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***Chicago Cubs Thread*** (3 Viewers)

'Limp Ditka said:
'curta269 said:
'boubucarow said:
In other news, the Cubs bought the acre of land that is the McDonald's and its parking lot across Clark for 20 million. The only stipulation is that there must be a McDonald's on the premises which seems odd but it could easily be incorporated as the food option in whatever they decide to build. I walked by it last night and didn't realize how huge that space is. There is lot they can do there to help to create the Cub experience outside of the park along with the triangle space next to Wrigley along Clark. It took a little bit for Ricketts to find his footing, but I am liking his moves a ton over the past 6 or so months.
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I know its across the street from Wrigley, but is there anyway they could incorporate that McDonald's area into part of the ball park?
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Not without shutting down part of Clark St, which isn't going to happen.
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Yeah, not possible. My wife talked about the possibility of a walking bridge over Clark which is interesting. I am not sure what legalities would have to be addressed though.
 
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'Limp Ditka said:
'curta269 said:
'boubucarow said:
In other news, the Cubs bought the acre of land that is the McDonald's and its parking lot across Clark for 20 million. The only stipulation is that there must be a McDonald's on the premises which seems odd but it could easily be incorporated as the food option in whatever they decide to build. I walked by it last night and didn't realize how huge that space is. There is lot they can do there to help to create the Cub experience outside of the park along with the triangle space next to Wrigley along Clark. It took a little bit for Ricketts to find his footing, but I am liking his moves a ton over the past 6 or so months.
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I know its across the street from Wrigley, but is there anyway they could incorporate that McDonald's area into part of the ball park?
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Not without shutting down part of Clark St, which isn't going to happen.
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Maybe they could build some kind of pedestrian bridge. That might be cool.
 
'SmoovySmoov said:
Bye bye Sean Marshall
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Sad to see Marshall go since I love watching hitters against that curve. However, I think I like the deal without knowing who are the minor league adds. Wood is probably similar to Marshall as a starter at worst. He will be a cheap fill in at the back of the rotation and the Cubs don't have many (any?) options there. Also, the trade does free up an extra couple million although we aren't sure where that money is going as of yet (Cubans?).Add in that Marshall is in the last year of his deal and will probably get overpaid next off season, it was a good time to get value for a set up man as the Cubs do have lefty options in the pen. Of course, I am not expected anything big in prospects in return. Just hope for a couple interesting adds.

 
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Baseball America has Sappelt as a 4th OF type with a good hit tool but lacks the power for the corners. Torreyes is described as a pure hitter and solid defender who could play everyday at 2B or as a utility infielder. Sappelt is AAA/MLB material this year while Torreyes was in low A ball at 18 last year.

 
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'boubucarow said:
Rosenthal has tweeted that the Marlins are close to acquiring Big Z.
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Done
AP source: Marlins acquires Zambrano from Cubs

By STEVEN WINE, AP Sports Writer 12 hours, 25 minutes ago

MIAMI (AP)—Carlos Zambrano will get a much-needed fresh start with the Miami Marlins.

The Chicago Cubs traded their former ace Wednesday for Marlins right-hander Chris Volstad, pending physicals and approval by Major League Baseball, a person familiar with the negotiations said. The person confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced a deal.

Zambrano wore out his welcome in Chicago because of repeated meltdowns and tantrums. The most recent came when he cleaned out his locker and talked about retiring after giving up five homers and being ejected during a loss to Atlanta on Aug. 12. He was suspended without pay and then it was decided he would sit out the rest of the season.

In Miami he’ll be joining another former Chicagoan, Ozzie Guillen, who expressed interest in acquiring Zambrano when he was hired as the Marlins’ manager in October after stepping down as the White Sox’s skipper. Zambrano joins a franchise on the upswing after a winter spending spree resulted in the signings of All-Stars Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell.

Zambrano finished last year 9-7 with a 4.82 ERA. The Cubs expected more when he signed a $91.5 million deal over five seasons through 2012, including a $17,875,000 million salary last season and $18 million in 2012. As part of the trade, they’ll likely pay much of his salary.

Volstad went 5-13 last year with an ERA of 4.89, and his career record is 32-39. He has given up 69 homers over the past three seasons, which could mean trouble for him at Wrigley Field.

Zambrano is 125-81 with a 3.60 ERA after breaking in with the Cubs in 2001, and he threw a no-hitter against the Astros. But he had difficulty controlling his temper.

In 2007, he got into a fight with teammate Michael Barrett, first in the dugout and then in the locker room. Barrett ended up with a bruise under his eye and a cut lip.

In 2009, he went on tirade against an umpire, throwing a baseball into the outfield, pretending to eject the umpire and slamming his glove against the dugout fence, a tantrum that led to a suspension.

In 2010, Zambrano was placed on the restricted list for six weeks and sent to anger management after a verbal altercation with then-teammate Derrek Lee.
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Admittedly, I know nothing of this Volstad guy. Any good, or was he just a throw-in in a deal to just get rid of Zambrano?
 
'SmoovySmoov said:
'boubucarow said:
Rosenthal has tweeted that the Marlins are close to acquiring Big Z.
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Done
AP source: Marlins acquires Zambrano from Cubs

By STEVEN WINE, AP Sports Writer 12 hours, 25 minutes ago

MIAMI (AP)—Carlos Zambrano will get a much-needed fresh start with the Miami Marlins.

The Chicago Cubs traded their former ace Wednesday for Marlins right-hander Chris Volstad, pending physicals and approval by Major League Baseball, a person familiar with the negotiations said. The person confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced a deal.

Zambrano wore out his welcome in Chicago because of repeated meltdowns and tantrums. The most recent came when he cleaned out his locker and talked about retiring after giving up five homers and being ejected during a loss to Atlanta on Aug. 12. He was suspended without pay and then it was decided he would sit out the rest of the season.

In Miami he’ll be joining another former Chicagoan, Ozzie Guillen, who expressed interest in acquiring Zambrano when he was hired as the Marlins’ manager in October after stepping down as the White Sox’s skipper. Zambrano joins a franchise on the upswing after a winter spending spree resulted in the signings of All-Stars Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell.

Zambrano finished last year 9-7 with a 4.82 ERA. The Cubs expected more when he signed a $91.5 million deal over five seasons through 2012, including a $17,875,000 million salary last season and $18 million in 2012. As part of the trade, they’ll likely pay much of his salary.

Volstad went 5-13 last year with an ERA of 4.89, and his career record is 32-39. He has given up 69 homers over the past three seasons, which could mean trouble for him at Wrigley Field.

Zambrano is 125-81 with a 3.60 ERA after breaking in with the Cubs in 2001, and he threw a no-hitter against the Astros. But he had difficulty controlling his temper.

In 2007, he got into a fight with teammate Michael Barrett, first in the dugout and then in the locker room. Barrett ended up with a bruise under his eye and a cut lip.

In 2009, he went on tirade against an umpire, throwing a baseball into the outfield, pretending to eject the umpire and slamming his glove against the dugout fence, a tantrum that led to a suspension.

In 2010, Zambrano was placed on the restricted list for six weeks and sent to anger management after a verbal altercation with then-teammate Derrek Lee.
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Admittedly, I know nothing of this Volstad guy. Any good, or was he just a throw-in in a deal to just get rid of Zambrano?
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Highly touted prospect that didn't pan out. Think he was a mid first round pick.Bad K rate, too hitable.

 
'Limp Ditka said:
'SmoovySmoov said:
'boubucarow said:
Rosenthal has tweeted that the Marlins are close to acquiring Big Z.
Click to expand...
Done
AP source: Marlins acquires Zambrano from Cubs

By STEVEN WINE, AP Sports Writer 12 hours, 25 minutes ago

MIAMI (AP)—Carlos Zambrano will get a much-needed fresh start with the Miami Marlins.

The Chicago Cubs traded their former ace Wednesday for Marlins right-hander Chris Volstad, pending physicals and approval by Major League Baseball, a person familiar with the negotiations said. The person confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced a deal.

Zambrano wore out his welcome in Chicago because of repeated meltdowns and tantrums. The most recent came when he cleaned out his locker and talked about retiring after giving up five homers and being ejected during a loss to Atlanta on Aug. 12. He was suspended without pay and then it was decided he would sit out the rest of the season.

In Miami he’ll be joining another former Chicagoan, Ozzie Guillen, who expressed interest in acquiring Zambrano when he was hired as the Marlins’ manager in October after stepping down as the White Sox’s skipper. Zambrano joins a franchise on the upswing after a winter spending spree resulted in the signings of All-Stars Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell.

Zambrano finished last year 9-7 with a 4.82 ERA. The Cubs expected more when he signed a $91.5 million deal over five seasons through 2012, including a $17,875,000 million salary last season and $18 million in 2012. As part of the trade, they’ll likely pay much of his salary.

Volstad went 5-13 last year with an ERA of 4.89, and his career record is 32-39. He has given up 69 homers over the past three seasons, which could mean trouble for him at Wrigley Field.

Zambrano is 125-81 with a 3.60 ERA after breaking in with the Cubs in 2001, and he threw a no-hitter against the Astros. But he had difficulty controlling his temper.

In 2007, he got into a fight with teammate Michael Barrett, first in the dugout and then in the locker room. Barrett ended up with a bruise under his eye and a cut lip.

In 2009, he went on tirade against an umpire, throwing a baseball into the outfield, pretending to eject the umpire and slamming his glove against the dugout fence, a tantrum that led to a suspension.

In 2010, Zambrano was placed on the restricted list for six weeks and sent to anger management after a verbal altercation with then-teammate Derrek Lee.
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Admittedly, I know nothing of this Volstad guy. Any good, or was he just a throw-in in a deal to just get rid of Zambrano?
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Highly touted prospect that didn't pan out. Think he was a mid first round pick.Bad K rate, too hitable.
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Yeah, I wouldn't expect anything more than a back of rotation filler. He is cheap and under control for 3 years. Maybe he figures something out. If not, who cares, Big Z is gone. That is enough for me.
 
Cops investigating a sexual assault claim against Starlin Castro. Allegedly happened last day of the season. Can't find a link, but it was on WBBM radio this morning.

 
'Limp Ditka said:
Rizzo for Cashner.
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I like this trade from the Cubs' perspective. Rizzo has hit everywhere but in his brief MLB trial. Cashner seems better suited to be a reliever. I don't know much about the secondary prospects that were included in the trade but I doubt they swing the balance of the trade either way.
 
'Eephus said:
'Limp Ditka said:
Rizzo for Cashner.
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I like this trade from the Cubs' perspective. Rizzo has hit everywhere but in his brief MLB trial. Cashner seems better suited to be a reliever. I don't know much about the secondary prospects that were included in the trade but I doubt they swing the balance of the trade either way.
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I was at Cashner's only start last year and it was very impressive. But I am stunned the Cubs got Rizzo for him. I follow the Cub system pretty closely and I know next to nothing about Kyung-Min Na. The Padres have to think Cashner is back in the rotation by 2013 or they have no faith in Rizzo at all. Cashner is very typical of a lot of the top arms in recent Cub system history. He has a two plus pitches but has questions about his change up and command that one good start obviously didn't change.Now, LaHair will probably get his chance to play full time early as Rizzo gets time at Iowa. If Rizzo is ready at some point this year and LaHair proves to be more than a AAAA hitter, the Cubs may be able to flip him for another young piece.
 
'boubucarow said:
'Eephus said:
'Limp Ditka said:
Rizzo for Cashner.
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I like this trade from the Cubs' perspective. Rizzo has hit everywhere but in his brief MLB trial. Cashner seems better suited to be a reliever. I don't know much about the secondary prospects that were included in the trade but I doubt they swing the balance of the trade either way.
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I was at Cashner's only start last year and it was very impressive. But I am stunned the Cubs got Rizzo for him. I follow the Cub system pretty closely and I know next to nothing about Kyung-Min Na. The Padres have to think Cashner is back in the rotation by 2013 or they have no faith in Rizzo at all. Cashner is very typical of a lot of the top arms in recent Cub system history. He has a two plus pitches but has questions about his change up and command that one good start obviously didn't change.Now, LaHair will probably get his chance to play full time early as Rizzo gets time at Iowa. If Rizzo is ready at some point this year and LaHair proves to be more than a AAAA hitter, the Cubs may be able to flip him for another young piece.
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LaHair is a nice story for when the team gets to Mesa but he doesn't seem like a very good Plan A
 
'Eephus said:
'boubucarow said:
'Eephus said:
'Limp Ditka said:
Rizzo for Cashner.
Click to expand...
I like this trade from the Cubs' perspective. Rizzo has hit everywhere but in his brief MLB trial. Cashner seems better suited to be a reliever. I don't know much about the secondary prospects that were included in the trade but I doubt they swing the balance of the trade either way.
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I was at Cashner's only start last year and it was very impressive. But I am stunned the Cubs got Rizzo for him. I follow the Cub system pretty closely and I know next to nothing about Kyung-Min Na. The Padres have to think Cashner is back in the rotation by 2013 or they have no faith in Rizzo at all. Cashner is very typical of a lot of the top arms in recent Cub system history. He has a two plus pitches but has questions about his change up and command that one good start obviously didn't change.Now, LaHair will probably get his chance to play full time early as Rizzo gets time at Iowa. If Rizzo is ready at some point this year and LaHair proves to be more than a AAAA hitter, the Cubs may be able to flip him for another young piece.
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LaHair is a nice story for when the team gets to Mesa but he doesn't seem like a very good Plan A
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For this team this year, they really only have something to gain by giving LaHair time. As soon as Rizzo is ready nothing will be standing in his way.
 
'boubucarow said:
'Eephus said:
'boubucarow said:
'Eephus said:
'Limp Ditka said:
Rizzo for Cashner.
Click to expand...
I like this trade from the Cubs' perspective. Rizzo has hit everywhere but in his brief MLB trial. Cashner seems better suited to be a reliever. I don't know much about the secondary prospects that were included in the trade but I doubt they swing the balance of the trade either way.
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I was at Cashner's only start last year and it was very impressive. But I am stunned the Cubs got Rizzo for him. I follow the Cub system pretty closely and I know next to nothing about Kyung-Min Na. The Padres have to think Cashner is back in the rotation by 2013 or they have no faith in Rizzo at all. Cashner is very typical of a lot of the top arms in recent Cub system history. He has a two plus pitches but has questions about his change up and command that one good start obviously didn't change.Now, LaHair will probably get his chance to play full time early as Rizzo gets time at Iowa. If Rizzo is ready at some point this year and LaHair proves to be more than a AAAA hitter, the Cubs may be able to flip him for another young piece.
Click to expand...
LaHair is a nice story for when the team gets to Mesa but he doesn't seem like a very good Plan A
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For this team this year, they really only have something to gain by giving LaHair time. As soon as Rizzo is ready nothing will be standing in his way.
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This is a bad offense
 
'Eephus said:
'boubucarow said:
'Eephus said:
'boubucarow said:
'Eephus said:
'Limp Ditka said:
Rizzo for Cashner.
Click to expand...
I like this trade from the Cubs' perspective. Rizzo has hit everywhere but in his brief MLB trial. Cashner seems better suited to be a reliever. I don't know much about the secondary prospects that were included in the trade but I doubt they swing the balance of the trade either way.
Click to expand...
I was at Cashner's only start last year and it was very impressive. But I am stunned the Cubs got Rizzo for him. I follow the Cub system pretty closely and I know next to nothing about Kyung-Min Na. The Padres have to think Cashner is back in the rotation by 2013 or they have no faith in Rizzo at all. Cashner is very typical of a lot of the top arms in recent Cub system history. He has a two plus pitches but has questions about his change up and command that one good start obviously didn't change.Now, LaHair will probably get his chance to play full time early as Rizzo gets time at Iowa. If Rizzo is ready at some point this year and LaHair proves to be more than a AAAA hitter, the Cubs may be able to flip him for another young piece.
Click to expand...
LaHair is a nice story for when the team gets to Mesa but he doesn't seem like a very good Plan A
Click to expand...
For this team this year, they really only have something to gain by giving LaHair time. As soon as Rizzo is ready nothing will be standing in his way.
Click to expand...
This is a bad offense
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No kidding
 
'boubucarow said:
'Eephus said:
'Limp Ditka said:
Rizzo for Cashner.
Click to expand...
I like this trade from the Cubs' perspective. Rizzo has hit everywhere but in his brief MLB trial. Cashner seems better suited to be a reliever. I don't know much about the secondary prospects that were included in the trade but I doubt they swing the balance of the trade either way.
Click to expand...
I was at Cashner's only start last year and it was very impressive. But I am stunned the Cubs got Rizzo for him. I follow the Cub system pretty closely and I know next to nothing about Kyung-Min Na. The Padres have to think Cashner is back in the rotation by 2013 or they have no faith in Rizzo at all. Cashner is very typical of a lot of the top arms in recent Cub system history. He has a two plus pitches but has questions about his change up and command that one good start obviously didn't change.Now, LaHair will probably get his chance to play full time early as Rizzo gets time at Iowa. If Rizzo is ready at some point this year and LaHair proves to be more than a AAAA hitter, the Cubs may be able to flip him for another young piece.
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I'm not happy about this one as a Padre homer, although I'll admit I lost a lot of confidence in Rizzo after watching him get overmatched much of last summer. I'd like to think it was a small sample size and due to youth, but that swing looks looooong and concerns of a slow bat are real, IMO. I have far more trust in Jed than Josh, and I don't like the fact that the Pads seemingly sold low on Rizzo due to a perceived log jam at 1B that was self created. We have a huge black hole at SS in the organization - couldn't we have held Rizzo until an solid SS prospect became available? I have hopes for Cashner, but betting 25 yr old big arms with rotator cuff issues is like playing russian roulette with 3 bullets.
 
'Limp Ditka said:
All of this AND Paul Maholm?

Where do I sign up?
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I for one am very pleased with the moves so far. This team would have been very very lucky to contend of they went all out to do so. I wasn't going to feel good about 2012/13 no matter what they did but now I see reason for optimism about 2014+ and when the albatross contracts are over I have no doubt this team will have little trouble adding the needed pieces to be a consistently good team. Building the team any other way would be very irresponsible.
 
Some notes on the system after the trades at Baseball America...

- Rizzo as a prospect is 3rd in the system behind Jackson and Baez. In Jim Callis's top 50 prospects they are #28 (Jackson), #31, and #42 (Rizzo).

- Rizzo is also the 3rd best 1B prospect in baseball.

- None of the other acquired (so far) prospects crack the top 10 who are right now Jackson, Baez, Rizzo, Szczur, McNutt, Maples, Dolis, Castillo, Lake, Vitters, and Vogelbach slides to #11.

- Torreyes (needs to max out potential to be a big leaguer), Cates (new to pitching and has a lot of work to go), and Sappelt (4th OF overmatched in CF) would fit into the back half of the top 30 in the listed order.

- The Cubs had the #14 system prior to the trades and now have moved up a spot or two.

 
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Top 20 list of Cubs' prospects from minorleagueball.com

Cubs' prospects

1) Brett Jackson, OF, Grade B+: I love his broad range of skills...speed, power, patience, defense. Only problem is a high strikeout rate which could foretell adjustment issues and/or preclude a high batting average. A more complete player than newly-acquired Rizzo, so ranks ahead for me.

2) Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Grade B+: Acquired today from Padres for Andrew Cashner. Nobody should panic about 128 at-bats. Although he's not going to hit .300 in the majors, Rizzo should provide plenty of power and walks and I think he'll make the needed adjustments. Maximum outcome: Ryan Howard. Worst-case: Chris Davis.

3) Javier Baez, SS-3B, Grade B: 2011 first-round pick. Outstanding bat speed, should hit for average and power. Questions revolve around future position as well as volatile personality. Higher ceiling than Jackson or Rizzo but we need to clear these issues up first.

4) Matt "Scrabble" Szczur, OF, Grade B-: Borderline B. Grade under review. Outstanding tools but still learning how to play baseball. Uses speed very well, skilled defensively, should develop more power but plate discipline slipped in High-A.

5) Trey McNutt, RHP, Grade B-: Hampered by nagging injuries in Double-A and gets a partial mulligan, although stock is legitimately down a bit. I am concerned by low strikeout rate.

6) Dillon Maples, RHP, Grade B-: 14th round pick with second-round talent, hasn't pitched yet. Scouting reports point to number two starter potential, or perhaps a relief ace if he doesn't develop a changeup, or if his funky delivery results in durability issues. Grade speculative given lack of pro data.

7) Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Grade B-: 2011 second-round pick. I really, really believe in this bat. Enormous power combined with legitimate hitting skills and strong plate discipline. Main problem is jumbo size; at times he has carried more pounds than I do, and he's not a sedentary middle-aged writer. If he can stay in decent condition he could move quite quickly and provides a backup plan if Rizzo doesn't work out.

8) Junior Lake, SS, Grade C+: Borderline B-. Excellent athlete, with power and speed, great throwing arm. Poor plate discipline, erratic track record, and probable position switch hurt stock, but has tremendous upside. Much better physical ceiling than Vogelbach, of course, but I'm less confident in his ability to hit.

9) Welington Castillo, C, Grade C+: Considerable power with a great throwing arm, still somewhat raw with the glove. Spotty strike zone judgment could be an issue, but could supplant Geovany Soto eventually.

10) Dae-Eun Rhee, RHP, Grade C+: Tommy John survivor saw velocity boost, continued to throw strikes, and was extremely effective in High-A down the stretch, posted 32/5 K/BB in last 25 innings with 2.16 ERA. If he maintains that momentum in 2012, will break through and shoot up prospect lists.

11) Josh Vitters, 3B-1B, Grade C+: Placement is very difficult. You can make a case as high as eight or as low as 15. Strengths remain age (22) and contact ability, but still short-circuits himself with impatience. At some point he's got to produce more than this, and with the new regime in place he needs to take that step forward now.

12) Jeimer Candelario, 3B, Grade C+: Outstanding performance in the Dominican Summer League. Scouting reports are good, too. Unfortunately DSL performance is not particularly predictive, but he has good plate discipline and scouts are impressed with him. May face position switch. Could rank much higher once we see him in North America.

13) Marco Hernandez, SS, Grade C+: Solid performance in Arizona Rookie League, gap power, should hit for average, and can remain at shortstop. Could also rank much higher a year from now.

14) Chris Carpenter, RHP, Grade C+: Power arm pitched poorly in Triple-A bullpen due to command issues but looked much better in Arizona Fall League. Dominant when his command is working.

15) Rafael Dolis, RHP, Grade C+: Could rank as high as 10th if you aren't concerned by his poor strikeout rate in Double-A. Power sinker could get him significant major league innings in 2012 but will need better command to close. I don't like him as much as some other people do, but upper-90s sinkers are rare.

16) Zach Cates, RHP, Grade C+: Acquired in the Cashner/Rizzo trade. Often overlooked due to 4.78 ERA in Low-A, but he has a live arm and peripheral stats were much better. Breakthrough possible.

17) Ben Wells, RHP, Grade C+: Arkansas high school talent from 2010 draft is another sinkerball expert, impressed scouts in Northwest League. Number three starter upside.

18) Dave Sappelt, OF, Grade C+: Acquired in Sean Marshall deal. Perfect fourth outfielder with a broad balance of average tools/skills.

19) Ronald Torreyes, 2B, Grade C+: Acquired in Sean Marshall deal from Reds. Excellent performance record, hits for average, very reliable with the glove, but undersized at 5-7, 150. Can he do what Jose Altuve did with the Astros?

20) Reggie Golden, OF, Grade C+: Struggled with contact in Northwest League. A raw hitter, but power potential is quite impressive. High risk/high reward type.

21) Gioskar Amaya, INF, Grade C+: Hit .377 in rookie ball, lacks distance power at this time and needs better plate discipline. Long-term position unsettled as well, but a nice ceiling.

22) Tony Zych, RHP, Grade C+: Lively arm drafted in fourth round in '11, projects as a closer if he sharpens his command.

23) Shawon Dunston, Jr, OF, Grade C+: Excellent speed, but lacks strength/power and raw for a bloodline player. Good upside as a leadoff type but will take time to get there.

24) Aaron Kurcz, RHP, Grade C+ Good year as a swingman in Florida State League, excellent K/IP ratio with few hits given up, above-average stuff.

OTHERS: Jeffry Antigua, LHP; Dallas Beeler, RHP; Jeff Beliveau, LHP; Jeff Bianchi, INF; Lendy Castillo, RHP; Pin-Chieh Chen, OF; Zeke DeVoss, 2B; Jae-Hoon Ha, OF (a lot of people really like him but he looks like a tweener to me); Jay Jackson, RHP; Eric Jokisch, LHP; Austin Kirk, LHP (season collapsed after he threw the no-hitter);; Luis Liria, RHP; Kevin Rhoderick, RHP; Jose Rosario, RHP; Neftali Rosario, C; Hayden Simpson, RHP; Nick Struck, RHP; Yao-Ling Wang, RHP; Logan Watkins, 2B; Robert Whitenack, RHP.

The exact rankings of the players, especially 12-24, is quite difficult in this system, so don't get bent out of shape if you think the guy at 19 should be at 12 or something like that. If you are looking for guys who will help in the short run, someone like Sappelt would move up the list. Some guys in the "Others" section could see major league action soon and help out, including Jeff Beliveau, Rule 5 pick Lendy Castillo, and Nick Struck.

The major league roster needs a revamp, and the new Epstein/Hoyer administration is hard at work on that. But even before the Cashner and Marshall trades, the farm system had some good things going for it and was, in my opinion, underrated.

The weakness heading into the off-season was obvious: lack of impact talent close to the majors beyond Brett Jackson. Acquiring Rizzo helps with that. But there are very intriguing players at the lower levels who have the potential to develop considerably, particularly products of the solid Latin American and Asian programs. In this respect the Cubs remind me of the Indians system: there is a LOT of depth in C+ and "Grade C with upside" type prospects. Some of those guys will develop.

The biggest problem I see currently is lack of high-powered pitching. There is nobody here who looks like they can anchor a major league rotation with any certainty. That's not to say that there aren't live arms; there are quite a few, although most of them project better as relievers or back-end starters. There are a few candidates who can get beyond that, although they all have significant questions attached. McNutt had a bad year but could rebound, it is too soon to tell about Maples, and both Rhee and Cates could take big steps forward.

Overall, if I was a Cubs fan, I would be pleased with the level of depth, but anxious (in a good way) to see how the new front office manages the draft and international scouting to bolster what is already present.
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They really need to make some moves to acquire an arm or two.

 
'Grahamburn said:
They really need to make some moves to acquire an arm or two.
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The trade chips now are Garza, Soto, Marmol, and Byrd. Only Garza will get a high level pitching prospect in return. Reading Sickel and other sources the past year it seems the Cubs have a lot of arms that could peak in the middle to back end of the rotation. McNutt and Maples have more potential but have serious issues that could lead to bullpen roles. Unless players like McNutt or maybe Rhee put it all together this year, I don't see #1 or #2 starter coming any time soon if at all from this organization. The Cubs will almost certainly have to pay for pitching in the open market to seriously contend in at least the next four year window and of course that is full of risk.
 
'boubucarow said:
'Grahamburn said:
They really need to make some moves to acquire an arm or two.
Click to expand...
The trade chips now are Garza, Soto, Marmol, and Byrd. Only Garza will get a high level pitching prospect in return. Reading Sickel and other sources the past year it seems the Cubs have a lot of arms that could peak in the middle to back end of the rotation. McNutt and Maples have more potential but have serious issues that could lead to bullpen roles. Unless players like McNutt or maybe Rhee put it all together this year, I don't see #1 or #2 starter coming any time soon if at all from this organization. The Cubs will almost certainly have to pay for pitching in the open market to seriously contend in at least the next four year window and of course that is full of risk.
Click to expand...
I'd like to hope the Cubs can flip a couple of those guys or others to a contender at the trade deadline this season. I wouldn't miss any of those players, but they could all make an impact for a team making a playoff run.I've been saying "blow it up" for several years now. Looks like it took Theo coming here to get this organization on track.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
'Grahamburn said:
'boubucarow said:
'Grahamburn said:
They really need to make some moves to acquire an arm or two.
Click to expand...
The trade chips now are Garza, Soto, Marmol, and Byrd. Only Garza will get a high level pitching prospect in return. Reading Sickel and other sources the past year it seems the Cubs have a lot of arms that could peak in the middle to back end of the rotation. McNutt and Maples have more potential but have serious issues that could lead to bullpen roles. Unless players like McNutt or maybe Rhee put it all together this year, I don't see #1 or #2 starter coming any time soon if at all from this organization. The Cubs will almost certainly have to pay for pitching in the open market to seriously contend in at least the next four year window and of course that is full of risk.
Click to expand...
I'd like to hope the Cubs can flip a couple of those guys or others to a contender at the trade deadline this season. I wouldn't miss any of those players, but they could all make an impact for a team making a playoff run.I've been saying "blow it up" for several years now. Looks like it took Theo coming here to get this organization on track.
Click to expand...
Agree completely.
 
Cubs and Garza agree to $9.5M plus incentives to avoid arbitration. Now, how long is he a Cub?

Also, the Cubs sign Cuban 19 year old lefty hurler Gerardo Concepcion to a multi-year $7m contract. His fastball hovers around 90 MPH with a 75ish curveball and a developing changeup/splitter with some deception/inconsistency in his delivery. It seems scouts disagree on whether he has back of the rotation potential or better. Looks like the Cubs have added to the fleet of #3 to will never make it starters in the minors.

 
Soriano wasn't the only one at Fitch Park hoping to change habits this baseball season. A woman among the hundreds in the retiree crowd was overheard loudly describing how she lost 40 pounds last year following the "Cubs Diet.""I only ate when they won," she said.
Click to expand...
 
'urbanhack said:
Vitters going to get a chance at 3rd?
Click to expand...
There is no reason to think he is ready. Stewart will be playing near full time probably only sitting from time to time for Baker to get time. Even if Stewart sucks, I don't see Vitters seeing time until past mid season. And that is only if Vitters shows a lot of improvement over last year.
 
'pantagrapher said:
'Encyclopedia Brown said:
What's the take on LaHair?Late bloomer or a 4-A type of player?
Click to expand...
Sveum is already calling LaHair his cleanup hitter. So it sounds like we're going to find out pretty quick.
Click to expand...
I expect LaHair to have about an 800 ops but would be surprised at much more than that. He can hit and will take pitches. He will hit 20-25 homers if he plays all season. Problem is that if Rizzo shows the adjustments the Cubs want to see, how long will they wait until he is their everyday 1B.
 
So after all that, the Cubs give the Red Sox Chris Carpenter and Aaron Kurcz. If the previous reports are close to true, the Red Sox were beyond ridiculous in how they handled this situation. They were always going to receive two middle level prospects. Prospects the Cubs would have given them two months ago.

 
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