Tag Archives: 2007 MLB Draft

Phillies Pitching Prospect Phillippe Aumont Starting To Live Up To His 1st Round Pick Expectations

Ever since the Seattle Mariners drafted him with the 11th overall pick of the 2007 draft, Phillippe Aumont has had high expectations placed on him. When he was one of the key components in the the Cliff Lee to Seattle deal made with the Philadelphia Phillies, the expectations continued to climb. However up until the 2011 season, the expectations had always outweighed Aumont’s performance. After a 2010 season that saw the 6’7″ righthander struggle to a combined 3-11 record with a 5.68ERA with 80 walks in 122 innings between the High-A Clearwater Threshers and Double-A Reading, 2011 brought with it a move to the bullpen and a chance to flourish. Aumont has responded to the new role going a combined 1-5 with 7 saves and a 2.61ERA in 48.1 innings between Reading and the Triple-A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. He is currently holding opposing hitters to a career low .220 batting average against. In the story which is a very solid read, Aumont talks about dealing with the lofty expectations that were put on him, finding confidence for the first time in a long time, and the impact working in the off season with Phillies sports psychologist Dr. Jack Curtis.

Aumont bouncing back from brutal 2010 season — Fox43.com

Prospect Breakdown: Mariners Trade Doug Fister & David Pauley to Detroit For Francisco Martinez, Charlie Furbush, & Casper Wells

The Seattle Mariners have traded pitchers Doug Fister and David Pauley to the Detroit Tigers for pitcher Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells and Francisco Martinez. The 20 year old Martinez is one of the top prospects in the Tigers organization. The third baseman is one of the youngest players in the Double-A Eastern League and is holding his own at the level batting .282 with 14 Doubles, 4 Triples, 7 Home Runs, and 46 RBI’s this season. He played in the 2011 Futures Game. Martinez has been fast tracked through the organization since signing with the Tigers as a non drafted free agent out of Venezuela back in 2007. Last season in High-A, Martinez hit Florida State League pitching to the tune of .271 with 17 Doubles and 3 Home Runs. He is a steal for the Mariners in this trade and has serious big league potential in the future. The 26 year old Wells has bounced between Detroit and the Triple-A Toledo Mudhens the past two seasons. In 64 games in Detroit in 2011, Wells batted .257 with 10 Doubles, 4 Home Runs, and 12 RBI’s. He was sent down to Toledo on July 22nd and was hitting .370 in Triple-A prior to the trade. Wells batted .233 for Toledo in 2010 before a big league call up that saw him hit at a .323 clip in 36 games late last season for the Tigers. Wells was a 14th round pick by Detroit in the 2005 draft. Furbush made his major league debut earlier this season for Detroit and was 1-3 with a 3.62 ERA in 32.1 innings of work. He walked 14 and struck out 26 over 32.1 innings of work with opponents hitting .302 against him. In Triple-A the 24 year old The 25 year old was 5-3 with a 3.17ERA in Toledo this year and had 61 strikeouts in 54 innings with opposing hitters batting just .180 against him. In 2010 Furbush was one of the breakout pitchers in minor league baseball finishing with 183 strikeouts across stints with the High-A Lakeland Flying Tigers, the Double-A Erie Seawolves, and the Triple-A Mudhens. The 6’5″ lefty was a fourth round pick of the Tigers out of LSU in the 2007 draft.

Prospect Breakdown: Reds Trade Jonny Gomes To Nationals For Bill Rhinehart & Chris Manno

The Cincinnati Reds have traded Jonny Gomes to the Washington Nationals for Bill Rhinehart and Chris Manno. The 26 year old Rhinehart is in the middle of his 4th season at Double-A Harrisburg. He is currently having a career year hitting .289 with 17 Doubles, 21 Home Runs, and 59 RBI’s. The outfielder was a 2011 Eastern League All Star. He was an 11th round pick of the Nationals in the 2007 draft. Manno was a 26th round pick out of Duke in 2010. Since turning pro, the 6’3″ lefty has been a force out of the bullpen. This year at Low-A Hagerstown, Manno posted a 1-3 record with 12 saves in 34 appearances out of the pen. He’s struck out 69 batters and opponents are hitting a ridiculously low .135 against him. The 22 year old was a 2011 Sally League All Star.