Not long after claiming the World Series title, the Philadelphia Phillies organization added a group of prospects to its 40-man roster, including pitchers Carlos Carrasco, Drew Naylor, and Sergio Escalona, as well as catcher Joel Naughton.

Carrasco has been near the top of the Phillies’ prospect list since recovering from a brutal 2005 season. The 21-year-old began the 2008 season in Double-A and held his own by allowing 109 hits in 114.2 innings of work. He posted rates of 3.53 BB/9 and 8.56 K/9, with a FIP of 4.11. Promoted to Triple-A towards the end of the season, Carrasco allowed 37 hits in 36.2 innings and posted rates of 3.19 BB/9 and 11.29 K/9. He did a better job of keeping the ball down and allowed just one home run in Triple-A, after allowing 13 in Double-A. Carrasco’s phone number should be on General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr.’s speed dial in 2009 for when the club tires of Adam Eaton and/or Kyle Kendrick.

Naylor had a breakout 2008 season after spending the previous two seasons in short-season ball. Beginning the year in A-ball, the Australian hurler allowed 69 hits in 87.1 innings of work and posted rates of 2.16 BB/9 and 10.00 K/9. His K/BB ratio was 4.62. Naylor, 22, did not fare as well in High-A ball and allowed 86 hits in 78 innings. The right-hander posted rates of 3.58 BB/9 and 6.81 K/9, with a K/BB ratio of just 1.90. His FIP went from 2.99 to 4.29. He should start 2009 back in High-A ball but could move up quickly if he rights himself. Naylor has an 88-92 mph fastball, curveball and developing change-up.

Escalona, a southpaw, was added to the 40-man roster after a fast-moving season that saw him begin in A-ball and end in Double-A. He recovered nicely from a poor 2007 season, in which he allowed 91 hits in 70.1 innings over three minor league levels as a starter. The 24-year-old reliever started 2008 by allowing 36 hits in 44.2 innings with rates of 3.63 BB/9 and 12.09 K/9. He also allowed just one home run. Promoted to Double-A, Escalona allowed 27 hits in 24.1 innings and posted rates of 5.18 BB/9 and 10.73 K/9. His struggles should not be surprising given the two-level jump. Escalona’s slider makes him a good bet for a future LOOGY role after holding left-handed batters to a .188 average in 2008, compared to right-handers at .281. In his career, right-handed batters have hit .300 against him.

Naughton, like Naylor, is Australian. He was definitely the most surprising addition to the 40-man roster, especially given the presence of top hitting prospect Lou Marson. The club also has three Major League catchers (although they are all more second-string catchers than starters) in Chris Coste, Carlos Ruiz and Ronny Paulino. Naughton, 22, has spent the past two seasons in A-ball. In 2008, he hit .275/.336/.359 with an ISO of .083 in 276 at-bats. He also walked 8.9% of the time and struck out 14.1% of the time. The left-handed hitter has held his own against southpaws in his career (.244 average versus .264 against RHPs) but he has not been allowed to face many: 131 career at-bats versus left-handers, 569 at-bats versus right-handers. Naughton will likely use up all his options before he is ready for the Majors.

Outfielder John Mayberry Jr. was also added to the 40-man roster for the first time after being acquired from Texas for fellow outfield prospect Greg Golson. Both players were also former first round draft picks (Mayberry 19th overall in 2005 out of Stanford University, Golson 21st overall out of a Texas high school). Both outfielders are basically Major-League ready. Golson is more athletic, with tons of raw potential. Mayberry, 25, is less athletic and is close to being a one-dimensional, offensive player with above-average power. In a sense, he’s almost a younger Pat Burrell, whom the Phillies recently lost to free agency. The signing of free agent Raul Ibanez, formerly of Seattle, makes it unlikely that Mayberry will begin 2009 in Philadelphia. It’s unfortunate that his Major League progress will be hindered by the likes of Ibanez, Geoff Jenkins, and Matt Stairs.

The Florida Marlins organization made some fishy choices when adding pitchers to the 40-man roster recently.

Right-hander Dallas Trahern, who was acquired in the Miguel Cabrera trade with Detroit last year, had a dismal 2008 season at the Triple-A level. He posted a 5.72 FIP with 141 hits allowed in 111 innings of work. Trahern was hit hard and allowed 20 home runs (1.62 HR/9). On the plus side, he did not walk a ton of batters (3.65 BB/9) but that positive feeling is negated by his low strikeout rate (5.76 K/9). Trahern’s repertoire includes an 88-92 mph fastball, curveball and change-up.

Canadian Chris Leroux is your typical talented but raw Northerner, who needs to improve his command by pitching as many innings as possible. The right-hander was originally a starter, but could not stay healthy so he was shifted to the bullpen in 2007, which was a wise move. Since that time, Leroux has appeared in 103 games out of the bullpen and improved last season despite advancing from A-ball to High-A. In 2008, Leroux allowed just 60 hits in 74 innings and posted rates of 3.16 BB/9 and 9.49 K/9. His WHIP dropped from 1.41 to 1.16. He’ll be a little old for Double-A in 2009 at 24, but Leroux has less experience on the mound than most his age. He can touch 94 mph with his fastball and also has a solid slider.

Tim Wood was definitely a head-scratcher when he was added to the 40-man roster – if you look at his numbers. The 26-year-old was originally selected in the 44th round of the 2002 draft. The right-handed middle reliever had a nice season in High-A ball by allowing 25 hits in 40 innings (His BABIP was a fluky .209) but posted mediocre rates of 3.38 BB/9 and 4.95 K/9. His ERA was 1.80 but the FIP was a less-impressive 3.85. Promoted to Triple-A, Wood allowed 20 hits in 20.1 innings and posted rates of 2.66 BB/9 and 6.64 K/9. His FIP was 4.18. Wood’s fastball hits 95 mph and he has a power slider, but the numbers just don’t add up.

The Cleveland Indians organization has been busy this off-season with the acquisition of former Cubs infielder Mark DeRosa, as well as serving as the third team in the Seattle-New York (NL) trade of J.J. Putz. Prior to those moves, though, the club added four players to the 40-man roster (Five really, but Jeff Stevens was one of the players used to acquire DeRosa). The organization added right-hander Hector Rondon, outfielder Trevor Crowe, and catchers Carlos Santana and Chris Gimenez.

Rondon, 20, is on the fast-track to Cleveland. Prior to the 2008 season, his name was not even mentioned amongst the club’s top prospects. He just made Baseball America’s Top 30 Prospects List for the organization last year, coming in at No. 28. The 2009 handbook is not out yet, but you can bet Rondon is going to be listed a lot higher this season. In 145 High-A innings, the right-hander allowed just 130 hits and posted rates of 2.61 BB/9 and 9.00 K/9. He also allowed just 12 home runs (0.74 HR/9). His repertoire includes an 89-93 mph fastball, a developing curveball and a change-up. Rondon will be 21 when the 2009 season begins and he will also be in Double-A, not far from a Major League call-up.

Crowe has had an up-and-down minor league career and was considered one of Cleveland’s top prospects after the 2006 season. After stealing 45 bases that season, the 14th overall pick in the 2005 draft stole just 18 in 2008 while battling injuries. He also has not developed much in-game power and his batting average has fluctuated: .329 in High-A ball in 2006, .234 in Double-A in 2006, .259 in Double-A in 2007, .323 in Double-A in 2008, and .274 in Triple-A in 2008. With Grady Sizemore in center-field for Cleveland, Crowe’s only shot at playing everyday is at a corner spot and he lacks the offensive potential for such a position.

Santana was obtained last season from the Dodgers in the Casey Blake trade and instantly became Cleveland’s catcher of the future. He could eventually force Victor Martinez to first base full-time and Kelly Shoppach back to the second string catcher’s role. In 2008, split between High-A and Double-A, he hit more than 20 home runs, batted above .300 and walked more than he struck out. Did I mention he scored 125 runs and drove in 117? At this point the switch-hitter’s offensive game is pretty solid but he needs to focus on his defence behind the dish, having begun his career in the outfield and at third base.

Gimenez has the lowest ceiling of the bunch. The now 26-year-old began the 2008 season in Double-A and hit .339/.489/.537 with an ISO of .198 in 177 at-bats. He then moved up to Triple-A and hit .272/.349/.374 with an ISO of .103 in 195 at-bats. Gimenez also posted rates of 10.6 BB% and 30.8 K% at Triple-A. His true value comes from his versatility. Along with catching, he can also play at third base, first base and in the outfield.

The Chicago Cubs recently traded infield veteran Mark DeRosa to the Cleveland Indians for a trio of pitching prospects. The transaction was more about clearing salary room ($5.5 million) for the National League squad than it was about acquiring said prospects. The money saved by the Cubs could possible allow the organization to acquire free agent outfielder Milton Bradley or reopen trade negotiations with San Diego for starting pitcher Jake Peavy.

All three players – Jeff Stevens, John Gaub, and Chris Archer – are interesting but none of them are future impact players and they all appeared destined for roles in Major League bullpens. It was suggested in one Internet report that some or all of the above prospects could be used to help snag Peavy from San Diego but none of the prospects would be key players in a deal for a pitcher of his caliber.

Stevens is currently the closest to being Major League ready. He spent last season in both Double-A and Triple-A. Combined, Stevens allowed 38 hits in 59.2 innings of work and posted rates of 4.02 BB/9 and 12.22 K/9. His flyball tendencies resulted in a ground ball rate of 39.2%. He was originally selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth round of the 2005 draft out of Loyola Marymount University. Stevens was traded to Cleveland as part of the Brandon Phillips (robbery) deal. He throws an 89-94 mph fastball, curveball and change-up.

Shoulder surgery in college robbed Gaub of a few million dollars. The southpaw was touching 96 mph in college before injuring his arm and he now operates in the 87-91 mph range with his fastball. He also utilizes a slider and an occasional change-up. The Indians grabbed him in the 21st round of the 2006 draft out of the University of Minnesota. Last season, as a 23-year-old in A-ball, he allowed just 44 hits in 64 innings and posted rates of 4.50 BB/9 and 14.06 K/9. The strikeouts are eye-catching, but the control issues are worrisome. If he can harness his stuff, Gaub could move quickly in 2009… but that is a big if at his point.

Only 20 years old, Archer has a little more time to develop than his trade mates. He allowed just 92 hits in 115.1 A-ball innings in 2008 but it may have been partly due to the fact that he could not find the plate to give the batters a chance. Archer’s aim is not nearly as impressive as his surname suggests as he walked 84 batters, good for a rate of 6.55 BB/9. His strikeout rate was 8.27 K/9. His repertoire includes an 88-92 mph fastball, curveball and change-up.

Stevens could easily surface in Chicago in 2009 if injuries strike the Major League bullpen but Gaub and Archer will not set foot on a Major League mound in the Windy City until 2010 or 2011.

The Atlanta Braves organization recently added three pitchers and a middle infielder to its 40-man roster. Right-handers Luis Valdez, Todd Redmond and Stephen Marek, along with shortstop Diory Hernandez, were all added to the roster for the first times in their brief careers.

Both Valdez and Redmond were plucked from the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization. Valdez spent the majority of his Pirates’ career as a starter until 2007 when he made 35 relief appearances (and just one start) in High-A ball. His ERA was 4.79 with 87 hits allowed in 73.1 innings. But his FIP was just 3.01. Perhaps the Braves took notice of that fact because the organization signed him as a minor league free agent that off-season. In 2008 at Double-A, the 24-year-old pitcher allowed just 48 hits in 65.1 innings of work. He also posted rates of 4.96 BB/9 and 10.61 K/9. Once he improves his control, he could surface at the Major League level thanks to a 92-96 mph fastball and plus slider.

Redmond was obtained in a 2008 spring trade when Atlanta sent Major League reliever Tyler Yates to Pittsburgh. A 2004 39th-round draft pick, Redmond has posted excellent numbers in the low minors but stumbled a bit in 2007 with a 7-12 record at High-A and a 4.54 ERA. His K/9 rate was also just 5.99. However, his FIP was 3.94 and the BB/9 rate was 2.02. In 2008 with Atlanta at the Double-A level, Redmond allowed 164 hits in 166.1 innings and posted rates of 1.79 BB/9 and 7.20 K/9. The 23-year-old right-hander has average stuff with an 87-90 mph fastball, curveball and change-up.

Marek, like the other two pitchers added, was originally signed by another organization (the Los Angeles Angels) and was obtained by Atlanta in the Mark Teixeira trade. He was original selected in the 40th round of the 2004 draft and later signed in 2005 as a draft-and-follow (a now-defunct process). The 25-year-old right-hander has posted solid but unspectacular career numbers prior to 2008 and was shifted to the bullpen this past season. Before the trade, Marek allowed 39 hits in 46.2 Double-A innings and posted rates of 4.05 BB/9 and 10.99 K/9. He also did a better job of keeping the ball in the park and allowed just two home runs. After the trade, he allowed 12 hits in 14 innings. Marek has an 89-94 mph fastball, a plus curveball and a change-up.

Hernandez, 24, was originally signed out of the Dominican Republic by the Braves in 2002. He did not reach Double-A until 2007 but his bat improved remarkably when his triple-slash line jumped from .238/.293/.336 in High-A ball to .307/.370/.418 at Double-A. In 2008, while playing mostly at Triple-A, Hernandez hit .288/.317/.383 with an ISO of .096 in 459 at-bats. He stole just seven bases this past season after swiping more than 20 in 2007 – and he has poor instincts on the base paths. Defensively, he is better-suited to second base due to a lack of arm strength.

With the rumored signings of both right-handed starter Brad Penny and catcher Josh Bard, the Boston Red Sox organization has begun to make some changes to its 40-man roster at the Major League level. Prior to those two (upcoming) additions, though, the Red Sox also added three prospects to the 40-man roster: pitchers Felix Doubront and Hunter Jones, as well as catcher Mark Wagner.

Doubront is a left-handed Venezuelan who has been state-side for the past three seasons. He recovered from a terrible 2007 (which included an 8.93 ERA in 11 A-ball starts, but just a 5.89 FIP) to post a 3.67 ERA (2.90 FIP) in 115.1 A-ball innings in 2008. Doubront allowed 115 hits and posted rates of 1.87 BB/9 and 9.21 K/9. The 21-year-old hurler finished the season in High-A ball and posted a FIP of 2.13 in 14 innings of work. Doubront features a curveball as his out-pitch, as well as a modest fastball in the low 90s, a slider and an occasional change-up.

Hunter Jones, 24, was originally signed as a non-drafted amateur free agent out of Florida State University in 2005. Despite his modest beginnings, Jones has never posted an ERA above 3.19 in pro ball. In 2008, the left-hander split time between Double-A and Triple-A. In Double-A, Hunter allowed 21 hits in 22.2 innings of work and posted rates of 1.59 BB/9 and 10.32 K/9. At Triple-A, he allowed 55 hits in 50.2 relief innings and posted rates of 2.49 BB/9 and 8.88 K/9. In the last two seasons, just eight balls have left the yard against Jones in 162.2 innings. His repertoire includes a sinking fastball that sits in the upper 80s and touches 91 mph. He also has a curveball and change-up.

Wagner was originally drafted in the 29th round out of high school by the Atlanta Braves, but chose to attend the University of California-Irvine and jumped up 20 rounds in 2005. The 24-year-old hit more than .300 in his first three pro seasons before slumping terribly in 2008 at the Double-A level. In 342 at-bats, the right-handed batter hit just .219/.297/.363 with a .143 ISO and a .294 wOBA. He posted rates of 10.0 BB% and 22.8%. In the past, Wagner maintained near-even walk and strikeout rates. On the encouraging side in 2008, his BABIP was just .256. Defensively, he is at least average, with the potential to be above average.

It has been a relatively quiet winter for the Chicago Cubs organization. Aside from bringing in a couple of complementary players, including reliever Kevin Gregg and outfielder Joey Gathright, the organization has been operating in a reserved manner – although retaining free agent starter Ryan Dempster was no small feat. The club made some much smaller waves when it added three pitching prospects – Mitch Atkins, Justin Berg and Marcos Mateo – to the 40-man roster early on in the off-season.

Drafted out of high school, Atkins has moved up the organization’s ladder relatively quietly. The right-hander has put up some good won-loss numbers, having gone 39-19 since 2006 – as well as 17-7 in 28 starts split between Double-A and Triple-A in 2008. However, his other numbers are not quite as impressive, including his FIP, which was 5.70 in 10 Triple-A starts in 2008. His K-BB ratio was also a modest 1.91, along with a walk rate of 3.81 BB/9 and a strikeout rate of 7.29 K/9. Atkins’ repertoire includes a low-90s fastball, a curveball and a change-up – and he projects as more of a bottom-of-the-rotation starter despite his big win totals.

Berg is your typical frustrating right-hander. He throws a hard, sinking fastball that tops out around 94 mph, but he fails to strikeout as many batters as he should and the walks continue to be an issue. In 90.1 Triple-A innings in 2008, Berg posted rates of 4.78 BB/9 and just 4.88 K/9. That strikeout rate was his highest one since 2006 when he managed to strike out 6.42 batters per nine innings in High-A ball. Along with sharpening his command, Berg needs to improve his secondary pitches so batters do not sit on his fastball. The 24-year-old hurler has played around with both a slider and a curveball, favoring the former for much of 2008 with mixed results.

Mateo has the farthest climb to make up the organization’s ladder, as he spent much of 2008 in High-A ball. The right-handed reliever was originally acquired from the Cincinnati Reds organization in 2007 for minor league outfielder Buck Coats (now in the Blue Jays organization). In 2008, Mateo split his time between the starting rotation and the bullpen and allowed 87 hits in 88.1 innings of work. He also posted rates of 2.95 BB/9 and 6.62 K/9. Mateo spent the season working on developing a change-up to go with his 90-94 mph fastball and slider. Despite making some strides in 2008, he still projects as a MLB set-up man.

The Pittsburgh Pirates organization takes a lot of beatings from media, as well as from the online community of baseball bloggers. Many of the criticisms are justified, while others are not.

The Pirates organization added six players to the 40-man roster recently. Two of those moves – Neil Walker and Jose Tabata – were no-brainers. The other four, though, were questionable: pitchers Evan Meek, Jeff Sues, Ronald Uviedo, and catcher Steve Lerud. While Walker and Tabata are among the best prospects in the relatively weak system, the remaining four currently project as below-average Major League regulars.

Meek is a former Rule 5 pick who has bounced around the waiver wire more than once. He did make huge strides with his control in the minors in 2008, but his walk rate jumped back up to 8.31 BB/9 in (small sample size warning) 13 MLB innings in 2008. In 41.1 Triple-A innings in 2008, Meek allowed just 30 hits. He features a low-90s fastball, as well as a splitter and slider.

Sues was a fifth-round selection in the 2005 draft out of Vanderbilt University, where he split time between the bullpen and the starting rotation. He settled into the bullpen in 2008 after appearing in just eight pro games between 2005 and 2007. Sues has struggled with medical issues since his college days and his durability is a huge question mark. His fastball is in the low 90s (and can touch the mid-90s) and he has a plus slider. In 2008, he pitched a career-high 64.1 innings between High-A and Double-A. In 43 Double-A innings, he allowed 35 hits and posted rates of 4.19 BB/9 and 11.51 K/9. He is a flyball pitcher who induced ground balls at a rate of 36 percent. Sues, like Meeks, is another run-of-the-mill right-handed middle reliever who is a dime-a-dozen at the Double-A and Triple-A level.

Hey look, another right-handed middle reliever. Uviedo, a Venezuelan, at least has age on his side at 22. In just his second season stateside, the 6’0” reliever allowed 70 hits in 71.2 A-ball innings. He also posted rates of 1.88 BB/9 and 9.54 K/9. Uviedo earned a late-season promotion to High-A ball and allowed just five hits in 16 innings, but his rates dropped to 2.81 BB/9 and 6.75 K/9. He also had an atrocious groundball rate of 37 percent in A-ball. The fastball has some giddy-up, but his other pitches are still developing.

Lerud, 24, was definitely an interesting player to add to the 40-man roster – but not in a good way. He has a career line of .225/.308/.369 in 1,436 at-bats over five seasons. Lerud split 2008 between High-A and Double-A and managed to hit just .233/.300/.363 at the latter level in 146 at-bats so he is not going to begin 2009 in the Majors. Regardless of how good his defence might be, there are three catchers on the 40-man roster with more potential than Lerud: Ryan Doumit, Robinzon Diaz and Jason Jaramillo.

The Pirates organization added three fringe right-handed pitchers in 2007 – Ronald Belisario, Luis Munoz and Olivo Astacio – and none of them lasted the entire season on the 40-man roster. In fact, Astacio is the only member of the trio still in the organization. None of them spent even a game at the Major League level in 2008.

The thing to remember about adding fringe prospects to the 40-man roster is that if you remove them, they can be claimed by any one of the remaining 29 teams and can be optioned down to the minors (as long as option years remain). But if you leave them off the 40-man roster until you are sure that they are deserving, clubs have to spend a Rule 5 pick to acquire them and then keep them on their 40-man rosters for the entire season. The latter transaction is much harder to pull off, especially considering the player is already a fringe prospect to begin with so they are not likely to be Major-League ready.

The San Francisco Giants recently added four young hurlers to the organization’s 40-man roster: right-handers Henry Sosa, Joe Martinez, Waldis Joaquin, as well as left-hander Jesse English.

Of the quartet, Sosa has the highest ceiling thanks to a fastball that tops out around 95 mph. He also features a curveball and change-up in his repertoire. Sosa missed the first two months of the 2008 season after undergoing off-season knee surgery. He then headed to High-A ball – where he also made 14 starts in 2007 – and posted a 3.59 FIP with 62 hits allowed in 56.1 innings. In total, in 120 High-A ball innings in the last two seasons, Sosa has allowed 128 hits, in part due to his developing command. The 23-year-old showed improvements in his control by dropping his walk ratio from 5.09 BB/9 in 2007 to 2.88 BB/9 in 2008. His strikeout rate, though, also took a hit from 11.03 K/9 to 9.27 K/9. Sosa will begin 2009 in Double-A, which will be a great test for him and will help to determine if his secondary pitches will show enough improvement for him to remain in the starting rotation.

Martinez was originally signed by the Giants after being selected in the 12th round of the 2005 amateur draft out of Boston College. Despite spending four years in college, Martinez has moved through the system one step at a time, despite solid numbers in the low minors. Those stats included a 15-5 record in A-ball in 2006 and ratios of 1.99 BB/9 and 8.35 K/9 in 2007 at High-A ball. Part of the reason for the slow ascent is that Martinez’ stuff does not match up with his results. Although he posted a 3.09 FIP in Double-A in 2008, his strikeout rate plummeted to just 6.81 K/9, while his walk rate rose slightly to 2.25. The right-hander relies on solid command of his 88-91 mph fastball, curveball and change-up. Martinez is likely a reliever in the long run, thanks to a three-year drop in K-BB ratio from 5.19 to 4.19 to 3.03.

Joaquin, like Sosa, can dial his fastball up into the mid-90s and backs that up with a plus slider. His change-up, though, is lacking as a third pitch and he spent more time in the bullpen in 2008 than in the past. Joaquin spent the majority of the season in A-ball where he allowed 49 hits in 52 innings and posted rates of 5.12 BB/9 and 10.71 K/9. He also made nine appearances, including four starts, in High-A ball and posted a 3.87 FIP with 20 hits allowed in 19.1 innings. Joaquin should return to High-A in 2009 and spend much of the season working on his command and control.

English is the lone southpaw in the bunch. After an injury-plagued 2007 season, the 24-year-old is looking to make up for lost time and he had a nice season in 2008. In High-A ball, English posted a 3.62 FIP and allowed 121 hits in 135.1 innings. He also posted rates of 3.39 BB/9 and 8.98 K/9. The left-hander gets by with craftiness and deception, as his fastball does not exceed 88 mph. He also has a plus change-up, as well as a developing breaking ball. English could stand to induce a few more ground balls, but he has the makings of a solid No. 4 or 5 starter if he can tighten up his control.

What a difference a year can make.

One year ago, the Toronto Blue Jays organization was coming off a disappointing season in terms of first-base depth in the system. The club’s top first baseman prospect was Chip Cannon, who slugged 32 home runs in 2005 and played at three different levels while topping out at Double-A. He followed that up with 27 home runs the next season, but managed just a .249 batting average during a full year in Double-A. Cannon, at the age of 25, then repeated the level in 2007 and managed just 17 home runs and a .241 average.

Fast-forward through the 2008 season and things are looking much brighter for Toronto. The club picked up former Cubs top prospect Brian Dopirak, who slugged 39 home runs in 2004 at the age of 20, after he was released towards the end of 2008 spring training. Dopirak’s approach and swing path were both reworked by Toronto, according to Dick Scott – the organization’s director of player development.

“His swing was not working for him,” Scott explained recently. “He really got back to what he was doing in the Midwest League (in 2004).”

Dopirak, now 24, responded by hitting .308/.379/.577 with an ISO of 269 in 409 High-A at-bats. He then managed a line of .287/.303/.425 in 87 late-season, Double-A at-bats. Dopirak, a minor league free agent after the 2008 season, was resigned by the Jays and is likely headed back to Double-A, with a not-too-distant promotion to Triple-A possible, if he continues to make adjustments and show improvements.

“You can’t teach the power he has,” Scott said.

The Jays also picked up slugger Adam Amar during the 2007 off-season after he impressed during a tryout camp. The 22-year-old went undrafted out of the University of Memphis during his senior season despite hitting .358/.415/.538 with nine home runs in 240 at-bats. He signed on with Reno of the independent Golden Baseball League and caught scouts’ attentions after he hit .354/.423/.625 with five home runs in 96 at-bats.

The Jays signed Amar and kept him in extended spring training to begin the season so he could work on making some adjustments. Scott referred to the first baseman as a “big, raw, strong guy… with a tremendous work ethic.”

In June, he was assigned to the New York Penn League where he was one of the best hitters in the entire league. In his pro debut, he hit .302/.358/.476 with an ISO of .175 in 252 at-bats. Amar’s numbers slipped a bit after he hit just .186 in his last 15 games. His overall rates were impressive for a slugger and he walked eight percent of the time, along with a strikeout rate of just 11.1 percent.

Scott said Amar could possible jump over A-ball in 2009 and land in High-A ball. “He’s one of those guys we’re just going to keep challenging to see what we have.”

The organization was still not done overhauling its depth at first base. The Jays’ first-round draft pick in the 2008 draft last June was first baseman David Cooper of the University of California. The 21-year-old, selected 17th overall, exploded onto the scene, played at three levels in his debut and finished in High-A ball.

Overall, he hit .333/.399/.502 with 29 doubles in 273 at-bats. In 94 High-A at-bats, the left-handed hitting slugger hit .304/.373/.435 with an ISO of .130. Cooper also posted rates of 9.8 BB% and 17.4 K%. Only one other 2008 first-round draft pick had a better debut – Brett Wallace of the St. Louis Cardinals, who finished the season in Double-A.

Scott was not surprised with Cooper’s early success. “We knew he was coming in as an advanced hitter…. and he held his own at each level. He has a good presence about him and he’s not going to be overwhelmed.”

The knock on Cooper’s scouting report coming out of college was his poor defence. But Scott said it’s not uncommon for defence to be de-emphasized by college programs.

“The thing that surprised us was how well he improved defensively [in his debut],” Scott commented. “I think he’s going to be a pleasant surprise down there in the future.”

Cooper’s 2009 season will either begin in High-A or Double-A. Scott said it will be a spring-time decision. Either way, the Jays will have some intriguing first base depth at both Double-A and A-ball.