I dont care what the title is. If there is a prospect discussion and one member is negative and has differing opinions than others its not a big deal.
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Nobody cares if somebody is critical of a prospect or analyzes things they need to work on, but the problem with everyone who's "negative" is that they're completely unrealistic and just rides the side of the fence saying, "None of these guys are going to work out. Theo sucks. Blah blah." It's fucking old. It's a tired schtick. I mean, if it were even the least bit funny, I wouldn't tire of it.
I understand that many, if not all of these prospects, won't turn into future Hall of Famers. Shit, they might not make an All-Star game. But the negative nancys need to have a more comprehensive understanding of some of these guys and their development. Almora, Bryant and Baez all have fairly high floors and project to be, at worst, average major leaguers with multiple above-average skills. And just because I know somebody is going to be a smart ass -- yes, I'm aware they might not be. They could all suffer a catastrophic injury and never play again. I keep saying it -- baseball is a game of averages. You can air on the side of caution, I'll continue to be optimistic.
I've said it dozens of times on here and unfortunately it falls on deaf ears -- I've very, very high on Baez, Almora and Bryant. I think all three of them will make at least one All-Star game in their careers, with Almora projecting to be a very solid, Bernie Williams-type guy with better defense for a long time. Bryant and Baez have superstar make-ups at premium positions (Once again, I'm not saying it's a guarantee, but both guys have elite skills. Generally speaking, those guys "make it," even if they don't turn into Hall of Famers, JD Drew comes to mind).
I think a guy like Alcantara is well-rounded enough to make an impact at a middle infield position. Vogelbach could turn into a Billy Butler-type player with no defensive position but an above-average stick and ample power. The Cubs are ripe with projectable position players, and for people who just want to be negative for the sake of being negative, it's just irritating. Do some research.
At the same time, I'm not nearly as high on Jorge Soler. There's something that scares me about the injury he suffered last year and I think he's a bit behind his projection curve offensively. He doesn't show proper discipline on breaking stuff and he tries to pull anything that isn't a fastball. There's also rumblings that his attitude sucks. He appears to be the kind of player that tries to get away with being a supreme athlete. Those guys generally either figure it out and become productive or flounder around from job to job. Out of everyone, he's the biggest risk -- and he's making the most money. It's a scary proposition.
The lack of top-tier pitching prospects across the board is a concern. CJ Edwards and Corey Black both have plus offerings, but ultimate project as relievers due to their gaunt frames. Pierce Johnson and Kyle Hendricks have both improved drastically but project to be #3's if they fully develop. Ramirez, Underwood, and Zastryzny all lack a reliable third pitch. Ramirez has injury concerns and Underwood and Zastryzny both have lower ceilings. It scares me that the Cubs may end up having to dump premium dollars in free agency to sure up their rotation, especially when it comes to frontline guys.
But yeah, I'm totally drinking the Vizcaino Kool-Aid. The guy throws absolute gas and has two plus pitches. He'll probably never be a starter, but he certainly has the stuff of a lock-down closer. And you know what? I'm totally fine with that. If he's able to slide into the bullpen alongside Strop and Veras, our bullpen could end up being one of the better groups in baseball.
Look, I can be critical! Woahhh!!!!
