M's Farm Report

The latest M's Farm Report at the Seattle Times covers a recent Rattler.
Johnny DuRocher deals with elbow strain, stays positive

After a great start to his second year as a professional baseball pitcher, Johnny DuRocher started to feel occasional pain in his elbow.

Then after an early July outing, "it swelled up badly," DuRocher said. He was put on the disabled list and sent to Arizona for rehabilitation.

Greg Hunter, the Mariners' director of player development, said the injury is an elbow strain and the organization is hopeful DuRocher can return this season. DuRocher will be evaluated further this week.

That 'early July outing' was the game on July 7 against Beloit that was suspended by rain. There is a bit more at the story, including this reaction when DuRocher's one game with the Rattlers in 2007 was brought up:

After pitching in the Arizona League last summer in Peoria, DuRocher was promoted to Class A Wisconsin late in the season, where he pitched in just one inning.

He allowed seven runs in that inning for a 63.00 earned-run average.

"That ate at me all offseason," DuRocher said. "I knew I could pitch at that level. I was looking forward to getting another chance."

Farm Reports...

Seattle Times from July 1:
After hot start at Tacoma, outfielder Michael Saunders has cooled off

It began with an RBI double in his debut. Then a three-hit game, with a bunt single and a home run to right-center field. And before Michael Saunders could return to Tacoma — not to mention reality — he put up two more hits, with four RBI, in his third game at Class AAA.

After one road series with Tacoma, Saunders looked more like the Mariners' solution in center field than a 21-year-old just promoted from AA West Tenn in an aggressive move by the front office. The 11th-round pick had six hits in 13 at-bats (.462), with seven RBI, three extra-base hits and two walks.

"I don't think I could have started any better," Saunders said.

Seattle Times from July 8
Big-league move can't come soon enough for OF

Greg Halman remembers the first time he stayed up late to watch the World Series. The game lasted into the early morning at his home in the Netherlands, way later than most 3-year-olds are allowed to stay up. But in the Halman home, where dad was an ex-player and baseball mattered most, that was just fine.

Halman has wanted to be a major-leaguer since.

"For me, baseball was as big as any Little League player that's in the United States," he said. "It was the world to me, and it still is."

And now even though he's close, though he has transformed from raw talent to legitimate prospect, he doesn't want to hear that he has plenty of time to get there.

"I don't have time to lose," he said. "Why not right now? I want it right now."

Seattle Post-Intelligencer July 1
Thomas turning corner

The next time the Mariners go fishing on the farm for a starting pitcher, Triple-A Tacoma might not be the spot to cast the line. Justin Thomas has begun to turn a corner at Double-A West Tennessee, and has the brightest future among healthy starters at either level.

Thomas, 24, began the 2008 season with three solid starts in four tries, but lost control in May, surrendering 56 base runners in just 33 innings of work, including 20 bases on balls.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer July 8
Waiting on Triunfel

By most accounts, shortstop Carlos Triunfel began the 2008 season as the Mariners organization's top prospect. In his first pro season, the Dominican Republic native flashed the physical skills of a future star, and most scouts projected even more from him in year two.

But it hasn't happened ... yet.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer July 10

Farm aid? Probably not
M's system lacks quality first basemen

With the release of Richie Sexson on Thursday, the Mariners will begin their search for a first baseman. They won't find a ready answer in their farm system.

The organization has drafted and signed numerous first basemen in the past six years, but not one has developed into a major league player.

Those closest to the major leagues are 25 or older and have yet to prove they can produce consistently in Triple-A. Only one talent in the system -- 2008 second-round draft pick Dennis Raben -- looks like a certain keeper, and he's at least two years away from reaching the big leagues.

Every player mentioned by Jason -- save Raben -- has played with the Timber Rattlers: Bryan LaHair ('04), Marshall Hubbard ('05), Johan Limonta ('06), Carlos Peguero ('07), and Gerardo Avila ('07, '08).