Random Cubs Musings: Minor League Edition

[GammonsPocketTweets]

My Dream

 

CF - Almora

SS - Castro(good version)

LF - Stanton (acquired for Baez, Vogelbach and Pierce Johnson)

1B - Rizzo

RF - Soler

3B - Bryant

2B Alcantara

C - Something better than we have now

[Guest]

A fully/mostly panning out Baez for me is just a more fun dream than trading for Stanton.

 

Not that I'd be upset at all over a deal like that.

[bukie]

For all you dreamers out there... what is the sexiest looking 2015 lineup you can imagine, based off of what we have in our system now?

 

C - Castillo (since it has to be based on what we already have)

1B - Rizzo

2B - Alcantara

3B - Baez

SS - Castro

LF - Soler/Bryant

CF - Almora

RF - Bryant/Soler

SP - Samardzija

You forgot Vogelbach for when the NL adopts the DH in 2015.

[Guest]

For all you dreamers out there... what is the sexiest looking 2015 lineup you can imagine, based off of what we have in our system now?

 

C - Castillo (since it has to be based on what we already have)

1B - Rizzo

2B - Alcantara

3B - Baez

SS - Castro

LF - Soler/Bryant

CF - Almora

RF - Bryant/Soler

SP - Samardzija

You forgot Vogelbach for when the NL adopts the DH in 2015.

Poor Shark has to start every day, though.

[Cubswin11]

2015 is probably the first year you can expect significant playing time from Soler, maybe Baez and Bryant if things go well. 2016 would see Almora, Vogelbach, and maybe Candelario join them. So sexy in the "home grown lineup" sense? By 2016 you could reasonably have:

 

Bryant/Almora/Soler

 

Baez/Castro/Barney/Rizzo

 

Castillo

 

Because of how new to MLB that lineup would be I'm not sure if it'd be sexy in the "Score ALL THE RUNS" sense, but the future would almost assuredly be very bright.

 

The good news here is that we're talking about waves of 3 legitimate hitting prospects per year, so even with expected attrition there's still talent feeding the MLB team even if any one or two guys fail.

I hope Barney isn't our 2B in 2016. I agree that 2016 is probably when we should be expecting some of the guys to be on the opening day roster, even best case for guys will be mid-late 2015 (one would think with Bryant/Soler most likely to be the guys we see in 2015). Hopefully we have either Alcantara or Baez at 2B and either Bryant/Candelario/Alcantara/Baez at 3B. If we are truly going off of what we are "dreaming."

[Cubswin11]

Junior Lake through 30 PA .423/.500/.615 5 2B, 3BB, 2K, 3 SB in 3 attempts

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Junior Lake through 30 PA .423/.500/.615 5 2B, 3BB, 2K, 3 SB in 3 attempts

and a whole lot of E-5

[Little Slide Rooter]

For all you dreamers out there... what is the sexiest looking 2015 lineup you can imagine, based off of what we have in our system now?

 

C - Castillo (since it has to be based on what we already have)

1B - Rizzo

2B - Alcantara

3B - Baez

SS - Castro

LF - Soler/Bryant

CF - Almora

RF - Bryant/Soler

SP - Samardzija

You forgot Vogelbach for when the NL adopts the DH in 2015.

Poor Shark has to start every day, though.

 

No, but the rest of the rotation will be comprised of reclamations who stay for a month at a time before being flipped.

[CubsWin]

C - Castillo. Even if he doesn't improve much at the plate over the next few years (which I think he will), defensively he's pretty good back there. The Cubs don't have much in the system that would be ready by then anyway.

1B - Vogelbach (Can't count Rizzo cuz he's not homegrown! :P )

2B - Alcantara

SS - Castro

3B - Baez

LF - Soler

CF - Szczur/Lake followed by Almora

RF - Bryant

 

Okay... now for the all homegrown starting pitchers...

 

SP - Samardzija, P. Johnson, Cabrera, Paniagua and Zastryzny? Wells? Jokisch? Ouch...

 

Now add in the players that were traded for...

Edited June 12, 2013 by CubsWin

[Guest]

C - Castillo. Even if he doesn't improve much at the plate over the next few years (which I think he will), defensively he's pretty good back there. The Cubs don't have much in the system that would be ready by then anyway.

 

:eek:

[CubsWin]

C - Castillo. Even if he doesn't improve much at the plate over the next few years (which I think he will), defensively he's pretty good back there. The Cubs don't have much in the system that would be ready by then anyway.

 

:eek:

Apparently you see things differently...

Edited June 12, 2013 by CubsWin

[Guest]

C - Castillo. Even if he doesn't improve much at the plate over the next few years (which I think he will), defensively he's pretty good back there. The Cubs don't have much in the system that would be ready by then anyway.

 

:eek:

Apparently you see things differently...

 

He's awful at blocking pitches and might be the worst I've seen at framing.

[CubsWin]

C - Castillo. Even if he doesn't improve much at the plate over the next few years (which I think he will), defensively he's pretty good back there. The Cubs don't have much in the system that would be ready by then anyway.

 

:eek:

Apparently you see things differently...

 

He's awful at blocking pitches and might be the worst I've seen at framing.

I'll give you that he's struggled there. For me, not the worst I've ever seen, but you are entitled to your opinion.

 

He's thrown out 31% of base stealers so far this season which is good enough for 6th in the majors right now among starting catchers. Baseball-Reference has him down as a 1.0 dWAR. It's not great, but I'd say pretty good is fair. Admittedly, receiving has been a little rough this season though...

[Sammy Sofa]

Basically any defensive value he is is almost completely based on his ability to throw out base stealers/pick off runners. If he can't maintain that everything else defensively is pretty bad.

[Guest]

For all you dreamers out there... what is the sexiest looking 2015 lineup you can imagine, based off of what we have in our system now?

 

C - Castillo (since it has to be based on what we already have)

1B - Rizzo

2B - Alcantara

3B - Baez

SS - Castro

LF - Soler/Bryant

CF - Almora

RF - Bryant/Soler

SP - Samardzija

You forgot Vogelbach for when the NL adopts the DH in 2015.

Poor Shark has to start every day, though.

 

Samardzija

Vizcaino

Jackson

Paniagua

Wood

 

as long as all those guys are awesome and healthy, we're golden

[EhDubya]

I was more interested in what the actual lineup card would look like if all these guys make it up by 2016. Does Almora already have the Leadoff Hitter position locked down? Baez-Rizzo-Soler our 3-4-5, if all goes well?

 

Basically what I'm asking is, pretending we don't make any Stanton moves or otherwise and our top prospects develop like we hope, is this the kind of lineup we should most want to see?

 

CF Almora

SS Castro

3B Baez

1B Rizzo

RF Soler

LF Bryant

SS Alcantara

C Castillo

 

OR

 

CF Almora

SS Baez

1B Rizzo

RF Soler

3B Bryant

LF Vogelbach ;)

2B Castro

C Castillo

 

:-k

[jersey cubs fan]

it's all fun and games until somebody actually gets their hopes up that these guys will all make the majors

[EhDubya]

I'm going to pull this thread to the top in 3 years when the prophecy becomes true and they all become All Stars.

[Guest]

Looking at the lineups it occurs to me that we have a lot of right handed hitters as top prospects.

[jersey cubs fan]

Looking at the lineups it occurs to me that we have a lot of right handed hitters as top prospects.

 

Alcantara is the only SH, right? Hopefully Rizzo continues to improve.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Looking at the lineups it occurs to me that we have a lot of right handed hitters as top prospects.

 

Oh no, it's going to be 2008 all over again.

[Guest]

Looking at the lineups it occurs to me that we have a lot of right handed hitters as top prospects.

 

Oh no, it's going to be 2008 all over again.

 

Can I have more 2008s please?

[Guest]

Looking at the lineups it occurs to me that we have a lot of right handed hitters as top prospects.

 

Oh no, it's going to be 2008 all over again.

More of a random observation than a suggestion that it's a problem.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

I can still remember Scumbag Steve Philips with his breakdown on why the Dodgers were able to sweep the Cubs because of lack of good left-handed hitters.

[KingCubsFan]

I can still remember Scumbag Steve Philips with his breakdown on why the Dodgers were able to sweep the Cubs because of lack of good left-handed hitters.

And then Hendry forgot we had the highest OPS against RHP's in the NL and proceeded to try and get more "left-handed."