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#Post#: 14--------------------------------------------------
On the Farm 2/16/11 - 5/9/13
By: Dave23 Date: February 16, 2011, 11:53 am
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Discuss the future stars of the Chicago Cubs
#Post#: 96--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
By: JR Date: February 17, 2011, 8:59 am
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International signings list:
HTML http://www.northsidebaseball.com/~nsbb/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=61285&view=previous
HTML http://www.northsidebaseball.com/%7Ensbb/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=61285&view=previous
#Post#: 141--------------------------------------------------
Darvill, Geiger Give Cubs More Options At Third
By: JR Date: February 18, 2011, 10:29 am
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CHICAGO—After getting spoiled by 14 seasons of Ron Santo and
replacing him with Bill Madlock, who won two batting titles in
three years, the Cubs endured a long drought at third base. They
went through 17 regulars at the hot corner in the next 26
seasons, and watched hyped prospects such as Tony Woods, Gary
Scott, Pedro Castellano, Kevin Orie and David Kelton fall by the
wayside.
Chicago solved the problem by liberating Aramis Ramirez from the
Pirates in July 2003. Ramirez has hit 213 homers with the Cubs
and is still their starting third baseman eight years later.
Whenever Ramirez departs, Chicago will have no shortage of
internal options to replace him. They include Marquez Smith,
Josh Vitters and D.J. LeMahieu. Beyond those players are two
sleepers who have yet to reach full-season ball: Wes Darvill and
Dustin Geiger.
Darvill has hit just .225/.314/.241 in two pro seasons, but his
numbers belie his potential. He didn't turn 19 until after the
2010 season and he has yet to full out his 6-foot-3, 175-pound
frame.
Cubs scouting director Tim Wilken said Darvill reminded him of a
raw version of Reid Brignac when Darvill signed for $142,200 as
a fifth-round pick out of a Canadian secondary school in 2009.
He has plenty of bat speed and controls the strike zone, so he
should hit for power and average once he adds strength, which he
began doing in Chicago's offseason conditioning program. He also
has the athleticism and arm strength to be an above-average
defender at third base.
"He won't come quickly. He's four years away," Wilken said. "But
wait until you see what he can become."
The Cubs drafted Geiger in the 24th round out of a Florida high
school last June, signing him away from a Central Florida
scholarship for $150,000. He spent his pro debut in Rookie-level
Arizona League, where he batted .244/.312/.358. He's already
6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, and Wilken envisions him adding another
25 pounds of muscle.
"He's going to be very big and he'll carry the weight easy,"
Wilken said. "He plays a very good third base and we really like
the bat quite a bit. He's a confident kid."
Cubbyhole
• Righthander Jeff Samardzija has yet to justify the Cubs' $10
million decision to buy him away from the NFL in 2007, but
because he's out of options, he'll likely make the Opening Day
roster. He'll get a chance to compete for a spot at the back of
the Cubs' rotation, but he's a more likely fit in the bullpen.
• The Cubs own a top-10 pick for just the third time in the last
10 drafts, choosing ninth. Chicago drafted outfielder Ryan
Harvey sixth overall in 2003, and he's now trying to make it as
a pitcher after signing with the Red Sox as a minor league free
agent in December.
#Post#: 187--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
By: JR Date: March 2, 2011, 4:11 pm
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Chicago Cubs
Top signing: RHP Jin-Young Kim, South Korea, $850,000
July 2 eligible six-figure signings: SS Carlos Penalver
(Venezuela), 3B Jeimer Candelario (Dominican Republic), OF
Jeffrey Baez (Venezuela), SS Francisco Sanchez (Dominican
Republic), LHP Angel Mejias (Venezuela), C Alberto Mineo
(Italy), RHP Alexander Santana (Dominican Republic), SS Antonio
Gonzalez (Dominican Republic) Other six-figure signings: RHP
Gilberto Abreu (Dominican Republic)
While some teams are still trying to figure out how to build a
presence in the Dominican Republic, the Cubs have been
aggressive in the Pacific Rim while continuing to grow their
presence in Latin America. The club's ownership has been active
traveling to Latin America, adding international staff last year
and working on plans to build a new Dominican academy.
The Cubs long have been leaders in South Korea, dating back to
signing first baseman Hee Seop Choi for $1.2 million in 1999.
Their top more recent signees have been shortstop Hak-Ju Lee (
$725,000 in 2008) and righthander Dae-Eun Rhee ($525,000, 2007).
They went back to South Korea to make their top international
signing of 2010, signing righthander Jin-Young Kim last February
for $850,000, the largest Pacific Rim amateur bonus of 2010.
After signing, Kim completed his senior year at Duck Soo High,
then went to Australia to work out with Cubs staff over the
summer before coming to Arizona in the fall for instructional
league.
Kim, 18, is 6-foot, 185 pounds and stands out with his feel for
pitching and control of a solid four-pitch mix. Kim's arm works
well and he has good body control, which enables him to repeat
his mechanics and throw strikes well for his age. He commands
his fastball well to both sides of the plate, sitting at 87-89
mph with some sink and touching 91. He throws two breaking
balls, a curveball with late downer action and a solid slider
that he made strides with last year. He also shows advanced feel
for a changeup. Kim will likely begin his career in the
Rookie-level Arizona League or the short-season Northwest
League, though he's advanced enough that he could reach low
Class A Peoria by the end of the season.
In Latin America, the Cubs' top signing was Carlos Penalver, a
Venezuelan shortstop from Maracay who signed for $550,000. A
16-year-old righthanded hitter, Penalver has an athletic 6-foot,
170-pound frame with good hands, body control and footwork. He's
an above-average runner with good instincts and should stick at
shortstop. Penalver's medium frame doesn't project for power,
but he has good bat speed and the ability to control the barrel
with a line-drive stroke.
In October the Cubs added third baseman Jeimer Candelario for
$500,000. Candelario, 17, was born in the United States but
moved to the Dominican Republic. A thickly-built 6-foot, 185
pounds, Candelario is a switch-hitter who stands out with his
potential to hit for average and power. Candelario has some
movement in his setup but he generates power with good present
strength—particularly in his hands—bat speed and advanced feel
at the plate. Candelario is a below-average runner and his
defense is behind his bat, but he does have a strong arm at
third.
Former Yankees international scouting director Carlos Rios
trained both third baseman Gabriel Cenas (who signed for
$700,000 with the Blue Jays) and Jeffrey Baez, whose $350,000
from the Cubs was the second-most last year for a Venezuelan
outfielder. Baez, 17, is a 6-foot, 170-pound righthanded hitter
with athleticism, speed and a long-levered, projectable body.
He's a plus-plus runner who could slow down as he fills out, but
he has the present speed to play center field, good body control
and an average arm. Baez's bat is still coming along but he has
projectable power.
The Cubs also signed Francisco Sanchez (previously reported as
Daniel, his middle name) for $350,000 on July 2. A 17-year-old
Dominican shortstop, Sanchez is a 6-foot-2, 170-pound
righthanded hitter with a high-waisted frame and offensive
upside. Sanchez has strong hands and an easy, loose swing with
power. A fringe-average runner, Sanchez might have to move off
shortstop but has the above-average arm to handle a move to
third.
Venezuelan lefthander Angel Mejias, a slender 6-foot-3, 180
pounds, signed with the Cubs in November. Mejias, 17, has shown
poise on the mound evident from his experience representing
Venezuelan youth national teams, including when he was teammates
with Athletics third baseman Renato Nunez and Rangers shortstop
Rougned Odor at the World Youth Championship in Taiwan in 2009.
Mejias was also Venezuela's youngest player at the 18U Junior
World Championship in July in Thunder Bay, Canada, where he gave
up nine runs (three earned) in 9 1/3 innings with 11 strikeouts
and eight walks in appearances against Taiwan and Italy. Mejias
has good arm speed and sits in the mid-to-high 80s with some
sink to his fastball, topping out at 90 mph. He's shown some
feel for an inconsistent curveball with good bite and rotation,
though he's had mixed results in the international tournaments
in which he's participated.
Alexander Santana, a 17-year-old Dominican righthander, signed
with the Cubs in September. At 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Santana has
a large, projectable frame. His arm works well and he gets good
extension out front on his 87-91 mph fastball with above-average
sink and a good curveball for his age.
Dominican shortstop Antonio Gonzalez, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound
switch-hitter, signed with the Cubs in December. Gonzalez
doesn't have flashy tools but he has good baseball instincts and
is solid in the field. He has good hands, quick feet and should
stick at either shortstop or second base. Gonzalez will never be
a power hitter but he has a decent bat and a contact-oriented
stroke.
Europe's top prospect last year was Alberto Mineo, a 16-year-old
Italian catcher who signed with the Cubs in August for $225,000.
Cubs scout Bill Holmberg is the pitching coach of the Italian
national team and runs the European Academy in Italy where Mineo
trained. Mineo played for the Italian team at the 18U Junior
World Championship in Thunder Bay, Canada in July, though he
finished the tournament 2-for-20 with four walks and nine
strikeouts. A lefthanded hitter, Mineo is 5-foot-11, 165 pounds
and stands out for his catch-and-throw skills. His strong hands
and forearms help his receiving and he has good defensive
instincts. Mineo doesn't project as a power hitter and he's
still ironing out his mechanics at the plate, but he has the
makings of solid, flat swing. Mineo enrolled in an accelerated
high school program and is expected to stay in Italy to work out
at the European Academy before coming to the United States,
likely in 2012.
Prior to July 2, the Cubs signed 6-foot-2, 180-pound righthander
Gilberto Abreu out of the Dominican Republic in March. At 17,
Abreu has good arm action and an 87-91 mph fastball that could
be a plus pitch once he fills out his projectable body. He's
still learning to throw strikes, though, after recording twice
as many walks (28) as strikeouts (14) in 27 innings last year in
the Dominican Summer League.
The Cubs closed the book on a busy international year in
December when they signed a pair of Cuban defectors: outfielder
Rubi Silva ($1 million) and catcher Yaniel Cabeza ($500,000).
Silva, a 21-year-old righthanded hitter, has the above-average
speed to play center field, enough arm to handle right field and
the versatility to possibly handle a conversion to second base,
which wasn't happening for him on a Cuban junior national team
with Jose Iglesias and Adeiny Hechavarria manning the middle
infield. Silva, who hit .276/.305/.428 in 283 at-bats for La
Habana in Cuba's Serie Nacional in 2008-09, is an aggressive
hitter with a line-drive swing and gap power. Cabeza, 21, draws
widespread praise from scouts for his defense. He's a very good
catch-and-throw guy with athleticism behind the plate and a plus
arm. Scouts have also praised his game-calling skills and
take-charge leadership style. Cabeza hit .195 in 82 at-bats in
2008-09 for La Habana and his bat will have to catch up to his
defense. He's an aggressive hitter but he shows solid bat
control and situational hitting acumen.
Silva and Cabeza gave the Cubs three Cuban signings in 2010, as
the Cubs had signed righthander Juan Serrano in March for
$250,000. Serrano, who turns 22 on March 3, had a 5.48 ERA in 64
innings in the Northwest League last summer, showing good
control of fringy stuff. At 5-foot-10, 220 pounds, Serrano sits
in the high-80s with solid movement and touches 91, mixing in a
curve and a changeup.
#Post#: 206--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
By: JR Date: March 17, 2011, 2:39 pm
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This guy made Baseball America's list of Top 20 Dominican and
Venezuelean Summer League prospects.
<i>Gioskar Amaya, ss, Cubs
Age: 18. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 175. Signed: Dominican
Republic, 2009.
The Cubs field two teams in the DSL, and one of them finished
with the league's best record last year. The Cubs brought a
handful of promising young players from their DSL club to
instructional league last fall, including Willson Contreras, an
offensive-oriented third baseman, and righthanders Starlin
Peralta and Amaury Paulino, both of whom can hit 93 mph. The
Cubs had a talented middle infield in the DSL with Amaya and
Marco Hernandez splitting time at shortstop at second base.
While Hernandez has an athletic frame and good bat speed, Amaya
also has good tools and more advanced feel for the game. Amaya
is a good hitter who can take his stroke to game situations
because he controls the strike zone well. He has a strong lower
half, makes a lot of contact and creates some loft in his swing
with gap power. Amaya isn't a premium quick-twitch athlete, but
he runs well and has a high baseball IQ, showing good hands,
solid feet and a solid arm in the field.
#Post#: 207--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
By: JR Date: March 19, 2011, 8:34 am
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<i>craig - Mar 17, 2011 2:31 pm (#2530 of 2557) Reply
For my own sake, in case I want to re-find these later...
Reb66 - Mar 16, 2011 10:18 am (#1347 of 1352) FWIW and to the
extent that Bruce Levine accurately passes on what the Cubs
brass tells him, Levine said in a chat early in spring training
that "CJ Lemahieu is someone they feel wil be a major league 2b
in the next few years."
craig - Mar 16, 2011 10:20 am (#1348 of 1352) Thanks, reb.
That's pretty good, and encouraging.
Dave, I'm not sure how much I've assumed versus what I've
actually gotten from comments. And how much of my assumption is
based on iffy info. If the Cubs think he can stick, they've got
a LOT more invested and depending on him that anybody else, and
they are likely to have watched and thought about it a lot more
than AZ Phil or some scout who BA talked to who'd only watched
him for a couple of games and had no reason to watch him with
particular interest.
But I know that Az Phil has a couple of times mentioned that Lem
doesn't look very good at 2B, especially on the pivot. Phil
thought he'd need to move to 3rd and looked better there.
I thought that at Daytona DJ didn't play 3rd early because
Vitters was there, but that a lot of his 3B play came after the
Vitters promotion.
Here's a BA quote from January:
"

Jake (MD): What did scouts have to say about
LeMahieu's season? 

Jim Callis: Mixed reports.
Everyone agrees that he can hit, and he's the best pure hitter
in the system. But while ***the Cubs think he has a chance to
play second base*** and make some adjustments to hit 15 homers
per year, ***scouts outside the organization don't think he has
the quickness to play second*** or the power for third."
#Post#: 277--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
By: JR Date: March 30, 2011, 3:48 pm
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HTML http://www.northsidebaseball.com/~nsbb/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=61285&view=previous
HTML http://www.northsidebaseball.com/%7Ensbb/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=61285&view=previous
Cubs 2009 Asian Signings
Korea:
Na Kyung-min (OF): $725,000
****-Yeop Kim (OF): $550,000
Kim Jin-Yeong (RHP): $1.2 million
Taiwan:
Yao-Lin Wang: (RHP): $260,000
Chen Pin-chie: (2B): $300,000
Wang Tsu-an: (RHP): $300,000+
2011 International Signings
Mark Malave, C ($1M+)
Ricardo Marcano, 3B
Enrique Acosta, SS ($1M+)
#Post#: 283--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
By: mO Date: March 30, 2011, 7:14 pm
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[font=verdana]censored-Yeop Kim (OF): $550,000
[/font]
[font=verdana]What the censored is that?[/font]
#Post#: 289--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
By: JR Date: March 30, 2011, 7:51 pm
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LOL! That guy's name is Do-ng without the hyphen.
So we've got a censoreding censor on here? I don't know what
the censored that is. censored.
And what if this mother censoreder Do-ng makes the majors? Are
we not going to be able to censoreding talk about this
censoreding cocksucker?
#Post#: 290--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
By: JR Date: March 30, 2011, 7:53 pm
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Wow, we won't even be able to understand any of Jigs' posts if
the censor stays on.
How will we find out how long Do-ng's schlo-ng is if Jigs won't
be able to get past the censors?
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