The Javier Baez Discussion Thread

Jntg4

Fire Forum Moderator
Donator
Joined:
Apr 26, 2010
Posts:
26,017
Liked Posts:
3,297
Location:
Minnesota
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago White Sox
  2. Chicago Cubs
  1. Chicago Fire
  1. Chicago Bulls
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Chicago Blackhawks
  1. Chicago State Cougars
  2. DePaul Blue Demons
  3. Illinois-Chicago Flames
  4. Loyola Ramblers
  5. Northern Illinois Huskies
  6. Northwestern Wildcats
2004_WorldSeries_Trophy.jpg
 

Parade_Rain

CCS Donator
Donator
Joined:
Aug 23, 2012
Posts:
9,995
Liked Posts:
3,624
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Cubs
  1. Chicago Bulls
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Illinois Fighting Illini
You guys, wtf is with your comprehension? I never suggested that you follow me around. WTF? :dunno: You asked what a thankbanger was, after the term was used in reference to a post about fish, and I answered it for you. Now you're putting words in my mouth and threatening me with thankbangery. No wonder I get frustrated with some of you fuckin people!

I swear, the collective IQ around here will be less than Baez's batting average! As far as I'm concerned, you're fuckin lucky I'm here to bring up the average!

shopping

Your meathead schtick works in the Bears forum better than it does here.
 

ZAN

New member
Joined:
Apr 18, 2010
Posts:
1,286
Liked Posts:
357
His BABIP will be above league average, and his contact rate will be below league average. I say that normalizes him a little bit. .270 hitter.
 

SilenceS

Moderator
Staff member
Donator
Joined:
Apr 16, 2013
Posts:
21,825
Liked Posts:
9,034
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-javier-baez-cubs-debut-20140805-story.html

Welp...Baez is batting 2nd and playing 2B. So, I was off about batting him 5th. However, the people who continually made the claim that he would be playing 3B for the Cubs should open up their mouths and shove a crow in the pie hole.

Kris Bryant showing he could play third and Baez preferring to play 2nd changed that. I said he wouldnt play short for the Cubs and he would have to move. But, ill eat a little crow for him not being at third. Also, I thought he would hit 2nd in this lineup. They want to protect him and batting him 5th wont do that.
 

SilenceS

Moderator
Staff member
Donator
Joined:
Apr 16, 2013
Posts:
21,825
Liked Posts:
9,034
Javier Baez brings hope -- and urgency

Javier Baez was my eighth-ranked prospect in the minors before his call-up, a move precipitated by a nearly two-month run of improved results for the talented shortstop -- .309/.376/.619 since ending a five-game hitless streak June 15, with higher walk and contact rates than he showed in April and May. Baez has initially struggled with every promotion in his pro career so far, but also makes adjustments after a fallow period at each new level, so promoting him to the majors now might allow him to be more productive next year if the pattern holds and he scuffles out of the chute in Chicago.

Baez has enormous power, the kind you get from having lightning-quick wrists and strong forearms, which he's shown major league audiences in flashes such as this year's Futures Game (where he hit an opposite-field homer off Lucas Giolito) and in spring training stints with the Cubs. He's a natural shortstop but may end up moving to second or third base, with the arm for the latter and enough quickness for the former. He had another full season before he had to go on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, but the Cubs chose to bring him up now -- in the hopes it'll better prepare him for next year -- rather than wait until next April, which might have pushed off free agency by a year.

With the first of the Cubs' quartet of elite hitting prospects arriving, and two more not far behind, the urgency for the front office to acquire starting pitching just increased significantly.

Baez's promotion means more, however, than merely the infusion of talent. It brings us closer to Cubs Judgment Day, when all of these prospects reach Wrigley Field and the front office has to find places for them to play in a sort of peculiar game of prospect musical chairs. The obvious solution is to trade one or more of them for pitching, but I can see Jed Hoyer et al disliking the idea of trading any of these potential superstars, especially Baez, Kris Bryant or Addison Russell. Starlin Castro's bounce-back this year to the level he showed in 2012 at age 22 should restore some trade value, and with a team-friendly contract ($41 million guaranteed through 2019) and passable defense at shortstop, there ought to be a number of teams interested in obtaining him for pitching, the Mets foremost among them.

If Castro goes, the Cubs still have more prospects than open positions at the major league level, assuming Anthony Rizzo is locked in at first base (as he should be; if we can't have the Joey Votto we want, Rizzo may very well be the Joey Votto we need). Baez, Russell and Arismendy Alcantara all can play short. Bryant plays third, but Baez could play there, too, while both Baez and Alcantara also could handle second. If Bryant moves off third, the longtime assumption has been that he would move to right field, but that's Jorge Soler's ideal position ... and if Soler moves to left, he might block Billy McKinney, the "other" guy in the Jeff Samardzija trade, who's hitting .310/.400/.460 in 105 plate appearances since the deal; or Kyle Schwarber, the Cubs' first pick this year, if Schwarber doesn't work out behind the plate. Alcantara has played some center since reaching the majors, but that's Albert Almora's best position, although Almora has struggled at the plate all season.

Soler might be the next call-up, because he's the only one of all of the remaining prospects I mentioned here who's already on the 40-man roster, the result of the major league deal he signed in the spring of 2012. (Although the Cubs have used three of Soler's options, he'll qualify for a fourth option next year because he has fewer than five full seasons in pro ball.) Soler's issue isn't lack of ability, but lack of reps: In more than 24 months since his pro debut, he's had fewer than 600 regular-season plate appearances, and has just 118 above A-ball. If he continues torching Triple-A, however, I'd call him up when Iowa's season ends in early September. Bryant may be more advanced right now, but he's not on the 40-man, and adding him prematurely and giving him major league time creates some added risks should he get hurt this September or in spring training next year.

With the first of the Cubs' quartet of elite hitting prospects arriving, and two more not far behind, the urgency for the front office to acquire starting pitching just increased significantly.

The possible 2015 rotation right now is comprised of Jake Arrieta, Travis Wood, Edwin Jackson and some fifth-starter types -- not enough to boost the team into contention -- and their best starting pitching prospects likely won't be ready for at least two more years. They may have more luck acquiring pitching for Castro or Alcantara than for prospects, given the trend during this year's trade deadline buildup, in which we saw major leaguers moved rather than minor leaguers in the bulk of the biggest deals.

That same urgency, combined with a lack of major financial commitments on the current roster, should lead the Cubs to be more aggressive in free agency, too. Most of the best starters on the market this winter -- and there aren't many premium ones available -- will receive a qualifying offer, so signing them as free agents would mean the loss of a pick, which for the Cubs would mean their second-rounder, a small disincentive at most. There is one premium pitcher heading for the market who can't receive a qualifying offer, however, and the Cubs' brass are already very familiar with him: Jon Lester.

Adding Lester to their rotation could net the Cubs four to five extra wins over what they would have in-house for that rotation spot, a little less relative to 2013 because some of those starts went to Jason Hammel. It's one option of several, but makes a lot of sense given the front office's connections to Lester and its desire to retain as many draft picks as it can.


http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/keith-law/post?id=2699
 

Bear Pride

Bears Gonna Shock the World!
Joined:
Aug 28, 2012
Posts:
10,616
Liked Posts:
3,093
Your meathead schtick works in the Bears forum better than it does here.

Yet, you're not Man enough to admit you were wrong. You flat out accused me of saying that you follow me around, when in fact, I innocently answered your question and you misunderstood what I said. You can't even acknowledge that!

So, Fuck You. I don't give a fuck what you think my schtick is! When you're Man enough to admit you were wrong, you can say something to me again. Until then, Fuck off!
 

SilenceS

Moderator
Staff member
Donator
Joined:
Apr 16, 2013
Posts:
21,825
Liked Posts:
9,034
Lol I would check out mud n cleats. KB is going cray over there. The voices wont let him keep up anymore.
 

JP Hochbaum

Well-known member
Joined:
May 22, 2012
Posts:
2,040
Liked Posts:
1,279
I still don't see why writers think we should trade for anything, other than more prospects to replenish our system once everyone is up here. There will be a point where our payroll will balloon to 150 million, and we could fill any hole we have via free agency in the MLB and free agency in the international market.

So lets say Castro does become the odd man out when he is 27. Why trade for a pitcher, when we could trade him for prospects that can replace the pitching we bought, or replace other positions where players start to decline. I would like to see this influx repeat forever :).
 

chibears55

Well-known member
Joined:
Apr 18, 2013
Posts:
13,554
Liked Posts:
1,915
Also, look at Miguel Cabreras stats at the ages Baez was. They are similar except Cabrera AVG went off in AA but in only 200 and something at bats. This isnt comparing. These are just two guys that have high ceilings and showing why overall lines in minors dont mean a ton. I am not sayin Baez is the next Cabrera, but I am saying he is the next Albert Pujols! :troll:
Hmmmm. Almost like comparing Hendricks to Maddux :p
 

Top