Spring Training Thread

[Guest]

Carrie Muskat ‏@CarrieMuskat 10m

#Cubs Mike Olt expects to play 3B on Thursday vs Mariners. Tested shoulder, all is well

 

Bruce Levine ‏@MLBBruceLevine 11m

Mike Olt to play first game at third base tomorrow .

[imb]

"hey you got some food there on your chin"

 

http://i.imgur.com/EzJXYIK.jpg

[davell]

I'm all for Lake making the major league roster, but.....If they preferred him getting full time reps and decided Kalish deserves a starting spot in the OF, then I'd be fine sending Junior down. Anyone else getting optimistic about Kalish?

[Guest]

I'd like Kalish a lot better if the signs didn't point to him being a LF only guy, but I think I said before I was a decent spring from thinking he was a better option than Lake/Vitters. I don't know how far I'd go with "optimistic", but he could certainly wind up like Sweeney has, a cast-off that turns into a borderline regular for several years.

[Vinestal]

I'd like Kalish a lot better if the signs didn't point to him being a LF only guy, but I think I said before I was a decent spring from thinking he was a better option than Lake/Vitters. I don't know how far I'd go with "optimistic", but he could certainly wind up like Sweeney has, a cast-off that turns into a borderline regular for several years.

 

This roster has so many "borderline regulars"

[Sammy Sofa]

I prefer Kalish if only because his name makes it sound like they have a [expletive] Kilingon death-god manning the OF.

[ConstableRabbit]

It sounds like a Yiddish pastry.

[davell]

As strictly a LFer, he wouldn't really fit the prototype. But if he's healthy, I could see 10-15 HR and maybe 20-25 steals out of him in his prime, maybe with an .800ish OPS? It'd be great if we could use him as a 4th OFer with those numbers. Give him 400+ AB's over the course of the season. From an upside standpoint, at least one that seems realistic-I think he could wind up as our best OFer in 2014.

[hawkeyecub]

So Javy hit another ball 7 miles tonight I hear.

[Guest]

So Javy hit another ball 7 miles tonight I hear.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v31593231/chccol-baezs-solo-homer-trims-the-deficit-to-two

[Clem Fandango]

He only hits home runs when no one is on base. He clearly doesn't care about putting forth the effort to contribute until it doesn't matter.

 

[/futurechicagomedia]

[Sammy Sofa]

[expletive], if Olt is cured and Baez shows up this year...something bad has to happen, right?

[Guest]

[expletive], if Olt is cured and Baez shows up this year...something bad has to happen, right?

 

Well, if Olt, 3/4 a season of Baez, and Rizzo and Castro rebounds manage to make the offense somewhat palatable, the back end of the rotation could still be pretty bad.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

[expletive], if Olt is cured and Baez shows up this year...something bad has to happen, right?

 

We go 78-84, pick 11th, and use our non-protected pick as an excuse to sign absolutely no one next year and enter with a rotation of Wood/Jackson/Hammel/Hendricks/somerandocheapguy

[A New Era]

Damn Javy hit another home run? If Hendry was in charge he'd be manning 2B the rest of ST and then break with the team. Better yet, he'd trade Castro for a bag of balls then have Javy take over SS. I'm sure our FO loves seeing this, but we all know they'll stick to the plan. Let Javy tear up AAA for a couple months, get some practice at 2B, maybe learn not to hack at everything, then bring him up. But I'm not sure if he will ever learn not to hack at everything if he can hit 40 HR.

[Guest]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Chicago Cubs prospect Javier Baez did it again, this time hitting a ball the farthest -- by his own estimation -- of his young career.

 

With Colorado Rockies reliever Rob Scahill on the mound in the eighth inning of an eventual Cubs 9-6 loss on Wednesday night, Baez crushed a 2-2 pitch out to dead center field.

 

The ball landed in the second deck of the hitting backdrop behind the center-field wall listed at 410 feet. ESPN Stats & Information estimates the home run carried 452 feet. Earlier this spring Baez indicated the longest home run he ever hit was about 440 feet in high school.

 

It was the fifth home run in Cactus League play for the Cubs’ top pick of 2011, each seemingly “louder” and longer than the previous one.

 

He also homered Tuesday night in a Cubs loss to the Texas Rangers. Four of his five home runs have gone out to right field or centerfield, as going the opposite direction has been a goal of his this spring. Wednesday’s home run tied Baez for the lead among all hitters.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/22117/javier-baez-home-run-travels-452-feet

[Sammy Sofa]

Damn Javy hit another home run? If Hendry was in charge he'd be manning 2B the rest of ST and then break with the team. Better yet, he'd trade Castro for a bag of balls then have Javy take over SS.

 

And you're basing the bold on....what, exactly?

[Guest]

So Javy hit another ball 7 miles tonight I hear.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v31593231/chccol-baezs-solo-homer-trims-the-deficit-to-two

 

ahahahaha "that was really, really far"

 

Baez now with an all-around absurd .316/.316/.789/1.105 line this spring.

[Guest]

So Javy hit another ball 7 miles tonight I hear.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v31593231/chccol-baezs-solo-homer-trims-the-deficit-to-two

 

ahahahaha "that was really, really far"

 

Baez now with an all-around absurd .316/.316/.789/1.105 line this spring.

I'd like to see a walk or something though.

[Fro]

Baez is now tied for the spring training league lead in HRs.

[Guest]

So Javy hit another ball 7 miles tonight I hear.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v31593231/chccol-baezs-solo-homer-trims-the-deficit-to-two

 

ahahahaha "that was really, really far"

 

Baez now with an all-around absurd .316/.316/.789/1.105 line this spring.

I'd like to see a walk or something though.

 

Perfect world, sure, but this is also a pseudo-competitive environment. If this were happening in Chicago in May, Baez wouldn't be seeing as many strikes needed to hit 5 HR in 38 PA.

[Guest]

Damn Javy hit another home run? If Hendry was in charge he'd be manning 2B the rest of ST and then break with the team. Better yet, he'd trade Castro for a bag of balls then have Javy take over SS.

 

And you're basing the bold on....what, exactly?

 

Ugh, I missed this the first time around.

 

That is so dumb.

[sneakypower]

Javy's ISO is a cool .461

[The-Kris-Bryant]

So Javy hit another ball 7 miles tonight I hear.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v31593231/chccol-baezs-solo-homer-trims-the-deficit-to-two

 

ahahahaha "that was really, really far"

 

Baez now with an all-around absurd .316/.316/.789/1.105 line this spring.

I'd like to see a walk or something though.

 

This. It's hard to imagine Baez having a higher offensive upside than Alfonso Soriano until he begins showing more patience. No doubt the power/slg will be there, but he will probably never become a pretty good obp guy. He'll hit a lot of homers, strike out a lot, and probably get out frequently. Of course, if he has Soriano-like offensive numbers while contributing more on defense at SS/2B/3B he's going to be a good player.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

So Javy hit another ball 7 miles tonight I hear.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v31593231/chccol-baezs-solo-homer-trims-the-deficit-to-two

 

ahahahaha "that was really, really far"

 

Baez now with an all-around absurd .316/.316/.789/1.105 line this spring.

I'd like to see a walk or something though.

 

This. It's hard to imagine Baez having a higher offensive upside than Alfonso Soriano until he begins showing more patience. No doubt the power/slg will be there, but he will probably never become a pretty good obp guy. He'll hit a lot of homers, strike out a lot, and probably get out frequently.

 

Alfonso Soriano who can play SS. Yes, please.