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2019 Opening Day Minor League Rosters

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CaliforniaRaisin

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Arizona Phil breaks down the likely minor league rotations. Tyson Miller is conspicuously absent from the rotation or the injured starting out in Arizona: https://www.thecubreporter.com/comment/262669#comment-262669

 

With Thomas Hatch and Michael Rucker having been moved down from Iowa to Tennessee and with Alex Lange moved down from Tennessee to Myrtle Beach (as I reported here yesterday), that should clear things up a bit with regard to the starting rotations at the four Cubs full-season affiliates:

 

IOWA: Tseng, Robinson, Swarmer, Clifton, and Underwood Jr, with Mills left behind at EXST and with neither Clifton nor Underwood piggy-backing with anyone else.

 

TENNESSEE: Rucker, Hatch, Abbott, K. Thompson, and B. Clark (who has been stretched-out as a SP at Minor League Camp), with Steele left behind at EXST

 

MYRTLE BEACH: Lange, Hudson, Assad, Moreno, and Richan, plus Brendan King is stretched-out as a SP in case Moreno or Richan need a piggy-back partner.

 

SOUTH BEND: Marquez, Y. Cruz, R. Thompson, Casey, and either Carrera, Sanders, or Ramos the #5 and then one of the other two could be a potential piggy-back partner with Marquez (if one is needed).

 

Additionally, from yesterday at the backfields: https://www.thecubreporter.com/03292019/cubs-are-real-power-riverview

 

Meanwhile, the jury is still out on whether Cole Roederer will open the 2019 season at South Bend or at Extended Spring Training. Sometimes he looks great, and other times (like in Thursday night's game) he doesn't. So he is squarely "on the bubble," and it could go either way. (I guess we'll find out shortly).
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Hrubes20 Draft Eligible

Hrubes20

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Wow, AZ Phil had Lange solidly projected in the AA rotation. I wonder if there's a corresponding move coming like one of Rucker, Swarmer or Hatch going from Iowa to Tennessee.

 

Just stick Lange in the bullpen now and see if he can get a few ticks back to the fastball. He's not a starter.

CaliforniaRaisin GOAT

CaliforniaRaisin

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Richan was facing South Bend players but still:

 

SP Paul Richan hurled six innings of shutout ball with nine stikeouts (also 6/2 GO/AO, all three hits he allowed were singles, he issued no walks, and he threw 80% strikes)

 

Also, three of the pitchers who threw for Myrtle Beach (Ian Clarkin, Jordan Minch, and Wyatt Short) were actually Tennessee relievers who needed work (the Minch FB was sitting 94-95 and touched 97, BTW)

 

In Minor League Camp news, OF Brandon Hughes (Cubs 2017 16th round draft pick - Michigan State) is being converted to a LHP. Hughes is the second Cubs outfielder to be converted to pitcher this month (Jamie Galazin was the other one). Like Galazin, Hughes does have some prior experience as a pitcher in college (he appeared in seven games as a reliever in his freshman season at MSU).

 

Brailyn still hasn’t been stretched out enough and might stay back in Arizona:

 

1. Brailyn Marquez: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 1 PO, 1/1 GO/AO, 31 pitches (19 strikes)

 

It is very possible that South Bend LHSP Brailyn Marquez will be left behind at EXST to build-up his innings & pitch count and continue to work on some minor mechanical issues.

 

https://www.thecubreporter.com/03302019/pelicans-pitchers-turn-heat-riverview-park

craig First Round Pick

craig

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Why is Marquez behind schedule? I hadn't realized he'd been injured.

 

Any news yet on what was STeele's latest injury (I assume) that put him behind?

craig First Round Pick

craig

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Richan was facing South Bend players but still:

 

SP Paul Richan hurled six innings of shutout ball with nine stikeouts (also 6/2 GO/AO, all three hits he allowed were singles, he issued no walks, and he threw 80% strikes)
....

 

Pretty interesting. Nice.

 

I love pitchers with good stuff; and I usually assume most successful pitchers have some individual pitch that is outstanding, even if their fastball isn't.

 

Not sure Richan has any individual pitch that's especially good.

 

But who knows, maybe he's a guy who can throws an assortment of pitches that individually would scout as relatively average; but maybe an average-stuff pitch with excellent location ends up being more than average? Or maybe a collection of average pitches plays out above average if a guy can mix and match and locate all of them? Maybe none has unusually good movement, but if hitters are rarely guessing right, they don't need great movement?

 

I guess I also hope that a smart control pitcher maybe has an easier time refining and improving pitches than a wild guy? Easier to tweak and modify and refine and improve off a good, consistent delivery that you really know how to manage? Rather than when the delivery is inherently inconsistent to start with, and fiddling around just amplifies the inconsistencies?

 

I suppose the other possibility is that some guys do just improve their stuff. Richan just turned 22 this week, was a young college draftee. Probably not usual but neither is it impossible that a guy who was 20-turning-21 during his draft season on which the scouting reports were based, that a guy that young might get a little stronger, or faster, or more consistent, of better able to sharpen the curve or whatever?

 

Also perhaps possible that the scouting reports we've had access to perhaps just weren't super accurate, and maybe some of his individual pitches have more movement and are actually somewhat sharper than we've been led to believe?

CaliforniaRaisin GOAT

CaliforniaRaisin

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Marquez might be behind schedule, but did make the SB roster. Roederer also made the squad.https://twitter.com/sbcubs/status/1112124248766717952?s=21

 

But Yovanny Cruz didn’t. Weird.

Hrubes20 Draft Eligible

Hrubes20

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Marquez might be behind schedule, but did make the SB roster. Roederer also made the squad.https://twitter.com/sbcubs/status/1112124248766717952?s=21

 

But Yovanny Cruz didn’t. Weird.

 

Yeah, with all the glowing reports on Cruz this ST I figured he was a lock. Very pleased to see Roederer getting the aggressive placement at SB.

CubsWin Myrtle Beach Pelicans

CubsWin

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Did anyone ever get information on what is ailing Little?

Mooney reported it's a lat strain. He's still "shut down".

 

From the same article at The Athletic

Cubs farm director Jaron Madison said Alzolay is “100 percent healthy now” and on track to join the Iowa rotation in early May.

 

And this on Amaya's off-season:

Amaya spent most of the offseason at the team’s Arizona complex, getting bigger and stronger and trying to avoid what happened last year at South Bend. Amaya earned an invitation to the All-Star Futures Game (.865 first-half OPS) but then wore down in the second half of the season (.634 OPS).

 

“He attacked it,” Madison said. “He really focused on his body. He did a really good job committing to the program (and) getting himself in as great a shape as possible. I expect him to get off to a hot start, like he did last year. And I think this year – with the guys that are hitting around him – he won’t have that fall-off. He will be challenged. He’s going to learn a lot this year.”

I don't know what Jaron is talking about when he says "the guys that are hitting around" Amaya being a help to him. That Pelicans line-up looks pretty weak. There are several returning players like Ademan, Mitchell, Wilson and Galindo that could see better numbers the 2nd time around, but no one in that batting order is proven. And the Carolina League is notoriously friendly to pitchers...

craig First Round Pick

craig

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....

I don't know what Jaron is talking about when he says "the guys that are hitting around" Amaya being a help to him. That Pelicans line-up looks pretty weak. There are several returning players like Ademan, Mitchell, Wilson and Galindo that could see better numbers the 2nd time around, but no one in that batting order is proven. And the Carolina League is notoriously friendly to pitchers...

 

yeah, that looks like a terrible lineup to me. Maybe by being mostly older veterans they'll end up being OK. But to me it looked kind of like Herron, Amaya, and kinda like having mostly a bunch of Heywards or something!

CubsWin Myrtle Beach Pelicans

CubsWin

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Sounds like Tseng is at risk for not making the I-Cubs (also, Christopher Morel and Jonathan Soto both homered - one of them off AAAer Colin Rea): https://www.thecubreporter.com/04022019/russell-tseng-action-morel-soto-go-deep-riverview

As in he's hurt or he's going to be DFA'd?

He had a poor performance against Eugene/Mesa players, and there's a ton of depth in AAA already. I doubt one performance would be reason enough to cut him, but if he was already on the bubble...

CaliforniaRaisin GOAT

CaliforniaRaisin

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I do think he’ll get DFA’d when Addison Russell’s suspension is over and they need a 40-man spot. Alzolay should be close to ready for Iowa’s rotation by then too and Rea should already be ready.
CubsWin Myrtle Beach Pelicans

CubsWin

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I do think he’ll get DFA’d when Addison Russell’s suspension is over and they need a 40-man spot. Alzolay should be close to ready for Iowa’s rotation by then too and Rea should already be ready.

Yeah, it's either him or Barnette and Tony's on a major league contract...

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