the Twins organization has received less-than-expected results from Deolis Guerra and Phil Humber, while Kevin Mulvey showed modest improvements. Guerra was the key prospect in the deal and had an encouraging season in High-A ball in 2007 at the age of 19 for the Mets. He repeated that same level in 2008 and regressed by posting a 5.47 ERA and allowing 138 hits in 130 innings. His command and control also collapsed and he allowed 71 walks and 71 strikeouts. The right-hander’s stuff also lacked its former life. Guerra will likely be back in High-A ball for a third shot in 2009.

Both Humber and Mulvey were advanced pitching prospects and were expected to contribute significantly at the Major League level in 2008. Humber, though, regressed like Guerra. After allowing 129 hits in 139 Triple-A innings in 2007, he allowed 145 hits in 136.1 innings at the same level. His ERA rose from 4.27 to 4.56 and his K/BB ratio dropped from 2.73 to 2.16. On the plus side, Humber improved each month in 2008 after a rough first two months of the year. The right-hander is 26 entering 2009 and has no clear opportunity with the Twins in 2009 unless he makes a move to the bullpen.

Mulvey, 23, appears to have the most present potential of the three pitching prospects at this point. He spent 2007 in Double-A and allowed 145 hits in 151.2 innings with rates of 2.55 BB/9 and 6.53 K/9. The right-hander spent 2008 in Triple-A and allowed 152 hits in 148 innings of work. Mulvey posted rates of 2.92 BB/9 and 7.26 K/9. Barring injuries, the pitching depth in Minnesota will likely keep the right-hander in Triple-A for a second straight season but youth is on his side. The CHONE projection system predicts a 5.21 ERA for Mulvey in 2009, with 130 hits allowed in 114 innings and rates of 3.47 BB/9 and 6.00 K/9.

When you have to trade the best pitcher in baseball, it’s hard to outright win the deal. Although the players obtained from New York have not set the world on fire, Gomez had an encouraging first season in the Majors at a very young age. Guerra is still quite young and has a lot of time to rediscover his stuff, or learn to succeed without it. Humber could provide some innings out of the bullpen in 2009 and Mulvey will be just a phone call away if injuries strike the Minnesota rotation.

The Florida Marlins organization will rely heavily on inexperienced catchers in 2009. The depth at the position is nothing to write home about, either. Matt Treanor, who appeared in 65 games for Florida in 2008 (and spent parts of the past five seasons guiding the pitching staff) was allowed to leave as a free agent. Currently the organization has just two players with more than 50 games of Major League experience – Mike Rabelo (86 games, 278 at-bats) and John Baker (61 games, 197 at-bats). The other catcher on the 40-man roster is B-level prospect Brett Hayes, who has yet to appear in a Major League game.

Rabelo was supposed to see significant playing time in the Majors in 2008 after coming over from the Detroit Tigers in the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis swap. He was generally ineffective and missed time with knee and wrist injuries. Overall in 2008, he hit .202/.256/.294 in 109 at-bats. Already 29 years old, Rabelo has yet to prove he can consistently hit Major League pitching and his defense is not good enough on its own to justify a big league paycheck.

Baker, a former A’s farmhand, benefited from Rabelo’s poor season. The left-handed hitting catcher took full advantage of his first Major League opportunity and hit .299/.392/.447 with an ISO of .147 in 61 games. The 28-year-old was originally selected in the fourth round of the 2002 draft out of the University of California and kicked around the minors for parts of seven seasons. He has the best shot at playing everyday among the three catchers on the 40-man roster.

Hayes, 24, was selected in the second round of the 2005 draft out of the University of Nevada. He has moved through the system relatively quickly despite uninspired minor league numbers, which include a career line of .253/.311/.381 in 1,042 at-bats. He did hit .293/.331/.466 in 2008 during his first taste of Triple-A (116 at-bats). Hayes has a solid reputation as a good defensive backstop, excellent receiver and also displays leadership skills.

The club has also invited three non-roster catchers to spring training in 2009: Kyle Skipworth, Miguel Fermin, and Brad Davis. Skipworth, 18, was the Marlins’ 2008 first round draft pick out of high school and is in camp to gain experience. He will be headed down to A-ball for the 2009 season after hitting just .208 in his debut. Fermin had a breakout 2008 season by hitting .347/.374/.628 with 17 homers in 242 at-bats. However, he was 23 and playing in short-season ball. He also walked just 3.6 percent of the time. Davis, 26, spent last season in Double-A and hit just .205/.306/.345 in 249 at-bats. Other catching prospects Chris Hatcher, Torre Langley, and Jameson Smith all disappointed with the bat.

It’s funny where some teams like to spend money. The Arizona Diamondbacks organization is not able to spend a lot of money in the current economy yet General Manager Josh Byrnes recently brought back aging pinch hitter Tony Clark despite his 2008 line of .225/.359/.318 in 151 at-bats (108 games). His season was split between San Diego and Arizona, which could possibly help to explain his dismal .318 slugging percentage and .093 ISO (But the SLG% only increased from .307 to .333 with the move out of Petco Park).

At 36 years of age, it’s quite possible that Clark will continue to struggle in 2009. His line against right-handed pitchers was just .198/.354/.248, which makes him almost useless against them if this was not simply a one-year fluke. On the plus side, he did hit .273/.468/.477 with runners in scoring position, which is a situation he would face fairly often as a pinch hitter (at least one would hope). When there are no runners on base, though, Clark struck out a almost half of the time (41 times in 92 plate appearances).

Now the $800,000 that Arizona will pay the pinch hitter this season is not a ton of money in the grand scheme of things, but these moves do add up, especially for a club that does not have a ton of wiggle room in the budget. What makes matters worse is that the organization has some in-house talent that could possibly provide the same production – if not more – for half the salary.

Josh Whitesell has been around. He was originally selected by the Montreal Expos in the sixth round of the 2003 draft out of Loyola Marymount University. Despite solid minor league numbers, Whitesell moved slowly – one level at a time – and eventually was deemed expendable by the now Washington Nationals. Arizona gladly scooped him up prior to the 2008 season and the left-handed hitting first baseman had a nice season in Triple-A with a line of 328/.425/.568 with an ISO of .240 in 475 at-bats. He also posted rates of 13.5 BB% and 28.6 K%. The 26 year old earned a brief MLB stint with two hits in seven at-bats (and seven games). In those seven games, Whitesell walked one, struck out twice and slammed a solo home run.

He’s definitely earned a shot at a regular roster spot. Whitesell is cheaper than Clark, has more upside and creamed right-handed pitchers in 2008 at Triple-A to the tune of .342/.442/.602 in 342 at-bats. Admittedly, it is hard to know how a young player will adjust to a part-time role – and a high-pressured one at that. Whitesell, though, did well in 2008 with runners in scoring position by hitting .331/.438/.586. Truth be told, there are not many – if any – unimpressive numbers in Whitesell’s statistics from 2008. He deserves a shot, and Arizona could certainly benefit from replacing Clark with the youngster and allowing Whitesell to get his feet wet as a pinch hitter while also playing regularly at first base against right-handed pitching.

As mentioned in yesterday’s article about Rich Hill, the Chicago Cubs organization is facing tough decisions on young players who are all out of minor league options. The club has already sold low on outfield prospect Felix Pie, who was dispatched to Baltimore for a No. 4 or 5 starter and a minor league pitcher. Infielder Ronny Cedeno is another player that is currently on the bubble, and he could very well find himself traded before April 5.

Due to the club’s lack of depth in other areas on the big league roster, any trade would probably have to bring back minor league talent, which would help the somewhat barren system. If the Cubs cannot find suitable trading partners for Cedeno, or for Hill, the organization may want to find a way to work the players onto the 25-man roster. Pie had the greatest trade value of the three players and the organization could only get Garrett Olson back for him.

Cedeno has the chance to be at least an average Major League starting middle infielder. He wowed a lot of people at shortstop while coming up through the minors but has not been quite as consistent at the Major League level and his range has been hampered at times. Cedeno, 26, spent a fair bit of time at second base in 2008 and looked solid, making only two errors in 273 innings.

Offensively, Cedeno is still a work in progress. He spent the majority of 2006 as the Cubs’ starting shortstop but hit just .245/.271/.339 with an ISO of .094 in 534 at-bats. Cedeno then spent the majority of the 2007 season in Triple-A where he hit .359/.422/.537 in 75 games.

In 2008, Cedeno had a chance to play a number of positions for the Cubs and showed improvements with the bat over the 2006 season by posting a line of .269/.328/.352 with an ISO of .083. Now obviously those numbers do not set the world on fire, but Cedeno showed the ability to make adjustments and improvements while also not playing every day, which can be tough for a young player.

Cedeno’s walk rate improved significantly between 2006 and 2008 and more than doubled from 3.1 to 7.7 BB%. His strikeout rate held close from 20.4 to 19.0 K%, which is still a little high for a player of his skill set (ie. zero power). Cedeno also does not show an aptitude for stealing bases, having stolen just 15 in 25 attempts in 329 MLB games.

Both the Bill James and CHONE projection systems feel Cedeno is going to show more improvements in 2009 by hitting .277/.324/.393 and .281/.332/.412, respectively. Marcel, meanwhile, sees the Venezuelan taking a small step backward.

There are a number of clubs that could benefit from a middle infielder that possesses some potential upside with the bat, as well as solid defence. Teams that could use Cedeno at shortstop include the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, and San Diego Padres.

Here is a comparison, offensively, of some of the players being considered for starting gigs by the teams listed above – all of whom are at least two years older than Cedeno.

.269/.328/.352 | $0.8 M | Ronny Cedeno (Chicago NL)
.267/.332/.356 | $1.1 M | Marco Scutaro (Toronto)
.265/.289/.429 | $1.3 M | Wilson Betemit (Chicago AL)
.284/.344/.382 | $4.0 M | Nick Punto (Minnesota)
.237/.296/.349 | $5.3 M | Bobby Crosby (Oakland)
.265/.343/.349 | $0.9 M | David Eckstein (San Diego)

How out-of-whack do the Punto and Crosby 2009 salaries look? Those teams could certainly benefit by taking a flyer on Cedeno, who has the chance to surpass each and every one of them offensively. He’s probably already a better fielder than any of those Major Leaguers- and he’s also the least expensive player on the list.