Prospects to Watch in 2008:
CF Colby Rasmus- the Cardinals’ top prospect impressed with his power, speed, and plate discipline at 20 years old in AA ball. As I have mentioned a few times already, Rasmus more than held his own with the big leaguers during Spring Training but did not do enough to win a starting job, and the Cards’ wouldn’t keep him up as a backup. He will start the season in the minors, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him manning centerfield before the season is over.
SP Jaime Garcia- Garcia, considered the Cards’ top pitching prospect in 2007, struggled a little bit at age 20 in AA. His ERA was 3.75, but he did have 97 K’s in just over 103 innings pitched before hurting his elbow. His chances of making the bigs this year are slim, but if Chris Carpenter and Mark Mulder do not come back as soon as hoped and the group of misfit toys that is the rest of the Cardinals’ pitching staff pitches like, well, themselves, Dave Duncan may go looking for help. Obviously he loves a good reclamation project, but if they look within the system this southpaw will be the first name to come up.
RP Chris Perez- this college closer was drafted in 2006 and moved through the Cardinals’ entire farm system last year. His walk totals were a little high last year, but opponents hit only .130 against him. With Dave Duncan pulling relief pitchers into the depleted starting rotation, Perez is getting a long look this spring. With Brad Thompson looking to win the fifth spot in the rotation (and not taking a spot in the bullpen), it looks like Perez may make the big club. A good showing this year could even win him the closer’s job in 2009.
C Bryan Anderson- the left-handed hitting catcher has produced at every level in the Cardinals’ system. At age 20, he held his own at AA Springfield, batting .298 and being named to Team USA for the Futures Game. He doesn’t quite have Brian McCann’s power (yet), but could become a similar-type player in the near future. With Yadier Molina holding down the fort in St. Louis, Anderson will probably spend the year in AAA. Catching is at a premium throughout baseball and Anderson could be used in a trade. Then again, another really impressive season on his part could leave Cardinals management with a tough decision to make regarding Molina and who the team’s catcher of the future will be.
