Prospects could play role down stretch With Trade Deadline passed, teams could turn to Minors for help By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com 08/02/09 12:00 AM ET With the Trade Deadline in the rearview mirror, teams on both ends of deals are looking ahead. Teams who brought in high-end big leaguers will see if it's enough to carry them to the postseason. The "sellers" will give younger players longer looks as they look to the future. In both cases, prospects may play a large role. While it's more difficult for Minor Leaguers to come up and play a significant part in a playoff push, it's not unheard of. There should be plenty of opportunities for prospects to show what they can do on teams that are out of the race. Here's a look at some of those young players who could have an impact in the final two months of the season. Michael Taylor, OF, Phillies: His name came up often in deadline deal discussions, but he's still with the Phillies. After a stirring first full season after being a fifth-round pick in the 2007 Draft, the Stanford product has backed it up this year by hitting .324 and slugging .558. He's spent 16 games in Triple-A and could be ready to help the Phils down the stretch. The starting outfield is pretty much set in Philadelphia, but Taylor might be a better option than Ben Francisco as a fourth outfielder or a starter if one of the three top guys gets hurt. Eric Young Jr., 2B, Rockies: The Rockies are in the hunt now and made some moves to bolster the 'pen as they try to compete. Young is the type who could come up and provide a bolt of electricity to the lineup. He might be a better leadoff hitter than Dexter Fowler and a better option at second than Clint Barmes. His speed (51 steals) would play right now at the big league level. Wade Davis, RHP, Rays: That's right, another young pitcher in the Rays system, and he's just about ready. His 3.21 ERA is 11th best currently in the International League. The 6-foot-5 right-hander might not be able to crack the Rays' rotation right now, but a scenario where he comes up to help out the bullpen, a la David Price last year, is easy to envision. Trevor Bell, RHP, Angels: They didn't get something done on the trade front -- Toronto ace Roy Halladay was out of reach -- but maybe the Angels can promote from within. Bell's pitched at two levels, and the 22-year-old's got a combined 2.51 ERA. He's not a strikeout guy, but rather one who could come up from Triple-A and throw a good amount of innings for the Angels down the stretch. Another pitching option for Los Angeles could be Sean O'Sullivan, who went 3-0 in five starts with the Halos earlier this season and is fresh off a Triple-A no-hitter. Neftali Feliz, RHP, Rangers: Who knows how close he was to becoming a Blue Jay, but the Rangers certainly aren't upset to still have his electric arm. Long-term, he might be an ace, but Texas had shortened him up to see if he might help out their bullpen. He's got a 2.30 ERA, a .164 opponents' batting average and 20 K's (vs. just three walks) in 15 2/3 relief innings. Think he's ready? Matt LaPorta, OF, Indians: When Ben Francisco was sent to Philadelphia, the thought was that LaPorta -- the key in last year's CC Sabathia trade -- would get another shot at the bigs. Instead, Trevor Crowe got the call. LaPorta's hitting .297 and slugging .523, so what's the holdup? Part of it might be that he's been playing a lot more first base, and perhaps the Indians have decided he can't play the outfield at the big league level. That being said, with the rebuilding going on in Cleveland, the Tribe should find a spot for his bat in the lineup. Cliff Pennington, SS, A's: Officially, he got called up on Friday and it's looking like the 2005 first-round pick will get a nice long look at short the rest of the way in Oakland following the Orlando Cabrera trade. He's got some speed (27 stolen bases) and has some ability to hit, though he struggled through a .227 July. Chris Heisey, OF, Reds: He was under the radar until recently, when he went to the Futures Game. His numbers haven't hurt either, as he's hit .326 across two levels with 16 homers and 16 steals. With Jay Bruce still out of the lineup, it'd be great for the Reds to give some young outfielders -- how about a joint callup with Heisey and Drew Stubbs? -- a look in the bigs. Lou Marson, C, Indians: He's seen some Major League time and profiles as a decent big league backstop. The 23-year-old is with Triple-A Columbus and got to play against his old organization right off the bat -- the Clippers were facing the Phillies' Lehigh Valley affiliate when the Cliff Lee deal was made -- but will he spend much more time in the Minors? The Indians dealt Victor Martinez and brought up Wyatt Toregas, but it shouldn't be surprising if they let Marson get familiar with the organization and then let him get some time behind the plate. Aaron Poreda, LHP, Padres: Major League fans got to see him, briefly, in a relief role with the White Sox. He was effective, but wasn't pitching enough, so Chicago wisely sent him down. The 2007 first-round Draft pick might have a brighter future as a starter if he can continue to improve his command and develop his secondary pitches. He's got a 2.54 ERA in 13 starts in the Minors and has struck out more than a batter per inning. He'll head to San Diego's Triple-A affiliate in Portland, with a late callup a distinct possibility. Carlos Carrasco, RHP, Indians: Another piece of the Lee deal, he got to pitch against his former organization (and Pedro Martinez) on Friday night in Triple-A, his first chance for retribution. Carrasco's star has faded somewhat with his performance this year (5.25 ERA in 21 starts), but he's still just 22 years old and has some pretty good stuff that's allowed him to strike out 118 in 120 innings. The three-time Futures Gamer may have stalled a bit in Philly, but the change of scenery could mean a ticket to Cleveland soon. --

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