Bernie on the Scene: Deep Dive into East Division Prospects

This is my last article that digs deeply into MLB organizational prospects.

Today I look at teams in both East divisions.

With finances being tight for MLB clubs, prospects currently on rosters become crucial. Some of them may end up on our fantasy teams.

When a player has already made the 40-man roster, he is closer to the big leagues. I have marked those players accordingly.

Scouting Grades:

45 = utility, part-time player with a platoon possible
50 = a regular player in the lineup daily with less probability of being platooned
55 = an above average player with multiple skills

American League East

Terrin Vavra, INF, Orioles

The Rockies drafted Vavra in the third round in 2018 out of the University of Minnesota. They traded him to Baltimore for reliever Mychal Givens.

A left-handed hitter, Vavra is long and lean at 6-foot-1, 185. I think the Orioles have a solid player in Vavra. Having turned 23 in May, Vavra is the type of hitter who can help an Orioles club that has long needed middle infielders. He can play both shortstop and second base.

Vavra has excellent pitch recognition and exudes patience at the plate. He hit a combined .349/.410/.507/.917 in college. Vavra has an outstanding career walk rate, and he keeps strikeouts to a minimum.

Vavra favors using the entire field with a level, measured swing that finds the barrel. A gap hitter, he doesn't project to hit more than 15 homers in a season. Even that would be solid from a middle-infielder. 

He has only reached A ball, so he has some time left in development. However, as a college player, he could move quickly.

GRADE: 50

Jarren Duran, 2B/OF, Red Sox

Jarren Duran was drafted in the seventh round in 2018 by the Red Sox. He went to Long Beach State.

I got to see Duran in the 2019 Arizona Fall League, where he went .267/.337/.400/.737. He did hit five doubles and struck out only 20 times in 101 plate appearances.

Duran has plenty of raw tools to offer the Red Sox. First and foremost, he has speed to steal bases, which he has done consistently in his background. He also has a quality hit tool, which translates to a good enough batting average to be in the lineup every day.

Duran can play the outfield as well as second base. My guess is the Red Sox want him as a center fielder with speed enough to track down balls. His arm strength is only mediocre.

I like the future for Duran in Boston. He makes contact, knows how to play the game and can be an exciting gap hitter who can stretch a single to a double with ease.

GRADE: 50

Albert Abreu, RHP, Yankees (40-man roster)

Albert Abreu was an international signing by the Yankees out of the Dominican Republic.

He pitched for the parent team this past season, throwing 26 innings and earning a save. He finished with a 4.50 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.

Abreu was originally seen as a budding Yankees pitching star, but arm injuries have cost him time on the mound. He is big and strong at 6-2, 190, with a good fastball as his bread and butter.

Abreu's fastball is 96-98 mph, which is the reason scouts always grade him highly. However, walking 3.8 hitters per nine innings isn't helping him. He strikes out 9.3 per nine.

Abreu's fastball has a tendency to flatten as his velocity increases. That's an issue, and it makes him much more vulnerable. His curveball is a quality pitch and it could help bolster his career.

His arm issues have forced the Yankees to use him more in relief than in the rotation, but that could change if he shows he is stretched out and strong enough to handle a starter's role.

GRADE: 50

Ronaldo Hernandez, C, Rays (40-man roster)

Ronaldo Hernandez was an international free agent signing by the Rays out of Colombia.

When I saw Hernandez play in the 2019 Arizona Fall League, he flashed an extremely loud bat. He hit .350/.381/.513/.894. I also saw him in the 2018 Fall League, and he hit well then, too.

When the Rays develop a player like Hernandez, one can be sure he is in their plans. He can hit. Hernandez is a very powerful hitter. He uses his entire body at the plate, and I think he can be dangerous. He also has a strong and accurate throwing arm, keeping him in the mix as a catcher for his future. He does, however, have work to do on the basic fundamentals of catching. That may take some time.

Some scouts question Hernandez' ability to hit major league quality pitching for average. We'll have to wait and see about that. But I've like what I've seen so far.

I think Hernandez has a shot to be the club's regular catcher sooner than later.

GRADE: 50

Alejandro Kirk, C, Blue Jays (40-man roster)

The Blue Jays signed Alejandro Kirk out of Mexico as an international free agent. He played for the parent team this past season, getting 25 plate appearances and hitting .375/.400/.583/.983. He hit two doubles and a homer, while striking out four times.

Kirk has hit at every level of his development. A right-handed hitter, Kirk is short and stocky at 5-8, 265. It is his bat that plays. He can hit quality pitching. And he has some pop in his bat.

Kirk has quick hands with very flew, if any fundamental hitting flaws. He's a natural with a bat in his hand. He's a better edition of the Twins Willians Astudillo, who can also hit.

Kirk is not athletic, and he profiles more as a designated hitter than as a catcher. However, I can see the Blue Jays using him behind the plate as a back-up type. But when it comes down to it, that type of bat has to play — somewhere.

GRADE: 50

National League East

Braden Shewmake, SS/2B, Braves 

Braden Shewmake is 6-4 and 190. He's tall and lean and looks out of place as a middle-infielder. He, however, was a first-round pick of the Braves out of Texas A&M in 2019. I think he'll be on the fast track.

Shewmake earned his draft status by hitting .323/.381./487/.868 in college. He is a natural hitter with superb mechanics and very solid eye-hand coordination.

Disdaining an uppercut swing, Shewmake uses the entire field as a spray hitter with confidence enough in his abilities to avoid hunting home runs. That's good, because there isn't much power in his frame. Ultimately, he may walk into some home runs, but that isn't his game.

He has speed to steal bases and take an extra base when he sees the chance. He will hit the gaps and be off to the races.

GRADE: 50

Griffin Conine, OF, Marlins

The Marlins are absolutely loaded with exceptional prospects. Conine is good, but he's down on the team's ranking due to the depth of their organization.

Conine was a second-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2018. He had been taken by the Marlins in 2015, but he chose to go to Duke instead. The Marlins traded Jonathan Villar to the Blue Jays to get Griffin Conine, who is the son of former Marlins star Jeff Conine.

A left-handed hitter, Conine has power to all fields from a very solid 6-1, 213-pound frame. He has really good bat speed and could easily be a 30-home run hitter at the big league level. 

As is the case with many young power hitters, Conine strikes out far too much. In 2019 at Lansing in the Midwest League, he struck out 125 times in 348 plate appearances, and that's only Class-A baseball.

Conine has historically struggled against left-handed pitching, which leads me to believe there may be a platoon role in his future.

GRADE: 45

Carlos Cortes, OF/2B, Mets

Carlos Cortes was selected by the Mets in the third round of the 2018 draft out of the University of North Carolina.

At 5-7, 197 pounds, Cortes is one of those guys who has to flash some real skills and tools to get attention. His best chance to gain a role on a big-league club is his hitting ability. He should be able to hit for average. The bonus with Cortes is the power he generates from his slight frame. He could hit some big league homers if given a chance to play.

I mention Cortes in this article because he is the type of guy we read about being thrown in deals. He could be the extra guy a team trades for because they want roster depth. Those guys often get big-league playing time.

The Mets gave him $1.038M to sign with them after Cortes showed some power at North Carolina. That pop could propel him to the big leagues.

GRADE: 45

Simon Muzziotti, OF, Phillies (40-man roster)

Simon Muzziotti is an international free agent outfielder from Venezuela.

Muzziotti is the type of guy who gets his uniform dirty, a center fielder who will dive for balls and climb walls to make a catch.

At the plate, Muzziotti will bunt. Slap the ball. Do what it takes to get on base. He doesn't have much power in his 6-1, 175-pound frame, but he has heart. He'll slap singles and steal a base. He has good speed, and he's a pest.

He's a gritty guy who can beat the opposition by doing little things and playing to win. But he won't hit the ball out of the park and he may have to fight for playing time.

GRADE: 45

Tres Barrera, C, Nationals

Barrera was a sixth-round draft pick by Washington out of University of Texas in 2016.

I mention Barrerra here because he is improving as a hitter and the Nationals already used him at the big league level in 2019. He may have a future as a backup catcher. But that future may have to wait. Barrera was suspended 80 games for use of a restricted substance this past July, so his future became a bit more cloudy.

Barrerra has worked hard to improve his contact skills and overall hitting mechanics. He has gained patience at the plate, and his power can't be denied. He can hit the ball out of the park by using all of his 6-0, 215-pound frame.

Remember his name, but don't look for him until late in the coming season, if then.

GRADE: 45

HEADING HOME

The annual Winter Meetings have been canceled this year. Virtual meetings will be held. Of interest will be the Rule 5 draft. Teams may be able to draft players not protected on 40-man rosters for a fee of $100,000. If the player selected is not kept on the team's 25-man roster all season, the selected player may be returned to his original team for $50,000.

In these tough economic times for MLB, I don't think we'll see many players selected for that fee.

Follow me on Twitter @BerniePleskoff and read my baseball articles at forbes.com. Articles like this.