2012 Minor League Thread 9.0

[Yagyu+]

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CHICAGO CUBS MINOR LEAGUE AFFILIATES

Iowa Cubs (PCL)

Tennessee Smokies (SOU)

Daytona Cubs (FSL)

Peoria Chiefs (MID)

Boise Hawks (NOR)

AZL Cubs (AZL)

DSL Cubs1 (DSL)

DSL Cubs2 (DSL)

2012 PRESEASON ORGANIZATIONAL PROSPECT RANKINGS

11/14/11 - Baseball America
11/24/11 - Baseball Prospectus
11/29/11 - FanGraphs
01/06/12 - Minor League Ball

PREVIOUS 2012 THREADS

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8.0

[Yagyu+]

Polling options are based on the majority of votes in the previous thread.

[Lomez]

Brenly threw out speedster Billy Hamilton last night. It was the 37th time Billy has been caught but still has 155 swiped bags for the season

[SenorGato]

Hmm...where this system will rank is a good question. It's not yet blooming but many, many seeds have been planted.

[Crusader]

Hmm...where this system will rank is a good question. It's not yet blooming but many, many seeds have been planted.

Yes.

[JBears79]

His whole approach is unfocused and reckless, which is why he's so easy to fool with soft stuff.

I wonder if Soler might start next year in AA. Probably will get a couple weeks of
play in High A, but AA ASAP.

This is my thought too. His plate approach is obviously very advanced. Starting him at AA and challenging him might be the way to go. I think were going to see his power jump after he gets a complete off season and gets his timing back completely.

[JBears79]

Hmm...where this system will rank is a good question. It's not yet blooming but many, many seeds have been planted.

Id rank it fringe top 10, probably 11. The lack of high end pitching prospects lowers it (outside of Vizcaino). We do have plenty of potential high end guys in the lower ranks though, hence the seeds. The fact that we have 3 guys in the overall top 50 prospects in baseball is quite amazing though.

In regards to Vizcaino, would anyone be opposed to having him spend next year in the bullpen and then convert back to starting in 2014, like Chris Sale?

[Jilly Bohnson]

It's an interesting question. On the one hand, we have four guys who are probably consensus top 50. With Olt and Machado likely being graduated, by the end of the season, I'm not sure another team can match Baez/Almora/Soler/Vizcaino. Maybe the Mariners, Pirates, and Diamondbacks?

On the other hand, with Vitters and Jackson (probably)graduating, the dropoff from 4 to 5 is very stark. And also, we have practically nothing in AA and AAA. Szczur, Lake, and Vizcaino, and that's essentially it. Ouch. We have a lot of talent, but almost all of it's far away. And while we lack pitching, it's better to be position heavy and pitching light than vice-versa. I'd probably say closer to 15, but I can understand why some would rate us higher.

[GatorJimmy]

I am really interested to see where and what we do with vizcaino. I really do like the idea of having him in the bullpen at the start of the season. If we trade garza at the deadline next year we can throw him into the starting rotation.

[SenorGato]

I DO think that after 2013 this system will be top 5. They're very well situated to make a smart trade.

Vizcaino...I don't know...Bullpen is always a good place to put a young pitcher finding his way, but I'd like to see him in ST first. Not very sure on him as a starter anyway so we'll just have to see how he looks.

[Yagyu+]

I am really interested to see where and what we do with vizcaino. I really do like the idea of having him in the bullpen at the start of the season. If we trade garza at the deadline next year we can throw him into the starting rotation.

You don't think that would be a bit reckless, just throwing him into the starting rotation? I know there was talk of Vizcaino potentially pitching in the majors in 2012 prior to Tommy John, but he's 21 and hasn't pitched more than seven innings at AAA. There's no urgency to rush his arm early in a year coming off of surgery.

[SenorGato]

On the list stuff...

Cubs have three guys who might make the top 50 this year.

Three more top 100 last year. (Vizcaino, Jackson, Villanueva)

A former top 3 pick and top 100 guy on the cusp but currently capping he bed in his ML debut.

A couple of strong relief prospects (Beliveau, Castillo, Dolis, Zych)

A Futures Game standout (Ha)

Those are just the guys who got headlines or ML time this year...all AA or higher except the top 50 3 and Villanueva.

[GatorJimmy]

You don't think that would be a bit reckless, just throwing him into the starting rotation? I know there was talk of Vizcaino potentially pitching in the majors in 2012 prior to Tommy John, but he's 21 and hasn't pitched more than seven innings at AAA. There's no urgency to rush his arm early in a year coming off of surgery.

Well we wouldn't just be throwing him out there. He would have been pitching out of the pen for a while and obviously if he is pitching poorly i wouldn't put him into the rotation. I do think he should be in the majors to start the year.

[Ladies Man]

We don't have enough pitching in the higher levels. Until I see improvement in that aspect, then I will rank them in the top ten. We have the position players (Soler, Almora, Baez, Vogelbach)

[Yagyu+]

I do think he should be in the majors to start the year.

If your reasoning to do that would be the relief innings he logged last season, I think you're ignoring that the Cubs will probably want him to have -- at the bare minimum -- what they would consider a competitive rehab stint. And you don't accomplish that by pitching out of the pen in the majors or in a few Spring Training appearances.

That's without getting further into whether or not you view Vizcaino as a starter. If so, he needs more time on the mound to be stretched out, which, too, is much easier to accomplish at AAA to start the year.