2011 Arizona Fall League

[Brett]

Why no Vogelbach or Maples?

They might be on the instructionals roster? Is that a different team?

 

Boise's season ends this weekend, before instructs starts. I'm guessing Vogelbach didn't get the promotion only because there are already 2 first basemen at Boise who are very good NWL-level players (Cuneo and Hoilman).

 

This is almost certainly correct. Is Hoilman just Justin Bour redux, or is there any reason to be a tiny bit optimistic?

[WeGotWood98]

So why was vitters left off?

He's been there - they're probably giving other guys a chance to perform. I really want to see what Lake does there.

 

So have BJax, Carpenter,Cashner and LeMahieu. I don't really get sending LeMahieu again, unless maybe he's going to work out at 3B with the intention of starting him there next year. I would have rather seen someone like Jae-hoon Ha or Rubi Silva go.

 

That said, the main thing I'd like those two to work on is plate discipline, so maybe it's better they go next year once the running philosophy has been gutted.

 

I'd so much rather LeMahieu become a 2B. The 3B thing should only happen if/when he starts hitting with some power.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Shouldn't they be sending some of th guys who need it more like Szczur, Cabrera, and Jay Jackson?

[BeerHere]

According to BA, Marcus Hatley is there as well

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/winter-baseball/arizona-fall-league/2011/2612261.html

[BeerHere]

Shouldn't they be sending some of th guys who need it more like Szczur, Cabrera, and Jay Jackson?

Szczur has faded badly in the second half this season. My guess is they want to give him a break after his first full season. I'd look for him to go next year assuming he performs well at Daytona/Tenn in 2012.

[Little Slide Rooter]

According to BA, Marcus Hatley is there as well

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/winter-baseball/arizona-fall-league/2011/2612261.html

 

Interesting choice. Man, I could have sworn Hatley was in his late 20's, but he's only 23.

[Guest]

BA's preview of the Mesa Solar Sox: http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/winter-baseball/arizona-fall-league/2011/2612263.html

 

Top Prospect: Mesa may be the thinnest team in the league when it comes to top prospects. Aaron Hicks (Twins) and Brett Jackson (Cubs) are arguably the team's top two prospects, but they play the same position (center field) so some job sharing and playing out of position will be necessary. For Jackson, the AFL could be a final tune-up for a big league job.

 

Trying To Bounce Back: Righthander Trey McNutt (Cubs) was one of Chicago's breakout prospects in 2010. He lost a lot of that momentum in 2011, but it could be blamed partly on injuries. He missed time with a hip strain, but even when healthy he didn't show the same polish he exhibited during his excellent 2010 season. A trip to the AFL will allow him to catch up for some lost innings and try to regain his old form.

 

Young Gun: In addition to not being a roster with many top prospects, this is also one of the older rosters in the AFL. Cubs shortstop Junior Lake is the team's youngest prospect, but even he has played in Double-A. Lake may have trouble finding a job in Chicago anytime soon with the success of Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney, but the departure of Hak-Ju Lee has made Lake the Cubs' top shortstop prospect, and he'll get a chance to show off one of the best infield arms in the AFL.

[Guest]

Josh Vitters replaces Brett Jackson on the Mesa roster. He's listed as an outfielder.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Josh Vitters replaces Brett Jackson on the Mesa roster. He's listed as an outfielder.

 

I wonder if that's any indication that we'll bee seeing Jackson in Chicago soon.

[Guest]

Josh Vitters replaces Brett Jackson on the Mesa roster. He's listed as an outfielder.

 

I wonder if that's any indication that we'll bee seeing Jackson in Chicago soon.

 

No, according to Carrie Muskat.

[JockJones]

This is what Muskat said on Twitter - "Vitters listed as OF on AFL roster. The move does not mean Jackson coming to #Cubs; he has another commitment. More later"

[Guest]

This is what Muskat said on Twitter - "Vitters listed as OF on AFL roster. The move does not mean Jackson coming to #Cubs; he has another commitment. More later"

 

Thanks, I was having problems copying and pasting that.

[jersey cubs fan]

Another commitment?

[Little Slide Rooter]

This is what Muskat said on Twitter - "Vitters listed as OF on AFL roster. The move does not mean Jackson coming to #Cubs; he has another commitment. More later"

 

Thanks, I was having problems copying and pasting that.

 

Interesting. Are there any kind of Olympic type things going on this fall/winter? Maybe they're having trouble recruiting big leaguers for the Team USA stuff and they're extending it to prospects?

[toonsterwu]

Fascinated that they have Vitters listed as an OF, and not 1st (instead of 3rd). That tends to suggest that the Cubs want him to get work out there. I thought they'd move him to first. Of course, everything comes with the additional note that there will be a new regime so opinions on players may change.

 

I guess if he doesn't hack it as a starter, getting work in the OF increases his versatility.

 

I like Bour better than Hoilman. Bour seems a bit more well-rounded. Neither really looks like anything but a backup at the moment.

[jersey cubs fan]

Fascinated that they have Vitters listed as an OF, and not 1st (instead of 3rd). That tends to suggest that the Cubs want him to get work out there. I thought they'd move him to first. Of course, everything comes with the additional note that there will be a new regime so opinions on players may change.

 

I guess if he doesn't hack it as a starter, getting work in the OF increases his versatility.

 

I like Bour better than Hoilman. Bour seems a bit more well-rounded. Neither really looks like anything but a backup at the moment.

 

Isn't the notion that he can be productive enough to justify manning first probably an extreme longshot?

[toonsterwu]

probably. I'm not exactly a big fan of Vitters, though. The optimists that I've read seem to think that he can take off once he stops focusing on defense.

[jersey cubs fan]

probably. I'm not exactly a big fan of Vitters, though. The optimists that I've read seem to think that he can take off once he stops focusing on defense.

 

That would seem to indicate they think he can be a DH, despite his offense translating to acceptable only if he plays a position that doesn't require great production.

[CubsInNC]

I know it's not the exact proper location, but based on twitter, Charles Thomas is being sent to instructionals again this winter.

[toonsterwu]

Thomas is intriguing. Electric stuff, by most accounts, but has to get some control to have a shot. I still remember him as a bat.

[Guest]

Another commitment?

 

I believe the rumor is that he'll be playing in the Pan Am games.

[Guest]

Not surprising with McNutt also at the AFL, but according to Carrie Muskat, Cashner will be relieving this fall:

 

Carrie Muskat[/url]"]The plan in the AFL, which gets underway Oct. 4, is for Cashner to continue to pitch in relief. He will be limited as far as his pitch count but also may throw up to two innings per outing, Cubs pitching coach Mark Riggins said Tuesday. Can Cashner start again?

 

“I think he can,” Riggins said. “If he does start, we have to watch the number of innings. Medically, there is a certain amount of innings that you can jump up to before you run into some danger with stress on the arm so you kind of have to build up from year to year the number of innings.”

 

Where Cashner fits in the Cubs’ pitching plans in 2012 is still to be determined. He has a 1.86 ERA in six games. Maybe he’s better suited to pitching in relief? Maybe he could be the closer some day?

 

“Eventually, he could be,” Riggins said. “He has the ability for that plus his stuff, his composure on the mound, he throws strikes, he has command of three pitches. It’s not out of the question that he could do that at some point in his career. The thing about a closer is they don’t step in there and be a closer right away. It’s an earned spot on a staff. That’s in the future for us.”

[SouthSideRyan]

Hopefully when we get a new pitching coach in a week he won't be worried about Cashner working his way up to a being a 1 inning reliever.

[Guest]

Today is opening day in the AFL. DJ LeMahieu is batting cleanup and playing 3B, Josh Vitters is batting 5th at 1B and Junior Lake is batting 7th and DHing. Marcus Hatley is expected to come out of the pen today.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

I can't say I ever expected Josh Vitters to see any kind of significant time at 1B. His bat doesn't profile like a 1B bat really, even with power. 1B are usually one of the more patient bats on the team, and very rarely as contact oriented as Vitters is. So I have to say I'm surprised he's opening up the AFL there...I think he's a 3B or LF all the way in the long run...

 

LeMahieu hitting 4th is funny. I'm still a huge fan of the game and I'm hoping for a strong AFL from him. I want him battling Barney for the 2B job next year.

 

When are Cashner/McNutt hitting the mound?