time to call up kroeger?

[questionmarkgrace]

With E patt in the lou's dog house and likely on his way back to iowa and murton not showing much of anything is it time to call up Josh Kroeger? lefty, decent power numbers, hits righties well I assume he can play left if hes playing right in Iowa. might be a good spark until soriano/johnson comes back. Or he might not, discuss.

 

AA 07

.382 .449 .609 1058 11 hrs

AAA 07

263 .338 .474 812 10 hrs

AAA 08

.284 .354 .488 .842 10 hrs

[Outshined_One]

He can't hit lefties worth a crap.

 

Link

 

It'd be an idea if we had another Reed Johnson.

[questionmarkgrace]

I was thinking along the lines of murton vs lefties and kroeger vs righties would be a decent bandaid until we get some of these other guys back.

[Little Slide Rooter]

How about the guy whose alrady been up twice and proved he could do the job both times?

[NCCubFan]

He can't come back until 10 days after being sent down.

[Sammy Sofa]

Good Gawd, what is it with the Cubs' prospects and not being able to hit lefties?

[Little Slide Rooter]

He can't come back until 10 days after being sent down.

 

Unless someone gets injured.

 

Crowbar-check. Now I wonder where Patterson or Cedeno would be at this hour.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Rather than start a new thread, I'll just put it here: Whats the deal with Matt Craig? Why can't he make it past AA? Hes always put up solid numbers, but he just cant make it to Iowa. I know he has the misfortune of being a corner infielder, but he deserves at least another AAA stint.

[Backtobanks]

I was thinking along the lines of murton vs lefties and kroeger vs righties would be a decent bandaid until we get some of these other guys back.

 

Murton? Who is this Murton guy you speak of?

[Brett]

Rather than start a new thread, I'll just put it here: Whats the deal with Matt Craig? Why can't he make it past AA? Hes always put up solid numbers, but he just cant make it to Iowa. I know he has the misfortune of being a corner infielder, but he deserves at least another AAA stint.

 

He was busted juicing last year or the year before. I'm not saying that has anything to do with it... just thought it needed pointed out.

[Outshined_One]

Good Gawd, what is it with the Cubs' prospects and not being able to hit lefties?

 

Kroeger wasn't one we developed. He was waived by the Diamondbacks, picked up off waivers by the Phillies, granted free agency, and ended up on the Cubs. He's basically been in AAA since 2004.

[MrApril]

Rather than start a new thread, I'll just put it here: Whats the deal with Matt Craig? Why can't he make it past AA? Hes always put up solid numbers, but he just cant make it to Iowa. I know he has the misfortune of being a corner infielder, but he deserves at least another AAA stint.

 

He was busted juicing last year or the year before. I'm not saying that has anything to do with it... just thought it needed pointed out.

 

He was suspended 15 games for the beginning of the 2005 season...I've personally seen the kid play countless games throughout the Southern League before and after that 2005 season and he still looks the same and is one hell of a player. I've read articles quoting him as saying he denies ever taking anything and looking at his numbers since then, I would have to believe him. He did play a month or so last year in AAA and had pretty decent numbers for such few games and correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he was a player of the week during that time also. I think the kid deserves a shot, if you can play corner infield I'm sure you can stand out there and do your best Soriano impersonation in one of the corner outfield spots.

[Iowa Cub]

He can't come back until 10 days after being sent down.

 

Unless someone gets injured.

 

Crowbar-check. Now I wonder where Patterson or Cedeno would be at this hour.

Cedeno is our best defensive middle infielder, by far and away. You want him to get injured?

[CubinNY]

Rather than start a new thread, I'll just put it here: Whats the deal with Matt Craig? Why can't he make it past AA? Hes always put up solid numbers, but he just cant make it to Iowa. I know he has the misfortune of being a corner infielder, but he deserves at least another AAA stint.

 

He was busted juicing last year or the year before. I'm not saying that has anything to do with it... just thought it needed pointed out.

 

He was suspended 15 games for the beginning of the 2005 season...I've personally seen the kid play countless games throughout the Southern League before and after that 2005 season and he still looks the same and is one hell of a player. I've read articles quoting him as saying he denies ever taking anything and looking at his numbers since then, I would have to believe him. He did play a month or so last year in AAA and had pretty decent numbers for such few games and correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he was a player of the week during that time also. I think the kid deserves a shot, if you can play corner infield I'm sure you can stand out there and do your best Soriano impersonation in one of the corner outfield spots.

Craig 27 years old and in AA. He's an organizational filler at this point.

[TruffleShuffle]

Rather than start a new thread, I'll just put it here: Whats the deal with Matt Craig? Why can't he make it past AA? Hes always put up solid numbers, but he just cant make it to Iowa. I know he has the misfortune of being a corner infielder, but he deserves at least another AAA stint.

 

He was busted juicing last year or the year before. I'm not saying that has anything to do with it... just thought it needed pointed out.

 

He was suspended 15 games for the beginning of the 2005 season...I've personally seen the kid play countless games throughout the Southern League before and after that 2005 season and he still looks the same and is one hell of a player. I've read articles quoting him as saying he denies ever taking anything and looking at his numbers since then, I would have to believe him. He did play a month or so last year in AAA and had pretty decent numbers for such few games and correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he was a player of the week during that time also. I think the kid deserves a shot, if you can play corner infield I'm sure you can stand out there and do your best Soriano impersonation in one of the corner outfield spots.

Craig 27 years old and in AA. He's an organizational filler at this point.

 

most likely, but he hasn't really gotten a shot above west tennessee. blame the cubs for dumping him in daytona for 2006 after he had years of .872 and .799 OPS in AA (a pitcher's league). i wouldn't condemn him to being organizational filler; guys like jack cust and ryan ludwick have contributed at the big league level after being given up for dead. craig's major league PECOTA projections have him at a .260-.270 EqA with decent pop, especially against LHP. it seems to me that they should move him up to iowa and see if he might be able to contribute with the big club as a backup corner IF and RH bat with decent power.

[MrApril]

Rather than start a new thread, I'll just put it here: Whats the deal with Matt Craig? Why can't he make it past AA? Hes always put up solid numbers, but he just cant make it to Iowa. I know he has the misfortune of being a corner infielder, but he deserves at least another AAA stint.

 

He was busted juicing last year or the year before. I'm not saying that has anything to do with it... just thought it needed pointed out.

 

He was suspended 15 games for the beginning of the 2005 season...I've personally seen the kid play countless games throughout the Southern League before and after that 2005 season and he still looks the same and is one hell of a player. I've read articles quoting him as saying he denies ever taking anything and looking at his numbers since then, I would have to believe him. He did play a month or so last year in AAA and had pretty decent numbers for such few games and correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he was a player of the week during that time also. I think the kid deserves a shot, if you can play corner infield I'm sure you can stand out there and do your best Soriano impersonation in one of the corner outfield spots.

Craig 27 years old and in AA. He's an organizational filler at this point.

 

most likely, but he hasn't really gotten a shot above west tennessee. blame the cubs for dumping him in daytona for 2006 after he had years of .872 and .799 OPS in AA (a pitcher's league). i wouldn't condemn him to being organizational filler; guys like jack cust and ryan ludwick have contributed at the big league level after being given up for dead. craig's major league PECOTA projections have him at a .260-.270 EqA with decent pop, especially against LHP. it seems to me that they should move him up to iowa and see if he might be able to contribute with the big club as a backup corner IF and RH bat with decent power.

 

IMO...Craig is the perfect example of the Cubs inept ability to produce any type of major league position player. Outside of Soto (who didn't "breakout" till his 3rd year of AAA) and Theriot (who didn't "breakout" till he stopped switch hitting) what major league regular have they been able to produce?? I would think a guy that can switch hit for both power and average would be something an organization covets since they are so rare (the only ones I can think of in the Bigs are Chipper, Texeria, and Beltran). Best case scenario, if the Cubs knew how to develop position players, would be a Chipper or Texeria type, worst case you have a Greg Norton or Scott Spiezio(sp?). Both types of players would help the Cubbies immensely. Btw, I just saw this looking over his career stats, he has twice been an All-star at AA and for some reason the Cubs won't give him a chance at AAA...wow I'm actually starting to feel bad for the kid. :cray: :confused:

[CoolHandLuke]

If Josh Kroeger is the answer, that is a question I wish we didn't have to ask.

[Guest]

Craig hasn't been rostered and has been available in the rule 5 draft for at least a couple years now. that he hasn't been picked by anyone tells you how other orgs feel about him, too.

[TruffleShuffle]

Craig hasn't been rostered and has been available in the rule 5 draft for at least a couple years now. that he hasn't been picked by anyone tells you how other orgs feel about him, too.

 

and jack cust was available to any team in baseball for a couple of years if they were willing to put him on their major league roster. he only had the #8 OPS+ in the AL last year.

[MrApril]

Craig hasn't been rostered and has been available in the rule 5 draft for at least a couple years now. that he hasn't been picked by anyone tells you how other orgs feel about him, too.

 

and jack cust was available to any team in baseball for a couple of years if they were willing to put him on their major league roster. he only had the #8 OPS+ in the AL last year.

 

The Rule V draft is filled with guys who can't play and guys that can play at a high level...to me its just as big of a crap shoot as the regular draft, but you have to have to roster space in order to draft...maybe two or three teams a year can draft a guy and sit him on the bench for the entire year and not handcuff their 25 man roster.

 

For me, I guess I'm just tired of seeing all these upstart, young, teams like the Marlins, Rays, Diamondbacks(remember last years sweep), Rockies(last years NL champ), etc...beat up on my Cubbies using "their" young and developed guys while we use our highly overpaid free agent guys. Obviously those teams know how to develop and push guys, and we don't...So give Kroger and Craig a chance, we just might stumble upon something good with them.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

How about the guy whose alrady been up twice and proved he could do the job both times?

 

We're sending down EPatt because he can't play defense and you want to replace him with Hoffpauir?

 

I've liked Kroeger since we picked him up, but since he's not rostered there's little chance of him being called up.

[CubinNY]

Craig hasn't been rostered and has been available in the rule 5 draft for at least a couple years now. that he hasn't been picked by anyone tells you how other orgs feel about him, too.

 

and jack cust was available to any team in baseball for a couple of years if they were willing to put him on their major league roster. he only had the #8 OPS+ in the AL last year.

 

The Rule V draft is filled with guys who can't play and guys that can play at a high level...to me its just as big of a crap shoot as the regular draft, but you have to have to roster space in order to draft...maybe two or three teams a year can draft a guy and sit him on the bench for the entire year and not handcuff their 25 man roster.

 

For me, I guess I'm just tired of seeing all these upstart, young, teams like the Marlins, Rays, Diamondbacks(remember last years sweep), Rockies(last years NL champ), etc...beat up on my Cubbies using "their" young and developed guys while we use our highly overpaid free agent guys. Obviously those teams know how to develop and push guys, and we don't...So give Kroger and Craig a chance, we just might stumble upon something good with them.

Craig would be an old man on the Marlins, Rays, and Diamondbacks. He's neither young nor developed. Kroger on the other hand might be worth a shot in a platoon situation.

[TruffleShuffle]

Craig hasn't been rostered and has been available in the rule 5 draft for at least a couple years now. that he hasn't been picked by anyone tells you how other orgs feel about him, too.

 

and jack cust was available to any team in baseball for a couple of years if they were willing to put him on their major league roster. he only had the #8 OPS+ in the AL last year.

 

The Rule V draft is filled with guys who can't play and guys that can play at a high level...to me its just as big of a crap shoot as the regular draft, but you have to have to roster space in order to draft...maybe two or three teams a year can draft a guy and sit him on the bench for the entire year and not handcuff their 25 man roster.

 

For me, I guess I'm just tired of seeing all these upstart, young, teams like the Marlins, Rays, Diamondbacks(remember last years sweep), Rockies(last years NL champ), etc...beat up on my Cubbies using "their" young and developed guys while we use our highly overpaid free agent guys. Obviously those teams know how to develop and push guys, and we don't...So give Kroger and Craig a chance, we just might stumble upon something good with them.

Craig would be an old man on the Marlins, Rays, and Diamondbacks. He's neither young nor developed. Kroger on the other hand might be worth a shot in a platoon situation.

 

again, this is because he hasn't been advanced by the cubs. he hit very well (.275/.363/.509/.872) in his FIRST crack at AA at age 23. since then the cubs have not moved him anywhere. why should he be punished and thrown in the non-prospect dustbin because of this? move him up to iowa - where he should've been about 3 years ago - and see if he can play at a high level there. the PECOTA numbers and his solid patience suggest that he could be a decent RH bat off the bench, so why not at least give this somewhat of a chance?

[SouthSideRyan]

Ha, I just made the same post in the minor league thread.

[UBlink]

Craig 27 years old and in AA. He's an organizational filler at this point.

 

Must be a hell of an organization if organizational filler can put up numbers like that. Their real prospects must be monsters.