IBC

1. Stephen Strasburg
2. Aaron Hicks
3. Michael Taylor
4. Dee Gordon
5. Jared Mitchell
6. Grant Desme
7. Mat Gamel
8. Ben Revere
9. Randall Delgado
10. Hector Rondon

This is subject to change with more information. I like my top 10-15 prospects a lot.

Outfielder Grant Desme, one of the Oakland A’s top prospects, has decided to retire from baseball in order to pursue the priesthood, multiple sources told FOXSports.com.

An A’s official confirmed Desme’s decision this morning, saying the 23-year-old is “serious” about the big career change.

Desme is leaving baseball at a time when his fortunes seemed to be rising fast. He batted .288 with 31 home runs and 89 RBIs in 131 games last year. Then he starred in the Arizona Fall League, where some of the game’s top prospects compete each year.

Baseball America ranked Desme as the team’s 8th-best prospect after the season. He seemed likely to play at Class AA in 2010.

Desme, a Bakersfield, Calif., native, was the 2007 Big West Player of the Year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.


Updated Jan 22, 2010 12:37 PM ET - Jon Paul Morosi - FOXSports.com

DBacks wrote:Outfielder Grant Desme, one of the Oakland A’s top prospects, has decided to retire from baseball in order to pursue the priesthood, multiple sources told FOXSports.com.

An A’s official confirmed Desme’s decision this morning, saying the 23-year-old is “serious” about the big career change.

Desme is leaving baseball at a time when his fortunes seemed to be rising fast. He batted .288 with 31 home runs and 89 RBIs in 131 games last year. Then he starred in the Arizona Fall League, where some of the game’s top prospects compete each year.

Baseball America ranked Desme as the team’s 8th-best prospect after the season. He seemed likely to play at Class AA in 2010.

Desme, a Bakersfield, Calif., native, was the 2007 Big West Player of the Year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Updated Jan 22, 2010 12:37 PM ET - Jon Paul Morosi - FOXSports.com

The best takes on the situation: "Well, somebody's church softball team is gonna get WAY WAY better soon" -- Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus. "I know he was hoping to get the call, but I don't think this is what the A's had in mind" -- Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com.

1. Stephen Strasburg
2. Aaron Hicks
3. Michael Taylor
4. Dee Gordon
5. Chris Withrow
6. Jared Mitchell
7. Mat Gamel
8. Ben Revere
9. Randall Delgado
10. Hector Rondon

Keith Law's Take:

2. Steven Strasburg
19. Aaron Hicks
24. Michael Taylor
39. Dee Gordon
51. Hector Rondon
62. Matt Dominguez
83. Chris Withrow
85. Randall Delgado
95. Jared Mitchell