Minor League Discussion & Boxes 5-26-10

[jersey cubs fan]

There is also obviously the school of thought that most young pitchers should start as relievers in the big leagues. If the Cubs don't have plans to have them start again then you have something to rail against, but not now IMO.

 

Where is this school of thought? I've never heard anybody say most young pitchers should start as a reliever. I believe that most who end up actually as starters, begin as starters. But it's not necessarily terrible to break a guy in via the bullpen.

 

I don't have a huge problem with it, as long as a guy is being used, and not jacked around.

 

 

Also, your statement about having to wait to rail against something is unnecessary. The Cubs deserve no benefit of the doubt. If something can be screwed up, Hendry's team can find a way. They've been doing it for decades.

[scarey]

When can we start talking about Bibens-Dirkx as a legitimate prospect? I know he's 25 years old, but it looks like injuries and control problems were his problems in the past and he seems to have overcome both of those issues. All the guy does is get outs.

 

Also, does anyone know what his repertoire includes? I've heard low 90s fastball, slider, curve, change up. Any idea on how effective each of those pitches are? He's getting a lot of ground outs and not a huge amount of strikeouts like he used to. I'm wondering if his changeup is his go to pitch? Or if his fastball has some sink on it?

[toonsterwu]

I don't know what ABD's stuff is this year, and only heard a couple things last year. The old, old report, from his Mariners days, suggested deception augmented his average stuff. I think ABD might fit in that decent end of the rotation/solid middle reliever mold.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Its probably not too early to convert McNutt to the pen while they're at it. I'm pretty psyched about our pen of the future. The rotation, not so much.

[Keener98]

Since when does pitching in a major league bullpen require pitching in a minor league bullpen first? If the Cubs want to bring Jackson or Cashner up in the pen, fine. But I don't see why they have to limit their innings now to get them ready for that. Let them throw, work on all their pitches and then call them up and put them in the pen. It's not like they have to learn a new position. It's still just pitching. Zambrano didn't get sent to the minors to work out of the pen. Marshall didn't.

Well since Shark sucked as a reliever after being a starter they have to groom all the starters in the minors in the bullpen so they can get experience out of the pen duh. I guarantee you Shark is the absolute reason why they have moved Jay and Cash to the pen before coming up. Its the exact type of ridiculous, ass backward, non sensical [expletive] this organization does.

[apete6]

I don't know what ABD's stuff is this year, and only heard a couple things last year. The old, old report, from his Mariners days, suggested deception augmented his average stuff. I think ABD might fit in that decent end of the rotation/solid middle reliever mold.

 

He's going to have to be a #1 starter with Cashner and Jackson in the pen now. I hate the [expletive] Cubs. When is Ricketts going to step in and hire someone with some intelligence?

[TruffleShuffle]

I don't know what ABD's stuff is this year, and only heard a couple things last year. The old, old report, from his Mariners days, suggested deception augmented his average stuff. I think ABD might fit in that decent end of the rotation/solid middle reliever mold.

 

He's going to have to be a #1 starter with Cashner and Jackson in the pen now. I hate the [expletive] Cubs. When is Ricketts going to step in and hire someone with some intelligence?

 

well jay jackson started today, so who knows what the hell they're doing.

[jersey cubs fan]

“We did the same experiment with Jay Jackson,” Iowa pitching coach Mike Mason said. “Jackson passed; now it’s Cashner’s turn to see if he can acclimate to the bullpen.”

 

What does this mean? Jackson passed, so now he's going to the rotation and forget all about the bullpen?

[Guest]

The only thing I can figure is that they think:

 

- Zambrano's personality/body/skillset did not translate to the pen

- They're considering Cashner and/or Jackson for the MLB pen

- They don't want a repeat of the Zambrano fiasco

- They put them in the pen for a week or so to make sure they translate okay

 

If Cashner's time in the Iowa pen is as short as Jackson's, then there's a lot less to be upset about, even if I don't think there's much of a point in the exercise.

[Outshined_One]

well jay jackson started today, so who knows what the hell they're doing.

 

I don't even think they know what they're doing.

[mul21]

The only thing I can figure is that they think:

 

- Zambrano's personality/body/skillset did not translate to the pen

- They're considering Cashner and/or Jackson for the MLB pen

- They don't want a repeat of the Zambrano fiasco

- They put them in the pen for a week or so to make sure they translate okay

 

If Cashner's time in the Iowa pen is as short as Jackson's, then there's a lot less to be upset about, even if I don't think there's much of a point in the exercise.

 

If it is just an experiment to determine if they can handle it mentally and physically before they send them to the bigs later this season, I agree, no big deal. It also might help them to figure out a warm up routine before getting promoted. I also agree that there doesn't seem to be a point to doing it, nothing we've heard about these guys would lead me to believe either one is as mercurial as Z.

[Guest]

Well, I'm glad Jackson is back in the rotation at least. Hopefully Mathes is next on the bullpen test schedule.

[Outshined_One]

Well, I'm glad Jackson is back in the rotation at least. Hopefully Mathes is next on the bullpen test schedule.

 

Mathes can't be any worse than Grabow at this point.

[Guest]

Well, I'm glad Jackson is back in the rotation at least. Hopefully Mathes is next on the bullpen test schedule.

Disagree...if we're auditioning people for that role, I'd like to see Diamond.

[Guest]

Well, I'm glad Jackson is back in the rotation at least. Hopefully Mathes is next on the bullpen test schedule.

Disagree...if we're auditioning people for that role, I'd like to see Diamond.

 

I was trying to be facetious but you're right, Diamond would be the best candidate of the 6 Iowa starters. Of course, they could also call up Gaub or Parker.

[Guest]

Well, I'm glad Jackson is back in the rotation at least. Hopefully Mathes is next on the bullpen test schedule.

Disagree...if we're auditioning people for that role, I'd like to see Diamond.

 

I was trying to be facetious but you're right, Diamond would be the best candidate of the 6 Iowa starters. Of course, they could also call up Gaub or Parker.

Sorry I missed the (now rather obvious) sarcasm. Too much work is my only excuse. :)

 

I don't know why they don't just call up Parker and give him a try.

[biittner77]

I haven't given up trying to figure out what Hendry is thinking.

 

Maybe the point of these moves is to limit Jackson and Cashner's innings now as opposed to later in the season. If neither of them get called up before September they will still have plenty of time to get in the necessary workload. Perhaps this is a rare moment of forsight on the part of the Cubs so that these guys can be part of a September push- if the Cubs are still in the race by then.

 

Parker and Schlitter both had control issues at the start of the season. Both seem to be doing better at not walking a batter per inning. I still think either or both can/ will get a shot soon.

 

I readily acknowledge that there's a good chance that I'm giving Hendry way too much credit here.

[rawaction]

Waaaaaay too much credit.