Baseball and Stuff – Cesar Cabral, Aaron Crow, Jurickson Profar

Baseball and Stuff –  Cesar Cabral, Aaron Crow,   Jurickson Profar,

·        The Yankees took two players in this year’s Rule 5 draft in lefty Cesar Cabral and righty Brad Meyers. Neither player will make the team, but neither player is leaving the organization either as both are headed to the DL, according to Chad Jennings of the Journal News. Cabral had a good shot of making the team, but an elbow fracture has his future in doubt. Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Jennings that he expects him to pitch this season, but until he is healthy the Yankees are allowed to stash him on the DL. - http://bronxbaseballdaily.com/2012/04/yankees-rule-5-picks-headed-to-the-dl/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

·        Aaron Crow started out 2011 with a bang. He had a 2.08 ERA, which he rode into the All-Star game as the Royals only invitee. The problem was that he was riding a bit of a lucky streak led by a 0.243 BABIP. He regressed quite a bit in the second half of the season when his ERA jumped to 4.34 because of a 0.393 BABIP. Also in the second half of the season, he did not record 1 Save or Hold. He was though able to accumulate 5 Blown Saves during that time frame. Going into spring training, he attempted to become one of several relief pitchers league wide to transition into becoming a starting pitcher. After a few weeks, the experimentation was stopped when Joakim Soria was lost for the season and Crow was moved back to the bullpen. - http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/index.php/aaron-crow-and-drew-smyly-stock-watch/

·        Cincinnati Reds Claim Alfredo Simon Off Waivers

·        Jurickson Profar - Shortstop, Rangers - Still a teen, Profar's shadow ascends on AA. It isn't long before the Rangers, locked in a dead heat with the rival Angels, are clamoring to make a trade. Fans of Elvis Andrus propose trading the budding star, while others argue that current steward of the keystone should go. In a shocking move, the Rangers call up Profar in mid-August after a trade of second baseman Ian Kinsler. Kinsler, packaged with Martin Perez, is shipped to Washington for Jordan Zimmermann where he immediately signs an above-market extension. Jon Daniels causes an uproar when he decides to hand short to Profar, shifting Andrus to second. As expected, the pressure doesn't get to Profar whose leadership qualities spark and his bat excels. An infarcted epiploic appendage keeps the shortstop one at-bat shy of exhausting his rookie status. http://bullpenbanter.com/rtmenu/725-projected-2013-top-10-prospects

·        Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey to undergo surgery to reconstruct ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb

·        Alfredo Despaigne hit his 34th HR of the season, a new single-season record in Cuba