T2E

Time to give him another shot at Triple-A?

Not to start an arguement here (I agree that Pujols has been and probably will be the better player), but I don't think FPCT, RF and ZR are good statistics for judging first basemen. Lee's RF is low because he has played on teams that have pitchers who strike out a large number of batters. Those statistics also neglect the fact that Lee is one of the best in the business at digging out balls in the dirt and is fantastic at making the play to second base. Pujols is a good first baseman defensively, but I don't see how you can rate him above Lee.

Going into today's games: Hafner- .300/.405/.538 Konerko- .243/.350/.482 Hillenbrand- .303/.367/.450 :shrug: :huh:

I can't imagine Patterson doing that much worse. I think his value is at an all-time low, and if we are going to trade him, now is not the time. I still haven't given up hope, btw, I'll have no problem if the Cubs stick with him. Moving him out of the #1 hole is a must though.

It's even worse than the Cubs future infield of "Choi, Hill, Montanez and Texierra" ~Gammons, 2001 ESPN Baseball Preview. At least Tex is now an all-star (albeit for a different team) and Choi has shown flashes, unlike House and Bradley who have totally flopped.

Bradley was BA's 20th overall prospect in baseball in 2001 but was a TJ victim and lost much of his stock. Still, he was rated Pirates 22nd prospect going into the year. His fastball was in the low-90's for 2004, and his curve was the best in the system according to BA. His control problems have been frightening this year with 30 walks in 12.3 innings, and I wonder if he is injured again. He was on the 40-man roster, but I'm pretty sure that we wouldn't have to put him on ours. If I'm correct, he might be worth a look.

Career AVG: Pujols- .334 Lee- .275 Excluding this year, Pujols has been a better hitter for average. Saying "All Pujols can do is swing for the fences" is an uninformed and very biased remark. Ramirez/Lee have been superior this season, but Rolen/Pujols have been better in the past and are a better bet in the future.

Rounds 11-20 have been completed and should be up sometime this weekend.

Thanks for the info, Craig. 2: It seems like Veal's fastball is generally average, but it flashes mid-90's speed sometimes. The hope would be that because of his easy mechanics and projection, he'll be able to improve that velocity in the future. 3: Good to hear favorable comments about his breaking pitch. I'm guessing the slurve is also known as his slider, which is a hard low-80's pitch. 3: Interesting comments about Billek. I have seen his change-up (his third pitch) generally referred to as "rarely used," something that he mixed in to give batters another look. I have read positive comments about his command, however. 4: I like Johnston, he's got some favorable tools on both sides of the ball. 5: I have always thought of Taylor as a guy who doesn't have one great pitch, but instead has three solid ones. His fastball was high-80's somtimes and reached the low-90's during the season. His body and arm action could make low-90's more consistant as a pro. 6: I've read some of the favorable comments about Reynolds; the wiry, bat speed, atheltic stuff, but I don't really buy it. I understand that he's had some injury bugs this year, but his 2004 numbers don't warrent a 6th round selection either. His K/BB was horrendous, he didn't show much power and his fielding percentage was low as a shortstop. 7: Taylor- bring on the crafty lefty comps 8: I don't think anyone questions Muyco's defensive skills. It's nice to hear that there are some positives with the bat (bat speed), but I don't see him being much more than a backup. 9: If Avery can revert to his 2004 Cape Cod performance, the Cubs may have a steal. 10: The more I read and analyze Simokaitis, the more I like his chances.

I've been looking around and can't find out wha this signing bonus was. It'll come out eventually. A bunch of new signings besides Holliman today.

A bunch of new signings with the Mesa Roster now in.

Kris Benson maybe? It's hard to know without seeing him pitch.

Although I'm not entirely sure, I'd say that a large number of college pitchers struggle with inconsistancies with their fastball velocity. There is lots of reason to believe that Veal will be able to throw harder more consistantly because his motion is easy, and his frame is projectable.

Well what da ya know, the Cubs sign another pitcher. This time it's Steve Bronder from Manhattan College. He's expected to report to our Mesa facility. I'll have information on him up later tonight.

Jones is listed on Boise's roster: http://boisehawks.com/team/roster/ which is interesting considering his stats are the worst of the group. Here are two relavent quotes on Lefort and Underwood:

I did that with the actual draft picks last year. That information should be posted on the front page sometime very soon. I'm keeping track of the NDFAs in this thread.

Draft Analysis: Rounds 1-5 Round 1: Mark Pawelek, Springfield HS, Utah, LHP Scouting Report: High school lefties are often thought of as raw arms and who will need lots of refinement before they reach the pro level. Pawelek defies this stereotype with his polished pitches and command. This isn’t to say that Pawelek doesn’t have a huge upside, because he does. He doesn’t have massive size, but he’s a long and lean 6’3” 190. He dominated his high school competition with his plus stuff. Pawelek’s fastball gets good movement, works in the 92-94 MPH range and has reached as high as 96 MPH. His curveball is his second best pitch, and he commands it well. The Utah lefty throws two different types; a bigger breaking one in the 73-75 MPH range and more often, a hard breaking curve in the high-70’s. Pawelek, pronounced Paw-lick, can throw his change-up for strikes and also mixes in a slider and is working on a split-finger fastball. His makeup is also considered to be a plus. The only question mark surrounds his mechanics. Pawelek starts his delivery with a big rock back step, kicks his leg to his neck and brings his glove above his head. When delivering the ball, Pawelek’s glove flies to his right leg, and his head tilts to the right side and doesn’t stay on target. However, these flaws are considered to be correctable. Equally important is his smooth and easy arm action. Analysis: Besides a few minor mechanical flaws, Pawelek has about all you could look for in a high school pitcher: a good fastball, solid secondary pitches, command, and he throws with the ideal hand. Signing him for slot money is a bargain, and Pawelek should begin his career shortly. Excellent pick. http://deseretnews.com/photos/u032405paw.jpg Desert News Read the entire article

It is a little strange. The Boise roster already has 13 pitchers, so where do Holliman, Billek, Avery et al go? I don't see where the Cubs are going to be able to fit these three pitchers in. Mesa? Maybe. I just don't see room for three more mediocre college arms.

It is a little strange. The Boise roster already has 13 pitchers, so where do Holliman, Billek, Avery et al go? I don't see where the Cubs are going to be able to fit these three pitchers in.

Same goes for Scott Hode, Brandon Taylor, and Michael Hyle.

Instead of just adding onto the Signings thread, I'm going to create a new NDFA signings thread. If you have an update to add, post it here and I'll dig up some info. 1. RHP Chad Underwood, TCU Info- Underwood, like all NDFAs, is a senior and is 23 years old. He's got size at 6'5 213 but didn't dominate anyone in his senior year. He was used in the set up role doing a decent job. His ERA was 4.50 and batters hit above .300 against, but his 53/18 K/BB ratio in 58 innings is decent. Up until 2004, he'd had injury problems in his first two years. Underwood will have to move very fast to have a chance. Likely a roster filler; he'll begin his career in Boise. Quote- "I am thrilled to be given the chance to play for the Cubs and look forward to getting a taste of the minor league life," Underwood said. "It is a bit of a whirlwind right now, but I can't wait to get up north and play." Story- http://www.collegesports.com/sports/m-basebl/stories/061605aaf.html Pic- http://www.hornedfrogbaseball.com/Portals/16/TTTGallery/USM%20Series/USMUnderwoodreleases.JPG 2. RHP Mick Lefort, Rhode Island U Info- The 6'2" 205 senior has worked as the closer for RIU for the past few seasons. He was second team all Atlantic 10 this year. He saved 9 games posted a 2.01 ERA and a 22/6 K/BB ratio in 22.3 innings. He rated 10th on BA's top Rhode Island prospect list but went undrafted. Quote- "After two years of being an automatic stopper for us, it is exciting to see Mick get the opportunity to pitch at the next level," Rhode Island head coach Frank Leoni said. "He is quite capable of taking his professional career to the highest level." Story- http://www.collegesports.com/sports/m-basebl/stories/061605aal.html Pic- http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/uri/sports/m-basebl/auto_action/144178.jpeg 3. RHP Michael Jones, New Orleans University Info- Jones missed 2004 with an arm injury. He came back to the rotation in 2005. He showed good command, but didn't strike out anyone and his ERA was 5.91 with a .322 AVG against. Okay... Quote- “It is great to see that Michael is going to get a chance to play at the next level,” UNO coach Tom Walter said. “The Chicago Cubs have signed a class act both on and off the field, who will be a great competitor for that organization.” Story- http://unoprivateers.com/index.php?pid=headline&content=user&func=article&id=1231 Pic- http://www.unoprivateers.com/sitecache/c4ca4238a0b923820dcc509a6f75849b/headline/images/UNOP08web.jpg 4. RHP Steve Bronder, Manhattan College Info- Yet another right-handed pitcher. Unlike Lefort, Jones, and Underwood, Bronder was a Junior NDFA, which I didn't think was possible, but I guess I was wrong. Bronder, who's 6'2" 188, doesn't strike out a ton of batters, but he's got decent control and induces ground balls. Bronder finished the year 6-4 with a 4.10 ERA. The highlight of the year came when he tossed a no-hitter against Rider. He's expected to report to Mesa and will either be assigned to the Mesa Cubs or Boise. Quote- Manhattan head coach Steve Trimper commented, “I am extremely happy for Steve and wish him the best of luck with his professional career. He had a great career for the Jaspers, and, though I am sorry to see him go, the opportunity to sign with a professional team is something that is difficult to pass up.” Story- http://www.gojaspers.com/article.cfm?doc_id=6066 Pic- http://www.gojaspers.com/images/BronderAction.jpg 5. RHP Eric Foor, Cal State San Bernardino Info- The latest college righty to be signed by the Cubs. Foor has some size at 6'4" 205. He was 8-3 with a 4.03 ERA last year showing good control but few strikeouts. His teammate Kyle Holden was a 19th round selection by the Cubs. He's a senior and has reported to Mesa with a chance of moving up to Boise. Quote- (Forr) credits CSUSB pitching coach Kurt Stange and Head Coach Don Parnell for his improvement. "Kurt cleaned up my mechanics. I was just playing on talent in high school and at JC. Coach P helped me with my mental approach. I was putting pressure on myself instead of having fun out there." Story- http://athletics.csusb.edu/media0405/50617baseball-mlb.htm Pic- http://athletics.csusb.edu/images/players-bios/baseball/05basefoor.jpg 6. Morrow Thomley, University of Alabama, RHP Info- Thomley played only outfield last season for the Tide, hitting above .300. But just when you thought the Cubs signed a non-pitcher, it turns out they actually signed him to pitch. Thomley is 6'2" 206 and pitched some in his sophomore and freshman years at Bevill State. Quote- "The other day I was at my locker after a workout and when I looked up there was (Cubs shortstop) Nomar (Garciaparra). He was here on a rehab assignment. They told me a lot of the big league guys come here when they are hurt and work out with us. That was pretty cool." Story- http://www.clantonadvertiser.com/articles/2005/06/26/sports/c-sports.txt Pic- http://www.rolltide.com/images/19990.jpg

Yep, he was a non-draft free agent.

OF Davvy Greg and RHP Mike Billek are the two latest signings.

Most likely stating the obvious, but Pawelek's contract isn't a major league contract, correct? Nope.

Round 1: LHP Mark Pawelek, 1,750,000 Round 2: LHP Donald Veal, 530,000 Round 3b: RHP Mike Billek, 315,000 Round 4: SS Dylan Johnston Round 5: RHP Scott Taylor Round 6: IF Kyle Reynolds Round 7: LHP Trey Taylor Round 8: C Jake Muyco Round 9: RHP Matt Avery Round 10: SS Joe Simokaitis Round 11: RHP Michael Phelps Round 12: C Yusef Carter Round 13: RHP Brett Jackson Round 15: RHP Roger Evenson Round 16: RHP Jon Mueller Round 17: 3B Brandon Taylor Round 18: OF Victor Liriano Round 19: RHP Kyle Holden Round 21: C Peter Farina Round 22: RHP Michael Hyle Round 23: LHP Jayson Ruhlman Round 24: SS Scott Hode Round 25: OF Deryck Lewis Round 26: Nikolaus Crouch Round 27: OF Davy Gregg Round 28: LHP Michael Greenhouse Round 29: OF John Defendis Round 38: OF Ryan Episcopo Round 39: C Justin Morgan Round 40: LHP Ryan Chambers