2013 Cubs catch all thread

[hammerhead johnson]

This is the best thread on this site by a very large margin.

 

Futures squad:

 

C: Wellington Castillo

1B: Anthony Rizzo

2B: Starlin Castro

SS: Javier Baez

3B: Kris Bryant

OF: Albert Almora

OF: Jorge Soler

OF: Eloy Jimenez

 

Someone post one for the White Sox. No, I'm just kidding.

 

Man, why did they have to sign Edwin Jackson? They could have put that money towards resigning Garza.

[Balta1701]

This is the best thread on this site by a very large margin.

 

Futures squad:

 

C: Wellington Castillo

1B: Anthony Rizzo

2B: Starlin Castro

SS: Javier Baez

3B: Kris Bryant

OF: Albert Almora

OF: Jorge Soler

OF: Eloy Jimenez

 

Someone post one for the White Sox. No, I'm just kidding.

 

Man, why did they have to sign Edwin Jackson? They could have put that money towards resigning Garza.

LOL, yeah, and every one of those guys is going to be an immediate and long-term success, because that's the norm with prospects.

[Jordan4life_2007]

This is the best thread on this site by a very large margin.

 

Futures squad:

 

C: Wellington Castillo

1B: Anthony Rizzo

2B: Starlin Castro

SS: Javier Baez

3B: Kris Bryant

OF: Albert Almora

OF: Jorge Soler

OF: Eloy Jimenez

 

Someone post one for the White Sox. No, I'm just kidding.

 

Man, why did they have to sign Edwin Jackson? They could have put that money towards resigning Garza.

 

Good god. I've been known to orgasm to prospects. But c'mon now. I do like what the Cubs are doing, though.

[hammerhead johnson]

LOL, yeah, and every one of those guys is going to be an immediate and long-term success, because that's the norm with prospects.

 

But the Cubs futures squad is still glorious. I know you see that.

[hammerhead johnson]

Good god. I've been known to orgasm to prospects. But c'mon now. I do like what the Cubs are doing, though.

 

Let's orgasm together. Yes homo.

[Balta1701]

But the Cubs futures squad is still glorious. I know you see that.

Not nearly as good as the "Greatest system in a decade" the Royals trotted out there a couple years ago.

[hammerhead johnson]

Not nearly as good as the "Greatest system in a decade" the Royals trotted out there a couple years ago.

 

The jury is still out on a lot of those Royals players.

 

And in that same article, they talk about the Diamondbacks 2006 system: Justin Upton, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Quentin, etc.

 

But it's irrelevant. We're talking about different talent evaluators.

[Balta1701]

But it's irrelevant. We're talking about different talent evaluators.

no it isn't.

 

This is the norm for prospects. Penciling them all in and expecting them all to be a great success when they're not even in AA yet is ludicrous.

[caulfield12]

This is the best thread on this site by a very large margin.

 

Futures squad:

 

C: Wellington Castillo

1B: Anthony Rizzo

2B: Starlin Castro

SS: Javier Baez

3B: Kris Bryant

OF: Albert Almora

OF: Jorge Soler

OF: Eloy Jimenez

 

Someone post one for the White Sox. No, I'm just kidding.

 

Man, why did they have to sign Edwin Jackson? They could have put that money towards resigning Garza.

 

I wouldn't be bragging too much about Castro, he's sliding downwards....albeit not quite in Angel Berroa (shout out to Puig thread) fashion.

 

Five years ago, you would have said Geovany Soto would be a perennial All-Star. Catchers are hard to predict (for another example, look at Alex Avila with the Tigers).

 

Have they even signed Bryant yet?

 

Putting Jimenez there is like a Sox fan assuming Zapata and Courtney Hawkins will both make it. You never know.

 

 

C Flowers/Phegley/Blanke/Kevan Smith

1B Dayan Viciedo/Wilkins/Keon Barnum

2B Beckham/Micah Johnson

SS Carlos Sanchez

3B Conor Gillaspie

LF Zapata

CF Trayce Thompson

RF Courtney Hawkins

 

Bench: Walker, Jared Mitchell

 

Erik Johnson

Scott Snodgress

Beck

Bassit

Daniel Webb

Santos Rodriguez

Simon Castro

Andre Rienzo

[hammerhead johnson]

Penciling them all in and expecting them all to be a great success when they're not even in AA yet is ludicrous.

 

Putting Jimenez there is like a Sox fan assuming Zapata and Courtney Hawkins will both make it. You never know.

 

That's why it's called a futures squad. I never said that they'd all work out.

[southsider2k5]

My guys keep doing things. I can't keep up with all of these ill prospects.

 

You're a Cub fan? Now it makes sense.

[Chicago White Sox]

This is the best thread on this site by a very large margin.

 

Futures squad:

 

C: Wellington Castillo

1B: Anthony Rizzo

2B: Starlin Castro

SS: Javier Baez

3B: Kris Bryant

OF: Albert Almora

OF: Jorge Soler

OF: Eloy Jimenez

 

Someone post one for the White Sox. No, I'm just kidding.

 

Man, why did they have to sign Edwin Jackson? They could have put that money towards resigning Garza.

Look at all that pitching!

[caulfield12]

Analyzing The Cubs' International Expenditures

By Steve Adams [July 3 at 10:51pm CST]

The Cubs have been extremely active on the international free agent market in the past two days, signing Gleyber Torres ($1.7MM), Jefferson Mejia ($850K), Erling Moreno ($800K), and reaching agreement with Eloy Jimenez ($2.8MM). If those figures are accurate, those numbers total $6.15MM in international expenditure.

 

As MLBTR's Tim Dierkes noted yesterday (Twitter link), the Cubs began the international free agency period with a bonus pool of $4,557,200. They acquired an additional $388,100 in the Scott Feldman trade with the Orioles and $784,700 from the Astros in the Ronald Torreyes trade before sending $209,700 to the Dodgers in the Carlos Marmol swap. All told, they gained an additional $963K in bonus space.

 

That total brought their bonus pool to $5,520,300 -- which is a significant ways short of the $6.15MM they've spent following the Jimenez signing.That would mean the Cubs are over their allotted bonus pool by $629,700 -- an overage of 10.2 percent. Baseball America's Ben Badler reported back in April that the penalty for exceeding a bonus pool by 10-15 percent would be a 100 percent tax on the overage as well as the inability to sign a player for more than $500K in next year's signing period.

 

If the reported signing bonuses aren't 100 percent accurate, the Cubs could be less than 10 percent over. However, barring a significant inaccuracy, they would still fall into the 5-10 percent overage bracket, which would prevent them from signing a player for more than $500K in 2014-15 but require only a 75 percent overage tax.

 

The other thing to consider is that the Jimenez deal isn't official as of yet. It could be possible for the Cubs to acquire additional bonus money in trades, as they haven't technically spent the $2.8MM on Jimenez.

 

Per the new CBA, teams are allowed to acquire up to 50 percent of their initial bonus pool. That would be a total of $2,278,600 for the Cubs, meaning they can still acquire an additional $1,315,600. That would be enough to cover the remaining difference and keep the Cubs from incurring limitations on next year's spending.

[caulfield12]

That's why it's called a futures squad. I never said that they'd all work out.

 

Why isn't Concepcion on your list there, buddy?

[caulfield12]

Along with the international prospects, the Cubs need a better haul than the one they got from last summer's sell-off. Paul Maholm, Reed Johnson, Ryan Dempster and Geovany Soto netted pitching prospects Arodys Vizcaino, Jaye Chapman, Jake Brigham and Kyle Hendricks and infielder Christian Villanueva.

 

Here's how they had fared through Tuesday:

 

•Vizcaino, who was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery at the time of the trade, was ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the Cubs system this spring after coming over from the Braves. But he suffered more elbow soreness in late May and will not pitch for the Cubs in 2013.

 

•Hendricks was 8-2 at Double-A Tennessee with a 2.06 ERA and is considered a potential major leaguer. He was 7-0 with a 1.52 ERA over his last 10 starts.

 

•Chapman was non-tendered last winter and re-signed. He went on the disabled list at Triple-A Iowa in April with a left hip strain after compiling a 17.05 ERA in four games and hasn't pitched since.

 

•Villanueva was hitting .248 at Tennessee with a .306 on-base percentage and nine home runs. The selection of third baseman Kris Bryant with the No. 2 draft pick doesn't bode well for Villanueva's chances of making it to the Cubs.

 

•Brigham was sent back to the Rangers after two appearances and a 19.64 ERA at Tennessee when he was deemed to have had an elbow injury. The Cubs received Barret Loux, the sixth pick of the 2010 draft, as compensation. Loux was 4-2 with a 4.56 ERA at Iowa, including 3-2 with a 4.94 ERA in 11 starts.

 

paul sullivan, chicagotribune.com/sports

[hammerhead johnson]

Why isn't Concepcion on your list there, buddy?

 

We'll have to cover the pitching situation after the Garza trade.

 

2015

1. Samardzija

2. ?

3. ?

4. Pierce Johnson/Arodys Vizcaino

5. Edwin Jackson

 

I'm guessing that they'll push towards a 150 million payroll in a couple years from now, so they'll have plenty of cash to fill out a rotation.

 

I thought that Theo was flirting with clown status when he made a push to sign Anibal Sanchez, but I was wrong. Anibal confuses the hell out of me, though. His month-to-month splits indicate that he's got some issues between the ears. Still, he would have been a solid #3 for years to come. Edwin Jackson is one of the worst investments in the majors at 13 million per season through 2016.

[caulfield12]

We'll have to cover the pitching situation after the Garza trade.

 

2015

1. Samardzija

2. ?

3. ?

4. Pierce Johnson/Arodys Vizcaino

5. Edwin Jackson

 

I'm guessing that they'll push towards a 150 million payroll in a couple years from now, so they'll have plenty of cash to fill out a rotation.

 

I thought that Theo was flirting with clown status when he made a push to sign Anibal Sanchez, but I was wrong. Anibal confuses the hell out of me, though. His month-to-month splits indicate that he's got some issues between the ears. Still, he would have been a solid #3 for years to come. Edwin Jackson is one of the worst investments in the majors at 13 million per season through 2016.

 

 

Vizcaino has been garbage this season, FWIW.

 

Doesn't Pierre Johnson play for Baylor basketball? Oh, that's Jackson.

[hammerhead johnson]

Vizcaino has been garbage this season, FWIW.

 

I recall seeing him ranked as the #2 prospect in a loaded Atlanta Braves system going into 2012 (behind Julio Teheran), but if he can't get on the field, then it doesn't really matter. At this point, I think they'd be thrilled if he turned out to be a quality reliever by 2015/2016.

[caulfield12]

I recall seeing him ranked as the #2 prospect in a loaded Atlanta Braves system going into 2012 (behind Julio Teheran), but if he can't get on the field, then it doesn't really matter. At this point, I think they'd be thrilled if he turned out to be a quality reliever by 2015/2016.

 

And that's the problem with pitching prospects especially.

 

If you went back to 1999-2001, the White Sox has the best group of pitching prospects in baseball, and almost all of them were disappointments or were injured, except for Mark Buehrle, Josh Fogg, Kip Wells and Jon Garland.

 

But they had about 9-10-11 guys at that time. Fogg and Wells didn't succeed in Chicago, either, and were traded for Todd Ritchie.

[hammerhead johnson]

And that's the problem with pitching prospects especially.

 

I hear you, which is why the Kris Bryant pick was so brilliant.

[caulfield12]

I hear you, which is why the Kris Bryant pick was so brilliant.

 

 

Not brilliant, just logical.

 

Like when they picked Prior over Mauer and it was logical for the Twins to take Joe.

[witesoxfan]

Not brilliant, just logical.

 

Like when they picked Prior over Mauer and it was logical for the Twins to take Joe.

 

The Twins took Mauer first, the Cubs had the 2nd pick. Not sure if that's what you meant. That's why it was such a shock.

[caulfield12]

The Twins took Mauer first, the Cubs had the 2nd pick. Not sure if that's what you meant. That's why it was such a shock.

 

 

Yeah, I got it switched around.

[hammerhead johnson]

Not brilliant, just logical.

 

Brilliant considering the lack of pitching depth in the Cubs organization & the fact that a mega SP prospect like Gray was right there for the taking. A lot of people had him down as the highest-ceiling pitcher in the draft. Most GMs under the same circumstances would have drafted him, although I could be wrong.

[Jake]

I'd like to see some research on this (it would be difficult), but I have always felt there are two ways to look at this.

 

Near-ready pitching prospects are more likely to pan out as it is far easier for scouts to measure their skills and compare them to MLB standards. However, pitchers have a much higher risk of catastrophic injury that can sully the entire thing.

 

On the other hand, position prospects are far more difficult to empirically measure in terms of the hit tool. There is always disagreement on whether a guy has enough bat speed, can hit with wood, can hit x type of pitch, etc. The only way to measure a hitter well is to see him against top pitching, which is absent everywhere except MLB. There is a ton of speculation involved in scouting a hitter relative to scouting a pitcher. However, it is far, far less likely a hitter will see his career end or be permanently derailed by injury.