Minor League Discussion & Boxes 4-30-13

[Guest]

As a reference on struggling first rounders, I was really high on white sox prospect Courtney Hawkins coming into the season.

 

This line has me less excited.

 

Yes, that really is a 53.7% strikeout rate after 82 PA this season. On the bright side, it's down from the 60+% it was earlier in the year.

 

To be fair, there is absolutely no reason Hawkins should have started be in high-A.

[Guest]

ExST stats in the early going: http://www.thecubreporter.com/04292013/2013-cubs-cactus-league-extended-spring-training-stats-thru-427

 

When asked what prospects really impressed so far, Arizona Phil mentioned Carlos Penalver, Shawon Dunston Jr and Josh Conway:

 

Arizona Phil[/url]"]Carlos Penalver has been spectacular at SS, and he is hitting, too (360/429/560), and stealing bases. He is a definite SS prospect, possibly the best defensive SS in the organization. If he can continue to improve as a hitter, the Cubs will have still another certified MLB SS prospect working his way up through the pipeline. He should be the SS at Boise in 2013.   

 

Shawon Dunston Jr has shown the most improvement. When he first arrived at Fitch Park in 2011 he was a dead pull hitter who tried to hit a tape-measure HR on every swing, and his somwhat raw defensive skills really limited him to LF. He was also brain-dead on the bases. But he has worked hard and made himself a decent CF, and he has learned to use his speed by bunting for hits, which also serves the purpose of drawing the infielders in and giving him a better chance to punch the ball through. And he has become a good baserunner, too,  I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a bump up to Kane County before the end of EXST.

 

No question Josh Conway has been the biggest surprise among the pitchers. He had TJS before the Cubs drafted him last June (he was a "1st round talent" who fell to the 4th round only because of the pre-draft TJS). And considering he had his TJS AFTER Scott Baker and Arodys Vizcaino had their's, it's all the more amazing how fast he has moved to the head of the class. He threw 80 pitches in five innings of work today, so he could get moved up to KC or Daytona at anytime (he almost made the KC starting rotation out of Minor League Camp). The Cubs certainly aren't taking the conservative approach with Conwway. It looks like he is on the fast-track.

 

Haha, love Dunston's .407 BA.

[Guest]

i just kind of get the feeling that theo will end up trading baez if his bb/k numbers don't improve this season. i could see the pushing hard for someone like stanton or price this offseason, or maybe just try to turn baez into another high ceiling guy who is closer to the majors, before baez's value starts to diminish too much.

 

or, maybe baez gets it together and starts to do awesome. that would be cool too.

[CubsWin]

i just kind of get the feeling that theo will end up trading baez if his bb/k numbers don't improve this season. i could see the pushing hard for someone like stanton or price this offseason, or maybe just try to turn baez into another high ceiling guy who is closer to the majors, before baez's value starts to diminish too much.

 

or, maybe baez gets it together and starts to do awesome. that would be cool too.

This has been my feeling too for a while now. If I were Theo, I would want to trade for a top impact player because the chances of getting one via free agency is almost zero. And given their man crush on Almora, I don't see them dealing him. That leaves Soler and Baez and Soler fits the "Cubs Way" profile more than Baez does at the moment. As you said, that could change, though.

 

I think a package of Baez, Pierce Johnson and others like Maples, Lake, Vogelbach (the Rays could use a DH) or Alcantara should be the foundation of a very compelling offer for either Stanton or Price.

 

And the system would still have Almora, Soler, Vizcaino, Appel/Gray, Candelario, Villanueva, Underwood, all of the "others" listed above who aren't traded, the rest of the 2013 draft and more.

 

Imagine a rotation of Price, Samardzija, Appel/Gray, Wood and Jackson with Vizcaino waiting in the wings or closing. Or a line-up featuring Stanton, Castro, Rizzo, Almora and Soler all in or entering their prime years. To me, making a trade like that makes too much sense. Question is, will the Rays and Marlins see it the same way...

[wekim81]

boy Lendy Castillo really has sucked this year hasn't he? All the way down in Low-A after being a rule 5 guy last year. What a disaster.

[tmoney6]

When the Cubs first drafted Harvey I was in the Cubs system. I remember watching him take his first couple of BP's in Mesa. I had two immediate thoughts - man that guy has crazy power, he would hit balls that looked like routine fly balls that would carry 20-30 feet out. He just got great backspin on the ball. The other thought was - his balance at the plate is terrible, and if I were a pitcher, I would never throw him a fastball. Unfortunately for the Cubs, both of those thoughts turned into reality.

 

With Baez, the swing and miss is a little concerning, but I don't think it is a balance swing issue, it is a discipline issue. Granted I have only seen Baez on tv, but it is not an issue with Harvey, of not being able to hit breaking balls or swining through strikes a lot.

[imb]

I wish Stanton would stop getting hurt every month because I want him to be the next Dawson SO BAD IT HURTS

[jersey cubs fan]

I wish Stanton would stop getting hurt every month because I want him to be the next Dawson SO BAD IT HURTS

 

Grossly overrated Cubs slugger?

[KingCubsFan]

I wish Stanton would stop getting hurt every month because I want him to be the next Dawson SO BAD IT HURTS

You've been watching the next Dawson since 2007.

[imb]

i don't mean skillset wise, just next iconic Cubs outfielder. I guess Soler could be that guy, eventually.

[Guest]

i don't mean skillset wise, just next iconic Cubs outfielder. I guess Soler could be that guy, eventually.

oh come on

 

there was a much better one of those since him

[imb]

i don't mean skillset wise, just next iconic Cubs outfielder. I guess Soler could be that guy, eventually.

oh come on

 

there was a much better one of those since him

 

corey patterson was a huge flop

[Hairyducked Idiot]

i don't mean skillset wise, just next iconic Cubs outfielder. I guess Soler could be that guy, eventually.

oh come on

 

there was a much better one of those since him

 

corey patterson was a huge flop

 

Moises Alou was a high-quality signing, but I think David might be overselling him there.

[jersey cubs fan]

stopitstopitstopit

 

stop pretending to forget sammy

 

stopitstopitstopit

[imb]

matt lawton was only here like half a season?

[Guest]

I can only assume David's talking about Scott Bullett. Or Tuffy Rhodes.

[Little Slide Rooter]

ExST stats in the early going: http://www.thecubreporter.com/04292013/2013-cubs-cactus-league-extended-spring-training-stats-thru-427

 

When asked what prospects really impressed so far, Arizona Phil mentioned Carlos Penalver, Shawon Dunston Jr and Josh Conway:

 

Arizona Phil[/url]"]Carlos Penalver has been spectacular at SS, and he is hitting, too (360/429/560), and stealing bases. He is a definite SS prospect, possibly the best defensive SS in the organization. If he can continue to improve as a hitter, the Cubs will have still another certified MLB SS prospect working his way up through the pipeline. He should be the SS at Boise in 2013.   

 

Shawon Dunston Jr has shown the most improvement. When he first arrived at Fitch Park in 2011 he was a dead pull hitter who tried to hit a tape-measure HR on every swing, and his somwhat raw defensive skills really limited him to LF. He was also brain-dead on the bases. But he has worked hard and made himself a decent CF, and he has learned to use his speed by bunting for hits, which also serves the purpose of drawing the infielders in and giving him a better chance to punch the ball through. And he has become a good baserunner, too,  I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a bump up to Kane County before the end of EXST.

 

No question Josh Conway has been the biggest surprise among the pitchers. He had TJS before the Cubs drafted him last June (he was a "1st round talent" who fell to the 4th round only because of the pre-draft TJS). And considering he had his TJS AFTER Scott Baker and Arodys Vizcaino had their's, it's all the more amazing how fast he has moved to the head of the class. He threw 80 pitches in five innings of work today, so he could get moved up to KC or Daytona at anytime (he almost made the KC starting rotation out of Minor League Camp). The Cubs certainly aren't taking the conservative approach with Conwway. It looks like he is on the fast-track.

 

Haha, love Dunston's .407 BA.

 

Time to reclaim the Shawon-O-Meter from Cooperstown.

[Guest]

Glenallen Hill, jerks

[Little Slide Rooter]

matt lawton was only here like half a season?

 

July 31, 2005: Traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Chicago Cubs for Jody Gerut and cash.

August 27, 2005: Traded by the Chicago Cubs to the New York Yankees for Justin Berg.

 

He didn't even have time to unpack. But he did land us Justin Berg, who to my knowledge is still haplessly floating around the organization somewhere.

[imb]

I can only assume David's talking about Scott Bullett. Or Tuffy Rhodes.

 

David was a huge Jim Edmonds fan, right?