August 5, 2014: Bring on Baez

It’s starting to happen… finally.  One of the most talked about Cubs prospects is going to make his debut Tuesday night in Colorado.  Well, that is the best news that I’ve heard for the Cubs in a long time.

Javier Baez will be starting at 2B.  Will that be his permanent position?  Maybe, but I don’t care right now.  Let’s see the kid play.  Let’s see that bat.  This is what’s going to make the rest of the season exciting for the Cubbies, who are buried in the standings.  We’ve already had some arrivals this year, some have stuck, while some have not.  That’s how it’s going to be with prospects.  Mike Olt has already been optioned to Triple A, where he needs to refine his swing, and figure out how to bat his weight.  Junior Lake may be the next guy sent down, possibly the corresponding move to Baez coming up, as he has similar batting average struggles.  These two guys have gained some critical experience, and hopefully with a refresher and back to the basics down in Triple A, they can contribute in the future.  The latest additions have been Alcantara, Hendricks, and Wada.  I like what I’ve seen so far from Alcantara, who looks to be manning CF for the rest of the year.  Hendricks has been very good, while Wada has been average.  Again, the most important thing here is seeing what we got.  Why wait any longer?  Get the guys up so we can assess the plan going forward.

I’m thinking the lineup will look something like this:  Coghlan LF, Alcantara CF, Rizzo 1B, Castro SS, Valbuena 3B, Baez 2B, Schierholtz RF, and Castillo C.  Once Soler gets here to replace Schierholtz and Bryant replaces Valbuena, the lineup actually starts to look respectable.  Of course, this is all pending how these guys do.  There is no such thing as a can’t miss prospect, although we’ve seen some guys recently who have panned out across the majors.

Mike Trout is the gold standard.  I’m not sure anyone is on that level.  You have some Cuban players in Puig and Abreu who have been absolutely amazing.  That’s the short list.  There are plenty more on the list of players who did NOT make it.  Will Soler be the next Cuban sensation?  There’s been a good track record of those guys lately.  Will Bryant live up to his hype?  Only one way to find out.  We’ll find out how our other star prospect will do beginning Tuesday night.
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I enjoy watching MLB network.  I liked Harold Reynolds ever since his days on ESPN, where he got dismissed for sexual harassment I believe.  Couple him with Dan Plesac, ex-Cub pitcher and Comcast Sports guy, and you got some good baseball knowledge being dropped on a nightly basis all while panning the games in progress.  You really can’t beat it.  Of course I tuned in to see what they had to see about Baez, and I was happy I did.

Reynolds did the breakdown.  The first thing he mentioned was the genius move by Epstein and Hoyer of bringing Manny Ramirez in as hitting instructor, saying he’s helped Baez tremendously.  Since Manny arrived, Baez has batted over .300, while continuing to mash the ball.  Harold compared Baez to Manny, not only because of his raw hitting ability, but his physical appearance; he looks like a Manny clone.  I’ll tell you what, I’ll take that all day long.  I was never a huge fan of Manny, and he was on that 2008 Dodger team I just spoke about in yesterday’s Hate Files, but he could flat out hit; although he was aided by PEDs…  Anyways, it’s a nice comparison for Baez.  Next, they talked about the Futures game at Target Field this summer.  Baez took the first pitch he saw, a breaking ball, and went out of the park opposite field.  This may not seem that impressive, but as they explained, there have only been 7 right handed hitters all year who have hit an opposite field home run at Target Field; only 1 from the Twins.  OK, OK… I’m getting more amped up as this segment rolls on.  The final thing he says got me the most excited.  Harold said that he’s the best prospect he’s seen on tape since… drum roll please…….. Mike Trout!  What?!?!  Don’t play with my emotions.  Is this what we’re in store for?

Needless to say, I’ll be tuned in, as will most of Cub nation, to the game in Colorado, where Baez debuts.  If memory serves me correct, he went deep there in a spring training game.  First AB= HR?  Well, that certainly would be a nice story, but I’ll settle for a HR in his 2nd AB.  No pressure Javy.  You and the rest of the highly touted Cubs farm system are only being counted on to end a 106 year drought.  I love the physical ability, but to play well here, you have to be mentally strong too.  We believe.  That’s what we do.  Welcome and Good Luck.