VSL?

[Bear Cub]

Has anyone heard whether the Cubs are co-oping with the Twins again this year?

[Guest]

They're going with a second DSL team at the Baseball City facility instead of the co-op team in the VSL, either because they want to get out of Venezuela for political reasons or because they don't have enough players.

[Guest]

The Cubs aren't the only team to pull out of the VSL. I think it's nice to see the two DSL teams, though. From Arizona Phil's comments section in TCR:

 

TCR[/url]"]As you may already know, the Cubs, Reds, and Twins have pulled out of the Venezuelan Summer League (VSL), although they still operate academies there. In fact, I believe there are now only eight teams left in the VSL (and no co-op teams).

 

The problem the Cubs and a number of other MLB clubs have right now is that they simply don't have enough Venezuelan and Central American players in their system to field a VSL team (Dominican players are not allowed to play in the VSL). So instead of operating one DSL team and one VSL co-op team (as they did in 2007), the Cubs will be operating two DSL clubs (DSL Cubs #1 and DSL Cubs #2) and no VSL team in 2008. If the Cubs can sign more Venezuelan players, then maybe they could operate a "VSL Cubs" team eventually. A co-op team is kind of awkward for everybody.

 

But the Cubs Venezuelan Academy at Puerto Cabella is still operating. In fact, that's where RHP Rafael Cova got into shape while he was working out his visa problem, so that once he got to Fitch Park (EXST) last week, it took him just one bullpen side-session, one simulated game, and one EXST game for him to be ready to get assigned to AA Tennessee (where he is now).

 

In addition to the nine Cubs minor leaguers assigned to the Cubs Venezuelan Academy (until they leave next month to play in the DSL), there is always a steady-stream of prospective players coming through the academy for try-outs, Cubs Venezuelan Academy Supervisor Hector Ortega and four other part-time Cubs scouts run the place.

 

Here are the Cubs players presently assigned to the various foreign academies:

 

* bats or throws left

# bats both

 

CUBS VENEZUELAN ACADEMY (at Puerto Cabello)

 

PITCHERS (3):

Edilmar Infante

Reinaldo Navarro

Gregorio Rodriguez

 

CATCHERS (2):

Jose Bracho

Carlos Romero

 

INFIELDERS (2):

Jose Avila

George Matheus

 

OUTFIELDERS (2):

Luis Andrades

* Cesar Salazar

 

=================================

 

CUBS DOMINICAN ACADEMY (at Baseball City):

 

PITCHERS (21):

Bienvenido Beltre

Yelson Cabrera

Julio Castillo

Miguel Corletto

Alejandro de la Cruz

Manolin DeLeon

Arturo Florentino

* Carlos Galvez

Junniol Lami

Luis Liria

Jose Montecino

Pacheco Mota

Lenny Pena

* Marcos Perez

Francoris Pineda

Gorge Pineda

Ramon Rache

Ramon Reyes

* Abner Ruiz

Tomas Sanchez

Jose Tineo

 

CATCHERS (3):

Miguel Gonzalez

Yamel Liria

Jose Vigay

 

INFIELDERS (8):

# Robert Bautista

# Ramon Bonilla

# Herasmo Magallanes

# Alexander Mejia

Carlos Morales

Juan Pena

Pedro Ramirez

Andy Soto

 

OUTFIELDERS (5):

Albert Hernandez

Elvin Jiminez

# Nelson Pierre

# Gregorio Robles

# Jose Valdez

 

============================

 

MLB AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL ACADEMY (June-August):

* Cody Hams, LHP (at EXST at Fitch Park until May 22)

Adam Spencer, RHP (still in HS, will make U. S. debut in 2009)