A VogelBomb, a VogelTrip, and Two VogelSongs Rx for Cub Victory at HoHoKam

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 1:00am

Dan Vogelbach homered, tripled, and singled twice, drove-in three runs, and scored two more, leading the AZL Cubs to a come-from-behind 9-7 victory over the AZL Athletics in Arizona League action this evening at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, AZ.  


box score


After hitting just 189/306/379 in 26 Extended Spring Training games (111 PA), Vogelbach has been on fire in AZL play, ripping a league-leading seven doubles and hitting a robust 471/514/824 through his first eight AZL games.


Although he has been an AZL "double machine"so far, Vogelbach had not hit a HR going into tonight's game. But he made up for it by blasting a 420+ foot HR to the right of the light-standard in right-centerfield in the bottom of the 5th.


And watching Vogelbach tear around the bases on his opposite-field RBI triple smoked into the left-centerfield gap in the bottom of the 6th reminded me of a man carrying a briefcase and an umbrella trying to catch a bus that's pulling away from the stop.


Vogelbach was really messed-up for most of Extended Spring Training (both at the plate and in the field--he committed a whopping ten errors at 1st base), and that's why he was left behind in Mesa, (Extended Spring Training is approximately equivalent to Boise, while the AZL is considered to be the next click below). And Vogelbach's frustration was clearly evident as EXST was coming to a close, too, as he was slamming his bat into the ground harder & harder with each out (and doing a fairly decent impression of somebody with Tourette's Syndrome) as he probably realized he wasn't going to Boise.


But he finally began to show some life in the intrasquad games played at Fitch Park between the close of Extended Spring Training and the start of the AZL, and it has carried over into league play. He is playing with a lot of confidence right now, and opposing teams are pitching him very carefully (albeit to no avail). This is the Dan Vogelbach I saw at Fitch Park last year.    


INF Tim Saunders (Cubs 2012 32nd round draft pick out of NCAA D-III champion Marietta College) pumped out two more hits in tonight's game, and is now hitting a league-leading .483. (Vogelbach is 2nd in the AZL in BA, and Trey Martin-moved up to Boise last week--is 5th).


Both Vogelbach and Saunders will probably get moved up to Boise sooner rather than later (Saunders might even score a ticket to Peoria), with Vogelbach and Rock Shoulders likely alternating between DH and 1B in Boise once Vogelbach gets there.


Although the Cub offense produced nine runs on 13 hits and six walks, none of the AZL Cubs pitchers who threw in the game tonight showed much.


RHP Ethan Elias got the start and allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in three innings of work, RHP Ryan Hartman had trouble throwing strikes (again), and when he did get the ball over the plate he got hammered (including back-to-back-to-back doubles at one point), and LHP Nathan Dorris (Cubs 2012 17th round draft pick out of Southern Illinois) had command issues (26 pitches - only 11 strikes) and was pulled after throwing just one inning.


2012 21st round pick RHP Steve "Percolator" Perakslis (U. of Maine) also struggled with his control in the 7th and 8th innings, walking two batters before getting himself together just in time to strike out the last two men he faced on six pitches.


And while closer Alvido Jimenez did get the save, it was only after he hit the first batter he faced (on an 0-2 pitch), followed by a 1st degree brain fart.


Up by three runs in the top of the 9th, Jimenez decided to try and pick the A's runner off 1st base, except 1st baseman Dan Vogelbach was playing well behind the runner and about eight steps off the bag, resulting in a two-base error as the ball sailed past the baserunner and 1st base coach and into the 1st base box seats. What makes the play especially stupid is that after Jimenez hit the batter, the Cubs bench, catcher Carlos Escobar, and 1st baseman Vogelbach all yelled at Jimenez (with Vogelbach crossing his arms for emphasis) to let him know that Vogelbach would not be holding the runner. But Jimenez threw to 1st anyway.  


Recently-signed 20-year old Cuban mega-defector Jorge Soler ($30M nine-year contract) is taking BP with the AZL Cubs, but he isn't quite ready for game action yet.

Tags: 
AZL Cubs
Dan Vogelbach
Tim Saunders

Comments

Submitted by Cubster  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 5:58am  
commentary from mlbtr (based on an article by Marc Tompkins from the Tampa Bay Times... mlbtr:
More likely, Tampa Bay will pursue an offensive weapon that adds power to the lineup, such as Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, who leads the big leagues with 15 home runs since May 15.
TBT:
But with no assurances, they have to look broader for ways to bolster their offense (Alfonso Soriano is already being rumored) then make decisions closer to the deadline.
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/...

Submitted by Rob G.  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 1:17pm  
so what, $45M and Soriano and Cubs possibly get Chirinos back in a deal, if Theo begs really hard, they can get Fuld and Chirinos?

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:03am  
Once again, the official scorer at the AZL Cubs game managed to screw-up the box score... Danny Lockhart replaced Carlos Penalver at 2nd base and ripped an RBI single in the bottom of the 6th. Penalver was 0-3 with two strikeouts and a 4-3 GIDP, and Lockhart was 1-2 with the RBI single and a 4-3 GO.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 11:51am  
Couple of good posts the last two days. Cubster's was interesting to me, particularly, and AZ - you are just being AZ. TCR has really good content. I hope Rob gets a chance to beef up the UI - not because I care, but I think it will get the site more hits from the outside world.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 12:20pm  
Carrie Muskat‏@CarrieMuskat ‪#Cubs‬ 3B Ian Stewart says on @IAN_STEWART_9 he's going to have surgery on wrist & will be sidelined 6-10 weeks. Likely done for the year.

Submitted by Cubster  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 12:48pm  
here's the link to the Ian Stewart tweets... http://twitter.com/#!/ian_stewart_9
Leaving soon to get it RT @MarykathrynT: @IAN_STEWART_9 surgery???!!! Did you already have it? Or in the process??? Surgery says anywhere from 6-10 weeks...u do the math RT @MarykathrynT: @IAN_STEWART_9 you really don't think you will play for the rest of the year? Looks like next spring training if the cubs bring me back RT @RiseAboveHate1: @IAN_STEWART_9 IAN WHEN ARE YOU COMING BACK I MISS SEEING NUMBER 9 AT WRIGLEY!

Submitted by Cubster  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 12:59pm  
I'll be interested in seeing if he's going back to the Cleveland Clinic for his surgery. I'll expect it to be an arthroscopic procedure for DWI (Dorsal Wrist Impingement) but recently there was some mention of calcifications near a nerve (carpal tunnel syndrome? which can be done endoscopically or through small incision surgery), so some specific information from the press would be helpful. The 6-10 week recovery makes sense for most of the diagnosis that have been discussed here.

Submitted by WISCGRAD  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 3:28pm  
I assume those other people are his family members. I can't imagine anyone else missing seeing his number at Wrigley this year.

Submitted by jacos  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 4:32pm  
"Looks like next spring training if the cubs bring me back" and crunch dedicates this song to Ian http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLBKOcUbHR0

Submitted by crunch  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 4:56pm  
remember that time i was right about ian stewart's crap swing? me, too. he'll probably be back next year to show if it's his wrist or not...like it was the knee last year. vitters and $2m-ish of i.stewart...if vitters is worth a damn and stewart actually heals enough to be offered a contract.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 1:11pm  
The Cubs have signed Frandy de la Rosa, the No. 19 international prospect for July 2, for $700,000. De la Rosa, a 16-year-old Dominican shortstop, is 6-foot-1, 180 pounds and has a smooth swing from both sides of the plate. He trained with Valentin Monero and played in the Dominican Prospect League. http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects...

Submitted by Rob G.  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 1:15pm  
also, not 16 :)

Submitted by Cubster  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 3:01pm  
The Cubs have signed Frandy de la Rosa, the No. 19 international prospect for July 2, for $700,000. ---- here is the full Ben Bader report:
19. Frandy de la Rosa, ss, Dominican Republic Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 180. B-T: B-R. De la Rosa is a 16-year-old who lives in Boca Chica, plays in the Dominican Prospect League and trains with Valentin Monero. Like many players at the bottom of the Top 20 and below, de la Rosa does a few things that scouts like but brings question marks. Scouts like his ability to handle the bat as a switch-hitter. He has a simple, short swing and quick hands at the plate and has shown he can barrel balls up, but he's more of a line-drive hitter than much of a power threat right now. His tools beyond the bat aren't as flashy. He's not quite an average runner and he doesn't have the range or arm for shortstop, though he's made strides with his arm and hands. Teams who like him see a potential offensive-oriented second baseman, but where he ends up playing in the field remains to be seen. The Cubs have been the team most prominently linked to de la Rosa, though the Astros and White Sox are also believed to have interest.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 1:46pm  
Internet rumors... Orioles interested in Paul Maholm. Pirates interested in Garza. No links to share. Questionable validity. But I thought I'd share any way.

Submitted by tim815  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 1:57pm  
are the Pirates interested in, yknow, trading some talent to get him?

Submitted by QuietMan  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 2:25pm  
Well at least the Pirates have some talent to give even if we're not talking Cole or Taillon. Heck of a lot more than what the Orioles could give when they wouldn't include Bundy or Machado.

Submitted by John Beasley  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 3:10pm  
I wonder if two all-star starting pitchers have ever been traded for a guy in A-ball. =)

Submitted by Cubster  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 2:34pm  
Lineup vs Bravos... Campy, Castro, Rizzo, Soriano, LaHair, Clevenger, Barney, Valbuena, Shark I think DeJesus must be nursing some injury as he was replaced in the 9th inning by Campana in yesterday's game, even though DeJesus was put into the game in the 8th as a defensive replacement for JBaker (DeJesus played CF in the 8th and RJohnson moved to RF for Baker; Mather played LF all game as Soriano got the day off). I haven't read anyone commenting on DeJesus status, he never batted so maybe he tweaked something on a catch (Jason Castro flied out to CF for the 2nd out).

Submitted by QuietMan  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 3:41pm  
ESPNChiCubs Doug Padilla DeJesus has a sore neck. Slept wrong. Out of lineup today. Could be back tomorrow. ---- I thought he hurt his arm on the throw back in yesterday. Guess not.

Submitted by Doug Dascenzo  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 10:31am  
Larry David knows why his neck is really sore...

Submitted by Charlie  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 2:28pm  
With Rizzo, LaHair, and Samardzija all starting and Campana potential getting a chance to run the bases, I deem this game worthy of our collective attention. Also, if LaHair doesn't get to participate in the HomeRun Derby, I'll be organizing the boycott.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 2:33pm  
Kemp doesn't even know who Tim McCarver is, I'm not sure he'd know this Bryan LaHair fella. Anyway, it's already been announced and it's Kemp, Beltran, Stanton and C. Gonzalez.

Submitted by Charlie  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 2:39pm  
Boo. I forgot each league only gets 4 participants. Guess I can't see LaHair getting the nod over any of those guys, though I will not be watching. #snoozefest

Submitted by crunch  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 5:11pm  
d-train announces his retirement after struggling in AAA (BAL) 30 years old...$41m made playing baseball (not counting endorsements and MLB properties cuts)...not bad.

Submitted by JulioZuleta  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:07pm  
Hey Phil, how does Soler look? Is he as physcially giant as we have been led to believe? Is he putting on a display in BP?

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 1:59am  
Mon, 07/02/2012 - 5:07pm — JulioZuleta Hey Phil, how does Soler look? Is he as physcially giant as we have been led to believe? Is he putting on a display in BP? ============================ JULIO Z: Soler is a big dude with plus-power (like maybe a young Carlos Lee?) and he puts on a show in BP (which is fine), but I want to watch him in game action so I can see how he approaches each AB (strike-zone recognition, pitch selection, etc), and to find out how he handles off-speed stuff and breaking balls.

Submitted by tim815  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 2:09pm  
Approach? Breaking balls? as fans of a real front office, we have to pay attention to those now? (grins)

Submitted by crunch  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:17pm  
thanks for the ATL-only cubs/atl feed MLB EI. chip caray quit caring long ago and joe "monotone depression" simpson can put his own team's fans asleep...nevermind the effect on outsiders. between the 2 of them you'll never hear so much dead air in your life.

Submitted by crunch  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:21pm  
rizzo needs to shape up that casual "laziness"...he almost got himself out on a single to CF by walking back to 1st after routinely passing the bag on a knock to the OF. it was nothing out of the ordinary, but a throw was offered back to 1st for a sweep tag he didn't see because he assumed it wouldn't happen...just walking back to 1st casually... he's taking too many things for granted at 1st on D, too...as pointed out yesterday. but hey, he got a hit. heh.

Submitted by Newport  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:46pm  
Back off. It's the Cubs Way v1.0

Submitted by jacos  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:41pm  
another castro nap edit tv shows dale and rizzo talking to castro with a touch of listash

Submitted by crunch  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:43pm  
SS-ATL feed showed swain talking to castro + rizzo during the break...not pissed or animated, but it was those 2 + him at the end of the dugout having an extended talk. rizzo was slow getting to the bag and he didn't stretch once he got there...castro + rizzo screwed that one up according to the replays. rizzo should have already been ready to receive the ball, though.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:48pm  
I didn't see it but it sounds like what you guys were talking about yesterday. Good for Sveum. I think he is ok and I like how he doesn't call Rizzo Riz.

Submitted by jacos  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:50pm  
happened last inning ob

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:53pm  
just logged in to MLB.tv jacos.

Submitted by jacos  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:56pm  
cool

Submitted by crunch  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:52pm  
i don't really understand the "casual" level of play he's showed so far...especially for a guy that busts it out of the batter's box. it's not like he's showboating or lazy (i hope), but when things keep piling up...meh. i mean hell, i can't remember the last time a guy hit a casual smack to the OF and while going back to 1st had a ball that was thrown to the cut-off-man who threw the ball again to 1st for a chance to get a guy out...it's not like he was caught 1/2 way to 2nd or something and scrambled back.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:46pm  
On TV, Campana's bat seems like it is going in slow motion. At the game he looked ok. Oh, wait. He was always trying to bunt his way on. Never mind. EDIT: You can't coach bat speed. Bummer.

Submitted by jacos  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:58pm  
rizzo bomb to left center me likey alot

Submitted by Rob G.  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 6:59pm  
RIZZO SMASH! puny baseball.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 7:48pm  
He needs to stretch more.

Submitted by jacos  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 7:00pm  
easy no effort swing on outside fast ball please stay good

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 7:49pm  
Brenly was funny - Anthony Rizzo just doesn't like it when the Cubs are behind.

Submitted by jacos  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 7:34pm  
Mike Mills in the booth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSwzYHCS-Cs

Submitted by Rob G.  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 7:56pm  
how do you not suicide or safety squeeze with Campana up?

Submitted by jacos  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 8:04pm  
Watching him slide into first like that makes me think that he misses his slip-n-slide in his back yard.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 8:06pm  
the slide lets folks know he plays hard...not necessarily well though. 11 K for Ninja through 6.1 IP and still going...nice.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 8:09pm  
Umm, because Campy is a bad hitter?

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 8:10pm  
better than Stewart's.

Submitted by crunch  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 8:16pm  
if he can take care of that whole "sucks at fielding" thing he'll be interesting.

Submitted by Cubster  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 8:36pm  
I'll be interested in seeing if he's going back to the Cleveland Clinic for his surgery. I'll expect it to be an arthroscopic procedure for DWI (Dorsal Wrist Impingement) but recently there was some mention of calcifications near a nerve (carpal tunnel syndrome? which can be done endoscopically or through small incision surgery), so some specific information from the press would be helpful. The 6-10 week recovery makes sense for most of the diagnosis that have been discussed here. ------------- Carrie Muskat answers my Stewart questions! Also this is the first time the press has formally mentioned Dr. Graham (other than me). Her blog post even mentions that Stewart had an old fracture in the wrist which has lead to the impingement. Apparently the surgery will include arthroscopy but when they say it will be done in two stages, it implies that there will be an open component to the procedure (after the arthroscopy), probably to remove the impinging bone (not sure exactly which carpal bone is the problem, remember there are 8 carpal bones) but it might not be completely accessible via the arthroscope, hence a second stage to the procedure. Stewart will come back with a multi-plane swing since the good Dr. Graham will fix the problem...not only that but Stewart will be able to play piano after the operation even though he's never been able to play piano before!
Ian Stewart will undergo surgery in the next week to 10 days on his left wrist and is likely done for the season. But the Cubs third baseman is relieved that doctors found something wrong. Stewart has been slowed by soreness in his wrist, and on June 18, saw a specialist, Dr. Thomas Graham, at the Cleveland Clinic, and received a cortisone shot. However, Stewart still had discomfort. A few years ago, Stewart had fractured a bone in his wrist, and Graham determined that another small bone was in contact with the larger one, and if removed, should alleviate the pain.
When could Stewart return? Doctors said it might not be until early or middle September. "You don't know if there's enough time [to play]," he said.
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?... http://muskat.mlblogs.com/2012/07/02/72-stewa...

Submitted by The E-Man  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 9:26pm  
Well - it will be interesting to see if the team will want to keep Stewart around considering there might be a useful player emerging. As of now, Tyler Colvin is doing this: .304 .331 .578 .909 It would seem as if the Rockies got the better of this trade.

Submitted by John Beasley  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 5:52am  
Barely. His road splits still suck. They currently win because their guy is healthy.

Submitted by Dusty Baylor  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 8:49am  
Well....healthy, and mashing the ball at home? Colvin's road #'s, while bad @ .273/.288/.416 are still better than Stewart's .201/.292/.335 this year. Stewart's #'s at home for his career are .237/.330/.413. So would you rather have a guy who is pretty mediocre at home, and on the road, or a guy who crushed the ball at home, and struggles on the road?

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:02am  
Where exactly was Colvin going to play?

Submitted by Dusty Baylor  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:11am  
That wasn't the point. Here? He'd probably get 2 weeks of starts, and if he struggled, benched for a month then sent to Iowa.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:45am  
I think that is the point. However valuable Colvin is he is less valuable to the Cubs since they don't have a place for him to play. Thus, you can certainly question if we got enough in return for trading him (and maybe that is all you are doing), but I don't think you can question why he was traded.

Submitted by Dusty Baylor  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 10:17am  
Sure we can. As fans, we can question pretty much...anything? Why not trade him for a player that is useful in some way?

Submitted by Charlie  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 10:20am  
Um. Right field? Center? Byrd was horrible which would've left Reed Johnson and Tony Campana as his competition for playing time. We all know LaHair shouldn't be in RF. I would've been okay if the Cubs had LaHair in LF, DeJesus in CF and Colvin in RF by the All-Star break. Of course, the Cubs still wouldn't have had a third baseman then. It's not my favorite trade, but I can see why the regime did it. I definitely thought they sold low on Colvin, but somebody had to play 3B I guess, and Stewart seemed like a possible bounce-back guy (maybe after the surgery, though I have to wonder if they'll pursue somebody else for 3B next year or give Vitters a shot--he's only really had one bad month in AAA so far this year).

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 8:28pm  
And Barney to live up to his reputation around here. Yes. I do watch the occasional game. Let's just enjoy this kid, K?

Submitted by GDex  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 9:01pm  
He did the splits on a close play on Sunday, but I haven't been able to find a picture of it. Here's a couple of others: http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Anthony+Rizzo/Lo... http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Anthony+Rizzo/Sa... And here are a couple of him being "casual" on the base paths: http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Anthony+Rizzo/Sa... http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Anthony+Rizzo/Wa... And one of him signing autographs -- he's been ripped on for not doing that, too. http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Anthony+Rizzo/Sa... The kid's been up a week and people are whining already. Unbelievable.

Submitted by Ryno  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 11:04am  
Face it, he sucks.

Submitted by Ryno  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 11:09am  
Joke, of course. I'm reserving judgement until we have an ample sample size and see some defensive plays. I'm also interested in how well he can scoop balls that Castro throws in the dirt.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 11:29am  
so you obviously didnt see last night's highlights. At least three very good "defensive plays" and one serious stretch that would be graded "excellent", I know, small sample size, yada yada...

Submitted by Ryno  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 12:22pm  
I'm reserving judgement until we have an ample sample size
so you obviously didnt see last night's highlights.
Hah!

Submitted by Cubster  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 8:48pm  
4 in a row...can they run the table and make history? More Blue Kool-Aid http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/222000...

Submitted by Rob G.  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 8:50pm  
4 in a row and 6 of 7 and still the worst record in the league.

Submitted by tem99  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 9:01pm  
5-1 post rizzo. Now only 13.5 back. They'll make this up by mid August at this rate.

Submitted by John Beasley  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 6:16am  
Run differential during 6-1 streak: +1

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 6:41am  
Run differential during 6-1 streak: +1 --- which is mostly affected by the one loss (17-1) so factor in the -16 from that, making the 6 wins differential +17

Submitted by Ryno  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 8:14am  
You can't throw that out simply because it is an outlier.

Submitted by Dusty Baylor  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 8:50am  
No, but you can look at that one horrible game as throwing off the way the team has played during this streak.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 9:22pm  
And in the "Foot in Mouth" category on the minutiae of "Not Stretching Enough" by Billybucks: Re: We Could Use a Hero Why does Rizzo catch throws so close to his body instead of stretching out a bit? I was at the game, and noticed this early in the game. The infield hit in the 8th should have been a routine out, but Rizzo waited for the ball to get to him before catching it... I don't know, but it seems like he figured it out on a couple terrific plays tonight. And, a nice scoop to dig out a ball on a great Barney play.

Submitted by crunch  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 9:34pm  
effort is an extremely easy fix.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 9:44pm  
Yes. And it is your estimable stance that he has "lack of effort" b/c he doesn't stretch out enough? Has this cost them any base-runners or an E-3? Has this even been mentioned in any scouting reports you have read? I cannot notice a lack of effort as you claim.

Submitted by crunch  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 9:54pm  
did you miss him almost get thrown out at 1st earlier in the game walking back to 2nd assuming a throw wouldn't be made if it was going to hit the middle IF cutoff first? he was late getting to 1st on castro's fielding "thing" later in the game...there was that catch(es) yesterday. to me it seems like he's taking things for granted more-so than being lazy. he's not afraid of the ball and he busts ass out of the batter's box.

Submitted by Dusty Baylor  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 11:13pm  
Hey here's an idea...let;s give Rizzo a month before we start nitpicking about his game. Rookies make mistakes. He's hitting and fielding pretty well in a super small sample size. Lots more to worry about with the 2012 Cubs

Submitted by crunch  on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 11:34pm  
it's only "news" because it's become a subject of conversation the past few days...and not just on TCR. it's nothing major...the only thing to "fix" is to not be so casual.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 7:00am  
tidbits from the sun times... http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/... on Stewart: Speculation of a carpal bone compression fracture dating back to 2006 injury. In 2006 he was 21 in AA Tulsa and had 462 AB and 120 games (so I'm not sure how to sort that out based on performance)
injured left wrist that has bothered him for a year — and might go back to a compression fracture he suffered in 2006.
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profil... --------- and this tidbit is for Crunch:
Whether he returns as the Opening Day third baseman next season involves more than the health of the wrist. ‘‘He’s got all the ability to do it,’’ manager Dale Sveum said. ‘‘But I’d like to see some adjustments in the swing. Whether it was the hand or not, there still needs to be some adjustments.’’
-------- and finally, Rizzo history:
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, first baseman Anthony Rizzo is the first player with three game-winning RBI in his first five games as a Cub.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 7:10am  
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/... one more Wittenmeyer article. some interesting info on the Uggla play involving Castro, Rizzo and Sveum also featuring the anniversary of the final Zambrano meltdown in Atlanta last year

Submitted by VirginiaPhil  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:40am  
With two-for-four last night, Vitters nudged his BA above .300. His slash line is .301/.352/.514 (.866) compared to a career line of .281/.324/.451 (.775). He should exceed his career highs in doubles (28, currently 22), home runs (18, currently 13), walks (22, currently 19) and strikeouts (65, currently 46).

Submitted by Charlie  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 10:25am  
I've been holding out hope for Vitters for a while. He is 22 and has been pretty good at Iowa so far, except in the month of April. If the defense isn't too bad and his plate discipline isn't too bad, he might be a useful player and in the picture for 3B in 2013 (or the second half of 2012--though maybe, given Vitters's track record, they out to just let him settle into a period of success for a little while).

Submitted by Jumbo  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 11:28am  
I've probably posted this before, but Vitters is in an elite class of minor leaguers when it comes to his age relative to competition. I can link the Fangraphs chart later, but the elite prospects are in the youngest 2% or so of players in their league. Vitters has followed this trajectory throughout his minor league career, with a couple exceptions. Many scout types give as much credence to age relative to competition as anything when determine how legitimate a prospect is, and this gives me continued hope for Vitters going forward. Not saying he's the second coming, but I think he can be a very good big league player.

Submitted by Tito  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 11:44am  
I don't know how Wrongway keeps his job. Said on Twitter that LaHair was one of the NL's "best hitters in April and May." And this was in a post that was using his stats to support his inclusion on the All-Star team. May: .253 AVG .792 OPS 5 HR 8 RBI "one of the best"

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 12:22pm  
heard on XM this am that Joey Votto has a knee injury that might keep him out of the ASG. Miguel Cairo played 1B for the Reds last night. Meet Bryan LaHair, starting NL first baseman, 2012 ASG.
Reds general manager Walt Jocketty acknowleged Monday that Joey Votto (knee) could miss the All-Star Game.
quote from rotoworld. http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/1127/joey...

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 1:20pm  
from that same rotoworld blurb... Losing Votto would be a tough blow for the National League, who may be forced to start Bryan LaHair at first base. ouch.

Submitted by Ryno  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 1:34pm  
Haha... to be fair, Lahair is decent, but there's a big difference between Joey Votto and Brian LaHair.

Submitted by Eric S  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 1:37pm  
Does Jeff Baker get to come along to the ASG as a caddy-player in case the AL starts a lefty?

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 2:08pm  
Hahaha, yes!

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 12:27pm  
Coleman to Iowa for Volstad official per Muskat and Padilla/ESPN.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 2:41pm  
Exchanging one soiled Tampon for a fresh one?

Submitted by Jumbo  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 6:49pm  
Which is the fresh one, exactly, in this metaphor?

Submitted by Ryno  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 8:08pm  
Honestly, I had no problem with the 'mop' metaphor. This one kind of grosses me out.

Submitted by Jumbo  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 8:56pm  
I guess both seem "used" to me at this point

Submitted by kaluk8  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 1:15pm  
Hey Phil, on the AZL Cubs, what's Vogelbach looking like these days? Has he dropped some lbs since the draft? Can you wager a waist size guess without feeling weird about the fact that he's a 19 year old?

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 2:16am  
Tue, 07/03/2012 - 12:15pm — kaluk8 Hey Phil, on the AZL Cubs, what's Vogelbach looking like these days? Has he dropped some lbs since the draft? Can you wager a waist size guess without feeling weird about the fact that he's a 19 year old? ================================= KALUK8: I've had the good fortune to be able to watch Dan Vogelbach a lot throughout his short pro career (AZL Cubs and AZ Instructs last season, and Minor League Camp, EXST, and AZL Cubs this year), and the way he's hitting right now is the way he was hitting for the AZL Cubs last August right after he signed. He's looking for a good pitch to hit, he's not afraid to go deep into the count, and he's driving the ball to all fields with authority. He has not lost any weight that I can see, but being out of shape was not his problem earlier this year at Minor League Camp and Extended Spring Training. He was (and is) in shape (for him), but he was very anxious at the plate at EXST, swinging at anything and everything, and trying to pull everything, and then he seemed to take his offensive struggles out to the field with him (he committed ten errors--and all different kinds of errors--at EXST). But you can really see the difference in his confidence right now. He's an engaging loud mouth on the field (I swear, he must be John Kruk's long lost son), and he is just chomping at the bit to get to the plate, especially with men on base. If the Cubs promote Justin Bour to Iowa, Rebel Ridling back to AA, and Paul Hoilman to Daytona in the next couple of weeks (which I think might happen), I would not be at all surprised if Vogelbach gets skipped over Boise and goes directly to Peoria. He's hitting that good right now. But he should at the very least be at Boise within the next few days, if not at Peoria. I think it would be great if the Cubs can somehow keep Javier Baez, Dan Vogelbach, Jeimer Candelario, Gioskar Amaya, Jorge Soler, and Albert Almora together on the same team as they move up the pipeline, like the Dodgers did in the 70's with Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, Ron Cey, Bill Buckner, Bobby Valentine, Tom Paciorek, Joe Ferguson, et al, or like the Braves of the early 90's (Chipper Jones, Javy Lopez, Ryan Klesko, Mike Kelly, Melvin Nieves, et al), or even the Cubs of the late 80's (Mark Grace, Dave Martinez, Rafael Palmeiro, Jerome Walton, Dwight Smith, Joe Girardi, et al). Win some championships in the minors, and then come to the big leagues as a confident group of winners who can't stomach losing. Now, how about some pitchers?

Submitted by kaluk8  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 10:07am  
Just an awesome report! Thanks Phil. A move to Peoria would be awesome, and from the sound of it, wouldn't be too hard of an assignment. And if he performs well there, that could put him on pace to maybe finish next year in AA. Wow, that could be a great timetable! But getting ahead, I can feel it....one game at a time :)

Submitted by kaluk8  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 10:09am  
Oh man, I meant finish next year in Daytona, not Tenn. Too excited....to excited...

Submitted by GDex  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 10:29am  
I swear, he must be John Kruk's long lost son... -------------------- Maybe Kruk stayed behind in Ft Meyers after a spring training game against the Twins or Red Sox. Vogelbach's birthday's in December, so the timing's right. :-)

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 2:14pm  
Chip caray on radio sounding more idiotic then usual , doesnt like "metrics" and "numbers" using Lou quote for support.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 3:54pm  
as a native NC'r i gotta rep A.Griffith or i'll get thrown out of the state (dems the rules)... so like...go see No Time For Sergeants or enjoy some of his old standup comedy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNxLxTZHKM8

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 4:39pm  
Goober too

Submitted by dc60124  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 6:03pm  
a face in the crowd. good movie. rip andy...

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 4:45pm  
it took almost 3 days, but someone (unfortunately k.millar on Intentional Talk) finally brings up that "larussa's girlfriend" part of cueto's bash on larussa. i wonder why no one's touching that...millar/rose laughed it off and moved on. fwiw, larussa's been married for quite a while.

Submitted by Tito  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 4:57pm  
Just spitballing here, but maybe no one really thought Cueto was serious about that.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 5:28pm  
pretty much...i thought at least Deadspin would have some fun with it, though. they got a sold larussa-hating crew there.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 5:43pm  
soto sits again...cold. also, welly hasn't had much good luck (aside from a game or 2) since returning to AAA a couple of weeks ago.

Submitted by George Altman  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:54pm  
I'm sure Theo would love to trade Geo for something prior to 7/31 but I would think it impossible to move this guy who isn't even hitting his weight. Since you're probably going to non-tender him after the season, and Clevenger is more of your future, I'm not surprised to see Dale playing him more until he stops hitting (if he ever does).

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 6:16pm  
Cardinals Chris Carpenter out for the rest of 2012 with Thoracic outlet surgery. Bad year to be named CC. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120...
Surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome may involve removing a portion of an abnormal first rib, releasing a muscle that joins the neck and chest, or sometimes both.
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00336

Submitted by Jumbo  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 6:51pm  
Think he'll be any good next season? I'm not asking for fantasy baseball.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 6:16pm  
Rain delay but expect to play later.

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 6:46pm  
Wild game in Milw, 11-11, 8th. Brewers had a 9-2 lead.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 8:25pm  
Aram walk off 2rhr in 10th off of bell /can't wait to see on Showtime

Submitted by John Beasley  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 8:30pm  
I only made one pre-season bet this year, but I'm feeling better and better about the under-84 on the Marlins.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 8:43pm  
Oh yeah

Submitted by QuietMan  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 7:36pm  
Darin Downs, 5th round pick of the Cubs in 2003, finally getting a crack at the big leagues with the Tigers. http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/play...

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 7:42pm  
hope it doesn't give him a swollen head. lulz...but not really...but lulz. also, woo the long journey working out.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 8:49pm  
It was the bottom of the fifth, and his team was trailing 2-0 when Downs, who was making his second start for the Tampa Bay Rays’ Double-A affiliate, ran the count full on Christian Marrero. Having issued a one-out walk and a single, Downs threw a knee-high fastball that Marrero sent right back towards the mound. The screamer hit Downs flush above his left ear, hard enough for the ball to deflect into the team’s dugout, according to a report by the Tampa Bay Times in 2009. He was taken by ambulance to St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, Ala. where doctors questioned whether the then 24-year-old could survive the night, let alone talk again. Downs remained in the intensive care unit for nearly three days and spent nine more in the hospital recovering from a fractured skull, brain swelling and internal bleeding. http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2012/07...

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 8:42pm  
bottom 5th volstad fail. 3-5 chc/atl

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 8:44pm  
make that 3-6...heywurd HR btw, volstad has gone 19 starts without a win going into tonight's game.

Submitted by George Altman  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:58pm  
You want to imagine 'unwatchable' baseball, how about a post-deadline rotation minus Dempster & Garza. Spellcheck, Wood, and then who?

Submitted by Ryno  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 7:10am  
Rizzo!

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 8:44pm  
Make him go away !!

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 8:49pm  
Trotting Volstad out with the same outcome, game after game. One big blowup inning. Tonight's debacle, 5 run 5th. Tough to keep trotting him out any more. Maybe he should be the long reliever rather than Casey Coleman but who cares about the last man on a bad pitching staff? We need to see some fresh options for a 5th starter beyond Wells, Volstad and Coleman. Slow hook by Sveum but it was only the 5th. I knew sending Bosio out with the bases loaded was going to be useless as Volstad was already looking like a deer in headlights.

Submitted by MikeC  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 5:26am  
There are no fresh options beyond Wells, Volstad, and Coleman....they are the best we have. Our best starter in AAA? probably 36 year old Rodrigo Lopez, lol. The only pitcher from the minors who would be fresh and might have a chance would be Nicholas Struck but he has been sucking lately. Theo has done a great job attempting to restock the hitters, but the pitching is still a wasteland of suck. Hendry left a grand ole mess to clean up.

Submitted by Dusty Baylor  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 8:14am  
I'd even take a chance on Brooks Raley...but sheesh you're right...there's a whole lotta nothin' pitching-wise in the minors...

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:17pm  
hey, wow...3-10 in the 6th...im gonna watch something else. awesome.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:27pm  
I'm balking here! http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking...

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:29pm  
way harsh...hope OAK doesn't leave him out to dry over it.

Submitted by The Joe  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 12:17pm  
Well, he publicly admitted to intentionally losing a game. Maybe he just should have kept his mouth shut.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 10:32pm  
From Rotoworld: Andrew Cashner left Tuesday's start against the Diamondbacks after two innings with a possible elbow injury. There's no word yet from the team, but Cashner's last warm-up pitch prior to the third inning went to the backstop, and he then appeared to point to his elbow when trainers arrived. He had looked good early on, limiting the D'Backs to one hit over two scoreless innings. The Pads should update his status shortly. Update: Andrew Cashner has been diagnosed with a strained latissimus dorsi muscle.

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 6:28am  
theo 1- pads 0

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 11:21pm  
6ip 10h 2bb 3k 7er - j.moyer (TOR AAA) :( also, t.mcnutt put in another boring/meh/underwhelming performance.

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 11:45pm  
jays release moyer. ...looks like the end of the line.

Submitted by jacos  on Fri, 07/06/2012 - 6:13am  
one more stop. c'mon!!!

Submitted by Charlie  on Fri, 07/06/2012 - 9:00am  
I'm waiting for the return of Ohman, now that he's been released.

Submitted by Cubster  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 6:23am  
AZ Phil, can you give us your take on the big spud (he's from Idaho), OF Izzac Garsez? (Was 4-5 yesterday with a 3 run HR) http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=...

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 10:35am  
Wed, 07/04/2012 - 5:23am — Cubster AZ Phil, can you give us your take on the big spud (he's from Idaho), OF Izzac Garsez? (Was 4-5 yesterday with a 3 run HR) ================================================ CUBSTER: Izaac "Big Spud" Garsez is a polished college senior RF who played at an NAIA school called College of Idaho (not to be confused with JUCO baseball factory College of Southern Idaho), and like a lot of college seniors who make their debut in the AZL, he is a man among boys. It's hard to get much of a read on Garsez until he moves up to Boise, but he looks like a good hitter with some power, a decent right-fielder, and a savvy baserunner. He's older and not as toolsy as Bijan Rademacher (who was moved-up to Boise last week), so he will have to hit (and keep on hitting) in order to advance through the system. The likely path for Garsez is this... He might get moved-up to Boise this season, but that isn't for sure because there are already five outfielders there who are above him on the prospect "pecking order," so he can get more playing time if he stays in Mesa. But if a Boise OF gets hurt or gets promoted to Peoria or is sent back to the AZL, he could get a shot there before the end of the 2012 season. Even if he doesn't have a long pro career, getting a chance to play for the Boise Hawks would probably be a Dream Come True for an Idaho guy like Garsez. Garsez is not a top prospect so he probably won't get invited to AZ Instructs in September, but (because of his age and experience) he will probably initially be assigned to the Daytona squad when he reports to Minor League Camp next March, and then he wiil likely be gradually moved down to Peoria and then to Boise/Mesa (Extended Spring Training) during the course of Minor League Camp. Then he will play at Extended Spring Training for the first two months of the 2013 season while waiting for an outfielder to get hurt at Peoria or Daytona. If he doesn't get moved-up to Peoria or Daytona before the end of 2013 Extended Spring Training, he will probably get assigned to Boise, although he also could get released if he struggles even a little bit. The thing Garsez has to do is keep on hitting. As long as he hits, he probably can find a roster slot somewhere, although he might get jobbed out of a roster spot at a higher level by a better prospect even if he outhits the other guy. That's the lot of guys like Garsez. A good example of a player who just keeps on hitting and getting ignored is Greg Rohan. He has been passed over for promotions even when they were deserved, but he kept on plugging away and biding his time, and he finally got moved-up to AA Tennessee a couple of days ago and went 4-4 in his first game. If he can continue to rake at Tennessee as he did at Daytona, he could find himself in Iowa next season, and then anything can happen (see Russ Canzler). MLB clubs are always on the look-out for cheap club-controlled extra men who can play multiple positions and hit off the bench, and Rohan looks like he might possibly be that type (RH corner IF-OF who can play 1B-3B-LF-RF and PH). BTW, I usually try to predict which Cubs minor league position player will be the next one to get moved to catcher (I accurately tagged Anthony Giansanti this time last year), and this year I'm going with AZL Cubs 3B Ben Carhart (2012 35th round draft pick out of Stetson). When you look at Carhart, his body screams "I AM A CATCHER TRAPPED IN A THIRD-BASEMAN'S BODY!" He is stocky and bottom heavy and (dare I say) fat, and he makes Dan Vogelbach look svelt. But he has a strong arm and some power, so if the Cubs offer Carhart a chance to move to catcher, my advice is that he needs to be ready to say yes. To put it bluntly, that's probably the only way he is going to survive long-term in pro ball.

Submitted by VirginiaPhil  on Fri, 07/06/2012 - 7:18am  
Garsez looks like a toolsy lefty-hitting outfielder. Rohan is an offense-first righty hitter who, with a .904 FP, probably doesn't project as a 3B and must therefore endure the fate of nearly every right-handed 1B/LF/DH. A better comp for Garsez might be Adduci, a 42nd rounder who got plenty of looks in the high minors and in ST while they waited for him to develop some power, which he never did. (His dad hit 116 HRs in the minors to Junior's 22).

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Fri, 07/06/2012 - 6:00pm  
Fri, 07/06/2012 - 6:18am — VirginiaPhil Garsez looks like a toolsy lefty-hitting outfielder. Rohan is an offense-first righty hitter who, with a .904 FP, probably doesn't project as a 3B and must therefore endure the fate of nearly every right-handed 1B/LF/DH. A better comp for Garsez might be Adduci, a 42nd rounder who got plenty of looks in the high minors and in ST while they waited for him to develop some power, which he never did. (His dad hit 116 HRs in the minors to Junior's 22). ============================= VA PHIL: The comparison I was trying to make between Rohan and Garsez was that both are polished college senior position players who can hit and who were selected in lower rounds of the draft and who did not get significant bonuses and who were/are (at least initially) projected as minor league organizational players. James Adduci was a raw, toolsy, athletic HS OF drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 42nd round of the 2003 draft who received an overslot bonus to give up an opportunity to play college ball at Northern Illinois. A good comp to Adduci (among current Cub minor leaguers) might be somebody like Trevor Gretzky as far as getting drafted out of HS but needing time to develop, or maybe John Andreoli as far as type of player (good defensive outfielder, plus-arm, above-average speed and a good base-stealer, a big guy who can't hit HR).

Submitted by VirginiaPhil  on Sat, 07/07/2012 - 9:12am  
Andreoli is an odd one, somewhat like Adduci, as you say. Andreoli is listed at 6'1, 215. With that size, he can steal 30 bases in 74 games but can't hit a home run (nor too many doubles). His walks-to-strikeouts is 40-59 and his OBP is 99 points higher than his BA. Odd and interesting. He's at Daytona.

Submitted by George Altman  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 10:52am  
Unless Stewart miraculously plays a few games in September demonstrating his wrist (and swing) are healed, is there really any way this guy is tendered a contract for 2013? Theo wouldn't take a $2M+ risk he 'might' be ready to play in 2013, would he?

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 11:24am  
Wed, 07/04/2012 - 9:52am — George Altman The Ian Stewart saga........... Unless Stewart miraculously plays a few games in September demonstrating his wrist (and swing) are healed, is there really any way this guy is tendered a contract for 2013? Theo wouldn't take a $2M+ risk he 'might' be ready to play in 2013, would he? ================================= GEORGE A: Ian Stewart, Chris Volstad, Geovany Soto, Manuel Corpas, Jose Asencio, Blake Parker, Blake Lalli, Scott Maine, and Marcos Mateo ((June 2012 TJS) are the most-likely Cubs 12/2 non-tender condidates post-2012 (and any of them could get outrighted or released prior to getting non-tendered). BTW, here are the Cubs Article XX-B MLB free-agent eligibles post-2012, the aribitration-eligibles post-2012, the minor league free-agents post-2012, the out of option guys, etc, for 2013: PLAYERS ON CUBS 40-MAN ROSTER SIGNED FOR 2013: Alfonso Soriano Carlos Marmol Paul Maholm (club option with $500K buy-ou) David DeJesus Gerardo Concepcion Jorge Soler ===================== CUBS MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENTS POST-2012: ARTICLE XX-D MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT: Frankie de la Cruz, RHP Blake DeWitt, INF Rodrigo Lopez, RHP (MLB Article XX-B FA post-2012 if added to MLB 40-man roster) Randy Wells, RHP NOTE: ARTICLE XX-D minor league free-agents can file for free-agency beginning on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular seson through October 15th as long as the player is not added back to an MLB 40-man roster prior to the conclusion of the MLB regular season. RULE 55 MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT: SIX-YEAR MINOR LEAGUE FA: Jim Adduci, OF Alfredo Amezaga, IF-OF Juan Apodaca, C Justin Berg, RHP (TJS rehab) Michael Bowden, RHP Kyler Burke, LHP (ex-OF) Brian Esposito, C Diory Hernandez, INF Hong-Chih Kuo, LHP Mike MacDougal, RHP (MLB Article XX-B FA post-2012 if added to MLB 40-man roster) Jonathon Mota, INF Ryan Rowland-Smith, LHP Nate Samson, INF Matt Tolbert, INF PREVIOUSLY-RELEASED MINOR LEAGUE FA: Carlos Figueroa, INF Michael de la Cruz, RHP (previously released by TEX) NOTE: A player eligible to be an MLB Rule 55 MINOR LEAGUE FA automatically is declared a free-agent at 5 PM on the 5th day following the conclusion of the World Series unless the player is added to an MLB 40-man roster or agrees to a Successor Contract (2013 minor league contract) prior to that deadline. ============================== CUBS ARTICLE XX-B MLB FREE-AGENTS POST-2012: Jeff Baker Shawn Camp Ryan Dempster Reed Johnson Paul Maholm (club option) NOTE: A player eligible to be an ARTICLE XX-B MLB FA is declared a free-agent the day after the conclusion of the World Series, and then is free to sign a major league or minor league contract with any club, but only after a five day "quiet" period during which time the player can only re-sign with his former club. ========================= ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE POST-2012: Starlin Castro (likely "Super Two”) Manuel Corpas Matt Garza James Russell Jeff Samardzija Geovany Soto Ian Stewart Luis Valbuena (likely "Super Two”) Chris Volstad NOTE: If a player eligible for salary-arbitration is not tendered a contract on 12/2, the player is automatically declared a free-agent. AUTO-RENEWAL (PRE-ARBITRATION) POST-2012: Jairo Asencio Darwin Barney Jeff Beliveau Alberto Cabrera Tony Campana Adrian Cardenas Lendy Castillo Welington Castillo Starlin Castro (unless “Super Two”) Steve Clevenger Casey Coleman Rafael Dolis Bryan LaHair Junior Lake Blake Lalli Scott Maine Marcos Mateo Blake Parker Anthony Rizzo Dave Sappelt Matt Szczur Luis Valbuena (unless “Super Two”) Josh Vitters Travis Wood NOTE: If an auto-renewal or pre-arbitration player is not tendered a contract on 12/2, the player is automatically declared a free-agent. ========================================= ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION IN DECEMBER 2012 RULE 5 DRAFT Jeffry Antigua, LHP Frank Batista, RHP Justin Bour, 1B Michael Brenly, C Michael Burgess, OF David Cales, RHP Esmailin Caridad, RHP Matt Cerda, INF Hunter Cervenka, LHP Evan Crawford, OF Willengton Cruz, LHP Antonio Encarnacion, RHP Eduardo Figueroa, RHP Luis Flores, C Gregori Gonzalez, IF-OF Marcus Hatley, RHP Ty’Relle Harris, RHP Brett Jackson, OF Jay Jackson, RHP Alvido Jimenez, RHP Austin Kirk, LHP Luis Liria, RHP Jeff Lorick, LHP David Macias, IF-OF (player-coach) Nate Maldonado, C (player-coach) Trey McNutt, RHP Pedro Medina, RHP (ex-OF) Jose Montesino, INF A. J. Morris, RHP Enyelberth Pena, RHP Felix Pena, RHP Starling Peralta, RHP Nelson Perez, OF Roderik Pichardo, RHP Brooks Raley, LHP Dae-Eun Rhee, RHP Rebel Ridling, 1B Greg Rohan, IF-OF Melvin Rosa, RHP Jose Rosario, RHP Zac Rosscup, LHP Chris Rusin, LHP Julio Sanchez, RHP Brian Schlitter, RHP Ryan Searle, RHP Matt Spencer, LHP (ex-OF) Nick Struck, RHP Larry Suarez, RHP Francisco Turbi, RHP Brett Wallach, RHP Logan Watkins, INF Casey Weathers, RHP Rob Whitenack, RHP Ty Wright, OF NOTES: 1. A player on this list is not eligible for selection in Rule 5 Draft if added to an MLB 40-man roster by 11/20. 2. Any free-agent signed to a minor league contract prior to the Rule 5 Draft is eligible for selection. ====================================================== ON CUBS 40-MAN ROSTER - NO MINOR LEAGUE OPTIONS LEFT IN 2013: Jairo Asencio Welington Castillo Bryan LaHair Marcos Mateo Joe Mather Jeff Samardzija Geovany Soto Luis Valbuena Travis Wood

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 4:32pm  
theo gave up 2 players and $2.3m to play him this year. if the surgery is successful there's not much difference in signing him or letting him go, imo. "minimum wage" is almost 1/2 million these days and any vet worth a damn is going to want something really close or more than what stewart would probably get. there's nothing in the system unless they wanna go with vitters/valbuenanana...which they may do. *shrug* he tracks the ball well, sees it all the way to the bat...there's more "work" beyond that to be done with the swing, of course. his defense is decent even with a few rough hiccups he had toward the end before he got shut down.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 4:44pm  
Again, which has been my whole point that keeping Colvin would have been more productive than what Stewart has delivered for the Cubs, regardless of his splits as was pointed out earlier by someone else. And, since the team was going nowhere to begin with, I think we could have found a place for him to play.

Submitted by Charlie  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 4:54pm  
Stewart and Soto only get DFA'd if the Cubs feel they can replace them. Vitters being productive in 2012/2013 would be great, but it's not a guarantee.

Submitted by John Beasley  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 3:09pm  
Fangraphs breaks down Ninja's season to date. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/jeff...

Submitted by John Beasley  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 3:27pm  
For anyone who missed this little gem in the Twitter sidebar: http://www.theheckler.com/2012/07/04/cubs-cla... Which also had links to these classics: http://www.theheckler.com/2011/05/17/cubs-koy... http://www.theheckler.com/2011/04/22/koyie-hi...

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 4:34pm  
we shop at different jewelers.

Submitted by Jace  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 3:57pm  
Ha! I love the bunker hill line!!!

Submitted by Cubster  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 4:53pm  
Carlos Lee to Miami for 3b Matt Dominguez and lefty Rob Rasmussen Per mlbtr

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 4:57pm  
thank gawd cubs/m.dominguez rumors (no matter how loosely tied) are probably over. he's a wonderful fielder, but that's about all the love i got for the guy. i wonder why LA = bad, but MIA = okay, too.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 6:09pm  
HE is pretty tight with Ozzie. Don't know what kind of Ranch he is gonna run in MIA, though. Maybe a Bunny Ranch?

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 6:33pm  
i'm just glad he's one of those "ranch" owners who's farm/ranch actually produces something other than a tax break. it's a very abused "loophole" in many areas where massive land owners take advantage of agriculture tax breaks and subsidies for doing a minimum amount of "work" on their lands. he works a couple hundred cattle on his TX farm. also, "Miami was not among the 14 destinations listed in Lee's no-trade clause, so he had no say in the deal."

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 5:28pm  
fwiw... DeJesus cf, Castro ss, Rizzo 1b, Soriano lf, LaHair rf, Soto c, Barney 2b, Valbuena 3b, Maholm p also, night off for brenly in the booth...he's going to watch his son play bases balls.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 5:34pm  
"Zeller was promoted from Boise earlier Tuesday to take Gerardo Concepcion’s turn in the rotation. Concepcion was scratched because of illness." g.concepcion was supposed to go tonight...no idea wtf the illness is, but it was announced yesterday he'd miss today's start.

Submitted by carlosrubi  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 7:08pm  
Fuckers. Parachat now, please. I'm alive.

Submitted by big_lowitzki  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 10:55pm  
holy crap. its carlos.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 7:12pm  
lahero hits his 1st homer since Jun 18...solo, cubs lead 2-1, 4th

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 8:29pm  
rizzo hard on still in full effect

Submitted by John Beasley  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 8:51pm  
It didn't even look like he got that good a piece of it, but it carried well into the 4th or 5th row in right center. I'm trying to talk myself down, but I'm about ready to buy a #44 jersey.

Submitted by Ryno  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 7:15am  
Not to take anything away from Rizzo for his homer, but the pitcher deserved that for throwing that pitch. http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?co...

Submitted by John Beasley  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 8:55pm  
Any chance Barney is hitting enough to win a Gold Glove? I doubt it, but all the defensive numbers say voters should probably vote for him. I wish the voters would be a little more wise, although his .997 fielding percentage and 1 error in the first 79 games ought to grab him at least some votes. I certainly appreciate what he's brought this year. That's easier to handle with his $400K salary. I still don't think he's anything more than a utility infielder on a championship team, but I admit he's been fun to watch.

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 8:59pm  
lahair is an allstar. why not?

Submitted by John Beasley  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 9:06pm  
The answer to both questions is slugging %.

Submitted by WISCGRAD  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 7:23am  
Remember when Jose Lind of the .235/.275/.269 batting line won it in 1992 over Ryno? Sandberg had a .990 FP and 8 errors, and hit .304/.371/.510 to boot. Chico Lind had a .992 FP and 6 errors.

Submitted by Tito  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 9:14am  
Can't see him winning it as long as Brandon Phillips keeps playing the position.

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 9:00pm  
quick, trade marmol

Submitted by QuietMan  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 12:06pm  
Baez #25 on BA's Top 50 midseason prospect list. http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects... (Soler not considered as a midseason signing. No Jackson.)

Submitted by The E-Man  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 1:15pm  
Thanks. Pirates, Cardinals, Mariners all with 4 in top 25. Blue Jays with 3. Man, the Cards just keep rollin'. Every. Fucking. Year. Up until this year with the Cubs org arrow pointed in the right direction, these teams have been so far apart for fifty years.

Submitted by VirginiaPhil  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 3:29pm  
"the Cards just keep rollin'. " They have two (not four) in the top 25, but they also have a third at #26. Shelby Miller was a first-rounder in 2009. The other two were DR signings. Well, the Cubs are certainly trying to beef up their DR presence. Miller, by the way, has a 1.68 WHIP at Memphis. I think Mike Wellman has written about the problems he's been having. But he's only 21.

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 3:35pm  
shelby miller hasn't been "right" since he showed up this spring...not good for a "slam dunk" top-5 pitching prospect. he's such a "mess" right now that they've recently banned him from shaking off the catcher's signs and he has to throw what the catcher calls. they're working on his velocity issue tied to mechanics...at least his control is still mostly there. he's extremely hittable right now for some reason. -edit- found this... http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/profe... "I think part of it is hitters are sitting on his fastball because they know he's going to throw it and not his other pitches," farm director John Vuch said. "It's a work in progress. He's struggling. We recognize that. But I think we can do these things to improve his confidence at that level."

Submitted by The E-Man  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 6:16pm  
...Pirates, Cardinals, Mariners all with 4 in top 25. My mistake. I meant to say the top 50 - not Top 25: 18. Oscar Taveras, of, Cardinals 20. Shelby Miller, rhp, Cardinals 26. Carlos Martinez, rhp, Cardinals 44. Kolten Wong, 2b, Cardinals

Submitted by QuietMan  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 3:42pm  
Jim Callis: As someone who does our Cubs Top 30 for the Prospect Handbook every year, I talk to people incessantly about Vitters. He has made some progress, but his ceiling is solid regular and the guys on this list have higher ceilings than that. I'm also not sold Vitters could be an everyday third baseman at the big league level. I think you'd want a better defender than that. So no, I can't tell you he even received consideration for the Top 50. Jim Callis: I think they'll sign Underwood in the next couple of days and then get Almora done sometime next week, perhaps on deadline day (July 13). I don't see them signing Wiseman, who's going to attend Vanderbilt. How close were Brett Jackson, Matt Szczur and Josh Vitters from making the list? J.J. Cooper: Not that close, further away and not that close to making the list. Jackson's K-rate is a major concern for a guy who doesn't have a lot of 65s on his scouting report. Szczur is a solid prospect, but didn't really compare yet to the guys at the back end of the 50 and Vitters is having a much better season, but there still doesn't appear to be a whole lot of ceiling there. http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospect...

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 3:47pm  
matt szczurzurururzcz is going to haunt every prospect list maker until his numbers come back to earth long enough to get people off their back. no one wants to hear reed johnson 2.0.

Submitted by Charlie  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 4:23pm  
Not sure why anyone is asking if he should be on a top 50 prospect least (obviously not, since he doesn't have star potential), but if Szczur continues the strike zone judgment he's shown this year (12.9% BB and 14.4% K), continues to steal bases the way he has, continues to play solid defense, and maybe regains that little bit of pop he showed last year, then he's a solid prospect and could very well be a starting CFer and top of the order hitter. Not at all likely to become a middle of the order hitter, elite base stealer, or ace, though, so of course he's not going to be ranked on these lists.

Submitted by TJ  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 2:30pm  
Houston received two very good prospects, both in top 10 of Marlins list. I hope that is a good sign for what we can get for our guys. I would not have thought they could two top ten for Lee. Very surprising. Is there something I am missing?

Submitted by Dusty Baylor  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 2:32pm  
Dominguez is awesome defensively. He will be lucky to hit .220 in the bigs....terrible bat

Submitted by Ryno  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 2:43pm  
It seems to me that 'prospects' are way more valuable to TCR world than they are to real big league clubs.

Submitted by jacos  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 3:02pm  
it's the prospect of the prospect that make it's so....prospective.

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 6:43pm  
matt garza bleh...nice 4 run 1st, guy.

Submitted by big_lowitzki  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 7:01pm  
Maybe he really wants to stay in Chicago and not be traded?

Submitted by carlosrubi  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 8:07pm  
Again on Parachat. Need guests. Thanks.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 8:17pm  
Sounds like Duane Underwood has agreed to terms. https://twitter.com/Dunder_wood3/status/22103...

Submitted by QuietMan  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 10:49pm  
Jim Callis‏@jimcallisBA #Cubs, 2nd-rder Duane Underwood agree on $1.05 mil bonus ($769,600 pick value). Georgia HS RHP hits 98, spins curve at his best

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 9:45pm  
HOU loses 8 in a row...cubs still in last place. sigh.

Submitted by Cubster  on Fri, 07/06/2012 - 7:26am  
Dustin Geiger is quietly having a nice season with the bat at Peoria including 3 HR in the last two games. Does he have any chance at 3B or is he just another Jeff Baker type.

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Fri, 07/06/2012 - 5:50pm  
Fri, 07/06/2012 - 6:26am — Cubster Dustin Geiger is quietly having a nice season with the bat at Peoria including 3 HR in the last two games. Does he have any chance at 3B or is he just another Jeff Baker type. ==================================== CUBSTER: When the Cubs drafted Dustin Geiger in 2010, they anounced in the draft conference-call that they were drafting him as a RF, because that's how he was projected by the Cubs area scout who turned him in. But when he signed with the Cubs (to an overslot bonus) the Cubs designated him a 3B, and although he has played both 3B and 1B over the past three seasons, he is a shaky infield defender, so he ultimately probably still projects best as a RF because of his plus-arm. I would think he will eventually morph into a corner IF-OF (1B-3B-LF-RF).

Submitted by Cubster  on Sat, 07/07/2012 - 1:20pm  
from a BP/Kevin Goldstein "future shock" article... First Base: Dan Vogelbach, Cubs A second-round pick last year who signed for first-round money with a $1.6 million bonus, Vogelbach drew some Prince Fielder comparisons during his high school career in Florida, both for his monstrous power, as well has his physique. At just six feet tall and somewhere around 250 pounds, Vogelbach is the definition of a bat-only prospect, as he's a 20 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale and a poor defender. While it's early, he's hit .432/.368/.773 in 10 Arizona League games, and he wouldn't have gotten that kind of bonus without scouts believing that the bat can play. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php...

Recent comments

Subscribe to Recent comments
The first 600 characters of the last 16 comments, click "View" to see rest of comment.
  • crunch 16 hours 23 min ago (view)

    kolten wong rumors heating up for the cubs, too.  i could live with that.  giving nico hoerner 600 ab's a year sounds absolutely terrible after what little he did last year.

     
  • Cubster 18 hours 39 min ago (view)

    WSCR online reporting that the Cubs are going to watch lefty Carlos Rondon pitch. They desperately need another lefty that breaks down with the regularity of my Comcast service. 

     
  • crunch 18 hours 53 min ago (view)

    imagine being so toxic that you go from a no-doubt 1st or 2nd year HOF'r to having to try for it in your 10th year...and then imagine doubling down on the toxicity every chance you get a chance to redeem yourself.

    every time he's called out, even for minor stuff, he piles on more and then complains that people that have an issue with him are "cancelling" him for no good reason.

    he deleted a slew of "those people that stormed the capital are great people" posts pre-election so he has some kind of self-awareness in that skull of his somewhere.

     
  • Cubster 19 hours 28 min ago (view)

    I'm all for removing him from the ballot. His bloody sock already made it. That was enuf.

     
  • Dolorous Jon Lester 20 hours 59 min ago (view)

    Ranting about how the elections (both his and the other clown's) were stolen.

    I hope he ends up one vote short next year, just to really rub it in.

     
  • crunch 21 hours 59 min ago (view)

    currently he's throwing a tantrum and demanding to be removed from the HOF ballot for 2022.

     
  • Hagsag 1 day 58 sec ago (view)

    Will Schilling storm the HOF with a mob?

     
  • crunch 1 day 11 hours ago (view)

    schilling denied (71.1%, 16 votes short).

    some people did nazi that coming.

    no one inducted this year...aram got 1% of the vote so he found more than 1 vote out there (4 votes).  latroy hawkins got 2 votes for being a solid dude to other people (very friendly with the press and pretty much everyone)...sosa got 17% of the vote...

    schilling/bonds/clemens are going in their last eligible class in 2022...could be a hell of a "controversial" class...but bonds/clemens need to find 50+ votes.

     
  • Sonicwind75 1 day 17 hours ago (view)

    Arizona is allowing fans in the stands for indoor NHL hockey games but it's too dangerous to let players following protocals; at least more so than hockey fans, to practice outside in a controlled environment.  Wonder how much of that is coming from MLB ownership trying to get a late start and pro-rating player salaries. Stall and save some money until more fans are allowed to attend later in the year. 

     
  • crunch 1 day 17 hours ago (view)

    few hours away from HOF announcements (6pm EST, unless leaked early).

    schilling seems to be the only guy with a legit shot this year and i wouldn't be surprised to see no one get elected...

    big up aramis rarmirez getting at least 1 known vote on publically shared ballots.

     
  • crunch 2 days 14 hours 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."

     
  • crunch 2 days 16 hours 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.

     
  • Hagsag 3 days 13 hours ago (view)

    $$$$ for trump's defense fund.

     
  • Dolorous Jon Lester 3 days 13 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.

     
  • crunch 3 days 14 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.

     
  • Dolorous Jon Lester 3 days 14 hours ago (view)

    Trade Hendricks? Cant be true. We're "going to be competitive this year."

    Sell the team, Ricketts family.

     
more
Click "More" for the last 50 comments in full.