Keith Law has just published his top 50 prospects at the midway point of the 2013 season. The Cubs have a number of players in that list. 15. Kris Bryant 20. Jorge Soler 25. Albert Almora 27. Javier Baez One of the honorable mentions is Arismendy Alcantara That's a lot of talent in the minor leagues. Too bad Mark Appel …
Odrisamer Despaigne Stats and a Comparison with Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez and Dalier Hinojosa
Updates: If interested in more defector profiles and comparisons, here are Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Dalier Hinojosa, Aledmis Diaz, Dariel Alvarez, Alexander Guerrero, and Misael Siverio. I have previously profiled Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez and Dalier Hinojosa. This time it’s Odrisamer Despaigne, who defected two weeks ago by walking away from the national team at an airport in Paris. No word yet whether the Cubs have interest, as Despaigne’s …
Cubs 2013 Draft Wrap: Preparations for the Apocalypse
Cubs 2013 Draft The signing deadline for the 2013 MLB Draft was last Friday. The Cubs’ official website has been unusually light in the details of who has actually signed and who hasn’t but I think we connect the dots pretty accurately. Three of the top 25 picks didn’t sign, and it looks like those three are Daniel Poncedeleon (RHP, …
Kris Bryant Signs with the Cubs
Our long regional month of boredom is over. Jim Callis is reporting that second overall pick Kris Bryant has agreed to terms with the Cubs for exactly what was prescribed by slot value, $6,708,400. Jon Heyman appears to have gotten the story first, but Scott Boras neglected to fill him in on the details, instead emphasizing the "record-setting" nature of …
2013 International Free Agency: Jen-Ho Tseng, Leandro Linares, and an Update on the Budget
Jen-Ho Tseng Interest? Today Jesse Sanchez reported that the Cubs are the favorite to acquire Taiwanese right-hander Jen-Ho Tseng. The Twins have previously been reported as interested. Tseng was at one point was considered the best player in this class, according to BA, but his stuff seems to have regressed somewhat, and they ended up ranking him at #23 (TAM #12). My understanding is that …
2013 MLB Draft: Tyler Alamo Signs, Bryant in a Holding Pattern
Tyler Alamo Signs, Bryant Close? Sunday we got word that Tyler Alamo, the Cubs’ 24th-rounder in the 2013 MLB draft had officially signed. Alamo was a high school catcher with a commitment to Cal State Fullerton, and speculation has been that he would require more than slot value to sign. Here’s what BA had to say about Alamo, who they ranked #348 in …
Cubs trade Scott Hairston to Nationals for Ivan Pineyro ***UPDATED***
The Cubs have traded Scott Hairston to the Nationals for a class A pitcher. Hairston was signed this past offseason for 2-years and $5 million after his solid 2012 season. In 112 plate appearances with the Cubs, Hairston hit only .172/.232/.434. His wOBA was .283 and he had a wRC+ of 73. He had -0.6 fWAR and -0.5 rWAR. Hairston …
Dalier Hinojosa Stats, and a Comparison with Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez
Updates: If interested in more defector profiles and comparisons, here are Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Odrisamer Despaigne, Aledmis Diaz, Dariel Alvarez, Alexander Guerrero, and Misael Siverio. Last week, I profiled Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, a Cuban defector drawing lots of attention on the free agent market. Gonzalez is still seeking approval from the US Treasury, but could sign with the Dodgers an MLB team soon. Dalier Hinojosa is …
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 …
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: …