Spring Training Thread

[ScrubMD]

Olt-Castro-Baez-Rizzo in the infield, Soler-Almora-Bryant in the outfield, and Vogelbach at catcher, because at that point, why the hell not? It's happening, they're all going to be superstars.

[NOLA]

Rotation of Shark, CJ, Jackson, Wood, Hendricks?

[Clem Fandango]

Rotation of Shark, CJ, Jackson, Wood, Hendricks?

 

Pierce Johnson. Also hopefully whoever the Cubs pick up after trading Alcantara/Villanueva/Candelario/Vogelbach

[Guest]

They're melting snow...

[Guest]

Corey Black ‏@CblackCHC 36s

Picture day in cubbie land here in Mesa az..... pic.twitter.com/PVuSOkEXAx

 

[Guest]

It's Loxas, so w/e, but...

 

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-insider/2014/03/cubs-prospect-christian-villanueva-turning-heads-in-camp/

 

Earlier in the day, I had heard back from a scout that I checked in with in regards to Mike Olt.

 

From the reports I received, Olt looks more and more like the former top prospect he once was considered. In fact, this scout was pretty confident that Olt should be able to force the Cubs to bring him north as the third baseman if things continue in a similar fashion.

 

Later, I also heard from an Arizona source that other clubs are noticing yet another Cubs prospect at the same position. One Director of Pro Scouting says he would ask for Christian Villanueva.

 

“He’s not talked about enough”, says the source.

 

Villanueva is seen as a potential gold glove candidate. He doesn’t possess the power that most of the Cubs elite prospects flash. Still, he is seen as a potential .300 hitter with line drive power.

 

Hold on folks that's not at all.

 

If you call now, you can also receive reports that say Kris Bryant looks more than capable of handling third himself. Bryant apparently is showing some pretty good instincts defensively.

 

Bryant is still viewed by some as a future corner outfielder. Yesterday, however, Theo Epstein told WSCR’s Matt Spiegel he won’t rush to move a player like Bryant off a position before it is deemed completely necessary, regardless of a player like Olt stepping up.

 

If Olt does indeed step up, the organization is going to have an embarrassment of riches at third. A position that historically hasn't been easy to fill for the Cubs.

 

As for the former third baseman of the future Josh Vitters, the reports aren’t quite as glowing. One scout went as far as questioning Vitters baseball IQ (putting it nicely) after getting picked off and dropping a routine pop up.

[KingCubsFan]

It's Loxas, so w/e, but...

 

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-insider/2014/03/cubs-prospect-christian-villanueva-turning-heads-in-camp/

 

Earlier in the day, I had heard back from a scout that I checked in with in regards to Mike Olt.

 

From the reports I received, Olt looks more and more like the former top prospect he once was considered. In fact, this scout was pretty confident that Olt should be able to force the Cubs to bring him north as the third baseman if things continue in a similar fashion.

 

Later, I also heard from an Arizona source that other clubs are noticing yet another Cubs prospect at the same position. One Director of Pro Scouting says he would ask for Christian Villanueva.

 

“He’s not talked about enough”, says the source.

 

Villanueva is seen as a potential gold glove candidate. He doesn’t possess the power that most of the Cubs elite prospects flash. Still, he is seen as a potential .300 hitter with line drive power.

 

Hold on folks that's not at all.

 

If you call now, you can also receive reports that say Kris Bryant looks more than capable of handling third himself. Bryant apparently is showing some pretty good instincts defensively.

 

Bryant is still viewed by some as a future corner outfielder. Yesterday, however, Theo Epstein told WSCR’s Matt Spiegel he won’t rush to move a player like Bryant off a position before it is deemed completely necessary, regardless of a player like Olt stepping up.

 

If Olt does indeed step up, the organization is going to have an embarrassment of riches at third. A position that historically hasn't been easy to fill for the Cubs.

 

As for the former third baseman of the future Josh Vitters, the reports aren’t quite as glowing. One scout went as far as questioning Vitters baseball IQ (putting it nicely) after getting picked off and dropping a routine pop up.

I've never seen anyone classify Villanueva as a .300 hitter. I would have to think a GG third baseman with a plus hit tool and at least average power is a top 30 prospect in the game.

[Guest]

The stuff about Vitters is dead on. He's probably better suited for DH Than Vogelbach.

[Guest]

Villanueva is a career .276 hitter and hit .261 last year in his only stop at AA. I like him as much as anyone, but calling him a potential .300 hitter is like calling him a potential gold glove SS. It shows the sources feeding Loxas that info are just bullish on his swing and aren't stopping to think, and Loxas sure isn't stopping to think why that might be ludicrous too.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

It's not exactly definitive or anything, but every time I've noticed Villanueva this spring it's been him botching or nearly botching a play in the field. So like a total of three times.

[Guest]

Villanueva is a career .276 hitter and hit .261 last year in his only stop at AA. I like him as much as anyone, but calling him a potential .300 hitter is like calling him a potential gold glove SS. It shows the sources feeding Loxas that info are just bullish on his swing and aren't stopping to think, and Loxas sure isn't stopping to think why that might be ludicrous too.

 

So, like, standard scout behavior.

[jersey cubs fan]

Villanueva is a career .276 hitter and hit .261 last year in his only stop at AA. I like him as much as anyone, but calling him a potential .300 hitter is like calling him a potential gold glove SS.

That is not a particularly good comparison. He's not a potential gold glove SS because he doesn't actually play shortstop. Calling somebody a potential .300 hitter isn't the same as calling them a career .300 hitter, it isn't really saying much of anything. Dusty Baker once called Bill Mueller a potential hitting champion and he was coming off a .268 AVG before coming to the Cubs. He won batting title with a .326 a few years later and that was 35 points above his career average.

 

Villanueva hit .314 as a 19 year old and was hitting .285 in A+ before coming over in the trade. Jayson Werth is coming off back to back .300 seasons despite being a .271 hitter in the minors and spending most of his major league career closer to that level, including a .274 career mark. Andrew McCutheon hit .265 in AA and wasn't flirting and hit .259 the season before his first of back to back .300 seasons. Plenty of guys didn't hit .300 until they actually turned into a .300 hitter in the major leagues.

 

He may never do it, but saying he has the potential to do it is not that egregious of a statement.

[Guest]

Villanueva is a career .276 hitter and hit .261 last year in his only stop at AA. I like him as much as anyone, but calling him a potential .300 hitter is like calling him a potential gold glove SS.

That is not a particularly good comparison. He's not a potential gold glove SS because he doesn't actually play shortstop. Calling somebody a potential .300 hitter isn't the same as calling them a career .300 hitter, it isn't really saying much of anything. Dusty Baker once called Bill Mueller a potential hitting champion and he was coming off a .268 AVG before coming to the Cubs. He won batting title with a .326 a few years later and that was 35 points above his career average.

 

Villanueva hit .314 as a 19 year old and was hitting .285 in A+ before coming over in the trade. Jayson Werth is coming off back to back .300 seasons despite being a .271 hitter in the minors and spending most of his major league career closer to that level, including a .274 career mark. Andrew McCutheon hit .265 in AA and wasn't flirting and hit .259 the season before his first of back to back .300 seasons. Plenty of guys didn't hit .300 until they actually turned into a .300 hitter in the major leagues.

 

He may never do it, but saying he has the potential to do it is not that egregious of a statement.

 

Oh god you're right. I'm now sort of upset that that moron was vindicated on that. Never made that connection.

[jersey cubs fan]

Villanueva is a career .276 hitter and hit .261 last year in his only stop at AA. I like him as much as anyone, but calling him a potential .300 hitter is like calling him a potential gold glove SS.

That is not a particularly good comparison. He's not a potential gold glove SS because he doesn't actually play shortstop. Calling somebody a potential .300 hitter isn't the same as calling them a career .300 hitter, it isn't really saying much of anything. Dusty Baker once called Bill Mueller a potential hitting champion and he was coming off a .268 AVG before coming to the Cubs. He won batting title with a .326 a few years later and that was 35 points above his career average.

 

Villanueva hit .314 as a 19 year old and was hitting .285 in A+ before coming over in the trade. Jayson Werth is coming off back to back .300 seasons despite being a .271 hitter in the minors and spending most of his major league career closer to that level, including a .274 career mark. Andrew McCutheon hit .265 in AA and wasn't flirting and hit .259 the season before his first of back to back .300 seasons. Plenty of guys didn't hit .300 until they actually turned into a .300 hitter in the major leagues.

 

He may never do it, but saying he has the potential to do it is not that egregious of a statement.

 

Oh god you're right. I'm now sort of upset that that moron was vindicated on that. Never made that connection.

 

I remember thinking it was an absurd call. The crazy thing is it happened in 2003, of all years for Dusty to look prescient.

[Guest]

So Villanueva = Mueller?

 

Got it. I'm OK with this.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Anyone have any idea when the various rounds of cuts are expected to happen?

[NOLA]

Anyone have any idea when the various rounds of cuts are expected to happen?

Vitters may have already packed.

[UMFan83]

Fluff but fluffed from the national media instead of just local guys:

 

10 guys scouts are raving about:

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/the-gms-office/post?id=9021

 

3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs

 

Manager Rick Renteria told me that Rizzo needs to hit left-handers better this year, as he did in the minor leagues. He must to go back to going the other way (which always has been his bread and butter) and then just turn on the inside pitch. Like Belt, there is a noticeable change in maturity and mindset, and because of it scouts believe he'll live up to his 30/100 potential this year.

[Clem Fandango]

That version of Rizzo, a bounce back from Castro, and a fulfillment on Olt's potential would make the offense seem not so dreadful

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

And then in the 2nd half, good debuts for Baez or Alcantara at 2B and squee. /pipedream

[pitchcs]

That version of Rizzo, a bounce back from Castro, and a fulfillment on Olt's potential would make the offense seem not so dreadful

 

Not going to happen unfortunately.

[Clem Fandango]

That version of Rizzo, a bounce back from Castro, and a fulfillment on Olt's potential would make the offense seem not so dreadful

 

Not going to happen unfortunately.

 

http://i.imgur.com/uITME9E.png

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

http://i.imgur.com/4VaPOZ0.jpg

[imb]

breakign news blind 26 year old third baseman still sucks sorry

[Banedon]

http://i.imgur.com/0LOd3S6.jpg