NewsGorgen, Talbot getting shots in AFL
Seven Rays prospects playing for league's Desert Dogs
By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com
10/14/09 1:59 PM EST
Most of the eyes on the Arizona Fall League's Phoenix Desert Dogs will be fixated on a certain No. 1 overall pick in this June's First-Year Player Draft. But there are other important prospects besides Nationals blue chip Stephen Strasburg, and when the AFL kicked off its 18th season on Tuesday, the Rays' scouting department had its eyes set on its own slate of prospects.One of those is Matt Gorgen.
The Rays will be paying some special attention to Gorgen because the thing he's done well in the Minor Leagues is currently one of the biggest question marks for Tampa Bay: closing out games.
Gorgen is perhaps not ready to be on a Major League roster as early as 2010, but he's getting close. And with some work in the AFL, he'll be able to refine his game so it can hopefully translate to the big leagues.
Rays director of Minor League operations Mitch Lukevics said he needs the 22-year-old right-hander to work on his delivery.
"He needs to quiet down his delivery -- [have] a little more consistent delivery -- which will equal throwing quality strikes," Lukevics said. "And there's a difference between a strike and a quality strike, and I think Matt will have that opportunity to improve that in the Arizona Fall League."
In just his second professional season in '09, Gorgen posted a 0.57 ERA in 28 games at Class A Port Charlotte, then a 2.38 ERA in 16 games at Double-A Montgomery. In the two leagues, he combined to post 19 saves along with 77 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings.
"The first thing is he has a plus fastball and a plus slider," Lukevics said. "But the location of those two pitches is everything. With him, improving that and working on a changeup to help his repertoire, that's going to really help him in the long run."
Can that long run consist of Gorgen being a Major League closer?
"That's to be seen," Lukevics added. "And I say that because he has good enough stuff, but will the lessons be learned with his delivery and with throwing quality strikes? That's going to determine really what type of pitcher he will be in the future."
Although the clubs affiliated with each AFL team shift every year, the Phoenix Desert Dogs -- composed of the Rays, Orioles, Athletics, Blue Jays and Nationals this season -- will be gunning for a sixth straight AFL championship.
But, as Lukevics points out, the AFL is mainly for players to "improve their skill ability against good competition."
That will be the main priority for most of the seven Rays prospects in the AFL this year, with the exception of one: Mitch Talbot.
For him, it's all about getting his innings in.
Talbot, the only one of the group with any Major League experience, has one of the best changeups in the Rays' system but was limited to just 15 total starts in the Minor Leagues this season because of shoulder and elbow problems.
Talbot is healthy now, so it's just a matter of getting some work in.
"I think Mitch Talbot can some day pitch in the big leagues, either as a starter or in the bullpen," Lukevics said about the 25-year-old right-hander, who made three appearances for the Rays in '08 and posted a collective 3.69 ERA in the Minors this season. "But the biggest thing is for him to make up innings; I would say equally as important as to continue to show good health. Finish up strong in the Arizona Fall League, and the rest will be up to Mitch Talbot."
Also in the AFL from the Rays' organization will be righties Paul Phillips and Heath Rollins, catcher Nevin Ashley, shortstop Shawn O'Malley, and Cody Cipriano, an infielder who will be playing left field for the first time in his pro career in order to get some at-bats.
"Each one of these kids has some good tools," Lukevics said. "But also, when you're in the Minor Leagues, you have some deficiencies, and the Arizona Fall League is another venue for these kids to improve on these deficiencies."
The start of the 32-game AFL slate follows up the end of the instructional league, which the Rays held in Florida and invited more than 40 players to attend.
Tim Beckham, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, was among the participants in what Lukevics called the team's youngest group in its history. And he spent most of his time working on how to be a solid defensive shortstop at the Major League level.
"He's improved quite a bit from [rookie-level] Princeton," Lukevics noted. "He's still got improvement to go, but him and [Class A Bowling Green coach] Hector Torres worked really every day on the basics of fielding and throwing from his position. He wasn't there primarily to hit, although he got some at-bats. Our main focus for him was to help him in the field."
Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
