by Bill Moriarity / A’s Farm Editor
May 11, 2022
After originally joining the A’s organization as an area scout under the Billy Martin regime back in 1982, Grady Fuson rose through the ranks and eventually ended up serving as the A’s scouting director from 1995 until 2001. It proved to be a very fruitful period for the organization, when the team drafted such talented players as Eric Chavez, Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, Barry Zito and Rich Harden.
He left the A’s at the end of 2001 to become the assistant general manager of the Texas Rangers and, after moving on to head up the San Diego Padres scouting department, Fuson eventually returned to the A’s over 12 years ago to serve as a special assistant to the general manager. And he’s since been honored by his baseball peers with prestigious awards for his service as a scout as well as for his contributions in player development.
Of course, many know Fuson as the scout in the cinematic version of Moneyball who has a dramatic confrontation with Billy Beane and ends up getting fired – though that’s not quite how it happened (which we chronicled here).
We were fortunate enough to catch up with Fuson earlier this week just shortly after he’d spent some time working with some of the A’s youngest prospects in Stockton. And, as always, we were happy to have the opportunity to pick the brain of one of baseball’s top talent evaluators and get the inside scoop on some of the A’s top prospects. You can find our complete conversation available on A’s Cast.
AF: I wanted to talk to you about a bunch of the A’s most high-profile prospects and get your perspectives on them. And the guy I wanted to start out asking you about is shortstop Nick Allen. We know the defense is solid, but I’m curious to know what you think about his offensive potential and what he needs to do to become a productive major league hitter.
GF: Well, I think he’s very close…His approach is intact. The last couple years, he’s gotten much better control of the strike zone. He’s a little bit stronger, so his exit velos have improved. You go back to last year and he had such a great summer in Midland, went to the Olympic team, went all around the world and came back to Vegas…He had a good camp. I think he impressed the major league staff. We all knew the thing he needed to do was just go to Vegas and get off to a good start, which he did. Then he got his feet wet in big leagues for a couple weeks, and he’s back in Vegas competing. His at-bats are competitive. So, to me, he’s very close.
AF: Another guy at Vegas who’s really been the best hitter there, and one of the best hitters in the Pacific Coast League in the early going, is catcher Shea Langeliers, whom you guys got from Atlanta in the Matt Olson deal. He’s been leading the Pacific Coast League in the home runs, and we know his defense is solid. So, what do you think about Shea Langeliers and his ability to help the big club at some point before too long?
GF: I think it could possibly happen. Everybody knows he was a high pick with Atlanta, and he was a great pickup in those trades. In fact, I thought we did very well in those trades…But Langeliers has been everything as advertised. Fran Riordan raves about his ability to run a game, call a game. His throwing arm, as far as arm strength and accuracy, has been off the charts, and the guy’s homered ten times in a month. So we’ll just see where it takes us, but I think he’s going to see the big leagues at some point.
AF: I wanted to ask you about another guy at Vegas, who was just called up by the A’s, Luis Barrera. He’s an outfielder who’s been in the system for a long time. He’s had some ups and downs. He was DFA’d not that long ago, and now he’s back with the big club. I’m curious about your perspective on Luis Barrera and his potential ability to contribute to the big league club.
GF: I’m glad he’s getting another opportunity. Luis has the tools. He’s a plus runner. He’s a good defender when he’s focused. He can slash the ball all around the ballpark, and he’s got some occasional power. He’s just got to put together a little bit more consistency in his game. He’s hot, he’s cold. He goes through stages where his recognition isn’t quite right. He doesn’t walk for a while. He needs to get on base at a better clip. But as far as his skills, if this guy really focuses and keeps his mind on the game and works at it, he’s got ability. So, he’s getting a second chance up there. I’m not sure how much time he’s going to get with Laureano back up there now too. So, we’ll see. He’s getting a second opportunity, especially after being DFA’d and now being brought back again.
AF: Well, hopefully he can put it together and make his mark because the big club could use some offensive help at this point.
GF: Sometimes, it’s a wake-up call for some of these guys that are put on the roster, and they get lackluster and they get taken off roster and then think they’re going to get claimed, and they don’t. Sometimes that can be a good wake-up call. So, hopefully it works in this case.
AF: And then finally at Vegas, there’s one pitcher I wanted to ask you about who’s a bit of an under-the-radar guy, and that’s lefthander Jared Koenig. He’s probably been the best pitcher at Vegas in the early going. He had a very good season at Midland last year. Prior to that, he’d spent most of his career pitching in the indie leagues and pitching in Australia before the A’s signed him a couple years ago. But he’s done nothing but perform very well since he’s been in the A’s system, and now he’s performing well at the Triple-A level, just one step removed from the majors. I’m curious to know your perspective on his potential ability to contribute at the major league level at some point.
GF: Yeah, we got him about three years ago, and then the COVID thing hit…But the bottom line is he really put himself on the map last year in Midland. He became much more of a pitcher. His stuff isn’t big, but he’s deceptive. He’s a big guy, he’s durable. He’s got a four-pitch mix with a slider, curveball and changeup. But he’s just done a much better job locating. He pitches 88-92 most of the time. So, like I said, it’s not a big fastball, but he locates. And if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s going to get his shot as well with the type of team we have up there currently.
AF: There could be opportunity if you’re performing well at Triple-A this year, that’s for sure.
GF: We’ve been good at finding these, as you would say, “under-the-radar” guys, especially a couple lefties. So, hopefully he becomes another one.
AF: Well, let’s drop down now to the lower levels of the system to Low-A Stockton. I know you were there in Stockton recently and got a look at some of the guys there. I wanted to ask you about a couple of particularly intriguing prospects at Stockton this year. And, of course the first one is last year’s top draft pick for you, shortstop Max Muncy. He’s just 19 years old there in the California League, and he’s been hitting very well, showing a lot of power. I think he’s leading the team in home runs, and he’s also been taking walks and getting on base. But what do you think about Max Muncy?
GF: Yeah, his development is definitely on par. He’s mature, he’s focused. He competes every night, he’s got skills on both sides of the ball, he’s got a good arm…and for a teenager, he knows what he’s doing. He’s a runner, and he’s fairly physical for a high school kid. So, the ball gets off his bat. Like anybody, there are things that he’s got to learn as he goes through. He gets a little too aggressive at times and over swings, and the punch-outs are a little high. Probably needs a little better technique, a little better move going to the baseball side to side. But this is one of the guys that, as a teenager playing in the pro game, is right on par with where you’d hope he’d be, if not better.
AF: Another guy there who’s intriguing to me was your 4th-round draft pick last year, outfielder Denzel Clarke. He’s got an interesting combination of real power and real speed. He’s been hitting a lot of home runs, a lot of doubles and stealing a lot of bases there at Stockton and just hitting well overall. So, I’m curious to know your impressions of Denzel Clarke.
GF: He’s my biggest surprise of the early-performing guys. This guy’s tooled up for a big guy. But everything that we’ve seen since we got him last summer, in mini-camp and then instructional league and spring training, I always looked at him like a big, highly-skilled man that just has a lot of arms and legs going in a lot of places. And it was a little raw. But we got him on a plan, and he’s performed excellent. He loves playing the game. He plays it hard. He’s got electric legs, and he’s got big raw power, and he’s a very good defender. So, he has got all the traits. But I’m just really surprised that he’s kicked it off in this first month or so and really performed. He’s hit for average, his walk/strikeout rate is solid. He’s hit for power. He’s stolen bases like you said. I’m very happy for the kid, and at the same time like I said, I’m surprised things are coming together as fast as they are.
AF: It seems like if he keeps this up, he could be a fast mover. One final guy at Stockton I wanted to ask you about was one of your top international signings, outfielder Pedro Pineda. I’m assuming he falls into the “talented but raw” category at this point, but I’m curious to know your impressions of him after just getting a good look at him there in Stockton.
GF: He had a little wrist issue early when I got to Stockton, so I missed him for a couple games. But he’s a very athletic, good-bodied kid that can run. When he’s in sync with his swing, the ball jumps off his bat. He can throw. The game’s just a little fast for him right now, and he’s a little over-matched from time to time, but hopefully he gets to the point by the halfway mark where his numbers look a little bit more competitive. There’s some swinginess in there, and his swing tends to be in and out of the strike zone very quickly, so we’ve been doing a lot of drills trying to get him to finish through the baseball and not off the baseball. He’s a young kid, he’s a quiet kid, and he’s just learning the game.
AF: So, let’s move up to High-A and your team there, the Lansing Lugnuts. There are a few guys of interest there, particularly your recent 1st-round pick, catcher Tyler Soderstrom. He’s 20 this year. He had a great season last year as a 19-year-old with Stockton and hit very well. This year, he’s gotten off to a bit of a slow start at the plate in Lansing. We know it can be a little hard hitting early in the season there in the chilly Midwest League, but still, he’s been struggling a bit. But I’m curious to know where you think Tyler Soderstrom is at based on what you’ve seen, and also what you think about his prospects as a catcher, or potentially moving to first base. What’s your overall impression of where he’s at at this stage of the game?
GF: Well, he’s been dealing with a thumb contusion, so that’s held him back a little bit the last two or three weeks. He’s DH’d and played a little first. He hasn’t caught since that happened. His skills are still all there. Tyler just needs to grow up and mature. He takes every at-bat so serious and just drops his head and falls apart after every at-bat that just doesn’t go his way and then tends to take it behind the plate with him, and then things can get a little rough. But once again, there’s flashes of him catching brilliantly, and then there’s flashes of him of clanging baseballs and doing all the things where his attitude kind of gets in his way. So, he’s 20, he’s physical, everybody knows he’s got power, everybody knows he’s an aggressive hitter, everybody knows he can play other positions. We’re still going to grind his thing out as a catcher. But I’m just looking for him to take steps in the mental side of the game and his growth and understanding that it’s a long season and it’s a lot of at-bats, and you’re going to have some good ones and you’re going to have some rough ones, but you’ve got to deal with them in a little bit more consistent manner so that your attitude and your focus stays on par.
AF: A couple of guys I’m eager to ask you about in Lansing this year are a couple of guys who were former top prospects who’d fallen down the list a little bit. And, of course, those are outfielders Austin Beck and Lazaro Armenteros, once highly-touted prospects who maybe didn’t develop as hoped. They’re back there at Lansing in High-A, and both of them have been hitting well this year. Lazaro and Beck are tied for the team lead in home runs. Lazaro’s been showing a lot of power. And Beck, I think most encouragingly, has been taking a walk and showing a little bit more plate discipline. I think they’re both about 23 now. I’m curious to know where you think these guys are at and what you think the potential prognosis is for these two former top prospects going forward.
GF: Well, I think they’re both where they need to be. They both need to basically improve their performance. Austin Beck and Armenteros have been around long enough where it’s no longer about your tools, it’s about performance. And both of them have come out the first month and have shown signs of some better performance like you said. And Beck…I know his defense has been stellar. His at-bats seem a lot more competitive, and when they’re more competitive, the natural ability will come out – he’ll hit more doubles, he’ll hit more homers. So, I think we’re all just waiting back. And once again, these guys have gotten a lot of opportunities to play the last 3-4-5 years, and it’s time for both of them, and I think they both know, it’s time for them to start performing. If they start performing, they’ve got a chance to move.
AF: One pitcher in particular I wanted to ask you about at Lansing who was your former 2nd-round draft pick, Jeff Criswell. He’s been pitching really well. He’s been showing a lot more control, a lot more command of his pitches. I know he was always a little wild before and would tend to walk a lot of guys. That seems to be in check this year. But I’m curious to know what you think about Jeff Criswell and the progress he’s seemed to make this year.
GF: Well, that’s where it all lands is his ability to command the baseball. His stuff is through the roof. We all know the guy throws hard, he touches 96-97. He’s got probably one of the best natural changeups in our system. He’s got a good breaking ball, but his delivery and his command have lacked the ability to land that pitch enough. His delivery has got a lot of unusual moves to it so that if things are not just totally in sync, things can get away from him. So, he is a work in progress. Trying to get him on time with his moves and trying to improve his direction. So far, the first four or five starts, with the exception of one, have been real solid.
AF: Let’s wrap up talking about some guys in Midland. There’s a number of intriguing prospects at Midland this year starting with last year’s 2nd-round draft pick for you, third baseman, Zack Gelof. He’s been doing nothing but hit since you drafted him, and he is been doing nothing but hit at Midland this year. He’s been hitting around 330, getting on base, showing some pop. What do you think about Zack Gelof performing so well at the Double-A level already?
GF: He’s been the real deal since the day he walked into our camp last year. He’s mature, he’s physical. He’s got a great approach, he’s got a good swing. He’s got some pop, the ball jumps off his bat. He’s an athlete, he runs. His hands aren’t bad at third. He’s got a little unique arm action throwing because of his previous injuries and, eventually, that might catch up to him. He has a little trouble going to his backhand and getting on top and making that play. Down the road, there may be a move to second base. But offensively, this guy has come on strong since day one. He hit in mini-camp. He hit in the short time in instructional league. We sent him up to Triple-A at the end of last year because of injuries, and he raked up there. He had a good camp. He’s just a really good hitter…and he’s been locked in since day one, so this guy definitely slides in as one of our top prospects, easy.
AF: Another top draft pick you have there at Midland is your former 1st-round pick, shortstop Logan Davidson. He was pushed to Double-A last year, rushed a little bit, and he struggled a bit. But this year, he’s really been hitting the ball well in his second go-round there at Midland, showing a lot of power, hitting home runs, hitting doubles. It looks like he’s really learned a lot after spending last season in the Texas League. So where do you feel Logan Davidson is at at this stage of the game?
GF: Well, I think he’s in a great space. He’s made a nice little rebound. Some guys could have pouted about the year he had last year, but he’s come back a little stronger. He’s had a couple of kinks along the way with injuries that slowed him down. He had a little hip thing that we had to clean up and a little shoulder thing that had to be cleaned up. But he’s played well. He’s played a solid shortstop. There are some errors in there from time to time, but he’s been solid. But that whole infield there, when it’s right, is really very good with Jonah Bride, with Jeremy Eierman. Eierman’s in the same boat with Logan. He’s come back and rebounded, had a good camp and it’s gone with him in Midland, and he’s had a good start.
AF: You mentioned Jonah Bride. There are so many guys in Midland I want to ask you about. I’m going to group a few guys together and you can tell me whatever you want about them. One is Jonah Bride, who had been a corner infielder and was starting to catch this year. I know he’s been hurt recently. But also Jordan Diaz, who is still a very young infielder, moved from third base to first base this year, and has really started heating up at Midland recently. And then also Max Schuemann, who was not a high draft pick but has been one of the best hitters at Midland. And he’s been playing all over, playing second base, shortstop, all three outfield positions, has a lot of speed, a lot of versatility. Anything you have to offer on Jonah Bride, Jordan Diaz, or Max Schuemann I’d be curious to hear about.
GF: Yeah, Jonah’s been dealing with a hammy in the last couple weeks, so he’s been down. So, hopefully when I go in there, he’s not far away. He’s always been a very good defender at third and first. And in trying to make him a little bit more versatile, we had him start catching a little bit last year and then sent him into the [Arizona] Fall League. He was a little rough but started to get comfortable with it and really enjoys it, so we want him to have some more time back there. Schuemann has been a team player and the guy to keep an eye on, a catalyst on his last two clubs. This started last year in Lansing, where he was a mainstay of that infield, stealing bases at random with the step-off rule there. And he’s basically done the same thing now in Midland. So, Schueman’s starting to become very complete, very versatile, can play the outfield, can play most infield spots, quality at-bats. So, he’s just sitting there waiting for his chance to move.
AF: And what about Jordan Diaz, who’s always been strong with the bat? The defense and where he’d end up position-wise was always a question, but he’s been playing mainly over at first base this year and, like I said, starting to heat up and hit those home runs lately.
GF: Yeah, Jordan’s always been very talented as a hitter, but not as a professional. He swings way too often. He swings early in the count often and has never had much success with it, and that’s what gets him in trouble. And I would say, for the last two and a half years, we’ve been trying to get him to understand what professional at-bats look like, and being disciplined and a little bit more patient. And it’s no different now…It comes and goes. But when you look at his history, he’s had high strikeouts, low walks. His first-pitch swing percentage has been high with very low hard-contact rates. And so those are the type of things we’re trying to improve to make him a professional. As far as his positioning, it’s going to be tough…Even though he’s young, he hasn’t been a great defender at third. The feet are a little slow, he’s not the most accurate thrower we’ve had. We’ve had him in the outfield from time to time, and now we’re doing the first base thing. So, this is a lot like the development of Renato Nunez…where you’ve got this hitter that you know has talent, but can you get him to be a little bit more patient and decrease his chases? And…Núñez…even though he got waived by everybody, the guy hit homers. He just couldn’t be consistent, he couldn’t put an average up, and just couldn’t defend. So, Jordan’s still young enough. We’re just going to see. But the last couple weeks, he’s he turned it around a little bit, and he’s been good.
AF: Before we wrap up, I wanted to ask you about a few pitchers there at Midland, in particular, Colin Peluse. He was really one of the most solid starters in the A’s minor league system last year. Now he’s off to a good start there at Midland again this year. He’s a former 9th-round draft pick of yours. I’m just curious to get your perspective on Colin Peluse and how you project him going forward as someone who could be a potential major league contributor at some point.
GF: Yeah, there’s no doubt. He’s a big, strong kid. He’s physical, he throws hard. He’s got a wipe-out slider at times. He’s getting used to pitching with his changeup more, and that’s a big part of what he needs in his game. It’s a rushed, fast-paced delivery, but his command’s gotten better. And he’s just got to learn how to feel and use his changeup a little bit better. But he’s definitely a prospect as a pitcher
AF: A couple of intriguing arms you’ve got there at Midland as well are a couple of guys you picked up in the recent trades – J.T. Ginn, whom you got from the Mets in the Chris Bassitt deal, and Ryan Cusick, who came over from the Braves in the Matt Olson trade. They’ve both shown some flashes but they’ve both struggled a bit at times as well. But I’m curious to know your perspective on those two guys who were definitely high-quality arms that were brought into the system in the offseason.
GF: Yeah, Ginn we just have to get healthy. He’s kind of down again…But his stuff is really remarkable. He was still in rehab during spring training. But he’s got a big, hard, heavy sinker. He’s got a good delivery. I’m just looking forward, at some point, just to see him pitch healthy. But there’s a ton of upside there. Same with Cusick, another big physical kid that throws 100 at times. And the slider is pretty good, but he’s never used the changeup before, and that’s what’s getting to him. So, we’re forcing him to use that changeup a little bit more and understand a little bit more pace. He’s still a young kid that thinks he can throw it right by everybody. As we all know, in the upper levels, that’s just not going to happen. So, we’re preaching that changeup to every starter in our system and asking them to throw that thing 15% of the time. He’s been a little low on that, and that’s what needs to pick up.
AF: Well, I think you went through the same thing with Sonny Gray, and that turned out well in the end anyway, right?
GF: Yeah, the thing about it is there’s been a lot of pitchers that have come into our system and don’t have a changeup, don’t understand why they need it. And as we start pushing it and it starts to become a better pitch, they completely understand it. I go back to Jack Cushing last year in Lansing and in Stockton. This guy put himself on the map just with his fastball command and location. And I said, “If you take the changeup…and start using it, you’re going to put yourself on a much higher map.” And that’s what happened. It became a better pitch in Lansing, and it’s a better pitch now. And now, when I look at the game reports, this guy’s throwing it 15-20 times a game. It’s the savior pitch. Pitching has kind of been the same, even though there’s more velocity, but you have to disrupt timing and balance to get hitters out. The balance is in and out, and the timing is hard and soft. And for these guys that think they can just throw 95 all the time and be erratic, it’s not going to work as a starter.
AF: Yeah, there’s pretty much nothing more effective than changing speeds when you look at pitching.
GF: Yeah, changing speeds and location.
AF: Well, I’ll tell you, the way the rebuild is going on with the major league team, there’s a lot of opportunities for young guys. So, it’s more important than ever keep an eye on these guys down on the farm and see what they’re doing, because if you perform well, there’s plenty of opportunities to move up. And it’s always great talking to you because…you’ve been around long enough to know what it takes to make it to the major league level, that’s for sure.
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