Browse >
Home / October 2013
If you love prospects, then it doesn’t get any better than the Arizona Fall League.
With six teams comprised of baseball’s top prospects from all 30 organizations, the AFL provides an opportunity to witness the future of the game on one field.
This year’s crop of talent is especially deep, including 21 players that ranked among our end-of-season top 100 prospects.
After looking at the hottest and coldest hitters at every minor league level during the regular season, we’ve decided to continue the series into the fall so as to offer insight into the happenings of the AFL.
While colleague Adam Wells is back in the Midwest and currently going ...
Let's take a look at 10 realistic moves the Cubs should consider heading into this offseason.
The Cubs are going to have to be active on the free-agent market if they want any chance at improving on their 66-96 record. They have several holes to fill and several spots that need upgrades, evident by last year's performances.
The Cubs will also need to add some relief pitching and possibly add a starter before the team reports for spring training.
This isn't the deepest free-agent market compared to years past, so the Cubs will have to be creative to take steps forward while also ...
On paper, the Chicago Cubs may look like one of the worst teams in baseball in 2013.
They are.
They also may look like they didn't improve all that much from 2012.
They didn't.
However, that doesn't mean that Cubs fans should be slamming the abort button on Theo Epstein and company's rebuilding plan. In fact, his plan seems more logical with each transaction made.
It cannot be stressed enough that Epstein is only in his third year in charge of the Cubs and his plan has only just begun.
In a way, the Cubs will receive a fresh start in 2014 when a new manager takes ...
Let the shopping begin.
Twenty-five days have passed since the Cubs' final regular-season game, and the team has already begun to make moves. The Cubs started off by firing their manager, Dale Sveum, on October 1 merely hours after their regular-season finale against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Following a 66-96 season, the Cubs need to make some serious changes if they want to become a contender in the near future. Although they have many prospects with much potential, the team still has a long way to go.
Here we look at the positions the Cubs need to improve upon this winter.Begin Slideshow
The Chicago Cubs will be faced with several decisions this offseason that have short- and long-term implications.
Some are more general in terms of spending or where to spend, but Chicago will also have to deal with impending free-agent or arbitration eligibles.
The Cubs are expected to be active after the conclusion of the World Series, and it will be interesting to see what issues they tackle first. Finding a manager will be the first priority, but what comes next?
General manager Jed Hoyer will likely approach Kevin Gregg and gauge his interest and his price tag. Given some of the calamity at the closer ...
The 2013 off-season has begun for the Chicago Cubs, who look to improve on their disappointing 66-96 season.
The front office led by Theo Epstein and company will likely have a busy winter beginning with the winter owner's meetings in Orlando November 11-13.
Multiple players are shoo-ins for the starting lineup in 2014, including Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro who have already been contractually locked up through at least the 2020 season.
Here we predict the Cubs starting lineup for the 2014 season.
All stats courtesy of MLB.com.
Begin Slideshow
It should come as no surprise that recently acquired Chicago Cubs infield prospect Mike Olt is already looking forward to next season. Coming off a rough 2012, in which he was not only traded but battled vision problems, Olt sees the potential opportunity in front of him and is going to do everything he can to seize it.
Olt had nothing but positive things to say about his time in Texas and his roller coaster season in which he finished the year with a .201 average and 15 home runs in 107 games.
The Cubs received a nice haul for pitcher Matt Garza and Olt ...
The Cubs sent eight prospects to the Arizona Fall League's Mesa Solar Sox. The AFL is one of the most exciting times of the year for teams and scouts as the league's best prospects converge on Arizona.
Most teams send a few guys who are household names, at least to the more astute fan. It's the names you don't know that you want to look into as they are the guys right around the corner, having been awarded for making significant strides or given the stint because they were injured and need the work.
The Cubs' prospects are the talk of the ...
The Cubs will do some much-needed fine-tuning this offseason, making upgrades in the outfield and possibly around the infield. The bullpen will need some support after barely hanging on in 2013 and the Cubs will need a strong bench.
Chicago will be in the market for impact bats and arms, but it would not make sense for the team to unload a boatload of prospects for an ace like David Price. The Cubs did it before with Matt Garza, and while the team does not necessarily miss any of them yet, former Cubs arm Chris Archer is one of the reasons ...
The Cubs enter the 2013-14 offseason in a similar position to where they were following the 2011 season. They are looking for a new manager and have a new crop of prospects who are closing in on the big-league level.
Names like Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters have been replaced by Javier Baez, Jorge Soler and Kris Bryant. The Cubs have unloaded veterans like Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza for pitching prospects who will hopefully fill out the rotation in the near future.
One of those prospects, Kyle Hendricks, was minor league pitcher of the year this past season. Double-A ace C.J. ...
Next Page »
