Cubs MLB Roster

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40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, one player is on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-18-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

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

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 
* Justin Steele, P   

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P
 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Rehabbin' Petrick Gets Some Game Action

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

Like the MLB regular season, there is a rhythm to Extended Spring Training.

Players get Sundays off, play games versus the EXST squads from other organizations on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and Thursday is "Camp Day." 

Camp Day is the day when the entire EXST squad comes together for a work-out and an intrasquad game, and the Camp Day intrasquad game is where pitchers and position players who are rehabbing from injuries are most-likely to see game action, because the conditions are more controlled. 

An inning can be terminated early ("roll it!") when a pitcher reaches his maximum pitch count for that inning before there are three outs, or an inning can be extended if the pitcher gets three outs before reaching his minimum number of pitches for that inning.

And such was the case today...

RHP Billy Petrick is on the Cubs 40-man roster and was at big league camp during the early days of Spring Training '08. However, he pitched in only one Cactus League game, and then was optioned to AAA Iowa on March 7th because of "shoulder weakness" that extends back to last August when he was up in the big leagues with the Cubs, And then he was left behind at Fitch Park (EXST) to try and build-up shoulder strength when the Iowa Cubs left Mesa at the end of March.

So it's news that Petrick threw in today's EXST intrasquad affair, going 1.1 IP, allowing one hit, while getting three ground outs and an infield pop up. He didn't appear to be throwing particularly hard, but If he can get the strength back in his shoulder and reach and maintain adequate velocity, he should be able to leave Fitch Park pretty soon and (probably) get some rehab action at warm-weather Daytona before rejoining the Iowa Cubs.

RHP Rafael Dolis is "Jose Ceda Lite." He's about the same size as Ceda (slightly taller and not quite as heavy) but doesn't throw quite as hard. Dolis had TJ surgery last year, and is presently rehabbing at Fitch Park. Today he got his first game action in almost a year, throwing two innings (both terminated early due to high pitch counts), officially going 1.0 IP, allowing a hit and a walk, while striking out one. His fastball did touch 95 on the gun, although he had a lot of trouble commanding his breaking ball.

RHP Billy Muldowney had TJ surgery last July. Prior to that, he was one of the Cubs top pitching prospects. Today, Muldowney went two innings, allowing a hit while walking two and striking out one. Like Dolis, Muldowney struggled with command and you could see he was frustrated with his performance. 

And although it wasn't a rehab outing, 18-year old 6'4 Australian LHP (and ex-cricket player) Cody Hams got his first U. S. game action this morning, going two innings. I expected him to struggle with his control, but while he did hit Leon Johnson with an 0-2 pitch (and then promptly picked Johnson off 1st base with a real nice pick-off move), he mostly stayed ahead of the hitters and didn't walk anybody. His delivery is similar to Rich Hill's.

Among the rehabbing position players, Leon Johnson (finger), Tony Richie (rib cage), Brandon Guyer (shoulder surgery), and Jeffrey Rea (unknown-type injury) all got ABs, with Richie, Guyer, and Rea serving as DHs, while Johnson played CF.

3B John Contreras (who hit a 420-foot home run yesterday) just missed hitting another one, blasting a triple off the top of the CF fence in the 5th.

17-year old Dominican LHP Jeffry Antigua continues to be the most-impressive of the young Latin pitchers who are making their U. S. debut this year. He threw three shutout innings today, and got a ton of ground balls along the way.

And catcher Alvaro Sosa is now switch-hitting. (He used to be a left-handed hitter only). Like Carlos Perez, Sosa is a very good defensive catcher with a strong arm.

Here is the abridged box score for today's EXST Cubs intrasquad game

LINEUPS:

SQUAD "A"
1. Leon Johnson, CF: 0-1 (K-s, BB + R, HBP + PO)
2. Elvis Lara, LF: 2-3 (1B + SB, 1B, F-8)
3. Brandon Guyer, DH #1: 0-3 (1-3, P-5, 5-3)
4. John Contreras, 3B: 1-1 (BB, F-8 SF-RBI, 3B + R)
5. Tony Richie, DH #2: 1-2 (F-7, 2B + R)
6. Bryan Jost, 1B: 0-2 (6-3, F-7, F-9 SF-RBI)
7. Kevin Soto, RF: 1-3 (4-3, P-6, 1B + SB)
8. Dwayne Kemp, 2B: 2-3 (1B, 1B-RBI, 3-U)
9. Junior Lake, SS: 0-1 (P-6, BB)
10. Jose Guevara, C: 0-2 (5-3, 6-3)

SQUAD "B"
1. Starlin Castro, 2B: 0-3 (1-3, 5-6 BUNT FC + SB, 5-3) 
2. Gian Guzman, SS: 1-3 (1B, 6-3, P-6)
3. Josh Vitters, 3B: 0-2 (6-3, F-8)
4. Nelson Perez, RF: 0-2 (F-8, L-4)
5. Luis Bautista, 1B: 1-2 (6-3, 2B)
6. Andres Quezada, CF: 0-2 (1-3, K-s)     
7. Luke Sommer, LF: 0-1 (P-4, BB)
8. Roberto Sabates, DH #1: 1-2 (1B, K-c) 
8. Alvaro Sosa, C: 0-2 (4-6-3 GIDP, F-7)
9. Jose Made, DH #2: 0-2 (K-c, 1-U)
10. Jeffrey Rea, DH #3: 1-1 (BB, 1B)    
11. Carlos Perez, DH #4: 0-1 (F-8)
 
PITCHERS:

SQUAD "A"
1. Jeffry Antigua - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 1 GIDP (6/2 GB/FB)
2. Billy Muldowney - 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 WP (2/2 GB/FB)
3. Dionis Nunez - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (2/3 GB/FB)

SQUAD "B"
1. Rafael Dolis - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 BALK
2. Billy Petrick - 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (3/1 GB/FB)
3. Rogelio Carmona - 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 0 K
4. Cody Hams - 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP, 1 PO (3/2 GB/FB)
 
DEFENSE: No errors!

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Guevara - 0-1 CS
Sosa - 0-2 CS

WEATHER: Cool and VERY breezy
ATTENDANCE: 3

Tags
Extended Spring Training
Billy Petrick
Cody Hams

Comments

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 04:06 pm

Submitted by billybucks on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 3:53pm.

Phil- Always a pleasure...

With that attendance, I hope the concession lines weren't too bad.

Any early views on Vitters?

==============================

BILLY B: Josh Vitters is clearly pressing.

Vitters had pneumonia last Spring and was out of shape when the Cubs signed him last August, but because of the change in MLB Rule 5 where the clock starts ticking when a player signs instead of when he makes his debut on the field, the Cubs went ahead and assigned Vitters to the AZL Cubs (where he struggled) and then promoted him to Boise the last week of the season.

Vitters looked a bit more comfortable in the AZ Instructional League last September-October, but he was unable to beat-out Jovan Rosa and Marquez Smith for the third-base job at Peoria last month at Minor League Camp and was left behind at Extended Spring Training. And now another third-baseman (John Contreras) is out-performing him on the field.

Vitters was by all accounts one of the top two HS position player prospects going into the 2007 June Draft, but he hasn't shown much on the field (so far). Of course he's only 18 and he got about $3M to sign, so it's not like the Cubs are going to release him anytime soon. You can be sure they will be VERY patient with him.

Submitted by Raisin101 on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 04:54 pm

Good to see the rehabbers on the mound. How long do you think Dolis and Muldowney will be in Fitch? Sounds like Antigua has had a couple of good outings now. Yohan Gonzalez had a rough one last time out but I remember you saying he had a good one the time before. Are these two the clear leaders of the remaining pitchers at Fitch who aren't just rehabbing or suspended? Who else has impressed amongst the non-rehab pitchers? Thanks as always for your fantastic updates.

Submitted by SheffieldCornelia on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 04:00 pm

AZ Phil, Thanks as always for your 411s. I see that Dae-Eun Rhee had another good outing at Peoria yesterday. I know you saw him in spring training; what do you think his chances are of making an impact on the big-league squad at some point?

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 04:56 pm

Submitted by SheffieldCornelia on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 5:00pm.

Z Phil, Thanks as always for your 411s.

I see that Dae-Eun Rhee had another good outing at Peoria yesterday. I know you saw him in spring training; what do you think his chances are of making an impact on the big-league squad at some point?

=============================

SHEFF: If he can stay healthy, Dae-Eun Rhee has an excellent chance to be a major league pitcher.

He's only 18 and the Cubs probably won't want to rush him too fast, but he went from throwing in two AZ Instructional League games last October to the Peoria starting rotation without missing a step, so he could move rapidly through the pipeline. 

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 04:28 pm

Submitted by Raisin101 on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 4:54pm.

Good to see the rehabbers on the mound. How long do you think Dolis and Muldowney will be in Fitch?

Sounds like Antigua has had a couple of good outings now. Yohan Gonzalez had a rough one last time out but I remember you saying he had a good one the time before. Are these two the clear leaders of the remaining pitchers at Fitch who aren't just rehabbing or suspended?

Who else has impressed amongst the non-rehab pitchers? Thanks as always for your fantastic updates.

===============================

RAISIN: It's hard to predicr how long Dolis and Muldowney will remain at Fitch Park. If all goes well, I would expect them to depart maybe sometime in May. Of course some rehabs go better than others. Sometimes there are unexpected setbacks.

The main problem I've noticed with TJ surgery rehab is the tendency for pitchers--especially power pichers--to struggle with command, as was the case with Muldowney and Dolis today. The most extremre example was probably Luke Hagerty, who couldn't hit the broad-side of a barn even two or three years after his surgery.

Now, last Saturday I saw Todd Blackford (another TJ surgery survivor) make a rehab start in an intrasquad game at Fitch Park, and he had no problems with his command and threw strikes fairly consistently. But then he's a pitch-to-contact sinkerballer type guy, not a power pitcher. So I would expect Blackford to be ready before Dolis or Muldowney, partly because he's the type of pitcher he is, and partly because he is two months further along into his rehab.

Generally speaking, the young Latin pitchers who are making their U. S. debut at Fitch Park this year can't compare to the group from last year. Jeffry Antigua is a fairly polished pitcher for a 17-year old, but there is no Robert Hernandez, Alberto Cabrera, or Audy Santana in this year's group. I would rate Antigua the clear #1 this year, with Yohan Gonzalez #2. But the two Australian pitchers (Searle and Hams) are probably more promising than any of the Latin guys except Antigua.  

As for the others, Chris Huseby's mechanics are so fouled-up he isn't even pitching in games, Arik Hempy is still working on arm strength, and of course Mark Pawelek is injured again (ankle) 

So Alberto Alburquerque, Harol Tolentino, John Muller and Marcus Hatley will probably get the first call if there are any additional openings at Peoria or Daytona. Muller has only been pitching a year (he was a shortstop in college), but he has the best slider at EXST. He's strictly a reliever, though.

Submitted by Raisin101 on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 04:54 pm

Thanks, AZ Phil. Do you think Searle would be advanced enough to head to Boise in the middle of the summer? Also I saw that you said Oswaldo Martinez and Larry Suarez work getting some work in on Wednesday as they attempted to come back from injury. Do you know how severe their injuries were? Since they're in the bullpen still, they must be behind Dolis and Muldowney in the rehab process, correct?

Submitted by Bryan on Fri, 04/11/2008 - 04:12 am

AP- You mentioned that the EXST games are a more "controlled" situation and that often rehabbing P's get in a few batters. Then, you noticed that some P's have control issues. Is the HBP ratio much higher in intrasquad "Club" games than in other EXST games you've seen? Can that lead to injuries for some position players you are trying to move up? Thanks for the many thorough updates. Bryan

Submitted by Cubster on Fri, 04/11/2008 - 04:01 am

Jeff Samardjia pitched 7 shutout innings for AA Tenn Smokies and beat Dodger top pitching prospect Clayton Kershaw last night. Az Phil, what's your assessment of Shark's spring as well as expectations for his development if things go well for him this year.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 04/11/2008 - 04:34 am

Submitted by Raisin101 on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 9:54pm.

Thanks, AZ Phil.

Do you think Searle would be advanced enough to head to Boise in the middle of the summer?

Also I saw that you said Oswaldo Martinez and Larry Suarez work getting some work in on Wednesday as they attempted to come back from injury. Do you know how severe their injuries were? Since they're in the bullpen still, they must be behind Dolis and Muldowney in the rehab process, correct?

=======================================

RAISIN: Ryan Searle threw three innings (only 38 pitches) in his last outing, so he is further along than a lot of the other young pitchers at Cubs EXST.

Normally I would say since Searle is only 18 and is spending his first full-year in the U. S. (he had a three-month visa last year where he had to return to Australia at the end of EXST) that he would stay at Fitch and pitch for the AZL Cubs this year, but with Dae-Eun Rhee and Ryan Acosta already at Peoria, I see no reason why Searle can't go to Boise this season.

While Suarez and Martinez are behind Dolis, Muldowney, and Blackford (Suarez and Martinez had their first bullpen sessions this week), I don't believe they are rehabbing from surgery. As far as I know, they were shut-down at the beginning of Minor League Camp for about six weeks as a precaution and are just now being allowed to throw again. Hopefully there will be no further problems for either of them, but you never know.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 04/11/2008 - 04:48 am

Submitted by Cubster on Fri, 04/11/2008 - 6:01am.

Jeff Samardjia pitched 7 shutout innings for AA Tenn Smokies and beat Dodger top pitching prospect Clayton Kershaw last night.

Az Phil, what's your assessment of Shark's spring as well as expectations for his development if things go well for him this year.

=========================

CUBSTER: Jeff Samardzija is atypical in that while he is a "pitch-to-contact" sinkerball pitcher, his sinker (two-seamer) is a very "heavy" pitch (tops out at 94 MPH) that breaks bats and gets a lot of ground balls and (when thrown up in the zone) weak infield pop-ups, because hitters (especially minor leaguers) aren't used to hitting against that kind of stuff.

So while he doesn't get a whole lot of strikeouts and while he might give up more hits than some other pitchers, the opposing hitters just don't hit the ball very hard against him too often, and so he can get through innings with a minimum number of pitches, allowing him to go deeper into games than a lot of high-strikeout power pitchers can.

That said, he still needs to develop and perfect a passable slider and a decent change, to keep the opposing hitters from adjusting to his sinker the second and third time through the order. If he can't develop adequate secondary stuff, he could still be an OK MLB middle-reliever, but I doubt that's what the Cubs envisioned when they signed him.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 04/11/2008 - 04:59 am

Submitted by Bryan on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 11:12pm.

AP- You mentioned that the EXST games are a more "controlled" situation and that often rehabbing P's get in a few batters. Then, you noticed that some P's have control issues. Is the HBP ratio much higher in intrasquad "Club" games than in other EXST games you've seen? Can that lead to injuries for some position players you are trying to move up? Thanks for the many thorough updates. Bryan

================================

BRYAN: Yes, HBP is a danger when batters are hitting against a guy like Dolis who's throwing 95 MPH gas all over the place. But there is really no other way for a rehabbing pitcher to progress to the next step.

The first step in the rehab process is usually throwing from level ground, then throwing from the mound, then increased pitch counts and throwing more often, then "live" BP (progressing from 15 to 25 to 35 pitches with each new outing), and then (finally) game action, and then increased game pitch counts and more regular work in games. At any point in the process there can be a set-back.

For instance, when Luke Hagerty returned from TJ surgery a couple of years ago, he looked great in bullpen sessions, but when pitching to a batter in "live" BP he'd throw the ball behind the hitter or halfway up the screen. So he never got to the point where he was allowed to throw in a game, and finally the Cubs lost patience with him and gave him his release. If Rafael Dolis was so wild as to be dangeous he wouldn't have gotten past "live" BP.

(BTW, the White Sox signed Hagerty to a minor league contract this past off-season, but he got released out of Sox Minor League Camp when he continued to have MAJOR control problems).

Submitted by Raisin101 on Fri, 04/11/2008 - 04:08 pm

Thanks AZ Phil. Just as a side note, Samardzija has more flyouts than groundouts so far this season but he has a really large amount of popups that constitute a bulk of the flyouts. That's good to hear that these popouts might not be an anamoly and that he can keep getting these "easier" outs with his sinker.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 04/11/2008 - 04:23 pm

Submitted by Romero on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 11:10pm.

Great work, AZ Phil.

Can you remind us how John Contreras came to us? What's his story?

===============================

ROMERO: John Contreras is 21 (he'll be 22 next week). He was born in New Jersey but moved to the Dominican Republic as a youngster. The Cubs signed him as a NDFA after the 2006 season (where he was before that, I have no idea), and he made his pro debut in the DSL last year, where he was the DSL Cubs MVP. He was third in the league in HR and 5th in RBI.

Because of his age and physical maturity, he will be expected to move along through the pipeline faster than most of the other Latin players at Fitch Park, but because there are so many third-base prospects in the Cubs system right now, Contreras is going to have to outplay the competition at every level.

John Contreras and Junior Lake (shortstop) are the two best prospects among the Cubs Latin position-players making their U. S. debut in 2008 (Gian Guzman and Nelson Perez were the top two last year), but Lake is only 18, so he won't be under pressure to progress through the system as fast as Contreras will be. Contreras really should be at Peoria right now, but with fellow third-basemen Jovan Rosa and Marquez Smith there already, there just isn't room for him.  

BTW, Junior Lake is a very impressive young player. He's kind of cocky (like yesterday he appeared to hold the ball intentionally to make the play closer at 1st base so he could show off his arm), but he is a VERY patient hitter with some power, He's a lot taller than most shortstops and has a long stride, but with the dearth of shortstop prospects in the Cubs organization, Lake could get moved up through the pipeline fairly quickly. That's also why the Cubs have left Gian Guzman at shortstop, when 3B is his "natural" position.  

 

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 04/11/2008 - 04:04 pm

Submitted by Raisin101 on Fri, 04/11/2008 - 3:26pm.

Phil, what's your take on Marwin Gonzalez playing exclusively at shortstop in Peoria? How has Gian Guzman done so far in Fitch?

================================

RAISIN: Marwin Gonzalez is a versatile and athletic player who can play all four infield positions and probably all three OF positions, too. As he moves up the ladder to Hi-A, AA, and AAA, he should morph into a switch-hitting IF-OF "super-sub" with a plus bat and occasional HR power. But SS is his worst position. Obviously he can't play 3B if he stays with the Cubs, but I would think 2B would be a better choice than SS right now. He got promoted to Peoria because of his bat.

As for Gian Guzman, he is a solid player who does everything well. He is a decent-enough SS, although (like Gonzalez) he should be playing 3B or 2B. Gonzalez is a more advanced hitter and has more HR power, but Guzman is an OK hitter, too, capable of lots of doubles and triples. He doesn't have the greatest range at SS but he has a very strong arm.

If I had to choose between Gonzalez and Guzman to play SS, I'd pick Guzman, no question. But shortstop is the Cubs weakest position in the minors right now.

Submitted by brett on Fri, 04/11/2008 - 04:16 pm

Phil, about how long do you see Petrick staying back in Arizona until he is assigned to a team, and do you have any idea for how long Pawelek is expected to be out with his latest injury?

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sat, 04/12/2008 - 04:26 am

Submitted by brett on Fri, 04/11/2008 - 9:16pm.

Phil, about how long do you see Petrick staying back in Arizona until he is assigned to a team, and do you have any idea for how long Pawelek is expected to be out with his latest injury?

===============================

BRETT: With Billy Petrick, it's all about whether he still has weakness in his shoulder and whether he can get his velocity up to where it was last year before he got shut-down. When that will be is still TBD. Could be sooner, could be later.

As for Mark Pawelek, I don't know how long he will remain sidelined, but even after he is given the OK to resume baseball activities, it will probably be a while before he is ready to pitch in a game. He's going to have to throw bullpen sessions and then probably some "live" BP before he gets into game action.

Submitted by adam from Aus on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 04:32 pm

I know Hams very well. I actually saw him playing cricket and suggested he try baseball around 15 months ago. He has displayed an amazing work ethic and obvious ability. His progress has been amazing over such a short period and I can tell all cubbies he is a great prospect.

Recent comments

  • Charlie (view)

    Tauchman obviously brings value to the roster as a 4th outfielder who can and should play frequently. Him appearing frequently at DH indicated that the team lacks a valuable DH. 

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Totally onboard with your thoughts concerning today’s lineup. Not sure about your take on Tauchman though.

    The guy typically doesn’t pound the ball out out of the park, and his BA is quite unimpressive. But he brings something unique to the table that the undisciplined batters of the past didn’t. He always provides a quality at bat and he makes the opposing pitcher work because he has a great eye for the zone and protects the plate with two strikes exceptionally well. In addition to making him a base runner more often than it seems through his walks, that kind of at bat wears a pitcher down both mentally and physically so that the other guys who may hit the ball harder are more apt to take advantage of subsequent mistakes and do their damage.

    I can’t remember a time when the Cubs valued this kind of contribution but this year they have a couple of guys doing it, with Happ being the other. It doesn’t make for gaudy stats but it definitely contributes to winning ball games. I do believe that’s why Tauchman has garnered so much playing time.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Miles Mastrobuoni cannot be recalled until he has spent at least ten days on optional assignment, unless he is recalled to replace a position player who is placed on an MLB inactive list (IL, Paternity, Bereavement / Family Medical). 

     

    And for a pitcher it's 15 days on optional assignment before he can be recalled, unless he is replacing a pitcher who is placed on an MLB inactive list (IL, Paternity, or Bereavement / Family Medical). 

     

    And a pitcher (or a position player, but almost always it's a pitcher) can be recalled as the 27th man for a doubleheader regardless of how many days he has been on optional assignment, but then he must be sent back down again the next day. 

     

    That's why the Cubs had to wait as long as they did to send Jose Cuas down and recall Keegan Thompson. Thompson needed to spend the first 15 days of the MLB regular season on optional assignment before he could be recalled (and he spent EXACTLY the first 15 days of the MLB regular season on optional assignment before he was recalled). 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Indeed they do TJW!

    For the record I’m not in favor of solely building a team through paying big to free agents. But I’m also of the mind that when you develop really good players, get them signed to extensions that buy out a couple years of free agency, including with team options. And supplement the home grown players with free agent splashes or using excess prospects to trade for stars under team control for a few years. Sort of what Atlanta does, basically. Everyone talks about the dodgers but I feel that Atlanta is the peak organization at the current moment.

    That said, the constant roster churn is very Rays- ish. What they do is incredible, but it’s extremely hard to do which is why they’re the only ones frequently successful that employ that strategy. I definitely do not want to see a large market team like ours follow that model closely. But I don’t think free agent frenzies is always the answer. It’s really only the Dodgers that play in that realm. I could see an argument for the Mets too. The Yankees don’t really operate like that anymore since the elder Steinbrenner passed. Though I would say the reigning champions built a good deal of that team through free agent spending.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    The issue is the Cubs are 11-7 and have been on the road for 12 of those 18.  We should be at least 13-5, maybe 14-4. Jed isn't feeling any pressure to play anyone he doesn't see fit.
    But Canario on the bench, Morel not at 3B for Madrigal and Wisdom in RF wasn't what I thought would happen in this series.
    I was hoping for Morel at 3B, Canario in RF, Wisdom at DH and Madrigal as a pinch hitter or late replacement.
    Maybe Madrigal starts 1 game against the three LHSP for Miami.
    I'm thinking Canario goes back to Iowa on Sunday night for Mastrobuoni after the Miami LHers are gone.
    Canario needs ABs in Iowa and not bench time in MLB.
    With Seiya out for a while Wisdom is safe unless his SOs are just overwhelmingly bad.

    My real issue with the lineup isn't Madrigal. I'm not a fan, but I've given up on that one.
    It's Tauchman getting a large number of ABs as the de factor DH and everyday player.
    I didn't realize that was going to be the case.
    We need a better LH DH. PCA or ONKC need to force the issue in about a month.
    But, even if they do so, Jed doesn't have to change anything if the Cubs stay a few over .500!!!

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Totally depends on the team and the player involved. If your team’s philosophy is to pay huge dollars to bet on the future performance of past stars in order to win championships then, yes, all of the factors you mentioned are important.

    If on the other hand, if the team’s primary focus is to identify and develop future stars in an effort to win a championship, and you’re a young player looking to establish yourself as a star, that’s a fit too. Otherwise your buried within your own organization.

    Your comment about bringing up Canario for the purposes of sitting him illustrates perfectly the dangers of rewarding a non-performing, highly paid player over a hungry young prospect, like Canario, who is perpetually without a roster spot except as an insurance call up, but too good to trade. Totally disincentivizing the performance of the prospect and likely diminishing it.

    Sticking it to your prospects and providing lousy baseball to your fans, the consumers and source of revenue for your sport, solely so that the next free agent gamble finds your team to be a comfortable landing spot even if he sucks? I suppose  that makes sense to some teams but it’s definitely not the way I want to see my team run.

    Once again, DJL, our differences in philosophy emerge!

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    That’s just kinda how it works though, for every team. No team plays their best guys all the time. No team is comprising of their best 26 even removing injuries.

    When baseball became a business, like REALLY a business, it became important to keep some of the vets happy, which in turn keeps agents happy and keeps the team with a good reputation among players and agents. No one wants to play for a team that has a bad reputation in the same way no one wants to work for a company that has a bad rep.

    Don’t get me wrong, I hate it too. But there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

    On that topic, I find it silly the Cubs brought up Canario to sit as much as he has. He’s going to get Velazquez’d, and it’s a shame.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Of course, McKinstry runs circles around $25 million man Javier Baez on that Tigers team. Guess who gets more playing time?

    But I digress…

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Seems like Jed was trying to corner the market on mediocre infielders with last names starting with "M" in acquiring Madrigal, Mastroboney and Zach McKinstry.  

     

    At least he hasn't given any of them a Bote-esque extension.  

  • Childersb3 (view)

    AZ Phil:
    Rookie ball (ACL) starts on May 4th. Do yo think Ramon and Rosario (maybe Delgado) stay in Mesa for the month of May, then go to MB if all goes "solid"?
     

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