CaliforniaRaisin

If you sign Harper (or Machado), you can trade some combination of cost controlled cheaper position players (Almora, Bote, Happ, Russell, etc.) for pitching. The pitching free agency market is both expensive and injury prone so I think you're better off spending your funds on the more safe position players and trying to acquire cheaper pitching.

Badler has the details on Serrano: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/how-the-cubs-lost-their-top-2017-international-prospect/ The summary: Most Mexican teams only give 25% of the signing bonus to the players but they're not limited to that. Tijuana actually gave Serrano 50% because he was a bigger name player. Since the Cubs were in the penalty box, they couldn't give a bonus at that amount (they were capped at $300k; Serrano signed for $1.2 million). MLB never approved Serrano's deal. The Cubs were not disciplined because they had no idea Tijuana gave Serrano $600k. In fact, MLB added $300k to the Cubs' pool for 2018-19 because of this. MLB found that Tijuana wasn't the only team that gave players more than was reported and that's why no Mexican League players aren't allowed to sign right now. Once Mexican League players are able to sign, the Cubs will still be eligible to sign Serrano if they so desire.

Crap. It’s Lange at Myrtle Beach.

Box Scores: Iowa Suspended in the 4th inning - Rain Box Score Tennessee lost 2-0 Box Score Myrtle Beach won game one 1-0 (9 innings) Box Score Myrtle Beach lost game two 1-0 (7 innings) Box Score South Bend won 5-2 (10 innings) Box Score Eugene in progress Box Score AZL Cubs 1 had the day off AZL Cubs 2 in progress Box Score DSL Cubs 1 lost 6-1 (6 Innings - Completed Early: Rain) Box Score DSL Cubs 2 lost 6-2 (7 Innings - Completed Early: Rain) Box Score

Bailey Clark in the AZL: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Danny Hultzen: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, (came in with 2 outs in the inning) Erling Moreno for South Bend: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 9-4 GO-FO, 87-57 pitches-strikes

I can't say I was prepared to see Cesar Izturis Jr's name for the opposing team in tonight's AZL Cubs 1 box score.

Box Scores: Iowa had the day off Tennessee had the day off Myrtle Beach had the day off South Bend won 2-1 Box Score Eugene in progress Box Score AZL Cubs 1 lost 3-2 Box Score AZL Cubs 2 in progress Box Score DSL Cubs 1 won 2-1 (10 innings) on a Rochest Cruz walk-off single Box Score DSL Cubs 2 lost 7-4 Box Score

He says he’s healthy and his velocity has looked good. His command has been garbage. Hopefully that’s just a mechanical issue and an easy fix. He doesn’t have the stuff to get away with throwing so many pitches over the heart of the plate.

As davell mentioned, here’s what BA had on him midseason: 7. Keegan Thompson, RHP Double-A Tennessee Age: 23 Thompson has zoomed to Double-A just a year after the Cubs made him their third-round pick out of Auburn. Thompson’s fastball sits in the low 90s, and the Cubs are working with him to add more movement to his two-seam fastball. Both his curveball and slider flash above-average, but need more consistency. The Cubs are focused on getting him to induce more grounders as he moves up the ladder.

Box Scores: Iowa lost 7-6 Box Score Tennessee won 5-0 Box Score Myrtle Beach won 3-0 Box Score South Bend won 5-4 Box Score Eugene won 7-4 Box Score AZL Cubs 1 won 5-3 Box Score AZL Cubs 2 resumption of game suspended on 8/8 was suspended again (Lightning) Box Score AZL Cubs 2 regularly scheduled game PPD (Lightning) DSL Cubs 1 and DSL Cubs 2 had the day off

Coghlan hit a home run again today for Iowa. On the 2-year anniversary of the time he called for time, wasn't granted time, stepped back in the box and smacked a 2-run single against the Cardinals.

This has been my problem with Short this season. He went from a guy who - at worst - walked and struck out at about the same rate to someone who strikes out way more than he walks and hasn't had that big a power increase to offset it.

Bryant said today he still had no idea when he would play or begin a rehab assignment. But he also took swings yesterday for the first time, so it was actually a good day:

Just like those Reds series about a month ago.

Box Scores: Iowa lost 9-2 Box Score Tennessee won 7-0 Box Score Myrtle Beach lost 5-4 Box Score South Bend lost 9-4 Box Score Eugene in progress Box Score AZL Cubs 1 in progress Box Score AZL Cubs 2 won their game suspended on 7/30 6-0 Box Score AZL Cubs 2 in progress Box Score DSL Cubs 1won 5-2 Box Score DSL Cubs 2 won 3-2 Box Score

Bailey Clark: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K. Wonder if the AFL is in the offing for him. There are a few injured guys who could use the innings - Alzolay, Steele and Clark. Hultzen also had another scoreless inning with 2 Ks. Probably too late for him too meaningfully contribute to the big league team but if he moves up the minors healthy with good numbers, I'd love to bring him back next season.

Jared Young and Andruw Monasterio went back-to-back.

That's obviously a valuable player, but not quite the "#1 overall pick type talent" that I was led to believe. I've read mixed things about Victor Victor Mesa from very hyperbolic statements to basically this. If he is, in fact, Albert Almora he's really not all that valuable. I mean we're not signing him so it's not a big deal anyway. Not sure what to think, but in those videos of him taking BP his bat speed seemed very impressive to me and way faster than Almora. I think his overall speed and athleticism is better than Almora as well. Either way, I wanted him to trade him and think his name would make him a more valuable trade chip than Almora was coming up.

Well that's kind of scary: [tweet] [/tweet] [tweet]https://twitter.com/ChadMoriyama/status/1027778945721061376[/tweet]

Ben Jamin: Do you have a comp for Victor Victor Mesa? Trying to understand what all the fuss is about 1:21 Kiley McDaniel: A couple int’l scouts have said Albert Almora and I tend to think that’s about right

Box Scores: Iowa won 4-2 Box Score LF C. Coghlan 1/5, R, HR (2), RBI, K 3B J. Vosler 1/3, BB, K RF M. Zagunis 2/3, R, RBI, K C W. Remillard 0/4, 2 K SP T. Clifton 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HBP, 4-6 GO-FO, 93-59 pitches-strikes RP J. Norwood 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 0-1 GO-FO RP A. Bass 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 2-1 GO-FO RP C. Mazzoni 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 0-2 GO-FO RP D. Maples 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 0-0 GO-FO Tennessee lost 3-2 Box Score SS Z. Short 2/2, R, HR (14), RBI, 2 BB 2B V. Machin 0/4, K C I. Rice 0/3, BB 3B PJ Higgins 1/4 LF C. Burks 1/3, B RF Je. Báez 1/3 SP M. Rucker 6 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP, 5-8 GO-FO, 74-47 pitches-strikes RP J. Stinnett 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 1-1 GO-FO Myrtle Beach won 6-5 Box Score RF DJ Wilson 0/4, K SS A. Ademan 1/2, R, BB, SB (8) C J. Pereda 1/3, R, BB LF J. Young 1/4, R, HR (5), 3 RBI, 3 RBI, 2 K 2B-SS A. Monasterio 1/4, R, HR (3), RBI 3B W. Galindo 0/3, K SP C. Abbott 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 4-4 GO-FO, 78-51 pitches-strikes RP E. Leal 3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 3-1 GO-FO RP T. Peyton 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR< 1 WP, 1-1 GO-FO South Bend lost 6-3 (10 innings) Box Score CF J. Gutiérrez 0/3, R, 2 BB, K SS R. Narea 1/5 LF C. Dnahue 0/2, RBI, 2 BB 1B-C M. Amaya 3/4, 2B (20), RBI, BB, E (10, missed catch) 3B A. Filiere 0/4, BB, 2 K, E (21, throw) RF B. Hughes 0/3, BB, K SP B. Little 4.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 4-5 GO-FO, 88-60 pitches-strikes RP M. Rodriguez 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1-0 GO-FO Eugene lost 5-2 Box Score 2B A. Weber 1/4, R, 2B (2), K 3B L. Reynolds 2/4, 2B (8), RBI LF N. Velázquez 0/3, BB, 2 K, outfield assist at home RF J. Sierra 1/4 1B J. Slaughter 1/3, BB, K, E (1, throw) SS L. Vázquez 0/4, K C C. Knight 2/4, R< 2B (1), HR (1), RBI, 2 K CF F. Kelli 1/3, K, SB (24) SP P. Richan 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 3-3 GO-FO, 44-29 pitches-strikes RP C. Sanders 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1-0 GO-FO AZL Cubs won 3-0 Box Score RF E. Americaan 1/4, R, 3B (1), RBI, 3 K CF Y. Cuevas 0/3, BB, K SS C. Morel 2/4, K, CS (3) DH A. Guerra 0/3, K C J. Soto 0/1, BB, PB (3) 3B Y. Perlaza 1/3, R, HR (1), RBI, K 1B R. Mejía 1/3, R, K LF E. Pagán 0/3, K SP B. Clark 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 0-1 GO-FO RP D. Hultzen 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1-0 GO-FO RP Y. Pérez 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 1-2 GO-FO AZL Cubs 2 had the day off DSL Cubs 1 won 3-2 Box Score DSL Cubs 2 won 6-1 Box Score

Nelson Velázquez HR (7) Kohl Franklin got the start for AZL Cubs 2 - 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 3-4 GO-FO

It's hard to fake hitting the ball hard and he's doing that better than anyone since he's been up and he's playing solid defense and clearly looks like he has a solid idea and approach at the plate. Yes of course it's ridiculous to think he will ever move Bryant off third but he's shown enough that he's probably one of the better 8 starting options on a given day with where the roster is at now. He's better than Tommy and better than Almora vs RHP and probably Happ vs LHP and at times a better option than Russell depending on the defense you want to run out. did you see this post? baseball is littered with guys who do this and then end up turning back into nothing. i'm just wondering why a lot of people have already made the leap from "this guy is providing lots of value to use right now, and it's really helpful" to "this guy is a significant piece going forward" but really the post was half joking in the first place, which is why i literally used the term doom boner at the start of it. it was an extremely noninflammatory post, so of course it got someone fired up. I certainly wouldn't label him non-prospect after his 2017, AFL and 2018. Bote was 12th in BA's prospect list last offseason and 5th in their midseason list. He was 15th last offseason per MLB.com and 7th in MLB.com's midseason. Considering how late draft pick/late bloomers tend to rise much more slowly on national prospect lists, the midseason rankings are pretty impressive, even in a weak system. His success and improvement in the minors has been tied to real adjustments. Whether that allows him to be a first division starter is a very fair question but I think he definitely needs to be inserted in the lineup more often right now with Bryant hurt since he's hitting well and providing good defense.