2007 Ken Phelps All-Stars: Ron Chiavacci (SP)

Ron Chiavacci, a 29-year-old righthander in the Tigers organization, makes it onto the 2007 Ken Phelps All-Star Team because he's learned control. Selected in the 44th round of the 1998 draft by the Expos out of Kutztown University. Signed as a minor league free agent with the Pirates. Pitched well as a reliever for AAA Indianapolis in 2005, but was sold to a team in the Korean Baseball League anyway. Back in the Pirates organization in 2006, then signed as a minor league free agent with the Tigers this year.

Chiavacci has always been able to get strikeouts, but early in his career walks killed him and he was labeled "wild". Maybe it's time that changed because he's in his third season of demonstrating good control. In 91 innings for AAA Toledo this season he's struck out 75 and walked only 25. 3.45 ERA.

SO/9: 7.42 very good
BB/9: 2.47 very good
HR/9: 0.79 excellent - he's always limited home runs
GO/AO: 1.17 good (higher is better)

In 2006 he made 13 starts and 14 relief appearances combined between AA and AAA. 3.88 ERA, 99 IP, 83 SO, 30 BB. Not bad.

In 2005, Chiavacci pitched just 10 times in relief for AAA Indy. 12 innings, 14 strikeouts, 0 walks, 6 hits, 1 homer, 1.50 ERA. A dominating performance, so I'm not sure how it led to him playing in Korea. Strange career twist.

Ron Chiavacci isn't anyone's hot prospect, but if he was he wouldn't be "freely available talent". He'll need lots of luck to get a shot at starting in the majors, but might thrive in the bullpen.

2007 Ken Phelps All-Stars: Devern Hansack (SP)

Let's move on to selecting the pitchers for the 2007 Ken Phelps All-Star Team. You'll see that finding "freely available talent" starting pitchers is difficult, but finding relief pitchers is easy.

The first starting pitcher for my Ken Phelps All-Stars is Devern Hansack, righthanded pitcher in the Red Sox organization. Devern is a 29-year-old from Nicaragua. (The official Minor League baseball site has his birthdate as February 5, 1978. Baseball Cube lists it as August 5, 1982. Obviously that makes a big difference.) Signed originally by the Astros in 1999, they released him in March of 2004. He pitched in the Nicaraguan professional league during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in December of 2005.

This season, Hansack has a 3.56 ERA in 13 starts for AAA Pawtucket. In 78.1 innings he has 76 strikeouts and only 17 walks. He's getting strikeouts, has great control, and isn't giving up too many home runs. Here are the important stats:

SO/9 innings: 8.75 (above 8 is excellent)
BB/9: 1.96 (excellent)
HR/9: 0.92 (good)
GO/AO: 0.96 (ground-out to fly-out ratio - fair)

In 2006, Hansack had a 3.26 ERA in 132 innings at AA Portland. He started 18 times and appeared in relief 13 times. 124 striketouts, 36 walks and 14 home runs.

The Red Sox have given Devern Hansack a couple little tastes of the big leagues, but he hasn't stuck yet. He's very unfortunate to be with them, because the Red Sox are loaded with pitching. He'd be starting in the majors for many other teams.

Jack Hannahan Hidden Hitter

Jack Hannahan is another Honorable Mention for the 2007 Ken Phelps All-Star Team. The 27-year-old thirdbaseman was drafted out of the University of Minnesota in the 3rd round of the 2001 draft by the Tigers. He's in his third season at AAA in the organization.

This year he's hitting .313/.422/.493 in 201 at bats, which is very good. Last season Hannahan hit .282/.379/.412, which is decent.

But those overall stats are hiding something more interesting. Hannahan hits righthanders. He can't touch lefthanded-pitching, but he mashes the righties. Against RHP this year: .342/.449/.529 with 11 doubles, 6 home runs and 31 walks in 155 at bats. Against LHP: .217/.333/.370. The story was the same last year too. Against RHP: .312/.406/.447 with 22 doubles, 6 home runs and 47 walks in 295 at bats, but against LHP he flailed to .205/.317/.320.

Jack Hannahan is a major league hitter, as long as he's in a platoon.

Unlike most Phelps players, Hannahan's defensive reputation at 3B is excellent. From the 2005 Baseball Prospectus: "Hannahan's defense is Rolenesque according to both scouting reports and our translated numbers, so he'd have an excellent shot at winning the AL Gold Glove if promoted to the big leagues this year."

Hannahan has a top-notch glove and against righthanded-pitching he gets on-base and hits with doubles power. That's worth a lot. He could help a team like the Twins, and coincidentally is from Minnesota. Platoon him at 3B with a lefty-masher (like Scott Seabol, Bobby Scales or even Jeff Cirillo) and you might have a home-town hero in the making.

2007 Ken Phelps All-Star Team: Position Players

My 2007 Ken Phelps All-Star position players -- freely-available-talent that might help a major league club. If this team was assembled, the batting line-up might look like this ... with major league equivalent batting statistics from their 2006 seasons (as calculated by Ron Shandler for his Baseball Forecaster book):

1. D'Angelo Jimenez SS .253/.345/.387
2. Jeff Keppinger 2B .302/.358/.375
3. Hiram Bocachica RF .263/.333/.458
4. Joe Dillon 1B .273/.345/.447 (2005 season)
5. JD Closser C .272/.337/.431
6. JR House DH .285/.327/.425
7. Ryan Raburn LF .257/.328/.454
8. Scott Seabol 3B .245/.307/.454
9. Darnell McDonald CF .260/.312/.387

The major league equivalent stats take the luster off their raw stats, but some value is still apparent. A "free" player who can put up numbers like those shown for Joe Dillon is worth a pick-up.

Coming up next ... honorable mention position players, then the Ken Phelps All-Star team pitching staff.