Thursday, January 22, 2015
Javier Baez
Not taking sides on this issue, but from this article by J.P. Morosi of Fox Sports, things are not looking up for Baez based on his performance in the Puerto Rican Winter League. 21 Ks in 43 ABs during the regular season, 6 Ks in 9 ABs during the playoffs so far does not augur well.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Cubs Pick Up Dexter Fowler in Trade
The Cubs went a long way toward solidifying their newly-minted status as a genuine contender by picking up Astros and former Rockies center fielder Dexter Fowler. Fowler is a switch-hitter who plays solid defense and, most of all, hits for a decent average and gets on base, in short, a prototypical leadoff hitter.
Fowler, along with his Colorado replacement, Blackmon, has been thought of as a strictly Coors Field type player, good at home, worthless on the road, but Fowler proved his critics mistaken by having a good year with Houston. Both these guys were on the block this off-season, but I think the Cubs picked the right one to acquire in Fowler.
In exchange, the Cubs gave up a marginal fifth starter candidate in Dan Straily and the consistently over-rated Luis Valbuena. I've been ranting on for several years about Valbuena's shortcomings, so I am glad to see him out of the mix once and for all.
This move more or less solidifies the outfield with Soler starting in right and Coghlan and Denorfia sharing left field, and possibly throwing Olt into the mix. I'm assuming that short of Alcantara moving into a kind of super-sub role, it also means the end of the experiment of his being groomed as an outfielder.
What the trade does do - assuming Bryant is the player everyone thinks he is and that he takes over third base pretty early in the year - is leave the Cubs with quite a logjam in the middle infield. Castro, Baez, Alcantara, and La Stella, plus super-prospect Addison Russell, could all conceivably be everyday players at second base and/or shortstop.
So, down the road, one or more of these guys is going to be traded. Potentially, the Cubs could throw in Castillo and make a big play for another front-line pitcher like Hamels if they were of a mind to do so.
Fowler, along with his Colorado replacement, Blackmon, has been thought of as a strictly Coors Field type player, good at home, worthless on the road, but Fowler proved his critics mistaken by having a good year with Houston. Both these guys were on the block this off-season, but I think the Cubs picked the right one to acquire in Fowler.
In exchange, the Cubs gave up a marginal fifth starter candidate in Dan Straily and the consistently over-rated Luis Valbuena. I've been ranting on for several years about Valbuena's shortcomings, so I am glad to see him out of the mix once and for all.
This move more or less solidifies the outfield with Soler starting in right and Coghlan and Denorfia sharing left field, and possibly throwing Olt into the mix. I'm assuming that short of Alcantara moving into a kind of super-sub role, it also means the end of the experiment of his being groomed as an outfielder.
What the trade does do - assuming Bryant is the player everyone thinks he is and that he takes over third base pretty early in the year - is leave the Cubs with quite a logjam in the middle infield. Castro, Baez, Alcantara, and La Stella, plus super-prospect Addison Russell, could all conceivably be everyday players at second base and/or shortstop.
So, down the road, one or more of these guys is going to be traded. Potentially, the Cubs could throw in Castillo and make a big play for another front-line pitcher like Hamels if they were of a mind to do so.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Chris Denorfia
Ho-hum. The Cubs picked up reserve outfielder Chris Denorfia. Not exactly exciting, but at least it is not Jonny Gomes, a totally overrated nonentity and one of the Boston gang like Ross, the likes of which Epstein and company should try to avoid for the future.
Denorfia is a career fourth or fifth outfielder who had some decent years in that role with the Padres. He is 34. Last year he split time between the Padres and Mariners and had a really bad year. He can hit left-handers reasonably well. At least he has done so in the past. Last year he could not hit anyone. He is a decent outfielder and can play all three outfield positions. In that respect he is an upgrade over Ruggiano, who was not exactly a gold-glover.
I'm a little surprised the Cubs have not been linked to Ben Zobrist, a Tampa Bay jack-of-all-trades who is a genuinely good player. Maybe the price is too high.
Denorfia is a career fourth or fifth outfielder who had some decent years in that role with the Padres. He is 34. Last year he split time between the Padres and Mariners and had a really bad year. He can hit left-handers reasonably well. At least he has done so in the past. Last year he could not hit anyone. He is a decent outfielder and can play all three outfield positions. In that respect he is an upgrade over Ruggiano, who was not exactly a gold-glover.
I'm a little surprised the Cubs have not been linked to Ben Zobrist, a Tampa Bay jack-of-all-trades who is a genuinely good player. Maybe the price is too high.
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