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How the Chicago Cubs Can Find Young Arms to Match Their Bats

March 18, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

With the 2013 season set to kick off in a couple weeks, the Chicago Cubs are likely in for another long season as they continue to rebuild the franchise from the ground up.The team has already begun to stockpile some high-end talent, and enters the season with the No. 13-ranked minor league system, according to the Baseball America Prospect Handbook.However, that ranking is due in large part to their top three prospects—a trio of hitters who has the potential to be perennial All-Stars in shortstop Javier Baez and outfielders Albert Almora and Jorge Soler.Center fielder Brett Jackson, first baseman Dan ...

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs’ Winners and Losers Halfway Through Spring Training

March 15, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

Spring training is a time when young up-and-comers can get their first taste of the big leagues; when free agent minor leaguers can earn a contract with a new team; when veterans can re-establish or bring new life to their careers. It is a time when organizations can test the development of some of their prospects; when the most developed of these prospects can rip a roster spot from the hands of a journeyman veteran; a time when free agents can begin to make their mark on their new club. Spring training is a time of endless possibilities and the ...

Power Ranking the Cubs’ Prospects Based on Spring-Training Performances

March 11, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

Let the speculation end and the season begin.  Now!  With only a few weeks left in spring training, we analyze who is ready for a shot at the big time, while others show that they still have some work to do.  Here we rank the top 10 Cubs prospects based on their spring training experience.  Begin Slideshow

Chicago Cubs Spring Training 2013: Day by Day Updates, Scores, News and Analysis

March 9, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

Times are changing in Chicago, and for the better. The Cubs are going through the rigors of a rebuilding process that started last year when Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer were brought on board to give the front office a makeover. In their first year with the team, Epstein and Hoyer made a point to blow as much of the ship up to start over. They did make some smart moves with the big league team—giving Starlin Castro a team-friendly, seven-year extension, for example—but the farm system was the main focus. That new, young talent has been on display this spring, as ...

Chicago Cubs: Cubs’ Spring Training News Roundup

March 7, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

Lost in the sports soap operas that are the Los Angeles Lakers, the Blackhawks’ historic point streak and Gareth Bale continuing to take the footballing world by storm, is news from MLB Spring Training. But any baseball news that could be reported out of Cubs camp has been buried beneath Teixeira’s wrist, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's version of Murderer’s Row and the updates of Stephen Strasburg’s elbow, which are so frequent that it should have its own Twitter account. Here are a few stories you may, or may not, have missed.Begin Slideshow

Chicago Cubs Spring Training Stock Watch: Which Players Are on Fire, Slumping?

March 7, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

After posting their worst regular season record since 1966, the Chicago Cubs continued their rebuild during the offseason.The acquisitions of Edwin Jackson, Scott Baker, Nate Schierholtz, Scott Hairston, Kyuji Fujikawa, Scott Feldman, and Carlos Villanueva will help the Cubs in that rebuild, but they're still largely expected to finish last in the NL Central Division in 2013.All of the above acquisitions, along with the continued development of several key prospects, should help the Cubs see improvement over last year's finish, however.There have already been some encouraging signs thus far during spring training. There have also been some disappointing results as ...

Chicago Cubs Prospects: Amid Historic Drought, Cubs Look to the Future

March 7, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

At the beginning of every MLB season, the ultimate goal of every team is to win the World Series. As for the Chicago Cubs, it could be argued that the next few years will simply serve as a development period for their young and promising prospects. The Cubs currently have an abundance of young talent in their farm system and are poised to be serious title contenders within a few years. That alone has Cubs fans salivating at the possibility of division titles, pennants and a brighter future as a whole. With Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein at the ...

Best, Worst-Case Developmental Projections for Top Cubs Prospect Jorge Soler

March 5, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

While the on-field product and overall result may be uninspiring for the next several years, the future is undeniably bright for the Chicago Cubs. Headed into the 2013 season, the organization houses three top-50 prospects in Javier Baez, Albert Almora and Jorge Soler. Even though Baez and Almora—the Cubs’ first-round draft picks in 2011 and 2012, respectively—are in the early stages of their promising careers, both players have been relatively known commodities for several years due to their prior status as high-level amateur prospects. Soler, on the other hand, leaves more to the imagination. Signed to a nine-year, $30 million ...

Chicago Cubs: Matt Garza Injury Hurts the Cubs Twofold

March 4, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

The Cubs’ plans for 2013 took a major hit when it was announced that Matt Garza will be out until May with a strained lat muscle. Not only was Garza counted on to be an integral piece of their early rotation, but he's also important for their future plans. It has been speculated and debated about what Matt Garza’s future holds with the Cubs.  However, the majority of Cubs observers believed he would be dealt sometime before the deadline. Disappointingly, those plans have taken a major hit. Matt Garza was predicted by many—myself included—to be the Cubs' No. 2 starter ...

Chicago Cubs Team Health Report: 2013 Injury Risk for Every Starter

March 4, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

Will Carroll has produced an annual Team Health Report for each MLB team for 12 years. The report gives risk ratings for every player in the expected starting lineup and starting rotation, plus two relievers. A proprietary formula sets a baseline according to a player's age and position. It is adjusted by 12 factors, including injury history, team history and expected workload.This risk rating is classified into three tiers—red (high risk), yellow (medium risk) and green (lower risk). It should be used as a guideline and is about probability, not prediction. To learn more about how the Team Health Reports ...

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