Belnome, who will turn 25 in March, is coming off a solid but injury-riddled season primarily at the Padres’ Triple-A Tuscan affiliate. Taking out 7 rehab games at Rookie ball and High-A, Belnome managed a .275/.380/.384 line with 11 doubles, 5 homers, 33 RBI, 5 of 6 stolen bases, and 72 strikeouts versus 43 walks in 80 games and 303 plate appearances while seeing time at every infield position but shortstop. For Rays prospects watchers, your first reaction to Belnome’s stats is that he’s very similar to another infielder the Rays acquired from the Padres, Cole Figueroa, who was teammates with Belnome in 2009 and 2010. Belnome’s 2012 numbers were very similar to Figueroa’s 2011 numbers at Double-A where he posted a .283/375/.398 line with 5 home runs. That being said, he appears to have worse plate discipline although he’s still above-average, and his numbers really aren’t as good as they seem because the Triple-A Pacific Coast League where he played in is a hitter’s paradise. But what makes Belnome interesting is his numbers from 2010 and 2011. In 2010 at High-A, he managed a .273/.397/.436 line with 16 home runs in 606 plate appearances and in 2012 he got into just 75 games but managed a .333/.432/.603 line at Double-A with 17 homers in 318 plate appearances.

The Rays are interested in seeing what Belnome can do at the plate. (Credit: Flickr user StormBaseball)

Vince Belnome has never been that highly regarded as a prospect, beginning when he was a 28th round draft pick back in 2009 by the Padres, but he has flat-out hit everywhere he has gone, managing a .300/.414/.487 line in 1588 plate appearances. Belnome, a lefty batter, features a smooth thing and excels at hitting the ball the other way with good plate discipline and solid power. A question with Belnome is whether his power is going to continue to surface at higher levels, as we saw was a problem in 2012, especially considering his bat speed is just average. In order for that to happen, his plate discipline is going to have to be really good wherever he goes, and Belnome did walk at a 14.4% clip at Triple-A in 2012, but he struck out in 23.5% of his plate appearances and doesn’t cut it. In terms of his platoon splits, Belnome is certainly better against right-handed pitching, managing a .302/.402/.462 line against them in 2012 with even better numbers in the past, but he isn’t unplayable against lefties, managing a .361 OBP in 2012 although just a .233 batting average and a .267 SLG as his power was completely sapped, and he actually hit to a .267/.394/.372 line against lefties in 2011 (again, notice the lack of power even though he hit better). Defensively, Belnome has good arm strength but is a slow runner with poor range. He’s a halfway-decent second baseman but below-average basically everywhere else. The bottom line with Belnome is that he has to continue to prove that he can stay healthy and that he can hit. His upside is an average big league second baseman with solid 15-homer power and a good OBP or a good bat-first utility man, but the Rays are reasonably hoping for a potential platoon bat against right-handed pitching who is a solid hitter with a little power. He’s not the most exciting player, but he looks like he can break into the big leagues for the Rays by the end of next season if he can stay healthy and give the Rays a fair contribution to their 2013 effort.

In Rearick, the Rays are losing their Organizational Reliever of the Year for the past two years but not a player with very much upside. Rearick, who turned 25 earlier this month, dominated at High-A to begin 2012, managing a 1.79 ERA and a 59-15 strikeout to walk ratio and not a single homer allowed in 45.2 IP, but he was much worse at Double-A, managing a 4.38 ERA, a 9.5 K/9, a 2.9 BB/9, and a 1.5 HR/9 in 24.2 innings pitched. Rearick, who is 6’3″, 190, is a little interesting because he has a chance to be more than just a situational lefty. Rearick’s fastball is just in the 88-90 MPH range and he controls it well but doesn’t command it consistently, which was a big reason he allowed all the homers at Double-A. His best pitch is his low-80′s slider with sharp, tight break, that he can throw to both lefties and righties, but the issue with Rearick moving forward is that it’s most effective when he can establish his fastball, and it’s questionable whether he’ll be able to do that moving forward. He also throws a decent changeup as another pitch he can throw to right-handed batters. Rearick’s upside is a lefty middle reliever who comes in for lefties but doesn’t have to be taken out if theres’s a righty in between, and he still has to conquer Double-A and Triple-A before he can get there.

In this trade, the Rays are trading a pitcher with modest upside for a player with some talent and the ability to contribute to their big league team next season. The Rays are taking on some risk, but worst-case scenario is that Rearick becomes a solid but replaceable reliever at the big league level while Belnome doesn’t hit or can’t stay healthy, which is far from a catastrophe, and the potential reward could be another productive utility player the Rays have produced. This won’t be a trade that Andrew Friedman hangs his hat on, but it gives the Rays to get a solid big leaguer who can come out of nowhere and help the Rays win ballgames over the next few years. The high-profile moves like the Shields for Wil Myers trade get all the attention and deservingly so, but sometimes it’s the subtle moves like this trade that make the difference between being a playoff team or sitting on the couch in October.

Everyone loves Lee's defense, and hopefully he can get his hitting up to par with continued work in the AFL. (Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE)

SS Hak-Ju Lee

One of the Rays’ top prospects, Lee, 21, put together a solid season for the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits in 2012, posting a .261/.336/.360 line with 15 doubles, 10 triples, 4 homers, 37 RBI, 37 steals in 46 attempts, and a 102-51 strikeout to walk ratio in 116 games and 534 plate appearances. That comes one year after Lee posted a .292/.365/.416 line between High-A and Double-A in 2011. Lee has been out since August 18th with an oblique injury and he will make up the playing time in the AFL. Lee, who is 6’2″ and 170 pounds, stands out most for his blazing speed, which he uses superbly defensively to make staggering plays look easy, and which he also has learned to use well on the basepaths and to beat out bunts. The major question with Lee is his hitting. Lee looks like he should hit for some power but that isn’t the case at all right now. Lee shows good bat speed but swings and misses too often for a player who doesn’t hit for power and his plate discipline is solid but not great. The good news with Lee is that he does square balls up, although mostly for singles at this point, and in any event his speed will allow him to manage at least a decent batting average thanks to his ability to beat out bunts and groundballs. Lee’s defensive ability and speed are tremendous and the Rays hope that Lee can continue to work on his hitting in the AFL to round out his excellent package of tools as a shortstop prospect.

SS/2B Tim Beckham

The number one overall pick by the Rays back in 2008, Beckham was suspended 50 games in 2012 for a second positive test for a drug of abuse (not performance-enhancing drugs) and will try to make up for the lost time by heading to the Arizona Fall League for the second straight year. Beckham has posted a .259/.330/.373 line in 59 games and 300 plate appearances in 2012 with 10 doubles, 6 homers, 28 RBI, 5 of 5 stolen bases, and 64 strikeouts against 28 walks. Good news was that in addition to playing 43 games at shortstop (and struggling), Beckham also got into 24 games at second base (where he also still needs work), the first time he has ever played the position as a pro. Beckham, 6’0″, 190, was the number one overall pick back in ’08 thanks to his 5-tool potential, but it looks like that’s never going to happen. Beckham’s only sure plus tool is his arm strength. He has above-average speed but is by no means a burner, and he still needs work using his speed on the basepaths. He shows good bat speed, but he still struggles against offspeed pitches and is overaggressive at the plate. That overaggressiveness makes it hard for him to barrel the ball and saps him of most of the power he still has. And defensively, he has good range at shortstop to go along with his arm strength but he doesn’t have smooth actions and probably is a better fit long-term at second base. Beckham will get a lot of work at second base in the AFL, often with Lee as his double play partner. Beckham may be at Triple-A but has a lot of things to work on moving forward and hopefully we’ll see progress from him in Arizona.

LHRP Chris Rearick

Rearick, who will turn 25 in December, has exceeded expectations since being drafted in the 41st round back in 2010. In 2012 between High-A Charlotte and Double-A Montgomery, Rearick has posted a 4-4 record, a 2.48 ERA, an 11.1 K/9, a 3.0 BB/9, a 0.4 HR/9, and 22 saves in 48 relief appearances and 69 IP. Rearick, 6’3″ and 190 pounds, works with a fastball in the 88-90 MPH range along with a slider and a changeup. His best pitch is his slider in the low-80′s, which Rearick commands well down in the zone with sharp break. Rearick has shown the ability to get both lefties and righties out, but he is especially good against lefties holding them to just a .156/.194/.240 line in 2012. Rearick has the ability to be a lefty middle reliever, not just a situational lefty, and his nice slider makes him a legitimate, if not awe-inspiring, middle relief prospect despite his age. Rearick will work on his fastball command and his changeup in the AFL.

LHRP C.J. Riefenhauser

Another left-handed relief prospect, Riefenhauser, the Rays’ 20th round pick in 2010, is a couple of years younger than Rearick, turning 23 in January, but his pure stuff is a step back and there’s no comparison in terms of performance, although Riefenhauser was given a chance to start. Between High-A and Double-A in 2012, Riefenhauser has gone 8-9 with a 4.65 ERA, a 9.4 K/9, a 3.0 BB/9, a 1.2 HR/9, and 1 save in 15 starts, 15 relief appearances, and 112.1 IP. Riefenhauser works with a fastball with a little more velocity than Rearick, touching 91 MPH, but his command of the pitch isn’t very good at all, making him an extreme flyball pitcher at this point. His secondary offerings are a curveball and a changeup, with his curveball featuring more big depth than dynamic break but he struggles to command it at times, and his changeup still being a work in progress. Riefenhauser has been able to get lefties out in 2012, holding them to a .163/.221/.264 line, but righties have hit him incredibly hard (.304/.370/.518 line) and pending serious improvement to his changeup, Riefenhauser is going to be a situational lefty at best. In the AFL, Riefenhauser will look to tighten up his fastball command and his secondary pitches.

RHRP Kirby Yates

Yates, 25, was a 26th round pick by the Red Sox back in 2005 but did not sign and ended up being a nondrafted free agent signee by the Rays in 2009 after blowing out his elbow in college. Yates has been able to stay healthy and get his career back on track since signing. In 2012 at Double-A Montgomery, Yates has pitched pretty well, going 4-2 with a 2.67 ERA, a 12.4 K/9, a 5.2 BB/9, a 0.5 HR/9, and 15 saves in 49 relief appearances and 67.1 IP. Unlike the lefties, Yates has a power arm, throwing a fastball in the 92-94 MPH range along with a mid-80′s slider with acute break. Both pitches force swings-and-misses, but Yates struggles very much to control and command them. Also, Yates’ arsenal is much more effective against righties as opposed to lefties as righties have managed a .187/.261/.233 line against him compared to .227/.395/.409 by lefties. Yates has toyed around with a changeup that would help him against lefties, but he has never taken to it. In the Arizona Fall League for the second straight year, Yates will continue to work on his command in the hope that his power arsenal could translate to the big leagues someday.

OF Kevin Kiermaier

Kiermaier, 22, was the Rays’ 31st round pick back in 2010, although he signed for an above-slot $75,000 bonus. Kiermaier missed most of 2012 thanks to a couple of stints in the DL, posting a .264/.366/.371 line with 7 doubles, 6 triples, 12 RBI, 10 of 14 stolen bases, and 38 strikeouts versus 26 walks in 56 games and 209 plate appearances at High-A Charlotte (he also played 2 rehab games with the Rookie GCL Rays). Kiermaier stands out most for his plus speed which he uses well on the basepaths and in the outfield. He also has an above-average arm for a centerfielder. The problem is Kiermaier’s hit tool. Kiermaier makes a solid amount of contact and has good plate discipline, but he has very little power and depends heavily on beating out bunts and groundballs to hit for average. Kiermaier has a good fourth outfielder skillset, but the Rays would like if he could hit the ball with a little authority. He has shown the ability to hit a decent amount of line drive singles, and at 6’1″, 200, he looks like he should hit for at least gap power. Kiermaier will work on bringing out that power during his stint in the AFL.

RHRP Lenny Linsky

Linsky, 22, was the Rays’ second round pick in 2011 but saw his career get derailed this season thanks to a shoulder injury. Linsky was outstanding in 2011, posting a 9.2 K/9, a 2.1 BB/9, and a 0.6 HR/9 between Short Season-A and Low-A, but in 2012 he struggled mightily. In 15 appearances at High-A Charlotte, Linsky managed a 3.04 ERA, but just a 3.4 K/9, a disastrous 6.8 BB/9, and a 0.4 HR/9 in 15 appearances and 23.2 IP. Lefties obliterated him, posting a .429/.488/.523 line against Linsky, but then again he could get anybody out and it was a very small sample (44 PA’s). Linsky throws a fastball with nice sink in the low-to-mid 90′s to go along with a high-80′s slider that features nice bite, and that arsenal gave him a chance to pitch in the late innings and move quickly through the minors. Unfortunately, the shoulder injury completely threw off his command, leading to an embarrassing season. Linsky will look to get back on track- and back on the fast-track to the big leagues- in the AFL.

3B Richie Shaffer

And the final player the Rays will send to the Arizona Fall League is their 2012 first round pick, 21 year old third baseman Richie Shaffer. Shaffer has played pretty well albeit in a brief stint at Short Season-A Hudson Valley, posting a .301/.389/.430 line with 3 doubles, 3 homers, 20 RBI, and 25 strikeouts versus 12 walks in 26 games and 108 plate appearances. Shaffer has played well, but he has mostly been a singles hitter and has struck out too often as he adjusts to the pro game. Shaffer stands out most for his big-time power, although it hasn’t come out yet, and his plate discipline. Shaffer has hit the ball hard at Hudson Valley, posting a 20.3% line drive rate according to Minor League Central compared to the 15.7% league average, but most of those line drives have gone for singles. A big reason for that is that Shaffer has been a little tentative, not walking as often as he could and swinging and missing too often. But the great thing is that this is all nitpicking. It’s hard to complain about Shaffer’s .301 average, .389 OBP, and .819 OPS in his pro debut! Defensively, Shaffer may not be able to stay at third base despite being athletic for someone who is 6’3″ and 210 pounds, but he profiles well both in right field thanks to great arm strength and also at first base, where he should be able to profile very well thanks to his power. Shaffer will be a taxi-squad player, meaning he can only play on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but he will take some AFL hacks and look to bring out the prolific power we know he has.

The Rays are sending a very intriguing group of players to the Arizona Fall League, with Lee, Shaffer, and even Beckham being top prospects and the other four all having the ability to make a big league impact someday. Other than the top prospects, I’m most interested in seeing how Rearick and his sharp slider from the left side will perform against higher-quality competition and whether he will continue to get right-handed batters out, but it will be interesting to see how everyone performs. All these players will be worth watching and it will be fun to see them go up against some of the best prospects in baseball this coming fall.

The minor leagues worked a lot of overtime on Saturday, with a double header and three extra inning games. Here is today’s look around the action last night:

Toledo Mud Hens 7, Durham Bulls 2 (Game One)

In the resumption of last night’s suspended game, the Toledo Mud Hens were ready. Tied 1-1 with two out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, new pitcher Brandon Gomes walked the first batter he faced before escaping the damage. Toledo poured on the offense in the fifth inning, scoring five times, highlighted by Justin Henry‘s two run double and Jerad Head‘s two run home run. The Bulls got a run in the top of the ninth, as Cole Figueroa drove in Reid Brignac with an RBI single, but it was not enough as Durham fell 7-2. Gomes allowed 5 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks over 1.1 innings. Tim Beckham was 2-5 with a run scored in the loss.

Toledo Mud Hens 4, Durham Bulls 2 (Game Two, seven innings)

Durham jumped out to a quick lead in the top of the second, as Will Rhymes hit a two run home run with two outs. Immediately after the home run, Toledo starter Drew Smyly hit Nevin Ashely with a pitch, leading to Smyly and Toledo manager Phil Nevin to be ejected from the game. The Mud Hens came back in the bottom of the fourth, putting runners on first and second with two out. Danny Worth hit a ground rule double, plating a run and moving Danny Dorn to third. Dorn the scored on a wild pitch, tying the game at 2-2. Toledo took the lead in the bottom of the sixth, as Ben Guez hit a two run triple, putting the Mud Hens ahead 4-2. In the top of the seventh, Toledo had two more ejections, as Bruce Rondon and pitching coach A.J. Sager were tossed from the game. Adam Liberatore took the loss, giving up 2 earned runs on 3 hits in an inning of work.

Montgomery Biscuits 4, Jackson Generals 3

Scoreless into the bottom of the fourth inning, Montgomery put two runners on with consecutive two out walks. Mayo Acosta followed up with a two run double, putting the Biscuits ahead 2-0. The Biscuits put another run on the board with Ty Morrison‘s RBI groundout in the fifth, putting the lead to 3-0. The Generals came back in the top of the seventh, as Francisco Martinez hit a two run double, trimming the lead to 3-2. Jackson completed the comeback in the top of the eighth, as Leury Bonilla‘s sacrifice fly drove in Rich Poythress with the tying run. In the bottom of the ninth, Mikie Mahtook led off the inning with a single. Derek Dietrich walked, putting runners on first and second. After a force out, Jonathan Arias uncorked a wild pitch, moving the runners to second and third. Following an intentional walk, Brett Nommensen grounded into a force out at second, scoring Dietrich with the winning run. Chris Rearick picked up the win, giving up an unearned run on 1 hit with 1 strikeout over 2.2 innings of work.

Charlotte Stone Crabs 2, Jupiter Hammerheads 1 (13 innings)

The Hammerheads scored first, with Aaron Dudley‘s sacrifice fly driving in Mark Canha to give Jupiter an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second. The score remained 1-0 into the bottom of the sixth, when Todd Glaesmann hit a solo home run with one out to tie the game. Despite several scoring chances on both sides, the game remained tied 1-1 until the bottom of the 13th inning. Robbie Price led off the inning with a single, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Cody Rogers then had an infield hit to the mound, where pitcher Patrick Merkling had a throwing error, allowing Price to score from second. Victor Mateo had an excellent start for Charlotte, giving up 1 run on 5 hits and a walk, striking out 5 in 8 innings. Chris Andujar picked up the victory, allowing 1 hit in his inning of work. Price finished 3-5 with a run scored.

Bowling Green Hot Rods 2, West Michigan Whitecaps 1 (15 innings)

The Hot Rods scored in the top of the first inning, as Ryan Brett singled, and eventually scored on Jeff Malm‘s sacrifice fly. West Michigan tied the game in the bottom of the third, as Joshua Sale‘s throwing error following a Eugenio Suarez base hit allowed Carlos De Los Santos to score. Bowling Green looked as though they were going to take the lead back in the top of the fourth, with runners on first and third with no outs. However, a ground ball to the mound cut down Cameron Seitzer as he attempted to score from third, and two groundouts ended the threat. Although there were scoring chances for both teams, the game remained tied at one until the top of the fifteenth inning. Jake Hager reached on an error, moved to second on a passed ball, and scored on a base hit by Taylor Motter, giving Bowling Green a 2-1 win. Justin Woodall picked up the victory, allowing 2 hits and 1 walk over 5 innings of relief, striking out 5 batters. Five Hot Rods players had two hits each in the marathon win.

Lowell Spinners 6, Hudson Valley Renegades 5 (13 innings)

The Spinners took advantage of three errors and a balk by the Renegades, eventually scoring a 6-5 victory in 13 innings. Lowell kicked off the scoring in the top of the first, as Mike Miller reached on an error, and came around to score on Dreily Guerrero‘s single. Lowell loaded the bases with no out in the top of the second, scoring a run on a double play. The Renegades got on the board in the bottom of the inning, as Ryan Dunn doubled on a popup to second, reached third on a throwing error, and came around to score on a groundout. Hudson Valley took the lead in the bottom of the third, as Luke Maile had an RBI single, and Dunn drove in a run with a groundout. The Renegades and the Spinners each traded runs in the sixth and seventh innings, before Lowell tied the game in the top of the eighth as Matthew Marquis scored on Miller’s RBI single. The game went into extra innings, where the Renegades loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the tenth, but Joey Rickard grounded into a double play to end the threat. Deven Marrero homered in the top of the thirteenth, giving Lowell the eventual 6-5 victory. Brandon Henderson picked up the tough loss, allowing the 1 run on 3 hits in 4 innings of relief, while striking out 5 batters. Leonardo Reginatto was 3-6 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored.

Greeneville Astros 6, Princeton Rays 5

Even though the Astros scored a run in the top of the third, the Rays came back to grab a 4-1 lead heading into the top of the seventh. Princeton scored twice in the bottom of the third, as James Harris tripled and scored on Brandon Martin‘s base hit. Martin came around to score, forced in on a bases loaded walk to Omar Navarez. The Rays put up two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Navarez hit a two run double. Greeneville came back in the top of the seventh, scoring four runs highlighted by a two run home run from Ricky Gringas, taking the lead 5-4. The Astros put another run on the board when Terrell Joyce and Jean Batista had back to back singles, with Joyce scoring on an error by James Harris. Princeton threatened to come back in the bottom of the ninth, with runners on second and third with no one out. However, Andrew Toles grounded into a double play, scoring a run, but effectively ending the threat as Princeton fell 6-5. Jacob Faira took the loss, giving up 4 runs on 5 hits while striking out 2 in 3.1 innings. Martin was 2-5 with 2 runs scored and an RBI in the loss.

GCL Rays 4, GCL Orioles 1 (6 innings)

The Rays jumped out to an early lead, and cruised to the 4-1 victory in a shortened game. With two out in the bottom of the second, Johnny Eierman and Leopoldo Correa executed a double steal, with Eierman scoring on an error by the Orioles’ third baseman. Correa came around to score on a single by Miguel Beltran. A double by Taylor Hawkins with two out in the bottom of the fifth drove in Douglas Duran and Beltran to give the Rays a 4-0 lead. The Orioles put runners on second and third with one out in the top of the sixth, scoring a run as Steel Russell hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Adrian Marin. Luis Cabrera picked up the victory in relief, giving up 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks over 3 innings, while striking out 3 batters. Beltran was 2-2 with a run scored and an RBI.