Valaika and Dorn both heating up in AA

[The Duke]

Both Valaika and Dorn struggled early in AA this year, both avgs were down in the .210-.220 area, but now Valaika is hitting .297 and Dorn .284. Valaika still has good starting potential at SS, and Dorn can be a good bat off the bench and backup OF.

[GMBurchfield]

If we are serious about loading up for the future with young talent. Why not do whatever is needed to get this guy ___>

Dayan Viciedo Defects From Cuba
12:45pm Baseball America's John Manuel has a solid write up on Viciedo and his free agent status. Agent Jamie Torres says, "He was processed at the end of May. To me, he was not drafted and should be an undrafted free agent. We’ll see if the union agrees with me." The catch here is whether or not Viciedo is subject to the rules of the draft now that he's in the U.S. Had he gone to the Dominican Republic, for example, he could be a free agent. Since teams weren't informed of his eligibility to be signed or drafted, his status remains to be determined. Manuel also presents mixed reviews of Viciedo's potential, but his hitting ability is not in question.

According to Jorge Ebro and Wilfredo Cancio Isla of the Miami Herald, Dayan Viciedo, a 19 year old Cuban ballplayer, has defected from his home country and arrived in Miami with renewed motivation. This is a new name for me, but Ebro and Cancio shed some light on the arrival of a promising new talent:

"Born March 10, 1989... Viciedo is regarded as the best Cuban baseball player in the past eight years after Kendry Morales, who defected in 2004 and now plays in the Los Angeles Angels' system.

'Dayán is going to spark a lot of talk in the majors,'' said his agent, Puerto Rican lawyer Jaime Torres, 'He has arrived with youth, he is very versatile and his conditioning is exceptional. We will soon see him wearing the uniform of a major league team.'"

Viciedo is 6'2", 202 lbs capable of playing SS, 3B, and OF. According to the Havana Journal, at 16 he was the youngest Cuban All Star in history. At 18, he was chosen to play in the World Baseball Classic in the U.S. and is often compared to Omar Linares, one of the greatest Cuban players of all time. Baseball in Cuba has been on continued decline without motivated players.


Future SS ?

[starpower25]

Dorn's issue was health I think he still could be a starter at the major league level. Not a star but a solid player because he has solid power and OBP skills.

Valaika has really took off this year ! He will jump into the top 100 for sure now and at this rate could get a sept callup !

That is one reason Idont think we drafted a SS in rd 1 because I think he has taken that next step with the glove and we know he can hit.

[starpower25]

I think Dorn and Valaika both need AAA soon.

Dorn has hit over .330 over the last 25 games with 3 hr's and 6 doubles !

I am with lark I think he can start...maybe he takes over for Dunn next year !

[GMBurchfield]

<--------- Still dont like Dorn and dont think he will ever be more than a organizational player who gets the call up every now and then for need.

A DeWayne Wise like career

[The Duke]

I read somewhere that Viciedo was 202 in 2006, and that now he is closer to 235 and that while his bat is golden, he is pretty much a DH or an awful 1B at this point. I think it was Jim Callis over at BA and his chat.

I think Valaika needs more time in AA to prove he can do it there a little more consistently, but I agree that I would like to see Dorn up at AAA before to long because he had a month + in AA last year as well, and the OF is crowed in AA while SS is not.

[starpower25]

Well the outfield can be alot less crowded if we let some players go or make trades. Dorn got off to a terrible start while injured but is back to the wayhe hit last year in AA after the callup. He has 9 doubles and 3 hr's in only 30 AA starts. He has showed gap power and great OBP still and he does nto strike out !

[redvol]

I was starting to worry about him until I saw that he hadn't been off the DL all that long. I think he can definitely man a corner position if he continues to slug and get on base like he's been doing recently and did all last year.

I'm trying to work it out to see Chattanooga play a couple games on the weekend of the 20th. So selfishly, I hope Dorn and Valaika are still at AA. ;D