Outshined_One

Even I'm at this point, and I've been a proponent of Vitters for awhile. Hell, I could see Brett Jackson vault into people's Top 20 prospects in MLB by season's end at the rate he's going. The strikeouts are a HUGE concern for me with him. I'm very concerned he'll get exposed at higher levels if he can't make more contact. The big reason why the Ks aren't as much of a concern to me is that, in the time I've seen him, he does a good job of working deep counts. Inevitably, that style of hitting will net a guy a lot of walks...and his fair share of strikeouts. Moreover, compared to his Peoria numbers last season, Jackson is striking out substantially less per plate appearance while drawing more walks. I could see him struggle a bit as he advances up the ladder and faces more advanced pitching, but his results to this point have been quite favorable. As long as the Cubs are patient (groan), I think he has the makings of a really good player.

Even I'm at this point, and I've been a proponent of Vitters for awhile. Hell, I could see Brett Jackson vault into people's Top 20 prospects in MLB by season's end at the rate he's going.

Rehabbing a shoulder injury down in AAA.

Less underutilized and more failed prospect. The Angels waived him and the White Sox saw something in him and took a chance. That's what I took KingCubsFan to mean. I'd like to point out that Jenks was waived in part because he was nuttier than a bag of Snickers. The guy lit his pitching arm on fire for cripes' sake.

His line for the season is also sexy. My math might be a tad off, but it should look like this... 59.2 IP, 43 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 0 HR, 24 BB, 70 K Doing this as a 20 year old in the MWL is also a really good sign.

I'm seriously considering having both Archer and McNutt in my top 5 at the rate both are going. Archer would probably be above McNutt on my personal list since he's higher up the food chain in Daytona, but both have done stellar jobs so far.

Bruce Miles has some good news for us.

Jim Callis Prospect Chat Ouch.

Inside the Ivy says 14th rounder Colin Richardson signed.

As memory serves me, I don't think Fukudome would be arbitration-eligible after next season, despite having only four years of ML service time. I know that players signed out of Japan don't net draft pick compensation in their first contracts and I think it's because of the lack of arbitration eligibility. I could be wrong, though. Regardless, what this means is that Fukudome's contract is more burdensome than other players simply because any team that trades for him won't even get draft picks if he bolts for free agency after 2011.

Kurcz was one of the guys I thought the Cubs needed to sign out of this draft. He was signable, offered two very good pitches as a reliever, and is a good candidate to move fast through the system if he can iron out some of his command/control problems. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do in the minors.

are you suggesting that 17 walks in 25 innings is not that good? He's sucked out of the pen, but his two outings as a starter have been halfway decent so far. I know, small sample size and all that, but it seems like the only success he's had in his career has been in a starting role.

BA lists Hunter Ackerman as officially signed.

Box Scores Iowa won 3-2 Box Score CF S. Fuld 1/3, BB, R SS D. Barney 1/4, RBI, 2B (15), K 2B B. Scales 0/4, K 1B B. LaHair 2/4, R, RBI, HR (7), 2 K LF J. Dubois 1/4, R, RBI, HR (8) C W. Castillo 0/3, K RF/LF J. Adduci 0/2, K, HBP 3B M. Smith 1/3, K, E (2, throw) PH M. Camp 0/1 SP M. Atkins 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4/2 K/BB, 1-8 GO-FO RP J. Gaub 2 scoreless, 1 H, 2/1 K/BB, WP, 3-1 GO-FO RP B. Schlitter 1.1 scoreless, 2 H, 1/0 K/BB, 1-2 GO-FO Tennessee won 13-5 Box Score CF/RF B. Guyer 3/5, BB, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR (5), SB (10), Assist (Home) SS N. Samson 0/5, SB (1), E (5, throw) LF T. Wright 2/5, R, RBI, K C R. Chirinos 1/4, BB, 2 R RF R. Canzler 2/4, R, 3 RBI, HR (7), CS (4) CF T. Campana 0/1, R 3B J. Vitters 2/4, BB, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR (2) 2B T. Thomas 1/5, R, 3 RBI, HR (3) PH M. Spencer 0/1 PH/SS M. Gonzalez 1/2, R, RBI, HR (3) SP A. Cabrera 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2/4 K/BB, HBP, 6-5 GO-FO RP O. Martinez .1 perfect, 1/0 K/BB RP J. Muyco 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2/1 K/BB, 1-3 GO-FO RP R. Buchter 0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, HBP RP D. Cales 1 perfect, 1/0 K/BB, 2-0 GO-FO RP J. Papelbon 1 scoreless, 1 H, 2-1 GO-FO Daytona lost 4-3 Box Score CF B. Jackson 2/5, R, RBI, 2 2B (13), 2 K 3B DJ LeMahieu 1/4, BB, 2B (10), E (6, fielding) 2B R. Flaherty 2/4, 2 RBI 1B R. Ridling 1/5, 2 K RF K. Burke 0/4, K SS J. Lake 1/3, BB, 2 R, 2B (4) SP C. Rusin 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4/1 K/BB, 11-3 GO-FO RP C. Siegfried 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3/3 K/BB, HR, 3-1 GO-FO RP J. Beliveau .1 perfect, 1-0 GO-FO Peoria won 12-7 Box Score SS HJ Lee 2/6, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K, E (20, throw) CF L. Watkins 2/4, 2 BB, R, RBI, 2B (8) 2B M. Cerda 0/6, R, RBI 1B G. Rohan 0/3, R, RBI, HBP LF DJ Fitzgerald 2/3, 2 BB, 3 R, K, SB (6) DH N. Perez 3/5, R, 2 RBI, 2 2B (7), K C J. Mota 1/4, R, HBP 3B C. Thomas 2/5, 2 R, 2 RBI, K SP K. McNutt 5 scoreless, 1 H, 10/1 K/BB, 2-2 GO-FO RP Y. Gonzalez 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2/1 K/BB, 2-3 GO-FO RP J. Latham .2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2/2 K/BB, HR, 2 WP RP F. Batista 1 scoreless, 1 H, 2/0 K/BB, 0-1 GO-FO DSL Cubs 1 won 7-0 Box Score CF O. Zapata 2/4, R, SB (6), CS (5) 2B G. Amaya 3/4, RBI, CS (2) 1B G. Jimenez 1/3, R, K, SB (2) DSL Cubs 2 won 5-0 Box Score PR/DH M. Hernandez 0/1, R OVERALL: 5-1

I will not let myself get excited over Jeff Samardzija's minor league performance... I will not let myself get excited over Jeff Samardzija's minor league performance... I will not let myself get excited over Jeff Samardzija's minor league performance... I will not let myself get excited over Jeff Samardzija's minor league performance... I will not let myself get excited over Jeff Samardzija's minor league performance... I will not let myself get excited over Jeff Samardzija's minor league performance...

8th rounder RHP Jake Muyco has the best shot of any 2005 Cubs draftee to come up and play for the Cubs...despite the fact that he was drafted as a catcher.

Any thoughts on who might get sent directly to Boise after signing? The obvious ones are the early-ish college guys and some of the JuCo guys if they sign - Simpson, Gibbs, Ackerman, Szczur, Rhoderick, Jokisch, LePage, Soto, Brooks, Pinckard, Fitzgerald and Cuneo. Man, they only have 2 2010 draft picks right now. It's worth pointing out that most signees end up in Arizona for a brief stay shortly after signing. For example, Brett Jackson and DJ LeMahieu spent three games apiece in the AZL last season after they signed.

You sure about Leverton to the I-Cubs? Supposedly he's joining Daytona, but the report could be wrong.

Boise officially released their roster today and 28th rounder Joseph Zellers is on it.

Boise released their roster today. Printable version

Box Scores Iowa won Game 1 of its DH 2-1 Box Score CF S. Fuld 1/3 SS D. Barney 2/2, BB, R RF B. Snyder 0/3, K 1B M. Hoffpauir 0/2, BB, K 2B B. Scales 1/1, 2 BB, R, RBI, HR (2) LF B. LaHair 1/3, RBI C C. Robinson 0/3 3B M. Camp 0/3 SP C. Coleman 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 8/0 K/BB, 7-4 GO-FO Iowa won Game 2 of its DH 4-0 Box Score CF/LF J. Adduci 0/3, K SS D. Barney 2/3, R, 2B (14) RF B. Snyder 1/2, BB, 2 R 1B M. Hoffpauir 3/3, R, 3 RBI, HR (7) LF J. Dubois 1/3, RBI, K C W. Castillo 0/3, K 3B M. Smith 0/3, K 2B M. Camp 3/3 CF S. Fuld 0/1 SP J. Samardzija 5 scoreless, 3 H, 6/2 K/BB, 3-5 GO-FO, E (1, throw) RP B. Parker 2 scoreless, 1 H, 5/1 K/BB, 1-0 GO-FO Tennessee with an off day Daytona won 5-4 Box Score CF B. Jackson 2/5, RBI, 3 K, SB (11) 3B DJ LeMahieu 1/4, SB (8) 2B R. Flaherty 0/4, K, E (7, fielding) 1B R. Ridling 1/4, R RF K. Burke 2/4, 2 R, K C M. Brenly 2/4, 2 RBI SS J. Lake 1/3, R, 3B (1), K, HBP SP C. Archer 5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 10/0 K/BB, HR, 3-2 GO-FO RP J. Leverton 1.2 scoreless, 0 H, 1/0 K/BB, 2-1 GO-FO, E (1, throw) RP M. Perconte 2 scoreless, 0 H, 2/1 K/BB, WP, HBP, 2-1 GO-FO Peoria lost 2-0 Box Score SS HJ Lee 1/4 CF L. Watkins 0/4, K 2B M. Cerda 1/4, 2B (9), K 1B G. Rohan 1/4, 2B (15), K DH DJ Fitzgerald 0/3, BB, 2 K LF N. Perez 0/3, K 3B C. Thomas 0/3 C J. Mota 1/3, 2B (4), E (1, throw) SP N. Struck 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1/2 K/BB, 2 WP, 5-8 GO-FO RP R. Morla 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3/0 K/BB, 5-1 GO-FO DSL Cubs 1 lost 3-2 in the 10th Box Score CF O. Zapata 1/4, BB, CS (4), PO (1B) 1B G. Jimenez 0/2, 2 BB, R, 2 K SS G. Amaya 0/3, SB (3), HBP, E (4, fielding) SP L. Villalba 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1/1 K/BB, WP, 6-7 GO-FO DSL Cubs 2 lost 13-0 Box Score SS M. Hernandez 0/3 OVERALL: 3-3

I'm looking forward to getting into obnoxious arguments with Nebraska fans over which team has a better claim to the color red.

Fed Ex reportedly willing to pony up $10m to get Memphis into a new conference.

Added him to the main page. I also put a space for NDFA signings.

So, what's the Big Ten's next move? Going hard after Notre Dame while maintaining discussions with Pitt/Rutgers?