Front of the Line: A.J. Cole has the potential to be a front-of-the-line starter for the A's (Photo Credit: gambling911.com)

Every Thursday, Swingin’ A’s will unveil a top Oakland A’s prospect. Starting from number 10 and finishing with number 1, be sure to stop by every Thursday to see who makes the list of the Top 10 Oakland A’s prospects. We turn our attention now to pitcher A.J. Cole, who was acquired in the Gio Gonzalez trade. Cole is figured to have quality stuff and the potential to be a front-line starter in a few years.

After being drafted by the Washington Nationals in the fourth-round of the 2010 draft, A.J. Cole entered Washington’s system as a highly regarded prospect with a very high ceiling. Two years later, he’s a member of the Athletics’ organization after being traded to Oakland in the deal that sent All-Star lefty Gio Gonzalez to Washington.

With a 6’4″ lanky frame, Cole has the ideal pitcher’s body with lots of room for growing. Cole, 20, projects to be a front-line starter in the future for the A’s and that projection is based on the type of numbers he’s posted in the minor leagues.

The lean and mean pitching machine Cole currently embodies features a fastball that reaches the mid-90s, a curveball with great breaking action, and a developing changeup. The fastball right now, anyway, is probably Cole’s best pitch with his curveball serving as a nice chase-pitch.

He’ll sweep the curve against both righties and lefties, demonstrating he’s got faith in the pitch. The changeup, meanwhile, still could use a little more work. He’s shown a good feel for the pitch, but issues with the command of the pitch will need to be resolved before he uses that circle-change as an effective weapon.

Right now, then, Cole is more of a fastball-curveball type of pitcher. Improving his changeup, then, should be a point of focus for the right-hander. At just 20 years old, though, he’s got plenty of time to develop and mature into an effective, well-rounded starter.

The former fourth-rounder compiled a 4-7 record with a 4.04 ERA in 18 starts with Single-A Hagerstown last year. He also posted a 10.9 SO/9 rate as the lanky right-hander struck out an impressive 108 batters over 89.0 innings. In addition, the promising young Cole posted an encouraging 2.53 FIP last year.

He also displayed solid control, posting a 2.4 BB/9 rate last year with Hagerstown. Compared to other guys his age, Cole’s command is pretty good. Give him a few more years in the minors and he’ll really get a feel for the game.

Overall, Cole has big league potential. He’s definitely got a shot at becoming a No.1 or No.2 guy in Oakland’s rotation in a few years if his development goes smoothly. The A’s, a team not expected to contend for at least another few years, would be smart not to rush the kid.

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Sep 20, 2011; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Tom Milone (46) delivers to the plate during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game one of a doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park. The Nationals defeated the Phillies 4-3 in 10 innings. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Every Thursday, Swingin’ A’s will unveil a top Oakland A’s prospect. Starting from number 10 and finishing with number 1, be sure to stop by every Thursday to see who makes the list of the Top 10 Oakland A’s prospects. This week’s edition turns the spotlight on pitcher Tom Milone, who was acquired by the A’s in the Gio Gonzalez trade.

After Billy Beane came to the realization that his franchise wasn’t going to be a perennial playoff contender for a few years, he did what he does best: tear apart his team and try to rebuild it. The moves made by Oakland this winter are, in more ways than none, indicative of Beane’s train of thought.

The decision to tear apart his starting rotation by trading pitchers Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez plays right into the whole idea of rebuilding the franchise. The A’s, mired in a tough stadium situation, were not going anywhere and Beane realized that. Both the Cahill and Gonzalez trades brought in a ton of young talent Oakland’s way, but fans, understandably so, were a bit frustrated by the moves.

The A’s haven’t enjoyed much success since their 2006 meltdown in the ALCS against the Detroit Tigers and fans are growing weary of third-place finishes and sub-.500 records. In their credit, though, the A’s have stayed focused on their most recent attempt to rebuild their franchise.

They’ve been patiently waiting the word on their proposed move to San Jose, a territory the San Francisco Giants calls their own, but the A’s haven’t heard anything substantial yet from MLB. The team has shown that they remain committed to the San Jose project. This month’s Billy Beane extension serves as yet another reminder the team has long-term goals in mind.

But for the sake of this post, let’s turn our attention now to the Gio Gonzalez trade. In the trade, the A’s acquired some great young talent in exchange for their former southpaw Gonzalez. Among those young talents the A’s scored in the deal is LHP Tom Milone, who could be the next Dallas Braden.

Some of you reading this post will likely question why Milone is ranked so high on this list, but I assure all of you that Milone definitely belongs in the No.6 spot on this list.

The former 10th round pick of the 2008 draft, Milone comes to Oakland after posting impressive numbers with Washington’s organization. In 24 stars last year in Triple-A Syracuse, Milone posted a 12-6 record with a 3.22 ERA and a 9.4 SO/9 rate. More importantly, though, Milone showed great command last year in Triple-A, walking just 16 batters while posting an impressive 9.69 SO/BB.

The year before that in Double-A Harrisburg, Milone posted a 12-5 record with a 2.85 ERA over 27 starts. He recorded 155 strikeouts over 158 innings pitched that year as well.

Despite those impressive numbers, the lefty has endured his share of criticism. The biggest form of criticism, though, revolves around Milone’s poor fastball velocity. The lefty has a fastball that climbs into the upper-80′s (on a good day), but nothing higher than that. Still, the A’s can expect pin-point precision from their recently acquired southpaw.

Milone made five appearances last year in Washington, posting a 1-0 record with a 3.81 ERA over 26 innings pitched. He also compiled a 1.231 WHIP, 5.2 SO/9 rate and a 1.4 BB/9 rate as well.

He may not receive the type of attention as A.J. Cole or Brad Peacock, but Milone definitely has the abilities to be a solid major league starter. Of the pitchers acquired in the Gonzalez trade, I’d say Milone is probably the one who is most major-league ready. His impact on the starting rotation could be felt immediately and his presence in the rotation could be a lasting one.

Milone isn’t going to overpower anybody with his stuff, but the left-hander should be able to make a lasting impression this spring with his superb command and decision making. Milone has the talent to be a very good No. 3 or No.4 guy in Oakland’s rotation for years to come.

Follow me on twitter @oaklandace75 and for more A’s related analysis, stories, and opinions, follow us on twitter @FS_SwinginAs or like us on Facebook.

Oct. 27, 2010; Mesa, AZ, USA; Scottsdale Scorpions catcher Derek Norris prior to the game against the Mesa Solar Sox at Hohokam Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Every Thursday, Swingin’ A’s will unveil a top Oakland A’s prospect. Starting from number 10 and finishing with number 1, be sure to stop by every Thursday to see who makes the list of the Top 10 Oakland A’s prospects. We now turn our attention to No.9 on our list, Derek Norris.

The decision to trade Gio Gonzalez may not have been a popular one among the dwindling Oakalnd A’s fanbase, but Billy Beane’s decision to trade Gonzalez may prove to be a smart move. Oakland’s farmsystem received plenty of young players in the swap that sent Gonzalez, Oakland’s 2011 All-Star, to the Washington Nationals.

Those young players came mostly in the form of talented young pitchers, but Oakland did receive one big bat in the deal: Derek Norris. Norris, who will 23 by Opening Day, will likely open the season with Double-A Midland, but don’t let that fool you. Norris is a potential big league starter who, in a few years, could be replacing Kurt Suzuki behind the plate.

With Norris, the A’s primarily get two things: power and a whole lot of walks. Last year, Norris hit 20 home runs and drew 77 walks over 423 at-bats. For a team that has struggled to find power, Norris is a great pick-up for the Athletics. He’ll hit a few home runs each season while getting his share of free passes as well.

Still, Norris will need to improve a few things before he gets a shot at taking over for Kurt Suzuki. Last year in Double-A, Norris hit just .210 and struck out a whopping 27.7% of the time. Norris will likely never hit for a huge average, but the A’s would definitely any sort of improvement over the .210 average Norris posted last year. (more…)