RHP Marco Carrillo and RHP Justin Berg will be back in the Cubs 0rganization next year, as two more post-2011 Rule 55 Minor League Free-Agents have re-signed with the Cubs, joining OF Jim Adduci and INF Jonathon Mota who re-signed earlier this month. (OF Brad Snyder and INF Scott Moore have signed minor league deals with HOU).
Berg will be spending most of 2012 rehabbing from TJS at Fitch Park, but Carrillo should have a decent shot at making the Iowa Cubs roster as a rubber-armed "swing-man" (starter/reliever).
The 24-year old Carrillo is presently pitching for Obregon in the Mexican Pacfic League (LMP), and is 3rd in the LMP in ERA among league starters.
Here is the updated list of Cubs Minor League free-agents who have not signed contracts for 2012:
NOTE: As an Article XX-B minor league FA, OF Luis Montanez had until Friday 11/25 to decide whether to accept his outright assignment to AAA Iowa, and still no word on whether he has accepted the assignment. If he does accept the assignment, he would defer free-agency until the day after the conclusion of the 2012 regular season (unless he is added back to a 40-man roster in the meantime).
SIX-YEAR MINOR LEAGUE FA:
Angel Guzman, RHP
Dylan Johnston, RHP (ex-OF)
Mario Mercedes, C
Chris Robinson, C (played for Team Canada in World Cup)
Carlton Smith, RHP (acquired from CLE in Kosuke Fukudome trade)
Alvaro Sosa, RHP (ex-C)
Jeff Stevens, RHP (acquired from CLE in Mark DeRosa deal post-2008)
John Urick, 1B (player-coach - Whitey Herzog's nephew)
PREVIOUSLY RELEASED MINOR LEAGUE FA:
Austin Bibens-Dirkx, RHP (Christian rock artist in the off-season)
Robert Coello, RHP (acquired from BOS last February for 2B Tony Thomas)
A short doc on a long ago MLB legend
Semi NSFW
http://www.roopstigo.com/reel/morganna-a-kissing-b...
This awesome
http://mlb.mlb.com/photos/gallery.jsp?content_id=4...
Baseball America Hot Sheet:
Christian Villaneuva, 3b, Cubs
Team: Double-A Tennessee (Southern)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .435/.500/.739 (10-for-23), 3 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 1 BB, 6 SO, 1-for-2 SB
wow...Arizona Phil's universe intersects with Wrong-way Phil Rogers!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/14/Pete...
per Roto...
Remember Albert Almora? The Cubs’ first-round pick last June is almost all the way back after breaking his hamate bone in mid-March. He’s been playing center field and hitting in extended spring games in Arizona and should soon be assigned to the low-A Kane County Cougars. There’s no sign yet of Junior Lake, who suffered a stress fracture to the top rib on his right side in mid-March. Outfielder Reggie Golden, a second-round pick in 2010 recovering from two torn ligaments in his left knee, appears close to completing his recovery.
USA Today Article on Mark Appel.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2013/...
Scouting report
http://orioles-nation.com/2011/07/28/scouting-the-...
#2 Mark Appel
"Analysis: This is Appel or Gray, assuming one of them goes first, with Appel the preference. The Cubs are in the catbird seat in this draft -- they don't have to pay the premium that comes with picking first overall but are guaranteed to get one of the two huge arms in the class."
http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9277478/...
Why would you want the threading on the balls to be different?
then maybe the greater story is that when he pitched here on the 6th the balls he was using, at least in the 1st inning that day, were PCL's...otherwise, as that Gilda Radner character used to say on SNL, 'never mind...'
America's wang.
MIKE: MLB rehab pitchers always get to use MLB baseballs when they pitch in a minor league game, even at Extended Spring Training. Healthy MLB pitchers use MLB baseballs when they pitch in a Minor League Spring Training game, too. You'll notice the home plate umpire changing out his baseballs every half-inning (unless two MLB pitchers are pitching against each other in the same minor league game).
However, MLB position players rehabbing in a minor league game or playing in a Minor League Spring Training game have to hit minor league baseballs.
The hemorrhoid of America.
florida
Garza at 42 pitches through 3 IP. No runs, 2 hits, 4 K's, No BB. 1-0 Iowa Cubs after 3.
Go Mike!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa4aCVOpPIo