Prospects Give Cubs Fans Reason For Optimism
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
Just as Paul George’s injury has been the talk of the nation’s sports world, the call-up of Javier Baez has been the top story among Cubs fans.
Ever since Theo Epstein was lured away from the Boston Red Sox to become the president of baseball operations for the Cubs in 2011, we’ve known there would be growing pains.
First, there was the dumping of large contracts for underperforming stars signed by former general manager Jim Hendry.
The big signees, highlighted by Alfonso Soriano’s 8-year, $136-million contract, worked for the Cubs during back-to-back Central Division titles in 2007 and 2008. However, once in the playoffs, the big bats went silent, resulting in first-round sweeps, first to Arizona in 2007, then the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008.
The following season, Chicago won 83 games, then 75 in 2010 and 71 in 2011, marking the end of Hendry’s tenure.
Finishing fifth out of six teams in the Central in 2010, Hendry was notified on July 21, 2011 that he wouldn’t be retained as the GM and was formally fired on Aug. 19.
Before he moved on, he oversaw the signing of his 2011 draft picks, which included Baez, the ninth overall selection out of high school.
Hendry also made the first move to rebuild the franchise, shipping Kosuke Fukudome to Cleveland.
Once Epstein took over in October of that year, his first big move was to ship out starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano, which actually came one day after current first baseman Anthony Rizzo was acquired from the San Diego Padres.
Other big names to drop over the coming years were Ryan Dempster, Geovany Soto, Carlos Marmol, Matt Garza and Soriano.
In what looks like the final season where every player that performs well is traded, starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija, along with Jason Hammel, was moved to Oakland on July 5, garnering one of the top prospects in baseball, shortstop Addison Russell.
Informing fans that there would be lean years, Epstein let it be known there was a five-year plan.
Now, with Year 3 ending in about a month-and-a-half, some light is beginning to shine at the end of the tunnel.
Weathering a 61-101 team in 2012, then 66-96 last year, Chicago now sits at 48-64, but some of the prospects we’ve been hearing about for a while are being talked about as actual MLB players.
The ‘Core Four’ of Baez, 2012 draft pick Albert Almora, 2012 Cuban-defect signee Jorge Soler and 2013 draft pick Kris Bryant are all Cubs fans have been able to cling to in an ocean of despair.
Despite Baez going 1 for 10 in his first two games in Colorado this week, that one hit was a game-winner in the 12th inning Tuesday night.
He’s got plenty of holes in his huge swing, but I’ll take watching him strike out in the big leagues over Iowa, where he struck out about one out of every three at-bats.
Rumors are Soler and Bryant are possible September call-ups, when MLB clubs move from 25-man rosters to 40.
After being moved from Chicago’s double-A team, the Tennessee Smokies, to triple-A in Iowa, Bryant’s been on fire, hitting .321 with 14 home runs and 13 doubles in 46 games.
Soler also made the move from Tennessee to Iowa this year, and has done pretty well too, hitting .286 with four homers and five doubles in just 14 games.
Both may get to experience the ivy at Wrigley in September, and both will probably have some growing pains, but who cares?
Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have been shipping out production in exchange for potential since they came in, and it may just be working.
According to Baseball America’s midseason prospect report, Chicago had three of the top 10 players in Bryant (No. 2), Russell (No. 5) and Baez (No. 7).
Also on the list is Arismendy Alcantara, whom the team called up in July, at No. 33.
Almora was ranked No. 36 prior to the season and Soler was 41.
Like Soler, the team’s top pitching prospect C.J. Edwards dropped in the rankings due to injury, but was No. 28.
Edwards was the centerpiece in last year’s Garza trade to Texas, but got a scare in April of this year, when he had pain in his right shoulder.
Following tests, it was revealed it was only a minor strain and fatigue, and he was back on the mound two months later.
In five starts for Tennessee, Edwards is 1-0 with a 2.62 ERA, allowing 16 hits, seven runs in 24 innings, while striking out 25 and walking 10.
Adding some pitching depth is Kyle Hendricks, acquired in the 2012 Dempster trade to the Dodgers, who started last month’s minor league all-star game, and has already gone 2-1 in three starts for the Cubs, carrying a 2.05 ERA.
So, while it’s still way too early to get overly excited – exhibited by Baez’s rough start – these little call-ups of the future (mind they don’t get traded) are all Chicago fans get to look forward to.
In September, while other teams are filling ballparks to watch their teams in playoff races, we Cubs fans will be just as excited, albeit not about wins.[[In-content Ad]]
Just as Paul George’s injury has been the talk of the nation’s sports world, the call-up of Javier Baez has been the top story among Cubs fans.
Ever since Theo Epstein was lured away from the Boston Red Sox to become the president of baseball operations for the Cubs in 2011, we’ve known there would be growing pains.
First, there was the dumping of large contracts for underperforming stars signed by former general manager Jim Hendry.
The big signees, highlighted by Alfonso Soriano’s 8-year, $136-million contract, worked for the Cubs during back-to-back Central Division titles in 2007 and 2008. However, once in the playoffs, the big bats went silent, resulting in first-round sweeps, first to Arizona in 2007, then the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008.
The following season, Chicago won 83 games, then 75 in 2010 and 71 in 2011, marking the end of Hendry’s tenure.
Finishing fifth out of six teams in the Central in 2010, Hendry was notified on July 21, 2011 that he wouldn’t be retained as the GM and was formally fired on Aug. 19.
Before he moved on, he oversaw the signing of his 2011 draft picks, which included Baez, the ninth overall selection out of high school.
Hendry also made the first move to rebuild the franchise, shipping Kosuke Fukudome to Cleveland.
Once Epstein took over in October of that year, his first big move was to ship out starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano, which actually came one day after current first baseman Anthony Rizzo was acquired from the San Diego Padres.
Other big names to drop over the coming years were Ryan Dempster, Geovany Soto, Carlos Marmol, Matt Garza and Soriano.
In what looks like the final season where every player that performs well is traded, starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija, along with Jason Hammel, was moved to Oakland on July 5, garnering one of the top prospects in baseball, shortstop Addison Russell.
Informing fans that there would be lean years, Epstein let it be known there was a five-year plan.
Now, with Year 3 ending in about a month-and-a-half, some light is beginning to shine at the end of the tunnel.
Weathering a 61-101 team in 2012, then 66-96 last year, Chicago now sits at 48-64, but some of the prospects we’ve been hearing about for a while are being talked about as actual MLB players.
The ‘Core Four’ of Baez, 2012 draft pick Albert Almora, 2012 Cuban-defect signee Jorge Soler and 2013 draft pick Kris Bryant are all Cubs fans have been able to cling to in an ocean of despair.
Despite Baez going 1 for 10 in his first two games in Colorado this week, that one hit was a game-winner in the 12th inning Tuesday night.
He’s got plenty of holes in his huge swing, but I’ll take watching him strike out in the big leagues over Iowa, where he struck out about one out of every three at-bats.
Rumors are Soler and Bryant are possible September call-ups, when MLB clubs move from 25-man rosters to 40.
After being moved from Chicago’s double-A team, the Tennessee Smokies, to triple-A in Iowa, Bryant’s been on fire, hitting .321 with 14 home runs and 13 doubles in 46 games.
Soler also made the move from Tennessee to Iowa this year, and has done pretty well too, hitting .286 with four homers and five doubles in just 14 games.
Both may get to experience the ivy at Wrigley in September, and both will probably have some growing pains, but who cares?
Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have been shipping out production in exchange for potential since they came in, and it may just be working.
According to Baseball America’s midseason prospect report, Chicago had three of the top 10 players in Bryant (No. 2), Russell (No. 5) and Baez (No. 7).
Also on the list is Arismendy Alcantara, whom the team called up in July, at No. 33.
Almora was ranked No. 36 prior to the season and Soler was 41.
Like Soler, the team’s top pitching prospect C.J. Edwards dropped in the rankings due to injury, but was No. 28.
Edwards was the centerpiece in last year’s Garza trade to Texas, but got a scare in April of this year, when he had pain in his right shoulder.
Following tests, it was revealed it was only a minor strain and fatigue, and he was back on the mound two months later.
In five starts for Tennessee, Edwards is 1-0 with a 2.62 ERA, allowing 16 hits, seven runs in 24 innings, while striking out 25 and walking 10.
Adding some pitching depth is Kyle Hendricks, acquired in the 2012 Dempster trade to the Dodgers, who started last month’s minor league all-star game, and has already gone 2-1 in three starts for the Cubs, carrying a 2.05 ERA.
So, while it’s still way too early to get overly excited – exhibited by Baez’s rough start – these little call-ups of the future (mind they don’t get traded) are all Chicago fans get to look forward to.
In September, while other teams are filling ballparks to watch their teams in playoff races, we Cubs fans will be just as excited, albeit not about wins.[[In-content Ad]]
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