C. J. Edwards Faces Diamondbacks at Riverview Park
The AZL Diamondbacks took advantage of four walks (including three bases-loaded walks that forced-in three runs) to plate seven runs in the 5th inning, and cruised to a 12-6 victory over the AZL Cubs Monday night at Cubs Park at Riverview Park in Mesa, AZ.
Gleyber Torres grounded out to end the game, but before that he reached base four consecutive times (single, walk, RBI single, and RBI triple) on the heels of last night's game at Salt River Fields when he reached base all six times he batted (two singles, two doubles, and two walks), for a total of ten consecutive Plate Appearances over the two games without being retired.
2014 13th round draft pick Kevonte Mitchell (Kennett HS - Kennett, MO) continued his hot hitting, lacing three singles, while also stealing a base, scoring two runs, and collecting an RBI. He also made a fine running catch in CF. Torres, Mitchell, and Eloy Jimenez (who walked twice) are easily the top three position player prospects on the AZL Cubs right now (no others even close).
Cubs top pitching prospect RHP C. J. Edwards (Tennessee 7-day DL - right shoulder inflamation) got the start for the Cubs (his second AZL rehab start) and worked 3.2 IP (62 pitches - 35 strikes), allowing one run on one hit and three walks with six strikeouts (four swinging and two looking) and a 4/1 GO/FO.
Edwards threw 40 fastballs, ten curves, eight change-ups, and four sliders among his 62 pitches, working his fastball at 91-94 MPH throughout the game. He also touched 97 once and 96 twice in the top of the 1st inning, getting lead-off hitter Isan Diaz to bounce-out 5-3 on a broken-bat chopper on a 97 MPH heater for the first out of the game, before blowing two 96 MPH fasballs past Cliff Pennington (rehabbing in the AZL) to end the top of the 1st, as the veteran MLB infielder struck out swinging.
After the 1-2-3 1st inning (5-3, K, K), Edwards allowed his lone run in the top of the 2nd, walking the lead-off hitter on a 3-2 pitch and the third hitter on a 3-1 pitch, before Stewart James grounded an RBI single to right on a 2-0 pitch. Edwards then struck out the next two men on six pitches (both "strike three" pitches swinging on curve balls) to retire the side and strand the D'back runners at 1st & 3rd.
Edwards had an easy 1-2-3 eight-pitch 3rd inning (K, 1-3, 1-3), and he easliy retired the first two men he faced in the top of the 4th (K, 6-3) and went 0-2 on the third hitter, before throwing four balls in a row out of the strike zone for his third walk of the game. At that point he was relieved.
Edwards had good velocity and kept it throughout his outing, and he was able to throw four different pitches for strikes, although he did struggle a bit to command his "hot" fastball (he threw only 55% of his fastballs for strikes).
5'8 LHRP Alberto Diaz had a nightmare outing (one of the ugliest I've seen out here in a while), entering the game with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the 5th, and then walking the first three men he faced on 13 pitches, followed by a two-run single, before finally getting final out of the inning, He walked the first man he faced in the top of the 6th on four pitches before hitting the next batter (Henry Castillo) on the knee (had to be carried off the field), and then he was mercifully relieved.
2014 12th round drat pick RHP Tanner Griggs (Angelina JC) followed Diaz and had a poor outing, too, allowing four runs on six hits (five singles and a double) and two walks (plus a WP) in 2.1 IP.
LHP Andin Diaz (the "other" A. Diaz) finished the game for the Cubs and had a typical (impressive) outing, firing mid-90's gas and a mid-80's slider and striking out two (both swinging) in 1.2 IP, but by then it was just too late to make a diifference.
It was a very long game (thanks to all the walks), and AZL Cubs manager Jimmy Gonzalez got tossed in the top of the 9th for arguing balls & strikes (he felt Cubs pitchers had been getting "squeezed" all night long, and he wasn't going to take it anymore!), and he did a pretty good Lou Piniella impression, too, by getting his "money's worth" after he was tossed (going fully-animated jaw-to-jaw in home plate umpire Mike Carroll's face, and then drop-kicking his cap as he trudged off the field).
Recent comments
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crunch 5 hours 58 min ago (view)
"MLB will hold its first-ever pre-draft combine from June 20-28 in Cary, North Carolina.
The combine will take place at the USA Baseball National Training Complex, with top draft-eligible college and high school players invited. As part of the combine, the top-88 prep players will take part in a tournament through June 26th consisting of eight games."
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crunch 7 hours 22 min ago (view)
cactus league officials are requesting MLB delay spring training because of elevated COVID cases + deaths.
their summer peak was 70-80 deaths a week and they're currently at 140-160 deaths a week.
things should be trending down now that most of people that wanted to kill relatives in order to have turkey dinners in NOV/DEC seems to have peaked.
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Hagsag 1 day 4 hours ago (view)
$$$$ for trump's defense fund.
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Dolorous Jon Lester 1 day 4 hours ago (view)
But they got $600 a few months back. Each! That was an unexpected windfall.
Can't wait to see us acquire a 17 year old, 16 year old, 11 year old (all in the 15-30 range of Blue Jays prospects) and one of the shitty Jays surplus OFs. Randal Grichuk jerseys will be the new hot item among Cubs fans.
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crunch 1 day 5 hours ago (view)
things are a little tight, we have to be patient with the ricketts family finances.
when TD Ameritrade was fully/completely sold in october they expected to get 26 billion dollars of value on the transaction, but it only got 22 billion dollars. the massive slew of millions that didn't fully come to realization on the ricketts side of that sale stings.
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Dolorous Jon Lester 1 day 5 hours ago (view)
Trade Hendricks? Cant be true. We're "going to be competitive this year."
Sell the team, Ricketts family.
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crunch 1 day 5 hours ago (view)
"Scott Mitchell of TSN reports that the Blue Jays have discussed a potential trade with the Cubs involving Kris Bryant and Kyle Hendricks.
Mitchell was responding to a question on Twitter asking whether there was any truth to the rumor that the Jays had talked with the Cubs about a deal for both players, and he answered in the affirmative."
this timeline sucks.
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bradsbeard 2 days 9 hours ago (view)
International Scouting Director Louie Eljaua was just on The Score and he mentioned that COVID is causing issues with completing physicals and officially signing guys, but he said they have 24 guys unufficially signed right now.
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KingKongvsGodzilla 2 days 11 hours ago (view)
These guys are a year apart in age and Miller's easily had the stronger career to date. While I'm not big on Miller, much prefer his more standard injury (TJ) than whatever it is that sapped Foltynewicz's velocity. Folty without velocity just isn't interesting and is likely a much bigger injury risk
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Cubster 2 days 11 hours ago (view)
from an mlb.com article by Jordan Bastian...excerpt on Cubs free agent starting pitching options:
"Still, the Cubs need some more experienced Major League innings.
Given the way the offseason has played out for the North Siders, free-agent possibilities could include Chris Archer. Archer missed all of 2020 due to thoracic outlet syndrome, but he hopes to be ready to go by Spring Training. Free agents Mike Foltynewicz, Carlos Rodón, Rick Porcello and Trevor Williams are coming off forgettable '20 seasons but might benefit from the Cubs' analytics team.
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Charlie 3 days 4 hours ago (view)
At this rate, they will need 11 starters in 2021 but like 6 of them will be more or less Alec Mills. The defense will get plenty of practice, at least.
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crunch 3 days 8 hours ago (view)
i wouldn't be surprised to see jake arrieta come on board since no one else seems to want him and he'll probably have to take a 1yr deal...
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crunch 3 days 8 hours ago (view)
cubs get their backup catcher...hopefully not their main catcher...
austin romine 1yr/1.5m
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Dolorous Jon Lester 3 days 8 hours ago (view)
Look no further than Shelby Miller!
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crunch 3 days 10 hours ago (view)
hank aaron has died. passed away in his sleep.
we've lost a lot of HOF'rs and other notables in the past many months.
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Hagsag 3 days 14 hours ago (view)
The Cubs are now the "Little Sisters of the Poor".
Comments
Thanks PHIL!
E-MAN: It looks like C. J.
E-MAN: It looks like C. J. Edwards has put on some weight, but he's still tall & lanky and probably always will be. I really don't think being Satchel Paige or Oil Can Boyd Redux would necessarily be the worst thing. Some of the best Marathon runners in the world have that body type, and they don't have stamina issues. I'm more concerned about the shoulder inflamation, but it looks like that problem has been resolved (at least for now).
Gleyber Torres is a magician with the glove. He has a plus-arm, soft hands, and good footwork turning the DP. Sometimes he gets a bit cocky and tries to show-off or do too much and that results in an error, but it's not for lack of tools.
I have never seen Torres play any position other than SS (even in infield drills), and I doubt that the Cubs will move him to another position. He's the "real deal" at SS. I would be surprised if he doesn't start the 2015 season at Kane County.
BTW, Torres is another in the long-line of shortstops from Venezuela going back to Chico Carrasquel and Luis Aparicio in the 1950's, then Dave Concepcion and Ozzie Guillen in later years. it's always interesting to see if the Venezuelan kid SS is an Aparicio/Guillen guy (wears #11) or a Concepcion guy (wears #13). Torres wears #13.
Given his age and who he was
WISCGRAD: Yes. That's true.
WISCGRAD: Yes. That's true. Concepcion was WAY before his time, but he certainly would know about Vizquel.
Phil, will you compare Torres
HAGSAG: Gleyber Torres is a
HAGSAG: Gleyber Torres is a better pure hitter and has better hands & footwork at SS. Carlos Penalver is faster and a bit more polished. Torres definitely has the higher upside. In fact, I would rate Torres among the Cubs Top 10 Prospects right now (probably #10, right behind Schwarber and Vogelbach).
It's hard to believe that Torres just turned 17 in December.
Az Phil, in your opinion:
While Starlin Castro can
While Starlin Castro can certainly play SS, he is a better 2B. Ryne Sandberg and Franklin Font worked extensively with Castro at post-2008 Instructs at Fitch Park (Field #5) and both said at the time that Castro's best position is 2B... not that he can't play SS (he can), just that his best position is 2B.
I saw Castro play SS, 2B, and 3B at EXST, AZL Cubs, and AZ Instructs in 2008 (Castro, Junior Lake, Gian Guzman, and Marwin Gonzalez were all competing for playing time, so they were moved around a lot), and based upon what I saw of him at that time, I would agree that Castro's best position is indeed 2B, next-best is SS, then 3B (he has a decent arm & range but he doesn't have the instant one-step nervous-quickness you look for in a third-baseman). You may remember I also said at the time that Junior Lake should be moved to the OF, which did happen (eventually).
As for Javy Baez, he is not a better SS than Castro. They are about equal, except Baez is more alert and wants to be the "field captain." Baez also REALLY wants to play SS (I doubt that Castro cares one way or the other, as long as he isn't moved to 2B during the season), and if it is a matter of what Javy wants and what he doesn't want, it is just better for everybody to let him play where he wants to play (if you want to get the best out of him offensively), especially if Castro is not a better SS than Baez (he isn't, they are about equal) and doesn't care if he is moved to 2B.
However, I have seen Addison Russell at both post-2012 Instructs and post-2013 AFL, and he is a better SS than either Castro or Baez. I think it would be easier to convince Baez to move off SS to make room for Addison Russell than it would be to move just because Castro is currently the Cubs starting SS.
Like Castro, Baez would probably profile next-best as a 2B, and then 3B (even though he played 3B his junior year in HS), but Castro is actually a VERY good 2B (Baez is not), and so if yiu want the best infield defense you can get, play Russell at SS, Castro at 2B, and Baez at 3B, with the hope that Baez will recognize that Russell really is the best SS of the three, and that it actually probably doesn't matter that much what with all of the infield shifting that is used these days (where infielders move all over the diamond from AB to AB). It might even be better to move Baez to LF rather than 3B, as long as Kris Bryant can handle 3B (jury is still out on that).
Along with that, if Baez, Russell, Castro, and Rizzo are the future infield, then Bryant would be a corner OF (probably LF, since Jorge Soler is a natural RF, and LF is really just deep 3B). That leaves Arismendy Alcantara in CF, or (once Albert Almora arrives) eventually as a multi-positional "super-sub" who plays every day but just not the same position every day. And then Kyle Schwarber would remain as a catcher.
Ideally all of the players would be able to play multiple positions.
Again, this all presumes the Cubs will fill all positions internally and not trade any of their position player prospects for pitching, and that all of the prospects will develop into everyday MLB players (which is actually not as unlikely as some might believe), and that the DH is not implemented in the N. L. in the next CBA (2017).
I think the Cubs would probably be best served by signing at least one free-agent TOR starting pitcher (like Lester or Scherzer), even if they have to overspend and/or forfeit a draft pick to do so, rather than trade position-player prospects for one (like David Price). They could do this as soon as the next off-season (depending on who is available and if they can convince the guy to sign). I would be a bit reticent to sign a rotation starter like Edwin Jackson, though. Non-TOR starting pitchers (like Jackson, Maholm, Feldman, Hammel et al) should be signed to "club friendly" deals only.
The bullpen should be developed in-house annually (as it was this season, once they got rid of Veras), and back-up bench guys should be of the Valbuena, Coghlan, Ruggiano type ("good soldiers" who can hit off the bench and fill-in as needed, and who can be easily traded, released, or non-tendered it they cease to be useful).
What a plan. I love it. Ice
Thanks, Phil.....couldn't
I would be a bit reticent to
It was just one game, but I
Sad Edwin
How good a friend?
Phil, you indeed hit the nail
Mr Lake: you have 4 days to
For the record I think Lake
Lake has played himself out.
Exactly. But wtf with an
n.ramirez's demotion has been
Weird.
ejax 26 pitches in the 1st
Something makes me feel
/probably the scotch talking
103 pitches through 3.2!?
With EJax, we may be
I think the front office is
Starting Pitchers + Free
TIE GAME!
Bryant with a HR.
Someone please explain why,
Apparently mere mortals will
Damn. I was afraid it was
Honestly who knows. But I
Yikes -- Rosscup comes into
that's the * on his career in
You've always had your eye on
Coming into tonight's game,
speaking of suck...with
And yet Olt, with that power,
The only thing comparable I
Cubs 2013 7th round draft
Cubs 2013 7th round draft pick RHRP Scott Frazier made his first game appearance in over five weeks tonight for the AZL Cubs at Riverview Park, and it was not good:
0.1 IP, 0 H, 5 R (1 ER), 5 BB, 1 K, 32 pitches (10 strikes)
Frazier walked the first three men he faced on 13 pitches (the one strike among the 13 was a foul pop up behind home plate that was dropped by catcher Alberto Mineo for an E-2, which is why four of the five runs were unearned).
After walking the bases loaded, Frazier struck out the #4 hitter (swinging) on a 2-2 pitch, but then he walked the next two batters to force-in two runs and was removed from the game.
Frazier was consistently throwing 96-97 MPH fastballs and was absolutely unhittable, but he just could not throw very many of the heaters over the plate. He tried dialing down the fastball into the low 90's a couple of times but that didn't work, and he threw an occasional breaking ball, but they just bounced in front of the plate.
Frazier has been battling Steve Blass Disease since Minor League Camp, but he has been unable to get himself squared away.
John Baker with the win.
per Tribune:
Shark's line from last night:
Hammell got rocked for 6 in
Hammel got rocked for 6 in the first vs. Astros today
4 starts, 9.53era 2.12whip
I missed this a couple of
Yeah....after his 5- start
Masterson to Cardinals for OF
Masterson to Cardinals for OF James Ramsey
every single contender in on
every single contender in on Lester apparently
Cubs acquire RHP Jonathan
Cubs acquire RHP Jonathan Martinez from Dodgers as PTBNL for Barney
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/play...
article on Martinez
article on Martinez
http://www.mlive.com/loons/index.ssf/2014/04/...
That seems like a pretty nice
he seems to be breathing, so
he seems to be breathing, so yes.
Hahahaha.... yeah, I meant
Well said ha!
Five teams on Boni
Please God!
No Boni in the lineup tonite
Jon Heyman says it's the
Felix Dubront, lefty pitcher,
For what/who?
For a PTBNL
Felix Doubront is out of
Felix Doubront is out of minor league options, he can elect free-agency if outrighted (he has accrued 3+ years of MLB Service Time), and he will be first-time arbitration-eligible post-2014, so he would be a possible 12/2 non-tender candidate (with the Cubs then hoping to re-sign him to a non-guaranteed 2015 minor league contract with an NRI to Spring Training).
Because Doubront was acquired in a trade, the Cubs must add him to their MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) immediately, but the Cubs do not have to add him to their MLB Active List (25-man roster) until he actually reports to the club. (He has 72 hours before he must to report).
The PTBNL is supposedly to be named after the conclusion of the December 2014 Rule 5 Draft, which probably means the Red Sox can select any Cubs minor league player who was eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft who was not selected, or cash (typically $50,000).
Sounds like Bosio has his
12 inch softball in Northern
Barney headed to AAA
Olt 1/1 with an RBI double,
Iowa Cubs would smoke Chicago
Cubbery's old crazy uncle in
Happen, something.
VALBUENA!
Wesley Wright. Why?
Nobody else available? Long
love the pickup of Doubrount,
love the pickup of Doubrount, can dominate when he's on
He's got really good stuff.
Mike Olt playing every day.
It would be a mistake to
Hmmm..maybe they need to sit
Haha, exactly. Btw wasn't
Alex Speier out of Boston
Good news for the Cubs.
boni to SF was highly hinted
Giants haven't released Uggla
Hopefully the Cubs can get a
Hopefully the Cubs can get a power-reliever prospect from SF for Bonifacio (presuming he goes to the Giants), like Steven Okert, Ray Black, Cody Hall, or Stephen Johnson.
The Cubs play the Giants and Angels more than any other organization out here, and so I've seen all four of them pitch a few times over the past couple of years, and I like all of them (especially Okert).
Ex-Cub Sam Fuld goes from
taht's a pretty decent pick
Twitter saying that John
Lackey...for Allen Craig and
"Lackey will make just $500
good luck with the Cardinals
Pfft...he was fine collecting
i really hope sureouts finds
Chris Denorfia just traded
no boni in the lineup again?
Rumours of Boni and Russell
Price going to Tigers in 3
Whoah rare Yankees/Bosox deal
First since 1997 according to
And a deal to Orioles. That's
Russel saying goodbyes in
Does this increase the
Or Olt comes back up to play
That is also reasonable, but
Logan Watkins will probably
Logan Watkins will probably get called up because he basically does what Bonifacio does (2B-SS-LF-CF), although not as well. Chris Valaika (who can play SS-3B-2B-1B) is another possiblity. Or maybe both of them will called up and they will go with 12 pitchers.
Any guess on who (if any)
BOB R: If I had to guess, I
BOB R: If I had to guess, I would say INF Chris Valaika will get called up from Iowa (although he will likely be be dropped from the 40 as soon as the season is over) and RHRP Kyuji Fujikawa will be reinstated from the 60-day DL (his 30-day minor league rehab assignment expires on 8/5). The Cubs will probably decline Fuji's 2015 club option after the World Series, though.
Do you guess Valaika or
Supposedly a minor league
Supposedly a minor league catcher , so it's probably Victor Caratini
Where did you hear it was a
Peter Gammons says it is
Peter Gammons says it is Victor Caratini... Switch-hitter... ATL 2nd round pick in 2013 draft out of Miami-Dade JC... attended Puerto Rico Baseball Academy... plus arm... Converted from 3B to catcher at Instructs post-2013... was rated Braves #8 prospect by Baseball America going into 2014 season... ...
279/352/406 in A-ball right
Caratini bio link
Caratini bio
link
Nice trade to braves. I am
I am not sure what you gain
You're just showing off
It doesn't matter how you