This isn't going to be one of my really long rambles, just a quick look at some information which you may not have seen. Minorleaguesplits.com, which you should check out if you are at all interested in the A's minor league system, now includes a "defense" button for position players! This takes you to a page where defensive stats are calculated-- in runs-- using a primitive but reasonably effective method called TotalZone, developed by Sean Smith (of CHONE projection fame) to measure defense for players who played before modern fielding metrics. Turns out it also applies to minor leaguers.

Take this with a grain of salt, not for the gospel-- TotalZone isn't super accurate and I wouldn't get too caught up in the exact run measurements. It's more useful as a concept tool.

So what does it tell us about the A's prospects?

Aaron Cunningham: Looks like a defensive "tweener". He scores modestly well in a corner and modestly poor in center. Squares with my take on him, which is that his defense and positional adjustment should make him roughly league-average apart from his bat.

Sean Doolittle: Despite scouting reports touting him as an excellent 1B, did not score well on this metric at all... but conversely his limited work in right field has been excellent. I think I have to drop him a little on my personal prospect list, but it's encouraging that he's showing well at what's theoretically a harder position.

Chris Carter: Just give the man's glove to an RBI league, already.

Adrian Cardenas: Too little data to say much. Seems OK at shortstop so far.

Corey Brown: Appears to be able to handle center field competently. Combined with a plus arm, could be a net-positive defender.

Javier Herrera: Defense has declined from "good CF" to "average corner" since the injury problems.

Cliff Pennington/Gregorio Petit: Maybe there's hope for Cliff after all; he scores well on the metric (though he was very poor in the majors last year). Petit looks OK but not great, so he'll either have to improve his hitting or start transforming his tools into better defensive performance if he wants an MLB job.

Jeff Baisley: Seems very competent. Hitting will still make or break him.

Jack Hannahan: Can apparently play second base if needed. +13 runs there in 2006-2007.

Jermaine Mitchell: Looks like a defensive stud. If he can rediscover his 2007 stroke, could still be a very good player.

Matt Sulentic: Reports that his defense has improved are borne out here, so even a skeptic like me has to move him up the list some.

Big winners (relative to reputation/scouting report): Pennington, Sulentic, Mitchell, Brown

Big losers: Doolittle, Carter, Herrera