The Dodgers made a few minor-league moves this week, and the two most significant ones involved the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

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Tony Delmonico, 2008 sixth-round pick, was released. The 25-year-old was hitting just .188 with the Quakes in 21 games.

He was drafted out of Florida State, converted to catcher, and had a great debut season in the Pioneer League: .340/.443/.716. The catching experiment didn’t work, despite a decent caught stealing percentage for a guy who never caught before (28 percent). However, 33 passed balls in 102 games is where the experiment ended.

Delmonico is a former favorite of mine, as I ranked him as high as No. 11 in my prospect rankings just three years ago. Last year he was No. 30 and this year was No. 46.

He has good on-base skills, as his .394 career on-base percentage reveals, but Delmonico played against inferior competition for most of his Dodgers career and has not fared well in the last couple of seasons.

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Jonathan Garcia, last year’s April monster with Great Lakes, now finds himself on the Ogden Raptors roster. There’s no word on whether he’s injured or not, but his performance with Rancho was definitely sub-par.

In 15 games, Garcia posted a .228/.250/.263 line with 22 strikeouts in 57 at-bats, and that simply isn’t going to get it done for the 20-year-old. After hitting 19 home runs in the Midwest League as a 19-year-old last season, he had just two extra-base hits for the Quakes (two doubles).

When I saw him in person a a couple weeks ago, he actually had a good first two at-bats, singling both times. However, he struck out in his next two appearances and looked bad doing so. He swung at pitches that were literally eye-level, which speaks to his problem area.

Presumably, he went down to Ogden because the roster of Great Lakes is jam-packed. However, Ogden’s season doesn’t start until June 18th (two weeks after the draft), so maybe the Dodgers are just giving Garcia a little time off. Like I said, no word on whether he’s injured.

Fortunately for Garcia, he’s still young. His boom or bust potential is possibly the highest of any Dodgers position player, and he could use some seasoning at the lower levels to get his confidence back. Garcia just needs to get back to doing what was working for him, because for a smaller guy (5’11, 175 pounds) he has some great power potential. Hopefully a stint with the Raptors will get him back on track.

Given the dearth of position player talent in the Dodgers system, they badly needed him to progress, but all he’s done is regress so far in 2012.

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Jarrad Page, the former football player, began his season with the Quakes, but he also finds himself on the Raptors roster after going 1-for-10 with a walk and three strikeouts.

Brian Cavazos-Galvez, the subject of a previous post, was demoted from Chattanooga to Rancho in hopes of boosting the team’s offense (even though he couldn’t cut it this time ’round with the Lookouts).

Joc Pederson also made his return (injury) to Rancho on Wednesday night, going 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.

When Brian Cavazos-Galvez put up a .971 OPS with Ogden in 2009, there was some hope for the 12th-round selection. As a 22-year-old, he was a lot older than his competition, but as far as debut seasons go, it was satisfactory.

He then moved up to Great Lakes the next season and posted an .863 OPS, which got some folks to take notice. In fact, I ranked him as the Dodgers 17th-best prospect heading into 2011.

Unfortunately, Cavazos-Galvez jumped to Chattanooga last year and was exposed, posting a .781 OPS and not walking at all.

So when he started this season 4-for-27 (.148), no one was especially surprised. Then he busted out, smashing two home runs while going 4-for-5 on April 14th, and his OPS proceeded to more than double (from .405 to .833). Matching the pattern of consistent inconsistency, he was then mired in a 1-for-27 slump before busting out again with a 3-for-6, two home run performance. If the pattern keeps up, he’ll probably hit another two home runs in a couple of weeks.

Still, despite flashes of hope, his inability to draw walks is alarming.

• 2009: 3.0% (301 AB)
• 2010: 2.4% (490 AB)
• 2011: 2.9% (411 AB)
• 2012: 7.7% (65 AB)

In all honesty, he probably shouldn’t be getting as much playing time as he is with the Lookouts, but Kyle Russell is on the disabled list and the squad doesn’t have a legitimate full-time first baseman, though J.T. Wise is slowly taking hold of that role.

So the bottom line is that Cavazos-Galvez, who is now 24 (25 in May), isn’t much of a prospect. Despite flashes of brilliance that have some hoping he can be a contributor, he doesn’t have any defensive value, doesn’t steal bases anymore (43 in 2010, 18 total since), and hasn’t ever shown the ability to take a walk. It’s not a combination that usually leads to a productive baseball player.

Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Pitchers
Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Hitters
Arizona League Dodgers: Pitchers
Arizona League Dodgers: Hitters
Ogden Raptors: Pitchers

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Continuing my off-season recap of the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates, I will be moving on to the hitters of the Ogden Raptors.

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I’ll be picking the prospects for the 2012 Prospective Prospect Profiles list from these reviews, so it might be worth reading. Or not.

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Joc Pederson – OF – 19

Joc Pederson Statistics

2010 11th round draft pick Joc Pederson destroyed the Pioneer League in 2011, it’s as simple as that. He put up a .353/.429/.568/.997 line (.792 OPS=Average) in 310 plate appearances, striking out 17.4% of the time, while walking at a 11.6% clip, both clearly better than the league average.

He has solid plate discipline, makes consistent content, and should be able to play good defense in the corners. Perhaps most impressive is his flash of immediate power out of high school, even if it was the Pioneer League.

He struggled a bit in A-ball to take some shine off his 2011, but he was one of the youngest players in that league, so giving him a pass for now isn’t hard. He’ll end up in A-ball again to begin 2012 and I’m excited to see how he fares.

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James Baldwin – OF – 19

James Baldwin Statistics

A fourth round draft pick in 2010 and son of a former MLB pitcher, James Baldwin flashes tools but still lacks refinement.

His .250/.348/.480/.828 line is solid, especially for a raw player, but striking out 32.6% of the time is just unacceptable. He doesn’t walk a lot to compensate for it either (7.8%), so it’s obvious that plate discipline and consistent contact will be his main issues going forward.

Baldwin’s athleticism, speed, and arm are generally unquestionable. Furthermore, he has power projection, which stacks even more potential onto a player who projects in center field. With that said, it’s hard to get around that strikeout rate, especially in Rookie-ball. My main concerns are that I don’t think he has particularly quick hands and his swing is lengthy enough where it’s not in the hitting zone for long. He has closed his stance off a bit since high school in an effort to shorten his stroke, and I think it has helped simplify his timing, but the swing itself still has the same path to it.

Given the Dodgers history with pushing raw players (Dee Gordon), I expect Baldwin to be in A-ball in 2012.

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O’Koyea Dickson – 1B – 21

O’Koyea Dickson Statistics

Taken in the 12th round of the 2011 draft, O’Koyea Dickson set the Pioneer League on fire in his professional debut. He put up a .333/.402/.603/1.005 line, which is impressive regardless of where it was done.

He hit at home (.979), on the road (1.044), against lefties (.999), and righties (1.007). Perhaps most noteworthy is that his strikeout rate was above average (20.5%) despite his power stroke. Dickson’s walk rate could use work though (8.8%), as it’s solid, but it’ll need to inflate as he moves levels.

Dickson has a quiet approach at the plate without much movement or complexities, and his swing is generally short and efficient. When he gets the ball in his zone, he squares up well, but can elongate his swing against tough pitches at the edges of the strike zone. I really like his hands and I think there’s a chance that he could develop into a good prospect. I would be remissed if I didn’t mention his short stature for the position though, which could ultimately handcuff him.

I’d like to see how he performs in A-ball before getting too excited, as he’s limited to first base defensively, and the offensive bar for that position is quite high. Still, you couldn’t ask him to do much more at the level he was put at.

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Scott Schebler – OF – 20

Scott Schebler Statistics

A 26th round pick in 2010, Scott Schebler was supposed to be able to hit, and that he did in his first extended season as a professional.

Schebler hit 13 homers en route to putting up a .285/.324/.529/.853 line for 2011. Of course, the problem is obvious, as he walked 4.1% of the time (13) but struck out in a frightening 30.8% of plate appearances (97).

I’m not all that optimistic going forward, mainly because he’ll need to do a ton better than that to play a corner.

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Noel Cuevas – OF – 19

Noel Cuevas Statistics

Sent to the California League to begin 2011, the 2010 21st round draft pick struggled immensely before being sent down to the Pioneer League.

Noel Cuevas played much better after the demotion, posting a .285/.326/.488/.814 line, both demonstrating that he can hit and why he struggled against better competition. The 20.2 K% is solid, but the 5.2 BB% is the problem area.

He’s not a refined product, so I’m unsure why they pushed him so quickly, as he’s one of the many that needs extra time to develop.

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Scott Wingo – 2B – 22

Scott Wingo Statistics

The 11th round 2011 draft pick out of South Carolina had an impressive professional debut that begs the question of where he’ll end up in 2012.

His line of .275/.464/.459/.922 showed the extent to which he overmatched Pioneer League pitchers, carrying a 19.9 K% and a 18.5 BB%.

For the coming year, whether he starts in the Midwest League or California League should tell us what the Dodgers think of his tools.

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Pratt Maynard – C – 21

Pratt Maynard Statistics

Drafted in the third round of the 2011 draft because he could hit, Pratt Maynard did none of that in 2011. He put up a line of .239/.346/.341/.687 in 104 plate appearances and never looked comfortable.

It wasn’t bad luck either, as his BABIP wasn’t so far removed from the league average that it could explain away his issues, at least not so much as his 67.7% ground ball rate would. On the positive side, he controlled the plate reasonably well, posting a 23.1 K% and a 12.5 BB%, but as far as actually hitting the ball, he didn’t do it.

It’s certainly not enough to condemn him, but it’s not the start you want in a hitter friendly league from your third round, bat first college catcher. As a mediocre defensive receiver, he’ll need to improve in both aspects at this point.

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Justin Boudreaux – SS – 21

Justin Boudreaux Statistics

Posting a .265/.400/.442/.842 line, Justin Boudreaux flashed plate discipline and pop, but didn’t make a significant impression considering he was a three year starter in college (Southeastern Louisiana).

He controls the strike zone well and makes consistent enough contact, but it’s his speed that has allowed him to excel thus far, stealing 16 bases without being caught. Defensively, he’s a tad error prone, but that can be cleaned up with time and he has the tools to stick at shortstop.

Boudreaux will have to be pushed to A-ball in 2012 if he’s going to be a relevant prospect.

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Jan Vazquez – C – 20

Jan Vazquez Statistics

To be totally honest, it’s starting to look like Jan Vazquez is becoming yet another example of why you don’t draft catch-and-throw backstops who have to be taught how to hit.

A sixth round selection in 2009, Vazquez is still in Rookie-ball sharing time with other catchers after three years as a professional. On the positive side, he’s getting better (OPS=.558/.648/.674 CS%=22/23/32). On the negative side, those still aren’t even average numbers and the scouting reports aren’t exactly glowing.

He might struggle to become even organizational depth if he doesn’t take a step forward in 2012.

Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Pitchers
Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Hitters
Arizona League Dodgers: Pitchers
Arizona League Dodgers: Hitters

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Besides the fact that Raptors actually had feathers, is it just me or is the logo creepy as hell?

Anyway, I’ll continue my off-season recap of the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates today, moving on to the pitchers of the Ogden Raptors.

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I’ll be picking the prospects for the 2012 Prospective Prospect Profiles list from these reviews, so it might be worth reading. Or not.

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Ryan O’Sullivan – RHP – 20

Ryan O’ Sullivan Statistics

A fourth round pick of the Dodgers in the 2011 Draft out of Oklahoma City University, Ryan O’Sullivan only ended up at the school because of academic problems that forced him to transfer from San Diego State. Additionally, he missed essentially all of 2010 at San Diego State with an elbow injury.

In his professional debut, he posted a 6.48 ERA over 8.1 IP with 6 walks and 5 strikeouts, statistics that won’t turn any heads, but it’s his stuff that’s worth mentioning. Since high school, he has put on 15-20 pounds and upped his velocity from 88-90 to 91-93 and tuned his high-70s slurve to a low-80s power curve.

With the layoff, I’m unsure of his future as a starter, especially since he essentially missed two years of competition, but the potential seems to be there. Given that he missed all of 2010 and then showed up in 2011 academically ineligible, I would have to say that’s a concern as well.

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Yimi Garcia – RHP – 20

Yimi Garcia Statistics

In 52.1 IP for Ogden in 2011, primarily out of the bullpen, Yimi Garcia struck out 71 batters and walked just 19 for a K% of 31.8 and a BB% of 8.5. Better yet, his 3.10 ERA is actually an understatement of his performance, as his FIP sat at 2.68.

I assume he moves a level in 2012, earning a real test at full season ball.

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Brandon Martinez – RHP – 20

Brandon Martinez Statistics

After two tough years in the Arizona League (ERA=9.86/5.25), Brandon Martinez seemed to take a step forward in 2011, posting a 4.07 ERA in Ogden. However, he did walk 13.4% of the batters he faced while striking out only 17.7%, both of which were about 5% worse than the league average. His FIP of 4.57 was .59 worse than league average as well, so it’s far too early to call this any type of actual progression in performance.

Of course, the upside with him is that he sits in the low-90s with three pitches and has projectability to his fastball. I still don’t like his footwork at footstrike, where he basically works against himself by straightening his front leg instead of driving through the pitch. If he could correct that, I think his balance gets better as well, and he would see better control and additional velocity.

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Gustavo Gomez – RHP – 20

Gustavo Gomez Statistics

After struggling in full season A-ball to begin the year, Gustavo Gomez found immediate success in Ogden, winning June’s Dodger Pride Award.

Unfortunately, he faded shortly after, posting a 4.87 ERA and a 4.58 FIP for 2011. The upside is that he struck out 28.8% of the batters he faced, though he struggled with command, walking 12.8%.

Gomez certainly has the arm to do better, touching 94 and sitting in the low-90s, but like with most hard throwers, his ultimate success and role will depend on the development of his secondary pitches and his command.

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Derek Cone – RHP – 21

Derek Cone Statistics

Pitching in the Arizona League, Pioneer League, and Midwest League in 2011, Derek Cone was rather average at all levels (4.50/5.03/5.68). Spending most of his time in Rookie-ball, he managed to post a 4.34 FIP there due to striking out 27.0% of batters. His 10.9% walk rate will have to come down, but that might come with experience, especially given his frame.

At 6’5″ and lanky, there’s enough projectability to assume that his high-80s fastball will end up in the low-90s eventually.

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Raydel Sanchez – RHP – 21

Raydel Sanchez Statistics

Raydel Sanchez defected from Cuba in 2008 during a tournament in Canada and the Dodgers signed him for $125,000 in 2011.

Sanchez was impressive in his professional debut, leading Ogden in innings pitched (75.3), striking out 22.8% of batters, and walking a miniscule 4.7%. The 4.66 ERA doesn’t look impressive, but the 3.81 FIP is a better reflection of his performance.

He’s not exactly young, so I’m guessing the Dodgers will move him to full season ball on the strength of his 2011.

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Matt Shelton – RHP – 22

Matt Shelton Statistics

The 2011 24th round draft pick out of Sam Houston State made a solid professional debut. In 26.1 IP in relief, Shelton posted a 2.05 ERA and a 3.01 FIP. He struck out 26.5% of batters he faced and walked 7.1%, both well clear of the league average. Perhaps one of the better signs though is his 51.5% ground ball rate.

Shelton did what he was supposed to do as a college pitcher in Rookie-ball and set himself up as a player to watch as he moves to full season ball in 2012.