Samardzija ready this year?

[Balsa]

I'll eat my photoshopped internet hat if he pitches for the team before September.

[craig]

Ahh, I think what I heard last year might have to do with arm slot too (in terms of mechanics). That makes sense, craig.

 

OK, I'm home now, so I want to clarify those VineLine things. I didn't represent them with the best accuracy. VineLine guys surveyed all the Cub minor league managers and coaches, and ended up publishing short comments on 50 prospects. They're covering 10 guys per page, so it's normally four lines of print per player. Sometimes there is some scouting information about the player or about what some management person thinks about a player, but some is information somebody like you would already know. Samardz's, for example, reports that he caught passes for Notre Dame, had growing pains this season, and struggled especially at Daytona. "Seen as a thrower early, Samardzija grew into a pitcher by season's end." Well, maybe yes, maybe no. But that's the spin the Cubs are selling.

 

However, Vineline also surveyed the coaches/staff about some tools. For the pitchers, there were 4: best command, (holliman, with Petrick and Atkins runnerups); best poise/makeup, besst athleticism, and bet mechanics. Surprisingly, Samardzija appeared in each of the latter three categories. Tops, followed by Petrick, for poise/makeup. Bombard commented that he went through struggles but kept competing and challenging hitters. Tops, followed by Scott Koerber, for "athleticism". best athlete in org bar none, said Fleita. At the end would call him a pitcher. At the start would have called him a thrower. Then, for best mechanics, Holliman was first followed by Samardz. (comments only about Holliman). That they talk up his competitiveness and athleticism is not that surprising. But that he'd be listed as 2nd in terms of mechanics, that's a big surprise.