Baez to CF

[Guest]

Now that they have Zobrist, what will they do with Baez? If he doesn't work out in CF perhaps he can play well enough in one of the corners to split time with Schwarber.

 

he'll probably play everywhere and given what we know of maddon he should be able to get plenty of PA that way

[JennieGarthAlgar]

Wouldn't be shocked if Bryant becomes Schwarber's defensive replacement in LF late in games and Javy takes over 3rd.

[Tracer Bullet]

He'll also get some starts in CF with Heyward being not exactly a stud against the lefties. We saw how much Joe loves to [expletive] around with the lineup. A guy who can play 6 positions (if he can play CF, I'm assuming he can play any OF position as well as 2b, 3b, SS) and hit monster bombs will find some playing time. Or be traded for a stud SP.

[weis21]

He'll also get some starts in CF with Heyward being not exactly a stud against the lefties. We saw how much Joe loves to [expletive] around with the lineup. A guy who can play 6 positions (if he can play CF, I'm assuming he can play any OF position as well as 2b, 3b, SS) and hit monster bombs will find some playing time. Or be traded for a stud SP.

absolutely. don't have a link, but jed (i believe) literally said some along the lines of "baez is going to be like our ben zobrist". and the funny thing was that this was said AFTER they acquired ben zobrist.

[Guest]

For those curious about winter ball stats: http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/org.jsp?id=chc

[Sammy Sofa]

Thank goodness for sample size.

[weis21]

Thank goodness for sample size.

well at least he does have one dong in those 16 AB.

 

and alcantara bums me out. this is mostly because i bought that signed pair of his game-worn batting gloves. they're still cool, i guess, but if he were an actual productive member of the team that would be really nice. oh well, money went to a good cause at least.

[Guest]

Thank goodness for sample size.

Well, if you're talking Javy, then he's been killed by babip; everything else in his line is fine.

 

19 PA: 3/3 BB/K ratio; 16% BB & K rate; he's hit a home run on 1 in 13 balls in play

 

The only issue is that he's got one single on the other 12 balls in play, for a 0.083 BABIP.

[Guest]

a bit off topic: Villanueva's line continues to be super sexy

[weis21]

a bit off topic: Villanueva's line continues to be super sexy

isn't there a logjam at 3B between AA and AAA? I'd love for him to be a cheap, productive backup next year for the cubs. or traded for good value, of course, if some team views him as a candidate for a starting 3B job.

[Guest]

a bit off topic: Villanueva's line continues to be super sexy

isn't there a logjam at 3B between AA and AAA? I'd love for him to be a cheap, productive backup next year for the cubs. or traded for good value, of course, if some team views him as a candidate for a starting 3B job.

Also on that page is Jeimer Candelario, who crushed it in the AFL at age 21.

 

But there likely isn't a logjam; Villanueva is out of options, so we have to either put him on the major league roster, trade him or try to pass him through waivers (which will likely fail).

[weis21]

thanks, tim. yeah i'm really intrigued by the candle man. the damn team and farm are so stacked with talent it's insane. with the holidays, december always flies by. then just have to suffer though january and february before we get to see them on the field again! in my 33 years i've never been as eager and stoked about spring training as i will this year.

[Guest]

Milwaukee looks really, really bad at 3B in 2016. If we did end up making a move for Lucroy, I could definitely see us pushing Villanueva as part of the compensation.

[SouthSideRyan]

Milwaukee looks really, really bad at 3B in 2016. If we did end up making a move for Lucroy, I could definitely see us pushing Villanueva as part of the compensation.

 

Villanueva has never been as good a prospect as Olt, and he was what the 3rd piece in a trade for a lesser player for 1/4 of the control? I don't think he's worth considering in a hypo trade proposal becuase he's not going to swing the pendulum much.

[Backtobanks]

He'll also get some starts in CF with Heyward being not exactly a stud against the lefties. We saw how much Joe loves to [expletive] around with the lineup. A guy who can play 6 positions (if he can play CF, I'm assuming he can play any OF position as well as 2b, 3b, SS) and hit monster bombs will find some playing time. Or be traded for a stud SP.

 

Still waiting for another deal involving Baez or Soler.

[Guest]

preferably not

 

all the young dongsmiths

[Sammy Sofa]

Heydongman.

[Tedward]

He'll also get some starts in CF with Heyward being not exactly a stud against the lefties. We saw how much Joe loves to [expletive] around with the lineup. A guy who can play 6 positions (if he can play CF, I'm assuming he can play any OF position as well as 2b, 3b, SS) and hit monster bombs will find some playing time. Or be traded for a stud SP.

 

Still waiting for another deal involving Baez or Soler.

 

I'd be surprised if Baez is dealt with Castro gone. Not real excited about moving Soler right now either considering the cost to acquire young controllable elite starting pitching.

[Backtobanks]

He'll also get some starts in CF with Heyward being not exactly a stud against the lefties. We saw how much Joe loves to [expletive] around with the lineup. A guy who can play 6 positions (if he can play CF, I'm assuming he can play any OF position as well as 2b, 3b, SS) and hit monster bombs will find some playing time. Or be traded for a stud SP.

 

Still waiting for another deal involving Baez or Soler.

 

I'd be surprised if Baez is dealt with Castro gone. Not real excited about moving Soler right now either considering the cost to acquire young controllable elite starting pitching.

 

I don't think Baez is going to see as much playing time on the Cubs as many of you seem to think. He's an unknown about any OF position and Zobrist, Russell, and Bryant aren't coming out of the lineup (barring injury) very often. Soler dealt for young pitching with a prospect deal for a CF (Blackmon?) would move Heyward to RF and make a lot of sense.

[davell]

Barring injury is why you keep Javy. Russell has had some injury issues and Zobrist is less than a year removed from surgery himself. The fact that Javy is damn solid defensively throughout the IF is important and he should be more than capable playing in the OF as well.

 

Blackmon isn't even a good defensive CF. Giving Javy and Soler more development time is just fine, especially with what we've surrounded them with.

[Guest]

I like Heyward a lot more as a CF. Maybe it's irrational, but seeing as how he can likely handle it and handle it well, it just allays a lot of the meatball stuff that my brain wants to think about his offense in right. His bat just looks so much better to me there and his fielding ability remains an asset in CF. I like it so much more than a Heyward in RF and Span or something in CF alignment.

 

Anyway, as for Baez's playing time, I mean, for one thing, Maddon LOVES him. And we saw how he used everybody down the stretch when the rosters expanded. There will always be room to give guys days off on certain matchups or just for rest, and there will always be room for him to come in on a double switch or something, and there will, almost inevitably, be injuries.

 

As for whether Maddon would be reluctant to put him in the OF, I mean, he threw Bryant in center a few times. I have little doubt that, having had an offseason to work on it (and being the type of athlete he is), Maddon won't hesitate to run him out there whenever he wants.

[Guest]

Barring injury is why you keep Javy. Russell has had some injury issues and Zobrist is less than a year removed from surgery himself. The fact that Javy is damn solid defensively throughout the IF is important and he should be more than capable playing in the OF as well.

 

Blackmon isn't even a good defensive CF. Giving Javy and Soler more development time is just fine, especially with what we've surrounded them with.

 

That's basically how I feel. Especially with Jorge. This offense is going to be great even if he sucks like last year. Like really great. If he breaks out in a way that resembles his minor league performance and physical ability, well, I can't even fathom how absurd that offense would be.

[Guest]

There are questions about both Heyward and Schwarber against lefties. Javy could have plenty of playing time both giving guys regular rest as well as picking up extra starts against lefties. It doesn't even matter much how well he fields in the OF, because both Bryant and Zobrist could go out there with Javy staying on the IF.

[Guest]

Heydongman.

YES

[Hairyducked Idiot]

preferably not

 

all the young dongsmiths

 

Yeah. Once we got Warren from the Yankees, my burning desire for another pitcher went away.

 

I mean, there'd be a certain satisfaction in seeing Soler's 1.3 drop off as the only position or rotation spot where we project to under 2 wins, but we just ... don't need to get any better? That's a weird way to put it, but my god how good does a team have to be before diminishing returns kick in?

 

If there's an amazing Soler for young pitcher deal to be had, I'd be intrigued, but the way pitchers have been going for nutso returns this offseason makes me believe that deal isn't out there.