Farm System

[rok]

Baez another 0-4 day with a SO and BB. Iowa scored 12 runs and he was only part of 1 of them. Villanueva also went 0-3 with 2 BB and 2 SO. Beeler was smacked around for 8 runs in 3 IP too. Somehow they won 12-11.


I'm officially concerned about both Baez and Beeler.

[CubbieBlues]

I, too, am a little worried about Baez, especially after seeing him live. I just hope he is going to start turning it around like last year. As for Beeler, I hadn't even thought about him until earlier today when I was looking at the MiLB calendar and saw he was pitching today.

[Auz]

It's only Beeler's 2nd start of the year. So I'm not too concerned with that ugly game from him, considering he had a great opener.

 

Baez I am officially concerned about. Maybe he needs to sit for a couple of games.

[willis]

Baez is concnerning no doubt, but I think we need to see May play out before really hitting the panic button. If by the end of the month, he is still performing poorly, then I think being nervous is valid. He's always had a shitty adjustment period and then taken off to do wildly awesome things. So far we've seen none of that (nor even a sniff of it) in Iowa. I think he'll get there, just too much talent not to in my opinion. But, every day that passes, concerns grow deeper.

 

Bryant on the other hand...he's pee pee worthy. Soler is getting there too. Soler's injury issues have made many of us forget just how awesome he is at baseball. So far so good in Tennessee and if he can manage to stay healthy...look out.

 

The pitching has ben meh so far. And seeing that the top two trade pieces up top are arguably the best two rotation arms...that's more concerning to me than Baez' struggles. This organization needs to see someone take the opportunity and run with it. I just don't know who at this point is that arm. Tseng has a high ceiling, but he's so young and far away. Hopefully with any trades that are made and in the first round of the draft, the Cubs can get a hold of some electric arms.

[Luke]

The walk rate is trending up on Baez, and it looks to me like he is taking more good at bats than wildly flailing at bats lately (although that is extremely subjective).  It looks to me like he is adjusting, but whether this is THE adjustment that turns him into a record destroying monster remains to be seen.  I'm not worried yet, but I'm drifting in that direction. 

[Runnys]

I hate to be the voice of reason here, because I'm usually not, however, can we please remember that Baez does not even turn 22 until December of this year.  The kid has rocketed through the system, even if he spends the entire year at AAA, let's not write him off.  I haven't checked, but he has to be one of the youngest players in AAA right now.

[willis]

I hate to be the voice of reason here, because I'm usually not, however, can we please remember that Baez does not even turn 22 until December of this year.  The kid has rocketed through the system, even if he spends the entire year at AAA, let's not write him off.  I haven't checked, but he has to be one of the youngest players in AAA right now.

 

I actually think he is the youngest. We've seen this story before at every level he's been, and then he turns into super human awesome. With him not hitting yet, it's causing concern. But yeah, at his age, it may take him a little longer to adjust to the pitchers in AAA than previous leagues. I'm thinking by the end of May he'll be around 175 ABs, I'm thinking by then he will have turned it around some.

[Coldneck]

One thing is for certain, if Baez becomes successful he's going to learn how to fight his way out of a slump, which is actually somewhat useful. Not to mention that I'm sure he's learned some humility in this process. These early season struggles might be a blessing in disguise.

[Andy]

Baez is only 21 (birthday is Dec 1, 1992).  He's nearly 6 years younger than the average AAA'er.  While his K percentage is a little worrying, he's never had to really work on it up to this point.  It will be up to him and his coaches to work things out.  The Cubs stuck a ton of money into the minor league system to be able to make these adjustments in the players.  We'll see if the instructional quality is there.

[hansman]

Baez is only 21 (birthday is Dec 1, 1992).  He's nearly 6 years younger than the average AAA'er.  While his K percentage is a little worrying, he's never had to really work on it up to this point.  It will be up to him and his coaches to work things out.  The Cubs stuck a ton of money into the minor league system to be able to make these adjustments in the players.  We'll see if the instructional quality is there.

 

This is an important thing to remember.  He probably is about 3 years too young for an average prospect in AAA.  While he will never be an even-BB/K guy in the majors and his power should make up for quite a few strikeouts.

 

 

One thing is for certain, if Baez becomes successful he's going to learn how to fight his way out of a slump, which is actually somewhat useful. Not to mention that I'm sure he's learned some humility in this process. These early season struggles might be a blessing in disguise.

 

What I don't get is he was humbled last year, made adjustments and then raked in AA.  Granted when I was 21 I did (and I still do) plenty of bone-headed things over and over and over.

 

Right now I believe that Bryant and Baez will get the call to the bigs at the same time.  If the FO is convinced that Baez will struggle when he starts out having Bryant around could take some of the pressure and attention off a slow start.

[Coldneck]

Or it could magnify the pressure if Bryant comes up and succeeds while Baez fails miserably. 

 


 

[jstraw]

Baez won't come up till he's maxed out AAA and Bryant won't be left in Iowa waiting for Baez to catch up to him. I see little evidence right now that their call-ups will sync.

[hansman]

 

Or it could magnify the pressure if Bryant comes up and succeeds while Baez fails miserably. 

 

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Baez won't come up till he's maxed out AAA and Bryant won't be left in Iowa waiting for Baez to catch up to him. I see little evidence right now that their call-ups will sync.

 

FINE THEN...MY IDEA WAS DUMB AND I'M DUMB AND I SHOULD JUST FUCKING DIE.... (runs away sobbing hysterically like a school girl)

 

Maybe they'll promote Bryant to AAA until the end of June.  By then Baez should be raking and then they will be past Super-Two (not something to hold them back for just to hold them back until then but I think they would both be ready by then to get a decent taste of MLB time) as an added bonus.

[Coldneck]

At this point, I'm just hoping Baez recovers and finishes his AAA season positively. I've given up hope that we'll see him at Wrigley in 2014, which means I'm hopeful he arrives in summer 2015 at the tender age of 22. 

[hansman]

I won't get to that point unless it is June 10 and he is still sucking.  He did this same shit last year at A+, sucked for a month, had 2 weeks where he didn't hit for power but started walking and them BOOM GOES THE DY-NO-MITE!

 

He is a weird case, no one has ever had such issues with K/BB at AA and went on to have success in the bigs but no one has ever mashed AA at his age before and not had success in the bigs.

 

BTW, can I just say that I love this place.  Maybe it's just that I have lowered expectations coming from the BN comments section but reasonable discussion and there aren't half-a-dozen folks constantly cherping about the Ricketts being cheap or Theo throwing seasons or Jed sucking and that we need to promote McLeod to GM because he would be awesome.