The Cubs have released 2003 #1 draft pick OF Ryan Harvey.
The 24-year old Harvey had one of the top two or three RF arms in the organization and awesome power (he hit four home runs for Daytona in one game a couple of years ago), but he just was not a good hitter (he is a first-ball fastball hacker--247/298/448 with 83 HR and 539 strikeouts in 471 career minor league games), and he suffered from nagging injuries (knee, hamstring, back, etc) throughout his career,
Harvey's release comes almost exactly a year after the Cubs released Harvey's one-time HS teammate and fellow slugger 1B Brian Dopirak (Cubs #2 pick in 2002). Dopirak signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays after he got released and spent most of the 2008 season playing in hometown Dunedin, FL. B-Dope then re-signed with the Blue Jays (he was a minor league free-agent post-2008) and got an NRI to ST with the Jays this Spring as part of the deal (although he has been returned to Tornoto's minor league camp)
So I wouldn't be surprised if Harvey follows Dopirak to the Blue Jays organization, even if it means he has to go back to the Florida State League again (where he would play for his hometown team) in 2009, although the Jays would probably agree to give him a shot in AA first.
Harvey's release is definitely not a surprise. He will be a minor league free-agent after this season, and was just not progressing fast enough to think that he would be a candidate to get added to the Cubs 40-man roster post-2009. So cutting him now is probably just the best thing for everybody, especially for Harve. .
Harvey was a combination RF-RHP in HS, and I had thought (and have written here at TCR) that he might be converted to pitcher at some point with the Cubs when he continually struggled as a hitter, but while the Cubs have converted more than a dozen postion players to pitcher over the past couple of years (and no organization converts position players to pitcher to the extent that the Cubs do), they never do it unless the player agrees to the move. So I think it's pretty likely that the Cubs asked Harvey to consider a move to pitcher, but he declined.
0-7 with 3K soriano vs chapman brought on to pinch hit with 2 on, 2 out, in the 9th.
make that 0-8 with 4K...cubs lose by 3.
...not like there was much better options, fwiw. meh.
Return of CRUNCH!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jGpauNUaWY
c.granderson (NYY) broken left pinky after HBP...unbelievable.
no hitter gone after 8.1
a.sanchez (
CHCDET) no hitter through 7scott feldman 2r HR (1st career)
...cubs pitchers are rather awesome hitters this season. a few doubles, a couple homers...15 rbis for cubs pitchers.
cubs up 3-0, top 2nd.
Phil,
Will you give us a scouting report on the young Latino pitchers at Fitch. Do any of them impress? Thanks.
Hot Sheet Chat:
What is Jorge Soler's upside and or MLB comp? Thanks
Jim Shonerd: Scouts do worry about his swing mechanics a bit, but overall he’s got plenty of power and blends it with a feel for hitting. His offense was in a bit of funk after he got back from his suspension, but now he’s hitting .324 in May and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him end the year in Double-A.
Soler and Baez at #11 & 12 on Baseball America's weekly hot sheet.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/prospect-hot...
Give jd a few years and put one of his kids in the Cubs system, then compare them.
Soriano's lack of awareness carries on past the diamond....
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/24/alfonso-soriano-is-tired-of...
says he's tired of losing, doesn't want to be on a team with a bad record
yet is still on team with bad record after not wanting to be traded to Giants last year
a bit hard to hear...and a heavy on "bad" language (and humor)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16Q8xga6P_0
Black Like Me By Mark Grace
http://deadspin.com/old-scouting-report-on-mark-gr...
a little less than 2 weeks til the draft...
M.Appel - 98.1ip 77h 21bb 121k - 2.20era
J.Gray - 110ip 69h 21bb 127k - 1.55era
K.Bryant - 203ab 69h 12db 30hr 60bb 38k 7/11sb - .340/.504 avg/ob% (9 errors/55 games playing 3rd)
Glad the love wasn't directed toward Gracie. Slumpbuster or jail bait.