Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

All-Star Break Rumor Thread

Not that there will be too many over the break, most of the league takes a vacation along with the players, but Kaplan is spinning his wheels on a Matt Garza one.

I'm hearing Garza will be traded by Sat. Cubs won't move him though until they get what they want. They won't panic out of fear of injury.

An AL scout just told me that he thinks Garza is throwing so well that the Cubs are in a phenomenal spot to land a tremendous deal.

The first tweet seems particularly contradictory, "he'll be moved...but only if they get what they want...but that's totally gonna happen by Saturday." Kaplan's got an article up as well that name drops Texas, Cleveland, Toronto and St. Louis.

- There was a rumor out yesterday about the Pirates looking at either Alex Rios or Nate Schierholtz in search of an outfielder they could control past this year. It originated from Wrongway Rogers, so you know what to do with that.

- And that's about it for now on the rumors, I'm sure a few more will be made up over the next few days. If you're going to watch the All-Star game, Travis Wood will be there and allowed to pitch, although I imagine the Cubs politely asked Bochy that he finds a way to not get him in. Max Scherzer and Matt Harvery will start the game.

Comments

bumping this up from yesterday (thanks Quiet Man)

Jason Parks‏@ProfessorParks (Baseball Prospectus)
Arismendy Alcantara just went upper deck big fly off Ranaudo. #Cubs second baseman of the future. He's a player.

Jason Parks‏@ProfessorParks
Sano's BP was insane, but Alcantara's was also legit, showing impressive bat speed and pop. #Cubs

Alcantara ended up going 1/3 with a K and a GIDP

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/futures-game-box-score/

 

Seems as if we have been hearing, "This is likely his last start..." for a month. I wish they were in the position to keep him. I like him with the "Gonzo" attitude, Like Big Z, without the lunacy.

When I see these rumors I am reminded of the famous cry, "Remember the Alamo!!" Only in this case, replace "the Alamo" with "Dave Roberts".

Wrong-Way Phil What an idiot. Check out his Tweet in the feed. I can't believe he is paid a salary for some of his writing. Geez...

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

the amount of replies on that thread of people afraid of olt or think he sucks is kinda mindblowing... since returning from his "eye thing" he's hitting about .250/.345/.475 that's not exactly awesome, but it's a hell of an improvement from where he was before that point. supposedly manny ramirez is helping him with his swing...with positive feedback from olt. he's not a slam-dunk sure thing, but getting him + someone else would be nice for 2.5 months + playoff return on garza + generated pick.

[ ]

In reply to by Carlito

Buchholz is hurt, Lester has looked shaky, Doubront is a house of cards, and you don't want to be rolling into the AL playoffs with just John Lackey and Ryan Dempster. I'm sure they want to cough up top prospects less than many other teams for Garza, but this is creating the desperation that TheoCo was hoping for - a team that's probably going to the playoffs that gets nervous about the top of its rotation.

Dave Cameron/Fangraphs is rolling out his annual trade value posts this week. He has Samardzija at #41. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2013-trade-value-45-41/ If you follow the link, there's interesting discussion about a hypothetical Samardzija for David Price trade. It's a very interesting comparison because both guys have top of the rotation stuff, both have two lefts years on their contracts after 2013, but Samardzija is both cheaper for the next 2.5 years as well as pitching better at this moment, which means the Rays might be highly incentivized for trade Price + prospects for Ninja. Highly unlikely, but very interesting conjecture.

[ ]

In reply to by John Beasley

It's a very interesting comparison because both guys have top of the rotation stuff, both have two lefts years on their contracts after 2013, but Samardzija is both cheaper for the next 2.5 years as well as pitching better at this moment, which means the Rays might be highly incentivized for trade Price + prospects for Ninja. Highly unlikely, but very interesting conjecture.

huh? and wtf? and WTH? and hahahahahahahaha

I'd guess 3-5 teams would give up 2-3 top 20 prospects for Price including one of their top 3 in a heartbeat if he becomes available (namely the Dodgers) and the Rays aren't gonna give up any prospects worth anything in any trade. I don't have the time to look for too many comp deals, but Johan, Cliff Lee, Mat Latos come to mind.

and where is Samardzija pitching better than Price? Price has a better FIP and xFIP now, WAR is slightly lower due to the missed time.

I'm not doubting that the Rays would consider the idea of trading Price for Samardzija to save money, but the Cubs would be kicking in the prospects and I think other clubs would easily be offering more.

This all being said, I'm well aware that Price is slightly overrated...his advanced metrics aren't nearly as good as the hype and he's been helped a ton by a great defense behind him, but considering his age, hardware and getting out of the AL East, teams will line up to trade for him. They may find the asking price is too high, but we know the Cubs aren't going to overpay in prospects right now.

-edit- and of course the Rays aren't going to make any deals involving Price while they're in the race.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Price was pitching like garbage before he went on the DL. He's has three good starts since he's been back, but they were against Houston, the White Sox, and then Houston again. Of course teams will give up touted prospects for Price. But the Rays aren't going to trade Price for just prospects in the middle of the season. If he gets traded this winter, it's likely for prospects like Garza and Shields before him. But if the Rays decided to move him right now, they'd want an MLB top-flight starting pitcher back. I just disagree with almost everything you're saying. If the Rays called and offered the Cubs to trade Price for Ninja heads-up, I'd hope the Cubs would decline that offer. They're pretty comparable pitchers with identical team control going forward, and I'd rather have the less expensive one all else being equal.

[ ]

In reply to by John Beasley

Regardless of the rest of the prospect math, since when do teams swap aces in the middle of a season? And what is with all the Samardzija trade talk? The Cubs ought to be keeping Garza and trying to add another starting pitcher or two who could be part of a .500 2014 team and winning 2015 team.

[ ]

In reply to by John Beasley

If you subscribe to the theory that a FA will go to the highest bidder, than the Cubs are better served trading Garza and re-signing him after this year. That said, I'm sure the Cubs know what kind of contract Garza is looking for and are not prepared to meet that. Either now or in the offseason. I agree with you on Samardzija though. Short of getting blown away with an offer I don't see the need to trade him now. Should they want to trade him his value should be just as high at this point next year since he's under team control through 2015.

[ ]

In reply to by John Beasley


He's has three good starts since he's been back, but they were against Houston, the White Sox, and then Houston again.

sure, he could have also been trying to battle through an injury when he wasn't pitching all that great to start the season...that probably makes too much sense though.

I just disagree with almost everything you're saying. If the Rays called and offered the Cubs to trade Price for Ninja heads-up, I'd hope the Cubs would decline that offer. They're pretty comparable pitchers with identical team control going forward, and I'd rather have the less expensive one all else being equal.

just not seeing equal by any means...

Price vs. Samardzija

27Age284.32011 WAR0.63.322011 FIP3.664.52012 WAR3.03.052012 FIP3.551.52013 WAR1.93.452013 FIP3.62

3 time All-Star

AL East

Cy Young winner (also finished 2nd)

is left-handed

 

Other Stuff

incredible hair

cheaper going forward

Price is 8 months younger than Samardzija, both born in '85, just using the July 1st baseball age cutoff.

Is Bowden ever right about these things? JIM BOWDEN‏@JimBowdenESPNxm Texas, Washington, Boston, Arizona and Colorado are all in on Garza and to a lesser extent Cleveland

grant balfour ties his consecutive live-interviews-without-cussing record at 1 with an interview just completed on MLB network. good for him.

http://www.csnchicago.com/kapman/kaplan-suitors-aplenty-cubs-asking-pri…

Kaplan's latest

It appears Texas, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toronto and the Los Angeles Dodgers are the strongest pursuers, but a handful of other teams have at least shown cursory interest in the price it would take to acquire the best available starting pitcher at the deadline.

- Teams view Garza as a #3...unless he signs an extension, than he's a #1 or #2 (figure out that logic)

- probably get less than Brewers got for Greinke

- Rangers dangling Olt, Cubs seem hesitant

Bob Nightengale name drops Profar as being in play for a Garza deal

https://twitter.com/thekapman/status/357260560452161536

better to make up something than admit you have nothing I guess...apparently it was an interview where Nightengale believes Profar's stock has dropped enough that he could be had...sketchy as ever.

But to play along...how about Profar+Olt for Garza+Baez (and certainly some other parts)? Profar's farther along than Baez and considered the better prospect (+ for the Cubs), Rangers have a bit of an infield logjam for a few years that replacing Profar with someone a few years behind would be helpful without hurting their organization.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Does Profar project to have any power? Seems like Baez would be hard for the Cubs to let go with his power potential. I don't think the cubs would trade Garza straight up for Olt (which is not what you're saying). But maybe if Texas had a fairly intriguing pitcher to throw in there and the Cubs could give them Vitters. They'd need an arm ....

[ ]

In reply to by Carlito

doubt they have an interest in Vitters and I presume Cubs would want a pitcher back (maybe Justin Grimm). But 9 out of 9 GM's not named Jed Hoyer would want Profar. Kid is younger than Baez, farther along and plays defense at shortstop like he knows what he's doing...unlike Butcher Baez. And yes, he's projected to be a 15-20 HR guy...not quite what I think Baez might be able to do, but the rest of the package is far superior...especially the patience at the plate (also, he's a switch-hitter).

Take all the positive things, and the lack of negative things, and combine that with a guy who has been very young for his levels and you have, well, Jurickson Profar. With Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, and Manny Machado safely ensconced in the majors, Profar is now the best prospect in baseball. With additional physical maturity, this is a guy who could win Gold Gloves while hitting .300, hitting 15 homers, stealing 20 bases, drawing 80 walks, and charming puppies and kittens and beat reporters all across North America. Grade A.

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/2/12/3977558/jurickson-profar-prosp…

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

ROB G: this is terrific. Thank you! I had thought when I first looked at the post that the '69 Cubs would have led the "most" All Stars in a game - I remembered as a kid they had the whole NL starting IF for a bit (a thrill for me then). But the 2008 club really had them beat. Too bad we weren't left-handed enough.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I completely forgot Bryan Lahair was an All-Star last year, and it wasn't even because the Cubs needed a representative. How the hell did that happen? I wonder how many guys in history were All-Stars the year before being out of the league (not due to retirement)?

"Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com reports that the Phillies and Cubs are interested in Michael Wuertz." okay. he's pitching in indie ball, btw.

rather boring, yet well played AS game so far. AL with a 3 run lead going to the bottom 8th...no "breakout" player involved in any of that scoring. i have a feeling we're in for a total homer pick for AS game MVP if nothing exciting happens and Mo can finish off the 9th without any baserunners.

[ ]

In reply to by The Joe

...and a totally undeserved MVP award for a joke game goes to m.rivera. 1st reliever to win it.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

It was an award for services rendered, since nobody had much of a spotlight on them, other than Robinson Cano. Fox seemed to take an eerie delight in showing the replay of his getting hit about 50 times, and Buck was creaming his pants when they got the sound of the ball smacking his leg. The MVP really should have gone to Cano, just for all the attention that got.

teams looking buy-cheap-with-upside just got a knock... "Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports was told by two executives that the Blue Jays are telling teams they don't have plans to trade Josh Johnson." nolasco already traded...johnson not on the market... the only "top" guys that seem to be left are guys that aren't a sure thing to go because of multi-year cheapness(lohse/gallardo, MIL) or guys teams would have to take on extreme payroll to pick up (c.lee, PHI...if they're even looking to shift him because they're getting back into the race). j.peavy (CWS) might be attractive to some because he's got $14.5m next year with a $15m player option in 2015 that he probably won't qualify for (innings based). someone might want to take a run at timmy tim tim timmy tim timmay (SF), too.

competitive balance lottery results...14 eligible teams

Round 1 (after 1st round): Rockies, Orioles, Indians, Marlins, Royals, Brewers

Round 2 (after 2nd round): Padres, Dbacks, Cardinals, Rays, Pirates, Mariners

teams can trade these picks, I imagine Orioles, DBacks and Cardinals will be dangling be offering up the ones they own.

if you need a refresher, follow the link:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130717&content_id=53967108&vk…

The 10 smallest-market teams and the 10 lowest-revenue teams were placed in the lottery to have a chance to win one of these six extra picks in 2014. There aren't 20 teams in the lottery because there's plenty of crossover between the two lists.

Cubans here to play USA tomorrow night & one of them has reportedly defected since they arrived in DM last night. Shall I offer asylum + how much to sign? Think he's a southpaw pitcher...

[ ]

In reply to by Mike Wellman

it's Misael Siverio, btw. "This season, in the Cuban league, the lefty had a 1.90 ERA and batters were hitting .245 off of him." if he defects to the US he's draft eligible i believe. too bad jose abreu didn't defect...he'd be a top pick, easy.

c.rusin makes it into the AAA AS game in the top 8th with 2 outs, and continues into the 9th...removed with 2 outs in the 9th. 1ip 0h 0bb 2k 90-91mph fastball, low 80s slider, 77-78mph changeup mix...

[ ]

In reply to by QuietMan

Great! I'm rooting for Arismendy. I wouldn't mind him supplanting Barney in 2014/2015, or maybe replacing Valbuena at 3B in the second half of 2014 and holding that position until one of the Villanueva/Bryant/(Olt or other) is ready and then moving to 2B. That's all wishful thinking right now, but it's nice to see Cubs prospects catching eyes and actually enhancing their overall value (haven't seen that in a long time).

[ ]

In reply to by QuietMan

From NSBB Jason Parks wrote: *Arismendy Alcantara, 2B, Chicago Cubs He put on one of the better batting practice performances, jumping into the ball and sending ropes up the middle and to his pull side. The swing is balanced and easy, finding the ball and driving it without noisy or complicated bat-speed generators. Basically, he doesn’t sell out for bat speed, he just produces it. He can really hit, and he can really run, and he can field, but the throwing mechanics are a better fit for second, and I think he’s going to excel at that position at the highest level. This looks like the Cubs keystone of the future, and a guy who is a no doubt top 100 prospect in the game right now. He can flat out play.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

I always like to imagine that in three years all Cubs prospects will reach their ceilings and that Chicago will have a 90% homegrown team, but how many of Baez, Alcantara, Bryant, Villanueva, Candelario, Marco Hernandez, Gioskar Amaya, and the few others I've likely missed, are actually going to become decent MLB everyday players at SS, 2B, or 3B? Bryant and Candelario may end up at 1B or in the outfield, if they make it at all. Alcantara is already being proclaimed a better fit at 2nd. Baez could reach AAA or MLB and strike out too much to be anything but a sideshow and he could continue to be error prone as well. Hernandez and Amaya are a good way off. Etc. If the Cubs get 2 everyday players out of that group, you'd figure they did pretty well. I'd be looking to oust Barney long before I get rid of Castro--who is still damn young and could be cleaning up parts of his game. I also think the Cubs are more likely to trade off some prospects in a year or two in order to pick up a high end starting pitcher, or they may swap out some minor league bats for some minor league arms with potential.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

Agreed...I go back and forth on Castro a lot but he is still one of the youngest players in the league, and he has some solid production under his belt. It's easy to see some regression and freak out (I know, because I've done it), but he has looked very different to me at the plate the last few games, even when striking out. Most prospects don't make it. Baseball is hard at the MLB level. Until someone actually pushes Castro out of the way, all of these infielders are suspects, not prospects. Having said that, the Cubs will have to start churning out a few stars from their own system. Theo's regime will be an abject failure if it doesn't do that, since they're clearly wearing that goal on their sleeves. I'll be surprised if it doesn't happen, but, Cubbery being what it is, who knows?

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

I go back and forth on him, too, but mostly I just don't care what they decide to do with him. The two big concerns with Castro are 1. Can he learn to be a batter? He seems to have the get up there and swing the bat at anything close thing down pat, but to compete he'll have to work counts and get into favorable hitter's counts. Free swingers are a hallmark of the Hendry era. Personally, I'm sick of free swingers but maybe learning to battle is a skill he can pick up. And 2. and more importantly, can he reliably field his position? Honestly, I could care less if he hits 270 or 300, the regression doesn't bother me one bit, I'm far more concerned with what happens when the ball is hit to him. Most big league runs are scored with two outs in the inning. If you have a shortstop giving the opposition extra outs to work with, those kinds of mistakes lose games. Lots of them.

[ ]

In reply to by Ryno

As long as he keeps stepping backwards when a ball is hit to him, he's going to have trouble. It's a habit, but it has obviously been hard for him to break it. A Ram managed to stop sliding side to side with balls to hit straight at him, and even managed to not double clutch on every throw, so it's not like it can't be done.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

Yes, others have noted that he's a real prospect, and the futures game invite seems to corroborate that. I just haven't seen anyone argue he's a top 75 overall prospect or that he might be the Cubs #4 prospect until Sickels and Law. He's leapfrogged a whole bunch of guys to get there. Granted, the dropoff after Soler at #3 had been pretty sharp, and Paniagua and Vizcaino simply haven't pitched enough in 2013 to keep their rankings up.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

Baseball is weird. And yeah, he did kind of come out of nowhere. I did recognize the name when I first saw that he was banging for some power a few weeks ago and I assume it was because of some AZ posts from a ways back, maybe just some Mesa box scores, since I don't remember the particulars.

Freddie Freeman (thumb) has been cleared to take dry swings...Thursday. --- Isn't that what you do after the towel drill?

[ ]

In reply to by QuietMan

Hmmm...interesting read, once you get through all the typos and grammar stuff. I have never heard of this one. Of course, TheoJed would know those Red Sox prospects pretty well. However, with the stamp of approval by Nolan Ryan, one would have to think that a couple of the "just about right" pitchers would fit the bill.

[ ]

In reply to by QuietMan

The article seems pretty fair about valuing Garza. However, as is the case with most Cub fans, he seems to overestimate the value of prospects, in my opinion. I mean yeah, he's a rent-a-player, but this team will get exclusive negotiating rights with him for the rest of the season, right? That's worth something. Not a lot, but something.

[ ]

In reply to by QuietMan

Rangers seem to be the front-runner in the real world, but on paper, Boston definitely looks like a better fit. Boston just seem hesitant to trade prospects. They're kind of where we want the Cubs to be in 5 years - building a team through free agency and developing prospects, but not wanting to overpay prospects to acquire MLB talent.

Buster Olney‏@Buster_ESPN Other teams say CHC are asking for last and best offers on Matt Garza, and they think he'll be traded before he throws another pitch for CHC TEX said to be in middle of Garza talk. TEX has range of pitching prospects other than Perez, including C.J. Edwards/Luke Jackson so if Cubs focus on pitching for Garza, Rangers will have various options for them to discuss (if they're willing.)

David Kaplan‏@thekapman Cubs recalling Junior Lake. Brian Bogusevic heading to the DL. I expect Lake to see time against left handers. Lake is hitting .295 in AAA.

other moves/notes: Alberto Cabrera to Iowa; Dae-Eun Rhee, Chad Noble to Tennessee. Smiley Caridad released. and Daytona's game rained out, doubleheader tomorrow

[ ]

In reply to by Rob Richardson

From the tweet box: "Scouts watching Cuban pitcher Miguel Gonzalez love his fastball, but question his secondary pitches. Still may be #MLB ready this year." I wonder if those are the same guys who were questioning Puig.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob Richardson

"With that said, there’s a lot to like about the arm strength. Gonzalez will sit comfortably in the 90-94 mph range with his fastball and bump 95-96 mph on occasion, and he generates considerable arm-side run when working down in the zone. The right-hander’s secondary arsenal consists of a changeup and forkball, as well as a curveball from which he’ll add and subtract to create a variant shape. The one thing that concerns me about the changeup-forkball combination is that both pitches seem to share a velocity range in the high-70s/low-80s. While that speed is appropriate for his changeup, Gonzalez may be better off throwing the forkball with more velocity to improve its deception relative to his fastball." http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1691271-everything-you-need-to-know-…

BA Top 100 in 2002: 2-Prior, 6-Juan Cruz, 40-Choi, 45-David Kelton, 48-Bobby Hill, 68-Nic Jackson, 80-Zambrano. No. 1 system in the game. Let's not be counting our chickens just yet....

If we get three players as good as Prior, Zambrano and Derrick Lee (all circa 2003-4) and a fourth that is as good as Cruz (who I am still convinced could've been a good starter, but lets just consider his relieving work) from our current top 100, that would be quite good. Lee was one of the best 1b in the game for a few years, Zambrano was a very good starter and, if not for injuries, Prior was on pace (albeit quite early) for a ridiculous career.

Rosenthal mentions names like Mike Olt and CJ (aka Carl) Edwards are guys who could be coming back in the Garza deal but adds that he's unsure exactly who comes back. As for CJ Edwards, he probably becomes the #1 pitching prospect in the system upon arrival.

[ ]

In reply to by John Beasley

cj edwards would be a hell of a haul...especially with olt in the mix. i can't even imagine what edwards will be like once his skinny ass frame fills out more...especially since he's already throwing 92-94+mph. low 80s changeup. needs another pitch. he's never been challenged properly...only in A ball...never given up a homer in 160ip. he needs a 3rd pitch (working on a slider) and he needs to be challenged before his crazy numbers become something you flip over...but he's got a hell of a starting point with tools to make something happen. if all else fails, it seems he could be awesome pen if the control holds.

[ ]

In reply to by John Beasley

From 10 days ago: ***Texas Rangers prospect C.J. Edwards had a strong start for Low-A Hickory Friday night, fanning 10 in 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk. This gives him a 1.98 ERA with a 108/30 K/BB in 81.2 innings on the season, allowing a mere 56 hits and a .190 average. He has yet to give up a home run in his professional career spanning 149 innings. Edwards was a 48th round pick in 2011 from high school in Prosperity, South Carolina. Extremely raw when drafted, he's taken to pro ball better than anyone could have hoped, showing a solid command of a low-to-mid-90s fastball, a cutter, and a changeup. http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/7/7/4501092/minor-league-ball-gamed…

My point was that stuff happens. Loaded w/ prospects doesn't equal decades of winning. I'm not against TheoJed's plan. But those who think we are going to have 9 home grown every day players, all above average in two year's are sippin the Kool-Aid.

[ ]

In reply to by B52RedMonkey

I don't think many people think they are going to have 9 home grown, least of all Jed and Theo. and you are certainly preaching to to the converted here as previous posts have mentioned trading some of these guys for veterans and the fact that many will not pan out. I also feel that the current regime is stocking very deep compared to the past. If they have Villanueva, Bryant and Olt etc they are being realistic about who might really make it will be a crao shoot. Jed and Theo have constantly said they are trying to get waves of pitching in the system, and that if they reach a critical mass of potential THEN they will spend money on free agents and probably trade some of these guys if possible. But all that is besides the point because that 2002 system was stacked and the following years were very successful.

Chris Cotillo‏@ChrisCotillo So a Garza for Luke Jackson, CJ Edwards and Mike Olt deal is possible. Not done, but they're the names in play. #Cubs #Rangers Sahadev Sharma‏@sahadevsharma Hearing deal w/ TEX for Garza may be close, 1-2 other teams in mix. Names you hear wrt TEX are accurate, but Cubs hoping someone offers more

[ ]

In reply to by QuietMan

and luke jackson? ...the cubs have to be throwing more than garza at TEX if all 3 of those guys are in play...or there's some intense competition for garza. if they can get this done for garza, alone, that's a hell of a haul. luke jackson...93-97mph fastball, curve/slider/change (none plus pitches aside from the velocity...working on control of all of them).

Navarro in Texas probably means Geo Soto gets the DFA treatment or becomes Welly's mentor again (roh-roh)?

All kinds of stuff in the twitter box, latest from Mooney was that Rangers were balking at the asking price and working on Plan B.

m.olt 0/3 with 3Ks tonight...but he had a bb and a run! ...vs iowa, btw, so you know he was facing rather advanced quality pitching. *cough* lulz etc. btw, iowa pen tonight vs r.rock 4ip 1h 0bb 10k (day-yam).

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    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.