Angels Blank Cubs at HoHoKam

Submitted by Jumbo on Thu, 07/01/2010 - 4:31am.
Phil
Great to see these reports. I'm especially excited to see some of the draft picks in action. I'd love to see an update on who's signed so far out of the draft picks. Do we know where Simpson is ending up? I really want to see if Golden signs - I haven't heard anything about that.

I saw Huseby was in RF yesterday. Do you know if the team has made any decisions about whether he's a pitcher or a hitter?

Also, Brett Jackson seems to be adapting well to AA so far. What do you see his timetable to the majors being?

Thanks as always -

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QUIET MAN: The Cubs have signed 20 of their 50 draft picks so far, and they usually sign about 30. So expect the Cubs to sign another ten of their draft choices before the mid-August deadline. Typically they will sign 9-10 of their top ten picks, 7-8 of their next ten (11-20), 5-6 of the next ten (21-30), 3-4 of the next ten (31-40), and 1-2 of the bottom ten (41-50). So far the Cubs have signed only five of their top 10 picks, plus eight of their next ten (the usual number), four of the next ten (about one or two below expectation), three in rounds 31-40 (maybe one below the usual number), and none from the bottom ten.

The delay in signing Reggie Golden may have to do with Golden wanting "1st round money," and even if the Cubs are willing to do that, clubs may have been requested by MLB to delay signing players to overslot bonuses until sometime closer to the mid-August deadline, so as to not have a negative impact on negotiations other clubs may be having with draft picks from that round. But the Cubs probably will eventually sign at least nine of their top ten picks. And even if they don't sign Golden, the Cubs will receive a 2011 Rule 4 Draft compensation pick one slot lower in the 2nd round than where they picked Golden this year.

Chris Huseby's future is unclear. He apparently does not enjoy pitching, and is being used as a DH (and he played RF last night) to give him something to do when he is not pitching. He has some skills as a hitter, although Huseby reminds me a bit of Michael Jordan when Jordan was trying to become a baseball player.

Brett Jackson is probably at the same point that Starlin Castro was at this time last year. The main difference is that Jackson is blocked by Alfonso Soriano and Marlon Byrd, and so his arrival in MLB will probably depend to some extent on whether Soriano is moved to 1B when Derrek Lee leaves. If Tyler Colvin moves to 1B and Kosuke Fukudome is traded, Marlon Byrd could possibly move to RF in 2011 and Jackson could play CF. Or Jackson could begin his MLB career in the same role Tyler Colvin has been used this year.

Presuming either Colvin or Soriano moves to 1B in 2011, Jackson could have a spot in the lineup as early as Opening Day 2011, if he has a really good showing in Spring Training. The problem with Jackson is that he has a below-average arm, so he projects as a CF or LF rather than a RF. The Cubs do have an arm-strengthening program for outfielders that has resulted in Tyler Colvin and some others in the minors like Brandon Guyer improving arm strength to where they can play RF, although Colvin did have a TJS along the way and Guyer has had some arm issues, too.

Jackson is a talented player who projects as an everyday MLB outfielder and #3 hitter in the order, but his two weaknesses are strikeouts and arm strength.

Submitted by DavidP on Thu, 07/01/2010 - 10:49am.
Phil - Do you know the status of the Korean outfielder by the name of Kim? It might have been Dub-something.

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DAVID P: Dong-Yub Kim has been on the Disabled List since Minor League Camp. I don't know for sure what's wrong, but I did see him throw a ball left-handed at Fitch Park last month (he is a right-handed thrower), so if I had to guess, I'd say he probably had either TJS or shoulder surgery. But I don't know that for sure. I didn't see him take any BP during EXST, either.

Submitted by Charlie on Sat, 07/03/2010 - 4:55pm.
AZ Phil,

Would you mind sharing any thoughts you have on Kyler Burke so far this year? After seeming to rebound last year with a .911 OPS, his 2010 OPS of .606 falls right in line with his other extremely disappointing efforts at the plate.

Should he be considering a switch to the mound? Are the Cubs holding out he might break through as a slugger in 2011 or in the second half of 2010?

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CHARLIE: I think there was already a Red Flag regarding Kyler Burke, and it has to do with needing three tries to get through the Midwest League.

The fact that he spent all or parrts of three seasons at the same low level would be OK if it doesn't reflect a more chronic problem, but he is underperforming at Hi-A (Daytona) just like he did his first two seasons in the MWL. He is starting to look like the type of guy who takes too long not just to adjust to, but to master, each level, the type of player who will probably top-out at AA.

Burke was a two-way player in HS (RF-LHP), and was fairly highly-regarded as a pitcher. Some teams even had Burke rated as a better pitching prospexct than outfield prospect pre-draft in 2006, and so he might want to start thinking about a move before he spends too much more time spinning his wheels trying to get to AA. It's not like he is a stranger to the mound, and he's only 22.

Same goes for Peoria 3B Charles Thomas, BTW. He supposedly threw 94 as a closer in college, and I have seen his arm, and it is a rocket. He is a big dude, too (6'4 225).