Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 5-27-21

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Box Scores:

 

Iowa lost 4-2 Box Score

 

SS S. Alcántara 0/3, R, 2 BB, K

LF-2B A. Avelino 2/4, R, BB, K, 2B (4)

C J. Lobatón 0/3, BB, 2 K

3B J. Huma 1/4, K

SP A. Sampson 4.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 4-5 GO-FO

RP M. Rucker 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 1-0 GO-FO

 

Tennessee lost 8-7 (10 innings) Box Score

 

RF D. Hill 2/4, R, 2 BB

C M. Amaya 2/4, 2 R, 3 RBi, 3 BB, 2 K, HR (1)

SS-2B C. Morel 1/4, R, BB, K

DH N. Maldonado 1/5, RBI, 3 K, 2B (1)

SP L. Lugo 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 WP, 2-2 GO-FO

RP B. Hudson 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 2 WP, 6-0 GO-FO

RP B. Leeper 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0-1 GO-FO

 

South Bend lost 4-3 (6 innings - Rain) Box Score

 

SS D. Zinn 1/3, RBI, K

LF C. Roederer 0/3, 2 K

CF B. Davis 1/3, K

2B C. Strumpf 1/2, HBP

DH N. Velázquez 0/2, R, K

RF Y. Perlaza 0/1, R, BB

SP R. Jensen 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 0-0 GO-FO - 34 pitches

RP M. Bocchi 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 0-3 GO-FO

RP B. Hughes 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1-0 GO-FO

 

Myrtle Beach lost 4-1 Box Score

 

CF E. Americaan 1/4, R, 3B (2)

2B F. Bautista 2/4, RBI, 2B (2)

LF Y. Piñango 0/4, outfield assist at third base

RF J. Sierra 0/4

DH P. Aliendo 3/4, K

C E. Hearn 0/4, 3K

SS K. Made 0/4 - pro debut

SS R. García 1/3, K, E (2, throw)

SP M. Espinoza 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 5-1 GO-FO

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

He’s still 18 and would become the youngest player on the roster (Howard and Piñango were also born in 2002 but are already 19).

[Bertz]

 

He’s still 18 and would become the youngest player on the roster (Howard and Piñango were also born in 2002 but are already 19).

 

 

With how full the IL is for MB the lineup had gotten kinda thin after Pinango. This is awesome.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Word on Howard's injury?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Word on Howard's injury?

 

I’ve seen nothing. Minor league injury info is about as hard to come by as college football.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Guessing Yeison Santana is going on the IL/to Arizona as the corresponding move since Made is taking his number.

 

[We Got The Whole 9]

Word on Howard's injury?

 

I’ve seen nothing. Minor league injury info is about as hard to come by as college football.

None of Smith, Phil, etc have any idea huh, damn. It's probably nothing, I guess.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Miguel Amaya 3-run HR

 

[craig]

Jensen can't finish the first. Scattered 3 walks and a HR in his 0.2, pulled at 34 pitches.

[Brian]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[We Got The Whole 9]

Like Dakota Mekkes, the Cubs are seemingly never gonna give that guy a shot.

[CubsWin]

Like Dakota Mekkes, the Cubs are seemingly never gonna give that guy a shot.

With how well the bullpen has been performing of late and the current 40-man roster crunch, you're right, Rucker's chance may be a long way off. But I don't think it's because the Cubs have anything against him.

 

After a rough 1st two outings, Rucker has put together 4 good ones totaling 8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 12 K. That's impressive though not much of a sample size. The Cubs have good bullpen depth in AAA right now with Trevor McGill and Brad Wieck already on the 40-man and Robert Stock seemingly ahead of Rucker in the pecking order. Heck, even Kyle Ryan is pitching like a man possessed after the Cubs DFA'd him and every MLB team decided to pass on giving him a look.

 

Even if he keeps this up, Rucker will still need either some massive under-performance by current major league relievers, 1 or 2 of them to get 60-day IL stints or some bullpen pieces being traded away in order to get placed on the 40-man. And with Rowan Wick getting closer to returning (and thus coming off the 60-day IL), that's about to get even harder to do. Ultimately, it's a good problem for the Cubs to have and a tough spot for Rucker to be in. All he can do is keep stringing together dominant outings and possibly force Cubs management to shuffle the deck and make room for him.

[muntjack]

I feel like the best predictor of major league success is k/bb. I don't want to trade Amaya.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

I feel like the best predictor of major league success is k/bb. I don't want to trade Amaya.

 

Especially when you also consider his age compared to the league.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Like Dakota Mekkes, the Cubs are seemingly never gonna give that guy a shot.

With how well the bullpen has been performing of late and the current 40-man roster crunch, you're right, Rucker's chance may be a long way off. But I don't think it's because the Cubs have anything against him.

 

After a rough 1st two outings, Rucker has put together 4 good ones totaling 8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 12 K. That's impressive though not much of a sample size. The Cubs have good bullpen depth in AAA right now with Trevor McGill and Brad Wieck already on the 40-man and Robert Stock seemingly ahead of Rucker in the pecking order. Heck, even Kyle Ryan is pitching like a man possessed after the Cubs DFA'd him and every MLB team decided to pass on giving him a look.

 

Even if he keeps this up, Rucker will still need either some massive under-performance by current major league relievers, 1 or 2 of them to get 60-day IL stints or some bullpen pieces being traded away in order to get placed on the 40-man. And with Rowan Wick getting closer to returning (and thus coming off the 60-day IL), that's about to get even harder to do. Ultimately, it's a good problem for the Cubs to have and a tough spot for Rucker to be in. All he can do is keep stringing together dominant outings and possibly force Cubs management to shuffle the deck and make room for him.

I guess my thing is, why bother converting him to relief when he was quite effective as a starter? He throws strikes, gets whiffs, and keeps the ball in the yard. I imagine his stuff has only improved now that we ramped up the infrastructure. Now we have an extremely crowded picture and he's way down the pecking order it appears, while we have 3 SP whom he could possibly approximate in the rotation. He's 27 now and his track record reflects a guy who should be in the Majors already, IMO.

 

A team so starving for SP sure seems content to take other teams trash and try to turn it into treasure rather than just seeing what they have in their own chest.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Completely agree on Amaya. They need to hold onto him or make a damn decision on Contreras. I said it before he could be Carlos Santana but actually stick behind the dish and I'm sticking to that. Dude controls the zone very well at an advanced age. If that power (Santana's didn't emerge until he repeated AA at 23) comes around he's gonna be a hell of a MLB hitter.

 

Its a joke that he basically got dropped from top 100s because they question his bat speed. Im so tired of lists in general.

[Bertz]

Yeah I can't really see a scenario where it makes any sense to trade Amaya over the next year or two. If the team's competing you need him for depth. The team is not even close to strong enough elsewhere to risk being a well placed foul ball away from a PJ Higgins/Austin Romine battery and consider itself a World Series contender.

 

And if you're not competitive, whether that's in six weeks, this winter, or next summer, trading Willson and installing Amaya (maybe not immediately if it's this summer) obviously has to happen as part of the transition to a new core.

[Tim]

I feel like the best predictor of major league success is k/bb. I don't want to trade Amaya.

 

Especially when you also consider his age compared to the league.

 

Eh, 22 isn’t crazy young for AA more like a good, solid age for a starting level prospect. He’s outstanding but Amaya’s not the kind of prospect who should be considered untouchable, especially with a horse like Contreras on the ML roster under contract

Is that adjusting all ages by a year? Because it's really like being 21 at AA in normal circumstances. Still not crazy young, but pretty good.

[muntjack]

Untouchable, no, of course not. To see him included in a deal for a Jose Quintana type would be very frustrating, especially after trading Yu. I feel like he's got the highest floor and it's not at the expense of a high ceiling.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Untouchable, no, of course not. To see him included in a deal for a Jose Quintana type would be very frustrating, especially after trading Yu. I feel like he's got the highest floor and it's not at the expense of a high ceiling.

 

Oh, I’m thinking big. There’s going to be some really good players available btw teams falling out and crying poor plus baseball trying to generate some buzz. In a world where we can conceive of the Cubs trading Kris Bryant *and* others at the deadline this isn’t a stretch to say even now (IMO anyway)

 

Is that adjusting all ages by a year? Because it's really like being 21 at AA in normal circumstances. Still not crazy young, but pretty good.

 

Another thing to consider is that he’s not a toolsy or explosive prospect, more fundamentally sound with great soft skills that will keep him in the game forever. He’s a throwback at the position but the impact guys have big arm and big power

 

Completely agree on Amaya. They need to hold onto him or make a damn decision on Contreras. I said it before he could be Carlos Santana but actually stick behind the dish and I'm sticking to that. Dude controls the zone very well at an advanced age. If that power (Santana's didn't emerge until he repeated AA at 23) comes around he's gonna be a hell of a MLB hitter.

 

Its a joke that he basically got dropped from top 100s because they question his bat speed. Im so tired of lists in general.

 

Carlos Santana’s MiL batting line: .290/.401/.500

 

including .287/.409/.530 at the AA level

 

Keep in mind that Santana hit like that as a switch hitter playing catcher too. He was a through the roof excellent offensive prospect, Amaya isn’t that

Ok what was it through his age 21 season? Nowhere near that level. His 20-21 seasons he hit 10 HR in 550 PA.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

Especially when you also consider his age compared to the league.

 

Eh, 22 isn’t crazy young for AA more like a good, solid age for a starting level prospect. He’s outstanding but Amaya’s not the kind of prospect who should be considered untouchable, especially with a horse like Contreras on the ML roster under contract

Is that adjusting all ages by a year? Because it's really like being 21 at AA in normal circumstances. Still not crazy young, but pretty good.

 

Re: This year - Amaya has had 4 at bats vs pitchers younger than him:

 

[Cubswin11]

Re: This year - Amaya has had 4 at bats vs pitchers younger than him:

 

 

Yeah but what kind of ceiling does that give him? That .423 OBP is surrounded by a .355 SLG and .242 BA just on the surface, does that really really scream star hitter to anyone? He's also not an inexperienced guy for his age, this is his 7th full year in a pro org which is *way* more than most guys can say

His skill set kinda sounds like Grandal to me.

[CubsWin]

Is Amaya tradeable? Sure. If he continues to get better could he bring back a good major leaguer with 1-2 years of control? Of course.

 

But for the life of me, given the Cubs current trajectory, I can't think of a reason why they would want to trade him which makes this whole notion laughable. Now if, out of nowhere, the Cubs extend Bryant, Baez, Rizzo and Contreras? Sure. But the likelihood of that happening is very, very low at this point. Which is what makes even mentioning Amaya as a trade chip in this context just weird and silly.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Guessing Yeison Santana is going on the IL/to Arizona as the corresponding move since Made is taking his number.

 

 

Yeison Santana was indeed demoted to Arizona:

 

[CubsWin]

No clue what the current trajectory is perceived as

Clearly.

 

or why a half dozen players need extensions to even consider trading one good but not great prospect

Those with weak arguments usually wind up exaggerating to make their comments seem more reasonable. I list 4 extensions. You respond as if it's 6.

 

...with an elite catcher under contract for multiple seasons

"Multiple seasons" sounds a lot better than 1.69 seasons, doesn't it?

 

If this is the hill you want to die, I won't stop you. If the Cubs trade Amaya before signing Contreras to an extension, I'll happily say you were right and I was wrong. Until then, to me, this notion is laughable.