Jamie Cameron

Draft tandem Jeremy Nygaard and JD Cameron team up for a podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues and the MLB draft, produced by Theo Tollefson. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo In episode 66 of Destination: The Show, Jeremy and Jamie work through news and notes from the offseason. They start by digging into rumors that the Twins were interested in trading with the Padres for Dylan Cease, before discussing whether an addition to a strong rotation feels likely. Next they dig into Charlee Soto, fresh off being minted as a new Top 100 prospect by Kiley McDaniel. The guys then dig into the Cubs acquisition of Ryan Pressly, and whether they should pursue another starter, specifically Michael King. The guys then banter over dueling top ten Cubs prospect lists. Who do they have as number one on their list? Who rounds out the back half of the top ten after the top prospects are ranked? Finally, they end with a mailbag question on the kickoff of the college baseball season. 0:00 Intro 2:31 Twins Notes 17:10 Cubs Notes 22:45 Cubs Top 10 26:00 Cubs #2 Prospect 30:35 A Disagreement at #3 41:37 Sharing the rest of our top 10s 1:01:00 Listener Questions You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes and Spotify. If you enjoy the content, consider leaving us a five-star rating and review in addition to sharing or retweeting DTS-related content. You can follow us on Twitter @DTS_POD1, @Jeremynygaard, @J_D_Cameron, and @TheodoreTollef1. We’re now on Bluesky @destinationtheshow.bsky.social. You can also find full episodes and clips of our shows on our YouTube page @DestinationTheShow. View full article

Draft tandem Jeremy Nygaard and JD Cameron team up for a podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues and the MLB draft, produced by Theo Tollefson. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo In episode 65 of Destination: The Show, Jeremy and Jamie work through news and notes from the offseason. They start by digging into the Jays signing Anthony Santander, asking if that is enough, or if more moves are on the way for Toronto. The guys dig into the Cubs missing out on Tanner Scott and whether that might be a blessing in disguise given the terms of his contract with the Dodgers. They provide updates on the Twins ownership situation with Justin Ishbia said to be a ‘very, very serious’ potential option. The guys then dig into dueling top ten Brewers prospect lists. Who do they have as number one on their list? Who rounds out the top ten after the four clear cut top prospects are ranked? Finally, they end with a mailbag question on Twins left-handed pitching prospect Michael Carpenter. 0:00 Intro 2:00 Baseball! 2:25 Roki Sasaki 5:25 Sasaki Fallout 8:04 Tanner Scott to the Dodgers 13:18 Twins Ownership Updates 16:15 Brewers Top 10 Prospects 1:03:15 Listener Question 1:07:30 Housekeeping You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes and Spotify. If you enjoy the content, consider leaving us a five-star rating and review in addition to sharing or retweeting DTS-related content. You can follow us on Twitter @DTS_POD1, @Jeremynygaard, @J_D_Cameron, and @TheodoreTollef1. We’re now on Bluesky @destinationtheshow.bsky.social. You can also find full episodes and clips of our shows on our YouTube page @DestinationTheShow. View full article

Draft tandem Jeremy Nygaard and JD Cameron team up for a podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues and the MLB draft, produced by Theo Tollefson. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo In episode 64 of Destination: The Show, Jeremy and Jamie work through news and notes from the offseason. They start by digging into the Roki Sasaki finalists and ask if the Cubs were the team that needed to add Sasaki the most, before touching on their signing of Colin Rea. The guys dig into the Twins flipping a Dodgers international free agent prospect and their trade for former top catching prospect Diego Cartaya. They go in depth on the Twins ZiPS projections in which one of the best bullpens in baseball and a top ten starting rotation badly need to be supplemented by some more offense. The guys then dig into a listener mailbag, talking through which Twins prospects are most likely to feature at Cedar Rapids in 2025, asking how the Twins will reintroduce Luke Keaschall to baseball this spring, and naming some Twins pitching prospects most likely to leap multiple levels this summer. 0:00 Intro 2:58 Cubs sign Colin Rea 5:00 Roki Sasaki 16:00 Twins Flip Dodgers Int'l Prospect 22:15 Twins Add Diego Cartaya 29:52 Twins Notes 32:53 Twins ZiPS 46:28 Listener Questions 1:02:13 Outro You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes and Spotify. If you enjoy the content, consider leaving us a five-star rating and review in addition to sharing or retweeting DTS-related content. You can follow us on Twitter @DTS_POD1, @Jeremynygaard, @J_D_Cameron, and @TheodoreTollef1. We’re now on Bluesky @destinationtheshow.bsky.social. You can also find full episodes and clips of our shows on our YouTube page @DestinationTheShow. View full article

The N.L. Central looks to have a wider opening for a team to clinch the division title in 2025. Dan Szymborski's ZiPS projections on FanGraphs favor the Cubs to be atop of the NL Central this year, but will the prospects such as Matt Shaw and PCA live up to their hype? View full video

JD Cameron gives a breakdown of Juan Tomas, one of the headliners of the Cubs forthcoming international prospect class View full video

Draft tandem Jeremy Nygaard and JD Cameron team up for a podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues and the MLB draft, produced by Theo Tollefson. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo In episode 63 of Destination: The Show, Jeremy and Jamie work through news and notes from the mid-offseason freeze in activity. They break down the Micky Gaspar for Jovani Moran trade, talk through the Cubs incredibly aggressive ZiPS projections, dive into Brent Rooker’s extension to remain an A and speculate about the possibility of the Twins having a new ownership group by Opening Day. The guys then preview the forthcoming international window, which opens on January 15th. The guys talk through the bonus pool system, the complications of the Roki Sasaki signing, and why pitchers don’t typically sign for large bonuses. They walk through the headliners of the Brewers, Cubs, and Twins classes and reflect on the approach of each organization to acquiring and leveraging international talent. Finally, they finish with a mailbag question on potential breakout prospects for the Twins. 0:00 Intro 4:00 News Whip Around 27:00 International Signing Window 34:30 Brewers Preview 45:25 Cubs Preview 49:42 Twins Preview 1:02:00 Outro You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes and Spotify. If you enjoy the content, consider leaving us a five-star rating and review in addition to sharing or retweeting DTS-related content. You can follow us on Twitter @DTS_POD1, @Jeremynygaard, @J_D_Cameron, and @TheodoreTollef1. We’re now on Bluesky @destinationtheshow.bsky.social. You can also find full episodes and clips of our shows on our YouTube page @DestinationTheShow. View full article

The 2025 ZiPS projections for the Cubs dropped last week. Let’s dive into three takeaways from FanGraphs’s prognostications and discuss the work the Cubs still have to do to cement themselves as NL Central favorites. Image courtesy of © Robert Edwards-Imagn Images Chicago has had an active offseason thus far. At the midpoint of winter, let’s see where they stand, so we can understand the stakes of their efforts to make more key moves. ZiPS is in Love With the Cubs Lineup ZiPS is bullish on the Cubs lineup, valuing the balance of bats and elite defense—resulting in a whopping 32.8 projected WAR just from the positional group, which really doesn’t have discernable weaknesses. The projections have benefited from swapping out Cody Bellinger for Kyle Tucker (duh). There are six different starters projected for an OPS+ of over 100 (Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, and Matt Shaw), with several also carrying great defensive projections. In addition to the splashy Tucker acquisition, the Cubs strength and depth have been augmented by the early portion of the offseason spent upgrading around the margins. There’s Pitching Work to do, Particularly in the Starting Rotation The pitching is a different story, particularly the rotation. Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele and Matthew Boyd are carrying all the water here. There’s not much to write home about after those three. Having been linked to Luis Castillo, Jesús Lazardo and others this offseason, the Cubs need to finish their offseason work by acquiring a playoff-caliber starter and additional depth. With a strong farm system (the top of which is skewed toward the upper levels of the minors), trading for starting pitching help seems both the most likely route to filling that need, and the most logical. The bullpen needs reinforcements, too, with much of its projected value being tied up in risky arms such as Nate Pearson. With a relatively slow-moving relief pitching market this winter, upgrading the floor of the bullpen should be easy to accomplish via free agency. ZiPS Likes Matt Shaw to Replicate the ‘Michael Busch Effect’ in 2025 After trading away Isaac Paredes to the Astros, one of my questions about the Cubs' projections was how healthy their third-base projection would be. The answer to that is: ZiPS likes Shaw to be a good starter now, much like Busch was in 2024. A 16-home run, 18-steal season with a 100 OPS+, playing slightly below-average defense at third base feels about right, and is an outcome Cubs fans should sign up for, given the opportunity. If Shaw can land somewhere between that projection and his 80th percentile outcome (121 OPS+), he’ll be in the Rookie of the Year discussion in the NL. What do you make of the Cubs ZiPS projections? Where would you like to see them focus their remaining offseason energies and resources? View full article

JD Cameron gives a breakdown of Wilfry De La Cruz, one of the headliners of the Cubs forthcoming international prospect class View full video

The signing period for international amateur free agency has never been more widely trumpeted. Whether the Cubs land Roki Sasaki or not, though, they're going to bring in some noteworthy talent next week; let's learn about them all. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The new IFA signing period begins on Jan. 15, barely a week from now. The Cubs are one of 12 teams that will have a lower-tier bonus pool of $6,261,600. The 2025 international signing period is unlike any in recent memory, with the decision of Roki Sasaki set to have significant ripple effects throughout baseball. While it seems smart to take the field when connecting the Cubs and Sasaki, whoever he signs with will likely leave several top prospects hanging without deals. While it’s normally fair to confidently assume teams will make good on their verbal agreements with prospects, this season, I’d approach the window with less certainty. Currently, Chicago has been closely tied to (and is expected to sign) three of the top 50 prospects, per MLB.com and Baseball America. 10. Juan Cabada, SS, Dominican Republic The Cubs have an interesting class this year, with one more highly-ranked prospect (per MLB Pipeline) signing a lower bonus and one lower-ranked prospect signing one of the larger bonuses in the class. Cabada is the former of those two prospects. Cabada is a left-handed-hitting, 16-year-old shortstop prospect. Operating from an open stance, he shows the ability to use all parts of the field for his line-drive power; his hit tool is far ahead of that power right now. Cabada has good supplementary tools to round out a strong overall profile. An above-average arm combines with smooth infield action to give him a good chance to stick at short. He has above-average speed, and is a threat on the basepaths. Cabada is expected to sign the 24th-largest bonus in the international free agent class, per Baseball America. He’ll likely sign for between $1.5-2 million. Should the Cubs sign Sasaki, he's one prospect who might attract a swarm of bidders and end up with even more money than he'll get if he and the Cubs do execute their expected contract. 13. Wilfry De La Cruz, SS, Dominican Republic De La Cruz is a switch-hitting 17-year-old shortstop prospect who offers one of the more excitingly projectable frames in the entire international class. Already standing 6-foot-3, he's a twitchy athlete whose swing looks better from the left side. Scouting reports have praised his strike-zone awareness, and it’s easy to dream on his current pull-side power turning into plus all-fields power in time. Defensively, the headline is a plus arm that will lend itself to shortstop or third base. He has smooth actions and a good internal clock. De La Cruz seems like a lock to stay on the left side of the infield. De La Cruz is expected to garner the 13th-highest bonus in this class, somewhere between $2 million and $3 million. NR. Juan Tomas, SS, Dominican Republic While Tomas isn’t ranked on the MLB Pipeline list, he’s in line to receive a top-50 bonus, and therefore worthy of discussion here as an up-arrow prospect. A 17-year-old, switch-hitting shortstop prospect with a powerful, projectable frame. he’s a wiry hitter with at least solid power from a swing that’s direct to the ball. Defensively, it’s just an average arm, but plus speed may eventually lend itself to a move to the outfield if he continues to grow. Tomas is expected to collect the 34th-largest bonus in this class. He’ll likely command between $1-2 million. The Cubs seem to be continuing a recent trend of inking one prospect to one of the larger bonuses in the prospect class, while spreading a good portion of the bonus pool around a few more prospects in the top 50. This new crop will undoubtedly be a fun follow in the 2025 season—assuming the team doesn't end up spending that money another way. View full article

JD Cameron gives a breakdown of Juan Cabada, one of the headliners of the Cubs forthcoming international prospect class View full video

The Cubs have added an MVP-caliber bat to their lineup in Kyle Tucker. What will he provide the Cubs with one year left before free agency and do they have any hope of extending him before next off-season? View full video

Draft tandem Jeremy Nygaard and JD Cameron team up for a podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues and the MLB draft, produced by Theo Tollefson. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo In episode 62 of Destination: The Show, Jeremy and Jamie continue to reflect on an extremely busy and fun offseason. They break down the biggest signings and trades of the offseason in the last week, including Kyle Tucker being traded to the Cubs, Cody Bellinger to the Yankees, and the Brewers trading away bullpen ace Devin Williams. They then discuss the Ishbia brothers potential interest in purchasing the Minnesota Twins, including whether fans should view this as ‘good news’. The guys then review a very active Rule 5 Draft in which the Brewers, Cubs and Twins all took a player. They examine the skill set of each and try to predict whether they will stick on the MLB roster. Finally, they finish with listener questions on Eiberson Castellano and the Twins pool of catching prospects. 0:00 Intro 3:30 Kyle Tucker Trade 9:21 Cody Bellinger Trade 11:30 Cubs Next Move? 21:00 Ishbia Interested in Twins 25:38 Rule 5 Draft - Brewers Pick 31:30 Cubs Pick 35:42 Twins Pick 41:31 Listener Questions 56:35 Housekeeping You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes and Spotify. If you enjoy the content, consider leaving us a five-star rating and review in addition to sharing or retweeting DTS-related content. You can follow us on Twitter @DTS_POD1, @Jeremynygaard, @J_D_Cameron, and @TheodoreTollef1. We’re now on Bluesky @destinationtheshow.bsky.social. You can also find full episodes and clips of our shows on our YouTube page @DestinationTheShow. View full article