Random Cubs Musings: Minor League Edition

[Guest]

It's Sutcliffe, so take it FWIW, but maybe he at least knows stuff about pitching...

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/22152/sutcliffe-not-if-for-cubs-but-when

 

"[Kerry] Wood and I have talked about it; our role is to help get these young pitchers to catch up with the everyday prospects," Sutcliffe said. "Then all of a sudden it becomes special and then it becomes what the Red Sox are when every year when you need help, all you have to do is call downstairs.

 

"Two years ago, Theo sent me down to minor league camp to take a look at all the arms, and when I came back I said, You're going to be pissed off at me. He said, 'Tell me the truth, that's why you're here.' I said I saw three guys that I think have a chance out of 65 guys. That's sad. When I go down there now, I see eight out of 10 that have a chance. You see the late movement or the velocity or the deception in the delivery. All it takes is to have one of those things to have a big league fastball. Watching C.J. Edwards, he has a chance to have all three of them."

 

Sutcliffe was on hand Wednesday as Edwards, the top pitcher in all of minor league baseball last season, started in a minor league game. Mike Bryant, a former player and the father of Kris Bryant, the Cubs' top pick last season, said Edwards' slight frame reminded him of his former roommate in the minors, Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd.

 

"This guy has a chance to be much better," Sutcliffe said. "He doesn't have half the man muscles that he's going to have at some point. But he won't be rushed. He can have some of the easiest innings you'll ever see because of the cut fastball. This guy can be special."

 

 

There's other stuff in there, too.

[Guest]

Keith Law was not very impressed with Zastryzny, Tseng, or Jimenez: http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/keith-law/post?id=2076

 

Zastryzny threw four fairly efficient innings, sitting mostly 88-92, touching 93 once that I saw, and showing a solid-average changeup at 80-81 with significant tumble to it. He had very little feel for a mid-70s curveball, throwing some traditional two-planers, some that looked like failed spikes, and a few where he dropped down like he was trying to force tilt on a slider. Some of that may have been planned -- he could really use a weapon to get lefties out -- but the knock on him as an amateur was that he lacked a plus pitch, something that is still true today.

 

I could see him surfacing as a fifth starter because he throws strikes and can change speeds, but to be more than that he'll need a swing-and-miss offering.

 

Tseng threw on Friday and was 89-92 with little life, flashing an 89-90 mph sinker as well that was probably the better weapon for him. He threw two breaking balls, a pretty but slow curveball with two-plane break but very soft rotation at 73-76 mph and a short slider at 84-85 that moved like a cutter without the benefit of cutter velocity. His arm wasn't quick at all, and at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, he doesn't offer any kind of projection. Like Zastryzny, Tseng may have a little more in the tank once we get into the regular season, but I couldn't write him up as a future starter.

 

Now 17 years and four months old, Jimenez has a flat swing and he drags the bat head through the zone, loading pretty deep and maybe not having the hand and wrist strength yet to generate plus bat speed and make hard contact against better stuff. He's going to be strong, and big, so I'm not worried about him developing stronger hands, but a guy this size should probably have a little more loft in his finish.

[mul21]

He's everything Kyle's doom boner wishes it could be. What a turd. And not just because it Cubs prospects, but it's so completely different than what we heard on Tseng just a couple days ago.

[davell]

Jon Daniels admitted he looked too much in the short term and the Garza deal could really give him nightmares. John Hart said he thought Theo/Jed picked Daniels pocket, even without CJ.

[Guest]

Starlin goes 1/8 while rehabbing in the minors. Duane Underwood left the game with an injury: http://www.thecubreporter.com/03232014/castro-tries-his-rehab-luck-riverview-park

 

RHP Duane Underwood was the starting pitcher for KC, but he was removed from the game with an injury with two outs in the top of the 1st inning. He allowed a run on two hits (a triple and a single) and a walk in his 2/3 of an inning of work. LHP Gerardo Concepcion and RHP Eric Leal followed Underwood, and combined to throw four innings of no run/no hit ball.

[Guest]

@ProfessorParks: #Cubs RHP Lendy Castillo sat 94-95 (T96) today, w/ late arm-side life. SL was thrown for strikes at 84-86, but wasn't big bat misser.

 

@ProfessorParks: #RHP Zach Cates pitched the 9th for the #Cubs in the AA game. Worked 93-94 w/ the FB; SL topped out at 88 mph! Didn't love the mechs, though

 

@ProfessorParks: Writing up notes on Albert Almora, Lendy Castillo, Junior Lake, and Zach Cates for tomorrow's backfield scouting article. #Cubs

 

@ChrisMellen: #Cubs 3B Kris Bryant very easy and fluid with generating his bat speed. Makes it look effortless. Really quiet as well before unleashing.

 

@ChrisMellen: #Cubs SS Javier Baez generates + bat speed, torque, and lift with swing. Designed to get head out in front quick. Good offspeed will test.

 

@ChrisMellen: Like the way #Cubs 3B Christian Villanueva uses his hands to guide barrel. Shows understanding of how to execute against what's delivered.

 

@ChrisMellen: Just submitted some notes on #Cubs Baez/Villanueva and #Indians Ramirez/Naquin. Solid day at the fields today.

[ctcf]

Wait wait wait.... Concepcion threw innings of no run/no hit ball??

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Francisco Lindor.

[Guest]

Wait wait wait.... Concepcion threw innings of no run/no hit ball??

 

I still hold out hope that he'll surface as a loogy one day or something

[Guest]

Monday's minor league games: http://www.thecubreporter.com/03252014/lake-castro-make-minor-league-scene-pimentel-fires-goose-eggs-riverview

[Guest]

Jason Parks ‏@ProfessorParks 2m

Both could be special. Baez could be a legend. RT @FantasyFlipMode: @ProfessorParks higher upside: Baez or Correa?

[Guest]

@Professor Parks Baez has the highest ceiling in MiLB. RT @aycockonxion: @ProfessorParks Same Q: Baez or Alfaro?

[Clem Fandango]

@Professor Parks Baez has the highest ceiling in MiLB. RT @aycockonxion: @ProfessorParks Same Q: Baez or Alfaro?

 

Really? You challenge Baez with Alfaro?

 

http://i.imgur.com/x8tCMTt.gif

[imb]

@Professor Parks Baez has the highest ceiling in MiLB. RT @aycockonxion: @ProfessorParks Same Q: Baez or Alfaro?

 

Really? You challenge Baez with Alfaro?

 

http://i.imgur.com/x8tCMTt.gif

 

i think that guy is just a sycophant who knows that Parks (if I remember right) is a big gay for alfaro

[Guest]

Yep, Parks has spent most of the last week fawning over Alfaro.

[Clem Fandango]

That explains it

[Hairyducked Idiot]

AZPhil lists Soler as "Limited Activity" and apparently he hasn't been playing in minor league games?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Reggie Golden released.

 

Matt Szczur and Dallas Beeler are all that stand between the 2010 draft class and the ignominy of not having a single player appear in the majors.

[Clem Fandango]

I forgot all about Golden. I remember being really excited about his power potential

[sweetpeteman]

Reggie Golden released.

 

Matt Szczur and Dallas Beeler are all that stand between the 2010 draft class and the ignominy of not having a single player appear in the majors.

 

So maybe I missed this but have:

Ben Wells

Eric Jokisch

Austin Reed

Dustin Geiger

Elliot Soto

Matt Loosen

 

all been released as well?

[Guest]

Reggie Golden released.

 

Matt Szczur and Dallas Beeler are all that stand between the 2010 draft class and the ignominy of not having a single player appear in the majors.

 

So maybe I missed this but have:

Ben Wells

Eric Jokisch

Austin Reed

Dustin Geiger

Elliot Soto

Matt Loosen

 

all been released as well?

 

No, none of them have.

[sweetpeteman]

Reggie Golden released.

 

Matt Szczur and Dallas Beeler are all that stand between the 2010 draft class and the ignominy of not having a single player appear in the majors.

 

So maybe I missed this but have:

Ben Wells

Eric Jokisch

Austin Reed

Dustin Geiger

Elliot Soto

Matt Loosen

 

all been released as well?

 

No, none of them have.

 

Not that this makes that draft all that much better.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Reggie Golden released.

 

Matt Szczur and Dallas Beeler are all that stand between the 2010 draft class and the ignominy of not having a single player appear in the majors.

 

So maybe I missed this but have:

Ben Wells

Eric Jokisch

Austin Reed

Dustin Geiger

Elliot Soto

Matt Loosen

 

all been released as well?

 

 

No, but if any of them were, it wouldn't exactly set off a riot.

[Outshined_One]

Reggie Golden released.

 

Matt Szczur and Dallas Beeler are all that stand between the 2010 draft class and the ignominy of not having a single player appear in the majors.

 

So maybe I missed this but have:

Ben Wells

Eric Jokisch

Austin Reed

Dustin Geiger

Elliot Soto

Matt Loosen

 

all been released as well?

 

That draft is still one of the most depressing things I've ever seen.

[sweetpeteman]

Reggie Golden released.

 

Matt Szczur and Dallas Beeler are all that stand between the 2010 draft class and the ignominy of not having a single player appear in the majors.

 

So maybe I missed this but have:

Ben Wells

Eric Jokisch

Austin Reed

Dustin Geiger

Elliot Soto

Matt Loosen

 

all been released as well?

 

That draft is still one of the most depressing things I've ever seen.

 

Don't look at the 2005 draft...

 

 

 

2005 had a grand total of 2 players make it to the majors - Donnie Veal and Tyler Graham - neither in a Cubs uniform (and Graham was 10 games/2PA in 2012 for Arizona)