2015 Spring Training Thread

[brett05]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQyUhiV_Fdw


[video=youtube;cQyUhiV_Fdw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQyUhiV_Fdw[/video]

 

[brett05]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UviYAwRib8Y
[video=youtube;UviYAwRib8Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UviYAwRib8Y[/video]

 

[Bear Pride]

Bear Pride needs a vacation

Just from you. :yep:

 

[Bear Pride]

And for those of you who would like to get to know Mallee more, I will provide a much better link than Beer Pride. You can see his philosophy, see players he has worked with, products he sells, etc.

http://www.johnmallee.com/

Uh, I just copied and pasted his name off the Cubs coaching staff page. It's a generic link you fool, but go ahead and make yourself feel better by thinking you out did me some how. :lol:

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/team/coaches.jsp?c_id=chc

 

[Parade_Rain]

Uh, I just copied and pasted his name off the Cubs coaching staff page. It's a generic link you fool, but go ahead and make yourself feel better by thinking you out did me some how. :lol:

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/team/coaches.jsp?c_id=chc

No crap, Sherlock.

 

[Bear Pride]

No crap, Sherlock.

Hey, keep me out of it, you're the one patting yourself on the back for "out linking" me. WTF is that? :dunno:

 

[SilenceS]

Rangers cant get a break. Profar out for season shoulder surgery. He has missed the last two seasons which is going to hurt his development tremendously

 

[SilenceS]

Reading Alcantara is going to play all over the place like we figured. The cubs told him he will be playing the OF and second base and some third. I think LaStella may just be our opening day third baseman. He said he is very comfortable there now. He said at first it was awkward, but the Cubs gave him months notice so he was able to get a lot of work in. So, to me, that says the Cubs plan on him being a place holder then figure it out. I still think the Cubs are hoping to open the year with Baez at second, but are covering all bases in case they have to send him down.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Reading Alcantara is going to play all over the place like we figured. The cubs told him he will be playing the OF and second base and some third. I think LaStella may just be our opening day third baseman. He said he is very comfortable there now. He said at first it was awkward, but the Cubs gave him months notice so he was able to get a lot of work in. So, to me, that says the Cubs plan on him being a place holder then figure it out. I still think the Cubs are hoping to open the year with Baez at second, but are covering all bases in case they have to send him down.

it still could be Olt at 3B to start the year, I think it's all going to depend on what they think he looks like at the plate. With Olt basically as the only backup to Rizzo at 1B he's likely to make the team either way.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Reading Alcantara is going to play all over the place like we figured. The cubs told him he will be playing the OF and second base and some third. I think LaStella may just be our opening day third baseman. He said he is very comfortable there now. He said at first it was awkward, but the Cubs gave him months notice so he was able to get a lot of work in. So, to me, that says the Cubs plan on him being a place holder then figure it out. I still think the Cubs are hoping to open the year with Baez at second, but are covering all bases in case they have to send him down.

You could be a real dreamboat and share where you are reading this. Thanks. :tongue:

NVM. I found it on ESPN blog.

 

[SilenceS]

You could be a real dreamboat and share where you are reading this. Thanks. :tongue:

NVM. I found it on ESPN blog.

I actually read it on CBS. I just found it interesting that they told Alcantara he will play all over like super sub I have always dreamed about. Also, giving LaStella a heads up to get comfortable at third was tellling to me. Im not an Olt believer. When we were talking about trading Garza the year before he was traded. I was so against it because Olt was the centerpiece and I have never cared for him. He was an advanced age that had huge flaws. Not just metrics, but with the eye test as well. I think he can stick in the majors just because of his power and glove work but I never saw starter.

 

[SilenceS]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UviYAwRib8Y
[video=youtube;UviYAwRib8Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UviYAwRib8Y[/video]

Awesome Brett! I know you are not a Cubs fan but that just got pumped the hell up. They are coming. Whether haters want to believe it or not. May not be this year, but its not to far away. Lets GOOOOOOO!!!!

 

[Parade_Rain]

I actually read it on CBS. I just found it interesting that they told Alcantara he will play all over like super sub I have always dreamed about. Also, giving LaStella a heads up to get comfortable at third was tellling to me. Im not an Olt believer. When we were talking about trading Garza the year before he was traded. I was so against it because Olt was the centerpiece and I have never cared for him. He was an advanced age that had huge flaws. Not just metrics, but with the eye test as well. I think he can stick in the majors just because of his power and glove work but I never saw starter.

I was not a believer in Olt due to mechanical flaws and would agree that he could possibly stick as a backup. Not a starter, imho.

 

[brett05]

I was not a believer in Olt due to mechanical flaws and would agree that he could possibly stick as a backup. Not a starter, imho.

I was never a believer in Mark Prior. Knew he was mentally fragile

 

[CSF77]

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/28906/mlbpa-watching-kris-bryant-from-afar

 

[CSF77]

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/stor...rdinals-miss-opening-day-due-abdominal-strain

 

[SilenceS]

I was never a believer in Mark Prior. Knew he was mentally fragile

I think the same about sale and his frame


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[beckdawg]

I was not a believer in Olt due to mechanical flaws and would agree that he could possibly stick as a backup. Not a starter, imho.

League average 3B last season was .258/.318/.396 with roughly 16 HRs over 650 PAs. UZR/150 had Olt last season at a -8.8 though it was only 395.1 innings and defensively he's supposed to be better than average scouting wise. If we assume he's at least average defensively and that he is a .220 hitter in time his 10% walk rate probably makes him something like a .220/.320 hitter and clearly he has 20-25 HR power. Given that, I wouldn't sell him short on being a starter. It might not be with the cubs but in time he can probably be a starter for a team not necessarily in the hunt.

I'd also make the comment that he hit .263/.370/.368 upon being recalled from AAA. It was only over 46 PAs and you typically want 100 as a barre minimum before drawing conclusions. While it's clearly a super small sample, I point it out because he went down to AAA and made a change to his swing focusing more on contact and less on power. He's on record as having said when he went down he didn't care if he went 0 for 50(something like that not exact quote) but he knew he need to make changes.

Long story short, I wouldn't write him off just yet. With an interesting spring he could leave the cubs with a choice to make. If he plays well to start the season at 3rd they have even less reason to call up Bryant early unless they want to throw Olt or Bryant to LF.

 

[brett05]

I think the same about sale and his frame


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think you missed my sarcasm

 

[CSF77]

League average 3B last season was .258/.318/.396 with roughly 16 HRs over 650 PAs. UZR/150 had Olt last season at a -8.8 though it was only 395.1 innings and defensively he's supposed to be better than average scouting wise. If we assume he's at least average defensively and that he is a .220 hitter in time his 10% walk rate probably makes him something like a .220/.320 hitter and clearly he has 20-25 HR power. Given that, I wouldn't sell him short on being a starter. It might not be with the cubs but in time he can probably be a starter for a team not necessarily in the hunt.

I'd also make the comment that he hit .263/.370/.368 upon being recalled from AAA. It was only over 46 PAs and you typically want 100 as a barre minimum before drawing conclusions. While it's clearly a super small sample, I point it out because he went down to AAA and made a change to his swing focusing more on contact and less on power. He's on record as having said when he went down he didn't care if he went 0 for 50(something like that not exact quote) but he knew he need to make changes.

Long story short, I wouldn't write him off just yet. With an interesting spring he could leave the cubs with a choice to make. If he plays well to start the season at 3rd they have even less reason to call up Bryant early unless they want to throw Olt or Bryant to LF.

If they didn't have Bryant close I would be fine with giving 3B to Olt. I place little value into any numbers on a player until they have 1000 MLB AB's to work with. There is too much adjustment/re-adjustment going on for the first few years to have a educated opinion. Just looking at Rizzo we all should know this to be fact.