Random Cubs Musings: Minor League Edition

[Guest]

so if he starts at myrtle beach can we assume he's terrible at catching

 

they left the possibility of myrtle beach so they wouldn't be announcing a promotion just by saying what they said

 

it's not like he's going to learn catching/defense better at a lower level

[Guest]

so if he starts at myrtle beach can we assume he's terrible at catching

 

Maybe they're sending him to the lower level to let him focus on catching and not have to worry as much about the bat too.

[Guest]

More on what Theo actually said:

 

The Cubs are also excited about Kyle Schwarber's improvement as far as his defense behind the plate. Epstein noted that he didn't get a lot of catching instruction in college and is no longer stabbing downward an going down to one knee as he did at Indiana. Not only is he receiving much better, but he also clocked in at a 1.98 pop time in a recent game at instructs, which is better than MLB average. Lastly, Epstein did a bit of his own dreaming, imagining what a huge asset it would be for the Cubs lineup if Schwarber can stick behind the plate. The Cubs have seen enough improvement to this point that they will open up the season with Schwarber as their full-time catcher, though he did not specify for which level.

 

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2014/10/that-is-soooo-cub-and-thats-a-good-thing/

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

btw, I love saying myrtle beach instead of daytona

[imb]

part of me is desperate for that to work out, and part of me is like lets just find a bunch of castillo-type dudes and keep schwarber healthy for a 10 years

[treebird]

part of me is desperate for that to work out, and part of me is like lets just find a bunch of castillo-type dudes and keep schwarber healthy for a 10 years

 

i'm the same way. not even a castillo-type necessarily, just some free agent that frames every pitch perfectly.

[hawkeyecub]

Whatever. It's a lot more fun to dream on him at catcher with an infield of Rizzo, Baez, Castro, Russell that hits 120 home runs. Before getting to an OF that includes Soler and Bryant combining for another 50+.

[Guest]

Before getting to an OF that includes Soler and Bryant combining for another 50+.

 

you mean each, right?

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

if soler and bryant only combine for 50 homers I will cry

[Guest]

if soler and bryant only combine for 50 homers I will cry

 

let's not get too crazy

[Cubswin11]

if soler and bryant only combine for 50 homers I will cry

I'd be perfectly fine with Soler being a guy who homers in the low-mid 20s and Bryant ending up in the high 20s/low 30s on average with both adding an additional 20-30 XBH per year.

[Guest]

if soler and bryant only combine for 50 homers I will cry

 

If they combine to average 50 HRs per year over the next 10 years, I'd take that in a second.

 

It would mean either they both are very good players or one is one of the best players in the league while the other is merely decent.

[sneakypower]

prepare the tears bc that's pretty likely to happen

[Guest]

if soler and bryant only combine for 50 homers I will cry

 

If they combine to average 50 HRs per year over the next 10 years, I'd take that in a second.

 

It would mean either they both are very good players or one is one of the best players in the league while the other is merely decent.

 

HR's alone won't determine either of these fates

[KaiserCesar]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/homeruns/_/league/8/type/2

 

Only 6 / 15 teams in the NL had 2 players of any position combine for 50 homers. Rizzo / Valbuena got pretty close at 48. Soler / Bryant combining for 50 is good.

[Cubswin11]

I like that we can reasonably project to have 6 guys in the lineup in the near future that all can get to 20+HR (Rizzo, Baez, Castro, Soler, Bryant, Russell) and 4 of them to 30+ HR power and all of them project for 50-60+ XBH.

[Guest]

I like that we can reasonably project to have 6 guys in the lineup in the near future that all can get to 20+HR (Rizzo, Baez, Castro, Soler, Bryant, Russell) and 4 of them to 30+ HR power and all of them project for 50-60+ XBH.

 

make that 15+ and i'm with you, and that's still pretty damn good given the HR upside of the top end guys.

[Cubswin11]

I like that we can reasonably project to have 6 guys in the lineup in the near future that all can get to 20+HR (Rizzo, Baez, Castro, Soler, Bryant, Russell) and 4 of them to 30+ HR power and all of them project for 50-60+ XBH.

 

make that 15+ and i'm with you, and that's still pretty damn good given the HR upside of the top end guys.

It is, and kinda mitigates the need for any of the top end guys to turn into dong monsters. When on a whole the offense is going to have power just about everywhere and we don't need guys turning in massive power years to have good offenses.

[Guest]

if soler and bryant only combine for 50 homers I will cry

 

If they combine to average 50 HRs per year over the next 10 years, I'd take that in a second.

 

It would mean either they both are very good players or one is one of the best players in the league while the other is merely decent.

 

HR's alone won't determine either of these fates

 

Of course not. But unless MLB allows steroids again, if one of them averages 35 HRs a year, I feel pretty confident he'll be one of the best players in the league. There were seven players who hit 35 this year. The three least valuable (Cruz, Carter and Ortiz) were all primarily DHs. The other four put up 5.3, 6.1, 6.3 and 7.8 fWAR, all top-20 for hitters in the league (the best 3 had top-9 fWAR for hitters).

[jersey cubs fan]

Ben Badler ‏@BenBadler · 12m12 minutes ago

BA's Southern League Top 20:

 

1. Kris Bryant

2. Addison Russell

3. Corey Seager

 

Full Top 20 reports and rankings: http://bit.ly/1EPjz2s

[Guest]

Ben Badler ‏@BenBadler · 12m12 minutes ago

BA's Southern League Top 20:

 

1. Kris Bryant

2. Addison Russell

3. Corey Seager

 

Full Top 20 reports and rankings: http://bit.ly/1EPjz2s

So hot.

[Guest]

@kileymcd Writing up Cubs & got a nugget from last call: Schwarber caught well in instructs, will be everyday catcher next yr

[MWV]

http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/exc.gif

[jersey cubs fan]

@kileymcd Writing up Cubs & got a nugget from last call: Schwarber caught well in instructs, will be everyday catcher next yr

 

he got a nugget from the Theo telling the world he would be an everyday catcher next year? strong nugget acquisition fella

[Guest]

@NickJFaleris: Pro reports on #Cubs Jake Stinnett have ranged from "future #3" to "I'd shoot higher than a 7th inning arm w/2nd round pick." #scouting

 

@NickJFaleris: Stuff down post-draft (hopefully fatigue); 3rd pitch; limited growth path 4 stuff. RT @AHume92 quite the variation. What is the main issue?