Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, one player is on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-18-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Garrett Cooper
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 
* Justin Steele, P   

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P
 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

A Review of the Cubs 2012 Draft

Submitted by WISCGRAD on

I’ve been a frequent commenter on TCR for over 8 years now and in the past I have sent Rob some guest posts, for example on the Cubs’ use of no-trade clauses and the Cubs’ best drafts of all time, and I have also written longer analyses directly the comments. Rob has now graciously provided me with my own login so I can now post commentary directly. I won’t be a frequent poster, but this will make it easier for me to share the longer form data collection and analyses pieces I like to do. In particular, readers have seemed to like my overviews of recent Cubs’ drafts that I have done in comments in previous summers. So to help us through the boredom of winter, I’ll post overviews of all three Epstein/Hoyer drafts in the next week, starting with 2012 today. Below you will see the pick #, player, the level at which they ended the 2014 regular season, and a short snapshot of their performance this past year.

Round Player Position Current Age Current Level 2014 Comments
1 Albert Almora OF 20 AA 283/306/406 in A+ before a late season promotion to AA where he struggled, but he is still just 20 years old 
CA Pierce Johnson RHP 23 AA Missed some time to start on DL but finished with 2.55 ERA in 17 GS in AA 
CA Paul Blackburn RHP 20 A 3.23 ERA in 24 GS in A
2 Duane Underwood RHP 20 A 2.50 ERA in 21 GS in A
3 Ryan McNeil RHP 20 A- 8.44 ERA in 16 IP for Boise after missing 2013 due to TJS
4 Josh Conway RHP 23 A- 1.96 ERA in 36 IP for Boise after missing 2012-13 due to TJS and a Stress Fracture
5 Anthony Prieto LHP 20 DL 40 IP for Arizona Cubs in 2012 and 2013, missed all of 2014 with TJS
6 Trey Lang RHP 22 A- 4.89 ERA in 35 IP at Boise following poor numbers in 2012-13
7 Stephen Bruno 3B 23 AA 276/346/393 in AA
8 Michael Heesch LHP 24 A 2.18 ERA and 11.9 SO/9 in 45 innings as a reliever in A
9 Chadd Krist C 24   Poor numbers in A+ before being released, now playing in Marlins organization
10 Chad Martin RHP 24   Playing Independent Ball
11 Rashad Crawford OF 20 A- 259/297/360 for Boise
12 Justin Amlung RHP 24 A+ 1.54 ERA in 46 IP for A, before being promoting and having a 4.37 ERA in 59 IP at A+
13 Bijan Rademacher OF 23 A+ 281/363/448 at A+
14 Corbin Hoffner RHP 20 A- Struggled with a 5.08 ERA and 1.66 WHIP between A and A-
15 Carlos Escobar C 23   Playing Independent Ball
16 Michael Hamann RHP 23   Did well in 2013 for KC, but whereabouts in 2014 unknown (he has a Twitter account @hamman_cheese and just appears to be exercising, coaching, and watching sports at home in Ohio)
17 Nathan Dorris LHP 23 A+ Started at A (2.49 ERA) before being promoted to A+ where he struggled with a 5.91 ERA in 74 IP
18 David Bote SS 21 A 235/345/343 between A- and A
21 Stephen Perakslis RHP 23 A+ 3.93 ERA in 68 IP for A+
22 Eddie Orozco RHP 25   Released in January 2014
26 Jasvir Rakkar RHP 23 A- Logged 42 IP across 4 levels with a 3.83 ERA
27 Tyler Bremer RHP 24   Traded to Marlins mid-season for Jacob Turner
28 Lance Rymel C 24 AAA Organizational back-up catcher, only played 10 games in 2014 across 3 levels
30 Izaac Garsez OF 24   No longer playing baseball
32 Tim Saunders SS 24 A+ 210/261/347 in A+
35 Ben Carhart C/1B/3B 24 A+ 269/339/360 at A before late season promotion to A+
40 Jacob Rogers 1B 24 A 268/361/445 at A
Tags
Cubs
Cubs Draft
Cubs 2012 Draft

Comments

Submitted by Old and Blue on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:27 am

Welcome to the posting crowd, I've always enjoyed your informative posts. The drafting of Izaac Garsez clearly shows TheoCorp has no idea what they're doing. On an unrelated matter, why do I get a weird feeling that the Cubs are the "mystery team" on Upton?

[ ]

Submitted by Rob Richardson on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:54 am

If we assume that the Cubs are an 81-83 win team as currently constructed, making a move that will add 4-5 wins in 2015 makes sense to me. Thus, it does not surprise me to hear that the Cubs are rumored to be interested in Upton or Hammels. Of course my brother just sent me a text that Upton has been traded to the Padres (unconfirmed) so what do I know.

Submitted by JoePepitone on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:29 am

Rob G. -- I'm still getting the 503 error message when I try to access the site from home. I sent you an email last Monday and again yesterday per your instructions and haven't heard back yet. You may want to check your spam folder? Or perhaps you didn't recognize an email from my actual name (Judson Strain) rather than my Cub Reporter handle. Anyway, I'm hoping to get this thing cleared up so I can read the site from home. Thanks!

[ ]

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:44 am

Missed the first email, but saw the 2nd one. I forwarded it to our site administrator and you should have been CC'd on it. I'll check with him today.

Submitted by John Beasley on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:31 am

Heyman says SD is signing Ross. They just traded Hanigan for Middlebrooks. Relief for me that Ross is not a Cub today.

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:46 pm

Yanks get Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Jones from Marlins for Martin Prado and David Phelps.

I like Eovaldi, but a lot more when he wasn't in AL East.

Submitted by Cubster on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:07 pm

here comes the next move...DFA Logan Watkins and Donn Roach. Adding ex-Redsox catcher (claimed from Dodgers) Ryan Lavarnway and A's OF ShanePeterson Sullivan, Mooney and Muskat have all tweeted on this

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:56 pm

CHARLIE: I don't know why the Cubs did not claim Ryan Lavarnway the first time he was placed on waivers (you might recall that I thought the Cubs would claim the two-time Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year after he was DFA'd by Boston), but the nature of waiver claims is that they tend to be somewhat whimsical.  

[ ]

Submitted by Charlie on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:02 pm

Ah. Thought maybe there was some sort of occult roster magic involved. Picking up Lavarnway and Ross on the same day makes little sense to me. But it seems 100% clear that the "we like the way Montero and Castillo fit together" line was B.S. Too bad, because I actually think that was the Cubs' best setup going into the season.

Submitted by WISCGRAD on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:23 pm

Ross to Cubs, and Castillo almost certainly to be traded soon. Can't say they aren't making moves this off season, that's for sure.

Submitted by Old and Blue on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:51 pm

Tweet box has Ross to Cubs? I thought he was going to the Padres like everybody fricking else.

Submitted by Cubster on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:13 pm

mlbtr had this memorable quote about Betsy and the 13 stars:
...and obviously is one of the game’s most respected elder statesmen at this stage of his career.

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:14 pm

probably made Lavarnway claim before they knew if Ross was signing, because as of this morning Ross himself tweeted he hadn't made up his mind yet.

Imagine Lavarnway is gonna get cut again as soon as they need a 40-man spot.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:37 pm

getting an extra 1-2 Ks per game shouldn't be so important you go the extra mile to give a guy like that (with an age like that) 2 years, imo. hell, go get jose molina if you want an old guy who plays even better D and can hit off lefties while taking a 1 year deal. that said, i think the "leadership" thing may also be in play since the club has been making noise about that this offseason. pitch framing has suddenly become a very popular thing in the cubs universe.

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:42 pm

David Ross was signed by the Cubs because he is Jon Lester's "personal catcher." He will start any game in which Lester is the starting pitcher, no matter if the opposing pitcher is a RHP or LHP. It's also why the Cubs might want to have a 3rd catcher available on the bench (like Ryan Lavarnway, who can also play 1B), in case Maddon wants to PH for Ross once Lester leaves the game. 

[ ]

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:42 pm

38 in March...

as good as Ross/Lester combo has worked for Lester, there's gonna be something more the Cubs liked about it him, whether it's hitting lefties, clubhouse presence or pitch framing. If Lester gets hurt, Cubs wouldn't be silly enough to be stuck with Ross for 2 years and have him be of no use and he'll have to rest Montero on day after night games and such. The 3 catcher idea might have some legs to it as well. With the extreme hitting splits of Montero and Ross, you certainly want the option to pinch-hit for them late in games.

My guess is Ross will catch about 90% of Lester's starts and get another 10 in there for various other reasons.

Lester's K rate with Boston last year was 9.38 vs 8.33 with the A's, although ERA was a little better in Oakland (although not FIP).

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:51 am

The thing about it is that if Olt deserves a shot at third I think Maddon will give it to him. The whole Olt thing was perplexing last year because he'd tear the cover off the ball and then sit. But if he gets the same general treatment by Maddon then we know something else is up. His September was pretty good: .263 .370 .368 .738. The .370 OBP really stands out, even tho it's a pretty small sample size (under 40 ABs, don't know how many PAs). It suggests that maybe he took a somewhat different approach to the plate, although one weird thing is that he didn't have a lot of wild swings at stuff out of the zone. He was somewhat Brett Jacksonish in that he would swing at perfectly hittable pitches (for a major leaguer, not for me) and miss. I'm not sure what changed in September since I didn't see many games but something seemed to be different. I think it's actually a best case scenario that Bryant is held down for service time and Maddon builds a little trade value for Olt until Bryant comes up and they see if they can get something for Olt. He's really got remarkable power. I still hate the idea of just letting him go to another team for free. I'm pretty sure they think Bryant has more value as a third baseman, but it could be Maddon will put him in left some if Olt is on fire - I'm pretty sure he played some outfield in college. It could also be that Olt will be Brett Jackson with more thump. But by no means do I think his story is over.

[ ]

Submitted by Charlie on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:38 am

I would love to see Olt get another shot, if only because his power is tantalizing and he's got a very good career walk rate in the minors. But I think that window (with the Cubs) closed last year. Unless they've got a series of trades coming down the line, they will need to make room on the roster and Olt is looking like the spare piece. Have I mentioned that I really don't like the David Ross signing? I'd love to do away with the idea of the personal catcher across all of baseball.

[ ]

Submitted by The E-Man on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:03 am

...tear the cover off the ball and then sit. March/April .164 .212 .377 .589 May .167 .278 .424 .703 June .057 .132 .143 .274 July .120 .207 .400 .607 Sorry O/B - this is just not Major League ready, or performance level. He got 145 PA's in the first three months, He struck out 50 times in those PA's. So, more than a third of the time he is not tearing the cover off the ball, or making contact. In June? K'd 21 of 38 PA's. That's better than a 50% clip. So, you either did not see the bad AB's or may be a bit delusional. He was a throw-in on the Garza deal, and nowhere near the prospect he once was prior to getting hit in the head. I hope he can become useful. Shit - I hope Cutler can, but with Bryant coming and Russell, I am not holding my breath.

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:34 pm

I'm not talking about the overall stats, although you did conveniently leave off September. I'm talking about how he'd smash the shit out of a ball and then sit the next day. It happened on more than one occasion. The stats don't reflect how he'd smoke the ball and sit for three days, do they? Sometimes using stats to make a point about a guy who has had no real MLB experience is just silly. The stats don't reflect the ridiculous way he was handled in the lineup. In one game, out the next three. YOU try that at the major league level and tell me how that works out for ya. SPECIAL LATE EDIT FOR STATS HEADS: Can anyone recognize the stats of this rookie third baseman? Tell me who he is, and what kind of career he had. Thanks: PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS 443 367 43 72 11 0 18 52 8 2 62 136 .196 .324 .373 .697 30% strikeout rate. Stats are very useful when evaluating the overall career of a player. For a rookie, they are close to meaningless. Are we giving up on Baez, too? I'm more interested in mechanics in a rookie. Baez's are awful. Time to throw in the towel?

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:06 pm

You sir, are no moran. I could have gone with Reggie Jackson's .178 .269 .305 .574 line and 34% K rate, but I didn't think 135 PAs was a fair sample size. And, he wasn't a third baseman. Stats don't mean squat for rookies. If somebody says, "I don't like his mechanics or the fact that his batting style reminds me of the tasmanian devil from the old warner brothers cartoons", I'll listen (see Baez, Javier). Throwing stats at me will just annoy me.

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:27 pm

There's actually a more apt comparison on fan graphs showing Castillo and Montero that I linked to at the time of the trade: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/miguel-montero-the-next-piece-of-the-cub… Most of the pitches are down. Montero pulls his forearm up some as he is receiving the ball, really just as he catches it he kind of brings it up. I would *think* that could be taught but I would also think they tried to teach Castillo last year and that may be why he is probably being shown the door. Maybe he either couldn't catch on - no pun intended, or he refused to try, which I doubt. OR, maybe they just decided that they want to win now and they don't want to teach someone when they can simply get guys who already can do it.

[ ]

Submitted by The Joe on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:47 pm

I'm actually mildly pleased with the signing because I imagine Wellington is more valuable as a trade piece than as a backup catcher. I also really do think that the team needs more veteran leadership (yeah yeah), and one of the better places to stash an extra coach is as a 2nd catcher. I'm not a big fan of personal catchers, but if this guy actually makes our expensive ace a better pitcher then it's worth it. Finally, it's a backup catcher position...if this guy is stealing your job then you suck at your job.

[ ]

Submitted by The Joe on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:35 pm

I don't think so. I think other managers know (think) that Goodington is better than a backup and when the Cubs got Montero, that he'd eventually be dealt. The Ross add just makes it more clear. That's all speculation on my part though. His value might have gone down if they had to deal him. They don't.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:55 pm

A note about Logan Watkuins getting Designated for Assignment: 

Because he is an MLB Rule 55 player not eligible to elect free-agency if outrighted, Watkins can be traded or released, but he cannot beb sent outright to the minors after 5 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day following the conclusion of the World Series unless & until he has either signed a major league contract for the next season (contracts were tendered on 12/2), or had his previous season's contract unilaterally renewed by the club (which can't happen until the first week of March), or agrees (in advance) to sign a minor league contract for the next season (not likely). BTW, same goes for Junior Lake, Ryan Lavarnway, Joe Ortiz, Shane Peterson, and Neil Ramirez. 

There is no such restriction on Donn Roach. He can be outrighted if he isn't claimed off waivers. Also, if he is outrighted, Roach would remain under club control through the 2016 season (after which he would be a minor league Rule 55 6YFA), although he would be eligible to be selected in the December 2015 Rule 5 Draft if he isn't added back to the MLB 40-man roster in the meantime. 

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:34 pm

ex-Cub news

Casey Mcgehee traded to Giants for 2 minor league pitchers...

[ ]

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 12:20 pm

well presuming Cubs are in market for LHRP, might get one in a trade of Valbuena or Castillo or Wood

otherwise FA market looks like this:

Joe Beimel, F. Bueno, S. Burnett, P. Coke, N. Cotts, S. Downs, T. Gorzelanny, D. Huff, J. Outman, J. Thatcher

or they could have just kept W. Wright

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:10 pm

all this fuss for 1, 1.5, 2Ks (if you're really good) per game. i mean, it's a great thing to look for, but cubs-nation is going ape shit over it this season. if you're going to help turn singles into doubles with SBs given up or you're clunking balls off your glove because you hold your glove so far back while setting up getting that late break you can chip away at that positive...if you can hold onto it while producing the extra strike or 2 per game, awesome.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:02 pm

there's a number of stats out there for framing-Ks that basically break down to a -2 to +2 K rate per game (and worse/better, though not as common as the given range). it's a nice thing to look at, but it's not like it's some new cutting edge thing that showed up the past couple season. pitchers have been bitching about it for longer than the video could prove it and it's not like no one knew ryan doumit couldn't do it a decade ago when video was starting to prove it. i think it's a nice thing to look for, but not something insanely important unless the pitchers get a mental block over it because of frustration...which could be an issue depending on your crew of pitchers. bringing it back to a cubs level, this could be very important for j.lester who is a notorious whiner when it comes to pitches called. the more level his head may be...the better he may pitch...dunno. we've long known that pitcher/catcher trust can help smooth over interactions between the pitcher and ump even if things don't go the pitcher's way (maddux, notoriously).

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:11 pm

As bad as Javy Baez was last year, he definitely got rung up on stuff that others would not have, based on his growing reputation. An argument could be made for having balls and strikes called by machines, but I like the human element. I actually like that umpires punish a guy for not being able to locate the strike zone, or Baez swinging at every freakin pitch. I like the whole pitch framing thing, too. It's just another bit of art to a very artsy game. That said, I would have liked a Castillo/Montero platoon. But I'm not invested in it at all. I trust the kids running running this team.

[ ]

Submitted by WISCGRAD on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:11 pm

I am not sure how all of the stats are calculated, but I have often seen framing described as runs not strikes. According to various metrics, Montero's framing was worth about 20 runs last year, wheras Castillo's was about negative 20 runs. And that seems quite significant intead of it just being a strike or two a game. The article O&B linked to from Fangraphs suggest framing adds up to 2 WAR to Montero's total, while subtracting 0.5 or more from Castillo's--and that ends up making Castillo very near replacement level and makes Montero look more like an All-Star. 

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:15 pm

when you're talking about framing, i think it's a whole lot more precise to look at how many Ks called were actually balls for a positive and how many Ks were called balls for a negative. it's still not an exact science, but you can nail down something not as controversial as turning a ball into a K an instance of saving a piece of a run. you know what happened in one instance (though there is a human element involved) and you're projecting beyond the instance in another.

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:20 pm

I'm not even sure it's possible to really capture it in stats. Just watching, you see the guy who's good at it get calls and the other guy doesn't. And it's not going to always be consistent. I'm sure there are ump who aren't influenced. But that guy who always ends up with his mitt around the plate is always going to influence the ump more than the guy who doesn't., among those umps who might be swayed by this stuff.

[ ]

Submitted by Rob G. on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:19 pm

hogwash...stats, they can prove anything

Cub Nation is probably obsessed over it because, and I'm just spitballing, Theo and Jed keep bringing it up. We're lemmings that way, trying to understand what the front office is trying to accomplish.

regardless if it leads to actual strikeouts, getting ahead in the count is nearly as important as just the K rates, I'm sure that's why fangraphs presents it as runs saved or lost.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:27 pm

it's totally taken over because theo/jed have moved that way...absolutely. it's part of the rebuild that's a new piece of information for the fans, popping up quite recently. that said, even if montero was half the pitch framer that he was i'd still be thrilled to have him around...and though the ross deal isn't something im thrilled with, we're talking about 1 year too long and only a few million too much over the course of the contract from my point of view. he slowed down a bit last season...not as mobile. i understand and buy into that it's not his numbers why he's here...he's a couple hundred AB...i'm not concerned. i think it's important to look for, but it's become a buzzword-type thing i'm seeing all over the cubs-innerweb-verse-dot-com. it's neat stuff...just surprising how much it's being extensively mused. i'm in on it and interested.

Submitted by Carlito on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:35 pm

You guys really don't get it do you? They acquired Ross and Montero to use Cubs karma to force MLB to adopt a computerized 'magic eye' strike zone so that all of our hitting prospects don't have to go through rookie hazing by home plate umps thus speeding up the ascent to annual World Series champions. Montero and Ross will actually be bullpen catchers and coaches once the desired effect has occurred and Lavarnway Wellington and eventually Schwarber will get the playing time and won't have to worry about pitch framing. Pitch framing!! Haha so gullible. You guys really are morans.

Submitted by Cubster on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 12:01 pm

So with a bad pitch framing catcher, the entire pitching staff can be good but their stats look like crap and with a good pitch framer, the entire pitching staff gets great stats but is really crap. I liked it better when it was just Koyie Hill adding 5mph to the fastball. Back in the days when it was the Z-coordinate that mattered more than the X or Y coordinates Z-coordinate example... http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rFWkF1bysh0/Tscn5hzBqYI/AAAAAAAAABE/KHhdP0D1m…

Submitted by Rob G. on Sun, 12/21/2014 - 12:03 am

The gift that keeps on giving..

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports several unnamed NFL executives believe the Bears may have to give up a draft pick in order to trade Jay Cutler

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Sun, 12/21/2014 - 12:44 am

All the more reason not to let Emery handle this. I had actually forgotten about the severity of the draft pick hit Bears took on Cutler until someone here reminded me of it. Bears pretty much need a genius level GM to get out of this mess. The Bears don't need a complete rebuild like the Cubs did - there is some stuff to work with on the roster, but I have lost all faith in Emery. At season's end last year I was pretty gung ho on the Bears. Just tweak the secondary and defensive line a bit, and playoffs here we come. Now, I doubt I'll watch today's game, even with a new QB. It's not like Clausen is the answer. The other day Mike & Mike had Urlacher on and they asked him to name all the QBs that played with him and he said, "easy" and then proceeded to remember something like half of them. One of them he admitted to having no recollection of at all - I don't remember the name now, either.

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Mon, 12/22/2014 - 12:36 am

Different QB, different throwing style, only 3 days to practice together on the first team, so I'm not surprised at the number of muffs by the receivers, but the number was pretty out of hand. Jeffrey said it wasn't timing, that he just sucked, but still. Clausen won me over just by getting in that guy's face after the cheap hit. He could be backup QB material I guess.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 01/19/2015 - 01:33 pm

IF-OF Tim Saunders (2012 D-3 World Series MVP and Cubs 2012 32nd round draft pick out of Marietta College) has retired.  

The speedy Saunders (considered to be one of the fastest players in the Cubs system) hit 279/345/406 with 10 HR & 76 RBI, 31 2B, 4 3B, 48 SB (8 CS), and 47/155 BB/K in 614 PA and 148 minor league games (a minor league full season is 144 games) over the course of three seasons 2012-14.

The 24-year old was projected to be an athletic IF-OF utility "super-sub" at either Hi-A Myrtle Beach or AA Tennessee in 2015. 

Recent comments

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Indeed they do TJW!

    For the record I’m not in favor of solely building a team through paying big to free agents. But I’m also of the mind that when you develop really good players, get them signed to extensions that buy out a couple years of free agency, including with team options. And supplement the home grown players with free agent splashes or using excess prospects to trade for stars under team control for a few years. Sort of what Atlanta does, basically. Everyone talks about the dodgers but I feel that Atlanta is the peak organization at the current moment.

    That said, the constant roster churn is very Rays- ish. What they do is incredible, but it’s extremely hard to do which is why they’re the only ones frequently successful that employ that strategy. I definitely do not want to see a large market team like ours follow that model closely. But I don’t think free agent frenzies is always the answer. It’s really only the Dodgers that play in that realm. I could see an argument for the Mets too. The Yankees don’t really operate like that anymore since the elder Steinbrenner passed. Though I would say the reigning champions built a good deal of that team through free agent spending.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    The issue is the Cubs are 11-7 and have been on the road for 12 of those 18.  We should be at least 13-5, maybe 14-4. Jed isn't feeling any pressure to play anyone he doesn't see fit.
    But Canario on the bench, Morel not at 3B for Madrigal and Wisdom in RF wasn't what I thought would happen in this series.
    I was hoping for Morel at 3B, Canario in RF, Wisdom at DH and Madrigal as a pinch hitter or late replacement.
    Maybe Madrigal starts 1 game against the three LHSP for Miami.
    I'm thinking Canario goes back to Iowa on Sunday night for Mastrobuoni after the Miami LHers are gone.
    Canario needs ABs in Iowa and not bench time in MLB.
    With Seiya out for a while Wisdom is safe unless his SOs are just overwhelmingly bad.

    My real issue with the lineup isn't Madrigal. I'm not a fan, but I've given up on that one.
    It's Tauchman getting a large number of ABs as the de factor DH and everyday player.
    I didn't realize that was going to be the case.
    We need a better LH DH. PCA or ONKC need to force the issue in about a month.
    But, even if they do so, Jed doesn't have to change anything if the Cubs stay a few over .500!!!

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Totally depends on the team and the player involved. If your team’s philosophy is to pay huge dollars to bet on the future performance of past stars in order to win championships then, yes, all of the factors you mentioned are important.

    If on the other hand, if the team’s primary focus is to identify and develop future stars in an effort to win a championship, and you’re a young player looking to establish yourself as a star, that’s a fit too. Otherwise your buried within your own organization.

    Your comment about bringing up Canario for the purposes of sitting him illustrates perfectly the dangers of rewarding a non-performing, highly paid player over a hungry young prospect, like Canario, who is perpetually without a roster spot except as an insurance call up, but too good to trade. Totally disincentivizing the performance of the prospect and likely diminishing it.

    Sticking it to your prospects and providing lousy baseball to your fans, the consumers and source of revenue for your sport, solely so that the next free agent gamble finds your team to be a comfortable landing spot even if he sucks? I suppose  that makes sense to some teams but it’s definitely not the way I want to see my team run.

    Once again, DJL, our differences in philosophy emerge!

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    That’s just kinda how it works though, for every team. No team plays their best guys all the time. No team is comprising of their best 26 even removing injuries.

    When baseball became a business, like REALLY a business, it became important to keep some of the vets happy, which in turn keeps agents happy and keeps the team with a good reputation among players and agents. No one wants to play for a team that has a bad reputation in the same way no one wants to work for a company that has a bad rep.

    Don’t get me wrong, I hate it too. But there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

    On that topic, I find it silly the Cubs brought up Canario to sit as much as he has. He’s going to get Velazquez’d, and it’s a shame.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Of course, McKinstry runs circles around $25 million man Javier Baez on that Tigers team. Guess who gets more playing time?

    But I digress…

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Seems like Jed was trying to corner the market on mediocre infielders with last names starting with "M" in acquiring Madrigal, Mastroboney and Zach McKinstry.  

     

    At least he hasn't given any of them a Bote-esque extension.  

  • Childersb3 (view)

    AZ Phil:
    Rookie ball (ACL) starts on May 4th. Do yo think Ramon and Rosario (maybe Delgado) stay in Mesa for the month of May, then go to MB if all goes "solid"?
     

  • crunch (view)

    masterboney is a luxury on a team that has multiple, capable options for 2nd, SS, and 3rd without him around.  i don't hate the guy, but if madrigal is sticking around then masterboney is expendable.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I THINK I agree with that decision. They committed to Wicks as a starter and, while he hasn’t been stellar I don’t think he’s been bad enough to undo that commitment.

    That said, Wesneski’s performance last night dictates he be the next righty up.

    Quite the dilemma. They have many good options, particularly in relief, but not many great ones. And complicating the situation is that the pitchers being paid the most are by and large performing the worst - or in Taillon’s case, at least to this point, not at all.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Wesneski and Mastrobuoni to Iowa

    Taillon and Wisdom up

    Wesneski can't pitch for a couple of days after the 4 IP from last night. But Jed picked Wicks over Wesneski.

Click HERE for the last 50 comments