Daily Notes: Qualifying Offers Due Today
Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.
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.
Schafer Now an Atlantan, Again
Traded at the 2011 deadline to Houston in the deal that saw Michael Bourn go to Atlanta, outfielder Jordan Schafer has been re-acquired by the Braves, reports MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. The now 26-year-old Schafer, who posted a -0.4 WAR in 360 plate appearances this season, was placed on outright waivers in an effort by the Astros to clear space on their 40-man roster. He will likely serve as outfield depth in Atlanta.
Ankiel Open to Pitching Again, Maybe
According to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, free agent Rick Ankiel — whose “market as a position player appears minimal,” notes Strauss — might consider pitching again. Ankiel, notably, was Baseball America’s top overall pitching prospect in both 1999 and 2000. He also, notably, lost all control of the strike zone. Ankiel’s last season (2004) in the majors as a pitcher was actually quite good. Line: 10.0 IP, 20.9% K, 2.3% BB, 56.7% GB, 2.59 SIERA, 74 xFIP-.
SCOUT Leaderboards: Arizona Fall League
SCOUT Leaderboard: Arizona Fall League Hitters (Overall)
Below is the current SCOUT batting leaderboard for the Arizona Fall Leaague. SCOUT+ is calculated using regressed home-run, walk, and strikeout rates, where 100 is average and above 100 is above average.
Player | Team | Age | PA | xHR% | xBB% | xK% | SCOUT+ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kent Matthes | Rafters (R) | 25 | 62 | 2.6% | 10.2% | 16.6% | 121 |
Christopher Mcguiness | Saguaros (R) | 24 | 70 | 2.2% | 10.8% | 17.5% | 116 |
Jonathan Schoop | Solar Sox (R) | 20 | 57 | 2.0% | 12.5% | 19.3% | 115 |
Trayce Thompson | Rafters (R) | 21 | 46 | 2.0% | 13.0% | 21.5% | 113 |
Josh Prince | Desert Dogs (R) | 24 | 73 | 1.6% | 11.2% | 16.5% | 111 |
Matt Szczur | Solar Sox (R) | 22 | 73 | 1.6% | 10.2% | 15.1% | 111 |
Nick Franklin | Javelinas (R) | 21 | 48 | 2.0% | 10.9% | 19.2% | 111 |
Jonathan Singleton | Solar Sox (R) | 20 | 86 | 2.2% | 12.1% | 22.0% | 110 |
Adalberto Santos | Scorpions (R) | 24 | 55 | 1.7% | 11.1% | 17.6% | 110 |
Joe Panik | Scorpions (R) | 21 | 55 | 1.3% | 10.6% | 14.9% | 110 |
SCOUT Leaderboard: Prospect-Age AFL Hitters
Here is the SCOUT batting leaderboard for the AFL, but only populated with players who are 22 or under — i.e. more distinctly of “prospect” age relative to the league.
Player | Team | Age | PA | xHR% | xBB% | xK% | SCOUT+ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jonathan Schoop | Solar Sox (R) | 20 | 57 | 2.0% | 12.5% | 19.3% | 115 |
Trayce Thompson | Rafters (R) | 21 | 46 | 2.0% | 13.0% | 21.5% | 113 |
Matt Szczur | Solar Sox (R) | 22 | 73 | 1.6% | 10.2% | 15.1% | 111 |
Nick Franklin | Javelinas (R) | 21 | 48 | 2.0% | 10.9% | 19.2% | 111 |
Jonathan Singleton | Solar Sox (R) | 20 | 86 | 2.2% | 12.1% | 22.0% | 110 |
Joe Panik | Scorpions (R) | 21 | 55 | 1.3% | 10.6% | 14.9% | 110 |
Christian Vazquez | Saguaros (R) | 21 | 39 | 1.7% | 11.9% | 19.8% | 109 |
Cory Spangenberg | Javelinas (R) | 21 | 34 | 1.8% | 11.1% | 19.1% | 108 |
Ricky Oropesa | Scorpions (R) | 22 | 42 | 1.7% | 12.7% | 22.7% | 106 |
Brian Goodwin | Rafters (R) | 21 | 64 | 2.3% | 10.6% | 23.0% | 105 |
Image: Rick Ankiel Throwing a Changeup in 1998
Here’s an 18-year-old Rick Ankiel throwing a changeup for the Prince William Cannons of the High-A Carolina League in 1998 — during which season (and with which team) he posted a 181:38 K:BB in 126.0 innings.

Image courtesy InsideNOVA.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
Ankiel’s final year of pitching in 2004 33.2IP 32K/4BB let’s hope he comes back Vogelsong like.