Stockton Skipper Rick Magnante Talks about the Ports’ Top Prospects

by Bill Moriarity / A’s Farm Editor

Stockton manager Rick Magnante originally began his professional baseball career as a 13^th-round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians out of the University of Santa Barbara back in 1969.

He first joined the A’s organization in 1995 as an area scout covering southern California, where he was the signing scout for such players as Barry Zito. He also began managing short-season teams for the A’s in 2006 once his duties prepping for each year’s draft were through.

After spending five seasons in Vancouver and three seasons in Vermont, Magnante gave up his scouting duties and began managing full-time. He spent the 2014 season in Beloit and is now in his fourth season with Stockton. We took the opportunity to talk with the Stockton skipper earlier this week to get his first-hand take on some of the top prospects who’ve appeared with the Ports this season…

 
AF:  I know next year will be the 50th anniversary of when you were first drafted by the Indians back in the summer of ’69. That was a little while ago, but I guess you’re still feeling game for the game!

RM:  Absolutely, I’m excited to be here! I’m energized and just very pleased with the effort and the performance and the character of the players on this year’s Ports team.

AF:  Okay, let me ask you about a few of those guys. A guy who’s really been one of your most consistent hitters this year also happens to be your catcher, Jonah Heim. We didn’t really know a lot about him when he came over from Tampa Bay in the offseason. So, after watching him on a daily basis for a few months now, tell us what your impressions have been of him.

RM:  If you had to profile him, who is he is similar to the big leagues? You’d probably say a guy like Matt Wieters. He’s a tall switch-hitting catcher who has advanced receiving skills. He has an above-average arm in terms of strength and an above-average arm in terms of accuracy. He has a feel to call the ballgame and assess hitters’ weaknesses and stay on the page with what the program is. And then he’s a switch-hitter with a serviceable bat, a chance for power and a discerning eye with the bat. So, he’s just an all-around very good player. I like the fact that his demeanor is kind of quiet in a way. He’s not really a rah-rah guy, but he shows up every day to play, and I think that’s equally as important as the verbal kind of energy that you’re looking for in that take-charge guy behind the plate. So, I’ve been extremely pleased with him. I think it was a great job by our scouting department to find a way to get him into our system, and he certainly has been a force so far this year for us.

AF:  Can you talk a little more about his work behind the plate as a catcher? You see him every day, so how does he look back there to you?

RM:  Well, I think he’s a big league receiver. I don’t think there’s any question in my mind about that. The thing that impresses me most about him is that he does things so easily. There’s not a lot of effort to what he does. And people who do it easy probably do it more consistently and with greater regularity. People who have to work hard to maximize their tools or their skills tend to be a little bit more inconsistent in their play.

AF:  You’ve had some guys here this year who were high draft picks for the A’s last year. Shortstop Kevin Merrell was the team’s second overall pick last year. It seems like he’s been a bit up and down this year. But what were you seeing out of him before he got hurt and had to go on the DL?

RM:  As we speak, he’s not here. He’s in Arizona. He’s got a second-degree sprain in his left elbow. So, he’ll be down there for a while rehabbing. There is a chance that we may get him back in mid-August. Here’s a guy who has a skill set and tools to play, certainly to begin with, in the center of the diamond, and has a feel for bat on ball. And really, in fairness to him, I think he’s done a tremendous job here at this level, skipping short-season, playing just a small amount of games in Vermont last year, then going to instructional league and then not being healthy enough really to participate. So, for what he was placed into in terms of an accelerated environment in his first year, I would make his transition to the California League very similar to what Eli White was like last year, that type of guy. As far as where he plays in the future, how long he stays at short – does he move to the right side of the diamond? Does he move to the outfield? That’s a question that will have to be answered at a later date. Right now, we drafted him as a shortstop. And we’re doing everything we can on an everyday basis to improve his defense and make him a better defender than what he was the first day that we saw him here, and there has been marked improvement with his defense. So, I’m very pleased with Kevin. Character, work habits, commitment to play, passion to play – all that’s in place.

AF:  Well, it sounds like he’s got the right attitude anyway.

RM:  Absolutely.

AF:  He was really known for his exceptional speed coming out of college. But he’s only stolen five bases here this year. Is that due to something physical with him this year or is that just an organizational thing about not really pushing guys to steal bases?

RM:  Well, no. In my personal philosophy, I like to run, and nobody’s told me that we can’t run here. It’s an interesting dynamic in that there are people who can run but they don’t feel comfortable stealing bases. So, you’re hoping every guy that you bring into the organization that has that run tool, that’s the only tool that translates on both sides of the lines, is also going to have the mentality and be the kind of risk taker that is necessary to steal a base and not be afraid to be thrown out. If you talk to Rickey Henderson, that’s basically what he says. You have to work at it like everything else…you have to work on your jumps, your leads, your reads. But, innately, you have to be fearless and not be afraid to be thrown out. If there’s any trepidation, no matter what your foot speed is, you’re not going to steal the base on the last step, you’re going to steal it on the first step, and that’s the toughest one to get. So, we’ve been working with Kevin. And you’re right, he has the tool to be a base stealer, and I think he is a pretty good base runner.

AF:  Another high draft pick here, third baseman William Toffey, was the A’s fourth-round pick last year. He was out for about six weeks with a shoulder injury. But when he’s playing, he’s definitely shown that he’s got a real ability to get on base.

RM:  He’s got a discerning eye. He certainly does have that. I think he’s experiencing some growth at the plate. And in fairness to him, he’s been hampered by the fact that he’s been hurt twice now. He got off to a pretty good start, hurt the shoulder sliding at home plate…went back to Arizona. They rehabbed it – I don’t know if it will be a surgical procedure after the season’s over or not. Then he came back and kind of got on track, and then he came up with a tender quad. But from what I’ve seen in the small sample, he certainly seems to be a very good defender and profiles at third. There’s not much better than a left-handed-hitting third baseman. Everybody’s looking for those – it’s like left-handed-hitting catchers – so he does that. He has power. And I think, by his own admission, he would probably say that he’s certainly a work in progress at the plate. But he definitely has a feel to hit and is able to be selective enough to not chase too much and swing outside of the zone, and that’s probably allowed his on-base percentage to be a legitimate number.

AF:  Another infielder you’ve got here whom I remember you were high on last year as kind of an under-sized, over-achieving guy is second baseman Nate Mondou. How do you feel about where he’s at this year?

RM:  Well, he’s better than he was a year ago. He’s a better hitter He’s a better defender. He’s a better overall player. And he had an all-star first half here for us. So, he’s just working hard to get better at the nuanced parts of the game. He’s showing a little power here that we didn’t see last year, but he’s got a little pull-field power. He’s out there working in left field right now because he’s going to play out there tonight. We’re a little light on outfielders, so we put Trace Loehr out there a couple of nights ago. We’re trying to create some versatility for Nate as well as Trace. But Nate’s had a solid year, and he certainly is another guy who leads by example and by performing. So, he’s a very important part of the club this year.

AF:  Outfielder Dairon Blanco has been kind of a dynamic player for you this year. Coming out of Cuba, I don’t think any of us really knew what to expect out of him. So, what’s your impression of him now that you’ve had a chance to get a good look at him every day?

RM:  First of all, I’m very impressed by his ability to be ready physically and mentally to play every day. He’s highly energized. He doesn’t want to miss a game. He wants to play every day. He’s not tired. So, that bodes well for his durability, resiliency and the things that go along with being an everyday big league player. Tool-wise, I would have to say that probably his most outstanding tool, not unlike Merrell, is his foot speed. He can really run, and he’s got some bags. So, he’s a guy who can run and wants to run and is not afraid to be thrown out. His defense has been a little up and down at times. His throwing has certainly improved. His arm strength was probably below average in spring training, and now it’s solid average. And his defense is a situation where he needs a lot of reps out there. He’s pretty good going left and right. The ball that’s hit over his head, he needs work on that…and that’s just going take some time and experience. And his bat has been impressive. He’s a guy who battles at the plate. There’s a lot of two-strike contact. If he does put it in play, he’s fortunate enough that he has the foot speed. Anytime it’s on the ground and bounces a couple of times, he has a chance to be safe. So, he’s doing well. I think there’s been people who say, “Well, you know, he’s old for the league.” And, chronologically, he may be. But in terms of his baseball growth and development, I think he’s in the right place right now. I don’t think he played much baseball in Cuba on any kind of structured level for a couple of years. So, to come over here, even though he’s 25 years old, and face this type of competition in his first year in the States and learn how to play every day, he really has been impressive in a lot of areas.

AF:  Let me ask you about a couple of pitchers you had here who really led your pitching staff in the first half – Brian Howard and Parker Dunshee. They’re now up in Double-A, but what impressed you about those guys while they were here?

RM:  They are both competitors, and they go out there with the intent of beating you with every pitch. So, the focus and the intent are there. So, that’s huge – the mentality of going at hitters. They’re not afraid to throw their pitches. They attack the zone, and they both share that in common. One’s 6-foot-9, and one’s 5-foot-11. It’s a little bit like Mutt and Jeff. Both of them have the ability to pitch with their arsenal. I would compare Dunshee to like a Heath Fillmyer of sorts – not quite the same velocity, not quite the same sharpness on the breaking ball, but the ability to locate, the ability to upset hitters’ timing and the ability to go right after hitters. So, he’s a very interesting guy, another guy who jumped two levels, came here, and the organization felt he was ready for the next level, so he’s up there. Howard, he’s just big and tall and he works downhill. There’s some sink to the fastball, he’s got a nice breaking ball and he’s got a good cutter and a change. And he’s just another guy who can pitch. They’re both strike throwers, and that really does enhance their ability to develop and move quickly because control and command are not really issues with them.

AF:  Well, the team won the first-half division title with the best record in the league. So, it must be fun managing here this year with all the winning this team’s been doing.

RM:  When they tell you it’s the first time that Stockton here in this location has ever won a first-half title as an Oakland A’s affiliate, I felt good about that. And I was proud of our players and how they went about it and proud of the fact also that I was here to be part of the 5,000th win in Stockton franchise history. That’s a memorable moment as well. So, the first half was great. And as I told the players, we’re only at the halfway mark. Certainly, we have guaranteed ourselves a position in the playoffs. But as you know, the rosters change, the personality of the team changes because people are moved up. So, what we’re dealing with now in the second half is some of the same guys, but a lot of guys who are gone. Jesus Luzardo was here, and he’s no longer here. Logan Shore was here, and he’s no longer here. Parker Dunshee, Brian Howard, Miguel Romero, they are gone. It’s pretty much kind of a new pitching staff. The same thing in the bullpen. We’ve got some additions in the bullpen. [Boomer] Biegalski was having a good first half, and he went down with an elbow problem. Romero was promoted. So, here come [Ty] Damron and [Pat] Krall, and they’ve stepped up and contributed so far. One man’s ceiling is another man’s floor – that’s what Paul Simon said.

AF:  I remember that!

RM:  Some guy gets to move up, and somebody else gets to move up too, and opportunity is created – and what they all want is opportunity. So, that’s one good thing about the second half – new cast of characters, new challenges – and we’ll just see how it goes!

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