Brett Jackson got a pair of hits and stole and pair of bases as well. Along the way he collected strikeout # 122. Vitters picked up a walk and a hit as well.
The Greg of Rohan hit his first HR as a Smokie. Rohan has had a great year earning a spot on the FSL All-Star squad but he seems like an org bat to me. The Smokies remain one of the least interesting teams in the minors to watch. Its Logan Watkins. Junior Lake and thats about it.
Rubi Silva and Ronald Torreyes both went 2-4. Torreyes was the upside prospect in the Marshall deal who had done nothing but hit until he got into the Cubs system. He was beyond awful at the beginning of the year but is hitting over .330 since the start of June.
Dustin Geiger hit a pair of HR's and is sporting an .894 OPS. Javier Baez was 1-4 with an RBI but the last few weeks haven't been as kind as his first few were. Michael Jensen had a great start giving up 1 solo HR over 6 IP and striking out 5. Yao Lin Wang closed out the game with a scoreless inning.
Chadd Krist went 3-4 and is batting .390. He has been dominating this level so far and at 22 he should. Look for him to move up. Felix Pena worked 4 shutdown innings in relief striking out two.
Comments
At least Jackson only struck out once…..
mikeakaleroyQuote Reply
mb21 wrote:
That’s what I thought I said. Or at least it’s what I meant (dying laughing).
I’m be surprised if he could have it paid in a lump sum before going to another team, though it’s a moot point since he’s going to another non state income tax state.
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Yeah I don’t know, b. I do know some states are at a disadvantage in signing players, or that they have to pay them more, but I think over 3 months it’s meaningless. Over 3 years it’s probably not that much either. Over 7 or 8 it probably is.
mb21Quote Reply
I’m guessing he just didn’t want to play in LA, too, even though I saw something here that cited some source that tax had something to do with his decision.
I don’t think three years would be meaningless, but three months should be.
Sorry I brought up this whole income tax thing.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Cool necklace, WaLI
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Dude had LA on his no-trade list. I’ve only visited LA a couple of times, and I had a friend who lived there. I would never live in LA. I wouldn’t live in Miami either, but mostly because of Scarface.
joshQuote Reply
Rizzo’s old and new stance via Kaplan:
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ josh:
You don’t feel like saying hello to a little friend?
Rice in limboQuote Reply
Anyone proficient in legalese want to tackle this one?
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/lifeguard-fired-leaving-post-beach-hallandale-florida-135238189.html
I find it very odd to fire someone for doing his job, but at the same time I wonder how much the liability really matters due to Good Samaritan laws etc.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
mb21 wrote:
I wouldn’t want to take a 10% pay cut for performing the same job over 3 months or just 3 years, but that’s just me.
Also I didn’t see there was a new thread:
mb21 wrote:
I that that was how it worked, but this article says otherwise. This article is 5 years old though so the new CBA may have changed things.
http://bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1034&Itemid=41
Which makes some sense. And that reads to me like the team the player is playing for is paying the salary and the original team is paying a salary relief package. Isn’t that why the Cubs couldn’t get any money back for Marlon Byrd?
But even if it was a lump sum sent, then the Marlins would still be paying the salary of Carlos, just with the money that was sent instead of their own money.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
Thanks. I thought it would match perfectly with my hair and shorts.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
I think they changed that. I seem to recall that they added that any payment over a certain amount had to change hands in a lump sum. This may have had to do with the various financial situations some teams have found themselves in.
I wouldn’t want to take a pay cut either, but I’d want to play for a contender.
mb21Quote Reply
@ josh:
Agreed, LA sucks
BerseliusQuote Reply
Apparently Marmol can’t shake off his catchers any more:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120704&content_id=34450588¬ebook_id=34458320&vkey=notebook_chc&c_id=chc&partnerId=rss_chc
WaLiQuote Reply
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8131875/nfl-fans-stadiums-see-referee-replays
This sounds like a terrible idea
BerseliusQuote Reply
Hardball Times ———–> fangraphs
ugh
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
I don’t think so. One team is pissed off and their fans too while the other team is thrilled. That’s not going to change. The fans see what they want to see anyway.
mb21Quote Reply
mb21 wrote:
This will just make them more certain in their seeing what they want to see-ness though
BerseliusQuote Reply
I hope fangraphs took a look at THT’s spring training statistics before projecting their value going forward
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Weren’t they certain before?
mb21Quote Reply
@ Berselius:
I thought that was Beer’s job!
joshQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Hope the opposing team doesn’t stral signs then, although that wouldn’t matter if he shook off or not anyway.
Mobile RiceQuote Reply
javier baez===>> #25 prospect BA
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ Mobile Rice:
“stral” eh. Well played, iPhone and fingers.
Mobile RiceQuote Reply
here’s what bubbles is talking about: http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/2012/07/midseason-top-50-prospects-list-2/
mb21Quote Reply
#brycein12
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@All
Yes, the LA thing could have been multiple factors, with the tax rate just being part of it. He had no say so in the Marlins trade, so he did not pick Miami over LA.
BubbaBiscuitQuote Reply
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120704&content_id=34450588¬ebook_id=34458320&vkey=notebook_chc&c_id=chc&partnerId=rss_chc
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ mb21:
Within our division:
Brewers – 48 rhp
Cardinals – 18 of, 20 rhp, 26 rhp, 44 2b
Pirates – 6 rhp, 15 rhp, 36 cf, 40 ss
Reds – 27 ss
Scary that the Cardinals and Pirates have 4 a piece in the top 50. No other team has more (But a few are tied). The White Sox have 0 (dying laughing)
WaLiQuote Reply
Too much Fourth of July chili beans, eh guys?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Yeah, it kind of sucks when the farm system starts to improve it’s still not as good as some others in the same division. it also sucks that when they hire a front office the Astros hire one that might be even more intelligent. Good thing the Astros are going to the AL next year.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Aw man! What about all that Theo is the best talk?
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
Theo is the best! He is! The best ever! I won’t hear anything to the contrary! Ican’thearyoulalalalalalala!!!!!!!
Steve SwisherQuote Reply
@ Steve Swisher:
Kind of looks like “I can theary ou la la.” not sure what that means, but it sounds sciency.
joshQuote Reply
San Diego shot their entire wad off in 30 seconds last night:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ifn8LJl5n0
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
This was on the news even here in Eye -err – land.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Looks like they prematurely…
[puts on sunglasses]
Blew the load..
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
WaLiQuote Reply
I am starting to get worried about almora.. KLAW made a point in todays chat that if he goes to JUCo he would be the #1 pick next year and could make even more money…
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
Is that such a bad thing? If Almora doesn’t sign this year, then the Cubs get the comp pick next year at #7 and potentially a top 3 pick (since the Rockies and Pads won’t stop sucking #1 not guaranteed) and the Cubs may get to sign him yet again if he is indeed #1, and they get someone else at #7.
I very highly doubt Almora would go that route though, but who knows…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
I think it would be a very terrible thing to not sign your #1 pick when he is super talented. Next years draft is supposed to be super weak. If he is the best player in that then whats the point of having to take him again. I mean i bet he signs and this is just noise but still
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Sorry I deserved that thumbs down.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
If he doesn’t sign it’s because he wanted more than the Cubs could offer pre-draft pick penalty, so I guess it evens out anyway. I’m pretty sure he signs because it doesn’t make sense to give up a guaranteed $3MM or more to go to some no-name JuCo for a year instead of Miami just for the off chance that he can double his earnings by going #1 next year when nobody wanted to pay Appel what he wanted. Maybe my logic is a bit off but I’d want my money now instead of the risk of twisting my knee in JuCo and then not being able to get that kind of money again…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I didn’t know that if a player has a scholarship to play more than one sport, he can get a major league deal. Does that mean the draft bonus pool wouldn’t be impacted?
Also I don’t think you can draft the same player two years in a row unless the player agrees to it.
WaLiQuote Reply
WaLi wrote:
I don’t know the answer to your first question but the second point you made could be a good one. Although if the only way Almora could make the maximum pool value is if he’s picked #1 and the Cubs have the #1 pick…that creates a bit of a quandary. Almora knows that the Cubs can offer so much, and there’s also some leverage on his side because if the Cubs don’t sign him next year, then they don’t get compensation for that pick. At the same time, if he doesn’t sign and has to go back to college (again) that is another year where he and Boras don’t get paid. It seems like the best thing for him to do is to just take the Cubs’ money this year, just my opinion.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube wrote:
Wouldn’t they got comp for the #1 pick if unsigned, but not the #7?
Agreed.
WaLiQuote Reply
WaLi wrote:
I think you’re probably right, in which case Almora just lost even more leverage…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
If Almora doesn’t sign it’s because he’s a dumbass.
mb21Quote Reply
Almora has no leverage. He takes what the cubs offer or he risks injury in the next 3 years ir being exposed for weaker than he’s thought. At best he ends up with a couple million more but it’s 3 years later. His options are to sign for whatever the cubs offer or be stupid and in all likelihood end up with less money down the road.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
I guess if he goes to a JC though it wouldn’t be 3 years later. I think a JC kid can get drafted any time after their season is over.
But I agree, Almora is a dumbass if he doesn’t sign.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ mb21:
If he doesn’t sign it’s because his agent Boras is being a dumbass and more and likely advising him not to sign because he can get him more money. Boras’s days of hard balling teams with rookie contracts is going by the wayside.
pinetarQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/draftday/rules.jsp
WaLiQuote Reply
I think he signs for the record
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
I wonder why the rules are different for JC and 4-year college.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
I’ve never heard of a Juco with a baseball team. I’m guessing since it’s only 2 years, you are basically in the same spot after 1 year as a college junior.
joshQuote Reply
I was in the gas station yesterday and a bunch of basebally looking dudes stormed the place. They were wearing shirts saying “Danville Dans” which is a member of something called the Prospect League, apparently. It’s like NCAA baseball (presumably that means that they don’t pay the players) for guys not smart enough for college, I guess.
Anyway, I was thinking: Danville Dans? Is that the best name they could think of?
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
But college says you have to be a junior at least.
Let’s say you graduate high school at 17.
Go to 4-year college
Freshman – First day of college you turn 18
Sophmore – 19
Junior – 20
At the end of junior year, you can get drafted.
Senior – 21 (can get drafted after completing college)
Lets say you went to JuCo:
Freshman: 18 (Can get drafted after baseball season ends)
Sophmore: 19 (can get drafted after baseball season ends)
Then you would transfer to 4-year if you still weren’t drafted where you like, but can’t get drafted until end of Junior year or when you are 21.
Just weird that the rules are different.
WaLiQuote Reply
josh wrote:
Having been to Danville, I will answer your question:
Yes.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
It’s like driving into the ’80s.
joshQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
It could be something where the talent level is so much lower that it just doesn’t matter as much. I really don’t know. Loophole for young players, I say.
joshQuote Reply
Didn’t Bryce Harper go the JUCO route? Some kind of wooden bat using JUCO too, I think.
BubbaBiscuitQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
That’s if Miami lets him out of his scholarship.
mb21Quote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
What record? Strasburg? If the cubs offer that they’re the biggest idiots in history.
mb21Quote Reply
@ BubbaBiscuit:
The difference now is that there’s just less incentive. It’s more of a risk for a smaller reward, unless you can find a team you can dupe.
Apparently Harper basically quit school (GED) after his Sophomore year to make himself eligible earlier. Bryce knew he was awesome even then.
joshQuote Reply
@ mb21:
If they go over slot, they lose their first round pick, right? That’s a huge risk given how far away the draft is (and thus how little we know about the player pool).
joshQuote Reply
@ mb21:
I don’t even think Almora was a consensus #1 pick. I think he signs for no more than slightly above slot depending on what the Cubs feel like spending. He sounds like a good player but not exactly legendary. At least not yet.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Yeah, “Maybe the best available this year” is no reason to hemorrhage money in his general direction.
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
Depending on how much money the Cubs saved by going underslot on the other signees they could offer that above the slot recommendation plus up to 5% over, but I don’t know what that exact number is.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Okay, I thought there was some maneuvering involved.
joshQuote Reply
I think he meant, stating his opinion for the record, not signing anyone to a record deal.
BubbaBiscuitQuote Reply
@ BubbaBiscuit:
You can never tell with Bubbles since he vacillates between English and South Carolinese.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ josh:
Yeah, Bryce wanted to get that money with as little health risk as possible.
When Boras is your agent, I feel no option is off the table no matter how risky or crazy to try to extract as many dollars as possible.
BubbaBiscuitQuote Reply
@ BubbaBiscuit:
Oh, ok. I was very confused.
mb21Quote Reply
I don’t care if the Cubs sign this guy or not. This is the first time I’ve said that about a Cubs first round pick. Normally I’d think it would be silly not to, but there’s not really anything about Almora that excites me. I still think signing him is probably the best thing to do, but it won’t bother me one way or another.
mb21Quote Reply
@ BubbaBiscuit:
Bingo. Bubbles was misunderstood
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
Let’s eat grandma.
Let’s eat, grandma.
Punctuation matters.
joshQuote Reply
@ BubbaBiscuit:
Very true.
joshQuote Reply
The reason I want Almora to sign, is the Cubs have not really saved much vs slot in the 1st 10 rounds and they need to go over slot to sign Underwood. But, there is no chance Almora signs for under-slot, so it looks like 2 of the top 4 picks will go unsigned.
BubbaBiscuitQuote Reply
@ BubbaBiscuit:
http://www.baseballamerica.com/draftdb/2012xteam.php?team=1004
This says Cubs are $556K under budget. I don’t think that accounts for the 5% overage so there’s still a chance that they sign.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ josh:
Suburban kidQuote Reply
That one never gets old, SK.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
BerseliusQuote Reply
Good article by Heyman
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/jon-heyman/19508297/gm-survey-matt-garza-more-valuable-as-trade-commodity-than-even-zack-greinke-or-cole-hamels
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ mb21:
The classics endure.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Rice in limbo:
There is no law in Florida besides The Thunderdome.
GBTSQuote Reply
Bad Garza
GBTSQuote Reply
@ GBTS:
I never seem to remember, Who run Bartertown?
BubbaBiscuitQuote Reply
Garza was on the Twins when this inning started.
GBTSQuote Reply
So, Garza is gonna suck tonight.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
This AB is epic.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
that’s pure nonsense.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Just because you have someone for another year doesn’t make them more valuable. The Cubs have Rafael Dolis for 6 more years. He’s more valuable than anyone they have!
I hope the Cubs contact one of these GMs who took part in this survey because they’re not very bright.
mb21Quote Reply
I’d also ask why everyone is so sure there’s a draft pick involved with Garza. It’s likely the required offer would be about $13 million by that time. I’m not willing to bet a penny that Garza will be worth $13 as a free agent in 2014. If he signed a free agent contract right now I don’t think he’d get an average of $13 million per year and I don’t think he’d be signed for longer than 4 years.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
It’s too bad he’s serving up batting practice tonight, because trading him for a huge package (huh huh huh) is going to be tough now.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
What’s up with the fans in Atlanta? They sound all pissed off after Soto’s homerun. Seemed disproportionate.
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
He did just break up the no-hitter.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Oh, I didn’t even notice that.
joshQuote Reply
This game might be hurting our World Series chances.
joshQuote Reply
LaHair in right —————–> Ugly.
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
I think we already won the 2012 World Series.
mb21Quote Reply
That article by Heyman is bizarre. Someone needs to lend that guy a fact.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ josh:
His glove is pretty clanky in the OF.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Could Simmons be the next Ozzie? It’s kind of funny because prospects are always called “the next ______” but you never hear the next Ozzie. I think Simmons isq a better hitter, but I can’t think of another guy whose defense was rated as highly as his.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Sounds like someone needs to lend some GMs a fact. I just don’t see how they can rate Garza that highly. He’s better than average, but he’s not all that grat and he’s making quite a bit of money.
mb21Quote Reply
mb21 wrote:
Probably not. Comparing prospects to HOF’ers is rarely a good idea. (In fact, comps in generally tend to be misleading; all players are unique.)
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bryan LaHair sure strikes out a lot.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
And there I go (yet) again with the parentheses. Oh well.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat wrote:
GBTSQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
Dammit, 86% of Americans know the pundit that shouts the loudest and makes the most outrageous statements is the one that wins. This even tone, tempered attitude, and not pulling statistics out of your ass just does not cut it sir!
BubbaBiscuitQuote Reply
@ mb21:
Smith or Guillen?
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
Virgil?
BubbaBiscuitQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
flaherty with his second homer tonight. now .207/.237/.272 through 92 ab
GWQuote Reply
Cubs sign Underwood, Almora only unsigned guy left in their first 20 picks. Can only go over slot on him by a tiny amount. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/07/cubs-sign-duane-underwood.html
BubbaBiscuitQuote Reply
What about the tax penalty?
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
I think that means the Cubs can pay $3.25MM (slot) + the money saved ($276K) + the 5% over on Almora, then they just pay the 75% tax on the 5% overage to MLB without losing the draft pick if I understood the rules correctly.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
Yeah I agree. I just thought two things were interesting. First, nobody is ever the next Ozzie. Second, I don’t think anyone has come into the league who can field as well as well as this guy can in quite awhile. if the power he has shown this season is legit I think might be the best SS in baseball right now. Not that he had a lot of power, but he was hitting for slugging much better this year and he was rocketed through that system.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
FYI the MLBTR article Bubba linked to says the number is around $3.9MM without forfeiting the draft pick. I assume that accounts for the 5% overage.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
See, I don’t see any incentive in paying that tax unless it’s an elite talent like a Strasburg or Harper. Paying over the allowed pool tells me the money wasn’t allocated properly. It’s not like teams can now grab super talented picks in the later rounds. If only a few teams are paying that tax then it tells me they paid more than they should have for some picks. In other words, it tells me that they didn’t properly value the talent. I see no reason with the talent the cubs grabbed that they should paying any tax.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
I think it’s unlikely that the Cubs pay a cent over slot + whatever they saved. I think they stay under to be honest. I see it as a game of chicken at this point and I think Boras and Almora will blink first.
Of course, if it’s only about $300K they have to cough up, it’s only money and I do wonder if they’ll just pay it to avoid all the hassle. As stated previously I still believe the Cubs hold most, if not all, of the leverage and Almora will just take the money and run.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
New comic and shit: http://obstructedview.net/comics/new-plan.html
joshQuote Reply