Five National League East Prospects On The Bubble

Today, we'll take a look at the National League East guys on the bubble.

• Atlanta Braves - Jordan Schafer (CF).  Schafer was once ranked the 25th best prospect in baseball by Baseball American in 2008, and still made the list at 42 in 2009.  However, much of the luster has worn off of him.  Beginning with a PED suspension in 2008, Schafer then had a disappointing major league debut in 2009, which ended with him returning to the minors in May.  He suffered a wrist injury this season that has sapped his power and left him looking helpless at the plate.  At a time when he could have had a quick trip back to the show, when Braves centerfielders were looking awful, Schafer couldn't capitalize on the opportunity.  Stepping into 2011, this may be a make or break year for him, as the Braves are unlikely going to sit and wait on him to figure things out much longer.
• Florida Marlins - Andrew Miller (LHP).    It's been a long time since Miller resembled the blue chip prospect that was rumored to be the top college lefty in the NCAA.  Miller, along with outfielder Cameron Maybin, were the big prizes in the Miguel Cabrera-Dontrelle Willis trade.  While Miller has shown flashes of dominance, his command has just never developed, and has held him back.  With him now out of options, the Marlins need to think hard about whether or not Miller is worth keeping on the major league roster, or if they'll try to sneak him through waivers to the minors. 
• New York Mets - Fernando Martinez (CF).  Long an inhabitant on the Mets' lists of top prospects, Martinez simply hasn't stayed healthy long enough to turn his physical tools into performance.  Martinez has also been needlessly rushed throughout his career by the Mets, and has consistently been among the youngest players in each level he's been in.  My opinion is that Martinez was accelerated too quickly, and ultimately paid the price for it.  It's too bad.  Had the Mets been patient, Martinez could have provided a potential succession plan for Carlos Beltran.  Now, I'm not so sure that he'll be able to.  With a new regime coming in, Martinez could find himself flipped for a piece to help the Mets rebuild.
• Philadelphia Phillies - Scott Mathieson (RHP).  A survivor of two Tommy John surgeries, Mathieson looked like he would finally contribute to the Phillies, but instead got hurt after posting an impressive season in Triple A.  The Phillies have shown little inclination to use Mathieson and have actually designated him for assingment twice.  While Mathieson shows incredible heat, his injury history is just so awful that one wonders if he'll ever stay healthy long enough to get a shot.  He's currently learning a splitter from Bruce Sutter (more on him in a later post), but you have to wonder how much more patience the Phillies will show..
• Washington Nationals - Ross Detwiler (LHP).  Needless to say, Detwiler's recent performances weren't what the Nationals expected after selecting him with the sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft (over Rick Porcello, Brett Cecil, Madison Bumgarner, and most notably, Jason Heyward.)  Detwiler was once billed as a hard throwing lefty who could blossom into a Number Two starter, but has since seen his fastball velocity decline to about 90 mph, likely due to his recent hip injury.  Detwiler is probably safe, with Washington needing quality innings, but he needs to rediscover his command, as well as his velocity, for him to last a while in this league.

Tomorrow:  The National League Central!