40 man additions

[sporrer17]

Well after Soto put up a Reyes-like AVG and Reyes-like power...maybe they felt Reyes would be a better fit for defense in a pinch.

[WrigleyField 22]

Is this a list of all Rule5 draft eligibles?

Bobby Browlie

Carmen Piniatello

Jon Connally

Chadd Blasko

Ryan O'Malley

Carlos Vasquez

Billy Petrick

Luke Haggerty

Jason Wylie

Jake Fox

Micah Huffpauir

Brandon Sing

Matt Craig

Buck Coats

Dwaine Bacon

 

Who did I miss? I think it is safe to say that Haggerty wont be drafted this year.

Well based on my limited knowledge, it looks like the following guys could be drafted:

Brownlie- 6th men in the pen?

Sing- high OBP, decent power bench at LF/1B

Bacon- good speed guy off the bench

Haggerty/Blasko- both high profile pitchers at one time, a team hoping they could shake injuries

 

Out of that group not all of them will be drafted, maybe 2. Then even if they do get drafted they have to stick. I wouldn't see Haggerty/Blasko/Bacon lasting past Spring Training. Sing or Brownlie I could see making it on someones roster. The question would then be are they good enough to stick.

 

And yea Jose Reyes is nothing special-a career backup, but you never know what team might want a guy who could come in and be a defensive specialist to handle one of their stud pitchers. The types of teams that might want him could really vary. Good teams that dont need a good hitter at backup catcher cuz they have a stud starter. Bad teams who have a crappy hitting catcher at starter and the dropoff wouldn't matter, etc. That being said its odd to have 4 catchers. If Barret/Blanco did go down, Soto could fill in pretty well both hitting wise and defensively. Anyone see a trade coming invloving one of the exra catchers?

 

Also I would have risked losing Dopriak. He wouldn't have sticked and now you have one exrta spot you have to loss to make room to fill the holes we still have CF, RF, SS.

 

One last thing: I'm sure that at the fall meetings that just occured that GMs all get a vibe for the interst in all their Rule 5 guys. I dount they go in blindly and just gut instinct.

[CoolHandLuke]

Well after Soto put up a Reyes-like AVG and Reyes-like power...maybe they felt Reyes would be a better fit for defense in a pinch.

 

without the plate discipline and past success of course.

[WrigleyField 22]

Well after Soto put up a Reyes-like AVG and Reyes-like power...maybe they felt Reyes would be a better fit for defense in a pinch.

 

.253 .357 .342

Wow I didn't realize his SLg dropped so badly last season. However he still gets on base at a great clip. He can be a god backup catcher. I mean Blanco is a career .359 slugger, and can only get on base .288 Yea he is a better defender, but Soto is pretty good himself.

[CoolHandLuke]

Reyes

 

257/314/317

[WrigleyField 22]

I still am confused with Greenbergs situation. He is not eligible for any phase of the Rule 5 draft right? And we have 10 days to do something with him. What about after those ten days are up? Can anyone just sign him, and they only have to keep him on the 40 man all season?

 

I would have liked to see him on out 40man, but if he nets us something valubale in a trade, I guess I'm okay with it.

[USSoccer]

What doesn't make sense to me is protecting players like Lewis, Theriot and Aardsma. Lewis is not a prospect. He had a terrible, awful 2005, and his 2004 success came mostly because he repeated a level at an advanced age. Theriot is okay, but we have a bunch of middle IF's on the roster already. It would have been of minimal harm to the club to leave him unprotected. Aardsma being on there is the most defensible, but I really don't think he's much of a prospect anymore. And that doesn't even count Macias, who should have been de-rostered, because he truly has no role on this club now that we've brought Neifi back and Cedeno will be on the ML roster.

 

Greenberg and Sing should have been protected, if for no other reason that Sing could have been an emergency callup should Lee ever get hurt, and Greenberg as a defensive 5th OF would have had some value. Fontenot also would have made more sense to protect than Lewis. Now, if Lee gets hurt who exactly would be the backup 1B? I doubt we'll sign a backup 1B to sit the bench this winter, so what if it happens? Sing could have been some insurance.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

JOSE REYES?? Are you kidding me?

 

And this definitely means moves are coming. Last year Hendry left 4 or 5 spots open I want to say in order to fit FA signings on. With none open (assuming Macias is dropped) somebody's going to have to clear out to let new players in.....or this is our roster for opening day.

 

Just horrible, horrible management of this. Dope wasn't sticking anywhere, Reyes certainly wasn't sticking anywhere, Fontenot should be a front-runner for a bench position, and Sing and Greenberg should have outside chances.

 

On the plus side, he rostered Ryu, which is a pleasant surprise. I don't mind Moore being rostered, as he's a favorite of mine, but I know deep down inside, he wasn't sticking anywhere, and he certainly won't be of any help to the big league club this year. Not to mention I have a weird Richard Lewis in '05 vibe about him.

 

The Dodgers have a GM opening. Have you applied? Since you have all the answer's to the Cubs organizatinal plans & understand all of what their scouting department sees, I'm sure you could put that on your resume.

 

FYI, Why don't you wait & see what's happens, via trades, Rule V, etc. before drawing your pessimistic conclusions?

 

I think comments like this are uncalled for. SSR has every right to criticize these moves. Defend them if you can, or else just keep your snide comments to yourself.

[JeffH]

One overlooked aspect of rostering these guys that we're fairly sure aren't going to get taken is that, without rostering them, you are prohibited from trading them between today and December 8th, except as a PTBNL.

 

Just something else to consider.

[oldcubsfan]

Looking at the list, the only one who may be drafted is Brownlie and his fastball has never returned to previous levels. Not many teams are going to draft mediocre prospects to sit on the bench. Sing, Bacon aren't the type of prospect to sit on the bench taking up a spot on a 25 man roster.

[oldcubsfan]

Like everyone else, I agree Hendry is a buffoon when it comes to managing his 40-man roster. Yet another reason he needs to go. I don't have a problem with exposing guys like Sing, Greenberg, Brownlie and Fontenot per se--each is a marginal contributor at best, there is no Andy Sisco in that bunch. But since each does have some potential value, it is just inexcusable to waste a spot on a deadbeat like Jose Macias. Again. What the hell is Hendry's problem? How is it that he is the ONLY guy in baseball that can't seem to figure this out? Does Macias have incriminating pictures of Hendry doing something illegal? I mean, that's the only conceivable explanation at this point.

 

Settling down a bit, I thought Greenberg or Sing could be a viable 5th OF option, and I certainly think Fontenot can hit as well as Neifi, so I'm disappointed as usual with Hendry, but not livid like I was last year with Sisco. As for Brownlie, it would have been nice to see if he could develop into a useful ML middle reliever, but we already have a logjam there, so I can understand that decision no problem. If Brownlie can't start, he has marginal value.

 

I'm actually pretty disapointed that he let Sing exposed. The guy had a very good season last year in double A. If he had no future with the Cubs, he would have provided a good trading chip, especially to an AL team who could use him as a DH.

The move doesn't mean he doesn't have a future, just not an immediate one. He didn't have a season that would make teams give up a spot on the 25 man roster to have him. Most teams have similar prospects and no one has ever claimed he is a can't miss type.

[CoolHandLuke]

In my opinion, putting up a 276/404/538 line at AA in a pitchers league means there is a pretty decent chance you are ready to stick on a major league roster and at least contribute as a pinch hitter/backup.

[oldcubsfan]

Unless a team is desperate for a 1st baseman in their system, I don't think there is much chance of losing him.

[craig]

Reyes is a good fielder. The Cubs like good-defense catchers. Surprising, given how offense-less he is. But not that astonishing that a big-league defensive catcher who could hit even .257 at age 21 in AA might be viewed as a future major leaguer.

 

Sing has already been exposed. Nobody will draft him Rule 5 when they could have signed him as a FA, for the 40-man, without the 25-man obligation. He's safe. Ditto for Fontenot and Rohlicek. having already cleared waviers for 40-man, nobody will consider them for 25-man and Rule 5.

 

Analogy applies to Greenberg. On waivers somebody can claim him for 40-man. If nobody claims him for 40-man now, certainly nobody will draft him for 25-man in Rule 5. So if he clears, don't worry about Rule 5. We'll see if he clears.

 

What's interesting to me is that the 40-man is already stuffed now. Usually they keep some free spaces for signing free agents. The decision to stuff the roster means they figure to be losing guys as soon as they gain guys. That spells trades to me. Obviously there is still Aardsma to deroster. But it looks to me that for every free agent that they sign, they figure to be involved in at that many trades in which they give up more quantity of 40-man guys than they receive. If you deal Mitre and Nolasco for Pierre, that clears an extra spot for FA Furcal. Etc..

[Illini Iceman]

Sorry if this has been mentioned yet, but by my count there are now 41 players on the 40-man roster. :-k

 

David Aardsma

Ryan Dempster

Scotty Eyre

Angel Guzman

Rich Hill

John Koronka

Greg Maddux

Carlos Marmol

Sean Marshall

Sergio Mitre

Ricky Nolasco

Roberto Novoa

Will Ohman

Renyel Pinto

Mark Prior

Glendon Rusch

Jae Kuk Ryu

Jermaine Van Buren

Todd Wellemeyer

Jerome Williams

Scott Williamson

Kerry Wood

Michael Wuertz

Carlos Zambrano

 

24 pitchers

 

Michael Barrett

Henry Blanco

Jose Reyes

Geovany Soto

 

4 catchers

 

Ronny Cedeno

Brian Dopirak

Jerry Hairston

Derrek Lee

Jose Macias

Scott Moore

Neifi Perez

Aramis Ramirez

Ryan Theriot

Todd Walker

 

10 infielders

 

Matt Murton

Corey Patterson

Felix Pie

 

3 outfielders

 

24 + 10 + 4 + 3 = 41

 

Please let Jose Macias be the next casualty.

 

They have updated the 40 man roster on cubs.com and it is at 40 players but strangely enough Scott Moore is not on it.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Unless a team is desperate for a 1st baseman in their system, I don't think there is much chance of losing him.

 

Sing is also an OF.

[mhuber92211]

What doesn't make sense to me is protecting players like Lewis, Theriot and Aardsma. Lewis is not a prospect. He had a terrible, awful 2005, and his 2004 success came mostly because he repeated a level at an advanced age. Theriot is okay, but we have a bunch of middle IF's on the roster already. It would have been of minimal harm to the club to leave him unprotected. Aardsma being on there is the most defensible, but I really don't think he's much of a prospect anymore. And that doesn't even count Macias, who should have been de-rostered, because he truly has no role on this club now that we've brought Neifi back and Cedeno will be on the ML roster.

 

Greenberg and Sing should have been protected, if for no other reason that Sing could have been an emergency callup should Lee ever get hurt, and Greenberg as a defensive 5th OF would have had some value. Fontenot also would have made more sense to protect than Lewis. Now, if Lee gets hurt who exactly would be the backup 1B? I doubt we'll sign a backup 1B to sit the bench this winter, so what if it happens? Sing could have been some insurance.

 

Lewis was outrighted with Fontenot & Rochelik. Greenberg will be a Cub. Craig puts it well by saying that we have to wait for the process to go through.

 

A couple of interesting points, Should we lose Fontenot then only Hairston (who is a bubble non-tender) is all to show for Sosa.

 

The needed roster spots to open for FA will come with the non tender deadline, which (I believe) is also the deadline to move Wood back to the roster.

 

For those who say that we should have risked losing Dope becasue he likely wouldn't stick is somewhat alarming. Many of us (me included) never dreamnt that Sisco would stick and he did. I would rather be safe with Dope at the expense of losing Sing or Fontenot then lose Dope (our #2 prospect remeber) for nothing.

[Banghart]

For those who say that we should have risked losing Dope becasue he likely wouldn't stick is somewhat alarming. Many of us (me included) never dreamnt that Sisco would stick and he did. I would rather be safe with Dope at the expense of losing Sing or Fontenot then lose Dope (our #2 prospect remeber) for nothing.

I agree with your position on Dope, but I think we all have to remember that it is a lot easier for a pitcher to stick after the Rule 5 draft then a position player. Sisco being able to be stashed in the back of the Royals bullpen is a lot more likely then someone keeping Dopirak on their bench for a whole season. Still better not to risk it with such highly rated prospect.

 

-Banghart

[rawaction]

What doesn't make sense to me is protecting players like Lewis, Theriot and Aardsma. Lewis is not a prospect. He had a terrible, awful 2005, and his 2004 success came mostly because he repeated a level at an advanced age. Theriot is okay, but we have a bunch of middle IF's on the roster already. It would have been of minimal harm to the club to leave him unprotected. Aardsma being on there is the most defensible, but I really don't think he's much of a prospect anymore. And that doesn't even count Macias, who should have been de-rostered, because he truly has no role on this club now that we've brought Neifi back and Cedeno will be on the ML roster.

 

Greenberg and Sing should have been protected, if for no other reason that Sing could have been an emergency callup should Lee ever get hurt, and Greenberg as a defensive 5th OF would have had some value. Fontenot also would have made more sense to protect than Lewis. Now, if Lee gets hurt who exactly would be the backup 1B? I doubt we'll sign a backup 1B to sit the bench this winter, so what if it happens? Sing could have been some insurance.

 

Lewis was outrighted with Fontenot & Rochelik. Greenberg will be a Cub. Craig puts it well by saying that we have to wait for the process to go through.

 

A couple of interesting points, Should we lose Fontenot then only Hairston (who is a bubble non-tender) is all to show for Sosa.

 

That's more than the Orioles have had to show for the trade since it was executed.

 

The needed roster spots to open for FA will come with the non tender deadline, which (I believe) is also the deadline to move Wood back to the roster.

 

For those who say that we should have risked losing Dope becasue he likely wouldn't stick is somewhat alarming. Many of us (me included) never dreamnt that Sisco would stick and he did. I would rather be safe with Dope at the expense of losing Sing or Fontenot then lose Dope (our #2 prospect remeber) for nothing.

 

The only move I question is Reyes. I'd rather kept 1 more arm (Brownlie).

[TrueBlueCubFan]

The only move I question is Reyes. I'd rather kept 1 more arm (Brownlie).

Isn't it possible Hendry has had interest from other teams for one of those 4 catchers & if one is traded he would like to have 3 on his 40 man roster?

Isn't Reyes fairly young & has the potential to be a ML catcher?

What kind of year did Brownlie have & what type of ceiling do we expect from him?

[USSoccer]

What doesn't make sense to me is protecting players like Lewis, Theriot and Aardsma. Lewis is not a prospect. He had a terrible, awful 2005, and his 2004 success came mostly because he repeated a level at an advanced age. Theriot is okay, but we have a bunch of middle IF's on the roster already. It would have been of minimal harm to the club to leave him unprotected. Aardsma being on there is the most defensible, but I really don't think he's much of a prospect anymore. And that doesn't even count Macias, who should have been de-rostered, because he truly has no role on this club now that we've brought Neifi back and Cedeno will be on the ML roster.

 

Greenberg and Sing should have been protected, if for no other reason that Sing could have been an emergency callup should Lee ever get hurt, and Greenberg as a defensive 5th OF would have had some value. Fontenot also would have made more sense to protect than Lewis. Now, if Lee gets hurt who exactly would be the backup 1B? I doubt we'll sign a backup 1B to sit the bench this winter, so what if it happens? Sing could have been some insurance.

 

Lewis was outrighted with Fontenot & Rochelik. Greenberg will be a Cub. Craig puts it well by saying that we have to wait for the process to go through.

 

A couple of interesting points, Should we lose Fontenot then only Hairston (who is a bubble non-tender) is all to show for Sosa.

 

The needed roster spots to open for FA will come with the non tender deadline, which (I believe) is also the deadline to move Wood back to the roster.

 

For those who say that we should have risked losing Dope becasue he likely wouldn't stick is somewhat alarming. Many of us (me included) never dreamnt that Sisco would stick and he did. I would rather be safe with Dope at the expense of losing Sing or Fontenot then lose Dope (our #2 prospect remeber) for nothing.

 

There's no way Dopirak sticks. He struggled mightily in A ball this past year. He's not going to make a ML roster, and besides, he's not our #2 propsect anymore. He's not even our #2 position prospect anymore. He's the player I'd most want used as trade bait out of our system, for a bunch of reasons. There wasn't really a good reason to roster him, unless there's a trade imminent that includes him. In any case, you can only go on what you know, and based on what we know right now, it seems like an overreaction to losing Sisco.

[USSoccer]

The only move I question is Reyes. I'd rather kept 1 more arm (Brownlie).

Isn't it possible Hendry has had interest from other teams for one of those 4 catchers & if one is traded he would like to have 3 on his 40 man roster?

Isn't Reyes fairly young & has the potential to be a ML catcher?

What kind of year did Brownlie have & what type of ceiling do we expect from him?

 

Brownlie had an okay year out of the pen, but lost velocity on his fastball that he previously had in college.

 

I think he would have made sense to protect over Aardsma. Brownlie may not have the big fastball anymore, but he can still get guys out by pitching intelligently. Aardsma really can't do either, but he can throw hard.

[Illini Iceman]

The only move I question is Reyes. I'd rather kept 1 more arm (Brownlie).

Isn't it possible Hendry has had interest from other teams for one of those 4 catchers & if one is traded he would like to have 3 on his 40 man roster?

Isn't Reyes fairly young & has the potential to be a ML catcher?

What kind of year did Brownlie have & what type of ceiling do we expect from him?

 

Brownlie had an okay year out of the pen, but lost velocity on his fastball that he previously had in college.

 

I think he would have made sense to protect over Aardsma. Brownlie may not have the big fastball anymore, but he can still get guys out by pitching intelligently. Aardsma really can't do either, but he can throw hard.

 

There is less chance that Brownlie gets selected in Rule 5 and sticks on a 25 man roster all year than there is that if Aardsma was removed from the Cubs 40 man roster that he would have been picked up by another team and added to their 40 man.

[USSoccer]

The only move I question is Reyes. I'd rather kept 1 more arm (Brownlie).

Isn't it possible Hendry has had interest from other teams for one of those 4 catchers & if one is traded he would like to have 3 on his 40 man roster?

Isn't Reyes fairly young & has the potential to be a ML catcher?

What kind of year did Brownlie have & what type of ceiling do we expect from him?

 

Brownlie had an okay year out of the pen, but lost velocity on his fastball that he previously had in college.

 

I think he would have made sense to protect over Aardsma. Brownlie may not have the big fastball anymore, but he can still get guys out by pitching intelligently. Aardsma really can't do either, but he can throw hard.

 

There is less chance that Brownlie gets selected in Rule 5 and sticks on a 25 man roster all year than there is that if Aardsma was removed from the Cubs 40 man roster that he would have been picked up by another team and added to their 40 man.

 

I don't know about that. I think that teams like Texas, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Pittsburgh could use an arm out of the pen like Brownlie's. Also, if Aardsma got picked up in rule 5 I couldn't care less. Williams was the key to that deal, Aardsma doesn't look like much of a pitcher.

 

Velocity means nothing if you can't control and locate your pitches.

[TrueBlueCubFan]

The only move I question is Reyes. I'd rather kept 1 more arm (Brownlie).

Isn't it possible Hendry has had interest from other teams for one of those 4 catchers & if one is traded he would like to have 3 on his 40 man roster?

Isn't Reyes fairly young & has the potential to be a ML catcher?

What kind of year did Brownlie have & what type of ceiling do we expect from him?

 

Brownlie had an okay year out of the pen, but lost velocity on his fastball that he previously had in college.

 

I think he would have made sense to protect over Aardsma. Brownlie may not have the big fastball anymore, but he can still get guys out by pitching intelligently. Aardsma really can't do either, but he can throw hard.

Aardsma has been a dissapointment since being acquired from SF, obviously they(scouting dept.) weren't ready to give up on him & value his potential more than Brownlie's.