Yardbarker: Sean Gallagher

Cubs Top Prospects For 2009

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:29:37 -0500

My take on the top Cubs prospects for 2009. This is a dynamic list that's subject to change over the winter. One thing to notice is that three of the Cubs top 10 prospects for 2008 were moved for Harden. One graduated to the majors. That leaves the list thin on major league-ready talent, but there's quite a bit at the lower levels. I should also note that this is not a ranking. There's a definite hierarchy and you can see the tiers of prospect, but that's about the only distinction. Josh Vitters (3B): The best hitter in the Cubs system in more than 20 years. His vision, hand-eye coordination and bat speed are unrivaled in the organization. His defense should pass at third and is likely in line to crack the ML lineup by 2011. Has all the tools to consistently hit over .300 with 30+ home runs. Great strike zone judgment, but he likes to hit. Who gives a fuck if it was the Northwest League? He was 18 all year. If healthy, I bet he finishes next season at Daytona. 2. Jeff Samardzija (RHP): Normally wouldn't be on the list, but I have him here because I still see him as a starter. As most of you know, his fastball sits in the low- to mid-90s (and can hit the high-90s) with a TON of movement. Good slider and filthy splitter round out his repertoire. He still gets too much of the plate and loses control at times, but he has the stuff and the makeup to be a frontline starter in the future. Dae Eun Rhee (RHP): Dominated low-A ball in his U.S. debut in 2008. Features a low-90s fastball that he can dial up to the mid 90s if he needs, a curve and a splitter-like change. Would have been higher (and might have finished the season in Daytona) had he not been injured. Andrew Cashner (RHP): Reliever or starter? Considered the top college reliever in the 2008 draft by many. The jury is still out on whether he can start or not, as the opinion is polarizing. Throws a high-90s fastball, killer slider and power curve that can all be considered out pitches when he commands them well. I'm sure Wilken likes him as a starter because of his size and athleticism. As a reliever, he's a top-5 prospect. As a starter, we'll seea?? Larry Suarez (RHP): Big righty draws Z comparisons with his live fastball, slider and change. Starting to see refinement on his pitches, so look for him at Peoria this year. Oneri Fleita called him the best Latin American pitcher in 2006. Christ Carpenter (RHP): Pitches in the low- to mid-90s with a sinking fastball that can touch 98. Has a good hard curve and an OK change. Needs to refine control, but induces a lot of weak contact and gets a fair amount of Ks. He's a first-round talent that fell to the third because of injury issues. If healthy, this kid WILL pitch in the bigs. Aaron Shafer (RHP): Was considered a top-10 pick before injuring his elbow. He came back and pitched just as well in 2008 as he did before the injury, but the loss of a few ticks on his fastball dropped him to the Cubs in round 2. Commands his fastball that sits around 90, his big curve and change very well. Had success late in his pro debut. If he finds the velocity he lost after the injury, he instantly becomes the Cub pitcher with the highest upside. Jay "Don't call me Randy, dawg" Jackson (RHP): Moved from Boise, through Peoria and on to Daytona last year, thanks to success at all levels. Features a low-90s fastball, plus slider and decent change. Doesn't have the pedigree of some of the other prospects, but his success can't be denied. Also played OF at Furman. Ryan Flaherty ("SS"): Big lefty doesn't have the power you'd expect from someone his size. He tore up the Northwest League, but it was probably weaker competition than he faced playing for Team USA and Vanderbil. Expect him to move to 2B in the near future. Looking around, it seems I'm not the only one who sees him as Chase Utley lite. Tyler Colvin (OF): His value increases greatly if he can handle CF at the ML level. He has the speed and arm to do so. Lefty can hit well and for decent power, but still swings at pitches out of the zone too much and struggles with strike zone judgment (which improved a bit in 2008). Combining the hitting ability, power and patience he's shown at times (but not usually concurrently) would make him a good CF option. Jose Ceda (RHP): Big-league fastball and slider right now. Control is holding him back. A big, intimidating guy, Ceda can touch 99 with his fastball with relative ease. He might break with the big club in 2009 to get a taste of the pen. With better control, he'll be the team's closer soon. 2010 list possibilities: Yohan Gonzalez (RHP): Big Latin American signing of 2007. Didn't miss a lot of bats in 2008, but didn't walk a lot or give up many hits either. Jeffrey Antigua (LHP): Hard-throwing lefty that gets a lot of weak contact. Pitched well at 17 in the AZL. Should fill out and add velocity. Look for him at Boise or Peoria next season. Lee Hak-Ju (SS): 17-year-old drew rave reviews from scouts, who say he looks better in the field than Derek Jeter did at this age. Played briefly in an Aussie League and will likely make his U.S. debut next season. Ryan Searle (RHP): Aussie pitched well in his U.S. debut, going from Mesa to Boise. Throws two different fastballs, a curve, a slider and a changeup that's a work in progress. Likely our next Sean Gallagher a?" a kid with unimpressive size and stuff that gets results.

Samardzija In, Gaudin Out?; Playoff News

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:13:14 -0500

Lou Piniella has announced that Jeff Samardzija will in fact make the 2008 Cubs playoff roster. Having already announced an 11 man playoff pitching staff, this may be bad news for the Chad Gaudin. The final 2 bullpen spots are going to come from Samardzija, Gaudin, and Bob Howry. While the major media outlets (as in, even more major than TD) are all speculating that the announcement of Samardzija getting the nod spells bad news for Gaudin, don't forget that Bruce Miles said just last Tuesday that he'd be "surprised" to see Howry make the roster.

Gaudin has been solid since the trade from Oakland that also netted Rich Harden in exchange for a Patterson, Sean Gallagher, and a warm case of Old Milwaukee, but a recent injury and resulting lack of confidence in his breaking stuff may have Gaudin watching the playoffs from the sidelines. If Gaudin can somehow convince the Cubs managerial staff that he can hack it, maybe he gets the nod over Howry. But it's not looking good.

It's also looking like, against my learned and always uber-impeccable advice, that Jason Marquis is going to make the playoff squad in a relief role. To tune up for the role, Marquis pitched in relief in last night's dub against the Brewers. How'd it go? 0.1 IP, 1 BB, 2 H, 2 Ernies. Dude sucks guys. Dude sucks. But hey, poor Jason's "passion" is starting...""Starting's my passion, starting is what I feel my best at," Marquis said Saturday. "But we have four pretty good starters, too. We all have confidence in each other. They made a decision to go with the other four [starters], and that's fine." (Link to his dumb quote)

Here's how the hurlers will line up:
SPs: 1. Dempster, 2. Zambrano, 3. Harden, 4. Lilly
RPs: Wood, Marmol, Samardzija, Marquis, Marshall, Cotts, & Howry/Gaudin?

Lou is set to announce the position players for the playoff roster probably today.

*****

In playoff news-it's all coming down to today's last day of the regular season. With the 3 NL division winners set (Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies) it's up to the New York Metropolitans and the Milwaukee Choke...Brewers to determine the wild card. New York is home to the Marlins, who Johan Santana beat yesterday 2-0 on short rest. Oliver Perez goes for the Mets, Scott Olsen for the Marlins. The Cubs, of course, are on the road to Milwaukee. Some dude named CC Sabathia going for the Brew Crew, Angel Guzman (!) for the Cubs. (Sidebar: This matchup seems so wildly uneven doesn't it? The arguable NL Cy Young/MVP vs. a dude who's pitched 94 innings of 6.13 ERA ball across 3 seasons. A team fighting for their playoff lives against a team that clinched over a week ago. But just watch...the Cubs will win this game today. The Brewers, somehow, will blow this...again. And it will be funny. Not to mention helpful-we want the Mets, not the Dodgers.)

If both the Mets and Brewers win today, they will remain tied and will be forced into a one game playoff on Monday in New York. If both lose, same thing.

If the Mets win and the Brewers lose-the Cubs, with the best record in the NL, will face the wild card Mets in the NLDS.

If the Brewers win and the Mets lose-the Cubs will instead face the Dodgers as a division winner can not face a wild card team that comes from its own division in the first round of the playoffs.

We've got to be rooting for the former situation here. I think we want to face the Mets over the Dodgers. The Cubs, at least Alfonso Soriano, agree. The Mets have been battling to make the playoffs while the Dodgers, like the Cubs, have had it sewn up for a while. The Dodgers have been resting players and aligning their pitching staff. The Mets have been forced to throw Johan Santana on short rest, play their balls off, and struggle to even get in. Additionally...the Cubs didn't fare too well having to travel way out west last year to play the Dbacks.

Actually...the best possible situation for the Cubs would be if the Mets/Brewers had to play this playoff game on Monday and have the Mets win that. More innings equals more tired, mentally and physically, players, and less rest for the pitchers. Were that to occur, the Mets would then have to go on the road and somehow be ready to begin the playoffs in Chicago on Wednesday. I'll take it.

Should be interesting to see how this plays out. Either way, though...the Cubs playoff run begins Wednesday. Check in often to TD as we run up to and through the playoffs with the great in-depth and statistically heavy analysis you've come to expect from us. We gon' bring it, and we gon' bring its good.

Fantasy Baseball pickups in last week

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:44:38 -0500

The fantasy season ends Sunday, folks. If you're in contention, congratulations, and keep a close eye on that free agent pool if your league uses daily transactions. And now, for the final time in 2008 — God, I'm getting emotional just typing this — it's "The Lower Half."

MLB Punchlines: Carlos Delgado Continues Surge

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:25:51 -0500

Tom Glavine underwent successful elbow surgery yesterday and will be ready to pitch come spring training. Do you think he'll come back? (Washington Post)

The Mariners are close to becoming the first member of the 100-100 club. (Seattle Times)

You know that despite the A's dreadful second half of the season that Billy Beane is happy that his farm system has been replenished. (San Fran Chronicle)

Garrett Anderson is still contributing at a high level. Hasn't he always? (OC Register)

The best player in Mets history, Tom Seaver, will not miss Shea Stadium at all. (NY Post)

How unexpected has Carlos Delgado's second half surge been? He looked finished 2 months ago. (NY Daily News)

Speaking of the A's they placed both Justin Duchscherer and Sean Gallagher on the 15-day DL yesterday. (Miami Herald)

Mitch Maier is upbeat after taking a pitch to the face and breaking facial bones. (KC Star)

Unlike Seaver Ty Wigginton cherishes up Shea. (Houston Chronicle)

Yaz turns 69 today and is recovering from successful triple bypass surgery. (Hartford Courant)

Baseball highlights on your iPod? ESPN hopes so. (Rocky Mountain News)

Former Braves and Mets pitcher, Jorge Sosa, was suspended 50 games for his use of PED's. (AJC)

MLB Injury Extra: Replacements - Week 21

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:27:05 -0500

Screaming Sports' Zach Powell breaks out another Screaming Sports original. With so many valuable fantasy studs going down with injury, Zach decided it was time to take a look at several replacements. So if you're one of the many fantasy GM's who have been ravaged by injury, then this piece is exactly what the doctor ordered.

The 8/31 Exemption (and How to Use It)

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:30:36 -0500

August 31st is an important date for contending MLB teams, because that's the date that determines eligibility for post-season rosters.

To be eligible to play in the MLB post-season, a player must be on the club's 25-man roster or 15-day or 60-day DL as of 8/31. However, any player (regardless of position) who is a member of the organization on 8/31 is eligible to replace an injured player on the post-season roster as long as the injured player is placed on the DL prior to the start of the post-season series. (If the "replacement player" is not already on his club's 40-man roster, he must be added to the 40 before he can be added to the post-season roster). NOTE: If a player suffers a disabling injury DURING a post-season series, the club can (with approval of the MLB Commissioner) replace the player with any player who was a member of the organization on August 31st, although in this case (replacing an injured player DURING a post-season series), the replacement player must play the same position as the injured player, and the injured player is ineligible to return to the active list at any later point in the post-season.

Essentially, the more players a club can stash on its 15-day or 60-day DL on August 31st, the more post-season roster exemptions for the club. And more post-season roster exemptions gives a club greater flexibility to tweak its post-season roster from series-to-series.

Using post-season roster exemptions, a club can alter its LDS, LCS, and World Series rosters at the start of each series, adding players who were not on the 25-man roster or DL on 8/31. And since projected match-ups are one of the prime influences in determining how a post-season roster is to be constructed, the ability to add an extra lefty reliever in a series where the opposition has a left-handed heavy batting order, or an extra lefty bat off the bench when the opposition has a right-handed heavy bullpen, could give a club an edge. And in a short series involving two quality MLB teams, any little bit of an edge could make the difference between moving on to the next level and going home.

But to add a player or players to a post-season roster, a club needs post-season roster exemptions, and the only way to ensure having the exemptions when they are needed is to have a couple or three players riding the 15-day or 60-day DL on August 31st.

So how did the Cubs go about creating their post-season roster last season?

2007 CUBS 25-MAN ROSTER AS OF 8-31-07:

PITCHERS (11): Ryan Dempster, Scott Eyre, Rich Hill, Bob Howry, Ted Lilly, Carlos Marmol, Jason Marquis, Sean Marshall, Kerry Wood, Michael Wuertz, and Carlos Zambrano

CATCHERS (2): Henry Blanco and Jason Kendall

INFIELDERS (6): Mark DeRosa, Mike Fontenot, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Theriot, and Daryle Ward

OUTFIELDERS (6): Cliff Floyd, Jacque Jones, Craig Monroe, Matt Murton, Felix Pie, and Alfonso Soriano

DISABLED LIST (4): Pitchers Angel Guzman (sprained elbow ligament), Roberto Novoa (fractured shoulder) and Mark Prior (shoulder surgery) on the 60-day DL, and outfielder Angel Pagan (colitis) on the 15-day DL

Because Guzman, Novoa, Prior, and Pagan were on the DL on 8/31, all four were eligible to be included on the Cubs 2007 post-season roster.

Note that the Cubs went with 11 pitchers for four days (8/28 through 8/31), as LHP Carmen Pignatiello was optioned to Iowa on August 28th, when OF Alfonso Soriano (strained quad) was activated from the DL. But then RHP Sean Gallagher and LHP Will Ohman were recalled from Iowa on September 1st, and RHP Steve Trachsel (acquired from the Baltimore Orioles on 8/31) was also added to the Cubs active roster on 9/1, giving the Cubs 14 pitchers right at the beginning of September (increased to 16 pitchers when Pignatiello and Kevin Hart were brought up on 9/4).

Trachsel was acquired from the Orioles on 8/31 but was not added to the Cubs active roster until the next day, so he was not automatically eligible for the post-season roster. However, he was eligible to be a post-season "replacement player" because he was a member of the Cubs organization on 8/31.

During September 2007, the Cubs recalled pitchers Sean Gallagher, Will Ohman, and Carmen Pignatiello, catcher Geovany Soto, infielder Ronny Cedeno, and IF-OF Eric Patterson from AAA Iowa (Patterson was subsequently optioned to AA Tennessee for disciplinary reasons), and selected RHP Kevin Hart and OF Sam Fuld from AA Tennessee, as Hendry & Piniella opted to go with a 34-man roster over the last month of the season. (Neal Cotts, Jake Fox, Juan Mateo, Billy Petrick, and Jeff Samardzija were not recalled from their minor league optional assignments).

Because Guzman, Novoa, Prior, and Pagan remained on the DL through the balance of the 2007 season, their roster slots became available as post-season roster exemptions, allowing the Cubs to add Kevin Hart, Geovany Soto, and Ronny Cedeno to their NLDS roster. (Hart, Soto, and Cedeno were brought up from the minors in September, so they would not have been eligible to be included on a post-season roster if not for the roster exemptions).

But adding Hart, Soto, and Cedeno to their NLDS roster meant the Cubs had to deactivate three players who had been on their 25-man roster on 8/31, and so they dropped pitcher Sean Marshall, catcher Henry Blanco, and outfielder Craig Monroe. (Marshall stayed "stretched-out" as a starter during the NLDS, throwing 70+ pitches for the Cubs AZ Instructional League team in a "Camp Day" intrasquad game at Fitch Park while the Cubs were in Phoenix to play the Diamondbacks at Chase Field, and Monroe kept active by taking early-morning BP every day that week at Fitch).

Marshall, Blanco, and Monroe, plus Will Ohman (who also threw an inning in the Camp Day intrasquad game at Fitch while the Cubs were in Phoenix) and Sam Fuld, remained with the Cubs throughout the NLDS (Trachsel, Pignatiello, and Gallagher did not), serving as potential "replacement players" in case of a season-ending injury to somebody during the NLDS, and as potential Plan "B" options in the NLCS and World Series (if the Cubs had gotten that far). For instance, Marshall could have been an alternative to Marquis as the #4 starter in an NLCS, or Hart could have been exchanged for Ohman, or Fuld could have replaced Pie or Murrton, or Murton or Pie could have been switched with Monroe.

So knowing what the Cubs did with their September call-ups and post-season roster last year, what are Hendry & Piniella likely to do this year?

If Hendry & Piniella once again go with a 34-man September roster, I would think pitchers Angel Guzman and Jon Lieber will be reactivated from the DL, catcher Koyie Hill will be brought up from Iowa to be the 3rd catcher (the Cubs always add a 3rd catcher in September) and post-season fall-back in case Soto or Blanco were to suffer a disabling injury, and pitchers Michael Wuertz and Kevin Hart, 1B-OF Micah Hoffpauir, and outfielder Felix Pie will be recalled from Iowa. That leaves two spots for a right-handed power bat off the bench (probably either 1B-OF Jason Dubois or OF Jake Fox) and another bullpen arm (probably either Jose Ascanio or Randy Wells).

At present, the Cubs have three players on the DL, with pitchers Chad Fox (sore elbow) and Jon Lieber (sore foot) on the 15-day DL, and pitcher Angel Guzman (TJS surgery rehab) on the 60. Guzman and Lieber will likely be activated from the DL in September, so probably only Chad Fox will provide the Cubs with a ready-made roster exemption for the post-season. (Fox could be transferred to the 60-day DL if an additional spot on the 40-man roster is needed in September).

Of course Lieber has the type of chronic foot problem that probably would allow the Cubs to place him on the DL any old time, so if the Cubs wish to replace a struggling and ineffective Bob Howry with Michael Wuertz and 5th starter Jason Marquis with Micah Hoffpauir, they should be able to do it just by leaving Chad Fox on the DL for the rest of the season and by placing Jon Lieber back on the DL before the start of the NLDS (since Lieber is unlikely to be on the Cubs post-season roster).

Also, LHP Rich Hill (on the Iowa DL with a back problem) and RHP Adam Harben (on the Daytona DL while on extended rehab from 2006 TJS) are both on the Cubs 40-man roster, so either (or both) could be recalled from his optional assignment on August 31st and then be immediately placed on the 60-day DL, giving the Cubs another post-season roster exemption (or two), as well as opening up one (or two) more slots on the 40 in September. (While Harben could get outrighted to the minors at any time, he would have greater value spending the rest of the season on the 60-day DL as a post-season roster exemption than he would by getting outrighted right away).

LHP Carmen Pignatiello and RHP Billy Petrick could also get outrighted if additional slots are needed on the 40-man roster in September, but it's more likely that they will be removed from the 40 after the season.

Athletics lose again - need to find answers soon

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:59:33 -0500

Something has gotta' give, right? The A's can't remain as icy cold as they have since the end of the All Star break could they? When they've gotten stellar performances from their pitching, they've still managed to be outscored by the opposing team. When they've gotten some hitting, the opposition seems to have outpitched the A's pitchers. On a day when the Oakland Athletics ace, Justin Duchscherer, was pitching, you'd expect the latter wouldn't be the case in a loss, but on Thursday night it was....

Athletics' Gonzalez shows grit, but Oakland still loses ninth straight

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:17:08 -0500

Gio Gonzalez got his first Major League career start, unfortunately for him and the A's, it was also his first career loss as well. The 22 year old pitcher, just called up from the Sacramento River Cats, pitched 6 innings, letting up 4 earned runs on 4 hits and 2 walks, and 1 home run while striking out 4 batters in the loss. The only problem was the first inning, where he let up a three-run homer to Rod Barajas...

MLB Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Week 19

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:04:15 -0500

Screaming Sports' Phil Yoon goes over a week of upcoming matchups and determines who you should sit, who you should start and why. Surprisingly, there are three pretty big names that should be riding the pine this coming week.

MLB Fantasy Minute - Week 18

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:00:14 -0500

Screaming Sports' Phil Yoon breaks out his famed MLB Fantasy Minute and breaks down the MLB's top five stories while channeling a little John Denver. All those pitchers who were traded now have something to prove. Outfielders continue to dominate the AL. And the Indians' Cliff Lee could make history. Mr. Yoon has all if it covered and much more.

Seven unlucky for hapless A's: Eric Chavez gone for season

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:27:00 -0500

Monday was not a good day for the A's. Sitting on a six game losing streak and unable to find a way since the All Star break to put a few wins together, they found out that their singular franchise player, Eric Chavez, will need season ending...

Ziegler extends record, Ellis ties one: A's still swept by Royals

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:05:00 -0500

Even when things seem to go right for the A's lately, something goes terribly wrong and they add to their mounting deficit of games that they trail the Angels and the Red Sox. Records were broken and tied Wednesday, reports about Frank Thomas coming back this week along with Keith Foulke's eminent return would seem to bode well for this struggling team, but it turns out to be all for naught…at least on Wednesday...

Oakland A's struggle with more of the same - lose to Royals again

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:37:43 -0500

When are the Oakland A's going to field a team that can hit? It seems like they'll never have a team that can consistently score four or more runs in a game. When the Kansas City Royals are outplaying you, it's time to do a little self reflection. Rather than reflect, recently the A's have been deflecting trade rumors. Hopefully, after the trade deadline, some of the players who have tightened up will be more comfortable and able to break out of this obnoxious and demoralizing hitting slump that has led them to only 2 wins over the past 11 games...

Did Billy Beane and the Athletics throw in the towel too early?

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:21:45 -0500

We've had 20 days to digest the beginning of the sell-off in Oakland, and in that time the A's have gone from seven games over .500 and six games out of first, second in the A.L. West, to two games over .500, 11 games back and in third...

Fantasy Baseball: Trade Extravaganza, Part I

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 07:35:58 -0500

As the trade deadline approaches, many teams are feverishly trying to improve their postseason chances. But what sort of impact do these deals have on the fantasy aspect of the game? Screaming Sports' Phil Yoon examines some of the previously completed trades and the effect they will have on fantasy baseball.