Carlos Torres goes to Tokyo

NPB Tracker (h/t MLBTR):

[Tokyo's] Yomiuri [Giants] to acquire White Sox farmhand Carlos Torres

UPDATE: MDN:

TOKYO (Kyodo) — The Yomiuri Giants are expected to sign former Chicago White Sox right-hander Carlos Torres, Kyodo News learned Monday. 

Fangraphs’ “must watch” and more 2011 White Sox prospects

Both articles are from Bryan Smith. First the “must watch” prospects:

In 56 plate appearances (so, sample size alert), Sale held right-handers to a .120/.214/.240 batting line. He did it while throwing them six change-ups in 220 pitches (2.7%), which accounted for 3 balls, 2 called strikes and 1 swinging strike. It was a non-factor. as he went with a two-pitch approach: 66.8% four seamers, 26.4% sliders. And, to my surprise, looking at his Texas Leaguers chart, he wasn’t just back-dooring the slider everytime. It’s a pitch he trusts, and a pitch that works, against right-handers. …

and those prospects outside the ‘Top 10′:

I credit Baseball America and Matt Eddy being the first to make me aware of Mike Blanke, the team’s 13th-round pick from the Division II University of Tampa. Blanke hit .329/.400/.508 in the Pioneer League, where Eddy ranked him as the number seven prospect. He wrote, “…he would have gone much earlier had clubs had any inkling that he would show plus power, arm strength and receiving skills in his pro debut.” …

White Sox pickup 2011 options on Matt Thornton and Ramon Castro

Merkin @ CWS:

The White Sox have exercised the 2011 club options on catcher Ramon Castro and left-handed reliever Scott Matt Thornton and released right-handed pitcher Carlos Torres so he can pursue a job in Asia, the club announced Tuesday.

Castro will earn a base salary of $1.2 million, Thornton a base of $3 million.

$3 million for Scott Thornton? I don’t know about that…

Gregory Infante, Alejandro De Aza, Tyler Flowers will be called up

Joe Cowley tweets “Sox will call up Infante, DeAza and Flowers tomorrow now, according to Sox PR. Viciedo in Boston and Torres in Detroit.” Mark Gonzales tweets “Infante, Flowers, DeAza and Viciedo will arrive Wednesday, and Torres next week in Det.”

Stats: Infante, De Aza, Flowers, Viciedo, Torres.

FutureSox’ Midseason Top 25 Prospects

Cassidy:

Rank	Player	Points	Previous	Change
1	Dan Hudson	179	1	unch
2	Dayan Viciedo	172	4	+2
3	Chris Sale	168	n/a	NEW
4	Tyler Flowers	161	2	-2
5	Jared Mitchell	156	5	unch

…

I’d rank them in this order: Hudson, Sale, Flowers, Mitchell, Viciedo.

SoxMachine’s Minor-league review [UPDATE]

Here’s the section on Tyler Flowers:

Flowers is clearly in time-biding mode.  If Andruw Jones is ever pressed into full-time outfield duty, whether it’s due to Juan Pierre’s ineptitude or Carlos Quentin’s poor health, Flowers should be the first option to serve as the majority DH and occasional catcher.

Allow me to reiterate that Flowers seems like he’ll be a slow starter at the major-league level due to his K-rate.  For whatever reason — probably because A.J. Pierzynski is a great clubhouse source — there are a lot of people waiting, perhaps even hoping, for Flowers to fail.  But he’s the only hope the Sox have of getting an above-average hitter for the league minimum, so that kind of pressure seems to be counterproductive.

Much more at the link.

UPDATE: Here’s Part II.

FutureSox’ Top 25 White Sox prospects

FutureSox:

Rank	Player	Points	Previous	Change
1	Dan Hudson	208	2	1
2	Tyler Flowers	203	1	-1
3	Jordan Danks	194	4	1
4	Dayan Viciedo	186	3	-1
5	Jared Mitchell	184	6	1
6	Brent Morel	178	7	1

…

Minor League Transactions

Eddy:

Signed: RHP Scott Elarton, 3B Javier Castillo

Released: RHP Kevin Asselin, RHP Ben Fritz, RHP Brett Graffy, RHP Jacob Marceaux, RHP Orber Moreno, LHP Matt Jernstad, C John Curtis, C Zach Larson, 1B Todd Gossage, 2B Jesus Avila, 3B Jose Fulgencio, OF T.J. Bohn, OF Kent Gerst, OF Sergio Morales, OF Joe Persichina

Optioned to Triple-A: RHP Carlos Torres, C Tyler Flowers

MLB.com’s 2010 Sox prospects and organization preview

Top 10 prospects:

Clevelan Santeliz, RHP: A setup man extraordinaire at Birmingham last summer, the Venezuelan prospect was added to the 40-man roster after posting an 0.96 ERA in 40 games and striking out 52 batters in 56 1/3 innings. He moved to the closer role at the end of the season and collected 10 saves. Throwing a fastball in the mid-90s and a plus slider, he pitches with a lot of energy and is a ton of fun to watch.

organization preview:

LHP David Holmberg (2[nd round]) is a high school star out of Florida who has four solid pitches, with a fastball that touches 90 mph, a 12-6 curve, a changeup and a slider. He also has a good feel for the mound.

RHP Kyle Bellamy (5) out of Miami is a fast-track prospect who combined for a 1.23 ERA in 20 games in relief between Bristol and Kannapolis, walking just two while striking out 32 in 22 innings. He limited hitters to a .169 average and then moved on to the Arizona Fall League, where he had a 1.59 ERA in five games.

RHP Justin Collop (6) out of Toledo had a 2.72 ERA in 15 games for Great Falls, striking out 33 in 39 2/3 innings and limiting Pioneer League hitters to a .257 average.

RHP Ryan Buch (8) out of Monmouth had the best fastball in the Draft class, one that touched the high 90s, as well as a curveball with plus potential. In 16 games in relief, he had a 3.38 ERA and limited hitters to a .183 average at Great Falls.

Joe Cowley plays GM

Cowley says trade Flowers and re-sign AJ. Joe says trade Marquez too. Who will take him?

Sox cut seven

whitesox.com:

seven cuts announced prior to Tuesday’s game with the Giants.And the players surviving the moves stand as intriguing as the ones sent down or sent out.

Catcher Tyler Flowers and right-handed pitcher Carlos Torres were optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, while right-handed pitcher Ryan Braun, outfielders Jordan Danks and Josh Kroeger and infielders Brent Morel and C.J. Retherford were reassigned to Minor League camp.

… Tuesday’s moves give the White Sox 32 players in Major League camp and basically nine players fighting for two roster spots. The utility infielder battle, to complement Omar Vizquel, appears to come down to Jayson Nix and Brent Lillibridge, with Nix being out of options. …

Joe Cowley looks on the roster battles

He thinks Jayson Nix and Sergio Santos are the frontrunners for the utility man and 6th bullpen spot roster battles.

FutureSox reviews Sox Right-Handed pitching prospects (high minors)

Here’s what they have to say on Dan Hudson:

What he needs to improve: His minor league numbers were sparkling, but in the Majors he had issues with consistency and control. Much of this can probably be attributed to nerves, but it’s still something to watch out for. Hudson has good stuff, but not good enough to be effectively wild.

Sox sign Beckham, Flowers, Hudson and 13 others to contracts for 2010

whitesox.com:

The Chicago White Sox have agreed to terms on 2010 contracts with the following 16 players:

Catchers (1) – Tyler Flowers

Infielders (3) – Gordon Beckham, Brent Lillibridge and Jayson Nix

Outfielders (2) – Alejandro De Aza and Stefan Gartrell

Pitchers (10) – Lucas Harrell, Daniel Hudson, Brandon Hynick, Santo Luis, Jeff Marquez, Jhonny Nunez, Brian Omogrosso, Clevelan Santeliz, Carlos Torres and Randy Williams.

All members of the White Sox 40-man roster are signed for 2010.

UPDATE: Beckham got $445,000.

Two looking and two swinging

Gonzales:

Daniel Hudson could create a nice problem for the White Sox if he continues to pitch as well as he did Tuesday, when he struck out four while pitching two scoreless innings in a B game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

… “It depends what we want, what we’re looking for, what’s best for the club,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “… But I don’t think we should sit him on the bench and all of a sudden wait to see what happens. That’s (general manager) Ken Williams’ call.”

… Hudson displayed pinpoint control around the knees to the Dodgers’ batters, throwing 16 of 23 pitches for strikes. …

UPDATE: Merkin:

So, while Tuesday’s effort won’t count toward Cactus League statistics, Daniel Hudson certainly made a positive impression in his quest for a long-relief role. Hudson worked the third and fourth innings against the Dodgers, retiring all six batters he faced, with four coming via strikeout.

Hudson fanned two looking and two swinging, also setting down hitters on a ground ball to shortstop Brent Lillibridge and on a nice running catch made by Jordan Danks in right-center field. The soon-to-be 23-year-old, who burst on to the scene by jumping from Class A Kannapolis to the Majors in 2009, focused on throwing strikes in his first outing, but said after the game how important every trip to the mound can be this spring. …

Reifert’s recap.