2007 Chiefs Q & A with Nathan Baliva

[Guest]

Hey Nate, have you heard anything about Ceda, Dolis or Muldowney? I know none of them have had surgery (yet), do you think we'll see any of them back at Peoria this season?

[ChiefsVoice]

Hey Nate, have you heard anything about Ceda, Dolis or Muldowney? I know none of them have had surgery (yet), do you think we'll see any of them back at Peoria this season?

 

Well nothing official, but from what I have heard Muldowney is the closest, but that was from another player and a players father...maybe July 1 if not sooner. The other two are a couple of weeks behind that and it appears that a best case scenario would be the MLB All-Star break...but no one officially with the Cubs has told us when to expect them....we really need them...or starters from the draft...

[Outshined_One]

Hey Nate, do you know if Kyler Burke is heading to Peoria or if the Cubs are sending him to Boise?

[ChiefsVoice]

Hey Nate, do you know if Kyler Burke is heading to Peoria or if the Cubs are sending him to Boise?

 

not that I know of. To be honest I didnt even remember the guy from when we played them. I had to go look him up. 18 though, so Boise probably makes more sense...

[Guest]

What are your thoughts on Nate Samson? He got a hefty bonus last year so it seems that Wilken and others must like him a lot. I was rather surprised he skipped Boise (but I guess it had to be done with Dylan Johnston headed to Boise).

[ChiefsVoice]

What are your thoughts on Nate Samson? He got a hefty bonus last year so it seems that Wilken and others must like him a lot. I was rather surprised he skipped Boise (but I guess it had to be done with Dylan Johnston headed to Boise).

 

Reminds me a lot of David Eckstein....especially the way he throws....gets to balls nicely, great bunter...good speed...very lanky...when he grows into his body and adds some power he could be a very good player....father played in the majors so he knows what it takes...also one of the most genuine guys i have been around always saying thank you and asking questions....very solid addition to our team for the 2nd half.

[craig]

What are your thoughts on Nate Samson? He got a hefty bonus last year so it seems that Wilken and others must like him a lot. I was rather surprised he skipped Boise (but I guess it had to be done with Dylan Johnston headed to Boise).

 

Just a note on Samson's "hefty" bonus. According to the draft threat, it was $155. That's comparable to a typical 8th-10th round HS pick, I'm guessing? Seems to me that guys like Atkins and Willis etc. got $200 or more.

 

Whatever. No HS guy who cracks the first 10 rounds is a nobody; any HS prospect who goes in the top ten rounds and then produces gets written off, that's for sure, and any such player would merit some interest. So Samson should get some.

 

But, neither should we be looking at his bonus as if the Cubs were paying him like a 3rd or 4th round type talent. Not that much.

[Guest]

What are your thoughts on Nate Samson? He got a hefty bonus last year so it seems that Wilken and others must like him a lot. I was rather surprised he skipped Boise (but I guess it had to be done with Dylan Johnston headed to Boise).

 

Just a note on Samson's "hefty" bonus. According to the draft threat, it was $155. That's comparable to a typical 8th-10th round HS pick, I'm guessing? Seems to me that guys like Atkins and Willis etc. got $200 or more.

 

Whatever. No HS guy who cracks the first 10 rounds is a nobody; any HS prospect who goes in the top ten rounds and then produces gets written off, that's for sure, and any such player would merit some interest. So Samson should get some.

 

But, neither should we be looking at his bonus as if the Cubs were paying him like a 3rd or 4th round type talent. Not that much.

 

Looks like 6th round money last year: http://www.baseballamerica.com/draftdb/2006rnd.php?rnd=6

 

In the 6th round last year, three guys got $155,000 (including Josh Lansford), two guys got $165,000 and one player got $200,000. The average bonus for the 6th round was $122,100.

 

Of course, your point still stands...Samson didn't get Drew Rundle/Chris Huseby-type money and wasn't thought of as highly as those two during the draft but still viewed as a top-10 round talent. I was just interested to see what type of round a $155,000 bonus would normally get.

[craig]

Thanks for the research, Cal. I didn't realize you could get the bonus list for rounds that late. Interesting.

 

6th round money, that's not bad. Certainly any time you take a HS kid in the 6th round, you'd assume you're getting a prospect, not just a guy whose ceiling tops as an organizational guy. Hopefully as Nate suggested, Samson will fill out and get stronger in due time, and hopefully he'll end up having enough physical talent to be a useful major leaguer. And hopefully his interest and desire to learn will help him get the most out of the talent that he has.

[Guest]

Hey Nate, what's the status of Jose Pina? He's on the DL - any chance he'll be back for what's left of this season?

[ChiefsVoice]

Hey Nate, what's the status of Jose Pina? He's on the DL - any chance he'll be back for what's left of this season?

 

Jose threw in the bullpen over the weekend, threw a flat ground on Tuesday and I believe he will throw a full side on Thurs or Fri in Cedar Rapids . If that goes pain-free then he would be ready to jump back into the rotation as soon as there is an opening (which will hopefully be created by sending Al back to Boise.)