Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. People Who Could Be or Definitely Are Monsters: Marcell Ozuna
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Dominican Winter League
3. Video Footage: Marcell Ozuna, Wreaking Considerable Havoc

People Who Could Be or Definitely Are Monsters: Marcell Ozuna
It has long been the concern of the author — in particular, within these Notes that are published Daily — it has long been the concern of this author to identify for the Betterment of Society those baseball players who either (a) could be or (b) definitely are monsters. As certain Japanese films — and their more expensive, less charming American remakes — have demonstrated, monsters are a threat to our urban centers and non-native English speakers who have some difficulty with the alveolar lateral approximant. We must, it goes without saying, guard ourselves against them perpetually.

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Texas First Baseman Someday, Maybe: Chris McGuiness
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Arizona Fall League
3. Double-Video Situation: Chris McGuiness Homering

Texas First Baseman Someday, Maybe: Chris McGuiness
Chris McGuiness is a 24-year-old first base-type in the Texas system who has sat (sitted?) atop the SCOUT batting leaderboard (below) for almost the entirety of the Arizona Fall League season. He was also — again, per SCOUT — he was also one of the top hitters in the Double-A Texas League this season. In both cases — that is, both the Arizona Fall and Eastern Leagues — McGuiness has been old relative to his league/level (or, at least older than a prospect proper would be).

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Two Comments on the Venezuelan Winter League
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Venezuelan Winter League
3. Video: Bruce Rondon Attempts a Little Murder

Two Comments on the Venezuelan Winter League
Comment No. 1: Regarding Possible Detroit Closer, Bruce Rondon
There have been indications so far this offseason — including from general manager Dave Dombrowski himself — that Detroit will look to replace the closer role recently vacated by free agent Jose Valverde not only with (a) a pitcher already in the organization, generally speaking, but (b) minor-league right-hander Bruce Rondon, specifically. The 21-year-old Rondon — who pitched at High-, Double-, and Triple-A all this season — sits in the high-90s and has hit 100 mph pretty consistently, according to people who would know such things.

Today marks Rondon’s first appearance on the SCOUT pitching leaderboards for the Venezuelan Winter League (below), where he’s posted an 11:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 8.0 innings of relief for Magallanes.

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. An Especial Puerto Rican Box Score
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Arizona Fall League League
3. Two-Year-Old Video: Cleveland Prospect Roberto Perez

An Especial Puerto Rican Box Score
The reader, because he’s In the Know, is surely aware that Thursday represented the start of the Puerto Rican League. Of particular note, however, was a game between Gigantes de Carolina and Indios de Mayaguez that featured a number of players who are worth monitoring for various reasons — reasons which are (mostly) articulated below.

First, here’s the relevant box score for Carolina:

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Three Transactions That Just Happened
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Dominican Winter League
3. Double Video Situation: Domingo Santana Hitting Home Runs

Three Transactions That Just Happened
Here are three transactions that just happened — where, by just, we are understood to mean “last two or three days.”

Arizona Signs Garrett Mock
Right-handed reliever Garrett Mock had some success out of the bullpen with the Nationals in 2008, posting an 89 xFIP- in 91.1 innings 41.0 innings. He’s had no major-league success in the meantime, however. He did post a 68:28 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 61.2 innings between the Triple-A affiliates of Boston and Houston in 2012. Also, he’s been signed by Kevin Towers now, who has a reputation for identifying possible reclamation projects.

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Table of Contents
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1. Three Notable Minor-League Free Agents of Note
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Arizona Fall League
3. Unhelpful Video: Marquez Smith Hitting a Home Run in 2010

Three Notable Minor-League Free Agents of Note
On Tuesday, Baseball America released a list of 549 minor-league free agents. Below are three of the players from said list likely to appeal to the reader’s sophisticated tastes. (All ages are from 2012.)

Name: Cedric Hunter, 24, OF
2012 Org: St. Louis
2012 Stats: 412 PA. .268/.355/.375 (.289 BABIP), 92 wRC+ (Triple-A)
Notes: A third-round pick out of a Georgia high school in 2006, Hunter was traded to St. Louis this past April after spending six seasons in the Padres organization. His contact skills are fantastic: he’s posted a 9.0% strikeout rate in over 3,000 career minor-league plate appearances. He he only marginal power, however, which has limited his offensive game. Most reports suggest that, defensively, he can handle center, but isn’t major-league average, probably. He does seem like an interesting option as an inexpensive fourth outfielder.

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Table of Contents
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1. Crowdsourcing Results: Billy Hamilton’s Whole Career
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Venezuelan Winter League
3. Video: Most or All of Alex Torres’s Repertoire

Crowdsourcing Results: Billy Hamilton’s Whole Career
Reds prospect Billy Hamilton has earned considerable attention from prospect analysts for possessing what is likely generational footspeed. At the same time, he’s showed little power and is a defensive uncertainty, having just converted to center field from shortstop.

A curious sort of person might ask, “What will Hamilton’s career look like, ultimately?”

In yesterday’s edition of the Notes, I asked readers to consider that very question, providing a form that would allow them (i.e. those same readers) to project Billy Hamilton’s future career WAR. Below are the results of that effort, as of last night.

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Crowdsourcing: Billy Hamilton’s Whole Career
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Arizona Fall League
3. Pretty Excellent and Recent Video of Joe Panik

Crowdsourcing: Billy Hamilton’s Whole Career
Reds prospect Billy Hamilton has earned considerable attention from prospect analysts for possessing what is likely generational footspeed — nor did he do anything to dim their enthusiasm this past Saturday, during the Arizona Fall League’s Rising Stars Game, stealing two bases and also reaching on a drag bunt. At the same time, he’s showed little power (7 HR in 1711 PA) and was recently moved off of shortstop (to center field). What we want to know is, “What will Hamilton’s career look like, ultimately?”

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Table of Contents
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1. Assorted Headlines
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Arizona Fall League Hitters
3. Image: Rick Ankiel Throwing a Changeup in 1998

Assorted Headlines
Qualifying Offers Due by 5pm Eastern Today
Under the new CBA, the old form of arbitration for pending free agents — with Types A and B, etc. — is gone. In its place is the qualifying offer. Our Jeff Sullivan recently wrote a championship summary of the new system. Here are the most basic details, however. Qualifying offers of $13.3 million are due by 5pm ET today. Players have till November 9th at 5pm ET to accept or decline. Here’s a player whose situation is uncertain, for example: Mike Napoli. If a player declines his qualifying offer, he becomes a real free agent. If a team signs such a player, that team loses a draft pick — not to the player’s former team (as in the past), but to the ether. Said former team then picks during a special compensation round after the first round. Much of this is likely incorrect.

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Table of Contents
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1. Essential Information: Three Televised Arizona Fall League Games
2. Prospecting: John Sickels’ Top-20 List for Minnesota
3. Spotted: Daniel Cabrera in the Dominican Winter League

Essential Information: Three Televised Arizona Fall League Games
According to a press release from earlier this week — and almost certainly in response to the rousing petition presented to the world courtesy the readers of NotGraphs — the MLB Network will broadcast three Arizona Fall League games in November, as follows.

Rising Stars Game
Saturday, November 3, 5 p.m. AZ (8 p.m. ET)
Salt River Fields at Talking Stick

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