toonsterwu

Kent played 269 games in the minors at second base and started 1,986 games in the majors there. UZR has him as a -8 UZR/150 defender there. Fox has never played a professional inning at second base. It's not something you can pick up over an offseason when you've never played there in your life. OK so it was a completely far-fetched, unrealistic idea but, there are some things I believe I know about the 2010 Cubs: 1. Unless they're released nobody' going to trade for Miles or Fontenot 2. Nobody' going to trade for Soriano - he's here for 2010 like it or not Fontenot isn't an issue. He's making 430,000.

I loved DeRosa as much as the next guy, but I don't see the point of bringing him back when Jeff Baker is the same, but younger, and probably more toolsy than Mark ever was. I still think we are pretty much stuck with Ryan Theriot at short unless the system develops someone. Furcal was hanging out there last year, and we didn't bat an eye. Granted, our financials aren't a pretty picture, but it wasn't considered.

I think ... and I hope, that we play out the string with this core. The reason being this - if we move a Derrek Lee or Ted Lilly, more than likely, we'd spend money, tying up more future resources, something we need to curtail at some point. Sort of like what happened this year. I think the Cardinals will be solid again next year. I think they'll move to keep Holliday to keep Pujols happy. I think both go hand in hand. That means needing young assets to step in and fill roles for them, to save some money. Someone such as PJ Walters could be an option (probably somewhere between Randy Wells and Justin Berg in terms of starting ability. I think they'll let DeRosa go, no real point. The Astros are sort of playing out the string on the current squad, as the farm system is probably 3 years away from being really useful, and 2 years away from providing any key assets (Jason Castro could sneak in by late 2010/2011 perhaps, but Jordan Lyle and Ross Seaton are both looking like 2011 at best, barring some remarkable surge in development). The Reds COULD be deadly ... but one gets the feeling that they aren't in a good situation, as several of their young arms haven't developed, and Volquez just had surgery. They also gave up two good arms in the Rolen deal. The Pirates are obviously a good couple years. Actually, if there is a team that worries me, it's the Brewers. Parra hasn't been nearly as bad as his ERA (hurt by an insanely high BABIP). Gallardo still has top potential. If Parra develops to pair with Gallardo, and if they can add a mid-rotation starter, they suddenly look like a decent rotation. The pen should be alright, and some of the low level system assets will have moved up a bit. They may be able to shop a Hardy, who could net a good return. _____________________ Actually, as a bright note, I think a case could be made that the Cubs have the best system in the NL Central right now. A case. Not saying we do (although I'd buy the argument), but there was absolutely no case last year when the Reds were the clearcut top dog and we were far, far away.

Samson's a guy I root for, but he's also the type of guy that is likely to be passed over and has to grind his way up top. But good discipline, solid speed. He's actually got a decent frame that, a couple years ago, someone suggested to me he might be able to develop a tad more pop. Never happened, but I root for the guy. That said, really logjammed in our system. Basically, he's Ryan Theriot.

That one annoyed me. We just dumped him for nothing. He was capable of starting the year at Iowa, but no, we are better off with trash help minor league FA's. Okay, I'm going too far on that, but I just didn't see why we didn't keep him around. ____________ Hey sandberg, I'm hoping you can answer me a question or offer insight. What is your take on Dan McDaniel? I'm a big fan. He has collapsed a bit, but that's partly due to an high BABIP from June and on. Part of me has wondered if innings was a factor.

Just letting you know, the Cubs have signed Raley and Burruel. That was my comment from a few weeks ago. I'm still holding out hope that the Cubs can get Sheppard and Whaley. Those are the only two major ones left, right?

Interesting arm night. Muschko has been surprisingly good as a starter to make me wonder a bit. Still think he's probably a rubber arm type, but ... well, same was said about Randy Wells (okay, I'm not really comparing the two ... although now that I ponder it, their repetoire's, from what I recall last year on Muschko, are somewhat similar ... any updates on Muschko's stuff this year?). He's quietly had a solid season, and actually, has had back to back quality seasons. Maybe a Mitch Atkins type is a better comparison.

He has been ... but really, he should dominate the lower levels, so I'd take any success with a grain of salt for now. The one thing that is nice to see is that he's showing some discipline and ability to adjust with the bat. All that said, I don't think we'll get a clear picture on who Brett Jackson is until he gets to Daytona, if not Tennessee. That looks likely to happen next year, though. Boise is one thing but I think what he's doing in the MWL is very impressive and I don't know about the grain of salt. He's facing better pitching than he did in the Pac-10 and he's got himself a 1.004 OPS while striking out at a lower percentage than in college (20.6% of the time in the MWL vs 28.1% during his junior year). By the by, both of Brett Jackson's HRs were to left field. Good to see opposite field power. If he did this for an extended period at Peoria, then sure. Hey, you know I actually was okay with the pick, but I'm just not going to read too much into 67 PA's. Even then, success wouldn't excite me as much as failure would trouble me for Brett in Peoria.

Badler made a comment awhile ago (at least, I think it was BB) saying that they were getting excellent reports on Castro. Wonder how high he ranks.

He has been ... but really, he should dominate the lower levels, so I'd take any success with a grain of salt for now. The one thing that is nice to see is that he's showing some discipline and ability to adjust with the bat. All that said, I don't think we'll get a clear picture on who Brett Jackson is until he gets to Daytona, if not Tennessee. That looks likely to happen next year, though.

I've been toying around with a top 30 list in my spare time. Right now, my top 10 would sit something like 1. Josh Vitters, B+. 2a. Andrew Cashner, B/B+. 2b. Jay Jackson, B/B+. 4. Starlin Castro, B. 5. Chris Carpenter, B-. 6. Hak-ju Lee, B-. 7. Brett Jackson, B-/C+. I think most people largely agree on that top 7, now that Samardzija is off the charts. The last 3 spots could honestly be filled by about 20 people, with various different arguments possible, from readiness assets to potential to floor, and so forth. Right now, I think I'm leaning 8. Ryan Flaherty, C+/B-. 9. Ryan Searle, C+/B-. 10. DJ LeMahieu, C+/B-. That said, still toying around and still some season left to go. I think there's going to be a deep crop of guys where you can make a "C+" argument (obviously, depends on how each individual grades, but speaking generally right now). Actually, I think I could make a case for 11-20 to be all C+'s, although that's way to positive. That said, rankings are simply for fun and discussion. ___________________ Btw, I believe that was O_O's list from a couple weeks ago. Not sure if anything has changed for him.

Defensively, I don't see why he can't stick at 2B/3B or even play SS in a pinch when needed. He could be a very good super-sub or even a halfway decent starter at those positions. You know, I've really gone full circle on his season. I still think, as of now, that Flaherty is a top 10 Cubs prospect, although certainly 8-10 is a huge grab bag of possibilities. Some statistical bad luck, overall good peripherals, and the most important part was hearing that he had to fix his swing (which I guess is sort of disappointing considering he was supposed to be advanced). I wasn't a huge fan of Flaherty last year, but surprisingly, I find myself coming around this year. A lot of people are on the LeMahieu train right now, but Flaherty still holds more power, and DJ has to change his approach to generate that (there's a part of me that thinks a Matt Murton-ish on LeMahieu, although I like DJ a bit better than I ever liked Matt, I think). Certainly, a fair point is the age difference, but I'm coming around on his campaign. While I expect him in Daytona to start 2010, it wouldn't completely stun me if they bumped him to 2nd base and put him next to Castro at Tennessee. Now, with Tony Thomas/Nate Samson needing spots (not that those two should block anyone, but they are capable options for Tennessee, enough to perhaps warrant a "slow play" of Flaherty), I think Tennessee is a slim shot for Flaherty to start 2010 at, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Lake looked severely over matched at the plate in the two games I saw in South Bend. He looked almost as bad as Soriano does on breaking balls. He's a raw kid. In the offseason, I was expecting Boise, with an outside shot at Peoria this year (with Castro in Peoria), so in that respect, I'm not that disappointed by this year.

I like Buchter. Solid breaking ball by most accounts, looks like a potential LOOGY type. We have enough LOOGY options in the system that we should be able to not spend much on middle relief. Considering we gave up Matt Avery for him, it's a plus, although I'm curious how his stuff plays in the upper levels. That said, with Daytona out of it, I think they'll keep some guys in Peoria that might, in years past, have gotten a bump.

I wouldn't even put his ceiling at Jake Fox. Ridling's never played any position but 1B and, as mentioned above, he doesn't play it particularly well. Plus, Fox actually has some semblance of patience at the plate. That's not entirely true. He played a handful of games (id say 7-10 off the top of my head) in Left last season when we had Bautista DHing and Rosa at first. He is a better defensive first baseman IMHO than Rosa. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in LF during instructs this September. The Cubs have done the same with Russ Canzler in the past. And I disagree with the other post. Rebel is fine at first. he goes to his right with range. He scoops it above average (has saved Lake probably 10-15 errors this season, and a few for Vitters too). Starts the 3-6-3 double play well. For those that have played 60 or more games this season at first base in the MWL he is 5th in fielding pct at first. Of his 12 errors, one was a horrid call at Beloit, two were on throws to a pitcher covering and two were on throws either to third or home rushing on bunts. He is a doubles machine with HR power. I think Rebel will see time in Tennessee next year and surprise some people. I'm a fan of Ridling, beyond his name, which is awesome, and while he has a real solid MWL season line, I'm wondering if you could offer your take on why he's been so streaky this year, since you see him on a regular basis. He's got power that the system could really use, and part of me would like to see him sacrifice some of that power for more average. It's good to hear that you think he's at least an average first baseman, as there were mixed "reports" out there about that. I think part of that was that, last year, he came in with Ryan Keedy, who was better defensively, and Rebel sort of got lost in the shuffle.

He has got it going of late, and Pevey noting his swing issues does make the slow start more understandable. I imagine he'll head to Daytona to ply his stuff next year as a MI, sharing time with LeMahieu, although I guess I wouldn't totally rule out a jump to Tennessee.

Statistically, he did have some bad luck early in the year. Now, even adjusted, the lines weren't great, so that doesn't explain all of his struggles. Here's hoping he can get it going. He's sort of been lost a bit this year in prospect discussions, but he's still a fairly intriguing (and exciting) asset.

In regards to the MI situation, I think we're living with Theriot for the Piniella era, with the hopes of Castro being ready to take over in the near future. In regards to a big splash, my question would be ... I think Hendry wants to, but does he have the money? I obviously have no clue, but it's tough to imagine the payroll getting bigger. If not, then it's going to take some creative movement to clear up money to make the big splash, but the problem is that there isn't an easily movable contract like there was with Mark DeRosa. Beyond which, the only place that big splash might happen is in the rotation, as I can't see where they open up a spot positionally that would allow for a big splash (we could certainly go after an Orlando Hudson, as some people are clamoring for, but I wouldn't consider that big splash). If we have the money, I think we'd probably investigate Halladay depending on how the core of the team finishes.

Reality is, most of the roster is set in place. SP - The only question is Harden. If I had to take a guess, right now, I'd guess he walks, and that the Cubs try Gorzelanny/Marshall/Caridad/cheap vets/and others for the 5th spot. Harden could be the most dominant pitcher on the Cubs, but his health and durability lessen his overall value through the course of a season, and with the payroll already stretched, while I'd love to keep Harden, I could see him gone. Bullpen - Well, this one is a bit harder to figure. Letting Gregg go, who has done better than I expected (which isn't saying much) means finding another late inning arm. There's no way you can trust Carlos Marmol right now. Angel Guzman is nice, but you need more. Now, one thing I hope we don't do is spend on middle relievers. Let guys like Blake Parker, John Gaub, Jeremy Papelbon, Alessandro Maestri (all 4 Rule 5 eligible), and others compete for spots. Focus on a late inning arm. One thing I'm not against is the Papelbon/Chamberlain plan for some of our top arms (Jackson/Cashner/Carpenter). Keep in mind that Papelbon was expected to transition back to starter. It has to be done correctly, though, and the innings likely would need to be watched. I also wouldn't want them in the bigs to start the year. Actually, one plan should be to shelve the Samardzija "work on all your pitches" plan and have him focus on one secondary pitch and to go out and zip the balls as a pen arm. Go out and make a gamble, say, a Billy Wagner or someone. Lineup - C/1st/SS/3rd/RF/CF/LF are all pretty much set for starting spots as of now. I don't think anyone will want Bradley that badly, and Fukudome's been playing so well of late. 2nd base is open. Baker hasn't been bad, and Fontenot has shown signs of life, but here's the one place that the Cubs could try to pursue some sort of upgrade, particularly if the guy can hit at the top of the order. I can live with Baker/Fontenot (and I think I'd love to see Baker get a full-go of it at 2nd base), but it is a spot that could be upgrade. Bench wise - I think Koyie has done enough to come back, putting the Cubs in a tough situation at catcher where they might end up having 4 on the 40 man (with Clevenger/Castillo). Will be an interesting decision. The beauty of having Baker is that it helps alleviate the massive numbers of MI's we tend to carry. I gotta imagine Jake Fox has earned a role for next year as an extra starter of sorts, playing 1st/3rd/RF/LF. I'd love to see a lefty power bat off the bench. Short of it is ... I'm not expecting a huge offseason. Oh ... that was my realistic build. Um ... the unrealistic one would be crazy.

I don't really expect a lot of those names to be in play for us, but one name that caught my eye was Justin Speier. He's been bad, but he hasn't been as bad as that ERA seems. The K rate is healthy, the walk rate is decent. As a freebie, it might be a decent idea to take a peek.

Your not alone. I wouldn't do that hypothetical deal ... and to be honest, I don't really believe that "rumor". Read through some of the stuff on that site ... and it seems like a fan's take couched in "sources told me" terms. But speaking from a purely hypothetical perspective, I wouldn't do that deal. Fukudome has been much better than I thought at the top of the order. To be honest, I had no expectations for Kosuke, as I sort of expected him to fall apart, but maybe he simply needed to be at the top of the order for some reason (more likely, that visit from his swing coach probably helped). Baker has been steady in limited AB's, and I'm still fine with a Baker/Fontenot platoon. It isn't an issue of what we give up that bothers me, in this hypothetical, although I wouldn't be enthused about that. It's an issue of ... is what we are giving up worth what doesn't appear to be a big upgrade to the squad? Sure, it's an upgrade, and in a win-all climate, a lot can be accepted, but I wouldn't do it, primarily because of Lee. He's the type of guy that, in a year or two, you might be able to build an elite package for, or hopefully, become a key part of our future. There's also some long range factors to ponder over - Samardzija/Maestri does slightly weaken our pitching depth, Roberts is near/at the age of decline, and so forth. *Just to be clear, not sure the Orioles would do this deal either, in a hypothetical perspective. The money thing makes it very unlikely, but let's pretend that they aren't eating money. Money is a factor, but another is finding assets that mesh with the current timeline of their young pieces. I'm not sure how enthused they would be about Samardzija/Maestri, two guys that definitely project to the pen for them as of now. Add in Shark's contract (assuming he was willing to waive his NTC) and the clock having started already. Fox is a good asset, but not an asset that is so unique for them to build a trade around. Essentially, they'd be building a deal around Lee, and that might be a tough swallow for them. They need pieces now, with the OF clocks having started, with Wieters and the top young arms up. It's an intriguing package, and it would probably get their attention, but I'm inclined to think that they could probably find something more suitable for their needs in the offseason if they decide to deal Roberts (personally, I think they'll explore it, his value has come down a bit, but it's probably still solid enough to perhaps net them a ready middle infielder due to him being signed down).

That certainly is a fair point to make. Teams are trying to cut costs in some ways, and it does seem that the guys with the best chance of sticking from a Rule 5 pick (makes sense) are middle relief types, guys with a potential plus pitch. Btw, I don't think Papelbon is a player to watch, relative to the spectrum of prospects, but I believe Papelbon is a guy that could fill a role with the Cubs. That said, there's Gaub/Lambert as well (I know Lambert's been inconsistent, but I still believe in his ability to become a LOOGY), along with some other arms (Ruhlman, Sasser, and so forth), so while I'd like to see Papelbon stick, I won't be upset if he's gone.

Beliveau did have an excellent relief outing. I still think this is a LOOGY, maybe a LOOGY-plus, but part of me wants to see him start some more considering the lack of lefty starting arm depth in the system. The Boise bats came alive again. There's a part of me that wants to see Lee (and to a lesser extent, Watkins) get aggressively challenged, as both show an advanced approach at the plate that makes me think that they might be able to survive a push to say, Daytona, in 2010. Not expecting it, but there is a part of me that wonders. With the guys ahead of them, though, they'll probably be slowly worked up the ladder and starting at Peoria, which I'm perfectly fine with. Looking briefly ahead to the 2010 early shakeout, I'm not sure how things fall. I'd be a tad surprised if Vitters went to Tennessee at the start. Could be off on that, and a strong offseason, and who knows. That would shake Rosa/Ridling as the likely 1st/DH combination, with Rosa spotting at 3rd. I'd probably guess LeMahieu and Flaherty splitting time at Daytona, with perhaps Lake down in Peoria. Ah, no use thinking that far ahead. Never know how things shake out come spring.

random thought - for an offense that ranks relatively high overall in the MWL rankings (last I checked), the Peoria offense is sure frustrating for me to follow. Guys with huge up and down swings (Burke had one iirc, Ridling), guys who should be better but have scuffled a bit (Flaherty comes to mind), raw talent not coming through (Lake/Perez), swing work (Rosa/Flaherty), and so forth. I'm not complaining ... it is MWL/Low A, but it sure if frustrating to follow that bunch at times.

I agree. With Acosta, there were rumblings about personal issues or disciplinary problems. There was nothing mentioned with Latham and he was coming off a really strong season last year. Unlike Cedric Redmond, he was able to stay healthy too. What was strange about the whole Latham scenario was that ... he was released, then he wasn't, then he was, then I stopped following. Without any indication/information at all, I wonder if this was a personal situation on his end, perhaps Greinke-esque? Taking a wild stab, so fully acknowledging that it is a wild stab.