The average wOBA for a CF in 2012 was .323.

MLB

The Cubs had 5 players with over twenty starts at CF last year. 5! For some reason, I didn't include Joe Mather or Reed Johnson in this (who cares, really), and added Marlon Byrd because why not. He was terrible, and also on some sort of performance enhancing drug. One has to think what type of performance it was enhancing, because Byrdo was straight terrible last year. He's out of baseball, most likely. The starter at CF this year (and he logged the most starts on the Cubs at CF last year too; he was there most likely starter in both center AND right) is likely David DeJesus. He doesn't pass the eye test, defensively, but his "defensive metrics" point to an average-ish effort in any part of the outfield. He'll be a slightly-above average offering in center if he can hack it there, and should turn a nice profit at the trade deadline when the Cubs sell him off. I like DeJesus a lot, and he walked over 10% of the time last year, the first of his career. Tony Campana was seriously not good at baseball. He can't field even with his 80 speed, he has less power than you (and I mean you, dear reader) do on your beer league softball team, and he has poor plate discipline. That said, he has value as a pinch-runner on a team with a really good 4th OF. That isn't the Diamondbacks, but w/e. We got live humans for him, so I'm happy. I would have accepted dead humans, honestly. Brett Jackson has a retooled swing. Unless it cuts his strikeouts in half, I'm not terribly interested. That being said, there's still a place on the Cubs for a high-walk, high-strikeout, moderate-power CF that is a plus defensively. That's what Jackson could be without too much dreaming. If he could get his K's to just Adam Dunn levels (he's 7% away!), his line goes from .171/.303/.342 to like .200/.330/.370. On second thought, maybe he's got to get them lower than that….

AAA

No one. Seriously. The way it worked out, Jackson got to the majors, Campana got sent to Arizona, and Dave Sappelt was profiled in LF. Jim Adduci is gone, and Jeff Frazier played 1 game at CF for the ICubs last year. This is the first and last time you'll ever hear the collection a syllables coalesce as "Jeff Frazier" for the rest of your life.

AA

Jae-Hoon Ha is interesting, in a sense. He was thought of as a toolsy "developmental" prospect who never really developed…until last year. In 200 more PA than any other year, his walk rate went from 4.5% (his previous high, comically) to 9.5%. His ISO stayed the same, and his BABIP was relatively normal, but the result was a .273/.352/.385 line in AA at 21. Putting that into perspective, he's younger than Szczur is, but last year he performed well at a level Szczur barely reached (and struggled at). For good measure, he also walked at a higher rate than Szczur at AA. That's slightly disingenous considering Matt's track record and SSS at AA (158 PA), but if Szczur is a legit prospect (and I don't think he is) than Ha is at that level or better. Speaking of, Matt Szczur, the shine has rubbed off quite a bit. It's hard to get jazzed about a guy who is prospect-old at each level he gets to (and who doesn't completely dominate those leagues). He's got 10 pounds to grow into, and maybe that'll give him some power, but he needs to move up the ladder pretty fast if he wants to be thought of highly. Rubi Silva is a baseball player.

A+

Hate. Let me tell you how much I've come to hate you since I began to live. There are 387.44 million miles of printed circuits in wafer thin layers that fill my complex. If the word 'hate' was engraved on each nanoangstrom of those hundreds of miles it would not equal one one-billionth of the hate I feel for humans at this micro-instant. For you. Hate. Hate.

Also, there are no prospects at A+ because they either moved to AA or are Elieser Bonne (so, no.)

A

Taiwan Easterling was one of the oldest players on his team last year, but he still couldn't hack league-average. He's still young to the system (college senior; he was actually drafted in the 6th round in 2007), but his frame isn't projectable and he's been nothing but overwhelmed so far. His time is short.

A-

Darien "Trey" Martin angered me when I couldn't find him in fangraphs. He's been a nice little player so far. He did OK last year (crushed rookie league, was ok-ish at A-), though plate discipline is already a minor concern. Martin has a nice frame and can grow into some power (and out of center, possibly) and will still be 20 this year. He'd start at A if it wasn't for Albert Almora, who did everything he was supposed to last year. At 145 PA, I'm not going crazy for anything just yet, but he did very well in his first taste of professionals. Sure, his walk rate was incredibly bad. However, look at his K rate too; he wasn't overmatched, he was just too good for the league. He made contact with everything he swung at, and that contact was for the most part loud. Almora is plenty far away but could climb the ladder quickly until he reaches a level that he has to work at.

Rk

I am a happy camper so I guess I'm doing something right.  Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you; but, if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.

Albert Almora was here.

There's definitely some talent here. The Cubs have one potential superstar in Almora, and 3 people or so with a shot at contributing in the majors (Jackson, Ha, Szczur). Let's hope Jackson can take over for DeJesus after he's traded, because CF are pretty damn expensive.

Projected Rosters:

MLB: DeJesus

AAA: Jackson/Ha

AA: Szczur/Silva

A+: Easterling

A: Almora

A-: Martin

The post Assume the Position: CF appeared first on Obstructed View.

Name: Scott Baker

Position: Starting Pitcher

Role: Pretty much slotted in as #3 starter for the moment

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Opening Day Age: 31

Uniform Number: He's only ever worn #30 for the Twins, but Travis Wood owns that one right now.

What was his best game in the Majors?

His best game probably came in 2007 when he took a perfect game into the 9th inning against the Royals on August 31st. He gave up a lead-off walk to John Buck to lose the perfecto and then gave up a one out single to Mike Sweeney to lose the no-hitter, but he ended the game by getting both future Cub, David DeJesus and former Cub, Mark Grudzielanek to end the game.

Is he hoping the Cubs have a good dental plan?

He might be. It looks like he has had some orthodontic work as recently as 2011.

Baseball-Reference.com's Most Similar Pitcher: Wade Miller

Baseball-Reference.com's Most Similar Pitcher Who Just Won a Cy Young Award: R.A. Dickey

Why We Might Like Him:

• He actually throws strikes and doesn't walk many batters.
• He's a solid pitcher when healthy. Bill James projects an xFIP of 3.85 for this season.
• If he's healthy, he could improve on his career numbers a little just due to switching to the NL.
• He could be Maholm 2.0 and get traded at the deadline to help restock the farm system

Why We Might Hate Him:

• He is coming back from Tommy John surgery, so you never know for sure what you're going to get back, or when.
• The knock on him from early in his career was that he often left the ball up in the strike zone and gave up lots of homeruns. He was a bit better the last couple years, but then he got hurt.
• He's also been labeled a slow starter. The splits do show a difference between 1st half and 2nd half, though not a huge one.

If You Rearrange the Letters in His Name You Get: "CRAB TEST OK" or "BAT CORK SET"

What Cubs Blogosphere Thinks of Him:

Bleacher Nation:

Baker, a righty starter, is making his way back from Tommy John surgery, and was probably looking for a soft place to land, re-establish himself, and then hopefully sign a more lucrative contract in the near future. The Cubs, thankfully, can provide that opportunity. And if Baker succeeds by July, with the Cubs out of contention, he becomes a nicely flippable piece.

Cubbies Crib:

The big bodied righty (6″4″ 220 lbs) is familiar with the MLB and should be able to adjust quickly from his surgery. His mix included a fastball that wont blow anyone away at 88-92 MpH, but has a very decisive “jump” action as it draws in to the plate, thus making it very difficult to read. Sprinkle in his effective pounding of both sides of the zone, and his fast ball is a registered weapon at the major league level. Secondary pitches include a big curve, an average to + slider and a tricky fade-away changeup that is particularity vicious towards left handed hitters.

View From the Bleachers

Personally, I really like the signing because it’s low risk. This is a regime that has expressed to fans that the rebuild is going to come primarily through the farm and supplemented with smart free agents that make sense for the long term plan. Baker accomplishes that.

The post Getting to Know: Scott Baker appeared first on Obstructed View.

Name: Jason Berken

Position: Starting Pitcher

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Current Age: 28

Uniform Number: 57

Who is this fucking guy?

He's a former sixth round pick of the Orioles (2006). He got a chance to start for them in 2009 and sucked. He was part of their bullpen in 2010 and wasn't too bad. Then he went back to sucking in 2011 again.  He has made one appearance for the Orioles this year, where he got lit up like a Christmas tree. His ERA is only 18.00 because five of the seven runs he gave up were unearned.  He will be taking Jeff Samardzija's spot in the rotation for the rest of this season.

How the hell did he end up on the Cubs?

The Orioles designated him for assignment and the Cubs swooped in to claim him four days later. He joins Miguel Socolovich as another former Oriole that the Cubs claimed on waivers in what will hopefully not become a reversal of the MacPhail trend of picking up the Cubs' castoffs.

Did he enjoy the Bears/Packers game on Thursday night?

I would imagine so. He's a Packers season ticket holder.  I suppose he can't help it.  He was born in Wisconsin.

Is his page on Baseball-Reference.com available to sponsor?

Why yes it is.  For the low, low price of $25, you can sponsor Jason Berken's player page on the off chance that someone visits it one day. (By the way, I bought Jeff Baker's page a couple years back for $8 and was shocked to see the prices that B-Ref's pages sell for now).

Is there any particular reason you are highlighting him in a post?

We haven't had a new post in awhile and he happens to be making his first start today for the Cubs.

Why We Might Like Him:

• That is an excellent, excellent question.
• To the best of our knowledge, he is not a serial killer.

Why We Might Hate Him: 

• He's not very good and some fans still expect this team to win occasionally.
• He's a Packer fan.
• God help us, he could make us miss Jeff Samardzija

If You Rearrange the Letters in His Name You Get:

BAN JERK NOSE

What Cubs Blogosphere Thinks of Him:

Bleacher Nation:

He’s not going to knock your socks off, but he’s got as good a shot at locking down a fifth starter’s job as does someone like Justin Germano.

Cubs Den

His stuff is better than some of the more recent pickups. He has a solid arm, sitting at around 91-93 mph and also throws a slider, curve, and change. As recently as 2009, he was rated as the Baltimore Orioles #17 prospect, according to Baseball America.

The post Getting to Know: Jason Berken appeared first on Obstructed View.

Name: Adrian Cardenas

Position: Bench/Utility

Bats/Throws: Left/Right

Current Age: 24

Uniform Number: 45

Who is this fucking guy?

He's a former first round pick of the Phillies (2006), who actually appeared on Baseball America's Top 100 list in 2008 (#76) and 2009 (#74). He's been bouncing back and forth between the AA and AAA levels in the Oakland system since 2008, he was DFA'd this January and the Cubs claimed him off waivers.

Yeah, but where is he ranked now?

• ScoutingBook Combine Ranking (5/8/2012): #420
• MiLB.com Season Preview: Unranked or n/a
• Scout.com/FOX Sports: Unranked or n/a
• ESPN: Unranked or n/a
• The Sporting News: Unranked or n/a
• Baseball America 2012: Unranked or n/a
• Baseball Prospectus: Unranked or n/a

Oh….

Where will he play?

More than likely he will play at second base when he sees time in the field.  He can also play third or shortstop if needed, but there was a reason he was moved down the defensive spectrum.  He's also played some in left field, so that is also a possibility late in games when the bench is getting thinned out.

Might he actually enjoy reading something Alvin wrote?

Possibly.  Alvin's letter to Theo Epstein that explained that Lake Michigan was, in fact, a lake and not the Atlantic Ocean as if Theo was awaking from major brain surgery, was a complete waste of internet ink as far as Theo is concerned. However, it might actually be useful information for Mr. Cardenas, who seems a bit confused by his new surroundings:

Cardenas was eating dinner with Iowa outfielder Brett Jackson on Sunday night when he got the news from Iowa manager Dave Bialas. “I left there in a hurry, “ Cardenas said. “Brett paid for my meal. He said ‘Get out of here. Go call whoever you need to call.’ And I did. It’s been great so far. I didn’t realize Lake Michigan is so big."

He also momentarily talked about watching the Cubs play a World Series game in Wrigley on TV before realizing he meant the 2003 NLCS.

Why We Might Like Him:

• He's been a pretty decent hitter in the minors, putting up an overall slash line of .303/.368/.417/.785
• He doesn't strike out a ton and knows how to take a walk.
• He's not Darwin Barney. (Snarky/realistic Cubs fans only)

Why We Might Hate Him: 

• His defense is reportedly not so good.
• He doesn't hit for much power either.
• He's not Darwin Barney. (Kool-Aid-drinking Cubs fans only)

If You Rearrange the Letters in His Name You Get:

RARE CANDID NASA

What Cubs Blogosphere Thinks of Him:

Bleacher Nation:

The broad consensus is that the Cubs dropped DeWitt in favor of a cheaper, younger, better-hitting (though less power), more versatile, slightly worse defender. On the balance, it’s easy to see why the Cubs made the move, even if Cardenas isn’t anyone who’s going to knock your socks off.

Cubs Den

I don't think the Cubs have similar concerns with Cardenas. He's a good hitter but he's probably not going to be a star player. He doesn't play great defense or possess great speed or have 20 HR power. His only above average tool is his bat and while he can be an offensive upgrade over Darwin Barney, and certainly Blake DeWitt, it's not likely he's going to command a huge salary in the future, even if he does end up a starter. And in the small chance he does end up being that kind of player, then I'm sure the Cubs won't be disappointed anyway.

Bullpen Brian

Although the move lacks excitement, that doesn’t mean it’s without significance. The Cubs are in sore need of added depth, especially up the middle on defense. Think of Cardenas as a security blanket for Dale Sveum. He’ll give the skipper flexibility with the lineup, relief for Darwin Barney and Starlin Castro, and a valuable left-handed bat as a pinch-hitter.

Obstructed View

CAIRO projects a .284 wOBA for Cardenas. We could bump that up now that he's moved to the inferior league. Oliver projects a .310 wOBA. CAIRO projected DeWitt to have a .323 wOBA while Oliver projected .303. The Cubs probably got a bit worse in terms of projections, but they added a player with multiple options and 6 years of club control. Several of those would be at league minimum. They got rid of a player who would probably have made about $3 million over the next couple seasons. They added someone who does still have some potential to be a decent big leaguer.

Special Bonus: He's starting tonight at 2nd base and batting 8th.

The post Getting to Know: Adrian Cardenas appeared first on Obstructed View.