Scout.com > Toronto HWB, Venezuelan Winter League: Jays Coverage Story URL: http://bluejays.scout.com/2/690857.html Dave Rouleau InsideTheDome.com Oct 15, 2007 At this time of the year, the Arizona Fall League attracts the most coverage out of all the Winter baseball leagues. Here at InsideTheDome, the Blue Jays coverage recently extended to the Hawaii Winter Baseball and will now include the Venezuelan Winter League. At this time of the year, the Arizona Fall League attracts the most coverage out of all the Winter baseball leagues. Here at InsideTheDome, the Blue Jays coverage recently extended to the Hawaii Winter Baseball and will now include the Venezuelan Winter League. The schedule for this event that will end on December 29th began on October 11th and gives prospects a chance to add some more at-bats or innings pitched to their resume. The Cardenales de Lara (one of eight teams) will host 5 Blue Jays prospects on its roster. RHP, Javier Nieves Signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2001, the 23-year-old Venezuelan pitched in 24 games (only one as a starter) for the Auburn Doubledays and had this pitching line: 2.66 ERA, 44 IP, 35 H, 13 ER, 3 HR, 20 BB, 44 K, 0.98 Go/Ao, .207 avg. against. The catcher-turned-pitcher excels against right-handed batters, who get on base only 29.4% of the time, but needs work on his secondary pitches. He’s allowed one run, on three hits in 2 2/3 innings so far in winter league action. LHP, Jesse Carlson The well-traveled 26-year-old veteran pitched 70.1 innings with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2007 and retired 81 batters while walking only 18. That was the first time in 3 years that his K/9 did not decline, finishing the year with an impressive 10.36 K/9 (he struck out 31 hitters in 20 IP in August). He proved to very effective against left-handed batters who hit only .214 against him. He has pitched in 2 games so far in the VWL and has allowed a hit in 1 1/3 innings, while striking out a batter. LHP, Gustavo Chacin After having surgery performed on his shoulder to repair a small rotator cuff tear, Chacin has been placed on the VWL roster, but has yet to throw a pitch in a real game. The 26-year-old started the year with the Jays where he allowed 6 home runs in 5 games and striking out only 11 in 27.1 IP. He should be competing for a 5th starter spot on the 2008 edition of the Blue Jays in Spring Training. RHP, Ryan Houston The Florida native threw 60.2 innings for the Syracuse Chiefs last season and struck out 62, but allowed 6 home runs (all to left-handed batters). Lefties hit him at a .286 clip, but right-handed hitters beat him only 20% of the time and only made contact four times for extra-base hits in 32 IP. The need for him to develop an above-average change-up is important to dominate lefties. Pitching line in VWL (2 games): 3.38 ERA, 2.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 2.50 Go/Ao and a .385 avg. against. C, Jonathan Jaspe Signed as non-drafted free agent in 2003, Jaspe has been doing well defensively (11 errors in 110 games over two season) and offensively (.288/.355/.431 averages in pro career), but is looking at improving his swing: “I’ve been working on staying back and waiting for my pitch.” His approach at the plate his to shoot for the middle and the balls in play data suggests it is working so far in making him spray the ball all over the field (265 batted balls): 116 to left field, 49 to center field and 97 to right field. The 22-year-old switch-hitter has yet to appear in a game of the VWL. OF, Yuber Rodriguez Lansing Lugnuts Gary Cathcart encapsulated the emotions of most Blue Jays fans toward Rodriguez by stating the following in 2007: “Yuber is a very frustrating player because he has so much talent athletically, and he’s right on the edge of getting where we want to get it, and then he takes another step back”. His callup to Dunedin in August was disappointing (12 AB): .083/.077/.333, 1 home run and five strikeouts. The young player from Venezuela has been very streaky over his career and now needs to take a step forward if he is to make it as a major leaguer. The high offerings have been beating him at the plate and the strike zone discipline is lacking. He became a free agent after the 2007 season (in which he was named player of the week that ended on May 28th) and he now must improve over these career numbers: Offense: .240/.312/.354 Defense: 22 errors in 305 games in the outfield He has yet to appear in a game of the VWL. HAWAII WINTER LEAGUE In Hawaii, both Jays prospects were in the lineup on Sunday for a game that West Oahu lost 9-3 to North Shore. Anthony Hatch (hitting third once again) played 2B and went hitless with a walk, his fifth in 10 games. He has been able to get on base every game he has played in so far. He also comitted his 6th error, this time a fielding mistake. His batting line in the event looks like this (38 AB): .368/.435/.474, 4 doubles, 5 walks and 5 strike outs. Brian Jeroloman was acting as catcher and was stolen against once, but had a nice revenge by hitting 2 singles up to middle to center fielder Jeremy Laster and striking out once (on three pitches to end the game). The defensive specialist has been on base 6 out of 7 games in which he has been involved. Batting line in the HWB: .280/.419/.480, 2 doubles, 1 home run, 6 BB and 8 K. The AFL action continues Monday at 3:35 EST, with LHP David Purcey taking the mound as a starter for the Scottsdale Scorpions. 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