Draft season is starting to heat up, so it’s worth paying attention to some of the rumblings that are emerging. The consensus seems to be that there is a top tier of pitchers consisting of about five players: three from college and two from the high-school ranks. On the whole, observers are frustrated that there hasn’t been more separation. Coming …
Better Know a Cub: Mike Olt
Mike Olt is a strong man. He's a patient man. He's a man with a good glove. And he is a man almost wholly written off in some parts. He's a man with undeniable warts and undeniable talents; this is a quality he shares with everyone in baseball not named Mike Trout. Most importantly to me, he's a man who …
Better Know a Cub: Ryan Kalish
Theo Epstein knows Ryan Kalish as well as any GM in the minors. Kalish was drafted by the wonderkid in the 9th round of the 2006 draft; one pick before Mark Melancon. Quick Aside: Look at the 2006 Red Sox draft. It's pretty great. Epstein drafted Justin Masterson, Daniel Bard, Josh Reddick, Brandon Belt (who didn't sign), and Matt LaPorta …
WAR from draft picks 2011-2013
Angels: -0.7 WAR (2 players) Astros: 0.0 WAR Athletics: 1.4 WAR (Sonny Gray) Blue Jays: -0.2 WAR(Kevin Pillar) Braves: 0.8 WAR (Alex Wood) Brewers: 0.0 WAR Cardinals: 2.9 WAR (3 players) Cubs: 0.0 WAR (2010 has none, also. Best prospect remaining is Matt Szczur. What a terrible draft. Oh, we also got -0.5 WAR from 2009). Diamondbacks: -0.5 WAR (Trevor …
2014 IFA: Yankees Double Down, More Names Emerge
A surly Kiley McDaniel has followed up his original scoop about the Yankees' plans to to binge on this year's by putting some names out there: Dermis Garcia (3B, Dominican) is believed to have a deal for $3 million, Nelson Gomez (3B, Dominican) is also believed to have a deal for $3 million, Juan De Leon (CF, Dominican) is believed …
Best Moves of the MLB Offseason
There are probably places on the Internet where one can freely complain about the Cubs without pushback; Obstructed View is not one of them. Being an astute bunch, any mindless grumbling here is likely to be met with some pointed questions: Do you really want an aging corner-outfielder like Shin-Soo Choo on the roster for the next seven years, especially …
Better Know a Cub: Jason Hammel
After the Cubs missed on Masahiro "We think he's a No. 3 Starter – Cashman" Tanaka, the Cubs went to a fall back plan. They signed Jason Hammel to a 1-year, $6 million dollar deal. Hammel, who has been good at times and bad most others, is a classic pump-and-dump candidate a la Feldman/Baker/numerous others. Do you remember the Scott Hairston …
2014 Assume the Position: 1B
It's the second installment of Assume the Position for 2014. Here are some relevant articles: 2014 Assume the Position: Catchers 2013 Assume the Position: First Base Last Year 2014 Career Name Age (2014 season) AVG OBP SLG wOBA Oliver wOBA AVG OBP SLG wOBA MLB Rizzo 23 .233 .323 .419 .325 .336 .238 .324 .412 .323 …
2014 IFA: Yankees, Cubs, and #FreeDSLCubs2
2014 International Free Agency I’m still catching up on the latest developments in the international free agent market, and it turns out there’s a few to cover, including a big one: The Yankees have decided to go all out on this year’s class. Kylie McDaniel had the story back on December 30th, and ESPN New York belatedly followed. The Yankees …
Theo Epstein On Building Under the Current CBA
Theo Epstein was interviewed on WEEI Thursday night (partial transcript). He shared thoughts on a variety of Cub-related topics alongside musings about the Red Sox. There was nothing really groundbreaking in his comments, but they were infused with an undercurrent of pessimism similar to that which you’ve been picking up around these parts since the current CBA was ratified in late 2011. We're two …