Javier Baez Promoted to AA

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Daytona News-Journal[/url]"]Daytona Cubs shortstop Javier Baez, the consensus top prospect in the Chicago Cubs' farm system, will be promoted to Double-A Tennessee on Saturday, a source with knowledge of the promotion told The News-Journal on Friday night.

 

@daytonacubs: Congrats @javy23baez on his promotion to @smokiesbaseball! Catch an interview w/ Javy on @Cubs pregame on @wgnamerica at 3:30 EST on Sat.

[XZero771679666304]

Daytona News-Journal[/url]"]Daytona Cubs shortstop Javier Baez, the consensus top prospect in the Chicago Cubs' farm system, will be promoted to Double-A Tennessee on Saturday, a source with knowledge of the promotion told The News-Journal on Friday night.

 

I have mixed feelings about this, but at least he'll be getting consistent reps without all the rain delays. A+ still held challenges for him, but it's rough when you're missing games left and right.

 

But Tennessee will be really interesting to track. Too bad Soler got hurt or he may have ended up there as well.

[Guest]

The jump from A+ to AA is widely considered to be the biggest, yes?

 

Baez has not yet mastered A+, yes?

[imb]

Now it gets interesting.

[TruffleShuffle]

The jump from A+ to AA is widely considered to be the biggest, yes?

 

Baez has not yet mastered A+, yes?

 

i suppose it depends on your definition of "mastered," but he's 10th in ops and leading the league in home runs. and he's shown significant improvement in the past couple of months. i don't know that you leave a prospect at a level until he just completely destroys that level for half a year. he certainly seems like he's advanced enough that he won't get to AA and completely fall flat on his face.

[rawaction]

I'll shut up now. Good call davell.

[davell]

I'll shut up now. Good call davell.

Blind squirrel, nut, all that. I just figured with Torreyes gone and Alcantara playing some 2nd, it made sense. Even if he struggles. For some reason though, I think he's going to be fine.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

If he is even within shouting distance of acceptable, then the love should explode.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

The spot for Baez has already been opened with the selling of Torreyes.

 

And I'm not sure if it's completely nuts just to promote him so he doesn't get half his ABs taken away due to rainouts.

 

I'm OK with this.

[rawaction]

Barring injury, Baez should get 200+ PAs in AA. If he continues what he's done the last 45 days in Daytona, does he have a realistic shot at a May callup next year? Different regime, but Castro only had 260-ish PAs in AA (skipped AAA completely). Baez showed this spring he could hold his own in ML camp. This move puts him with a legitimate shot at being on the ML roster for good by June 1, 2014.

[The-Kris-Bryant]

Barring injury, Baez should get 200+ PAs in AA. If he continues what he's done the last 45 days in Daytona, does he have a realistic shot at a May callup next year? Different regime, but Castro only had 260-ish PAs in AA (skipped AAA completely). Baez showed this spring he could hold his own in ML camp. This move puts him with a legitimate shot at being on the ML roster for good by June 1, 2014.

 

 

It depends, the organization is smart enough not to in order to limit super-two status/which year he becomes arb eligible, etc.

[ctcf]

I'm digging it.

[Guest]

The jump from A+ to AA is widely considered to be the biggest, yes?

 

Baez has not yet mastered A+, yes?

 

i suppose it depends on your definition of "mastered," but he's 10th in ops and leading the league in home runs. and he's shown significant improvement in the past couple of months. i don't know that you leave a prospect at a level until he just completely destroys that level for half a year. he certainly seems like he's advanced enough that he won't get to AA and completely fall flat on his face.

 

I mostly agree, and I'm aware of the tremendous strides he's made in the last month or two. I'd just like to see him do it at that level a little longer. It would suck if he went back to struggling worse than he did at the beginning of the year again so soon.

[Guest]

The jump from A+ to AA is widely considered to be the biggest, yes?

 

Baez has not yet mastered A+, yes?

 

i suppose it depends on your definition of "mastered," but he's 10th in ops and leading the league in home runs. and he's shown significant improvement in the past couple of months. i don't know that you leave a prospect at a level until he just completely destroys that level for half a year. he certainly seems like he's advanced enough that he won't get to AA and completely fall flat on his face.

 

Yeah, this is how I feel.

 

The improvement in BB% has really opened up his game.

[Guest]

davell wins

[Guest]

davell wins

 

First thing I thought of.

[Guest]

I am excite.

 

I may have to get MiLB tv now

Edited July 6, 2013 by David

[Guest]

Barring injury, Baez should get 200+ PAs in AA. If he continues what he's done the last 45 days in Daytona, does he have a realistic shot at a May callup next year? Different regime, but Castro only had 260-ish PAs in AA (skipped AAA completely). Baez showed this spring he could hold his own in ML camp. This move puts him with a legitimate shot at being on the ML roster for good by June 1, 2014.

 

 

It depends, the organization is smart enough not to in order to limit super-two status/which year he becomes arb eligible, etc.

 

Sup gato

[mul21]

The jump from A+ to AA is widely considered to be the biggest, yes?

 

Baez has not yet mastered A+, yes?

 

i suppose it depends on your definition of "mastered," but he's 10th in ops and leading the league in home runs. and he's shown significant improvement in the past couple of months. i don't know that you leave a prospect at a level until he just completely destroys that level for half a year. he certainly seems like he's advanced enough that he won't get to AA and completely fall flat on his face.

 

I mostly agree, and I'm aware of the tremendous strides he's made in the last month or two. I'd just like to see him do it at that level a little longer. It would suck if he went back to struggling worse than he did at the beginning of the year again so soon.

 

I think that light switch moment of controlling his swing and the public statements to that effect make me feel more okay with this than I otherwise might. Here's hoping he adjusts to the new level quickly.

[toonsterwu]

I'm actually fine with this. I wouldn't have blinked if they kept him in A+ a little longer, but this works. Whether or not Javier has the mental approach/fortitude, only the front office and coaching staff knows, but based on their previous comments on how they'd promote guys, I'd assume they felt comfortable about that. His steady increase in walk rate and decrease in K rate, plus his performance (in June) earned him this opportunity. It seems to show him adjusting and learning.

 

By year's end, we'll have a good idea of who Javier Baez is. If he's solid in AA (doesn't need to be elite, just solid), he'll probably be on pace to get a legitimate call-up in 2014.

 

I sort of hope Alcantara goes up to AAA to stay at short. I doubt it, and as noted, I think Alcantara eventually moves to 2nd anyways, but he's shown enough to deserve the bump, and I'd rather keep both of them at short for now.

[rawaction]

2014 post AS break IF of Baez, Castro, Alcantara, Rizzo could be fun to watch, even if the Cubs aren't any good as a team.

[craig]

I'm actually fine with this. ...His steady increase in walk rate and decrease in K rate, plus his performance (in June) earned him this opportunity. It seems to show him adjusting and learning.

 

By year's end, we'll have a good idea of who Javier Baez is. If he's solid in AA (doesn't need to be elite, just solid), he'll probably be on pace to get a legitimate call-up in 2014.

 

I sort of hope Alcantara goes up to AAA to stay at short. I doubt it, and as noted, I think Alcantara eventually moves to 2nd anyways, but he's shown enough to deserve the bump, and I'd rather keep both of them at short for now.

 

I don't see much of a decrease in K-rate. Or at most a very modest, incremental one. He's still striking out every day and striking out about 1/4 of his AB's. The progress in BB's, yes, that I think is real. And to do that without the K's going up a bunch, maybe that's pretty good. But I don't see much substantial reduction in his K-rate.

 

Might be interesting to see how the AA thing goes. Perhaps pitchers won't be quite as scared and will throw him more strikes, so perhaps he'll get more HR-pitches and fewer walks. So maybe it will be nicer for him. Or maybe better pitching with better breaking stuff will have him as challenged as he was last summer at Daytona, who knows. Should be interesting to track.

 

On Alcantara, I think he'll play 2nd. In his last 5 games, he's had four at 2B and one at DH, so I think maybe the switch to 2B has perhaps already happened. Which I think makes good sense. I think AA has a chance to become a very good defensive 2B, and a good player as a 2B. I think it's also easier to set up a platoon at 2B than SS, so if AA ends up making it as the primary LH half of a platoon, that could end up working.

[Guest]

I'm actually fine with this. I wouldn't have blinked if they kept him in A+ a little longer, but this works. Whether or not Javier has the mental approach/fortitude, only the front office and coaching staff knows, but based on their previous comments on how they'd promote guys, I'd assume they felt comfortable about that. His steady increase in walk rate and decrease in K rate, plus his performance (in June) earned him this opportunity. It seems to show him adjusting and learning.

 

By year's end, we'll have a good idea of who Javier Baez is. If he's solid in AA (doesn't need to be elite, just solid), he'll probably be on pace to get a legitimate call-up in 2014.

 

I sort of hope Alcantara goes up to AAA to stay at short. I doubt it, and as noted, I think Alcantara eventually moves to 2nd anyways, but he's shown enough to deserve the bump, and I'd rather keep both of them at short for now.

 

Definitely agree on Alcantara. I want him playing SS for as long as possible. The switch from 2B to SS is one of the easier moves in the infield.

[craig]

All 12 of Alcantara's HR's have been LH, and hitting LH he's got a .912 OPS with .538 slugging. That is really good.

 

RH he's hitting .228 with a .298 OBP and .318 slugging.

 

So I think some platoon future should almost be expected, if he's going to become a starter rather than a utility player. The game tends to have quite a few RH-hitting middle infielders, so finding a platoon 2B who does well versus the occasional LH starter shouldn't be that hard. If Alcantara can become a good 120-start platoon 2B, partnered with a 40-start RH guy, that looks very reasonable to me.

 

Alcantara has had his challenges defensively at SS. So I think getting him over primarily to 2B as soon as possible makes a lot of sense. Barney has been a terrific defender, but he's so limited offensively that we should be looking towards a replacement ASAP. Barney himself might be a good partner. he's been a .700+ OPS guy versus LHP. A guy like that who'd be OK as the minor platoon guy, and then available as a natural defender backing up SS would be a good roster fit.

 

SS to 2B may be one of the easier switches, but the footwork on the DP for example is not easy. If Alcantara got moved over last week, and spends all of this season, all winter/camp, and all of next summer working at 2B, then by late next season he might be ready to play big-league defensive 2B. By next August, perhaps he could be ready for a serious call up as a platoon starter. I think it's a good plan.

 

And hope that between Castro and Baez, one of them might be able to play an adequate SS long-term.

[Guest]

All 12 of Alcantara's HR's have been LH, and hitting LH he's got a .912 OPS with .538 slugging. That is really good.

 

RH he's hitting .228 with a .298 OBP and .318 slugging.

 

So I think some platoon future should almost be expected, if he's going to become a starter rather than a utility player. The game tends to have quite a few RH-hitting middle infielders, so finding a platoon 2B who does well versus the occasional LH starter shouldn't be that hard. If Alcantara can become a good 120-start platoon 2B, partnered with a 40-start RH guy, that looks very reasonable to me.

 

Alcantara has had his challenges defensively at SS. So I think getting him over primarily to 2B as soon as possible makes a lot of sense. Barney has been a terrific defender, but he's so limited offensively that we should be looking towards a replacement ASAP. Barney himself might be a good partner. he's been a .700+ OPS guy versus LHP. A guy like that who'd be OK as the minor platoon guy, and then available as a natural defender backing up SS would be a good roster fit.

 

SS to 2B may be one of the easier switches, but the footwork on the DP for example is not easy. If Alcantara got moved over last week, and spends all of this season, all winter/camp, and all of next summer working at 2B, then by late next season he might be ready to play big-league defensive 2B. By next August, perhaps he could be ready for a serious call up as a platoon starter. I think it's a good plan.

 

And hope that between Castro and Baez, one of them might be able to play an adequate SS long-term.

 

Alcantara has had a big difference in his L/R splits this year but was pretty even the past two seasons (he actually was slightly better in OPS batting righty the last two seasons).