Official 2023 Chicago Cubs Season Thread Vol: (17-17)

9. Chicago Cubs: OF Ian Happ, Cincinnati
Callis: Teams are always looking for college position players, and he was next on most boards behind Swanson, Bregman and Benentendi. I don't know if the Cubs are going to try Happ at second base -- he fits better at a corner outfield spot -- but he's been one of the best performers in college baseball and the Cape Cod League the past two years.


The Cubs landed one of college baseball's top performers this spring in North Florida outfielder Donnie Dewees (No. 35 on the Top 200), who hit .422 and led NCAA Division I in runs (88), hits (106), total bases (188) and slugging (.749) entering Super Regional play. He combines an advanced approach at the plate with solid power and plus speed.
 
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6th round, Cubs take sidearm RHP Dave Berg of UCLA. Relief pitcher, ton of appearances, but his sidearm action should mean little worry over arm trouble.
 
Jesse Rogers ‏@ESPNChiCubs 13m13 minutes ago
Btw, Cubs draft summed up: 18 pitchers, four catchers, eight outfielders and 10 infielders. 29 college players and 10 high school players.
 
DETROIT -- Detroit Tigers lefty David Price wouldn't comment specifically on his pending foray into free agency but if there was ever a good match between a club and a player, the Chicago Cubs and Price would be it.

Consider:

Price played for current Cubs manager Joe Maddon for the first 6 1/2 years of his career in Tampa Bay.

Price's former pitching coach at Vanderbilt, Derek Johnson, is the Cubs Minor League pitching coordinator.

Price wants to win and have fun doing it.

That last one might be the key -- other than money -- to where the lefty ends up. Like Jon Lester's trade to Oakland last season, Price's move from Tampa Bay to Detroit opened the door for anything come this winter when he hits free agency for the first time. He's moved teams once, he gets what it takes.

"They have a lot of guys they can control for a long time," Price said of the Cubs on Wednesday afternoon. "It's very similar to when I first came up in Tampa. Just a bunch of youg guys out there having fun. That's what it's about. You have to be able to have fun. I don't want to win and not have fun. I wouldn't rather lose and have fun but it's pretty close."

How many times did Price use the word "fun?"

There's no one that likes to have more fun than Maddon. It's one reason the two of them got along so well with the Rays. Could they be reunited with the Cubs?

"I'm a fun guy," Maddon said a few minutes later. "David and I are friends. I've said in the past he's probably one of the best teammates I've ever been around. It's a process that has to be worked out. I wish him the best with it. He's a unique individual."

He's also a pretty good pitcher. Price is 91-53 with a career 3.17 ERA including a 19 and 20 win season under his belt. The Cubs have indicated adding impact pitching to their rotation would be a long term project, not just a one-and-done situation. Lester is in the fold, Price makes some sense as well -- though the cost will undoubtedly be high.

"I've talked to guys that hit free agency, signed elsewhere and then want to come back," Price said. "You have to do your homework and know what you're getting yourself into.

For that reason the Cubs fit like a glove. Price knows exactly what he's getting with the man in charge.

"Joe is a very unique manager," the pitcher stated. "He was perfect for our team in Tampa. It's kind of the same way in Chicago right now.

"He does a really good job of making everybody in the clubhouse comfortable, loose and relaxed. When you have young guys that's what you need."

It's going to take more than $100 million to get Price, that much we know. Whether the Cubs should invest in another 30 year-old with plenty of miles on his arm is another question. There are several pitchers this offseason that could command that kind of money and the Cubs should be in the mix for all of them as they move into their more serious years of contending.

In spending $155 million on Lester the Cubs knew firsthand what they were getting as the front office employed him in Boston. The same concept should apply with Price -- Maddon and Johnson know him just as intimately as Cubs' brass knew Lester.

"I want to win," Price said . "That's something I want to do now and for a long time. ... You want to have fun and be in a loose clubhouse like we had in Tampa, like we have here (Detroit)."

Price went on to recall several infamous road trips with the Rays where Maddon had the team dress up. The Cubs are just completing one of those where shorts were the order of the day boarding a flight out of Miami. Price's favorite was the "pajama trip."

"That is hands down the most comfortable flight I've ever been on," Price recalled. "I had a onesie on. It pulls a team a little bit closer."

Price knows free agency can be fun and stressful at the same time and while he isn't revealing if it's on his mind he sounds prepared.

"You don't want to get blindsided in this game," he said. "I don't see myself signing somewhere where I have to change who I am and what I do at the field every day. I want to be able to be myself."

Can you think of manager that stresses that message more than Maddon? As for the Cubs, Price is also aware of their history.

"It's very special, absolutely," Price said. "There's probably not another city that's dying for a World Series than Chicago. I think everybody would probably agree with me on that."


All signs pointed to Lester being the top target last year, Price very well could be that top target next year. Both lefties, to pair around Arrieta and Hammel. :nerd:
 
Price is the best pitcher on the market. Clean mechanics, lefty, great pitchability. Would be perfect for the Cubs.

I haven't examined his mileage. (figure I have time for that as the summer moves along) I know he's 29-30ish, any arm issues of note?
 
None that i heard of. @ThePainGuy on Twitter is in love with Price's mechanics and this guy is a certified snob so that's very encouraging. I think he'll translate well, like Scherzer, since he does well with pitch variation and location and not just pounding hitters away with hard stuff.
 
I won't lie, I'd be happy with Cueto, or Zimmerman, or even Shark back, any top line starter next to Lester/Arrieta, but.....


Lester/Arrieta/Price/Hammel/Hendricks is just too damn sexy. :frown:
 
Right field bleachers open for business tomorrow night vs the Reds. :pimp:

Good win tonight, Arrieta and a couple 3 run homers.
 
I got bleacher tix for the LA series in a couple weeks. Can't wait. Gonna get there early, grab, first row, and taunt the Dodgers until I tire.
 
Gleyber Torres went 5 for 5 with a homer yesterday.

Ian Happ signed (and saved us 351,000 dollars in slot money)

And Starlin went back to back game winning hits to win a series 3-1.


And the Cubs are 7 games over .500 in mid June. :pimp:
 
Although the 2015 MLB Draft is now in the rearview mirror, the midseason accumulation of prospect talent is far from over. No, I don’t mean the process of signing those draftees (underway), and I don’t mean the process of selling off vets for prospects (not happening this year, right?).

I am talking about the open of the next international free agent (IFA) period on July 2. The Cubs have been shut out of the top end of the IFA market (generally, international prospects without multiple years of professional experience in other countries) thanks to a spending binge back in the Summer of 2013 that netted them Gleyber Torres, Eloy Jimenez, and Jen-Ho Tseng, among others. Teams are allotted a pool of IFA funds for use in each annual period (July 2 – June 15), and, like in the draft, if you spend more than that allotment, you are subject to penalties. The harshest penalty in 2013 was a one-year ban on spending more than $250,000 on any one player.

With the close of the 2014-15 IFA period arriving today, the Cubs’ penalty will be over. Then, on July 2, they’ll be free to spend their $3.23 million IFA bonus pool however they see fit.

Except the Cubs probably aren’t going to spend just $3.23 million starting on July 2. Indeed, we’ve seen multiple reports indicating that the Cubs will spend far more than their allotment, and connecting them to specific players.

Now you can add another report to the pile, this time from Baseball America, which says the Cubs are in the “all in” group of teams, together with the Dodgers and Royals, expected to far outspend their pool (or even the maximum amount to which they can increase their pool by acquiring IFA slots in trade (teams can increase their pool by a maximum of 50%)).

BA’s report connects the Cubs to four prospects who will each receive seven figure bonuses, and then there’s a huge swath of Cuban prospects for whom the Cubs may wind up competing.

By blowing out their IFA pool, the Cubs will once again incur the stiffest penalties, which have changed since last time around: a 100% tax on the overage plus a two-year ban on signing any individual player for more than $300,000. Subject to any changes that come in the post-2016 CBA, that would be a serious penalty for the Cubs to suffer – while you can still get a very nice prospect for $300,000, increasingly the best talents cost much, much more. If you’re going to put yourself in that position, you better make it worthwhile.

That’s why I’d expect the Cubs to be connected to many of the still-uncommitted Cuban prospects when all is said and done (plus the fact that teams that blew things out last year – most notably the Red Sox and Yankees – won’t be able to sign any of the biggest names this year).

Unlike deals with many Dominican and Venezuelan prospects, which are essentially already in place and will be revealed on July 2, the Cuban market may take some more time to shake out. So get ready.
 
The Situation: The 34-27 Cubs have been one of the best stories in baseball, and though it will only last for a week—or so the team says, anyway—Chicago will get another glimpse of its future when they promote Schwarber on Tuesday.

Background: Schwarber was an offensive stalwart at Indiana, but scouts were split not only on whether or not he’d be able to catch, but how high his ceiling was, despite his awfully impressive numbers. The Cubs were not one of those teams, and surprised many when they made him the fourth overall selection of the 2014 draft. The number of doubters in his bat dropped precipitously when Schwarber put up a 1.061 OPS in his first professional season, and he’s been just as impressive in Double-A Tennessee in 2015 with a 1.017 OPS and 13 homers before his promotion.

Scouting Report: Schwarber’s swing wouldn’t be described as picturesque—there’s some odd hand movement and his balance won’t remind anyone of Carlos Correa—but the bat speed is above average. The plus power potential in his left-handed bat not only comes from his impressive lower-half strength, but from a combination of allowing the ball to travel deep and keeps his hands inside. In fact, it could even push it to a plus-plus grade. He’s not just a power hitter though, as Schwarber has elite pitch-recognition skills and hand-eye coordination. His swing path, along with the aforementioned bat speed, makes the hit tool a potential 60 as well. Finally, while he won’t be mistaken for recently elected Hall of Famer Craig Biggio on the base paths, he does have better speed than the average catcher, and he’s not a guy you have to pinch run for late in games like many backstops are today.

The question with Schwarber is on defense, and while he’s still very much a work in progress behind the plate, his improvement throughout his short time in pro ball is really impressive. He’s sure-handed and does a solid job of keeping pitches in front of him. His receiving skills—while still very raw—seem to get better each month. There’s still a ways to go with his footwork though, and because his raw arm strength is below average, he will likely be tested early and often. There’s just enough athleticism to suggest he could play left field, or first base at worst, but the Cubs should give him every chance to stay behind the plate. The strides he’s taken in 2015 suggest he can stay there at least in the near term.

Immediate Big League Future: If Schwarber is really only up for a week to act as a designated hitter/third catcher/bench bat/team ball boy, we really aren’t going to get a chance to answer very many of the questions we have about the ceiling and floor. I always take these announcements of how long a player will be up with a heaping spoonful of salt however, and if Schwarber rakes (as he’s done since being drafted), the Cubs are going to find a way to get his left-handed bat in the lineup. I wouldn’t necessarily bet on immediate success upon making the jump from Double-A—because no one should bet on that—but this is an advanced offensive prospect, and he’s as qualified as any to come up and produce at the big league level. —Christopher Crawford

Fantasy Impact: Not only did the Chicago Blackhawks hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup for the third time in six seasons last night, but also the “Year of the Prospect” continues to roll on in the Windy City. It began with the spring arrivals of both Kris Bryant and Addison Russell, and now the Cubs faithful (and fantasy owners alike) will be receiving a week’s worth of exposure to the electrifying power bat of Kyle Schwarber. According to Theo Epstein, he will be with the team for six days to “contribute as a designated hitter, as a bat off the bench, and as a third catcher” for a pair of interleague series on the road against Cleveland and Minnesota, and “regardless of how this week goes, he will head to Triple-A following Sunday’s game.”

Schwarber is to power hitting what Guy Fieri is to frosted tips. It’s the very first thing you associate with him. Not only is it a signature calling card, but also it’s what separates him from every other catching prospect in the game right now. Fantasy owners will be hard pressed to find a more complete hitting prospect (at any position) left in the minors in terms of ability to hit for both average and power. Fantasy overlord Bret Sayre ranked Schwarber ranked as the 22nd best fantasy prospect in the game entering this season, after he slugged 18 home runs in just 311 plate appearances over three levels last year. He’s followed up his stellar professional debut by slashing .318/.439/.578 with 13 home runs in 238 plate appearances (57 games) at Double-A this season.

Unlike the recent promotions of fellow uber-prospects like Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa and Joey Gallo, there is virtually zero chance that Schwarber remains in The Show for more than a couple days, which dims the excitement factor slightly. As Kevin Garnett once said, anything is possible, but there simply isn’t enough juice in the orange to justify a sizeable FAAB bid in re-draft leagues. Even in two-catcher NL-only formats, a bid of $15 is more about the hope that he’ll be given a chance to run with a job in the second half, than a statement on what he’ll provide in this promotion. Even in the short term, expecting anything more than a few home runs over the next few days is a reach, especially considering his matchups. Schwarber, who has struck out in just over 20 percent of his plate appearances at Double-A this year, will square off with Trevor Bauer, Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco—who have racked up an astounding 247 strikeouts combined over 216 2/3 innings of work this season—in his first series. After facing a dynamic trio of strikeout artists, he will contend with the spacious dimensions of Target Field and a Minnesota staff that suddenly isn’t getting pushed around anymore.

Long-term, there are few more lucrative investments than Schwarber’s offensive profile in keeper and dynasty leagues right now. He has the tantalizing potential to hit for a near .300 average and reach the 30-home-run plateau annually, which would instantly make him the most valuable catcher in fantasy baseball. The elephant in the room is his defense. It doesn’t impact his fantasy potential at the plate as much as you’d think because he’s the type of hitter you make room for in your lineup regardless of where you have to play him, but it does affect how quickly he arrives in Chicago on a permanent basis. The million-dollar question from a fantasy perspective, which we can’t answer at this point, is whether or not he retains catcher eligibility long-term. Either way, he needs to be owned in almost all continuing formats, and all dynasty leagues. —George Bissell
 
Schwarber last night led off the 9th for his first at bat, and struck out on 3 pitches, looking. Welcome to the bigs kid. :lol:

But tonight....... :nerd: Schwarber "tripled" in the 2nd inning, driving in a run, and then scored on a double by Denorfia. :pimp:


Rizzo's first career hit, also a Triple.
 
What an inning. Coghlan single,. Schwarber triple. Denorfia Double. Russell Homer. Fowler single. Rizzo homer. 6 runs. :wow: :pimp:
 
What an inning. Coghlan single,. Schwarber triple. Denorfia Double. Russell Homer. Fowler single. Rizzo homer. 6 runs. :wow: :pimp:

Annnnnnnnnnd the next inning is almost as good.

Coghlan single
Castro single
Schwarber single
Denorfia homer
Ross single

Still no one out, and Fowler is about to bat for the 3rd time, and it's the 3rd inning, and the Indians are already on their 3rd pitcher.
 
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