With Minor League Baseball now at its midway point of the 2014 season, there will undoubtedly be some roster moves among the Dodgers affiliates following this week’s respective All-Star Games. Additionally, with the Dodgers two short-season rookie league teams (the Arizona Dodgers and the Ogden Raptors) about to begin their seasons, coupled with the arrival of many of the Dodgers recently signed 2014 draft picks ready to begin their professional careers, there will also (unfortunately) be a number of Dodgers minor leaguers let go to make room for them.

Although predicting roster moves is pure speculation, there are a few anticipated moves involving several of the Dodgers top prospects that could occur immediately or shortly after their respective All-Star Games. Among those anticipated moves are two of the Dodgers youngest and highest-ranked prospects – 20-year-old shortstop Corey Seager and 17-year-old left-handed pitching sensation Julio Urias, both of whom are currently assigned to the Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the highly competitive California League.

Seager, who was promoted to Rancho during the final month of the 2013 season, has had an absolutely outstanding first half this season. The Kannapolis, NC native finished second in the California League in batting average (.344), 10th in on-base percentage (.390), second in slugging percentage (.600) and fourth in OPS (.990). His 12 home runs ranked 10th, his 24 doubles first and his 150 total bases second.

Corey Seager figures to be one of the first to be promoted to Double-A Chattanooga after this week’s Cal League All-Star Game, to which he was invited. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Urias, whose 18th birthday is still two months away, finished the first half with a 1-1 record. And while this is anything but a spectacular win-loss record, he was allowed to go the requisite five innings only once – and you can see what he did with it. Because of his tender age, the Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico native has been on a very strict innings limit throughout his two-year minor league career. But don’t let the win-loss record fool you. In his ten Cal League starts and three relief appearances this season, Urias has posted a 3.59 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP – tops among all Quakes starters. He has walked 18 while striking out 47 in his 42.2 innings of work.

Legendary Dodgers scout Mike Brito believes that Julio Urias will be pitching in the major leagues as an 18-year-old. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Other Quakes who may be promoted at some point after the All-Star break are 2013 first and second round draft picks Chris Anderson and Tom Windle.

Anderson, a 21-year-old right-hander from Lino Lakes, MN, was 4-5 in his 14 starts with a 5.18 ERA. He walked 24 while striking out 72 (fifth-best in the league) in 64.1 innings pitched.

Windle, a Kershaw-like 22-year-old hard-throwing left-hander out of Maple Grove, MN, finished the first half with a 5-4 record and 3.93 ERA (10th-best in the league). He walked 20 while striking out 60.

Tom Windle was absolutely brilliant in his last start with the Quakes, allowing no runs and only three hits in his seven innings of work. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

And then there’s Joc Pederson who, quite frankly, has done all that he can do on the minor league level and is unquestionably MLB-ready but for one reason – there is simply no place to put him in the Dodgers outfield. And while no one will argue that the 22-year-old Palo Alto, CA native absolutely must play everyday, his incredible talents are being wasted at Triple-A Albuquerque. Pederson’s .324 batting average is ninth in the Pacific Coast League, his .440 OBP second, his .599 SLG third and his 1.039 OPS first. He is third in the league in home runs with 17 and first in total bases with 148.

There is nothing more that Joc Pederson needs to prove in the minor leagues. It’s time for the Dodgers to find an everyday spot for him in their outfield. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

There will undoubtedly many more promotions that will occur in the days and weeks following the All-Star break (especially from Low-Single-A to Advanced Single-A), but these are the ones that many Dodger fans will watching the closest.