Cubs Minor League Wrap -- April 14

by Josh Timmers on Apr 15, 2009 1:05 AM CDT in Minor Leagues

Lots of scoring in New Mexico, and a big (cold) day for a little guy in Peoria.

Iowa Cubs

Remember how I said yesterday that games in Albuquerque are like playing in a pinball machine? How Isotopes Park is "Coors Field on Steroids"? Today was what I was talking about. Because in a defensive struggle, the Iowa Hawkeyes beat the New Mexico Lobos 14-7. Oh wait. That was the Iowa Cubs beating the Albuquerque Isotopes, 14-7. It sure seemed like a football score.

As you can imagine, the Iowa pitching staff got roughed up by the altitude tonight, albeit not nearly as bad as the Isotope staff did. Mitch Atkins got the start and lasted only four innings, allowing all seven runs on eight hits and two walks. Atkins struck out six. But as I said, just having the guts to pitch in Albuquerque should count for something.

After Atkins though, the bullpen was quite good. Greg Reinhard got the win with two shutout innings of relief. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out two. Jason Waddell, Justin Berg and Chad Fox each threw a shutout inning in relief to close out the game.

Aided by the altitude or not, first baseman Jake Fox is on a roll to start the season. Fox had two home runs tonight by the third inning. Overall, Fox was 4 for 5 with a double, three runs scored and five RBI. Through six games this season, Fox is hitting .545 with 3 HRs and 13 RBI. He is not, however, playing third base, for those who are wondering.

Center fielder Sam Fuld showed why he's not just another pretty face as he came a HR short of the cycle. Fuld was 3 for 5 with three runs scored and three RBI. Left fielder So Taguchi went 4 for 6 with 3 RBI and a run scored. Catcher Mark Johnson was 2 for 4 with a walk and three runs scored.

A few other I-Cubs had two hits tonight--they were tearing the cover off the ball. But then again, it was Albuquerque.

Tennessee Smokies

I suspect that Ryne Sandberg took the whole team to Dollywood for their off day.

Daytona Cubs

Daytona was grounded by the Dunedin Blue Jays, 8-6.

James Leverton had a rough start tonight as he got pounded for five runs on six hits and four walks over only 3.2 innings. He managed to fan two Blue Jays before exiting.

Leverton still didn't get the loss, however, because Daytona would tie the game in the fifth inning at five. The loss went to Craig Muschko, who was credited with allowing two runs on a hit and a walk over two innings. But both runners scored after he had left the game and Dustin Sasser allowed a two-run triple. Sasser got the blame for one run over 1.1 innings.

Stephen Vento pitched well. He threw two shutout innings, allowing two hits, striking out three and walking none.

First baseman Russ Canzler was 2 for 4 with two runs scored.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs swept a double header from the Dayton Dragons this afternoon by identical 5-4 scores. The games were played in 38 degree temperature, which was the fourth coldest day in O'Brien Field history.

In the first game, Jeff Beliveau put the Chiefs in a hole early. Beliveau allowed four runs, three earned, in three innings. He got touched for six hits while walking one and striking out two.

Reliever Mike Perconte, on the other hand, would have been perfect over three innings if not for a Junior Lake error. He struck out one and was credited with the win. Erik Hamren got his first save of the year with a perfect seventh inning.

The story of the double-header was little 5'8" Tony Campana, who was 3 for 4 with a run scored in the first game with two stolen bases. He then went 2 for 4 with another stolen base in the second game. Campana scored twice and had two RBI total for the double header.

Ryan Flaherty played second base in both games and was 2 for 2 with a double and a walk in the first game. He also had two RBI in game one. In the second game, Flaherty was 1 for 2 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored.

In the second game the Chiefs fell behind early again as starter Marcus Hatley allowed two runs over two innings. Hatley pitched in a lot of trouble as he allowed five hits and a walk. He struck out one.

Kevin Kreier, on the other hand, came on in relief to start the third inning and pitched three innings of shutout baseball. Kreier allowed two hits, no walks and struck out one.

The seventh inning (and for those who don't know, minor league double-header games are seven innings long) provided some high drama for the Chief fans who braved the cold. Ryan Buchter entered the game with the Chiefs leading 5-2 with one out and men on first and second. He then walked three batters in a row without retiring anyone to make the score 5-4. Jose Piña then came into the game and got a pop up and a ground out to end the game and record his first save of the season.

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Comments

Josh you probably should've expected somebody to ask this...

but what’s up with Vitters? Did he play today or did he sit again, and if he did sit again is there something wrong already?

Derrick Rose-2009 ROTY Tyrus Thomas-2009 MIP...hope I'm at least half right

by CHCOWNTHECENTRAL on Apr 15, 2009 1:36 AM CDT reply actions

he played today

they had 2 games, he played the first game and sat out the 2nd.

by toonsterwu on Apr 15, 2009 1:39 AM CDT up reply actions

He went 1 for 3

and made an error in the first game. He sat in the second.

I do try to not turn MLW into the Josh Vitters show though.

by Josh Timmers on Apr 15, 2009 3:57 AM CDT up reply actions

Well...

I think most people would be interested moreso in a tracking of the top prospects of the organization. Knowing that the Sam Fulds of the world are hitting well doesn’t excite. What is of interest to good Cub fans is how prospects like Vitters, Jackson, Flaherty are doing. Or not doing.

by BLou on Apr 15, 2009 9:12 AM CDT up reply actions

which...

…is why, I’m guessing, he links the boxscores to every game – so the ‘good’ Cubs fans can do the tracking on their own.

"Writing is exciting and baseball is like writing. You can never tell with either how it will go or what you will do." -- Marianne Moore

by duboisdm on Apr 15, 2009 9:42 AM CDT up reply actions

then do your own Minor League watch.

Josh has states that he doesn’t talk about a player unless they do something very well or very badly.

"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella

by drewishdrewid on Apr 15, 2009 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions

I can't believe it, but I am sorta backing BLou up

I can’t remember, nothing personal blou, backing you up on anything. And I guess I’m not really backing him up. Only sort of. I think he’s making a semi-valid point … sort of.

First, this is josh’s thing, and he’ll do it the way he wants. it’s up to him.

but if BLou is saying that, on the most basic level, anything that happens with our top prospects is worth nothing, I’d loosely agree with him (now, I’m not really sure the following was BLou’s point, so hence, the sort of). For example, Vitters not playing the 2nd game. Now, it was a double header, but maybe BLou wants to know if there are lingering effects from his injury the other day (which is slipping my head as I type this). Many of the other guys lined up to play 2. The fact that Vitters had an error today might be something BLou wants to know. I mean, it was a fielding error, and combined with his overall status, that would seem fairly significant. Sure, 1 error in 1 game doesn’t mean much, but considering Vitters was a debatable stay at 3rd (although most are positive on that now) and considering that his arm was never a huge question (scattershot, but workable), it’s his footwork/reactions that are important. No idea on what the error was like, so maybe there are extenuating factors, but yeah, I’d say an error by Vitters is bigger news than say, Tony Thomas’ 4/5 with 2 homers a few days back. At the end of the day, the minors are about development as much as they are about performance.

Maybe that wasn’t BLou’s argument …

by toonsterwu on Apr 15, 2009 12:01 PM CDT up reply actions

that was supposed to be worth noting*

by toonsterwu on Apr 15, 2009 12:01 PM CDT up reply actions

I've been pretty clear

that I don’t want to make this just about the top prospects.

There are many reasons for this. First of all, I want to do a recap of the games like Al does for the Cubs games. Well, not that in-depth, that would be impossible and take forever. But I want the stuff on the record. I was trained as a historian—I know that the information that people will want in the future is not necessarily the information we want now.

Second, people obsess about daily stats. It’s just one day. When Josh Vitters goes 0 for 4 (or even struggles over the first week), some people around here just go nuts. Just as we don’t know much of anything about the majors so far, we really don’t know much about the minors yet. If people want to click on the links and see, that’s fine. But I don’t want to turn this into a daily handwringing about Josh Vitters.

Third, these things show up on Google News. If some proud parent of a backup catcher googles their kid’s name to see if anyone mentions the fact that they homered last night, I want that parent to see their kid praised.

Finally, when I started doing these, I got lots of comments like “How did Felix Pie do? Why are you telling me about Micah Hoffpauir? He’s got no chance of doing anything. You should every day tell us how Pie did.” Well guys, how did that work out for you?

I rest my case. If anyone doesn’t like it, they can start their own “Josh Vitters Watch” blog.

by Josh Timmers on Apr 15, 2009 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions

Well

First, it’s your thing. 2nd, let’s really not get into an academic discussion on what information is valuable. I have background in sociology, history, economcis, and a lot of other areas. That is a debate that just isn’t necessary, in my opinion, to include in a discussion on something as simple as a minor league watch. To judge what information a specific individual determines as valuable is presumptuous.

Maybe I’ve made BLou’s argument into something he wasn’t arguing, but iF BLou, who I can’t remember agreeing with before, is arguing that, say, Vitters making an error is as significant as, say, Jake Fox’s big day, then I would absolutely agree with him. Taking your own argument, I agree, one day’s worth of statistics has very little meaning overall (oddly, you make a very sociological comment in there, but that’s beside the point), but when put in the context of what we know about players, then Vitters error, because of defensive concerns, is as valuable a piece of information as Fox’s big day, which should be expected.

But again, it’s your thing. I’m only supporting BLou because I think, if his point is what I think it is, then there is validity to it.

by toonsterwu on Apr 15, 2009 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions

What the hell are you talking about?

In no way am I questioning any of your background. I can’t see anything that I did to question your background. All I am doing is explaining MY background. I taught history at the University of Iowa for five years. That has left me with certain biases that I think my readers should understand when evaluating what I’m writing. All I’m trying to do is explain my biases. It’s important to make one’s biases clear.

This isn’t a debate at all. I’m not even responding to you directly but I’m trying to do is make myself clear. I’m pretty offended that my honest-to-goodness attempt to make clear to you and everyone else what I want to do is somehow “presumptuous.”

by Josh Timmers on Apr 15, 2009 5:40 PM CDT up reply actions

Read your own statement

I was trained as a historian—I know that the information that people will want in the future is not necessarily the information we want now..

Maybe your intent isn’t what you typed, and I understand, that happens as it is the internet and sometimes, words get typed before thoughts are processed and comments are reread. I read something like that in a direct response to a post I make, on minor league players no less, and yes my first response is basically what relevance does that hold, for lack of a better phrase right now. So, yes, I was pretty offended, as offended as I can get over something online (which is next to nil, I was so busy I didn’t even remember this until now). Now that you’ve explained yourself, sure, I accept.

by toonsterwu on Apr 16, 2009 5:26 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm not apologizing

And you’re the one who started the name calling.

In no way do I see anything wrong or arrogant with what I wrote. And somehow you took it as an insult to you, to whom I wasn’t even referring. I’m afraid you are the overly sensitive one.

by Josh Timmers on Apr 16, 2009 4:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Oh

and if you want to know why Vitters didn’t play in the second game, my guess is that it had everything to do with the fact that it was 38 degrees during the game and the field was wet. They let him play the first game because he needed to get his ABs in, but they weren’t going to risk the franchise more than necessary.

Some guys played both games because someone had to. I’m guessing Flaherty played because he’s from Maine, so it was like home to him. That and he wanted more reps at second.

by Josh Timmers on Apr 15, 2009 1:03 PM CDT up reply actions

yes i know

by toonsterwu on Apr 15, 2009 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions

Not to give ABQ anything here...

But the climate in NM is what it is. Dry and high is what you should expect going in. Breaking ball pitcher? Well – it’s probably not gonna break for you like it did in Daytona. You may get an extra MPH on the gun, but your movement’s gonna be for crap.

The park may be a joke, but 60’6" doesn’t change. Work the off-speed junk, pray for a pitcher’s count, and try to keep it inside the fences.

And if you think that’s bad, try running a sub-2:12 800M sometime.

As always-
Former Desert Rat

"I owe [Dunston] a lot. Nobody would know how good I was at digging balls out of the dirt if it wasn't for him..." -Mark Grace
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root

by Clutch16 on Apr 15, 2009 2:53 AM CDT reply actions

Except

the purpose of a minor league game isn’t to win. It’s to prepare players for the major leagues and playing in Albuquerque doesn’t do that, because there’s no place in the majors like ABQ.

Winning is pretty secondary in the minors. I care who wins, but I’m pretty weird and lonely on this score.

I remember as a kid when the Dodgers would call up Mike Marshall or Greg Brock. Marshall hit .373 with 34 HRs and 137 RBI in 1981 in Albuquerque. I thought he’d be the next superstar and I wasn’t alone. When he got called up to the majors, Marshall was nothing special. So then the writers and sportscasters would go: “The minors are completely different from the majors. A guy can hit in the minors, but not everyone can make that transition to the majors. Statistics in the minor leagues are meaningless.” This was usually followed by an explanation as to that’s why Enos Cabell had a job and not a dozen other guys toiling in the minors.

If I was older and wiser, I would have realized that Mike Marshall wasn’t a star because .373 with 34 HRs in Albuquerque was good, but they weren’t star numbers. Soon the Dodgers realized this and started trading their prospects who put up huge ABQ numbers but weren’t really that good, like Mickey Hatcher. And again, when Hatcher turned out to be a bad ballplayer, the media would use it as an excuse to bash the minors and the Dodgers just kept getting better.

So you see, my love affair with Albuquerque and baseball goes back almost 30 years. :-)

by Josh Timmers on Apr 15, 2009 4:16 AM CDT up reply actions

Josh

We’ve been through this before, but I really would like to know if there is any research in baseball circles that agrees with your charge that “there’s no place in the majors like ABQ”. If what you say is true, and common knowledge, Its seems to me that my hometown (Albuquerque) would be the last place any minor league team would want to hang its hat. I agree that some players number may be inflated, but seriously…its the PCL, your likely to have inflated numbers anywhere depending on what kind of fat pitching you see. I was at last nights game and in addition to the lousy Isotopes pitching, the wind was blowing out big time. Not picking on your assessment of Albuquerque’s conditions for baseball, just wondering if this is the consensus by other sportswriter/baseball people.

"Ask Dad. He'll know. And on the off chance he doesn't, he'll make something up"

by StevenABQ on Apr 15, 2009 9:16 AM CDT up reply actions

Ok

I checked the park factors and while they fluctuated over 2006 & 2007, ABQ remains far higher than the rest in the PCL. Coupled with the crappy pitching that hitters will face in that league, I suppose its fair to say its like Coors Field (Since they both are a mile high) only even better for hitters. Plus the wells at Isotopes park and that dumb little hill in CF do not help matters either.

"Ask Dad. He'll know. And on the off chance he doesn't, he'll make something up"

by StevenABQ on Apr 15, 2009 9:26 AM CDT up reply actions

Baseball Prospectus

park factors for 2008.

Coors Field—1063 (Offense increased by 6.3% at Coors)
Isotopes Park—1126 (Offense increased by 12.6%)

I’m not saying Albuquerque doesn’t deserve minor league baseball. They built a stadium and people go to see it and they’ve certainly got the population base to support it. Heck, I wouldn’t mind living there and I’d like to see minor league ball there if I did. It’s just that the games there really don’t tell you much about how a guy is going to perform at the major league level. And I wouldn’t want the Cubs AAA franchise located there.

by Josh Timmers on Apr 15, 2009 12:35 PM CDT up reply actions

I think we're in violent agreement here

by Clutch16 on Apr 15, 2009 5:01 PM CDT up reply actions

Flaherty

is a prospect to watch.

Tamia Lynn Davis:
Born: August 18, 2008

by Unique on Apr 15, 2009 3:09 AM CDT reply actions

Trying something different

Prospect of the Day: CF Tony Campana.

The man of blazing speed was a terror today in both games. Now … what I’d like to see are some walks, but he has a plus skill set (speed) that makes him worth watching.
_____________________________

My main thought …

I am a fan of the Lake/Flaherty swap. Now, I don’t necessarily buy either’s ability to stick at short, so this isn’t a Lake at short campaign. But Flaherty has a good bat that seems like it can move fast, and for the most part, few expect him to stick at short. I’d rather see him work at another position as soon as possible. Doesn’t mean he stops playing short, but just get reps at other spots in games. At 2nd, Flaherty could move fast (although if Tony Thomas is strong, then that’ll be more of a fight).

Peoria – I wonder how many times minor league doubleheaders end in the same score. Anyhow, in game 1, Beliveau, he of the good curveball, average fastball, had 2 K’s in 3 innings, giving up 6 hits and a walk, leading to 4 runs, 1 unearned. I’ll be curious to hear anything on this game, as those numbers seem odd to me. Typically, a guy with a plus breaker like Jeff can rack up some K’s in the minors. Mike Perconte came in for 3 scoreless, getting 1 K and the win. The 1/7 GO/FO ratio wasn’t, well, to say the least, ideal. Erik Hamren threw 1 scoreless for the save. In game 2, however you slice it, 1K, but 2 runs in 2 innings on 5 hits and 2 walks was bad for Hatley. Again, I don’t think he’s a starter unless the change makes rapid improvement. I think, if he makes it up, it’s as a middle reliever, a 7th inning type. Now, I am okay with extended outings for him, as it could help him get better consistency. Kreier had a solid outing. He did give up a WP, but 3 scoreless on 2 hits, getting a K, and having a 5/2 GO/FO ratio is solid. Not trying to rain on the day, but for Kreier to move up, his stuff will have to get better a bit. If it does, I can see him being Gallagher-ish in his development. Whitlock gave up 2 runs, 1 unearned, on 1 hit, but got a K in 1.1 innings. He attacks, which I like. Buchter struggled badly, giving up those 3 walks, but what made me more disappointed was that he walked the lefty, and then Pina bailed us out.

In game 1, Tony Campana, in CF, led off, going 3/4 with 2 steals. Josh Harrison was back at DH again and went 0/3. Rebel Ridling was at first, going 1/2 with a RBI and a walk. Nelson Perez was in LF today (mildly interesting that they swapped him and Burke around) and went 1/3 with a 2 run blast and an error. Josh Vitters was back at 3rd, going 1/3 with a CS and an error. Kyler Burke was in RF and he went 1/3. Junior Lake was at short, going 0/2 with a walk and an error. Ryan Flaherty went 2/2 with a double, a walk, and a CS. Jesus Flores went 0/2 with a walk.

In game 2, Campana went 2/4 with a SB and a CS. Harrison went 1/3 at DH. Ridling went 0/2. Perez went 2/2 with a double and a walk, back in RF. Cliff Andersen was in LF, and he went 0/3. Flaherty went 1/2 with a walk. Lake went 0/2 with 2 errors, Mercedes went 1/2, and Macias went 1/3.
_____________________________

Daytona – I like the fact that they battled back after getting off to a bad start. The 5 spot in the 5th was a positive sign. Of course, Leverton put us in a bad spot. He did get 3 K’s in 3.2, but giving up 5 runs on 6 hits, 1 homer, and 4 walks is just bad. He also had a wild pitch. I expect him to go through ups and downs this year, as he’s still a raw talent. We drafted some relatively raw college arms last year, and Leverton, despite the aggressive pushing, is one of those guys. He’s still developing. Muschko giving up 2 runs on 1 hit and a walk in 2. Sasser gave up a run in 1.1, giving up 2 hits and a walk. Vento had 2 scoreless, giving up 2 hits and getting 3 K’s. I think Vento has some big league middle relief potential, while Sasser has a short because of his handedness.

Offensively, Samson led off, playing 2nd, going 1/4. Gonzalez went 1/4 with a RBI, playing LF again. Colvin went 0/4. Russ Canzler was at first, going 2/4. Dylan Johnston went 0/3, but he had a walk. Marquez Smith went 1/4 with a RBI. Drew Rundle was in CF, and he went 1/4 with a double and 2 RBI’s. Robinson Chirinos was behind the plate, going 1/3 with a double and 2 RBI’s. Reed was 0/1 as a pinch hitter, and Castro was 0/4. Johnston had an error and Chirinos had a passed ball.

Iowa – Mitch Atkins getting shelled in the PCL in Albuquerque? Not the biggest deal. I mean … it’s not good by any means, but that fact wouldn’t bother me. What does mildly intrigue me are the K’s he had. What interests me are those K’s, which is a positive sign. In 2 games so far, 11 K’s in 9 innings. But … that K rate increase has come with 5 walks in 9 innings so far. Can he balance it out? He also hit 2. I like the fact that he was trying to throw strikes (even when he missed, few were really bad)and attack hitters, and I like the fact that he threw a decent amount of first pitch strikes. But he just doesn’t have put away consistency in that, too often, hitters would battle back, and in the PCL, with offensive inflation, that leads to trouble. Still, though, nothing so far has changed my opinion that I could live with Mitch Atkins as our 5th starter for a few games this year if something happened. Definitely not ideal, but short of it is, if we need pitching midseason (here’s hoping we don’t), I’d rather not deal for a guy just to have a guy, as I think we have passable options on hand, if not better than passable.

Reinhard gets lost in the mix, as we have a lot of pen options, but he’s a guy that I could live with in middle relief if we needed it. 2 scoreless for the win, getting 2 K’s, giving up 2 hits and a walk. He got first pitch strikes on 7 of the 9 batters he faced. I like that. Waddell had 1 scoreless in perhaps his best outing so far. Mr. Hard sinker, Justin Berg, gave up 2 hits in a scoreless frame, working himself into trouble with men on 2nd and 3rd and falling behind 3-0 to the batter, before rallying to get the ground out to end the inning. Chad “the Ageless Wonder” Fox had a quick 9th.

Sam Fuld had a 3/5 night, a homer short. Considering the environment, taking it with a grain of salt, but I liked the fact that he battled in a few AB’s. So Taguchi went 4/6, which should really get that fan that posts those files going. Nate Spears went 2/5, playing short today. In the first, he fell behind 0/2, before grounding out on the 4th pitch. In the 2nd, he grounded into a DP on the 2nd pitch. In the 4th and 6th, he slapped first pitch singles. In the 7th, he grounded out on 6 pitches after falling behind 0-2. Jake Fox had a monstrous 4/5 day with 2 homers and a double. I loved his homer in the 3rd – took 2 balls and forced the pitcher to throw him something. Same with the double in the 4th – worked it to a 2-0 count. In the 6th, he had the count at 3-1 when he slapped a single. Brad Snyder was 1/5, Bobby Scales was 0/5 and playing 2nd. Luis Rivas was 2/5 and a SB playing third, but he had an error. Mark Johnson was 2/4 with a walk and a SB.

Farm looks – An early season look at … the Milwaukee Brewers.

BP’s Top 11 for the Brewers system

John Sickels Brewers Top 20

Baseball America’s Brewers Top 10 and Top Tools

The Brewers entered the year with questionable pitching, and so far, that’s true to form. It’s ridiculously early though. That said, it may be worth following (up to you) the Brewers system to see how their assets are doing and if they can provide help, directly or through trades.

Nothing in-depth, just a scan at numbers of guys in full-season. Yes, ridiculously early.:

Alcides Escobar – The top shortstop talent has an excellent glove. Last season, showed some signs of offensive ability. He’s in AAA with the Nashville Sounds, and so far, he has a .280/.357/.360 line.

Mat Gamel – The slugger had a big year last year, although he struggled a bit down the stretch. Like Escobar, he is in AAA. His glove does bear watching, but his bat is good. Part of the reason they were okay with dealing LaPorta was because they had Gamel. So far, so good. .500/.571/.955.

Brett Lawrie – Last year’s 1st rounder from Canada has been rumored to be a guy they would try at 2nd at some point. His sweet stroke wasn’t a question, and so far, he’s done well in the MWL, posting a .286/.368.714 line.

Jeremy Jeffress – This is a system thin on ready pitching. Jeffress is their closest high impact arm. He added a 2 seamer this year, so I’ll be curious what impact that has. He’s had 2 starts, going 7 innings so far. He’s given up 4 runs, 1 unearned, on 5 hits and 7 walks, but racking 10 K’s.

Angel Salome – the offensive minded catcher doesn’t really fit anywhere defensively if he can’t stick behind the plate. He’s also at Nashville, and so far, with only 2 hits in 14 AB’s, to go with 6 K’s and 1 walk.

Jonathon Lucroy – Another offensive minded catcher, he’s got a better chance to stick behind the plate than Salome. He’s in AA, and so far, has a .263/.333/.421 line.

Jake Odorizzi – A power arm that some thought Tim Wilken was looking at, Odorizzi isn’t in full season ball yet.

Taylor Green – A rumored possibility to head to Cleveland, Green stuck around. He’s a guy who doesn’t look to have the power for third, which was why Cleveland requested him to play 2nd a bit last year to scout him. I don’t see him listed and am too lazy to check for his status right now.

Lorenzo Cain – Another possibility in the Sabathia deal, Cain is a strong defensive outfielder who looked like he was putting the offensive package together last year. A very toolsy guy, the upside is high. He’s on the DL right now.

Yohannis Perez – Former Cuban National Team player, 26, has been red hot to start the 09 season in Huntsville. .389/.421/.722. He’s been playing short.

Cutter Dykstra – Lenny’s kid is in Low A Wisconsin right now (MWL). He doesn’t have that much pop and his value comes in his ability to get on base. He’s been struggling to start the year, only 4 hits in 19 AB’s, with only 2 walks, but 5 K’s on the books.

Okay, maybe this wasn’t the best idea. Anyhow, that’s a sampling of their system. Maybe I’ll try something different. It’s still a decent system, a mid-tier ranking. Most of their top talent are positional pieces, though. That said, they do have the pieces to land the pitching … if they are willing to move them. Gamel isn’t LaPorta, but he could be the centerpiece to a deal for pitching (or they could keep him and see if his glove improves at 3rd … or they could shop Fielder if they were confident in Gamel). Escobar is the type of talent where, if his bat is solid, a lot of teams will have interest and may be able to centerpiece a deal. There’s enough complementary pieces.

by toonsterwu on Apr 15, 2009 3:16 AM CDT reply actions

any whispers...

about what we might get for hill from batimore

roquet from oakland?

by tim815 on Apr 15, 2009 7:27 AM CDT up reply actions

So Taguchi, 5-time Gold Glover in Japan

by Taguchi99 on Apr 15, 2009 3:28 AM CDT reply actions

Any particular reason you're such a fan of his?

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Apr 15, 2009 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions

Because my family name is Taguchi

by Taguchi99 on Apr 16, 2009 1:51 AM CDT up reply actions

if (?) jerry owens struggles

and if scott podsednik isn’t the answer….

and if the chisox struggle…

would sam fuld for a 7-10 prospect or two make any sense.

’we’re going to miss’ and ‘dewayne wise’ not used much in the same sentence.

by tim815 on Apr 15, 2009 8:28 AM CDT reply actions

Mitch Atkins is not somebody to get excited about

Not sure I understand why he has been talked about so much the last year. He falls into the category of a Sergio Mitre at absolute best.

by BLou on Apr 15, 2009 9:14 AM CDT reply actions

Mitre, at the same age, was probably more talented

Sergio just never developed the change enough to neutralize lefties. I don’t think anyone is hyping up Atkins … but if we needed an emergency/spot starter, he’s fine. End of the rotation arms get so much discussion online, but really, it’s a 5th starter. I can live with Atkins in that role if we really had to go that role.

by toonsterwu on Apr 15, 2009 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions

Nice to see Waddell have a good inning.

I’ve got my eye on him as pen insurance.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Apr 15, 2009 11:40 AM CDT reply actions

Those Bics

they can explode at ANY TIME. Think of the children.

"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella

by drewishdrewid on Apr 15, 2009 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Apr 15, 2009 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions