CaliforniaRaisin

MLB is trying to scrap the posting system, probably so they can try to criminally underpay Japanese kids straight out of HS. A lack of a posting system this offseason would stop Otani from coming over this year: http://english.kyodonews.net/news/2017/07/0d48f9377523-update1-baseball-posting-system-not-cash-hurdle-for-otani.html

Enough about Ross. We all know Coghlan was the main cog that made last year's team tick.

BA's midseason top 100: http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2017-midseason-top-100-prospects-july-7/?amphtml=1 Eloy Jimenez up to 5 from 11. Dylan Cease up to 82 from 90. No other Cubs. BA's top 10: 1. Yoan Moncada, 2B, White Sox 2. Vlad Guerrero Jr, 3B, Blue Jays 3. Gleyber Torres, SS, Yankees 4. Amed Rosario, SS, Mets 5. Eloy Jimenez, OF, Cubs 6. Rafael Devers, 3B, Red Sox 7. Brendan Rogers, SS, Rockies 8. Victor Robles, OF, Nationals 9. Nick Senzel, 3B, Reds 10. Ronald Aruna, OF, Braves No pitchers in BA's top ten. Only one in BP's (and he recently had TJS). I wonder if this is a sign of things to come on these lists. Like BP's list, 8 of BA's top 10 are Latin American IFA signings.

Box Scores: Iowa won 7-5 Box Score Tennessee lost 6-1 Box Score Myrtle Beach lost 8-3 Box Score South Bend won 11-4 Box Score Eugene won 5-2 Box Score AZL Cubs have the day off DSL Cubs 1 won 7-6 Box Score DSL Cubs 2 won 7-3 Box Score

I guess 5th rounder Nelson Velazquez has signed: [tweet]https://twitter.com/nvelazquez26/status/883026093606920192[/tweet]

BP midseason top 50: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=32224 Eloy is the only Cub, coming at #8. BP's top 10: 1. Yoan Moncada, 2B, White Sox 2. Amed Rosario, SS, Mets 3. Francisco Mejia, C, Indians 4. Victor Robles, OF, Washington 5. Rafael Devers, 3B, Red Sox 6. Brendan Rogers, SS, Rockies 7. Gleyber Torres, SS, Yankees 8. Eloy Jimenez, OF, Cubs 9. Alex Reyes, RHP, Cardinals 10. Lewis Brinson, OF, Brewers

Longenhagen: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/daily-prospect-notes-76/

Geez, shoulder injuries are bad news.

Gordo did the Cubs mid season report for BA. On Cease and Maples: http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/dylan-ceases-development-has-cubs-excited/#TkPjYdLstUeyErJO.99

Adbert Alzolay promoted to AA. Duncan Robinson promoted to high-A.

Prepare to be sad. There's probably a 5% chance either gets traded and teams like the Astros, Dodgers and Yankees will probably have better offers.

Way to bury the lede "Also today, pitcher John Lackey was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot." TBH, didn't read that article but I think everyone expected this because he won't even miss a start with the ASB coming up. Gives them an extra guy for 4 days. So the Cubs are finally gaming the 10-day DL like the Dodgers.

Box Scores: Iowa won 13-3 Box Score LF J. Andreoli 3/6, 2 R, 2 2B (14), 4 RBI, CS (5) CF J. Hannemann 1/5, R, HR (2), 2 RBI RF M. Zagunis 1/5, R, 2B (16), 2 RBI, 2 K 3B J. Candelario 1/4, 2B (23), BB 2B C. Young 2/4, 2 R, BB SP W. Perez 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HBP, 7-3 GO-FO, 102-67 pitches-strikes RP F. Peña 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 2-0 GO-FO RP P. Johnson 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 2-1 GO-FO Tennessee won 2-1 Box Score LF C. Burks 2/5, 3 K, outfield assist at first base SS A. Ely 0/4, K 2B D. Bote 1/4, K 3B J. Vosler 1/4, R, HR (15), RBI, 2 K C I. Rice 0/3, BB, K SP P. Morrison 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 1 HBP, 4-1 GO-FO, 84-56 pitches-strikes RP B. Markey 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 2-1 GO-FO RP D. Maples 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 WP Myrtle Beach lost 3-0 Box Score C PJ Higgins 1/4, K LF T. Giambrone 1/2, 2 BB, K DH E. Jimenez 0/4, K RF E. Martinez 0/3, HBP 1B M. Rose 1/4 3B J. Hodges 1/4, K SS Z. Short 1/3, 2B (1), BB, K SP J. Steele 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 3-3 GO-FO, 97-63 pitches-strikes RP D. Berg 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 5-1 GO-FO South Bend won 12-6 Box Score 2B A. Upshaw 2/4, R, 2B (2), RBI, HBP, E (4, fielding) LF K. Mitchell 0/4, R, BB, K 1B J. Martarano 3/5, 2 R, RBI, 2 K SS A. Monasterio 1/4, R, 2 RBI, BB CF L. Ayala 3/4, 2 R, 4 RBI, K SP D. Cease 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 6-0 GO-FO, 84-49 pitches-strikes RP J. Paulino 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 7-2 GO-FO, 55-34 pitches-strikes Eugene lost 4-3 Box Score SS R. Narea 0/4, R, BB, CS (5) 2B J. Bethencourt 2/5, R, 2B (4), RBI, K C M. Amaya 3/5, 2B (5), RBI 1B G. Polanco 1/4, 2B (7), RBI, BB, 2 K 3B A. Filiere 0/4, 2 K, 2 E (4, throw, fielding) RF K-M Kwon 0/3, BB, 3 K SP M. Swarmer 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 5-5 GO-FO, 82-55 pitches-strikes RP B. Glowicki 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0-0 GO-FO AZL Cubs won 5-4 on a walk-off Jonathan Sierra single Box Score CF DJ WIlson 2/2, 3 R, 2B (1), HR (3), RBI, 2 BB, HBP, SB (1) - rehab 2B Y. Perlaza 2/4, RBI, BB, SB (1), CS (1) RF J. Sierra 3/5, 2B (1), 2 RBI, 2 K 1B R. Mejia 0/4, K LF J. Gutierrez 0/3, R, BB, 2 K, SB (1) SS D. Zinn 0/3, BB, K 3B F. Mejia 0/3, R, RBI, BB, K SP F. Carrera 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 6-6 GO-FO RP E. Ramos 3.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 4-1 GO-FO DSL Cubs 1 won 16-15 Box Score CF F. Kelli 4/6, 5 R, 2B (3), HR (1), 5 RBI, 2 SB (20) C Hen. Perez 1/4, R, HR (2), 4 RBI, K SS C. Morel 3/5, 2 R, 2 2B (4), 2 RBI, BB, K, SB (7) RF A. Hinrio 1/3, 2 R, BB, K, HBP DH J. Jules 0/3, 3 R, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (9) 3B Her. Perez 2/3, 2 R, 2B (2), BB, E (10, throw) SP O. Ventura 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 WP, 5-4 GO-FO DSL Cubs 2 lost 12-8 Box Score SS O. Nuñez 2/4, 2 R, 2B (6), 2 RBI, HBP, E (7, throw) 2B J. Huma 3/5, R, HR (1), 2 RBI DH M. Chacon 1/4, BB, 2 SB (4) 1B J. Brete 0/4, 2 K LF C. Alfonzo 0/3, R, BB, 2 K SP J. Bruzal 1.2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 1-0 GO-FO

I knew Gausman had been struggling but what did the Orioles do to Tillman?

Interesting: [tweet] [/tweet] [tweet] [/tweet] If it was a failed physical (and Rasmussen just recently came back from TJS) wouldn't they be able to get an underslot deal?

An acquisition at the Montgomery level shouldn't be the only deadline acquisition, just like Montgomery wasn't the biggest acquisition last season.

Good news on the Lackey phantom injury front: [tweet]https://twitter.com/carriemuskat/status/882718839846338560[/tweet]

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How about Jesse Hahn as a target? Was pretty good until a recent bad stretch that could be explained by dead arm which led to him being demoted to AAA and possibly permanently losing his spot in the rotation to Paul Blackburn (how amusing if Blackburn outproduces Vogelbach and the Mariners didn't even keep Blackburn): https://www.google.com/amp/www.sfgate.com/athletics/amp/A-s-demote-Jesse-Hahn-want-longer-look-at-Paul-11262551.php According to Fangraphs, he's thrown 17.7% curves this year. Is under team control till 2021.

Oh please. It's called adaptation. You try to be able to adapt to any situation. And those guys have had plenty of success in their careers when they don't hit high fly balls. John Jay realized that he needed to homer there and boom, adaption - game tied. You have no idea how much I fought the urge to respond to that post after Jay's HR.

If only Almora and Russell had bunted instead of swinging hard.

Oh horsefeathers. [tweet] [/tweet] [tweet] [/tweet] [tweet] [/tweet]

Quality start for Lackey in a game the Cubs will lose. Worst of all worlds.

So does the approach of constantly trying to tie it up with 1 swing when a runner is on. So you want Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo to completely change the approaches that gave them all their big-league success?

Sure seemed like that was a good opportunity for the old pop off the bag replay reversal.