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Now a month into the big league season, the Chicago Cubs are sitting at 9-15 and appear to have their work cut out for them if they hope to avoid a last-place finish in the NL Central.More than ever, Cubs fans will be keeping a close eye on the farm system, as the rebuilding franchise will count on a solid crop of in-house talent to lead the team's return to contention.Here is an updated look at how the team's top 10 prospects are performing down on the farm, and what direction they are currently trending. Top prospects according to Baseball America.*No. 2 ...
While the Chicago Cubs didn’t head into the 2013 season with the expectation that this would definitely be a rebuilding season, they knew it was at least a reasonable possibility—one that’s looking more likely after an 8-14 start. The rebuilding process took a big step last season as three of the top four prospects in the organization, according to Baseball Prospectus (Albert Almora—draft, Jorge Soler—international free agent, Arodys Vizcaino—acquired in 2012), were added to the farm system after Theo Epstein took over as president of baseball operations in Chicago. Along with the team’s first-round pick in 2011, shortstop Javier Baez, the Cubs' quartet of ...
How would Jeff Samardzija have panned out in the National Football League, you ask?Former Notre Dame teammate and current Chicago Bears safety Tom Zbikowski gave Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune an answer to that question last week."He would have been awesome," Zbikowski said, adding that his old teammate would have been a cross between Plaxico Burress and Keyshawn Johnson. High praise, that.But Samardzija isn't playing in the NFL. He surely could have, but he chose to pursue a Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs instead. They drafted him back in 2006 when he was still widely known as the star wide ...
From the “Things Couldn’t Possibly Get Any Worse” category, there is more news on Matt Garza. If missing the final two-and-a-half months of last season wasn’t enough, Garza injured his lat muscle in very early in spring training, causing him to begin the 2013 season on the DL. He was attempting to make his first rehab start when the black cat once again crossed his path. Garza has been scratched from his next rehab start with Double-A Daytona due to what Cubs GM Jed Hoyer has called dead arm.
Garza won't pitch tomorrow at AA, per Hoyer. "Dead arm". Muscle ...
Yes, it may be early in the 2013 season, but Cubs fans can already see where it appears to be headed: down the drain. It is no surprise, really, that the Cubs are as bad as they are. This was expected. There have been some surprises, though, such as Travis Wood, Nate Schierholtz and Welington Castillo. But the club didn’t have to be as bad as they are. And their record could be—rather, should be—better if they would have simply played complete games. Instead, their numerous ineptitudes caused wins to become losses. The Cubs’ starters combine for a 3.11 ERA—good ...
Eighteen games are in the books for the Chicago Cubs, who find themselves at a disappointing 5-13. They stand six games behind the division-leading Cincinnati Reds and have now lost four in a row.Cubs fans have much to criticize, from the manager to the offense. Manager Dale Sveum has even threatened to demote Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro, whom are seen by many as the "future" of the Cubs.Here we shine the light on the (already quite exposed) flaws in the 2013 Chicago Cubs.Begin Slideshow
Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum doesn't have a great deal of talent on his current 25-man roster. Most baseball fans would agree that first baseman Anthony Rizzo and shortstop Starlin Castro are two of the most talented and valuable players in the organization. That's what made Sveum's critical comments about Rizzo and Castro so puzzling this weekend. While Cubs fans may question Sveum's anger and patience during Chicago's rebuilding effort, don't forget that he knew what he was getting into when accepting the managerial seat prior to last season. Furthermore, both Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein knew what kind of ...
With the Cubs off to a 5-12 start, it appears as though the Northsiders are in for another trying season. However, there is plenty of reason for optimism in the minor league system.In the past year alone, the farm system has emerged as one of the best in the National League, and the team has a number of players who profile as future impact big leaguers.Here is an updated look at how the team's top prospects are performing. Be sure to check back here each Monday for an updated stock report on the Cubs' top prospects. Top prospects according to Baseball America.*No. ...
As the Chicago Cubs continue to struggle at the beginning of the 2013 campaign, the future of many underperforming players become unclear...or rather, demotion becomes more and more inevitable.Many players, such as Dave Sappelt (who won a roster position over Brian Bogusevic, now hitting .383 with Triple-A Iowa) seem destined for the minor leagues.The Cubs are now 5-12 in 2013 following a 4-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. They have now lost three in a row and head to division-leading Cincinnati to continue their 10-game road trip. Although the Cubs have played sloppy ...
In December I posted an article asking the question: “Has the Cubs’ Rotation Improved from Last Year?” Within that posting I quoted a tweet taken from ESPN’s Buster Olney’s twitter account after a short…err, discussion…with a fan wanting to know his thoughts about David Price being traded that offseason. Buster tweeted back the following:
“@Buster_ESPN December 13, 2012 One more thing about the Cubs: I don't think Price will be traded until next winter, but by then, they could be well-positioned to land him.”
Four months later, it appears nothing has changed. In an interview on Wednesday with Mut ...
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