Minor League Discussion & Boxes 4-10-12

[Little Slide Rooter]

Didn't see this posted yet

 

Today in Arizona...

 

Javier Baez was 3-4 with a three run homer and TWO triples \:D/

 

Dan Vogelbach 1-2 with a HR and a BB

 

Jeimer Candelario 2-3 with with a double and a BB

 

Taylor Scott threw two innings of hitless baseball

 

http://www.thecubreporter.com/2012/04/10/baez-vogelbach-demolish-giants

 

It will be nice to have a lot of good baseball to follow this season. Just not at the big league level.

[ctcf]

Didn't see this posted yet

 

Today in Arizona...

 

Javier Baez was 3-4 with a three run homer and TWO triples \:D/

 

Dan Vogelbach 1-2 with a HR and a BB

 

Jeimer Candelario 2-3 with with a double and a BB

 

Taylor Scott threw two innings of hitless baseball

 

http://www.thecubreporter.com/2012/04/10/baez-vogelbach-demolish-giants

 

Yeehaw

[Cubswin11]

Nice, what are the plans for those guys after XST?

[davell]

Yesterday, Amaya was 0-1 with 3 walks, Candelario was 2-3, with a triple and a walk, Baez was 1-3 with a 2B and a SB, and Dunston Jr. was 1-2 with a walk. Concepcion threw 3 innings, gave up 2 hits, no runs or walks K'd 2, threw 27 strikes in 36 pitches with a GB to FB ratio of 2 to 5. Looks very advanced, as we've been hearing.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Nice, what are the plans for those guys after XST?

 

Short-season Boise.

[davell]

Only way I see Baez, and maybe Vogelbach not getting to Peoria before Boise's season starts, is if it's just part of our new culture.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

Wow great to see Scott and Concepcion throw well...Might be my favorite two arms in the system.

 

Baez is going to be such a beast...Seriously see a RH Robbie Cano as his ultimate ceiling. Eaaaaasy bat speed and contact, and everything is a line drive.

 

Saw a thread on Sickels' blog where Vogelbach got lots of love. Personally he's slightly overrated right now, but could still see him turning into an OBP/SLG type 1B/DH. I'm just glad to see the Cubs system in the early stages of being put on everyone's radar. This system is going to be huge in the next 3-5 years and will hit machine status by the end of the decade IMO. Right now were only seeing the earliest glimpses of this evolution. /end optimism

[Guest]

Soooo final numbers for the Iowa triumvirate tonight?

 

EDIT - Nevermind, just saw the box score link. :(

[Guest]

Yesterday, Amaya was 0-1 with 3 walks, Candelario was 2-3, with a triple and a walk, Baez was 1-3 with a 2B and a SB, and Dunston Jr. was 1-2 with a walk. Concepcion threw 3 innings, gave up 2 hits, no runs or walks K'd 2, threw 27 strikes in 36 pitches with a GB to FB ratio of 2 to 5. Looks very advanced, as we've been hearing.

 

Whitenack also threw a scoreless inning yesterday in Mesa.

[Guest]

Nice, what are the plans for those guys after XST?

 

Short-season Boise.

 

There is hope that someone like Baez might get bumped up to Peoria before the Boise season starts.

[toonsterwu]

With the way the bats are slumping there (granted, seems like almost every key guy is struggling in Peoria), if those guys don't turn it around, particularly Marco Hernandez, I could see Baez up sooner than later, despite the stated intention of sending him to Boise. That said, I doubt that would be before say, May.

[iowahawkeyes89]

With the way the bats are slumping there (granted, seems like almost every key guy is struggling in Peoria), if those guys don't turn it around, particularly Marco Hernandez, I could see Baez up sooner than later, despite the stated intention of sending him to Boise. That said, I doubt that would be before say, May.

 

 

I was thinking the same regarding Hernandez, I was surprised he made Peoria before Baez to begin with. If he doesn't pick it up and Baez continues to rake, I could see a mid May call up for Baez.

 

Although I still think the Cubs want this new approach to be firmly installed in these young players heads, so I could understand keeping him in AZ.

[toonsterwu]

I wasn't stunned that Marco made it ahead of Javier, as Marco as a far higher chance of sticking at short. As I've said elsewhere, it's not hard to envision Marco as an everyday starting caliber shortstop ... but it's also not hard to imagine him being more of a Darwin Barney/utility guy. I still believe in Marco's tools, and he certainly needs to be given more time, as the cold weather doesn't help, but if he's still slumping in May, sending him down wouldn't be the worst thing.

[KingCubsFan]

With the way the bats are slumping there (granted, seems like almost every key guy is struggling in Peoria), if those guys don't turn it around, particularly Marco Hernandez, I could see Baez up sooner than later, despite the stated intention of sending him to Boise. That said, I doubt that would be before say, May.

 

 

I was thinking the same regarding Hernandez, I was surprised he made Peoria before Baez to begin with. If he doesn't pick it up and Baez continues to rake, I could see a mid May call up for Baez.

 

Although I still think the Cubs want this new approach to be firmly installed in these young players heads, so I could understand keeping him in AZ.

Plus he supposedly had maturity concerns when he was drafted, so they may be keeping him down in AZ to keep a closer eye on him and see how he handles being a professional baseball player.

[craig]

I wasn't stunned that Marco made it ahead of Javier, as Marco as a far higher chance of sticking at short. As I've said elsewhere, it's not hard to envision Marco as an everyday starting caliber shortstop ... but it's also not hard to imagine him being more of a Darwin Barney/utility guy. I still believe in Marco's tools, and he certainly needs to be given more time, as the cold weather doesn't help, but if he's still slumping in May, sending him down wouldn't be the worst thing.

 

I've heard that Baez has looked fantastic at SS, and that within the org talk about moving him is gone. That may be for now, of course, so perhaps that may change later if/when his body changes. And my source is fourth hand. But I guess he's looked much better than anybody expected, we knew he had a strong arm but apparently he's very quick and has impressive range. Note: Of course I understand he's 19 now, and a lot of guys don't have the same size, quickness, or flexibility at 27 that they had at 19. So I'm not at all suggesting that he might not outgrow the position. But for the moment, my understanding is that they think his current defensive aptitude at SS is excellent.

 

I had completely expected Hernandez to jump to Peoria. He's had two full pro years, and he's hit for average in both of them. If as a contact hitter A- is too much for him and he's overmatched, it's not obvious that another round of XST/Arizona/short-season is going to help all that much. Of course every hitter goes through slumps and bad luck stretches, and even good hitters who put up .300+ seasons will have a couple of weeks where they OBP and slug below .100. Plus hitting in 40-degree weather when pitchers are cool and strong isn't easy for any hitter. So I think it's way too early to write off Hernandez as a hitter.

[Guest]

Marco has had only 3 k's in 21 ab's. So he's been extremely unlucky on balls in play. Now, it's possible everything has been weak contact so far. But let's give him a lot more time to get adjusted to weather, pitching, etc. before jumping to any conclusions.

[Guest]

I hate to draw any comparisons to Castro but forgotten amidst Starlin's meteoric rise through the farm system, Starlin struggled his first month in Daytona (of course he was skipping 2 levels, not 1).

 

21 ABs is definitely far too early to write off Marco, especially with the MWL unfriendly hitting weather.

[toonsterwu]

No one should be writing off Marco this early. By no means was I suggesting that. I would rather see him stay the whole year in Peoria than send him down to XST/Boise. But with the organization's intent to keep Baez at short for now, and if Baez continues to look good in Peoria, it wouldn't surprise me, if Marco is struggling in May, that they made the switch at some point. He has been quite unlucky so far, and maybe he heats up as the weather warms. Ideally, Marco heats up, gets bumped to A+ to groom with Torreyes (although I am mildly curious how Torreyes looked at short yesterday) and that opens up a space for Baez at Peoria.

[Elrhino]

Hard to believe Vitters is still just 22 in AAA. Feels like he's been in the system 7 years.

[Splendid Splinter]

Hard to believe Vitters is still just 22 in AAA. Feels like he's been in the system 7 years.

 

You're close... This is Vitters 6th year in the minors. Haha