2021 Chicago Cubs Minor League Thread

[1908_Cubs]

For sure. I appreciate all of that info man. I really hope our player development structure helps most of these guys realize their potential. The system is already exciting but could really explode in the next year or two I’d imagine.


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It's one of the things I've really been trying to tell people for a few years; the system was more "healthy" than rankings believed it to be, because the talent was in the low levels. We're seeing someone like Benjamin Rodriguez throwing 98mph from flat land, and he's 20. This is an IFA guy we signed in 2017. I know many have believed the Cubs have this innate inability to develop pitching, but this was a 17 year old kid signed in 2017, in the height of "we can't develop pitching". He's still 3+ years away with middling success, but I think his story should kind of pump those breaks for everyone, as should players like Marquez.

The Cubs are a good talent team. They have properly identified talent. We played "now" baseball and traded many of those guys away. Hoyer may not be Theo, but he's been under Theo for a while. We should also remember that he's a good evaluator. Our minor league system is likely as healthy today as it has been for a while, and a lot of this health was put together through those years so many people whined about how devoid of talent it was. It's hard, sometimes, to see the talent when it's in the DSL, RK ball or low-A because those guys dont get top-100 love due to the risk involved.

If the minor league system really blossoms (I think it will), it'll be on the backs of good IFA, good drafting and good talent acquisition from many of those years people were complaining about the draft, the pitching development and the like. Brennan Davis was a tall, lanky *** kid in 2018, with a ****** swing, who had something to dream on with his frame if you could fix him. . Click that link. See that kid. Then click here and watch this beaut of a swing he has today. Look at him filled out. It pays to be patient sometimes. That swing is wonderful. He went from a low launch angle, low weigh distribution swing to one that has everything you can ask for. It's one swing, it's one video, but if he keeps translating that to game...I think he's a monster.

[chibears55]

I've been excited about these young guys for a couple years now, and is part of why I'm not totally upset about the route their taking this year. Yes it sucks to go backwards this season but I have a good feeling about the group that could be up and ready in 2022-2023, and then with should be a good chunk of payroll available to spend on needed FA, they should be rolling again.



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[JD94]

I've been excited about these young guys for a couple years now, and is part of why I'm not totally upset about the route their taking this year. Yes it sucks to go backwards this season but I have a good feeling about the group that could be up and ready in 2022-2023, and then with should be a good chunk of payroll available to spend on needed FA, they should be rolling again.



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I agree that’s it’s frustrating that we took this route. Once we get over the fact that we are acting like a small market team, we will be excited about what we have in the system coming.

[Crusader]

I agree that’s it’s frustrating that we took this route. Once we get over the fact that we are acting like a small market team, we will be excited about what we have in the system coming.

Honestly, the more I think about it from the owner's side, the more it makes sense, especially if we do have talent buried deep in the system. Decrease pay roll during a pandemic, and then try to maximize returns on your farm system, with the hope that when pandemic times are over and business returns to normal the team will be cost controlled, young, lots of years of control, and all the bad contracts are off the books. If they lost faith in the group of guys that we had, which could be understandable given our playoff performance the last couple of years, and given all these other considerations, it makes sense. Reducing risk, and maximizing returns.

Of course, this means the team needs to continue to invest in young FAs, and be willing to spend on FAs to fill whatever holes they have whenever they are ready to compete.

[CubsRule08]

[chibears55]

https://twitter.com/tylerjspicer/sta...411258370?s=19

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[JBears79]

Sigh, back to following minor league teams almost exclusively...

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[chibears55]

Sigh, back to following minor league teams almost exclusively...

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Be cool if Marquee puts games on like Comcast did with the Sox

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[CubsRule08]

Be cool if Marquee puts games on like Comcast did with the Sox

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I believe that was one of the main things why they launched the Marquee channel, but who knows now lol

[chibears55]

I believe that was one of the main things why they launched the Marquee channel, but who knows now lol

Yeah, that would give them a bump with fans though

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[CubsRule08]

Looks like Happ is heading towards a hearing

[thawv]

Looks like Happ is heading towards a hearing

...where he will easily win

[1908_Cubs]

...where he will easily win

Not so sure. Hard to see what an arbiter will do with the short year. For his sake I do hope he wins.

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[thawv]

Not so sure. Hard to see what an arbiter will do with the short year. For his sake I do hope he wins.

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My assumption is if they extrapolate his 60 game numbers. If they completely disregard last year and go off of 2019, then that's a different story. I can't imagine they would take the second route

[1908_Cubs]

My assumption is if they extrapolate his 60 game numbers. If they completely disregard last year and go off of 2019, then that's a different story. I can't imagine they would take the second route

Sure, but that's really only Happ's argument and doesn't look at everything. If an arbiter did only take a 60 game sample and extrapolate it out, it'd be pretty unfair considering the lack of a season. Statistics don't always run that way and there's a lot of times fall off when you start doing that. I think both sides probably have a unique situation. Surely, that will be Happ's stand point. From the Cubs stand point, they can show that he was awful in 2019 by needing to be sent to AAA (and subsequently his AAA numbers), he's only had a productive 1.5 or so months in the last 2 years, and that the 2nd half of his season last year was not good. I would imagine the arbiter will take a little from column A and a little from column B. There's no middle ground in a ruling, so where they fall, will be interesting.

For Ian Happ, I hope he wins. Frankly, I'd rather the money end up in his pocket. But the arguments from both sides will be strong enough that this is not an open and shut case. We've also never seen an arbitration situation like this. Trying to figure out how an arbiter will rule, is, really, impossible right now.