Minor League Discussion & Boxes 4-20-11

[Outshined_One]

Box Scores

 

Iowa won Game 1 of their DH 3-1 Box Score

 

CF T. Campana 1/3, 2B (5), K

LF L. Montanez 2/3, R, RBI, 3B (3)

2B B. Scales 1/2, BB, RBI, 2B (10), K

C M. Ramirez 0/3, K

1B S. Moore 0/1, R, 2 HBP

RF F. Perez 0/3, 3 K

SS J. Mota 0/3

SP A. Bibens-Dirkx 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, 2-5 GO-FO

RP C. Carpenter 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0-1 GO-FO

 

Iowa lost Game 2 of their DH 3-0 Box Score

 

CF T. Campana 0/2, K, HBP

LF L. Montanez 0/2, BB

RF B. Snyder 0/3, K

1B B. LaHair 0/2, BB, 2 K

2B B. Scales 0/1, 2 BB, K, PO (1B)

3B M. Smith 1/3, 2B (4)

SS M. Camp 0/3, K

C C. Robinson 0/2

PH S. Moore 0/1

SP R. Coello 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, HR, HBP, 3-7 GO-FO

RP J. Berg 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 2-0 GO-FO

 

Tennessee won 9-5 Box Score

 

CF B. Jackson 3/4, BB, R, 3 RBI, 2B (3), 3B (2), HR (2), K

2B R. Flaherty 0/4, BB, 2 K

3B DJ LeMahieu 1/5, R, RBI, HR (1)

RF M. Spencer 1/5, 2 R, 3 K

1B R. Ridling 2/5, R, RBI, 2B (3), 2 K

C S. Clevenger 2/5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B (3), HR (3), K

SS M. Gonzalez 2/5, R, RBI

PH/3B J. Vitters 0/1

SP HW Chen 3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 2-3 GO-FO

RP M. Carrillo 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 6-2 GO-FO

RP K. Smit 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1-1 GO-FO

 

Daytona won 5-2 Box Score

 

SS J. Lake 2/5, R, 2B (4), K, 2 SB (2), E (7, fielding)

3B M. Cerda 1/5, 2 K

DH JH Ha 2/5, R, RBI, 2B (6)

1B J. Bour 1/4, R, K

C M. Brenly 2/4, R, RBI

RF M. Burgess 1/2, 2 BB, R, 2 RBI, HR (5), K

CF E. Crawford 1/4, K, SB (5)

2B L. Watkins 1/3, BB

SP B. Wallach 3+ IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 3-3 GO-FO (Left due to leg injury)

RP K. Rhoderick 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 4-1 GO-FO

RP J. Beliveau 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 0-2 GO-FO

 

Peoria won Game 1 of their DH 4-0 Box Score

 

RF M. Szczur 0/3, BB, R

CF R. Silva 1/3, RBI, CS (2)

1B G. Rohan 1/4

DH DJ Fitzgerald 0/3

C M. Gibbs 1/2, BB, CS (1)

2B P. LePage 1/3, R, RBI, HR (1)

SS E. Soto 0/2, BB, R

3B A. Alcantara 0/2, BB, K

SP A. Kirk 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 3-8 GO-FO

RP Y. Gonzalez 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 2-0 GO-FO

 

Peoria won Game 2 of their DH 1-0 Box Score

 

2B P. LePage 1/4

CF R. Silva 0/4, K

1B G. Rohan 2/3, 2B (5), HBP

LF DJ Fitzgerald 0/4, 2 K

C S. Burruel 2/4

SS E. Soto 1/2

DH C. Noble 1/2, BB

3B A. Alcantara 2/3, RBI, 2B (1), K

SP D. Beeler 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 5-3 GO-FO

RP B. Shafer 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 2-0 GO-FO

 

OVERALL: 5-1

[Guest]

Probable Starters

 

Iowa (game one): RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (0-1, 10.80 ERA, 10 IP, 11 K, 0 BB)

Iowa (game two): RHP Robert Coello (1-1, 11.00 ERA, 9 IP, 6 K, 6 BB)

Tennessee: RHP Hung-Wen Chen (0-1, 6.00 ERA, 6 IP, 6 K, 3 BB)

Daytona: RHP Brett Wallach (0-1, 7.27 ERA, 8.2 IP, 6 K, 7 BB)

Peoria (game one): LHP Austin Kirk (0-1, 3.86 ERA, 7 IP, 8 K, 4 BB)

Peoria (game two): RHP Dallas Beeler (0-1, 3.00 ERA, 6 IP, 3 K, 3 BB)

[ctcf]

Needs more McNutt

[Guest]

Needs more talent.

 

Sheesh...what happened to the pitching in this system at the upper levels?

[ctcf]

Needs more talent.

 

Sheesh...what happened to the pitching in this system at the upper levels?

 

Hayden Simpson happened.

 

On the bright side, the hitting looks lovely.

[Guest]

McNutt, Dolis, Cabrera, Rusin and Raley is not a bad rotation.

 

I think Chen is only pitching because of some rain outs last week and McNutt's blister. As of this morning, they hadn't announced when McNutt would start again.

[Guest]

McNutt, Dolis, Cabrera, Rusin and Raley is not a bad rotation.

 

I think Chen is only pitching because of some rain outs last week and McNutt's blister. As of this morning, they hadn't announced when McNutt would start again.

TBH, I forgot Cabrera for the moment. Rusin and Raley are okay, but neither one figures to be more than filler at the major league level at this point. I recognize there's still some chance for more than that (particularly for Raley), but nothing to get excited about when compared to the rotations that have gone through AA for us in the past.

 

I guess I'll be happier once McNutt starts throwing again.

[Guest]

McNutt, Dolis, Cabrera, Rusin and Raley is not a bad rotation.

 

I think Chen is only pitching because of some rain outs last week and McNutt's blister. As of this morning, they hadn't announced when McNutt would start again.

TBH, I forgot Cabrera for the moment. Rusin and Raley are okay, but neither one figures to be more than filler at the major league level at this point. I recognize there's still some chance for more than that (particularly for Raley), but nothing to get excited about when compared to the rotations that have gone through AA for us in the past.

 

I guess I'll be happier once McNutt starts throwing again.

 

You're correct about Rusin and Raley but I don't think they're bad as 4 and 5 starters at AA. The top 3 is amongst the better trios I can remember at AA for the Cubs.

[Guest]

McNutt, Dolis, Cabrera, Rusin and Raley is not a bad rotation.

 

I think Chen is only pitching because of some rain outs last week and McNutt's blister. As of this morning, they hadn't announced when McNutt would start again.

TBH, I forgot Cabrera for the moment. Rusin and Raley are okay, but neither one figures to be more than filler at the major league level at this point. I recognize there's still some chance for more than that (particularly for Raley), but nothing to get excited about when compared to the rotations that have gone through AA for us in the past.

 

I guess I'll be happier once McNutt starts throwing again.

 

You're correct about Rusin and Raley but I don't think they're bad as 4 and 5 starters at AA. The top 3 is amongst the better trios I can remember at AA for the Cubs.

I don't know about that. Last year's rotation was better - Archer, McNutt, Dolis, Carpenter, Cashner and Cabrera all took part in the rotation at various times.

 

2009 ended with Cashner, Carpenter, Jackson & Mateo

 

2008 had Veal, Samardzija and Caridad (okay, this one was weaker!)

 

2007 had Veal, Hart & Gallagher (okay, this too)

 

2006 had Gallagher, Wells & Marmol

 

2005 had Ryu, Nolasco, Pinto, Hill, Marshall

 

That's as far back as MILB.com goes for the stats, but before that we get some of the same guys from 2005, with the additions of Prior, Cruz, Z, etc as we go back into 2003 & 2002. Cabrera and Dolis are solid guys who could develop nicely, but they're not even close to top 100 prospects in baseball. We've had some rotations go through there with much more talent than the current group.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Needs more talent.

 

Sheesh...what happened to the pitching in this system at the upper levels?

 

Archer traded, Colemans on the Cubs, Cashners on the DL, Carpenter converted to middle relief, Jackson in extened ST and will likely be coverted to middle relief so they can keep grooming top prospects like Mathes, Diamond, and Bibens-Dierx/

[TruffleShuffle]

wsr HATES jr mathes

[Guest]

Peoria threw 14 shutout innings today in their doubleheader.

 

Kirk was good today - 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K, 2 BB. Beeler also threw 5 scoreless - 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 5 K, 1 BB.

[craig]

McNutt, Dolis, Cabrera, Rusin and Raley is not a bad rotation. ... As of this morning, they hadn't announced when McNutt would start again.

 

..Rusin and Raley are okay, but neither one figures to be more than filler at the major league level at this point. I recognize there's still some chance for more than that (particularly for Raley), but nothing to get excited about when compared to the rotations that have gone through AA for us in the past.....

 

You're correct about Rusin and Raley but ... The top 3 is amongst the better trios I can remember at AA for the Cubs.

I don't know about that. Last year's rotation was better - Archer, McNutt, Dolis, Carpenter, Cashner and Cabrera all took part in the rotation at various times.

 

2009 ended with Cashner, Carpenter, Jackson & Mateo

2008 had Veal, Samardzija and Caridad (okay, this one was weaker!)

2007 had Veal, Hart & Gallagher (okay, this too)

2006 had Gallagher, Wells & Marmol

2005 had Ryu, Nolasco, Pinto, Hill, Marshall

.... We've had some rotations go through there with much more talent than the current group.

 

In december, I thought this was going to be one of the best, with McNutt, Archer, Cabrera, Dolis, Rusin, and Raley. Losing Archer was a factor, for sure. I was quite high on Rusin and Raley, given Rusin's super K/BB effectiveness numbers last year, given their draft/bonus status, and given how Raley was a sub-3.0 guy during his last few months at Daytona. I'd had both in my top-20, so see them being overmatched early and looking like they just don't have that much talent or velocity (I'd hoped Raley was still projecting into more...) has been pretty disappointing.

 

Still, Tim, the lists you're giving are "having" or "ending". Many of those names weren't present all year. One of my top-20 guys who has looked great early is Whitenack, and if he and Raley/Rusin keep pitching like they have, he'll be in AA within the month. In future, you might look back and say "McNutt/Whitenack/Dolis/Cabrera, that 2011 staff might have been the most productive ever." Who knows, maybe we'll draft some fast-track polished college ace in the first round and he'll be in AA by the end of September, too. Not likely, but not impossible. Maybe Jackson will spend two months there, and end up getting healthy, righting his career, and becoming good.

 

A problem/the problem as I see it is that Whitenack looks to be the only major talent who's in line. Last year Dolis, Archer, McNutt, Cabrera, and Rusin were all A-ball talents who graduated up to AA to enrich that staff that had Chen and Muschko starting in April.

 

This year, it's hard to envision anybody but Whitenack being an A-ball talent who might jazz up the AA rotation. And, we don't really know how talented he actually is, either, maybe he's just gotten fluke lucky for a couple of games. Usually Tenn gets fed by successful Daytona guys, but with Wallach, Ebenger, Kurcz, Struck, not sure there are so many hot candidates there outside of Whitenack. Maybe I'm wrong and Struck will be good.

[Little Slide Rooter]

wsr HATES jr mathes

 

I know every organization has a JR Mathes or 2 or 3 stashed in their AAA affiliate, and we have 3, but It does frustrate me that we have him, Diamond, and B-D in the rotation with an actual prospect in Chris Carpenter in middle relief. And then the Iowa rotation was made even more pointless with the Ortiz signing. Maybe the assumption is that he would be more useful as a reliever if needed for the big league club, but as we found out early this season, you can never have too much starting pitching depth. The only big league ready starters we really had on the farm were Carpenter and Jackson, and Jacksons either injured or working out some kind of issue at Fitch. Have we been given a definitive answer as to why Carpenter is in the pen?

[Guest]

Because the Cubs project him as a big league reliever? I don't like it but it's not too surprising. And Carpenter got the save today. He's not stuck in some sort of middle relief hell.

 

Jackson had a shoulder injury but is already rehabbing in Fitch and his velocity has bounced back.

[ctcf]

Vitters off-days are lame.

[TruffleShuffle]

lake and ha had doubles in the bottom of the first for daytona, and burgess hit his fifth home run. now if only burgess would start developing some other tools.

[TruffleShuffle]

* Jordan Lennerton singles on a line drive to third baseman Matthew Cerda, deflected by pitcher Brett Wallach.

* Pitcher Change: Kevin Rhoderick replaces Brett Wallach.

* Daytona Cubs pitcher Brett Wallach left the game due to an injured leg.

 

:x

[ctcf]

A triple and HR for BJax so far as he pulls his BA back over .400

 

EDIT: Add a 2 RBI double to that. He'll finish a single short of the cycle. Oh and he walked again.

[TruffleShuffle]

wouldn't mind seeing jackson at AAA not too far from now, just to see some crafty junkballers. he seems to be handling AA without much difficulty, and his greatest weakness - striking out - is not going to be "fixed" at AA (or probably anywhere, given his patient approach - you take the K's with the walks and power).

 

beliveau needs to be at AA. i don't think anyone in the cub organization seems to be high on him, but he just strikes people out and doesn't give up many hits. at least give him a shot at a higher level.

[JockJones]

lake and ha had doubles in the bottom of the first for daytona, and burgess hit his fifth home run. now if only burgess would start developing some other tools.

 

I wish that Ha wasn't allergic to taking walks, but if he wants to hit .415 I won't stop him.

[craig]

...beliveau needs to be at AA. i don't think anyone in the cub organization seems to be high on him, but he just strikes people out and doesn't give up many hits. at least give him a shot at a higher level.

 

Given how weak the AA bullpen has been, I'd think it won't be too long or too hard for him to get the promotion. I admit I was pretty surprised he returned to A.

 

That said, the guy has been on an improvement trajectory, at least when we compare 2008 - 09/10 - now. Maybe the improvement from 09 to 10 wasn't that much (although his ERA did drop a bunch, while he was being promoted to Daytona, and his K-rate rose some too.)

 

2008: 29/35/59 walks/innings/K's

2009: 45/97/117

2010: 29/64/97

2011: 1/9/14 thus far

 

Basically his walk rate has gone from horrific-bad-bad-good (thus far). It's too early to know if it's sustainable, but this could be the first year where his walk/inning ratio is much more favorable than 1/2, which is pretty bad even if way better than his rookie year. If he can get the walks down, or keep them down as he's done so far this month, then he's going to go places.

 

Who knows, maybe he was challenged last year and this that he needed to reduce those walks to go to AA, and now he's finally able to do that?

[CUBZ99]

Ha's numbers so far look terrific. Seems like he came out of nowhere. Was he a top 20 prospect coming into the year? What was his signing bonus?

 

Only negative so far is that he seems clueless on the bases. 2 SB 5 CS.

[TruffleShuffle]

...beliveau needs to be at AA. i don't think anyone in the cub organization seems to be high on him, but he just strikes people out and doesn't give up many hits. at least give him a shot at a higher level.

 

Given how weak the AA bullpen has been, I'd think it won't be too long or too hard for him to get the promotion. I admit I was pretty surprised he returned to A.

 

That said, the guy has been on an improvement trajectory, at least when we compare 2008 - 09/10 - now. Maybe the improvement from 09 to 10 wasn't that much (although his ERA did drop a bunch, while he was being promoted to Daytona, and his K-rate rose some too.)

 

2008: 29/35/59 walks/innings/K's

2009: 45/97/117

2010: 29/64/97

2011: 1/9/14 thus far

 

Basically his walk rate has gone from horrific-bad-bad-good (thus far). It's too early to know if it's sustainable, but this could be the first year where his walk/inning ratio is much more favorable than 1/2, which is pretty bad even if way better than his rookie year. If he can get the walks down, or keep them down as he's done so far this month, then he's going to go places.

 

Who knows, maybe he was challenged last year and this that he needed to reduce those walks to go to AA, and now he's finally able to do that?

 

a walk rate of around 4 (2009/2010) is not a big deal if you can strike out anywhere from 11 to 13 guys per 9 IP and keep your hits down (as he does).

[Guest]

Ha's numbers so far look terrific. Seems like he came out of nowhere. Was he a top 20 prospect coming into the year? What was his signing bonus?

 

Only negative so far is that he seems clueless on the bases. 2 SB 5 CS.

 

He was in most people's top 20 lists. His signing bonus was $225,000.