Future is looking really exciting!

[Jim Rome is Flaming]

Our farm system is absolutely stacked. I know that not all of these guys are going to pan out, but looking at our potential lineup makes me giddy.

Almora - CF
Russell - SS
Rizzo - 1B
Baez - 3B
Bryant - LF
Castro - 2B
Soler - RF
Castillo - C

I know we still have to go and get pitching, but I am personally fine with needing to sign a couple of guys around Arrieta, Wood, Edwards, Straily.

 

[TDs3nOut]

I notice that Junior Lake is absent from the players that you list. I'm no expert, but he seems like a promising young player to me.

 

[Jim Rome is Flaming]

I notice that Junior Lake is absent from the players that you list. I'm no expert, but he seems like a promising young player to me.

I like Lake, just don't see him as an everyday player. It would be really nice to have him available off the bench for pinch hitting/running, and as a defensive sub though.

Also, the 8 I listed are what I envision being the "everyday" lineup. Players like Lake, Alcantara, Vogelbach, McKinney would still see time, just not as everyday players.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

Alcantara will get the first shot at CF. Lake is a 4th OF, at best, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was gone when he becomes arbitration eligible. Vogelbach will get traded to an AL team where he can DH at some point. Amaya, Schwarber, Bruno, McKinney, etc is a long list of guys who will be waiting if someone from the first wave struggles and if not they will be trade bait to fill other needs.

 

[anotheridiot]

Add Schwarber to that list if they keep him at catcher. I dont think Russell is gonna be here, its either him, Castro or Baez that will need to go to get the pitcher.

Right now, I would prefer watching Vitters and BJax playing outfield with Lake instead of .200 hitting Sweeney and Shierholtz, who should have been traded last year when he was killing righty pitching. Does not matter with Vitters or BJax, they are not blocking anyone, but when will the year come when we dont watch theo go out and get these veterans to trade for prospects? Its confusing, starting to wonder if all these guys are gonna be used for bait for betterans.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

Our line up is not going to be filled with guys from our system.

Bryant might work out, Alcantara and Baez might work out, but I guarantee a couple of these guys will be moved, and we'll have a position player or two that we traded for or signed.

 

[anotheridiot]

Our line up is not going to be filled with guys from our system.

Bryant might work out, Alcantara and Baez might work out, but I guarantee a couple of these guys will be moved, and we'll have a position player or two that we traded for or signed.

I agree, as much as I dont like it. You want to believe in the build, then that 60 million payroll team competing for the playoffs would be sweet.

I just hope we get to see Soler. So much like Puig, Cespedes and Abreu, it would be nice to see that lightning here for a while. But he needs to stay healthy first.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

I agree, as much as I dont like it. You want to believe in the build, then that 60 million payroll team competing for the playoffs would be sweet.

I just hope we get to see Soler. So much like Puig, Cespedes and Abreu, it would be nice to see that lightning here for a while. But he needs to stay healthy first.

Yeah I'm excited to see Soler too. I think his injury problems were hamstring weren't they? I think he should be able to stay healthy from here on out. I hope anyways

 

[navamind]

I notice that Junior Lake is absent from the players that you list. I'm no expert, but he seems like a promising young player to me.

his plate discipline is terrible. and if it continues to be this terrible, he isn't going to be in the majors much longer. 10/93 BB/K in 268 PA is absolutely abysmal.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

his plate discipline is terrible. and if it continues to be this terrible, he isn't going to be in the majors much longer. 10/93 BB/K in 268 PA is absolutely abysmal.

Alcantara has opened up some eyes, and he's definitely not going to be sent down quietly.

I'm guessing that after the break Alcantara will stay up and Lake will be sent down.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

I don't think they send Lake down. There is nothing for him to learn. He is the player he is going to be. I think they are trying to find a taker for an OF right now and if they can't get a lottery ticket for Schierholtz or Ruggiano they will DFA Barney. Stick Alcantara at 2B until Emilio gets off the DL then move him to CF.

Another option, which rarely happens, but the Cubs could decide to only carry 4 starting pitchers at a time making a roster move every day their 4th/5th starter was going to pitch. While that might be a slight manipulation of the system, it would also solve their problem.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

I don't think they send Lake down. There is nothing for him to learn. He is the player he is going to be. I think they are trying to find a taker for an OF right now and if they can't get a lottery ticket for Schierholtz or Ruggiano they will DFA Barney. Stick Alcantara at 2B until Emilio gets off the DL then move him to CF.

Another option, which rarely happens, but the Cubs could decide to only carry 4 starting pitchers at a time making a roster move every day their 4th/5th starter was going to pitch. While that might be a slight manipulation of the system, it would also solve their problem.

It would be so much easier to just DFA Barney, which I'm completely on board with.

 

[da55bums]

Our farm system is absolutely stacked. I know that not all of these guys are going to pan out, but looking at our potential lineup makes me giddy.

Almora - CF
Russell - SS
Rizzo - 1B
Baez - 3B
Bryant - LF
Castro - 2B
Soler - RF
Castillo - C

I know we still have to go and get pitching, but I am personally fine with needing to sign a couple of guys around Arrieta, Wood, Edwards, Straily.

The 2014 draft catcher is raking now too, the Cubs are going to be cheap and good, they can spend the money on pitching.

 

[Kevin12773]

The 2014 draft catcher is raking now too, the Cubs are going to be cheap and good, they can spend the money on pitching.

Lester would be a nice start

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

If Lester will sign for 5 years and $120M then I expect him to be in Chicago. If he wants 7 years and $175M the Yankees or Red Sox will will get to deal with the last 3 years of that deal. They could go into next season with Arrieta, Hendricks, Wada (under team control through 2020), Jacob Turner and Wood with Doubront, Straily, Pierce Johnson and C.J. Edwards fighting for rotation spots at various times through the season then try to add at the deadline if needed. With an eye on the next FA class which has more and younger pitching options.

This year you have Lester and Scherzer that will be worth long-term deals, 5-6 years and $125-150M. Shields is older and someone is going to give him a deal too long. I wouldn't go over 4 years on Shields. Next off-season you have David Price, Mat Latos, Cueto, Iwakuma, Samardzija, Lacky, etc. The Cubs could very trade for one of those arms next season if they are in the hunt and need another arm. Some of them could even hit the trade market this off-season, along with Hamels and any Marlin hitting arbitration, i.e. Henderson Alvarez, if they do not believe they can win next year and/or trade Stanton to save money and want to load up on future assets with Jose Fernandez not likely to return to full strength until 2016 and they are looking for a 2016-2018 window.

 

[NCChiFan]

I'm excited... This is the best, most promising group of youngsters I've ever seen in my 40+ years as a Bear fan.

 

[anotheridiot]

its fun to watch. As far as lester though, I still believe Shark would have still been here if they never signed Jackson. Watch a guy fail and make 13 million per year makes you want 15 million since you are a better pitcher. What do Arrieta and Hendricks ask for when Lester makes 20 million and ends up your 3?

Cubs are 51-49 over the last 100. Gave up their best two pitchers and ended up with two better who would be on vacation never getting a chance. I want Alcantara to leadoff more, let Coughlin go 2nd in the order and give Baez, Soler, Valbuena, Castro, Rizzo a chance to drive in runs.

People still bring up wanting stanton. It makes me laugh watching Soler out there. Same long swing, same huge build, better arm, better speed, better defense, but we could win 9 more games with Stanton. How many more games have we won with Soler already? Will bryant be at 3B or left field? Find your starters, find your leadoff guy, and make a run with what we have. Upgrade at the deadline after you give these prospects a chance. Baez is playing exceptional shortstop, no errors in 30 chances, a great leaping catch and double play to Hendricks last night that show his real defensive skills. Russell is even better than that.

If they work a deal with Castro to the mets for Harvey or Snydergard I wont be as upset as Lester for 160 million. I dont like Theos track record with free agents.

 

[Johnny Sleeper]

Bryant is a huge gamble. He had a lower contact rate in AAA than Baez did. That is a huge red flag. If I can turn Bryant, who is your LF of the future unless they trade Russell or Castro, into Giancarlo that is a move to make. Soler has always been the best bat of the current crop of prospects and the one player I wouldn't trade. An OF of Giancarlo, Alcantara and Soler would probably be the best in baseball for the next decade. With an infield of Castro, Russell, Baez and Rizzo which has the potential to be the best in baseball from 2016-2026.

However, I'm much more inclined to trade for pitching. Despite the media wanting to push trading for Giancarlo. Give me a trade with the Mets for Wheeler and Syndergaard or with the Rays for Cobb and Smyly. Both of them have a ton of starting options and need offense. However, I want them to take high risk prospects not Castro. Yes, that is a recent change as I was looking over the percentage of top prospects that bust and would rather stick with the 3 WAR player over rolling the dice in hopes a low contact guy like Bryant doesn't pull a Pedro Alvarez.

I don't really expect the Cubs to get overly active in the trade market this off-season. If the Rays are willing to part with Cobb or Smyly for a package that doesn't involve Bryant, Baez, Castro, Russell or Soler then I could see something happening like Almora, McKinney and C.J. Edwards for Cobb or Smyly. Otherwise it is probably Lester or nothing as I don't see the Cubs trading Wheeler for prospects.

The Cubs have a lot of guys to throw into the field so as some bust, i.e. Bryant and Almora, others will pop up like Schwarber, McKinney, Amaya, etc. So just waiting and seeing who pans out and who doesn't and throwing the next wave out there is perfectly understandable, however, I trust their scouting department, headed by McLeod, to have a good idea which guys they should trade if they are going to move any.

I see the argument for waiting on pitching if they miss on Lester. See if Arrieta can give you 200 innings, he is at a career high for big league innings this year. Figure out what you really have with Hendricks and Turner. Give Wada a shot, although at 34 next year he'd probably be traded if he continued this year's success.See if Wood, which is unlikely since his xFIP has been between 4.50-4.62 over the last four years meaning he is who he is and the ERA drop last year can easily be accounted for in BABIP and strand rate deviation. See if EJax can be fixed as his arm angle is off from the past so it might be mechanical or he might not be able to repeat his previous motion due to aging and needs to make some other adjustments. You also give Pierce Johnson and C.J. Edwards another year to prove they do not have the endurance to be starters and will be high leverage bullpen arms. I give Johnson about 15% chance of finding enough endurance to be a starter and Edwards less than 1%.

The Cubs could always make a move or two at the deadline to add needed pieces. As they sit they should be in the hunt next year without making any moves. If they do nothing improvement will cost prospects. They could sign Lester and it would only cost money, which they have plenty of right now. Then if they realize they need another pitcher in June they can make a move then when Schwarber could be traded as a potential headliner if they conclude during his time in Arizona this off-season that he can't stick at catcher.