Cub prospects in the news

[davell]

Did anyone listen to the BA podcast yet, pertaining to the new info on Paniagua's visa issues? I haven't had time yet.

[BeerHere]

I'm listening to the 5/10 podcast right now. They didn't mention Paniagua in the intro though.

[BeerHere]

The Paniagua stuff is about half way through. Really nothing new. Clearly still having visa issues. Pitching in the DR. There was a change in personnel at the US Consulate and they are not baseball people. The Cubs are helping him work through it but there is no timetable. BA thought he would be pitching in full season ball by now. His listed birthday is 1990 so he is either 23 or will turn 23 this year according to his documentation. His stuff has continued to improve and has taken jumps after the failed signing by AZ and then again with the Yankees. Hitting 97 with a good slider. MLB has determined that he age is "undetermined" and that combined with his past issues have complicated the issue.

[davell]

The Paniagua stuff is about half way through. Really nothing new. Clearly still having visa issues. Pitching in the DR. There was a change in personnel at the US Consulate and they are not baseball people. The Cubs are helping him work through it but there is no timetable. BA thought he would be pitching in full season ball by now. His listed birthday is 1990 so he is either 23 or will turn 23 this year according to his documentation. His stuff has continued to improve and has taken jumps after the failed signing by AZ and then again with the Yankees. Hitting 97 with a good slider. MLB has determined that he age is "undetermined" and that combined with his past issues have complicated the issue.

Cool, thanks man. Starting to think we may not see him pitch in the US this year even. Glad we've got him pitching, at least.

[Guest]

Josh Conway has a cast on his right arm, from shoulder to finger-tips.

Also, OF Trey Martin has his left arm immobilized in some kind of sling-contraption after undergoing left (non-throwing) shoulder surgery for chronic shoulder instability.

14 hours 59 min ago

Arizona Phil

 

Ugh

[rawaction]

Josh Conway has a cast on his right arm, from shoulder to finger-tips.

Also, OF Trey Martin has his left arm immobilized in some kind of sling-contraption after undergoing left (non-throwing) shoulder surgery for chronic shoulder instability.

14 hours 59 min ago

Arizona Phil

 

Ugh

Hmm. A cast that big likely means some multiple fractures or really bad shoulder (bone) damage.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Any news on Almora? Thought he'd be back by now.

[Guest]

Any news on Almora? Thought he'd be back by now.

 

raisin posted something about in him playing in his first intra-squad game this past week

[Guest]

Any news on Almora? Thought he'd be back by now.

 

raisin posted something about in him playing in his first intra-squad game this past week

 

He played in a rehab game but hurt himself on a slide (nothing major) and ended up missing a few games before getting into Thursday's intra-squad game.

[Guest]

Josh Conway has a cast on his right arm, from shoulder to finger-tips.

Also, OF Trey Martin has his left arm immobilized in some kind of sling-contraption after undergoing left (non-throwing) shoulder surgery for chronic shoulder instability.

14 hours 59 min ago

Arizona Phil

 

Ugh

Hmm. A cast that big likely means some multiple fractures or really bad shoulder (bone) damage.

 

The Trib said he has a stress fracture elbow. Out for the season.

[Guest]

@BenBadler: Yankees $4 million Cuban LHP Omar Luis is on short-season Staten Island's roster. Had been in Haiti for six months, obviously not pitching.

 

@BenBadler: Same story with Cubs Cuban RHP Armando Rivero. Getting him built back up before assigning him to a club.

[Guest]

That reminds me... what is Concepcion even up to?

[Guest]

I think last we heard he was in Mesa.

[CubsWin]

I think last we heard he was in Mesa.

I saw him at Fitch when I went to spring training. But I don't remember seeing him included in AZPhil's reports lately.

[Little Slide Rooter]

@keithlaw: No, reliever if he can stay healthy. Big if. RT @Demarrer2790: @keithlaw Does Dillion Malples have a decent ceiling? #3 starter? #cubs

 

Hopefully he wasn't referring to Dillon Maples. If so, boo to Mr. Law on that.

[Tryptamine]

@keithlaw: No, reliever if he can stay healthy. Big if. RT @Demarrer2790: @keithlaw Does Dillion Malples have a decent ceiling? #3 starter? #cubs

 

Hopefully he wasn't referring to Dillon Maples. If so, boo to Mr. Law on that.

 

Yeah I saw this and I adamantly disagree. If we're talking ceiling, that means everything works out for Maples. To say that his stuff isn't good enough to start regardless of health is quite frankly pretty stupid.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Ceiling is a reliever? Law is such a troll sometimes. His ceiling is probably a solid #2.

 

Is it more likely he'll end up as a reliever? Yeah.

[Guest]

Law really disliked Maples on draft day, I'm sure 21 pro innings won't change that. He had the same reliever comments back in 2011.

[Guest]

Almora interview video

 

[Have a seat, Neifi]

Apologies if posted elsewhere, but today's BA Prospect Hot Sheet has Pierce Johnson at #9 and Jeimer in the "Not So Hot" category -- http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/prospect-hot-sheet-may-31-wil-myers-heats-up/

 

No. 9 Pierce Johnson, rhp, Cubs

Team: low Class A Kane County (Midwest)

Age: 22

Why He’s Here: 1-1, 1.46, 2 GS, 12 1/3 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 15 SO

 

The Scoop: If you’re looking for a strong candidate for a midseason promotion, Johnson fits the bill. The 43rd overall pick in last year’s draft, he has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his 10 starts in low Class A. The 22-year-old has the advanced stuff and could’ve started the year in high Class A, and now he’s surged into second in the Midwest League strikeout race with 60 in 53 innings.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Javier Baez, SS, Cubs (High-A Daytona)

 

Of all the prospects in the minors, Baez’s status might have the most volatility, with the skill set to blossom into a superstar and the deficiencies that could terminate the dream before it begins. With elite bat speed and the type of raw power that can find a home in the middle of any major-league lineup, Baez could end up as the top prospect in the game. But his one-speed-fits-all approach on both sides of the ball can be limiting: His aggressive, see-ball-hit-ball mentality at the plate often puts him behind in counts and vulnerable to offerings out of the zone, and his tendency to rush the actions and the throws makes him error prone despite his exquisite hands at shortstop. Baez is warming up and is a good candidate to explode this summer, with a chance to sneak into the top 10 prospects in the game. But the Double-A test is looming on the horizon, and without more nuance to his game and a more refined approach, Baez could take a big step back against better competition. The talent is extreme. The risk is just as extreme. —Jason Parks

[ctcf]

Javier Baez, ss, Cubs: Baez has tantalizing bat speed and power potential, but his free-swinging approach has started to eat into his on-base percentage this year. We talked about this on the Prospect Handbook Podcast, but sometimes the best way for an aggressive hitter like Baez to become a more disciplined hitter isn’t by having the organization mandate he start taking the first pitch or emphasizing walks. Sometimes a young hitter just has to swing at bad pitches, then learn that those are the pitches he needs to lay off because he can’t do damage with that slider that dives off the plate or that tempting fastball above the strike zone. Some players never make the adjustment, but the talented ones learn from their mistakes. With Baez, the adjustments are already starting to come as a 20-year-old in high Class A Daytona. On Saturday Baez went 5-for-6 with three doubles and a home run, then followed that up yesterday with a 2-for-4 day to bring him to .281/.322/.519 with nine walks, 56 strikeouts and nine home runs. Baez is going to have to put in major work to clean up his defense, though, as he’s looked out of place at shortstop with 24 errors in 51 games.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/prospect-notebook-javier-baez-powers-through-fsl/

[jersey cubs fan]

Some players never make the adjustment, but the talented ones learn from their mistakes.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/prospect-notebook-javier-baez-powers-through-fsl/

 

That is a weird way of phrasing it. The successful ones learn from their mistakes, but talent alone doesn't mean a guy will figure out how to lay off bad pitches.

[imb]

Here's a dumb, weird update on Tyler Colvin.

 

The Rockies sent him to AAA after spring training which i guess was a surprise after he had a pretty good year last year.

 

Obviously he's in a good (great?) hitters environment or whatever, but he's at .299/.409/.517 with 31 walks to 45 Ks. I can honestly say I never expected him to be on pace for 90 walks at any level of play

[Guest]

Here's a dumb, weird update on Tyler Colvin.

 

The Rockies sent him to AAA after spring training which i guess was a surprise after he had a pretty good year last year.

 

Obviously he's in a good (great?) hitters environment or whatever, but he's at .299/.409/.517 with 31 walks to 45 Ks. I can honestly say I never expected him to be on pace for 90 walks at any level of play

 

That's annoying.

 

At least he's doing this while 27 at AAA.