1:15pm CDT, updates by AdamOnFirst
A little more on Ladendorf:
Here at TwinkieTown, we voted Ladendof the #30 prospect for the Twins before this season. Seth Stohs did not list Ladendorf in the Twins top 40 prospects. This was before Ladendorf lit up Rookie ball this year, but remember, Ladendorf is 21 this year with two years of college ball under his belt, so lighting up rookie ball in his second time through isn't so impressive. Ladendorf's main calling card is his 16 HR's and 65 (!) SB's his final season at Howard college. He has been very good stealing bases professionally, he's 15 for 17 while stealing as a Twin farmhand.
This is Seth Stoh's take on Ladendorf before the 2009 season, taken from his 2009 Minnesota twins Prospect Handbook (you can still go buy this for only a couple bucks):
The Twins 2nd round pick in 2008 had a very disappointing professional debut with the GCL Twins. He hit just .204/.308/.293 with eight doubles and a homer. However, when you see his 2008 college numbers, and the tools he has, you still see a guy with a lot of potential.
At Howard College this year, he hit 16 home runs and stole a nation-leading 65 bases. He had signed a scholarship to play baseball at Oklahoma State but instead signed with the Twins. Once he adjusts to the pro game, he could develop quickly.
My personal take on Ladendorf is he isn't a major price to pay, but we're already short on middle infield prospects, and he MIGHT have a lot of upside. I wouldn't put much stock in any professional success until he hits in low and high A-ball though.
12:55pm CDT, updated by Jesse:
My initial take on getting O-Cab is quite simple: it's going to be hard for him to be much worse than what we've already had playing in the middle infield. Do I think it'll be a shame to lose plate appearances for Brendan Harris? Yes. Is he the best option on the market? No. But that's the only negative spin on this deal. Oakland is sending Minnesota some cash, the Twins won't feel like they have to offer Cabrera arbitration for the pair of draft picks thanks to some genius clause in his contract (note from AdamOnFirst: Cabrera's contract forbids his team from offering him arbitration, so that team cannot receive any draft picks for him.) , and he really hasn't been worse than the guys we've been running out there on a nightly basis.
Only Cabrera has been hitting lately, and hell, maybe he stays hot the rest of the season. He also has a bit of playoff experience, for whatever you think that's worth.
Tyler Ladendorf is a 21-year old shortstop just getting his first taste of post-rookie league professional ball. He was Minnesota's second round draft pick in 2008, and in his first season hit .204/.308/.293 with the Gulf Coast Twins. This year he started in Elizabethton, the Twins' other rookie league, and in 61 at-bats impressed with a triple slash of .410/.500/.721. Since his promotion to Beloit the numbers have dropped back to earth, and he's hit just .222/.288/.241 in his first 54 at-bats. But it's early.
Here's what the scouting report said on Ladendorf when we drafted him last June:
Height: 5'11" Weight: 190 lbs
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
From MLB.com's Draft Central scouting report:
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Focus Area
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Comments
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| Hitting Ability: | Ladendorf has excellent bat speed and other good hitter's attributes, though he needs more weight on his back side. He's got an unorthodox approach to hitting that will have to be monitored |
| Power: | He has slightly above-average power with natural loft in his swing. |
| Running Speed: | He has above-average speed, especially for his size. |
| Base Running: | He's an aggressive, powerful runner who looks to steal. |
| Arm Strength: | He has a plus throwing arm. |
| Fielding: | He's got average hands and makes the plays at short. |
| Range: | He's got pretty good range, though his body might get too big for shortstop. |
| Physical Description: | Ladendorf is a big athletic shortstop. |
| Medical Update: | Healthy. |
| Strengths: | Power potential, speed, throwing arm. |
| Weaknesses: | His unorthodox hitting approach may not work at the next level as he doesn't have enough weight on his back side. |
| Summary: | Ladendorf was drafted by the Giants in the 34th round last year (the second year in a row he'd been drafted in that round), but he opted to return to Howard for another season. There's little question his Draft stock has risen since then as he's shown the ability to run, hit for power and field his position pretty well for a player his size. He may not be a shortstop long-term, but he's more than athletic enough to handle a switch. Wherever he plays defensively, his size and athleticism should see him get drafted for a third time much earlier than the previous two. |
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Just broken by Tim Brown of Yahoo sports and confirmed by LaVelle E Neil and Kelly Theiser, the Twins have acquired Orlando Cabrera from the Athletics for Low-A shortstop Tyler Ladendorf.
LEN III also reports the Twins are self reportedly, "wheeling and dealing."
More updates here soon...