Cubs MLB Roster

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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

Josh Vitters Cubs #1 Pick

The MLB Rule 4 Draft (AKA "First-Year Player Draft") starts in about a half hour (2 PM ET, with the 1st round to be televised on ESPN2), and the latest prediction from Jim Callis at Baseball America is Vanderbilt LHP David Price to TB at #1, Chatsworth (CA) HS 3B Mike Moustakas to KC at #2, and Cypress (CA) HS 3B Josh Vitters to the Cubs at #3. As late as last night, Callis had Price going to TB at #1, Vitters going to KC at #2, and Norwell (IN) RHP Jarrod Parker going to the Cubs at #3. But the Cubs apparently prefer Vitters over Parker, and are poised to select the California third-sacker if the Royals do indeed take Moustakas with their #2 overall selection. AZ PHIL UPDATE #1: And as predicted by Jim Callis at BA, Josh Vitters indeed is the Cubs #1 pick. Vitters bats and throws right-handed, is 17 years old (he'll turn 18 in August), and checks in at 6'3 195. In BA's scouting report on Vitters, they describe him as having outstanding bat-speed and hand-eye coordination, allowing him to make consistent contact. He hits the ball hard to all fields and adjusts well to off-speed pitches. His main shortcoming at this point (so far) is an apparent lack of aptitude at 3B, but he does have a "third-baseman's arm," so it has been suggested that he could be moved to RF at some point if he is unable to improve his play at the hot corner. He also has average speed for a corner IF-OF and middle-of-the-order run producer. Presuming they are able to sign Vitters, he will probably be assigned to AZL Mesa. The Cubs would not have to add Vitters to their 40-man roster until after the 2011 season, and if that were to happen, he would not be out of minor league options until Spring Training 2015, after Ramirez, D-Lee, and Soriano's contracts have expired. So Vitters is probably a "next generation" Cubs prospect. The next Cubs selection will be pick #48, a so-called "sandwich pick" (so-named because these picks are "sandwiched" between the 1st and 2nd rounds), which the Cubs received as compensation for losing Type "B" FA OF Juan Pierre to the Dodgers after last season. After making a selection at the #48 slot, the Cubs will not have another selection until the 3rd pick in the third round (#97). That's because their second round pick (#67) goes to the Washington Nationals as compensation for the Cubs signing FA OF Alfonso Soriano last November. AZ PHIL UPDATE #2: With the #48 pick (compensation for losing FA OF Juan Pierre to the Dodgers), the Cubs selected right-handed hitting (6'1 202) catcher Josh Donaldson out of Auburn University. A multi-sport (baseball/football/basketball) star in HS in Mobile, AL, Donaldson played 3B as a freshman at Auburn, and was moved to catcher in his sophomore season. So he has been catching for only two seasons, and is considered a "work in progress" defensively. He hit .302 with 15 XBH in the wood-bat Cape Cod League last Summer (where he was selected to the Cape Cod League All-Star team), and was a power-hitting run producer for Auburn this past season, hitting 349/444/591, with 11 HR and 54 RBI, and 19 doubles. He also had 17 SB (3 CS) and 38/27 BB/K. He was in the Tigers lineup primarily for his powerful bat, not for his defense. According to BA, Donaldson is an "aggressive hitter" who murders fast balls, but has some trouble with breaking balls (which sounds suspiciously like Jake Fox to me, and the Cubs already have one of those). He has an average arm, but was hampered this past season with a thumb injury. If the Cubs are able to sign him, look for Donaldson to be assigned to Boise. The Cubs don't have a second round pick (that one goes to the Washington Nationals as compensation for the Cubs signing FA OF Alfonso Soriano last off-season), so their next pick will be the #3 pick in the third round (#97 overall). AZ PHIL UPDATE #3: And with their third selection in today's Rule 4 Draft (3rd pick in the 3rd round - #97 overall), the Cubs selected right-handed hitting Florida State second-baseman and 2007 ACC Player of the Year Tony Thomas. Thomas (5'10 180) led all of NCAA Div 1 in hits and doubles, was second in OBP, and 3rd in Avg in 2007, and had as many walks as strikeouts. According to BA, Thomas is a below-average defender with a below-average arm at 2nd base, with just average speed. A right-handed version of Mike Fontenot, perhaps? Thomas also was a member of the National Honor Socieity while in high school. If the Cubs are able to sign Thomas, he will (like Donaldson) probably be assigned to Boise, although as an advanced and highly successful college hitter (obviously one of the best in Division 1 in '07), and with no real 2B prospect presently at Peoria, Daytona, or Tennessee, Thomas could conceivably be assigned to a higher level at the outset, quite possibly Peoria. AZ PHIL UPDATE #4: With their 4th round selection (#127 overall), the Cubs selected Oregon State shortstop Darwin Barney. A 5'10 175 right-handed hitter, Barney was a member of the 2006 CWS champion Beavers, as well as Team USA. He hit 296/370/432 in 2007, with 4 HR and 48 RBI, a team-leading 18 doubles, 30/29 BB/K, and 12 SB (3 CS) in '07. As with Thomas, Barney could start his pro career at Peoria, since Dylan Johnston has struggled there and could be a candidate for demotion to Boise. AZ PHIL UPDATE #5: With their 5th round selection (#157 overall pick), the Cubs selected University of Virginia OF Brandon Guyer. A right-handed hitting and throwing 6'1 210 junior, Guyer hit 370/440/559 this season, and led the Cavaliers in HR (8) and doubles (19). He also had 18 SB (with only 1 CS) with 19/27 BB/K. If the Cubs do in fact sign him, I would think Guyer will likely start his pro career at Boise. To summarize... The Cubs selected five players over the first five rounds of the 2007 Rule 4 Draft: 1. Josh Vitters, 3B - Cypress (CA) HS 2. Josh Donaldson, C (Auburn) 3. Tony Thomas, 2B (Florida State) 4. Darwin Barney, SS (Oregon State) 5. Brandon Guyer, OF (Virginia) The draft will continue tomorrow. And for lots more interesting Cubs draft talk and info, check out our buddies at Road to Wrigley.

Comments

Evidently Buster Olney has reported on the radio that KC will select Vitters and Jarrod Parker will be headed to the Cubs. The Moustakas thing Callis reported was likely just a bargaining tool.

Ugh... Why is it so obvious to all of us that they should take Wieters, and apparently not to them? I hope that all this is just a smokescreen, and that they take Wieters...

Chad -- Parker has no secondary stuff. He's a teenager with a fastball, a la Colt Griffin. Anybody wanna go to Parachat?

Chad - From what I have seen on Parker, that would seem to be a resounding "No!". He sounds like one of the most risky picks of what the Cubs could choose from.

Chad, I hope so, coming from Indiana he certainly doesn't have the wear and tear of Wood. From what I've read his secondary stuff isn't nearly as good as Wood's though.

Wow, Baseball gets an element of marketing and promotion right: they get their draft televised, finally.

Bud Selig gets modest applause as he begins opening remarks. Alone in parachat, I give him a boo.

I posted this on another thread, but sense it looks like Parker will be the pick. I thought I would repost the SR's and analysis of his secondary pitches: Baseball America Associate Editor Alan Matthews, who covers HS Baseball, in the Indy Star: “It may have even been modest in that because of his arm strength and he has shown a feel for two secondary pitches,” “He’s not a grip-it and rip-it type pitcher. He’s got a good breaking ball.” From the milb.com scouting report about his change up and curve: “Parker threw his curve around 78-79 mph, but he doesn’t use it a lot in games. It’s an average offering, at best, on occasion, but has the chance to be a good pitch. Parker didn’t throw many changeups, but when he did they were around 81-82 mph. The pitch has a chance to be above average.” From the espn.com insider scouting report: “Slider is his primary secondary pitch; has a hard, late break, 10/4 angle, and would get swings and misses in the minors right away with it. Slight tendency to overthrow it. Showed CB and CH in warmups; both have a chance to be average if he works with them.” From the MVN mock draft analysis of his other pitches by the Rangers farm guy: “He also has a decent curve and changeup, but he hasn’t had to rely on them too much – yet. However, both pitches have the potential to be above average.” Alot of people who follow this stuff, think he will be fine in this regard.

ESPN's coverage seems pretty good. Good lineup of people, good setup, good draft board But Bud Selig can barely read off of his cards. It's painful to watch Bud.

Thanks Trans, but I can't stream anything through my firewall. I'm, um, "working." JP, I'll check ya.

alot of second guessing will go into this pick...they have everyone they could have wanted to pick from. Go Tim Wilkens!

Okay, I would say that we have adequate coverage... I don't think I'll bother. I'd say we're on this...

Hard to REALLY screw up #3 (glad it’s just not Parker) but if Weiters falls to the Beermakers at #7 I think this one will fit right in on Real Neal’s Cubs draft history.

Is anyone else concerned that the Cubs, who don't play in a DH league, just picked up a good hitter who doesn't appear to have a particularly good penchant for playing any one defensive position?

Josh Vitters interview, "I'm just ecstatic." Followup Jim Callis interview, " I think the Cubs are ecstatic right now." He's the guy the Cubs wanted.

I'm sure the scouting reports will be floating around ad nauseam, but here's Yahoo!'s take: 3. Chicago Cubs: Josh Vitters, 3B, Cypress H.S. (Calif.), 6-3, 195. Considered as top high school position player in draft, a notch ahead of Mike Moustakas, and also in mix for No. 1 overall pick by Tampa Bay. Has great polish at the plate, and has outstanding power with a short, compact swing. Hit .360 with nine HRs and 29 RBIs – despite missing two weeks with pneumonia – while leading team to 20-3 record. Has great arm strength, but sometimes has problems on defense and doesn't have great range. Could end up in OF – teams will want his bat in lineup.

drafted C/3rd (with arm strength) is more than just a C/3rd. on the "bad" end of things you got yourself a 1st baseman. on the "normal" end of things you got, well a C/3rd. on the "bad but good" end of things you can also have a RF'r.

yeah, but he cant play D. Atleast were not dumping a huge contract on a college kid again.

It's a moot point now, but I've seen video of Parker and I've yet to see him throw a slider. I talked about his curve and his not-so-good change a couple of threads ago. Scouts Inc mentions nothing of a slider, yet ESPN does. Puzzling.

agreed...doesn't seem like the sharpest knife in the drawer, but in baseball that's often better than a cerebral type that overthinks every aspect of his swing/mechanics. and the Pirates continue their march to have 5 lefties in their starting rotation.

Somebody take Vitters to a baseball diamond this afternoon, tell him to go out ot RF, and start hitting him fly balls. Repeat, as needed.

So we took a DH...any chance we could trade the pick to the AL for a reliever? Haha...just kidding. Mostly.

Crunch, Vitters just seems like Murton with an arm. He just doesnt seem like he is going to be an MLB 3b. Hopefully he can play RF.

BillyBucks — June 7, 2007 @ 12:37 pm Somebody take Vitters to a baseball diamond this afternoon, tell him to go out ot RF, and start hitting him fly balls. Repeat, as needed. ============================ BILLY B: I can do that. Just tell him to stop by Fitch Park Field #4.

The kid is only 18 - defensive footwork is definitely something that can be taught. He is supposed to have a very strong arm, and he can rake. Offensively most people think that he has the biggest upside in the draft. And the Cubs won't see him in Wrigley for at least a few years.

By comparing Vitters to Murton I mean a guy who looks lost in the field.

"The kid is only 18 - defensive footwork is definitely something that can be taught. He is supposed to have a very strong arm, and he can rake." Agreed. See: Ramirez, Aramis for proof.

its way too early to compare vitters to anyone except in a watched-scouted role. the kid needs to get a wood bat in his hand facing pitchers other than the ones who throw nothing but fastballs 3/4 of the time. he played cape cod wood bat league last year...anyone know where those #s are?

Brew Crew takes Matt Laporta. Odd pick he is a big 1b who might not be someone who could move to the OF. Maybe there moving back to the AL. Move KC to NL central, I like it.

A veteran scout said he had never seen anyone hit like him before, bloggers have been comparing him to Alex Rodriguez, and MLB.com projects he’ll be among the first five players selected in next month’s draft. –Jayson Addcox, MLB.com

Careful chifan... TCR-Murton love is at an all-time high. Sorry to get OT, and Murton's ok, but most GMs in baseball would be like "Matt who?"

Brewers are crazy. La Porta, a very polished college bat, might reach the majors in a breath. He's a 1B type, awful defender, wonder what the Brewers are going to do with him.

ok pretty apparent the Brewers would have taken Wieters there..LaPorta is also a Boras client. Either he's moving to the OF or the Brewers will have one nice 1B lefty/righty platoon.

Interesting... the Brew Crew drafted a guy whose scouting report reads: "Unless someone thinks he can play another position -- not a common belief -- LaPorta is limited to first base or DH duties in the future." Unless MIL knows something we don't (are they transferring back to the AL?), the move seems a bit goofy. Fielder already occupies the role of "1B or bust".

Rockies select Casey Weathers, another reliever, converted OF. Yet another weird pick, very fast slider at 91mph, good fastball. September callup.

Well, maybe nobody told the Brewers' scouting department that moved from the American to the National League ten years ago.

I think the Cubs, and especially Wilken, consider right field taken. But Vitters doesn't have to play third, either. Derrek Lee is getting on in years.

Gammons and Phillips mentioned the LaPorta could simply be a guy who the Brewers use as a trading chip in the near future seeing that the club should be in contention over the next few years. Then again corner OF and C are really the only positions they have an immediate need for so if he doesn't work out as a corner OFer he'll be dealt. Looks like Brian Fuentes will be on the trading block this deadline.

Careful dogging Brewers scouting. I'd say their record recently deserves some respect.

Meh, Parker to the D-Backs, big fastball, not much more. 6'7" 240 pounds; big guy, team player.

most GMs in baseball would be like “Matt who?” You have to be kidding me. A veteran scout said he had never seen anyone hit like him before, bloggers have been comparing him to Alex Rodriguez, and MLB.com projects he’ll be among the first five players selected in next month’s draft. –Jayson Addcox, MLB.com Carlos - is that about Vitters or LaPorta?

vieters is a kid...he's barely worth worrying about besides following him for another 3+ years.

cameras in the draft room? you gotta be f'n kidding me. no, seriously...hahahaha.

San Francisco just drafted Bumgarner. There's a joke there, but I'm just not sure what it is.

French Canadian Philip Aumont, RHP, huge kid at 6'7", possible reliever in the future, some discrepancies regarding his slider (some say it's amazing, some say it's non-existant) but he's very projectable. Mariners pick BTW.

San Francisco just drafted Bumgarner. There’s a joke there... He might be the replacement for the Astros manager if they fire scrap iron

I got your joke, vorare: In tight baseball pants, he bum will garner a lot of attention in San Fran. I'll be here all week.

Matt Dominquez 3B...gee, I wonder if the Marlins feel Miggy Cabrera isn't long for their franchise.

That's exactly what I thought, Bogey. Dominguez is a very, very good fielder.

I do like what Vitters says in that mlb article. They say he has great plate disciplne, and he says that he always looks forward to playing against the best competition, and he usually does better against them... Sounds good...

VA Phil -- "I think the Cubs, and especially Wilken, consider right field taken. But Vitters doesn’t have to play third, either. Derrek Lee is getting on in years." Who do the Cubs consider their RF of the future?

Once again... teams simply do not draft for positional needs at the major league level.

Levine said this morning that the Cubs brass is high on that Michael Maine or Mayne or however you spell his surname. Anyway, if he's still on the board at their 2nd pick that might be it.

Even if they don't, if you have A-Rod signed for 10 years to be your third baseman, it would be silly to draft a slick fielding third sacker.

Here come the Texas Rangers and the first of, what? five? picks in the first two rounds.

Michael Main has a shitload of upside and throws serious heat. I'd pick Cole St. Clair over him, though. He's a closer at Rice with serious stuff.

Okay, I no longer really know anything about anyone else in the draft, except Pat Venditte. He will go in the later rounds, I would guess, but I hope the Cubs pick him. He's a switch pitcher.

Sweet Lou — June 7, 2007 @ 1:28 pm Who do the Cubs consider their RF of the future? ================================= SWEET LOU: Right now at this point, probably Tyler Colvin, with Cliff Andersen and possibly Drew Rundle about two years behind Colvin. Both Colvin and Andersen can play all three OF spots, while Rundle is more of a corner guy. Vitters could be added to that mix, too (at 1B, 3B, or RF), but we're probably talking about maybe a 2010-11 MLB ETA for Colvin, 2011-13 for Andersen, and 2013-15 for Vitters, so all of them could eventually have Cubs MLB roster slots, especially if (for instance) Vitters were to move to 1B and be the eventual replacement for D-Lee. . BTW, I still consider Josh Lansford to be the Cubs #1 3B prospect (post-A-Ram).

Wow. Is Vitters really six years away from playing at Wrigley? I would have guessed four...

I know you're all breathlessly waiting my response.... I'm happy it's not Parker. Would have been happier if it was Wieters but considering the circumstances with MLB putting the clamps on, I'll take Vitters. Sounds far more polished than Harvey or Montanez at this point. Let's hope for the best now, see you in 3-5 years.

I agree with Jace. Doesn't Vitters become a 6-year minor-league FA before 2013?

AZ Phil, I planning on catching a few Chiefs game this summer, will Vitters be sent to Peoria when he signs?

maybe Carlos, but the Cubs might be scared off with St.Clair's shoulder issues. Perhaps visions of Bobby Brownlie are swirling around over the draft board.

Man, I would think that the highest we could ever expect to see him this year is at Boise. I am betting that they'll send him to AZL.

BOGEY: His shoulder injury was diagnosed as a shoulder strain, which is certainly something to keep an eye on, but he shouldn't drop below the supplementals. I really hope the Cubs pick him over Main.

Jace — June 7, 2007 @ 1:54 pm Wow. Is Vitters really six years away from playing at Wrigley? I would have guessed four… =========================== JACE: It all depends on where Vitters lands on defense and who is there ahead of him, and how quickly Vitters moves along through the Cubs minor league pipeline. Vitters will likely spend 2007 at AZL Mesa (age 17), then 2008 (age 18) at either Boise or Peoria, 2009 (age 20) at Peoria or Daytona, 2010 (age 21) at Daytona or AA, and 2011 (age 22) at AA or AAA, and possibly 2012 (age 23) at AAA. So Vitters could make it to Wrigley Field in 2011-12, but he also could be optioned out through the 2014 season if necessary. Derrek Lee can be a FA after the 2010 season, Aramis Ramirez has a player option for 2011 or else there is a mutual option for 2012, and Soriano is signed through 2014, so depending on where Vitters plays, he could be a candidate to replace any of those three players, possibly as early as (but not before) the 2011 season, or as late as 2015 (when he would be 25 on Opening Day).

Giants pick Alderson -- cleanest, smoothest delivery in the draft. Strike thrower, 1 BB this year in HS. 6'7" kid, too.

Yeah, Phil. I know they guy is only 17. If you are a #3 overall pick, though, you should be on a silghtly faster track than is customary. I would expect him to be up there in four years. Anything longer will be a slight disappointment.

Sheffield/Cornelia — June 7, 2007 @ 2:01 pm I agree with Jace. Doesn’t he become a 6-year minor-league FA before 2013? =============================== SHEFFIELD/CORNELIA: No. That only applies to players who are not on a 40-man roster. Any player not on a 40-man roster is eligible to be a "six-year minor league FA" after he has spent parts of at least SEVEN (not six) seasons on a minor league or major league roster (including DL). It also has to be either his original organization or an organization to which he is traded or drafted. If a player gets released prior to completing his first seven years, the chain is broken, and he gets to be a minor league FA after each season. But again, that's ONLY for players who are not on a 40-man roster. And Vitters will have to be a big bust not to be added to the Cubs 40-man roster before his seven years are up! Assuming the Cubs sign Vitters, he would be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft after the 2011 season, so the Cubs could wait to add him to their 40-man roster until that time (as late as 11-20-2011). Then they could option him out in 2012, 2013, and 2014, so that he would be out of minor league options in ST 2015.

chifan3887 — June 7, 2007 @ 2:02 pm AZ Phil, I planning on catching a few Chiefs game this summer, will Vitters be sent to Peoria when he signs? ========================== CHIFAN3887: I doubt that very much. As a 17-year old, Vitters will most-likely start his pro career at AZL Mesa, and then attend the Arizona Instructional League in September-October. Where he will be on Opening Day 2008 is TBD, but it will most-likely be either Peoria (best-case) or EXST (and then Boise in June '08). Worst-case scenario is that he remains at EXST next April and then has to repeat AZL Mesa.

Jesus, the White Sox just robbed the Athletics. Pareda had been linked to the A's since early May.

a patented OAK pick. I'm curious if the Tigers will ante up for Porcello like they did for A.Miller...otherwise it looks like he might fall to the Yanks.

Thanks, vorare. I am coming around on this guy. He really does look and sound like he could be great. I think what position he plays is going to determine whether he gets to the bigs with the Cubs, though...

A's pick James Simmons. Crappyfastball, good character, intelligent. Control and (alleged) charisma.

Jace — June 7, 2007 @ 2:13 pm Yeah, Phil. I know they guy is only 17. If you are a #3 overall pick, though, you should be on a silghtly faster track than is customary. I would expect him to be up there in four years. Anything longer will be a slight disappointment. =========================== JACE: Of course I hope you're right. I tend to be more conservative in my projections with young players because I have seen so many stall along the way, even players that eventually make it to the big leagues. I guess I would say the earliest I would expect Vitters to land in Wrigley Field would be September 2011 (late-season call-up) or Opening Day 2012 (he'd be age 22 on Opening Day 2012). I would be VERY surprised if he emerges anytime before that, and even then, I would call 2011-12 a "best-case" scenario. 2013 sounds more like it to me, with 2014-15 only if he gets hurt or struggles somewhere along the way.

Porcello to the Tigers. As Parachatter 'Cubs' said, Verlander, Bonderman, Miller, Porcello and X are going to be friggin' amazing to watch.

Yeah, Phil. That's why I would rather have seen them take Wieters. He's so much further along in development, there's just a lot less risk... I do like what I see with Vitters though, and after being pretty unhappy initially, I am still happier than I would have been if they had picked one of these HS pitchers....

Wow, Yankees passed on Smoker and Harvey to select Crunch-favorite Andrew Brackman.

This nugget comes from the link Voare posted: "Rich: Most mock drafts have you going third to the Cubs or fourth to the Pirates. Do you have any preference as to which team drafts you? Josh: No, it's not a big deal because the Cubs and Pirates are both great clubs. It doesn't make any difference to me." C'mon. I know I'm a homer and all but lets face it, no one would want to get drafted by the Pirates. I know...

Chad... what do you want him to say? "I want to be drafted by the Cubs, because the Pirates suck!"

Yeah, the only thing that response told me is that this guy understands when in it not appropriate to comment on his preferences...

Heh... I enjoyed reading that article, especially the part about how he kicked ass against the other "top" HS pitchers. Thanks, vorare.

I know he has to play politics but to tell the truth, if I was top 5 pick, I would straight up tell GMs not to pick me if you are on a shit team with a shit owner. I would call the GMs of the Royals and the Rays and say, if you draft me, I'm going to college. I will never sign with you. Sure getting dropped down a few slots will hurt you in the short run but you'll make out in the long run. You sign with the Cubs and there is a future. You sign with the Pirates and you start your clock til you can leave there. And before you go all Jason Bay on me, call me when the Pirates finish a season above .500. Oh, why the Cubs? Because as bad as the Cubs can be, you know they will pay you top dollar. You will get a contract that you want, (forget the whole slot thing) then if you are good, they will give you lots of money to stay. The same goes for other teams as well. I would love to get picked by the Cardinals, The Yanks, the Mets, the Dodgers, the Angeles or others too. Just not the dregs of the 'small market teams'.

OKay, Phil, I buy that. I would be interested in seeing a comparison between Wright's HS Senior Numbers, and Vitters' numbers. Is that available somewhere? I think Vitters finished hitting .401 with 9 HRs, and 36 RBI... Is that right?

brack wasnt my favorite by a longshot...he's just a guy i had access to for a while. price/vitters/wieters...any of those would/did make me happy

Vitters is your typical Hendry addition. He's big, slow, a poor fielder, who even in high school didn't hit for the high average most top prospects do (most top high school players hit in the .500+ range. Vitters was in the .300's) Hendry loves these guys. The only problem is when you build an entire team with swing for the fences hitters who refuse to walk and have shitty obp, and poor d to boot, you lose. They should have taken the catcher Wieters. Now watch, this means Hendry will resign egghead Barrett. The Cubs would be better off today if they released Barrett and Jones. One last thing. All of this talk that MLB has been harping on teams, specifically the Cubs, not to draft top players and give them big bonuses is called collusion, and they will be sued over it.

I would have preferred Moustakas over Vitters (slightly), but KC made that moot. I knew they'd pick one or the other, they want bats bats bats. Overall, I still wish the Cubs would have taken Wieters because of the position he plays, the closer he is to the bigs, and the lower risk--he's a proven performer at a much higher level of competition. Vitters is such a baby (17!) it's hard to get too excited here, he's a LONG way from the major leagues. At least the Cubs took a bat, I guess that's something.

Chad - Maybe you have the Cubs confused with a franchise that has a record of actually producing position players from its system? I think it matters less in baseball than anywhere else who drafts you. If drafted by a crappy team, I would think all that means is that you might actually get to the majors more quickly. All you would be telling GMs is that you are one of those guys who puts your needs ahead of those of a team that would want to give you an opportunity to play pro ball. That would not be starting off on the right foot. I don't care if a lot of players do this. I don't feel that it is right.

I liked how Vitters was real vague in his interview about what pitches he can handle. Sure the scouts will know soon enough, but at least he knows what not to say.

HAVING SAID ALL THAT... There would be an upside to being a Royal or Devil Ray, you will make it to the big club fast. If you show you real good, you could get traded to a better team. FWIW

Josh Smoker to the Nationals, as Sweet Lou reported. Just imagine the headline puns he will inspire if he makes it to the big leagues. Seriously now, a fantastic pick by the Nationals at 31st. My wish-list gets reduced by a name, and now stands as follows: a) Matt Harvey b) Cole St. Clair c) Kyle Blair

Jace... you have to remember that Vitters missed a few weeks with pneumonia, and then played about three weeks at significantly less than full strength. so comparing his senior year numbers to anyone probably isn't very worthwhile.

Somewhere in Boras's list of "Things you should never say after drafed": Vitters: "Just being able to play Minor League ball and pro ball is more important than the money to me." I guess there's a reason he's not a Boras client.

He’s big, slow, a poor fielder, who even in high school didn’t hit for the high average most top prospects do (most top high school players hit in the .500+ range. Vitters was in the .300’s) Umm... not quite. Big? yes. Slow? More like average speed. Poor Fielder? Again, not quite. More like an average field with a good arm. As for his high school numbers, see my above comment about him having pneumonia.

Hmm, Sean Doolittle (Cubs "favorite") to the A's at 41. Cubs pick coming up.

Another big-ass pitcher gets drafted early in the compensation round. Eddie Kunz to the Mets at 42. RHP, reliever, good fastball. Nice start of the day (!) for the Mets.

Kunz BTW is the closer for Oregon State. Pretty nice fastball, no secondary stuff, might need a lot of time in the minors.

Justin Jackson and Drew Cumberland, two high school infielders, go back-to-back to the Blue Jays and Padres; they're both significantly better than Cardinals first round pick Peter Kozma. Cubs pick still ahead.

At least (per mlb.com) he "plays the game the right way". Perhaps this signals a turn for the better in the Cubs' organization?

Mayo's MLB scouting report on Donaldson... He has shown some ability to hit, but front-foot hitting causes loop in swing. Power: Donaldson has shown some extra-base pop, but it was not on display over the weekend. Running Speed: Donaldson is a below-average runner. Arm Strength: Donaldson's arm was below average, with less-than-stellar times to second base. Fielding: Donaldson is new to full-time catching, but has good hands and caught fairly well. Some think he's athletic enough to handle a Biggio-like move to second. Baseball Instinct: Donaldson has excellent instincts and plays the game the right way. Aggressiveness: He's an aggressive player behind the plate. Physical Description: Donaldson is a strong, square-bodied catcher with athletic actions. Strengths: Decent catching skills and outstanding baseball instincts. Weaknesses: Below-average arm and questions about hitting mechanics. Summary: Donaldson really helped himself with a strong Cape Cod season last summer, but there are concerns about whether he'll be able to catch up to better velocities with the loop in his swing. He may improve with more experience as a full-time catcher, but his arm is below average and he does not profile as a premium catch-and-throw guy. Some see a switch to the infield -- he's played third in college -- but he may make for a good backup catcher who plays the game the right way.

No Cole St. Clair. Cubs pick Auburn catcher Joshua Donaldson, 6'0", 195 pounds. Via MLB.com: Donaldson really helped himself with a strong Cape Cod season last summer, but there are concerns about whether he'll be able to catch up to better velocities with the loop in his swing. He may improve with more experience as a full-time catcher, but his arm is below average and he does not profile as a premium catch-and-throw guy. Some see a switch to the infield -- he's played third in college -- but he may make for a good backup catcher who plays the game the right way.

Schilling has a no-no through 8 & 1/3. Game is now being shown on ESPN 2

"Schilling is perf*** through 8 in Oakland." Not perfect - Lugo committed an E.

Donaldson projects as no more than a backup catcher if he doesn't outgrow the position, and a fringe third baseman if he moves down the spectrum. A wasted pick, basically.

D'oh!

Meh, Shannon Stewart swings at the first pitch and gets a 1B to right field. Intelligent hitting by Stewart, terrible selection by Varitek and Schilling -- first pitch fastball to a dead first pitch fastball hitter?

Bryan Smith, formerly of TCR, certainly disagrees with me about Donaldson. He's what he says about Joshua: "BSmith (2:56:04 PM PST): I mentioned early in this thing that Cubs fans were surprised they didn't go with Matt Wieters, the catcher, ahead of Josh Vitters. Perhaps it's because Tim Wilken had his eyes on a different catcher, Josh Donaldson, in the second. Donaldson hit very well in the Cape Cod League, and while new to the position, he has the lateral movement of a good third baseman and the arm strength of a good high school pitcher. Good pick by the Cubs." I guess Wilken got what he wanted.

At 49, the Rangers picked a swing-and-a-miss hitter with outrageous power (best in the draft) in Michael Burgess. Either he'll be the next Ryan Howard, or he'll fade badly like Ryan Harvey.

I don't know. From what I read on Donaldson, he looks like he fits well with all the other catchers we have. Can hit, but can't throw people out.

I thought Josh Kroeger was going to make you guys forget Josh Hamilton. But now we got Josh Vitters and Josh Donaldson.

I'm not sure how any player can be dismissed as a wasted pick unless he's missing an arm or a leg. The draft is hit and miss. There are very few sure things. I trust Tim Wilken a little more than I trust Carlos Rubi.

And after pick #50 (Wesley Roamer to the Diamondbacks, command guy from Cal State Fullerton -- really, he doesn't issue BBs at all), I depart for lunch. It's been a good draft, hopefully I was of some help to fellow draft-o-philes.

Maybe the Donaldson pick is where we see Wilken flash his "uber-genius" mode on us. If he worked out, then passing on Wieters (and saving the $$) was a smart move after all. Still, based on the scouting report, it's hard for me to see anything in Donaldson but Jake Fox, Part II. And I like Jake, but neither can be a big league catcher, and that's what we need. Trade for Salty!!

Dave in 146: Gammons said Vitters is slow. MLB.com's draftsite full scouting report says he can't field 3b. He has a nice arm, that's it. He's a dumb pick when a better talent is on the board at a position you have a major need at, AND when that player (C Wieters) could possibly be up and take over at some point next season. As with any high school pick, if he doesn't go back to college and skip the team completely he is still going to take 5-6 years to arrive. The Cubs, as usual, suck despite having a monster payroll. The window of opportunity to win with Soriano, Lee, Ramirez, and a few of our halfway decent pitchers is soon. It's not 5-6 years down the road. If you can pick a college player here or there that can contribute in 1-2 years you are ahead of the curve. Spending all this cash on our current team is a complete waste of money if you aren't going to provide the proper players at key positions, (catcher, closer, shortstop, etc.). Why spend all this cash and then draft guys who won't contribute, best case scenario, for 5-6 years? Hendry is a dumb fuck. He keeps building the same team every year. We've seen this before, and it gets the same results every year, but he keeps plugging away. Being a Cubs fan is a perpetual groundhog day.

I like the interview posted with Vitters where he talks about the at bats he had in that all-star game last summer. Seems his memory is pretty good, which should serve him well. I like the pick. Weiters didn't progress much as a hitter this year and had high strike out numbers for someone considered an elite hitter. LaPorta had more HBP than he had K's, I would peg him as the first hitter to reach the bigs, unless a position switch (catcher?) slows him down.

"I’m not sure how any player can be dismissed as a wasted pick unless he’s missing an arm or a leg. The draft is hit and miss. There are very few sure things. I trust Tim Wilken a little more than I trust Carlos Rubi." Yes, definitely, but from what I gathered on Donaldson, he doesn't look exactly what you'd pick with a sandwich pick. When your MLB.com profile mentions you could someday be a decent backup catcher, you know you don't have a good ceiling. Hell, if you want backup catchers, the Cubs have plenty of those in their system. But whatever. You're right.

As long as you say I'm right, the rest doesn't matter. ;) My comment probably read more harshly than I intended. I'm just sayin' the draft is unpredictable.

Jace — June 7, 2007 @ 3:53 pm I don’t know. From what I read on Donaldson, he looks like he fits well with all the other catchers we have. Can hit, but can’t throw people out. =========================== JACE: And don't forget the ones who can catch + throw, but can't hit. The Cubs have a few of those, too.

The Towel is back. I don't like the Josh Vitters pick. At all ! The Cubs have a dreadful enough time developing positional talent without taking a 17 year old straight out of high school. Plus, I've read too many things about Vitters that suggest he is far from a sure thing. But we shall see. The smart pick would have been Matt Wieters.

....

This 5-6 year stuff most likely isn't what the Cubs expect from Vitters. More likely 3-4. Eric Chavez would be a good comparison, though Vitters defense is probably not expected to be at the same level. The best high school hitters, if they develop, are usually in the bigs in 3-4 years. Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez etc. Maybe you don't think this kid is like that, but the Cubs brass certainly hopes that he is. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/C/Eric-Chavez.shtml For all the Weiters lovers, and at the start of the season I was one, there are a lot of scouts who aren't sold on him. It looks like the Orioles will have to lose someone from their 40 man to sign him, and the Cubs aren't in position to do that right now.

Memo to Jim Hendry. Back up the truck and swing a trade for Saltimacchia out of Atlanta. You need to stop with this infatuation over Michael Barrett. Trade Barrett for a bucket of balls, either that or lease him out as a punching dummie to a local boxing ring.

He’s a dumb pick when a better talent is on the board at a position you have a major need at First of all... if you cannot pay that player, you can't (or at least shouldn't) draft that player. And from what it sounds like, either major league baseball or the trib company said the Cubs couldn't pay Weiters. Second, while Weiters was/is more ready than Vitters, he is still a ways away. You simply do not draft need with the third pick. You pick the best play available that you can afford. if you aren’t going to provide the proper players at key positions, (catcher, closer, shortstop, etc.). Closer? The Cubs have a closer who has been pretty damn good. Gammons said Vitters is slow. MLB.com’s draftsite full scouting report says he can’t field 3b. I have seen several reports, but most have said average speed, average defense. The speed doesn't bother me. If the guy fulfills his potential, the Cubs won't need his speed. The defense is an issue, but because he is only 17, he has plenty of room to grow.

Josh Vitters has drawn comparisons to Sean Burroughs by his distractors, of which there are a few. Plus, he is slow, has little power and needs lots of work at 3rd base. Sounds to me like a 3rd base version of Matt Friggin Murton. I hope I'm wrong, but I really hate this pick. The intelligent move for a team on a 99 year losing streak, a giant payroll and a GM who is on the verge of being a dead man walking would have been to take Matt Wieters. That kid is going to be a perennial All-Star in this league.

Plus, I’ve read too many things about Vitters that suggest he is far from a sure thing. What is your point? There are very few sure things in MLB amateur drafts. Shoot... Prior was supposed to be the closest to a "sure thing" in years. Again... I think that most of us wanted Weiters. But it was pretty clear from what was being reported that the Cubs were unable to pay him what he would have demanded. And that may have even come down as a directive from Major Leage Baseball. While I think we all agree that that is ridiculous, we cannot do anything about it. So the Cubs did the next best thing - take what they considered the best player available.

I have a question here. If we're going with this theory that says the Cubs couldn't pay Wieters at #3 the money he wanted, then how are the Orioles going to be able to pay him what he wants in a LOWER slot at #5? Isn't the discrepancy between what he wants and what MLB believes he should get, even wider at #5 than it is at #3? I don't quite understand this.

Isn’t the discrepancy between what he wants and what MLB believes he should get, even wider at #5 than it is at #3? I am pretty sure is related to the fact that the Cubs have been sold/are being sold again. The Orioles are not being sold, at least not that I know of.

I seriously doubt Salty is going to get moved. The Braves have already said either McCann or Salty will move to 1B and from what it seems they think Salty will be the better defensive C at this point and there is nothing in the Braves system to think 1B is being held for anyone....especially Scot Thorman.

The smartest team in the draft is the one that takes Grant Desme out of Cal Poly; kid's a stud.

I've been pouring through material on Josh Donaldson. And all I can say is, Tim Wilken what are you thinking? Donaldson is an average catcher who can't throw. Haven't we already cornered the market on that type of commodity? Or is Wilken intent on perpetuating the Jim Hendry Development League for DH's, honorary members of which have been or are Brian Dopirak, Brendan Sing, Jason Dubois, Matt Murton, Jake Fox? I can't wait until a new owner surfaces, hopefully with a flamethrower to rid this planet of the current Cub front office.

Rishi — June 7, 2007 @ 4:18 pm The smartest team in the draft is the one that takes Grant Desme out of Cal Poly; kid’s a stud. ============================== RISHI: I'm surprised the Cubs didn't draft him. They've already got Josh Lansford, Rocky Roquet, and Matt Canepa, might as well get Desme and go All Cal Poly - All the Time.

To clarify my question at 186, what I'm asking is, if MLB won't let the Cubs pay Wieters what he wants at #3, then how would the MLB let any other team (specifically, in this case, the Orioles at #5) pay him what he wants? If MLB is restricting what ANYONE pays Wieters, then the Cubs would have been able to justify taking him at #3 and signing him to the money MLB allows. (I'm not justifying the outright collusion, just saying that money problems due to the sale become a BS excuse if no one else is allowed to pay Wieters what he wants either.)

First, it is not exactly clear that MLB told the Cubs that they could not go over slot money. But second, the difference lies in that the Cubs are being sold, and the Cubs were allegedly told that because you are being sold, you can't go above the slot money. At least that is the way that I understand it.

MLB has no say whatsoever in what any team offers any player. They act in an advisory roll, but the advice is universally dismissed by the teams, unless it happens to match with their own opinions. The Cubs just got on the shit list for giving Smardzjsa that ridiculous deal last off-season (which was actually a contract extnesion, since he had already signed a deal, which most people forget). If they wanted to they could tell Selig to stick it with no reprucussions other than some groaning at the next owners meetings.

Silent Towel: Memo to Jim Hendry. Back up the truck and swing a trade for Saltimacchia out of Atlanta. You need to stop with this infatuation over Michael Barrett. Trade Barrett for a bucket of balls, either that or lease him out as a punching dummie to a local boxing ring. So we're going to dump our high priced contracts for a relatively cheap catching prospect onto a team trying to cut payroll. Please elaborate: 1. Why the Cub's would do this. 2. Why the Brave's would do this. 3. Why am I bothering with a response to this post?

.....

Eric the Great: Has anyone not seen this? Vitters MLB scouting video–nice swing. Thanks, great link!

I think ST is suggesting we trade Pie and Gallagher (or whoever the Braves most like) for Salty. I think that he probably can be had in a trade. The Braves need a 3rd basemen, maybe a 1st basemen 2 outfielders and pitching, and Scheurholz knows the value of players on the fielding spectrum, so he will take offers.

CUBSTER: Re A-Ram - "Patella tendinitis" Only rest "cures" tendonitis, right? I mean, its the kinda thing that one just has due to repetitive motion - its not going to go away, as I would understand it? Kerry Wood case-in-point. He's gonna have to live and pitch w/the pain, or cash it in.

And it's no surprise the smartest team in the draft is none other than your Oakland Athletics. I love saying, "I told ya so!" All honesty, though, kid's got five-tool potential and when you adjust his stats for league and park difficulty, he's only second to LaPorta in my book for pure offensive terror.

Tendinitis can be tricky. I get it in my achilles sometimes and all I have to do is wear different shoes and it goes away in a day or two. But yeah rest, in general rest is the first treatment.

sigh.... Soriano 7 Pie 8 Lee 3 Murton 9 Barrett 2 DeRosa 5 Theriot 4 Izturis 6 Hill 1 K. Johnson 4 Escobar 5 Renteria 6 A. Jones 8 Francouer 9 Diaz 7 McCann 2 Thorman 3 James 1 The only 8th hitting 1B in baseball.. ladies and gentlemen Scott Thorman.

Wes - Ripping on the other teams' lineup is strictly off-limits! Last weekend's Braves series should have told you that. Our lineup is what we should be focusing on. Murton hitting cleanup??? WTF??

"Josh Vitters has drawn comparisons to Sean Burroughs" he's also drawn comparisons to Arod. who cares. put a wood bat in his hand, see how he develops over the next 2 years...then evaluate him. if he does anything to set himself apart from the pack before then you'll hear about it. he's a child in the scope of the game and no matter what anyone thinks about him he's either the #1 or #2 best highschool bat in the draft. there's no such thing as a 'better pick' when its this close to even comparing the scouting reports on whole, not just the ones that fit a person's arguement.

"has little power" SILENT TOWEL: The kid's true plus tool is his power. Jesus Christ, shut up if you don't know something, don't talk out of your ass just because you are madly infatuated with discounting every move the Cubs' front office does.

btw, i personally would have prefered wieters, but im sure another 2-3 teams would have too. he's supposedly looking a mlb contract (40 man addition) over the 10m mark. yeah the cubs could find room for him by shuffling useless out and ponying up the cash and etc etc, but the vitters pick isnt even a "far off" pick. lotta people, talent-wise, were lining up price/weiters/vitters as their 1/2/3's.

And with their third selection in today’s Rule 4 Draft (3rd pick in the 3rd round - #97 overall), the Cubs selected right-handed hitting 2B Tony Thomas (Florida State). Thomas (5′10 180) led NCAA Div 1 in hits and doubles, was second in OBP, and 3rd in Avg in 2007, and had as many walks as strikeouts. According to BA, Thomas is a below-average defender with a below-average arm at 2nd base, with just average speed.

RISHI: "All honesty, though, kid’s got five-tool potential and when you adjust his stats for league and park difficulty, he’s only second to LaPorta in my book for pure offensive terror." You mean Chris Brown, right? If so, the A's were incredibly smart (and got big breaks) by waiting for Brown to fall into low-bonus-cash territory.

Not ripping, Jace. Just stating a fact. Probably part of the reason they're trying Saltalaralphmacchio at first. Because Thorman's defense doesn't make up for his lack of hitting/power prowess at 1B.

having salt at 1st being the "2nd" catcher in 30-60 games a year isnt exactly a bad idea. min is already playing around with the idea for maurer and was considering it even before his injuries.

Kudos to Wilken for snagging Anthony Thomas, although this might have been a Hendry pick -- he was drafted out of FSU, Hendry's alma mater.

Carlos: Brown got knocked down for playing in a real nice hitter's park, but the A's sure have been drafting well today.

There he goes. FINALLY, Matt Harvey picked by the Angels as the 116th (!) player, overall. That's a 100-place drop.

Agreed on Thomas. He hits a ton of doubles, has a +1 BB/K ratio, and stole 31 bases to boot.

whoever up there was bashing Hendry for picking Vitters needs to understand how drafts work.... Tim Wilkin is completely in charge, he's known as one of the best in the business and didn't take this job to have Hendry meddling over his decisions. As for this whole MLB/Cubs business... yes they tell every team not go over slot money and most ignore MLB, but everything I read made it sound like something unique with the ballclub being sold that was forcing the Cubs hand.

Corey Brown got knocked down? Sheesh, I saw a game where his brother Charlie, had a hot shot come back right through the box. Not only knocked him down but knocked off all his clothes.

btw, what the hell do you do with a 2b with a below average arm and range and just average speed. 2b is where you go when you don't have the arm for anywhere else.... Unless he can move to first....

Fourth round pick -- Darwin Barney, SS out of Oregon State University, projects as an utility guy with plus makeup, might not start and has limited ceiling.

Anthony Thomas looks like Todd Walker with more raw power. He's, to quote Kevin Goldstein, "a favorite of the stat-heavy folks, so it's a surprise to see him end up in Chicago."

This is one bad draft so far. The top 3 picks are really Cubs players-all bats, no gloves. I hope the whole baseball ops department gets gutted when the team is sold. Trust me in 3 years we will regret not taking Parker.

Hey at least we got a colorful name in Darwin Barney.

With their 4th round selection (#127 overall), the Cubs selected shortstop Darwin Barney (Oregon State). A 5'10 175 right-handed hitter, Barney was a member of the 2006 CWS champion Beavers, as well as Team USA. He hit 296/370/432 in 2007, with 4 HR and 48 RBI, a team-leading 18 doubles, 30/29 BB/K, and 12 SB (3 CS).

183 dave-- "do not draft need with the third pick" Correct. Especially when your job is on the line. Unless the Rule 4 draft changed, and we can draft MLB players off other teams, that is. I wanted Wieters, too, for a minute, but if you want to win now, a stopgap catcher for a year or two while Wieters gets MLB-ready isn't going to be the guy to lead you to the WS. Of course, chances are, neither is one Michael Barrett. Hendry's going to (maybe) trade for a real catcher before the deadline (which I think is pretty far-fetched, it'd take a good Z and 1 or 2 prospects to get Salty) or we're going to be stuck with Barrett for the rest of this year. Personally, I can't stand him, never really could, but if he were hitting anywhere near the season #s he's put up the past 2 years, people wouldn't be bitching about his shenanigans nearly as much.

Hey AZ Phil, do you know anything about Brandon Guyer, the UVA junior RF the Cubs took in the 5th round? Couldn't find anything on him on BA, but from his UVA website it looks like he hit pretty well in college.

According to the BA blog, Wilken personally threw BP to Vitters before the draft " . . . Cubs scouting director Tim Wilken personally threw batting practice to Vitters two weeks ago, and Josh said he actually didn’t feel as though he had performed as well as he would have liked to. “'I was totally surprised, said Vitters of Wilken’s personal request. 'But he threw a pretty good BP. He was trying to keep the ball away, and all I did was hit opposite-field line drives. I guess I did all right.'” http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=78

What's with the Cubs' fetish for particular college programs? I mean really, how many kids have the Cubs drafted in the Hendry era from Notre Dame, UVA, VCU and Cal Poly? It's ridiculous. How about getting a woody for an ELITE program....USC, Texas, Rice would be good places to start. Sigh. I do like the Thomas pick though.

a 5 year commitment for a 17/18 year old...yeah, and? sounds about f'n normal to me. and its not a minimum...its just probable. its not like wieters... 1- is gonna show show up in months or even next year in MLB shape (or any further after that) 2- is a sure thing to remain a catcher for long (6'6" is a lot of person...and catching is a body wrecker...you're not gonna find too many people wanting a bat that important either sitting 30-60 games a year nor sitting behind the plate 160+ games a year) ...and most importantly, the difference between vitters and wieters seems to be time and money currently. i'd rather have wiet over vitt, but im gonna gonna throw my arms in the air and pretend vitt isnt a guy worthy of a top 3 pick.

The problem with Vitters is he is a DH and the Cubs can only use that 6-9 times a season. He might have a throwing arm, but is slow and is uninstinctful. I am assuming he stays at 3b and replaces Ram. Soriano, Pie, and Colvin will be entrentched in the OF when Vitters comes up. I know there is some 1b talk, but Dlee seems like a guy who can play well into 40's.

LOL @ Carlos Towel: Detractors (not distractors) may compare Vitters to Burroughs. In all likelihood, a good comparison would be David Wright. Vitters has already proven himself to be the best hitter with a wood bat in this draft over the past two years, is a patient hitter who can hit for power and average while also maintaining a high-OBP. He has very good hand-eye coordination, good plate discipline, likes to hit the ball where it's pitched and has phenomenally strong wrists. He'll be a very good hitter. Having said that, I do have some doubt over Vitters' ability to stick at the hot corner. He probably belongs at 1B or in a corner OF slot, but maybe he'll be able to improve his defense enough to become a serviceable, if not good, 3B. Aramis Ramirez used to be an atrocious fielder, and while I wouldn't compare him to Scotty Rolen just yet, he's not too shabby these days (although some of that is because he has D-Lee on the other end to save his ass a few times a week). Overall, not happy with the draft so far. I don't know enough about Guyer to judge him, but I'm not a fan of Donaldson going at #48, We could have picked Peavey, Middlebrooks, Nash, Dent, Burgess, or Harvey at #48. And I understand the need to add another catcher to this system, but what's the point of adding a player who projects as a back-up catcher or a fringe player at a different position? Not happy about Barney (Neifi, only with even less power) or Thomas, either. Wilken can still make this a good draft, but it starts by adding Peavey in the 6th round. There's a few other prep players available who I'd love to sign, as well as a couple of collegiate players I like that have fallen through the cracks. Not a terrible draft, but the Cubs haven't capitalized on the talent available, or by addressing true needs in the farm system.

vitters is incapable of catching a popup and throwing it to the IF? i think that's a longshot call to make about a kid who's not even 20. OF could be his future if not 3rd, RF isnt out of the question with his arm. 3rd isnt even done for him...aram used to be horrid, now he's average at worst. even if 3rd isnt his future he's not gonna fall automatically to DH. c'mon...

never seen the kid but it seems the biggest concern about his bat is he's gonna swing and make contact on a lotta stuff (vs. highschool and top prep amat. talent (area code and cape cod wood bat tourneys)). that's where some of his "vlad" comparisons are coming from, but to me i worry how it might project going up the system, especially when it comes to his possible K/BB totals.

there's 2 good links about Guyer over at Road to Wrigley... football player, muscular, warrior-style defense.... let's talk about vitters in 2 years....

I don't like the pick of either Vitter or Donaldson. And keep in mind this is the Chicago Cubs farm system we are talking about. The last good everyday player developed by the system was Mark Grace in 1988. Do we really have faith that Oneri Fleita and his "braintrust" will do right by a raw 17 year old kid!?! Donaldson seems to be simply one more enrollee in the Jim Hendry DH Developmental School that has included Brian Dopirak, Brendan Sing, Jason Dubois, Matt Murton and Jake Fox. Donaldson is labeled medicore behind the plate with a below average arm. Gee, I wonder how THAT will turn out. Seriously, what was Tim Wilken thinking on that one?!? I understand that scouting departments have 1,000 percent better insight than a bunch of pimple faced dweebs who crank out Baseball America and similar type stuff, but c'mon.

"let’s talk about vitters in 2 years…." now that makes some sense. how many 20-21 year olds end up tearing up baseball in the batter's box on the pro team? last ones i can remember was a late round pick named pujols and a suplimental 1st rounder named wright. by the time the kid hits AA it should be more apparent what the club has. hopefully it'll translate up quickly, but chances are the next 1.5-2.5 years of his career (if he signs quickly) are probably gonna be boring to follow.

btw, that reads funny....im not trying to insult saying its a good idea. i just dont believe we're gonna know much about the guy for a couple years anyway. no matter how highly ranked vitters and wieters were by scouts, they're not "one of those" players that comes along rarely. they're both highly talented, but both have flaws and are not considered fully polished.

Actually, Towel, the Cubs traded for Murton from the Red Sox. He spent all of a year in our minors. And while Murton lacks some key skills, he's pretty much the polar opposite of what the Cubs draft and develop; he lacks power but is a good pure hitter and has a good conept of how to get on base and work counts... crunch: Vitters actually has a great approach at the plate. If I'm not mistaken, Baseball America claimed he has the second best approach at the plate of all HS seniors in the '07 draft. He knows how to handle a wood bat and makes great contact with more and more power projected as he fills out. So basically we're looking at a guy who has a good idea of what to do at the plate, with great ability to make contact and drive pitches, with even more power expected to come. Then again, he is coming up through the Cubs' system, so who knows how long it takes them to screw him up...

yeah, ive read a lot about his hitting and how mature it is. im not upset at the vitters pick at all...the only real "slam dunks" IMO based on what ive been able to read and pick up is price is the only 'sure thing' and price/wieters/vitters should be the top 3 guys going ranked by talent (independent of money/demands/agent/etc.) pit and kc both passed on wieters and pit passed on vitters going for the hot pick of the new california kid-wonder. it most likely had to do with his demands, but whatever. i'm just glad the cubs managed to snag one of the 3 guys i'd consider today a "win" for their drafting.

I'm surprised about the Moustakas signing, since his agent is Boras. Vitters would be a slam dunk, IMO, for an AL team. If his fielding doesn't come around, he could simply DH. The thing that made me saddest about this draft, though, is that Devin Mesoraco had to climb up the charts as much as he did. For a while, I was really hopeful he'd be waiting at #48 for the Cubs. Damn Reds...

"The last good everyday player developed by the system was Mark Grace in 1988. Do we really have faith that Oneri Fleita and his “braintrust” will do right by a raw 17 year old kid!?!" One word: Pie

Not many comments on Thomas, I'm surprised. I think it's a great pick. Kid has a rare talent for a Cub draft pick--superb plate discipline. Why, he's a regular Kevin Youkilis clone for crying out loud, nice! Like so many good bats in the Cubs system now, defense is a problem, but hell, defense is a problem for the big league Cubs, why should the minor leaguers be any different? LOL.....at least they can hit. Patterson, Pie (in majors now of course), Fontenot, Hoffpauir, Kroeger, Fox, Colvin and now Vitters and Thomas, some genuine bats in our system for once.

Thanks for the link, Carlos. That was a crazy day. So glad they're finally televising this thing!

Eric: I'm not particularly a big fan of the Thomas signing, actually, as there were a couple of other players available with more talent (like Peavey or Middlebrooks). Thomas was a great hitter this season...a GREAT hitter...but he hadn't really done much of anything prior to this season. If this year indicates a new trend, he could turn into a right-handed Fontenot--a player who can hit, but can't field and isn't exactly a major stolen base threat. But maybe the kid can hit.

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    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    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.