The-Kris-Bryant

You can't really group Arrieta with the other two - who combined for a 4.8 fwar

Soler reminds me of Glenallen Hill. Am I the only one who feels that way?

Supposedly the terrain changed again when the Cubs expanded the deal with KC to include Darwin and Nate. FO would prefer deals with AL teams. As I said yesterday, the information I have suggests the Cubs will do everything in their power to utilize current major league assets like Shark, Castro, Barney, Scheirholtz and Russell plus non-core prospects (Vitters, Pineyro, McNutt, etc...) to acquire a minimum of 2 prospects, who have "top of the rotation" stuff and are less than 2 years away from the Majors. If we need to include more to make Zimmer + Ventura happen in that deal, would Vogelbach put it over the top? He'd be arriving right around the time Butler's contract is up. Why not sweeten it more with Alcantara + Shark for Zimmer, Ventura and etc? Hell I'd entertain a Shark & Castro deal if we could get two elite SP prospects - depending on the secondary guys in the package.

ERA+ and OPS+ measure performance not ability.

BP works fine in a pinch

And this is why most scouts who aren't UK suck at identifying good baseball players. I have no doubt that most excel and do well at evaluating each individual tool but using that crude system to find OFP is downright unintelligent. Since when is an 8 power tool equivalent to any position having an 8 arm? Heck, when is having a 6 tool worth having an 8 arm at any position?

Now if only Parks can learn it...

It would be a group that'd eventually win, so long as they don't succumb to groupthink ala Pearl Harbor.

Brad Ausmus is going to be one hell of a big league manager. The guy's brilliant, made the majors while going to Dartmouth and had a fantastic GPA. Spent years in the game as a catcher, always respected to his knowledge of the game. He also has a fantastic reputation as a person, leader and role model and has always been active in the community. He's unproven as a teacher obviously, but if Theo plans on keeping the next manager through the point where the Cubs become good, Brad Ausmus is on my short list with Girardi. JD raves about him too.

I wouldn't read much into it. This is one guys list. The top 100 is a collective list. JJ Cooper also has no idea what makes a baseball player good. Almora will be higher than Seager and McCullers, possibly Stephenson too.

Derek Jeter-Jorge Posada-Bernie Williams-Mariano Rivera with one of the others becoming Andy Pettitte.

Yeah even if MLB doesn't allow it, it makes it easier for players to defect.

Keep in mind that Cuba's main season is during our winter. Cuba says island athletes will be allowed to sign contracts to compete in foreign leagues, a shift from decades of policy that held professional sports to be anathema to socialist ideals. Communist Party newspaper Granma reports that the decision was approved at a recent session of the Council of Ministers, which is headed by President Raul Castro. Athletes will still be asked to fulfill their commitments to national squads. Granma says they will have to be in Cuba "for the fundamental competitions of the year." The announcement was made Friday.

It is when there is a Harper or Strasburg type talent lurking. Heck Teixeira, Prior, Mauer too. Ditto for David Price. Rodon might be that kind of prospect (I don't think he is, but can see why some would) but those prospects aren't always there. However, they're identified well in advance of the draft.

There's no reason to care at all about prospect league rankings from the AZL. It's like trying to determine the chance of a kid becoming a track athlete by watching his first steps as a toddler. Let's look at the top ten from the 2007 rankings -- all the players now are 23 at the youngest, but most are 24 or 25. 1. Angel Villanola - a fat first baseman who has never posted an OPS over .750 above the rookie league. Granted he was out of baseball for several years after being accused of murder but paid the victim's family off before trial (ie he did it). 2. Engel Beltre - a speedy center fielder lead-off type who has yet to amass 30 walks in single season. His position on baseball-reference is now listed as pinch runner. 3. Nick Noonan - A former shortstop turned second baseman who sports a career .322 obp in the minors. He made is MLB debut this year and has hit a fantastic .495 OPS in over 100 PA's. 4. Danny Duffy - Now has 31 MLB starts under his belt with an appealing 137:83 K:BB. Granted he's recovering from TJS and looks to be the Poster Child of success from this list.... 5. Wilmer Font - Has made 5 MLB appearances, walking 6 guys in 3.1 innings. He has a big arm, but no control. He still has a chance to develop into a good relief pitcher though. 6. Wilmer Bucardo - out of baseball after 2011 7. Drew Cumberland - retired in 2012 and hadn't played since 2010 because of rare complications due to a series of concussions. 8. Danny Carroll - Hey he hit .303 this year.... for the independent Lincoln Saltdogs. 9. Cristian Santana - out of baseball after 2010 10. Mario Martinez - spent the entire season in Low A. He has 107 career walks in nearly 3,000 career minor league plate appearances. In case you're wondering, only one guy from 11 to 20 has played in the majors recently (Charlie Culberson) If you want to go down to 2006, they did have Hank Conger listed #1. To be fair in 2008 they had Starlin Castro and Junior Lake on the list (and a quick glance suggests they might be the best two). Some guy named after a fish topped it the next year, not sure what happened to him but the point still stands. 2005's top prospect was none other than the immortal Mark Pawelek. Hell, Sammy Baez was ranked number 17 and he barely played in 17 more games (he played in 19 the following year and 3 the next). Oops.

whose batting average is below .200 and they make the playoffs (and both guys qualify for the BA title). BJ Upton is sitting at .191/.271/.302 and Dan Uggla is sitting at .181/.311/.370.

Improved: Baez for sure Disappointing: Soler and Almora's health Longshot: Vitters

Jason Parks was his usual self in the Monday morning ten pack. He's such a gigantic tool.

Going to call it, last BaezBomb of the year.

I believe the new rules state that you can have two A or first year draft picks (Almora, Bryat) and two hi A players (Soler) if you want.

It's the modern day equivalent to tall shortstops before Ripken came along. I seem to remember Roy Oswalt having a nice little career.

i would imagine there is some sort of insurance policy on this.

I'd definitely trade Castro for Price straight up, but I'm not sure the Rays would. He's still throwing averaging 93.5 MPH and tied with Holland as the major's hardest throwing lefty starter that's qualified. Of course he his control has gone through the roof this year.

Yes Keith there is no reason to favor the plus defender at short over the guy who might end up at third base whose bat is infinitely better.