Candelario and Andreoli Making Their Case

Going into this spring the Cubs Major League roster seemed about as close to set as one could be in February. On the offensive side of the ball there seemed to be only one real spot up for grabs and really that is not going to change. But the lack of space on the 25-man roster does not mean that there aren’t any guys in big league camp trying to impress. There are plenty of guys that are trying to prove their worth these first few weeks of the spring while they have a shot at it in front of Joe Maddon, Dave Martinez, and all the other big league coaches.

Lineup Notes 3/10 vs. Mariners

Joe Maddon is trotting out a team this afternoon against the M’s that actually doesn’t have too many prospects. With nearly all of the starters having some type of Major League experience, here is what the lineup card looks like today:

Lineup Notes for 3/4 vs. Brewers

So the lineup for the first real Spring Training game on Thursday against the Brewers was released and there are a few things to look out for: 

1. Kyle Schwarber- LF

2. Kris Bryant- 3B

3. Anthony Rizzo- 1B

4. Jorge Soler- RF

5. Miguel Montero- C

6. Javy Baez- CF

7. Tommy LaStella- 2B

8. Dan Vogelbach- DH

9. Munenori Kawasaki- SS

P- Travis Wood

Now you are going to see crazy lineups all spring so anything I am about to say you should take with a grain of salt because this lineup truly means nothing when it comes to how things will play out come Opening Day. But I am going to throw out my opinions anyway. 

-Kyle Schwarber batting leadoff? Realistically we will see this a total of zero times throughout the course of the regular season but there is actually quite the contingent of people that would love to see this happen. Now I am not one of those people and anyone that has any say in the Cubs starting lineup probably isn't one of those people either. But I like to think that Joe Maddon just enjoys messing with our minds a little bit.

-Javy Baez is getting the start in center. I expected to see a lot of the outfield version of Javy this spring and that will be a story to watch as the year goes on. Will he make the transition to super utility guy seemlessly?

-Dan Vogelbach gets the start! And would you expect him to be placed anywhere else than DH? Here's to hoping he rakes all spring.

-Munenori Kawasaki will be manning the shortstop position on Thursday. Can  we really expect anything less than 3 dingers and 4 diving plays from the new Cubs funny guy?

Chicago Cubs baseball is back people and let's all enjoy the ride. 

Fowler is Back Home

In the last couple hours all hell broke loose. My previous post regarding all the confusion as to the Chris Coghlan trade now makes sense as the Cubs have brought back Dexter Fowler on a one year deal with a mutual option for a second season. 

The signing comes after a Fowler to Baltimore deal was supposedly sign, sealed, and delivered yesterday. NOT SO FAST. Chicago front office reportedly stayed in contact with Fowler's agent throughout the whole process and now the man is reunited with his teammates in Mesa. Enjoy yourself for the next couple lines of text because more chaos ensues and of course there is confusion regarding playing time. So here goes...

Epstein stated that he is very content with the team as is and that no further trades with come about between now and Opening Day, meaning the Cubs are stuck with four starting outfielders: Dexter Fowler, Kyle Schwarber, Jason Heyward, and Jorge Soler. Your initial thought would be a trade of Soler is coming next but after Epsteins comments, obviously you can rule that one out. 

So what about using Fowler as a very good 4th outfielder? The argument here is that you start the game with Schwarber, Heyward, and Soler across the outfield and use Fowler as a pinch hitter, runner, or defensive replacement mid to late in games, sliding Heyward to right and removing either Soler or Schearber and their defensive woes. That's all good and well until you realize the Cubs just spent $8 million for a fourth outfielder. 

Option number two would seem to use Soler and Schwarber as a natural platoon with Soler playing against lefties and Schwarbs against righties. That's a whole lot of power either way and both players hit tremendously well against their counterpart and struggle a little against pitchers of their own handedness. Now comes the problem. Both of these guys are very, very young. Relegating either of them to platoon roles at such a young age can have a very significant impact on their progression as a young player. 

The third and most likely scenario post Fowler signing would be the most likely of the three options and that is that Joe Maddon uses his wizardry of managing skills and finds a way for each player to get all their at-bats in over the course of the season and the Cubs execute the 4 outfielder problem perfectly. 

Go Cubs!

Cubs Trade Chris Coghlan to A's

This morning the Cubs traded utility man Chris Coghlan to the Oakland A's and in return for the services of swing man Aaron Brooks. 

The trade comes as a major surprise as this leaves a void on the bench for a fourth outfielder. Coghlan was expected to get few starts this year with Kyle Schwarber taking over in left field but Cogs was still expected to spell Jorge Soler against tough righties on occasion. Not only that but the trade puts quite a bit of pressure on young Javy Baez to be able to produce off the bench all over the field (both infield and outfield) as he is the new utility man off the bench. 

Adding to the confusion here is the fact that Aaron Brooks is somewhat of an unproven swing man. The 25 year old spent the majority of the season last year in AAA after being traded to the A's in the Ben Zobrist deal with the Royals. With guys like Adam Warren, Travis Wood, Trevor Cahill, and Clayton Richard, there isn't any room at the Major League level for Brooks, so the Cubs will probably use one of his options to send him back down to Iowa. 

While it is always nice to add pitching depth, this definitely was not the way I expected it to occur. My guess is that we see a corresponding deal made to sign Austin Jackson to fill the role as the Cubs fourth outfielder as he is a guy who could cover all three outfield spots this season. That being said, Theo & Co. are putting a lot of faith into the combination of Tommy LaStella and Javy Baez to produce off the bench this upcoming season. 

2016 Preseason Position Player Prospects

After writing up each of the top 20 players on the position players side of Out of the Vines, I am providing you with a final list of those top 20 players in order. First, here are how each of the minor league organizations stacks up:

Top 20 Position Players by Team

Rookie AZL Cubs: 2

A- Eugene Emeralds: 2

A South Bend Cubs: 2

A+ Myrtle Beach Pelicans: 5

AA Tennessee Smokies: 7

AAA Iowa Cubs: 2

Position Player Prospects #1-5

After reading up on position player prospects #16-20 as well as #11-15 and #6-10, it is now time for the top five hitters in the Cubs minor league system. At this point it is pretty clear what five players are left but it is just a matter of what order they are in on this list. Before you jump to conclusions on where those five will be listed, why don't you just check out how I see some of the top prospects in the system.

Position Player Prospects #6-10: Preseason 2016

After covering both numbers 16-20 as well as numbers 11-15, the time is finally here. It is time for the Top Ten! As you read through numbers 6 through 10 of this list you will find a lot of smart hitters. These guys show a lot of plate discipline and vision and this is finally the part of the list where the potential is there for each and every one of these players to be very productive Major Leaguers.

Position Player Prospects #11-15: Preseason 2016

After covering quite a few "older guys" in #16-20, the next few prospects are very young and still have quite a bit of grooming to do even in the lower levels before they work their way up toward the bigs. That also gives them time to work their way up my list, but for right now these young guns are on the outside of the top ten looking in.

Position Player Prospects #16-20: Preseason 2016

After spending a few weeks covering the top pitching prospects in the Chicago Cubs minor league system, it is now time for the position players to get their turn. Once again, I will cover the top 20 players starting at the bottom of the list.

Position players have ruled the Cubs system for the past almost 10 years now and yet again this year, the top of the position players list is pretty top heavy compared to the depth of the pitchers. That being said, even the bottom of this list showcases players that will soon contribute at the Major League level. That being said, here are numbers 16-20 of the Chicago Cubs Position Player Prospects list:

2016 Preseason Pitching Prospects

After writing up each of the Top 20 Pitching Prospects over the past couple of weeks, here is the final list for the Chicago Cubs Pitching Prospects for the 2016 preseason.

Chicago Cubs Pitching Prospects #1-5: Preseason 2016

After a slight delay of the Top Pitching Prospects list, it is finally time for the Top 5. The depth within the pitching staff in the minor leagues heading into 2016 is unbelievable and I would not be shocked to see the entire list flipped around by the time the midseason list comes out. But without further adieu here is the best 5 pitching prospects the Cubs currently have in their farm system.

Chicago Cubs Pitching Prospects #11-15: Preseason 2016

Thursday I began going through my Top 20 Pitching Prospects #16-20 with guys with a little more experience but still with room to grow. Today's list features a handful of pitchers that are currently on the outside of the Top 10 looking in. But have no fear, each of these guys are still all under the age of 22 and have plenty of time to increase their ranking while also sliding up the list. Here are rankings 11-15 on the Out of the Vines Pitching Prospects List.

Why the Cubs Should Sign Tim Lincecum

Remember the days when Tim Lincecum was considered to be one of the best pitchers in all of baseball? Those days are long gone now and the former two time Cy Young Award winner is now an almost forgotten free agent. But I am here to tell you that the Cubs should throw some money his way and bring the four time All-Star to Chicago.

Power Rankings: Most Hated People as a Cubs Fan

In the first edition of Power Rankings, it is only fitting to get the worst ones out of the way first so we will cover the most hated people as a Cubs fan. From opponents to some of our own, there are plenty of people throughout Major League Baseball that are hate-worthy, and here are just a few.

Chicago Cubs Pitching Prospects #6-10: Preseason 2016

We have reached the Top 10 and it is here when you start to see a lot of the names that you have heard before. There is a good mix of levels in here with a player from the Rookie League as well as someone who made it all the way to Chicago last summer. Each of the pitchers that you will read about here will someday make an impact in the bigs at some point or another, so why not get a little acclimated with them now?

Chicago Cubs Pitching Prospects #16-20: Preseason 2016

It is now 81 days until opening day and that means that the time is now for the preseason prospect lists to be coming out. Fangraphs and Baseball America were the most recent lists to come out and while most prospect lists combine pitchers and position players, I feel like it is difficult to combine the two when it comes to prospects. Pitchers take a much longer time to progress through the minors and are much more difficult to project as future big leaguers. That being said, here is part one of the Top 20 countdown for Chicago Cubs pitching prospects.

Prospect Profile: Jeimer Candelario

Previously covered...

1. Billy McKinney

2. Willson Contreras 

Jeimer Candelario is the name that gets added to the list of Top Hitting Prospects going into the 2016 season. Candelario, much like Willson Contreras, has been a part of the Cubs minor league system for a long time now. After a steady ascension up the tiers of the minors, Candelario really showed out as Contreras's running mate in AA Tennessee last year.