The Cubs had until 8 PM today to finalize the 40-man roster ahead of next month’s Rule V Draft. Surprisingly, the Cubs only protected left-handed pitcher Justin Steele. To make room, the Cubs had one crazy day. In the late afternoon, it all began when the Cubs traded away prospect 3B Jason Vosler to San Diego […]
Author: Todd Johnson
Cubs’ AFL Prospects Give the Brass Plenty to Think Over
Nine Cubs prospects wrapped up their Arizona Fall League season on Thursday the 15th. It was a quick six weeks that Cubs management will probably use to make some decisions in the next week about the 40-man roster, certain players’ place in the system, and those players’ value going forward into 2019. Here are some things […]
How Close Is the Cubs’ 2015 International Free Agent Class to Breaking Out?
In 2015, most of the Cubs’ top position player prospects reached the majors. The Cubs also began winning that summer, and the fortunes of the organization changed greatly. That same summer, beginning on July 2, the Cubs began signing what was thought to be a second wave of players who could possibly be their second […]
Could Michael Rucker Be a Bullpen Sleeper for 2019?
The off-season is the perfect time to evaluate the Cubs’ minor league system and the direction certain players are going. Player reports can be perused, video can be watched, but it’s hard to ignore a guy who throw strikes 70 percent of the time. Over the past year, the Cubs have seen a lot of […]
Cubs Waste No Time Inking a Somewhat New Hitting Coach
And just like that the Cubs have a new hitting coach in Anthony Iapoce. It was a bit of a surprising move to have the deal done so quickly, but Anthony is no stranger to the Cubs’ system. With Chili Davis, the Cubs were supposed to improve their situational hitting. Instead, scoring zero or one […]
Arizona Fall League – Bailey Clark Is an Arm to Watch
The Arizona Fall League usually has its fair share of top Cub prospects. Last year, David Bote hit three home runs the first week and was one of the best hitters over the next five weeks. That was a bit of a surprise, but we saw how his participation in the league might have paid […]
Justin Steele – The Comeback Player of the Year
In 2014, the Cubs selected three high school pitchers in the first six rounds of the draft. They took Carson Sands, Justin Steele, and Dylan Cease back-to-back-to-back. Carson Sands is no longer with the organization. Dylan Cease was part of the deal that brought José Quintana to the Cubs. All that is left is Justin Steele. […]
What Could Be the Impact of Nico Hoerner’s Assignment to the Arizona Fall League?
It used to be that the Cubs had all the shortstops back in 2014 and 2015. People wondered where they were going to play them all. It looks like things worked out nicely from that era and the Cubs are about to enter into another shortstop dilemma in 2019. Last Thursday, the 30th, the Cubs […]
MiLB Player and Pitcher of the Year Awards Coming Down to the Wire
The minor league season ends in just over two weeks on Labor Day. It’s hard to believe that the season has gone that fast. When it’s done, the Cubs will be releasing a press notice of who their Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year are. Last year, Victor Caratini and Jen-Ho Tseng won […]
Cubs’ Draft Class Beginning to Impact the Minors
It usually takes a couple of years to see the impact of a draft class on an organization. And it is rare to see a class impact the system right away, as most pitchers are on strict pitch counts and inning limits after having already pitched a season in the spring. However, hitters have no limits. […]