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MINOR LEAGUE REPORT - Estes, Gerut impressive in front of GM by Jason Martinez sdpadrefan.com posted 5/04/08 Two veterans playing for AAA Portland are doing everything they can to get another taste of the major leagues. Former 19-game winner Shawn Estes has not pitched in the majors since the second game of the 2006 season, when he gave up three runs in six innings in his first and only start with the Padres. After recovering from elbow surgery, Estes, 35, signed a minor league contract with San Diego last season, He posted a 4.45 ERA in 28.1 innings, good enough for the Padres to sign him again for 2008. Although he did not pitch well in a spring audition, he has started to show signs of his old self, maybe just in the nick of time. With Justin Germano in danger of losing his #5 spot in the rotation and General Manager Kevin Towers in attendance, Estes pitched his best game of the season last night in Portland, tossing seven innings and allowing just four hits and an unearned run in seven innings. We should know soon enough how impressed Towers was by Estes' performance. While the #1 question among Padre fans has been, "When is Chase Headley going to be promoted?", the best player on the Portland roster has been 30 year-old outfielder Jody Gerut. After starting the season in San Diego, Gerut was sent to AAA after Jim Edmonds was activated off of the DL. After a somewhat slow start, Gerut has turned it on as of late, going 19-for-38 with four homers and 10 RBI's since April 21st. Most impressive, he has walked six times and struck out just twice over that stretch. Overall, the left-handed batter is hitting .322, with a .392 OBP. I think it's pretty safe to say that Gerut has figured out AAA pitching. Now they just have to create a spot for him on the big league roster. AA SAN ANTONIO ... The trio of Kyle Blanks, Craig Cooper, and Chad Huffman, who combined to hit .308 with 49 HR, 254 RBI's, and 82 doubles in Lake Elsinore last season, are at it again, this time in AA San Antonio. The 6'6" Blanks has yet to show much power, with just one homer in 26 games, but he is batting .309 with 18 walks and just eight strikeouts. Cooper is another big guy (6'1", 220) who has never hit for much power, but has hit over .300 in each of his four professional seasons. This season, he's batting .316 but has 16 hits and 11 RBI's in his last 35 at bats. Huffman is also in a groove, batting .436 over his last 10 games. He's batting .312 on the season with two homers, 16 RBI's, and nine doubles. He seems to enjoy batting against lefties (11-17, 4 doubles). HI A LAKE ELSINORE ... One of the Padres' few high-celing pitchers, right-hander Drew Miller, seems to flash his potential every so often and give the team a glimmer of hope into the future. The 22 year-old gave up just one earned run in 6.1 innings in his last start. He walked none and struck out 11. Miller had given up three runs in each of his last four starts, getting past the fourth inning just one time. If he can put it all together, he's someone who could be on the fast track. LO A FORT WAYNE ... The major league Padres might be one of the slowest teams in baseball but they might have one of the fastest minor league teams in baseball. While Portland, San Antonio and Lake Elsinore each have a few guys that can run (Antonelli, Alley, Dowdy, Diaz), the Fort Wayne team is full of guys that can fly. None are within three years of reaching the majors but it's good to know there could some speed on the way. Infielders Drew Cumberland (8 SB), Andy Parrino (5 SB), Lance Zawadzki (6 SB), and outfielders Luis Durango (7 SB), Bradley Chalk (3 SB), and Yefri Carvajal (2 SB) can all run well. Outfielder Danny Payne, who has yet to steal a base this season, stole 17 bases at Eugene last season. |