Cubs prospect/player you wanted to make it so bad but didn't

[CubinNY]

We are sort of in a bit of a lull until Spring Training starts, and arguing gets tiresome, so let's all share the hopes that were dashed over the years for Cubs prospects. I'm going to give my top 3.  You don't have to limit it to prospects who got a cup of coffee in MLB.

#1- Matt Murton- He came with Nomar in the great Hendry trade that didn't work (but one of the best NSBB threads ever). I still believe he never got a full shot with the Cubs. He was a line-drive hitter with good patience and little power, who could only play LF. Anyway, he went on to have a great career in Japan.

#2- Chris Morel - What a wonderful story, and apparently a great kid. He couldn't play defense and couldn't hit enough to stick as a DH. Now he's in Japan.

#3- Arismendy Alcántara - I was hoping for this kid hard. He had all the physical tools, but couldn't put them together. 

I'm sure there are others, but those three really stand out to me. 

[Sammy Sofa]

CPatt and Pie, all the way.

[Bull]

Andy Sisco. I was certain he was the next Randy Johnson. 

And Chadd Blasko, but just because I had interviewed him when I wrote for cubstalk.com.

Edited January 21 by Bull

[Rcal10]

19 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

We are sort of in a bit of a lull until Spring Training starts, and arguing gets tiresome, so let's all share the hopes that were dashed over the years for Cubs prospects. I'm going to give my top 3.  You don't have to limit it to prospects who got a cup of coffee in MLB.

#1- Matt Murton- He came with Nomar in the great Hendry trade that didn't work (but one of the best NSBB threads ever). I still believe he never got a full shot with the Cubs. He was a line-drive hitter with good patience and little power, who could only play LF. Anyway, he went on to have a great career in Japan.

#2- Chris Morel - What a wonderful story, and apparently a great kid. He couldn't play defense and couldn't hit enough to stick as a DH. Now he's in Japan.

#3- Arismendy Alcántara - I was hoping for this kid hard. He had all the physical tools, but couldn't put them together. 

I'm sure there are others, but those three really stand out to me. 

The biggest disappointment to me was Prior. I thought we had something there. I know he had a little more than a cup of coffee in the majors, but damn, he should have been special. I like you choices, but when I think of prospects I lean to guys ranked high who never developed. So I think if Brennen Davis, Mike Harley, Vitters, Pie, Patterson, Almora, etc…. Those were all either first rd picks or guys who worked their way up to top 20 prospect status and never developed much beyond that. I am trying to remember the pitcher they Cubs wouldn’t trade then to the Rays in the Garza trade so they gave them Archer instead. Also, the lefty pitcher (Marquis?). He pitcher an inning against the Sox several years ago. He was supposed to be special for some time. Struggling to think of a right handed pitcher rhat every year he was supposed to be a special one coming up and never made it. Hispanic guy. Can’t remember his name. 

[Hunter]

Don't forget Jerome Walton. He won ROY in 89 then fell off a cliff. 

[CubinNY]

8 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

The biggest disappointment to me was Prior. I thought we had something there. I know he had a little more than a cup of coffee in the majors, but damn, he should have been special. I like you choices, but when I think of prospects I lean to guys ranked high who never developed. So I think if Brennen Davis, Mike Harley, Vitters, Pie, Patterson, Almora, etc…. Those were all either first rd picks or guys who worked their way up to top 20 prospect status and never developed much beyond that. I am trying to remember the pitcher they Cubs wouldn’t trade then to the Rays in the Garza trade so they gave them Archer instead. Also, the lefty pitcher (Marquis?). He pitcher an inning against the Sox several years ago. He was supposed to be special for some time. Struggling to think of a right handed pitcher rhat every year he was supposed to be a special one coming up and never made it. Hispanic guy. Can’t remember his name. 

I get what you are saying, but Prior sort of doesn't count for this one. Dusty killed him, and then that 2nd baseman made sure he stayed dead. I was at the game where he got hit in the elbow. You could hear the smack from the bleachers. 

[Outshined_One]

Geovanny Soto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old joke. I know.  I'll instead go with Corey Patterson, and I maintain that the 2003 NLCS would have gone much more favorably for the Cubs if he hadn't blown out his knee (as much as I loved Kenny Lofton).

[imb]

defintely patterson

[JunkyardWalrus]

I thought Guzman would be something. So much movement on his fastball. 

(And the Pattersons, of course)

[imb]

keith law STILL has hak-ju lee in his top 100

[Jason Ross]

Juan Cruz. He was neck-and-neck with Mark Prior, and having those two hit would have been a ton of fun.

[Hot Sauce]

Brett Jackson

[bddavidson]

6 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Juan Cruz. He was neck-and-neck with Mark Prior, and having those two hit would have been a ton of fun.

Definitely Juan Cruz.  I got my brother to trade me Barry Zito straight up for Juan Cruz in fantasy baseball his Cy Young year because of Peter Gammons hyping Cruz preseason

[The_Achiever]

I know Walton won ROY in 1989 but I always loved Dwight Smith too.  Both flash in the pans unfortunately.  

[Named After Maddux]

I thought David Kelton was going to rake

[Rex Buckingham]

I wanted Brian Dopirak to be awesome because I thought his name was cool, and that 2004 season in Lansing...

[Tryptamine]

1) Tony Thomas- I was convinced he was the 2B of the future

2) Dillon Maples- He had some of the most absurd stuff I've ever seen and would have been a dominant pen arm if he had any idea where the ball was going when he threw it

3) Brailyn Marquez- He was absolute fire and had all the making of a front line starter, until his arm fell off. 

 

 

 

[ILMindState]

Rock Shoulders because he had a cool name

[chopsx9]

Dave Kelton.  I really thought Hee Sop Choi was "Can't miss". Gary Scott. Lance Dickson.  They are leigon.

The line I always remember when this sort of topic comes up is from one on the many baseball annuals that used to come out. Along the lines of -  The Cubs farm system as a whole isn't very good but when you're top prospect is as good as Kevin Roberson it doesn't matter.

 

[Tryptamine]

Seriously, how did Maples not end up being a completely dominant closer with pitch movement like this? 

 

[Post Count Padder]

I was coming of age in the late 90s/early 2000s and so I loved David Kelton, Corey Patterson, Nic Jackson and Juan Cruz and thought all of them could be stars.

Also came to really like Brendan Harris and Francis Beltran and Brian Dopirak and Bobby Brownlie.

Not a single one panned out.

[Derwood]

I will not stand for this Bobby Brownlie erasure

[Post Count Padder]

1 minute ago, Derwood said:

I will not stand for this Bobby Brownlie erasure

Look up one post.

[Derwood]

Just now, Post Count Padder said:

Look up one post.

[Thusly Boned]

Corey Patterson and Hee-Seop Choi

Choi was turned into Derrek Lee so it worked out for the team, but I had really wanted him to be a thing