Dave at Fangraphs passed along a link to this year's crop of minor league free agents. A popular thing to do with this information is pick out a handful of guys that would make interesting and potentially worthwhile pick-ups. This is not that. This is a full team made up of guys who, years ago, were supposed to go on to do some big big things, only to end up on the fall 2009 list of mlFA's. Consider this just another reminder that you should never ever ever take a prospect's future for granted.*
C: JR House
1B: Ryan Shealy
2B: Josh Barfield
SS: Antonio Perez
3B: Dallas McPherson
LF: Wes Bankston
CF: Joe Borchard
RF: John-Ford Griffin
DH: Josh Phelps
BENCH-C: JD Closser (does Ben Davis still count?)
BENCH-INF: Eric Duncan
BENCH-OF: Dave Krynzel
BENCH-UTIL: Donnie Murphy
SP: Jerome Williams
SP: Greg Miller
SP: Kenny Baugh
SP: Humberto Sanchez
SP: Bobby Brownlie
RP: Jose Capellan
RP: Wes Littleton
RP: Casey Fossum
RP: John Van Benschoten
RP: Chad Orvella
RP: Clint Everts
RP: Andrew Brown
If there were a 26th spot, I'd give it to Dee Brown, but it would just be so damn easy to include him that I had to find an alternative. Also among the free agents are formerly established Major Leaguers like Chris Capuano and Chad Cordero, along with the astonishingly driven Jolbert Cabrera. Jolbert just wants to win. Come on, Yankees. Take the plunge. Win one for Jolbert.
If there were a 27th spot, I'd give it to Mark McGonigle, because, really? McGonigle?
* never take any player's future for granted
0 recs | 62 comments
I'm now Dave at Fangraphs?
Kind of impersonal. Did we break up?
davidcameron - November 16, 2009
I'd rather say where it came from than link it because the more links you get, the more comments you get
In a way you could consider this me doing you a favor.
Jeff Sullivan - November 16, 2009
The only FG commenters that hate me
Are White Sox fans.
Oh, and Twins fans. Also, Red Sox fans. And some A’s fans. Plus I think the Marlins fans are still mad about the organizational rankings thing. Can’t leave out Royals fans. Tigers fans too. And Dodger fans. And D’Backs fan. I think thats it.
davidcameron - November 16, 2009
Here I would've thought you'd put the Royals fans first on your list.
I wasn’t aware the Marlins had a net presence.
Jeff Sullivan - November 16, 2009
I hired devil_fingers
That bought me some good will in KC, I think.
davidcameron - November 16, 2009
more likely to piss them off....
You can’t even put them first on your hated-by-list.
They just want to be first in SOMETHING!
Kunkoh - November 16, 2009
Giants fans.
CapSea - November 16, 2009
Anyone blaming you for Carson?
I kid because he’s a friend
serotonein - November 16, 2009
Os fans were pissed about being ranked behind the Ms
Bearskin Rugburn - November 17, 2009
Some Giants fans too
Because Sandoval wasn’t in your top 5 in terms of trade value, quite obviously because of your spiteful, vengeful hate of all things pertaining to the Giants.
baetown415 - November 17, 2009
I feel like Mark McGonigle belongs in a limmerick somewhere
OlSalty - November 16, 2009
There was a you man called McGonigle?!
I want to see you finish this…
It doesn’t afford nearly the same opportunities as: “There was a young man from Nantucket”.
Colm - November 17, 2009
Anybody here know anything about Krynzel's defense?
Jeff Sullivan - November 16, 2009
Hold on let me check Fangraphs
Poochie - November 16, 2009
He was supposed to be a good CF back when he was a Brewer farmhand.
+7 TZ in ‘06, been average since though. His calling card was speed, for what it’s worth.
Jack Moore - November 17, 2009
Why get Krynzel when you can grab Oeltjen!
We all need another gap-hitting Aussie OF to cheer for.
marc w - November 17, 2009
Did I seriously just read Joe Borchard, Jolbert Cabrera and Ben Davis' names?
Oh god Jeff, you’ve opened the closet and the bad memories have escaped.
OceanBird - November 16, 2009
Getting the list of minor league free agents is one of my favorite parts of the year
Jeff Sullivan - November 16, 2009
Me too!
marc w - November 17, 2009
We traded Matt Thornton for one of those!
Robert - November 16, 2009
Mark McGonigle
Jeff Sullivan - November 16, 2009
Oh wow I completely forgot about this
McGonigle – “You gotta tell em what you saw, Billy”
Billy – “But, I’m scared McGonigle!”
McGonigle – “You gotta do this one for me, Billy”
Billy – “Well, okay then, for you McGonigle”
Chief: “Well, McGonigle, Billy’s dead, they slit his throat from ear to ear”
McGonigle: “Hey do you mind?! I’m trying to eat lunch here!”
OlSalty - November 16, 2009
He was in, what, one episode?
JY - November 17, 2009
I think so!
Jeff Sullivan - November 17, 2009
Two.
Moron.
Matthew - November 17, 2009
Buck Coats!
…and Felix’s older brother, Moises.
ConorGlassey - November 16, 2009
Fuck Jolbert Cabrera.
I Lick Squirrels - November 16, 2009
No, fuck 2004
And Hiram Bocachica too.
OceanBird - November 16, 2009
Nah.
Fuck Jolbert Cabrera.
I Lick Squirrels - November 17, 2009
Also,
I just noticed that Russell Branyan played (and homered) for Cleveland in that game.
I Lick Squirrels - November 17, 2009
Holy shit.
80-31
That was an awesome summer.
Wilder. - November 17, 2009
Jolbert Cabrera and Hiram Bocachica were a large part of why 2004 was the most fun 99 loss season ever
Also Leone
Corco - November 17, 2009
Bocachica was incredible
I’m not sure if UZR disagrees, but if so I choose to disregard it
CKel - November 17, 2009
2004 was awful.
On the same level as 2008.
Mariner John - November 17, 2009
I enjoyed 04 more than 08
More interesting roster turnover, plus it was the first losing season in a while so it was sort of interesting. By 08 it got old
Corco - November 17, 2009
YES!
BUCKY and GS52 getting called away from the PCL ASG to get their shots in the bigs!
It also was the first full season I started blogging, and I hadn’t developed writer’s block yet.
PositivePaul - November 17, 2009
2004 was awesome
Leone played third, Ichiro got 262 hits, we got the Edgar farewell tour, GS52 came up and pitched well, Bucky made baseball awesome, Bocachica was a fun player to root for, we got to see the young Jose Lopez, Blackley/Nageotte were still shiny even though they sucked, and you can’t forget Bobby Madritsch
It really was a fun season
Corco - November 17, 2009
RE: Consider this just another reminder that you should never ever ever take a prospect's future for granted.*
[BEES! BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ!]
The Typical Idiot Fan - November 16, 2009
So what's Sean Burroughs up to these days?
Matthew - November 16, 2009
Fishing
Jeff Sullivan - November 16, 2009
for a living.
Wilder. - November 17, 2009
So the Chad Cordero experiment didn't pan out?
Fin - November 16, 2009
Nor the Jeff Zimmerman experiment
Jeff Sullivan - November 16, 2009
Jolbert Cabrera deserves a championship.
Manzanillos Cup - November 17, 2009
I didn't know Mark McGonigle existed.
Now I’m completely devoted to his success. As a Matthew Monagle who often gets called some variation of “Mark McGonigle” by customers at work, it would be nice to see my shadow-self succeed at baseball.
He will be the Kyra Sedgwick to my Kevin Bacon!
(… you know, really the same person, but realizing the dream of two acting careers?)
McExpos - November 17, 2009
Antonio Perez is still the shortstop of the future. Kid has it all.
abender20 - November 17, 2009
Love me some Wes Bankston!
1B of the future for the Tampa Bay Rays!
Tyler - November 17, 2009
John Ford-Griffin.
He was a hometown hero for me in Syracuse, New York. I swear he spent like 7 years there with the Chiefs.
CKel - November 17, 2009
Any reason that Dallas McPherson can't turn into Russell Branyan?
Scruffy Lefty - November 17, 2009
His back is even more fucked than Branyan's?
marc w - November 17, 2009
That...
And he’s alllllllmost as big as Bucky…
McPherson in 2008:
PositivePaul - November 17, 2009
Dallas was legitimately good that year.
Poor guy.
(For the real almost-as-big-as-Bucky Minor League Free Agent, post a picture of Brad Nelson!)
marc w - November 17, 2009
Ok, Ok, I'll go!
marc w - November 17, 2009
I'll post defense, then...
PositivePaul - November 17, 2009
It's height, not width that I care about.
Height wastes vertical space, while we already have an abundance of wasted horizontal space.
Matthew - November 17, 2009
Right...
I mean we read printed documents portrait-oriented. Why were our screens invented to be landscape-oriented? Yeah yeah, computer monitors initially deriving from TV sets but still…
PositivePaul - November 17, 2009
I love that one....
marc w - November 17, 2009
Dallas :( :(
Eyebrows - November 17, 2009 via mobile
Some of these dudes
were very servicable in MVP Baseball 2003.
Omerta - November 17, 2009
Not a good week to be Chip Ambres.
marc w - November 17, 2009
Only 39 games keeps John Mayberry from the list.
msb - November 17, 2009
Seems like Brown is the only player there who had a legit MLB career shot
only to be hit with tj after becoming good.
Could be a nice cheap pick up for a team that wants bullpen help.
Zonis - November 19, 2009
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