Every once in awhile I get behind on the emails and the best way for me to get to them all and answer the same question all in one place is right here in one installment of The Inbox.

So, here we go.

Q: What’s the deal with Jeremy Reed? He kind of disappeared in the minors. Does he have a future in MLB or Seattle? What could the Mariners get for him if they were to trade him?

Thanks,

Sende

PI: Reed is doing fairly well with Tacoma, thanks to a recent hot streak that has brought his numbers to .280/.340/.411 with 13 extra-base hits, 14 walks and 20 strikeouts through the 7th inning of Tuesday afternoon game in Albuquerque. On May 8, Reed was hitting just .235 but is 12 for his last 24 to get back to his ways of bashing minor league pitching.

He’s been playing left field regularly, since Adam Jones is the future in center field, and has handled it well. Defensively, he still has some value in center, but proving he can deal with left field regularly is good for his future.

Reed has no future in Seattle and while I won’t completely close the door on Reed becoming an everyday player in the big leagues, he’s running out of time. He’ll be 26 this summer for a guy with little power and a bad offensive showing in the majors, there isn’t much value there as far as a trade goes. If dealt, he isn’t likely to bring back very much, but could very well be the second or third piece in a bigger trade.

There are still teams in the NL where Reed fits, Florida still being at the top of that list, as well as Cincinnati who is being forced to use Ryan Freel all over the diamond. The M’s could decide at some point soon that Reed and the club are better off if he’s dealt — just don’t expect to get much back.

Q: I’ve noticed Morse has been hitting for more power and a higher avg. Do you think physically and mentally it is starting to come together for him? Could he have a future in a MLB starting line-up? I’m excited to see the numbers Jones, Balentin and Morse are putting up but I’m just looking at boxscores.

Brent

Provo, Utah

PI: I don’t think Morse’s numbers are very surprising, to be honest, Brent. He’s hit for average in both of his big-league stints and power is always the last thing to develop. Obviously, the biggest question is whether he can accomplish similar things in the majors and the answer is probably a big giant NO.

I still think Morse’s future is as a reserve and for him to become valuable in that role, the pop has to become consistent. He’s shortened his stride at the plate to help him deal with the fastball to change-up combinations, which are generally the toughest to handle in the highest levels of the game. In opposite fashion of Wladimir Balentien, Morse has brought his hands down and in - also to aid in his efforts on the hard stuff.

Defensively he’s not very good at third, though not useless, and he probably grades about the same at first and in the outfield. While he has little range at short and his hands aren’t up to par to play the position, it’s still the spot where he excels the most, not surprisingly. Too bad he also hurts the club the most there, too.

The power he’s shown is nice to see and could be a sign that he’s turning a corner. He’s at 25-14 in the K/BB category, which isn’t horrible, but I’d like to see that even out a little bit more. I’d also like to see Morse pull the ball more regularly.

Q: I was wondering if you could give me a scouting report on Felix Hernandez? I remember reading the prospect reports on him, but now that he’s more established with almost two years of experience, how would a prospect report look on him?

Terrence

PI: I’ll try and keep this short, since a typical SR from me usually runs about 1000 words.

Felix’s strengths are in his plus-plus stuff, including a 94-98 mph four-seamer and a devastating two-seam offering with as much boring and tailing action as a Jarrod Washburn slider. Both pitches grade at or near an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale.

Hernandez’s command was very good in his first two starts, hitting his spots with the fastball as well as his curve, slider and the occasional change-up. He’s made big time strides with his command and clearly understands that a ground ball is a very good thing.

His overhand curve is among the best in the game and his slider, sometimes clocked at more than 90 mph, is probably his best pitch. Both breaking balls probably grade as an 80, while his change, still a work-in progress, has the potential to become an above-average pitch he can get a lot of swings-and-misses from.

If he develops the change into a regular option, he’ll probably be outlawed in baseball, due to far too many great pitches that give the hitters no chance at all.

Clearly the key is his health, and starting tonight we’ll get a good look at where he is in that area. Felix doesn’t have a lot of issues with his mechanics as some have said. The error, if you want to call it that, is that his delivery is naturally violent. There are things that can be done to somewhat curb the impact of his arm speed and the unnatural movements that exist in every pitchers physical actions.

Q: Why isn’t Michael Saunders thought highly of as a prospect? He draws walks, he runs well, bats left-handed… I don’t get it… Help?

Jesse

PI: He’s yet to sustain the kind of performance that warrants high praise, so until he does he won’t get it from me. But Saunders is a good athlete and runs well for a 6-4 kid. His swing is still too long but it’s clear that he knows what a strike is. His next step is to start destroying those pitches and taking a walk as the second best option.

He’s still young enough at 20 to develop into a solid prospect. Give him time to give me a reason to develop a man crush, eh?