In my never-ending quest to stay on top of MLB/Independent League signings, the No.1 and No.2 rated Baseball America Independent League prospects have both been signed by MLB clubs.
In late October, the Miami Marlins signed No.1 Indy prospect Kevin Gelinas. Just a few weeks later in late November, Chris Cox (St. George, ON), was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Cox who attended Canisius College in Buffalo NY, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 39th round of the 2011 draft but did not sign. The Brantford Expositor reported that Cox had bone spur issues in his throwing arm putting a wrench into agreements with the Blue Jays.
During his time with Canisius, Cox made 41 appearances. In 2011 Cox transitioned to the bullpen and in nine appearances went 1-1 with two saves and a 0.69 ERA (courtesy of Canisius College).
In his first season in professional baseball, Cox appeared in 36 games for the Quebec Capitales of the Can-Am League, finishing 15. In 44 innings, he allowed 49 hits, and only gave up two home runs. According to Baseball America Cox can really dial it up, and when you hear 95 mph in a report you take notice;
“Cox showed excellent velocity as a set-up man for Quebec. He sat at 92-94 mph and touched 95 with his two-seam fastball. His slider has good bite, but he struggles at times to throw it for strikes”.
Cox isn’t the only Capitales player to make the MLB jump this off-season. Lefty-specialist Tony Davis was signed by the Blue Jays less than one month ago.
Devon is the Founder and Executive Director of The GM's Perspective. He is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals & Gateway Grizzlies. Currently, Devon is a Manager at a financial institution in Northern Ontario Canada, and can be reached at devon@thegmsperspective.com. You can follow The GM's Perspective on Twitter and Facebook. His full bio can be seen here.
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