An update on future posts

Right now, I'm feverishly working on a list: the Best Minor League Free Agents. Last year's list was a relative hit (and was featured on MLBTradeRumors.com's "Baseball Blogs Weigh In"), so I figured I'd give it another shot (keep in mind that out of my top 10 last year, only 3-Shelton, Langerhans and Martin-played in the Majors, to a tune of 150 total plate appearances and 77 innings pitched, so take my findings with a grain of salt). Right now I'm working on pitchers and have gotten through the D's (meaning I have Atlanta, Arizona, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado and Detroit done). As of now, I am predicting that the pitchers post will come on Friday and the hitters post will come on Sunday. Hopefully, I'll get them out sooner, but that's the latest you can expect them.

Here is an example of what these write-ups will look like:

RHP David Pauley (26 years old): Could be the J.D. Martin of the 2009-10 minor league FA class. Has generally put up good numbers in the higher levels but has been knocked around in 9 career ML games. Young enough to be able to make a difference at some point, even though his ceiling is a 5th starter/long relief type.

Here is the list if you're anxious like me, and here are short lists from FanGraphs and The Hardball Times.

I am also working on a recap post of the preseason predictions I posted as well as the Over/Under contest from February. That post will probably come later next week.

To help you pass the time, go to Minor League Ball and discuss the Nats' preliminary prospect grades! It looks to me like John Sickels is pretty high on the Nats' system, handing out an A to Strasburg (semi-surprising, as Sickels heavily incorporates minor league numbers in his lists), B+'s to Norris (semi-surprising as well due to Norris' question marks over whether or not he'll remain behind the plate) and Storen (projectable, but I see a B+ as a guy with lights-out potential) and a B- to Burgess (awful in 2009, hasn't shown many signs of improvement). Desmond is the only one I could see as underrated, as a C+, but a year of AAA success doesn't negate 5 years of poor batting, especially for someone with a shaky glove (maybe "shaky" isn't the right word, but rather for a guy who makes a lot of errors). But these grades are preliminary as I said, so don't get too worked up over anything yet!