Cubs Pitchers No Match for A's Fast Break Offense
Oakland A's 2012 1st round draft pick (#11 overall) Addison Russell walked, tripled, and belted a two-run home run, Vicmal de la Cruz clobbered a solo home run and an RBI double, Reynaldo Mateo blasted a two-run HR, and Matt Olson singled twice and drove-in two runs, as the Athletics out-slugged the Cubs 13-8 in Arizona Instructional League action this afternoon at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa.
Meanwhile, Jesse Hodges hammered a two-run home run and a double, Jorge Soler drilled a two-run triple, Marco Hernandez roped an opposite-field two run double, and Tim Saunders doubled, walked, stole a base, and drove-in a run, to help propel the Cub offense.
The 18-year old 6'1 210+ Hodges (2012 NDFA - Victoria, B. C.) was signed by the Cubs last month to a 2013 contract ("Signed for Future Service") after starring for the Canadian Junior National Team at the IBAF 18U Baseball World Championship in South Korea. He was used as a DH in today's game, but he is a third-baseman by trade.
It was a real slugfest at Fitch Park today, as the A's pounded-out 15 hits, including eight extra-base hits (four doubles, a triple, and three home runs), while the Cubs collected eleven hits, including six extra-base hits (four doubles, a triple, and home run).
Cubs 2012 3rd round draft pick RHP Ryan McNeil (Nipomo HS - Nipomo, CA) had an especially poor outing, allowing three home runs in one inning (not easy to do at Fitch Park Caverns), while Cubs 2012 6th round draft pick RHP Trey Lang (Gateway CC) surrendered four doubles in 2.1 IP.
Cubs catcher Wilson Contreras left the game after injuring his right calf while throwing-out a runner at 2nd base on an inning-ending "strike 'em out - throw 'em out" DP in the 5th. He had to be helped off the field and appeared to be in intense pain.
A number of Cub executives were at today's game, including Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, Jason McLeod, and Randy Bush.
And just to confirm what I mentioned here last week, Tim Cossins has replaced Brandon Hyde as the Cubs Minor League Field Coordinator. (Hyde was promoted to Director of Player Development after Oneri Fleita was fired). Cossins worked with Hyde in Miami, when Hyde was the Marlins bench coach and Cossins was the Marlins minor league catching instruction coordinator.
Still no word on who will be replacing Dennis Lewallyn as the Cubs Minor League Pitching Coordinator. (Lewallyn took a minor league coaching position with the Atlanta Braves last week). Ron Villone (peoria), Jeff Fassero (Tennessee), Anderson Tavarez (DSL Cubs #1), and Rick Tronerud (Fitch Park Rehab) have been working as the pitching coaches at Instructs.
Here is the abridged box score from today’s game (Cubs players only):
CUBS LINEUP:
1. Gioskar Amaya, 2B: 1-4 (L-5, F-8, L-3, 2B, R)
2. Albert Almora, CF: 1-4 (4-3, 1B, 5-3, E-9, R)
3. Jorge Soler, RF: 1-4 (3-1, K, F-8, 3B, R, 2 RBI)
4. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 1-4 (F-8, 1B, P-4, 4-3, RBI)
5. Jeimer Candelario, 3B: 1-4 (6-3, 5-3, 1B, F-9, R)
6. Yasiel Balaguert, LF: 1-4 (4-3, F-8, 1B, P-4, R)
7. Marco Hernandez, SS: 1-4 (P-6, K, 2B, 3-1, R, 2 RBI)
8a. Wilson Contreras, C: 0-1 (4-3)
8b. Justin Marra, PH-DH: 1-3 (1B, K, 3-1, R)
9a. Jesse Hodges, DH #1: 2-2 (2B, HR, R, 2 RBI)
9b. Chadd Krist, C: 0-2 (5-3, K)
10. Tim Saunders, DH #2: 1-2 (F-9, BB, 2B, RBI, SB)
CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Trey Lang: 2.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 44 pitches (28 strikes), 6/0 GO/FO
2. Corbin Hoffner: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 32 pitches (19 strikes), 1/2 GO/FO
3. Juan Carlos Paniagua: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 40 pitches (25 strikes), 1/3 GO/FO
4. Carlos Martinez: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, 12 pitches (8 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO
5. Ryan McNeil: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, 3 HR, 49 pitches (24 strikes), 1/1 GO/FO
CUBS ERRORS: 1
CF Albert Almora - E-8 (three-base fielding error on ground single to CF allowed batter to circle the bases and score unearned run)
CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Wilson Contreras: 1-1 CS
WEATHER: Sunny and hot with temperatures in the 90’s
ATTENDANCE: 23
Thanks to both Rob and AZ!
archer only lasts 4.2ip today...109 pitches.
CHARLIE: If a club exceeds it's Signing Bonus Pool by 5%, it loses a draft pick. So the Cubs can spend about $578K above its assigned SBP ($10,556M) and not lose a draft pick.
The #2 overall SBP valus is worth about $6.7M, so the Cubs could offer Bryant well over $7M and still not lose a draft pick if they were inclined to do so (presuming they did not go over their SBP in other rounds).
If the Cubs don't feel they are getting fair value offered back, they can always just hang onto Garza and Feldman and make them Qualifying Offers post-2013.
lovely, put up a post on potential trade candidates for Feldman and Garza and it hate the bulk of the text much like it does with some of the comments...sigh.
I don't know the numbers as they spent a quite a bit to land the 12th round pick Clifton (allegedly 3rd round money which is 500 to 750K) and anything over $100K counts against the cap.
But Boras represents Bryant and Appel and I doubt he'd let Bryant sign for more than Appel who got $6.35M and Bryant's slot # is $6.7M. So chances are Cubs are getting him under (rumors is around $5.6M). Gray signed for $4.8M which was $800K less than slot as well.
rosscup may not have impeccable control, and injuries have slowed him, but he's recently turned 25 and needs to get out of AA.
his numbers are nice, but it's hard to get excited about them when he's feasting on 21-24 year olds.
i'm a rosscup fan, and i'm ready for him to be challenged.
And Chris Rusin is probably the #1 LHSP in the PCL right now. He is #1 among all SP (LHP & RHP) in WHIP, and he is 5th among SP in ERA (behind LHPs Brad Mills and Will Smith and RHPs Johnny Hellweg and Sonny Gray). He has been a real workhorse, too, leading the PCL in IP. and he has allowed only 5 HR in 97 IP (pretty good for a SP in the PCL). And he's hitting 222 and hasn't struck out in 18 PA (he was a DH at the U. of Kentucky on days he wasn't pitching), so he would fit right into the Cubs starting rotation.
one problem is going to be a glut in available SP.
josh johnson and r.nolasco are strong candidates most likely to be available...along with a slew of others not so strong...then there's garza/feldman in the mix on the strong side.
teams like CIN, DET, and ATL are most likely not even going to be looking SP.
So, how much do we think they can spend on the 1st-rounder before they give up a draft pick then?
Rosscup and Burke--gotta figure at least one of them makes the 40. Lefties that through like that don't grow on trees. It'd be nice to see Burke developing a bit faster as a pitcher, though, and Rosscup being pushed a bit more.
LHP Zac Rosscup missed most of last season with biceps tendinitis, but once he got back into action he looked very good (his fastball was clocked at 94 MPH in his last appearance with the AZL Cubs before he was moved-up to Tennessee),
Rosscup, SS Arismendy Alcantara, OF Jae-Hoon Ha, and LHP (ex-OF) Kyler Burke are the Cubs minor leaguers most-likely to be added to the 40-man roster post-2013 (Rosscup, Alcantara, and Ha will be Rule 5 eligible, and Burke can be a minor league FA), although Rosscup, Burke, and Ha might have to show something in the AFL
If the other option is to get nothing for Feldman, then sure, talk with him about an extension. But if they can find a way to get a Maholm-esque return on him, I say pull the trigger.
I'm curious to see whether opposing GM's are still willing to part with any quality prospects for Garza after he missed nearly a year due to injuries. To me, you could make a stronger argument there that the Cubs might be better off extending than trading.
heh, I can't imagine a world where the Orioles would consider trading them both. I'm not sure they'd be willing to trade either of them unless they got a guy for more than a half a season.
rizzo sits tonight.
TEX has called up chirinininos today...
archer has had issues with control to the tune of barely being able to go 5 innings without throwing more than 100 pitches...AAA and especially majors where he's had a couple of 4ip outings. this season in the minors he's only gone over 5ip twice...both 6ip.