There's only a few weeks left until rosters expand to 40 players on September 1, which means I'll be winding down the callup coverage. As a result, next week's column will be the last standard callup feature of the year. After that I'll have a full column looking at the September callups, analyzing both their value for this season and for 2009. For the remainder of September I'll be posting various columns about the minor leagues. That list includes looking at who has raised their stock the most in 2008 as well as who is most likely to provide value in 2009. Finally, I'll end with a review of the Rookie of the Year preview I posted back in early April. But for now, we still have some callups to take a gander at, so let's go to it.
Major League Callups
Joaquin Arias - 2B Rangers - Back in the majors for the first time since 2006, Arias will look to carve out a role as a utility player for the Rangers. The former Yankee farmhand was signed out of the Dominican Republic back in 2001 as a slick-fielding shortstop with some offensive potential. While Arias is a career .288 hitter in the minors and strikes out infrequently, he never developed power or much of an eye at the plate; his career best in homers is seven (this year), doubles 23, and walks 31.
This year was no different for Arias, who was batting .296 with a .421 slugging percentage and 19 walks for Triple-A Oklahoma. That he was able to return to hitting reasonably well after missing almost all of last season with shoulder surgery is impressive, but ultimately doesn't change his value. Arias is still known as a plus defender and he also has 25-steal wheels, so a career as a backup infielder is likely. His decent batting average and speed would make him mildly useful if he ever had a full-time job, similar to a Jason Bartlett. With Ian Kinsler shelved, Arias will platoon with Ramon Vazquez at second base and start against southpaws. He's unlikely to provide fantasy value while doing so.
Recommendation: Monitor in AL-only formats.
Brett Gardner - OF Yankees -I discussed Gardner's chances of helping a fantasy team when he first called up on June 30, but now he's back in the majors again. Gardner was just 9-for-59 with one extra-base hit and five walks during his last stint with the big club. He was often overmatched and struck out 17 times during that stretch, but he still managed to swipe five bags in limited action. I was concerned with Gardner's strikeouts when he was promoted the first time, and they remain a legitimate concern now. Leadoff hitters who strike out often and have no power simply have trouble translating to the majors, and Gardner will face the same challenges he had last time he was up.
Gardner will serve as the Yankees' fourth outfielder with Hideki Matsui limited to designated hitter duties. He'll pinch-run enough and get an occasional start so he should be worth claiming in deep AL-only leagues. While Gardner could hit .270 or so if things break right, he's probably not ready to do so now and thus only steals should be expected of him. He's also not likely to hold down a big league job for long stretches at a time, so those in keeper leagues don't need to be aggressive despite his 50-steal potential.
Recommendation: Monitor in AL-only formats.
Sports
Travis Ishikawa - 1B Giants - Signed away from Oregon State for a bonus just south of $1 million back in 2002, Ishikawa's tools have kept scouts interested in him for some time. The 6'3", 225-pound left-hander looked to have finally broken out for High-A San Jose in 2005 with a .282/.387/.532 mark, but he hasn't kept it up since. Perhaps playing in the California League helped him more than other hitters, and the then 22-year-old struggled mightily in Double-A the next season. Ishikawa went back to Connecticut to begin the 2007 season and struggled mightily with an awful 587 OPS in 48 games. He was sent back to High-A San Jose as a result and hit well, though he was 23 and in his second turn at the level.
However, Ishikawa finally showed some potential outside of the California League this year. He hit .291 with 16 doubles, eight homers and a nifty 45/35 K/BB in 64 games with pitcher-friendly Connecticut, then mashed to the tune of a .310/.370/.737 mark that included 16 homers in 48 games for Triple-A Fresno. Ishikawa turns 25 in September and that it's taken him so long to develop means he needs to be looked at with caution, but his production has been incredible the last two months.
Ishikawa was doing particularly well in August before his callup, smacking seven homers and six doubles in just 11 games. It's carried over well so far, as he's gone 6-for-17 with a homer and two doubles in five games. Ishikawa has a reputation as a very physically strong player and scouts have always seen projection in his swing, so perhaps there's something here. The Giants will start the left-hander at first base most days with John Bowker in the minors and Rich Aurilia nearing 37, so Ishikawa has a clear path to fantasy value. Since he's scorching hot right now, feel free to take a flier in NL-only leagues. If you've got too much FAAB left, go ahead and splurge a little. However, Ishikawa is not yet proven enough to target in keeper leagues.
Recommendation: Claim in NL-only leagues.
Eric Patterson - OF Athletics - Another player recalled to the majors after a brief stint in the minors, Patterson was first called up to the Athletics on July 27 and I discussed his chances of helping back then. Patterson went 0-for-10 during that brief stint, but he continued hitting well in the minors upon returning there by batting .310 with three extra-base hits and three steals in 10 games. Overall, Patterson has hit .324/.366/.529 in 312 Triple-A at-bats this season, and he's also thrown in 19 steals in 21 attempts.
With Ryan Sweeney on the disabled list due to a bad thumb, Patterson will get another chance, albeit brief, in the majors. Sweeney's injury isn't serious and he should be back somewhere between August 27 and September 1, so Patterson's value will be fleeting. That said, he should start against right-handers for the next week or two, and AL-only leaguers can expect better production than he's shown thus far in the majors. He's a fine short-term claim in AL-only leagues, and he should already be claimed in deep AL-only keeper formats.
Recommendation: Claim in AL-only leagues.
Ryan Rohlinger - 3B Giants - A sixth round pick out of Oklahoma in 2006, Rohlinger showed the ability to hit for a strong average and modest power with good plate discipline while batting .387 with a .617 slugging percentage and 24/33 K/BB his senior season. The Giants signed him quickly and assigned him to the Northwest League. Rohlinger struggled to produce, though he wasn't striking out much with a 27/27 K/BB in 65 games. A move up to Single-A Augusta went a little better, but Rohlinger's .235/.332/.415 mark as a 23-year-old in the South Atlantic League wasn't cutting it. He looked slightly better for High-A San Jose and Double-A Connecticut this season, but Rohlinger's combined .289/.364/.447 mark as a 24-year-old was nothing to write home about.
Naturally, Rohlinger's completely uninspiring performance was enough to give him the starting third base job for the Giants down the stretch. While it's true there was no point in continuing to play Jose Bautista, it's pretty sad the Giants had to reach to Double-A for a player and this was still the best they could do. Either way, Rohlinger will get enough at-bats down the stretch that he'll have to back into some runs and RBI. He doesn't have enough power or speed to make a difference, but he has enough plate discipline to scratch out a .260 average if things go well. He's not likely to have much fantasy value as a result.
Recommendation: Monitor in NL-only leagues.
Pablo Sandoval - C Giants - It's hard not to root for Sandoval. He's built like a bowling ball at 5'11" with a listed weight of 245 pounds, which may even be a little light, and doesn't look like much of a ball player in jeans. The native of Venezuela is always smiling, very energetic, and just genuinely seems to be enjoying himself when playing the game. On top of that, Sandoval has a unique pre-at-bat ritual where he suddenly jumps out in front of the batter's box to tap his shoes, and then goes back to digging in. Fortunately for Sandoval fans, he's got the potential to stick in the big leagues as an offensive-minded catcher.
Sandoval broke into professional baseball at the age of 17 with the Arizona Giants back in 2004. He didn't look particularly impressive there, but he did manage to hit .330 with good plate discipline in the Northwest League the next season. The good fortune failed to carry forward into 2006, but Sandoval posted a reasonable .287/.312/.476 for High-A San Jose the following season. The low walk rate was a concern and it being the California League meant even the slugging percentage needed to be taken with a grain of salt. However, Sandoval was just 20 years old, and that he struck out just 52 times in 401 at-bats was impressive.
Back at San Jose to begin the season, Sandoval suddenly looks like a different hitter. He had an absolutely monstrous April, batting .453 with 15 doubles and seven homers in just 86 at-bats. Sandoval cooled some in May and June, but he still hit over .300 in both months in addition to smacking 10 more doubles and five more homers in 186 at-bats. The Giants promoted Sandoval to Double-A Connecticut anyway, and he again began tearing the cover off the ball. He hit .345/.374/.570 with eight homers in 157 at-bats despite playing in a pitcher's park, though one that isn't as extreme in the summer. For the year he's batting .355 with 38 doubles, 20 homers, and a 57/31 K/BB in just 437 at-bats.
Perhaps more impressive than Sandoval's bat is the improvement he's made with the glove. Sandoval's stature starts him at a disadvantage and he's played both first and third base in the minors before. This season he was playing primarily catcher with some first base and DH mixed in, and the Giants have raved about the improvements he's made. And that's followed through to the majors, where manager Bruce Bochy and pitcher Barry Zito have both already praised the rookie. The now 22-year-old Sandoval (August 11 birthday) will have to make sure he keeps additional weight off and he may be destined for first base eventually with Buster Posey in the minors, but the early signs are encouraging for him to stick behind the plate for at least a few seasons.
That said, ultimately Sandoval's value will be tied to his bat. He's got a surprisingly quick swing and legitimate power, though it's more of the doubles variety. A .375 BABIP is certainly helping his production, but since he strikes out so little and hits the ball with authority it's not all a fluke. That the switch-hitter has trouble with lefties could also limit his value, but overall I still think Sandoval has a chance to hit .280-.290 with 15-20 homer power. That means he's someone to grab in keeper NL-only formats, and mixed leaguers should keep him in the back of their minds if Bengie Molina is traded or Sandoval moves to first full-time. Since the Giants have nothing to gain by running Molina into the ground, Sandoval should get two starts per week at catcher and perhaps some time at first base. He's a good claim in two-catcher NL-only leagues as a result.
Recommendation: Claim in NL-only one-year and keeper leagues; watch in mixed formats.
