Minor League Discussion & Boxes 8-14-14

[TruffleShuffle]

Meh. Ryan Howard was really good for a while, and wasted one of his peak years waiting for Jim Thome to be traded. Otherwise there are two busts and a third guy who was drafted the same year as Bryant, so way too early to say what he will be.

[rawaction]

 

Dat #sparkle doe!

[Felix Leiter]

Olt still sucks.

 

Not giving up on him quite yet. I'm still hoping he solves his vision problem because it would make for an interesting lineup in 2015. Surely you would accept an above average fielding 3rd baseman, 25 HR and .270-280 hitter. You put Bryant in left and that's pretty sweet.

[Guest]

Olt still sucks.

 

Not giving up on him quite yet. I'm still hoping he solves his vision problem because it would make for an interesting lineup in 2015. Surely you would accept an above average fielding 3rd baseman, 25 HR and .270-280 hitter. You put Bryant in left and that's pretty sweet.

 

It's not a vision problem. It's a can't make contact problem. Which is sort of a vision problem too, but it's not something he didn't have before 2013.

[Guest]

Best case is Olt does really well and the Cubs trade him for someone good.

[Tyrant]

Olt still sucks.

 

Not giving up on him quite yet. I'm still hoping he solves his vision problem because it would make for an interesting lineup in 2015. Surely you would accept an above average fielding 3rd baseman, 25 HR and .270-280 hitter. You put Bryant in left and that's pretty sweet.

 

Of course we'd all accept that. But we're talking about Mike Olt here.

[Felix Leiter]

Olt still sucks.

 

Not giving up on him quite yet. I'm still hoping he solves his vision problem because it would make for an interesting lineup in 2015. Surely you would accept an above average fielding 3rd baseman, 25 HR and .270-280 hitter. You put Bryant in left and that's pretty sweet.

 

It's not a vision problem. It's a can't make contact problem. Which is sort of a vision problem too, but it's not something he didn't have before 2013.

 

He hit .288 with 28 HR in 2012. Nice try.

[rawaction]

Stop it. Olt is done. Josh Vitters and Brett Jackson have as much of a chance to turn it around as Olt, which means none.

[Andy]

Olt still sucks.

 

Not giving up on him quite yet. I'm still hoping he solves his vision problem because it would make for an interesting lineup in 2015. Surely you would accept an above average fielding 3rd baseman, 25 HR and .270-280 hitter. You put Bryant in left and that's pretty sweet.

 

It's not a vision problem. It's a can't make contact problem. Which is sort of a vision problem too, but it's not something he didn't have before 2013.

 

He hit .288 with 28 HR in 2012. Nice try.

In the minors.

[jersey cubs fan]

Stop it. Olt is done. Josh Vitters and Brett Jackson have as much of a chance to turn it around as Olt, which means none.

 

I think he's done, but unlike those two he is actually raking in AAA and does hold some defensive value. The other two are more done.

[ScrubMD]

I'm guessing they bring Olt back up in Sept and hope he plays well enough that someone will be willing to trade for him, or maybe accept him as a secondary piece in a trade for a pitcher. Even if he does become acceptable in the majors, we won't have room for him as a starter. His ceiling isn't much higher than what Valbuena is already doing.

[UMFan83]

The fact that he randomly turned a switch when being demoted and turned from a .550 OPS player to a 1.040 OPS player says everything I need to know about Olt and his 2012 numbers. I haven't seen anything about his vision problem this year, no one is making that excuse anymore. The most likely answer is that he just sucks and is a 4A player.

[davell]

Stop it. Olt is done. Josh Vitters and Brett Jackson have as much of a chance to turn it around as Olt, which means none.

 

I think he's done, but unlike those two he is actually raking in AAA and does hold some defensive value. The other two are more done.

 

This. He's still remotely salvageable to the point he's a bench bat.

[ctcf]

So wait is Bryant gonna be Ryan Howard now?

[Felix Leiter]

The fact that he randomly turned a switch when being demoted and turned from a .550 OPS player to a 1.040 OPS player says everything I need to know about Olt and his 2012 numbers. I haven't seen anything about his vision problem this year, no one is making that excuse anymore. The most likely answer is that he just sucks and is a 4A player.

 

So you're saying a player who was good in the minors, called up to the majors and struggles and when he's sent back down to the minors and is successful again "just sucks and is a 4A player"?

 

Tell Anthony Rizzo that.

[Guest]

That's not an inspiring list of names to associate Bryant with

 

Eh. A player like Bryant normally doesn't get to stay in the minors and get up to 40 HR when he's having a season like this in the upper levels.

[Guest]

Best case is Olt does really well and the Cubs trade him for someone .

[rawaction]

The fact that he randomly turned a switch when being demoted and turned from a .550 OPS player to a 1.040 OPS player says everything I need to know about Olt and his 2012 numbers. I haven't seen anything about his vision problem this year, no one is making that excuse anymore. The most likely answer is that he just sucks and is a 4A player.

 

So you're saying a player who was good in the minors, called up to the majors and struggles and when he's sent back down to the minors and is successful again "just sucks and is a 4A player"?

 

Tell Anthony Rizzo that.

 

What about a player that sucks in the minors before sucking in his 2ND callup, and strikes out in over 1/3 of his PAs?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The fact that he randomly turned a switch when being demoted and turned from a .550 OPS player to a 1.040 OPS player says everything I need to know about Olt and his 2012 numbers. I haven't seen anything about his vision problem this year, no one is making that excuse anymore. The most likely answer is that he just sucks and is a 4A player.

 

So you're saying a player who was good in the minors, called up to the majors and struggles and when he's sent back down to the minors and is successful again "just sucks and is a 4A player"?

 

Tell Anthony Rizzo that.

 

Age matters.

[Elrhino]

The fact that he randomly turned a switch when being demoted and turned from a .550 OPS player to a 1.040 OPS player says everything I need to know about Olt and his 2012 numbers. I haven't seen anything about his vision problem this year, no one is making that excuse anymore. The most likely answer is that he just sucks and is a 4A player.

 

So you're saying a player who was good in the minors, called up to the majors and struggles and when he's sent back down to the minors and is successful again "just sucks and is a 4A player"?

 

Tell Anthony Rizzo that.

 

Rizzo did that at 22. Olt turns 26 in a couple of weeks (and almost a full year older than Rizzo). When you're 26 and you still can't make contact with major league pitches, you're a 4A player.

 

Who do you want Olt stealing at bats from in 2015? Rizzo at 1B? Bryant at 3B? Addison at 3B? Soler or Bryant at corner OF?

Edited August 15, 2014 by Elrhino

[davell]

Olt likely has too many holes and too long of a swing to produce as a starter. But he's at least hitting AAA pitching after struggling mightily there last year. It IS possible his vision has gotten better, but needed more consistent playing time in the majors to put up slightly better numbers. If he can hit .200 with his power and his glove, he's a fairly useful bench bat for us. It's worth finding out if he can be that. I hope we give him another 100 major league at bats this year, it's not like its hurting anything or taking AB's away from someone we don't already know what they are.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Olt likely has too many holes and too long of a swing to produce as a starter. But he's at least hitting AAA pitching after struggling mightily there last year. It IS possible his vision has gotten better, but needed more consistent playing time in the majors to put up slightly better numbers. If he can hit .200 with his power and his glove, he's a fairly useful bench bat for us. It's worth finding out if he can be that. I hope we give him another 100 major league at bats this year, it's not like its hurting anything or taking AB's away from someone we don't already know what they are.

 

Only if you can promise if/when he can't hit in those 100 ABs, he can finally go away.

[davell]

Olt likely has too many holes and too long of a swing to produce as a starter. But he's at least hitting AAA pitching after struggling mightily there last year. It IS possible his vision has gotten better, but needed more consistent playing time in the majors to put up slightly better numbers. If he can hit .200 with his power and his glove, he's a fairly useful bench bat for us. It's worth finding out if he can be that. I hope we give him another 100 major league at bats this year, it's not like its hurting anything or taking AB's away from someone we don't already know what they are.

 

Only if you can promise if/when he can't hit in those 100 ABs, he can finally go away.

 

Absolutely.

[Clem Fandango]

Olt is also reunited with Manny, who helped him a bit in Texas before he was traded. That could be part of his turn around as well

[Guest]

Olt is also reunited with Manny, who helped him a bit in Texas before he was traded. That could be part of his turn around as well

Manuel Rameriz is--the bat whisperer. You'll be moved to tears by this heart warming story of a man on a mission of redemption and the loveable lunks he helps to super stardom.

 

The rave reviews are in:

 

"I laughed, I cried, I ate an entire box of donuts"- Jim Hendry

 

"This [expletive] cocksuckig son of a bitch can coach hitting. And you can print it!"- Lee Elia