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If both the Nationals and Pirates would just to commit to having their best prospect in the majors, we could move on to some of the others knocking on the door.
But no, Trea Turner and Jameson Taillon are back at Triple-A after only a brief look, which means they're still two of the top five minor leaguers to stash. And since there's no compelling reason to bump any of the other three ... well, let's just say five may not be enough, especially now that we've reached a point where Super 2 is less of a concern.
You remember Jose Berrios? He struck out 11, allowing two runs on three hits, in his last start for Triple-A Rochester, and it's not like the Twins rotation is settled with Pat Dean and, yes, Ricky Nolasco still a part of it.
And Blake Snell? The Rays evidently won't need a fill-in when they skip Drew Smyly this time through the rotation, but if they decide another one of their struggling starters needs some extra rest -- Matt Moore, perhaps? -- they could go back to the man who two-hit the Yankees over five innings in his April 23 debut. He struck out nine over six scoreless innings in his last start for Triple-A Durham.
And A.J. Reed just got this ringing endorsement Wednesday:
"He's getting closer. No question about it," general manager Jeff Luhnow told the Houston Chronicle. "There are certain things that we're definitely looking for that will give us confidence that he's going to consistently deliver up here. But I don't think we're that far away."
I don't know why because he's batting just .242 with a .796 OPS at Triple-A Fresno of the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League (and his bat is about the only tool he has), but who am I to argue with the man calling the shots?
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Five on the verge
(These are the prospects most worth stashing in redraft leagues.)
Jameson Taillon, SP, Pirates
2016 majors: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
2016 minors: 4-2, 2.04 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 61 2/3 IP, 6 BB, 61 K
I had a feeling Taillon's first stint in the majors would be one-and-done. Keeping him up for the rest of the season would put him at risk for Super 2 status a few years down the road. Keeping him down for a couple more turns is obviously much safer, and if the Pirates have already waited this long, what's 10 more days? It's not like they've figured out who they're going to remove from the rotation anyway. Juan Nicasio looks like the leading candidate, but he's coming off one of his better starts.
Trea Turner, 2B, Nationals
2015 stats: .322 BA (454 AB), 8 HR, 29 SB, .828 OPS
2016 stats: .310 BA (213 AB), 3 HR, 19 SB, .837 OPS
So the Nationals call up Turner while Ryan Zimmerman is away on paternity leave. They start him his first game up. He goes 3 for 3 with a walk and a double and then doesn't get a single at-bat in the two games to follow. What the heck? It's as if the front office realized, "Wait, they won't let us send him down if he's too good. Abort! Abort!" Supposedly, they want his defense to improve at shortstop -- and they did start him at second base, where they're kind of settled with Daniel Murphy -- so his return date is anybody's guess.
Alex Bregman, SS, Astros
2015 stats: .294 BA (272 AB), 4 HR, .781 OPS, 29 BB, 30 K
2016 stats: .310 BA (174 AB), 12 HR, 1.007 OPS, 27 BB, 19 K
Carlos Correa left Thursday's game with a sprained ankle. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but seeing as their best option after he left was to shift Jose Altuve to shortstop for the first time in his career, they won't be able to go without him for long. Of course, Bregman, who's just biding his time at Double-A, doesn't necessarily need an injury to open the door for him, not with him getting some looks at third base, where the Astros are currently starting Luis Valbuena.
"I look at it as, whatever is going to get me there the fastest," Bregman told MLB.com. "If it's third base, I'm happy. If it's left field, I'm happy. If it's shortstop, I'm happy. It doesn't matter to me. I just want to get there quickly and stay there."
Tyler Glasnow, SP, Pirates
2015 stats: 7-5, 2.39 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 109 1/3 IP, 43 BB, 136 K
2016 stats: 6-2, 2.04 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 66 1/3 IP, 31 BB, 77 K
If the Pirates still don't have a clear opening for Taillon, then why are we wasting our time with Tyler Glasnow? Well, none of Nicasio, and Jonathon Niese and Jeff Locke are exactly fixtures, so when the Pirates decide Glasnow's control issues aren't a deal breaker -- or maybe, again, when they're comfortable that the elusive Super 2 date has passed -- they'll be able to make room for him. He has the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the organization, including both Taillon and Gerrit Cole.
Joey Gallo, OF, Rangers
2015 stats: .240 BA (321 AB), 23 HR, .862 OPS, 51 BB, 139 K
2016 stats: .288 BA (118 AB), 11 HR, 1.077 OPS, 31 BB, 37 K
Adrian Beltre is currently sidelined by a strained hamstring -- a mild case, but if it lingers, Gallo would likely be the first man up. The Rangers have resisted playing him in left field this season even though that's where he saw the most action in the majors last season, so you can understand why he didn't get to start in his previous stint this year, after Shin-Soo Choo went back on the DL. And now that the Rangers are struggling to find at-bats for Jurickson Profar, the minor leagues' most accomplished slugger might serve as only depth again if he did get the call.
Five on the periphery
(These are some other prospects doing something of note.)
Jose De Leon, SP, Dodgers
2015 stats: 6-7, 2.99 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 114 1/3 IP, 37 BB, 163 K
2016 stats: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.38 WHIP, 8 IP, 1 BB, 15 K
The Dodgers won't let Julio Urias throw more than 90 pitches in a game, so you know the 19-year-old isn't sticking around all season. But the equally electrifying De Leon has plenty left in the tank after missing time with ankle and shoulder injuries (both minor). He struck out six over three perfect innings in his first start back (second overall) for Triple-A Oklahoma City Tuesday after leading all minor-leaguers in strikeouts per nine innings last year.
Josh Hader, SP, Brewers
2015 stats: 4-7, 3.03 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 104 IP, 35 BB, 119 K
2016 stats: 2-1, 0.95 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 57 IP, 19 BB, 73 K
For too long now, the hype train has bypassed Hader, who wasn't among the Baseball America top 100 coming into the season. He's making that Carlos Gomez trade look even worse for the Astros with arguably the best numbers of any pitcher in the minors. It's only Double-A, which in no way diminishes the accomplishment, but the rebuilding Brewers are going to want to him to prove himself at hitter-friendly Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he was just promoted Wednesday, before they consider bringing him up.
Tyler O'Neill, OF, Mariners
2015 stats: .260 BA (407 AB), 32 HR, .874 OPS, 29 BB, 137 K
2016 stats: .332 BA (223 AB), 12 HR, .981 OPS, 24 BB, 59 K
O'Neill, like Hader, is looking like one of the biggest risers in the minor leagues this year. His 32 home runs last year, tied for second-most in the minors, were easy to overlook because he achieved them in the most hitter friendly of all the leagues. But the power has translated with his move up to Double-A, and having cut down on his strikeouts, he's showing us the full extent of his offensive potential, batting .415 (22 for 53) with seven doubles and three homers over his last 14 games.
Reynaldo Lopez, SP, Nationals
2015 stats: 6-7, 4.09 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 99 IP, 28 BB, 94 K
2016 stats: 1-4, 3.97 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 56 2/3 IP, 21 BB, 70 K
In this week's edition of "name a Nationals pitching prospect other than Lucas Giolito" (with Austin Voth taking center stage last week), we turn to Lopez, whose fastball pushes triple digits -- and without a prohibitive walk rate. His production hasn't quite measured up to his stuff as he works to refine his command and secondary arsenal, but that's beginning to change. He recorded 13 strikeouts over seven innings last time out, his second start and in three with a dozen or more, and may well beat Giolito to Triple-A.
Peter O'Brien, OF, Diamondbacks
2015 stats: .284 BA (490 AB), 26 HR, .883 OPS, 31 BB, 124 K
2016 stats: .330 BA (212 AB), 17 HR, 1.025 OPS, 9 BB, 61 K
O'Brien isn't the same caliber of prospect as Trea Turner or Joey Gallo, but he provided his own fakeout moment a couple weeks ago, coming up for just one at-bat. He has been gangbusters since returning to Triple-A Reno, though, batting .436 (17 for 39) with five home runs in nine games, but with Brandon Drury already on the outside looking in now that David Peralta is back in the Diamondbacks outfield, the 25-year-old slugger will continue to bide his time.
