SouthernmostCubFan

Smokies with 1 walk and 20 strikeouts as a team. Has to be some kind of record.

I didn't anticipate that Yu would have been so affected by the sticky stuff ban. His spin rates are way down across the board and he's giving up a bunch of HRs. I would love to say that the FO knew the ban was coming and that they deftly traded Yu before he was impacted, but I really can't place any other reason for the Yu trade other than the Ricketts cutting off the funds. Given his recent performance history (at the time), I thought it was a sensible high sell, though I love Darvish, hated the implication for 2021, and wasn't enthused by the return. I've come around on the return, but still would have preferred more MLB ready players. I would have preferred an arm or two that was closer to MLB ready.

$130K and change. Hambley, the pick before Avitia, took a $200K offer so that saved them some money for Triantos.

In the 2016 time frame he was the #1 SDP prospect and the #4 right hand pitcher on the MLB Top 100.

“I think he has a chance to start long-term because he’s still just 23 and has the talent to generate swing-and-miss action on a couple different pitches”

My favorite two trades too. There’s lots of potential upside to Espinoza.

I’ve determined I must be an optimistic person. Reading all the talk here about too many lower level prospects coming in trades and how that means a long rebuild. And then Hoyer takes a player that looked like a lost cause not that long ago and turns him into two current major leaguers…though Madrigil won’t play in what’s a lost season anyway. But two major leaguers with one of them being an every day player. Too weird.

Trying to figure out what good aptitude means in the baseball scouting world? He’s smart so that? Or he can apply what he learns quickly and consistently?

Yeah, my all-time favorite baseball player. My son's as well. Baez should have been here his entire career. Don't care about his flaws. At all. Got tired of watching Javy offer up at every pitch. Seriously, opposing pitchers could balk, twitch or sneeze and Baez would still swing. His baseball IQ was through the roof except with a bat in his hand.

MILB has Vizciano as the #6 Cub’s prospect and Alcantara #9. Really good return on an expiring contract.

Very cool that the Cubs could get this done. This guy is the ultimate lottery ticket.

Huh?

But how selective is he? Half of the top 10 in contact rate are average or below this season. They tend to put a lot of 'pitchers pitches' in play. This was my immediate concern with Vitters when we took him. The reports definitely painted a picture of a guy who could hit anything but would often times be better off waiting for his pitch.Concerning the data: On the showcase circuit (which is where the 94% contact rate is from), Triantos had a 24% chase rate. For some reference, that 24% is in the same tier as Khalil Watson, Jordan Lawler, and Lonnie White. It’s better than Marcelo Mayer, Alex Mooney, and Brady House. Triantos’ chase rate was behind a few favorites like Harry Ford, Tyler Whitaker, Colson Montgomery. I’ve been told that the Cubs were most impressed with his actual scouting report. That’s what excited them and the data only helped to confirm their belief. There are never any guarantees, especially with a high school player, but there is a solid foundation that should help him adjust to pro pitching in my opinion. Comparable exit velocities too is what I remember.

94% contact rate is other worldly. 1 miss every 20 swings. But how selective is he? Half of the top 10 in contact rate are average or below this season. They tend to put a lot of 'pitchers pitches' in play. This was my immediate concern with Vitters when we took him. The reports definitely painted a picture of a guy who could hit anything but would often times be better off waiting for his pitch. The math says that if you have a high contact rate and a high batting average you’re not swinging at pitcher’s pitches. There’s no downside to having great bat to ball contact skills. It’s the inability to become more selective as the pitches become better that becomes the issue.

Lots of money compared to slot. A Billy Swoope endorsement. And some ungodly high school stats. Leads to high expectations. The elite prep hitters always have video game numbers as Seniors, but I honestly don't remember seeing a player strike out 0 times the entire season before. I'm sure it's happened, but I cannot remember it. 94% contact rate is other worldly. 1 miss every 20 swings.

Lots of money compared to slot. A Billy Swoope endorsement. And some ungodly high school stats. Leads to high expectations.

I’m excited about this kid.

Excellent work! I’m wondering if other teams have people in their fan bases that are as dedicated? Looks like the Cubs are going to finish with $5K left unless something is up with Cunningham. And if he signs, that amount of money is likely not the deal maker. So…should have given it to Riley Martin

Billy Swoope?

I haven’t seen one comment here about Avita’s brother, David, signing with the Cubs as an UDFA and if that has any meaning for him? I wouldn’t expect Daniel Avitia to sign. I was curious about that too. Maybe just laying the groundwork down the line though I have no information on that. His family is apparently big supporters, fans of Grand Canyon U so I tend to agree with your assessment. Cubs can’t offer enough to make him and them forget their fandom.

I haven’t seen one comment here about Avita’s brother, David, signing with the Cubs as an UDFA and if that has any meaning for him?

Oops. Perfect Game has him as the 498th rated left hander in the country with max velocity of 83. Obviously he’s still growing so how relevant this is is questionable?

I understand the $200K thought but like Rodriguez, who only wanted $125K, there are kids that like that offer too. With Cunningham you can offer him the opportunity to attend the college of his choice with some financial assistance and pitch baseball at a level that affords him some possibility of a professional career. It’s a win - win in my mind but he may not share the same priorities.

In that vein, I wonder if they have a chance with Cunningham since he's committed to the University of Chicago. I'm almost surprised the University of Chicago even has a baseball team, but they do, in Division 3. Chicago actually has a somewhat unusual academic calendar. (My nephew goes there.). They are on quarters, rather than the more traditional fall-spring-summer semesters. Their winter quarter ends start of March; fall quarter doesn't start till the end of September. Remotely unlikely, but some kinda cool scholar-athlete setup might be creative, and might be more do-able than normal thanks to Chicago's unusual quarter system? Most semester-system schools, pro-baseball prohibits both spring and summer semesters, and also interferes with the fall. So a guy who really does want the college experience can't, really. But Cunningham could fully fit the fall and winter quarters, keep his academic program moving rather well, and experience campus life and stuff in a normal way. And being in Chicago, he could be doing workouts and pitch lab and all that stuff even during his academic quarters. It's really expensive, and the scholarship support for national merit scholars isn't that good. *IF* his family isn't wealthy enough to cover his expenses without pause, perhaps the Cubs could be adding a VERY valuable and substantial amount of college money on top of the 125K base? He doesn’t really rate that highly. I think I read where PBR had him among the last of the top 500 lefties in his class. Though he did grow like 4 inches in the last year so he’s likely still growing into his body. But I’m not sure why you pick him unless you think you can talk him into playing real baseball while still attending Chicago. He’s a math whiz so maybe the Cub’s pitching resources will appeal to his intellect. There’s always hope and the lack of early news out there might be an indicator that it’s still possible.

At one point he says at least one $200K bullet over to Day 3