Last year MLB and the MLBPA agreed to some draconian rules regarding the draft. Gone were the days when you could spend whatever you want. You might think that MLB may have adopted some penalties that may still have allowed teams to go over their first 10-rounds budget, but they made the penalties so damn harsh that they essentially eliminated …
Cubs Progress Report 1
Now that the Cubs have completed 10% of their season (well, they've been rained out twice), I thought it'd be nice to give a review of how the Cubs have done so far this year. This should be a fairly long post and will focus exclusively on the major league roster. Record Cubs Actual Record: 5-9 Runs Scored/Allowed: 50/60 PythagenPat Win …
2013 MLB Draft: Could the Astros pass on Mark Appel again?
The 2013 MLB Draft is set to begin June 6th and we're going to try and provide at least one or two things per week between now and then. The Astros had the first pick in the 2012 MLB Draft and they again have the top pick. Last year, Mark Appel was rated by some as the top draft prospect. …
The Ghosts of Free Agency Future
In the aftermath of the recently announced deal with the city to renovate Wrigley Field, Theo Epstein spoke to the media about its potential benefits to the team: Our payroll now is third in the division. That’s fine. But it should be first in the division. So this is one of the ways that we’re going to get there. It …
Mark Appel Could Pitch in the Majors This Year
Keith Law, ESPN super-scout, has been talking 2013 draft lately. I happened to hear him on two podcasts today; he spent a few moments talking specifically about Mark Appel (at approximately the 40′ mark). Appel has been discussed around here of late. If I had to bet on who the Cubs will end up with at #2, he would be atop the list. Law …
Our Long Nightmare is Finally Over (Lillibridge DFA)
Good news, everyone! Hisanori Takahashi and Brent Lillibridge have been designated for assignment. Hisanori Takahashi was last relevant in 2011, when he was a relatively successful LOOGY/7th/8th inning guy. The wheels fell off in 2012 in 51 appareances between the Pirates and Angels. There's a great chance he makes it through waivers. Brent Lillibridge was ONLY relevant in 2011. He …
Cubs and Chicago Come to Agreement to Allow Wrigley to Be Less Shitty, More Expensive
When the Ricketts family first took over the Cubs, some of the first words out of their mouths were expressions of unbridled love of Wrigley Field. They were going to win and they were going to win in Wrigley Field. That was their story. Tom went around telling anybody who would listen that he once lived across the street from Wrigley. …
Prospect Profile: Nick Struck
This is a continuation of the weekly series of of writing about a Cubs prospect. Early on, I will be writing about guys that Dave and I did not cover in our Prospect Ratings. Links for past ratings and past profiles at at the end. Who is Nick Struck? Nick Struck was drafted in the 39th round of the 2009 …
A Two-Week Season: The Dale Sveum Chicago Cubs
I know the numbers don't mean a ton at this point in the season; eleven games does not a representative sample make, especially not for any one player. And as a team, there's still far too little to effectively evaluate how good bad the 2013 Cubs will be . . . as a team. But if you combined all the Cubs' offensive …
Journeymen of Tomorrow: 4-13-13
Albuquerque Isotopes 1 @ Iowa Cubs 6 Logan Watkins had a great day. He collected another 2 walks and a HR en route to a 1-3, 2 R, 2 RBI day. Watkins WAS caught stealing, though. Brett Jackson 2: Whiff Harder went 1-4 with a triple a walk and 2 strikeouts. He looks really bad at the plate. Darwin Barney had his first rehab …