Kaaihue showed good power in 18 games at Stockton

Hes been tried at all four corner positions, and despite his athleticism (note the 13 stolen bases), hes somewhat similar to Jack Cust in the field: he hustles, but he just looks uncomfortable and out of his element with a glove on. Third base is officially not an option for Carter, from what I understand, so hes down to first base and the corner outfield spots. His first base defense improved slightly in 2009, and he has the a good outfield arm, but Carter could end up as a DH long term. Ended 2009 At: Sacramento (AAA)Should Begin 2010 At: Sacramento (AAA)2009 Statistics: .267/.364/.448 with 4 HR, 23/15 K/BB, and 0 SB in just 28 gamesDefensive Reputation: ExcellentI was outraged last year that Doolittle, who had hit .254/.311/.388 in Double-A in 2008, was beginning the year at Sacramento, while Everidge (.279/.380/.489 in 2008) was stuck at Midland.

For his part, Doolittle did a nice job in the PCL, but he went down with an injury early on and missed the rest of the year (Everidge didnt even get promoted then; it wasnt until Jeff Baisley went down six weeks later that he got the call). While he was hurt, Doolittle was passed on the depth chart by both Everidge and Carter, so it was an unfortunate year for the former University of Virginia star. Hes a similar player to Barton: an excellent defender and solid lefty batter with doubles power and good plate discipline. However, Doolittle, who launched 22 homers in 2008, has better power than Barton, but his minor league K/BB ratios arent anywhere near as good.Ultimately, Doolittles going to have a hard time getting in on the 1B/DH picture in Oakland, but hes an intriguing possibility as a corner outfielder down the line. Hes gotten extensive work in right field in the minors, and he has average range, good instincts, and a solid arm in the outfield.

He has to stay healthy and prove his 18 HR half-season in High-A in 2008 was for real He also has to get accustomed to the outfield. Hes still got big-league starter potential, but if he doesnt excel in 2010, his future is probably as a pinch hitter/1B/LF, like Ross Gload or Mark Sweeney.. Still, nobody else on the team seemed to be able to hit except uber-prospect Grant Desme, so after 70 games of this mediocrity, Kleen got a promotion.And now, all of a sudden, I have to take the guy seriously.Thats what 70 games of .342/.430/.486 will do for a player. Sure, hes 26, but it was Kleens first crack at High-A, and he walked nearly as often as he struck out, showing impressive strike zone control and decent power.Of course, hes going to be 27 in May and will open 2010 in Double-A for the first time, so its not like Kleen is going to jump the previous four players and seize Oaklands first base job long term. He has some experience at third, left, and right field, but hasnt played anywhere but first since 2007; his 2008 injury may have robbed him of that ability. He did register as an above average defender at first base in 2009, particularly after the promotion (he was 6 runs above average in Stockton, according to TotalZone numbers).Hes still a long shot, but Kleen is now a blip on the radar screen, which is far more than I ever thought hed be..

Ended 2009 At: Stockton (High-A)Should Begin 2010 At: Stockton (High-A)2009 Statistics: .157/.306/.262 with 4 HR, 64/36 K/BB, and 1 SB at Mississippi (AA); .131/.254/.377 with 4 HR, 26/10 K/BB, and 0 SB at Stockton (High-A)Defensive Reputation: Above averageIts hard to believe that Kala Kaaihue was not-too-long-ago considered a far better prospect than his brother Kila, whos likely to start 2010 as the Royals first baseman. Even last year, he put up a .417 OBP at Double-A Mississippi.All of a sudden, things fell apart for Kala in 2009. The As smartly picked Kaaihue up out of independent ball late in the year. Given his superb plate discipline and power, he was (and still is) a great reclamation project.Kaaihue showed good power in 18 games at Stockton (.246 ISO), but still couldnt muster any sort of batting average.