The Orioles will be sending eight players to the Arizona Fall League to play for the Surprise Saguaros. Bowie Baysox Manager, Gary Kendall, will be the Saguaros Manager. The AFL is a great place for prospects to get some extra work in during the off-season, and teams usually send a decent core of players. Please keep in mind that this is a league for development – statistics are probably the last point of data that should be quantified.

(Discuss this article on the BSL Message Board here)

Below are some likely reasons why each player is attending the AFL and what they need to work on while there.

Henry Urrutia – OF

Likely Reason for AFL Addition: Playing Time
What Needs Work: Pitch Recognition, Conditioning
Urrutia has surely garnered a buzz from the Orioles’ fanbase this season. After hitting .347/.406/.506 in the minors this season, he was rewarded with a cup-of-coffee with the Orioles. While he was not terrible, his pitch recognition was not nearly on the level of what was shown in the minors. There is a large difference in the crispness in secondary offerings in the Minors relative to the Majors, especially in the depth and bite in a curve and slider. Urrutia has performed terrifically this season, but he really needs more playing time to further harness his eye at the plate. He still does not pick up on good secondary pitches and does struggle against high powered fastballs as well. My Scouting Report from June has not changed much, so I recommend reading that to gain a little more information on the Cuban Prospect. At the end of the day, Urrutia still needs to play in more games, which could very well take care of some pitch recognition struggles.

Dariel Alvarez – OF

Likely Reason for AFL Addition: Playing Time
What Needs Work: Pitch Recognition, Conditioning
Most within the Baseball Industry will tell you that the Cuban League is roughly equivalent to AA in terms of difficulty. Alvarez was quickly promoted from Frederick to Bowie, as he showed that he was well above that level of play. It’s important to remember that Alvarez is 24 and he is not the same situation as Henry Urrutia – who didn’t play for nearly two years. Alvarez has decent bat speed and an OK eye at the plate, but both could use seasoning against stronger competition before the Orioles start to target him as a potential MLB option. He was over-matched at times while at Bowie, albeit a very small time-frame. Every scout I have talked to has raved about the Arm in the outfield, so that is certainly his strong point. The AFL is a good spot for Alvarez to play catch-up and be ready to start the year again at AA Bowie or AAA Norfolk next season.

Eduardo Rodriguez – LHP

Likely Reason for AFL Addition: Pitching Mechanics
What Needs Work: Sequencing, Command and Control, Repeating Delivery
The Venezuelan lefty was one of the youngest players in the Eastern League. If that isn’t enough praise for Rodriguez, then consider that he pitched to a 4.22 ERA in 59.2 innings for the Baysox. Not too bad for his first fight against the more advanced players in the minors. Rodriguez proved this season that the uptick in velocity was not a fluke, and he even proved that he can miss bats at the next level. Those were two huge questions that I asked coming into the season. He still has much work to do, and the AFL will give him some time to working on repeating his delivery and sequencing. He learned in the first few starts at Bowie that being cognizant on the mound is extremely important. Check out my Game Scouting Report from July 3 to read a little more on Rodriguez. I don’t expect him to throw many innings in the AFL, as he already tossed 145.0 – which is a 38.0 inning increase from 2012.

Tim Berry – LHP

Likely Reason for AFL Addition: Pitching Mechanics
What Needs Work: Change-up, Command and Control
Berry actually had a better year with Frederick than the numbers would indicate. Ask anyone who watched him pitch throughout the year and they would say the same. He has a nice three-pitch mix – including a fastball, change and curve. The fastball sits low 90’s with some decent movement, but nothing overly plus. The curve is probably his best pitch and I have seen it carry him through games. The change is the main reason I think he goes to the AFL. He has really come a long way since the beginning of his pro career with this pitch, and the AFL is another great opportunity to refine it. It ties in mostly with repeating the same arm slot and mechanics, as it can be easy to pick up at times or does not have enough fade on it to fool the batter. Berry will always live and die by him command and control, so more repetition is probably the best cure for this.

Jason Gurka – LHP

Likely Reason for AFL Addition: Playing Time
What Needs Work: Playing Time
Gurka is an interesting case. He really portrays as a LOOGY, as he was rather excellent against lefties this season at AA Bowie. He missed a lot of time this year due to injury, which is the clear reason why he is pitching in the AFL. The Orioles want him to log some more innings, and in return can see if they can make any mechanical or philosophic changes in order to potentially alter Gurka’s game into a more all-around pitcher besides just being pegged a LOOGY.

Jonthan Schoop – SS/2B

Likely Reason for AFL Addition: Playing Time, Defensive Progression
What Needs Work: Footwork at 2B, Pitch Recognition
Jonathan Schoop missed a ton of time this season due to a back injury. This is the most logical reason as to why he will be playing in the AFL. He was an obvious choice to play here considering he is arguably the Orioles top positional prospect. Also, he still needs to improve his footwork at second – pivoting on his left foot on double-plays, reading and reacting on flares to second and other necessary plays that get easier with time at the position. The troublesome thing with Schoop is that he has bounced around the diamond in terms of position, playing second and shortstop. There is even a chance that Schoop plays Third Base in the AFL, but we just do not know yet and I haven’t heard anything of that nature at this time. Either way, he needs real work defensively, and this comes with getting more playing time. He is growing too large for Shortstop in my opinion, and might even be getting a little too big for second. This could trouble him on the agility front down the road, although that destination might not have arrived quite yet. Lastly, The pitch recognition struggles are no secret, and he has trouble against sharp sliders and hard breaking pitches on the outside corner. Schoop is a young player and has come a long way, but he still needs to develop a ton more before becoming a full-time starter at the MLB level.

Branden Kline – RHP

Likely Reason for AFL Addition: Playing Time
What Needs Work: Control of Fastball, Refinement of Change-up, Repeating Delivery
Kline missed a ton of time this season due to a fractured ankle that required surgery. While Kline is not the type of prospect that was deemed “raw” and in need of significant coaching still, he did need some experience on the mound as a starting pitcher – if he ever wants to stay in that role. Kline has a decent arsenal, with a lively-yet-straight fastball that may not have enough movement on it to pitch multiple innings. He can top 93-94 at times as a starter, which would obviously see a tick or two up in velocity if moved to the bullpen. His best pitch might be his power curve. It has good depth to it and can really fool batters when he is able to get ahead in the count. The change still has some work to do, and it can be easy to read out of his arm. The distinction between his fastball and change are sometimes noticeable. I still think Kline has a chance to start, but the bullpen may be his calling card. Either way, he needs time in the AFL to regain some lost ground from the 2013 season.

Michael Ohlman – C

Likely Reason for AFL Addition: Defense
What Needs Work: Defense
Ohlman has been one of the most impressive hitters in the Orioles system in 2013. He has put together a terrific season at the plate, while remaining par behind the plate. It is clear to me that Ohlman will go to the AFL to work on his defensive approach behind the plate. This would be things like pop time, footwork on transfers and pitch framing. Ohlman is the Orioles taxi squad player, which means he will only play two games a week at most.