Official 2023 Chicago Cubs Season Thread Vol: (17-17)

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There is a small point about the coming offseason – and the 2015 season – that I’ve been wanting to make for a while, but hadn’t found a great way to incorporate it into a broader piece. So, with the offseason coming quickly, I guess I’ll just make the point here, although it’s just a small point that I offer as an almost aside to everything else the Chicago Cubs will try to accomplish this offseason. In other words: I’m not saying this should direct what the Cubs do. It’s just something to think about.

With the Cubs attempting to actually win in 2015 and compete for the NL Central, players on one-year contracts might have a different kind of value than they have in recent years. For the 2012, 2013, and 2014 seasons, when the Cubs signed a guy on a one-year deal, you pretty much knew the score: flip candidate. Now, however, guys the Cubs bring in on short-term deals will be done so with the thinking that they can be kept all year, and help the team win some games (without blocking any coming youngsters, too).

But there’s something else to think about.

If the Cubs are better in 2015, they aren’t going to qualify for a protected pick in 2016. And there are a whole lot of excellent free agents that the Cubs are going to want to pursue after next season, which means it’s highly likely that the Cubs are going to lose their first round pick in 2016 by virtue of signing a qualified free agent next offseason.

If that’s going to happen, you know what would be nice to pull off? Having a one-year guy in 2015, let him stay with the team the full year and play well, make him a qualifying offer after the season, and, if he leaves, then the Cubs get a (late) first rounder after all in 2016.

The Cubs are in the relatively unique position of (1) having a protected pick this year, (2) probably winning enough in 2015 to not have a protected pick next year, (3) knowing in advance that they’re highly likely to sign a qualified free agent after next season, thus losing a first round pick in 2016, and (4) not having an obvious in-house qualifying offer candidate for after 2015 already. That makes their situation with respect to high-level one-year players in 2015 a little different from many other teams.

Obviously there’s only so much you can do so far in advance to plan for that precise schedule of things to play out that way, but, as an ancillary consideration about the value of one-year guys on the 2015 Cubs, it’s worth putting out there. If the Cubs were to, for example, trade for a Justin Upton or a Jason Heyward or Dexter Fowler or Denard Span, or were to splurge on a one-year deal for a second tier starting pitcher with upside, they’ll do so knowing that it’s possible, if no extension comes after that, the player might provide two kinds of value: performance in 2015 when the Cubs are trying to win, and protection for the draft in 2016 if the Cubs sign a big name or two next offseason.

Again: one pick in the 2016 draft is not a reason, on its own, to proceed in a certain way this offseason. But, as a factor in how much you might give up in trade for a certain guy? In how much you might spend on a guy on a one-year deal? It should probably be considered in there somewhere, given the unique value to the Cubs of having that 2016 draft hedge in place.

And, to be sure, if the Cubs pick up a one-year guy whom they want to keep long-term and who is amenable to a reasonable extension, then it’s not like you refuse to extend merely because of that draft pick. But, again, it’s a factor in there somewhere.

 

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When we discuss the future for top Chicago Cubs prospect – er, make that, top baseball prospect – Kris Bryant, we come at it from so many angles. How good will he be? What position will he play? When will he be promoted? Could he have been a September call-up? Would that have been valuable? Would the 40-man roster be a problem? Will he sign an extension?

In those discussions, you start to perceive a handful of likely truths: (1) Bryant is probably going to be pretty good in the big leagues, and probably sooner rather than later; (2) Bryant will probably start out his big league career at third base, but an eventual move to the outfield is possible or even probable; (3) Bryant wasn’t going to be a September call-up, in part, because he didn’t have to be added to the 40-man roster yet, and it’s going to be mighty crowded this offseason; (4) a team-friendly, pre-arb extension isn’t necessarily likely; and (5) Bryant probably won’t make his big league debut on Opening Day.

That latter one, which in some ways ties into all of the others, is the one I want to discuss here. And it’s likely to be the one that gets a disproportionate amount of the Bryant-related interest in the coming months, and especially in Spring Training.

If Bryant is going to be so good, and if the Cubs’ goal is to win the 2015 NL Central, how can they possibly justify sending him to the minor leagues to start the season?

The question, for most of you, is now rhetorical. Thoughtful organizations constantly have to balance seemingly incongruous goals, and make the best decision possible. In Bryant’s case, the value he could add in early 2015 is weighed against the value of having control over Bryant for an entire additional season, in 2021. It’s a long way down the road, to be sure, but it’s a potentially enormously valuable thing. We understand and accept this, even if projecting the precise value there is an exercise in the most irresponsible kind of speculation.

But, an underdiscussed question: how much value are the Cubs giving up on the other end, in 2015?

Let’s assume for the sake of discussion that Bryant unequivocally needs no more development in the minor leagues. I think that’s likely true, but it’s probably still up for some measure of debate, given how little pro experience he has, and rational minds can accept that, in reality, if Bryant starts 2015 in the minors, it will probably be for a variety of reasons. For our discussion here, however, we are assuming the only value sending him to the minors has is securing that extra year of control in 2021. Let’s also assume that sending Bryant down will unequivocally cause him no developmental harm. Were it not so, I can’t imagine the Cubs even entertaining the idea. So, for our discussion here, the only demerit sending him down in 2015 is lost hypothetical value to the big league team.

To quantify how much value the Cubs could be giving up by sending Bryant to the minors to start the 2015 season, we must first understand the purpose in sending him there. And, for this discussion, we’re assuming the only reason to do it is related to service time.

So, then, how does service time play into this equation?

A player needs six full years of big league experience – that is, time on the 25-man roster or on the 60-day disabled list – to qualify for free agency. If you’re called up halfway through a season and stay in the bigs thereafter, that means you’re not going to be a free agent until after your seventh year in the big leagues.

(Separately, players with at least three season of big league experience qualify for salary arbitration. That means that, although they won’t be making free agent dollars, they’ll be making a salary determined by an arbitrator (or settled by the player and the team), which is typically much more than the “renewal” price a team pays during the first three years of a player’s control. Although this leads to a three renewal years and then three arbitration years setup for most players, some players qualify for four years of arbitration (“Super Two”). I won’t go too far down that wormhole here, but, suffice it to say: players who are called up in the first half of the year have a good shot at qualifying as Super Two players, and will make quite a bit more money during arbitration than their three-year counterparts. I don’t believe the Cubs will leave Bryant in the minors past the Super Two cut-off, so this is all academic.)

Here’s the catch: a “full year” for purposes of service time is 172 days. Typically, a baseball season lasts 183 days. That means if a player is called up, say, in the first week of a season, he can still reach six “full years” of service time by the end of his sixth season, even though he missed some time at the very beginning.

That’s why you hear folks talking about “holding down” a top young player at the start of a season. That’s a colloquial way of saying “keep the player in the minors long enough that he cannot accumulate a ‘full year’ of service time that season, thus delaying his free agency by a year at the back end.”

And that’s why it’s become such a significant discussion with respect to Kris Bryant.

Now then, in order to get that extra year of control in 2021, how long must the Cubs keep Bryant in the minors? Well, you can do a little math and subtract 172 from 183, and you see that 11 days is the maximum number of days a player can spend off of the big league roster and still accumulate a full year. Put another way, if a player stays off the big league roster for 12 days, and then is called up, he cannot earn a full year of service time in that season, even as he spends the vast majority of the year in the big leagues.* Them’s the CBA breaks.

*(Note that this calculation is slightly different for players already on the 40-man roster. If a player is optioned to the minors for 20 days or fewer in a given season, he gets credited with big league service for those days. So, players already on the 40-man roster must spend at least 21 days in the minor leagues for their teams to retain an extra year of control. Again, it’s worth pointing out that the Cubs did not place Bryant on the 40-man roster last year.)

So, if the Cubs want that 2021 year of control over Bryant, he must miss 12 big league games next year, right?

Tut, tut. The operative word is “days,” not games. Presently, every team is scheduled to open the 2015 season on April 6, though there will be a game on April 5 (the Sunday Night Opening Game Or Whatever You Call It), and that will mark the official start of the big league season.

If the season starts on April 5, and Bryant need be kept down only 12 days, we’d be looking at April 17 as the first day he could come up – and stay up the rest of the season – with the Cubs securing an extra year of control. Based on those calculations, thanks to two off-days in the early going, Bryant would miss just 9 games at the start of the year before being called up.

Nine games – 5.6% of the season – in exchange for 100% of a season six years down the road. We can hate on these service time games all we want, but it’s hard to argue with that math.

How much value would be lost to the Cubs in those 9 games?

Well, it’s hard to say for certain, obviously, but if we went by the first set of projections for Bryant in 2015, we can get a little bit of an idea. Steamer projects Bryant at 4.0 WAR over 550 plate appearances in 2015. In a full season, Bryant would actually receive closer to 650 plate appearances, so we’ll very generously credit him with 4.7 WAR.

Now, we can’t just multiply that 5.6% by 4.7 WAR, because Bryant wouldn’t be replacing a replacement-level player. Instead, he’d be replacing someone like Luis Valbuena or Chris Coghlan, one of whom would be relegated to a bench role (and would arguably improve the bench, but the time period is so small and the relative improvement so specious that we can’t realistically assign much value to that shift). Last year, Valbuena provided the Cubs 2.7 WAR, and Coghlan provided 2.2 WAR (in a partial season). Steamer projects 2.4 for Valbuena next year, and 0.5 for Coghlan. Let’s split the baby, and call it a 1.4 WAR player whom Bryant would be replacing.

The value Bryant would provide to the Cubs in those 9 games, then, is 5.6% of the difference between 4.7 and 1.4. So, .056 times 3.3 is 0.185.

In other words, based on the best available projections we have, by keeping Kris Bryant in the minor leagues long enough next year to gain an extra season of control in 2021, the Cubs risk losing about 0.2 WAR.

That’s not nothing, but it’s also, well, almost nothing. Within the context of this discussion – that is to say, a world where we are considering ONLY service time issues – the Cubs would be utterly foolish not to leave Bryant in the minors for those 9 games to start 2015.

Obviously we don’t live in that world, and there are other considerations here. For one thing, it’s possible the Cubs won’t want to be quite so on-the-nose about this, and may wait to call Bryant up until a road series. Perhaps April 20 against the Pirates in Pittsburgh? That would cost the Cubs three more Bryant games, but might set him up for a better, more comfortable debut. For another thing, as discussed in the opening, there may actually be legitimate developmental issues to work out in the opening month of the minors that could dictate the timeline of his promotion (defensive things, for example).

For still another thing, these are real people. Bryant is a real person. Bryant’s family is real. His agent is real. “The Cubs” are not a monolithic entity, but are a collection of real people. Relationships matter, and they inform the way we treat others. Yes, the service time considerations here are a big deal. But they aren’t the only thing that goes into making these kinds of decisions. So, don’t assume anything is going to happen in a particular way just because I read some rules and projections, and busted out a calculator.

But that said, now you can feel some measure of confidence that, if the Cubs do start the 2015 season with Kris Bryant in the minors, the service time considerations that might be animating that decision will not cost the Cubs a ton of production in 2015. And when the howling starts next year – and it will – you can point to this piece for why the Cubs may be doing what they’re doing, and why it not only is smart, but it’s also not a big deal.

 

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This article is huge, so I am going to break it up into pieces, but this part here, towards the end......chills.

Evaluating the Prospects: Rangers, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Twins, Astros, Red Sox & Cubs

Scouting Explained: Introduction, Hitting Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3 Pt 4 Pt 5 Pt 6

The Cubs have the deepest system I’ve written up so far and the most impact talent, with much of it at the upper levels. There’s a case to be made that this is the best system in baseball and it has to be in the top five, but I’ll hold off on an official determination until I’ve formally evaluated all of the candidates. The rebuilding of the organization and system is evident in looking at the types of players I rank below; a number of prospects from the 2013 July 2nd spending spree, aggressive over-slot bonuses on high upside draft prospects, solid low minors prospects acquired in trades along with hitting on nearly all the high profile, big money signings in recent years.

There’s still some position fits to work out before the fanboys will see their ideal lineups of the future in living color (see Russell and Schwarber reports for new information on that front), but the Cubs are being proactive to try to solve this, with multiple position players converting to a position of long-term need (catcher) during instructs this fall (more notes below). There’s a reason this system seems a lot like the last team I evaluated, the Red Sox, because both are among the best systems in the game and were put together with the same kinds of principles and resources along with some of the same top executives.


Here’s the primer for the series and a disclaimer about how we don’t really know anything. See the links above for the ongoing series about how I evaluate, including a five-part on the ever-complicated hit tool.

Most of what you need to know for this list is at the above links, but I should add that the risk ratings are relative to their position, so average (3) risk for a pitcher is riskier than average risk (3) for a hitter, due injury/attrition being more common. I’d also take a 60 Future Value hitter over a 60 FV pitcher for the same reasons. Also, risk encompasses a dozen different things and I mention the important components of it for each player in the report. The upside line for hitters is the realistic best-case scenario (a notch better than the projected tools, or a 75% projection while the projected tools are a 50% projection) and the Future Value encompasses this upside along with the risk rating for one overall rating number.

Below, I’ve included a quick ranking of the growth assets that the Cubs have in the majors that aren’t eligible for the list and Dave Cameron shares some general thoughts on the organization. Scroll further down to see Carson Cistulli’s fringe prospect favorite. I’m currently doing research on the next three team at the same time and I’ll post them as I complete the research process: the Phillies, White Sox and Reds.

Big League Growth Assets
1. Javier Baez, 2B, Age 21
2. Arismendy Alcantara, 2B/CF, Age 22
3. Neil Ramirez, RHP, Age 25
4. Kyle Hendricks, RHP, Age 24
5. Junior Lake, RF, Age 24

Organizational Overview by Dave Cameron

The Cubs rebuild has methodical, but it’s almost over. After spending the last few years collecting prospects and building up an internal base of talent, the Cubs are on the verge of being one of the best teams in baseball. Sequencing aside, they played like a .500 team this year, and there’s some serious talent that will contribute in 2015 that should only make the team better. If the Cubs make a few notable Major League acquisitions, as is expected, they could very easily be legitimate contenders for the NL Central next year, and if their group prospects develop at a normal rate, they will probably be the favorites for the title in 2016. And perhaps for quite a while after that. The Cubs are going to be really good, and it might happen as early as next year.

 

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1. Kris Bryant, 3B
Current Level/Age: AAA/22.8, 6’5/215, R/R
Drafted: 2nd overall (1st round) in 2013 out of San Diego by CHC for $6.7 million bonus
Hit: 40/50+, Raw Power: 75/80, Game Power: 55/70, Run: 50/45, Field: 40/45+, Throw: 60/60

Scouting Report: Bryant was a lanky kid in high school with huge power potential that was seen as a risky swing-and-miss type prospect, but he blossomed at San Diego into the #2 overall pick. He’s steamrolled through the minor leagues since signing; the concerns that his long limbs and power approach would lead to contact issues have been somewhat founded with high strikeouts rates, but minor league pitching isn’t challenging Bryant enough where that matters right now.

Bryant’s raw power is anywhere from a 70 to 80 for scouts and he creates it with strength, bat speed, long levers and a high finish without having to create length to his bat path like many other sluggers. His long arms create some length naturally and he’s a power hitter, so scouts don’t see much more than a 50 or 55 bat here and he’ll always come with strikeouts but there isn’t much doubt that he’ll get to most of his raw power in games. I hedged a little on the game power because it’s pretty tough to expect a guy to hit 40+ homers (80 game power) with that mark getting hit less and less often now.

Defensively, Bryant is also a little long physically to play third base, but he’s a good athlete (average to slightly above runner now) and makes the most of his tools. He takes a lot of pride in his defense but is still working on the slow roller and grounders to his back-hand side. Some scouts compare him defensively to Troy Glaus, but Bryant is a slimmer and more athletic player that has a chance to stick at the position for another 5-7 years for some scouts. He would fit well in right field and would be average or better defensively should third base not work out.

Summation: With Javier Baez looking like he may be able to stick at second base and Starlin Castro and Addison Russell at shortstop, third base is a position of need long-term with the outfield-rich Cubs and Bryant is good enough to justify leaving him there. He should spend most of the season in the big leagues, though hitters of this type often struggle in their first few big league seasons, so manage expectations in the short-term but everything is here for a star.

Upside: .275/.360/.540, 35-40 homers, average defense
FV/Risk: 70, Low (2 on a 1-5 scale)
Projected Path: 2015: AAA/MLB, 2016: MLB

 

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45 FV Prospects

9. Gleyber Torres, SS Video: The Venezuelan-born Torres was one of the top bonuses in the 2013 July 2nd class ($1.7 million) and was my top prospect in the group, with domestic scouts really buying into his broad tool package in his stateside debut this year. He’s an ordinary 6’1/180 with average at best power and speed, but his bat, field and throw tools are all above average and Torres has an advanced feel for all aspects of the game with outstanding makeup.

10. Billy McKinney, LF Video: McKinney came over with Russell in the Samardzija deal and is the kind of player that grows on you over time, because, despite being a 2012 first round pick, the tools aren’t huge. He has average at best power, 55 speed that fits in left field due to a below average arm and a swing where he bars out (locks lead arm), but he makes this stroke work for him, in part because his arms aren’t so long that they lengthen his bat path. He just turned 20 and he’ll likely get a taste of AA next year with a chance to be an everyday player, but is more of a high probability very good 4th outfielder.

11. Dan Vogelbach, 1B Video: I’ve written about Vogelbach a lot in recent weeks; he’s got a surprisingly loose swing and some feel to hit for a 5’11/250 bowling ball. He’s hit at every level, he has legit 60 power and he’ll be in AA next year, so he’s close to providing big league value, but he’s very limited defensively with DH his best long-term fit.

12. Eloy Jimenez, RF Video: Jimenez was the consensus top prospect in the 2013 July 2nd class and got the biggest bonus ($2.8 million) as the classic power-hitting Dominican right fielder. The 6’4/205 Jimenez has a more contact-oriented, line drive swing that he’s still learning to tap into while his big frame is still adding strength; the power projection is a 65 and he has some feel to hit, some sense of the zone, an ability to go the other way and good makeup. He just graduated from high school in the Dominican (rare for top prospects) and was bothered a bit this year by a shoulder injury, with some suggesting he could take off next year, with Soler-type upside but plenty of work to do.

13. Victor Caratini, C Video: Caratini was picked up in a trade with the Braves at this year’s trade deadline during a year when the converted catch made a lot of progress defensively. He played mostly third base in his draft year for a Miami-Dade JC club with tons of catching options, but the Braves were convinced from their looks that he could stick behind the plate, with scouts now agreeing. The frame is a little mature, his arm in only average and there won’t even be average power, but there’s feel to receive, a quick release and very smooth stroke from both sides.

14. Jake Stinnett, RHP Video: Stinnett pitched for the first time mid-way through his junior year at Maryland and was good enough to get drafted, but took off in his senior year, flashing three above average pitches and hitting 96 mph from an athletic delivery, which prompted the Cubs to take him near the top of the 2nd round. The stuff varied in the spring as Stinnett’s arm wasn’t used to the workload, but he was at his best in instructs, has mid-rotation upside and a very fresh arm for a 22-year-old. After signing and before being sent to an affiliate, Stinnett had a freak accident in Arizona on a funky hop from a fungo during PFP (pitcher fielding practice) hit him in the nuts; he needed surgery and nearly lost his testicle but I’m told he has a good sense of humor about the episode.

15. Armando Rivero, RHP Video: The 26-year-old Cuban defector signed for $3.1 million and was solid in 2013, sitting 91-94 with a slider that was a 55 at times, but the lanky 6’4 righty was still growing into his frame. This year, the stuff ticked up; he was 92-95 in some outings and 94-97 mph in others with a 55 or 60 slider, a usable 50 changeup and more consistent command. The effort in the delivery makes him relief-only and he should get a nice big league opportunity in 2015.

16. Jeimer Candelario, 3B Video: Candelario didn’t meet expectation this year and was forced to go back to Low-A after he flunked a High-A audition at age 20. He’ll be age appropriate in another try there in 2015 and appears to have grown a bit from the humbling experience. Candelario is solid at third with a plus arm, average or better raw power, a good sense of the zone and a solid stroke from both sides but got in trouble when he was too passive, which he addressed in his return engagement at Low-A last year.

17. Carson Sands, LHP Video: The 6’3/195 lefty was the Cubs 2014 4th round picks and signed for an over-slot $1.1 million. Sands was a well-known prospect that was old for his 2014 prep class, but his stuff ticked up in the spring, flashing three above average pitches and at least average command, projecting as a 3/4 starter.



40 FV Prospects

18. Jefferson Mejia, RHP Video: The surprisingly-coordinated 6’7/195 righty signed for $850,000 last July 2nd, has lots of downhill plane and huge stuff that should keep getting better: he’s up to 97 mph, flashing an above average hook and there’s still a chance he could end up as a starter. How the frame develops will dictate how this goes, but there’s tons of upside.

19. Jen-Ho Tseng, RHP Video: The Taiwanese righty signed for $1.625 million in the 2013 July 2nd spending spree; the 6’1/210 righty is developed physically and has advanced feel to pitch. Tseng sits 89-91 and hits 93 mph with a curveball and changeup that are both 50′s and command that average to above; he just turned 20 but he’s pretty maxed-out and this looks like a high probability back-end starter.

20. Dylan Cease, RHP Video: The 6’0/180 Cease sat 93-96 and hit 98 mph with a 55 curveball and usable changeup on the high school showcase circuit, then hit 100 mph on some guns early in the spring, but was shut down soon after with an elbow injury. That injury ended up needing Tommy John surgery after the Cubs paid him $1.5 million as a 6th round pick in June. Cease has some start traits but his size and inconsistency of his off-speed stuff led many to project him as a reliever; expectation are he’ll be back late in 2015 or for instructs.

21. Paul Blackburn, RHP Video: Blackburn has solid stuff, mostly average across the board with a fastball that touches 94 mph, and some projection, but also some command issues. Scouts project him for either a back-end starter or 7th/8th inning reliever, but there’s still a good bit of development needed before there will be any kind of consensus.

22. Corey Black, RHP Video: Black was picked up in the Alfonso Soriano trade last year and the 5’11/175 righty should give some big league value in late 2015 or 2016. He sits 92-96 mph in the early innings as a starter with four pitches, led by a solid-average slider and fringy to average changeup, but he’ll lose a couple ticks later in games and there’s some effort and command issues to go with the size concerns. Black will continue to start in AAA next year but it seems unlikely he’ll be a long-term starter, fitting more as a 7th inning guy that can spot start and go multiple innings.

23. Arodys Vizcaino, RHP Video: Vizcaino was acquired from the Braves in 2012 in the Paul Maholm deal and looked like a potential mid-rotation starter with big stuff that likely ended up as a closer. Vizcaino missed the 2012 and 2013 seasons with elbow injuries and had expectations to rush to the big leagues this year when he came off the DL, but had problems repeating his delivery and keeping his pitches down in the minors. He still has the same 94-97 mph fastball that touches 98, curve that flashes plus and usable changeup, but the command caused the stuff to play down and, despite starter stuff, no one thinks that’s a real option. Expectations are lower now, as some red flags get set off by a guy with a long injury history that’s not repeating his delivery.

24. Christian Villanueva, 3B Video: Villanueva put on some weight this year, but is still pretty light on his feet and could still be an above average defender at third base. There’s now above average raw power but the bat speed was down this year with a bigger swing and the same plate discipline problems from before, with one scout suggesting that being a teammate with Javier Baez was contributing to the longer swing. There’s a chance Villanueva could end up as an everyday guy, but it’s looking more like a corner utility guy now.

25. Jeffrey Baez, LF Video: Baez was described physically by a Cubs source as a “fire hydrant” but that’s okay as the 6’0/205 right hitter has easy plus raw power that’s already showing up in games and surprising speed for his size. It’s a higher maintenance body and there’s some questions about his contact ability at higher levels, but there’ a lot to work with here.

26. Justin Steele, LHP Video: Steele is a loose 6’1/180 lefty that sat around 90, hitting 93 mph with a solid average changeup on the showcase circuit, but no semblance of a curveball. It came out later he was throwing with a badly injured wrist and the pitch flashed plus potential late in the season and after the Cubs took him in the 5th round, paying him $1 million.

27. Jonathan Martinez, RHP Video: Acquired from the Dodgers this year for Darwin Barney, Martinez was a nice find for the Cubs as the righty showed starter traits in his full-season debut. Martinez sits 90-92 with a solid average slider and a changeup that flashes plus with a clean arm. He’s a good athlete, but still needs to clean up his delivery and command some to continue in the rotation.

28. Jacob Hannemann, CF Video: Hannemann signed for $1 million in the 3rd round in 2013 out of BYU and is younger in baseball terms than his advanced age at 23 due to a two-year Mormon mission. He’s still pretty crude and you’re betting on the athleticism, but he’s a plus runner that can play center field and profiles now as a good 4th outfielder, but there’s a chance for more upside with reps; the Cubs think he’s a poor man’s Jacoby Ellsbury if it all clicks.

29. Daury Torrez, RHP: Torrez is yet another power arm for the Cubs, but it’s still to early to know if he’ll be able to stick in the rotation. He sits 92-94 with a slider that’s solid average at times and a fringy changeup and command that likely will lead to a role in the bullpen, but he’ll continue for now as a starter.

30. Erick Leal, RHP, Video: The 19-year-old was acquired from Arizona this year for Tony Campana, Leal was another nice find in a low profile deal for the Cubs. He sits 90-93 with an average changeup and solid average curveball. The 6’3/190 Venezuelan is more of a pitch-to-contact type that is more control over command now and needs to learn how to use his stuff to put hitters away to reach his back-end rotation upside.

31. Rob Zastryzny, LHP Video: I saw the lefty this year with fringy to average stuff around 87-90 mph, but I was told my multiple scouts that the 2013 2nd rounder was 90-92 and hit 95 mph at times in other outings. His curveball and changeup both flash solid average and he’s a good makeup guy that competes; some see a back-end starter and others think his stuff could play up in short stints out of the bullpen.

 

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Others Of Note

I was surprised when RHP James Norwood (Video) was available in the 7th round this June for a $175,000 bonus and so were the Cubs. The 6’2/205 righty had a velo spike this year, sitting 92-95 and hitting 97 mph as a starter a solid average slider the best secondary offering in a four pitch mix. He’s more of a thrower than pitcher, so it’s likely a relief fit, but there’s a lot to like. RHP Dillon Maples got $2.5 million out of high school in 2011 and is still flashing that plus fastball-curveball combination, but the command and consistency have been big problems and the delivery is getting retooled in instructs. RHP Juan Paniagua (Video) has become my new favorite hard-throwing Latin reliever with a funny direct translation of his name (John Bread & Water), unseating Joe Table. Paniagua sits 92-94 and hits 97 mph as a starter with a slider and change that flash solid average, but his lack of feel probably leads the 24-year-old to the bullpen.

Among the other arms to watch in the system, RHP Tony Zych sits 95-97 and hit 100 mph this year but is up in the zone with limited command that undermines his above average curveball. Zych also has a last name that begs for this intro music, just like D’Backs reliever Matt Stites. Lefties Jordan Minch and Gerardo Concepcion (Video) both flash above average stuff and likely fit in the pen, with Minch’s stuff a little crisper and with a better chance to start. Colombian Erling Moreno was another signee from the 2013 July 2nd class and the 6’3/190 righty has an average three pitch mix with some projection.

There’s five more power righties worth mentioning in the system briefly: Starling Peralta (Video doesn’t really know what he’s doing but works 93-97 mph with a slider and change that flash above average), Trevor Clifton (6’4/180 righty will go to Low-A rotation next year with cleaned up delivery, but fastball and curveball both flash 60 and it’s likely a bullpen fit), Steve Perakslis (sits 90-94 and hit 97 mph late in the season with a changeup and slider both average to slightly above), Zack Cates (up to 97 mph with an average or better changeup) and Daniel Lewis (served in the military and hadn’t pitched since high school when he popped up on the Cape and sat 92-97 mph with a power slider).

2014 3rd rounder out of Virginia Tech, C/LF Mark Zagunis (Video) is one of many interesting catcher to keep tabs on in the system; he can really hit. is growing into some power and is a solid average runner but has a lot of work to do defensively and likely ends up in the outfield. C Willson Contreras made progress this year with consistency and flashes solid average raw power and plenty of tools to stick behind the plate. Former second basemen Gioskar Amaya, and Danny Lockhart (son of former Brave Keith Lockhart, a current Cubs scout) were both converting to catcher in instructs after some concerns that they could stick long-term at the keystone; both could profile as solid backups with line drive bats and have bought into the change.

Venezuelan Carlos Penalver and Korean Ho-Young Son are both glove-first shortstops that need to add some bulk to grow into potential utility guys, but both are showing signs. SS Marco Hernandez (Video) is a level or two higher than those guys and fits the same bill with a bat interesting enough to have some trade value. CF Matt Szczur has a lot of speed and some pop, but his swing holds back his offensive potential; he got a cup of coffee in 2014 and projects as a reserve.

Four athletic outfielders in the low minors caught the attention of scouts this year and are all guys to keep an eye on in 2015: RF Kevonte Mitchell (6’4/185 loose athlete performed well as a basketball player still learning baseball, controls the zone well and looks physically like Matt Kemp but is still raw), LF Shawon Dunston (son of a well-known big leaguer has matured and profiles as a 4th outfielder along the lines of McKinney), CF Trey Martin (6’4/185 athlete may be best defender in the org behind Almora, show tools, instincts and makeup but has been held back by injuries, made lots of adjustments late in the season leading some in the org to say he’s best bet to breakout in 2015) and CF Rashad Crawford (yet another tall athlete is 6’3, came on late in the season showing the ability to stick in center and tapping into some of his power in games).

 

[CP1708]

Here is the link for the full article, which also has some Youtube vids, gifs, etc, as well as the write ups on Soler, Addison Russell, Almora, Edwards, Schwarber, etc.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/evaluating-the-prospects-chicago-cubs/


Ton of info, I tried to bring as much in here as I could, but it's huge.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Thanks CP.

Kinda bittersweet that Bryant won't in the starting line up by April, but that article put everything into perspective.

Jen-Ho
#Intheowetrust

 

[sportsjunkie]

fellas, whats good? Do Theo Keep Rick, or he bring in Maddox? What yall thoughts on this?

 

[CP1708]

Well, I thought the idea for Renteria was to connect better with his young latin players, and that is a plan that makes sense, but, no question about it, Maddon is an upgrade.

And you always take the upgrades where you can get them. TV money, better pitching, hitters, fielding, better stadium revenue, front office person, whatever.

I would say find a way to bring Maddon in, but keep a spot for Renteria somewhere on the club. Bench coach, Triple A manager, whatever he will accept. Be up front, and level with them both.

In the end, have to do what is best for the club.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

As much as I like Renteria, and the way he's handled this young club with all the moves and trades, you gotta make that move if you can.

In a perfect world you would like for Renteria to stay and be a bench coach or something, but in reality it won't happen. Whenever there's a chance to land a manager like Maddon, you just have take it!

Besides if they open up their wallets for Maddon, it lets me know that they're willing to spend on players as well.

 

[CP1708]

After more than a century of false starts and near misses, is it possible "next year" is finally in sight?

For baseball fans on the North Side of Chicago, at times, the wait has been numbing, excruciating, exhilarating, and above all, exasperating. After 106 seasons without a World Series title, the Cubs' latest rebuilding effort began bearing Major League fruit in 2014, with plenty more talent seeded in the player development soil. It's a familiar refrain in the land of the billy goat, but with Theo Epstein's fingerprints marking the progress of Chicago's latest Operation: Next Year, there's reason to believe Wrigley's turn as friendly confines for lovable losers may be nearing its end.

You can count the MiLB.com staff members among the believers. After a season in which the Cubs produced MiLBY winners for Top Offensive Player (Kris Bryant) and Best Team (Kane County), the MiLB.com staff has voted the Cubs as the Minor League's farm system of 2014.


The criteria for selection were two-fold -- the staff weighed on-field production with evaluations of the performance of a team's notable prospects. The difference between the Cubs and D-backs was that of star power. Arizona put five affiliates into the postseason behind the second-best winning percentage in all of Minor League Baseball -- trailing Texas by a margin of .565 to .564.

Though the Cubs had only three playoff teams and a .520 winning percentage in the Minors, no team, in our estimation, could compete with the performance of Chicago's top prospects. The best players took strides toward stardom, and it added even more impact talent at the trade deadline. The top pitchers were outstanding -- at least when healthy -- and at the lower levels, a second tier of high-ceiling prospects emerged as the initial cavalry began graduating to the Major League level.

The upper levels of the team's system are stacked with talent, particularly in the infield, where difficult questions await the player development and coaching staffs down the road. Those quandaries are ones other Major League franchises would love to face, though, since the Cubs have done everything possible to assure the big league squad is loaded with capable bats for the next half-decade or more.

Big years from the biggest bears

The Cubs' case for the Best System MiLBY is bolstered most by the growth of their top prospects in 2014. At the top of that list was Bryant, the team's No. 1 prospect who was a runaway selection for the Best Hitter MiLBY. The 2013 first-round pick (second overall) dominated at Double-A and Triple-A, crushing 43 homers while hitting .325 with a 1.098 OPS.

The numbers are remarkable, but ask around the Cubs' front office, and the sentiment is that the San Diego product could've been even better and the team expects notable improvement going forward. The third baseman actually surprised the Cubs early on in 2014 by giving at-bats away with his passivity. The team was thrilled with his willingness to work counts and take walks, but they've challenged him to be even more aggressive on pitches in the zone, particularly in hitters' counts.


"There were times where he wasted some at-bats early where he could've been more aggressive," Cubs director of player development Jaron Madison said. "You think about all the at-bats he gave away this year and think about what his batting line would've been, it's scary how good he is and how good he's going to be in the near future."

Bryant wasn't the only brand-name Cub to erupt in 2014. At Triple-A Iowa, Arismendy Alcantara continued to assert his presence as an essential piece of Chicago's rebuild, hitting .307 with 10 homers and 21 steals in 89 games.

Next to him in Iowa's infield, super prospect Javier Baez faced perhaps the sharpest learning curve of any player in the system and came out the other side a better player. The 2011 first-rounder (ninth overall) looked primed for a Major League callup in Spring Training, but after being shuttled to Iowa to start 2014, he struggled mightily. The infielder hit .172 in April, striking out 22 times in 58 at-bats.

No player -- sans perhaps Minnesota's Byron Buxton -- faced more external pressure heading into the season than Baez, but despite the lackluster start, the Puerto Rican infielder managed to get himself back on track. Baez ended up hitting .260 with 23 homers in 104 Triple-A games did earn that callup to the Majors.

The Cubs gave Baez an extended look in Chicago to end the season, figuring he might struggle -- he did -- but also counting on him to use the exposure to sharpen his game for the 2015 season and beyond.

"The key for him is just swinging at strikes, period," Triple-A Iowa manager Marty Pevey said. "It's just a matter of getting a good pitch to hit, like any other hitter, like they said in 1910 and 1930 and 1940. Now, just get a pitch to hit. That's it."

Joining Baez and Alcantara in Chicago at year's end was Jorge Soler. The Cuban outfielder had his ascent to the bigs slowed by injuries, but even after missing time this year with a hamstring injury, the 22-year-old rocketed to the Majors, where he hit .292 with five homers in a 24-game sample.

Impact acquisitions

Heading into 2014, the Cubs system was already considered among the strongest in baseball, but with the Major League team struggling at midseason, the opportunity arose to add even more talent. General manager Jed Hoyer had pieces to trade in Jeff Samardzija, Jason Hammel, Emilio Bonifacio and a few others. In return, the Cubs added even more positional depth to a system that ended 2013 with five Top 100 hitting prospects.

The most notable additions came in exchange for Samardzija and Hammel, who were packaged and sent to Oakland in exchange for MLB.com's No. 5 prospect Addison Russell and current No. 7 Cubs prospect Billy McKinney.

Neither Russell or McKinney had been playing particularly well prior to the trade. For Russell, that was mostly a factor of health -- the 2012 first-rounder (11th overall) missed most of the first half of the season with a hamstring injury, appearing in just 18 full-season games prior to the trade.

Once acquired, Russell played shortstop every day for Double-A Tennessee and was one of the Southern League's best players. The 20-year-old hit .294 with 12 homers, posted an .868 OPS and showed promise defensively.

"Obviously, we had scouted him a lot," Madison said. "He'd been one of the hottest names in baseball for a while, and we were thrilled to get him. He even exceeded our expectations as far as plate discipline. His makeup is off the charts. He has the ability, we all think, where he can stay at shortstop long term."

McKinney, meanwhile, hit his stride with Class A Advanced Daytona in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League after posting a .241 average in 75 games with Class A Advanced Stockton in the California League. The Cubs think highly of McKinney's pure hitting abilities, something he showcased after the trade by batting .301 in 51 games with Daytona.

The outfielder's bounce back in the FSL didn't get the attention it might've, though, because he was overshadowed there by another midseason acquisition in 2014 first-rounder (fourth overall) Kyle Schwarber. No 2014 draftee made a stronger first impression than Schwarber, who thundered his way from Class A Short Season Boise to Daytona in less than a month by cranking eight homers in 28 games.

Once he arrived in the FSL, Schwarber continued to rake, posting a .302 average and .952 OPS with 10 homers in 44 games.

There's no doubt in Chicago's front office that Schwarber is going to hit, but his timeline to the Majors is going to be tied to his defensive development. The 235-pound Indiana product has shown the Cubs enough as a catcher that they're going to try to develop him there, likely penciling him in as Tennessee's starting catcher to start 2015. It's possible the experiment may go the way of Wil Myers or Bryce Harper -- scrapped in the interest of accelerating the bat. But that's a determination that hasn't been made so far.

Winning with pitching

Because they've eschewed pitching the past few seasons in their most high-profile chances to acquire talent (first-round Draft picks and the Samardzija trade), the reputation of Cubs' Minor League pitchers has lagged behind the bats. Six of the team's top seven prospects, per MLB.com, are hitters, including the four most prominent in Bryant, Russell, Albert Almora and Soler -- that list excludes recent graduates Baez and Alcantara.

The cupboard isn't as bare as that might suggest, though. For starters, there's right-hander C.J. Edwards, who was acquired for Matt Garza in 2013. Edwards missed significant time with shoulder issues in 2014, but posted a 2.44 ERA in 10 Double-A starts while healthy and continues to draw rave reviews.

Beyond Edwards, the effort to acquire pitching has been more of a numbers game. In the three years since Hoyer took control, the Cubs have reportedly signed 37 Draft picks to bonuses of $100,000 or more, and 25 of those have been pitchers. First-rounders Almora, Bryant and Schwarber all got multi-million dollar deals as top 10 picks, but otherwise, seven of the eight $1 million-plus bonuses the team has handed out have gone to pitchers.

That group includes Pierce Johnson, Rob Zastryzny and Duane Underwood, plus four more pitchers added in the 2014 Draft. That trio all posted encouraging results this year, with Johnson and Zastryzny showing strides at higher levels while Underwood aided an outstanding rotation at Class A Kane County.

That staff propelled the Cougars to a Minors-best 91 wins, a Midwest League title and a MiLBY for Best Team. Underwood was one of three recent Draft picks -- Paul Blackburn and Tyler Skulina being the others -- to post solid ERAs in the rotation, and that group was joined by big-money Taiwan signee Jen-Ho Tseng (2.40 ERA), as well as a duo of Latin imports in Daury Torrez (2.74 ERA) and Jonathan Martinez (2.31 ERA) -- all except for Skulina started the season at age 20 or younger.

'Guys are buying in'

There are many ingredients to building a player-development pipeline. Every team calls on an assembly of scouts and coaches to procure and develop talented athletes. Where systems differ is on the periphery -- in allocating time and resources to specific priorities. To Madison -- who is charged with operating the development side of that equation under vice president of player development and scouting Jason McLeod -- what stands out most is the Cubs' process in place to ensure that when talent is acquired, it's maximized.

The Cubs scout players who fit their player-development model, particularly from a makeup standpoint. It's something Madison sees at every level, from the instructional league to that 91-win Kane County club and up to Triple-A and the Majors.

"We expect a lot out of those guys, and we tell them that straight out," Madison said. "This is what we expect -- do it or get out. Our scouts internationally and in the Draft have done a good job to bring in high-quality makeup guys who have the work ethic, who haven't had the discipline problems."

Baez, Soler and Alcantara should begin next year in the Majors, with Bryant, Russell, Almora, Schwarber and a whole lot more on the very near horizon. The kids might need a little time adjusting to the second decks, but you throw that many good darts at a wall, you're bound to hit some bull's-eyes. Is it enough to end the ceaseless chase for "Next Year"? Maybe. At the least, the groundwork has been laid by Epstein, Hoyer, McLeod and their staff to make the Cubs an immensely watchable team over the coming half-decade.

"There's an understanding with all our Minor Leaguers that they have a chance to be part of something special," Madison said. "That's [Hoyer] and [senior vice president, player development and scouting Jason McLeod] and the process and philosophy they have for the organization. Guys are buying in."

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

This just in...

Joe Maddon to become next Cubs manager!!!
Theo getting it done. Now lets get some arms (mad max, Lester, Shields)

 

[CP1708]

Be patient. It sounds credible, but it's not supposed to be announced til tomorrow. (World Series moratorium)

But, it sounds like the deal is close, and he may well be named tomorrow.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

^
Cant help myself CP. After the debacle of this Bears season, I needed some good sports news. I was geeked up listening to the sports radio on my way back home.
This is a big step in the right direction

 

[illmatic34]

I haven't really kept up with baseball since the Cubs got squashed by the Dodgers in '08 (I watched from 03-0, but I know enough to acknowledge that this Joe Maddon signing would be huge for the Cubs. Great news.

 

[sportsjunkie]

#InTheoWeTrust

 

[arstyle27]

We gettin Maddon???? Whoooooooooo! And Lester?? Whoooooo!!!!!

 

[sportsjunkie]

We gettin Maddon???? Whoooooooooo! And Lester?? Whoooooo!!!!!

you should post in here more often.

 

[CP1708]

The Chicago Cubs today announced that the club has fired manager Rick Renteria. Renteria, the 53rd manager in franchise history, led the club for the 2014 season after being named to the position on November 7, 2013.

Cubs President Theo Epstein released the following statement:
Today we made the difficult decision to replace Rick Renteria as manager of the Chicago Cubs. On behalf of Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer, I thank Rick for his dedication and commitment, and for making the Cubs a better organization.

Rick's sterling reputation should only be enhanced by his season as Cubs manager. We challenged Rick to create an environment in which our young players could develop and thrive at the big league level, and he succeeded. Working with the youngest team in the league and an imperfect roster, Rick had the club playing hard and improving throughout the season. His passion, character, optimism and work ethic showed up every single day.

Rick deserved to come back for another season as Cubs manager, and we said as much when we announced that he would be returning in 2015. We met with Rick two weeks ago for a long end-of-season evaluation and discussed plans for next season. We praised Rick to the media and to our season ticket holders. These actions were made in good faith.

Last Thursday, we learned that Joe Maddon - who may be as well suited as anyone in the industry to manage the challenges that lie ahead of us - had become a free agent. We confirmed the news with Major League Baseball, and it became public knowledge the next day. We saw it as a unique opportunity and faced a clear dilemma: be loyal to Rick or be loyal to the organization. In this business of trying to win a world championship for the first time in 107 years, the organization has priority over any one individual. We decided to pursue Joe.

While there was no clear playbook for how to handle this type of situation, we knew we had to be transparent with Rick before engaging with Joe. Jed flew to San Diego last Friday and told Rick in person of our intention to talk to Joe about the managerial job. Subsequently, Jed and I provided updates to Rick via telephone and today informed him that we will indeed make a change.
We offered Rick a choice of other positions with the Cubs, but he is of course free to leave the organization and pursue opportunities elsewhere. Armed with the experience of a successful season and all the qualities that made him our choice a year ago, Rick will no doubt make an excellent major league manager when given his next chance.

Rick often said he was the beneficiary of the hard work of others who came before him. Now, in the young players he helped, we reap the benefits of his hard work as we move forward. He deserved better and we wish him nothing but the best.

We have clung to two important ideals during our three years in Chicago. The first is to always be loyal to our mission of building the Cubs into a championship organization that can sustain success. The second is to be transparent with our fans. As painful as the last week was at times, we believe we stayed true to these two ideals in handling a sensitive situation. To our fans: we hope you understand, and we appreciate your continued support of the Cubs.

 

[sportsjunkie]

Now we see why Rick was fired. Welcome to Chicago Joe Maddon

 

[af1nike]

Maddon got me HYPE

 

[arstyle27]

you should post in here more often.

I know. I was waiting for us to make some moves. At work, so missed Maddons press conference. Hella excited though.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

View media item 1245611


http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/11/chicago-cubs-joe-maddon-buys-first-round-mlb

My type of manager!!.....Class act

 

[CP1708]

The Chicago Cubs have had five consecutive losing seasons and haven't been to the playoffs since 2008. So why do they jump to fourth in our Future Power Ranks? Because things are changing on the North Side, and it's almost "go time" for this franchise. The Cubs are amassing all the necessary elements to become a world championship organization, and they're being built the right way, from top to bottom.

Team president Theo Epstein arrived in the Windy City in October 2011 after leading the Boston Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007, ending an 86-year title drought and ridding the franchise of the "Curse of the Bambino" in the process. He came to Chicago with a clear blueprint on how he wanted to build the Cubs, and he hasn't deviated from it. The long-term plan he put in place normally takes 7-8 years based on the history of teams that have built from the ground up, such as the Kansas City Royals, Washington Nationals, Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics and Minnesota Twins. However, it appears Epstein is ahead of schedule, as it looks like the Cubs will be ready to start winning in 2015 and be a legitimate contender by 2016.

The Cubs have one of the best front offices in baseball, led by Epstein, GM Jed Hoyer, senior VP of player development and amateur scouting Jason McLeod and one of the strongest scouting and player development departments in baseball, possessing elite evaluators and teachers.


Joe Maddon reportedly is all set to sign on as the manager of the Cubs.
They have been missing an elite manager since Lou Piniella's decision to retire back in August 2010, but that's about to change soon; the Cubs are close to officially announcing Joe Maddon's long-term contract to manage the team. Maddon is the second-best manager in baseball behind the Giants' Bruce Bochy on my personal manager power rankings. He has won 90 games five times and was named AL Manager of the Year twice despite being in one of the game's toughest divisions, the AL East, and that his team perennially had the lowest payroll in the division. Simply put, Maddon is one of the game's most intelligent managers, and his communication and relationship skills are the best in the sport. He also has the "biggest" personality of all the game's active managers. To team Maddon with Epstein and Hoyer gives the Cubs arguably the second-best front-office/manager tandem in baseball, behind only Bochy and his GM in San Francisco, Brian Sabean.

The primary goal this offseason for the Cubs' front office is landing an ace, and they have their sights set on both Max Scherzer and Jon Lester, the top two free-agent starters on this year's market. The Cubs made a run at Masahiro Tanaka last year, falling just short when the Yankees blew everyone out of the water, but they're prepared this year to be the game's biggest bidders for either Lester or Scherzer. If they can get it done, the Cubs not only will be relevant again, but they'll be set up to be surprise contenders in 2015, with legit championship aspirations as soon as 2016.

The Cubs' farm system is arguably the best in baseball, especially if you include right fielder Jorge Soler and infielder Javier Baez, who both made their major league debuts this season. The Cubs have a prospect with legit future All-Star potential at every single position. Who else in baseball can claim that? I'm not saying they're all going to be All-Stars; certainly a couple of these players aren't going to live up to their billing. But based on these players' track records and input I've had from scouts of almost all 30 teams, that's the industry consensus about these kids.


A look at the Cubs' future, position by position
Pos. Player Status/ETA 2014 slash line G HR RBI
C Kyle Schwarber ETA 2017 .344/.428/.634 72 18 53
1B Anthony Rizzo MLB .286/.386/.527 140 32 78
2B Javier Baez AAA/MLB .260/.323/510 (AAA) 104 23 80
SS Starlin Castro MLB .292/.339/.438 134 14 65
3B/RF Kris Bryant ETA 2015 .325/.438/.661 138 43 110
SS Addison Russell ETA 2016 .295/.350/.508 68 13 45
RF Jorge Soler MLB .340/.432/.700 (AAA) 62 15 57
CF Albert Almora ETA 2017 .270/.291/.392 125 9 60
LF Billy McKinney ETA 2017 .264/.354/.412 126 11 69

The best part about their future position players is that none of them will be arbitration-eligible until at least 2018, and only Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro will be making significant salaries in the meantime because Epstein and Hoyer smartly signed them to long-term contracts early and fixed their costs below market value. Why is that so important? Because now they can utilize all of their remaining resources on loading up on proven major league pitching and the continued plan of a strong financial commitment toward building through player development and scouting.

In addition, the bulldozers are busy at Wrigley Field, where phase one of the restoration is under way. Their new home clubhouse will debut Opening Day 2016 and it should be as nice as any park's in baseball when it's completed. Combine that with the Maddon signing, and free agents will soon be putting Chicago near the top of their preference lists for years to come.

The Cubs now have an elite front office, manager, scouting and player development departments and the resources to compete with everyone in the National League Central, including the Cardinals.

When it's all said it done, it looks like the Cubs will start their playoff run in 2016 or 2017, so it could be a year or two. But when it begins, it should be a lengthy run, and if Epstein eventually does what he did in Boston and brings a championship to the North Side (thus breaking the Curse of the Billy Goat like he did in Boston with the Curse of the Bambino), then he might just do one better than a high Future Power Ranks slot -- he could find himself a spot in Cooperstown.

Almost everything in this article has been said word for word in this very thread.