toonsterwu

He does have a good contact tool. What was LeMahieu's number? Curious how those two stack up on their contact ability.

Heck no. top 5? I mean, I can understand KG's optimistic take of 11th in the system, but top 5? Baez, Brett Jackson, Szczur, McNutt, Rhee Maples, Wells, and etcetera would easily top him for me. He's not that much more advanced than Marco Hernandez, and hernandez has a better shot to stick at short, so I'd take Marco over him. Our system isn't terrible. Even almost all of the key analyzers out there have acknwoledged that we aren't terrible. Below average, yes. But for a Jose Altuve type to be top 5 would mean a terrible system. I agree, I think the prevailing thought that the Cubs system is terrible, is dead wrong. The biggest problem with the system though is that most of the really promising players are still at the lower levels of the system. Torreyes will fit in nicely with all of the lower level infield prospects and give the Cubs more room for error in hoping that they can develop some of those guys into useful players. Between DeVoss, Hernandez, Watkins, Baez, Watkins and Torreyes the future middle infield is looking promising. The problem with the Cubs' system, as I see it, is that right now there aren't any stars. There are a lot of guys who probably make it to the big leagues but it lacks star power. Definitely fair. The "star" potential is largely in the lower levels.

In what way? He doesn't even have the error totals you normally see from young international infielders. Someone said it on twitter today. Not sure who off the top. I might've been mistaken about this. I thought I saw someone semi-important mention it on twitter this morning/earlier, but I can't find it right now. Okay, I confused things. Someone on redszone said Goldstein didn't like his defense. I know Goldstein wasn't high on his defense in early 2011, not sure how he feels now.

Heck no. top 5? I mean, I can understand KG's optimistic take of 11th in the system, but top 5? Baez, Brett Jackson, Szczur, McNutt, Rhee Maples, Wells, and etcetera would easily top him for me. He's not that much more advanced than Marco Hernandez, and hernandez has a better shot to stick at short, so I'd take Marco over him. I think you have to give more weight to the Midwest league if you're comparing him to Hernandez. Sure, I'll give him credit for doing what he did there, but I'll also give Marco plus "points" for better tools, better positional value, and better upside. In the end, considering how far away both are, and how low Torreyes ceiling is (I mean ... he's essentially mini-DJ LeMahieu offensively), for me, I'd take Marco over Ronald without a 2nd thought. But to each their own with prospect rankings.

In what way? He doesn't even have the error totals you normally see from young international infielders. Someone said it on twitter today. Not sure who off the top.

Not trying to rag on you because you take a different but valid approach, but I don't see the Fuld comp. Fuld was a .285 .372 .405 .777 hitter in the minors, and was pretty much that exact hitter every step of the way. Sappelt has been a .309 .362 .459 .821 hitter in the minors, and those are actually dragged down a bit by his low minors struggles. He's been an .875 or so OPS hitter in AA and AAA. Fuld was a guy whose ceiling was an okay reserve outfielder. Sappelt looks to me like that's his floor with an upside of an adequate/mediocre starter. fair enough. I was more making the comp because I think both are more depth OF's than starters, but I will say that I don't really buy Sappelt's minor league power translating. I have high doubts that with his approach and swing that he could put together the .120 ISOP that Fuld put up this year. I'd also argue that Fuld probably has a better approach at the plate. Pre-injury, Fuld was probably the better athlete and defensive player, something that is somewhat forgotten these days. All in all, I view both of those guys as reserves who really shouldn't be starters in a positive scenario.

Heck no. top 5? I mean, I can understand KG's optimistic take of 11th in the system, but top 5? Baez, Brett Jackson, Szczur, McNutt, Rhee Maples, Wells, and etcetera would easily top him for me. He's not that much more advanced than Marco Hernandez, and hernandez has a better shot to stick at short, so I'd take Marco over him. Our system isn't terrible. Even almost all of the key analyzers out there have acknwoledged that we aren't terrible. Below average, yes. But for a Jose Altuve type to be top 5 would mean a terrible system.

Sappelt is better than Campana. Campana has more speed, but Sappelt has a more rounded offensive game, which is more valuable unless your sole goal is speed.

Yeah, my ideal scenario is a get a blow away package or just lock him up and build around Castro & Garza. At this point, there's almost little point to try and build around Garza as a key piece. By the time we're ready to push, probably 2014 at earliest, Garza will be through his team-controlled years and hitting his 30's. Might as well get max value for him, which is now, with two more team-controlled years and coming off his best season yet.

How likely is he to stick there? I don't know if I'd care to have Sappelt play there as a regular on a key team, but if he's just covering until someone else is ready, say Brett, or if he's just spot-starting/platooning, he's fine.

Perrsonally, I thought it was over-hyped pre-Latos deal. Post-Latos deal, I thought it was in the lower third. I think it's easily below us right now, and probably one of the 5-7 worst systems right now. A lot of losses. Mesoraco props up their prospect list for this year.

On Torreyes - Some folks had mixed reports about his glove.

Not bad. Not great, but not bad. It wasn't a great system to get talent from, and only in my dreams were we going to get one of their few remaining top talents. I was hoping for Gregorius more than Torreyes, but Torreyes has some intrigue. Curious where he slots in - I was thinking DeVoss/Silva would battle it out for 2nd base time in Daytona (with the other one in the OF), with LePage as well. He does have a solid hit tool, and our MI depth was thinned out in recent years. Sappelt is more in that Sam Fuld mode. Nothing too exciting, but he obviously could hold value as a depth OF. Furthermore, if they decide to trade Byrd and Brett Jackson isn't ready, Sappelt could perhaps fight for some CF playing time. I can't really see either one of these guys fitting into my Cubs Top 15 Prospects, but top 25 ... perhaps.

My guess is that the Red Sox will jump on one of Kuroda or Oswalt in the coming days. Maybe the Yankees get involved there with one of them. Of course, that could damage the Garza market. Haven't heard squat about Edwin Jackson this off-season, which is mildly surprising. Didn't love him, but he's an intriguing asset in his prime years.

All things being equal, sure it'd be better to address the corner roles and add needed power bats. If the talent level is close, that is preferable. I'm just saying that, I think in a trade like Garza's, you go for the best talent possible and sort things out later.

Junior Lake, Giosker Amaya, Oscar Hernandez, Logan Watkins, Javier Baez(although he's supposedly ticketed for 3rd) I think we have enough middle infielders especially since I'm hoping that SS will be held down by Castro for many, many years. Most of those guys are going to be in the low levels (and I'm assuming you mean Marco). The upper levels aren't going to be a pretty picture, and Baez/Lake/Amaya may all be best served moving to the hot corner. Watkins may be more of a utility guy, if he makes it up, but there's a chance at 2nd. Got to see if his 2nd half offensive surge showed any real improvements.

I'm a big fan of Brett Jackson, but I tend to think, in any trade like a potential Garza trade, you simply target the best available talent (akin to the Padres targeting Alonso in a Latos deal) and then sort things out later. With Szczur having a glaring issue to work on, he's a good 2 years away, and it seems more and more folks are moving away from the insane praise that some gave Szczur early and talking about him as a guy who, if he reaches his ceiling, is a decent starter in CF. Our MI depth in the upper levels is going to be ... pretty crappy next year. The Watkins/Cerda group of guys, the group of guys that had some folks worrying about the system a year ago when the Peoria team then looked so iffy on talent, will likely be fitting some of the key roles in AA, along with Lake. The Peoria crop was pretty bad this past year. Alcantara just can't hit enough. Guys like LePage and Soccorro ... not that enticing. The Boise crop was pretty iffy this year until the draft picks came in. I liked Darvill, but he's never really taken the steps forward. DeVoss offers some intrigue if he's in the MI, and Rubi Silva may play some 2nd, depending on how rosters shake out. Lower on, there's a lot of intriguing pieces for the MI, and the depth could be replenished in a year. I don't think it'd surprise anyone here if Marco Hernandez and/or Gioskar Amaya are forcing their way into full-season leagues by midseason, if not earlier. Very curious how Penalver looks in Arizona. * - I don't really think of Baez as a MI, but I guess he's likely to stay there for now, and he's likely to be in Peoria now that I think about it.

What are your thoughts on Matt Dominguez? I think if the Marlins came out offering Morrison and Dominguez, I'd certainly at least have to consider it. In a Garza deal? I think Matt Dominguez is fine as a stopgap starter (by this, I mean for a few years), but not a long term guy for me, and I don't really love the idea of Dominguez as the number 2 piece in a Garza deal. Still, if they offered Morrison, that would make things enticing. If they offered say, Morrison, Volstad, with either Realmuto or Yelich as another piece, I'd be enticed. Not sure Volstad is great as a 2nd piece, though, but the prospect of getting Morrison would be exciting.

I tend to think if Stewart is good, they will offer him a multiple year deal through his prime years. Also, not sure I buy Amaya as a mainstay in 3 years. If he's in AA in 3 years (2014 season), that'll be fine. You hope for better, but that'd be fine.

If they get Cespedes, it would make this moot, as Yoennis would likely take the CF job. Btw, davell, I was thinking Garza for Gose, pitching prospects, and others, and a second move of spinning off Brett Jackson. Marlins come to mind, but there are other organizations that Jackson might be able to step in and perhaps be an upgrade next year.

What do you mean? By most indications, they are viewing this as a rebuild job, and the moves so far fall in line with that type of plan. Even if the moves bomb, I can't find fault with DeJesus, the trade for Stewart. I don't like Travis Wood that much, but that's a trade that makes sense overall. This, along with Reed Johnson and Jeff Bianchi, is just a small signing that, for the most part, is likely to be inconsequential in the grand picture. About the only move I didn't like this offseason is leaving Flaherty/Gonzalez available, two upper level guys that could fill stopgap utility roles, and then signing Bianchi for a similar role, but overall, it's not that big a deal. This was always a possibility entering the offseason, that they would opt to rebuild. Even then, if the years for Fielder come down (I half wonder if a 3 year deal with a huge AAV would get Boras interested, as it could get Fielder out on the market again to get a 5 year deal at age 30 perhaps ... just don't see a team forking over 10 years, and not even sure he gets 8), the Cubs could get involved and get that big bat to build for the 2013/2014 years.

Random thought as I pack for a business trip - Okay, still pondering the Andracki blurb on CSNChicago saying that we'd be targeting a catching prospect and a first base prospect in a Garza trade. Sounds speculative on his part, but pondering it. One of the teams that has a good C/corner combination are the Marlins. Yelich is a first baseman that's athletic enough to play the OF (though I don't buy him in CF) and Realmuto is one of the better catching prospects in the game. One thought is that they supposedly pursued Gonzalez fairly hard, and I do wonder if they'd pursue Garza. That said, I'm not sure they have enough to offer in a deal that would entice me, barring Morrison being offered. Volstad/Yelich/Realmuto is mildly intriguing, but I don't feel like that's enough. My 2nd thought involved the Marlins as a 3rd team in a deal. If Garza went to say, the Blue Jays, and we got back Gose (who I'm not as high on as Keith Law, I guess), that could give us the flexibility to flip Gose or Brett Jackson in a deal. While there hasn't been rumors suggesting as such, I wonder if the Marlins may be intrigued in an upgrade in CF, and Brett might be capable of stepping in and being as good as Bonifacio or Coghlan next year. Perhaps some sort of Jackson and ? for Yelich and Realmuto type deal might intrigue them. Would really give them a strong young core to compete next year, and prime them for a strong year, but they may be hesitant to part with top chips for anything besides another starter. Tis the silly season and packing gets boring.

I think I'm going to be very curious how long they stick with the idea of giving Beltran looks in CF when Craig gets back. I'm not sure I buy Beltran playing Cf. All that said, good move on their part, and keeps their short term window, with Berkman/Carpenter, open a bit.

Should probably go in the Garza thread, but discussion is happening here as well. Saw the CSNchicago thing by Andracki, which seems speculative, suggesting that we are looking for a first/C combination (and I'm assuming that the C talent has to be a clear upgrade on Castillo in terms of talent, even if it's raw). Had me thinking that I can't think of many organizations with a top C/top 1st base combination, and if that's our target return, it may take a 3-team deal. I mean, I'd love Sanchez/Montero, but I don't know if the Yankees do that, and we'd still need pitching on top of that. I doubt d'Arnaud or Lawrie gets moved.

Well, I can't say if Montero will be capable of first, but considering his offensive potential, it's something I'd be willing to give a shot with. Beyond that, Montero has actually improved slightly defensively. Not enough to make anyone think he's a long term option there, but short term, perhaps. You leave out arguably their 2nd best chip - Gary Sanchez, a guy who might end up being a better version of Montero (due to a higher chance, as of now, of sticking behind the dish). Has to cut down the chips a bit, but I'm not sure I wouldn't take Sanchez over some of the low level positional chips of the Blue Jays (this is, again, assuming that we can pick and choose). If we're talking about 4 or 5 player hauls where we can pick and choose our guys, Toronto would offer better depth and perhaps a better overall package, but I still like the Yankees options a bit more. That said, it's definitely close.