MM's Top 25- #4 RF Cesar Puello

#4 RF Cesar Puello (LR: #5)
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 2" Weight: 195 lb
Age: 23
Acquired: 2007 International Signing, Dominican Republic

2013: (AA) .326/.403/.547, 16 HR, 73 RBI, 24 SB (77%), 28 BB, 82 K
2012: (A+) .260/.328/.423, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 19 SB (90%), 7 BB, 58 K
2011: (A+) .259/.313/.397, 10 HR, 50 RBI, 19 SB (68%), 18 BB, 103 K
2010: (A) .292/.375/.359, 1 HR, 34 RBI, 45 SB (82%), 32 BB, 82 K
2009: (R) .296/.373/.423, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 15 SB (75%), 10 BB, 51 K

Biogenesis this, substance abuse that, steriods, creams, blah, blah, blah. Lets get the facts straight. Cesar Puello was suspended 50 games last season for his INVOLVEMENT with the Biogenesis facility during the his injury riddled 2012 season. 

"I made certain mistakes during the 2012 season and I accept full responsibility for those mistakes."

Puello's involvement can indirectly be tied to his desire to recover from his hamstring injuries. His prospect status should be evaluated based on his post-use, 2013 season only. Based on that, Puello had a tremendous season and has vaulted himself back into B prospect status. He was able to return his BB rate to above 7% and display some power at the "make or break" AA level for most prospects.

Defensively, he is as solid as they come. He gets good reads off the bat, takes smooth paths to the ball, and possesses a strong arm that will make runners think twice about advancing an extra base.

He still needs a little polishing before he comes up to the bigs though. His K rate is currently floating around 21% and ideally you would like to see that dip below the 20% mark. In addition his .326 avg last season was on a unsustainable .391 BABIP so he'll have to prove that he can at least hold a .280 avg with normalized luck.

With Chris Young signed to a 1 year deal only, it allows Puello to take his time and focus only on what he needs to improve rather then when he's expecting to get the call up to the bigs. If he performs extremely well in Vegas then a July promotion is not out of the question. Especially if Young is hitting well as Alderson will surely turn him into trade bait if Puello is deemed ready.

Anticipated Assignment: (AAA) Las Vegas starting RF
Ceiling: MLB starting RF, 1 or 2 All-Star seasons, 1 or 2 Gold Gloves
Floor: Second Division starting RF