Batting: Kevin Barker is a Quad-A bat a notch below the three big ones on the IronPigs, but not without MLB value. And I hate to break it to you, Reds fans, but Jay Bruce isn't the number 1 prospect in baseball. He's not even in my top 10. Yes, he is a good hitter. Yes, he is a good runner. Yes, he is a good fielder. No, there is nothing he doesn't do well. But there is nothing he is great at either. He won't hit .330, he won't hit 40 homers, won't steal 40 bases, and probably won't play center field. He projects to be good but not great, more in the Nick Markakis mold, and the best case scenario is Bobby Abreu with fewer walks.

Overall: Bruce and Bailey are two guys to watch, but they both are a bit overrated as far as I'm concerned. Maloney is a nice sleeper guy. They don't have anyone over 30 on the pitching staff, which is a good sign.

Norfolk Tides

Pitching: Radhames Liz was absolutely terrible as a major league starter and absolutely brilliant as a major league reliever last year. The Orioles want him to start. Garrett Olson has been compared to Barry Zito, but depending which version of Zito you're talking about, that can be good or bad. His MLB performance last year suggests he is close to the current version of Zito, although not all hope is lost yet. Hayden Penn is still just 23, and if he stays healthy, he could really help the Orioles out.

Batting: Alex Cintron should immediately replace Luis Hernandez in the majors. Message to Andy MacPhail: "Immediately" means "NOW!" Mike Costanzo can play third and sort of catch, and he has home run power at the plate. He isn't much yet, but he is almost as good as all the mediocre Aubrey Huff corner types the Orioles carry. Sebastian Boucher, Tike Redman, Chris Roberson, Adam Stern, and Luis Terrero comprise the outfield. They're all basically the same player: a good fifth outfielder, OK fourth outfielder, and bad starter. Roberson is probably the best, followed by Redman and Stern.

Overall: Relative to their competition, the Tides are certainly better than the Orioles. They have some useful spare parts here, but the Orioles have enough of those already. Liz is the only real difference maker here. Oh, and MacPhail, I wrote the Cintron thing a minute ago and he's still in AAA. WHAT PART OF "NOW!" DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?

Pawtucket Red Sox

Pitching: Abe Alvarez is a decent situational guy. Bartolo Colon is here to rehab and get in shape--like he's ever been in shape before. Please. Lee Gronkiewicz deserves a shot at the major leagues. Craig Hansen just goes backwards every year; the Sox should start him down in High-A and bring him up once he does well (look at the Rangers' handling of Edinson Volquez last year for comparison). Lincoln Holdzkom throws hard and has a bunch of tattoos, which is cool; if he ever throws a decent breaking ball or controls his fastball, he'd be cooler. There's a bit of a Bobby Jenks comparison there. I've always been a Jon Switzer fan, although he hasn't done well in the bullpen. Charlie Zink is the third-best knuckleballer in the game after Tim Wakefield and Charlie Haeger.

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