Who is the #49 Prospect for the Cubs?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Please vote for the Cubs #49 prospect (serious votes only, please!). Please post your rationale below.

 

If someone convinces you that someone else should be higher, please feel free to change your vote anytime between now and Thursday.

 

For this vote, you should select the players you feel should be #49, #50 and #51. If we end up with multiple players having similar vote totals at the end of the voting period, there will be a run-off with just those players.

 

Results so far:

 

#1: Javier Baez

#2: Jorge Soler

#3: Albert Almora

#4: Arodys Vizcaino

#5: Dan Vogelbach

#6: Brett Jackson

#7: Juan Paniagua

#8: Christian Villanueva

#9: Dillon Maples

#10: Josh Vitters

#11: Pierce Johnson

#12: Junior Lake

#13: Jeimer Candelario

#14: Duane Underwood

#15: Matt Szczur

#16: Arismendy Alcantara

#17: Ronald Torreyes

#18: Marco Hernandez

#19: Gioskar Amaya

#20: Alberto Cabrera

#21: Logan Watkins

#22: Rob Whitenack

#23: Barrett Loux

#24: Ben Wells

#25: Paul Blackburn

#26: Hector Rondon

#27: Starling Peralta

#28: Tony Zych

#29: Jae-Hoon Ha

#30: Trey McNutt

#31: Steve Bruno

#32: Michael Jensen

#33: Trey Martin

#34: Tayler Scott

#35: Jose Arias

#36: Ryan McNeil

#37: Jose Rosario

#38: Shawon Dunston Jr.

#39: Nick Struck

#40: Austin Reed

#41: Reggie Golden

#42: Carlos Penalver

#43: Marcus Hatley

#44: Frandy de la Rosa

#45: Daury Torrez

#46: Kyle Hendricks

#47: Tim Saunders

#48: Willson Contreras

[Hairyducked Idiot]

What are we doing to do about Armando Rivero?

[toonsterwu]

I might change my approach to my votes for the final few picks, picking the best guys that have a chance to be picked rather than just who I think is the best option. Right now, only have 1 pick down - Matt Loosen. Let's leave aside that he was on the BA top 30. Screw that. Forget about it. He's a college arm with 3 (4 if you think that's two different breaking balls) decent pitches and solid fastball velocity. There's enough positive performance, and it's a justifiable move to AA that's likely in store. I find it hard to not get him into the top 50. Granted, Dae-Eun Rhee looked far more intriguing after 2011, and he's probably going to be off the list, so it's not like I've been jumping for excitement on Loosen, but the raw pieces left seem ... too raw or without the top level upside, and the upper level "closer" guys seem, IMO, to not have enough upside. There's a chance ... well ... at least, one could envision Loosen as a late inning pen option.

 

My initial preferences are Marra/Chen, but I doubt I see enough support on them so I'll wait on my last two votes.

 

Couple quick comments -

 

Rusin - I've always liked him enough ... but I don't feel like it's fair to vote for him based off this spring. That didn't happen for most of the picks at the start (judging them off this spring). Off of last year, Raley would be the lefty I would vote. Realistically, the gap between the two is rather slim.

 

DeVoss - Mildly curious about this surge of support for DeVoss. I actually lump DeVoss/Chen together as guys that I wonder if they could have a ini-breakout, offensively, in FSL. That said, with all indications that he can't play 2nd (a part of me still wonders why DeVoss wasn't moved to CF and Chen kept in the MI at 2nd, granted, there were reports that Chen just didn't adapt to 2nd and looked more natural at short (I believe AzPhil said this once), but you figure time might've helped if he looked that natural at 2nd), I'm just a bit surprised at this surge of support for him (granted, 3 isn't a huge surge, but at this stage of the voting, it's a pretty big amount).

[davell]

Loosen, Rusin, and Rodriguez.

[craig]

AJ Morris

Jokisch

Loosen

 

Morris had WHIP under 1, extreme groundball, extreme anti-HR (1 HR in 52 innings), low walks, and solid K-rate. His pre-surgery profile was generally similar. When HR/BB/K are outstanding/excellent/good, that's a winning profile. He's old, but his age is result of surgery and college, not the result of inadequate talent. The talent was appealing enough so that the Cubs traded for him, in the hopes that if he bounced back from the surgery his talent would make him worth the wait. That may be what's happening. He's got a chance to emerge as a pleasant and meaningful surprise this season.

 

Which reminds me of Kyler Burke. Another guy who's old, not because of inadequate talent. Remember how much interest there was in him, and his supposedly 1st-round lefty arm that could touch 96? Last year was his first full year pitching, he faded in daytona, his velocity didn't hold up, and his slider was inconsistent. I wonder if, having now gone through a full season, he might not be an interesting breakout candidate? Perhaps he'll be able to hold his velocity longer into the season; or he'll move to relief and be able to throw harder there; and perhaps his slider will be tinkered up and will become more consistent? Still has a good chance to work out as a useful major league pitcher.

 

Loosen had a lot of K's, and BA's sources liked him. I think his stuff may be underrated.

 

Jokisch's stuff is definitely underrated.

[craig]

So, I mention Burke, and there he shows up on Az Phil's "inactive" list today. Maybe all those innings last year did wreck his arm.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Does Jeff Antigua still register as a prospect? Still only 22 and has solid BB/K rates.

[craig]

Does Jeff Antigua still register as a prospect? Still only 22 and has solid BB/K rates.

 

No. I think his numbers look better than his scouting potential, and that scouting-wise there must not be big-league arm/stuff. They've got him with the A-ball group, so this will be his 4th year in A-ball. That's not usually what teams do with big-league prospects.

 

The thing that stands out with his numbers is his high HR-rate. 29 HR in 225 full-season innings is very bad, since guys don't hit that many HR's in A-ball. Whether that's a fastball that is lacking (movement, speed, location), or a breaking ball that hangs too often, who knows.

[Cubswin11]

So, I mention Burke, and there he shows up on Az Phil's "inactive" list today. Maybe all those innings last year did wreck his arm.

His brother posts on here once in a while. Hopefully he can stop by and let us know what's going on with him this year.