No game to talk about yesterday, so this will be a quick little hit on how the top FA of 2014 have performed so far. 1. Robinson Cano – .326/.396/.370 (109 wRC+) Cano hasn’t exactly done the heavy lifting for the Mariners, but Smoak, Zunino, and Ackley have been more than sufficient so far. 2. Jacoby Ellsbury – .362/.423/.447 (152 …
Series Preview: Philadelphia Phillies (1-2) at Chicago Cubs (1-2)
Cubs HOF Ryne Sandberg returns to Wrigley for the Cubs home opener. The Phillies opened the season with a 14-10 win against the Rangers in which included a Jimmy Rollins grand slam and Cliff Lee picking up a win for giving up eight runs in five innings. Team Overviews These are 2013 numbers, NL rank is in parens Cubs wRC+: …
Better Know a Cub: Mike Olt
Mike Olt is a strong man. He's a patient man. He's a man with a good glove. And he is a man almost wholly written off in some parts. He's a man with undeniable warts and undeniable talents; this is a quality he shares with everyone in baseball not named Mike Trout. Most importantly to me, he's a man who …
Rakuten President won’t post Masahiro Tanaka?
Following the announced agreement that the maximum bid for a posted Japanase player would be $20 million, it made it less likely that Masahiro Tanaka would be posted. According to this, the team president has said he will not be posted (h/t to RC). Rakuten was the lone NPB team to vote against the agreement and were said to be very angry …
Mike Olt wants to win the 3rd base job
Mike Olt was acquired in July, along with CJ Edwards, Justin Grimm and a player to be named later (Neil Ramirez), for Matt Garza. Olt was having a horrible season and there were vision concerns at the time of the trade. I seem to recall it being better or even all fixed at the time of the trade, but then …
2013 Cubs Prospects in Review: Neil Ramirez
Neil Ramirez was drafted in the supplemental first round of the 2007 Draft (44th overall). He turned 24 at the end of May so he's not exactly young. He's 6-4 and weighs 190 pounds and is a right-handed starting pitcher. The Cubs acquired him, along with Mike Olt, Justin Grimm and CJ Edwards for Matt Garza on July 22nd of …
JOT: Cubs Minor League Recap 8-15-13
Sacramento River Cats 9 @ Iowa Cubs 1 This team sucks to write about. Mike Olt was 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. Brooks Raley struckout 7 and walked 1 over 6 innings. He allowed 7 hits, 1 home run and 4 runs overall. Chattanooga Lookouts 3 @ Tennessee Smokies 4 Nick Struck has had a poor season and even though he …
Justin Grimm Profile
Yesterday the Cubs traded Matt Garza to the Rangers for a package of prospects that included Mike Olt, CJ Edwards, Justin Grimm and at least one, but maybe two players to be named later. We already wrote about Mike Olt last night. Earlier today we covered CJ Edwards and now it's Justin Grimm. Grimm is a 6-3, 200 pound right handed starting pitcher. He was drafted out of …
CJ Edwards Profile
Yesterday the Cubs traded Matt Garza to the Rangers for a package of prospects that included Mike Olt, CJ Edwards, Justin Grimm and at least one, but maybe two players to be named later. We already wrote about Mike Olt here and now it's CJ Edwards turn. Before we talk too much about Edwards, the Cubs should speak to the Detroit Tigers …
Poll Question: Which Garza Trade Would You Choose Today?
On Monday, the Cubs completed the Matt Garza Trade Part II, sending him to the Rangers for C.J. Edwards, Justin Grimm, Mike Olt, and a PTBNL (either Neil Ramirez or presumably two lower-level arms). Olt is a potential power-hitting third baseman with a good glove, though there are questions about his ability to make contact. Edwards is a high-ceiling arm who …