Meanwhile, in the Oriole system...

Baseball America has begun publishing their Top 10 Prospects. They began with the Baltimore Orioles. An-ex-Rattler checks in at #2. This is from behind the subscriber wall.

Background: By just about any measure, the deal that brought four prospects and George Sherrill from Seattle for Erik Bedard was a steal for the Orioles, and Tillman could be the biggest prize of all. As the youngest pitcher in Double-A to start the season, he not only succeeded but at times dominated, and he ranked as the Eastern League's top pitching prospect.

The Future: Tillman's overall package and early success at a high level make him the best bet among the Orioles' three prized pitching prospects. He should at least pitch in the middle of the Baltimore rotation and has the potential to lead it. He'll open 2009 in Triple-A with an eye toward moving to the big leagues in 2010.

Another member of that trade, Kam Mickolio, checks in at #10.

You may notice that Tony Butler ('07) did not make this list. So did a reader from Canada and Will Lingo of BA got a question about the Wisconsin native in the chat.

Q:	Craig from Canada asks: Tony Butler came over in the Bedard trade but has been fairly inconsistent even when healthy. Is he still a legit prospect and can he stay healthy long enough to move up in the system?
A:	Will Lingo: He feels more like a depth player who could eventually contribute in the bullpen than a frontline prospect to me.

I believe the chat was for subscribers only. Looking at the schedule ahead, the Mariner Top 10 will be revealed on December 5 and the Brewer Top 10 is scheduled for January 19.