Official Minor League News Thread

[SportsWorld]

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=315877&src=152

PEORIA - They're playing in Peoria. Really playing.

That's true for the Cubs' Class A Peoria Chiefs farm team, which leads the Midwest League's West Division.

And it goes for the Cubs' top two draft picks from this year, who joined what already was a good minor-league club and provided a boost.

Center fielder Brett Jackson, a product of the University of California-Berkeley, and shortstop DJ LeMahieu, a College World Series champion from LSU, are helping to spark a playoff run in Peoria.

[The Sheik]

Dont look now but Tyler Colvin has been decent this season.

.308 .346 .525 12 hr 42 rbi

He still has an awful K to BB rate, but is at least making contact and flashing some power. He will likely get promoted to AAA to start the season next year and could be a call-up at some point.

Also Brett Jackson went on the DL with a sore wrist.

[GYBE]

John Gaub, LHP, Cubs (Triple-A Iowa)
Sunday's stats: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Acquired from Cleveland in the off-season deal for Mark DeRosa, Gaub has gone from a sleeper to one of the most dominating relievers in the minors. After cruising through Double-A, Gaub has allowed a hit in only one of his last nine outings. His ERA for Iowa sits at 0.64 in 22 appearances, with opponents batting a paltry .109 against him. He's not a dominating force, with a 89-92 mph fastball and a nice slider playing up due to a ton of deception, but scouts think it's funky enough to work in the big leagues. -Kevin Goldstein

[The Sheik]

Jay Jackson skipped a level and made his AAA debut.

He pitched 6 innings, giving up 5 hits and 1 earned run(solor HR). He walked 3 and K'd 4. Jeff Stevens and John Gaub added 2ip of shutout relief, blake parker got the save. Stevens will get called up likely after the I-Cubs last game.

Also AA Tennessee clinched a playoff spot. As has Peoria.

The D-Cubs finished their season yesterday. Josh Vitters struggled after his promotion, but also dealt with a wrist injury. He finished the season with a 5-game hitting streak and ended the year with 3 hr 22 rbi while batting .238.

He ended his entire 2009 campaign going...

.284 .314 .456 18 hr 68 rbi 12 bb 65 k in 458 ABs

[The Sheik]

Also 2 days ago Andrew Cashner pitched 7 SO innings. He gave up 2 hits, walked 1 and K'd 2.

[The Sheik]

my Cubs top 10 prospects for 2010:

1. Starlin Castro
2. Josh Vitters
3. Andrew Cashner
4. Jay Jackson
5. Hak-Ju Lee
6. Brett Jackson
7. Ryan Flaherty
8. Chris Carpenter
9. Jeff Antigua
10. DJ LeMahieu

what is your top 10?

[Howling Mad]

Starlin Castro is a stud. I'm glad he's making ground on Vitters on that list. Saw him play in person and he's smooth.

I'm anxious to see what happens at SS. I'd love to see him get the nod and move Theriot and his noodle arm to 2b. Then we might actually get some good out of Fonty as a late inning spot hitter when Theriot goes 0-fer.

The progression Castro has made through the farm system is amazing. Youngest guy in the AFL and holding his own. He's kept his stats pretty even keel throughout his farm system climb. See the ball-hit the ball kind of guy. He doesn't walk much, but he doesn't strikeout much either.

One question I have is if this guy is a leadoff hitter. I don't think so. He doesn't walk enough and he seems to be a 2 hitter. Great contact, good speed, and plays "ozzie" ball.

[The Sheik]

Starlin Castro is a stud. I'm glad he's making ground on Vitters on that list. Saw him play in person and he's smooth.

Well that is my personal Cubs top prospects list, but I am sure Castro passes Vitters in some. Vitters smooth swing and developing power might keep him at #1.

I think there should be no rushing of Vitters or Castro. Starlin has some work to do with fielding, developing power, letting his body grow in and understanding the game better. He will likely either start in AAA or AA and I think the Cubs need to give him one to one and half more years in the minors. That is, unless he has nothing left to prove down there, in which case he should get called up and Riot should be moved to 2nd.

[Posey H8er]

Baseball America's annual list-
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/pr ... 69148.html

1. Starlin Castro, ss
2. Brett Jackson, of
3. Josh Vitters, 3b
4. Andrew Cashner, rhp
5. Jay Jackson, rhp
6. Hak-Ju Lee, ss
7. Logan Watkins, 2b
8. Chris Carpenter, rhp
9. Ryan Flaherty, ss/2b/3b
10. D.J. LeMahieu, ss/2b

Best Hitter for Average Hak-Ju Lee
Best Power Hitter Brett Jackson
Best Strike-Zone Discipline Kyle Burke
Fastest Baserunner Jose Valdez
Best Athlete Brett Jackson
Best Fastball Andrew Cashner
Best Curveball Jay Jackson
Best Slider Andrew Cashner
Best Changeup Casey Coleman
Best Control Casey Coleman
Best Defensive Catcher Robinson Chirinos
Best Defensive Infielder Starlin Castro
Best Infield Arm Junior Lake
Best Defensive Outfielder Sam Fuld
Best Outfield Arm Kyler Burke

Projected 2013 lineup-
Catcher Geovany Soto
First Base Derrek Lee
Second Base Starlin Castro
Third Base Aramis Ramirez
Shortstop Hak-Ju Lee
Left Field Josh Vitters
Center Field Brett Jackson
Right Field Kyler Burke
No. 1 Starter Carlos Zambrano
No. 2 Starter Jay Jackson
No. 3 Starter Chhris Carpenter
No. 4 Starter Ryan Dempster
No. 5 Starter Randy Wells
Closer Andrew Cashner

[The Sheik]

Really surprised to see Brett Jackson there at #2. Otherwise I cant disagree with it.

[SportsWorld]

Ryan Dempster in 2013?

[SportsWorld]

Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg to manage Iowa Cubs
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... -Iowa-Cubs

Hall of Fame baseball players routinely make appearances in Des Moines during the summer, either to push a product or to make a few bucks signing autographs.

Former Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg, a member of the 2005 Hall of Fame class, is coming to town for a different reason.

He will manage the Iowa Cubs as his path to becoming a big-league manager finally reaches triple-A.

“I’ve been very pleased with the progression,” Sandberg said in a telephone interview today with the Des Moines Register. “Getting closer to the major leagues is very gratifying. I’m looking at this as another stepping stone.”

[ChronicKerr]

How does our farm system stack up to the rest of the major league clubs systems?

[GYBE]

A year ago the system was seen as pretty bad. I think BP had us ranked #26. But the system had an excellent year, one of the biggest improvements in the game. I expect us to be around #15 or so, middle of the pack. A definite improvement over what it used to be.

[The Sheik]

BP's Top 11 for the Cubs:

Five-Star Prospects
1. Josh Vitters, 3B
2. Starlin Castro, SS
Four-Star Prospects
3. Hak-Ju Lee, SS
4. Brett Jackson, CF
Three-Star Prospects
5. Andrew Cashner, RHP
6. Jay Jackson, RHP
7. Chris Carpenter, RHP
8. Chris Archer, RHP
9. Kyler Burke, OF
10. Ryan Flaherty, INF
11. John Gaub, LHP

Four More:
12. Chris Huseby, RHP: All but written-off, Huseby is a seven-figure signing from the 2006 draft. He shined out of the Low-A Peoria bullpen, showing a big-league quality sinker.
13. Logan Watkins, INF: Watkins is a little second baseman with speed, a line-drive bat, and on-base skills, but zero power.
14. Dae-Eun Rhee, LHP: This Korean import missed nearly all of 2009 recovering from Tommy John surgery, but his upside remains high.
15. Darwin Barney, SS: He’s one of the minors’ best defenders with enough bat to be a nice utility player.

1. Josh Vitters, 3B
DOB: 8/27/89
Height/Weight: 6-3/200
Bats/Throws: R/R
Drafted/Signed: 1st round, 2007, Cypress HS (CA)
2009 Stats: .316/.351/.535 at Low-A (70 G); .238/.260/.344 at High-A (50 G)
Last Year’s Ranking: 1

Year in Review: Finally healthy, this former top pick was having a breakout season in the Midwest League before a hand injury slowed him down in the Florida State League.
The Good: Vitters' swing is among the sweetest in the minors. It's smooth, powerful, gets into the hitting zone quickly, and stays there a long time. His plate coverage is off the charts, and he's as comfortable turning on an inside fastball as he is driving an outside breaking ball to the opposite field. He made significant strides defensively in 2009, with most scouts believing he can stay at the hot corner for at least the remainder of the decade, while his arm is a plus tool.
The Bad: Vitters' plate coverage works against him, as with so many hittable pitches, he draws very few walks. He's a tick below average as a runner, which limits his range a bit at the hot corner.
Ephemera: Over a 15-game stretch from May 16 through May 31, Vitters went 26-for-64 (.406) with 10 home runs.
Perfect World Projection: Vitters will be a bigger, stronger version of Howie Kendrick.
Path to the Big Leagues: Aramis Ramirez could become a free agent after this year, or he could remain a Cub through 2012.
Timetable: Vitters made up for his poor second half by hitting .353/.380/.453 against far more advanced pitching in the Arizona Fall League. He could begin 2010 as high as Double-A.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/artic ... cleid=9978

[SportsWorld]

I'm pretty surprised that Vitters is ahead of Castro.

[Howling Mad]

If our young guys improved as much as the hype says they are, I wouldn't be surprised to see Lou have one or two on the 25man roster.

[The Sheik]

If our young guys improved as much as the hype says they are, I wouldn't be surprised to see Lou have one or two on the 25man roster.

I see only Gaub and possibly Barney be on the 25 man roster at any time this season. The Cubs would be stupid to rush Castro.

[cold5]

If our young guys improved as much as the hype says they are, I wouldn't be surprised to see Lou have one or two on the 25man roster.

I see only Gaub and possibly Barney be on the 25 man roster at any time this season. The Cubs would be stupid to rush Castro.

Especially if manchild Theriot gets the job over a player with a far higher ceiling than Theriot ever has/had.

[Howling Mad]

We have a gaping hole at SS.As much as I love Theriot, he ain't gonna do it. We haven't signed anybody at SS or 2B, which leads me to think Lou is gonna take agood look at Castro. A Good Look.