Baseball America's Look at the Minors

The Bulls enter the homestand with a record of 14-19, putting them five games out of first in the International League's Southern Division. The Bulls have struggled to score runs for most of the season, and that continued on the road trip as the Durham offense was held to three runs or fewer in five of the eight games.

The two games the Bulls won against Pawtucket were both via shutouts. In a 1-0 victory on Monday, starter Mitch Talbot worked seven shutout innings, allowed four hits and struck out eight. Talbot struggled at times in April, but has been dominant in his last two starts, throwing 15 shutout innings with a 14-1 K-BB ratio.

With Evan Longoria departed for the majors, Bulls shortstop Reid Brignac is now the top position player prospect in the Rays system. Brignac is getting his first taste of Triple-A in 2008 and the results thus far have been respectable, considering Brignac is only 22. He's hitting .252/.295/.412, with three home runs and 14 RBI. Brignac has hit at every level of the minors, so his numbers should improve as he adjusts to Triple-A.

• David Purcey, lhp, Syracuse: Purcey is one of Toronto's top pitching prospects and made his major league debut earlier this year. He stands at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, and features a low-90s fastball and a biting curveball as his best pitches. He also throws a changeup, but it's clearly his third-best pitch. The Blue Jays made Purcey their first-round pick in 2004, but his career has been plagued by minor injuries.

Purcey has pitched well in six starts at Triple-A this year, not allowing more than two earned runs in any of them, and his 1.85 ERA is fifth-best in the International League.

He's already 26, so time could be running out for him to take the next step forward.

• Curtis Thigpen, c, Syracuse: Taken one round after Purcey in the '04 draft, Thigpen rose steadily through the minors en route to making his major league debut last year, when he hit .238/.294/.287 in 47 games for the Blue Jays. Thigpen played on three College World Series teams with the University of Texas. As a hitter, Thigpen can control the strike zone and use all fields, though he doesn't have a lot of power.

He's a solid defensive catcher, but his build may not allow him to stay there for the long haul, and he's shown enough athleticism to play other positions. Thigpen has struggled at the plate so far in 2008, hitting .187/.216/.253.

• Mike Hollimon, 2b, Toledo: Hollimon was an unheralded 16th-round pick out of Oral Roberts in 2005 who has performed well at each stop on his way up Detroit's minor league chain. He was an all-star in the Double-A Eastern League last year and finished the season in Triple-A. He's a switch-hitter with a patient approach, and has shown decent power throughout his career. He's off to a slow start with a .235 average, though he has hit four home runs in 16 games. Hollimon started out as a shortstop, but it looks like he doesn't have the arm to stay there, so he's moved over to second base full-time this season.

• Yorman Bazardo, rhp, Toledo: Bazardo started the season in the Detroit bullpen but has since been returned to the rotation in Triple-A after he gave up eight runs in three innings for the Tigers. Bazardo has made three starts for the Mud Hens, going 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA. He features a low-90s fastball with good sink, and his primary out pitch is a changeup that features good depth and armside run. He has a herky-jerky delivery that helps keep hitters off balance. His lack of a consistent breaking ball prevents him from getting many strikeouts, but he is noted for having good command to both sides of the plate, although he has walked seven hitters in 14 innings so far with Toledo.

The Mudcats lost 9-7 last night against Jacksonville as starter Brett Sinkbeil struggled for the second start in a row. He gave up eight runs and 13 hits in just 4 2/3 innings of work. Expected to be one of the Mudcats best starters entering the season, he has lost his last three decisions and his ERA has risen to 5.72 in the process.

On the offensive side, center fielder Cameron Maybin has had an outstanding week at the plate. He went 4-for-5 with a double and a home run in the first game of the series against Jacksonville. Maybin was rated as Florida's best prospect entering the season, after he was acquired from the Tigers in a trade for third baseman Miguel Cabrera. If the name rings a bell, it's because Maybin gained notoriety for hitting a home run off Roger Clemens at Yankee Stadium in his major league debut last season.

• Daryl Thompson, rhp: Thompson has been one of the best pitchers in the Southern League this season. His 1.45 ERA is good for fourth in the league, although he struggled in his last start when he gave up four runs in six innings against Tennessee. Prior to that outing, he hadn't allowed more than one earned run in any of his first six starts, and he's compiled an impressive 44-7 K-BB ratio on the the season.

• Chris Valaika, ss: Valaika just arrived in Chattanooga a few days ago after being promoted from the Reds' Class A affiliate in Sarasota. Valaika was off to a red-hot start, hitting .363 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs in 32 games for Sarasota before being promoted. He went 2-for-4 and hit a home run in his first game at Double-A on Thursday. Valaika has above-average power and hitting skills, and the only questions about him are whether he has the range to stick as a shortstop in the majors, as many see him moving over to second base in the future.