Arenado hits second home run, extends RBI lead
Nolan Arenado was 4-for-5 with his second home run in as many games and drove in four, pushing his Arizona Fall League-leading total to 19 in a 12-9 Salt River win Tuesday. In 10 games, Arenado is hitting .422 — second in the league — and has struck out just twice in 45 at-bats.
Tim Wheeler was 1-for-3 with two RBI in the game. In 11 games, Wheeler is hitting .250 with a home run 15 RBI, which ranks second to Arenado. Ben Paulsen, who was 1-for-5, is hitting .237.
Casey Weathers struggled after a string of scoreless outings, allowing three runs on four hits without recording an out. Weathers is 1-0 with a 9.00 ERA, seven hits and seven walks in four innings.
Rob Scahill made his second appearance, allowing two hits and striking out two in an inning. Scahill was a 4.50 ERA in two innings.
Relievers Joe Gardner (0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in four innings) and Parker Frazier (1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in nine innings) did not appear in the game.
Nolan Arenado continues to grow on me the way Rex Brothers did back in the spring. I love his low strikeout ratio while continuing to drive in runs more often than not when the RISP situations present itself.
Steve, I’ve been looking to see who the Rocks got in return for Franklin Morales, but I’m having no success. Do you have an answer for me? Thanks for the updates!
Eric,
Franklin Morales was traded for a PTBNL. No such player has yet been named. It is reasonable to assume that if no player has been named by the beginning of next season, the Rockies have instead accepted cash from Boston in place of the player.
Wonder what they’ll use the $3.85 on. Starbucks?
Look for Arenado to move to 1st base and see him in the Major sometime 2013. 2012-Tulsa/CS-2013/ML-2013.
Thanks, Greg. I knew it was a PTBNL, but I’d assumed they had named that player by now. Sad to see them basically give a player away a few years after being the #8 prospect in all of baseball.
Onto the Arenado conversation, he’s definitely wearing shades because of his bright future. Although, I hear that he made tremendous improvements defensively at 3B, which makes me think they’ll keep him there. It’s looking more and more like he’ll be something special.
It’s also looking more and more that Weather’s is a complete bust! To be a top-10 pick and to not be able to throw strikes (even before his injury) is pathetic.
Arenado was picked as the best defensive third baseman in the Cal League in Baseball America’s best tools survey. Given the hole at the position in the majors, I don’t see him making the switch anytime soon. If he struggles defensively at Double-A, that could change, but for the moment it sounds like the Rockies have shelved talk of Arenado switching positions.
I agree the goal should be to keep him at first and hopefully Helton holds down the position until 2014 and we go get ourselves a huge FA bopper.
Meant keep Arenado at 3rd. Doh.
I’d keep Arenado at third for now.
Paulsen was going to be the first baseman of the future, but after a very strong spring training he doesn’t appear to have distinguished himself since. Maybe he’ll turn things around this coming year. Wasn’t he the Texas League defensive first baseman of the year? So, is he a question mark as to whether he is on track to be a major leaguer?
It sounds like a mixed report on Wheeler — good RBI and extra base hit production, but not a great batting average. I’d like to see him hitting for a higher average. His average also trailed off in the second part of last year in Tulsa. Do we think he is a sure bet as a major leaguer, or does the batting average raise questions?
Nice numbers for Frazier. Frazier, Bettis, and Cabrera should make for a formidable starting rotation in Tulsa this coming year. This looks a like a bright spot in the system, although they won’t help with the really awful situation that the Rockies have in terms of starting pitching for the coming year (although Bettis might be of help by the end of the year).
I know that “cash” seems at first anticlimactic and perhaps no real help in building a new team for next year or beyond, but if that money award is at all significant, think of all the ways it could make a difference during a season. No, it won’t buy a top free agent player or make a difference in a major trade. It could, however, make a signing bonus for a more expensive 2012 draft pick a little bit easier to manage, or it could make the acquisition of new talent cheaper, as that extra money could be applied to paying a player’s salary, maybe to the point of having to give up one less player in exchange for a larger salary consumption from the original team.
Or maybe the cash will go to the Casper buy-out for moving the Ghosts. ;-)
Seriously, though: thanks for the post, Greg. I’ve never really thought much about the actual impact of the cash option in these trades. Interesting to think about it in that way.
One more: or maybe it’ll pay for a humidor in the Springs!
Arenado is our best low minors pure hitting prospect since Ian Stewart.
OK, forget I said that ….
Boy I hope that Arenado exceeds what Stewart has done thus far. Although I don’t know that much about Arenado, I have read that he took it upon himself to lose weight last offseason to become a better fielder, and was the Cal Leasgue defensive third baseman of the year. So, it appears he has a strong work ethic, whereas on this site Stewart’s work ethic and passion have been questioned.
Julian you hit on the nose with Arenado.
Went to the Avs game last nite. Very interesting.
Dear God I miss baseball.