Cubs' Prospects FUTUREBONER thread

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Add Addison Russell to the mix.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/04/as-cubs-in-serious-talks-about-jeff-samadzija-jason-hammel/

So Russell, Baez and Castro?  I assume we are not playing a 5 infielder infield, so which one of them is packing?

Rusell to 3B, Baez to 2B (if everyone stays).

THERE ARE TOO MANY SHORTSTOPS AND THIRD BASEMEN ON THIS FIELD!

[Tony]

Add Addison Russell to the mix.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/04/as-cubs-in-serious-talks-about-jeff-samadzija-jason-hammel/

So Russell, Baez and Castro?  I assume we are not playing a 5 infielder infield, so which one of them is packing?

Rusell to 3B, Baez to 2B (if everyone stays).

Wouldn't Russell be the one to stay at short? Isn't he the best glove man of the three?

[Saul Goodman]

Add Addison Russell to the mix.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/04/as-cubs-in-serious-talks-about-jeff-samadzija-jason-hammel/

So Russell, Baez and Castro?  I assume we are not playing a 5 infielder infield, so which one of them is packing?

Rusell to 3B, Baez to 2B (if everyone stays).

Wouldn't Russell be the one to stay at short? Isn't he the best glove man of the three?

And most prospect reports I see say Baez would be a great 3B, so I assumed Castro would move to 2B if Russell takes over, otherwise Russell to 2B. I can't see them wasting Baez's arm as a 2B but stranger things have happened. Maybe it'll be Darwin Barney at 2B. Gold glover!

[Chuck to Chuck]

Add Addison Russell to the mix.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/04/as-cubs-in-serious-talks-about-jeff-samadzija-jason-hammel/

So Russell, Baez and Castro?  I assume we are not playing a 5 infielder infield, so which one of them is packing?

It's increasingly likely...

[Tony]

As long as we're at it, what the hell has gotten into Blake Parker? He's suddenly looking like a balls-out closer down in Iowa.

It's happening!

[Powdered Toast Man]

Add Addison Russell to the mix.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/04/as-cubs-in-serious-talks-about-jeff-samadzija-jason-hammel/

So Russell, Baez and Castro?  I assume we are not playing a 5 infielder infield, so which one of them is packing?

Rusell to 3B, Baez to 2B (if everyone stays).

Wouldn't Russell be the one to stay at short? Isn't he the best glove man of the three?

And most prospect reports I see say Baez would be a great 3B, so I assumed Castro would move to 2B if Russell takes over, otherwise Russell to 2B. I can't see them wasting Baez's arm as a 2B but stranger things have happened. Maybe it'll be Darwin Barney at 2B. Gold glover!

Even though Bryant could move to the OF, I think that's just a thing that has stuck since he was drafted last year. It might not be what the Cubs have in mind at all for him and they really like him at 3B. I read an interesting take that Starlin Castro could be flipped for pitching to the Yankees or Mets.

[Quality Start Machine]

Add Addison Russell to the mix.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/04/as-cubs-in-serious-talks-about-jeff-samadzija-jason-hammel/

So Russell, Baez and Castro?  I assume we are not playing a 5 infielder infield, so which one of them is packing?

Rusell to 3B, Baez to 2B (if everyone stays).

Wouldn't Russell be the one to stay at short? Isn't he the best glove man of the three?

And most prospect reports I see say Baez would be a great 3B, so I assumed Castro would move to 2B if Russell takes over, otherwise Russell to 2B. I can't see them wasting Baez's arm as a 2B but stranger things have happened. Maybe it'll be Darwin Barney at 2B. Gold glover!

Even though Bryant could move to the OF, I think that's just a thing that has stuck since he was drafted last year. It might not be what the Cubs have in mind at all for him and they really like him at 3B. I read an interesting take that Starlin Castro could be flipped for pitching to the Yankees or Mets.

Chuck's wrting again?

[Eli]

I read an interesting take that Starlin Castro could be flipped for pitching to the Yankees or Mets.

I don't think either of them have any pitching that's worth Castro.

[Powdered Toast Man]

I read an interesting take that Starlin Castro could be flipped for pitching to the Yankees or Mets.

I don't think either of them have any pitching that's worth Castro.

There's Stephen Matz (#10) Rafael Montero (#2) and Noah Syndergaard (#1) with the Mets and Ian Clarkin (#10) and Jose Ramirez (#9) for the Yankees. Not much with the Yankees it appears.

You don't think a package with Syndergaard from the Mets would suffice for Castro?

[SKO]

I read an interesting take that Starlin Castro could be flipped for pitching to the Yankees or Mets.

I don't think either of them have any pitching that's worth Castro.

I'm not really how many pitchers Anyone is offering are worth any of the guys the Cubs have acquired. Price?

Arrieta sure as heck seems capable of being the ace, there's lots of #3-#4 types in the organization between Strailly and Hendricks and CJ Wilson and Travis Wood, they've shown a talent for finding other middle rotation guys on the cheap.

I think all they'd really need is to go out and gladly overpay for whoever the top starting pitcher is in free agency. It sure looks like since all of their hitters are going to be cost-controlled for the near future that they'll have all of the money they'd ever want to spend on pitchers, even knowing you're going to overpay in an absolute sense for whoever you get.

[SKO]

I read an interesting take that Starlin Castro could be flipped for pitching to the Yankees or Mets.

I don't think either of them have any pitching that's worth Castro.

There's Stephen Matz (#10) Rafael Montero (#2) and Noah Syndergaard (#1) with the Mets and Ian Clarkin (#10) and Jose Ramirez (#9) for the Yankees. Not much with the Yankees it appears.

You don't think a package with Syndergaard from the Mets would suffice for Castro?

It might not, IAN. Theo's said repeatedly they are wary of spending all of those players and prospects to get a young pitching phenom who, just mathematically speaking, is likely to have his arm explode at some point in the next couple of years. It's not even an if anymore, it's pretty much a when. Better to stockpile hitters when everyone else is struggling to score runs,  and just buy average pitching.

[Eli]

You don't think a package with Syndergaard from the Mets would suffice for Castro?

Absolutely not. There's not a pitching prospect in the entire minor leagues that's remotely worth a 24-year-old shortshop who's already been an All-Star three times. They're all just too volatile.

[Eli]

Like SKO said, I'm comfortable with the Cubs just building a massive offense and then throwing shit at the wall for pitching every year. If they feel comfortable spending on an established pitcher who's proven to be durable (like Lester), that's probably fine. But it's pretty clearly become a bad bet to invest heavily in pitching prospects.

[InternetApex]

Someone already said a player with SS as his primary position can move virtually anywhere. Let's not get lost in the weeds here.

[SKO]

Like SKO said, I'm comfortable with the Cubs just building a massive offense and then throwing shit at the wall for pitching every year. If they feel comfortable spending on an established pitcher who's proven to be durable (like Lester), that's probably fine. But it's pretty clearly become a bad bet to invest heavily in pitching prospects.

If they can get a decent starter by trading a package of players like Alcantara or Almora or someone who may end up being superfluous outside of the core, fine. But I'd have a hard time understanding trading one of the best offensive shortstops in the game, one who has finally put together enough patience and become selective enough to develop into a power-hitter at that, for a fucking pitching prospect in the new deadball era.