Cubs' Prospects FUTUREBONER thread

[PenFoe]

With all the focus on hitting...

2 of the big 3 high school pitchers from this year's draft have made their debuts in the last two days in AZL, Justin Steele and Carson Sands (the one with the insanely hot girlfriend I posted a few weeks back.)  Dylan Cease is the 3rd, will undergo TJ at some point in the next month.

Early returns are awesome, small sample size and all.

Sands: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Steele:   1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Basically, they're on pace to never give up a hit or a walk and pretty much strikeout everyone.

They're both 19.  

Also, 8th round pick, Tommy Thorpe has just started pitching in AZL as well:
2 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K

11th round pick, Jordan Brink is also in AZL:
1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K

7th Round pick James Norwood is already in Boise:
2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 K

10th round pick Ryan Williams is also in Boise:
2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K

At this point, pretty much all the Cubs main draft picks from 2014 have debuted, just waiting on Jake Stinnett (#2 pick, pitched a ton of innings in college this year and will probably throw a bit in a month or so) and Cease.  9th round pick James Farris is in AZL, but hasn't debuted yet.  

Looks like we can look forward to a long future of perfect games and no-hitters, based on early returns.

[Slaky]

Flood the system with talent.

I don't realistically expect that somehow the Cubs top, say 15 picks, are all better than every other team's top 15 picks but it would be cool.

If you told me when I was 10 that the Cubs wouldn't do shit but suck and break my heart for the next 25 years of my life but it was leading up a confluence of talent and available money like what we're seeing now I may have said "Ok."

This is some special shit going on right now.

[Bort]

Flood the system with talent.

I don't realistically expect that somehow the Cubs top, say 15 picks, are all better than every other team's top 15 picks but it would be cool.

If you told me when I was 10 that the Cubs wouldn't do shit but suck and break my heart for the next 25 years of my life but it was leading up a confluence of talent and available money like what we're seeing now I may have said "Ok."

This is some special shit going on right now.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but this is the first time in ages when it feels like the Cubs aren't building a team based on smoke and mirrors.

[Quality Start Machine]

Flood the system with talent.

I don't realistically expect that somehow the Cubs top, say 15 picks, are all better than every other team's top 15 picks but it would be cool.

If you told me when I was 10 that the Cubs wouldn't do shit but suck and break my heart for the next 25 years of my life but it was leading up a confluence of talent and available money like what we're seeing now I may have said "Ok."

This is some special shit going on right now.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but this is the first time in ages when it feels like the Cubs aren't building a team based on smoke and mirrors.

It's really hard to not fall into the "ZOMG! DOOM!" mindset of everyone saying nice things about the Cubs, but I'm pretty sure 90% of the GMs in baseball would love to be Jed Hoyer right now. Hell, this is the first time since the late 80s when it's better to be the Cubs than the Yankees.

[Slaky]

Flood the system with talent.

I don't realistically expect that somehow the Cubs top, say 15 picks, are all better than every other team's top 15 picks but it would be cool.

If you told me when I was 10 that the Cubs wouldn't do shit but suck and break my heart for the next 25 years of my life but it was leading up a confluence of talent and available money like what we're seeing now I may have said "Ok."

This is some special shit going on right now.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but this is the first time in ages when it feels like the Cubs aren't building a team based on smoke and mirrors.

It's really hard to not fall into the "ZOMG! DOOM!" mindset of everyone saying nice things about the Cubs, but I'm pretty sure 90% of the GMs in baseball would love to be Jed Hoyer right now. Hell, this is the first time since the late 80s when it's better to be the Cubs than the Yankees.

Couple of articles in the last few days about Cubs vs Yankees in light of the Tanaka injury and Arguello made a very strong case that being the Yankees right now is a very shitty thing to be. I don't see how they can turn things around under this CBA quickly. They're not cut out for this new MLB.

[PenFoe]

Flood the system with talent.

I don't realistically expect that somehow the Cubs top, say 15 picks, are all better than every other team's top 15 picks but it would be cool.

If you told me when I was 10 that the Cubs wouldn't do shit but suck and break my heart for the next 25 years of my life but it was leading up a confluence of talent and available money like what we're seeing now I may have said "Ok."

This is some special shit going on right now.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but this is the first time in ages when it feels like the Cubs aren't building a team based on smoke and mirrors.

It's really hard to not fall into the "ZOMG! DOOM!" mindset of everyone saying nice things about the Cubs, but I'm pretty sure 90% of the GMs in baseball would love to be Jed Hoyer right now. Hell, this is the first time since the late 80s when it's better to be the Cubs than the Yankees.

Couple of articles in the last few days about Cubs vs Yankees in light of the Tanaka injury and Arguello made a very strong case that being the Yankees right now is a very shitty thing to be. I don't see how they can turn things around under this CBA quickly. They're not cut out for this new MLB.

The Yankees spent a shitton on international picks in this year's crop. They basically did what the Cubs did last year.

Granted, those dudes are all 16-17, so they won't be ready any time soon, but they'll adapt. 

I'd rather be the Cubs right now, but I can't imagine that the Yankees aren't going to figure this thing out being an attractive (arguably the top) destination for free agents and smart front office people. 

[Slaky]

Flood the system with talent.

I don't realistically expect that somehow the Cubs top, say 15 picks, are all better than every other team's top 15 picks but it would be cool.

If you told me when I was 10 that the Cubs wouldn't do shit but suck and break my heart for the next 25 years of my life but it was leading up a confluence of talent and available money like what we're seeing now I may have said "Ok."

This is some special shit going on right now.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but this is the first time in ages when it feels like the Cubs aren't building a team based on smoke and mirrors.

It's really hard to not fall into the "ZOMG! DOOM!" mindset of everyone saying nice things about the Cubs, but I'm pretty sure 90% of the GMs in baseball would love to be Jed Hoyer right now. Hell, this is the first time since the late 80s when it's better to be the Cubs than the Yankees.

Couple of articles in the last few days about Cubs vs Yankees in light of the Tanaka injury and Arguello made a very strong case that being the Yankees right now is a very shitty thing to be. I don't see how they can turn things around under this CBA quickly. They're not cut out for this new MLB.

The Yankees spent a shitton on international picks in this year's crop. They basically did what the Cubs did last year.

Granted, those dudes are all 16-17, so they won't be ready any time soon, but they'll adapt. 

I'd rather be the Cubs right now, but I can't imagine that the Yankees aren't going to figure this thing out being an attractive (arguably the top) destination for free agents and smart front office people. 

They can attract free agents for sure - but free agents are getting older and older. The best players aren't hitting FA at all until they're Robinson Cano.

I think the int'l spending is great but it's certainly the long road at this point. Of course there will always be the Cuban defectors (maybe not always but there are for now)  and the Yankees will always be able to afford those guys. Bet they wish they had Abreu.

[Quality Start Machine]

Flood the system with talent.

I don't realistically expect that somehow the Cubs top, say 15 picks, are all better than every other team's top 15 picks but it would be cool.

If you told me when I was 10 that the Cubs wouldn't do shit but suck and break my heart for the next 25 years of my life but it was leading up a confluence of talent and available money like what we're seeing now I may have said "Ok."

This is some special shit going on right now.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but this is the first time in ages when it feels like the Cubs aren't building a team based on smoke and mirrors.

It's really hard to not fall into the "ZOMG! DOOM!" mindset of everyone saying nice things about the Cubs, but I'm pretty sure 90% of the GMs in baseball would love to be Jed Hoyer right now. Hell, this is the first time since the late 80s when it's better to be the Cubs than the Yankees.

Couple of articles in the last few days about Cubs vs Yankees in light of the Tanaka injury and Arguello made a very strong case that being the Yankees right now is a very shitty thing to be. I don't see how they can turn things around under this CBA quickly. They're not cut out for this new MLB.

Tanaka won't be hurt forever. But still, they paid damn near a half billion dollars for four dudes who aren't getting them any closer to the postseason than they were last year.

[InternetApex]

David Price told reporters that winning a championship with the Cubs would be "the coolest."

http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/david-price-winning-world-series-cubs-would-be-coolest?p=ya5nbcs&ocid=yahoo

"Winning absolutely is something you want to do," Price told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Being a part of something special is also something you want to do. You can take that to a first-place team. You could take that all the way to a last-place team like the Cubs. With the talent they have coming up they could be a very special team in a few years as well. That would probably be the coolest city to win a championship in. They haven't done it in I'm not sure how long. To do that there that would be the coolest city to win a championship in right now."

He's obviously open to the idea of pitching here. I hope it makes sense when it's time to consider it. That quote should really roil up the Shite Sox butthurt as well.

[PenFoe]

David Price told reporters that winning a championship with the Cubs would be "the coolest."

http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/david-price-winning-world-series-cubs-would-be-coolest?p=ya5nbcs&ocid=yahoo

"Winning absolutely is something you want to do," Price told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Being a part of something special is also something you want to do. You can take that to a first-place team. You could take that all the way to a last-place team like the Cubs. With the talent they have coming up they could be a very special team in a few years as well. That would probably be the coolest city to win a championship in. They haven't done it in I'm not sure how long. To do that there that would be the coolest city to win a championship in right now."

He's obviously open to the idea of pitching here. I hope it makes sense when it's time to consider it. That quote should really roil up the Shite Sox butthurt as well.

[Eli]

So is the thought that the Cubs would trade for him and then hope for an extension (which seems dumb unless they plan to go for a title next year)? Or just wait to sign him when he's a free agent? Spending a likely $150 million+ for a pitcher who will turn 31 in the first year of the deal is kind of terrifying, given all of the pitcher injuries recently.

[Bort]

So is the thought that the Cubs would trade for him and then hope for an extension (which seems dumb unless they plan to go for a title next year)? Or just wait to sign him when he's a free agent? Spending a likely $150 million+ for a pitcher who will turn 31 in the first year of the deal is kind of terrifying, given all of the pitcher injuries recently.

TIME TO ELI.

[Eli]

So is the thought that the Cubs would trade for him and then hope for an extension (which seems dumb unless they plan to go for a title next year)? Or just wait to sign him when he's a free agent? Spending a likely $150 million+ for a pitcher who will turn 31 in the first year of the deal is kind of terrifying, given all of the pitcher injuries recently.

TIME TO ELI.

So is having opinions on baseball my meme now?

[Bort]

So is the thought that the Cubs would trade for him and then hope for an extension (which seems dumb unless they plan to go for a title next year)? Or just wait to sign him when he's a free agent? Spending a likely $150 million+ for a pitcher who will turn 31 in the first year of the deal is kind of terrifying, given all of the pitcher injuries recently.

TIME TO ELI.

So is having opinions on baseball my meme now?

Whoa. Slow down. Being butthurt is Apex's thing.

[SKO]

So is the thought that the Cubs would trade for him and then hope for an extension (which seems dumb unless they plan to go for a title next year)? Or just wait to sign him when he's a free agent? Spending a likely $150 million+ for a pitcher who will turn 31 in the first year of the deal is kind of terrifying, given all of the pitcher injuries recently.

TIME TO ELI.

So is having opinions on baseball my meme now?

Whoa. Slow down. Being butthurt is Apex's thing.

This is not TIME TO ELI. Giving a 100+ million contract to a veteran pitcher is always risky. He didn't shit on any prospects or Epstink/Hoyer. Let's be more careful about our meme usage.