Pittsburgh Pirates 1 @ Chicago Cubs 4 CastroWatch: 0-4 today. Booo. Soriano hit two homers in a 2-4 day. Yaaaaay. Anthony Rizzo was 1-4 with a double. Welington Castillo was 2-2 with a double. Julio Borbon was 0-2 with 2 walks and 2 SBs out of the leadoff spot. Edwin Jackson had one of his better outings of the year, …
JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 7-5-13
Iowa Cubs @ Albuquerque Isotopes Jake Arrieta's Iowa debut was suspended in the top of the second, which is great because Arrieta was on his way to a blowup second, giving up a hit and 2 walks without getting an out. It's also great because I-Cubs. Huntsville Stars 1 @ Tennessee Smokies 3 Arismendy Alcantara went deep for the 12th …
Ben Badler on the Cubs’ IFA Pickle
Baseball America’s international free agency guru Ben Badler was on the Baseball America Podcast today, where he discussed many of the issues we’ve been debating around these parts related to the Cubs’ sticky situation. It was a very informative interview, so I have transcribed extensively. To date, Badler has correctly predicted the signing team for 20 of the 22 signed free agents from his …
Ian Stewart to Los Angeles Dodgers AAA affiliate
Ian Stewart found his landing place; Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles. At the major league level, he'll have to compete for PT with Luis Cruz and the suddenly-acceptable Juan Uribe. Of course, he'll have to prove he still has it first. He'll go to Albuquerque, a team in the PCL. Wonder how he'll get treated by his former teammates?
2013 International Free Agency: Did the Cubs Expect to Exceed Their Pool Space All Along?
Phil Rogers reported this morning that the Cubs may well continue spending in 2013 international free agency, ignoring imposed spending limits in continued pursuit of the best remaining players. I have my doubts, but let's assume for the moment it's true. Is this a stroke of genius by the front office in exploiting available loopholes, or something else? (Spoiler Alert: …
Diving into Starlin Castro’s 2013 numbers
It's safe to say that it's been a disappointing season for Starlin Castro. 82 games into the season, Castro's -1.4 fWAR makes Jeff Francoeur look like a valuable major league player (J.C. Bradbury nods approvingly). What is so different this year? MB posited to me a few weeks ago that pitchers have been pitching differently to him this year, and the …
Crazy Uncle Phil Says the Cubs Care Not For IFA Spending Restrictions
Phil Rogers tweeted out a Sulia link, which I normally avoid on principle, but Bleacher Nation Brett insisted was interesting, so I clicked it. Brett was right. Phil is claiming the Cubs don't really give a damn that they are over their allotted pool money already and that they aren't necessarily done signing international guys. The three most attractive guys …
*UPDATES* Eloy Jimenez Signs and the Rest of the Cubs’ Moves Through Two Days
The Cubs have been very active for the last two days in the 2013 IFA market. They have clearly prioritized the acquisition of a number of top-level players and made moves to facilitate signing those players. I think it's likely that those moves are not done yet, despite the relative quiet on the rumor mill at this point. The Signings …
JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 7-2-13
Since this JOT pales in comparison to the other news of the past 24 hours, I'm going to have some fun with it. Memphis Redbirds 2 @ Iowa Cubs 6 The Stranger within my gate, He may be true or kind But he does not talk my talk- I cannot feel his mind. I see the face and the eyes …
Cubs Acquire Moreno, Arrieta, Strop, Guerrier, Go All In on 2013 IFAs
The Cubs made a series of moves today, the net result being the acquisition of a few marginal players and some additional pool space to sign international free agents. Trade Roundup Trade 1: Cubs give up Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger for Jake Arrieta, Pedro Strop, and pool space Feldman had been good this year, but unfortunately his track record …