***OFFICIAL*** 2013 STL Cardinals Thread

[BigRedChief]

Cards Minor league system ranked #1 in baseball by Baseball America.

As the Cardinals reorganized the direction — and leadership — of their amateur scouting and minor-league system several years ago, executives pointed at times to rankings from media outlets such as Baseball America, including one that labeled them last in talent as recently as 2005.
“It was a wake-up call to get better,” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said.


If rankings continued to be an indication, getting better was only the beginning.


When Baseball America’s 2013 Prospect Handbook reaches shelves early next month, the Cardinals will be unveiled as the annual publication’s No. 1 minor-league system in a ranking of all 30 clubs’ minor-league talent through mid-December, editors at the magazine confirmed.

.
If so, it will be the first time since Baseball America began ranking organizations in 1984 that the Cardinals will have earned the No. 1 spot. It is a significant turnaround for a club that was ranked 30th in minor-league talent in 2002 and 2005.

“People don’t remember how they had some tough drafts and a non-existent international program,” said Jim Callis, an executive at Baseball America. “It was a bad trend. I don’t think people realized how bad it was because of the success at the major-league level. That kind of masked it. It hid how bad the underpinnings were.”


Baseball America’s annual organization rankings are based on the conversations and individual rankings from four of the magazine’s editors. All four had the Cardinals ranked No. 1 this year, Callis said.


The rise comes eight seasons after the Cardinals ranked 30th and represents a steady climb up from a decade spent in the lower third of baseball.


From 2000 through 2007, the Cardinals highest rank was 21.

And yet in the eight seasons since being No. 30 the Cardinals have made strides at the minor-league level while winning two World Series and appearing in four NL championship series.

From 2005 to 2011, no team in the majors had as many drafted players contribute at the major-league level as the Cardinals.

They have not had a pick higher than 13th overall since 1999.


The Cardinals have been successful drafting and grooming complementary players and assets later traded such as former first-rounders Brett Wallace and Colby Rasmus. On the horizon this year are players viewed by several scouting publications as top-shelf talents. Callis has outfielder Oscar Taveras ranked as the second-best position player in all of the minors and righthander Shelby Miller as the second-best pitching prospect in all of the minors. Pitchers Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal and second baseman Kolten Wong also rate high compared to prospects in other systems.

“I look for elite talent,” Callis explained. “I think you do win with stars. I don’t think you can only win with being solid everywhere but not having a superstar. … I look for balance in the system. I look for how advanced the talent is through the system. (With the Cardinals) you’re looking at an extremely talented farm system with players like Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal who are close to being big-league ready or already are.”
Callis pointed to the Cardinals 2012 draft as an example of the organization’s depth. The Cards had five picks in the first 59. Yet, Callis noted, only one of the picks was able to crack the top seven prospects (see chart).


“One of the things in this time period is that we have invest heavily in the draft, taking advantage of extra picks at the time, and improving what we do in the international market,” Mozeliak said. “It really is a great credit to our scouting, our international staff, and the player development group that turns what scouts give them into prospects.”


The full article here:
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseb...836de8b3a.html

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Mi_chief_fan

I've been hearing that Tavares has been tearing up winterball pitching in the Dominican Republic.

Won rookie of the year for Winter ball 2013.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

[Mi_chief_fan]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Won rookie of the year for Winter ball 2013.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

Hey, a Hector Luna sighting!

[whoman69]

From 2005 to 2011, no team in the majors had as many drafted players contribute at the major-league level as the Cardinals.

This doesn't fit the pattern of a team with a horrendous farm system.

[Marco Polo]

A lot to be happy about for the future. Albert who?

In all seriousness, I'm a Chiefs fan, Iowa fan, and Cardinals fan growing up. Thank goodness for the Cards; the only team that is routinely successful!

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Marco Polo

A lot to be happy about for the future. Albert who?

In all seriousness, I'm a Chiefs fan, Iowa fan, and Cardinals fan growing up. Thank goodness for the Cards; the only team that is routinely successful!

The last two years being a fan of a team that doesn't quit, comes from behind and plays with some grit, didn't suck either. A lot of other teams fans were sure jealous of the way our team played the game. wished their team played like ours.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Taveras' hitting is ranked 60/80: Good ML hitter floor, HOF ceiling.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Taveras' hitting is ranked 60/80: Good ML hitter floor, HOF ceiling.

nickname?????

Pujols who

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

nickname?????

Pujols who

Let's not count our chickens yet. I lurked last year; you got a little too cocksure during the LCS .

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Let's not count our chickens yet. I lurked last year; you got a little too cocksure during the LCS .

yeah, its my fault.I should be on Mo's payroll if this is true, correct?

Nothing will ever surprise with this team again. Every time we think they are done, they make an improbable run the playoffs.

And Trevor Rosenthal spent the winter working out with Chris Carpenter in STL. Just how awesomely cool is that? Talk about getting started the right way? And a bonus.....Waino is buddying up with Shelby Miller. The torch is passing....

[Mi_chief_fan]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Taveras' hitting is ranked 60/80: Good ML hitter floor, HOF ceiling.

That's just damned impressive for a 21-year old.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Mi_chief_fan

That's just damned impressive for a 21-year old.

Hope he makes the team out of spring training but waiting another year wouldn't be so bad. We would get a minimum of 6 full years instead of loosing one year to part time play.

If he is as advertised, we won't be able to keep him after 6 years.

[BigRedChief]

Looks like Mo is going to bring in Ronny Cedeno for Furcal's backup

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseb...5a9b2533c.html

[DJ's left nut]

Somehow a facepalm doesn't even seem sufficient.

Everything we do is just underwhelming. We gave Randy Choate 3 years when Mike Gonzalez could've been had for cheaper and without a 3 year commitment. We gave Wigginton $6 million over 2 only to see the Cubs get Hairston, a far better hitter against lefties AND a capable defender for $7 million over 2.

Now we go after this yutz as our 'competition' and insurance in case of Furcal's back injury.

Moe's plan appears to be praying that all the pitchers that Luhnow drafted for him come through in spades.

[Mi_chief_fan]

I think Hairston was waiting the market out, trying to get a bigger contract. He just ran out of teams, but it seems like he was seeking a much bigger contract than what he got. Heck, it seems like they gave Choate nearly as much as Burnett got, just 1 less year.

[BigRedChief]

MLB.com announce the top outfield prospects in all of baseball. Who's #1?

Talk about setting the bar high. Last year's Top 10 outfielders list was led by the two players who ended up as the Rookies of the Year. Bryce Harper of the Nationals and Mike Trout of the Angels obviously have graduated, but this year's Top 10 outfielders list has a ton of future rookie-award candidates on it. And there are some new names, with only three outfielders returning from 2012.


1. Oscar Taveras, Cardinals: The Cardinals' signing of Taveras out of the Dominican Republic in 2008 for a mere $145,000 could go down as one the biggest bargains in recent memory. Perhaps the best pure hitter in the Minors, Taveras handled a double jump to Double-A last season by going to the Futures Game and earning Texas League Player of the Year honors. Taveras has done nothing but hit for plenty of average, and the power continues to come, along with improved plate discipline. He has everything to be an All-Star-caliber outfielder who hits in the middle of a big league lineup for years.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb