I think I've (temporarily) run out of Cubs prospects to hype. Well that's note quite true, I'm pointedly ignoring a couple. Chicago's seemingly featured prominently in every edition of the Dynasty Review. Of course, the guys I've already profiled are still going strong. Ian Happ, Eloy Jimenez, Jeimer Candelario, and others will provide a potent second wave of talent to this already ridiculous roster - either directly or via trade.

Today, let's peek a little closer at the burgeoning Phillies farm system. The club lacks the gaudy depth of the Cubs, but they still have plenty of talent and payroll flexibility. They're positioned to return to power just as the Nationals and Mets are due for rebuilding processes of their own.

Editor's Note: RotoBaller offers the best Premium MLB Subscription - only $1.99 per week. All the tools you need to help win your seasonal and daily leagues: Hitter & Pitcher Streamers, Matchup Ratings for every player, Under-the-Radar Surgers for AVG, HR, Ks, plus daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Lineup Picks, Expert Lineups, Stacks and Avoids. 

 

Dynasty Advice for Week 16

Yulieski Gurriel - Houston Astros

On Saturday, the Astros officially announced the signing of the 32-year-old Cuban to a five-year, $47.5 million contract. He has a long track record of success in the Cuban Serie Nacional as well as Japan's NPB. His final season in Cuba was particularly comical - he hit .500/.589/.874 with 15 home runs, 38 walks, and three strikeouts in 224 plate appearances. If the strikeout total is a typo, it's Baseball Reference's, not mine.

Gurriel hasn't seen game action since 2015. It's fair to wonder if he'll manage to contribute at all in 2016. From what I've been able to gather, scouts are quite split on Gurriel's talent. Buster Olney reports that some executives around the league aren't very impressed with the current iteration of Gurriel, with one describing the signing as "a good deal — three years ago." As such, Gurriel is a wild card asset not unlike Byung-ho Park or Dae-ho Lee. He's expected to reach the majors in mid-August.

His brother Lourdes Gurriel is the real prize in the family. Pundits believe that the Astros signed the elder Gurriel to give them a leg up in the bidding for the more talented youngster. Bidding for Lourdes may be similar in scale to the Red Sox deal with Yoan Moncada. The process should be a little easier for all parties involved since he won't be subject to international free agent spending rules as of October.

Scott Kingery - Philadelphia Phillies

The first second baseman selected in the 2015 Rule 4 draft has thrived in the pitcher friendly FSL. He's batting .295/.364/.418 with three home runs and 25 stolen bases. I've seen some reports wondering if he might be shifted from second base to the outfield which would kill his value.

Thus far in his pro career, Kingery has demonstrated plus contact skills to go with solid plate discipline, decent pop, and above average speed. While the 25 swipes might sound like a burner in the making, Kingery is mostly taking advantage of lesser minor leaguers. It's a sign that he has a plus baseball mind. However, we should expect closer to 10 stolen bases in the majors.

While his three home runs doesn't sound particularly powerful, he does have 28 doubles in a notoriously tough league for power. Some of those doubles should turn into home runs, giving him 15-15 upside. The overall profile reads like a less touted version of Anthony Rendon. Obviously the 22-year-old has yet to conquer Double- and Triple-A. He's in line for a promotion to offense friendly Reading any day now. There's a chance we'll see him in the majors by next September.

 

Rapid Fire

Reynaldo Lopez - Washington Nationals

Lopez is making his major league debut tonight, although reports suggest it may be a spot start. His fastball sits in the mid-90s. The breaking ball and changeup flash as above average. The issue for Lopez is his command. At Double-A, he posted big strikeout numbers with a good walk rate because he could overpower the competition. Two starts at Triple-A went less smoothly. He's a quality pitching prospect, but he's still a command breakout away from being a viable major leaguer. He could also fit in as an elite reliever.

Rhys Hoskins - Philadelphia Phillies

It's been a bleak decade for Phillies first base prospects since Ryan Howard reached the majors. Jon Singleton was the best of the bunch, and he's stagnated in the Astros system. Finally, Phillies fans have a name to watch. Hoskins has popped 25 home runs in 390 Double-A plate appearances. Reading is a high octane offensive environment. Take his .277/.344/.553 line with a grain of salt. The 23-year-old has enough plate discipline to be a better version of current Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph.

Dylan Cozens - Philadelphia Phillies

Speaking of Reading Phils, Cozens has hammered 24 home runs in 395 plate appearances to go with a .281/.367/.577 line. Fantasy owners may be interested to see his 16 stolen bases against just one caught stealing. It's odd since his scout report notes minus speed. Like Kingery, he's just exploiting lesser opponents. Strikeouts are still a serious issue for Cozens. He attempted to cut down on his punch out rate last season and his power deserted him as a result.

Jake Thompson - Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies have lined up of Thompson's starts with Jeremy Hellickson. Given that the club is expected to deal Hellickson in the next few weeks, a promotion for Thompson may be imminent. He's pitched well at Triple-A this season with a 2.42 ERA, 6.21 K/9, and 2.58 BB/9. Thompson has pitched particularly well since the start of June - a 0.64 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 56.1 innings. He'll run into a few hiccups in the majors, and it's still confusing that he doesn't strike out more hitters. If he fails out of the rotation, he profiles as a high-end closer.

Josh Bell - Pittsburgh Pirates

You hardly need my help to stash Josh Bell. He's one of the top first base prospects in baseball, and he had a successful debut just prior to the All Star Break. There is one small problem with Bell, the Pirates don't like his first base defense. Now there's talk of moving him back to the outfield. A potential trade of Andrew McCutchen could open up a spot for Bell. Otherwise, he's going to have to fill a tough role as a part-timer split between two positions he doesn't defend well. Defensive struggles can bleed over into offense. Now isn't a bad time to sell high. The key word being "high." There's no need to force a trade if nobody's buying at a premium rate.

 

Live Expert Q&A Chats - Every Weekday @ 1 PM and 6 PM EST (DFS)

Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!