The Cubs’ front office restructuring continues. Last week, longtime scouting director Tim Wilken was promoted, or simply reassigned if you are of a cynical bent. Today, Bruce Miles breaks the news that fellow holdover Oneiri Fleita is out as VP of Player Personnel. Indefatigable Brett has a responsible rundown. Irresponsible Speculation Perhaps the front office googled him and realized that …
Biannual Facepalm – 8.12.12
Superfriends, amalgamate! The Superfriends added a new member to the Hall of Justice this week, poaching Padres scouting director Jaron Madison for the same position with the Cubs. Fomer scouting director and draft boss Tim Wilken is being promoted to a special assistant to the GM, and the Cubs are working out a contract extension. Adolfo: Starlin Castro needs to …
Superfriends admit a new member
Per Bruce Levine and other sources, the Superfriends have opened the Hall of Justice and added a new member to their ranks. Joe Bohringer has been hired as the Cubs director of pro scouting. Technically he’s taking on one of Tim Wilken’s roles, but it’s a responsibility that was largely handled by Randy Bush in the past. Bohringer had been …
Why extending Oneri Fleita and possibly Tim Wilken's contract doesn't matter
A part of me does wonder whether these kind of moves aren’t as bold or suggestive as I think. Consider this: we fully expect the Cubs to dump Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano this Winter, eating tens of millions of dollars in the process. Would it really be so shocking for Ricketts to be willing to eat these personnel extensions, …
Cubs likely to extend Tim Wilken's contract
In a move that will surely anger even more people, Tom Ricketts will sit down with Tim Wilken in a couple weeks to discuss the state of the system and Wilken’s contract status. In other words, Ricketts is very likely to extend Wilken’s contract. I’ve not been too pleased with Wilken, but one thing we have to consider is the …
Tom Ricketts and Player Acquisition
Tom Ricketts has been vocal since buying the Cubs about the need to strengthen the minor league system. It’s getting harder to doubt his sincerity given the construction of a new facility in the Dominican Republic, the increased number of overslot draftees in 2011, and the newly competitive nature of the organization in plucking sixteen year-olds out of foreign countries. …
2011 MLB Draft: Rundown
Carrie Muskat has an article up about a few of the players the Cubs drafted that’s worth reading. A couple of things caught my attention. Cubs scouting director Tim Wilken said they did take more high school players than in the past and did so with Cubs chairman Tom Rickett’s endorsement. Ricketts was in Mesa, Ariz., at the team’s Draft …