toonsterwu

For a guy who had the yips at the start of the year, Ben Wells has pitched fairly well out of the pen with Myrtle Beach since coming back. Now that he's in short stints, I'd be very curious to hear what his FB velocities are. Back in Boise, there were reports of 94-95, but wild. He tamped that down a bit, but that was to work as a starter. Wonder (admittedly, it's early, but I'd always liked the potential Wells offered) if he could be a power sinker pen arm type, a la Zach Britton.

More times than not (admittedly, giving myself some leeway there) a major leaguer who has established that he can play at this level and is decent/passable defensively doesn't get moved if they are in their prime years. Teams move other guys around - leaving aside the Cubs, Manny Machado playing 3rd base for the Orioles comes to mind, even though most would acknowledge he has far superior talent than JJ Hardy (whether or not he would have the consistency in the majors is a separate issue, although I would think so). There are exceptions (I believe Alex Gordon gets mentioned sometimes, as Moustakas was coming up the ladder at the time, but the counter would be that, when Gordon was moved, he was scuffling as a hitter in the bigs and there were big questions about his future - his first full season as a LF is when he took off offensively.) In this case, again predicated on the unlikely possibility that Gleyber Torres would be up in the bigs by age 20, you are looking at more than one move. Now, one can argue that a) Russell and Bryant aren't estbalished enough to preclude a second move b) The Cubs have pondered these possibilities of Bryant in the OF and Russell at 3rd but if Bryant and/or Russell show any competency at their respective positions while showing enough offensive potential (both things that are expected), I just find it hard to see the Cubs triggering a domino effect of moves to make way for Torres. Nothing's impossible, but asking two big time guys to shift positions if they are competent in their major league runs at those spots ... I really can't recall a team that made multiple moves like that (If this unlikely hypothetical scenario happened, the short-circuit to it, if they kept everyone, might be to move Russell to the OF). If Torres was that good to force his way up the ladder that quick, it's likely that his offense is what pushes him up, so I guess it's not implausible to consider him as a corner OF option ... but he's not an ideal fit there (granted ... the Cubs have power to spare so it's not impossible). Much as I love Castro, it still seems more likely to me that the Cubs would move someone (and Russell seems far more like the type of guy they would prefer long run than Castro). If the Cubs are fortunate enough to have the majority of their guys pan out, and pan out at a expedited timeline, they'd likely move some assets to make a stronger run. Anyhow, this is all extended from a Callis comment that I was simply making light of. No scenario is impossible.

To be fair, it's a pretty crappy class. I would take Torres in a heartbeat over Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman, so I think Torres probably would be a top 5, maybe top 3 pick if he were in the draft.

It's a decent comp, but Castro's hit tool reports in the low levels, to my recollection, seem far superior to Torres' current reports. Torres could get there. Castro's speed and arm, from the reports I recall of his low levels, seem like it might be a touch above Torres', although those two areas are a bit more debatable. I make the Profar comp because both guys seem similar tools wise - Profar never really had plus tools, but what he had was above average across the board tools, and it feels similar to the report on Torres' tools. As a side note, I still wouldn't rule out Castro adding some pop as he hits his prime years, enough that he might show above average pop at some point. If he moved off shortstop and just bulked up a bit more, I wouldn't be surprised if that would lead to even more pop.

Not sure why you'd say that. Actually, I had a specific reason why I said that. Again, it was premised on Callis' comments that he could be pushed to the bigs soon. Gleyber Torres doesn't project as well if he's not in the middle infield. He doesn't have the top power you'd want in a corner role, he doesn't have a huge cannon of an arm. He really doesn't have the great speed for CF. If he came up anytime soon, it's probably middle infield, with an outside option of 3rd. If the front office pushed him up that fast, he's going to play, and thus, a secondary move would in all likelihood happen. I love Castro. I said it before that I think he'll add power as he hits his prime years. This isn't me saying I want Castro gone. It's just that, if Callis' comment of Torres potentially being pushed to the bigs soon actually occurred (as noted, I don't think that happens), I don't see Torres playing anywhere else besides middle infield in that scenario, which would force another move, and the most likely domino would still be packaging Castro, IMO (rather than moving Russell or doing a dramatic shift of 2-4 players defensive homes ... or shifting Castro to a corner OF role).

I find Callis' comment ... funny ... in that the Starlin Castro express route for Torres would push Castro out soon (since Castro came up at 20). I gotta think that, unless he absolutely forces their hand, the front office will buy time with Torres rather than forcing him up. Will be curious how Torres' plays out. He reminds me a lot of Jurickson Profar.

I'm not particularly huge on Meadows, but he does project to have more, and potentially, much more, power than McKinney, potentially plus power as he matures. Again ... I'm not saying there's anything wrong with McKinney's numbers, but I'm not particularly encouraged by the start when coupled with the projections and expectations for him. I guess a part of me wondered, when our voting happened, if you guys were seeing/hearing things that would make McKinney far more exciting than I thought, so sometimes said intrigue is expectation based as well.

Nothing's wrong with it ... but I'm not particularly intrigued by any of them so far. Now, I loved McKinney as the 2nd asset in that trade and was mildly surprised that I seemed to a low person on his ranking, but a) I've been fairly consistent in the belief that guys who lack major tools need to prove it all the way up for me to be really intrigued b) He isn't, as of now, busting through any of the projections/expectations on a repeat year in A+ ... and a positive offensive case still looks to be middle-aged Nick Markakis There's a place for a guy like that, and maybe even a starting role in the bigs (there is something to be said for solid, and consistently solid), but for me to intrigued, he either needs to bust through or he needs to prove it up the ladder. As for Zagunis ... if he's an OF now ... the approach is great, but he has to show some power. There was the expectation of more power as he develops, so we'll see if he can step it up as he gets more adjusted to upper level pitching.

That Tennessee rotation has gotten off to a fine start (outside of Zastryzny - you know, I sort of wonder if he's a poor man's Brian Matusz - a lefty who seems to have all the pitches to be a starter, but never finds the extended consistency). I really still am not sure that I expect all that much out of Felix Pena or Frank Batista unless there stuff has ticked up. Good to see Pineyro getting back in a groove. Still pleasantly surprised at how well Willson Contreras has hit to start the year. For all the talk about Schwarber, Caratini, and Zagunis to start the year (and even Amaya), Contreras was sort of lost by the wayside, but if his defense continues to improve and he gives us some offense, he's really an interesting option who has reached the upper levels. I'll probably catch the Pelicans at some point in the next month or so, and I really hope I can get intrigued about any of those bats. It's somewhat painful to see the numbers for those guys to start the year, but then again, it's not like McKinney/Zagunis/Caratini didn't come with some offensive concerns. I'd love to see them move Ben Wells into a full blown short relief mode if he's over his yips (SSS). It seems unlikely to transition him back to a starter, so I wonder if we could make him into a power throwing sinkerballer out of the pen. Really hope those K's come down for Charcer Burks. It'd be nice to have another positional guy to be intrigued with in South Bend that isn't a bit old for the level.

Any news on how Williams' stuff looks? He was the 10th rounder from East Carolina, right? IIRC, the reports on his college stuff was fairly mediocre. Hmm ... sounds like it's still a fringe fastball ... http://www.elkharttruth.com/sports/South-Bend-Cubs/2015/04/28/Location-movement-most-important-things-to-South-Bend-Cubs-right-handed-pitcher-Ryan-Williams.html

Voted Cease and Candelario, and Cease looks like the runaway victor here. To be quite honest, could buy arguments for a lot of people here. Cease probably has the best pure upside left on the board. I think we're getting close to the point where enough games will have been played that things that happens this year may sway some opinions (namely, Jeremy Null and Dan Vogelbach come to mind, but a few more possibilities come to mind) on rankings. I'm wondering if this should be capped at 20 or 25 (I'm figuring we won't get to 25 until probably mid-May), at which point, we could even start work on a mid-season list. Just a thought ...

Isn't he already too old and disappointing? Not this year, at least for me. Look, I was never huge on Hannemann. Well, I liked him, but I didn't see why he was viewed as substantially better than Szczur other than SNTS (of course, I'm talking about the Szczur before this spring). That said, last year was his first full pro season. Look, if it gets to next year, and he's still scuffling a bit, then his age is a concern on projecting him. But ... his 2nd full pro season? I certainly don't view him as "too old and disappointing" already. He turned 24 today ... which is okay for AA, maybe a tinge on the high side, but okay. nvm - responded before reading below. i see you meant it as a joke.

Really glad to see this. AA had an awful start this year at MLB and also AAA. Great for the roster with his versatility if he can hit at all. Dangerous as **** if he can be a Zobrist type. My feeling on Alcantara coming up was always that I questioned his ability to hit at the pros because, while his K and BB rates are fine, I felt like he got aggressive at times. This makes me wonder if he can succeed with inconsistent playing time. He really needs those consistent 400-500 AB's. If he's a "Zobrist-type" and getting consistent starts ... perhaps. If he's not ... then I wonder. Even if he is a Zobrist type, if he's struggling and having to switch positions, that could wear on him mentally. I still believe that Alcantara is probably best utilized as trade bait to another team.

If he's consistently sitting 92-93, we ranked him too low. Agreed. I think I was one of the lower folks on him, because last year, he was 89-93. If he is consistently 92-93 and getting swings and misses on his curveball, then that's a guy who should be far higher and not really in that "Hendricks" mold that he looked to be, coming out of KC.

He played 3rd for UVA, and he was fairly solid at it. That said, AzPhil seemed pretty negative on his defense (it was in a recent post in the replies), saying he was basically 2nd base or bust (suggesting his arm wasn't good enough for 3rd). That strikes me as a bit odd based on what he was at UVA ... but I guess it's possible things have changed.

Looks like that lat strain was relatively serious for Nate Kirby. Out for 6-8 weeks. Damn ... but UVA is doing the smart thing for his future by getting him out. Jones was excellent against the Pack, the bats are hitting, and the pen seems to have finally got it together. If UVA can get to the postseason ... they'll be a dangerous lower seed, but without Kirby, even with Jones "on", that's a big if, as Waddell has been inconsistent (that's putting it nicely ... still weird to think he was the Friday night starter 2 seasons ago ... he's been bad enough that I wonder if he comes back for a senior turn). I'm not even sure who the third starter for the weekend is going to be - Bettinger got work today ... Derek Casey is out after pitching well the last few times out. Adam Haseley, the CF, got a start a few days ago mid-week. Heck, the lineup's banged out - Gerstenmaier is out, Clement is out, LaPrise has been out for the year.

Oops, I meant to say Cornelius Randolph from Griffin. The clips of Plummer's swing online are intriguing. Seems short and compact, and gets through the zone very quick. Looks like he might have a nice power stroke to him (that said, online clips are an awful way to guess at things). With the full acknowledgment that clips don't tell much ... I also like what is online for Ke'Bryan Hayes. On the flip side ... does Chris Betts swing look sort of long to anyone? I really wanted to like Betts ... wouldn't mind another catching prospect in the system.

Saw that Underwood report on BA the other day, when he was the 2nd starter in the doubleheader, and damn if it's not exciting to read about a high upside arm (yeah, I know, TINSTAAPP). IIRC, BA said he was topping out at 96 and throwing his curve for strikes, but he didn't go to his change, his 2nd best pitch, all that much. If that curve can develop into a plus pitch, a put-away pitch, to go along with his other two weapons, and he maintains his command/control improvement? This would be a legit TOR type prospect ... damn exciting. Going to be fun to see if he can take it to the next level.

I lean this way as well, for now. Soriano really struggled at times with the Nationals, and unless he comes cheap ... I don't know if I want to spend big on him. You don't need to spend big on the pen, as the Dodgers finally realized with their new leadership. I mean, if we were one solid pen piece away and adding someone that felt a bit safer ... I might feel differently, but the options on the table right now aren't great. I mean, let's work through our options at this early stage. Honestly ... give Edwin Jackson more run out of the pen if need be. If Michael Jensen keeps performing well and has his old power stuff, give him a look. If absolutely necessary, there's always James Russell (I.C.E.) I'm a bit more concerned about how our starters aren't going deep enough, with only Arrieta averaging more than 6IP per start. If Lester settles in, things look a bit better, but that's a lot of pressure on a pen that's banged up.

Willson Contreras isn't going to keep this up ... but he's off to another solid start and he's only 22. I'd be curious to hear how his defense has looked. If Jensen's got his old power stuff back, wouldn't mind seeing him get bumped up to AAA. Was a fascinating arm out of the draft with that plus fastball/plus breaking ball.

I've always liked Bruno a fair amount (UVA player), but the one thing I said about him was that he's going to have to prove that his hit tool holds up as he moves up each level. It's hard to rate a guy whose primary asset is his hit tool that high unless he continuously proves it. I loosely made the poor man's Pedoria comps early on (although off the top, I don't think I ever stated that directly). The reason he sort of got lost in the shuffle (beyond the lack of a huge ceiling and the number of MI prospects in the system) is that he got hurt in 2013 and tailed off the 2nd half of 2014 after a fairly strong start (he was raking that first half ... .291/.378/.471(. I'm still of the belief that Bruno could've made a decent shortstop, but he was, rightly, pushed off short at UVA by Chris Taylor. He was a solid 3rd baseman in college (he was slated to be the shortstop, then got hurt, allowing Taylor to slide to SS from CF, which kicked Bruno to 3rd), and moved to 2nd as he moved up the ladder (correct me if I'm wrong, but I believed he played a decent amount of 3rd in A ball), which is where I expected him to end up. The hit tool's the primary asset, as noted, but he has a decent enough approach at the plate. He's always been an aggressive hitter in some respects (but not a hacker), and in some respects, there are some similarities, IMO, to Alcantara in that regards. I think there's more power than he's shown in AA so far, although to expect more than average power would be folly. In many other systems, I think he would be a lot more intriguing. In our system, he's probably a 25-40 guy, depending on preferences. The most likely positive scenario is one where he becomes a utility player that mans mostly 2nd/3rd, but can pinch in at short and the OF spots. I wouldn't bet against him being a starter at some point in his career if the right opportunity presented itself. Hard to see that happening in our organization, though. As for trade value ... he's never going to be the main asset to any deal. Does he have some value? Probably. Upper level player who has a solid hit tool and can play the 2nd/SS/3rd should attract some attention as some sort of 2nd/3rd piece to a deal, depending on the type of deal being put together.

I do wonder how the role adjustment affects his process. I forgot who it was a couple years ago ... (want to say Jay Jackson or Andrew Cashner but not certain) ... that had a hard time adjusting from rotation to getting prepped in the pen. Obviously, that's an "excuse", but I do wonder.

I've got to assume that was a 4-seamer at 95 ... if that's his 2-seamer ... damn ... but gotta think that's his 4-seamer. Still think Beeler could at least make an intriguing bullpen groundball middle relief option if he can't hang on as a 5th starter type.

This is the smallest of quibbles ... but I'm not sure how much I really care for Frank Batista starting. Are there any reports of him showing any better stuff than year's past (out of the pen, he was roughly 89-93 on the fastball, with an above average slider, IIRC). I mean, Francescon/Jensen seemed to show equal or better raw stuff than that. Of course, all three guys are likely pen guys if they make it up (and considering how Batista's yo-yo'd ... prior to this year, he'd be 3rd on that list of guys I would expect to see up). It might simply be a case where they need to put someone in there and would prefer to see Jensen/Francescon in roles they might be a better fit for long term.

Damn ... I finally got to trying to read up a lot more on this draft class ... and I can't think of anyone I really want at our pick. I'm leaning towards a save money for later move. I'm actually fine with drafting an arm ... but the problem is, it sure feels like there will be some arms that fall down a bit in the draft and could be available in the 2nd. Now, you don't pass up someone because someone might be there, but no one stands out. I have never been huge on Swanson or Bregman. I think Swanson is fine, but I just feel like he's a bit over-hyped. I guess I sort of think Lindor with him, a guy I like but don't really love. I guess I'm fine if they gamble on Daz Cameron or Kyle Tucker ... but a part of me really likes Cornelius Griffin. Sure feels like this could be a draft where some late risers change the complexion ... or several teams may rate some guys higher than others. In some respects, makes it a more interesting draft, but geesh ... if there was a year where I wished we could trade a top 10 pick ... this would be it.