Yardbarker: Chicago Cubs

Bradley to Blue Jays ... Cubs End up with Castillo?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:08:19 -0500

According to a report by Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs have discussed framework for a deal with the Blue Jays and Mets involving Milton Bradley. In a scenario described as a "longshot" by Rosenthal, the Mets would receive Lyle Overbay from the Blue Jays, Bradley would end up in Toronto and Luis Castillo would be in end up in Chicago for the next two seasons.

Williams Wants Bradley

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:41:37 -0500

Cubs Hall of Famer Billy Williams wants the Cubs to keep Milton Bradley: “I talked to him many times. I really, really wanted him to get through last year. I wanted him to get to know what being a Cub is all about,” said Williams, 71. “I remember going into the clubhouse one particular day, and [...]

Cubs Rumor Round-Up: Bradley 3-Way, Chapman & More

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:28:23 -0500

All Milton, all the time...

- Foxsports's rumor mongering robot Robothal is hearing talks about a 3-way trade of Milton Bradley to the Blue Jays, Lyle Overbay to the Mets and Luis Castillo to the Cubs.

The three-team possibility, according to one source, has "some legs, but not much." The Jays are opposed to the deal, one source says — perhaps because new GM Alex Anthopolous does not want a trade for Bradley to be his first major move.

Castillo is owed $6M each of the next two seasons, will be 34 next year has piss-poor UZR and Rate2 numbers the last few seasons and was the proud owner of a .337 wOBA(barely above average) last season thanks mostly to a .342 BABIP which isn't something he's shown he can repeat too often. So that's exciting...

But if the Cubs can indeed move the $21M owed Bradley for the $12M owed Castillo, well that becomes a no-brainer for the Cubs. Chances are they'll have to throw some cash which spins me right back to the not so exciting camp.

The same article says the Rays have been the heaviest pursuers of Bradley mentioning Pat Burrell again. Their salaries even out in 2010 according to Robothal, but Rays want Cubs to pay most of 2011 to relieve them of their headache.

- Bruce Levine chimed in earlier saying the Cubs have talked with Mets, Blue Jays, Rangers, Rays and Angels about Bradley. Levine reiterates that Rich Harden and Kevin Gregg are as good as gone, Cubs would like to resign John Grabow and Reed Johnson could be welcome back if he accepts a one year deal. He says the Cubs priorities are bullpen help, a leadoff hitter, center field and a veteran middle infielder...like Luis Castillo for example.

- Bruce Miles talked to Carlos Zambrano's agent and said he hasn't been approached about waving any no-trade clauses and thinks it's a "non-story". Talk with Hendry included glowing praise of Starlin Castro and that a deal for Bradley isn't close.

- For what it's worth, which isn't much...Billy Williams would like to salvage the Milton Bradley situation in Chicago.

- Finally, the Cubs did inquire about the Cuban lefty fireballer Aroldis Chapman, but "seem to be going in other, cheaper directions"

Otherwise, be sure you don't miss Arizona Phil's Top 15 prospect list for something with some substance over this rumor mongering.

Bradley Being Discussed In Three-Way Deal

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:55:46 -0500

A very interesting idea is being reported by Ken Rosenthal: a three-way deal, with Milton Bradley going to the Blue Jays, Luis Castillo to the Cubs, and Lyle Overbay to the Mets. Rosenthal said "The teams indeed have discussed the framework of such a deal, though not in direct fashion, according to major-league sources." Breaking it down, the trade makes the most sense for the Mets, who would clear second base for long-coveted Orlando Hudson, a free agent. Overbay has also mashed r...

Could the Cubs really be this stupid?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:38:43 -0500

Ken Rosenthal says it’s still a longshot, but the Cubs are discussing a potential 3-team trade that would send Milton Bradley to the Blue Jays, Lyle Overbay to the Mets and Luis Castillo to the Cubs. This has to be a ******* joke. Luis Castillo isn’t even as good as a platoon of Fontenot and Baker. I’m not even going to get into how unfair a trade it is to send Bradley away and get only Luis Castillo in return. Earlier we were wondering what the Blue Jays might give ...

Sources: Bradley being discussed in 3-way deal

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:15:06 -0500

The idea, while described as a longshot, is at least one way for the Cubs to trade outfielder Milton Bradley.

Elias Rankings for Cubs Free Agents

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:13:49 -0500

The official Elias rankings are out and they don't differ too much from the reverse-engineered list that MLB Trade Rumors was putting out (courtesy of Eddie Bajek).

Type A - John Grabow, Kevin Gregg

Type B - Rich Harden

Reed Johnson didn't make the cut and even if offered arbitration, the Cubs would not get any draft picks if he signed with another team. A Type A free agent - if offered arbitration by his previous team - nets a first round pick and a supplemental pick if he signs with another club. A Type B free agents nets a supplemental pick. The Cubs weren't going to offer Gregg arbitration as is, since the chances of a team signing him and giving up a draft pick are between zilch and none. Grabow may get offered arbitration because the Cubs just want him back. Rich Harden should be offered arbitration because he's one of the two most talented pitchers available on the market and even with his arm issues, a one year deal is pretty low risk even at $10Mish a year. Plus Ted Lilly is broken.

In terms of some players the Cubs might have some interest in and who might get offered arbitration.

Type A - Chone Figgins, Billy Wagner, Johnny Damon

Type B - Mark DeRosa, Mike Cameron, Randy Johnson, Randy Winn

What the Hell Were You Thinking? Alfonso Soriano Edition

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:10:00 -0500

*Over the next couple of weeks, Jorge Says No! will take an in depth look at some of the worst contracts in baseball. We'll evaluate why the player was signed, what went wrong, and future implications of the contract. Behind every bone head decision, there has to be a reason for it...right?*Why Sign Soriano: The Cubs were coming off a tremendously disappointing season in 2006 in which they lost 96 games. The pressure was on GM Jim Hendry to turn the Cubs into contenders immediately and he...

2010 Cubs Top 15 Prospects

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:58:38 -0500

Here are my “2010 Cubs Top 15 Prospects.”

This is just my opinion based mostly on my own observations of the players, and I'm sure many of you have your own idea of who should be where. I probably tend to place greater weight on players at the higher levels because I believe it means something to actually prove yourself by performance on the field against better and/or more-advanced competition, and I also sometimes consider a player to still be a prospect after others have written him off. However, I do consider talented players from further down the pipeline as well.

I use the same criteria Baseball America uses to rate their Top Ten prospects (maximum 50 MLB IP or 130 MLB AB, but not concerned with MLB service time), so Jeff Samardzija and Jake Fox are no longer eligible for consideration. If they were eligible for inclusion, I would place Samardzija between Josh Vitters and Welington Castillo, and J. Fox between Tyler Colvin and Darwin Barney.

For the first time in many seasons, the Cubs best prospects are predominately position-players. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any Top 15-quality pitching prospects in the organization, just that Scouting Director Tim Wilken has put a greater emphasis on drafting & signing position players over the past couple of years than was the case under the previous scouting regime.

Note that the Cubs also have about dozen or more MLB middle-relief prospects (Caridad, Berg, Stevens, Gaub, Parker, Patton Russell, Dolis, Cales, McDaniel, Williamson, Huseby, Mateo, Papelbon, Schlitter, and Maestri), and although I wouldn’t put any of them in this year’s “Top 15” (because as things stand right now, I doubt that any of them will be closers at the big league level), several of them should surface in big league bullpens over the next few years.

2010 CUBS TOP 15 PROSPECTS:

1. Andrew Cashner, RHP (2008 1st Round - TCU) - age 23

COMMENT: Cashner was drafted by the Cubs in the 29th round of the 2007 out of a Texas JC but didn't sign, instead transferring to TCU where he developed into the nation's #1 college closer. Then the Cubs drafted him again in 2008 (this time as their 1st round pick), and this time the Cubs did sign him. Cashner was rusty (he hadn't pitched for about three months) when he reported to Fitch Park in 2008, and then he had a lot of difficulty throwing strikes at Daytona through the month of August, before (finally!) throwing "lights out" in the FSL playoffs in September. He received an NRI to Spring Training, and then was assigned to Daytona to start the 2009 regular season, where the Cubs converted him to a starting pitcher to get him more innings and to force him to use his secondary stuff. He later was promoted to Tennessee, and went a combined 3-4 with a 2.60 ERA, and a 1.18 WHIP, allowing only 76 hits (just one HR) and a 42 BB/75 K over 100.1 IP combined at Daytona and Tennessee, The lanky 6’6 Texan is presently pitching in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) for the Mesa Solar Sox, and is one of the top pitchers in the AFL, having thrown eight consecutive scoreless innings over his last two games. Cashner has been throwing a 94-96 MPH fastball in the AFL, and he also throws a power slider and a change-up. His fastball topped out as high as 98 MPH and his slider ran into the high-80’s when he was used as a closer, so I suspect the bullpen (8th inning set-up man or closer) might be his ultimate destination, although he could remain a starter indefinitely if his change-up continues to improve. While whether he is moved back to bullpen or remains a starter is yet to be determined, he almost certainly will get another NRI to Spring Training 2010, and then will likely begin the season at AAA Iowa, with a mid-season promotion to Chicago a possibility. The only reason the Cubs might hesitate to bring Cashner up to the big leagues next season is to keep his MLB service time and option clock from starting earlier than necessary (Cashner won’t be eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft until post-2011), but if he is pitching well at Iowa and he’s needed in Chicago, service time and minor league options won’t keep the youngster out of Wrigley Field.

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2. Jay Jackson, RHP (2008 9th Round - Furman) - age 22

COMMENT: Jackson is an advanced pitcher who throws four or five different pitches for strikes, with a 94 MPH fastball and a curve being his two main "out" pitches (he also throws a slider and a change-up). He was drafted in 2008, and was promoted all the way up to Daytona in August and started a game in the ’08 FSL playoffs. He has a lot of confidence and doesn’t get rattled. He began the 2009 season at AA Tennessee, before getting a disciplinary demotion back to Daytona in July. He didn’t pout or sulk, though, and got a September bump up to AAA Iowa. Combined at three stops, the 6’1 195 Jackson went 8-7 with a 2.98 ERA, and a 1.22 WHIP, allowing 109 hits (11 HR) in 127 IP, with a 46/127 BB/K (he was second among Cubs minor leaguers in strikeouts). Jackson was a rotation starter in college at Furman, but he also played CF when he wasn't pitching. He is an excellent all-around athlete (he was also an outstanding basketball player in HS), and being able to hit and field should help him win a few more games than the average pitcher. With his basketball background, cool self-confidence, and the ability to hit (with power), he almost seems a bit like Bob Gibson. Jackson should get an NRI to Spring Training in 2010, and then begin the season in the starting rotation at AAA Iowa. A mid-season call-up to Chicago wouldn’t be a big surprise, although (as with Cashner) the Cubs won’t bring Jackson up unless and until they feel confident he is ready for The Show.

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3. Starlin Castro, SS (2006 NDFA – Dominican Republic) - age 19

COMMENT: Castro has been everything the Cubs hoped Ronny Cedeno would be, but never was. I can’t recall any Cubs minor leaguer who has developed faster than Starlin Castro. Signed by the Cubs as a 16-year old out of the Dominican Republic in 2006, Castro made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2007, where he hit .299 with 13 SB in 60 games. Then in 2008, Castro came to the U. S. and was a part-time SS-2B-3B at Fitch Park (AZL Cubs), where he hit 311/364/464 and played good defense at all three INF positions. While he showed some promise both in the DSL in 2007 and in the AZL in 2008, Castro really responded to coaching in the AZ Instructional League post-2008 (where he was easily the most-improved player from beginning to end) and at Minor League Camp this past March, earning him a “challenge” promotion all the way up to Advanced-“A” Daytona (Florida State League) on Opening Day 2009 (skipping both Boise and Peoria). And he accepted the challenge, too, hitting 302/340/391 in 96 games for the D-Cubs while earning a spot in the FSL All-Star Game and a mid-season promotion to AA Tennessee. Castro continued to hit at Tennessee (288/347/396), and helped lead the Smokies into the Southern League playoffs. Then he was assigned to the Arizona Fall League post-2009, where he presently leads the AFL in hitting while playing stellar defense at SS. Castro is still somewhat impatient at the plate (only 66/110 BB/K in 977 career PA), and seems to prefer to hit “first-ball fastball.” Although he also played 2B and 3B prior to the 2009 season, Castro played only SS at Daytona and Tennessee in 2009. He has plus-range and a strong arm, and while he made 39 errors (combined) at Daytona & Tennessee this past season, he has made only one error so far in the AFL while making several spectacular stops & throws, and he played in the AFL “Rising Stars” this past weekend. He has put on about 15 pounds over the past couple of years (and he still has room to grow) and could develop HR power as he matures (he’s still only 19). Castro is his own player, but he reminds me a little bit of a young Edgar Renteria

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4. Josh Vitters, 3B (2007 1st Round - Cypress, HS - Cypress, CA) - age 20

COMMENT: Vitters was the Cubs #1 draft pick in 2007, and the Cubs signed him just prior to the 8/15 deadline (Vitters had signed an NCAA NLI to attend Arizona State). He was sick the latter part of his senior year in high school, and reported to Fitch Park in August 2007 weak and out of shape. He didn't look much better in the 2007 AZ Instructional League, and then he had a sore hand in Spring Training 2008 that delayed the start of his season. But once he got healthy, Vitters showed what he could do as a hitter. He hit 328/365/498 in 61 games at Boise, and was named the Northwest League's #1 prospect by Baseball America. He began the 2009 season at Peoria, where he hit 316/351/535 while going on a mid-May HR binge (he hit 15 HR in 70 games at Peoria). That got him a promotion to Daytona, where he struggled (hitting 238/260/344 in 50 games). He has walked only 28 times in 830 career-PA, although he hasn’t struck out all that much for a power-hitting prospect, either (129 K). Only 20 years old, Vitters was assigned to the Arizona Fall League post-2009, where he is presently hitting 360/385/460. He is just an average runner, but has outstanding bat speed and plus-power and should develop into a 25+ HR guy. He has the actions of a third-baseman and he looks like a third-baseman, but he needs to spend as much time working on his defensive play at 3B as he does working on his hitting. (He really seems to enjoy BP, never gets tired of it). He says he cares about defense, but I would describe his play at 3B (so far) as somewhat lackadaisical (“defensive indifference”). Now, he is the steotypical laid-back Southern California dude, so that might be part of his seemingly casual approach to dealing with his deficiencies. Hopefully Vitters won’t turn out to be another David Kelton, but he is the Cubs top prospect most likely to turn out be a bust. It's possible that Vitters could eventually end up at 1B, and if it wasn’t that Alfonso Soriano is signed through 2014, I would think that the Cubs might seriously consider moving Vitters to LF at some point, but the Cubs REALLY want Vitters to make it to the big leagues as a third-baseman, if at all possible. Vitters will probably get an NRI to Spring Training next February and a promotion to AA Tennessee in 2010.

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5. Welington Castillo, C (2004 NDFA - Dominican Republic) - age 22

COMMENT: Castillo’s defense has mostly been more projection than performance so far. He has a strong arm and is fairly athletic behind the plate, but too often he is careless and foolish with his throws and inconsistent with his receiving, resulting in a ton of errors and passed balls in 2008. However, he cut his passed balls in half and improved his fielding % this past season (both still need further upgrade, however), while leading all catchers in the Cubs organization with a 44% CS rate (he threw out 36% opposing base-stealers in ’08). Concentrating on improving his defense apparently affected his hitting in 2009, as he struggled at the plate pre-All-Star Break after hitting 287/337/383 at Daytona and Tennessee (combined) in 2008. But he caught-fire post-ASB at Tennessee, hitting 319/357/519 while clubbing 11 HR. He was assigned to the Mesa Solar Sox (AFL) post-2009 (he’s currently hitting 357/438/571 in the AFL), and will almost certainly get added to the Cubs 40-man roster later this month. Since he is only 22 years old and still somewhat raw, he could start the 2010 season back at AA Tennessee, especially if that’s where he would get the most playing-time. If Geovany Soto has another year in 2010 like he did in 2009, and if Castillo can build on his 2009 second-half at the plate and continue to improve his defense, he could be the Cubs #1 catcher by 2011.

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6. D. J. LeMahieu, SS (2008 2nd Round – LSU) - age 21

COMMENT: LeMahieu spent two seasons as the starting shortstop at LSU, including the 2009 season when the Tigers won the CWS. He was selected by the Cubs as a draft-eligible sophomore in this past June’s MLB Rule 4 Draft, hit 323/376/384 in 41 games (combined) at AZL Cubs and Peoria after signing with the Cubs, and was the best hitter at AZ Instructs last month. Even though he has an opposite-field stroke, LeMahieu is a strong kid and can really put the hammer on the ball, ripping line drives back through the middle and into the right-centerfield alley. He hits right-handed pitchers OK, but he really crushes lefties. He’s also a good base-runner with above-average speed for a big guy (6’4 185). While he didn’t hit any HR after signing with the Cubs, he did turn on the ball and clubbed a homer over the LF fence at Papago Park (vs A’s) the last week of Instructs. More than any other player in the Cubs system, LeMahieu reminds me of Ryne Sandberg. Like Sandberg, LeMahieu is a natural shortstop who will likely eventually get moved to either 3B or 2B, and he has the type of line-drive stroke that (as happened with Sandberg in 1984) could possibly be tweaked into a pull-power HR stroke, if LeMahieu can just learn to turn on pitches more-often. While he may not remain at SS, LeMahieu looks most-comfortable there, and while he may not have the best range, he has a fairly strong arm and finds a way to make most-all the plays. His body-type projects more as that of a 2B or 3B, but so far Lemahieu has not taken to 2B (he looks awkward turning the DP from the 2B side), and he hasn’t even been tried yet at 3B. If it wasn’t for the presence of so many other shortstop prospects in the organization, LeMahieu would probably remain a shortstop indefinitely. As it is, I suspect he will play SS for at least one more year, and then will get re-evaluated. He will likely begin the 2010 season at Daytona, with a mid-season promotion to AA Tennessee a distinct possibility. I would love to see LeMahieu play for Ryne Sandberg this year, just to see if Ryno can help LeMahieu discover some pull-power.

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7. Brett Jackson, OF (2009 1st Round – Cal) – age 21

COMMENT: Jackson hit the ground running after signing with the Cubs in July, going 318/418/488 with 8 HR in just 53 games and 249 PA and 13 SB (2 CS) at three stops (Mesa, Boise, and Peoria). Jackson was on fire at Peoria (7 HR in 26 games) when he developed tendonitis in his wrist that shut him down for a month, causing him to miss the Midwest League playoffs, and when he returned to action in October midway through the AZ Instructional League, he looked rusty and struggled at the plate. He has a funky swing that involves a big leg kick, but he makes up for it with plus-bat speed. He is a hyper-aggressive defender and an outstanding ball-hawk--a “natural” CF, but with a slightly below-average arm that would probably preclude him from playing RF. He has well above-average speed and is an aggressive base-runner who likes to take chances. He has HR power, hits LHP and RHP about equally-well, and is fairly patient at the plate (31 BB in 249 PA in 2009), although he does strike out a lot (56 K in ’09). Presuming his wrist is OK, Jackson should begin the 2009 season at Daytona, where he will play CF and hit somewhere in the top third of the batting order.

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8. Hak-Ju Lee, SS (2007 NDFA – South Korea) - age 19

COMMENT: Lee got a $700K+ bonus (equivalent to “2nd round money”) from the Cubs in 2007, when he was considered the best HS player in South Korea. Named the #1 prospect in the Northwest League (NWL) by Baseball America, Lee hit 330/399/420 at Boise in 2009. He is one of the fastest players in the Cubs organization and can out-run a throw to 1st base if an infielder doesn’t play a ground ball aggressively. He also is a big-time base-stealer who led the NWL in stolen bases (25 SB in just 61 games) in ’09. A “natural” shortstop with plus-range and a decent arm (he had TJS post-2008), Lee is still VERY raw defensively (27 errors in 61 games this past season) and might have to be moved to another position (possibly CF) at some point in the future. He was a scrawny 17-year old at AZ Instructs in 2008, but he put on some muscle last off-season and he hits the ball with more authority now. A left-handed hitter, Lee’s stroke is somewhat similar to Ichiro’s. He waits until the last second and then sprays the ball all over the field while cheating out of the box toward 1st base with most every swing. He had an impressive AZ Instructs last month and showed some improvement in the field, and as he continues to mature physically he could develop some incidental HR power. He will likely spend the 2009 season at Peoria, teaming with Boise buddy 2B Logan Watkins to form a talented DP tandem.

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9. Chris Carpenter, RHP (2008 3rd Round – Kent State) - age 23

COMMENT: A 6’4 220 RHP, Carpenter had TJS in college, and began his pro career somewhat unimpressively in 2008, going 4-2 with a 4.64 ERA while allowing 34 hits (although only two HR) and 23/25 BB/K in 33 IP (combined) at Mesa (AZL Cubs) and Boise. However, he had a solid AZ Instructional League post-2008 and opened the 2009 season at Peoria, where he went 4-3 with a 2.44 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, with only 55 hits allowed and a 33/60 BB/Kin 73.2 IP. He then got a mid-season promotion to Daytona, going 2-1 with a 1.44 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP in five starts. That got him another promotion, this time to AA Tennessee, where he was 0-3 with a 4.78 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in seven starts. Overall, he fanned 118 hitters, putting him 4th among Cubs minor league pitchers in strikeouts in ’09. Carpenter features a 92-94 MPH fastball, a curve, and a change-up, and (unlike Cashner) has been a starting pitcher throughout his career. Carpenter should begin the 2009 season back in the AA Tennessee starting rotation.

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10. Kyler Burke, OF (Selected by San Diego Padres in 2006 Supplemental 1st Round – Ooltewah HS – Ooltewah, TN) - age 21

COMMENT: Acquired from the Padres for catcher Michael Barrett in June 2007, Burke has spent all or parts of the past three seasons playing in the Midwest League (MWL). He was projected as a power hitter deluxe when the Cubs got him from San Diego, but he had major problems making contact, striking out about once in every four PA 2006-08, with a career .233 BA through the 2008 season. It appeared that he might have to seriously consider a move to LHP, but then he altered his batting style, becoming more a of a line-drive hitter. And it worked, too, as he hit 303/405/505 with 15 HR and a MWL-leading 43 doubles in 555 PA at Peoria this past season, while being named the “Cubs Minor League Player of the Year.” While he can make contact versus LHPs, he only displays power and drives the ball versus RHPs. Defensively, Burke has the best OF arm in the organization, and is a prototypical RF, although he has played CF, too. He also went 14/2 in SB/CS in 2009. Burke should be the starting RF at Daytona in 2009.

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11. Ryan Flaherty, INF (2008 Supplemental 1st Round - Vanderbilt) - age 23

COMMENT: Selected with the compensation draft pick the Cubs got for losing FA catcher Jason Kendall to MIL after the 2007 season, Flaherty played SS at Vanderbilt, 2B with Team USA, SS at Boise in 2008, SS, 2B, and 3B at Peoria in 2009, and then mostly 3B in the AZ Instructional League post-2009. His future is probably as an offensive-first multi-positional IF-OF. He hit 276/344/470 with 20 HR in 131 games at Peoria in 2009 (309/372/498 post-ASB), and then he had an impressive month at the plate in the AZ Instructional League. He has plus-power, and if he can learn to play a passable corner-OF, he could morph into a left-handed hitting version of Mark DeRosa. While he mashes right-handed pitching, he struggles against lefties (hitting just .219 vs LHP in 2009), and so he could end-up as a LH platoon guy at the higher levels. Son of a college baseball coach, Flaherty is a savvy and mature player who understands how to play the game the right way. I would expect Flaherty to begin the 2010 season at Daytona and play all over the place, although a jump over Daytona to AA Tennessee wouldn’t be a big surprise.

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12. Sam Fuld, OF (2004 10th Round – Stanford) - age 27

COMMENT: Fuld gives the impression of being a brittle and fragile player, spending much of his career battling and rehabbing from injuries (torn labrum, broken hand, strained oblique, sprained wrist) that resulted from hyper-aggressive play in the field and on the bases, not to mention dealing with diabetes and insulin shots every day of his life since he was a teenager. But when he’s healthy, Fuld has managed to hit 287/370/407 in 507 minor league games (2211 PA), not to mention winning the 2007 AFL MVP Award (and the “Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award”) when he hit .402 for the Mesa Solar Sox while leading the league in OBP, SLG, OPS, and doubles. Besides being a Gold-Glove caliber defender with a plus-arm, Fuld is an outstanding base-runner with above-average speed (23 SB/5 CS at Iowa in 2009). He is a patient hitter who rarely strikes out (38/24 BB/K in 370 PA at Iowa in 2009), and he hits LHP as well as he does RHP. He could probably hit lead-off for some clubs in the big leagues right now. He is a “character” guy (and a schmart guy, too), having earned a degree in economics from Stanford. He is now pursuing a Masters degree in statistics, and has interned with Stats Inc. He has all the earmarks of a future MLB General Manager, once his playing career is over.

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13. Tyler Colvin, OF (2006 1st Round - Clemson) - age 24

COMMENT: Colvin played most of the 2008 season with a left-elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery. He then spent the first part of the 2009 season as the DH at Daytona while rehabbing from the TJS before getting a mid-season promotion back up to AA Tennessee, where he hit 300/334/524 with 14 HR and 50 RBI in 84 games. He got a call-up to Chicago in September after the conclusion of the Southern League playoffs, and made a couple of really nice catches in CF. He has plus-speed and plus-power with the potential to hit 20+ HR, 30+ doubles, and 10+ triples. He has been working on being more patient at the plate over the past couple of seasons, and he actually takes a fairly normal number of walks and doesn’t strike out much versus RHP, but against lefties, he never walks, and he strikes out with much greater frequency. However, if he can get a pitch to hit from a LHP before he gets behind in the count, he can put the ball in play with authority. So he might project as a platoon player in the big leagues. Although he is still a bit raw as an outfielder, he is also an athletic defender capable of making big-play defensive stops in the outfield. He probably doesn’t have enough arm to play RF, but he can handle either CF or LF. He was moved to LF at Clemson to take advantage of his speed and athleticism, but his "natural" position is 1B, and so he could play some 1st base again someday. Colvin will probably be the starting CF at Iowa in 2010, and will board the Des Moines-Chicago shuttle when needed.

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14. Darwin Barney, SS (2007 3rd Round – Oregon State) - age 23

COMMENT: Although other shortstops in the Cubs organization may be more highly-regarded, Darwin Barney is no slouch. Playing college ball at two-time CWS champion Oregon State, Barney rocketed through the Cubs system after getting drafted out of OSU in 2007, jumping up to Daytona in 2008 where he hit 262/325/357 with 22 doubles in 123 games, and then playing in the Arizona Fall League (and holding his own) post-2008. Barney got an NRI to big league camp this past Spring Training, and then began the 2009 regular season at AA Tennessee, where he hit 317/368/401 before getting a mid-season promotion to AAA Iowa, where he hit 264/304/330. While he may not have the “ceiling” of Castro, LeMahieu, or Lee, Barney is nevertheless a legitimate MLB prospect, and (at this point, anyway) is closer to the big leagues than the other three Cubs SS prospects. Barney is a polished player, a solid hitter with above-average speed (22/7 SB/CS in 309 career games), and while his errors were up in 2009, he can make all the plays at shortstop. Barney will likely get another NRI to Spring Training with the big club in 2010, and will probably be the starting shortstop at AAA Iowa again next season. Barney looks a bit like Derek Jeter and has some of Jeter’s mannerisms in the field, although (obviously) he certainly isn’t as talented as the Yankee shortstop.

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15. Brandon Guyer, OF (2007 5th Round – Virginia) – age 23

COMMENT: After spending the first two months of the 2008 season rehabbing from elbow surgery at Fitch Park, Guyer was assigned to Peoria where he hit 269/331/498 with 14 HR and 19/63 BB/K in 88 games. A strong AZ Instructional League season post-2008 earned him a “challenge” promotion to AA Tennessee to start the 2009 season, but he struggled there (190/236/291 in 57 games and 205 PA) and was demoted to Daytona, where caught-fire and hit 347/407/453, with 34/67 BB/K in 73 games and 305 PA. He was the best all-around player at Instructs last month (he was there mainly to work on his strength & conditioning, and to try and rediscover his power-stroke), getting several big hits and home runs, while also making a couple of spectacular diving catches in CF. Guyer has above-average speed, and is an aggressive base-runner and a good base-stealer (he had 30 SB and only 7 CS combined at Daytona and Tennessee in 2009). He played 3B in HS, but was moved to LF when he arrived at the University of Virginia, mainly because Ryan Zimmerman was already firmly ensconced at 3B for the Cavaliers, but also to take greater advantage of his speed & athleticism. Although he looks most-comfortable in LF, Guyer has seen action at all three OF positions for the Cubs over the last couple of seasons. He plays an all-out “crash & burn” style of OF defense in the mold of a Reed Johnson or an Eric Byrnes, laying his body on the line without fear. It would not surprise me if the Cubs begin to move Guyer around the field a bit more next season at AA Tennessee, maybe getting him some PT at 3B and 1B, or possibly even at 2B. His future is probably as an MLB IF-OF-RHPH-PR.

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JUST MISSED THE CUT:
16. Rebel Ridling, 1B
17. Logan Watkins, 2B
18. Chris Archer, RHP
19. Marquez Smith, 3B
20. Casey Coleman, RHP

========================================================

LAST YEAR’S TOP 15 PROSPECTS:
1. Jeff Samardzija, RHP (no longer qualifies)
2. Josh Vitters, 3B
3. Andrew Cashner, RHP
4. Welington Castillo, C
5. Ryan Flaherty, INF
6. Kevin Hart, RHP (traded to PIT 7/09)
7. Tyler Colvin, OF
8. Jay Jackson, RHP
9. Micah Hoffpauir, 1B (no longer qualifies)
10. Esmailin Caridad, RHP
11. Mitch Atkins, RHP
12. Donald Veal, LHP (selected by PIT in the 2008 Rule 5 Draft)
13. Jovan Rosa, 3B
14. Brandon Guyer, OF
15. Dan McDaniel, RHP

The GM Meetings Begin Today

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:07:36 -0500

I had thought of something to write about these meetings and then realized I didn’t really care. Nothing will happen that wouldn’t have happened without the meetings. We’ll hear a few rumors over the next few days and read about how the GM Meetings lay the groundwork for trades that take place weeks later or don’t even take place at all. I’m pretty sure the GMs can lay the groundwork for trades without being in the same location. I’m not really sure w...

Is Geovany Soto Being Shopped?

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:56:45 -0500

The 2008 NL Rookie of the Year is coming off a horrible season but is Jim Hendry shopping his catcher? According to a report from Baseball Prospectus on the eve of the GM Meetings in Chicago, "Catching has become an increasingly difficult position for teams to fill, yet there are some interesting names floating as trade possibilities : the Pirates' Ryan Doumit, the Rays' Dioner Navarro, the Rangers' Jarrod Saltalamacchia and the Cubs' Geovany Soto."

Cubs Rumor Round-up: DeRosa, Harden and Johnson

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:30:59 -0500

- Buried in this Stltoday.com artcile is this nugget:

DeRosa, coming off wrist surgery, figures to field an offer from the Chicago Cubs, at the least.

Seems like idle speculation than anything legit, but at least the Wrigley-ites would be cheering for the right team if it did happen. (Hat tip to Bleacher Nation for the find)

- Paul Sullivan says the Cubs are ready to let Rich Harden and Reed Johnson test free agency.

But Harden's injury-plagued history makes a multiyear deal unlikely, and Johnson may have to take a salary cut to stay.

Well if this is indeed the case, offering Rich Harden becomes even a bigger no-brainer. Johnson has never been more than a good short-side platoon player that shouldn't be too difficult to replace. Jayson Stark supposedly suggested Marlon Byrd as an option.

- Sammy Sosa takes this vampire a craze a step too far.

The official line was that he going through a rejuvenation process for his skin.

Weekend Update ... Talkin' Cubs Rumors

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:27:43 -0500

The first two days of the off-season have seen quite a bit of movement across the league ... except for on the North Side of Chicago. The Cubs completed their organizational meetings on Friday in Arizona and other than Reed Johnson and Rich Harden declaring free agency, not much out of the Cubs' camp. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Jim Hendry has little payroll flexibility and will likely rely on making trades to improve (or fix) the big league team for next season. It is only t...

Building A Cubs Champion: 2010 Edition

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:15:22 -0500

by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP Like it or not, one of the keys to the Cubs' success in 2010 is a resurgence by Alfonso Soriano. Here, he launches his game-winning grand slam vs. the Astros last July 27. View full size photo » Last year about this time, I made this post discussing what I thought should be the makeup of the 2009 Cubs. Brave, isn't it, of me to post that link when I'd just as soon forget ab...

Harden and Johnson File for Free Agency

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:33:37 -0500

According to a report on Cubs.com, Rich Harden and Reed Johnson were among the 79 players to file for free agency on Thursday. The Cubs have exclusive negotiating rights until November 20 to work out new contracts with all of their potential free agents ... Reed Johnson, Rich Harden, John Grabow, Kevin Gregg and Chad Fox.

Will Lilly's Surgery Affect the Cubs' Off-Season?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:45:00 -0500

Congratulations to the New York Yankees on their 27th World Series Championship. The 2009 season ended exactly one month after the Cubs campaign came to an end ... Warm up the oven, it's time for the Hot Stove Season. The 15-day free-agent filing period begins on Thursday ... teams have exclusive negotiating rights for the next 15 days in order to try and re-sign their would-be free agents. The Cubs are expected to re-sign John Grabow to a contract at some point over the next two weeks...

Ted Lilly Complains of Knee Pain and Gets His Shoulder Scoped

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:58:24 -0500

Sorry for missing the day's rampant speculation on Ted Lilly's left pitching shoulder arthroscopy. I was in the OR all day and connecting hip bones to...

So in one hour what can you see during a shoulder scope? Dr. Yokum puts the scope in from the posterior portal, low and behold he sees a caricature of Sean Marshall smiling face on the anterior capsule. He then puts in a Wissinger rod to create an anterior portal and whoa, is that a Tom Gorzellany autograph on his biceps tendon?

As we all remember from the Ted Lilly Chronicles...

Lilly was on the DL as of July 25th after experiencing left shoulder pain that was diagnosed as tendonitis and treated with 3 weeks of rest. In one of the stranger events of the season, he goes on the DL because of his shoulder but because he was going to have to rest his shoulder, he opted to have his knee scoped since it had been acting up for awhile from a torn meniscus. The original plan was for him to tough it out and get the knee scoped after the season but the doctors felt his shoulder pain was a cascade problem stemming from his knee, so the shoulder symptoms changed the gameplan. Lilly did have a shoulder MRI-Arthrogram in July (leading to the DL stint), which was reported to show tendonitis but no structural damage. He returned from the DL on Aug 17 against San Diego and pitched a healthy and strong 6 shutout innings only for the outing to be wasted in one of the more painful losses of the season, courtesy of Kevin Gregg's 4 run ninth inning stint ending with Kyle Blanks walk off HR.

In 2005 with Toronto, Lilly had several DL stints because of left biceps tendonitis which didn't require surgery. His shoulder didn't act up again until around the All-Star break (he was the lone Cub representative last season and didn't get into the game because that is when his shoulder started to ache).

In the media reports of what Dr. Yokum's procedure found and what he did, we see the terms debridement, washout and cleanup. That doesn't say much really except that some tissue was a bit worn and smoothed off. In this context debridement doesn't refer to removal of dead tissue (just worn tissue, so no maggots were needed) but specific anatomic structures like the biceps attachment to the glenoid/socket or biceps tendon as it enters the shoulder joint, the labrum (fibrous rim of the glenoid/socket) or the rotator cuff aren't specifically mentioned. When they say no structural damage was seen, it means none of the aforementioned items had enough damage to require reattachment. If his problem was biceps tendonitis or minor wear of the rotator cuff tendon (supraspinatus) they might have "cleaned up" these problems without feeling the need to repair or reattach anything. If he did have some signs of inflammation from friction outside the joint, often referred to impingement or bursitis, it's common to reshape the bone that rubs on the cuff (the acromion, which is a part of the shoulder blade/scapula). This is referred to as an acromionplasty and by flattening the front of that bone (it's common to have a curved shape in that area), it opens up the area that rubs on the cuff or biceps tendon where it enters the shoulder joint. Unfortunately, we're not told much from the media reports so I don't know if this was done. Clearly, this minimalist news is better news than getting reports that he had a capsular shift or tightening (Mark Prior), a labral repair (Angel Guzman, Kerry Wood) or a rotator cuff repair or even a biceps tenodesis which is a reattaching of the biceps tendon to the upper arm/humerus) and is done when the biceps is severely worn (Curt Schilling's situation which lead to controversy with doctors arguing whether he should have that surgery or not).

In the 6 months from November until late April, there is more than enough time to rehab and recover from a shoulder arthroscopic cleanup without any major structures needing repair, of course unless they didn't figure out why his shoulder was hurting or inflammed in the first place.

Ted Roosevelt Lilly a tough guy so I suspect he'll just do the return to sender thang, when pitching coach Larry Rothschild sends him the towel drill video. Ultimately we'll know if this surgery worked if it keeps his KNEE from acting up.

Ted Lilly is Broken

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:03:33 -0500

As we know, Ted Lilly was battling through some shoulder issues through 2009 and still delivered a fantastic season with a 3.10 ERA. It didn't seem like it was too serious and something a little offseason rest may take care of, but instead he went under Dr. Andrews' knife.

Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly underwent a left shoulder arthroscopy and debridement on Tuesday by noted orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles. During the surgery, Yocum found no major damage to Lilly's shoulder and the procedure consisted of a washout and clean up of the shoulder.

Hopefully Dr. Hecht can chime in later on this post with what the hell all that means, but he'll start motion and range exercises almost immediately and go back for an exam after January 1st to figure out a throwing timetable. Let's go to Bruce Miles for the kicker.

They say they're hopeful he can be in the rotation within the month of April.

This rarely ends well for our Cubbies, does it? On the other hand, if you're going to miss a month of baseball as a starter, April is the month to do it as a team can get away with four starters for a good part of the month. In the Cubs case, they don't need a 5th starter until April 19th at New York. But who knows if there will be complications or lingering problems...which is all a convoluted way of me saying the Cubs should probably offer Rich Harden arbitration or load up on some starting pitching depth before spring training.

Ted Lilly Gets Scoped

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:32:18 -0500

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP Ted Lilly had arthroscopic surgery today. He'll be ready ... in April? Browse more photos » Well, here's a bit of a surprise. Ted Lilly had shoulder surgery today, per Carrie Muskat's blog: Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly underwent a left shoulder arthroscopy and debridement on Tuesday by noted orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles. During the s...

Cubs Rumor Mill: Iwamura, Bradley & Grabow

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:53:21 -0500

I'm not sure I'll get an offseason potential target up tomorrow, but with the World Series almost wrapping up and the Cubs organizational meetings next week, the rumor mill is beginning to warm up for the offseason. Let's blast through these real quick.

- Bruce Levine reported that the Cubs and John Grabow are discussing a two year extension and the Trib concurs that it appears likely he'll be back with the Cubs next year.

The two sides are talking about a two-year deal for anywhere between a total of $6.5 million and $7.5 million. Grabow's people would like a vesting option for a third year added to the contract.

There would also be incentives in the deal for games finished. Relievers and $3-$4M a year don't really mix in my opinion, but this sure isn't the first time Hendry's thrown money at the bullpen, or the second, or third or fourth or...well you get the point.

- The same Trib article says that the Cubs have some interest in Akinori Iwamura - seems like some friendly blogger recently brought that up - and then the Trib suggests an Iwamura/Pat Burrell for Milton Bradley swap with the Cubs throwing just a $3-$4M into the pot. I guarantee it's not the Cubs holding up that deal if it ever gets on the table. If a deal with Iwamura somehow materializes, it could happen quickly as the Rays have one day after the World Series to decide about his option.

- As for the Bradley market, the Trib brings sobering news that attendance was down for 22 of the clubs in the league and expect most of them to be looking to dump salary making Hendry's job to unload Bradley without paying for it all the more difficult. The Rangers seem to have left the door slightly ajar for a Bradley return if they can get the Cubs to pay the freight.