Farm System

[hansman]

It certainly sounds as though Alcantara is close to being called up.
http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/pos...-promotion

 

Meh, a whole lot of, "Hey, the Red Sox did "X" and our guy is doing well!  They should promote him!"

 

Jesus, I am getting close to despising Rogers for wasting the ESPN brand with Bleacher Report level writing.

[funkster]

The ESPN brand sucks to begin with.

[rok]

Eh, the ESPN brand was already tainted before Rogers got there. He may not be very bright, but Rogers doesn't really bother me as much as the Wittenmeyers or Sullivans of the world do.

[Runnys]

Alcantara and Bryant are the news at AAA right now.  However, the most important thing to be going on in AAA is this:

 

 


<p style="background-color:transparent;">Cubs shortstop prospect Javier Baez went 2-for-4 with a walk and a double for Triple-A Iowa on Monday.


Baez's .243/.305/.437 has been buoyed a .275/.345/.471 line in June. His strikeout rates have decreased each month, from 34.9 percent in April to 34.5 percent in May to 29.3 percent in June. If he can continue his improved performance, he could see time in Chicago in late summer or September.
 

 

That K rate is still high, but that is a trend in the right direction.  5% is a significant improvement.

[rok]

We aren't going to see him anytime this year. The author is talking out his arse.

[funkster]

He struck two more times today.  I doubt we see him before next year.

[vitaminB]

Javey isn't ready, Bryant on the other hand is already better than a Trout/Cabrera hybrid clone birthed from the vagina of the woman that Gina Davis played in A League of Their Own.

[funkster]

Another walk and K for Javy in game two.

[willis]

Javey isn't ready, Bryant on the other hand is already better than a Trout/Cabrera hybrid clone birthed from the vagina of the woman that Gina Davis played in A League of Their Own.

 

pit:

 

I think Bryant could be called up right now and be just fine. And it would push Valbuena to 2nd, giving the infied quite a bit of pop all the way around. Buuuuut, we probably won't see it before September at the earliest unfortunately. And realistically, probably not then (especially if Iowa keeps winning like this).

 

Baez I agree, I think that at his age, as much as I (we) wanted to see him this year, a whole year at AAA will do him well for the future. You can see signs here and there that he is inching closer to the hitter we were hoping to see. I think next spring we are going to see an amazing player.

[Kid]

 

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="vitaminB" data-cid="223515" data-time="1404255812">
<div>
Javey isn't ready, Bryant on the other hand is already better than a Trout/Cabrera hybrid clone birthed from the vagina of the woman that Gina Davis played in A League of Their Own.

 

pit:

 

I think Bryant could be called up right now and be just fine. And it would push Valbuena to 2nd, giving the infied quite a bit of pop all the way around. Buuuuut, we probably won't see it before September at the earliest unfortunately. And realistically, probably not then (especially if Iowa keeps winning like this).

 

Baez I agree, I think that at his age, as much as I (we) wanted to see him this year, a whole year at AAA will do him well for the future. You can see signs here and there that he is inching closer to the hitter we were hoping to see. I think next spring we are going to see an amazing player.

 

</div>
</blockquote>
 

Iowa's record will have nothing to do with whether Bryant gets called up (with the limited exception that if they were going to call him up in September, they might delay that by a week or 2 to let him stay in Iowa through the playoffs, if Iowa makes the playoffs).  But Iowa's performance will have nothing to do with whether he gets called up at all. He's not getting called up for the simple reason that they don't want him to be FA eligible until after 2021.

[Coldneck]

 

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="willis" data-cid="223557" data-time="1404320568">
<div>
 

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="vitaminB" data-cid="223515" data-time="1404255812">
<div>
Javey isn't ready, Bryant on the other hand is already better than a Trout/Cabrera hybrid clone birthed from the vagina of the woman that Gina Davis played in A League of Their Own.

 

pit:

 

I think Bryant could be called up right now and be just fine. And it would push Valbuena to 2nd, giving the infied quite a bit of pop all the way around. Buuuuut, we probably won't see it before September at the earliest unfortunately. And realistically, probably not then (especially if Iowa keeps winning like this).

 

Baez I agree, I think that at his age, as much as I (we) wanted to see him this year, a whole year at AAA will do him well for the future. You can see signs here and there that he is inching closer to the hitter we were hoping to see. I think next spring we are going to see an amazing player.

 

</div>
</blockquote>
 

Iowa's record will have nothing to do with whether Bryant gets called up (with the limited exception that if they were going to call him up in September, they might delay that by a week or 2 to let him stay in Iowa through the playoffs, if Iowa makes the playoffs).  But Iowa's performance will have nothing to do with whether he gets called up at all. He's not getting called up for the simple reason that they don't want him to be FA eligible until after 2021.

 

</div>
</blockquote>
What Kid said. 

[Kid]

Also, you may think we will see an amazing spring by Baez, but I expect he will probably get a little more time in Iowa no matter what.  I think Baez could have done enough to get called up at some point this year (after the Super Two deadline anyways).  And there's still time for him to get there, though he's running out with less than 2 months left in the minor league season.

 

If he doesn't make the big league team this season, I don't see any way he breaks camp with the team next spring.  It's pretty pointless to lose an entire year of free agency just to have a player available in April when you can call him up in May and not lose that year.

 

My guess is that the over/under on calling up both Baez and Bryant is June 1, 2015.

[vitaminB]

Also, you may think we will see an amazing spring by Baez, but I expect he will probably get a little more time in Iowa no matter what.  I think Baez could have done enough to get called up at some point this year (after the Super Two deadline anyways).  And there's still time for him to get there, though he's running out with less than 2 months left in the minor league season.

 

If he doesn't make the big league team this season, I don't see any way he breaks camp with the team next spring.  It's pretty pointless to lose an entire year of free agency just to have a player available in April when you can call him up in May and not lose that year.

 

My guess is that the over/under on calling up both Baez and Bryant is June 1, 2015.

Yeah, Ace echos your opinion over at BN.  I think they'll both come up together at the end of May, so give me the under, but just barely.

[willis]

I actually agree about the FA elilgibility/clock being the number one factor in regards to Bryant and a call up. Just looking at the PCL standings and how well Iowa is playing, I expect there to be some playoffs for them (and hopefully so, good experience for them all). In the case that there was even a thought of a September call up, that may play a factor in timing. But I don't think it'll happen, regardless of his performance.

 

As far as Baez, I think he'd have to blow the doors off of Spring Training to gain a spot and your time table is most likely pretty close to what we'll see with he and Bryant. It'll be frustrating for fans because I expect them both to be two of the best players in camp come ST, and people will want them the break camp so that the cubs go into the season with the best roster.

[jstraw]

My gut tells me the FO would like a reason to bring them up together so as not to have Bryant blow past Baez and so that neither of them has to bear the entirety of the media spotlight alone.